DMM's popular game "Bungo to Alchemist" is a reincarnation simulation game based on the literary master, popular with many users, especially women. With its beautiful character designs, beautiful graphics, and beautiful music, as well as literary elements scattered throughout, it's packed with appealing content. Recently announced as an anime adaptation, "Bungo to Alchemist" is gaining momentum! This article will introduce its specific appeal.
Bungo to Alchemist Appeal #1: Be Captivated by the Worldview
Bungo to Alchemist is set in a Japan with an alternate history. Suddenly, every literary work in existence is dyed black by an unknown entity. The culprit is an entity known as the "Invader." If things continue as they are, literature will disappear from people's memories. The player's alter-ego, the "Librarian," must use alchemy to "reincarnate" famous literary figures, known as "literary masters," and fight against the Invaders.
Taisho Romance x Steampunk!
The world of "BunAl" combines "Taisho Romance" and "steampunk." The librarian is an "alchemist" with the power of alchemy. In a quaint old-fashioned library, you'll reincarnate various literary masters and fight alongside them. The books they hold transform into weapons, and the weapons they wield vary depending on the literary genre they wrote in. (For example, blades for pure literature, guns for fairy tales and poetry, etc.)
Bun-Al's Charm #2: The Amazing Character Design
Bun-Al's character designs are of extremely high quality, with meticulous attention paid to the costumes and accessories. There are about 60 "literary figures" in total, ranging from cool to cute! Each character has a unique and powerful personality, so you're sure to find your favorite.
Check out the accessories!
For example, here's a character design for "Nakajima Atsushi." Nakajima Atsushi is famous for his work "Sangezuki," which features a tiger. That's why Nakajima Atsushi in "Bungo Stray Dogs" wears a tiger fur scarf around his neck. Incidentally, while he's usually calm, his personality changes when he goes into battle, and his tone becomes harsh.
Bun-Al's Appeal #3 ☆ The Literary Elements Are Fun
Bun-Al is peppered with literary elements. The stage names, such as "Run, Melos" and "The Restaurant of Many Orders," are all based on literary works. Literary elements are also found in even the most obscure places, like the librarian's office interior and the event stage! It's fun to explore them.
Event Stages Named After Literary Works
The goal is to "purify" corrupted literary works. In addition to regular stages, limited-time event stages focus on purifying a single work. Learn about stories related to that work and its literary masters.
Bun-Al's Appeal #4 ☆ You Can Learn About the Relationships Between the Authors
Bun-Al is a game aimed at women, but it doesn't have any romantic elements. While there are some elements involving librarians and authors, the main focus is on overseeing the relationships between the authors. Authors who gather at the library are reunited with various people. Sometimes they'll reunite with old friends or respected teachers, but it's not uncommon for them to run into enemies or people they've had arguments with and never see each other again.
Reunion with Friends
A conversation between Dazai Osamu and Oda Sakunosuke, two early Showa period literary figures active in the same "Buraiha" school. This is a "Recollection" event that occurs when the two form a faction and meet certain conditions.
An Unexpected Cold War
In the game, Ryunosuke Akutagawa and Tōson Shimazaki are portrayed as being at odds with each other. Historically, Akutagawa read Tōson's autobiographical novel "Shinsei" and called him a "hypocrite." Such cold wars sometimes break out between great literary figures.
Bun-Al's Charm #5 ☆ You Can Play with the Interior
One of the fun things about Bun-Al is that you can redecorate the librarian's room. You can purchase furniture and wallpaper with in-game currency from the "Interior" section of the game and customize it to your liking. Go for a completely Japanese-style look with tatami mats and sliding doors, or go for an elegant Rococo-style room. There are also many seasonal limited-edition interiors available, so be sure to check them out!
Some designs are a bit mysterious
Many of the interiors in "BunAl" are said to be strangely oriented. The "desk" category has a free-spirited feel, with hammocks, cypress bathtubs, and pools. In an attempt to maintain the librarian's room's originality, by collecting wallpaper, furniture, and other items from a single series, the librarian's room can turn into a spaceship, a hot spring, a Christmas market, or whatever, creating plenty of room for criticism.
BunAl's Charm #6 ☆ The Amazing Voice Actors
BunAl features a total of approximately 60 voice actors. All of them are popular with women. BunAl is known for its careful selection of voice actors, even taking into consideration the relationships between them when selecting characters. For example, Tomokazu Sugita and Yuichi Nakamura, known to be close friends in the voice acting world, play the roles of Ango Sakaguchi and Osamu Dazai, both members of the "Muraiha" faction. Dazai and Ango were known to have been close friends during their lifetimes, and after Dazai's suicide, Ango published a piece titled "Bunshounen to Christ" ("A Delinquent Boy and Christ"), which touched on Dazai's death.
Reading CDs are also now on sale
"BunAl" also has reading CDs available. These feature literary masters reciting their own works, and are known for their impressive productions. These luxurious CDs include one-of-a-kind recordings, such as "The Human Chair" recited by Edogawa Ranpo, played by Soma Saito, and "Spring and Ashura" recited by Kenji Miyazawa, played by Tsubasa Yonaga. There have also been several live readings featuring voice actors, popular with fans of games, voice actors, and literature.
BunAl's #7 Charm: Beautiful Music
BunAl's music is also known for its beautiful sound. The composer is Hideki Sakamoto, and everything from the opening theme to the various sounds is beautifully crafted. The soundtrack CD, as well as classical concerts, are popular. The music is also worth paying attention to.
Bun-Al's Charm #8 ☆ The Focus on Food Descriptions
Bun-Al features a system called the "Dining Hall." In order for the writers to fight, they must recover their stamina in the "Repair Room" and satisfy their hunger in the "Dining Hall." The dining hall offers rice dishes like katsudon (pork cutlet bowls), tempura soba, and curry rice, as well as desserts like castella cake, with the menu changing depending on the day and time of day. The food is depicted with great care and is so appetizing that it's even been called a "food-spoiler game." The cafeteria menu features many of the favorite foods of famous authors, and dining with specific groups of people can even reveal special memories. The winter-only menu includes castella, a favorite of Kitahara Hakushu; tempura soba (and cider), a favorite of Miyazawa Kenji; and monkfish hotpot (Ango nabe), a favorite of Sakaguchi Ango.
The Gohancho (rice book) is also popular!
BunAl puts a lot of effort into food, so much so that a book themed around it has even been released. The book is packed with content, including detailed explanations of the cafeteria's menu, recreated recipes, stories about famous authors, and even a tour of famous literary sites.
The Appeal of "Bungo and Alchemist"!
That concludes the appeal of "Bungo and Alchemist"! The meticulously crafted world, fascinating authors (characters), and stellar voice actors, plus the literary elements incorporated into the game, make it both fun and educational. It's sure to become even more popular once the anime begins. I'm curious to see how it will be portrayed in the anime. If you're interested in the "Bungo and Alchemist" game, be sure to download it. Thank you for reading this far.
