I watched season two right after reviewing the first season. Binged it for a few hours, and now here’s my Bungo Stray Dogs Season two review.

I Jumped the Gun on the Last One.

So if you’ve watched the anime, you could probably imagine how stupid I felt immediately after the first episode. On my previous post, I went on about how Bungo Stray Dogs lacked in terms of character development and overall storyline. Season two was just the opposite. On the first episode, it opened with a backstory. This backstory highlighted the past experiences of Dazai, one of the main characters in the anime. The anime provided scenes that further developed Dazai as a character. I learned more about his past and how his past has shaped his present. So right of the bat, the first episodes of season two addressed what I considered lacking in the first season.

Filling in The Blanks Left by The First Season

Other than that, I would say that Bungo Stray Dogs season two filled in the blanks left by season 1. I got to understand the logic behind season one’s structure more as I progressed through the episodes. I realized how season one was indeed structured to set the groundwork for season two. For instance, the story between Akutagawa and Atsushi became more than just a random feud when placed in the context of Dazai’s plan. The encounters in season one paved the way for the momentous events of season two, which are also hinted to play a significant part of the third season. In other words, season two pretty much shut me up. It checked all the boxes I found lacking in the first, such as again, the character development aspect and following a central plot.

About the Plot

Now, as for the plot itself, I can’t say it was anything special. Still, it did provide the proper medium to progress the anime overall. It allowed for character development, and even the introduction of past relationships, all of which played a part in the story. As compared to the first season, episodes did not feel like they were filler. Instead, they all seemed connected to follow one central plot.

I’m not saying, however, that the anime was perfect. There were instances in the show that I found questionable. For those of you who haven’t watched it yet, the following may include spoilers so do tread carefully.

The Calm during the Storm?

An example of such instance was when Atsushi was able to escape Moby Dick and eventually, succeed in stopping the curse. Now that sequence was okay, but what happened next, I feel like needed some explanation. After having the curse lifted, the next scene shows the whole crew back in their offices, seemingly as if nothing happened. The sense of tension brought about by the previous events, just vanished. And, supposedly it was a state of war, the scene made it seem like everything was peaceful. Which I don’t think it was supposed to be. Q recasting the curse was a looming threat, and nobody knew how the Guild would act. So I just felt that sequence was kind of out of place.

Moby Dick, a Huge Plot Point

Something else I found questionable was the actions taken by the Guild. The Guild was portrayed to be incredibly strong. So strong in fact that there was this instance that a couple of members of the Guild randomly appeared and the next second both the Port Mafia and Agency members were down. And so I have to ask, why did they opt for the drastic measure of destroying the whole of Yokohama?  Was it necessary? For sure, there was resistance, but I find it unreasonable. They had the force to take over. They even had a strategist who could predict everything. So why? It was as if they forgot how strong they were and immediately went with a desperate move.

So yeah, those are the points I found questionable. And in a way, those made it the anime seem a bit rushed. However, like season one, it was yet another entertaining and fun experience. It was a good watch, and I do recommend it.

So that’s my Bungo Stray Dogs Season two review. As usual, do let me know what you think. Tell me if you agree with my sentiments, or let me know if I’m jumping the gun again and making a fool of myself.

Keep exploring.

“I’ve never regretted anything I’ve done I only ever regretted the things I didn’t do.”