The eighth episode concluded with Aya and Bram being apprehended by Akutagawa. Fukuchi ordered the vampire army to kill the members of the detective agency at first sight.
This episode is a wild ride in which the tables are turned in the most unexpected way. With its thrilling twists and turns, Bungou Stray Dogs never fails to surprise and catch viewers off guard at the most unexpected times. The episode from yesterday has a solid vibe to it.
Bungou Stray Dogs Season 5 Episode 9 Recap: What caused Fukuchi and Fukuzawa to choose different paths?
The actual episode begins with Kunikida and Tanizaki searching for Aya and eventually being caught by Fukuchi himself.
Atsushi is held captive by one of the hunting dogs. While he tries to escape the bondage, she uses her sword to cut off the ties and release him.
Finally, President Fukuzawa confronts Fukuchi at the airport, where Fukuza sees that Tanizaki and Kunikida are restrained by a biochemical device and can die at any moment if the power of the device is switched off.
When they are engrossed in the conversation, Ranpo slowly tries to trap Fukuchi in the booklet of Poe, thinking that he won’t be able to use Amenogozen in that dimension. But he is proven wrong.
Fukuchi has already foreseen it, and there is no way Ranpo’s plan can work.
Fukuzawa tries to talk Fukuchi out of this and assumes why he is doing it. Fukuchi, out of their old friendship, asks him to take a guess, and if he fails to answer it correctly in the next five minutes, he will kill all his hostages.
Atsushi is still at the mercy of Teruko. But here comes the first twist. Considering how fast Atsushi was to see through her plan, it has made her realise that Atsushi is neither a criminal nor a villain. After hearing the real plan from Fukuchi himself, she now has conflicting opinions about the entire mission due to her strong sense of justice.
Atsushi succeeds in persuading her to help him stop the massacre. In return, she tells her the true goal of the Decay of Angels. She warns him of the brutality of the plan.
Fukuchi and Fukuzawa draw their swords, and the real duel between past friends begins.
Fukuchi is confident that Fukuzawa can never defeat him, as he cannot see the future. But he proves him wrong by dodging the sword attack from behind, saying that if not the future, the past is clearly visible to him.
Fukuzawa has known him for 25 years. He is familiar with his combat skills and techniques. But what he fails to see is that the former Fukuchi is no more. He is a completely different person now. The battlefield had changed him. Fukuzawa does not know enough about this new Fukuchi.
As Fukuzawa briefly seizes the advantage with his swift movements, Fukuchi employs a defensive move, using his hand as a shield against Fukuzawa’s blade. In a surprising twist, he thrusts a throwing knife through Fukuzawa, harnessing the power of his unique skill.
In this tense moment, Fukuchi insists that they are no longer the individuals they once were, a transformation that began years ago during a fateful encounter when a youthful Fukuzawa crossed paths with a determined young Fukuchi storming into his martial arts dojo.
In their intense battle, Fukuchi and Fukuzawa couldn’t help but reminisce about their shared youth, wondering how they had drifted so far apart.
It all began years ago in Fukuzawa’s dojo, where they engaged in an epic day-long duel that ended in a draw. Fukuchi was intrigued by finding someone who matched his skill level and introduced himself as Gen’ichirō Fukuchi. Fukuzawa did the same, and Fukuchi declared they should master the way of the sword together.
Thirteen years passed, and Fukuzawa became one of the government’s top 5 swordsmen, while Fukuchi held a position in education. Fukuchi received a military appointment that would take him to Tokoyami Island, fearing he would turn into something worse than death.
Fukuchi already knew that the horrors of the war would turn him into someone darker than death itself.
He invited Fukuzawa to join him, but Fukuzawa hesitated, seeing war as a life-stealing endeavour, while Fukuchi believed it was about saving comrades’ lives.
Their paths diverged during the war; Fukuzawa, the lone swordsman known as the Silver Wolf, assassinated war hawks to end the war, while Fukuchi, the heroic Mirror Lion, became lost in the chaos of battle. The battlefield gave birth to a demon of carnage.
Right now, Teruko has dropped a bombshell on Atsushi, revealing the Decay of the Angel’s true objective, leaving him utterly stunned by the Agency’s ignorance. She unlocks the exit for Atsushi, but he’s left in a frantic state, unsure of what to do after learning about the sinister plot that’s been brewing for 36 years.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Fukuchi deals a decisive blow to Fukuzawa. He does not kill him immediately, as he wants him to be the spectator for the world’s ultimate tragic comedy.
From there, he rings up the UN Chairman. He warns him that if he does not remove the seal on One Order within five minutes, he will unleash a global vampire invasion.
In disbelief, the chairman speculates that it could be another of his heroic plans to save the world, to which Fukuchi, considering the chairman a pleasant kind of fool, promises to keep him by his side till the end.
The five minutes that Fukuchi gave Fukuzawa are up. It’s showdown time.
Fukuzawa pieces together Fukuchi’s motive, sensing it’s driven by revenge for forcing him into the horrors of Tokoyami Island, where he witnessed unimaginable suffering, including shortages, starvation, officers shooting their own surrendering men, the misuse of healing powers to prolong the war, and the cruel use of prisoners as living bombs.
In essence, Fukuzawa believes that Fukuchi carries a deep resentment towards imperial headquarters, the Cabinet, the citizens, and even the U.N., embodying the fury seeking to avenge the soldiers lost to war.
Fukuzawa believes that targeting the Agency is Fukuchi’s way of punishing him for their past betrayal. He pleads with Fukuchi to release everyone. However, Fukuchi brutally stabs Fukuzawa and dismisses his theory as incorrect.
Fukuchi stabs Fukuzawa.image via: Studio Bones
The fact that Fukuchi does not even flinch a bit and gives it a second thought before stabbing Fukuzawa shows the bitter and sadistic truth of his transformation.
After knowing the true goal of the Decay of the Angel but being unsure of what to do about it, Atsushi struggles but eventually finds his resolve to move forward.
Bungou Stray Dogs Season 5 Episode 9 Ending Explained: Did Dazai’s escape plan succeed?
Meanwhile, back at Meursault, Dazai and Sigma play rock-paper-scissors with Dazai winning consecutively, which leaves Sigma frustrated with himself for not winning.
With Dostoyevsky out of the picture, Dazai and Sigma seemingly have a clear path ahead. However, can their escape from Meursault truly unfold without any unexpected hurdles?
In the world of Bungou Stray Dogs, where plot twists are expertly woven, it’s difficult to accept that Fyodor’s death is as straightforward as it seems. Is Dazai really going to get away so easily?
The series is known for its penchant for major twists, making it highly improbable that Fyodor and Chuuya met their ends without any surprises in store.
Dazai directs Sigma to enter the elevator, first ensuring there are no hidden traps lurking in its mechanisms.
Dazai’s purpose in saving Sigma is clear: he needs Sigma’s ability to extract Fyodor’s future plans, assuming that Fyodor has met his end by drowning, all in a bid to safeguard the Agency at the airport. In this moment, Sigma’s mind echoes with memories of being used in the past, sparking a conflict within him.
Sigma grapples with the nature of his relationship with Dazai and the Agency. While he initially sees Dazai as just another manipulator, Sigma realises that Dazai doesn’t exploit the Agency, and vice versa.
However, suspicion creeps in as Dazai and Sigma’s elevator ride seems unusually long. Suddenly, they hear the time-stopping ability user over the PA system, pleading for her life, revealing her role in stopping time. Fyodor and Chuuya, having escaped the flooding, corner the ability user and Fyodor ends her life with a point-blank shot.
Fyodor then surprises Dazai by revealing his meticulous preparations using Chuuya’s ability, taunting Dazai for overlooking such a simple detail. Sigma wonders how Fyodor foresaw the flood, and Dazai speculates that one of the guards may have been turned into a vampire under Fyodor’s influence, allowing him to learn about the takeover of the command centre.
Dazai realises that Fyodor might have seized control of Meursault even before he did. Fyodor, aiming to subject them to the same trial they imposed on him, initiates a shutdown sequence, leaving Dazai and Sigma trapped inside the elevator, facing the impending flood.