English Dub Review: Bungo Stray Dogs “Land of Inhuman Demons (Part 1)”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Kenji fights to help Atsushi, demonstrating why he is one of the most dangerous Agency members. Meanwhile, Dazai’s machinations within the prison become clearer.

Our Take:
After one epic multi-parter concludes, another one opens as the thrilling battle at the airport continues. However, it should be noted that it should’ve been part four of the “At the Port in the Sky” saga since we’re still at the airport. But again, I’m not in charge of the episode titles, so there’s sadly nothing I can do about that. However, at least we still have the thrilling stakes this season is known for, mainly from the showdown between Kenji and Tetcho.
Last week’s episode introduced me to Kenji Miyazawa, who’s tasked with protecting Aya and Bram before having to go toe-to-toe with Tetcho. Kenji is seen as an honest and peppy boy hailing from the countryside, but his ability is anything but cheerful. His gift, “Undefeated by the Rain”, grants Kenji superhuman strength when angry and hungry, making him a formidable opponent for Tetcho, who’s as uniquely strong as him. As for Atsushi, he still has his hands full with Teruko, who successfully captures him. Considering the end of the previous episode, it doesn’t surprise me that Teruko would pull a stunt like this.
But, of course, that’s not the only enticing part of the episode. Amid the airport struggle, the episode sees the conclusion of the prison-break competition between Dazai and Fyodor, who each have advantages to up their game. One survives to live another day, and that’s Dazai, along with his companion, Sigma. However, Fyodor isn’t as fortunate, as he was foiled by Dazai, who’s secretly communicating with Ango and uses a gifted criminal’s ability to freeze time. This allowed Dazai to change the access code, trapping Fyodor in an anti-gifted room. Despite having a vampiric Chuuya by his side, Fyodor fails to escape with his life and is left to drown, with a touching yet dark farewell from Dazai to boot.
So everything turns out okay for Kenji and Dazai, but their troubles are far from over. In addition to Atsushi being held prisoner by the Hunting Dogs, Aya and Bram find themselves face-to-face with the vampiric Akutagawa while hiding in a truck. So much for their clean getaway. Like “At the Port in the Sky (Part 1)”, “Land of Inhuman Demons” offers a thrillingly enjoyable start to the season’s second multi-part saga that’ll likely conclude it on a high note. It also delivers a brief history of Kenji’s powers, in which he saved a village by redirecting a mudslide, continuing the show’s well-deserved ability to explore its characters for newcomers. The battle continues to escalate further, and it’s not slowing down anytime soon.