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文豪ストレイドッグス [Bungō Stray Dogs] (Novel) #5
Bungo Stray Dogs, Vol. 5 (light novel): Dead Apple (Bungo Stray Dogs
Six years have passed since the bloody Dragon's Head Conflict took place. An unexplained spate of suicides by skill users worldwide has sent the Armed Detective Agency on a search for Tatsuhiko Shibusawa, a mysterious skill user who may be connected somehow. Kyouka Izumi and Atsushi Nakajima are hot on Shibusawa's heels when Atsushi learns a startling truth from his sworn enemy Ryuunosuke Akutagawa. Find out what lies beyond the eerie mist in this novelization of the hit anime film Bungo Stray Dogs: DEAD APPLE!
172 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 10, 2018
66 people are currently reading
1270 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
March 3, 2021
do i put this in the lgbt shelf or.
July 9, 2021
I have watched the movie three times, read the manga twice along with this light novel AND i still don’t know what happened this is so confusing
April 15, 2023
how does it keep getting gayer im astonished
December 13, 2020
وای واقعن نوشته های این شخص رو(این سری مانگا و متعلقاتش رو حداقل) دوست دارم من!
داستان های پشت هر کاراکتر، پشت هر اتفاق، پشت هر اسم حتا! همه چی عالی چیده شدن کنار هم.
و یکی از قسمتهای جذابش که همون اولا بود رو ازش باز نقل کنم که باعث شد تصمیم بگیرم ورژن اصلی سفیدبرفی از خود نسخه برادران گریم رو بخونم:
+Have you heard of apple suicide?
-Oh, you mean Cinderella.
...
+Just for your information, it was Snow White who ate the poison apple.
And it wasn't suicide in her case.
..
No, hang on.
Maybe she did commit suicide.
Maybe she took a bite of the apple knowing it was poisoned.
-Why?
+Despair.
Despair in having been given poison by her mother.
No...
Maybe it was a more nebulous despair.
Despair intrinsic to this world.
That would be interesting, if it were the case.
Dazai - Bungō Stray Dogs: Dead Apple
داستان های پشت هر کاراکتر، پشت هر اتفاق، پشت هر اسم حتا! همه چی عالی چیده شدن کنار هم.
و یکی از قسمتهای جذابش که همون اولا بود رو ازش باز نقل کنم که باعث شد تصمیم بگیرم ورژن اصلی سفیدبرفی از خود نسخه برادران گریم رو بخونم:
+Have you heard of apple suicide?
-Oh, you mean Cinderella.
...
+Just for your information, it was Snow White who ate the poison apple.
And it wasn't suicide in her case.
..
No, hang on.
Maybe she did commit suicide.
Maybe she took a bite of the apple knowing it was poisoned.
-Why?
+Despair.
Despair in having been given poison by her mother.
No...
Maybe it was a more nebulous despair.
Despair intrinsic to this world.
That would be interesting, if it were the case.
Dazai - Bungō Stray Dogs: Dead Apple
September 20, 2021
These four stars are only for Chuuya and Ango, and no one else.
September 1, 2025
Pre-review: I will find a way to finish this, I swear I will!
Rating: 4.5 stars.
What is what in the story: Whenever a mysterious Fog appeared, Ability users worldwide started killing themselves, or did they? Was it suicide or homicide? The Armed Detective Agency would investigate.
(1) I am still at the beginning but it's looking good~
(2) OMFG! Dazai is just openly and shamelessly flirting with Chuuya at this point, the on-screen chemistry is undeniable! 🤣
(3) Meanwhile, Atsushi, Kyouka and Akutagawa were still out there fighting this super powerful, world-end-level villain because somehow Dazai decided it's safe for the kids to handle all these. ☺️🤣😅
(4) I like the parts about Atsushi's suppressed memory and the backstory, but I wonder why Kyouka also knows the secret too!
(5) Too bad we can't see much of the other Armed Detectives, many of their screens are handled off the screen. Sighs!
(6) I like the plot twist at the ending part. 😅
(7) Chuuya continues to be totally cool from start to end~
(8) Kyouka continues to be a sweetheart and she is totally helpful and all! I want her in my team too!
(9) Overall it's a story with clever plot twists, neat mysteries and characters being cool. Will try to read more of the BSD light novels!
Review for Bungo Stray Dogs WAN! vol. 6 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review for Bungo Stray Dogs Wan vol. 11: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...#
Rating: 4.5 stars.
What is what in the story: Whenever a mysterious Fog appeared, Ability users worldwide started killing themselves, or did they? Was it suicide or homicide? The Armed Detective Agency would investigate.
(1) I am still at the beginning but it's looking good~
(2) OMFG! Dazai is just openly and shamelessly flirting with Chuuya at this point, the on-screen chemistry is undeniable! 🤣
(3) Meanwhile, Atsushi, Kyouka and Akutagawa were still out there fighting this super powerful, world-end-level villain because somehow Dazai decided it's safe for the kids to handle all these. ☺️🤣😅
(4) I like the parts about Atsushi's suppressed memory and the backstory, but I wonder why Kyouka also knows the secret too!
(5) Too bad we can't see much of the other Armed Detectives, many of their screens are handled off the screen. Sighs!
(6) I like the plot twist at the ending part. 😅
(7) Chuuya continues to be totally cool from start to end~
(8) Kyouka continues to be a sweetheart and she is totally helpful and all! I want her in my team too!
(9) Overall it's a story with clever plot twists, neat mysteries and characters being cool. Will try to read more of the BSD light novels!
Review for Bungo Stray Dogs WAN! vol. 6 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review for Bungo Stray Dogs Wan vol. 11: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...#
April 7, 2021
To me, Dead Apple is a delightful hot mess of a movie. This light novel version is also a hot mess, though it arguably makes certain plot points a bit more clear . . . but I'm still not sure it all holds together. But there are so many wonderful character moments that I don't really care.
The light novel is at a disadvantage compared to the film, however, because so many action scenes (and a certain weirdly--and wonderfully--intimate scene between Dazai and Chuuya) just demand to be watched rather than read.
Still, if you're already a fan, there's a lot to like in the light novel. But if I were trying to get someone into Bungou Stray Dogs, I wouldn't start here. Just like the movie, it works better if you already know the characters and their abilities.
The light novel is at a disadvantage compared to the film, however, because so many action scenes (and a certain weirdly--and wonderfully--intimate scene between Dazai and Chuuya) just demand to be watched rather than read.
Still, if you're already a fan, there's a lot to like in the light novel. But if I were trying to get someone into Bungou Stray Dogs, I wouldn't start here. Just like the movie, it works better if you already know the characters and their abilities.
Read
March 6, 2021I'm going to commit an act of heresy and say: I think the movie was better. While the novel explained a lot of the confusing aspects of the movie, it was very abrupt and blunt, and had the same effect as reading a very lengthy Wikipedia summary where everything was just stated plainly. There wasn't much subtlety in the plot. Writing style aside, I also think that this all just happened very quickly, with no time for thought. It was one thing after another, and then it just ended.
I also find it mildly uncomfortable how Chuuya was given an American southern accent in this?? Why?? Also, I've seen a fair share of Stormbringer spoilers, But I digress. I also found it interesting that my half-joke theory that Chuuya had to calculate things when manipulating gravity turned out to actually be kind of true. He is, apparently, an expert at computing trajectories and factoring in mass and momentum on the spot, despite only being 16 in the scene. Why is everyone in BSD a child prodigy?
Atsushi's backstory was also interesting to see, but I wish there was more time devoted to it, and I wish the metaphors were less obvious. But oh well, I guess.
Also, that scene at the end where Ango, sitting in the middle of a bunch of empty cans of energy drinks and surrounded by files, just kind of went "we've only pulled four consecutive all-nighters, you're fine" before Tsujimura passed out was definitely a highlight of the story. RIP Special Division's sleep schedules.
Overall, this book is pretty interesting, but I think the movie was better.
I also find it mildly uncomfortable how Chuuya was given an American southern accent in this?? Why?? Also, I've seen a fair share of Stormbringer spoilers, But I digress. I also found it interesting that my half-joke theory that Chuuya had to calculate things when manipulating gravity turned out to actually be kind of true. He is, apparently, an expert at computing trajectories and factoring in mass and momentum on the spot, despite only being 16 in the scene. Why is everyone in BSD a child prodigy?
Atsushi's backstory was also interesting to see, but I wish there was more time devoted to it, and I wish the metaphors were less obvious. But oh well, I guess.
Also, that scene at the end where Ango, sitting in the middle of a bunch of empty cans of energy drinks and surrounded by files, just kind of went "we've only pulled four consecutive all-nighters, you're fine" before Tsujimura passed out was definitely a highlight of the story. RIP Special Division's sleep schedules.
Overall, this book is pretty interesting, but I think the movie was better.
November 15, 2024
3,5 ⭐️.
«The cries of his heart turned into a roar.
I didn't do anything wrong! I..!
"I just wanted to live!" he yelled with every fiber of his being. He thought he would break down if he didn't.
Atsushi had always fought to protect himself. He would turn anything into a weapon to do so.
What's wrong with an insatiable hunger for survival?!
"A boy will always use his claws in order to live!!"»
«The cries of his heart turned into a roar.
I didn't do anything wrong! I..!
"I just wanted to live!" he yelled with every fiber of his being. He thought he would break down if he didn't.
Atsushi had always fought to protect himself. He would turn anything into a weapon to do so.
What's wrong with an insatiable hunger for survival?!
"A boy will always use his claws in order to live!!"»
August 10, 2024
I could tell that this book wasn't written by the same author, and it gave me the same vibes as a fanfiction (probably because they gave Chuuya a southern accent for some reason). It was also a little confusing, but the vibes make up for it. Anyway, I laughed while reading the reviews of this book yesterday because everyone was saying that this book is gay but after reading it, I can confirm that those statements are 100% correct. I should've read this book during Pride Month, but I guess I'll have to accept that the past can't be changed. I'll make sure to watch the movie for this book soon.
February 18, 2021
3.5 rounded up because I unabashedly love this series. This stands on its own despite being a novelization of the film of the same title, and the apple symbolism is both top-notch and not oversold. Also, the author (or the translator) is aware that in the earliest versions of the Grimms' "Snow White" the wicked queen is Snow White's biological mother, not her stepmother, which earns major points from me.
December 24, 2025
"I just wanted to live!" he yelled with every fiber of his being. He thought he would break down if he didn't. Atsushi had always fought to protect himself. He would turn anything into a weapon to do so. What's wrong with an insatiable hunger for survival?! "A boy will always use his claws in order to live!!"
Atsushi they could never make me hate you.
To me, he is such a devastating main character. His storyline is often ignored and other character's seem to take the spotlight, and I think a lot of people who watched this film and read this book, would also try and sideline him. Which is insane behaviour, as this book is the most in depth version of Atsushi we have got.
On the surface, this book is about the skilled users of Yokohama and how they would survive against their own abilities. Such a fun premise as you see powerful characters rendered weak without their skillset, but then get to see their own strengths without their powers. I'm always selfish and want as much time with all of the characters, so I was a bit sad to see only glimpses of the other detectives, but it was cool to hear how they battled against their own abilities - but once again, I will take Kenji from you if you keep stressing out and hurting my farmer son.
The character I found the coolest in these sequences was Kunikida. The brief sentence of "Kunikida loaded his firearm like a soldier who never gave up" before he just shoots his own ability was so sick. Him being injured but continuing to fight and managing to be the only one to contact the outside world was just so on brand for him. I can fully see why he would be in charge of the Agency if Fukuzawa wasn't around. At the start, out of all of the characters, I thought his ability wasn't that cool, but genuinely he didn't need it to be as he is just that cool by himself. I fucking love him.
Back to the character's strengths being shown off outside of their abilities. The best example of this would be Akutagawa as his battle intelligence cannot be overlooked in this book as he outsmarts Rashomon. Other's used their own strength and almost 'dumb luck' to defeat their skills, but the way he acts shows how formidable of a character he is. He doesn't run around and grasp at straws, he faced off his enemy and despite being in the most stressful situation out of any of them, he remained calm and struck with intent. I just really love how he was represented in this! My Victorian Child got to show off!
But underneath this initial surface, it is a story about acceptance. Akutagawa is easily able to consume his ability once more as he does not hold any resentment for Rashomon, as they are allies. Whereas Kyoka and Demon Snow are more complicated; as Demon Snow killed her parents but she is almost too tired to want to hate her. She wants to form a relationship with her skill, but is fearful of it. The admittance that she didn't hate her ability was a moment for her to heal as it meant they could actually restart their relationship instead of living with ghosts haunting them.
Must give a shout out to Hiro Iwahata for giving her such an interesting roll in this book. The storyline she was given was written so well; as we see how her mafia life intertwines with her agency one. She wants to step into the light and be better than who she was, but Shibusawa threatens the safety of her new life so she finds herself falling back into the darkness. She accepts quickly that Shibusawa has to die in order to fix things, which Atsushi doesn't agree with. Having her two worlds collide and having Akutagawa and Atsushi react to the different sides of her, really highlighted the tug of war she was between - to be an assassin of the Mafia or to be a detective of the agency. (I also really like the dynamic between the three of them, I hope we get to experience this trio later in the future too).
Also this book really allowed her to be a badass. Out of all of the members of the agency, her ability is the one that would be hardest to face without a skill set and she fought back and held her own so well. And at the end where the final battle took place, she was an integral part in them winning - so thank you for giving her the spotlight.
As mentioned, this book is about healing and Atsushi heals more than anyone in this story. From day one, we know he fears the Tiger and would give up his ability given the opportunity. He even makes comments in this book saying he was hesitant to let them reunite as he was finally free from the beast inside of him.
But the Tiger isn't his enemy like he initially thought, but his ally. Whilst the main plot takes place with trying to save Yokohama from the fog, we have a secondary plot of something gnawing at the back of Atsushi's mind. The first time he see's Shibusawa's face on a piece of paper and hearing his name, something in him is telling him to not find out more.
It is only through his own fury and stubbornness that he ignores the advice and opens the door in his mind, unlocking memories that he had buried deep down. It is revealed that Shibusawa met Atsushi years prior in the orphanage, and spent time torturing him to try and make his skill manifest for him to take.
In this memory, Atsushi learns that the Tiger manifested early and refused to be parted from him. That when the crystal materialised, the Tiger woke up and broke free of it's chains to take it back and slaughter the man who tried to steal it from him. (The repetition of “I sank my claws into his face" when he learnt what he did, made me so sad; When people say we want more representation of mentally ill characters, but they can't handle traumatised Atsushi.)
The act of learning the truth may have pried open an old wound, but it allowed him to heal to. Not only did he get to learn something about his past, but he also got to learn how much the Tiger was willing to fight for him. Unlike the other's who see their abilities as a separate entity to themselves, Atsushi screams how they can't be parted as the beast is him. They aren't extensions of each other, they are one another. Him learning this, is such a pivotal point for his character and helped him develop.
It is also a pivotal point for Shibusawa as he learns that he is not in fact alive, but he is the living embodiment of the skill that his user had. Instead of this disheartening him and throwing him off, it instead bolsters him as he wants to witness Atsushi's spark once more. He gains more power as he realises that someone was unpredictable to him, and that someone out there is exciting. Him learning this, is why he became so reckless in the final battle because he is eager to find out more about Atsushi's spark and learns that he wants to possess it for himself.
For me, he becomes human in this moment as he finds a desire to be alive, but also learns about hubris - his overconfidence that he could take on the man who killed him just because he had become powerful, was his downfall. He didn't realise that him growing in strength, meant that Atsushi had the time to do the same.
Outside of these three diva's carrying the story, we then get my boy Chuuya coming from outside of the fog and genuinely messing everything up for the bad guys.
To have him come and battle an actual dragon was sick. It's described in a way that you can easily visualise it and it does feel quite climatic, so thank you for making this fight a lot of fun to read! I do think it was clever to describe him using his gravity skills at the start of the book, so we get a taste of his power before making him return and escalate his ability to the highest scale - it just made the whole thing make more sense and feel so much cooler knowing that we only got a fraction of his power at the start.
I am also so, so, so intrigued to know more about his history with Ango and the meaning behind his project name. To know that Chuuya was meant to owe him a favour and referred to him as "Mr Glasses" has my eyebrows raised. I need to know more. Was this deal made when Ango was undercover or was it in his government days? What do they know about one another? Why is Chuuya known by an experiment name and not his actual name? Tell me more!
And of course, the Dazai and Chuuya dynamic is always great to see in any form of media. Chuuya immediately going to punch him even though the bandaged man is pretty much dead, just sums up their relationship. It makes me laugh knowing that Dazai was so far ahead in his planning that he just know his ex partner would not miss the opportunity to hit him and he was betting almost everything on it. Just iconic.
Like other things in this book, on the surface they present themselves as begrudging allies. But there is clearly something much deeper between the pair of them. Chuuya used corruption even when told that Dazai may be dead, knowing that this form would kill him if he couldn't be nullified. In that insane state the only word he can say is Dazai's name and despite having this monstrous ability, Dazai treats him gently and cups his face when calming him down. For two people who declare to be enemies, they trust each other a lot. (The person who asked if this book should be put on their LGBT shelf, for their dynamic alone, yes; "“Did you use Corruption because you believed in me? You’re gonna make me cry”, like that ain't straight.)
Fydor continues to be a problem, and if Dazai is 12 steps ahead, this man is 20. He has 12 plans for his back up plans, and he is just an agent of chaos who presents himself to almost be on the side of justice (Man see's himself as judge, jury and executioner with his crime and punishment bullshit). He doesn't care who gets affected by his actions and seems to thrive knowing that people can't keep up with him. The way he manipulates characters is so intense, as we learn that he was the one who implanted the idea in Shibusawa's head to find Atsushi and try and bring out the Tiger in him. Like that was six years prior to the main plot and Atsushi hadn't even presented his skill yet, but Fydor knew. He is a scary guy to go against; no wonder the manga hasn't escaped him yet.
I really enjoyed the interaction between the three of them. I believe Ango states it best when he says that this story can be summed up as two 'aliens' (Dazai and Fydor) wanting to see how Shibusawa would act with power. A man with just as much intelligence as them, and if it would lead to his demise or his survival. I think this analogy is perfect for them, as their chapters seem out of place compared to the others as they feel like God's instead of people. They look down at the city as people scramble against their own abilities, whilst the three of them are unaffected - like something this trivial could never touch them.
I'm never read a film novelisation before (I think), so this was a lot of fun for me. I thought the film was quite confusing in a lot of areas and I really think this book filled in a lot of the gaps! I hope in the future we get some more writing off of Hiro Iwahata as the writing style was lots of fun and it was very easy to comprehend!
Atsushi they could never make me hate you.
To me, he is such a devastating main character. His storyline is often ignored and other character's seem to take the spotlight, and I think a lot of people who watched this film and read this book, would also try and sideline him. Which is insane behaviour, as this book is the most in depth version of Atsushi we have got.
On the surface, this book is about the skilled users of Yokohama and how they would survive against their own abilities. Such a fun premise as you see powerful characters rendered weak without their skillset, but then get to see their own strengths without their powers. I'm always selfish and want as much time with all of the characters, so I was a bit sad to see only glimpses of the other detectives, but it was cool to hear how they battled against their own abilities - but once again, I will take Kenji from you if you keep stressing out and hurting my farmer son.
The character I found the coolest in these sequences was Kunikida. The brief sentence of "Kunikida loaded his firearm like a soldier who never gave up" before he just shoots his own ability was so sick. Him being injured but continuing to fight and managing to be the only one to contact the outside world was just so on brand for him. I can fully see why he would be in charge of the Agency if Fukuzawa wasn't around. At the start, out of all of the characters, I thought his ability wasn't that cool, but genuinely he didn't need it to be as he is just that cool by himself. I fucking love him.
Back to the character's strengths being shown off outside of their abilities. The best example of this would be Akutagawa as his battle intelligence cannot be overlooked in this book as he outsmarts Rashomon. Other's used their own strength and almost 'dumb luck' to defeat their skills, but the way he acts shows how formidable of a character he is. He doesn't run around and grasp at straws, he faced off his enemy and despite being in the most stressful situation out of any of them, he remained calm and struck with intent. I just really love how he was represented in this! My Victorian Child got to show off!
But underneath this initial surface, it is a story about acceptance. Akutagawa is easily able to consume his ability once more as he does not hold any resentment for Rashomon, as they are allies. Whereas Kyoka and Demon Snow are more complicated; as Demon Snow killed her parents but she is almost too tired to want to hate her. She wants to form a relationship with her skill, but is fearful of it. The admittance that she didn't hate her ability was a moment for her to heal as it meant they could actually restart their relationship instead of living with ghosts haunting them.
Must give a shout out to Hiro Iwahata for giving her such an interesting roll in this book. The storyline she was given was written so well; as we see how her mafia life intertwines with her agency one. She wants to step into the light and be better than who she was, but Shibusawa threatens the safety of her new life so she finds herself falling back into the darkness. She accepts quickly that Shibusawa has to die in order to fix things, which Atsushi doesn't agree with. Having her two worlds collide and having Akutagawa and Atsushi react to the different sides of her, really highlighted the tug of war she was between - to be an assassin of the Mafia or to be a detective of the agency. (I also really like the dynamic between the three of them, I hope we get to experience this trio later in the future too).
Also this book really allowed her to be a badass. Out of all of the members of the agency, her ability is the one that would be hardest to face without a skill set and she fought back and held her own so well. And at the end where the final battle took place, she was an integral part in them winning - so thank you for giving her the spotlight.
As mentioned, this book is about healing and Atsushi heals more than anyone in this story. From day one, we know he fears the Tiger and would give up his ability given the opportunity. He even makes comments in this book saying he was hesitant to let them reunite as he was finally free from the beast inside of him.
But the Tiger isn't his enemy like he initially thought, but his ally. Whilst the main plot takes place with trying to save Yokohama from the fog, we have a secondary plot of something gnawing at the back of Atsushi's mind. The first time he see's Shibusawa's face on a piece of paper and hearing his name, something in him is telling him to not find out more.
It is only through his own fury and stubbornness that he ignores the advice and opens the door in his mind, unlocking memories that he had buried deep down. It is revealed that Shibusawa met Atsushi years prior in the orphanage, and spent time torturing him to try and make his skill manifest for him to take.
In this memory, Atsushi learns that the Tiger manifested early and refused to be parted from him. That when the crystal materialised, the Tiger woke up and broke free of it's chains to take it back and slaughter the man who tried to steal it from him. (The repetition of “I sank my claws into his face" when he learnt what he did, made me so sad; When people say we want more representation of mentally ill characters, but they can't handle traumatised Atsushi.)
The act of learning the truth may have pried open an old wound, but it allowed him to heal to. Not only did he get to learn something about his past, but he also got to learn how much the Tiger was willing to fight for him. Unlike the other's who see their abilities as a separate entity to themselves, Atsushi screams how they can't be parted as the beast is him. They aren't extensions of each other, they are one another. Him learning this, is such a pivotal point for his character and helped him develop.
It is also a pivotal point for Shibusawa as he learns that he is not in fact alive, but he is the living embodiment of the skill that his user had. Instead of this disheartening him and throwing him off, it instead bolsters him as he wants to witness Atsushi's spark once more. He gains more power as he realises that someone was unpredictable to him, and that someone out there is exciting. Him learning this, is why he became so reckless in the final battle because he is eager to find out more about Atsushi's spark and learns that he wants to possess it for himself.
For me, he becomes human in this moment as he finds a desire to be alive, but also learns about hubris - his overconfidence that he could take on the man who killed him just because he had become powerful, was his downfall. He didn't realise that him growing in strength, meant that Atsushi had the time to do the same.
Outside of these three diva's carrying the story, we then get my boy Chuuya coming from outside of the fog and genuinely messing everything up for the bad guys.
To have him come and battle an actual dragon was sick. It's described in a way that you can easily visualise it and it does feel quite climatic, so thank you for making this fight a lot of fun to read! I do think it was clever to describe him using his gravity skills at the start of the book, so we get a taste of his power before making him return and escalate his ability to the highest scale - it just made the whole thing make more sense and feel so much cooler knowing that we only got a fraction of his power at the start.
I am also so, so, so intrigued to know more about his history with Ango and the meaning behind his project name. To know that Chuuya was meant to owe him a favour and referred to him as "Mr Glasses" has my eyebrows raised. I need to know more. Was this deal made when Ango was undercover or was it in his government days? What do they know about one another? Why is Chuuya known by an experiment name and not his actual name? Tell me more!
And of course, the Dazai and Chuuya dynamic is always great to see in any form of media. Chuuya immediately going to punch him even though the bandaged man is pretty much dead, just sums up their relationship. It makes me laugh knowing that Dazai was so far ahead in his planning that he just know his ex partner would not miss the opportunity to hit him and he was betting almost everything on it. Just iconic.
Like other things in this book, on the surface they present themselves as begrudging allies. But there is clearly something much deeper between the pair of them. Chuuya used corruption even when told that Dazai may be dead, knowing that this form would kill him if he couldn't be nullified. In that insane state the only word he can say is Dazai's name and despite having this monstrous ability, Dazai treats him gently and cups his face when calming him down. For two people who declare to be enemies, they trust each other a lot. (The person who asked if this book should be put on their LGBT shelf, for their dynamic alone, yes; "“Did you use Corruption because you believed in me? You’re gonna make me cry”, like that ain't straight.)
Fydor continues to be a problem, and if Dazai is 12 steps ahead, this man is 20. He has 12 plans for his back up plans, and he is just an agent of chaos who presents himself to almost be on the side of justice (Man see's himself as judge, jury and executioner with his crime and punishment bullshit). He doesn't care who gets affected by his actions and seems to thrive knowing that people can't keep up with him. The way he manipulates characters is so intense, as we learn that he was the one who implanted the idea in Shibusawa's head to find Atsushi and try and bring out the Tiger in him. Like that was six years prior to the main plot and Atsushi hadn't even presented his skill yet, but Fydor knew. He is a scary guy to go against; no wonder the manga hasn't escaped him yet.
I really enjoyed the interaction between the three of them. I believe Ango states it best when he says that this story can be summed up as two 'aliens' (Dazai and Fydor) wanting to see how Shibusawa would act with power. A man with just as much intelligence as them, and if it would lead to his demise or his survival. I think this analogy is perfect for them, as their chapters seem out of place compared to the others as they feel like God's instead of people. They look down at the city as people scramble against their own abilities, whilst the three of them are unaffected - like something this trivial could never touch them.
I'm never read a film novelisation before (I think), so this was a lot of fun for me. I thought the film was quite confusing in a lot of areas and I really think this book filled in a lot of the gaps! I hope in the future we get some more writing off of Hiro Iwahata as the writing style was lots of fun and it was very easy to comprehend!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2024
Mi favorita de las novelas hasta ahora, me ayudó a entender la película.
Le fangirlié a Chuuya todo el libro 🥴
(Soukoku canon)
Le fangirlié a Chuuya todo el libro 🥴
(Soukoku canon)
July 16, 2024
Guys, I think Atsushi might need therapy.
April 17, 2021
This is one of those cases where the movie was better than the book; although, that makes sense in a way, since the movie came first. Where Bungo Stray Dogs Light Novel 5: Dead Apple works is in the way it explains certain plot points better than in the movie. However, the writing of the action scenes falls pretty flat; it didn't help me visualise what was playing out, so I struggled to engage with those moments. It also felt more like a recitation of the movie than a story in its own right, even with the minor changes here and there. Overall, I think they would have done better to stick with Asagiri as the writer, rather than bringing in an outsider. That said, I am a big fan of Bungo Stray Dogs, so I still enjoyed this piece and it was fun to 'relive' the movie, which I haven't watched in a while. If you are already a BSD fan you will want to add this to your collection, but it's not the place to start if you are new to the series. I ummed and ahhed between 3 and 4 stars for this one, but I went with 4 in the end simply because I love the characters and the story as a whole so much.
June 2, 2024
Strangely confusing. This was not written by Asagiri and it was obvious (not necessarily a bad thing). I had attempted to watch the movie before reading this and I was equally confused. The storytelling is a bit subpar but it was nice to see Chuuya and also to get a little bit more characterization of Fyodor because he is still such an enigma.
Anyway I was so happy to read this because Chuuya was on the cover and it did not disappoint in the Chuuya-ness. Also when Chuuya was reporting Dazai's well being before his own??? gay ass
Anyway I was so happy to read this because Chuuya was on the cover and it did not disappoint in the Chuuya-ness. Also when Chuuya was reporting Dazai's well being before his own??? gay ass
April 30, 2022
"A shadowy figure slowly walked through the now-useless entranceway. He wore a long, glossy-black overcoat and a black hat made from the same material. His shaggy brown hair peeked out from underneath his hat. His personalized three-piece suit perfectly fit hit smaller frame, giving him a gentlemanly, sophisticated air.
Unique.
That word alone could sum it up. His dominating presence, the otherworldly atmosphere, his piercing eyes that stood out from his beautiful features - everything about him was unique. He placed his black-gloved hands in his pockets."
"He turned his hate into anger and his anger into strength"
Unique.
That word alone could sum it up. His dominating presence, the otherworldly atmosphere, his piercing eyes that stood out from his beautiful features - everything about him was unique. He placed his black-gloved hands in his pockets."
"He turned his hate into anger and his anger into strength"
January 12, 2023
Okay, overall a great book. :D
I may be biased because i just love everything Bungo stray dogs but tbh it was a fun read.
However, some things that made me keep it from a 5 star was how Shibusawa's character was portrayed, like i get the cool villain vibe but his story and monologues really made it hard to read, i was confused about his personality half the time.
Apart from that, Good Read! Love the parts with kyouka, atsushi and akutagawa.. these 3 carried the book + love how chuuya was introduced (in this book).
I may be biased because i just love everything Bungo stray dogs but tbh it was a fun read.
However, some things that made me keep it from a 5 star was how Shibusawa's character was portrayed, like i get the cool villain vibe but his story and monologues really made it hard to read, i was confused about his personality half the time.
Apart from that, Good Read! Love the parts with kyouka, atsushi and akutagawa.. these 3 carried the book + love how chuuya was introduced (in this book).
February 6, 2024
3.5, i know it was a novelization of the movie but it just followed the movie very closely and the writing was kinda flat. it also moved very quickly. i don’t realize that it was written by a different writer too instead of kafka asagiri
April 3, 2022
Fantastic!
February 24, 2024
4 stars
May 10, 2024
Dead Apple è e sarà sempre una parte della mia personalità
May 15, 2024
pleased to report this makes as much sense as the movie! (none)
May 24, 2022
gay snow white!! GAY SNOW WHITE!! GAY SNOW WHITE!! i had a good time with this one!! i absolutely adore asagiri’s writing style. he certainly has a way with describing things and the fight scenes for sure. one thing that i think brings the book down a tiny bit was that it mostly relied on the movie for material. i was at least hoping for this book to add something new and not completely translate the whole movie into one book, but oh well, i enjoyed it a bunch. the movie is better though.
October 28, 2021
i did not understand a thing that was going on, but pretty pictures :>
May 26, 2022
tits out for fyodor
June 4, 2023
Kind of just a slightly more detailed description of what happened in the film. Not as good as the other light novels, did not add much. Good for outlining the plot though.
December 20, 2025
Honestly, I feel like the last 100 pages of the novel shine the most! However, I do think that it is important to read 55 minutes before reading this one as this book delves deeper into what a skill actually is. From 55 minutes, we know that a skill can separated from one's body if it's been used a lot. In this case, apparently the skill can separate if the user dies which I think is quite interesting. Based on my theory that I derived from 55 minutes, that skills are essentially a culmination of feelings based on one particular event that caused them trauma, this makes Atsushi's character development all the more enthralling. As someone who is a MAJOR Dazai stan (I love how complex his character is, how it displays depression perfectly and the actual author himself), even with the GAY ass scene between Chuuya and Dazai, Atsushi really shined in this novel for me. Once again, I love how BSD explores trauma in different people, and in this novel in particular Atsushi. I appreciate how skills as a whole are kind of like a motif for trauma, and that is why Atsushi could not 'get back' his skill at first because he had not fully come to terms with it. (As seen in 'Because I wanted to forget that past.') I think this whole plotline of Atsushi overcoming his trauma is extremely important in modern day society as a whole, because it touches on how trauma (his skill) cannot be escaped, no matter how hard you try. You can even be so traumatised that you forget the incident, like Atsushi, BUT that does not mean that you are ever truly free from it. I really love the line 'Because whether it brings me fear or courage, the tiger is part of me.' I feel like this truly summarises overcoming and coming to terms with trauma so well. Accepting every part of yourself, even the ugly parts.
THAT BEING SAID, the glimpses of Dazai's sorrow and alienation in this story is once again, brilliantly portrayed in my opinion. I like how Shibusawa's skill of essentially separating people from their skills (causing them to find the need overcome their deepest traumas, and themselves) did not affect Dazai because of his skill. And the fact that the only other person not affected by this is Fyodor himself. This kinda shows to me how these 2 really are alienated not just from society, but even from their own traumas. It's like they don't even get the chance to confront it (at least for dazai). The line 'His grin was bitter yet sweet,' really stood out to me as Dazai yearns to have a purpose, honestly just like Shibusawa, so the fact that someone genuinely believes he is a good person, makes him happy. Yet the reality of the situation, of how he truly doesn't feel anything and could easily switch to being a bad guy again with little to no regrets, makes him feel even more alienated from society as there is no black or white to him. I also believe Ango is completely right when he says 'Perhaps they wanted to see what he would do and how he would meet his demise...or perhaps how he would be saved. The only three aliens in the world...We can't even begin to imagine the isolation and loneliness they feel.' I do think Dazai is becoming a better person though, even if his development seems almost linear. (The line 'I hope Atsushi is okay' shows he found at least something, no matter how tiny, worth protecting and worth fighting for)
Overall, some themes in this book were extremely well done, but the overall plot of the story was...messy to say the least.
To conclude, I only have one final statement. ISTG ATSUSHI ALREADY HAS HIS HAPPY ENDING SO GIVE DAZAI SOME SEMBLANCE OF PEACE FOR ONCE GODAMN!
THAT BEING SAID, the glimpses of Dazai's sorrow and alienation in this story is once again, brilliantly portrayed in my opinion. I like how Shibusawa's skill of essentially separating people from their skills (causing them to find the need overcome their deepest traumas, and themselves) did not affect Dazai because of his skill. And the fact that the only other person not affected by this is Fyodor himself. This kinda shows to me how these 2 really are alienated not just from society, but even from their own traumas. It's like they don't even get the chance to confront it (at least for dazai). The line 'His grin was bitter yet sweet,' really stood out to me as Dazai yearns to have a purpose, honestly just like Shibusawa, so the fact that someone genuinely believes he is a good person, makes him happy. Yet the reality of the situation, of how he truly doesn't feel anything and could easily switch to being a bad guy again with little to no regrets, makes him feel even more alienated from society as there is no black or white to him. I also believe Ango is completely right when he says 'Perhaps they wanted to see what he would do and how he would meet his demise...or perhaps how he would be saved. The only three aliens in the world...We can't even begin to imagine the isolation and loneliness they feel.' I do think Dazai is becoming a better person though, even if his development seems almost linear. (The line 'I hope Atsushi is okay' shows he found at least something, no matter how tiny, worth protecting and worth fighting for)
Overall, some themes in this book were extremely well done, but the overall plot of the story was...messy to say the least.
To conclude, I only have one final statement. ISTG ATSUSHI ALREADY HAS HIS HAPPY ENDING SO GIVE DAZAI SOME SEMBLANCE OF PEACE FOR ONCE GODAMN!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 25, 2022
THE MOVIE DID THIS NOVEL NO JUSTICE!
I will say it and I will say it again. I hope that's not offensive to the movie production team, which probably won't. But In the name of God, if you wanted to create a short 2 hour movie with little narration, the least you can do is NOT picking Dead Apple.
First of all, I'm very very VERY glad that I finally understand everything happened in Dead Apple; the movie is too unclear, too short, too vague, and in anyway very "open-to-interpretation" kind of short, which could be good and could be not, but incline more to "bad" at last. Dead Apple need a very elaborative narration to explain what's happening, no scenes could be left unanimated, nothing could be left deleted, and when I say that this need a very good elaboration, well, good news everyons! the novel did this justice.
With how bad the movie was at the very end, I didn't expect anything from this very novel myself. I thought; if the movie is so confusing, wouldn't the novel would be just the same? But boy, do I wrong—if you genuinely wanted to know what happened in the Dead Apple movie? READ THE NOVEL! You don't even have to read it twice to understand everything.
The writing style is different of course (I mean, of course), but the taste of Bungo Stray Dogs is still clear. The action scenes, all of it, are very amazing—and mind you not; Shibusawa's skill IS a very good concept; skill users fighting their own skill? Count me in!
I also love the fact that Atsushi managed to find his realisation here; his past trauma and how he overcome his self-hatred that he finally accept the Byakko in him; again, that was amazing! I also loved the little Chuuya-Ango interaction, also loving the Tsujimura's appearance. Oh, don't forget about a little hint that Agatha Christie might be our real boss—she's totally morally grey in her own way.
Anyway, to cut this review off, I just wanted y'all to know that Dead Apple is pretty much worth a read. You should give this book a chance especially if you wanted to know what actually happened in the movie; THIS BOOK EXPLAINS EVERYTHING!
Also I love Fyodor, this master manipulator is a mystery. Also Dazai, duh?
In conclusion i LOVE the concept of fighting their own skill.
Also, I love the idea that skills merged into one will create a singularity that will embodies a dragon, and Atsushi; the tiger, are the only natural enemy of it. Which make him the only person who could resist a unification of all abilities. That's literally a very amazing idea. I am giving a standing applause rn!
5/5.
I will say it and I will say it again. I hope that's not offensive to the movie production team, which probably won't. But In the name of God, if you wanted to create a short 2 hour movie with little narration, the least you can do is NOT picking Dead Apple.
First of all, I'm very very VERY glad that I finally understand everything happened in Dead Apple; the movie is too unclear, too short, too vague, and in anyway very "open-to-interpretation" kind of short, which could be good and could be not, but incline more to "bad" at last. Dead Apple need a very elaborative narration to explain what's happening, no scenes could be left unanimated, nothing could be left deleted, and when I say that this need a very good elaboration, well, good news everyons! the novel did this justice.
With how bad the movie was at the very end, I didn't expect anything from this very novel myself. I thought; if the movie is so confusing, wouldn't the novel would be just the same? But boy, do I wrong—if you genuinely wanted to know what happened in the Dead Apple movie? READ THE NOVEL! You don't even have to read it twice to understand everything.
The writing style is different of course (I mean, of course), but the taste of Bungo Stray Dogs is still clear. The action scenes, all of it, are very amazing—and mind you not; Shibusawa's skill IS a very good concept; skill users fighting their own skill? Count me in!
I also love the fact that Atsushi managed to find his realisation here; his past trauma and how he overcome his self-hatred that he finally accept the Byakko in him; again, that was amazing! I also loved the little Chuuya-Ango interaction, also loving the Tsujimura's appearance. Oh, don't forget about a little hint that Agatha Christie might be our real boss—she's totally morally grey in her own way.
Anyway, to cut this review off, I just wanted y'all to know that Dead Apple is pretty much worth a read. You should give this book a chance especially if you wanted to know what actually happened in the movie; THIS BOOK EXPLAINS EVERYTHING!
Also I love Fyodor, this master manipulator is a mystery. Also Dazai, duh?
In conclusion i LOVE the concept of fighting their own skill.
Also, I love the idea that skills merged into one will create a singularity that will embodies a dragon, and Atsushi; the tiger, are the only natural enemy of it. Which make him the only person who could resist a unification of all abilities. That's literally a very amazing idea. I am giving a standing applause rn!
5/5.
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