Bungou Stray Dogs – 12 [INTERMISSION]

Just in time for the 4th of July, here come the Americans!

Again, I know, they are technically Westerners, since, not all of them hail from the U. S. of A., but for all intents and purposes, they work out of North America, which for most of the world’s media purposes, just means “America” so, they are “Americans”.

I had honestly thought they would just kind of finish out this season by kind of tying up any loose ends and giving us perhaps a last introduction or two of the main cast (which they kind of do and kind of don’t), before giving us firmer tease as to what will be in store for the second half of the story. And yet, to my surprise, nope! They instead march straight ahead and into the next half of the series where the series takes a new but expected turn.

Guess who gets to be roommates! ^_^

After having gotten to know the Armed Detective Agency, the Port Mafia and their “relationship” with each other, there was only so far you could take that storyline. The superpowered mobster commit some terrorist act, the Armed Detectives find out what’s going on and stop them. The one ongoing plotline through what was mostly episodic episodes was the entire deal with Atsushi and the fact that the Port Mafia wanted him because of the fact that he was worth a heck of a lot of money. In the episode prior to the penultimate one, we finally learn who exactly that group is.

Enter: The Guild!

Arriving in style and hauteur

So, we get to meet the new main antagonists of the series, only really known as The Guild.  The Guild is extremely (stereotypically) arrogant, especially their leader, F. Scott Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald isn’t my favorite writer by a longshot, but like most students in America, he was required reading in school. His most famous work, The Great Gatsby, is not only the name of our character’s power, but his characterization actually seems a lot more like the character of Jay Gatsby, then it does Fitzgerald himself–from the 20s style clothing, to the arrogant, vain and excessive personality that doesn’t seem authentic on second glance, to the obvious traces of obsession.

The same can be said for the character of Lucy, full name: Lucy Maud Montgomery. Rather than portraying characteristics of the writer herself, Lucy is designed and acts more so like Montgomery’s most famous character, Anne Shirley from her Anne of Green Gables series. Though I guess more in that case, since Anne has traits that were based on Montgomery’s own life, it’s a little more forgiven there.

“Enough of this Jap swill. Nathaniel! Get me my Lipton!”

I find it fascinating that unlike the majority of the superpowered Japanese writer detectives/gangsters in this story, whose designs and/or characters are based more on the writers themselves, whereas, the Western writer Guild members are more so designed and based on their most famous character and/or literary work. I can only guess that it’s because the characters wouldn’t be very recognizable to the target audience, if it were the other way around.

In comparison to the Mafia, the Guild as antagonists, are just a bit more–well, petty. At least so far. So far, the only desire they have is that they want the detective agency’s license to operate as an official superpowered group and they will do whatever it take to do it. My thing is, who exactly gives these licenses? And why can’t the Guild get one? Why is it so hard to get? And my biggest question–how the heck is a Japanese permit/license going to do an American based group any good? Are these licenses internationally valid?

Fitzgerald makes the claim that they can’t get one themselves, because there are just some things that can’t be bought with money? I mean…yeah, he’s right, but, a license? Come on. Especially living in America, which I’m pretty sure would have its own licensing process, I’m pretty sure that such a rich and morally challenged group could find some way of getting a license to operate under.

But even then, on that note, do you honestly need to be that legitimate? I mean the Port Mafia doesn’t seem to need one. Or if you want to pretend that you’re just a normal everyday legal group, go with the term “gifted” rather than “superpowered”. It does wonders for the X-Men.

It’s all about the Benjamins baby.

I find it interesting that this group decided to make enemies of both the Detectives AND the Mafia. It kind of becomes a battle of East against West, and I really don’t know if I like it. I mean, on their first full appearance, they come in with their cringe-worthy egotism (mostly because of Francis Scott), that took every “arrogant American” stereotype and cranked it up to 11. The helicopter landing in the middle of the road, the briefcases full of money, the lofty attitudes dripping with disdain and braggadocio…it almost made me ashamed of my own nationality.

But I guess the silver lining is that they are in fact villains and they will let nothing get in their way, and are willing to do whatever’s necessary to get what they want. But neither the Detectives or the Mafia are going to take this lying down

Anne and Lucy Play-along Funhouse!

While I enjoyed seeing Lucy display the power of her kookie room of illusion, I thought that perhaps they should have kept The Guild and the powers they contain, more of a mystery until the next season. Seeing Lucy get beaten and outfoxed so easily by Atsushi and Tanizaki, and then later showing how easily the Mafia took care of a Guild assassin all in the same episode, doesn’t really give the best impression for the Guild being interesting and worthwhile villains of this coming season. I think an air of mystery would have probably been preferable, with us having to wonder just how much worse the Guild would be in comparison to the Mafia. Now we already know–so far, not much.

But then again, we’ve only met three members so far, Fitzgerald as the leader, the teenage Lucy (with again the orphan forced loner issues), and one more who they don’t identify by name, but if I were to go by clothing, my guess is that his power might just be called “The Scarlet Letter”…either that or “The Crucible”. 😛

We get a chance to meet the leader of the Port Mafia, Dr. Ougai Mori as well as the previously seen, Elise. While neither Tanizaki or Atsushi realize Mori’s identity, it’s rather obvious to the audience from his first appearance that there was a lot more to this man then on first appearance. I had a feeling that he was our man in the shadows from last episode, and when he first showed a picture of who Elise was, it was confirmed. I’m fascinated by the dual nature of his character, one part childlike and one part cold-blooded. He obviously has enough power and strength to garner the respect of his men and to cause Kyouka to nearly go catatonic. And yet, he acts more like a doofus when he’s around Elise. It’s an interesting dichotomy. I would be interested to see if Dazai had been there, what their reactions to each other in that situation would have been.

It’s also interesting that the writer chose Vita Sexualis as the name of his power, rather than The Wild Geese (Gan), which is the real life Mori’s most famous work.

Not everything is what it seems.

I wouldn’t be surprised if in the coming season, the Detectives and the Mafia join forces against the Guild. It’s certainly been set up that way. But then again, this entire season has pretty much been set up. We took 12 episodes to introduce to you most of the Literary Stray Dogs, those of the dark and light and somewhere in between. I’d say this series, while having it’s pacing, plot and writing issues, was mostly funny and entertaining enough to be at least watchable. In fact, I’d say, I’ve laughed a lot with this series, which is more than I can say for some others that I started this season. I enjoyed myself for the most part and I think I might even be willing to catch the second season as well, if just to see the Guild in action.

For those who don’t know, I’ve been an avid reader for years, both classic and contemporary writers. So far, I’ve read the works of both Western writers shown so far, and I’m interested to see how long my streak will last (I’ll be 3 for 3 if that third member is who I think he is). I’m also interested in seeing their subsequent powers and how that will affect the future plot lines. Will the Mafia and Detectives indeed join forces? If so, I’ll be interested in Dazai’s interactions between both his old and new comrades and what the new dynamic will be between him and both of his proteges–his past and his present. And is this really going to all be about a license for The Guild or will there be more to it? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Can you make a guess as to who is who?

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About IreneSharda

A Chicagoan biochemist, teacher, and an aspiring virologist, with a love for science only rivaled by my love for movies, animation, and anime. Both a lover of action/adventure and romance, I'm a girl who walks the entire spectrum. Mecha, Sci-Fi, Psychological Thriller, Romantic Period Piece, if it's has a good story, I'm there.