When superpowers and crime fighting meet famous figures from Japanese literature, you get Bungo Stray Dogs by Kafka Asagiri (and illustrated by Sango Harukawa).  Originally making a name for itself as a niche favorite within the niche, Bungo Stray Dogs came out as a manga in 2012 (currently spanning 11 volumes), got itself a light novel adaption by the same two creators as of 2014 (currently spanning 5 volumes), and a popular 24 episode anime as of 2016.  Focusing on the original manga, the story is riveting and action packed from the very first page, keeping readers involved with both twisted characters and a shadowy plot.

One of the most notable features of the series is that the characters are all based off of literary giants from Japan, and they all retain some of their namesakes’ characteristics as well as have their skills (or better known as their powers) take the names of their namesakes’ literary works.  Being a huge fan of Japanese literature myself, this was a huge bonus for me and, I’m sure, for any other fan of classical literature out there.  For example the character Osamu Dazai, named after the Osamu Dazai who wrote such works as No Longer Human (the name of his skill) and The Setting Sun, takes on the tendencies of his namesake when he repeatedly attempts suicide.  This is most notable shown to be true in the introductory scene where he meets another character, Atsushi Nakajima, when he (Osamu Dazai) attempts to drown himself in a river, which is how the real Osamu Dazai committed suicide in 1948.  All of the characters take on such characteristics, not just Osamu Dazai, and it made for an extremely interesting read for literature fans, but for those who overlooked such allusions, these quirks stills made for extraordinary and enjoyable characters and plotlines, so not to worry.

Bungo Stray Dogs follows no one character or another, although it does focus on the small group of armed detectives set on protecting the city that they are stationed in.  The main group: Atsushi Nakajima (skill: Beast Beneath the Moon), Osamu Dazai (skill: No Longer Human), Doppo Kunikida (skill: The Matchless Poet), Junichiro Tanizaki (skill: Light Snow), Ranpo Edogawa (skill: Super Deduction), Akiko Yosano (skill: Thou Shalt Not Die), Kenji Miyazawa (skill: Undefeated by the Rain), and the agency’s president, Yukichi Fukuzawa (skill: All Men Are Equal).  The detectives all come together in the story before the reader comes along, but Atsushi Nakajima is the introductory character as he stumbles upon trouble after being cast out from his orphanage as an accursed child.  After saving Osamu Dazai from drowning, and being met by a disgruntled thank you for his troubles as Osamu Dazai would have rather enjoyed his suicide to have gone down without a hitch, he is fed and brought back from the edge of starvation, but he isn’t out of danger or cleared of his past woes with the curse he has apparently acquired that has caused others so much trouble that they had to cast him out on the streets.  It just so happens that Osamu Dazai and his partner, the uptight and morally strict Doppo Kunikida, have some business that have bring the agency they work for and Atsushi Nakajima together in some… unpredictable ways.

With the main antagonist being the Port Mafia… the story gets really interesting with character background, so I definitely recommend reading the series if you want to find out just how deeply entwined the good guy can get with the bad guys.  It may not be the cliche dirty detective story that has been plaguing many stories, but it is something much better in my opinion, and the twist that skills add to the story as well as the background that is given between the two groups starting from the first volume...

With action, comedy, mystery, and quirky characters, Bungo Stray Dogs is one of the most notable series that I have come across recently!  The characters, although they aren’t always as relatable as some others as some other stories, do have some aspects that can be relatable and are always laughable.  The plot is gripping and the action scenes are not the stereotypical scenes with excessive blood and gore.  There is a psychological element to the series that hides behind the action and humor of the series that makes it stand out from a lot of the others on my shelf.  Another notable piece of the series are the postscripts.  The postscripts, usually taken up by comicstrips of the author speaking to the reader about the creation of the series or their personal life, is taken up by written out scripts of the characters’ conversing in comical ways that caught my attention because it stood out from the norm and stuck with the series’s own style, really making itself its own little place.

I would highly recommend this series to anyone looking for a good read, although I wouldn’t recommend it to someone looking for a quick read with a light feeling as the story is a bit deeper and darker, even though it does have a comedic twist.  It is worth every minute I spent reading it and I can’t wait to read the next volume because it has emotionally involved me in the characters and the story line.  I would definitely recommend buying a copy if you are looking for any of the volumes and you can buy them for a reasonable price on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, and Book Walker.