Episode 20

Though the Mind May be Wrong (頭は間違うことがあっても,) is the 20th episode of Bungo Stray Dogs anime series. It aired on November 19, 2016.

Synopsis
Atsushi is abducted onto the Moby Dick. Meanwhile, Lovecraft succeeds in capturing Q. Francis Fitzgerald and the Guild prepare to carry out their emergency plan.

Summary
Kyōka rescues Atsushi from Fitzgerald, and they escape through the alleyways where she has been hiding since she disappeared. She has also called the police to make actions by the Guild more difficult; Atsushi mentions that she could have stayed out of the three-way war had she stayed hidden, but Kyōka explains that the Agency is her home and that she finally has something to fight for. As the police pulls up, they approach the officers and ask for help. When the captain calls it into the radio, he gets briefed that there's a serial killer fitting Kyōka's description. Before they can apprehend her, she attacks the captain and attempts to attack the second policeman before Atsushi stops her.

As they flee, they are ambushed by Fitzgerald and Herman. Atsushi activates his ability, but he and Kyōka are shot by Twain's rubber ammunition. Herman summons Moby Dick, and the duo take Atsushi away. Fitzgerald advises Kyōka that she's not meant to help people, knowing that she's well aware of what she is meant to do. As Kyōka watches Atsushi get taken away, she tearfully asks why he showed her the light and begs him not to show her it anymore, left behind to be surrounded and arrested by the military police.

A week has passed and Q wanders the streets. They locate Lovecraft and asks him if he wants to play. Lovecraft has a comical vision and offers Q his tentacles, saying that it's a dachshund. Q rejects him and says that it's their turn, jamming their wire-filled fist into Lovecraft's belly, thereby marking Lovecraft with their curse. Q activates their curse, but this causes Lovecraft to shift into a monster, causing Q to scream out in terror and get captured.

In Moby Dick, Hawthorne wakes in an infirmary, having recovered from his battle with Akutagawa. Fitzgerald greets him, and Hawthorne immediately asks where Margaret is. Fitzgerald explains that she's in critical condition and may never wake. Hawthorne states that she's a foolish woman for sacrificing herself to save him. Fitzgerald comments that she only joined the Guild in an attempt to repay her family's massive debt and reestablish their reputation, but that it was a fleeting opportunity. Hawthorne then states that he no longer depends on Fitzgerald and can reestablish Margaret's debt himself.

Fitzgerald barges into Louisa's office, startling her. He states that they will enact the emergency plan. Alcott protests, saying that this will cause Yokohama to go up in flames. Fitzgerald spouts that everything on the ship, including the people, are his and that he will not allow his people to be hurt any longer.

Down on the ground, Lovecraft and Steinbeck reside in a shed, where Q is entwined in Steinbeck's grapevines. As Q writhes in pain, Steinbeck says that they can either blame the officers that came up with this plan or themself for trying to attack Lovecraft. Q says that they are going to kill him, only for Steinbeck to stomp on the tree and pain Q.

Back on the Moby Dick, Fitzgerald chats with Atsushi about his plans. Lucy enters, whom Fitzgerald notes to have asked him to stay behind despite having her ability now discovered and is essentially of no use. Fitzgerald explains to Atsushi that he's looking for a book that's immune to weaponry and special abilities. Atsushi asks why he was abducted and Fitzgerald simply explains that he wanted to protect him – the one who can lead them to it – from what's about to happen to the rest of the city. He explains that the Special Division for Unusual Powers has been neutralized, which only leaves the Agency and the Port Mafia in his way. He plans on destroying all of Yokohama in one go through Q's ability, much to Atsushi's distress.

Steinbeck explains the plan to Q, saying that the plan is a combination of both their abilities. He has connected the tree that Q is seen trapped in with all the trees in Yokohama. This way, anyone that walks on roots or cuts down branches has technically hurt Q and has been cursed. He asks a pained Q what would happen if they enacted their curse, having estimated that 20% of Yokohama will be cursed, befitting its codename as the Yokohama Incineration Operation.

Steinbeck tells Q that their entire city will be destroyed all because of them. Crying, Q asks why all this had happened, saying that they never asked for their ability, and questions whether everyone is equal in the eyes of God. Steinbeck responds that God exists, but He does not love Q. Upon hearing this, Q declares that they'll burn everyone down and activates their curse. As the doll begins its terrifying laugh, Atsushi begs Fitzgerald not to enact the curse, saying that he surrenders and that the Agency will help the Guild unconditionally. Fitzgerald ponders over this offer, saying that it is indeed attractive, but that he will only negotiate with the survivors before he tears the doll's head in half.

As Yokohama is cursed and begins destroying itself, Atsushi desperately tries to find a way to escape. Lucy passes by his cell and teases him, angrily stating that she hates privileged people like him. Unlike him, she describes her rough childhood and shows Atsushi the scars on her wrists. Atsushi explains that he knows her pain, showing her his own scars on his abdomen. He tells Lucy that there are many people on the surface that are suffering in the same way they did and that if they abandon those people, then they're abandoning their past self.

With this, Lucy activates her ability and both her and Atsushi appear in her dimension. Lucy states that Yokohama's done for, but Atsushi says that they only need Dazai to touch the doll, which Lucy states is impossible since they're up in the air. Atsushi gives off the intention to leave and Lucy sighs, summoning Anne to give him a parachute, saying that she's connected the door of her room to the ship's plating. Lucy then asks him to return for her after he accomplishes his mission, which Atsushi promises to do.

Fitzgerald notifies his men of Atsushi's escape, while Atsushi's tiger-enhanced vision allows him mid-air to witness the mafia protecting Yokohama. Twain snipes down Atsushi with the help of his ability, puncturing his parachute. Accepting his end, Atsushi makes amends with the tiger and enables him to fully transform into a tiger, allowing him to survive his fall safely. Twain pursues and attacks Atsushi, eventually catching him in a blast from a tanker truck that greatly injures him. As he grasps for Q's doll, Dazai arrives and approaches him, touching the doll to nullify the curse. He also sets off a smokescreen to blind Twain's sensors and radars, resulting to the latter's defeat.

As the two retreat nearby, Dazai is still apprehensive that, though they may have stopped the cursed rampage, the Guild may still reactivate Q's curse as long as they are captured. Though dubious, Atsushi recommends they forge an alliance with one of the strongest organizations throughout Yokohama that protected the city with all their might: the Port Mafia.

Manga and Anime Differences

 * In the manga, Kunikida is among the citizens who gets marked with Q's curse, and he is restrained by the Agency before it activates. When the curse begins, he hallucinates of a woman in white kimono, eerily calling out to him. This is entirely omitted in this episode.
 * Minoura and his companion are driving freely along the streets in the manga when the curse activates, while they are stuck in traffic in this episode.
 * Unlike in the manga, the orphanage director does not appear to Atsushi in a vision while he is imprisoned, where the director drives him to guilt for dragging Kyōka and Lucy to their apparent misfortunes.
 * In the manga, as Atsushi is about to jump off the ship from Anne's_Room, Lucy recalls how they first met as enemies and remembers his companion and the doctor, whom Atsushi tells her to be the mafia boss. She then remarks how the Guild would have never stood a chance if the Agency and the mafia had collaborated against them in the first place. This is not shown in this episode.
 * The manga depicts Atsushi saving a baby in a stroller from falling off some stairs amidst the cursed rampage, and he soon hands the child over to Tachihara whom he spots nearby. This scene is omitted in this episode.
 * When Atsushi is blown over by the tanker truck, he gets further shot down by Twain in the manga to render his legs immobile. In this episode, Atsushi's grave injuries are ultimately caused by the blast from the tanker truck.
 * The manga briefly shows that Dazai has been monitoring the skies for where Atsushi might land, which explains how Dazai knows where and is able to approach him during the cursed rampage. This is not mentioned in this episode.