#bsd chapter 101

[etrevil]

The gaydar is off the charts

[uneducated-author]

Because I will never be over this adaptation and how it perfectly used every frame and then elevated them until you actually have a wonderful way of displaying each characters thought process. You see Dazai's expression change, how he moves. Dazai has been silly and disarming all of the arc so far. He dances with Sigma and splits because he wants sugar. He jokes while opening a door, and hosts a happy hour quiz, comparing Sigma to his mentee.

But here. we see him, and see how far he is willing to go. We see him stop smiling. He finds out his partner is his enemy, controlled by vampirism and smirks, even if it's more of a 'damn, Dostoyevsky'. But it's important. Because he has ten minutes to make Sigma willing to die for him. Ten minutes to make Sigma willing to die for the agency. And he has to be powerful enough to make Sigma think. Strong enough to shock him, to make him listen. Now, Sigma watches him control time, and drown Dostoyevsky. He has to show Sigma that survival isn't an offer exclusively from the decay of angels.

But here, he sees his partner, it's broadcast on a screen. He sees Chuuya follow Dostoyevsky's orders, pound at the wall, scream and struggle, and then slowly drown. And he stops smiling. Because he can't lie, not in front of his partner.

Something about how the memories load. Something about how Dazai, whose mind works faster than light, takes a moment, because if he thinks about their past, he knows he'll crack and he won't have the resolve for this.Something about needing time to prepare for the heartbreak he's going to inflict on himself. Something about how he's speaking to someone empty, because Dostoyevsky has scooped out Chuuya's soul and turned him into a stranger, and Dazai could never forgive that rat, but this is beyond unforgivable.

Something about a shadow. Something about Dazai blocking himself from the memories where their heart connect. Something about blocking the light because if he's good, right now, he'll destroy what little soul he has.

Something about opening his eyes, and forcing himself to watch, because this is why he came for Odasaku, this is why he wants a double suicide, because he believes that nobody wants to die alone.

Something about listening to Chuuya and how he drowns. Something about a second of silence except for the other half of his soul fighting to live, as Chuuya always had.

Something about the turtle smile, so clearly fake because Dostoyevsky is there, and if he survives (Dazai has every contingency) there can not be a shred of evidence that Dazai cared for his former partner, and something about how if Chuuya was listening under the echoes of vampirism, he would know that Dazai is lying.

Something about there being no chance of ambiguity. Something about the darkness over his eyes, and the pain he's tried to wipe away. Something about shadows, and how you need light to cast them.

Something and something and something, and how soukoku have always been something more.

[natxxggl]

“Sorry there weren’t any! Goodbye 🎵”

[oca-needs-help]

No because we really thought that was the worst thing that could happen😭

[stinkypire]

is it just me or did season 5 ep 8 soldify that it wasn't a plan? like in the manga, you think that way bc there's only sm art can show. but the anime, dazai sounded genuinely devastated. his expressions and the way his voice was so strained at the end of his speech. i don't think there is a plan, he had no choice but to kill chuuya because he thought it was the only way to get rid of dostoevsky and save the world from him. his voice sounds so similar to when he sounded when odasaku died, just so unbeliveably devastated.

[blxssom-221]

Asagiri saw that we recovered from ch 101 too fast so decided to create ch 107 to keep us on our toes😀

[cffeine]

that has to be the quickest, worst fake smile i’ve seen thus far. i can’t (and this is as a manga reader… you know)

[bibiblocksberg1234]

I think this might have been the fakest we’ve ever seen Dazai. The voice actor did a great job, it sounded like he was trying to be his usual silly self but you could hear how he was close to crying.

[osaemu]

i just know that bones is gonna screw chapter 101 up and fisheye chuuya or something

[runboybeneaththemoon]

Gay gay homosexual Gay-

[pricel0ss]

I don't think Chuuya was turned into a vampire against his will.

Hear me out; The Nakahara Chuuya, The Port Mafia executive, The half of Double Black, The king of jewels, The king of the sheep, Arahabaki, was defeated and turned into a vampire?

The same Nakahara Chuuya that faced the king of assassins and survived.

The same Nakahara Chuuya that keeps up with the demon prodigy's plans without fail.

The same Nakahara Chuuya that was only recorded using corruption four times.

The bringer of the storm Paul Verlaine is currently waiting for.

Turned into a vampire, off screen, and you expect me to believe that he was "forced" into becoming one?

This is likely a part of some grand scheme, whether it's the work of Mori Ougai or Dazai Osamu doesn't matter. Because there's no way Asagiri forgot just how strong his character is. There is no one in the DOA that has the chance of overpowering Chuuya. The likelihood of him falling for one of Fyodor Dostoevsky's traps is low, merely due to the fact that if there was anything "Stormbringer" proved, it was that Nakahara Chuuya is not easy to kill nor trap.

[etrevil]

I need to talk about how well Bones did the skk apology/confession scene.

Like, oh my gosh, the lightning. Red and blue contrast? Yes. The focus solely being skk, and no unnecessary still frame of other characters (mourning the Fyolai scene rn)? YES, AMAZING, PERFECT.

They captured Dazai's expression so well. He looked miserable, he looked so deep in thought, like he was saying goodbye to that one, good, beautiful aspect of his life (Chuuyaaaa 😭).

His eyes were closed, he was taking a walk down memory lane, he was thinking back to when they were fifteen, he remembered when they held hands to defeat Rimbaud, when No Longer Human took affect and-

The cut using Dazai's ability made me need a moment. And then we have the close-up to his face, followed by Dazai finally opening his eyes after about half a minute of flashbacks. Of memories where he and Chuuya connected.

And then we have his close-eyed smile, so we don't see what he's actually feeling, where he's practically baring his teeth. He's back to his cheerful, devil-may-care persona while leaving his partner, a person others have described he shares a soul with and mimics perfection together (cough, Adam, cough), to drown.

I was offended on Chuuya's behalf, and I felt like tearing out the smiling menace's hair follicle by follicle when ONLY Chuuya's hat came into frame.

It was like I was experiencing chapter 101 all over again when it came out. And that, I think, is when I realized Bones did well on this. Amazing, even.

Because one thing I genuinely feared was the anime-only fans missing out on the emotions the manga brought out. What if the anime leaves out important bits about their relationship?

But this episode made me relive the night Dazai drowned Chuuya and there wasn't a next chapter to settle to fears. It made me feel so much injustice that I couldn't even cry.

I was absolutely scandalized by Dazai's "See you later, alligator!" (in one translation, cause the official uses the same, simple "goodbye!" as in the manga) and that makes me love it even more- because of course that little shit would bid Chuuya farewell like that.

Because of course, it's soukoku, and this is what they do best: secret codes, phrases only they can understand, soulmatism… And I like to think that see you later can either pertain to Chuuya coming back, or Dazai joining him, if you will.

tl;dr is that Bones did what we wanted and served the same emotional damage to the anime-only fans.

Alright so maybe this was all over the place but I think I finally got my thoughts down. I'm still not fine after this episode lol, and I probably never will be considering we might get chapter 109 animated at this rate and pace.

If that happens, I'm gone. Just, disintegrated. Nothing more.

What a year to be alive 😭

[uneducated-author]

I was thinking about why Dazai gives his soft speech to Chuuya. Because I don't think Dazai could underestimate his partner. Dazai, who's tried to drown in every river in Yokohama, and his partner who's scowled, thrown off his hat and cloak and dragged him out. That Dazai thinking that water could be Chuuya's weakness?

The Dazai who sees chuuya flinch as test tubes and read reports of clones and knows more than Chuuya would ever tell, he would kill Chuuya in that way? The way he most feared?

I think it was a play. Because Dostoyevsky and Dazai are very different, but there's one difference in their understanding. Dazai says it himself. People are sinful and foolish. But isn't that what makes them so wonderful?

Dostoyevsky thinks that Dazai's weakness is his drive to protect others. After all, that's why Dazai got himself shot in the cannibalism arc isn't it? Because he wanted to save his boss.

Dazai isn't all that sentimental. And he isn't looking for forgiveness and understanding. Like Chuuya would ever be swayed or fooled by pretty words. Who knows if he can even hear it, under layers of the stranger Dostoyevsky has made of him.

I was thinking, because that would mean that the speech is for Dostoyevsky. To give his enemy a target, to announce his weakness. That Chuuya is a soft point, that you were right to keep him as a card up your sleeve, because look at how he has compromised Dazai.

And what does Dostoyevsky do, when Dazai begs for his death? He sends Dazai's only weakness. He sends Chuuya to kill Dazai slowly, painfully, in every way that Dazai fears.

He's brought the two of them back together. It's foolish really. Any enemy of Soukoku can tell you. The team that surpasses all gifted. There's no saving you after you've seen that.

[sanest-bsd-delegate]

I'll STOP I SWEAR-

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

So, after reading this post I noticed that the water motif always seems to pop up in Chuuya's character. The tank from SB, the ocean, him almost drowning, etc. WHAT IF, JUST TO PISS OFF ME SPECIFICALLY, DAZAI FUCKING DROWNED CHUUYA TO TRIGGER CRAZY PTSD FROM THE TUBE TO SNAP HIM OUT OF THE VAMPIRE THING. NOW, I KNOW THAT THIS IS PROBABLY NOT WHAT HAPPENED BUT. WHAT IF. IT WAS. WHAT BETTER WAY TO REMIND HIM OF HIS OWN AUTONOMY THAN TO MAKE HIM REMEMBER WHEN HE WAS HAVING AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS ABOUT WHETHER HE'S A HUMAN BEING OR A FUCKING LAB-MADE CLONE. SEEMS LIKE A DAZAI THING TO DO.

Also, water=ocean=fish=mackerel=Dazai. Dazai is the water to Chuuya's fire. Like how he can "douse" Chuuya when his flames get a little too out of control, aka corruption. (Ouhghghghghghhg character foils and parallels.) Wait, since Fyodor is a greasy rat wouldn't he be like oil to Dazai's water?? Constantly at odds and literally impossible to combine??? Sus. Him using Chuuya, who's like fire. Using him to make him "stronger"????? Idk. Do with this what you will.

"WHAT IF, JUST TO PISS OFF ME SPECIFICALLY" <- Do you have ANY IDEA how hard I laughed at this?

Hello again, by the way.

Oh! That's @carrotkicks's Code 01 Stormbringer art! It's so good, huh? The tags on it got to me too.

I had been thinking along similar lines to you when I first read Chapter 101. See, I think I may have mentioned before, but that chapter was actually the first one I read when it came out - up until that point I had been frantically trying to catch up on everything I had missed. I think I had just finished Stormbringer maybe two days before? And then that happened. Yeah. :') (<- face of pain)

So, Stormbringer was still fresh in my memory when I read it and I instantly went "why would you drown him Asagiri??? why the hell would you do that to him?" And then I came to a similar conclusion. The last time Chuuya was entirely submerged was the lab tank, and that memory is distant, vague and associated with the violence of Corruption. So, that's what I seriously thought might happen, especially since Stormbringer all but confirmed Chuuya has PTSD, and trauma tends to activate fight or flight. Even more so because there was no way Dazai would just go "welp see ya Chuuya nice knowing you". Yeah, I really thought he was intentionally trying to piss him off (though I think the water trap was set in advance, before he knew Chuuya would be there).

I went online to see what people were saying and everyone was upset, and I was like "yeah! me too!" but then people were talking about how mad they were at Dazai for killing Chuuya and I was so confused because well. This is why I was upset.

Look at their faces! Both of them! They are both miserable.

Anyways, while I don't think the water was intentional on Dazai's part, I do think that whole "sorry there weren't any" with the big fake smile was done to make Chuuya angry enough to fight back and regain control. I'm pretty sure he's in control of himself now, but I'm not 100% certain how - Was it the water? Was it the words? Had it just finally been long enough for him to snap out of it himself? Had he secretly been in control the whole time (doubt it but don't want to rule out the possibility)? Guess we'll find out. Eventually.

Also WATER-OIL-FIRE galaxy brain! Nice nice nice! Water being our introduction to Dazai, the way it flows and can erode rock and soil, change the course of things. Oil being used to lubricate machinery, and power engines, so that every cog runs smoothly in Fyodor's plans. Wildfire that rages and burns and can go out of control but is also warm and protective for those in the night - the duality of Chuuya. Also with the idea of oil adding fuel to flames - I had just commented on how it seems likely Fyodor has something up his sleeve on the off-chance Chuuya shakes off the brainwashing; could be information on singularities, or skk's bond, or even Chuuya himself. It may even be part of the plan, honestly - he's seen how these two work before. For him to make the "mistake" of gloating to Dazai that he doesn't know how to "use" Chuuya's ability concerns me.

Hm. I will chew on this. Tasty.

[stinkypire]

crying because skk are so emotionally constipated that they could never admit how they truly feel unless the other's on the brink of death or brainwashed.