Bungo Stray Dogs - Season 1 (Blu-Ray Set Review)

By: MithrandielA motley crew of supernaturally gifted detectives struggle against a powerful mafia group and other threats in Bungo Stray Dogs - an action packed series that calls on the names of literatures finest from all over the world (though Japanese authors are obviously the main focus).

Box Set Review

Funimation recently released the blu-ray set for Season 1, and so I wanted to share the awesome packaging and bonuses, and briefly share my thoughts on the series as a whole.The limited edition set, in line with a handful of the other premium releases we've reviewed, features a sturdy cardboard box that houses the discs as well as the art book. Outside of the box is the info sheet and a small envelope.Bookmarks! How quaint! Seriously though, some pretty sturdy bookmarks of the main cast are an apt and thoughtful inclusion with this limited edition set.Inside the box we have the discs themselves, as well as the art book:Pretty fun art on the cover, capturing most of their varied behavioral quirks.The "extras" aren't much beyond your usual: textless openings and endings, previews for other shows, etc. The real treat is in the art book. One of the biggest opportunities with Bungo Stray Dogs is that people who aren't fully familiar with the various authors will likely miss out on particular puns, jokes or other characterizations that show how the character is loyal to the person they're based off of.This book helps to fill those gaps by providing some great information about the authors, their major works, and some of the traits they wished to carry over into the characters themselves. Between the bookmarks and the quality & information found in the art book, I was very impressed by the bonus materials in this set.Overall, it would certainly be a great addition for any collector. The question is: how is the series as a whole?On that, I have a few things to say.

Series Review

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I'm a sucker for a good mafia anime. 91 Days certainly piqued my interest, and while the finale left much to be desired, I still enjoyed it thoroughly. Gungrave probably remains my favorite mafia series to date, with the saga of Brandon Heat and his best friend turned enemy Harry McDowell remaining firmly implanted in my mind to this day.That being said, when I got wind that Bungo Stray Dogs had some serious mafia elements in the background, not to mention the literary references (literature majors what's up?!), I was ready for some fun.And sure, there is some fun to be had with Bungo Stray Dogs, don't get me wrong. Where I felt it lacked was it failed to really form the individual stories into a cohesive arc. Many episodes ended up falling back on gimmicks or dysfunctional relationships between the characters, rather than drawing on the rich and interesting dynamics of the Armed Detective Agency and its fight against the Port Mafia.What's particularly perplexing is that season 2 of Bungo Stray Dogs does just that. The opening arc, in particular, is compelling, dramatic and overall one of my favorite (brief) arcs in recent history. I'm not sure if they were more interested in introducing the various characters in this first season that they lost sight of the forest for the trees, but watching the two seasons, it's easy to see how season 1 seems to miss the mark from a narrative standpoint.That being said, the animation is gorgeous, and looking back at it you can see foundations being built for the 2nd half. It's just a shame that it takes a whole season to find its groove.You can pick up this limited edition set from Funimation here!