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Kafka Asagiri Tianwen Kadokawa online Q&A

Polished automatic translation of the online q&a by Kadokawa after Asagiri's panel in Shanghai. Asagiri answered 35 selected fan questions that were submitted online, divided in three categories of questions about Asagiri-sensei, questions about the plot and questions about roles. Answers were reported both in Chinese and Japanese; this is the translation from the original Japanese. Signaling any mistake I might have made is not only welcomed, but encouraged. Enjoy!

Earlier, we collected some questions about Mr. Kafka Asagiri and "Bungo Stray Dogs" on various platforms . We sorted and forwarded them, and Mr. Asagiri selected some of them and responded. Thanks again to everyone who enjoys Bungo Stray Dogs.

Questions about Asagiri-sensei

What interesting stories and motivations led to the selection of literary masters for the plot of Bungo Stray Dogs? Also, will there be more literary masters added in the future?

When creating a character based on a new literary figure, there are various criteria, but the that left the most profound impression on me is Oda Sakunosuke. There's a story about how Dazai Osamu, Sakaguchi Ango, and Oda Sakunosuke all drank at the Ginza bar "Lupin" and took a photo, and from that photograph the character Odasaku was born. He died shortly after the photo was taken. This lead to the "Dark Era" story, with Odasaku as the protagonist. Of course, there are new characters I would like to introduce in the future. The first character that comes to my mind is the "queen of mystery", Agatha Christie.

Besides from supervising original scripts, novels, films, and stage plays, do you also contribute to the writing of spin-off projects for the animation team, such as April Fools? Are you involved in the writing of the upcoming mobile game Gakuen Bungo Stray Dogs?

In addition to the work I write myself, I also participate in other works as a supervisor. I contribute in the script for the anime April Fools Project and Gakuen Bungo Stray Dogs as a supervisor.

Why does Asagiri-sensei like "Dragon Quest" so much?

Half of the Japanese men of my generation are Dragon Quest fans. The other half are Final Fantasy fans. The reason I'm on the Dragon Quest side is because the first game I played was Dragon Quest. It's like a baby bird that thinks the first thing it sees is its parent.

Did Asagiri Kafka's thoughts while writing "Yukkuri Yōmu and the Really Scary Cthulhu Mythos" (or "Minase Yōmu and the Really Scary Cthulhu Mythos"¹) have any influence on the creation of "Bungo Stray Dogs"?

I love the Cthulhu mythos so much that when I first featured Lovecraft in Bungo Stray Dogs, I think I made him a little too overpowered.

How do Asagiri and Harukawa collaborate on the production? Does Asagiri write all the lines for Harukawa every month and Harukawa design the scenes based on those lines?

At first, I would write the script and Harukawa-sensei would create the storyboard and manuscript, but recently I've been drawing the storyboard myself and handing it over to them.

Has Asagiri-sensei decided on the ending of Bungo Stray Dogs?

We have a rough outline in mind, but there are many different paths to get there, and many parts are still in the planning stages.

After finishing the main storyline of this series, will you consider creating some side stories?

If you all request it, I'm always willing to write something new.

Does Asagiri-sensei have any other favorite manga or mangaka?

There are so many, I can't choose… Some examples include Hirohiko Araki of "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure," Yoshihiro Togashi of "Hunter x Hunter," and Sumito Owara of "Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!"

The avatar frame in the manga is a cube bug. What does it mean?

It's inspired by the poisonous insect² that appears in Kafka's "Metamorphosis." It's just a little joke.

When creating Bungo Stray Dogs, do you first identify the writers corresponding to the characters, and then design their special abilities and personalities; or do you first come up with the character traits you want to portray, and then match them with suitable writers? During the writing process, when you develop unique "catchphrases" or iconic gestures for each character (such as Dazai Osamu's bandages and Nakajima Atsushi's little gestures of inferiority complex), are these details planned in advance, or do you suddenly think of them while writing?

Most of the time, I start with the literary figures. First, I decide who to include, then I get a sense of the character's outline from the author's anecdotes, image, and works, and finally I complete the character by adding a little bit of the role required for the story (such as villain or advisor to the protagonist). I usually think about the character's quirks and detailed characteristics when I'm first creating them.

Questions about the plot

In the Fifteen novel³, Verlaine was waiting for the storm to come in the basement. What exactly is this storm? Will Verlaine have a chance to appear again?

What "storm" he was waiting for, and what it specifically was, is something only Verlaine knows. However, the scene in which Verlaine will return has already been decided. Please look forward to it.

I'd like to ask when Dazai Osamu and Chuuya will appear, and what exactly happened in Meursault during this time?

It has not yet been decided when the two will reappear, but if your support is strong, they may appear sooner. I hope you can imagine what happens in Meursault from the scenes and lines in the manga.

Bungo Stray Dogs seems to have reached the end of the Decay of Angel arc. This arc, as well as previous ones, have mentioned Europe. Will the next arc be the home of the Order of the Clock Tower? If so, will the plot of Storm Bringer be brought to the screen first as a prelude to the plot?

Although I can't reveal too much about the next chapter, it will feature Agatha Christie, a stalwart of the Order of the Clock Tower. As for stories linked to Storm Bringer... Maybe there will be some.

When Dostoyevsky said to Gogol, "You tried to kill me // I'd like to return the favour", was this sentence said simply out of revenge, or was it said as someone who understood Gogol and hoped that he would continue to pursue freedom and continue the game of prison break duel?

On the surface, it sounds like simple retaliation, and it seems certain that Dostoevsky did not consider Gogol a friend, but even the author themself cannot fully understand Dostoevsky's deep thinking, so nothing can be said for sure.

I'd like to see Oda return the painting to the wealthy adopted son after joining the Port Mafia. Will Dazai return the painting with Oda?

It is not yet clear whether the story will be written, and perhaps they will return it together, but I doubt Odasaku would want to involve Dazai in anything like personal atonement. The silence⁴ in Odasaku's heart is surrounded by walls so high that even Dazai would find it difficult to penetrate.

How did Dazai know from the beginning that Chuuya was a vampire when they were in Meursault? Is there some special way they communicate with each other? Or do they just understand each other through eye contact?

As he states in the work, unlike Dostoevsky, Dazai had confidence that "his allies will definitely do this." It may also have been simply a matter of trust that Chuuya wouldn't be defeated so easily by a vampire.

Regarding Beast, Chuuya uses the phrase "Kyoka also agreed to the proposal of revenge" to encourage Atsushi to take revenge on the Detective Agency. So, what were Kyoka's feelings when she agreed to avenge Dazai? What kind of feelings does Kyoka have about Dazai's death?

That's a difficult question. Unlike Kyouka in the main story, Kyouka in the Beast world lives by accepting the dark side of herself, which is killing. For her, killing to protect the people and places she cares about may be a natural inclination of her heart.

In the incident of becoming a vampire, Chuuya was pretending to be a vampire under the order of the boss, but Higuchi Ichiyo really became a vampire. So after she returned to the Port Mafia, how did the Port Mafia deal with and control the vampire bites?

Too many people were infected within the Mafia, and tragedy struck. I guess the mafia members who were able to return to their normal lives did not receive a severe punishment.

Questions about roles

Will there ever be a day when the stories surrounding the founding of the Detective Agency, the president's youth before he became an assassin, Tanizaki's background before he joined the Agency, how Kunikida became a member, etc., will be filled in?

Each story is fascinating and I would love to depict them all, but as the author, what interests me the most is Tanizaki's past and how he came to join the company.

I'd like to know how Mori Ogai picked up Dazai Osamu, and why Dostoyevsky wanted a world without superpowers. Would you consider publishing two separate books? Thank you.

There may be an opportunity to write about the meeting between Mori Ogai and Dazai Osamu, but this story of Dostoevsky's past "creating a world without abilities" may be a little tough. That's because at this point it is unclear whether he really wants to "create a world without abilities."

What was Dazai Osamu like before he was taken by Mori Ogai at the age of 14? Was he an orphan or something else?

That's a very acute observation. If that is the case, Dazai's action of saving the orphan Atsushi may have been a way of returning the favour for what had been done to him.

I would like to ask how Yosano felt when she found out that Dazai was a leader of the Port Mafia. Does Yosano know about the complicated relationship between Dazai and Mori?

At least as of volume 1, Yosano probably didn't know about Dazai's past. Judging from the way the story unfolds, Yosano's feelings are directed towards Ogai alone rather than the mafia as a whole, and her feelings seem to be more terror and dread rather than anger.

Chuuya seems to be constantly working and traveling. Is the workload very intense for the members of the Port Mafia? Do they get statutory holidays and annual leave?

Many of the mafia members in Bungo Stray Dogs live their daily lives like company employees, but they are still the mafia, so many of them work as freelancers, handing over part of their income to the organization. Therefore, they don't have days off (ouch).

I want to know what was the most frightening moment for Dazai. The most profound thing he has experienced that he does not want it to happen again.

Humans' greatest fears are often rooted in the threat to their own life, in other words, their own death. However, Dazai has no resistance to death itself, so he rarely feels fear. What he does feel is a strong sense of loss, like when he lost Odasaku. He probably never wants to repeat that experience again.

I'm curious about what kind of "meaning of life" Akutagawa seeks in Dazai. After defeating the group in Season 2, he's already heard his teacher acknowledge that he's become stronger, and others, including Chuuya and Atsushi, have told him that Dazai-sensei has recognized him. So why does he continue to seek Dazai's "recognition" even after all this?

For Akutagawa, Dazai's approval was not something that could be achieved by receiving a simple compliment once. For Akutagawa the meaning of life was not something superficial like "I want Dazai to praise me," but rather its essence lay somewhere much deeper.

What reasons/events caused Gogol to become what he is now, a person who pursues freedom?

It wasn't that some specific event caused him to seek freedom; rather, after much philosophizing and experimenting, he came to the realization that the freedom that ordinary people seek is not true freedom.

What kind of relationship do you think Dazai has with the Agency members? Friends or something like family?

They are probably closer to what we would call friends or family, but he is Dazai after all, so even I, the author, don't really know.

How did Dos discover his special ability? Did he discover it when he was killed for the first time?

There is no doubt that the trigger was the first time he was killed, but when it happened and who killed him remains a mystery.

What kind of animal does Asagiri-sensei think Dazai looks like?

That's a very difficult question. I think it could be likened to a free-spirited cat, an intelligent computer, or many other things, but since humans are the only living creatures in the world that decide to kill themselves, I think it would have to be a human.

What do you think of Kyoka-chan after Dazai's remark that "so what's a mere thirty-five people" brought out her inner struggles? For example, does she find him unpredictable and terrifying?

She must have realized just how insignificant her own feeling of having "killed 35 people" was. I think her anguish was eased by the boundless vastness of the darkness that is Dazai, which surpasses her own (and she probably understands that this is Dazai's way of encouraging her).

Why was Chuuya's true identity based on Arahabaki, the name of an indigenous god from Aomori? Is it related to the real-life author Dazai Osamu, who was also from Aomori?

Arahabaki is a god whose identity is extremely difficult to pin down, and only vague legends have been passed down. The name was given by the military and researchers in that field, so it does not seem to have much to do with Dazai, who was from Aomori.

For the president, are there any important distinctions among members? (Just like how a kindergarten teacher has their favourite children.) If so, what criteria are used to rank them?

There is no difference in the importance the president places on his employees. They are all part of a community and embody the essential principles of the detective agency. However, for Ranpo, who he has taken care of and walked alongside up to this point, he probably feels a different emotion.

What role does Natsume-sensei play in the story? What is Dazai's attitude towards Natsume-sensei's tripartite framework?

He is the ultimate "observer" and the strongest cat, who can see through any event. He doesn't interfere with most events, and because of that he never fails. I'm sure he will continue to appear in my works. Dazai probably doesn't feel a particularly strong sense of mission towards the tripartite framework, but since Dazai is the person who connects the night of the Port Mafia with the dusk of the Detective Agency, he's likely to be a very important element for Natsume.

Why can Oguri Mushitaro still see Yokomizo? Is it a psychological effect or is Yokomizo turned into his ghost, like Kyogoku Natsuhiko in Bungo Stray Dogs Gaiden?

The reason he sees Yokomizo is purely psychological. The countless interactions they had over the years have given him a solid image of Yokomizo in his mind. In other words, it's friendship.

Can I ask what Asagiri-sensei mentioned in the postscript before, what did Chuuya think after Dazai left the Port Mafia?

Since Chuuya didn't find Dazai working as a detective in Yokohama, he must have thought that Dazai was dead. Since Dazai was always trying to kill himself, he probably didn't find it suspicious

¹ Asagiri's works prior to bsd, respectively a video series and its novel adaptation. ² The expression “ungeheueres Ungeziefer” as used in Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis is commonly translated in Japanese as 「毒虫」, lit. “poisonous insect”. However, the literal translation of “ungeheueres Ungeziefer” is closer to “monstrous vermin”. Despite the insect-like features (many legs, hard back, curved belly, antennae), in The Metamorphosis it is never specified that the creature Gregor Samsa turns in is an insect, nor ever implied for it to be a poisonous one. For more on the translation of the term “ungeheueres Ungeziefer”, please refer to Simms, E., & Andrews, K. (2019). The Ungeziefer and the Insect: the Social Connotations in the English Translation of The Metamorphosis. ³ “之前在15岁小说中魏尔伦在地下室等待风暴降临” Not entirely sure why it says Fifteen here, as far as I understand this is a question about Stormbringer's ending. I may be getting this wrong. ⁴ I translated 「静けさ」 as “silence” because it sounded more poetic, but it's more about the concepts of quietness / serenity / calm.

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