Anime Review — Bungou Stray Dogs
The story revolves around an 18-year-old boy named Nakajima Atsushi, who has supernatural power (which they call “Special Ability” in anime).
For weeks, Atsushi Nakajima’s orphanage has been troubled by a mystical tiger that only he seems to be aware of. Suspected to be behind the strange incidents, He is abruptly kicked out of the orphanage and left hungry, homeless, and wandering through the city.
While starving on a riverbank, Atsushi saves a somewhat strange man named Osamu Dazai from drowning. A whimsical suicide maniac and supernatural detective, Dazai has been investigating the same tiger that has been terrorizing the boy. Together with Dazai’s partner Doppo Kunikida, they solve the mystery, but its resolution faints Atsushi from shock. After the revelation about the mystery behind the tiger. Atsushi joins the firm of supernatural investigators, taking on unusual cases.
As some may expect, the Armed Detective Agency also attracts enemies. This is where the Port Mafia comes in as they are introduced. Working from the shadows with mysterious origins, we also meet Ryunosuke Akutagawa and Nakahara Chuuya, mysterious members of Port Mafia, who seem to have a history with Dazai. Other members introduced in the mafia also show their ruthlessness and lack of care for human life, such as terrorist bomber Momojiro Kaji. The point is that the show makes them the main antagonists for the first cour, an antithesis to what Atsushi believes in.
The story creates a lot of excitement around the characters. The more you dive deeper into the anime, the greater the curiosity to learn about the characters’ history.
The guy that piques my interest the most is Osamu Dazai, who seems to be the mastermind behind most of the cases. He is full of mystery and comedy. For a time, I literally thought that Dazai is the main protagonist because he has got more attention in the whole anime than Atsushi. Why so?
- He hasn’t got that much of a scene in anime, not at all that an MC should have. He seems to be less important than Dazai in the whole anime.
- Atsushi’s power isn’t all that great at first. Comparing his power to Akutagawa or Kunikida, their abilities seem more appealing.
- Be it the troublesome past or the uncertain future ahead, Dazai is the one involved and the one who eventually connects the dots. His weird character (hobby suicidal maniac) plus his ability to deal with every party involved (good or bad in alignment) make him unique. His position as an outsider looking in gives him this vibe of mystery that the MC is just completely lacking.
And that’s the problem I guess many of the viewers have faced.
The animation of Bungou Stray Dogs was well executed, which implemented some great action scenes: fast and fluid, with consistent design. As for the art style, it was remarkable with amusing character designs. Although using a similar template as other anime, it is distinguishable on its own, more akin to the likes of Durarara.
Concerning the sound used, it was a whole well implemented and executed with befitting voice actors. In some cases, it could feel off. In some cases, some transitions of suspense to comedy, and also the protagonist. The soundtrack uses various tunes, jazz included, which is a nice touch to the generic notes viewers are used to.
An exciting feature of the show’s cast is that each character’s name serves as some reference to a renowned author or poet with most of the references stemming from modern Japanese literature. This relationship between author and character is an ongoing element within the show.
Overall, its a good anime that is worth your time. Characters are unique. The music is good. And the fights are amazing! So you should give it a try. If you’re a fan of supernatural mystery, it’ll be an exceptional treat.
