Bungo Stray Dogs (commonly known as Bunsuto), a unique work in which real-life authors fight as characters, is a popular work serialized in Young Ace. The anime has aired up to season 3, and the fourth season is scheduled to air in 2023, which is a hot topic. In this article, I would like to look back on the second season and introduce the highlights of the "Dark Age" arc and the episodes that I personally recommend! Please be careful as there may be spoilers for those who have not seen it yet!
What is the Dark Age arc?
The original work is a work that was released as a novel version of "Bungo Stray Dogs". The story revolves around Dazai Osamu's past, and describes the reason why Dazai left the organization he belonged to before joining the Armed Detective Agency. The novel version episodes are often treated as OVAs or movies, but in this work, they were broadcast as episodes 13 to 16 at the beginning of the second season of the anime.
The Dark Era Part 1: The Disappearance of Sakaguchi Ango
Oda Sakunosuke (nicknamed Oda Saku), a friend of Dazai Osamu's from his time in the mafia and a member of the lowest rank whose motto is "not to kill people," and Sakaguchi Ango of the intelligence department. Dazai and these two were good enough friends to drink together. However, one day, an intelligence agent, Sakaguchi Ango, goes missing. Ordered by the boss, Mori Ogai, to search for Ango, Oda Saku tracks him down, but suspicions gradually begin to arise that Ango may be a spy sent by an organization called "Mimic." In reality, however, Ango is a double spy sent by a national agency to the Port Mafia. Various incidents then occur, including the intervention of the Special Task Division for Paranormal Activities, an attack on the museum by "Mimic," and a meeting between the Special Task Division and the Mafia.
The Dark Era Part 2: The Battle with Andre Gide
The one-on-one battle between Andre Gide, the leader of Mimic, and Saku Oda has begun. Both have the ability to foresee the future, and because they have the same ability, it was difficult to reach a conclusion, and they ended up killing each other. Then Dazai appears, shaking off the leader's pleas to stop. In the past, Dazai said that the reason he joined the mafia was that "I thought that if I was in the mafia, I would find some meaning in life." Just before he dies, Odasaku advises Dazai, "There is no meaning to what you seek here (in the mafia)," and "You might as well be on the side of saving people." Dazai realizes that Odasaku understood him better than anyone else, so he visits the head of the Special Ability Task Force and asks him to introduce him to a job saving people. After that, he goes underground to clean up his tainted past, and two years later, at age 20, Dazai joins the Armed Detective Agency.
Recommended Episode 1 Episode 21 "Two Blacks"
This is an episode where you can see Dazai Osamu and Nakahara Chuuya talking and fighting together. For those who like the old Soukoku duo, this story is a must-see. I think Dazai was saying "I don't have any motivation" from the morning because he was anticipating Chuuya's arrival. It's a very interesting episode, with the old Soukoku duo fighting together and Chuuya showing off his special ability called "pollution". And in any situation, Dazai's behavior of teasing Chuuya is impressive. At the end, there is a scene where he says, "Leave it to me, buddy," but leaves the sleeping Chuuya alone and goes home. This scene shows the interesting relationship between Dazai and Chuuya.
Recommended Episode 2 Episode 24 "If it's okay to put this burden down today"
This episode is a must-watch because the main character, Nakajima Atsushi, plays an active role. The scene where Atsushi and Ryunosuke Akutagawa team up to fight Fitzgerald, the head of the guild, is worth watching. I'm sure many people like the scene where these two fight together. The scene where Izumi Kyoka makes a suicide mission at "Moby Dick" is also worth watching. As a result, Kyoka passed the entrance exam and became a detective employee. By the way, this is also the episode where Fyodor Dostoevsky makes his first appearance.
Summary of highlights of Season 2
The second season seems to have more complex and difficult episodes than the first season. However, there are also fascinating episodes that delve deeper into the past of characters, such as the Dark Age. Other articles have introduced the third season, so please check it out! That's all for now. Thank you for reading.
