Bungo Stray Dogs is one of those extended episodic stories (manga series) that’s about a vaguely dystopic world in which people sometimes have super-powers that are literary themed. There’s a couple of main groups in opposition to each other but sometimes they work together, and there’s plenty of adventure and fighting. It’s also one of those series where things get dark, and maybe you see a hero run through with a sword, but then in a volume or two by some weird twist of fate, said heroic person is actually not dead, maybe even doing just fine because someone with a time reversal or super healing skill was nearby.
In volume 23, there are two storylines that seemingly are getting towards a turning point, one involving Dazai and his nemesis in a duel/battle of wits to the death, and the other involving the leader of the Hunting Dogs’ group and what he’s really up to, and why he’s got it in for the Armed Detective Agency. There’s also a kind of side plot with one of the good guys and Stoker (guess what his power is) that’s at least somewhat related to one of the main threads.
I’ve noticed that this series sometimes gets pretty dark, and this volume ends on that kind of note, but then somehow things don’t quite turn out that badly in a volume or two. We’ll have to see, since one main thread has the good guys losing, and the other seemingly poised to win. I’m to the point I don’t quite trust the set up. The backstory (of which there is good bit for a couple of characters) is probably relevant, especially the past shared by two leaders. Problem with this bit is I’m not sure yet if this is setting up some sort of redemption or sympathy, because the apparent villain’s ‘destroy the world because of trauma’ actual trauma is only generally hinted at, and the full story and eventual plan is so terrible that people have lost their minds upon learning it (meaning of course that the details are not openly known to anyone including me/readers). There are enough characters with side missions that I’ve basically forgotten who all a few folks are, and what the connections are between everyone, but maybe soon with a possible grand reveal coming up, there will be some bringing together of at least some of the various missions and sub-plots.