Bungo Stray Dogs might never end up in the history books among the “Big Three” anime series, but it’s definitely a title to look out for. This seinen title follows the members of the “Armed Detective Agency” as they try to protect Yokohama from the mafia. The show’s characters are exceptionally intriguing, and we will use this article to discuss one peculiar character, Ryunosuke Akutagawa, whose namesake is the famous author of “Rashomon.” Akutagawa is special in many ways, and while we have several topics we could talk about when he is concerned, this article will be concerned with the issue of his death and his current status in the series.
Ryunosuke Akutagawa is currently considered to be undead in the series. During his fight against Fukuchi, Akutagawa suffered a fatal wound, enabling Atsushi to escape. Fukuchi then captured him, and the coffin containing the vampire Bram Stoker was brought before him. Soon after, Stoker reluctantly bit Akutagawa and turned him into one of his own, effectively making him undead. And that is his current status. Had Stoker not turned him into a vampire, Akutagawa would surely have died.
The remainder of this article will give you a detailed overview of Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s fate in the Bungo Stray Dogs series. You already know what happened and how it happened, as we have given you a brief overview in our answer above, so we will just bring you the details so you know the whole context of the Bungo Stray Dogs series. Be careful, though, as the article will contain many spoilers, so if you don’t know all the details, be careful how you approach the text.
Ryuonsuke Akutagawa was fatally wounded, but he was turned into a vampire by Bram Stoker
Ryunosuke Akutagawa is one of the most feared leaders of the Port Mafia due to his highly destructive power, Rashōmon, which takes shape from the raincoat he wears and can devour anything, even space. Furthermore, he is indestructible and very fast. Hhe has a petite build, gray eyes, and dark hair with white tips. He always wears a black raincoat and handkerchief. Akutagawa grew up on the fringes of society until he joined the Port Mafia and becomes Dazai’s subordinate, who trains him.
He hates Dazai, who betrayed the Port Mafia by abandoning him, but at the same time, he is obsessed with him: when Dazai claims that his new subordinate is much better than him, he beats him bloody and later opens a personal war with members of the Agency and especially Atsushi, Dazai’s newest addition and protégé.
He has a personality on the edge of madness and suddenly changes his attitude, generally composed, in moments when he completely loses control. He coughs often and doesn’t seem to harbor any kind of positive feelings. He is generally abusive and manipulative even with his subordinates, such as Kyouka and Higuchi.
Now, as we have said, the story of Ryunosuke Akutagawa is quite interesting and quite diverse. The author has done a great job portraying Akutagawa, creating one of the most formidable villains in the whole series. Now, his story has had a lot of twists and turns over the years, with his life hanging on a thread on more than one occasion, but the Kamui Revelation Arc finally brought a change in Akutagawa’s story, a change that might end up having a lot of influence on the future of the series, as it has drastically changed the situation that Akutagawa is in.
During the latter part of this arc, Akutagawa and Atsushi faced off against Ōchi Fukuchi, who was a formidable fighter in his own right and quite intelligent. He is the commander of the Hunting Dogs’ special units and has the ability “Mirror Lion.” However, in reality, he is the leader of the terrorist organization, Decay of the Angel, acting under the alias of Kamui. Escaping him, Akutagawa and Atsushi came up with a plan to fight him underwater, which was the only way – they deduced – they could potentially defeat him.
They also intended to use the Beast Beneath the Moonlight-Rashōmon: Black Tiger’s Supreme Claw special technique, but as they made their way to the submarine – they planned to attack him underwater and from behind – they found Fukuchi waiting for them, as he had deduced their plan himself.
Fukuchi reveals his involvement in numerous government plots, revealing himself to be a truly vile villain, and the three of them engage in battle. Although they are at a disadvantage – Fukuchi is skilled and fast, but his ability also surpasses the two of them – they do not give up, even after being pierced by Fukuchi’s blade, the Shintō Amenogozen.
The two of them manage to use their special attack and kill Fukuchi, but the Shintō Amenogozen cuts through time, goes back into the past, and anticipates the surprise attack, which allows Fukuchi to survive. With no hope of escaping, Akutagawa uses his ability to save Atsushi, but Fukuchi annulls that as well and fatally wounds Akutagawa. And while Atsushi managed to escape, Akutagawa remained there and was taken by Fukuchi, who had asked him earlier to become his apprentice.
The dying Akutagawa was then introduced to Bram Stoker, whose coffin was brought in front of him. Fukuchi ordered to transform Akutagawa into a vampire, and while Stoker initially refused (he did not want to create many vampires), Fukuchi forced him to do it, and Akutagawa was soon turned into a vampire, which he is now. So, there you have it – had Fukuchi not forced Stoker to turn him into a demon, Akutagawa would have certainly died, but because he did, Akutagawa is now undead.