English Dub Review: Bungo Stray Dogs “HERO WAR, GANG WAR”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Loyalties continue to be tested as the depth of Fukuchi’s betrayals becomes clearer. Tachihara is forced to make a choice between the Port Mafia and the Hunting Dogs, and he may be the only one left who can stop Fukuchi before it’s too late.

Our Take:

This should’ve been an easy fight for Atsushi with Akutagawa by his side. Unfortunately, the showdown between him and Fukuchi swiftly became more challenging and unfair than we realized. For starters, the Decay of Angel member has a time-traveling katana that prevents them from killing Fukuchi, who later uses it to kill Akutagawa. I haven’t watched enough episodes to be more immersed with Akutagawa, but his demise at the hands of the cheating psychopath was still a shocking revelation to experience. It bears repeating that the show continues to showcase its ability to provide enough substance in the characters for newcomers to enjoy without feeling lost in its narrative. 

This week’s episode depicts that Akutagawa’s death isn’t permanent, as he eventually received a fate much worse than death. This is due to another member of the Decay of Angels, Bram Stoker, named after the author who wrote Dracula. If you’re familiar with this name, you’ll immediately recognize his ability, in which Bram can turn anyone he bites into a vampire. So not only does Fukuchi have a mystic sword, but he also has a vampiric member that turns Akutagawa into the undead, starting a horrific chain reaction. It doesn’t help that Tachihara received the same fate as the Port Mafia member when he tried and failed to confront Fukuchi in battle.

On the bright side, we did get another enticing battle involving Tachihara confronting Fukuchi after discovering the Hunting Dog leader’s true intentions. But alas, it’s not enough to outweigh the multiple downsides falling upon the Agency and the rest of the planet. Of course, I am including Amenogozen because the sword is still a huge pain when it’s in Fukuchi’s hands. Regardless, it’s still an exciting episode that offers the high stakes needed to portray the show’s most formidable foe and his vampire sidekick. With the vampiric plague now running amok, there’s no telling how the Agency will solve this predicament while hiding from the authorities.