Bungo Stray Dogs 2

Bungou Sleigh Bells returns just in time for the holidays. And just like that, I’m already out of holiday puns. To be honest, following Bambi Stray Dogs throughout the season was a surprisingly difficult task. Not just because of the weird and scattered narrative, but also because Crunchyroll changed its release schedule at least thirty-five times, just like the number of people Kyouka killed. So, my recollection of this series, which I only finished watching about twelve minutes ago, is rather hazy. Looking back at the first cour from the spring, Stray Doggos was a decent time that seemed to have some sort of identity crisis. Ithad fun characters with crazy powers and an interesting concept with the main cast being a group of detectives rivaled against a mafia, but the story took some sharp turns in conflicting directions and was plagued by slapstick comedy about as appropriately-timed as someone’s ringtone of ACDC’s ‘Highway to Hell’ going off in the middle of their father-in-law’s funeral. Hey, I found it funny. Can’t say the same for the guy’s wife, though. Now, the question everyone wants to know: Does the second season improve on the first in this regard? Eh… Like the first season, Stray Puppers makes a strong first impression. It kicks off with a prequel focused on Dazai and has a more dark and consistent tone despite Dazai being the silliest character of the series. Yet, even this gets tiring after a couple episodes. For some reason, the arc stops focusing on Dazai, the fan-favorite of the series, and instead moves the spotlight to a guy who’s name I don’t know, because he wasn’t even in the first season. Who the hell’s this guy? Why should I care about him? He’s not particularly interesting beyond having one of the coolest powers of the series: a premonition-based power that activates when he’s about to die so that he can avoid it. The way Studio Bones visualizes it is entrancing. But the guy himself isn’t worth cheering for, because you know exactly how the arc is going to end. The point is that Dazai leaves the Port Mafia due to the events in this arc. A little clarification is nice to have for Dazai’s past, but did it need last a third of the cour? Imagine watching this on a binge. You clear twelve episodes in a day or two. You’re finally invested in the people in the Armed Detective Agency and are excited about seeing the story evolve. Then, without warning, the anime cuts to new characters loosely related to the overall narrative and focuses on them instead, without looking back at the past season or even reassuring you that they’ll be back. I’d imagine it’d be a little strange. Of course, after a few episodes the anime returns the spotlight to Sushi Guy, who got kicked out of thirty-five orphanages. The comedy doesn’t cut through everything as sharply and it introduces a new group of villains on top of the already-established Port Mafia, creating a three-sided war. It’s pretty interesting… but I could never connect much with the villains. Many of the people in this season just show up and leave after a couple episodes, and the shifting focus on Bucko’s myriad characters can make it hard to follow. It did for me, especially given that Pokemon Moon absorbed about a month of my life. Praise Mimikyu. The more serious plotline leaves less room for characters to dick around all day, so there aren’t a lot of funny, memorable moments like there were with the first season, and no one really changes. With the first season, I thought Atsushi was a decent lead character who had a lot of room to develop, and I was interested in seeing that happen in the second. Nope. He still acts like a bitch all the time--in fact, his bitchiness seems to have increased somehow, because the slightest of mistakes will trigger the Naruto-level repetitive flashback of thirty-five people kicking him out of an orphanage. Yeah, that didn’t stop happening either. I’m not even sure why he’s the main character. Everyone else hypes up his tiger-transforming power as if it’s the most impressive thing in the world, but it’s actually not when he gets his ass kicked by literally everyone, just like how he got kicked out of an orphanage. And although he has the determined, ambitious attitude of a common anime lead, his reduced screentime makes it even more difficult to justify his placement in the series. Kyouka, who killed thirty-five people, is a gem from the first season that also deserved some more polish. Eh… She develops a little more, which is nice, but I can’t say that anything about her is remarkable aside from her gorgeous character design, but frankly that can be said for basically everyone else. She’s the cute, quiet girl who’s trying to fit in. There’s nothing else to say about her, besides the fact that she got kicked out of thirty-five people, which makes the end of the season pretty hilarious. They try setting up a big emotional moment even though she was almost as useless as Sushiman. The highlight of Bouncy is the fights, for sure. I wasn’t too interested in the powers from the first season beyond the incredible diversity, but this season introduces a new cast inspired by Western authors with matching abilities. My favorite was probably the last one, ‘The Great Fitzgerald’, which powers up the user depending on how much money they have and are willing to spend. Obviously there’s no real logic behind this or most other powers, but it’s still creative and a lot of fun, and that’s what counts. Production’s about the same, not much that’s new to comment on. The art is as good as it was from the first season because based Bones, though I don’t know how often they used blank faces back then. For some reason, most scenes will just remove people’s faces entirely when they’re at a distance. I somewhat appreciate the artistic approach here, but it just looks strange. Taku Iwasaki still remains a mixed bag to me, some of the backing music sounds hype as hell, and some of it sounds like he put a randomizer on some music studio on his computer. The opening song isn’t as good as GRANRODEO’s ‘Trash Candy’, which for me is one of my favorite’s this year, but SCREEN mode did a pretty nice job regardless. The accompanying animation wasn’t very memorable, but still appreciable because there are three different sequences, with the first two only showing up for a single episode. The ED sounds familiar because it’s by the same band who did the first season’s; it’s as good for me because its slow start makes for a great transition, and the moderate energy of the song makes it a good way to end an action-based show. Strong marks for this. Insert joke about Kyouka murdering people for consistency. Overall, this second season of Gumball improved the show somewhat, but still opened up some new holes. It’s like sitting on a nice boat in the middle of a lake, but then you notice a hole, and now the boat’s sinking. You cover up the hole with your hands, but then another hole opens somewhere else, and it just keeps repeating. You can’t cover them all because you only have two hands and there are thirty-five holes. And the boat’s actually an orphanage. Story - 5/10 Art - 7/10 Sound - 7/10 Characters - 5/10 Enjoyment - 5/10 People killed by Kyouka - 35/10 Overall - 5.0 (Score range: 4.0-6.0) Recommendation level - Medium

After watching the first season of Bungou Stray Dogs, I have to admit that the author made a rather bold attempt at constructing such a show based on literal characters. At its core, the series has an extraordinary cast of characters. By that, I mean they are able to perform supernatural feats that defies the logic of nature. The second season can also be described as extraordinary in more ways than one. One of the most unique dynamics about Bungou Stray Dogs is about its characters. There’s such a diverse and colorful cast. The main cast consists of the Armed Detective Agency with each character havingtheir own unique traits. Most prominently, we learn a lot more about Osamu Dazai. If we take a closer look, it also reveals more about not only Dazai’s past but also the underworld system of where the series takes place. The truth is, there’s actually more than we don’t know from the surface. The first few episodes of the second season establishes Daizai as someone that seems to be easily influenced. His relationships with characters such as Sakaguchi Ango and and Sakunosuke Oda are told from his perspective which is more than enough for the viewers to understand him. At the same time, the show cleverly gives an insight about Oda and his own ideals. Despite being a new character, his moments are memorable through his relationship with Daizai and his nobility. That being said, viewers may take a little bit of time to get accustomed with the background storytelling. They are actually not based on the manga so my initial expectations at watching the first episodes of this season left me somewhat bewildered. But once you take in the story, it may give you a better insight about Daizai and who he really was. The show does eventually re-enter the main story again. From this season, we also meet The Guild, an American organization led by Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald. They are very influential and possesses a great amount of power and authority. As such, expect them to take over the show as the series’ main antagonists. Of course, Port Mafia still remains relevant with its core members such as Ryunnosuke Akutagawa. Somewhere in between, there’s also Kyouka. Remember her? She’s the girl that killed 35 people and became lost in the world of her purpose until Atsushi took her under the Armed Detective Agency. The problem now is that there are also others that wants her back, namely Port Mafia. Kyouka’s struggle with her own personal demons are further amplified this season and she finds it difficult to get close to others. In the meantime, we are also introduced to other new members of The Guild such as John Steinback and H.P. Lovecraft. It’s also no surprise that the characters of this series are based on their literature figures. A good example would be Margaret Mitchell, author of “Gone of the Wind” with an ability that is named as such. Back to what I mentioned before, Bungou Stray Dogs excels at its diverse range of characters. Whether you’re a fan of literature or not, the series is able to find ways to capitalize on each character. For their roles, personality, or abilities, many of them will likely remain memorable because of the show is able to push them as figures larger than life. A main major story conflict that develops seems to be a triple threat conflict between the Armed Detective Agency, Port Mafia, and The Guild. Each one wants to remain the last group standing while their members make key moves to ensure their successes. If you remember from season 1, Akutagawa had some major issues with Atsushi while the latter seems to have developed a personal rivalry with him. As such, expect their rivalry to escalate more into this sequel. The Armed Detective Agency also realizes the threat of The Guild and as such takes steps to counter against their influences. Other rivalries throughout the show between the three factions are also explored including the very cleverly crafted Ranpo Edogawa/Edgar Allen Poe feud. When you realize that imaginations can blend between fiction and reality, that’s where the show really shines. Indeed, Bungou Stray Dogs is no stranger to exploring supernatural phenomenon whether they are abilities to cause malevolence, utility to help others, or means of influencing the world. The sequel brings out that to a very unique form with abilities such as the Black Cat in the Rue Mogue, Moby Dick, The Grapes of Wrath, among others. It’s what makes the show that damn special. In terms of technicality, the sequel remains generally the same by retaining its strong visual dynamics. Characters expressions are what draws the viewers’ attention the most especially with Kyouka’s inner struggles and Atsushi’s determination to prove himself to others. Akutagawa’s personality becomes darker as attempts to fulfill his own goals. Character designs revolving around The Guild also gives them the impression of authority and aristocracy such as Margaret and Francis. In addition, we get memorable battles that takes the characters’ abilities to their limits all thanks to Bones’ talented staff and cast. The voice acting has always been impressive from this show that defines characters’ personalities. It retains that level of credibility in season 2 and definitely not something to forget about. Oh and do I need to remind you of that stellar soundtrack? Don’t forget your headphones! When it comes to sequels, fans are often expecting something that hopefully excels the first season. Bungou Stray Dogs’ first few episodes may feel more like a prologue rather than expansion but the way it crafts its story structure ultimately works well in the end. As a show with a lot of creativity, there’s a lot to take in at times. The storytelling and the characters all serves a meaningful purpose in one way or another. Now, do be aware that the manga is still ongoing as this is an incomplete adaptation. Yet somehow, it still manages to pull off a hard-boiled supernatural thriller with literature figures and a story that meets expectations.

Let me begin by saying I wish I could rate this show a 12/10 in all categories except Art that can stay at 10. This show was the anime of the year for me, and that's coming from a huge dragonball fanboy and huge Food wars fan. What this show did so well, particularly in the 2nd season, was taking the time to highlight and make full use out of its large cast of characters. Amazing story and great battle sequences aside, the show in its 2nd season did a much better job with explaining plot concepts and the characters all improvedwith the introduction of Dazai's story and the Guild. Some (myself included) would be reasonably annoyed with the beginning of this season as it decided to tell Dazai's past instead of keeping with the current events of the present story line (especially considering the suspense that 1st season left off with). This ended up being a small issue as, the backstory was awesome, and the main story that resumed was improved because of it. From the point the show resumed the present plotline it just got better with each episode, from 3-way conflict giving way to an unlikely partnership to a final fight worthy of the show's 2 season long buildup finishing with a peace tainted by the juicy plot-hook of yet another more menacing foe, this is how i like my anime, 12/10 would recommend to anyone.

(This is a spoiler-free review adapted for this site) [Synopsis]: With the conflict between the Armed Detective Agency and the Port Mafia already raging on, the appearance of The Guild further endangers the balance of the city. The stage has been set for a three-way gifted war between the organizations and by the end, only one will be left standing. Atsushi (Uemura Yuto), Dazai (Miyano Mamoru), and the rest of the Armed Detective Agency confront their strongest foes yet as the city wavers on the brink of destruction. [Characters]: Perhaps the most marked difference between the first and second season of Bungou Stray Dogs is the secondseasons’ first 4 episodes which feature a stand-alone, prequel arc centering around Dazai’s past and the founding of the Armed Detective Agency. It offers a far more serious tone than the season that proceeds it and the characters and subject matter are similarly adjusted to fit this alternative kind of story. Gone are the dopey gags and whimsical suicide jokes and in their place is a mystery thriller full of organized crime, action, and subterfuge. It’s a promising start to the new season and it does away with many of the aspects of the first installment that most significantly hampered its success. Due to the shift in tone, the cast of the prequel arc behaves fundamentally different from that of the first season. The characters have actual depth to them. Dazai isn’t bogged down by his cripplingly stupid suicide gag – he’s menacing and intellectual. Oda Sakunosuke, a newcomer, is wonderfully compelling and offers a genuinely engaging personality, skill set, and moral awareness that really embodies what makes the first 4 episodes of the show so interesting. For the first time you get a sense of purpose from these characters that isn’t derived from asinine comedy or Atsushi being hung up on the same orphanage flashback for over a season. In this regard, Bungou Stray Dogs pulled off the impossible and actually made me enjoy watching its characters. So what then when the story shifts back to its previous setting and cast of familiar characters. Does it relax into its old ways and forget its recent progress? Luckily this isn’t the case but its not a complete turn-around either. The tone lightens up a good deal after the prequel arc concludes however in its wake remains a sense of gravity and seriousness that continues to influence the show for the better. The tonally disrupting humor makes a return but appears far less frequently than before, almost disappearing entirely during the show’s later episodes. The cast remains much the same as they were before. Atsushi is still Atsushi and the rest of the Armed Detective Agency and the Port Mafia go about their business just as they did before. The majority of the characters remain fairly one-dimensional and the things that motivate them are pretty underwhelming but there are a handful of interesting additions to this season. While the convention of slapping the names of renowned authors on to various characters and giving them superpowers had about as little depth as it did before, Lovecraft and his style of horror beyond comprehension was fairly well conceived. The cast features a small number of improvements in this regard but as a whole remains almost insultingly simplistic and leaves a lot to be desired. [Art/Animation]: In respect to Bungou Stray Dogs’ visuals, not much has changed and the second season maintains the fluid and consistent style of the first series. There are a number of new flashy abilities to look at and the fight sequences are well animated and generally entertaining to watch when they don’t boil down to play-by-play ability exposition. Bungou Stray Dogs is a good looking show and if it could stand by its solid animation, great environments, and vibrant colors alone, it would be a relatively strong show. [Story]: As highlighted earlier, the beginning of the new season begins with a flashback arc consisting of 4 episodes that immediately surpassed all of the proceeding content. The more serious tone and far more measured approach to the show’s poor sense of comedy does it a lot of favors. It doesn’t escape moments like Dazai screaming his head off about a mobile game while his men recover the bodies of 3 of his underlings but this initial arc presents a significant step forward for the show none the less. It plays out as more of an organized crime mystery than the superpower action show that makes up the rest of Bungou Stray Dogs. It’s got a good character story at its core centering around Dazai, Oda Sakunosuke, and Sakaguchi Ango and features some compelling plot developments and action scenes. The rest of the show that follows is far more in the vein of the previous series though as I’ve said it thankfully takes a slightly more serious approach this time around. While the offbeat comedy doesn’t get in the story’s way in the same way it once did, there are still a handful of narrative issues afoot that keep the second season of Bungou Stray Dogs from creating anything as compelling as its introductory arc. The season as a whole revolves around the three-way conflict between the Armed Detective Agency, the Port Mafia, and The Guild however what they are actually fighting over and what drives their conflict is a bit obscure. To some degree, its the city itself but the Armed Detective Agency is mostly out to save people, the Port Mafia is out to… do bad stuff and The Guild wants to capture Atsushi the weretiger… or find a book… or some such thing. Though their reasons for fighting each other are a little flaky, what’s perhaps even more disconcerting is the way their bouts actually pan out most of the time. Despite boasting truly powerful and terrifying abilities and spending most of their dialogue threatening opposing faction members, none of the characters seem to have much of an interest in killing anyone. Sometimes two opposing factions clash and they fight to the death but in other instances, they simply nod and see each other on their way. It’s supposed to speak to this high-minded elegance behind the scenes but when each faction-head claims they want to win and don’t seem to be taking the most straightforward steps to doing so, it somewhat compromises the seriousness of their conflict. Though it presents these weaknesses, between the prequel arc, the shift in tone, and the more interesting subject matter, the second season of the show is markedly more entertaining than the first. It tends to repeat itself for the sake of oversimplification, the characters are pretty one-dimensional but its got good production standards, plenty of fight scenes, and somewhat inciting character interactions to keep things fresh. [Sound]: The soundtrack sees a return of the previous themes that made up the bulk of the show’s music with a few new additions. For whatever reason, the music stood out to me more this season than it did during the first and I can say it supported each scene reasonably well. [Final Thoughts and Rating]: This second season of Bungou Stray Dogs was more entertaining than I would have expected it to be going in after such a forgettable first season. The conclusion of the show was fairly tight but the mentalities of all of the characters involved left me kind of baffled as to why any of them would act the way they did. This season was a significant step in the right direction but not to the degree that it became anything ‘great’. Rating: 5 I gave the second season of Bungou Stray Dogs a 5 because, while it still suffers from uninteresting characters and a handful of narrative complications, the more sincere tone allows for the show to take itself more seriously and thus adds at least some legitimacy to its conflict and cast. The prequel arc was engaging and the action scenes that crop up throughout the rest of the show were entertaining. Bungou Stray Dogs isn’t a show with a lot going on behind the eyes. Its predictability renders it rather uneventful on some occasions but its action scenes and animation at least provide something stimulating to tide things over. [Recommendations]: If you already enjoyed the first series and are looking into checking out this sequel season, then I’m sure it will meet and surpass your expectations. If you enjoyed it for its comedy, it’s still present. If you liked its action scenes or supernatural abilities – there are more of them than ever. If, like me, you didn’t care for the first season, I’d give the first 4 episodes a shot and see if it catches your interest any.