Highlights
- In the latest episode of Bungo Stray Dogs, the stakes have never been higher as several key characters are seemingly dead or apprehended.
- Yosano's healing powers could be crucial, but Fukuchi's impenetrable defense and the limited time may hinder her ability to save everyone.
- A theory suggests that Lucy's ability to create a space where memories can be erased could play a significant role in the final showdown against Fukuchi.
Warning: This contains major spoilers for Bungo Stray Dogs, Episode 60, "Inhuman Demons (Part 3)", now streaming on Crunchyroll.
It was only last month, on August 4, 2023, while Season 5 was airing, that Chapter 109 of Bungo Stray Dogs sent a shiver down many a spine in the fandom as things seemed to hit their absolute lowest point. Fast-forward to now, Chapters 109 and 110 have both been adapted into animation, meaning that the anime is officially caught up... and there's still one more episode.
Last week, Fukuzawa and Fukuchi's past was revealed as they clashed blades on the airport tarmac while Atsushi discovered the latter's true plan and rushed to stop it. Meanwhile, Dazai's plan to kill Fyodor backfired, leading to him and Sigma being trapped in an elevator, with the security measures set off to drown them.
Who Is Left?
Dazai and Fukuzawa are both seemingly dead, with Kunikida, Tanizaki, and Ranpo all apprehended. Atsushi is at the mercy of an infected Akutagawa. Kenji and Tetchou are likely still unconscious, and while Sigma isn't down for the count, the stab wound in his gut isn't very comforting. Frankly, it would be quicker to count who isn't out of commission rather than who is, which says a lot about the stakes of the story.
Aya and Bram are still alive, but they're practically at the mercy of whatever comes next. However, while it may have slipped the audience's mind amidst the chaos, there are some notable absences from the battle thus far. Ever since Episode 55, Yosano and Kyouka have not been shown outside of Anne's Room, the ability space created by Lucy. Their part in Ranpo's plan hasn't been revealed, assuming that they have a role.
Yosano's power would be a blessing to heal the wounded members of the Agency. That being said, by this point, Fukuchi's defense seems so impenetrable that any wounds healed couldn't be counted on to stay that way. Plus, it's not as if she can reach everyone in time. As for Kyouka, her combat skills speak for themselves, but it's unlikely that she'd fare any better in a battle against Fukuchi than Fukuzawa unless Demon Snow has a trick the audience hasn't seen yet.
Ranpo's plan to trap Fukuchi in Poe's novel was a failure, but that doesn't mean Ranpo didn't come up with a backup plan involving the two members who haven't had a role as yet. One must also consider Lucy and how she could factor in. It's been a while since she was an antagonist towards the main characters, so one could be forgiven for forgetting her ability's greatest catch.
Theory: Lucy is the Key
If Fukuchi were to be lured into Anne's Room, he wouldn't have any memory of being inside once he left. In every battle against him thus far, he has always managed to nullify his defeats by sending his blade into the past, but what if his future self is defeated in an area separated from reality? He wouldn't be able to warn his past self until he escaped, but when he did, he'd have no memory of what happened inside, making that future unknowable.
By this logic, Ranpo and the Agency members inside the room will have needed to have already faced him off-screen at some point during the event at the airport. For example, they could have ganged up on him, stolen the page, let him escape thinking he could just undo his failure, and then he'd go the rest of the day thinking he was going to win.
This means that the entire confrontation with Fukuchi on the tarmac would have been a staged failure. A big reason that the amnesia element of Lucy's ability is so easy to forget is that characters seem to go in and out of her ability space all the time ever since the end of Season 1. It's possible that she can choose whether people forget or not.
Even better, to ensure that everyone commits to the plan, they could intentionally choose to forget that they have the advantage. While this is a rather bold theory, it's one of the few possibilities on hand for how to counter the Amenogozen with the members of the Agency who are still standing.
This is without even considering an intervention from Francis and the Guild, who could have similarly predicted the outcome of the battle using Louisa's ability. The only other figure who could possibly lend a hand would be another late appearance by Natsume Souseki like in Season 3. Other than that, the Port Mafia is likely infected in its entirety save for maybe Mori and the Gifted Special Operations Division won't likely make any last-minute appearances.
Unprecedented Tension
Much of the above ramblings might come as a comforting piece of hope to cling onto for fans, but to others, it might give off a sense that the author of this article is trying to cope, and that's incredibly fair. This episode was thrilling from start to finish. After two seasons of this battle of attrition where the heroes always have some trick up their sleeve, the storytelling has been unrelenting in demonstrating that, in fact, they are losing badly.
At least, that is the impression that is getting infinitely harder to deny. This will make whatever struggle comes next infinitely more engaging and whatever twist that sees them victorious all the more satisfying. After all, Atsushi's fight against Akutagawa revealed that it's not impossible for the vampires to fight against their mind control. So it's impossible that Dazai survived a gunshot to the head (please, let the fans have this).
No matter how this final episode pans out, the fact that both anime and manga fans have no idea what to expect from the next episode is incredibly exciting. It almost undermines the stress of having to wait god knows long for a new season. An entire community across the mediums of manga, anime, and the light novels are waiting with bated breath to see how this season is going to come to a close. It feels somewhat historic.
Takuya Igarashi's take on Bungo Stray Dogs has always felt like the "ultimate adaptation" in a way. From author Kafka Asagiri's involvement in the production to the way the anime endeavors to adapt all the supplementary material, it tries to give the fans everything. And now, it has the attention of the entire fandom, so dear god, this last episode better not be a recap, because not even Studio Bones' legendary reputation will save them from the backlash.