#the note is because theres a post claiming he kept a diary

[kaurwreck]

It's also a cute nod to irl Akutagawa's admiration for Kunikida Doppo. When irl Akutagawa began writing more autobiographical fiction, he, to some degree, emulated Kunikida Doppo, and made reference to him:

"He kept a “Diary without Self-Deceit” in imitation of the writer Kunikida Doppo; on its lined pages he recorded passages like this: 'I am unable to love my father and mother. No, this is not true. I do love them, but I am unable to love their outward appearance. A gentleman should be ashamed to judge people by their appearance. How much more so should he be ashamed to find fault with that of his own parents. Still, I am unable to love the outward appearance of my father and mother… . Doppo said he was in love with love. I am trying to hate hatred. I am trying to hate my hatred for poverty, for falsehood, for everything.'"

Akutagawa Ryūnosuke, Daidouji Shinsuke: The Early Years

(Note: Although Akutagawa wrote Daidouju Shinsuke to be an effigy of himself, it's unclear if Akutagawa actually kept a "Diary without Self Deceipt" when he was younger. Regardless, he clearly held Kunikida in high regard.)

I completely forgot that Akutagawa told Kunikida point blank that he believed he was “worthy” of Dazai. In the original Japanese, he says Kunikida was “worthy of being Dazai’s cover,” with how well he’d held his own in a fight against Rashoumon. In the English dub, he says Kunikida was “worthy of being Dazai’s partner.”

Knowing what we know about Dazai’s former partner, Chuuya—who is not only someone universally revered and respected as one of the deadliest weapons of the Port Mafia—as well as Akutagawa’s famous obsession with being enough for Dazai himself, that’s a huge fucking compliment.