#ozaki kōyō

[bsd-bibliophile]

Outwardly, she was fortunate and happy and envied by many, inwardly, all was darkness and misery.

Ozaki Kōyō, The Gold Demon

[random-colorpicked-pride-flags]

could you do the lesbian flag from Ozaki Kouyou of Bungou Stray Dogs fame

Here you go!

Lesbian Flag Colorpicked from Ozaki Kouyou (Bungo Stray Dogs)

[hopefull-mindset]

Kyara Makura (伽羅枕)

The Kuchi-e (Frontispiece) for Ozaki Kouyou’s novel of the same name; artwork by Takeuchi Keishū. The literal translation of “Kyara Makura” is Agarwood Pillow. It was a wooden pillow with drawers so that incense could be burned inside. It had been mainly used by those in the Red Light District.

Novel Description Translation:

Born in Gion, sold in Shimabara, and became famous in Yoshiwara, this is the story of Sadayū. As it continues to unfold the many brilliant stories surrounding her, the author's brush reaches its full potential, vividly capturing the state of times and the underbelly of humanity in appearance and richness. It’s one of the masterpieces of Meiji Era brothel literature and Kouyou’s first full-length novel.

Wiki Summary Translation:

Osen was the child of a Geiko from Gion and Mizuno Iwami-no-Kami, a Hatamoto on duty in the capital. After the death of her mother, she was taken in by a rice trader named Nishiokaya and raised in luxury. At the age of 12, her adoptive family went bankrupt and was sold to a bald man in Shimabara as a “stepping stone to tamanokoshi**”. At 16 years old, her fee was paid off by a retired man—then after his passing, became the mistress of a samurai in the capital. Wishing to see her father, she begs to come with him into Edo, but shortly after, the samurai dies and all that remains is a child she bares. At a loss, she visits the Iwami-no-Kami residence to find that her father had died 17 years earlier.

Hearing that her half-sister—who‘s the wife of a high-ranking man—missed her, she waits at Ueno Yamashita to meet her. However, the attendants of the Kago her half-sister rode scolded her and didn't let her get close. At the age of 22, in order to survive with resilience and a feeling of rebellion, she sent her baby to another and immersed herself in Yoshiwara, where she became an Oiran. She spent her dramatic, tumultuous years with the spirit and skill of a prostitute in Kofu at 28. Finally, she became a servant of a 67 year old man with leprosy in Kajikazawa. With the heartfelt wish to “extinguish the immeasurable amount of indiscretion that can be created”, she gently nursed him back to recovery.

As she cuts her black hair, she also cuts off the men that come into her life again and again. Till she’s 62 years old and onward, she secluded herself in a home within Dangozaka to enshrine the 34 departed souls of prostitutes.

(**tamanokoshi (玉の輿): I wasn’t entirely comfortable trying to put it into something concise, but it’s an expression that means money and status gained by marrying a rich and powerful man.)

[sskk-manifesto]

Insane over how much emphasis is put on Kouyou protecting / shielding Kyouka from the light both symbolically and visually, with Kouyou literally shadowing Kyouka with her robes as soon as she gets near her.

[xxlady-lunaxx]

like father like son (or like.. sister like brother?…)

[amortemiux]

I actually love how Kōyō's right eye is specifically covered and not her left because the right eye is mostly believed to be "good" or to represent "Heaven." While the left eye is to represent the "devil" or "hell." This is again connected to connected to Kōyō's beliefs on the world itself. When we see the panel of when Kōyō was much younger, she had both eyes visible, but in present timeline and overall after the death of the older man she attempted to escape with, her right eye is covered. This is actually to show how Kōyō can't see anything but darkness now. She has covered the good part of herself and has accepted the darkness and cruelty of the mafia. She had both eyes present when she was younger because she had the chance of being in the light. But now, that chance is gone, and she is stuck in the dark, refusing to come out. We can also see that she almost always has her right hand covered, again, symbolising how she has become the darkness in a way. The right hand is considered holy, and the fact that she often covers it is such an interesting detail.

This also greatly reforms there whole "siblings -in -everything but- not -blood" as currently chuuya is walking the same path as kōyō did once just in a different way, chuuya's path started out different from kōyō but I can see him covering his right eye again if he becomes the next pm boss . The same path different shoes.

Similarly chuuya also is sporting a similar hair style by covering his right eye or the "good" , "heavenly" because he refuses to believe in the good of the people after the deaths of the flags of his friends 

This also makes chuuya seem more similar to verlaine as he is literally having the same hairstyle as him , showing his possible sway to his older brothers words and actions

[kyouka-supremacy]

Sorry but. Sorry I. Is. She. The. Existence. Sorry. Have you. Look. Have you seen her

[teaanddflowers]

*He's starting at the door right outside her office, contemplating on going in or not.*

@perparetobespammedcalled (Xavier the messed up child)

*Kōyō is busy with some paperwork as usual.*

[nouveauxamoris]

cheri cheri lady 🌸🍒

RBS APPRECIATED!

[bsd-bdays]

• Kōyō Ozaki

➥ @goldenflowerinthedark

• Yukichi Fukuzawa

➥ @the-silver-wolf-in-the-dark

➥ @fukuzawa-armeddaddyagency

[runboybeneaththemoon]

Kouyou with her hair down 🛐🛐

[bsd-bibliophile]

It was a grief which I shall never forget as long as I live. . . . . .But that’s just the way of the world. It is either treacherous or illusory, either illusory or selfish. . . . . . and always disgusting. . . . . .

Ozaki Kōyō, The Gold Demon

[sskk-manifesto]

“There was a woman who craved the same light as you, who was burned by it and fell into the darkness.”

            — Happy Birthday Kōyō Ozaki | 01.10

[kyouka-supremacy]

One day closer to Kouyou in Hoshikawa's art style

[teaanddflowers]

"Peace offering did not work with big kid."

"He also called me little abortion...."

@perparetobespammedcalled

"What big kid- Oh. What happened?"

[kyouka-supremacy]

#chuuya has been shoehorned into leadership positions before #which turned out horrifying for him #so i think he would rather let someone else do it #i also think chuuya is kind hearted in a way that's not conductive to being a mafia boss #not saying he would not be capable of it #but rather than i do not think he would Want to do it #likewise kouyou is actively invested in the state of the port mafia #she mentions on multiple occasions that she hates what the port mafia used to be #but she is okay with what it currently is under mori's control #so i think if mori were to die or resign for whatever reason #she would be the best candidate to pick up his mantle #because she genuinely cares about the organization as a whole

These tags were too good to ignore!!!

unpopular opinion but i actually see Kouyou as the possible next Boss of the Port Mafia 👀

like ppl talk abt it being Chuuya but imo… Chuuya : Ranpo :: Kouyou : Kunikida

(Chuuya & Ranpo being the “hearts” of their orgs while Kouyou & Kunikida are the “heads”)