#and beast!Dazai to sskk with Odasaku in mind

[etrevil]

Why do they always gotta leave with a smile, infront of the people who care about them?

*if we had art of Albatross in his dying moments he could be here 🥲

[dqzaiie]

analysis of the day i picked up dazai official art

i'd like to preface this with some of these observations are made with prior knowledge of the light novel, as i have read @popopretty’s translation (side a & side b), so please keep that in mind! this may contain spoilers.

picture frames:

beginning with the foreground, the framed pictures have dark splotches on them, resemblant of debris (presumably for the same reason that other objects in the artwork are burning). there is a stark contrast between these memories and the rest of the artwork, with them being far brighter and having a higher level of exposure than most other objects.

pictures seem to be a recurring theme when discussing beast, with the beast light novel including very similar panels. this polaroid of oda as beastzai is enacting the final stage of his plan, for example.

this is important to make note of, as the pictures in the frames are beast-related artworks. (i thought this was a very neat detail to include!)

while i am not entirely sure of this, i found it to be a prominent detail: the inclusion of one circular frame amongst the square ones, with it being the only frame that contains an unobstructed view of beastzai’s face. to me, this is reminiscent of a mirror. given the fact that it is facing the fourth wall, could this be a reference to dazai’s self-awareness?

odasaku:

this idea is expanded upon in oda’s pose, with his hand extending toward the viewer. 

the light is illuminating his outreached palm, which is representative of him changing dazai’s dark perspective of the world, or “bringing him into the light”.

odasaku is the focal point of the artwork, being the narrator for this light novel. this conveys his significance to both the storyline and dazai himself. oda has a solemn look on his face, which isn’t unusual for his character, as he is typically portrayed with a stoic expression, however, he seems rather upset in comparison to his usual depictions.

in beast, it’s as though oda has assumed dazai’s role, so this may be representative of that parallel between the two of them, with oda bearing the responsibility of mentoring sskk in dazai’s absence. considering it is his right hand being extended, which corresponds with the beast side of the artwork, whereas his left hand is concealed by the picture frames, this demonstrates his ongoing role in beast, while he is no longer able to play an active role in canon.

(he is still very important to the story, mind you, but, that is a result of his memory, rather than his continued actions. this differs from beast, because he’s actively changing the narrative through his actions since he’s alive to make those decisions.)

while both dazai and beastzai have darker backgrounds, the space behind oda is white. there is a significant amount of light reflecting on him as well, mostly from the page hovering above his hand. this could be another picture that isn’t visible to the audience, but i believe it to a manuscript. 

the page is singed and torn, much like other aspects of this artwork. dazai in particular is affected by this, with the ends of his coat scorched on either side of the illustration.

canon (side a) vs beast (side b):

there is the obvious color symbolism of the background: beastzai’s side is black, while dazai’s side is grey, illustrating their differences in lifestyle, with dazai working for the armed detective agency on the side of good, and beastzai operating as the port mafia boss. similarly, beastzai is colored with cool tones, whereas dazai is colored with warmer tones. there are prominent cracks in beastzai’s background, while dazai’s has lighter, multicolored scuffs. these multicolored markings extend onto beastzai’s side before fading out into colorless ones. apart from those lighter markings, there are deeper cracks on the left side, extending into beastzai’s face and hair, from which dazai is unaffected. to me, these are reminiscent of a cracked picture frame, coinciding with the ones at the bottom of the illustration.

beastzai’s expression is blank, with most of it being obscured by bandages. his bangs hang down in front of his eye, effectively covering it. there appears to be marks of injury on his face, most of which are covered by the bandages. the bandages on beastzai’s face are attached to dazai’s own bandages, establishing a connection between the two of them. dazai wears a smile on his face, and his bandages are mostly torn, falling away from him. his bangs are mostly swept away from his eye, allowing him to see clearly. with a visible eye and torn bandages, this is indicative of the clearer perspective oda provided dazai with, allowing him to “see the world” through a different lens. (this was one of my favorite aspects of the anime adaptation for dark era—oda tearing the bandages from dazai’s face means so much to me.)

card symbolism:

the cards may be in reference to the gambling scenes between oda and dazai, which take place in side a of the light novel. much like chess, card games are often used in bsd to symbolize a battle of strategy, but also luck. for example, the cover for vol. 22

beginning with dazai, the card closest to his head is the joker, which references his intelligence, unpredictably, and “clownish” nature. there is another card nearby, but its face is obscured to the viewer. the card closest to his chest is the two of hearts, which represents quality time spent with loved ones, as well as spiritual connections, such as a twin flame, soulmate, or someone who is very important to someone’s life. this is indicative of oda and dazai’s relationship, as odasaku played arguably the most important role in dazai’s life—giving him a reason to live. 

there are two other cards visible on the right side, descending together in the background: the jack of clubs, and a card which has an obscured face. the jack of clubs is representative of action, warning against recklessness decisions. it may resonate with someone who is strong-willed and determined, yet impulsive and quick tempered. simply put, to many it means “yes”.  this card is representative of oda’s morals, and his sense of justice. his strong will, his determination—both of which lead to reckless, impulsive decisions made in an effort to maintain his promise to never take another life. this is exemplified by his death scene, in which he broke his promise to himself by killing gide and his subordinates, resulting in his senseless death. he had no regrets, dying satisfied by his actions, as though he believed it needed to happen—revenge for the deaths of the orphaned children he looked after. 

(side note: the parallel of his death scene in osamu dazai and the dark era and his appearance in the untold origins of the detective agency in which he claims “there is no forgiveness in this world…only retaliation—revenge against those who betray you.” is so, so perfect to me. the basis of his promise was ‘killing is unjust and revenge isn’t worth it’, and he broke it by obtaining revenge through the act of killing. i’m crying now.)

the card with its back facing the viewer is resemblant of dazai’s reasoning remaining a mystery to all but himself, hence why the card is visibly next to oda’s, yet unidentifiable, even to those closest with him.

there is another card on the far left of the artwork, but its front isn’t visible to the viewer. it mirrors the pair of cards on the right, the only visible difference being that it is alone. this card likely represents beastzai, under the assumption that the other two represent dazai and oda, as beastzai didn’t have an odasaku to turn to—he was alone.

as for beastzai, the card closest to his head is the three of spades, which represents heartbreak—a relationship which ends on bad terms, and a change of plans which cause emotional pain. in addition to this, it demonstrates commitment. i’d be hard pressed to find a card more fitting to describe the relationship between oda and dazai in beast. beastzai’s commitment to preserving that world, despite having to suffer for the duration of his lifetime, knowing that he would have to devote his life and death to protect it. this truly summarizes how painful the ending is, and how significant of an impact they leave in each other’s lives.

beastzai has two cards closest to his chest: one which has its back facing the viewer, and the other being ten of diamonds. the obscured card likely represents his enigmatic actions, the ten of diamonds represents accomplishment, and what is most meaningful in life. it is a good omen for success after hardship.

there are two cards falling toward oda, both of which are visible to the viewer: on the beast side, there is the ace of spades, and on canon side, there is the four of spades. when researching the symbolism of the cards, i found conflicting meanings for the ace of spades, which provided me with two vastly different interpretations. the first being: the ace of spades represents strength and authority, as well as new beginnings. this  this illustrates oda’s role in beast—a new path, a new novel, a new subordinate, a new journey. conversely, the ace of spades represents misfortune and death, which closely aligns with dazai’s arc in beast. tragic as it is, i believe this meaning to truly represent how saddening the storyline is. with dazai so openly accepting death to ensure the safety of his closest friend.

i believe both interpretations to an extent, as they coexist within the beast novel, hence why i decided to include both.

on a slightly lighter note, the four of spades said to represent struggle, daily life, and interpersonal relationships. after a deeper look into its meaning, i found it to describe a period of introspection, which is precisely what dazai experiences after meeting odasaku, having his expectations subverted time and time again, which causes him to reassess certain aspects of his beliefs. also, the idea of interpersonal relationships is related to this, as dazai and oda’s friendship is the focus of the light novel.

if you stuck around, thank you for reading all of that.

apologies if any of my thoughts were worded or expressed improperly, or if any of the provided information is incorrect. if this is the case, please feel free to correct me! 

this is my favorite light novel, and i simply CANNOT wait until its official release!!! i am weak with anticipation LOL. i would love to hear your thoughts on this official artwork!