#and i don’t want to say things i’ll eventually realize is total bullshit. esp not in an analysis post

[merriclo]

i know he’s a controversial character, but one thing i truly hope we see before BSD ends is a backstory for Jun’ichirō Tanizaki. it’s been said many times before and by many other people, but it really is one of the points i want to understand more.

obviously, both of the Tanizakis are rather mysterious in the grand scheme of things, with no backstory aside from being students, and.. this weird excerpt from the Untold Origins light novel.

(context: the members of the Agency are discussing ideas for Atsushi’s entrance exam.)

“Democratically, huh?” Yosano raised an eyebrow. “How about we do the same thing we did for Tanizaki? How’s that?”

Yosano glanced in Tanizaki’s direction, and he instantly turned pale, shaking his head.

“I—I don’t ever…want to be reminded of that again.”

When Tanizaki was new, he had to pass what could be called a very harsh entrance exam. However, it was so harsh that all of Tanizaki’s memories of that day ended up buried deep in his subconscious. Remembering what happened would only bring underlying trauma up to the surface.

his entrance exam was so harsh and genuinely traumatizing that any and all memories of it were pushed into the deep recesses of his own mind.

and, granted, a harsh entrance exam isn’t exactly new for the Agency. Kyouka barely didn’t die, Atsushi fully thought he was, and Dazai’s was over an act of domestic terrorism. but none of them were so traumatized that their own mind refused to acknowledge it. and despite all of this, Jun’ichirō describes himself as more of an assistant at the Agency, not an actual detective.

he’s also able to?? casually fly a helicopter??? it makes sense, given his natural aptitude for reconnaissance and stealth missions (see: his ability Light Snow, his adaptability, and his skill as an actor.) he’s not exactly confident in his flying skills (literally being called the “wimpiest in the east” by the manga,) but he’s good enough to be trusted with discreetly flying Atsushi up to the Moby Dick, a risky and essential part of the plan to take down The Guild.

we know that Jun’ichirō is a competent and useful member of the Agency, and it’s clear that the others think so as well. but he’s constantly putting himself down, describing himself as average and using his own supposed mediocrity as a way to make Atsushi feel better about himself.

his fears and self-doubt seem to nearly vanish entirely, however, when someone he cares for is put in harms way. we see this first when Naomi is shot by Higuchi, and later on when he hears of how Atsushi attacked Naomi and Haruno while under Yumeno’s ability. it’s also displayed when he manages to almost assassinate Mori during the Cannibalism Arc (a moment that is not talked about enough as it should be.) and, most recently, we see him freak out after the death of Kunikida, threatening to rip an actual God limb from limb.

this is also seen heavily in the Beast universe. (minor Beast spoilers ahead!! skip this paragraph if you don’t want them!!) Jun’ichirō is the first to fully support Akutagawa’s pursuit of his sister, and even tells him to abandon all morals and forget about his place in the Agency should his sister’s life ever be threatened. he’s also the one who follows Akutagawa into the Port Mafia headquarters, and the one to guard Kyōka’s unconscious body while he waits for Demon Snow to potentially assassinate her. Jun’ichirō even says “[Akutagawa] and I are similar.” after seeing all of his violent outbursts and reckless behavior.

his moral code is genuinely fascinating to me: he won’t hesitate to act in a way that’s commonly seen as immoral, so long as it preserves the Agency. he’ll stop at nothing to ensure the safety of those he loves, not even at his own death. considering this, in terms of reputation and completing their overall goal, Jun’ichirō is honestly kind of a liability to the Agency.

and that’s. honestly all we really know?

it seems like a lot, especially when i’ve rambled on for this long, but it’s really just five things: he has a sister, he was a student before he was a member of the Agency, his entrance exam was incredibly traumatic, he has self-confidence issues, and his morals are rather gray. again, five things.

almost every other member of the Agency has an extensive backstory. Kunikida’s is still rather unknown, but even then we have a good idea of what he was doing prior to Atsushi joining the Agency.

we know nothing about Jun’ichirō. i really do hope that we get to learn about his entrance exam, as well as what made him, and his sister by proxy, the way they are.