Anime Expo 2023

ANN’s coverage of Anime Expo 2023 sponsored by Yen Press!

The upcoming fifth season of Kafka Asagiri‘s novel continues from the cliffhanger where the previous season ended. It jumps straight into the tense ending of the Sky Casino arc, where the Armed Detective Agency has been cornered by various arms of the government. Longtime fans are very familiar with the anime’s pattern of “edge-of-your-seat” anxiety at the season’s end, along with a quick cleanup in the first episode of the following season.

However, that’s the magic of Kafka Asagiri‘s writing and Studio Bones’ adaptation: keeping the audience on the hook season after season with surprise developments, impressive action sequences, and a splash of humor. Carrying the nail-biting energy into season five, the beginning half sets up the anxiety over the various members of the agency who have been hospitalized, placed under house arrest, or are in transit for execution.

Nikolai, whose ability saved Sigma in a comically long-winded way, offers himself as another agent of chaos in the fray. After finding someone who is wise enough to understand him, Nikolai has decided to sever that tie with Fyodor to “truly feel free.” Though, this wouldn’t be Bungo Stray Dogs without a mid-episode check-in with the meta-chess players, Fyodor and Dazai. Prior to the start of the panel, fans endlessly screamed and cheered at the sight of popular characters such as Dazai, Fyodor, Ranpo, and Chuya during the latest season five trailer. It’s no surprise who they end up cheering for in the episode itself. Their humorous interaction comedically cut into the reveal of Kamui, who seemed to target and poach the incarcerated detectives throughout the episode.

But at the heart of the season’s first episode is Ranpo. During his panel the day before, Asagiri told fans one of the highlights of season five was, “Ranpo makes his move.” As the eccentric deductions reveal his mechanisms from start to finish, all of the pieces fall into place, and the last task for him is to reveal The Page’s existence. Having shown the lengths he’s willing to take in order to protect the detective agency, Ranpo’s deep thinking and preparation allowed him to undo most of the damage done by Fyodor’s plot in the previous season. Just as Asagiri foretold, “If Ranpo is able to join in the battle, something will work out.”

As the episode closed, Kafka Asagiri, Studio Bones President Masahiko Minami, and Kadokawa producer Chiaki Kurakane came together on the Crunchyroll Stage. Given how long the anime series has gone on, one of the key questions is how the team continually entices new and old fans to keep coming back. “I want more people to be acquainted with Bungo Stray Dogs so that even people who have never watched it before get influenced by those around them,” said Minami. “Even though the visuals for the series have been tame, we’re now changing up the posters to have more action to entice viewers to check it out.” True to his word, Atsushi and Akutagawa’s intensity and fierceness in the promotional image promise the combat and warfare to come.

“We want new people and first-time watchers to be able to ease their way into Bungo Stray Dogs without being overwhelmed,” said Kurakane. “We made it so you could easily watch the first to the fourth season with the three-minute trailer videos we’ve released.” With over fifty episodes released by season five, it becomes increasingly challenging for new fans to jump in. “We want everyone who has been watching the series to return to something familiar, but we also want new first-time watchers to get into it without feeling intimidated or overwhelmed.”

Wrapping up the panel, each of the guests was asked what they think fans should keep in mind when watching this new season. “Everything,” as Asagiri bluntly put it. “Although the story is about the battle between justice and terrorism, think about who is on the side of justice and who is on the enemy side of evil. What would you do if you were on either side? I would like you to think about these types of constants.” Although the story began in Yokohama, the revelations of the most recent season are on a global scale, involving multiple government and terrorist entities. Of course, there’s still more to come.

Finally, when asked what they would like to work on in the future, Asagiri put up six fingers. “Six or a new movie?” He glanced over at Minami with pleading hands. Considering the wide expansion of the Bungo Stray Dogs universe—including the stage plays, novels, and the live-action movie—it’s no wonder he would want even more adaptations of his work. “Personally, for myself, I want Asagiri to give me more,” responded Minami. “If you don’t let me read more content, I can’t adapt anything. So let’s all wait.”