#they only lost the first fukuchi fight because a) they didn't know about the time sword

[spliqi]

tbh i’m rlly excited for the tripolar fukuchi showdown. you people aren't real sskk believers i think they can clutch it without chuuya/dazai/verlaine/whichever overpowered character stepping in to carry the fight

[featherstorm2004]

Passing on the blade, a Fukuzawa and Akutagawa theory

In the wake of the s5 finale and me rereading the manga I've been looking at the characters more closely than I did in the past, looking for interesting dynamics, similarities, or fascinating possibilities. During this time I have begun to notice the odd similarities in both Fukuzawa and Akutagawa's stories, and after the ending of the decay of anger arc I can't help but feel they're about to intersect.

But first let me explain the similarities I have noticed in these two story arcs. One of the first things I noticed about these two is that Fukuzawa seems to be an Akutagawa who has already gone through his character arc and joined the side of the light, this is because of what we know of Fukuzawa's backstory before he met Ranpoe. He describes it as him not knowing whether he was killing for the sake of his country or for the sake of his own bloodlust, it's clear that despite himself Fukuzawa found some joy or pleasure in killing if for nothing else than to prove his skills and who dose that sound like?

Akutagawa

Of course their reasons for being down such a path are vastly different but the end results are still the same. However, the president was able to realise this and pull himself away from that dark path, and were beginning to see that same transition happen in Akutagawa due to his deal with atsushi. I believe by the s5 finale we've seen Akutagawa enter that grey transition period that we find the president in before he met Ranpoe, where he's not really sure what he wants for himself but he dose know that he doesn't want to be what he was before.

This stage of development I have deemed the "Lone samurai arc" where the characters take time away from their typical organisations or paths to contemplate themselves and the futures they want.

But of course aside form those narrative links we also have one of their strongest narrative connections at this point in this story and that is their respective connections to Fukuchi.

It's clear by the end of this arc that Fukuchi has had a profound impact on both Fukuzawa and Akutagawa's development. He was the one who kickstarted Akutagawa's rebirth by taking his life and forcing him to come to terms with many truths he had been running from on the form of sacrificing himself for Atsushi. Whereas Fukuzawa is left distraught and angry by the end of this arc being incapable of killing his best friend and being forced to go along with Fukuchi and Fyodor's plot, with Fukuchi sacrificing his life for the sake of Fukuzawa and the world.

I am very curious to see this mans future impact on both of their stories as Fukuchi appears to have been the whirlwind that knocked Akutagawa onto the right path whilst dislodging Fukuzawa from his.

There's also the fact that Fukuchi shows explicit interest in Akutagawa as a student, now whether this was genuine is up to debate but I believe it is. as I believe if the offer to train Akutagawa as his personal student is a fascinating choice for Fukuchi, it's very clear he didn't want to kill akutagawa to the point he took out Bram specifically to revive him. But the question is why? well I think it's because during their battle I think he saw a little bit of Fukuzawa in this crazy boy who challenged him and almost won.

After all the only reason Fukichi won that fight was because of the space time sword, otherwise he's have been screwed. And I can't help but wonder did Atsushi tell the others about this interest, will it get back to the president who just lost his beast friend but still has to boy he explicitly chose to spare and wished to teach.

I wonder if that will stir something in him.

This is the part where I enter theory territory but I think after this arc Fukuzawa is going to take a step back from being the president of the ada, at least for the moment. He's devastated at this point in time and probably feels responsible for all that has happened since the entirety of Fukuchi's plan hinged on him being pupated around and Fukuchi in the end got what he wanted, he succeeded. And the entirety of the ada, hell even the entire world had to suffer for that to happen so, he probably won't feel fit to lead the ada.

And this is where Akutagawa comes back into the picture, now he's just survived being killed, turned into a vampire and now the end of the world or whatever the heck happed during the two hours after Fukuchi's death. So, overall the guy has been run ragged and is probably going through a lot physiologically with having to cope with ALL of that.

Plus he's finally shed Dazai's coat and his mentor is on the other side of the world, he couldn't be further away from Dazai if he tried. And I can't help but feel that this is purposeful on Asagiri's part, without Dazai's constant influence for the first time Akutagawa has been given the space to think with a clear head and make his own choices.

And this is where I feel Akutagawa and Fukuzawa's plots will finally start to intertwine.

Now, I think we can all agree that Akutagawa's new outfit is fire but as it's been joked about it looks suspiciously like a knights armour and I can't help but wonder if there's as reason for that. We know from interviews with Asagiri that out of all the Characters in this story Akutagawa is the one who goes through the biggest change, and I can't help but wonder if one of these changes is taking Dazai off of his pedestal and excepting new influences, new mentors into his life.

And that might included Fukuzawa, devastated after his best friends death but also desperate to sooth the guilt he feels for all of Fukuchi's crimes. Maybe he'll feel a kinship with Akutagawa who is just as lost as he is and in desperate need of guidance after Fukuchi shatted his world by killing and reviving him. They might just be what they both need during this trying time.

Plus every knight need his sword and I can't help but feel it would be thematically approbate for Akutagawa to begin welding Fukuzawa's blade or hell even the space time sword as an alternative to Rashomon, a way for him to not solely rely on his ability. It can also represent Akutagawa taking back his power and agency by wearing the very weapons that tried to kill him as a power to protect other and himself.

It could also be seen as Fukuzawa passing on his legacy to the new generation of Double Black and finally allowing himself to rest.

But that's just a theory.

*Edit* apparently there's been Akutagawa and blade symbolism longer then I thought. (Quote from Dazai in the dark era)

[madraleen]

Bungo Stray Dogs - Kafka Asagiri/Sango Harukawa Vol. 20 - The Usual Capslock Insanity (*anime spoilers and manga spoilers up to ch.115)

-aku-kun and atsushi, what a beautiful cover. LOOK AT THEM ON THE SPREAD TOO, THEY'RE SO-

-i really do want dazai to play nice with aku-kun. i want that for aku-kun. because aku-kun wants that. hey ho, was he always that pretty and i've missed him, or did he get prettier

-i want everyone to remember that the age difference between dazai and aku-kun is TWO YEARS. just two years. it's hilarious and terrifying.

-"and i would never deign to save the man-tiger" akutagawa says, as if he's not doing just that on reflex by now

-"just the two of us?" "do we need any more?" every time this exchange happens, it's a very IT'S THEM heart-eyes moment, and the answer is always YES BOYS YES, DAMN YOU NEED MORE!

-"the twin dark of the new generation" YOU ARE THE SAME GENERATION, DAZAI, FFS

-"young men... take the path that leaves no regret in your soul." in an alternate universe, aku-kun and atsushi heed fukuchi's advice, turn and kiss each other.

-this is something i get in the volumes and something i get with recent chapters - every chapter is SO. MUCH, it's such an experience, that no matter the page count, it feels like i've read a mini-arc. i legit cannot binge-read even though i know the plot. i say this as a good thing.

-my boy so strong :') akutagawa is so strong :')

-akutagawa thinks "i can't go on by myself" and atsushi sweeps in and saves him, WE GET IT, YOU NEED IT EACH OTHER, and we love you for it

-the panel of akutagawa's arm over atsushi's shoulder as atsushi supports him, my heart

-yeah see aku-kun, last time it was "just the two of us" you kinda died. so. given our current circumstances and the singularity and all - NO YOU CAN'T "JUST THE TWO OF US" YOUR WAY OUT OF THIS, PLEASE!

-"if you can land a hit, it can even kill god" oh?! oh?! foreshadowing? maybe?!

-OKAY YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOOK SO AGONIZED WHEN YOU CALL OUT "MAN-TIGER" AFTER ATSUSHI GETS YEETED, AKU-KUN, YOU REALLY DON'T

-dazai should have ramped up his goddamn team-building drills for aku-kun and atsushi, look where we are now -.- DAZAI-SAN, WHY DIDN'T YOU FORESEE THIS FUCKERY (you know i've been bsd-brainwashed when i've gone from "dazai predicted this TOO?! preposterous!" to "WHY DIDN'T YOU PREDICT THIS, DAZAI, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!")

-if i catch you babbling about dazai-san accepting you when you're up against the singularity, aku-kun, honest-to-god. don't you dare.

-"there isn't a man on earth who can replace dazai-san" i mean, agreed. BUT IF I CATCH YOU BEING RECKLESS FOR DAZAI-SAN WHEN FIGHTING THE SINGULARITY, AKU-KUN! we lost you once. it was enough. also the tragedy of aku-kun considering dazai his master. he works for mori, chuuya and the others are right there, dazai isn't in the mafia, he's literally in the enemy organization and they often have conflicting interests, yet when a master is mentioned, he instantly understands that to be dazai.

-aku-kun's expressions as he negotiates with fukuchi are such a mood

-fukuchi says he's grown weary of taking the lives of children for his mission, and guess who the singularity kills first -.- FYODOR, WHEN WE CATCH YOU FYODOR!

-BUT IS THAT UNNAMED LUNG DISEASE CURED NOW THAT AKU-KUN HAS LITERALLY DIED AND BEEN RESURRECTED AS A VAMPIRE AND WILL BECOME HUMAN AGAIN?! IF NOT, CAN YOSANO FIX IT?! AKU-KUN, fuck it, just come to the agency, we're open to anyone. atsushi will vouch for you if push comes to shove.

-lil atsushi's fighting stance, i love him so much.

-what beautiful action panels. so beautiful.

-I HATE TIME TRAVEL, IT'S SO UNFAIR! THEY BEAT FUKUCHI, THEY BEAT HIM FAIR AND SQUARE, IT'S UNFAIR

-not to be a fukuchi defender or anything, but imagine how wretched he must be feeling, needing to kill these two after all this effort and tenacity, after learning and adapting under pressure, after they legit beat him

-the end of the tripolar singularity could be "everyone dies, only fyodor and aya survive, end of the manga" and i'd be like "yep, can't argue with that, can't fault you for that, you couldn't write yourself out of that one."

-it's okay. it's OKAY, AKU-KUN WILL COME BACK, it's o- i hate it here.

-HHHRRRRR "away with you, you fool" and aku-kun smiles?!?! ARGH

-oh wait, atsushi doesn't know that akutagawa is alive in the manga timeline, right?! wait, do we see dazai's reaction to akutagawa's first death? omg i've forgotten so much from the anime.

-BRAAAAAAM

-WHAT ARE THE OTHER NINE CALAMITIES? MARY SHELLEY ANYONE?!

-and what happened to aku-kun's coat? atsushi left wearing it, but on the shore with ango he doesn't have it, and vampire!akutawaga doesn't have it either.

-so did killing bram cancel the skill so there's no more vampires, or is the skill still active through the echoes in his body? i vote for the first option 'cause the latter would complicate things too much, right? RIGHT?!

[hellcatinnc]

Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5 Anime Review

Includes Spoilers

First part of this season by episode 5 I was disgusted. You see the team get back together well partially and then watch each die. The moment I saw them kill of Akutagawa I went sick. Literally watching them hurt Tachihara irritated me.

They were killing people off left and right and you also saw them all start getting turned into vampires because of Fukuchi that runs the hunting dogs. He is almost invincible I mean I used to think that Fyodor was the worst but this guy is way worse. I would much rather deal with Fyodor, however him killing (knocking him out fingers crossed) Sigma annoyed me cause Sigma grew on me.

I thought Dazai had knocked him off by drowning him to find out SOB still survived. But when that vampire shoved that pole into his stomach I almost rejoiced like if it was the wicked witch dead kinda thing. As time goes on its not hard to see Ranpo is the one controlling most of this season. Its different because he is always the one that only steps up in criminal things but damn this boy taking over and stepping up and being in control and dominant makes him so hot.

Watching Fukuzawa get stabbed broke my heart was so glad it ended up not killing him. Then I had to watch him his childhood best friend which brought me to tears. I hated Fukuchi it felt like no one could beat that asshole not even Jouno.

Is it bad I still feel like Jouno reminds me of saint germain in code realize lol.

I loved how Kenji handle things with Tetchō Suehiro, because he flipped his shit and honestly I had no clue this boy was so deadly he looks so cute all the time. Haha guess you really do have to worry about the sweet looking ones. I mean take Ranpo this season he stepped his shit up so much that I felt like season 4 and 5 gave him a directive of who he was. Not gonna lie though I was worry Kenji would kill him and that would have been a waste cause Tetchō Suehiro is hot.

The vampire king Bram the connection he made to Aya Koda then for you to see its because she reminds him of his daughter that I presume died or he lost. Then when she saves him and he bows before her I loved it he was like I'm lord and count but in this moment I am your knight, that was sweet and honorable too.

I didn't like Akutagawa being a vampire however at the very end when him and Atsushi were taking in that last fight I loved know that Akutagawa was back to his normal self as hot as ever.

I feel like season 5 was all over the place however its a season that keeps you on edge because when you think you know whats going to happen something happens changing that. I will say after all the seasons this is still by far my favorite anime because there are hot guys in it, great voice actors, cool characters and abilities, it has the ability to make me laugh, get angry, get happy, and cry all in one show. Thats not something you find often and for that reason I can't wait for more of this show.

Some other honorable mentions of this season. Dazai of course even though he was behind the scenes alot he was also deep in Fyodor's head and the reason that man is dead. Then psycho dude Nikolai Gogol weird he is a cool looking character but I swear he is sadistic and weird and the reason why the set in motion for the detective agency to get so messed up. He can look cool just wish he would look cool and shut up.

Chuuya pretending to be a vampire was different like to me there wasn't enough Chuuya in this season and I would have loved to see him as a vampire without the stupid red eyes. I thought they really messed up the look of the vampires in that way.

Also this was a cool move Akutagawa did and is it just me but before he became a vampire that man got hotter, maybe its just cause I went season 4 without him and Chuuya for the most part so I became touch starved by these men.

Granted some of the others were in the picture but very little besides Atsushi he is always the heart in the background or in the front and I love him for that. Not to mention when him and Akutagawa fight and he gives the were tiger his power too so bad ass.

Anyways now I get to go through withdraw until a new season however you can plan to see some fan fic some hot and steamy as well as fluff of these sexy men. If you have yet to see it definitely check it out. Its not normally my type but the characters are so relatable, sexy, charming etc you won't want to stop watching.

[beneaththemasks]

hey I promised this a long time ago but my depressed ass didn't let me write so

Analyzing Atsushi and Akutagawa pt.2

cw: dazai hate and beast spoilers

previous part here

first of all I want to clarify that this has been sitting in my drafts for nearly a whole year so yeah it's very likely that I might forget some important details but I'll try to get to my initial point anyways.

a few month ago when I decided to reread beast for a second time (after realising I hadn't paid much attention to it the first time) I came up with all these ideas of how and why Dazai decided to pair Akutagawa and Atsushi together.

again, this analysis is going to be a very real-life-based interpretation on the characters and the whole plot probably. so don't really pay much attention if I mix stuff from the light novels with stuff from the main plot bc the point is basically analyse why their relationship was built.

parting from the final scenes of the beast novel that end with Dazai telling Atsushi and Akutagawa that he needed to make them fight each other in order to protect the world he had created for Oda inside the book, I tried to tie a few ends that were hanging lose for a while in my head.

now, you can read this however you like (be it me being just stupid or whatever) but, ever since we got to see part of how Dazai treated Akutagawa back in the Port Mafia I kept finding myself going through the same problem over and over again to try and understand why the hell was he so fucking obsessed with making him physically stronger rather than, you know, actually focusing on training him as a whole good and worthy subordinate.

why did dazai, being as smart and manipulative as he is, made such a rudimentary mistake of only teaching akutagawa how to strengthen his ability if he knew the boy was a killing machine?

I think you can understand then why the part where Dazai makes them fight each other in beast was even MORE confusing to me...

but that's not all there is to it.

Dazai not only failed (?) to train Akutagawa but he did succeed in training Atsushi??

well, as much as we love to see a character growing and as much as you'd like to attribute it to him leaving the mafia, I don't really think that was the reason. after all, as I already said, Dazai is very smart and has always been, he probably already had it all planned back in the port mafia.

and here's where my galaxy brain starts to think.

right from the start, the whole Dazai's subordinates deal felt very strange and inconsistent to me. I never understood why would he loose so much for Akutagawa and obsess so much with pointing out the fact that Atsushi was better than him when he was no longer part of the PM therefore he supposedly shouldn't mind about wether Akutagawa was good bad or whatever.

it started getting very dense to me tbh but that's not important

enter beast, a world where Dazai can literally do almost anything he wants, and what does he do? the boy goes and straight up fucks up akutagawa and atsushi for the second time makes akutagawa and atsushi hate each other and hold the weight of the world in their hands. again.

ok this was getting VERY annoying, plus their fight was so so so painful to read that it literally made me wonder what was the point in forcing them to face their trauma in such a cruel way at a moment like that.

thankfully there was a reason... but it never clarified precisely WHY FIGHT EACH OTHER.

if Dazai never taught Akutagawa how to be a better and sharper person because he didn't really know how, that was not a problem in beast. because Oda was there to do it. Oda could have taught Akutagawa what Dazai lacked as a mentor.

then, if Dazai wanted Atsushi to protect the book, he could've literally ask him without any need to involve Akutagawa.

but then, the whole point of why Dazai took Akutagawa in the first time "in the original world" and the reason behind why he also took Atsushi would've been lost.

Dazai is, indeed, a mastermind.

he knows what's necessary to make a world where people like Oda can live and write. he knows, probably better than anyone, that god doesn't care about things like balance and harmony. that he'd have to create it himself.

after all, coherency is one of the rules of the book.

Akutagawa and Atsushi fail their mission against Fukuchi (probably at Aku's life cost) in the main plot because that happened in the same world where Oda and Gide die after fighting for the same goal. a world where only those who fight and have the talent will prevail.

Dazai knows very well that, in that world, balance and harmony will never exist.

that's why Dazai creates a new world instead, where Atsushi and Akutagawa never team up and try to kill each other instead. a world where they force each other to recognize their flaws and admit their mistakes, a world where they'll have to learn how to live on with it no matter what they want to protect the world.

protect the world by proving that both sides of the same coin can fit, that none is better than the other.

so yeah, basically, the events that take place in "the original world" are proof to Dazai that god doesn't care about good or evil, that the only ones that will prevail are those who fight for their right to live (and this also probably explains why Atsushi and Akutagawa will never win as long as they fight without acknowledging what they have in front of them).

therefore, he decides to create a world where Oda won't have to fight to live because Atsushi and Akutagawa will fight but won't have to kill each other to prove their existence. they'll simply accept that both sides of the coin can exist even if they're weak, afraid or bad and that will be enough to give birth to a new world order.

there's actually more than this. in fact, there are a lot of reasons why Akutagawa and Atsushi are important for each other despite Dazai's plans and the world's destiny. however, since it'd be too confusing to try explaining it all in the same post sooo I'll be leaving that for a 3rd part.