English Dub Review: Bungo Stray Dogs “Cannibalism (Part Three)”

What’s new, Pussycat?

OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

As Fukuzawa and Mori engage in their duel to the death, they look back on their past friendship back when Fukuzawa was asked by Natsume Soseki to bodyguard Mori when he was an underground doctor for a neutral zone. However, the flow of information at his practice soon made him a target for smaller organizations that want to take down the Port Mafia, leading to Fukuzawa rescuing him. Or rather, until his kidnappers could give up info about their headquarters so the two of them could put an end to their entire group. Mori was happy to get rid of the vermin, though Fukuzawa was only saddened that deaths had to occur simply to protect the Port Mafia. It was in that very place where they had that discussion that they chose to have their final duel. Where they had once planned to follow Natsume’s “Three Party Framework”, which involved the Military Police, Port Mafia, and Armed Detective Agency, this fight would put an end to either the Mafia or Agency.

But before they can finish either one-off, they are halted by Natsume himself, who has been disguised as a cat up until now. He rallies the two to work together and find those responsible before the virus kills them both.

Meanwhile, Atsushi and Kunikida figure out that Katai wasn’t actually killed by Fyodor, but kidnapped by someone else, who turned out to be Natsume. Once they receive word about their bosses, Dazai pairs up Atsushi and Ryunosuke for the mission to find the source of the virus and Fyodor. It’ll be hard, as they hate each other’s guts, but they’ll make it work to save their organizations. They covertly enter Fyodor’s hidden base and capture two guards, but one turns out to be Pushkin A., the Gifted controlling the virus. He shoots Ryunosuke and flees, leaving the same virus on him now too.

OUR TAKE

Did I call it or did I call it? At least for the moment, neither bosses are getting the ax just yet, with their battle being mainly for elaborating on their connection and place in the grander scheme of this world’s power balance. Though I have to say, as interesting as learning more about them and as awesome as their fight was, the conclusion seemed rather sudden and out of the left field. But I do have to bring up that, again, I haven’t seen the first two seasons, so I don’t know how much of this was set up beforehand and am only going on what I’ve seen this season. For all I know, this was masterfully foreshadowed previously for this concise payoff here, but with my limited information, it felt like a pretty rushed ending.

But yeah, now the two sides are working together again to stop the common foe. We’ve moved on from the airport battle part of Captain America: Civil War and moved into the part where Tony and Cap go to stop Zemo by working together and go back to their lives as best pals! I know that’s not the most accurate comparison to the situation, but Atsushi and Ryunosuke DO seem to have a bit of rivalry going on. Or at least, that’s what the imagery in the Opening and the various hints at their history (of which I am not caught up on) seem to imply. It also seems to point to the two them being similar to Fukuzawa and Mori in the sense that they are evenly matched against one another but unstoppable as a team. That is until Ryunosuke got infected, and now I don’t know what to think. Does he get his own countdown of two days or is he linked to the bosses lives now too? Does that mean that he could die to save everyone? Would that be something he’d be willing to do?

…well, while these all seem like intriguing moral quandaries, I’m gonna have to once again share my doubts of this having much in the way of stakes given his apparent main character status. That last shot does make for a good cliffhanger to leave on until the season finale next week, but even an ounce of thought breaks the tension almost instantly. Though even without that, I’m still definitely interested enough in how this will resolve, which I’d say is more important for a viewing experience in the long run.