English Dub Review: Bungo Stray Dogs “Land of Inhuman Demons (Part 2)”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Fukuzawa and Fukuchi confront their shared past as time runs out for the Detective Agency.

Our Take:
As usual, the second chapter of the season’s second three-parter isn’t without another batch of intense conflicts between the Agency and Fukuchi’s undead army. Aya and Bram’s confrontation with the vampiric Akutagawa is no different, with their fates remaining frustratingly unknown. The episode also has Fukuchi appearing to combat his latest opponent, Fukuzawa. However, this newest battle seems to be the most personal of the bunch, as the two shared a past, but it’s far from friendly.
Amid the fight, the episode reveals that Fukuchi and Fukuzawa have been friends since they were young. Unfortunately, Fukuzawa’s refusal to accompany Fukuchi in the war made them enemies, making their recent encounter one of the crucial parts of the season. This isn’t the first time we explored a part of Fukuzawa’s past, as the first few episodes of the show’s fourth season took the prequel route by showcasing Fukuzawa’s first encounter with Ranpo. In case you forgot, those episodes were some of the reasons I immediately got into the series despite not watching the previous seasons.
We also see more of Fukuchi losing his sanity from the war due to him losing his allies from the catastrophes they encountered. I know the show is trying to display empathy for the antagonistic Decay of Angel, especially when he tries to end the suffering with the One Order. But after seeing what Fukuchi has done so far, it’s getting challenging for me to feel bad for the guy as the season progresses. It also doesn’t help that he stabbed Fukuzawa through the chest, presumably killing him.
During the confrontation, Atsushi catches himself in another pickle as he is held hostage by Teruko, who explains Fukuchi’s true objective regarding the One Order. This resulted in Atsushi questioning whether Fukuchi may be trying to save the world. Although, we clearly see that Fukuchi’s doing it for the wrong reasons. Additionally, the episode showcased that Fyodor and Chuuya have survived their impending demise than what we’re led to believe in the previous episode. So, this indicates that the “prison break showdown” between Dazai and Fyodor is far from over, with Dazai and Sigma now trapped in a similar predicament.
Overall, the second part of “Land of Inhuman Demons” delivers enough character development amid the conflicts to provide another thrilling episode of the show’s fifth season. It develops Fukuchi as more than just a by-the-numbers antagonist and its themes of war and justice. It also continues to not hold back on dealing significant harm to the characters, mainly Fukuzawa. Honestly, I would be pissed if the show kills off Fukuzawa, but that’s the small price to pay to ensure its enticing quality. With only two episodes remaining in this surprisingly short season, things are continuing to go from bad to worse for the Detective Agency.