Dazai is on shrooms. That is the opening scene of this week’s episode. It’s a little…odd? I mean, of course it’s odd, it’s Dazai on shrooms. But I feel like it’s weird in more than just one way. What important things are supposed to be taken away from this scene? The mushroom bit was obviously just for the laughs, yet it also showed a clear contrast between Dazai and Kunikida. This leads to Atsushi thinking the question: Why are two such incompatible people on a team? I figured this would be a question answered at the end of the episode. Instead the question is left hanging, and it’s not the only thing, but I’ll get to that later.

There’s a new case. How fitting for a detective agency. The problem is, I feel this case was introduced poorly, to the point where I’m not even sure what’s going on. Some sort of serial abductor and the “Azure Messenger” and the mafia and stuff. These are just nouns, because I’m not actually sure what their actions are. Dazai, Kunikida and Atsushi go to this hacker informant that has a very thinly written connection to Kunikida for leads and that brings them to an abandoned hospital full of victims that have been caged and tortured and killed. Who’s doing this? No idea. But they manage to save a woman in her underwear that Dazai apparently bangs (later on, of course).

Then Kunikida realizes who is behind these abductions with any actual evidence. It’s strange, how they get to the heart of the mystery just like that, without clues or lead up or any fair amount of tension. Even though the main characters work for a detective agency, I guess it’s not expected to be a traditional mystery thriller. Not that there’s anything wrong with straying from the beaten path, it’s just that Bungo Stray Dogs seems be taking a completely different route that doesn’t very much focus on the mystery aspects, at least not as much as it does the heroes and the villains.

The mafia is very blunt in the way they present themselves. In this episode, they literally walk out guns-a-blazing, trying to mow down our main characters and the snitch. Then Kunikida fights the super dangerous dude that we’re told to avoid at all costs in episode 3, and kicks his ass in a quick and surprisingly clever fashion. It is both strange and interesting how this bad guy operates (Ryuunosuke Akutagawa). Is he meant to be feared because of his incredible strength and apathy toward human life? Probably, but even just one member of the agency seems to be able to deal with him aptly, and Dazai can render him useless with just one touch. If Ryuunosuke is such a big deal, why does he seem to be doing all the grunt work? Is he just the most powerful grunt? I don’t know, but there are a lot of questions I need answered before I can start actually caring about this villain.

Back to that thinly written relationship I mentioned earlier between Kunikida and the hacker kid, that’s all given in the backstory presented at the end of the episode. There’s a bomber and an Azure King (whatever that means), who was apparently also a bomber and stuff, and that King killed the hacker’s father so Kuikida is trying to fill that void or something. I honestly have very little clue what’s actually going on here, it’s just a little too convoluted for me at the moment. Perhaps it’s my fault, I finished Uncharted 4 today and it’s really all I can think about. I mean, goddamn, that game is fantastic. Definitely Game of the Year, and we’re not even half way through yet. A true masterpiece in its right and a brilliant sendoff for one of my favorite video game series of all time.

So, uh…that’s Bungo Stray Dogs for ya. I’m a little confused/concerned with what’s going on right now, but hopefully it’ll all make sense come next episode when we pick up from the cliff hanger. Speaking of cliffhangers, I think I’ll get back to playing more Uncharted 4. If you’d like to hear more about what I think of Uncharted 4, tell me in the comments! Also tell me what you thought of this episode of Bungo Stray Dogs, I guess.

Uncharted 4 is awesome.

+ Sexy water girl

+ Kunikida’s a badass

– Phoned in relationship

– Confusing plot?