REVIEW: ‘Bungo Stray Dogs’ Episode 61 — “Twilight Goodbye”

Everything has been building to this moment, and the end is finally here in Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5 Episode 11. Titled “Twilight Goodbye,” the season finale brings everything to a close as the Armed Detective Agency and their allies set out to stop Ouchi Fukuchi from destroying the world.

This season has been full of all sorts of twists and turns slowly building in the background, but it was still difficult to see how the Armed Detective Agency was going to stop Fukuchi. Now that he has used the One Order to command the armies of the world to destroy everything, there was a genuine sense of dread that he could not be stopped. Of course, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Yukichi Fukuzawa had a plan all along and was able to stop Fukuchi in his tracks.

The only real issue at first with how Fukuzawa stops Fukuchi is that it felt incredibly rushed, given just how unstoppable Fukuchi had been all season. Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5 Episode 11 does a great job, however, of giving a reason why it happens so easily when Fukuchi and Fukuzawa meet inside Poe’s notebook and discuss the reality of Fukuchi’s plans. Even if his methods weren’t always the best, Fukuchi was actually out to stop a global war from happening and hopefully, end war altogether.

It’s a lofty goal, but it fits with the bits of character that had been shown over the course of the last few episodes. Fukuchi knows the horrors of war, so it makes sense that he would, ultimately, do anything he could to prevent it. He also knew the world would not listen to him, so he had to take matters into his own hands. He wants to make the world a “we” instead of a collection of individuals. It might seem like a bit of a naive approach, but given everything he has been through, it makes sense that he wants to see war come to an end and for humanity unite. It also explains why he took drastic measures to make it happen, willing to make himself the villain if it meant humanity was better off in the end.

While the confrontation between Fukuzawa and Fukuchi might be the main focal point, the most impactful moment of Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5 Episode 11 is when Aya is finally able to free Count Bram Stoker from the sword that Fukuchi had been using to control the vampire armies. Bram gaining back his old body and control of his powers is going to be important in the future, but even more important is the chance Aya has to be a hero and prove her worth. Her willingness to jump head-first into saving the day despite having no special powers and being so small and young makes her an inspiring character. The fact that she gets a moment to shine and earn the respect of Bram even more than she already had was a major highlight moment.

Bram gaining control of his armies again also plays into the Nikolai Game. It seemed like Dazai was left for dead while Fyodor was on his way to safety before the rug was pulled out from underneath him, thanks to a deal Ranpo and Bram negotiated. Dazai had no idea it would pan out that way for sure, but he had faith in his allies that they would come through for him in the end. There are several “mask off” moments that reveal how Dazai was able to emerge victorious, all quite satisfying. We also finally get to see how Dazai, Fyodor, and the Nikolai Game tie into the overarching story of Fukuchi’s plans. The Nikolai Game started to feel like it was taking away from the narrative at large, so it was nice to see it all get tied together in the end.

Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5 Episode 11 excellently ties together loose ends while setting up for the future. There are so many twists and turns that still leave viewers with more questions heading into Bungo Stray Dogs Season 6, whenever that comes out. It’s a satisfying end to an excellent season that only leaves viewers excited for more.

Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5 Episode 11 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.