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4.62 AVERAGE
4.62 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book is the sequel to Age Fifteen, and I highly recommend reading Age Fifteen first to fully grasp the story. The story is heavier and more complex than previous volumes, which is reflected in its length. Chuuya's character development is fascinating, and the focus on his past is wrapped in a sci-fi theme centered on humanity. Focusing on Chuuya, we witness his drastic shifts in perspective. I found myself deeply immersed in his journey, experiencing his highs and lows right alongside him. The constant plot twists keep the tension high throughout the book, even in the epilogue.
The relationships between Chuuya and both new and familiar characters, like Dazai, are emotionally impactful. Adam, a new character, quickly became one of my favorites. Even characters I initially disliked became understandable after learning their backstories, showcasing Asagiri's skill in character development and introducing characters.
I often found myself looking for Dazai, as he feels like a lifeline when Chuuya faces challenges. There are some Soukoku moments that fans will enjoy (their dynamic is always fun for me). While Dazai doesn’t appear much, he plays a crucial role. Mori’s guidance of both Dazai and Chuuya is another highlight for me, showing his intelligence in reading and manipulating people.
I won’t spoil too much because a big part of what makes this book so engaging is the constant suspense of what’s going to happen next. There are a few trigger warnings for emotional moments, a few gore warnings, and some sad scenes. Overall, this is one of the best volumes in the series, which is why I’m giving it 5 stars. I doubt a movie adaptation could capture its depth without losing important details. If I come across any new theories, I’ll be sure to share them!
The relationships between Chuuya and both new and familiar characters, like Dazai, are emotionally impactful. Adam, a new character, quickly became one of my favorites. Even characters I initially disliked became understandable after learning their backstories, showcasing Asagiri's skill in character development and introducing characters.
I often found myself looking for Dazai, as he feels like a lifeline when Chuuya faces challenges. There are some Soukoku moments that fans will enjoy (their dynamic is always fun for me). While Dazai doesn’t appear much, he plays a crucial role. Mori’s guidance of both Dazai and Chuuya is another highlight for me, showing his intelligence in reading and manipulating people.
I won’t spoil too much because a big part of what makes this book so engaging is the constant suspense of what’s going to happen next. There are a few trigger warnings for emotional moments, a few gore warnings, and some sad scenes. Overall, this is one of the best volumes in the series, which is why I’m giving it 5 stars. I doubt a movie adaptation could capture its depth without losing important details. If I come across any new theories, I’ll be sure to share them!
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
My heart is aching after finishing this, that’s the only reason I need to give it a 5 star
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Writing this review almost a year after reading this book and I still think about this story every day. Each character in the story represents a different facet of humanity, no character written is not fragmented or flawed to some degree which makes the story even more compelling.
Chuuya obviously shines throughout the book, giving readers valuable context to a piece of his backstory. Very early on in the story, Chuuya is forced to confront demons from his past and grapple with looking inward- defining what it is to be human. He does so with the same vehemence and audacity that he exhibits throughout the manga and anime, eventually defying the confines of an identity that he might have developed had his circumstances been different.
Equally interesting are the relationships that he has with Dazai, Shirase, Adam Frankenstein, and Paul Verlaine. Asagiri's strength is characterization and his ability to develop each character in relation to their counterpart while maintaining a balance between the two despite the chasm of conflict or circumstance that separates them.Even the Flags who appear for one chapter serve as the catalyst for the rest of the story and remain a motif in the Bungo Stray Dogs universe despite the brevity of the chapter they're in.
The complexity of balancing the themes of humanity and identity within an existing universe and adding new characters that fit seamlessly is something Asagiri managed to pull off successfully. I genuinely believe that this book could be a classic if it was written as a stand alone contemporary or historical fiction novel. Maybe I should just get my master's in literature to write my dissertation on Storm Bringer though.
Chuuya obviously shines throughout the book, giving readers valuable context to a piece of his backstory. Very early on in the story, Chuuya is forced to confront demons from his past and grapple with looking inward- defining what it is to be human. He does so with the same vehemence and audacity that he exhibits throughout the manga and anime, eventually defying the confines of an identity that he might have developed had his circumstances been different.
Equally interesting are the relationships that he has with Dazai, Shirase, Adam Frankenstein, and Paul Verlaine. Asagiri's strength is characterization and his ability to develop each character in relation to their counterpart while maintaining a balance between the two despite the chasm of conflict or circumstance that separates them.
The complexity of balancing the themes of humanity and identity within an existing universe and adding new characters that fit seamlessly is something Asagiri managed to pull off successfully. I genuinely believe that this book could be a classic if it was written as a stand alone contemporary or historical fiction novel. Maybe I should just get my master's in literature to write my dissertation on Storm Bringer though.
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love that Chuuya is Asagiri's favourite, but then again I'm not complaining. This novel was so tragic and don't even get me started on Rimlaine.
dark
emotional
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
ueueueueueue (the sound of crying) im so. Yeah. emotional dmg was dealt. and a whole lot of it. this was fantastic, the plot and characters, the character development chuuya went through and the bits of his personality you couldnt see before. this was just everything to me, absolutely wonderful, asagiri truly never disappoints
this one took me a while to finish.
I absolutely adore chuuya and asagiri’s writing. I am a massive fan of bsd so of course i’d love the magnus opus of its light novels.
I absolutely adore chuuya and asagiri’s writing. I am a massive fan of bsd so of course i’d love the magnus opus of its light novels.