#also of course both of them being dazais partner. and how dazai is drawn towards humanity

[littencloud9]

i’m gonna say something

chuuya couldve so easily been like kunikida in how he works to make the world a better place & in a good person in spite of all the bad things in the world. chuuya SO EASILY could’ve been just like that

HII!!

YOU GET ME. kunikida and chuuya are both so similar that circumstances definitely shaped who they are. and also both of them have such an unwavering sense of humanity and determination. like we often talk about kunikida’s ideals but how about chuuya’s devotion!!

i also disagree with the argument that chuuya is too ‘rough’ or ‘violent’ to be in the ADA because. first of all. the agency are absolute chaos (the episode where the cafe master got abducted always makes me giggle). and i think the growing up in the mafia where they capitalise on your anger/violence would also do that to a person. i dislike the idea that chuuya’s ‘anger issues’ (HEAVY on the quotation marks) means he would never work in the agency. imagine if fukuzawa picked chuuya up from the sheep instead. like the POTENTIAL!!

but anyway. if chuuya were to grow in an environment that capitalises on his kindness and his protective instinct OR if kunikida grew up around violence and bloodshed. they’d be like each other. their parallels are fascinating

[tinglyalloy]

So, my Kunikida theory.

*inhales*

Alright. Since I made my first post, complete with awful grammar and spelling, several different pieces of information have come to light - number one. Kunikida's notebooks are all made by one person. Number two. Atsushi's ability serves as a beacon towards the book. There might be other pieces of information that I've forgotten and then I will update this post in due course.

Let's try to organise this. In this theory, I will refer to the Book with a capital letter and Kunikida's notebook with a small letter, so the Book and the notebook respectively.

Next, I'm going to list out the information we know so far about the Book and the notebook.

The Book: Completely indestructible and impervious to all abilities. Anything written on its blank pages will come into existence, but it must follow the narrative of a story and make some kind of sense. Thought to be created by an ability.

The notebook: (I'm pretty sure) that it is indestructible. Anything Kunikida writes on its blank pages will come into existence, but he must have seen it at least once before and the object must also be smaller than the size of the notebook. Created by either Calyrle (I think that's how you spell his name) or Kunikida's ability, I'm not sure.

Already, there are quite a few similarities between both of them.

Now, onto who has possessed the notebook and Book.

The Book: The Special Division formerly posessed one page, now in the hands of the DoA. Dazai has, at some point, come into contact with the book - after leaving the mafia, so either during his two years of hiding or during his time in the ADA - to create the alternate universe of Beast.

The notebook: It seems to continually follow Kunikida. Of course, he might have several seperate notebooks, but if you look into the locations that he has it and all of the damage that it goes through, I think it is more likely that his ability allows him to summon the notebook. Quite crucially, Dazai, being Kunikida's partner, has access to the notebook.

In terms of possession, if Kunikida's notebook was somehow related - or maybe even is the actual Book - Dazai has the perfect opportunity to get it.

Other trivia - the Book is in Yokohama. Atsushi's ability is drawn towards it.

Now, these two pieces of information fit in with my theory - Atsushi joined the ADA, with the second person he met being Kunikida. Kunikida also (quite obviously) lives in Yokohama, so this works as well.

I think that I've gone over everything we do know. Now to what we don't know that may be related to my theory

- Where the physical book currently is

- What Dazai did in his two years of hiding

- Almost everything about Kunikida's past

Relating to the last point, we know that he joined the ADA about three-ish years ago, and before that, when he would have been nineteen, he was a maths teacher at a ‘licensed school’. He must have been incredibly smart in order to be able to be a proper teacher at 19, or it might just be a plot hole. Or, it could be neither, and he’s been lying about his past. 

With most major characters, we know a decent amount about their childhood. We know more about Kenji than Kunikida. Considering that Kunikida can be considered at least a secondary main character, this lack of information seems a bit odd to me.

Now, I’m going to move on to possession.

Kunikida having the book fits in with Dazai managing to access it for Beast, but where does the Special Division fit in? This is stretching a bit far, but if we assume that the Special Division got the page around the same time that Dazai used the book for Beast, there is the possibility that Dazai gave the page to the Special Division. Why? This is going further and further, but maybe to reverse the damage that creating the alternate universe for Odasaku could cause (this end bit is complete speculation.) Anyway, due to Dazai’s connection with Ango, he could always give in a page.

One point about why I think Kunikida’s notebook is indestructible:

- It’s been blown up at least once

- Torn apart at least once

And each of those times, especially after Kunikida blew himself up to let the rest escape, he’s somehow managed to get the book back despite not being able to access his locker - which, if we assume Wan as relatively canon, is where he keeps all of his notebooks - which means that it might be almost summoned towards him - specifically, his breast pocket, which is where he always draws it out of. 

Another random similarity between the Book and the notebook is that a page doesn’t need to be connected to the actual body of the book to work. The DoA is able to use the page without it being connected to the Book, and Tanizaki is able to use the switchblade page without it being connected to the notebook.

TL;DR The Book and the notebook are incredibly similar, both in the way that they summon objects, and all of the other random trivia fits in with the theory that Kunikida’s notebook and the Book are connected. This doesn’t mean that the notebook is the Book itself, but I don’t think its unreasonable to expect that they are connected.

If I’ve forgotten anything, please let me know! Thanks :D

[my-introvert-hideout]

Kunikida Doppo: ESTJ [BSD]

Te > Si > Ne > Fi

*Based off Season 1 of the anime [Chapters 1-12] with character-based spoilers from the Wikis. I’ve also read a synopsis of  “The Untold Story of the Founding of the Detective Agency,” which gives lots of insight into Fukuzawa and Ranpo in particular, and also I know Yosano’s backstory. The Onsen Drama will also make an appearance occasionally. I feel like I have a good enough grasp on their characters for this and will only add more examples rather than changing types in the future. (At least, I think so.)

I’VE ALSO SEEN HIM TYPED AS: ISTJ, ISFJ

Te is quite prevalent in Kunikida’s character, especially given the stereotype that those with the function as dominant or auxiliary are uptight rule-followers. He follows the word of the law rather than the spirit of it, like with the Kyōka situation, which is typically more Te driven. Kunikida was also a math teacher, and Te can absorb that type of information very quickly and efficiently. That brings up another thing -- his efficiency. Of course, any type can want / value this, but Te focuses on “does it work, why not, fix it” more than anything else. It’s pretty easy to say that Kunikida expresses this the most out of anyone and is probably the hardest worker in the Agency. He’s also very trustworthy and a capable leader who is quite respected (despite also being teased quite a bit). At first, I found it strange that he was so naive when it came to Dazai’s ‘facts’ to put in his notebook, but it could be due to Kunikida knowing his partner’s skill and seeing him as a reliable source. Ti users may be more reluctant to accept things like that at face-value. He’s also more lenient towards Ranpo, most likely because his Te respects him so much. In the onsen special, Kunikida decides to loosen up etc. because Ranpo says so. Kunikida also has a plan for pretty much everything -- including getting into an onsen -- and is a bit hurt when people don’t appreciate this version of helpfulness (which Atsushi’s Fe tries to remedy). I’ve also seen people suggest he could be an introvert, and while people do stress him out, he still gets energy from being around them. Besides, an Myers-Briggs introvert is different from the common definition. Kunikida may like doing more stereotypically introverted activities to relieve stress, but his cognition is still focused on the world around him rather than the inner one. MBTI extroverts are also a bit more reactive, which he is for sure -- ask Dazai!

Si is usually seen as very traditional, and being paired with Te-Fi may make it even more extreme in some ways -- especially with where each function is in an ESTJ. He is also much more detail-oriented than big-picture-focused. I think Si would be helpful in remembering math stuff, too. (Which is why I suck at that lol.) He also seems a bit trapped by guilt for his past actions in a similar way we see Atsushi is (who I think is Si-dom). In fact, I think most ADA members are sensors, which could explain why they’re so baffled by Ranpo, who I strongly believe has dominant Ne. (To be fair, he is incredible.) Kunikida follows a ‘tried and true’ definition of investigation and can get ruffled when Dazai’s Se doesn’t. I’m also trying out this theory that generally someone’s likes and dislikes correspond to whether or not they’re a sensor or intuitive.

LIKES:  Notebook, fishing, lightly roasted bonito

DISLIKES:  Unplanned things, authority

Planning things is definitely a judger thing (specifically ExxJs) and disliking authority could be some sort of Te nit-pick. Obviously, there is a bit of both for everyone, but Kunikida leans on the sensory. I also think that the fact there’s both could suggest that the perceiving functions are in the middle. (This isn’t cut-and-dry, though, as Fukuzawa has a mix but doesn’t have sensing and intuition as his second and third functions to me. I think that may be based on maturity and development.)

Ne is a bit harder to pin down for him probably because his other functions are really taking the spotlight. So this one is kind of process of elimination at the moment.

There’s this idea that we are weird about our inferior functions -- it seems to hold up, as well. This could explain his fixation on Fi and his strict ideals being filtered through Te making them seem like rules to follow in a way. Some people think of him as an xxFx type, but when Atsushi was kidnapped, his mind immediately went to what being involved with the weretiger would mean for the Agency. (Kunikida’s obsession with reputation can also be drawn back to Te rather than Fe -- it’s more of a professional rep he wants to maintain than a social one.) Thinkers can be just as or even more compassionate than feelers; they just prefer to make logical decisions rather than value- or morality-based ones.

Ni Blind Spot: {LATER}

Te-Ne Loop: ‘An ESTJ in an Ne-Te loop comes up with a million possibilities and tries to put these all into action without taking time to consider what is realistic, or consider structures or past lessons that would guide them. They become very externally driven, wanting external validation and recognition. They will become unable to settle and focus on a single plan, instead becoming stressed out as they are pulled in a million different directions.’ source This behavior seems pretty consistent with Kunikida, honestly. I mean, the gif is a perfect example. In the onsen drama, he goes into Te-Ne validation to show Ranpo his range of swimming skills: “How is it, Ranpo-san!? How did I swim--”

[ranposlittle]

Can I get a matchup pls? 🌸 (I'm a Pisces, INFP, and type 4? idk my harry potter house ;-;) I'm 21 year old, 5'7" tall woman, that is Bi with a slight preference for guys. I have short wavy/curly hair with bangs and dark brown eyes (and glasses!). I'm a bit shy and sensitive. I enjoy playing video games, watching anime, listening to music, and reading. I'm a bit of a romantic, a bit lazy and sometimes awkward. It takes me a while to open up to others as well! I hope this is enough! Thank u!

I ship you with...

☠️ Dazai Osamu ☠️

As a true Pisces, INFP and a Type 4, you're obviously drawn to Dazai and he's obviously drawn to you, like a moth to a flame.

You're a healer and Dazai is the perfect person for you. You met him and in an instant you knew, the man is awfully broken. Whether you're aware of it or not, all you want to do is to fix him. You want to understand all of his pain and make everything alright. That is because you know how it feels. You are very familiar to the harshness of the world and because of your emphatic nature, you don't wish for anybody else to experience it if you can help it. Pisces are known to be the most sensitive of all the zodiac signs and this makes you very good in understanding people, even enigmatic ones like Dazai.

Despite being a practical and logical person, Dazai is highly intuitive too. Like you, he can also see through people like they're transparent. It only took him a few hours to know what kind of person you are. Although both of you are the ones who don't open up easily and reserve your most authentic thoughts and feelings to people you know very well, the instant connection you felt for each other allowed you to have a deeper conversation. There was some small talk in the beginning, of course. You were shy and polite and Dazai had to lead the discussion but it's not like he minds. He knew how to steer the topics so he'll get to find out things about you that he's curious about. You didn't even notice that you're sharing more information about yourself than you normally do with people you just met. Dazai just made you feel comfortable and safe. Whatever the topic is, he always listens to what you have to say and shares his thoughts as well; an open and supportive exchange of ideas.

Dazai's comedic side was irresistible to you, too. His eccentric humour and odd jokes never fail to make you laugh. You easily got along with him because of his offbeat personality, he's a curious individual and you love it. You value his authenticity and you often get lost in a good conversation with him as he tells you strange stories and talk about things that excites you; anime, movies, books and music. He's pretty knowledgeable about all of them even if you didn't really thought he would be. You even went into an arcade where you spend hours on end playing different games and Dazai was just surprisingly good at it. You enjoy every minute spent with him as your perspective of his personality widen and you explore the universe that's Dazai's mind.

The more you delved into his world, the more you understood that Dazai has a part of himself that goes deeper, a part of him that's hidden away in the dark. You can feel it, you can see it on his eyes and you weren't entirely shock when you heard about Dazai's past. You're accepting and nonjudgmental so it wasn't hard for Dazai to feel secure in telling you his truth, if anything, he thinks you deserve to know. You're so compassionate and caring towards him and he just know that you'll understand. You wrapped him in a warm embrace after he shared that part of himself with you and then, you thanked him for telling you and that you're sorry that it happened to him. You're sorry that the world made him suffer in such a young age and you're sorry that you can't do anything about it. If only you could go back in time and protect him from everything, you would. You hugged him tighter as you wish that your warmth will somehow glue his broken pieces back together. Dazai melted in to your arms and felt flowers grew on an empty part of his being.

Although Dazai greatly appreciates your affection and love, he knows you'll want to take on all of his problems for him once you knew about it. That's just how you are. He wouldn't allow you to, though. Dazai assures you that he can handle it, flexing his arms to show you how strong he is. You smiled but the worried look on your eyes is still there so he turned a bit more serious to let you know that those experiences he had that messed him up is also the same reason why he's strong now. Without those things happening to him, he wouldn't have found a reason for his existence and he wouldn't have found you. Dazai assured you that he's definitely out of the dark now and that if ever he trips and would be in need of your sensual healing, he'll let you know. You hit his shoulder lightly for making a joke in the middle of a serious topic before he hugged you, thanking you for your love and promising you that he's okay.

What Dazai really love about you is your inner strength. Though you maybe timid and soft, you're not weak. When boundaries are crossed, you're not afraid to stand up for yourself and especially for the people that you love. You're also unwavering with your beliefs and values. You decide for yourself what seems right and doesn't let outside opinions change your views if it doesn't resonate with you. Individualism is important to you and that often leads you to a lonely road but as long as you stay true to yourself, it doesn't really matter. You're constantly looking for ways to improve yourself and cheer on other's personal growth. Dazai's heart just want to overflow with adoration whenever he sees this side of you. How someone as gentle as you can also be so strong is a motivation for him to keep fighting for the things that matters to him. You're just such a beacon of light in Dazai's dim life.

Overall, I think you'll be the perfect blend together because Dazai, despite his bitter past, can be a healthy partner for you. He's strong and positive enough to not let you lose your identity as you take care of him. He'll constantly encourage you to take more care of yourself above anyone else. His weird behavior also adds a lot of fun in the relationship and you can spend your lazy days on the couch, playing video games and just messing around with each other. When Dazai sees you getting pouty whenever you lose a round though, he'll pull some act to actually let you win. He'll just laugh and praise you when you rub it on his face. Sometimes, he'll even steal your glasses and wear them when he wants you to pay attention to him. He'll run around making girlish giggles as you chase him down, screaming at him that you can't see. He'll return them after you've given him enough attention, don't worry. You'll have tons of fun together all the while having a very intimate and deep relationship. One moment you're being silly like children, the next you're cuddled up outside and stargazing while Dazai run his fingers on the waves of your hair. You'll be one of those couples that can just feel the other even if you're miles away. And even if Dazai isn't as into mysticism as you probably are, he also believes that you're meant to be. Destiny or some other unseen force brought you together for a good reason and it's to make life more magical for the both of you. He's not sure yet if he truly believes in heaven but being with you convinces him a little bit more that it's probably true.

***

Thank you for dropping by, anon! You know what, anon, I think we'll get along. I'm an INFP too and I also have Pisces in me bcos I'm a cusp. That's probably why I get a bit carried away and made this a bit too long hehe anyways, I hope this will make you happy and stay awesome! Here's a song from Dazai to youuu~ (･ω･)つ

[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?

[mythril-mine]

001- Bungou Stray Dogs | 002- Soukoku | 003- Chuuya ( and Dazai? ) I want to know your answers to both | 004- BSD + Your choice

Ah, thank you for sending an ask, Haru~! Sorry it took me a couple days to answer everything!! I also got a little wordy where perhaps I had no business being on an ask meme, but I have So Many Feelings about Bungou Stray Dogs!! In fact, it’s under a cut because it got SO LONG. ;; So please pardon that~ Hopefully my rambling makes some modicum of sense. Here we go!!

001 | Bungou Stray Dogs

Favorite character: Chuuya! (And it’s going to show in these answers, so get ready!)

Least Favorite character: Le…mons?

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): Soukoku, Shin-Soukoku, AtsuLucy, DazAtsu (sometimes), RamPoe (it was hard to narrow it down to five, I’m very much a multi-shipper for this fandom > ~

Character I find most attractive: ???? Chuuya is the most beautiful character second only to Kouyou, if I saw Kouyou in person I would tear up and be compelled to give her nine dollars.

Character I would marry: ………………? OdaSaku, I guess….?

Character I would be best friends with: I’d have a lot to bond with Poe and Alcott over hahah (I also want to be friends with Chuuya though I’m not even going to lie. I talk about this with friends a lot when the subject of ‘anime husband’ comes up. I don’t want to date Chuuya, I want to be his wingman and give him a high-five when things go well. I’d also want to be friends with Atsushi, Lucy, and Tanizaki~ and Gin!)

A random thought: I really want to talk about Fyodor but none of these questions really apply to him… ;; Second Random Thought: I think Kunikida/Atsushi would be surprisingly pure…?

An unpopular opinion: I’m not sure what’s considered ‘unpopular’ in this fandom anymore but I think Chuuya deserves some of the page time he’s started to get. ;; There’s a lot that can be done with his character with what’s been laid out so far, and if they’re choosing to make use of that as a reaction to his popularity, that’s okay! I’m sure they’ll do a good job with it! (Again is this unpopular? I don’t know because Chuuya seems to be slaughtering popularity polls lately, but I’ve seen him getting some flack on tumblr as well. Similarly I don’t think it’s so much that people dislike KunikiDazai so much as Chuuya is … disproportionately popular and the time people can contribute to fan works is limited.)

My canon OTP: There are no actual ‘canon’ pairings in BSD so far (I mean, if we don’t count Chuuya/Wine, Chuuya/His Hat, and Fitzgerald/Money, as you can see I take things Very Seriously). The ones I think are most heavily implied are Higuchi/Akutagawa (which I wouldn’t call my ‘canon OTP’ by any means because although I love both Higuchi and Akutagawa and want them to be happy he’s… not good for her currently), Mitchell/Hawthorne, and then Lucy —> Atsushi and Kyouka —> Atsushi. And… honestly Poe —> Rampo!? (While I highly doubt that was Asagiri’s intention, he has the same kind of fixation on Rampo that the girls do on Atsushi, pfft.) Of these RamPoe is clearly the Best but I’m very partial to AtsuLucy~

Non-canon OTP: soukokusoukokusoukokusoukokusoukokusoukoku

Most badass character: 560% Chuuya. (Do I need to explain why? I mean… look at him. /Jazz Hands)

Pairing I am not a fan of: Okay, I lied, there is one canon pairing and it’s Tanizaki/Naomi and I Am Not A Fan (I actually really like both of these characters in their own right and I’m even a fan of ships centered around devotion just please put them Very Ver Far Away from each other, they are siblings.)

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): I always really hesitated to say ‘screw up’ with a series that’s ongoing — I think it’s unfair to the creators to call that when perhaps they’ve treated a character a certain way or put them in a certain scenario towards an end that would be compelling and make sense that we just haven’t seen yet. That said, of course I can’t pick just one, so here we go. 

Per Chuuya being my favorite character, I’m not 110% satisfied with how they’re handling him so far? I feel his character’s been shown to be a little inconsistent with regard to his abilities (both his actual Ability and also his faculties re: instincts, intelligence, and so on — even a bit of his personality when it gets boiled down to nothing but ‘Damn You Dazai!’ for comedic effect when he’s been hinted at being a much more complex person, as most people are). In part I think this also has to do with the fact that… Chuuya’s not… really a main character in anyway. They’re probably beginning to give him more of the spotlight simply because he’s such a fan-favorite, but — story wise, it doesn’t necessarily make sense to be their priority. (Even though /I/ want to see him treated consistently and given more on-screen depth and back story, and perhaps we’ll get that now that he’s featuring more!)

I think covering Dazai’s suicide-mania is important and I don’t even necessarily hate the light-hearted tone its given (I, myself, often cope with very self-deprecating humor), but I do dislike how often it’s treated completely flippantly. I could write a dissertation about why but… perhaps I shouldn’t have to.

Atsushi, Atsushi, Atsushi. Good lord. Not only is this kid screwed up from a physically and mentally absuve, isolated past, but the way he’s treated in the story, is just… He’s supposed to be our main character, and he has a lot of moments where he truly shines!! Atsushi is a wonderful shounen-type protag, especially in the climax of the Fitzgerald arc with how he gets through to Akutagawa, but damn is he inconsistent? Just when we think he’s gotten some character growth he goes right back to being a coward — and not that anybody can change overnight but the way it’s handled with him I feel is just… so stilted? Same for how development of his abilities is treated. We’re told it’s because of Fukuzawa’s ability, but that’s off screen and confusing for a reader. I… have extremely mixed feelings about how the chapter with his headmaster was handled, and what that means for his character and development as well. And — as much as I love sweet, pure, cinnamon roll Atsushi… I find myself thinking consistently “this scene would be more compelling for me if Dazai were actually the main character.” And I have very complicated feelings about Dazai, so that says something.

Favourite Friendship: I don’t think I can pick just one, actually…! Atsushi and Lucy’s friendship means a lot to me but actually I am HERE for Yosano and Rampo as well as Yosano with Kunikida. As much as I’m a Port Mafioso for life I do hope we see more of their interactions in the future. Also, nobody in the PM are really…. ‘friends,’ that I can tell? Though I want to see more Black Lizard interactions and also them interacting with Chuuya. And also Kouyou interacting with Chuuya! (Atsushi and Akutagwa are NOT friends but I’d like to see that…)

Character I want to adopt or be adopted by: I’m older than almost all of these characters so I guess I want to adopt Akutagawa and give him actual love and support because goddamn buddy you had it rough with Dazai as your mentor… ;w; (I’d be okay being adopted by Fukuzawa too, though!!)

002 | Soukoku

When or if I started shipping it. Hmm… definitely by Chapter 31 but I was curious about it when Chuuya first showed up, I think. I was ready for KunikiDazai, who are currently partners, so the whole ‘old partners’ thing piqued my interest. Chuuya comes off so much at first as ‘jilted, abandoned lover’ that I immediately want to know why or at least explore it in fandom.

My thoughts: THIS QUESTION IS SO BROAD, I could write a whole dissertation about this! How it’s great and interesting and also terrible and vague, how do I do the CliffsNotes version… we know so so so little about what’s implied to have been a terrifying and powerful partnership between Dazai and Chuuya. There’s just so much /potential/ there for how and why they came to know each other so well, for how Chuuya came to trust Dazai with his life despite knowing what a terrible prankster and liar his ex-partner is and how they two came to hate each other and bicker (or were they always this way?), and there’s of course the question of what lies in store for them in the future that makes the idea of the two of them together so fascinating to me. It’s an interesting ship for me especially because prior to BSD I’d be extremely hard-pressed to come up with a “hate ship” that I actually enjoyed. I tend to be more drawn to ships that showcase a typical ‘healthy’ relationship or positive emotions, signs of devotion, and so on — life’s angsty enough as it is, I use fandom and media to get away from that. But somehow that potential and both the humor and sadness of how Dazai and Chuuya interact and think of each other, and if they could reconcile (or not!), has been so compelling for me as a fan who likes to analyze and read into things too deeply. Soukoku is honestly just a really fun sandbox!

What makes me happy about them: Canonically, the humor in how they bicker and how frankly badass they are when they work together. In fandom, all the potential I mentioned earlier for them to reconcile, and also the idea of stolen warm moments and shenanigans together training and growing up in the Mafia, pre-Dark Era.

What makes me sad about them: How on earth did you guys hurt each other so bad!? What did you do?

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: Hmm… it’s hard for me to think of anything? I haven’t read anything in a while but when I first got into BSD it kind of drove me crazy that the entire fandom just collectively… made Chuuya French? Or Half-French. It’s not even a head-canon I’d be against, necessarily, I just didn’t get it, even with the actual author being something of a Francophile. (I’d be more interested to see that detail worked into his character.)

Things I look for in fanfic: Adhering to how they are in canon, hate and all, but analyzing in what ways they navigate around that to both be beneficial to one another and eventually even enjoy each other’s company. And the hurt/comfort thing. Also, Chuuya being intelligent in his own right! I mentioned earlier that the manga is kind of inconstant about this but I like the idea that Chuuya is not just brawn and I like when fic explores that in how he handles Dazai. Also I approve strongly of people covering Dazai being TERRIBLE and how he makes up for that — or doesn’t, and why.

My kinks: what. ….them both being… happy… together??????

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: I think Dazai needs LESS VIOLENCE in his life but if Kunikida can set that aspect aside I think they’d be good together. (I also think Atsushi would be good for Dazai but it needs to be Just So… imbalance in power in a relationship that you sometimes see with mentors and mentees can not always be good for those involved /coughDaAkucough). For Chuuya I’m … not really sure. I think TaChuu is really cute and I’m on the fence about KouChuu? I see Kouyou as more an elder-sister or even Mother figure to Chuuya. based on how Mori was to Dazai since That One Chapter Cover is all we have to go on for Chuuya’s past and I am HERE for that type of interaction 560% and not really romantic-OTP about it. But to be fair she’s only four years his senior and they’d be quite the Power Couple, literally.

My happily ever after for them: They reconcile and talk out whatever it was they did to hurt each other, and recognize that they’re both hecked up but maybe they can be slightly less hecked up together if they try to understand one another instead of just insta-bickering. (They still bicker constantly, of course, but it’s a little more good natured, now.) Also, Chuuya joins Dazai at the ADA, where Fukuzawa can help him have better control of his power. His newfound lack of dependence on Dazai in that regard is one less thing for him to feel resentful over and can help him move past it. (That said I don’t think in any way this would be End Game for BSD and if you want to know my feelings on THAT I’d be happy to oblige — this is just what I think would be a sweet ‘happily ever after’ from where they’ve been.)

003 | Give me a character & I will tell you

Chuuya

How I feel about this character: I think about Chuuya every day and get emotional/angry about him almost as often, I Love Nakahara Chuuya a Lot. (Compared to Dazai’s analysis down below this probably seems really shallow but it’s more like I love Chuuya unconditionally? There’s nothing about his character I dislike.)

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Dazai. And, to much much lesser degrees: Tachihara. I’m not opposed to ChuuAku in any way I just… can’t think on my own what they can do for each other? and haven’t seen much fan work around it. I’m also here for ChuuAtsu but they’ve … never interacted, so.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: KouChuu!! I love Kouyou and I love the potential for family-style shenanigans with Chuuya!

My unpopular opinion about this character: Well, I guess I mentioned it above — I get why people don’t understand why he’s popular. /I/ don’t understand why he’s popular and I love him to hell and back, but — I think he deserves it. He’s spunky, sassy, badass as heck, incredibly well-dressed, appealing and compelling. And he has so much potential.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I want Chuuya’s backstory so badly!

My het ship: I can’t think of one?

My fem/slash ship: Soukoku

My OTP: Still Soukoku!?

My OT3: I could get behind Chuuya/Dazai/Atsushi or Chuuya/Dazai/Akutagawa or honestly all four.

My cross over ship: I don’t really have any but I played with a Tatara from K recently and their interaction was cute…

My kink: ??????????? Chuuya… smiling and…. not getting into a drunken stupor over Dazai????

A head cannon fact: Chuuya is Always Ready to Fight but he actually also likes ‘softer’ things like music and poetry quite well (they pair well with a nice glass of wine, after all). When not on the clock he dabbles in poetry and writing his own song lyrics (that, of course, would come out something like Darkness My Sorrow) and will practice singing them softly to himself, but although he’s not the nervous type he is way too embarrassed for anyone to know about this. It doesn’t fit his Big Bad Mafia image. Dazai is the only one who knows about this even a little bit, as some of their strategies are based on poems he either showed him when they were younger or things they co-wrote together while bored. (Another head-canon, because I’m weak – Chuuya knows his way around make-up, thanks to Kouyou, and because he’s all about looking Great regardless of whether it’s something ‘traditionally’ girly like that flowery hat he saw in the window in BSD Wan! He doesn’t wear makeup much though because he doesn’t think it fits his Big Bad Mafia image either, nor does he think he needs it.)  

My Gender Bend: Again I’m not entirely sure what this question means in this context? Like… is it how I think he’d look if he identified/was assigned another gender? Because I think he’d look… pretty much the same… appearance doesn’t signify gender in most ways… If it’s like, gender bending head canons from what we’re given in the series though I like the nb/transboy head canon for Chuuya, I think that’s a fair analysis in a lot of ways and valuable to explore in fandom/fiction.

Dazai

How I feel about this character: One time @annalaflame made the horrible mistake while we were in the parking lot at the end of the night, about to go our separate ways, of asking me “gin, do you actually like Dazai?” and she got to spend the next forty-five minutes in the front seat of my car as I sat there and explained how I felt about him.

The thing with Dazai is… he’s an asshole. In so many ways. I often compare him to Izaya from Durarara!! — which Haru, I realize that won’t mean much to you, but Izaya is like … he’s irredeemable to me? As a villain I love to hate him, because he’s horrible and manipulative and always seems to get his way but it’s to no end other than his character alignment being Chaotic Asshole.  Dazai, on the other hand…

Dazai is … such a multifaceted character. He’s horrible to people (and animals!) and manipulative and always one step ahead and is honestly, kind of a sociopath. He has no qualms at the idea of horrible things happening to his enemies be it by his hand or that of another, and he doesn’t seem to mind how his awful actions can affect those closest to him and at times even finds it humorous. Notice I didn’t say he doesn’t care — because I think he does, and this is where Dazai is redeemable to me.

I think, for someone so hyper-intelligent, scheming, calculating — Dazai was, and perhaps still is, a little lost. We see this in his lack of self-preservation and suicide mania, both in Dark Era and present, but also in the front he puts on, his bravado. He was something of a loose canon in Dark Era, very dangerous, and OdaSaku (from what I understand, having read summaries and watched the anime but not read the book itself) acted as his conscious and, with his death, became a guiding light leading Dazai towards being a better person by the work he — through a veil of On Brand complaints — now willingly does with the Armed Detective Agency.

Additionally, after the Guild arc, Hirotsu asks Dazai how long he’d been planning for Shin-Soukoku to happen, and Dazai answers from the Very Moment he met Atsushi. How can that be, if Dazai wasn’t acutely aware of exactly how he mis-treated Akutagawa as his now abandoned mentee, if that wasn’t something rather always on his mind? Dazai may not ‘care’ about people in the sense of always wanting to be helpful to them especially if he doesn’t get anything out of it — and in some ways this may be a product of his (lack of) upbringing and environment. But I do think he cares in the sense of perhaps, even retroactively, wanting to do ‘right’ now — and he’s still figuring that out for himself and how he does that. And that’s one of the things I find so compelling about a character that rubbed me such the wrong way at first — he may not be doing a good job, but Dazai is trying, in his own way. This is reinforced by how he treats Atsushi during our protag’s lowest moments of self-loathing and uncertainty, how he speaks to Kyouka when she’s given up, how he confronts Fyodor and defies him even in the face of their maniacally evil similarities. He’s a man that’s been terrible all his life, but is trying to be perhaps not good, but better. [Insert gif of Mal Reynolds from Firefly saying “well, I’m alright.”]

Anyway that got super long because I could go on about him for days, but basically I think Dazai is incredibly fascinating and easily one of the most compelling characters in the series, if you can get past the humor given to his suicide mania. But — even that is something that’s relatable to a number of people, which makes his character that near always has the upper hand in a situation very interesting to watch as he too grows and learns (even if he can be annoying too~).

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Chuuya! Kunikida, Atsushi (sometimes), OdaZai (sometimes)

My non-romantic OTP for this character: DaAku!! (T_T) I want to see them work stuff out. DazAtsu, too, always. Atsushi’s been a good influence on him. Also, the Buraiha trio was so good. (Also… maybe it’s just that I want Yosano to get more development as I keep mentioning her, but… I want to see her interact with Dazai more?)

My unpopular opinion about this character: I think his suicide-mania is important to consider and explore (I want to clarify though that I do hate how flippantly the series treats it, which is probably actually a popular opinion.)

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I Really Really Really want the ADA to comment on afore-mentioned suicide-mania in a way that’s actually positive!? Like give this guy a support group, god. Yes, he drives everyone away and they don’t really owe it to him, but come on…

My het ship: I don’t think I really have anyone for Dazai either, actually…

My fem/slash ship: Soukoku?

My OTP: Still Soukoku, to the surprise of absolutely no one.

My OT3: Buraiha trio~

My cross over ship: Jury’s out on this, Dazai’s a hard one.

My kink: ???????????????????????? Actually my one fantasy of fantasies for Dazai was that I wanted to SEE HIM GET TAKEN DOWN A PEG because he was too ‘always right’ but then the manga happened and I DIDN’T WANT TO SEE HIM FALL LIKE THAT…. (Yeah hi I don’t really have ‘kinks’ really just… things I’d derive satisfaction out of seeing in canon RIP)

A head cannon fact: Actually this is sort of more soukoku-related than anything, but when they were kids and Dazai was still trying to figure out what exactly he was missing in order to look for it in order to be interested in continuing to shuffle along this mortal coil, he kind of voiced some of that personal angst to Chuuya while they were hanging out all partnered-up and Chuuya just … didn’t get it. It was not really in Chuuya’s wheelhouse to even consider wanting to die and he didn’t exactly… mock Dazai about it but brushed it off rather rudely without trying to understand it because from his perspective it was ridiculous. Cue ‘bandage-freak’ and ‘suicide maniac!’ insults. And Dazai was, understandably, hurt and insulted. But of course, being who he is he couldn’t show that and laughed it off with bravado as well, but it caused him to sink lower at the time and while he doesn’t really care because his capacity to feel things like that is abnormal, it was the major thing that really sparked some of the visceral resentment for Chuuya he seems to have in canon.

My gender bend: Same confusion on the question as with Chuuya. That said, Emil’s Single Dad AU has SLAYED me and I like their interpretation of trans!Dazai. I’ve also thought about the possibility of perhaps nb Dazai in general, in part because of his personal pronoun? But I don’t have the knowledge of Japanese culture in regard to non-binary genders to really say if that’s a fair analysis, since ‘watashi’ can also just be used when speaking slightly more formally.

004 | BSD + Your Choice

BSD + Fandom of my choice, hmm? I don’t know if these are really ‘crossover OTPs’ so much as just Imagine, If You Will, Come With Me On this Journey…. Chris and Kunikida having to deal with Rayflo and Dazai.