Bungou Stray Dogs Season 4: Production Begins! Release Date, Plot & More

Kafka Asagiri has gifted the world with one of the most gripping supernatural stories of all time. Since 2016, Bungou Stray Dogs has remained the most-watched crime story of all time. With its insane popularity and demand, the series stretched up to three seasons in a matter of two years. Now, Bungou Stray Dogs Season 4 is the story that everyone is looking forward to. So, what is happening behind the scenes of the fourth season? What are the production updates? Is there enough source material? Here is everything you need to know about the future of the franchise.

Bungou Stray Dogs originally began as a seinen manga in 2012. Kafka Asagiri and Sango Harukawa continue to release new chapters in the franchise. So far, the manga has come out with twenty-one volumes. Later on, the franchise got one light novel, three manga, and two anime adaptations. BSD also has one released movie and one already in line for 2022. In terms of reception, Bungou Stray Dogs is considered an outstanding piece of cinema. The first three seasons of the anime rank 7.8 out of 10 on IMDb.

MyAnimeList shows the highest rating of 7.81 stars. More than five million users unanimously voted on the same rating. Also, the anime ranked on many slates at the time of its airing. Thus, it can be assumed that the fourth season will have many eyeballs to please. Keep reading further to find out all about the renewal.

Bungou Stray Dogs Season 4: Renewal Status!

To answer the subject question in straight terms, the production company has renewed Bungou Stray Dogs Season 4. On November 7, 2021, the makers of the series released a brand-new poster suggesting the return of the fourth season. The banner was returning to the screens after three years of break. The packed schedule of bones and pandemic restrictions combinedly caused the season to face a delay this long.

Along with the 4th season, a theatrical movie was also announced in the franchise. However, there have been no considerable developments in the project since July 2019. As a result, fans have been wondering if the project died due to the sheer amount of projects that the banner is making right now.

Bungou Stray Dogs Season 4: Production Details!

The same announcement from November 2021 had confirmed that the fourth season was already in production. The official website of Bungou Stary Dogs anime revealed that Studio Bones was working on the animation work of the fourth season. At the time of writing, the extent of the work that has been completed is not clear. But, it can be assumed that the series is currently in the early stages of the make.

With Bones commencing projects for the 2022 slates, it looks like Bungou Stray Dogs is one of the ventures that has only begun with the animation work. In the absence of a proper announcement, it can be assumed that the fourth edition will also have 12 episodes, much like the predecessor parts.

Previous Season Recap!

The overall story of Bungou Stray Dogs revolves around the members of the Armed Detective Agency. Set in the world of a supernaturally gifted population, this organization deals with the crimes that center these supernature abilities. The story kick starts when Atsushi Nakajima saves a young member of the agency from committing suicide. And so, Danzai helps Atsushi become a member of the Armed Detective Agency. The first season chased the catching of Ryunosuke Akutagawa, an esteemed member of the Port Mafia.

Both these groups are caught in the massive trap set up by a third-party criminal organization in the second and third seasons. The ‘Rats in the House of the Dead’ group plans to use the rivalry between these two agencies for its own good. However, Danzai and Atsushi have no intention of letting this happen. Towards the final episode of the third season, Fyodor was finally caught with the help of Danzai’s wits and the Special Ability Department.

However, the growing arc between Atsushi and Akutagawa remained unhinged. In the finale episode titled “Echo,” they decided that to continue the fight until they found a conclusion. Thus, a pact was made which said that the two would reunite after six months and settle all the conflicts once and for all.

What To Expect Next?

The third season of Bungou Stray Dogs continued with the “Cannibalism Arc” of the story. While the arrest of Fyodor marks the near end of this arc, there are many acts that will play out before the next arc comes into play. Bungou Stray Dogs Season 4 will be adapting the “Decay of Angels Arc” of the storyline. Fyodor Dostoevsky is one of the members of the Decay of Angels group, which is another esteemed criminal organization.

His arrest is going to spark a stir in the criminal underground. Thus, big criminal names like Bram Stoker, Nikolai Gogol, Ochi Fukuchi, and Sigma will challenge Danzai and the Armed Detective Agency head-on. However, since this arc has not seen a conclusion in the manga as of yet, it is likely that the story will stretch far over the fourth season. Fans can expect to see the continuation of the storyline in the fifth season if the edition sees the light of the day.

Is There Enough Source Material?

At the time of writing, the Bungou Stray Dogs manga has released twenty-one volumes in total. This contains 93 chapters in total. With this, Kafka Asagiri’s story continues to release chapters on a regular basis. So, the first three seasons ended up using the first 53 chapters of the manga. This includes up until the 13th volume of the manga. In the three-year gap that the manga got between the third and the fourth season, a lot was covered. Thus, it is safe to say that the story has more than enough source material to adapt to the fourth season.

In fact, judging by the pacing and the abundance of source material, it can be said that the story has more than enough material to lend to two more seasons after the fourth installment. Also, the three other spin-off stories that Kafka has concluded also stay in line to get an adaptation. Thus, all eyes will be upon Studio Bones until the franchise officially gets a cancellation notice.

Who be Will In The Cast?

With a commitment of three seasons, it is unlikely that the studio will opt for a cast change in Season 4. So, fans can expect to see Uemura Yuto in the role of Nakajima Atsushi. Along with him, Miyano Mamoru will reprise his role as Dazai Osamu in Season 4. Moreover, Morohoshi Sumire will also continue her role as Izumi Kyoka. Lastly, viewers can also expect to see Taniyama Kisho in the role of Nakahara Chuuya. We will be sure to update this section as soon as the makers announce more cast members for Bungou Stray Dogs Season 4.

Also Read: All Anime Releasing In 2022 That You Need To Add To Your Bucket List!

Bungou Stray Dogs Season 4: Release Date

With the third season remaining out of the picture for three years straight, it is likely that the fourth season will not take any longer to come back to the screens. Since the production is already in the run, it is safe to say that Season 4 might see an announcement any time in 2022. Fans can expect to see the story come to life by the beginning of the Fall 2022 slate. This section will be updated as soon as Studio Bones confirm more projects. So, keep an eye on this space for more insights on the same.