Wan! Episode 8

Hang in There, Higuchi-san! / And the Tracks Go On and On / Operation Body Double Nom Nom (がんばれ樋口さん！ / 線路は続くよ どこまでも / 影武者むしゃむしゃ大作戦 ,) is the 8th episode of Bungo Stray Dogs Wan! anime series. It aired on March 03, 2021.

Japanese
Ichiyō Higuchi, a port mafioso, heads off to work today with renewed vigor. But Akutagawa, who has caught a cold, collapses and ......... In addition, to protect Mori, who is on a dangerous business trip, a "shadow warrior contest" is suddenly held, and the winner is!?

Hang in There, Higuchi-san!
Akutagawa contracts a flu and inadvertently collapses upon Higuchi's shoulder, who bashfully catches him. As his subordinates worry about his condition, Akutagawa insists that he has never had and will never have a flu, to which Gin refutes that her brother never admits whenever he falls ill. Akutagawa blaims it on the spices he had and instructs Higuchi and the others to carry on with their job, much to Higuchi's dramatic concern.

Hirotsu recommends buying some drinks to help Akutagawa stay hydrated; Higuchi buys a yogurt drink in hopes of treating Akutagawa's good bacteria as well, annoying Tachihara. Hirotsu soon receives a call from Dazai who decides to visit Akutagawa, conflicting the mafioso on whether to stay ill (which made Dazai arrange the visit in the first place) or not (lest he disappoints Dazai by seeing his frail state).

Akutagawa eventually decides to let Dazai pay a visit and lays on the couch to rest. To Akutagawa's dismay, Atsushi arrives instead of Dazai. Akutagawa unleashes Rashomon towards Atsushi, but he is too weakened to put up a fight. Dazai soon arrives, who reveals having let Atsushi visit ahead of him. Dazai presents Akutagawa with a horde of yogurt drinks, all of which Akutagawa chugs down that eventually subsides his flu and even flourishes his gut flora.

Seeing that Akutagawa also drank her yogurt drink, an overjoyed Higuchi heads to the grocery to buy even more yogurt drinks.

And the Tracks Go On and On
It is said that it takes all sorts of people to make the world work. Atsushi – the type who gets played – walks along a park and spots Dazai – the type who plays others – taunting a dog to come out of hiding from the bushes. Atsushi hides behind him, while Dazai is aghast to find that the animal is actually a raccoon. The latter turns out to be Karl, Poe's missing pet; he then fetches his raccoon and heads out to visit Ranpo.

Dazai convinces himself that raccoons and dogs are nevertheless quite similar to each other, while an onlooking Atsushi is later found by Dazai, who has actually noticed him from the bushes all along. Atsushi quips that Dazai must be playing a joke on the dog, to which Dazai feigns committing his error, admitting that no one mistakes a raccoon for a dog.

While they head back to the office, Akutagawa – the type who is never called upon – is dejected being unnoticed by Dazai despite being in the bushes way before Atsushi and despite even calling out to him. As Akutagawa brands himself a coward and follows the two, Higuchi – the type whose voice is ignored – sneaks upon Akutagawa from behind a tree and wishes that her superior simply give the instruction to attack the Agency, afterwards following him as well.

Tachihara and Gin – the types who take care of the them – watch the trail from atop a tree and worry for their pitiful bosses. They soon follow their superiors, which create a train-like procession all over Yokohama. When Atsushi and Dazai arrive back at the office, Ranpo – the type who sees through everything – wonders whether they have a hobby of marching throughout the city, much to Atsushi's confusion.

Operation Body Double Nom Nom
Chūya announces to his subordinates that a body double for Mori is needed for a sketchy deal he is to attend. Therefore, he needs someone among the Mafia to fill the boss in as his body double. Higuchi wonders if Chūya is a candidate, but the executive admits that he needs someone with a similar "vertical profile" as the boss.

Chūya then launches the First Body Double Competition, which is personally attended by Mori and Elise. Tachihara tries out the boss's appearance first, but his subordinates and Mori are not satisfied; Elise further remarks that he is not creepy enough. Higuchi tries out next; Hirotsu finds her appearance satisfactory, and she then tries to impersonate the boss. She acts out Mori pleading to have Elise try out some clothes, which Chūya and Tachihara assure a scowling Mori is an "incorrect" impersonation. Motojirō, who straps various lemon bombs to himself, tries out next but is instantly rejected.

The Akutagawa siblings try out next, whose presence their subordinates and Mori are quite pleased with. Mori likens them to his younger self, while Elise even prefers their looks better than him. Chūya cannot help but attempt to weigh their inner qualities like a critic. Meanwhile, Higuchi admires Akutagawa's looks, and Tachihara praises Gin's appearance.

Amidst the commotion, Hirotsu arrives and coolly regrets having put on Mori's clothes when a body double has already been chosen. Higuchi, Tachihara, and Mori all commend Hirotsu's appearance, so the boss chooses him as his body double. Elise finds Hirotsu quite handsome and voices her preference towards him, much to Mori's shock. The boss then refuses to have a body double and storms out to head to the deal himself.

In a mid-credits scene, Poe visits Ranpo, who asks to hand him his manuscript and also his snacks from his pockets.

Manga and Anime Differences

 * In the manga, Gin converses with others by whispering. In this episode (similar to other episodes), Gin writes her piece on a paper.
 * Tachihara and Gin wonder why Akutagawa and Higuchi are upset in the manga, while they are quite worried for them in this episode.
 * Motojirō does not appear in the manga, unlike in this episode where he participates.

Trivia

 * When Chūya explains the boss's deal, the 10,000 yen bills include what appears to be a portrait of Yukichi Fukuzawa on the front side, which is a reference to how the real-life Yukichi Fukuzawa is portrayed in the 10,000 yen note.