Highly anticipated by fans who were eager to know the outcome of a showdown between Akutagawa and Atsushi, Bungo Stray Dogs Season 4 finally premiered on January 4 with an episode full of mystery. Almost four years after the Season 3 finale, the series has returned with a new chapter that promises to keep viewers entertained by reprising the action-packed story of the Armed Detective Agency.
In adherence to a structure that should be familiar to fans by now, Bungo Stray Dogs opened its new season by diving into the past -- only this time, the story went all the way back to Edogawa Ranpo and Yukichi Fukuzawa’s first encounter. Perhaps honoring the greatest detective of all time, Ranpo and Fukuzawa form a peculiar alliance that resembles Sherlock Holmes and Watson in order to prevent a heinous crime from being committed.
Bungo Stray Dogs 4 Opens With a Case Worthy of Sherlock Holmes
After a chance meeting with Ranpo while working as a bodyguard, Fukuzawa notices the 14-year-old’s ability to see what others can’t and decides to make use of his special gift to solve another mystery. A theater owner has hired Fukuzawa after a threat has been made against the actors of the show that is about to open -- Fukuzawa’s job is to prevent the crime from being committed. Apparently, someone is going to murder the actors, possibly while the play is being performed.
Once again, Bungo Stray Dogs’ love for literature is showcased in more than just its characters’ names. In fact, Season 4 decides to immediately set up what seems to be a typical Sherlock Holmes case. Despite the crime not having been committed yet, the mystery evidently requires a clever mind -- Ranpo, as a Sherlock Holmes alter ego, is there to go beyond appearances and see past deceptions. After all, he is the only one who realizes the threat being made toward the actors isn’t a threat at all, but a warning.
Similarly, the alliance formed between Ranpo and Fukuzawa is reminiscent of Holmes and Watson’s partnership. Much like Watson, Fukuzawa is a military man and a swordsman and, more than a fine mind, he has great strength and dedication. Conversely, Ranpo is an anti-social genius who can make impossible deductions and solve any mystery. Fukuzawa understands and admires Ranpo’s potential and decides to see where that goes by sticking to his side.
Bungo Stray Dogs Sets Up Characters and Background to Better Deliver Its Story
Bungo Stray Dogs’ tendency to revert to the past before pushing the story forward might irritate some viewers, but it gives the series a depth that other anime won’t reach. By exploring its characters’ pasts, their tragedies and their regrets, it manages to make the present story much more meaningful. Therefore, in addition to entertaining the audience, Fukuzawa and Ranpo’s old adventures could shed light on those characters’ personalities and behaviors.
If it follows the usual formula, Bungo Stray Dogs Season 4 will use its first three or four episodes to set up the backstory and will then go back to the present to explore its consequences. It might mean the audience has to wait a little while to meet its favorite detectives, but it should be worth it in the end.