#AKUTAGAWA AND ATSUSHI BEING SHOWN ONE AFTER THE OTHER MY HEART

[yurislava]

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4:

31. Louisa May Alcott

32. Mykola Hohol

33. Ryuunosuke Akutagawa

34. Atsushi Nakajima

[starlightshadowsworld]

"Fukuchi was never trying to actually hurt anyone"

The man literally said he was going to sacrifice 500 people for this plan. But even if you exclude them, and say other them no one else will be.

It's still bullshit.

If Ranpo hadn't dove into the book, he'd be dead. Akutugawa, Tachihara and Jouno were all killed by Fukuchi.

And maybe Fukuchi knew Ranpo would figure him out at some point. But he didn't see Tachihara and Jouno betraying him. Nor did he know Akutugawa was gonna show up.

Atsushi wasn't killed because the guy Akutagawa spared showed up and complicated things. He was supposed to die, Fukuchi says he can't be allowed to live after learning his identity.

Fukuchi was planning to kill whoever he found after the camera flash incident. And if vampire Akutugawa hadn't decided to keep his no kill vow, Aya would've been killed.

So much for wanting to protect her smile.

If Chuuya hadn't shown up, Yosano would've been killed by Jouno. And later, Yosano would've been killed if Tachihara hadn't disobeyed orders.

The Akutugawa stuff came later so Fukuchi wouldn't have known the Port Mafia were helping the Agency.

I doubt anyone saw Mr "my orders make me who I am" betraying orders. Especially because getting revenge on Yosano was his whole motivation.

Kunikida and Junichiro had their hearts forcibly stopped by Fukuchi. Which ended fine but still... What the fuck?

Fukuchi said to Fukuzawa that he would lose because he can't predict the future and aimed to stab him through the throat.

And we see him being suprised by that. And yeah Fukuzawa's good but I don't think even he would survived that.

Not to mention if he did get stabbed his vocal cords would be fucked, so he wouldn't be able to use one order... So bravo Fukuchi you almost fucked up you're entire plan.

Also the coin bombs weren't exactly harmless.

And he was working with Fyodor so everyone who got killed in this plan by Fyodor, I'd say Fukuchi bares responsibility for because he let it happen and helped.

Man's a good villian but he's also full of shit.

[thatghostinyourbog]

The father episode

SO THEY LEFT OUT INFORMATION FROM THE MANGA IN THE ANIME ON THAT EPISODE

AND NOW ITS TIME TO ANALYSE IT

FIRST Atsushi

This was more of a realisation for me than anything

I saw Atsushi as sort of latching onto Dazai and Dazai being sort of a parental figure but that was never the direction things went in and I'm so happy about that (not anything about the writing it was just my tiny brain misjudging my poor cat boy)

Atsushi sees all of the people in the ADA as close friends, found family even

But there isn't a person he always goes to when things go wrong, he faces them himself and works them out hiself

WHICH IS WHY KYOUKA CAME IN

Kyouka should've been the sign of

Atsushi is putting his past behind him and is ready to accept and help others knowing he can do better than his "father" did

This was showing he didn't need a parental figure cause he can look after others

Usually characters have parental figures when they are rlly young and are shown to not be able to or refuse to take care of others

Atsushi is ready to take care of people who need him now

In the father episode Dazai was there and he set it up but even Akutagawa says that Dazai wasn't the father figure, it was "the guy in the picture" and it always has been

Akutagawa is the one who needs/has a father figure, he basically says Dazai is his father figure

THE PARALLELS OF ATSUSHI AND AKU ARE INSANE

Aku was in a similar abusive situation to Atsushi (father figure beating the ever living shit out of them) ((big daddy issues basically))

Aku was taken in at 14 by Dazai and spent what's known as the most important years of people's lives under Dazai

These years are big in defining who people are, it's the years you can finally understand the world and your place in it

Aku spending those years with Dazai was fucked, Dazai is known to be able to manipulate the shit out of almost anyone, of course he'd been doing that to Aku, he needed Aku to improve and do as he says and Dazai went about this the only way he knew how, manipulation. This lead Aku down a road of constantly striving for Dazais approval because that's how Dazai wired his lil emo brain

Now Dazai is part of the Ada and is trying to be a better person and actually taking responsibility for his actions (sort of) he understands what he did to Aku and he understands he needs to offer at least some assistance in helping him out, the way Dazai seems to think my thoughts are that Dazai would think it would be best to leave Aku to figure it out by hisself, this actually works with Dazai pairing Atsushi and Aku together, Atsushi can show Aku that he doesn't need Dazais approval at all, obviously it'll take time for Aku to even consider this information but it's clear what Atsushi and Aku say to eachother they rlly take it to heart and consider what the other have said in order to improve themselves.

I've been thinking about Aku taking in Kyouka for a while and the parallels it has to Atsushi taking in Kyouka

It feels like Aku taking in Kyouka and training her at 14 feels like a direct reference to Dazai and Aku

Aku wants someone to see him as he sees Dazai

He wants to be understood, he wants someone else to understand how important this is for him

He trained Kyouka probably the only way he knew how which was the way Dazai trained him. ( I say trained but I'm pretty sure Aku was just in charge and she didn't need training but you get what I'm getting at he showed her the ropes) (( and possibly his fist)) ((I'm pretty sure kouyou was the one who trained Kyouka)) When he spoke to Kyouka later he says hes happy for her, he understands that she'll never understand him but he can't seem to help but see himself in her, a 14 year old kid taken in by the mafia whose lost all will to live (sound familiar COUGH COUGH DAZAI) Aku found his light (Dazai) and understands that Atsushi is Kyoukas light and not him

This brings me back to the point of Atsushi not needing a parental figure because he's ready to help people

Aku took in Kyouka when Dazai had left, Aku thinking he didn't need a parental figure anymore and is ready to "help" another

This wasn't true at all which is why Kyouka was the one that left him

Aku needs a father figure because he isn't ready for the world yet

Parental figures are meant to prepare you for the world

Dazai hadn't finished doing this and left (because he himself wasn't ready to help another yet and later finds he is when he brings in Atsushi)

The difference is Dazai was the one that left Aku and not like Kyouka being the one who left Aku (this poor homosexual everyone leaving him including his eyebrows)

Just some more things the worms in my brain strung together

[crazyqueenmoon]

*Warning: Spoilers for Succession and Bungo Stray Dogs*

So I just finished Succession and now I can finally say that I’ve watched Succession. It’s become one of my new favorite live-action dramas, and I’ve found a couple similarities between that and one of my favorite anime’s BSD.

I’ve compared BSD to Succession a number of times. Though now that I’ve finished it, I’ve noticed some more similarities. Both stories have groups rivaling each other and those rivaling groups have to work together/make deals to get what they want. I also noticed that the way Dazai pits Atsushi and Akutagawa against each other is similar to how Logan pits his kids against each other to get his approval and gain power of the company.

Logan was pretty equal about treating them all horribly albeit in different ways for each of them. Each of them involved him kicking his kids down enough times to run back to him. Dazai does exactly that with Akutagawa, with Akutagawa leaping at every opportunity to gain Dazai’s approval as Dazai dangles it like a carrot. While Dazai‘s treatment of Atsushi is less brutal, he’s not exactly helping Atsushi out of the kindness of his heart from hearing Oda’s last words to help orphans. His reason for helping Atsushi is to form a new double black. Atsushi’s shown to be suspicious of Dazai when he says he’ll make him an Agency member but because he’s homeless he goes along with it. Dazai does genuinely grow to care about Atsushi, and Atsushi finds happiness being part of the Agency who are the family he never had so I guess it’s not all that bad, but goddamn I can’t look at their friendship the same way I used to. Atsushi doesn’t care about earning approval since Dazai never made him earn it, but rather wants to maintain it and not let him down becuase he saved him.

This isn’t me saying that Dazai is the Logan Roy of BSD, rather that his treatment of Atsushi and Akutagawa is similar. If anything Dazai would be Roman only way smarter and he’d make s*icide jokes instead of making vulgar statements. Hell, Dazai even wrote out a fat check to Atsushi like Roman did to that little boy in the pilot except he didn’t rip it up in front of Atsushi for guessing his previous job wrong. After watching Succession, I can say that’s definitely something Dazai would do

[soupthatistohot]

BSD: An Absurdist Analysis - Chapters 7 & 8 (Part 1)

Yosano and Kyouka: The Agency’s Women

[Masterpost]

I will be covering chapter 7 and 8 different from how I usually do these analyses, focusing on certain characters rather than the linear narrative. These two chapters revolve around the introduction of Yosano and Kyouka into the story, so I will focus on them for this post and make another ch. 7 & 8 post regarding other aspects of the chapters. 

So, let’s talk about Yosano!

This is her introductory chapter, spotlighting her personality and eventually her ability. One of my favorite moments by far is when she’s apologizing on Atsushi’s behalf for bumping into a rude, wealthy and entitled man who then kicks her in the face and she replies by threatening to stomp on his dick.

Later in the chapter, after Motojiro Kajii begins the bomb threat on the train, the same man begs for Yosano to save him after realizing she’s with the agency, perhaps hinting to the reader that he’s now had a change of heart… but then asks her to step on his dick. Appropriately, she drop-kicks the pervert. 

This highlights the absurdity of sexism and classism in modern society, the man flaunting his wealth earlier and insulting Yosano for being a woman, and is still unable to get over his bigoted ideology when his literal life is in danger. One would like to think that a woman being part of a powerful detective agency would earn the man’s respect, but in reality, this is not quite so true. He just wants to reap the advantages of having Yosano on his side by offering to pay her, but still objectifies her in the end. It’s a nuanced criticism that doesn’t magically solve sexism/classism by Yosano simply existing as a badass woman. 

This continues with Kajii’s interaction with Yosano, where he remarks that “women are so tough nowadays,” implying that it’s not in women’s nature to be strong. His sexist assumptions already put him at a disadvantage, because although he acknowledges Yosano’s strength, he still thinks himself more powerful and her stupid for trying to defy him.

In chapter 8, he calls her a “girl” and questions her intelligence, to which Yosano retaliates, calling Kajii "an idiot."

She’s goading him into injuring her here, knowing that her own ability will only work if she is on the brink of death, and it works. He drops a load of bombs on her, ignorantly assuming that there’s no chance of her survival. When he checks on her again, she uses this to her advantage, attacking him and effectively putting him in his place. 

Earlier, he had basically tried to mansplain death to her, not knowing who she was or what her background is, so she reveals her status as a doctor and explains her ability and understanding of death, threatening him.

After this, she half-kills Kajji and uses her ability on him enough times that she gets the information she needs and is able to speak to Atsushi over the intercom, allowing him to take charge of the situation. 

In summary, this chapter introduces Yosano as someone consistently overlooked because she is a woman, but she proves that she is capable and intelligent, which is not negated by the fact that she is also revealed to be borderline sadistic. It paints a nuanced portrait of a female character that will be further explored with her backstory much later in the manga. 

Now, let’s shift focus to Kyouka. 

Kyouka is silently present throughout chapter 7: capturing Dazai at the beginning and bumping into Atsushi at the train station. We know she is a threat, likely affiliated with the Port Mafia, but she is kept mysterious until the conclusion of chapter 7, using her appearance as a young, quiet girl as a cover until then. Atsushi tries to warn her against going toward the bomb before she reveals Demon Snow, who is being controlled by Akutagawa at this point. 

Continuing into Chapter 8, Atushi is shown to have been pretty injured by Demon Snow, and when he asks why a young girl like her is there, she reveals her very innocent interests and fears… and the fact that she’s killed thirty-five people in the last six months. 

Pairing the seemingly normal and even sweet personality traits consistent with a young girl with the fact that she’s an assassin is jarring, those two things do not belong together, and yet, in this absurd reality, there exists and girl who likes rabbits and has caused death. It’s absurd. 

After battling with Atsushi some more, she reveals that the bomb is strapped to her chest, reiterating her body count. Atsushi implores her to “express herself,” telling her that there’s more to life, imploring that they stop. Yosano then interrupts and Kyouka hands over the switch, only for Akutagawa to reveal through the phone that there is no way to defuse the bomb and it will go off regardless. 

She then pushes Atsushi away, attempting to jump off the train, and he then realizes that the phone controls her ability, that she has no autonomy and did not want to commit the murders she did. She has no autonomy. 

But rather than be resigned to her fate and allow herself and everyone on the train to die, Atsushi’s words seem to have affected her, and she decides to sacrifice only herself, jumping off the moving train.

While I cannot label this action as explicitly absurd (she believed she was dying either way and had completely lost hope), the fact that she’s rebelling against what Akutagawa wanted her to do, something she was unable to do thus far, is significant. I also think it is noteworthy that her ability is being controlled by a man, rendering her mostly unable to control her own actions, her hopelessness allowing for this. This appears to be in theme with the feminist lens these chapters seem to be taking. 

But as we already know with BSD, there is no situation that is completely hopeless, and Kyouka’s intended act of sacrifice allows Atsushi to jump out after her and save her, the bomb detaching from her chest far enough from the train that nobody gets injured. 

Kyouka will be further developed in future chapters, so I’ll wrap this up here at the end of chapter 8. What I will bring up is Kyouka’s similarities to Dazai, especially in his younger years. This is by no means an original idea, as many others have brought up this point on social media, but I do think it’s worth noting considering that the two share a certain amount of nihilism, which is only perpetuated by the toxic environment of the Port Mafia. Here, we see 

Kyouka taking her first steps toward breaking from this mindset, taking direct action so that nobody else got killed, seemingly the first decision she’s made for herself since her parents’ death. In this moment, she's reclaimed her autonomy.

This post is long enough as it is, so I’ll end it here. I will be making another post soon about chapters 7 and 8, focusing on Dazai’s capture, Kajji’s ideology, and Atsushi’s actions.

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[hellcatinnc]

Bungo Stray Dogs: Dead Apple Anime Movie Review

Includes Spoilers

I really liked this movie it did help add more to the story before starting season 3. I love how it really showed how much Dazai thought of Sakunosuke the sitting at the bar with a drink like they used to really tugged at my heart.

I also loved the connection between Atsushi and Kyōka, I mean I always saw it between them before but I feel like the movie plays on it alot more. It has a very good story line to it with all the power users get killed off by their own power. Was definitely something to pull you in and you can't stop watching til its done. I honestly for awhile thought we were gonna lose some of the favorite characters but glad that didn't happen. I mean seriously how cute are they together and the fact he sleeps in a closet to always be there for her how freakin adorable. I love how he looks at her and how she looks at him as well.

At first I thought Dazai had turned against his friends and although I didn't want to believe it he did it when he left alot of his friends behind when he left the mafia. The 2 guys he had lined himself with Fyodor Dostoyevsky & Tatsuhiko Shibusawa both are psychopathic creeps I didn't like either of them from the first time they appeared. Both have a unnerving feel to their presence. Then when they stabbed Dazai and he was bleeding and then was poisoned I was upset that they might actually kill his character off.

The fact you see Chuuya more in this I was happy for especially when he is the one that went to save Dazai in the end. I love the scene on the plain come on seriously the glove scene is too damn hot to miss. Then the fact he turns and punches Dazai to bring him back from death was priceless. That scene everyone is stuck on where it looks like Chuuya's head is in Dazai's lap to me I didn't see at is anything more than Chuuya being exhausted after turning like he has shown in the past and Dazai controlling the outcome in that moment it is not a gay scene to me at all. I think people see what they want to see. By this point Chuuya is really becoming someone you see more often why people automatically jump to them being gay for each other. I came into this with a open mind fine if they end up at least bisexual but I just think alot of people read into that scene more.

I do love you see Akutagawa work with Atsushi more and they honestly when they aren't bickering I think they are good together. I think in a platonic way they understand each other way more than anyone else. They both been in a dark place and work their way up that being said I even think Akutagawa has respect for Atsushi. I this time frame Akutagawa grew on me and became my 2nd favorite person in the show. He comes off hard ass but deep down I think he is a man that longs for affection and praise especially from Dazai. Granted I don't know what Dazai has to do with him yet hoping to in the next couple seasons however I do think they were damaged a bit more than you know especially Akutagawa by Dazai himself.

The cool effects of the fights with Akutagawa and Atsushi were probably some of the coolest effects and made the ending even better.

Honestly all in all I thought the movie was really good and got me plenty ready to jump into season 3 of Bungo Stray Dogs. I hope you give the movie a chance it really is worth it.

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Since the Oda and Adam duo post seems to have gone over well here are a couple other duos with potential that get rotated around in my brain after midnight:

Akutagawa and Aya - I've posted about this before. Continues the trend of unwilling and tired young adult begrudgingly looking out for a loud child who consistently runs headfirst into trouble. Bonus if he becomes so done with the situation that he just wraps her up in Rashoumon and carries her like that while Aya screams in outrage. (Bonus bonus: I think they could bond over the respective treatment they have endured at the hands of those who should've been proud of them.)

Lucy and Kyouka - No one thinks they'll get along and it looks like maybe they don't...? The energy is really awkward? But they still choose to spend time together? Actually, they like each other, and any awkwardness or harsh comments are only out of blunt factual observation (Kyouka) or obliviousness (Lucy). One day, they show up to work with matching accessories in their hair. (Also I think they'd be a great balancing act, personality wise. Lucy's very imaginative and Kyouka's quite grounded but both could really help each other regain some of their lost childhoods in that Lucy has lots of cool ideas she never got to do and Kyouka is bold enough to get both of them to try.)

Kyouka and Dazai - ENTIRELY self-indulgent. I want them to get into mischief together. I want Kyouka to show Dazai pictures of all the bunnies she pet. I want Dazai to encourage her into believing she can be good and supporting her no killing philosophy (with a sharp pang in his chest every time he sees her dedication and the serious look in her eyes) but then like. Show her how to commit minor crimes with no trace. He decides one day to take her to a festival and guilt trips Kunikida into letting them both go and Kunikida is forced to relent because aw, that's really sweet and then he turns around and his wallet is gone.

Fukuzawa and young Yosano - It's sad time. I really want to know how she adjusted. And yes, I like the idea of seeing how she was with Ranpo too but I really want to see her with Fukuzawa. He must've shown her the ropes. Helped her get her degree? Made her feel comfortable again and confident that she could heal and not just wound? It's just interesting to me because it would have to be a completely different approach to the one he took with Ranpo and he's not exactly a natural at parenting, much as he tries. I think there's nothing sweeter and more tragic than this man, a master swordsman and former assassin, who has decided fairly recently to open his heart to others, looking at this small, damaged child and thinking "I don't know how to help you." And then helping her anyways. As best he can.

Kunikida and Higuchi - The true "I am so exasperated with everyone in my workplace" duo. An omake introduced the concept that they vent to each other online and I think that's hilarious. They find out each other's real identities and panic for a moment and get hostile and then remember that this is the only other reasonably sane person they have spoken to in months and go get coffee and complain about their jobs.

Teruko and Atsushi - Okay, this one is actually possible. Not much to it other than I think they'd work really well together. They'd kick ass. They could kick my ass. I'd thank them for it. (Actually it's also got something to do with Teruko seeming jaded and older and Atsushi being the offset in that he's younger and naive but also something something she couldn't torture him because he went to go check on a child and something something they both made bodily sacrifices - Atsushi's many injuries and Teruko's surgical modifications - and repeatedly get hurt using their power to protect civilians... I want to know where her character is going because I don't think she's convinced by the DoA's mission and I think a part of her still wants justice... remains to be seen I guess.)

[linkspooky]

Atsushi: Black and White Stripes

Chapter 88 begins with Akutagawa giving his life for Atsushi, and Atsushi not really knowing or understand why, especially the meaning behind his actions. This is really typical of Atsushi who fights to protect people, and doesn’t really understand them.

1. Akutagawa the Villain, Atsushi the Hero

Atsushi grew up in an environment where he was constantly made to feel like he was a bad person, unworthy of any love at all. Only good people have worth. Only good people who save others are worthy to live. That’s the black and white values the headmaster drilled into his head. 

The headmaster’s extreme black and white values, and the hell he put Atsushi through to try to raise him as a good person, someone who would help others, had the effect of coloring Atsushi’s view of the world as incredibly black and white. 

The world is crawling with monsters. The world has vile, evil people who use their strength to abuses the weak. It’s because he was told these things by the head master who was his only source of information on the outside world, who controlled his life entirely, that he believes them. He divides people, into the strong and the weak. He divides people into the good and the bad. He sees some as worthy of saving, and others as monsters who need to be defeated. 

Perhaps the earliest and most clear version of this divide Atsushi sees in people is between Akutagawa and Kyouka. Akutagawa and Kyouka both kill people for the mafia. However, the number of people Kyouka has killed, all her bad deeds, barely matter at all to Atsushi, because when he first meets her she’s a crying victim who wants to be saved.

When Atsushi believes she didn’t want to kill people, that it wasn’t her fault, that someone else told her to do these things, in his mind she becomes yet another crying victim in need of saving. He simplifies her. That’s also why, when he sees Akutagawa who presents a much more complex idea of victimhood, who also kills people for the mafia, but who unlike Kyouka seems strong instead of weak.

Instead of giving him any chances, Akutagawa conveniently slides into the role of villain in Atsushi’s narrative. He fights Akutagawa with everything he has, and does his best to deny any similarity between the two of them or see sympathy for him.

Atsushi himself is divided. Between the helpless orphan who was abused, and the tiger who rampages around and kills others. He also divides other people, Kyouko the victim, Akutagawa the murderer. 

Even though we know as the audience, that part of Kyouka was angry too. Part of her was empty and just wanted to lash out at the world, and didn’t really care what happened to her or other people. 

That’s why she feels so sorry in the first place, because she in fact... did bad things. Atsushi isn’t capable of grasping that nuance however. Good people save others, bad people use their strength to hurt others. That’s what has been drilled into his head. However, what is this arc but people who are considered traditionally good, doing bad things, even horrible things.

Atsushi asks Goggol the clown why he kills people, and he’s given two answers, the answer that he wants to hear, and the real answer. 

Atsushi is a victim, so naturally he wants to believe that the people who tormented him for so long were just being cruel. If the world is just dvided into villains and victims, then Atsushi can keep fighting as he’s always had to save people and keep on living that way.

However, people who are traditionally considered heroes in this arc turn out to be the villain. The mastermind behind it all is Fukuzawa’s old friend. The hero is also a war crimminal. (Hence, the title of the set of chapters, Hero vs Crimminal). What broke him in the first place was the fact that he had to do horrible things to people over and over again, for supposedly righteous reasons, to the point where he despises people who believe they’re good.

This arc so far plays with and subverts all of Atsushi’s expectations. He’s already dimsissed Akutagawa as a villain, but when he’s all alone, and in need of saving it’s Akutagawa who comes to save him. It’s literally the tagline of the arc within both good and evil, heroes exist. 

However, while Akutagawa has shown up to help Atsushi. Atsushi hasn’t helped Akutagawa yet. Atsushi hasn’t given Akutagawa the same understanding that Akutagawa has given him. 

He still expects Akutagawa to break his promises. To kill. If Akutagawa and Atsushi were to perfectly understand each other and cooperate like Chuuya and Dazai once did, there’s no enemy that should be able to beat them, but they don’t do that this time around. As a duo they’re still incomplete, and I think the growth needs to happen on Atsushi’s end this time. 

They need to grow into something beyond what Dazai and Chuuya are capable of. Akuatagawa neesd to stop living up to Dazai’s expectations, blindly listening to everything he says. 

Atsushi and Akutagawa both trust completely in Dazai for different reasons, but, in their own actions, in their own will,do they trust themselves? And more importantly, do they trust each other? 

We see Akutagawa has now done the opposite of everything Atsushi expected him to do. He showed up to save Atsushi. He kept his promise and didn’t kill. He didn’t betray Atsushi for more power when given the chance. He even sacrifices his life completely to save him, and Atsushi can’t really process or understand why he did any of this.

If Atsushi and Akutagawa were truly working together, if they could face each other, understand each other, then they would have overcome the person they were trying to fight. But, as is often the case, they were fighting themselves, fighting each other first before anything else. Akutagawa and Atsushi failed to come to an understanding, and so this time around they lost the fight. 

It’s interesting now that Akutagawa said: words are unnecessary, only my actions. Akutagawa tried to show his intentions to Atsushi, and Atsushi is just left completely puzzled over his actions. Even though he was saved by Akutagawa, Atsushi can’t really comperehend that because Akutagawa is the villain, he’s not supposed to save people. 

In terms of plot, Akutagawa’s resurrection as a vampire is incredibly symbolic. Esecially since his first victim is Higuchi, someone he has an incredbily complicated relationship with. He’s abused HIguchi in the past, he’s slapped her, reprmianded her, and he’s also thanked her sincerely for his loyalty and apologized for his actions. A complexity that Atsushi probably wouldn’t understand. 

Essentially, he’s become what Atsushi has always seen him as. A mindless killer. A killer without a heart. A monstrous person with nothing inside. Isn’t it ironic, that right after being saved by Akutagawa, the Akutagawa that Atsushi is going to meet next is everything he always thought he wanted to be.

He thought he wanted Akutagawa to be the villain because that would make him good. He thought he wanted Akutagawa to not have reasons behind why he killed people, because that meant Atsushi didn’t have to sympathize with him. 

Now Akutagawa is a mindless monster, and Atsushi is probably going to hate it. This is once again their foiling. Akutagawa only looks at death. Atsushi only looks at life.

So of course, Akutagawa becomes a vampire who sucks on others blood to heal himself. While Atsushi is able to magically regenerate from any wound because of the tiger’s power. 

I think there are two things that need to happen now for Atsushi to win this time. 1) He needs to actually understand Akutagawa and face him head on this time, as a person, rather than a villain.  2) He needs to decide that Akutagawa is worthy of saving too, just like Kyouka. 

Because Atsushi says that Akutagawa can’t be saved, but what he really means is himself. Atsushi doesn’t want to save Akutagawa, because he sees all the bad parts of himself in Akutagawa. However, those bad parts are just as worthy as all of Atsushi’s good parts. 

I think if there is anyone who can bring Akutagawa back from being a mindless monster, it’s Atsushi, and he can do this by reminding Akutagawa of the human he once was. He was a good person, and a bad one. 

It’s only after he’s accepted the black and white of both Akutagawa and himself, that he’ll be ready for a round two. 

[reminisce05-20]

Dazai - The Book - Double Black

Dazai couldn't remember being a child, one of elementary age. He had only started to remember when he was around 14, which was when he first met Mori.

Sometimes, he wondered if he should be searching for answers, of who his parents could've been or where he came from, but he had easily moved on. Perhaps too easily, but he had no regrets. After all, the past didn't define him. He could write his own story from the present.

Only after words started to be written on his pale skin did he start to wonder who he really was.

Long sleeves could suffice, but just in case, Dazai wrapped bandages around his arms. Then his torso. Then up to his neck and finally his eye to give the air of an injury. The words hadn't spread quite that much, but it made his stomach crawl whenever he saw the squiggly lines all over his body. It was simply a precaution in case more words suddenly appeared.

Dazai soon met Chuuya, who was loud and angry and short, which made it even funnier when Dazai riled him up. Chuuya insisted that he was still young and growing. For the first time, Dazai wanted to laugh at the words he had seen yesterday on his elbow. Chuuya will never grow.

Although the words brought occasional joy, when he was 18, he saw words on the back of his left arm that said, Sakunosuke Oda will die. Sakunosuke couldn't die. His ability allowed him to see things moments before they actually happened, and Sakunosuke wasn't dumb. He would be fine.

He never had allowed the words on his arms and body to ever affect him. Words, in general, had never affected him since Dazai believed actions could speak much more.

"Be on the side that saves people. If both sides are the same, then choose to become a good person. Save the weak, protect the orphaned. You might not see a great difference between right and wrong, but... saving others is something just a bit wonderful."

For once, he took the words to heart.

Once, long ago when he was still young, not in the Detective Agency nor even the Mafia, Dazai had written something on his arm, something that tattooed itself to his arm for just a second before it burned away with terrible pain.

Dazai experimented. His ability, "No Longer Human", obviously canceled out abilities with no exception. The words were things to happen, things that were happening, and things that had happened. The timing for when the events actually took place differed, from as small as a minute to as long as a year. Dazai couldn't change events that were going to happen or create an entirely new one. It was probably a strange mix of the words and his ability.

Dazai had considered going to the President to inform him of the words. He was fairly sure that everyone else in the agency believed the bandages to be a fashion choice, excluding Ranpo and the President. He walked in front of the office door for a few minutes, pacing, before walking back to his desk. Perhaps the talk could be moved to another time.

The words were often too ugly to be shown to others.

Dazai was good at planning things, which made it entirely his fault that he hadn't prepared ahead for this.

A few days ago words had appeared on his collarbone, ones that said, "Chuuya will unleash Arahabaki once more. Secrets will be revealed." If Chuuya was going to showcase his powers, Dazai would no doubt be sent along unless Chuuya had managed to somehow subdue his powers effectively. Sure enough, he was sent to settle a dispute that would benefit both the Mafia and the Agency. It was always nice, seeing the top of Chuuya's hat, showing that he had indeed not grown a single bit.

He had misinterpreted the "secrets" on his arm. Dazai had expected it to be Chuuya's secrets, of how he stayed so short all the time.

In Arahabaki form, Chuuya had never attacked Dazai, at least not to kill. He had to have some semblance of control to not kill the only person that could bring him back, even if Chuuya hated him. But this time, right after defeating the enemy, Chuuya turned on him in an instant, giving Dazai no time to nullify his ability.

It would have been fine. Dazai only took a few hard hits before he tapped Chuuya on the head, nullifying his ability. They both staggered for a moment before Dazai laughed.

"Well, that was awfully close wasn't it, Chuuya?"

Chuuya huffed, angry but too tired to anything about it.

"Only if you had touched me a little earlier maybe you - hey what's that on your arm?"

Dazai froze before he looked at his left arm, bandages slightly unraveled, revealing the inky text on his arm.

"Some tattoo shit? Or maybe weird scars..."

Chuuya took a step forward while Dazai hurriedly rebandaged his arm with a hopefully winning grin.

"How observant of you."

Chuuya scowled for a second before staring at Dazai.

"Seriously, was it just some weirdo tattoo? Show me what you have written there."

Dazai made a mental note to seriously work out and train with Kunikida. Then again, it probably wouldn't bring him near Chuuya's level for a long time. Even after using Arahabaki, Chuuya stomped forward, grabbing his arm and unwrapping the bandage with unreasonable strength and speed. His control must have actually been getting better. Or maybe they had just defeated the enemy faster today.

"What the - what the heck is this Dazai?"

He didn't have the strength to stand properly, staggering a little bit while unsuccessfully trying to get out of Chuuya's iron grip.

"An occult tattoo I got when I was 14. It says 'fuck off Chuuya'."

"It literally says 'Sakunosuke Oda will die'. I've heard of that name before... who was that again?"

Out of all the sentences Chuuya could have seen, it had to be that one. Why not the one about Atsushi dropping his ice cream, or maybe the one about Chuuya's height? They could have laughed over that.

"This actually happened didn't it Dazai? Like, a few years ago?"

At this point, Dazai simply didn't care enough to wrench his wrist away from Chuuya. He had wanted to tell someone about this for so long. Chuuya and he didn't have the best relationship, but they could certainly trust each other. After all, they had been partners, right?

"It tells me things that are going to happen. Well, at the time of course. This already happened a while ago."

Chuuya simply stared, unsure of what to believe.

"I tried changing history once. It hurt really bad, I think it's got something to do with my goddamn ability, I hate seeing the words every day and having to bandage them - "

"Um... Dazai, calm down."

He hadn't realized he was breathing so heavily. His chest felt like it was burning.

It felt like it was burning just like when he was young - why was it like this when he hadn't written anything down on his skin?

"Dazai, what's going on?"

Dazai turned away from Chuuya before throwing his jacket off, then his vest, then his shirt to reveal the mass of bandages covering every inch of his skin.

"What the fuck Dazai, stop stripping in front of me - "

Dazai for once ignored Chuuya instead of sending back an angry retort. He unwrapped the bandages, not caring if Chuuya saw the words or not since the pain was burning as if he was dying and he wanted it to just stop. Stop stop stop.

The bandages were off to show the mass of writing on his back and arms and stomach and even up to his neck. Chuuya's breathing became softer, more confused and curious.

Chuuya will never grow.

Dazai will trip and fall on the doormat before meeting Akutagawa for the first time.

Sakunosuke Oda will die.

Atsushi will drop the ice cream Dazai bought for him and will be horrified.

More evil will soon come in Yokohama.

Chuuya will unleash Arahabaki once more. Secrets will be revealed.

Chuuya simply stared, dumbfounded, trying to read everything written on Dazai's back. Dazai on the other hand, looked down at the center of his chest to see just a few words.

Yokohama's Page - By Osamu Dazai.

The words were a gleaming gold, burning his skin before suddenly cooling into the familiar black, only a small golden border on the edges of each letter. Chuuya had now walked in front of him, kneeling, reading the words that had just appeared.

"So. You're some special shit."

Dazai let out a flat laugh. Indeed he was.

"It says 'More evil will soon come in Yokohama'. Right, Dazai?"

Dazai nodded blindly. He couldn't remember that one, but maybe it was because it was on his back. It was hard to read from a mirror.

"You should tell your agency this. Have you told them?"

Dazai's silence was the same as a confirmation. Chuuya mumbled something about how he always had to make his life worse, although Dazai knew that it was halfhearted.

After Dazai put on every single one of his bandages, thoroughly covering every inch of skin along with his other clothes, Chuuya and he walked in silence for a little. Usually, they would've been arguing all the way back, making the silence feel even worse.

"Oy. Dazai."

Chuuya growled when Dazai didn't make any move to answer before sighing and backing down. Dazai blinked, seeing that for the first time, Chuuya had backed down from an argument.

"We were partners before. Are we still partners?"

Dazai smiled.

"If we're partners, I'll be annoying you all day! I think that'd be pretty nice ~ "

"Well fuck you too!"

It was nice, feeling the usual annoyance flowing through Chuuya, the same remarks they always passed forth to each other.

"So you're saying we are partners, Dazai."

Dazai's eyes narrowed. What was with Chuuya being overly... nice all of a sudden? Being so calm?

Chuuya, catching Dazai's eyes screeched again before kicking over a trash can.

"I'm saying I can help you with this goddamn book shit! Words! Partners! The fuck is wrong with you?"

Dazai stared as Chuuya knocked over a few more trash cans while screaming about how utterly dumb Dazai could be for someone that was supposed to be so smart, so crafty, and so manipulative.

The familiar tickle of more words caused Dazai to flinch, hand moving toward his neck where the words seemed to be. Chuuya, who was done with his little fit, stopped for a second before walking over, no doubt intrigued. Dazai tugged the bandages down a little bit while Chuuya read the words out loud.

"Fyodor Dostoevsky is looking for another part of the book in Yokohama."

Dazai's eyes widened when he heard the name, and Chuuya no doubt understood that this man was someone dangerous if they could elicit such a reaction from Dazai. They looked at each other, understanding passing through their eyes.

"Well, I guess we're partners again Chuuya!"

"Only because I fucking have to!"

Dazai supposed that he would also have to tell the Agency about this. And as more people knew, the news would inevitably spread to the Mafia too. He only had to make sure that Fyodor didn't receive the information, and that was if Fyodor didn't already know about him.

"Fucking Dazai."

Chuuya grabbed Dazai's hair and pulled, forcing Dazai to yelp while batting Chuuya's hands away.

"We're going to crush this bastard Fyodor."

Dazai laughed at the sheer amount of determination in Chuuya's name, laughing like he never had ever before.

Indeed, Double Black would crush the enemy like they always did.

___________________________

Kind of an abrupt end, but you get the idea :>

[caffeinatedseri]

The Significance of Sunsets

We’re introduced to the significance of twilight during the Cannibalism Arc via the Tripartite Tactic. 

The essence of the Tripartite Tactic supports 3 core themes of BSD: moral ambiguity, the cyclical nature of life, and the beauty of humanity. 

First, the Tripartite Tactic establishes the moral balance of the BSD universe through the government, PM, and ADA’s interactions with one another to ensure the balance of Yokohama.

Day and night are binary opposites, similar to how the government and mafia operate on opposite sides. That would imply that the government and mafia are always at war with one another, working to bring the other down, but the Tripartite Tactic suggests otherwise.

Both the government and mafia’s survival are necessary to secure the balance of the city, just like how day and night, good and evil have to coexist in a state of balance.

However, there is a middle ground that bridges these opposing concepts together: twilight — as represented with the agency. 

As the evening acts the neutral point from day to night, the agency acts as a morally neutral organization between the government and mafia. They don’t necessarily abide by the laws and rules of “justice,” but they still work to establish a semblance of “good” in this world. 

We’ve seen the government act in suspicious ways, we’ve seen the mafia act in good natured ways, and we’ve seen the agency do both of the sort. Even though the government and mafia are supposed to represent “good” and “evil”, the fact that they break these molds serves to once again prove the moral ambiguity within the BSD universe. 

Twilight also symbolizes another important idea — the cyclical nature of life. As the passing period between day and night, it represents the end of a day, which will always lead to the start of a new day.

This cyclical nature lends itself to a feeling of hope that drives the journey of redemption — the hope that the night will pass and a new day will begin encourages our characters to persevere and hope for something better. 

Cycles also show themselves through character interactions throughout the generations.

Mori abused Dazai → Dazai abused Akutagawa → Akutagawa abused Kyouka, In this case, the cycle of abuse is born (although it fortunately stops at Kyouka). 

In parallel, Oda helped Dazai → Dazai helped Atsushi → Atsushi helps Kyouka, For this, the cycle of redemption is born. 

As twilight is a time for sunsets, sunsets are an inevitable motif for these themes. The arrangement of colors in the sky, characteristic of a sunset, tends to evoke feelings of awe or admiration for the beauty of such sunset. The beauty of a sunset symbolizes an appreciation for the beauty of humanity, aligning with the theme of accepting human nature as is. (think Dazai)

Keeping in mind these 3 aspects: moral ambiguity, the cyclical nature of life, and the beauty of humanity, the significance of every scene with a sunset becomes more prominent. 

Sunsets in BSD always appear at important points of the narrative, with my favorite being:

This scene’s significance is primarily Dazai’s transition out of the mafia as represented through the light shining through the window — as if light is being shined on the darkness that had surrounded his life.

This scene happens to be one of my favorites because it touches upon all three themes that the twilight-esque light represents.

Moral ambiguity: Oda knows that Dazai doesn’t care about justice or evil, or defining aspects of morality, so Oda argues Dazai should work for justice. Oda doesn’t try to argue that justice is morally correct, but he simply says it is “better” in an extremely vague way. 

The idea of Dazai joining the side of justice with no strong moral conviction opens up the concept of moral ambiguity. Is it important for him to have a moral code if he wants to find the purpose of his life? Can he help others if he doesn’t believe it’s the “right” thing to do? Does it matter? 

Most importantly, does saving others whilst not believing in the standards of morality place you within the boundaries of justice or evil? Or are there no such defined boundaries? 

Cyclical nature: Oda pushes for Dazai to save people, instead of killing people, mirroring the actions of Natsume-sensei who helped Oda come to that same resolve. This starts the cycle of Dazai helping Atsushi, Atsushi helping Kyouka, and hopefully Atsushi getting to help Akutagawa as well. 

This scene also reflects the idea of the “end of the night”, or the start of a new day as Dazai abandons the PM, and starts anew in the Agency. 

Beauty of humanity: PM Dazai was arguably the most “inhumane” version of Dazai that we’ve seen, due to his heavily logic driven intellect and distrusting tendencies. 

However, in this interaction with Oda, we finally see his humanity shine through. Oda gives no reasonable, straight-forward explanation as to why Dazai should leave the mafia, but Dazai follows his advice regardless because of their trust. 

The ability to trust and love, an innate part of human nature, can be seen as foolish from the eyes of the logic-driven, but ultimately that’s what makes being human beautiful. 

I admit the last scene may have been a little vague with whether the setting was actually a sunset, but this one is more obvious!

This takes place after SSKK’s fight with Francis, and they regroup with Dazai, Fukuzawa, and Kyouka. 

Cyclical nature: As the finale of the Guild Arc, the sunset represents the end of a day and the start of another as they close this chapter of their lives. It also parallels Dazai’s “redemption” scene, as Kyouka finds her redemption in sacrificing herself for others and becoming part of the agency. 

Just as Oda was able to help Dazai in the previous scene, Dazai is the one who tells Kyouka exactly what she needed to hear in order for her to survive and find a home in the agency. 

Beauty of humanity: Being human means to be compassionate, and I’d argue that Kyouka was uncompassionate in the past, just because no one had shown her what compassion was like. However, Kyouka grows from that — with the help of Atsushi and Dazai showing her empathy and kindness, she’s able to reciprocate that feeling and be willing to give up her life for the sake of others.

Dazai also praises Akutagawa for a short moment in this scene, which is also an act of compassion from Dazai although Akutagawa deserves more than that.

This scene follows the party at the end of the Cannibalism Arc, as Dazai and Atsushi have a nice heart-to-heart.

Dazai’s toast here is technically an anime-only moment, but obviously all of the sunsets are anime-only. Regardless, I’ll be discussing his entire talk with Atsushi here, along with the toast. 

Moral ambiguity: Akutagawa’s promise to not kill anyone for 6 months mirrors that of Oda — a mafia member who doesn’t kill. By doing so, he directly challenges the morality involved with being a mafia member (what would be “bad”) and breaks away from the black and white labels of “good” and “evil.”

If we followed the code of justice, presumably the morally “right” way, then it would dictate that Akutagawa would need to be punished for the crimes he committed. However, Atsushi’s decision to form that promise with Akutagawa gives him an opportunity to grow and redeem himself, even if Akutagawa fits with the “evil” label. 

Akutagawa and Atsushi are obviously foils — they’re different in almost every way, which you could use to define Atsushi as the hero and Akutagawa as the villain, but it’s undeniable that they also share many similarities. As the line between “good” and “evil” blurs, moral ambiguity is developed. 

Cyclical nature: Once again, this scene closes out the Cannibalism Arc, with the sunset symbolizing both the end and beginning. 

Atsushi’s promise with Akutagawa parallels that of Oda’s dying wish to Dazai; they’re both founded on the basis of trust, and they push towards a brighter future for Akutagawa and Dazai respectively. Thus, the cycle of redemption repeats itself once more. 

Dazai’s “To the stray dogs” statement also parallels his toast with the Buraiha trio (Dazai, Ango, Oda). It could be just a callback to Oda, but it also expresses Dazai passing on the toast to Atsushi, from one stray dog to another. Nevertheless, this still represents a cycle of actions in which the previous generation affects the present. 

Beauty of humanity: Dazai toasting to Atsushi with the phrase “stray dogs” offers a sense of compassion and hope. Dazai and Atsushi have undoubtedly grown closer to one another throughout the entire series up to this point, so it makes perfect sense that Dazai shows that he cares by sharing a piece of his past with Atsushi.

Toasting directly to the stray dogs implies a celebration of sorts for these dogs, who are stray but ultimately not alone. The toast is indicative of a hope for a better future whilst also acknowledging how one can feel lost in life (and how that’s okay). 

Atsushi’s promise with Akutagawa also serves as an attempt to teach Akutagawa the beauty of humanity, since Atsushi believes that Akutagawa doesn’t see the value of life (which is preventing him from getting Dazai’s approval). I would argue that it should be the other way around, but Atsushi has good intentions here.

After Atsushi discovers the death of the Headmaster of his orphanage, Dazai gives some comforting advice.

Moral ambiguity: Atsushi struggles with his conflicted feelings towards the Headmaster’s death, which is perfectly understandable. 

The Headmaster can’t be defined as completely good or completely bad, because he did impact Atsushi’s life in a way that led him to where he is today (once again, no definitive black or white answer as to whether that’s good or not).

Atsushi struggles with the thought that he has to pick whether to feel glad or upset, in order to fit within the neat labels of black and white, happy and sad. In response, Dazai (the definition of a morally ambiguous man) simply says: 

Although Dazai says “There’s no one who can fully grasp the deepest feelings of another person,” in the anime, I think the meaning of that is better stated in the manga. Dazai reasons that he can be both glad or upset, his feelings can be mixed, and there is no clear cut answer for how to feel (as Dazai only gives a general piece of advice). 

Cyclical nature: Dazai’s statement, “when someone’s father dies, they tend to cry”, could honestly be interpreted in a multitude of ways. 

Dazai’s reference to a father figure suggests that this “father” is simply a person who impacted their life greatly and made them who they are today. (since both of their fathers are unknown).

Following this definition, Oda is the father figure to Dazai in the same way that the Headmaster was to Atsushi. Although their methods of “helping” Dazai and Atsushi differ very drastically, the same cycle of this “father” figure impacting the life of their metaphorical son repeats.

Oda giving advice to Dazai, and Dazai giving advice to Atsushi is also another cycle — the cycle of reaching a hand out to someone in need. (which is the more sensical of these two conclusions)

Beauty of humanity: Dazai’s ability to be compassionate truly shines in this scene and shows just how much he’s grown from his time in the PM.

In contrary to PM Dazai’s unfeeling self, Dazai is able to empathize with Atsushi on a personal basis; just as the Headmaster was a integral part of Atsushi’s past, Oda was the same for Dazai. 

Dazai’s growing ability to understand others demonstrates his willingness to grow more accustomed to human nature, and love it for what it is. 

Atsushi’s confusion in dictating what he should feel also speaks on the nature of humanity; his feelings don’t have to make sense for him to feel them. In fact, the more illogical his emotions are, the more human he is.

[majinfyod0r]

a small critical analysis on my some of my favourite bungo stray dogs characters:

~dazai osamu: we virtually know nothing about his origins before the mafia, nor his parents or his childhood. all we know is that he is incredibly smart, on a genius level. and hence the suicidal tendencies, which are a manifestation of a longing for something that will put him at ease with the world. despite the jokes and the comedic relief he gives, dazai is undoubtedly one of the saddest characters in bsd, as shown that he possesses an immense amount of self loathing, and that kindness is his ultimate weakness. dazai, a character of what it means to be human.

~ francis fitzgerald: the epitome of the american dream. wealth rules all, wealth controls all. yet, after the fall of the guild, he was penniless and destitute, but after he found his will to be strong thanks to louisa, he manoeuvred and created situations that would result in him acquiring vast amounts of wealth, the eyes of god, and his purpose once again. this shows that fitzgerald’s strongest qualities are his tenacity, his determination and the desire to succeed. Al of these three aforementioned qualities are staples in what is referred to as the “American Dream”. Moreover, another his love for his family was one of his other defining characteristics. Ironically, this also resulted in his downfall, since his obsessive hunt for the book inevitably resulted in his defeat at the hands of atsushi and akutagawa.

atsushi nakajima: the embodiment of a desolate childhood. atsushi’s inherent kindness is visible in how he broke the cycle of the generational treatment. from being raised by a man who suffered the same abuse he later dealt down to atsushi, to the general desire of people wanting to manipulate and use him for their own needs, he has remained steadfast in his kindness and his desire to help people. atsushi embodies the heart of the agency, the invaluable attitude of how one should look at life, with hope, with joy, with gratitude.

[parkchuuya]

Foreword: The interpretation better known as unpopular opinion by the blogger seeks to give the reader another point of view but mainly to share the blogger's thoughts. It does not necessarily mean to disregard other opinions from the experts. The blogger is just a casual fan who in many reasons can't put down a pen. It may or may not resonate with your own interpretation. If it doesn't, I apologize. Just scroll down. But if it does, welcome to the club.

Date Written: June 3, 2020

Atsushi and Akutagawa has always been ride or die for Dazai.

Dazai's kids are more rampaging than Odasaku's orphans. They just don't go well together. In fact, they would be willing to kill each other when lazily pushed. But these two no matter how much hatred they have, they could create a blast when they work together, so yes Dazai being a fan of "teamwork makes the dream work". But it was not that these two were made for each other to be a younger version of Double Black. In fact, their representation to their senior is much more than just a Shin Soukouku. They both reminded Dazai of his past and present and possibly future.

Back in his Port Mafia days, it's always been fight or die so Akutagawa had to be strong or stronger in order to live because that's Port Mafia. Imagine having the power to control the underground, you have to be strict and merciless and more authorative. Akutagawa's health is crucial that's why Dazai had to break his bones before anyone could kill him for good. This rather cruel treatment Akutagawa received from his mentor crafted a somewhat goal to him as his motive to fulfill the standards Dazai had set. It became his ultimate goal that later gone wrong and bloomed a feeling of anger and hatred. This became more intense when Dazai had gone MIA, abandoned his mission, and left Port Mafia. It's as if Akutagawa had lost all strands of hopes he was willing to build to get that approval and of course who wouldn't get hurt like that. He's ghosted.

But did he really not care about his eldest son?

I think Dazai purposely left that kind of impression to Akutagawa so he would hate him and continue to get stronger and one day prove to him how he gotten strong; and that he would match his soon-to-be partner in crime, Atsushi my baby. That's why whilst fighting his own demons, Dazai managed to escape before anyone could notice that he's sinking... and he wanted Akutagawa to apply all he has taught him since day 1 and one day, be able to finally realize what it meant to be "strong".

On the other hand, Dazai had to tame the beast and recruit him to become a member of Armed Detective Agency. While Akutagawa is in the dark side, Atsushi with his naive, innocent and pure posture needs to be on the lighter side since opposite attracts. Dazai knows Akutagawa will do everything to surpass his goals so he thought he should be fine in the Port Mafia- secretly hiding his intention of preparing the two as mini double black version for the bloody battle against Fyodor the rat Dostoyevsky. As a detective, Dazai's treatment to Atsushi is soft compared to Akutagawa who sufferred in a lot of killings. By murdering people, Akutagawa had somehow found a reason to live not for himself but also for his sister, Gin. Unlike Akutagawa, Atsushi was more vulnerable, more tender that if he's been told to kill himself, he would arguably, eventually rather do over a period of unfortunate time. So Dazai had to carefully mold him and build barriers to Atsushi's fragile vessel sans giving him the idea of being "privileged".

That does mean different treatment means biased?

I don't think that's the case.

Dazai Osamu and The Dark Era, Chapter 3

In the Dark Era, when Odasaku asked Dazai about his subordinate Akutagawa I was convinced that Dazai already  "approved" Akutagawa's strength because if not, then there's no need for him to passively invite him in Port  Mafia. There's no need to waste time of hard training without special treatment. And the question still lingered at the tip of my tongue waiting to recall of what we known as an excuse or "reason". I think Dazai saw Akutagawa in him. No emotion at all. Just a powerful stray dog running around the alley slums, doing everything to survive. He's filled with anger and revenge and that's what keeps driving him to hold on. Even if it's cruel, even if it's painful. Back to history, Dazai Osamu appreciated Ryunosuke Akutagawa and he looked up to him so bad that it affected him when the latter committed suicide. This drove the aspiring author to follow the footsteps of his idol. In BSD, their roles are reversed. It was Akutagawa who was longing for Dazai's appreciation and Akutagawa seems not a fan of his mentor's suicidal habits.

The rather odd truth I found by their relationship was simply assuming. The retrospect taught me to look again in another point of view. Akutagawa is Dazai's past self, emotions, feelings, even boredom. He reminds him of what was the smell of bloodlust and violence again before he realized it was too late. It seems he "hates" Akutagawa because he still could not forgive himself for what happened though no one was saying it's easy. But after the exasperating fight with The Guild, he pulled off his mentor status and finally after a long period of time, he delivered the words by himself in person, "You've gotten strong", a few words enough for Akutagawa to realized Atsushi was right all along and his view of the world was twisted and wrong. Dazai knows it was the only resolution to pave a way for Akutagawa's character development and it needs to be him as his superior.

I think the miscommunication between these two were  notably shown. It was like:

For Dazai: Action speaks louder than words; but

For Akutagawa: The pen is mightier than the sword.

Akutagawa's jealousy or should I say, envy as we follow the chapters and the episode was enormous that it blinded him from the very path he wanted to take. The paces became blurry and muddy it was like he stepped directly on a quicksand and he forgot what he should do at times of chaos that killing is not always the right solution. This is why Dazai could not reach him in the first season's ending song. He does not know when enough is enough and because they were both a shadow of darkness in the past, there was only one boat eligible for one person and Dazai chose to save no one nor himself. This could also explain at least for me, when Dazai touched Atsushi's head, Akutagawa cried in blood. The blood represents his anger saturated with confusion and betrayal. Why did it have to be Atsushi and not him. But this could also explain that the both of them were submerging and they needed someone whose heart is strong no ability could ever tear, someone whose soul is pure and innocent. Someone who understands both good and evil but proceeded with kindness. He did not choose between them. He simply sought salvation and by faith, he met Atsushi.

Changing the focus to Atsushi, who's been tortured in his childhood, tormented, and broken, he was way unfortunate than the both of them. For the sake of his mental health, Dazai had to guide him into the light even though it means staying with him in the present. He even let himself captured by the Port Mafia to obtain information regarding the 7 billion bounty put on Atsushi's head. If someone asks me, I think he's already melting the brick facade he built for himself and Atsushi was the only one who notices that he's trying to get better. Atsushi is the living proof of Odasaku's last words, to be on the side that saves the poor because his life will at least get better, that is... if you're trying to live. Why did he obey Odasaku aside from the fact that he was his only true friend? Wasn't it because he felt guilty or he's just sentimental? No. It's because... he actually wanted to taste how living actually is. And he did. Now, things are going to change. For him, for Akutagawa and also for Atsushi.

And for Dazai, he caught himself tangled by Atsushi's healing abilities. He reminds Dazai of the beauty of the world without violence. Atsushi's view might find argumentative but at least it's philisophical. Atsushi always find the right words whenever Dazai talks to him. A simple nod, and "yes" brought a slight suprise to him. It's Atsushi's nature that even knowing the good and evil, Atsushi wish to perceive good and kindness. And to this extent, the rotten past Dazai was trying to conceal felt a permission to be forgiven. It took only one touch in the forehead for him to approve of Atsushi and as he tried to get along with him, he is also learning and developing. Atsushi might open doors for Dazai and also for Akutagawa to completely move forward.

After the war shin sokoukou had gone through, Dazai showed us that these two when guide together, is like a perfect harmony that without realizing, compliment each others' strength and value thus also discrediting his contribution, for us to realize that one does not need any appreciation or recognition to realize your own worth.

You are worthy and it's something you should NEVER ask validation from nor apologize for.

That's all for today, I'm beat, notice me Chuuya senpai ;-;

Follow me on my anime amino account where I post all my bsd stuffs ;-;

http://aminoapps.com/p/y0iwdr

[corruptedsorrows]

what do you think of chuuyaxdazai? chuuyaxatsushi? chuuyaxakutagawa? chuuyaxyasano? chuuyaxranpo? chuuyaxkunikida? chuuyaxtachihara? chuuyaxango? chuuyaxtsujimura? chuuyaxodasaku?

   Heck that’s a lot of ships anon. I guess the easiest way would be to put them in a sort of number ranking and explain my reasoning, yes? Let’s go with that. 

   So the range is 0 - 10, 10 is OTP/intensely shipped and loved, 0 is absolute NOTP, don’t bring it near me with a 20 foot pole. Sound good? Alright let’s go! 

(read more because this is a titan of a post)

ChuuyaxDazai

Hnnngh… my grandmaster of BSD ships. I don’t think it should come as much surprise to anyone here that this is my OTP, ranking an easy 10/10 ship. There is so much complexity and depth to these two I could rant for hours, but I’ll hold my tongue. I will say at the very least, with this being my OTP I am honestly quite choosy about who I open my heart to with it.

I want to explore all facets of this ship, not just jump straight into romance and smut (although yes, I do like it). More than anything I want to explore the drama between them. I want to have fun shenanigans of teasing and their childish banter. I want Chuuya to understand the shit that goes through Dazai’s head and pull him back from the cliff he’s drawn to–if only for a moment. Chuuya knows how much his head tortures him now, he understands that after having spent so long together. He knows he absolutely isn’t the cure Dazai needs, but he can’t help longing for it. The double edged sword of always being the one passed over for Dazai certainly doesn’t make admitting what he feels towards the man any easier to understand. Why should he want to be involved with the person he’s always being compared to? 

This sort of depth is what I’m looking for in anyone that wants to RP this ship with me. I want to dive into the core of SKK and swim in those troubled waters. I want them to fight and scream at each other, to reach their limits and break down as the finally have their masks shattered. These two know each other to such a depth–even with all of their bad blood that they can still understand each other’s thoughts and actions without speaking on it. They can still trust each other with their lives and know that even though everyone else they thought they could trust–that may have even shown kindness towards them, has let them fall. No matter how badly these two fall out with each other, they’ll never let the other fall past the point of being saved. At the end of the day they’ll be the one outstretching their hands to catch each other.

ChuuyaxAtsushi

I WANT TO RP WITH AN ATSUSHI SO FRICKING BADLY. As the brutality of SSKK I want Chuuya to mentor Atsushi and work with him on accepting his ability. Chuuya’s gone through so much of the same strife and struggle I think these two could understand each other very well. Granted, they’d probably clash on the surface given how little patience Chuuya has for those too afraid to fight (it’s the Port Mafia way), but knowing Atsushi’s fears about hurting others with his ability and being afraid of it he understands very well. He knows what it’s like to feel like a monster, to be transformed into something when everyone else’s ability is merely an extension of themselves. It’s different when you become something instead of wield it. 

I want these two to have these talks so badly, and I sincerely hope Kafka will give us this content because I think Atsushi could stand to grow so much under Chuuya’s guidance. Again, like Akutagawa I view these more on a familial/mentor relationship, but I think unlike Akutagawa, Chuuya would be able to dote on Atsushi more and be allowed to express himself in more heartfelt ways–like hugs and gentle hair brushes… things like that. I’d put these two at 6/10. 

ChuuyaxAkutagawa

Oh Akutagawa… while I don’t really ship these two, I like to think of Chuuya as something like the replacement for Akutagawa. I don’t think Chuuya did a very good job considering how much Akutagawa still pines for Dazai’s attention, but Chuuya understands that pinning at least. He knows how painful it was for Akutagawa when Dazai left suddenly, and seeing how Dazai’s effectively replaced them all with ADA equivalents must hurt like hell to him. I love having Chuuya as a source of comfort for Akutagawa, but I don’t romantically ship them together. This would be more of a familial/mentor relationship and I prefer it that way between them. 4/10.

ChuuyaxYosano

I WANT THESE TWO TO GET PLASTERED IN A BAR TOGETHER! Chuuya and Yosano would be THE BEST drinking buddies and no one can tell me otherwise! I think these two have decent potential as romantic partners–but there’s a huge problem between them–and that would be Mori. Yosano can’t stand the idea of him and Chuuya has dedicated his life to servitude under him. There would be so many arguments and fights over this that it would be a serious point of contention between them. 

I would love to see though… if one day they got on well enough for Yosano to truly see the damage Corruption has done to Chuuya. It’s something she wouldn’t be able to heal from how long its existed in his system. She could of course heal him if he were in a state of Corruption that lasted long enough to put his life in jeopardy, but otherwise Chuuya would be one of the few cases where she simply wouldn’t be able to heal someone and could only watch them waste away with each use like a fatal disease. What sort of affect would that have on her I wonder? 6/10.

ChuuyaxRanpo

Ok this is admittedly a guilty ship for me. I honestly didn’t realize how much I would ship this until I actually started RPing here and got to interact with an amazing Ranpo. I think it’s enjoyable because in many ways Ranpo is like Dazai as far as intellect is concerned. While Chuuya doesn’t have background with Ranpo, the man is able to easily cut through Chuuya’s bullshit and pride in order to get to the heart of what Chuuya is really feeling. And he teases Chuuya about just as badly and as a MUN I’m horribly weak to my muses being teased. I would put these two at about 8/10? 

As much as Ranpo is able to give Chuuya by means of healing and growth, I’m not sure how much Chuuya would be able to give Ranpo in return. He’s certainly not the best intellectual companion, but maybe that’s what Ranpo finds amusing. He can indulge in simpler things and not have to overthink all the time.

ChuuyaxKunikida

I don’t think Chuuya would ever meet any of Kunikida’s ideals so 0/10. No, I’m kidding! I think these two would fit really nicely together as work friends–even though they’re on opposite sides. They have one extreme headache in common and it would be nice for them to just chat out their frustrations over drinks at a bar. Kunikida may just have to step down from his high horse a bit to be able to stoop to casual conversation with the enemy. I’d give them a 2/10. I’m not much for a romantic ship for them, but friendos? YES PLEASE!!!

ChuuyaxTachihara

At first I was like, ah… they’re good bros. Just what Chuuya needs, a best friend that he can confide in. And then Tachihara was revealed as a spy and member of the Hunting Dogs, betraying Port Mafia and I just tiorewihtwfoilahflidu. CHUUYA APPARENTLY ISN’T ALLOWED TO HAVE ANY FRIENDS OR FAMILY JFC. When’s Kouyou handing in her notice at this rate?! However, Tachihara’s leaving of Port Mafia, and his compounded feelings towards them definitely added a nice level of spice for me with this ship, giving it room to have less bromantic feelings and more romantic. 

I enjoy them as an angst ship and I so yearn for that confrontation between them. I enjoy ships that have a lot of work to be done and aren’t smooth sailing–but there’s potential. There has to be some foundation there that holds them together, and in this case it’s that former friendship. So for these too I’d now say that they’re at 6/10.

ChuuyaxAngo

This is quite honestly a ship I struggle to understand as far as how it would work. I see how they could get on with being mutually misunderstood by both their organizations and suffering as a result of their abilities but Chuuya has so much animosity towards Ango for all that he has done and what he represents by working for the Special Abilities Division. Hell, Ango has even referred to Chuuya by his number, making him feel even less human when he already struggles with that concept so much in his life. I truly don’t see these two working together and think they would be far better off with others. 2/10.

ChuuyaxTsujimura

In perfectly good honesty I have not read the spin off novel for the Special Ability Division. However, Chuuya would likely feel very similar to her in the way he does Ango. Chuuya HATES the government with a burning passion for what they put him through. While Tsujimura does seem to have a considerably bigger heart, Chuuya would likely not be able to stand her due to her affiliation not only with the Division, but working directly with Ango as well. Strangely enough though, I do think her concern for Chuuya’s well being would warm his heart quite a bit. It’s rare for anyone to show compassion towards the danger he throws himself into so… on that merit alone it gives her quite an advantage: 6/10

ChuuyaxOdasaku

Again, Chuuya once more doesn’t get on with someone in this listing. It’s an unfortunate pattern. He blames Oda for convincing Dazai to betray the organization and leave, so Oda is in his own way a traitor in Chuuya’s eyes. However, he can also see how Oda’s influence has changed Dazai for the better, and he’s grateful for that. Chuuya’s feelings towards him went from jealous friend, to enemy, to a father figure he wished he could’ve had. Dazai was very lucky to have had someone to teach him in his life for so long. So if anything, it would be more of a paternal/familial ship with Oda and it would certainly be complicated. I’d place this at about… 3/10?

[somniatcr]

      character study series--- d.azai o.samu

where do i even begin--- dazai is possibly... probably... the most complex character within my little roster. and, like izaya  ( who i’ve already done a post like this for, which can be found here )  and the rest of my muses i suppose, my dazai is very headcanon based  ( though i do take a lot of reference from the series itself, i tend to portray him as i see fit and most enjoy doing so without sacrificing the things that i believe to be pivotal to his character );  to be entirely honest, when it comes to the manga, for bungou stray dogs and for nearly every series to ever exist, i’m not, nor do i imagine that i will ever be, entirely caught up.

all that said, let us delve into dazai; into the way that he thinks, the way that he functions, the way that he acts, and generally who is he as a person  ( as well as how i, personally, view and portray his character ).

let me first kick things off with a significant change that i’ve made in regard to his character, in how he’ll be portrayed here on this blog. dazai canonically has a deeply troubled mind. though his frequent, and oftentimes wistful, talk of death and his suicidal behaviors are rarely, if ever, taken seriously within the series itself  ( rather being treated as a source of comedic relief, which does somewhat bother me, but it is what it is ),  likely due to this penchant that he has for jesting and for over-dramatics, the reality that his mind is very dark and very deeply troubled remains. he feels as though there is this deep, dark hole  ( an emptiness, a void )  within him that he’s incapable of filling, regardless of however hard that he tries. a large majority of his life was spent dedicated to this, to trying to fill it, to trying to find some sort of reason to live  ( which is why he had initially aligned himself with the port mafia to begin with; he believed that he could, perhaps, find what he’d been searching for, what he’d been longing for, if he lived this life of conflict, of bloodshed and war ),  though, obviously, this was to no avail. and while, yes, he will at times use self-depreciating humor, and while, yes, at times his humor may be dark, a bit morbid, his depression and his suicidal thoughts, tendencies, are not rooted in comedy, they are not a source of comedic relief and i, personally, don’t write him, portray him, in that particular light.

that said, does he ultimately want to die? in his youth, yes, absolutely. he hadn’t yet met anyone that he cared for  ( he had no attachments, had never felt nor experienced any genuine form of love ).  he too no joy from life, spent all this time searching, aching, for purpose, yet couldn’t find it.

and then he met people who meant something. he met chuuya who, though he was adamant that he couldn’t stand him, was interesting. he met odasaku, who managed to break through his barriers unlike anyone before  ( or after )  him, who wormed his way into dazai’s heart and gave him this friendship that he never knew that he’d wanted, nor needed, who provided him with a much needed positive role model and with this beacon of hope. this--- this was pivotal in setting about a turning point, in finally setting him on a different path, in giving him the purpose that he’d been searching for all those years. although an irrefutable tragedy, oda’s death ultimately brought about new life in that it  ( and in oda’s dying words )  gave dazai a will to live.

all the same, he does still suffer from depression, he’s an insomniac, and he does still struggle with suicidal ideation  ( in that he still thinks about death, about dying and all of the ways that he could go about doing it, fairly often ). 

moving on,

this is a man with a very dark and violent past, an important thing to keep in mind. while little is known about his past bar from the knowledge that he was affiliated with the port mafia, that he’s been rooted within this world since he was around fourteen years old, back when he met mori ougai  ( as well as the fact that he managed to wind up being the youngest executive in port mafia history ),  it can be surmised that his time spent working beneath mori likely, at least in part, has resulted in his penchant for apathy, his tendency to emotionally detach himself from others, from death, and from traumatic experiences as a whole  ( he’s actually been shown attempting to fill that hole in his heart, in fact, to find joy, to feel something in causing harm to and in killing others, though he never quite does manage to get what he wants ).  his experience as a killer and as highly skilled interrogator  ( it’s worth noting that he, in fact, specialized in torturing others for information; he’s even once gone so far as to state that there wasn’t a single prisoner who ultimately didn’t wind up spilling everything when he was the one tasked with retrieving it--- and while still being a child ),  has been alluded to on more than one occasion and, even to this day, he still manages to command respect and to inspire fear throughout the port mafia, albeit no longer being a member himself.

he is unconcerned with the idea good and evil. while he currently affiliates himself with the armed detective agency, now working to protect  ( and to save )  the city and the lives of its inhabitants, his motivation to do so was primarily spurred by the words of a friend prior to his passing;  ’ be on the side that saves people. if both sides are the same, be a good man; save the weak and protect the orphans. neither good nor evil means much to you, i know… but that’d make you at least a little bit better. i know better than anyone because… i am your friend. ’

it’s these words, oda sakunosuke, that finally sets him on a different path, that leads him to meeting the members of the armed detective agency, that leads him to meeting nakajima atsushi, an orphan who’s life he, ultimately, does wind up making a difference in, providing him with much needed guidance  ( though to say that all of his methods, and all of his motives, in doing so are genuinely good, genuinely selfless, and always would be a little hard-pressed--- also, it’s worth keeping in mind that this is the second orphan to have been taken beneath his wing; the first being akutagawa ryunosuke who’s experiences with dazai were significantly different, the training that he endured beneath him being absolutely hellish, horrific, and cruel ).

ultimately, with him, the ends justify the means and, so, the actions, whether good or evil, mean little to him. he’s willing to use any means, any method, to achieve his goals; this includes playing dirty, causing harm to others, killing / death when deemed necessary, and so on and so forth. such as, for example, purposefully deflating the airbag in someone’s car prior to a car ‘accident’, in turn causing extensive injuries that he’s only willing to have healed by a fellow ability user in exchange for having a young girl pardoned of her past crimes. the end goal was ultimately good, sure, but the means of getting there were anything but.

he’s also an exceptional liar. while his ability to intricately weave together falsehoods, from the most small and insignificant of lies to the most complex of tales, comes naturally, his time spent working for the port mafia only honed his abilities further. and while is doesn’t lie constantly, perhaps not even frequently  ( instead opting to simply abstain from providing an answer altogether ),  he is, in himself, a walking fabrication, putting on a perennial facade all his own; fake. his true thoughts and emotions are rarely so much as even alluded to, frequently hidden behind a mask of his creation, perfectly crafted and nearly impossible to crack. furthermore, his true intentions, frequently, are left unrevealed until he, himself, chooses to reveal them. in truth, there isn’t a person alive who truly knows or who genuinely understands him. there are a select few  ( such as mori ougai, nakahara chuuya )  who come, in their own way, close through all of their time spent working with him  ( a former mentor, a former partner ),  though none are able to comprehend his actions, his mind, in their entirely, not quite the way that oda was once able to.

it doesn’t help that he is also a man of mystery and deflection. while he may talk and act as though he’s an open book  ( and believe me, he does just this and often ),  he rarely, if ever, speaks of himself, in regard to his past and present alike. thoughts are locked away, left solely for him to ruminate upon, and emotions are kept hidden, locked deep, deep within, if not attempted to be brushed away in their entirety. furthermore, he has a habit of leaving his comrades, his friends if you can quite call them that, in the dark when it comes to long-game plans and strategies that he has devised and it’s virtually impossible to get a straight or genuine answer from him upon asking a question, so most times it isn’t even worth the effort that it takes to form the words  ( not that this has ever stopped anyone from trying, much to their ultimate chagrin ).

and, finally, a basic character and personality breakdown,

name.  DAZAI OSAMU, 太宰治 age / d.o.b.  22 / JUNE 19 species.  HUMAN / GIFTED ethnicity.  JAPANESE gender.  CIS-MALE, HE / HIM occupation.  DETECTIVE / PORT MAFIA EXECUTIVE  ( FORMER ) affiliation.  ARMED DETECTIVE AGENCY / PORT MAFIA  ( FORMER ) height.  181 CM / 5'11" weight.  67 KG / 147-148 LBS build.  SLIM, LONG-LIMBED hair color.  DEEP BROWN, ESPRESSO; MILD, NATURAL WAVES eye color.  RED-BROWN, CHESTNUT blood type.  AB r / o, s / o.  DEMIROMANTIC PANSEXUAL noticeable features.  WEARS BANDAGES THAT COVER THE LARGE MAJORITY OF HIS BODY  ( * explanation to be provided below );  ONLY HIS FACE, HANDS, AND FEET REMAIN UNCOVERED

ability.  NO LONGER HUMAN      **  his ability allows him to effectively nullify the abilities of others entirely upon contact, whether with the user themselves or a physical manifestation of their ability. he’s often referred to as an anti-ability user or anti-gifted. zodiac.  GEMINI religious belief(s).  ATHEIST mbti.  INTJ alignment.  CHAOTIC NEUTRAL temperament.  CHOLERIC mental health.  DEPRESSION, SUICIDAL IDEATION pos traits.  QUICK THINKER, SHARP, IMAGINATIVE, CLEVER, STRATEGIC, DECISIVE, SELF-CONFIDENT, INDEPENDENT, DETERMINED, OBSERVANT, PERCEPTIVE, CALM, COLLECTED, LOGICAL, OPEN-MINDED, QUICK LEARNER, ADAPTABLE, WELL-READ, A JACK OF ALL TRADES neg traits.  SECRETIVE, DETACHED, JUDGEMENTAL, ARROGANT, OVERLY DRAMATIC, UNPREDICTABLE, CONFUSING / DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND, CAN BE OVERLY ANALYTICAL, HAS DIFFICULTY WITH  ( AND LOATHES )  HIGHLY STRUCTURED ENVIRONMENTS, PRONE TO APATHY, PLAYS DIRTY, CAN BE CRUEL, FREQUENTLY INGENUINE neu traits.  WITTY, TEASING / JESTING, BLUNT, SOMEWHAT OF A FLIRT, PRONE TO SHIRKING CERTAIN RESPONSIBILITIES, HAS A HABIT OF EMBARRASSING OTHERS  ( VERY INTENTIONALLY )

he covers himself in bandages for two very specific reasons. the first being that his body is absolutely riddled with scars; while some were obtained during his port mafia days, equally as many were self-inflicted. the second, they serve as a sort of security blanket, providing him with an unconventional source of comfort.

he’s very well read. he enjoys novels of a wide variety, though he’s usually only seen reading books about suicide or death. he isn’t partial to poetry, however.

he isn’t a big eater whatsoever. he’s generally a one meal per day sort of person and doesn’t snack particularly often furthermore.

he listens to music fairly often during his free time  ( when he isn’t reading ).  while he doesn’t have much of a preference as far as genres are concerned, he does gravitate primarily toward music that he finds calming, more mellow, or relatable.

he’s highly skilled in the art of lock-picking. he could chalk it up to his time spent with the port mafia, but in truth it’s a talent he’s had since he was a kid.

he doesn’t have a drivers license. he’s never been especially concerned with getting himself one and doesn’t really find that he feels the need for one even now.

he dislikes fizzy and / or bubbly beverages. for the most part, he’s a tea or a coffee drinker, although he’s fine with water, too. also, whiskey. he loves a good whiskey.

he enjoys good company  ( although he finds that it’s rare to come by ),  good and meaningful conversation, summer storms, late night rain showers, autumn leaves, seafood, and fresh, clean scents.

he dislikes overly sweet foods, the sound of babies crying  ( and loud noises in general ),  dogs, hot weather, and boring, tedious, and / or repetitive work  ( such as paperwork, for example ).

he frequently smells of soap, laundry detergent, and cotton intermingled with a natural scent all his own; fresh, warm, and clean with a hint of musk.

[moonlightjinko-kun]

DEAD APPLE \^o^/

I’m gonna write this down because these are the small details that I want to remember from the movie because who knows when the DVD version of this would come out and when (whether) I get my hands on one. This is one long post with alot of my internal screams and spaz about the movie itself. Some details are weaved in so spoilers might be up ahead!

THE STORY

Considering that it’s a movie, it’s relatively detailed and the story pretty much flows, though there were some parts that I wished it could be explained more in detail (in particular the part about the dragon and the ability). I love the backstory that was included and the flashback shown gave more insight into the event going on in the current timeline.

KYOUKA KYOUKA KYOUKA

She was the best! I LOVE HOW BADASS SHE WAS AND HOW SHE HAS CHANGED SO MUCH SINCE JOINING THE AGENCY. (I am so proud of her!!!!) She was so level-headed and focused on the mission and she saying that the way the Agency kills is different from how the Port Mafia does it, really got me. Demon Snow and the part on her mother that really killed me TT I wished she hadn’t gone through that 😭 and the last fight when she called for Demon Snow, that was really the best! And tbh this movie made me love her even more!

And honestly her driving skills are top-notch, just saying.

ATSUSHI

I feel like the more his past gets revealed the faster my heart gets crushed because his past is filled with so much pain. I still can’t believe that Atsushi was tortured to such extents... electrifying a person that’s just horrible and twisted. There were so many cute moments of Atsushi in this movie (like him bumping his head in the cupboard, his face when Kyouka was driving, him being timid as usual, him complaining about not wanting to follow Akutagawa etc) My favourite was when Atsushi called for the White Tiger, my feels omg I love that scene alot.

Atsushi was so awesome in this I literally screamed and spaz about him omgg I LOVE HIM SO MUCH

SHIPS

ODAZAI KILLED ME I’M SORRY BUT THIS WAS REALLY HEARTBREAKING. I DIED WHEN I SAW ODASAKU BECAUSE THE OPENING WHERE HE PICKED UP THE CHILD (that was Sakura right?? i was too busy crying over Odasaku to really notice) IT WAS SO CUTE AND PURE AND REALLY OMG 😭😭😭THE ODAZAI SCENE IN LUPIN WAS REALLY FUNNY AND CUTE (Odasaku mixing up Snow White and Cinderella 😂😂😂 you would have expected him to know these since he’s taking care of children) But what really got me was the grave TT Dazai looked so crushed when speaking and thinking about Odasaku TT and later on in the bar where he sat there alone drinking and there was a second cup there.

I lowkey ship Atsushi and Kyouka together and they care so much about each other in the movie, it just made me go awwww. Kyouka grabbing him to run away when there was trouble!! (LMAO ATSUSHI YOUR ABILITY TO DETECT DANGER NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED) The way Atsushi helped her in defeating Demon Snow showed how well they worked together and Kyouka mentioning how she wanted the person to stay in the light. After the fight, all those blushes, and her relief, that was just awwwww 💕 THE LAST SCENE WHEN THE BOTH OF THEM LEFT FOR ANOTHER MISSION IT WAS SO CUTE IAKCJVJVKKBKV

Oh and when Atsushi woke up screaming from his nightmare and Kyouka asked him if he was okay and about the nightmare that was so awww

Soukoku was awesome and funny (as expected) HAHAHA I’M SORRY BUT CHUUYA YOUR POSITION WITH DAZAI - THIS IS GOING DOWN IN THE BOOKS AND I’M BURNING THAT WHOLE THING IN MY DAMN MEMORY. I’LL BE DAMNED IF I EVER FORGOT THAT. /cough/ that thing they were surrounded in made it look so exclusive for them I can’t stop laughing.

Shin Soukoku heh heh omgg I can’t believe that Akutagawa would bump into Atsushi and Kyouka this coincidentally /coughs/ but these two boys despite all their animosity they work really well together. The final battle with Shibusawa HOHO They were both working together so well together I love it so much! Oh and that talk in that elevator whew Akutagawa can never give Atsushi a break huh

OTHERS

The Fukuzawa and Mori scene was really awesome! The way they swapped positions and defeated each other’s ability was 👍🏻 I hope we get to see more of them together 

Tsujimura and Ango pulling so many all-nighters at the end and Tsujimura dozing off at Ango’s whole explanation was funny. Please get some rest the both of you.

The other members of the Agencies fighting their Ability form was really cool to watch but seeing Tanizaki getting strangled was no fun.

Akutagawa fighting his own ability was really smart.

Atsushi figuring out the crystal on the tiger was the key to defeating their ability but missing his aim until he emptied the cartridge. (Atsushi needs to work on his aim 🤣🤣)

Atsushi looking so cute as a half tiger at the final battle.

RANPO STASHING ALL HIS SNACKS IN A SAFE DEPOSIT BOX AND SAYING IT’S A SECRET WAS SO CUTE. ALSO HIM CASUALLY APPEARING AT THE END SNACKING ON THAT STASH OF SNACKS WAS SO CUTE.

Shibu with all his collection /coughs/ his collection is so extensive lmao

Chuuya and Professor Spectacles (Ango) LMAO

CHUUYA FIGHTING THE DRAGON WAS DAMN AWESOME. HE LOOKS SO GOOD FIGHTING IN HIS CORRUPTED FORM.

CHUUYA SCREAMING “DAZAI” YAAAAA OMG

Oh and yes the soundtrack was really good and it fits the movie so well 💕 I love Bokura alot, its such a pretty song and the lyrics really fit the whole movie. The sound effects too actually! The chanting (?) helped in setting the mood.

Not going into much details since there’s already a manga plus alot of other people who have already posted alot of the details. But I needed to scream about some of my favourite parts of the movie xD AND THERE ARE THOSE SMALL SMALL DETAILS IN THE MOVIE THAT I WANT TO REMEMBER. (Just in case they aren’t in the manga) thanks for reading to the end! 

[lowestechelonabomination]

And BSD also probably has the best, complex portrayal of anger issues I've seen in media so far

To elaborate:

-Akutagawa: initially he's shown as the typical murderous type who almost seems to have a superiority complex (he does not). He's ruthless in his attacks and is shown to be very angry about being abandoned by Dazai, so much so that he takes it out on Atsushi. The first impression given of him is kinda one of the "jealous sibling" stereotype taken to the murderous extreme. But that's not what's really going on. As he develops, it becomes clear that his anger is a natural reaction to being so extremely traumatized. He grew up in a horrible environment and was then taken into the PM at a very young age (14 I think). He was already holding justifiable hatred for the world for making him go through all he did, and then he met Dazai (another traumatized teen with a horrible sense of morals because his own past made him that way, and his treatment of Akutagawa came from possible projection as well as genuinely thinking that he was doing it "for his [Akutagawa's] own good", but that's a whole other issue BSD deals with), who ended up, frankly, abusing Akutagawa into idolizing him. It got to the point where Akutagawa's entire sense of self was based around what Dazai thought of him. His hatred for the world only grew because of how unjust it was to him. And so, when Dazai left, is it not justifiable that he'd be angry because he thinks, and truly ends up believing, that the person who basically became his entire world abandoned him? Akutagawa seems like he's genuinely been trying to improve in the 4 years after Dazai left, but he still has issues controlling the anger that's triggered when he's faced with his skewed worldview (ie Dazai himself, Atsushi (who Dazai basically pitted him against with the comments from when he was captured in the PM's basement), etc). He's not a character that's solely a furious villain type, he's a traumatized young adult with anger issues from growing up in such a horrible environment that he seems to have been trying to resolve bit by bit (the resolving bit is because he generally treats people with respect and genuinely cares about Gin and her wellbeing, and while that might not be much to go off of, it's also because I don't think much of Akutagawa's life outside of the PM has been shown) (I don't actually know if any of this makes sense, but it's hard to condense my thoughts on such a complex and troubled character into words)

-Chuuya: he was literally experimented on for years (from the SB spoilers I've seen, I think it might be that he's not even himself but rather is a clone? or something?), and had an actual god of destruction implanted into him. He then was forced to spend the next 8 years in the slums with other kids. The world has not treated him well, but he still managed to have a lot of, well, goodness in him. His anger stems from many places: injustice, protectiveness, and also the literal anger god that takes over him sometimes. He watched many of his friends die, and, supposedly, the close friends he had in the PM died because of him. Who wouldn't be angry? Who wouldn't be filled with righteous anger at seeing so much injustice in the world? Who wouldn't be angry when they struggle with even feeling human? Who wouldn't be angry when some kid that kept on pestering and mocking them went and suddenly showed an incredibly cruel side and dragged them into the darker world of the Port Mafia away from their friends? Chuuya has an incredibly soft heart, and he can't help but care about so, so many people in such a protective way. His anger seems like a mostly involuntary protective mechanism to shield himself from the crippling grief of, well, everything. His anger is basically what's keeping him going, and also a completely natural response to being aggravated. It's multifaceted, and not portrayed in a bad light (Still not sure if this make sense; I have a lot of Thoughts but no words)

-Kunikida: to me, it seems like he's coded as autistic, in some ways. He has a rigid routine and hates when that routine is disrupted, a very strong sense of justice, and has outbursts of anger at having his routine/beliefs disrupted. A neurodivergent response (typically one to overstimulation) that often gets villainized/swept under the rug is anger. And that kinda seems like what Kunikida has. When his routine is messed up (often by Dazai), he gets overwhelmed with a burst of anger that he can't help but express. When something defies his Ideals, he has a different outburst of anger. And, when something horribly violates his very, very strong sense of justice? The anger that bubbles up in him then is one of absolute righteousness and an actual, true need to make things right. Kunikida acts coldhearted, but his core is truly warm, and an effect of so much warmth is having flares of hot anger. He's a little similar to Chuuya in that way. In BSD, it doesn't seem like his anger is ever villainized; it's accepted and portrayed as a natural response of being moral in an amoral world

-Atsushi: I'm running out of words here, but he, like so, so many other characters, deals with justified anger at the world for making him grow up in such a horrible way. I don't think I have the brainpower to write a fourth analysis on the portrayal of anger as a natural part of being human, but,,,yeah

The world treats anger in a way that gets people villainized and demonized, but it shouldn't be that way. BSD shows so many of the forms and facets of anger in so many of the characters (often relying on negative stereotypes in introductions and then disproving them) in a way that's complex but mostly in a positive light, and that's just one of so many other complex portrayals in BSD that makes me appreciate it as much as I do

just realized– bungou stray dogs is a massive subversion of “scary mental illness” tropes. not just an aversion, it actively points out how those tropes are fake and detrimental to understanding people. and i think that a reading studying deviance in a positive light, especially given the reputation of the source material, is incredibly important

-dazai initially looks like a sociopathic killer, but it’s shown that he’s incredibly depressed and his singular weakness? kindness. give him a genuine smile and a thank you, and he’s fucking obliterated. treat him like a person, and he will change his life for you. it’s not that he doesn’t have empathy, it’s that he has too much and it’s killing him

-kunikida comes off as a cold authority figure who only cares about the rules, but he’s the beating heart of the agency. his ideals are him desperately striving to create a better world, and he feels every loss so acutely that he pushes himself further and further. he may not be good at reading people’s emotions, but he takes care of them because he loves them.

-atsushi suffers from hallucinations and a distorted sense of self, but this doesn’t make him violent or dangerous. if anything, he’s most dangerous to himself, and it’s shown that not being able to trust your own reality is incredibly scary, and he’s so brave for pushing through it. he hates living like this and spends the series actively trying to improve

-Q. Yumeno Kyuusaku. they’re introduced as a sadistic little plot device, and their ability makes people “go crazy and attack,” but when atsushi is affected by this, the only reason he lashes out is because he thinks he’s protecting people. he’s careful, and when he realizes what he’s done it sends him into a PTSD spiral. and Q themself gets a bit of depth when they say they never asked to be born this way, and you realize that a thirteen year old who likes cute clothes and smiling purses has been used as a living weapon, turning their own pain into someone else’s madness

manga spoilers beneath the cut:

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