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If you like literary references, noir fiction, and superpower battles followed by crime investigation, Bungo Stray Dogs is worth checking out. However, even though I'm a complete sucker for the whole vibe this manga puts out (Jazz Age designs? writer-inspired characters? philosophical conundrums?), for the sake of writing something informative, I try to blend my personal bias with a more objective view:

Story - 7/10
The basic premise of BSD is: Atsushi unlocks a special power and joins a detective agency to solve crimes. Except there's a lot more than that.

Objectively speaking, story is Bungo Stray Dogs' weakest point. There are mafia + crime elements, terrorism stuff, ... a whole government thing going on, supernatural books...? The arcs simply lack cohesion. Other than that, the overarching plot is rather slow-paced and there is pretty heavy plot armour.

The good part is, the basic elements that make up the BSD story are well-used, and despite wild deviations between arcs, the story doesn't stray (haha) far from its core themes-- existentialism, free will, and imperfection/perfection being some of the main ones. The two main genres, action and detective/mystery are blended well, and the supernatural components are a great touch that don't feel out of place.

Given both the pros and cons of the plot, I'd say it caters to a specific taste. If you enjoy wild and out-of-the-blue developments, the mafia, complicated detective plots, and mind games, you'll have no problem with the story.

Art - 9/10
Put simply, the manga is illustrated beautifully. Action scenes, slice of life, whatever it is, it is handled with an artstyle that is clean while being distinct. The coloured spreads are gorgeous, and if you need to be sold on the art in less than 15 seconds, just google the cover of Volume 18.

Character - 8/10
A main "gimmick" of the series is that all of the characters are named after famous figures in literature. Their personalities are modeled after either the author or some element of their works, and their abilities are namesakes of their author's works. You can bet I ate this right up. There's nothing more exciting than realizing your favourite author Dostoevsky is also a manga character, and that his Crime and Punishment is not only an incredibly good book, it's also a busted ability. If you're familiar with the authors and works featured in the manga, you'll be able to find a lot of references on the characterization.

On a more serious note, though, all of the characters are deeply flawed. You get a suicidal, manipulative man escaping his violent mafia past, a main character with deep-seated self worth issues as a result of abuse, physicians with postwar trauma... it goes on. Still, each character has redeeming qualities alongside the darker aspects that make them very intriguing.

The two point deduction is on how Asagiri places more emphasis on plot rather than character development, so while there is definitely growth, there isn't as much as you'd like. It is also because some characters are just genuinely not good people. One of the main characters, especially, is difficult to cheer for, but if you like moral greyness and antiheroes like I do, you'll find it just drives a desire to understand the character.

Enjoyment - 10/10

Overall - 8/10