The Bungo Stray Dogs anime franchise marked its 10th anniversary in 2026, celebrating a decade of supernatural battles, literary references and memorable characters. The milestone was also highlighted at Anime NYC 2026, where the franchise looked back at its journey across five seasons of the main series as well as the spin-off Bungo Stray Dogs WAN! 2.
During the event, we spoke with Yuto Uemura, the Japanese voice actor behind Atsushi Nakajima, and Chiaki Kurakane, a producer associated with the anime. Their conversation covered the show’s literary roots, the challenge of portraying Atsushi, the very different tone of Bungo Stray Dogs WAN!, casting decisions and the characters they would like to see featured more often.
The interview has been lightly edited for clarity and was conducted with the assistance of an interpreter.
Bungo Stray Dogs Celebrates a Decade of Anime
Bungo Stray Dogs follows Atsushi Nakajima, a young man who is expelled from his orphanage and left struggling to survive. His life changes when he rescues Osamu Dazai, an eccentric member of the Armed Detective Agency.
Dazai eventually brings Atsushi into the agency, introducing him to a world filled with supernatural abilities, dangerous criminals and mysterious cases that ordinary law enforcement cannot handle.
The anime’s main series has released five seasons and 51 episodes between 2016 and 2023, while Bungo Stray Dogs WAN! 2 premiered in July 2026.
What Has Made Bungo Stray Dogs So Successful?
For Yuto Uemura, the biggest factor behind the franchise’s longevity is its dedicated fanbase.
Uemura explained that the production team works to understand each character and determine how the story should be presented, but the audience ultimately gives the series its own life. Fans connect with the characters and interpret the story in personal ways, creating a relationship with the franchise that has helped it remain popular for so long.
Producer Chiaki Kurakane pointed to several elements that work together: the detailed world created by Kafka Asagiri, Sango Harukawa’s distinctive artwork, and the animation produced by BONES. According to Kurakane, the passionate response from fans completes that combination.
How Bungo Stray Dogs Encourages Fans to Explore Literature
One of the franchise’s most distinctive features is its use of real literary figures. Many characters are named after famous writers, while their supernatural abilities are connected to those authors’ works.
Uemura revealed that playing Atsushi encouraged him to revisit the writings of the real Atsushi Nakajima, the author who inspired his character.
In particular, he reread Moon Over the Mountain, which is connected to Atsushi’s ability, Beast Beneath the Moonlight. Although the fictional character and historical author are not identical, Uemura said revisiting the work as an adult helped him better understand the emotional depth he wanted to bring to his performance.
Bungo Stray Dogs Has Strong Connections to Japanese Literary Museums
Kurakane also discussed the franchise’s collaborations with literary museums throughout Japan. These exhibitions give visitors opportunities to see original manuscripts and learn more about the writers who inspired the anime’s characters.
KADOKAWA has additionally published editions of the original literary works featuring Bungo Stray Dogs character illustrations. Kurakane revealed that he owns all 28 editions currently available.
Among the museums he mentioned were the Nakahara Chuya Museum in Yamaguchi, the Kanagawa Modern Literary Museum in Yokohama, and the Shayokan museum in Aomori, associated with Osamu Dazai.
Uemura has also visited the Kanagawa Modern Literary Museum. During a Bungo Stray Dogs collaboration, the exhibition featured letters written by the real Atsushi Nakajima, along with decorations featuring the anime’s version of Atsushi.
Interestingly, Uemura also holds a teaching license, while the real Nakajima Atsushi worked as a teacher, giving him another personal connection to the literary figure.
How Yuto Uemura Approaches Atsushi in Bungo Stray Dogs WAN!
The main Bungo Stray Dogs anime and WAN! have dramatically different styles.
The main series is serious and emotionally intense, requiring Uemura to pay close attention to Atsushi’s internal struggles—even when those feelings aren’t explicitly written into the script.
His approach changes completely when recording Bungo Stray Dogs WAN!.
Rather than analyzing every emotional detail, Uemura focuses on the immediate energy and comedy of each scene. He tries to react naturally and instinctively instead of carrying the seriousness of the main series into the spin-off.
Another aspect he enjoys is seeing characters interact in WAN! who rarely or never spend time together in the main anime.
For Uemura, separating the two versions of the franchise allows him to enjoy WAN! on its own terms.
How Were the Bungo Stray Dogs Voice Actors Chosen?
Despite the large cast and the highly specific personalities of the characters, Kurakane said casting the series was not particularly difficult.
The production team primarily wanted the voices to match Director Takuya Igarashi’s vision for each character. Sound director Kazuhiro Wakabayashi also played an important role, offering recommendations based on the characters’ personalities and motivations.
Kurakane explained that much of the casting responsibility was left to the director and sound director. Igarashi’s deep understanding of the source material, combined with his frequent communication with creator Kafka Asagiri, helped the team identify suitable performers.
Which Characters Should Appear More in Bungo Stray Dogs WAN! 2?
When asked which character they would like to see receive more attention in WAN!, Uemura immediately mentioned Lucy.
He particularly enjoyed an episode featuring Lucy and Kyoka without Atsushi present. Their interaction gave them an almost sister-like dynamic, which Uemura found heartwarming.
Both characters understand Atsushi particularly well, so he would like to see more of their relationship and interactions in future episodes.
Kurakane chose Doppo Kunikida.
With WAN! 2 introducing more characters from groups such as the Hunting Dogs and the Decay of the Angel, the Detective Agency members sometimes received less screen time.
Kurakane described Kunikida as something of a mother figure within the agency. His absence therefore made the group feel less secure, and Kurakane joked that he would like to see Kunikida return to his “children.”
Yuto Uemura on Recording Bungo Stray Dogs After 10 Years
After a decade of working on the franchise, Uemura said the recording studio now feels almost like home.
He credited sound director Wakabayashi with continually giving him opportunities to challenge himself and explore new aspects of Atsushi. As a result, recording sessions remain energetic and lively despite the series having been around for many years.
When asked which character brings out the most interesting side of Atsushi, Uemura selected Dazai.
Dazai is both a senior member of the Armed Detective Agency and the person who introduced Atsushi to this new world. His mysterious personality makes it difficult to know exactly what he is thinking.
Uemura enjoys the subtle relationship between the two characters. Dazai often appears to act with Atsushi’s best interests in mind, but Atsushi occasionally manages to surprise him by going beyond his expectations.
Their partnership remains one of the aspects of Bungo Stray Dogs that Uemura most enjoys portraying.
The Biggest Challenge of Playing Atsushi
For Uemura, one of the most demanding aspects of the role is portraying Atsushi’s gradual psychological development.
The character’s emotional changes can sometimes be extremely subtle, making them difficult to communicate through voice acting. Atsushi can also behave very differently depending on who he is interacting with.
His dynamic with Ryunosuke Akutagawa, for example, requires a different performance from his interactions with Kyoka Izumi.
Uemura said he has considerable freedom when developing these differences, but working together with the rest of the cast and production team to make those relationships believable remains a significant challenge.
Bungo Stray Dogs Streaming Information
Fans can currently watch the Bungo Stray Dogs anime, including its five main seasons, on Crunchyroll. The 2018 feature film Bungo Stray Dogs – DEAD APPLE is also available on the platform.
With the franchise now entering its second decade, the anniversary celebration offered an opportunity to reflect on how its combination of literature, supernatural action, character-driven storytelling and passionate fandom has helped Bungo Stray Dogs remain a major anime title for ten years.
