#Edit because I didn't even talk about Atsushi: I LOVE HIM ALRIGHT. As soon as I saw the book I knew I had to make something out of these–

[kyouka-supremacy]

ATSUSHI NAKAJIMA | Bungo Stray Dogs Anime Novel

[mylittlesecrethaven]

Bsd Is Kinda A Genius Anime: Pt 1

Mainly for the characters and their abilities.

Which is what I'm gonna go over in this post.

(For my research, I'm just doing quick searches on the people the characters were based off of and and the books their abilities were based off of, as well as using the Fandom for info.)

This is probably gonna be in multiple parts, but it'll be fun. Let's start with the ADA and we'll go from there, yeah?

(Also, completely off topic, but while researching I came across the list of what everyone was thinking Atsushi's test should be to join the ADA, and I'm not even joking when Naomi's says "fucking." Here's the link if you don't believe me. Also, Yosano's is pretty bad, too.)

(I'm not putting pics cause that would make the post waaayyy too long)

Yukichi Fukuzawa

Ability: All Men Are Equal

I'm not gonna lie, I couldn't find anything about the real life counterpart besides the fact that they both almost exclusively wear traditional Japanese clothing. I couldn't even find a book or anything about All Men Are Created Equal by the real life counterpart. He just has a few autobiographies and some books about teaching. A little disappointing, but you can't win 'em all.

Akiko Yosano

Ability: Thou Shalt Not Die

Alright, a better start off here. Both Yosano and her real life counterpart (from this point on, I'm calling that RLC cause typing it out is annoying) both lean heavily into their "feminine charms," as some may call it. Also, the poem "Thou Shalt Not Die" was written for her RLC's brother who was fighting in the war, and it basically tells him not to give his life for a country so ready to throw away it's own people's lives. For how this ties into Yosano's character, I'd say it does this pretty loosely? Idk, honestly. She gets mad at the lemon bomber guy (who's name I can't remember) for saying that death is just an experiment, so that goes pretty well with it.

Atsushi Nakajima

Ability: Beast Beneath The Moonlight

I had to do a deeper dive about Atsushi's RLC because the Fandom didn't explain it well. I couldn't find many actual connections to the RLC, and I think the only actual sound connection is Atsushi's ability. So, basically, his ability is based off a collection of stories called "The Moon Over The Mountain," or "Beast Beneath The Moonlight," (That may be wrong and the books may be two different things, but I couldn't find anything about "Beast Beneath The Moonlight" that didn't lead to "The Moon Over The Mountain") which includes a short story called Tiger-Poet (Can you see why it's a tiger?)(Also, "The Moon Over The Mountain" includes the story "Rashomon" by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, isn't that fun?)). Tiger-Poet is about this man who passes a civil servant test easily, so he decides himself above others and begins writing, only to not have enough money, so he gets an extremely low civil servant job. However, he soon can't take it and he leaps out a window and disappears. He is later seen by an old classmate, but now he takes the form of a tiger. However, he can change from a human to a tiger while maintaining his speech. So.... Idk what to take from that. I don't see any of that in Atsushi, and I think he only gets the ability from the story's name. This one was hard to find stuff about, tbh. (Editing from later, but the being able to talk in the tiger form could be a lead-in to Atsushi being able to only partially transform as well.)

Doppo Kunikida

Ability: The Matchless Poet (Not Doppo Poet. Huh)

Ok, so his ability isn't actually based on a book, but a writing style used by his RLC. Apparently, his RLC used a simple and straightforward writing style. His RLC is also one of the fathers of Japanese naturalism (basically believing that only natural laws and forces control the universe) and he has a love for Western style writing. His RLC also apparently wrote plenty of romantic poetry. This does kinda make sense for Kunikida. He's a straightforward guy.... and that's kinda the only parallel I can see.... Welp.... Also, both Kunikida and the RLC were teachers at one point, just of different subjects.

Jun'ichirō Tanizaki

Ability: Light Snow

Ok, "Light Snow" seems ok, but "Naomi" is gonna ring some alarm bells. Alright, let's start slow. "Light Snow" can also be called "The Makioka Sisters," and it's easier to find the book that way. Oh, and it's a series. Fun.... So, basically, it's about this wealthy family trying to find a husband for the third sister, and it talks about the decline of the family's upper-middle class lifestyle going into WWII. Maybe backstory for Tanizaki? Idk. Possible. We don't know much about him. Now, "Naomi" is a bit darker.... and by a bit... I mean a lot. So, "Naomi" is about this guy who falls in love with this teenager who has a super exotic Western look, and he wants to make her into the perfect wife. So, he marries her and gets her all these English and music lessons and stuff, but he finds out she's not as naive and innocent as he had originally thought, and apparently his passion devolves into masochism? That last bits a little hard to understand, but uh.... makes me wonder about Naomi a lil. I mean, not being as innocent as she seems fits her well, but I'm a little concerned about the grooming part. Fun fact though! Both Tanizaki and his RLC have a fear of earthquakes! That... doesn't make the situation any better, does it? Um... well... to make matter worse, his RLC apparently wrote a lot about sexual fantasies....

Kenji Miyazawa

Ability: Undefeated By The Rain

So, from what I can see, Kenji is basically a personification of what his RLC wanted for his own life. His RLC had a very wealthy family, but he wanted a life of peace and one where he was in tune with nature. The poem Kenji's ability is named after is thought to have been written on his RLC's death bed. So... that's something. Also, Kenji's hometown is based off the imaginary land his RLC thought up.

Kyōka Izumi

Ability: Demon Snow

Kyoka's RLC was actually a man, and he wrote "Demon Pond," not Demon Snow. "Demon Pond" is basically a story warning about the loss of generosity and respect for nature. The name Demon Snow probably came as a mix between "Demon Pond" and "White Snow," which is the translated name of the dragon in the story. I'm guessing that Kyoka is supposed to have a loose connection to her RLC, and it's supposed to be about her finding how to be generous and having a respect for life, instead of nature. Also, Kyoka's RLC was a big follower of Kouyou's RLC.

Osamu Dazai

Ability: No Longer Human

There's not really a connection between the book and ability, and more so between the RLC and Dazai himself. The RLC apparently failed at suicide twice before committing suicide on the third try. His RLC mainly wrote dark novels, and "No Longer Human" is about a man going through life feeling as though he is "acting" the part of a human. The character also attemtps suicide a lot. That first part fits Dazai pretty well, I'd say. Ummm.... let's see... His RLC was highly influenced by "Crime And Punishment," which is the book Fyodor's RLC wrote, Dazai's, Ango's, and Oda's RLCs all used to meet up in the actual Bar Lupin in Ginza, and the book Dazai is always reading is based on an actual book called "The Complete Manual of Suicide."

Ranpo Edogawa

Ability: Super Deduction

This makes sense given Ranpo doesn't actual have an ability, but his ability isn't named after a book his RLC wrote. Instead, his RLC wrote a lot of mystery and detective novels, mainly centered around occult stuff. His RLC also took a lot of inspiration from Edgar Allen Poe (Gotta love that), and even based his pen name off of Edgar Allen Poe (that being Edogawa Ranpo, spaced out is Edoga Waran Po, cool right?).

Katai Tayama

Ability: Futon

I'm not even lying when I say that his ability is in fact based on a book. Also, apparently his RLC was friends with Kouyou's and Kunikida's RLCs. Anyway, Futon is about.... y'know what? It's too crazy to even summarize, so Ima just copy and paste from the wiki cause that shit wild.

Futon recounts the memories of Tokio Takenaka, a 34 year old novelist in a loveless marriage, who hates his day job and finds nothing in life interesting besides fantasizing about younger women. One day, he receives a letter from Yoshiko Yokoyama, a young female student and admirer, asking to become Tokio's disciple. Hesitant at first, after exchanging multiple letters with the girl, he agrees to take her as his student, and Yoshiko moves to Tokyo. Tokio begins to fall in love with Yoshiko, but does not confess his feelings towards her due to his fear of societal consequences.

Yoshiko starts dating a man, and Tokio decides to have her stay on the second floor to keep an eye on her. Tokio contacts Yoshiko's parents to inform them of the relationship. Upon learning the couple had sex, Tokio contacts her father in anger and jealousy, who calls her home. Tokio returns to his old life, and out of loneliness, buries his face in Yoshiko's futon and cries.

Which makes sense for how we meet Katai first. But still, what a crazy book.

(Also, this is an edit from later, but I just remembered that Katai named his Futon Yoshiko, like from the book.)

FINALLY!

I'M DONE!

I'LL DO THE OTHER PARTS LATER!

IT'S 11PM AND I WANNA SLEEP!