Bungo Stray Dogs

Episode 9

Bungo Stray Dogs' recent foray into a longer story arc is definitely a good thing, if only because it has resulted in a better balance of humor and action than we saw in earlier episodes. Of course, it also has been indulging in a bit of melodrama, but with the mostly toned-down humor and some answers about Dazai's past in the Port Mafia, that can be accepted, although not necessarily overlooked. The parallel between Atsushi and Kyouka remains far too reliant on the good ol' Sledgehammer of Symbolism, with Atsushi seeing rather more of himself in her than Kyouka's past actually warrants. To him, she's not the murderer of thirty-five people, she's an orphan who found herself thrown upon her own resources only to be taken in by people who took advantage of her, which appears to somehow equate to his own abandonment by the orphanage. (She was emotionally abandoned?) As Dazai took a chance on him, he wants to take a chance on her, which, while essentially written in neon letters so we can't possibly miss it, is still very sweet. That Kunikida thinks she's beyond saving doesn't really reach Atsushi, and that's actually fairly understandable – when the Port Mafia ambushes Atsushi halfway through the episode, Kunikida isn't exactly chomping at the bit to go save him. In Kunikida's estimation, worth must be proven, and neither Atsushi nor Kyouka have done that yet and remain victims of their own circumstances. This lack of enthusiasm (until Fukuzawa steps in) is a nice link to his real-life counterpart's classification as a Naturalist author – his inclination is to believe that your past determines your future, at least where these two are concerned…and possibly with Dazai as well. No one seems all that concerned that he still hasn't resurfaced, and if we go with the Naturalism theory for Kunikida's general feelings about people, the fact that Dazai is back with the Port Mafia wouldn't faze him at all.

Of course, Dazai's been kidnapped, which is a pretty significant difference from his first stint with the group. In fact, this week we learn that not only was he a member of the band, he was also in a high-ranking position and Akutagawa's superior. This at last begins to really explore the enmity Akutagawa has for the other man, and Dazai appears to delight in provoking him, even as he's chained to the wall. This is an interesting reversal of their real-life positions, where Dazai's own suicidal tendencies were brought on by Akutagawa's death, and I'm definitely curious to see how this will play out.

Kyouka Izumi is really the driving force of this episode for Atsushi, as she was last week and apparently will continue to be next week. The part where he takes her out on the town before (instead of?) bringing her to the police as Kunikida ordered are a strange mix of a tour of Yokohama and a sweet date, coming down more heavily on the side of the former, but Atsushi's willingness to do what it takes to make Kyouka happy is really quite charming. That she understands what he's doing and why is either sad or a warning that she may be using him, but later events make it seem much more like she's humoring him and taking the chance to enjoy herself before she atones for the sins she was made to commit. It's clear that she did not like doing what Akutagawa ordered her to do but that her fear of being abandoned was stronger than her moral outrage. This is really the more interesting parallel between Kyouka and Atsushi – the need for security and acceptance. Atsushi was simply lucky that it was Dazai and Kunikida he stumbled across; it's not difficult to imagine that had it been Akutagawa who had found him that he really would have been just like Kyouka, especially since Akutagawa is clearly not above taking advantage of someone's inability to really control their own gift.

Bungo Stray Dogs may be finally hitting its stride. Although I doubt that this story arc will take us to the end of the first cour, it is a marked improvement in terms of storytelling and character interplay (seeing Kunikida cower before Fukuzawa puts him in a different light), and while it still doesn't have the best pacing or flow, it is certainly easy to watch. Now that Dazai and Atsushi are both in the Port Mafia's clutches, things should heat up, especially with Atsushi so motivated by Kyouka's plight. Here's hoping the momentum can keep going next week and beyond.

Rating: B

Bungo Stray Dogs is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.