Bungo Stray Dogs – Season 5 Episode 5 Recap & Review

The Confrontation

Episode 5 of Bungo Stray Dogs season 5 titled ‘At The Port in the Sky (Part 1)’ begins with Atsushi and Kyoka being shocked to see that the Agency building is in proper shape. Kunikida shows up with his hands healed and Ranpo tells them they are in Poe’s world for a final meeting. Kenji and Tanizaki are back as well and Fukuzawa holds the meeting.

16 national militaries have been converted and the vampire army is controlled by Bram. He was one of the pillars that destroyed humanity and was defeated by Fukuchi who now controls him with the Holy Sword. Fukuzawa suspects that the whole pillar story was probably Fukuchi’s doing. 

The world cannot tell who has turned and who hasn’t causing people to distrust each other. Ranpo deduces the enemy wants One Order – one of the sealed three calamities and is a weapon of mind control. Meanwhile, At the British-French military base at the South Pole, someone is authorised to take out the weapon which is heavily guarded. 

Ranpo surmises that in war, 50,000 bullets are wasted to get one confirmed kill as most soldiers only pretend to aim at a human as they cannot stand the idea of killing someone. The One Order was created to control soldiers and prevent this wastage. Fun fact, Fukuzawa has a similar ability to affect his subordinates.

For fear of a military coup, The One Order was locked away as it completely controls the subordinates of the commander running the weapon. If Fukuchi gets it, he can use it to create the universal Army of Mankind and control humans while he also controls the vampires through Bram. In 12 hours, he will get the One Order and the Agency needs to stop him. 

At the airport, Aya, the little girl saved by Kunikida sees the news about the Agency being terrorists and refuses to believe it. Jono pushes her aside and meets with the two remaining Hunting Dogs to discuss their plan. Jono wonders if they should take someone hostage and hears Aya’s frantic heartbeat. He turns to her menacingly and she mocks him for trying to hold her hostage to lure the kind-hearted Detectives.

He simply gives a creepy smile as he doesn’t care if the Agency is innocent or not. He simply likes to create terror and wants to execute them under the rule of law (which is pretty flawed and so works in his favour). He points out that anyone defending the Agency is a suspect but before he can take any action, Tetcho pokes him. They start bickering as he reprimands Jono but before they can fight Fukuchi shows up.

He is sweet to Aya and then takes Jono with him to a room. He asks what the Hunting Dog thinks about the Agency’s terror tactic and Jono says he is actually impressed. Fukuchi shows him Bram and reveals he is the mastermind, asking Jono to join him. He says Jono has always been an oddball with the way he also tricked bank robbers to stab themselves in exchange for freedom.

Jono enjoys the sound of torture and in fact, was part of a criminal organization before joining the Hunting Dogs. Fukuchi welcomes him to the core team, telling him to assassinate the Detectives. He also reveals that their 18-decoy plan has one weakness.

At the same time, the Agency is in Anne’s Chamber, located inside the airport. Their true objective is to kill Bram without whom the vampires cannot be controlled and are needed to transport the One Order. Ranpo believes Bram will not be under the protection of the Hunting Dogs making him an easy target. 

Unfortunately, Fukuchi predicts Ranpo’s plan and Jono gleefully agrees to protect Bram. However, in a flashback, an old woman thanks Jono for protecting her from the robbers. He suddenly pulls his sword out and slices. It is in the present time as he slices Fukuchi’s neck. He tells it is Fukuchi’s fault for introducing him to the happiness of protecting people.

But Fukuchi easily sends Amenogozen back to the past and stops Jono’s attack. Jono simply uses his disintegration ability to avoid the sword and bids Fukuchi farewell as he has enough evidence. However, Akutagawa and Fukuchi’s Sword of Flame stop Jono from disintegrating and finally, he is bitten. Jono warns Fukuchi before Akutagawa takes him away.

Turns out Jono realised that something was wrong on the day Tachihara gave Fukuchi the wrong pen drive due to his heartbeat. While confronting Aya, Jono surreptitiously gives her a letter to follow him. She sees and hears the whole confrontation and decides to take a photo as proof. Of course, the flash goes off and Fukuchi notices it. She keeps narrowly avoiding him as he slashes through all the hiding spaces.

The Episode Review

Oh boy, Jono really turned out to be creepier than Gogol. Guess in a good way, though. He’s probably a more wilder version of Dazai. However, Aya? That was his big plan? She’s a kid, my man, how is she going to evade the big bad baddie that even you couldn’t escape?

And with Fukuchi having the time-space sword, it is getting a little boring every time it is shown in action now. Jono’s plot twist is completely jaw-dropping but it is ruined with Fukuchi simply turning back time. The novelty of the sword is lost unless the next time it is used, it is against someone like Ranpo or Fukuzawa who somehow avoids its attack.

Season 5 of Bungo Stray Dogs is extremely fast-paced and full of action right from the beginning. It is only episode 5, yet the plan to take down the bad guy whose identity is already revealed is in full swing. Are they going to drag it for another 5-6 episodes or is there going to be another plot twist involving Gogol and Fyodor?