Interview: Yuto Uemura (Atsushi) and Chiaki Kurakane (Producer) on Bungo Stray Dogs

The Bungo Stray Dogs anime looked back on its 10 year legacy during Anime NYC 2026, celebrating multiple seasons of the main anime series as well as the second series of the spin-off anime, Bungo Stray Dogs WAN! 2. With the unique trait of naming its characters after authors (and giving those characters powers based on those authors’ books), Bungo Stray Dogs follows Atsushi Nakajima. After getting kicked out of his orphanage and nearly starving to death, Atsushi saves Osamu Dazai from drowning himself in a river. Dazai then recruits Atsushi into the Armed Detective Agency, a group full of wielders of unique powers who solve mysteries that police and the military won’t touch. Bungo Stray Dogs has aired for five seasons, with a total of 51 episodes, from 2016 to 2023. Bungo Stray Dogs WAN! 2 premiered in July 2026.

Alongside the anniversary celebration, we had the opportunity to speak with two of the people who make the anime franchise possible, including Yuto Uemura, the Japanese voice of Atsushi, and Chiaki Kurakane, a producer for the series. Our conversation covered some of the literary inspirations for Bungo Stray Dogs, the differences in approach with Bungo Stray Dogs WAN! 2, and more.

Portions of this interview have been lightly edited for clarity. This interview was conducted with the assistance of an interpreter.

Q: It’s the 10 year anniversary of the anime franchise, and there have been multiple seasons, a movie, and the spin off series. How do you reflect on the creation of so much content with such a strong appeal?

Uemura-san: This is something that I felt at today’s panel as well, but the love and the passion that all the fans have for the series is tremendous. As people on the production side, it’s our job to engage with the roles and figure out how to present the series to the fans. And so you can tell that the fans — once they receive that — they really take it and make it their own. They bring it closer to themselves. It’s really the fans embracing the series in their own unique way and engaging with it in their own unique way [that] is the reason that the series has been successful for as long as it has.

Kurakane-san: So first, there is the depth of the world created by Asagiri-sensei, then Harukawa-sensei’s beautiful art, and then just the strength of the animation produced by BONES. And then finally the fourth component of success is the fans who are receiving the work and again, their passion and love for the series.

Q: Over the course of the series, many characters inspired by prominent literary figures have been introduced. Has the series inspired you to learn more about any of these figures or read any of their works?

Uemura-san: I reread the works of Nakajima Atsushi, who is the author my character is based on. My character’s ability, the Beast Beneath the Moonlight, is based on a book, Moon Over the Mountain. I previously read this work when I was a student. And rereading it as an adult, I feel like I really understood the depth. So it’s not as though the author and the character are identical, but in my performance of Atsushi, I really try to embody the conflict that’s represented in the work.

Kurakane-san: Bungo Stray Dogs frequently collaborates with literary museums in Japan. On display there are the actual original works written by the authors. I like to go to the museums to view these exhibits. KADOKAWA has produced versions of these original works with original illustrations with the characters of the series on them. Currently there are 28 of them total, and I have all of them.

Q: Do you have a favorite piece from the museums?

Kurakane-san: So first in Yamaguchi there’s the Nakahara Chuya museum, and then in Yokohama there’s the Kanagawa Modern Literary Museum. And then in Aomori there’s the Shayokan museum for Dazai Osamu.

I’m going to add that to my travel list.

Uemura-san: I’ve also been to the second of the museums. At the time they had an exhibit of letters written by Nakajima Atsushi. And they had, as part of it, stickers of Atsushi — the character — all over the place, so it was a fun experience. That was during the collab that [Bungo Stray Dogs] did with the museum. I have a teaching license. And Nakajima Atsushi, the real person, was also a teacher. So it was very interesting.

Q: Uemura-san, Bungo Stray Dogs WAN! has a much different tone and tempo compared to the main anime series. What has it been like alternating between the different presentations of Atsushi and keeping the two series feeling distinct?

Uemura-san: So just very broadly speaking, these two series are presented and created in very very different ways. The main series is very serious, and it involves a lot of Atsushi struggling with his concerns and worries as he moves forward in the story. So I really focus on what it is that Atsushi is feeling internally — that may not necessarily be written in the script — as I act as the character. And this is a thing that’s true of all of the characters in the main series. Whatever it is they feel on the inside is very important. Whereas with Bungo Stray Dogs WAN!, just the energy of whatever is happening in the moment is very important. I try not to overthink it, I just do it by feeling and by instinct. One of the most fun things about Bungo Stray Dogs WAN! is that characters that don’t interact in the main series might interact in Bungo Stray Dogs WAN!. So whenever I work on Bungo Stray Dogs WAN!, I try to set aside the main series and then enjoy Bungo Stray Dogs WAN! in its own fun way.

Q: Kurakane-san, the series has a lot of characters with very distinct personalities that connect and play off each other. Did the intense level of characterization in the series make it difficult to find voice actors?

Kurakane-san: So actually, the casting wasn’t all that difficult. First, one of the things we prioritized was we wanted to make sure we were casting voices that matched Director Igarashi’s vision. And then the sound director Wakabayashi-san also would provide advice on who he thought would be a good voice for each character based on their personality, their internal motives. So for the most part, the casting is just left entirely up to them, and I just accept whatever decision they present to me, so for me it’s a very easy job. Director Igarashi has a very deep understanding of the work, and communicates frequently with Asagiri-sensei, the creator, and I think that’s a big part of the reason why we’re able to cast the right person for each role.

Q: For both of you, which Bungo Stray Dogs character do you want to get more time in Bungo Stray Dogs WAN! ?

Uemura-san: I’d like to see more Lucy. My character Atsushi wasn’t in it, but there was an episode that featured Lucy and Kyoka together, which I enjoyed a lot. It was a lot of fun to see their relationship without Atsushi between them, and they were kind of almost like sisters, and so that was a very heartwarming thing to watch. Both of these characters are people who understand Atsushi very well, so it would be fun to see more interactions.

Kurakane-san: In Bungo Stray Dogs WAN! 2, there are a lot more characters, like the Hunting Dogs and the Decay of the Angel, and that meant there was less screen time for the Detective Agency characters. Kunikida is sort of the mom of the Detective Agency, so whenever he’s around everyone feels very secure. Bungo Stray Dogs WAN! 2 had a distinct lack of Kunikida, so the characters were without their mom for a while, which made me feel a little anxious, so it would be nice to see him return to his children.

Q: Uemura-san, what is the environment like during production, especially with how many characters appear across the many sections of the series? Who do you think brings out the most interesting sides of Atsushi?

Uemura-san: Because I’ve been working on this series for 10 years, the recording sessions feel very much like I’m coming home. And I feel like the sound director, Wakabayashi-san, gives me a lot of opportunities to really challenge myself and push myself. So it’s a very lively recording studio. And as for the question who brings out the most interesting sides, it’s probably Dazai. He’s a senior member at the agency and he’s also the person who drew Atsushi into this world. Dazai is a mysterious character, and it can be hard to tell what he’s thinking. I think Dazai acts in a way that’s considerate of Atsushi, but then there are also times when Atsushi manages to exceed Dazai’s expectations. I really enjoy seeing the way that the two of them work together to protect Yokohama.

Q: What challenges have you faced throughout your time on Bungo Stray Dogs?

Uemura-san: In the main series, the changes in Atsushi’s mentality, how he feels, can be very subtle at times, so that was very difficult. Atsushi can be a very different person depending on who he’s engaging with, like Akutagawa or Kyoka, so differentiating those is very challenging. I’m given a lot of freedom in how I’m allowed to do this, but it’s quite challenging to work together with the other people to produce the product.

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We’d like to thank Yuto Uemura and Chiaki Kurakane for taking the time to speak with us during Anime NYC this year. All episodes of Bungo Stray Dogs, along with the 2018 feature film Bungo Stray Dogs – DEAD APPLE, are available to stream on Crunchyroll.

© Kafka Asagiri, Neco Kanai, Sango Harukawa/KADOKAWA/Bungo Stray Dogs WAN! Partners