If you’re looking for an anime with the perfect balance of action, comedy, and drama, Bungo Stray Dogs should be high on your list of shows to try. With five seasons, a movie, and an OVA already released, you aren’t likely to run out of content to enjoy anytime soon. The best news, though, is that the manga, written by Kafka Asagiri and illustrated by Sango Harukawa, still has plenty of material left to adapt, ensuring we never run out of adventures with the Armed Detective Agency anytime soon.

Like many anime, Bungo Stray Dogs makes liberal use of flashbacks and non-linear storytelling to help drive some of its most dramatic moments home. Because of this, it can be challenging to know where to start with the show. Whatever order you want to enjoy the show in, here is the best way to watch Bungo Stray Dogs in release and chronological order.

How to watch Bungo Stray Dogs in chronological order

Most of the story of Bungo Stray Dogs follows Atsushi Nakajima, a young orphan who can transform into a terrifying white tiger when the moonlight hits him. He is recruited to the Armed Detective Agency, a group of individuals with special powers that they use to protect Yokohama from the nefarious Port Mafia.

There are, however, some flashback episodes, including an entire arc of the anime based on one of the light novels that elaborate on a single character’s backstory. It can be useful to watch the show in chronological order, particularly if you’re watching it for the second time. The best Bungo Stray Dogs chronological watch order is:

• Bungo Stray Dogs episodes 38-40
• Bungo Stray Dogs episodes 25-28 – Note these episodes are a flashback that set up the events of the movie.
• Bungo Stray Dogs episodes 13-16 – Note that these episodes are adapted from the second light novel and give background on Osamu Dazai.
• Bungo Stray Dogs episodes 1-12
• Bungo Stray Dogs episodes 17-24
• Bungo Stray Dogs OVA – He Walks Alone
• Bungo Stray Dogs: Dead Apple film
Bungo Stray Dogs episodes 29-37
• Bungo Stray Dogs Wan! – Note that this is a spin-off comedy anime that portrays the cast in light-hearted and comical situations. It is considered non-canon as a result.
• Bungo Stray Dogs episodes 41-62

How to watch Bungo Stray Dogs in release order

The chronological order for Bungo Stray Dogs might seem confusing but it is laid out that way for a reason. The show uses non-linear storytelling to excellent effect, building tension by releasing information to the viewer slowly over time. That’s why it is recommended that you watch the show for the first time in release order, which is:

• Bungo Stray Dogs episodes 1-24
• Bungo Stray Dogs OVA – He Walks Alone
• Bungo Stray Dogs: Dead Apple film
• Bungo Stray Dogs Wan! – Note that this is a spin-off comedy anime that portrays the cast in light-hearted and comical situations. It is considered non-canon as a result.
• Bungo Stray Dogs episodes 38-62

Where can you watch Bungo Stray Dogs?

Fans can watch every episode of Bungo Stray Dogs, including the Dead Apple movie, on Amazon or Crunchyroll. This includes the non-canon comedy series Bungo Stray Dogs Wan! as well.

Are the Bungo Stray Dogs light novels considered canon?

In addition to the manga, there have been ten light novels produced that expand the world and the characters of Bungo Stray Dogs. Most of these focus on a specific character and expand on their backstory, such as Osamu Dazai, while others detail the founding of the Armed Detective Agency as a whole.

Unlike many side-stories in other manga, these light novels are considered canon to the manga and the anime and could well be adapted into episodes in coming seasons.

What’s next for Bungo Stray Dogs?

The good news is that 2023 is seeing an extra helping of Bungo Stray Dogs material. Season 4 aired from January to March 2023 and Season 5 began airing in July 2023 for a further 12 episodes. This brings the total number of episodes of the anime up to 62.

While that is all the material that has been officially announced, there is still plenty of material for the anime to adapt. There are still around 30 chapters of the manga that the anime hasn’t touched yet, plus several of the light novels. So long as the show continues to get good ratings, there is no reason to think they will stop making the Bungo Stray Dogs anime.

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Looking for another long-running anime to watch? We’ve got the complete watch order for One Piece, including all 1000-plus episodes and every movie. You can also check out our complete guide to the Dragon Ball anime, with every film listed in chronological and release order.