Unveiling Studio Bones' Remarkable Success with Bungo Stray Dogs!

Highlights

Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5 has a confident production team that brings the story to life with impeccable balance between comedy and drama.

The animation in Bungo Stray Dogs consistently improved as the series progressed, growing alongside the team's deepening understanding of the world and characters. While some recent critiques point out pacing problems and the absence of beloved smaller scenes, overall, there is still plenty to admire about the show.

Attention: The following text includes a significant spoiler for Season 5 of Bungo Stray Dogs, which is presently available on Crunchyroll.

As Bungo Stray Dogs enters its fifth season, the reception has largely been positive. However, in recent months, there has been some growing criticism regarding the adaptation. Studio Bones, renowned as one of Japan's esteemed animation studios and the creator of numerous iconic successes, has attempted to do justice to Kafka Asagiri's detective narrative.

The Good

Upon examining the majority of this series, it becomes evident that the answer to the central question is a resounding "YES," thanks to an exceptional production team led by a director at the peak of their abilities. As we have previously explored in relation to director Igarashi, their talent for seamlessly blending comedy and drama is unparalleled, giving rise to narratives that possess broad appeal. Such a style transforms Bungo into the epitome of sophistication.

Season 1’s narrative provided a pleasant viewing experience, but Season 2 elevated the excitement with superior action, enhanced music, and a significantly heightened threat. The simultaneous airing of both seasons solidified Bungo as one of Bones' exceptional productions. While it would take several years before the release of Season 3, the team had numerous surprises awaiting in store.

The film Dead Apple and the highly anticipated third season of the series showcased a growth in boldness. The animation improved consistently, and the overall aesthetic evolved as the team became more familiar with the world and characters. It was no longer just an adaptation, but rather a creative statement in itself. What initially began as a simple concept with vibrant colors transformed into a confident and captivating cinematic spy thriller.

Moreover, Bungo Stray Dogs progressed beyond being solely an adaptation of the manga; it became a comprehensive interpretation of the entire intellectual property. Starting from Season 2, the initial episodes would adapt one of Asagiri's novels. These story arcs often differed in tone and aesthetic from the main narrative, but they added depth to the world and enhanced the character development. Furthermore, once the story returned to the present, the pacing became more focused and rarely lost momentum.

The Bad

Naturally, there have also been setbacks. Despite its impressive cinematic style, Dead Apple fell short in how it portrayed Atsushi as the protagonist, and the movie as a whole may have been overly ambitious, resulting in a somewhat confusing narrative. However, for many fans, the most significant issues with this series - and the extent of their impact may vary among viewers - are more recent.

Season 4 proved to be a complex endeavor. Unlike the previous two seasons, which had satisfying conclusions, this season marked the beginning of a massive story arc that is still ongoing in the manga at the time of writing. Furthermore, the nature of this arc made it challenging to pace out in a single season. The flashback arcs, which also served as adaptations of the novels, were initially beneficial for the pacing but were seen by the audience as a hindrance.

Season 5 is a breath of fresh air since it is the first season to break away from the trend established at the very beginning. This change brought immense relief to countless viewers. The impact on the flow of the story was most apparent during the Sky Casino Arc. Vital scenes that introduced the character Sigma were unfortunately omitted, potentially leaving a significant gap in the viewer's perception. Furthermore, key moments involving other characters, such as the Hunting Dogs, had to be sacrificed due to time constraints.

Every minute counts and for manga fans, each scene cut was a missed opportunity to engage anime viewers with these characters. Although Tetchou's fascination with ants may have seemed insignificant, these small moments reflecting the characters' peculiarities were what initially endeared audiences to this show. It is difficult to envision the main characters being as likable without these moments.

The Nit-picky(?)

Despite this, Studio Bones often faces intense criticism from certain fans. It appears that every week, there are individuals within the fandom who hold grudges against the studio. It's not solely due to omitted scenes, but rather the fact that some panels from the manga are not adapted identically. Recently, a similar discussion arose regarding Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, with concerns raised over the varying appearance of certain shots compared to the original manga.

One problem with these criticisms is that they risk overlooking the fundamental difference between mediums - one being moving and the other static. It can be argued that in order to capture the essence of a story in motion, directors should not be too constrained by individual panels. For fans who have solely experienced the anime and enjoyed it, these complaints may appear both reasonable and ridiculous. However, it is important to acknowledge that there is a fine balance between the two.

At the beginning of Episode 54, Akutagawa creates an opportunity for Atsushi to escape, but at a significant cost to himself. In the manga, this moment was depicted as a tragic scene with Sango Harukawa's artwork showcasing an uncharacteristic smile from the character. However, the anime omits this smile and greatly simplifies the sequence. It is disappointing that a show renowned for its consistently excellent artwork does not showcase its best work in this instance.

When reading a manga, the reader has the freedom to engage with the story at their own pace, taking their time to appreciate the artwork. While some changes may be expected in an adaptation, it is understandable why fans would be upset that Akutagawa's smile was removed. If the replacement had been better, the conversation might have been different, but it feels as if the entire meaning of the scene is missing.

The main issues of this show are its pacing and the shrinking gap between the adaptation and its source material, which will make the wait for the next installment agonizing. Regardless of how long that wait may be, Igarashi and his team must reconsider the best approach to maintaining the audience's attention throughout the story. Nonetheless, it is important to acknowledge how recent these problems are and how the positive aspects outweigh the negative ones, as there is much to appreciate.

In recent years, Bones has faced more criticism. This could be attributed to the past praise they have received and the resulting high expectations placed on them. The anime industry is plagued with challenges, and Bones is not exempt from some of them. However, they have also shown their ability to overcome these limitations. It is true that Bungo Stray Dogs has its flaws, but it is difficult to envision another studio handling it without sacrificing something essential in the process.

Bungo Stray Dogs is available to stream on Crunchyroll.