REVIEW: ‘Bungo Stray Dogs’ Episode 57 — “At the Port In The Sky, Part 3”

With Ouchi Fukuchi closing in on obtaining the One Order, the Armed Detective Agency is inching closer to stopping this seemingly unstoppable mastermind. In Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5 Episode 7, “At the Port in the Sky, Part 3”, the Agency continues their race against time in this deadly battle.

The escape of both Fyodor and Dazai from the special prison Meursault was teased in the last episode and takes center stage this week. Nikolai Gogol has created what he calls the Nikolai Game which pits the two rivals against each other in a deadly escape battle. The rules of the game are clearly established here and seem a bit over the top, but it fits with the sadistic nature of all involved.

The idea of the Nikolai Game is that there can only be one victor while the other has to die. For someone like Dazai with his series-long death wish, it’s a win-win. Either he loses and dies or he wins and gets to watch Fyodor die, so either way he ends up happy. Fyodor, on the other hand, is ecstatic at the opportunity to see his rival die but also values his own life. It’s great to see their two different mentalities shown in their reaction to the game. Although they come at it from different perspectives, they both want to win.

With that said, the Nikolai Game being the main focus of Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5 Episode 7 does take away from the more compelling Fukuchi storyline. It isn’t entirely abandoned, but diverting from that story to focus on two characters who have previously been sidelined is a bit jarring at first. There are some fun moments, like Dazai’s dance scene in the prison hallway, that make it worth the addition. It’s clear that they will ultimately play a role in the larger battle going on, but in the meantime, it’s  awkwardly jammed in the middle of a more intense and thrilling battle.

Meanwhile, viewers get another chance to enjoy the budding friendship between the vampire Lord Count Bram Stoker and Aya. Their interactions after their first meeting were some of the best in the series and their relationship continues to build in Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5 Episode 7. They are such different personalities that their friendship shouldn’t make any sense, but they both develop an inexplicable desire to help protect the other. Parts of Aya’s backstory are shown to help establish why she is so caring. It’s an odd relationship that works so well.

The Hunting Dogs and Armed Detective Agency have been on a collision course for some time now, and the end of Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5 Episode 7 finally brings them together. The Hunting Dogs have been tricked by Fukuchi into believing the Armed Detective Agency has been behind everything, but Atsushi has evidence to prove their innocence and pull the Hunting Dogs to their side. Whether or not it will work out remains to be seen, but it does seem like the two sides are finally coming together to put a stop to Fukuchi once and for all.

Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5 Episode 7 takes a slight detour from the main plot but still moves things along nicely. Side stories that are interesting and fun ultimately tie back into the main battle against Fukuchi as it gets closer to the climax. Former enemies may now be allies, but it remains unclear whether the newfound alliance will actually last as the rest of Fukuchi’s plot unravels.

Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5 Episode 7 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.