1/22 ブログのポスト

 Bungou Stray Dogs Season 4

This winter season the fourth season of Bungou Stray Dogs began airing. The series follows 18-year-old Nakajima Atsushi's entrance into the real world after he is kicked out of his orphanage due to his age. Atsushi is known as "Gifted" due to his ability to turn into a powerful tiger. He is taken in by the Armed Detective Agency, taught to control his powers, and thrust into a world full of underground crime syndicates and other powerful Gifted. 

Thus far, this season has depicted the foundation of the Armed Detective Agency by Fukuzawa Yukichi and Edogawa Ranpo. This three-episode arc showed Fukuzawa taking Ranpo under his wing. Ranpo shares the name of the famous Japanese author Edogawa Ranpo, who revolutionized the Japanese mystery story. To reflect this, Ranpo is intellectually powerful enough to immediately see the truth about any person and situation, making him the ultimate detective at 14. Fukuzawa was previously a political assassin for the Japanese government. Now he has done his best to sever ties between himself and the government and works in personal security and private detective work. He is an unparalleled swordsman and incredibly smart to boot. Fukuzawa shares the name of the famous philosopher, writer, samurai, and founder of Keio University. The two work together to uncover a complex murder plot surrounding a stage play. As Ranpo unravels the mystery, it becomes apparent that the ultimate goal of the murder plot is not what it seems.

The cast is vibrant, and most of the characters have a surprising amount of depth under their eccentric shells. I think this is going to be an especially good season for the show.

More and more often, I find myself recognizing phrases and expressions while watching anime. I have noticed that I have even been able to follow along with the plot after looking away from the screen. The way this show incorporates the stories and biographies of many of Japan's greatest writers and minds gives it a higher level of cultural depth than other shows.

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