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Bungo Stray Dogs: Dead Apple Film to Screen in U.S., Canada in May

Crunchyroll announced on Friday that it will release the Bungo Stray Dogs: Dead Apple anime film in theaters in the United States and Canada as part of its Anime Movie Night series. Screenings are scheduled for May 2, 5, and 6.

All screenings will be accompanied by a message from voice actors Yūto Uemura (Atsushi Nakajima), Kenshō Ono (Ryuunosuke Akutagawa), and Kishō Taniyama (Chūya Nakahara).

Crunchyroll describes the story:

Six years has passed since the bloodbath known as the Dragon's Head Rush conflict.

Over 500 people with supernatural powers have been found dead -- presumably by suicide. The Armed Detective Agency is tasked with the mission to capture Shibusawa Tatsuhiko, the mysterious special ability user thought to be involved. But when Osamu Dazai disappears, the ”Demon” Fyodor begins showing his shadow.

Those with supernatural powers, known as Special ability users, are threatened by an onslaught of unprecedentedly powerful enemies, and the city of Yokohama begins falling into a terrifying nightmare.

Atsushi and Kyouka infiltrate Shibusawa's fortress, where they are met by Akutagawa, who delivers an unthinkable truth.

The film opened in Japan on March 3. It is inspiring a manga adaptation.

Takuya Igarashi returned from the television anime to direct the film at BONES. Yoji Enokido returned to write the film, in collaboration with original manga writer Kafka Asagiri. Nobuhiro Arai returned as character designer and chief animation director, Fumihiro Katagai was the mechanical designer, and Taku Iwasaki returned to compose the music.

The first television anime adaptation of Kafka Asagiri and Sango Harukawa's Bungo Stray Dogs manga aired in April-June 2016, and Crunchyroll streamed the series as it aired in Japan. The anime's second 12-episode series aired from October-December, and Crunchyroll again streamed the series as it aired. Funimation and Crunchyroll released the first series on home video with an English dub.

The "battle action" story centers around a league of literary figures with supernatural powers. For example, in real life, Ryūnosuke Akutagawa wrote acclaimed stories that inspired Akira Kurosawa's Rashōmon film and the Aoi Bungaku Series anime's Jigoku Hen (Hell Screen) arc. In Bungo Stray Dogs, he has the power to transform and manipulate his cloak into a monster-like entity. Together, some of these writers solve mysteries as part of the "Armed Detective Agency," while others appear as antagonists.

Yen Press published the fifth volume of the original manga in English in December.