#shoot the hostages

[hina-has-no-life]

Dark Era: Dazai and Akutagawa

The Scene in Dark Era where Dazai shoots Akutagawa was abusive and messed up, but sadly justified on Dazai's end.

Now this may sound harsh but let's take a step back from the emotions the scene causes and look at it purely logical and analytical. (No I am not excusing the abuse Akutagawa went through. Dazai had no right to abuse him but this scene is more than abuse.)

What happens in this scene?

Per Dazai's orders as an Executive within the Port Mafia agents from Mimic were captured to be taken to Kouyou for interrogation, as is her department. Akutagawa then kills the hostages in retaliation for the casualties the Mafia suffered at the hands of Mimic. Dazai proceeds to punch and shoot Akutagawa.

In essence this is what happened: Akutagawa disregarded direct orders of his executive in front of multiple people and said executive. Plain and simple, this is insubordination.

We know, due to Stormbringer, that insubordination of the Boss and his executives (who essentially work as extensions of the Boss within the BSD Mafia) is a death sentence. It's at the same level as betrayal.

So, while messed up and abusive, Dazai's reaction can be classified as a mercy. Had it been another executive or Mori, Akutagawa would be dead. And no, you can not use that Chuuya cares for Akutagawa as an argument against Akutagawa dying here were it Chuuya. Chuuya's loyality is to the Mafia and Mori in a situation like this. We saw this at the end of the Guild Arc when Chuuya asked Mori what punishment Akutagawa should face for disregarding Mafia orders and going on to the Moby Dick. Since the moment in Dark Era is a similar case, it is safe to assume Chuuya would have asked Mori for the punishment and then delivered it.

Now here comes the much more interesting part about this scene I sadly do not see talked about. (If you find posts talking about it please send them my way!)

This scene shows us, in a very subtle way, how the dynamic between Akutagawa and Dazai works.

But how? Let's count it: - Akutagawa is very self assured in his insubordination. - Dazai gives him a chance to speak up about his reasoning, to defend himself and ask for forgiveness for his blatant insubordination. - Akutagawa in turn arrogantly doubles down on his decision. - Dazai punishes him.

While Dazai framed the moment at the end as a teaching moment with his comment about Akutagawas use of Rashomon, it is mostly a punishment. Yes there are 2 moments that can be seen as a teaching moment but what Dazai does is in fact nothing more than a punishment in his eyes.

(Giving Akutagawa the chance to think about his rash action was the first teaching moment btw)

Now the way the scene is handeled with it's framing tells us something interesting about the relationship between Dazai and Akutagawa.

Dazai actively favours Akutagawa with his treatment.

But how? It's a good question because the answer is very much hidden.

Both characters treat the situation as something usual. This in turn tells us that Akutagawa often commits insubordination against Dazai. And only Dazai, since Dazai takes him under his wing as his direct and only student. (This is made clear in the short where he actually recruits a younger Akutagawa) This means that Dazai does favour his student above other subordinates rather openly. We know he would not let this slide with other people under his command. The scene at the beginning of the Dark Era LN with Hirotsu shows this.

Akutagawa's reaction to being shot also tells us that this is the first time Dazai points a weapon at him. While not expecting, but accepting, the punch he did not expect to face a harsher punishment than this.

He is visibly surprised. But not just him.

In the Anime adaption (which is the best LN adaption in BSD) we see that even the other subordinates around them only become surprised when Dazai draws the gun and shoots Akutagawa.

Did Dazai think Akutagawa would survive being shot at? 100% yes. He even says as much after the fact.

(This is actually what makes teaching moment number 2, since he remarks that Akutagawa "finally" managed to protect himself with Rashomon. This tells us that they were actively training this and Akutagawa was failing at it for some time already.)

In short: - Akutagawa feels very much secure in his position at Dazai's side, despite the regular abuse. - Dazai favours Akutagawa openly enough within the PM that other subordinates are surprised when Akutagawa faces an openly harsh punishment. - Akutagawa, in committing insubordination, regulary disrespects Dazai as his superior and Dazai let's it slide. This is something that mirrors the relationship between Dazai and Mori, as Dazai does disrespect Mori in private and Mori let's this slide. (The biggest difference in this relationship mirror is that Dazai never disrespects Mori in front of other people.)

In my eyes (and I hope we learn more soon) this also shows that Dazai's abuse of Akutagawa has multiple reasons. - Dazai sees himself in Akutagawa. Dazai also hates himself and blames himself for shortcomings so he projects this onto Akutagawa, who he then abuses because of it. - A warped sense of care. In his own, very fucked up, way Dazai does care for Akutagawa. Is he good at showing it? Absolutely not. He wants Akutagawa to be stronger than Dazai himself is, he wants him to be better. So he favors him but also abuses him. - He favors Akutagawa so Akutagawa needs to get strong extremely fast to avoid a conflict within the ranks of the Mafia. - Dazai tries to get Akutagawa as strong as possible as fast as possible since Akutagawa effectively went from joining to third highest rank in 10 seconds and needs to prove himself in front of everyone else, not just Dazai's eyes. In this he ends up abusing Dazai because he himself is a child with a very limited understanding of teaching. What he does know, through Mori as his teacher, is that cruelty and abuse are effective teaching methods that work faster than proving patience and taking things slow.

(am I saying that Mori physically abused Dazai? No. But he, as shown in Beast and Fifteen, honestly answers to the questions his students ask him. It is entirely possible that he simply told Dazai different teaching methods and Dazai decided on the fastest one instead of the best and most effective.)

and thank you @sorcerersandskillusers for sending me the LN parts I mentioned above!! I didn't have the energy to look them up when I initially posted this and he did me the favor of getting them for me!

To summarize: The scene is a punishment for direct insubordination and shows us, the viewer, a deeper look into the relationship between Akutagawa and Dazai.

[wulfhalls]

dudeee wtf is up with alicent and her brother's chemistry? damn????

they're sooooo tragic lovers parting for the last time unrealised unspoken love core here..... that last look back...... that's the father of her child her brother and she didn't have him in her life in either capacity when his steadfastness and gentle support is all she would have needed. and she got a glimpse of it here. what could have been. but thats all it is. a glimpse. never to be

[dilfslayer1080p]

A friend was streaming Felvidek last night and we had no idea who the fuck Adam was or where he came from. I tried to check the wiki to see if we maybe just forgot about an earlier appearance but there was only one piece of information.

Man ur so right

[allmyandroids]

Raymond Reddington

In Season 4 Episode 2 - Mato

[jubileepizza]

Episode 7 of miracle day is (literally) hit after hit after hit after hit

Gwen and Jack car drive (top ten scenes of all time);

Gwen talking about her survivors guilt and survivors glee from torchwood;

Gwen and Jack both swearing in no uncertain terms that they will kill the other to save themselves/their families and the silent forgiveness and mutual understanding despite it all;

Jack’s desperate unapologetic desire to survive;

Gay sex;

Jack getting teary talking about the doctor’s companions (and maybe he could have one too (Jack doctorification fans rejoice)(Jack’s-rejection-issues fans rejoice));

Betrayal;

Gay sex turned into betrayal;

Really bloody brutal violent betrayal;

The whole basement scene is just… and to culminate in angelo washing jacks bloody feet… god;

ANDY SHOOTS A MAN IN THE HEAD

[just-whump-and-suffering]

NCIS Sydney ep 01

[jingledbells]

can people TAG B//FORD MY GODDDDDDD

[reddthefett]

Weber and Johnston from the old R6 games (and novel) ❤️👍

(full screen for better quality)

this is the raw/original piece without the polaroid :D

[jilyandbambi]

the ceasefire would still be on rivht at this moment had Hamas not broken it with the terrorist attack in Jerusalem and by repeatedly reneging on its agreement to release Israeli hostages.

[meownotgood]

50,000 words. 50k words of aki sex. five zero zero zero zero. aki sex.

[atissi]

(source from prev post) this is actually disgusting.

[sedlex]

It kinda seems that they don't even care about the hostages they're supposed to be saving, the IDF is in Gaza just to kill people.

[the-lady-maddy]

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[news4dzhozhar]

[aestariiwilderness]

Language warning but yep. This is how the majority of the American people feel about "pro-Palestinian" (read: pro-Hamas, pro-terrorism, and pro-murder, rape, and child-napping as a means of problem-solving) protestors. Really. If you hate America/bastions of western civilization/the Judeo-Christian ethic that provides the concept of universal inalienable human rights/religious freedom/democracy so much.... The door to tyranny, slavery, and barbarism is that way. Don't let it hit you in the butt on your way out. https://honestreporting.com/behind-the-numbers-understanding-american-support-for-israel/ https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-810564

 https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/10/15/israel-made-the-west-israel-is-saving-the-west/

[naradreamscape]

>football game with Netherlands vs. the settlement

>the Dutch are obviously incredibly xenophobic

>gets violent; settlers and athletes have to be evacuated

>people on this site are going "THIS IS WHY WE NEED THE SETTLEMENT!!! THE WHOLE WORLD IS UNSAFE FOR US!!"

>other morons blaming Arabs for this incident, instead of the Netherlands's long-established history of institutional racism and the inherent derangement of football fans