Summary
- "Slap the Stick & Addict" is not a terrible episode, but it tends to slip one's mind compared to other stronger episodes in the series.
- The episode introduces important character moments, such as the reintroduction of Lucy Maud Montgomery and the revelation of Gin being Akutagawa's sister.
- Despite its flaws, the charm of this episode lies in its nostalgia for a time of normalcy before the characters' lives were constantly turned upside down.
Warning: This contains spoilers for Bungo Stray Dogs, Episode 30, "Slap the Stick & Addict," streaming on Crunchyroll.
No story is perfect; no matter how many critically acclaimed seasons or feature films, when a series goes on long enough, it will stumble at least once and always to differing degrees. Calling something the "worst" episode could just as likely mean that it's passable, and it says something about Bungo Stray Dogs that one of its weakest episodes is only sorta forgettable.
Episode 30 aired on June 13, 2019, and adapts the manga a bit out of order, with the A and B sides adapting chapters 38 ("Slap the Stick") and 41 ("Addict") respectively. Chapter 39 would be adapted in the saddest episode of the series one week later, while Chapter 40 was "Walking Alone," the OVA released after Season 2 and the official 25th episode of the anime.
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What Leaves This Episode Lacking?
To reiterate, "Slap the Stick & Addict" is not terrible, but compared to Fyodor's grand debut a week before or the emotional rollercoaster directly after it, it tends to slip one's mind. The A-side follows the Armed Detective Agency at the Café Uzumaki below their office, bored out of their minds after the defeat of the Guild.
The next day, they walk into the café to find it vandalized, and the owner injured. Elsewhere, the leader of the criminals explains his goal to extort the agency for intel on the Guild's assets, all the while gloating about their airtight security. Immediately, every aforementioned security measure backfires as the agency busts down their door and takes revenge before returning to the café, this time relieved that their boredom has been shattered.
It's not so much a plot as a rejection of one, introducing a threat only to eliminate it immediately, demonstrating how powerful the agency is. Executed well, this premise is pretty funny, but what prevents this story from having quite the same impact is that Bungo is effectively recycling it from the anime's fourth episode.
Back then, Atsushi spent the whole time paranoid that he'd be responsible for the agency dying, only to be reminded that these superhumans aren't going to be defeated easily. It was a great payoff to an interesting underlying threat that had been lingering over the entire episode, if not the last two episodes. In contrast, Episode 30 is just reminding the viewer that the agency hasn't lost its touch, which doesn't quite have the same effect.
After this brief plot, the latter half is a bit more involved and admittedly better than the first. "Addict" introduces Katai, a former agency member and shut-in whom Kunikida requests assistance from only to be met with another request. If he and Atsushi can track down the woman Katai has become obsessed with and deliver a love letter, he'll help them.
Meanwhile, Higuchi of the Port Mafia is tracking the same woman because she saw her with Akutagawa and became jealous. With the ceasefire still standing between the two groups, an unlikely alliance forms and Katai even emerges from his mancave to see things through to the end. When the mystery woman is found, a silly chase ensues, and it ends once the woman's identity is revealed and everything has turned out to be a huge misunderstanding.
Like with the first half, it's a fun premise, but its levity might not land as much as the show's other comedic moments because the story beneath it is fairly basic. This sitcom setup lends the episode a sensation of being filler despite being canon. But it's also decidedly not filler on account of three important character moments.
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How The Episode Progresses The Story
First and foremost, "Slap the Stick" is the story that reintroduces Lucy Maud Montgomery, no longer as a member of the Guild, but instead as an employee of Café Uzumaki. The reveal is set up at the start when Atsushi is worried about her, and it pays off with her shy introduction followed quickly by her being a tsundere towards Atsushi. Considering Lucy's role in the story later on and how generally entertaining she is, a mediocre plot is worth it just to see her return.
The second half is made even more necessary for viewing by the fact that not only is Katai introduced - a major player in the Cannibalism arc - but Gin is revealed to be Akutagawa's sister. Granted, unlike the spin-off Bungo Stray Dogs: Beast, the main series doesn't draw as much attention to Akutagawa and Gin's relationship, much less create drama surrounding it. Still, if any part of this episode lands comedically on the first viewing, it's this revelation.
Similar to the reveal in Season 2 that Gin was a girl, it's just a fun development among the cast, and this contributes to why, despite some middling storytelling, this episode mostly works. Fans aren't inclined to remember the criminals who attacked the café or Katai's love life. They do remember being shocked that Akutagawa had a sister who was so cute or Atsushi's awkward reunion with Lucy.
Why Even The "Worst" Is Alright
It's still not an episode that particularly demands a rewatch unless included within a series binge, but absent of the finer critiques of its storytelling, there is a sort of charm to this episode. Firstly, it is the first episode about the agency set in the present day since the end of Season 2, making the whole café attack story a bit more appropriate as a re-introduction. Secondly, it's one of the last moments of boredom and normalcy that these characters will enjoy for a long time.
Episode 31 is heartbreaking, 32 is all about Francis, and then 33 begins the Cannibalism arc. Next, seasons 4 and 5 begin the Decay of Angels arc, the darkest saga of the story yet and which technically might not be done yet. Viewed this way, Episode 30 is almost nostalgic for a time when these characters' lives weren't being turned upside down constantly.
"Slap the Stick & Addict" is only the "worst episode" in the sense that there are so many better ones, and even by that metric, fans could no doubt find worse examples. "Bungo Hound Dogs" and "Skyfall" from Season 4 were justly criticized for omitting scenes that might have helped develop Sigma and other characters. Some even blame the novel adaptation arcs for the tighter pacing and omissions, arguing that those stories don't always warrant being adapted.
But while those episodes and arcs have certain flaws, they stand out precisely because said flaws impeded these episodes from reaching greatness on the merits of what they do right. On the other hand, Episode 30 doesn't amaze nor does it offend, making it more forgettable. Without any particular malice, this puts it at a significant disadvantage compared to the rest of Bungo Stray Dogs, a mesmeric repertoire that does not make itself easy to forget.
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