English Dub Review: Bungo Stray Dogs “A Dream of Butterflies”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Port Mafia boss Mori wants Yosano to join them in exchange for assisting the Detective Agency through their crisis. Yosano reveals why she would rather not.

Our Take:
As seen in the previous episode, the Detective Agency members were rescued by the Port Mafia seconds before they met their demise by the Hunting Dogs. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean their troubles are over. While Atsushi and Kyouka tackle a crucial task for Fitzgerald, the agency has a bigger issue to deal with, which could put the team at a significant disadvantage against the police and the Hunting Dogs.
The issue is that the Port Mafia wants one agency member to join the mafia. In doing so, they will help the agency clear their names and avoid the police. However, the member they chose happens to be Akiko Yosano (Erica Lindbeck), the agency’s medic who played a role in helping the team escape in “Dogs Hunt Dogs”. Considering that the agency and the Port Mafia are rivals, it’s unsurprising that the mafia would pull off this exchange with Francis Fitzgerald. But, of course, this is also because Francis wants Yosano’s healing ability.
Like the first three episodes of season four, “A Dream of Butterflies” takes the prequel approach by further exploring a character’s backstory before they joined the Detective Agency. This time, it’s Yosano, who once worked with Mori during the Gifted War as a medic. Unfortunately, her childhood was undoubtedly tragic, as Mori constantly used her to heal the soldiers daily, leaving her traumatized. If that’s not enough, Yosano reached her breaking point when she saw one of the soldiers close to her hanged himself. This leads to her confrontation with the Detective Agency during their fight against the Port Mafia, with Ranpo inviting her to join the team.
“A Dream of Butterflies” is another episode that gives me more insight into its characters amid its seasonal plot, which helps me grow more attached to them despite not watching the previous seasons. The first three episodes involving Fukuzawa and Ranpo did a suitable job introducing me to those characters and the show’s world-building. However, “A Dream of Butterflies” managed to outdo them with its emotion-driving backstory and a solid vocal performance by Erica Lindbeck as Yosano. This episode is highly compelling because it represents the trauma and dread that affected the people involved in the war, including the maid. The representation benefited strongly from its stunning animation and storytelling, which might be enough to generate some tears from the show’s fans.
Another thing that makes it great is its reflection on Yosano’s psychological torment by how she’s taken advantage of due to her healing abilities. She wanted to use her gift to help people who needed it, but Mori insisted on having her heal the soldiers every time they got critically injured without worrying about her mental health. So when Ranpo invited Yosano to join the Detective Agency near the end of the episode, it wasn’t just for her powers. Instead, they invited her because of her kindness. The agency only viewed Yosano as a person rather than a tool, which sets the team apart from Mori and the Port Mafia’s sick desires. It’s a satisfying conclusion that fits well with Yosano’s poignant backstory.
Overall, “A Dream of Butterflies” immediately got my attention back with the fourth season’s best episode so far. Regarding its animation, the representation of war trauma, and a strong voice cast, the episode delivers a great backstory involving the former Port Mafia member. Of course, we are heading back to the present for the transaction in next week’s episode, but before that happens, I should take my time to appreciate the season for scoring four for four in its prequel episodes.