The Growing Divergence of Fyodor and Dazai

Summary: The interactions between Fyodor and Dazai in relation to seeing a growing difference in Dazai and Fyodor’s characters. In their view of humanity and how they strategize, and connections to some aspects of the DOA arc, it may inform us about what may be expected in the prision break out arc, and make sense of their respective strategies in Chapter 97.

Warnings: Spoilers for post-canibalism arcs (the manga) and Dead Apple

A/N: Knowing the bsd fandom, I’m quite certain that some of what I have analysed probably has been done by some others before me, but my dearest friend @n1kolaiz convinced me to write his so, here are some of my thoughts :)

Also thanks to @n1kolaiz and @alittlesimp for discussing the manga with me and helping me come to this idea; credit for the translations of manga panels goes to @czkkn-upload and Dazaiscans

Teruko is NOT a little girl?

I think most of us jokingly said once that we would use Teruko’s ability to alter our own age and stay young forever. Some of you might even have theorized that Teruko is exactly doing that haha

… yeah, I think so too. Let me tell you why.

(translations by dazaiscans)

According to the police’s reaction in chapter 60, we can safely assume that Teruko has the appearance of a little girl. She even behaves like a little kid as we have seen in her interactions with the other Hunting Dogs in chapter 71. She gets held by the hand and only stops crying when gets a piggyback. As childish as it seems, the fact that she cries about not being able to torture an imprisoner anymore is quite … peculiar. Even stranger, the other Hunting Dogs don’t seem to have a problem with a child enjoying torturing criminals. You would think, someone who preaches about justice and protecting the people would talk a child out of this position and urge them to (at least try to) live some carefree and innocent years as every child deserves.

… but they don’t. In fact, they made her the vice commander. It’s quickly evident why so. She is extremely intimidating. She’s bloodthirsty and can resort to aggressive measures when angered. On top of that, she’s very proud to be a HD.

However, not only does her personality seem to fit the position of a commander-to-be, but she seems to have the experience for it as well.

(translations by dazaiscans)

“The things that fugitives on the run want more than anything. A base and a leader.” i wonder if this is her personal experience? If yes, was she on the pursuer’s side or the fugitive’s side? 

Why Tachihara’s Hunting Dog reveal did not come out of nowhere

So i reblogged this post by @dwindlingspace​ with these tags:

#one may make the argument that tachihara praising his own ability is not only representative of his acting skills but also #signifies his disconnect between the two parts of his identity wherein he treats both sides of himself as different #personalities. the reveal coming so suddenly without foreshadowing does not mean the writing was lackluster but rather that hunting dogs #tachihara is such a different character from port mafia tachihara therefore he is given the introduction of a new character instead of #having the reveal foreshadowed. this panel is an example of tachihara addressing his alter ego as a separate character. in this essay i will

and got

nnakahara reblogged your post #prev tags - Mary please write your essays they are amazing to read #bsd

there is demand, i will supply:

Tachihara’s grand reveal and the absence of foreshadowing: lackluster writing or a narrative portrayal of identity conflict?

(This is a long one because it’s full of screenshots and i’m going all out in my high school literary analysis skills)

You know what would be f*cked up?

If, after this whole vampire thing, Akutagawa does d-word and it's only then that Dazai acknowledges him. After Aku himself can't here it, dying without hearing those words and thinking that he never got them at all.

Higuchi/Akutagawa Art – a reference to “Takekurabe”? (no manga spoilers)

I was asked by one of my lovely followers, @nameless-nowhere​, what I think about this art that you see here below. They were telling me about a tiktok user interpreting this art as a reference to one of irl Higuchi-sensei’s work. So for the sake of completeness, I will also reproduce the summary of that interpretation, add my thoughts to it and then my own interpretation. Let’s start! :)

It was quite difficult to find sources in English, so please do correct me if I am wrong. According to Tokyo Otaku Mode News, there was a collaboration between the Ichiyo Memorial Hall and BSD in 2017, exhibiting manga and anime panels where Higuchi is in focus. This art above is a special illustration drawn by Harukawa35-sensei for this event. 

Therefore, it is very likely that it might be a reference to one of the works of irl Higuchi-sensei. Before we get into the two possibilities I’d like to present, there’s another thing I want to talk about first, namely

As you have probably noticed, besides Higuchi and Akutagawa in kimonos, there are also many pinwheels depicted. Again, I’m not very well versed in Japanese culture, so please correct me. I will link all the sources down below.

Pinwheels in general are often a beautiful symbol for childhood and childhood innocence. Just like a light breeze is enough to make the pinwheel spin, it doesn’t take much for a child to be excited, to run and to spin around.

However, in Japan, pinwheels are often associated with children’s death, especially early children’s death.  

© Ars Benevola Mater

The picture above shows Jizo figures on a graveyard/temple site. Each figure looks the same, wears a red-knitted cap and has a colorful pinwheel at its side. Jizo is one of the most popular bodhisattvas in Japan. His function has been altered and expanded over time. Nowadays, he also serves as a special guardian of the souls of children, guiding them through the other world. These Jizo figures represent the popular bodhisattva as well as the soul of the deceased children. (If you’re interested in this, I’d recommend you to look up Mizuko kuyō which is the ceremony associated with Jizo for people that experienced stillbirth, miscarriage or abortion)

As a side note, in China pinwheels symbolize “to turn one’s luck around”. 

@n1kolaiz

SHUT UP THE #<3333 MSJDKSJD Q THIS IS CYBERBULLYING at least i'm not lying okay appreciate me ( ˘ ³˘)♥

*changes all three of my urls again 🥶💅*

Let's talk about Atsushi Nakajima.

We all know that Atsushi is a kind-hearted boy. It’s clear to everyone - readers / watchers and bsd characters alike - that he’s selfless and would do anything for others even if it meant sacrificing his own happiness. 

But is he aware of his own kindness?

I don't think so.

Let’s begin this analysis from the very first moment Atsushi appeared in the anime. He was starving to death, and then we see him say this line :

Look his facial expression - the determination in his eyes and the certainty in his dialogue. At this moment, he really believed that he was someone who would steal for himself - who would do bad things for his own good. And yes, this was perfectly fine. It is human to be selfish at times, after all. 

Yet, despite telling himself that he will do those bad things, what did he actually do after that?

He saved Dazai, a drowning man, not caring about his empty stomach and low stamina at that time or hoping for any reward for doing that. Okay, one can argue that this was basic human decency, that it was the bare minimum someone could do. But then, literally one episode later, what did he do?

He threw himself on top of a ticking bomb to save a bunch of people he didn’t even know. He didn’t even need to think - it was his pure instinct to sacrifice himself for other people.

Look at his expression now. He was clearly surprised, and there was nothing in his dialogue but fear and uncertainty. He was surprised at the thought of himself doing something good.

Atsushi believed himself to be someone who would do bad things to other people to save himself, but it’s really the opposite. He’s someone who doesn’t care about his own well-being and would do anything for the happiness and safety of others.

Let’s move on to episode eight (one of the best episodes in the anime fight me), where Atsushi saves the passengers of the train. Now, look at this scene :

This is a scene that I can’t get out of my head because of Atsushi’s inner dialogue. "If I can save these people, does that prove that it's okay for me to live?" he asks himself. In my opinion, this line just proves that Atsushi thinks he’s saving these people for his own good - for selfish reasons. He believes that if he saves these innocent people, he can live in the comfort of knowing that he deserves to live. In other words, Atsushi is trapped in the mindset that he’s risking his life for selfish reasons. 

But yet again, his actions prove otherwise.

He risked his life to get to Kyouka in order to defuse the bomb, even after knowing that Demon Snow was practically undefeatable. He jumped out of the train without a single hesitation to save Kyouka, even though he might have died. So, he couldn’t have been doing these good deeds for selfish reasons, could he? He’s just a genuinely selfless person without any strings attached. 

Moving on to the last point, I'd like to point out what Atsushi said to Lucy in episode 12 of the first season :

Here, he claims that he envies and hates people, just like Lucy. That he could understand her negative emotions pretty well. And although I agree that Atsushi experiences negative emotions pretty often, here's a scene in S3 that I noticed had completely contradicted his dialogue :

Atsushi hates his orphanage director. He was his abuser, the nightmare that constantly haunts him. And yet, Atsushi cried when he died.

If he really did understand hatred to others, he wouldn't have been grieving. He would have been glad that the man he hated was finally gone from his life for good. But instead, he grieved for the man who had made his life a living hell - because at the end of the day, he still considered the director his father. His parental figure.

That's just the kind of person he is. No matter how great the hatred swirling inside him, his love and kindness will always dominate it.

Now do you understand why I think Atsushi isn't aware of his own kindness?

His character is really complex. He's a genuinely kind soul, but he doesn’t realize it and gives himself less credit than he deserves.

Atsushi truly deserves more credit.

Dazai’s morality and what makes him different from other “morally gray” characters

Everyone knows that Dazai is morally gray - but I only recently realized how he’s different from other “morally gray” characters we often see in fiction. 

Most of the time, those characters we conveniently label “morally gray” don’t even deserve the title - they’re just good people who had done a few bad things, or bad people who had done a few good things. But Dazai is truly in the middle - he has done too many bad things to be good, but too many good things to be bad.

He’s abusive, manipulative, ruthless, and made life a living hell for Akutagawa. And yet- 

He was Atsushi’s savior - giving him a home when nobody else would accept him. Although this still isn’t enough to forgive him for what he did to Akutagawa, it still proves that he isn’t fully a bad person. 

Now, here’s when things start to get more interesting. Most morally gray characters tend to switch back and forth between two sides, right? Lots of writers depict them doing kind things more often while on the “good side”, and doing cruel actions more often while on the “bad side”.

But that's not the case with Dazai.

Dark Era Dazai was terrifying - he shot innocent people, manipulated his subordinates, abused people, and many more. But he was still good, in his own way. He helped Chuuya cut ties with the Sheep, who were obviously using him for his powerful ability, despite having only met him for a day. He genuinely cared for Odasaku, willing to risk his own life to save his friend. 

In the ADA, he seemed more compassionate. He gave Atsushi a home and cared for all the members of the ADA. But although it’s subtle, he was still evil. It’s more obvious in the manga - since the anime tends to focus on his humor and suicidal tendencies more. Take a look at this manga panel : 

Although it’s implied, it’s clear what he did - he slept with the nurse only to obtain information. He manipulated an innocent woman without hesitation, as if it’s a daily habit. No other ADA member would have the heart to do this, even if it meant saving the world or whatsoever. And let’s not forget this anime moment that made all Aku stans’ blood boil : 

Yes, Dazai didn’t directly abuse Aku anymore after being in the ADA. But if he was truly a good person, he wouldn’t have taken advantage of Aku’s emotions, thinking that he had every right to control him. He would have acknowledged Aku and sincerely apologized for abusing him. 

No matter what your argument is, you can’t deny that Dazai doesn’t have a trace of his PM tendencies left in him even after transferring into the ADA. That’s the depth about Dazai’s gray morality - no matter which side he’s on, he'd always do an equal amount of good and bad things. 

Alright, last point, I promise. I’ve seen lots of people think that Dazai underwent his "redemption arc” in the Dark Era, when Oda died, just because Dark Era and ADA him are opposites. But now that I think of it, his moralities never even changed. He never had a redemption arc. His way of viewing people and the world are still more or less the same. The only reason Dark Era and ADA Dazai are different is because he changed his mannerisms, and obtained more will to live.

“Oh, then why did he join the agency?”  

Because he wanted to honor his best friend’s dying wish. He still doesn’t care about “good” or “bad”. Even Oda knew this - that’s why he said this line to Dazai: 

I’d like to believe that a part of Dazai's kind actions are genuine, but you cannot tell me that this man, who didn’t give a f*ck about shooting innocent people, is unconditionally kind all the time. We can never guess what’s going on in his head, but I’m sure that he sometimes puts up a facade of being kind, in hopes that one day, it’ll become real. 

Now, you’ll notice that most morally gray characters undergo a meaningful redemption arc before joining the good guys - which implies that the writers think only post-redemption them belonged in the good side - that pre-redemption them will never be able to become “good”. 

But Dazai?

He joined the agency without undergoing a redemption arc and still passed the entrance exam. 

You see what this means? 

From the start, Dazai already had the potential of becoming both "good" and "evil". He would have fit in either organizations perfectly. Mori just happened to find him first. It’s just the matter of timing. 

Dazai’s morality is truly in the middle. 

Hi everyone!! I'm sorry to ruin your day/evening but this is kinda an important matter to me and I hope you can take the time to read this 🙏🏼

You guys might know I write BSD analyses and theories sometimes for not that long now. I put a lot of effort, time and dedication in them, especially when it comes to drawing parallels between IRL author's works and BSD characters.

Now, the thing is, parts of my first self written theory (the Higuchi ability theory) has been kinda plagiarized. Now, don't get me wrong. I do know that people come up with the same or similar theories and such. I mean it's also okay if you're inspired by a theory and make your own out of it. You can ofc write about the same ideas and things!! The beauty is that everyone has a slightly different take on it and unique thinking so that you can have two similar theories but also very different ones. You can also just take my post, state that it is mine and then add your thoughts to it, telling your audience which points you agree with and which not etc. There are so many ways to do this.

But this person on Instagram took parts of my work without even changing the phrasing sometimes. They neither asked me for permission first nor did they give me any credits. Last Friday, July the 30th, I DMed them first ofc, asking them to either repost it with the proper credits or putting the credits in the caption but stating the credits again in their story.

The person replied that they did not steal the theory itself but they admit to have seen my tumblr post. They said that they only took my summaries of the three short stories (which I used in my post to underline my ideas).

I wanna be transparent with you guys, so I'm just gonna share our convo here.

Well, the way they said that only the last 3 slides were similar to my work pissed me a bit off. Because 1) it wasn't only the last 3 slides and 2) it wasn't just the summaries they took from me. Embedded in my summaries are also my ideas and theories. So I was not okay to be simply credited in the caption of a post that has already been 4-5 days old. So we agreed that they would delete the post.

(this is btw how they credited me later which I would have been fine with when they did it from the beginning or reposted with this credit)

Well, the post was gone and I was happy. They blocked me afterwards which was fine by me 🤷🏻‍♀️ Today, August the 3rd, I saw on my private account (thanks to the fyp 🙏🏼) that THE POST WAS STILL THERE. THEY ONLY MADE THE POST PRIVATE, LIED TO ME ABOUT DELETING IT, BLOCKED ME AND HOPED THAT I WOULDN'T REALIZE? You guys don't know how utterly disappointed and upset I feel. It's just such a disrespectful thing to do. I'm a person that highly values honesty and kindness. I can't really put into words how shocked I feel rn.

(the higuchi post is public again after they told me that it was deleted on Saturday, the most recent post is from Tuesday)

I saw that they unblocked me again but in view of how our conversation went before, I feel like there is no use to try to DM them again. That's why I'm reaching out to you guys. I don't know how effective reporting is on instagram, but it's worth a try. I would appreciate it a lot if you could help me out and report their post in order that it will be taken down. Thank you for everyone who has read until so far, you are so precious!! If you don't feel comfortable reporting, you don't have to!! I'm already very happy that you have read this far and listened to my concerns! Every reblog is also very much appreciated but totally not a must.

I will now ofc also put some screenshots of their post and mine to show how similar our works are. If you think I am wrongfully accusing them or that I am in the wrong, please let me know!

Plus, tumblr only allows 10 pictures in one post, so I need to put the rest of the screenshots in a reblog. Again, thank you so much for reading.

I love Chuuya. In fact, I'd confidently say he's in my top 3 favourite characters next to Dazai and Oda. But I'm so tired of how he's depicted in the fandom.

Chuuya is an amazing character. He's an executive of the infamous Port Mafia. He's Dazai's ex-partner. He's got one of the strongest, if not the strongest, abilities in the manga. He's also probably the most skilled fighter in BSD so far and is known as the Port Mafia's best martial artist. His backstory is tragic and interesting and a goldmine to explore.

And yet these traits are either forgotten or reduced by the fandom most of the time. This week alone I've seen Chuuya turned into Dazai's blushing maiden too many times to count. I've seen his nasty and vicious side ignored and seen him labelled as basically the "good" one in his partnership with Dazai. People treat him like he's the saint of the mafia and gloss over his glaring flaws and what makes him complex.

So many ignore how he egged on Dazai to kill Q because he was mad Q's capture had cost the lives of his men, how in the CD drama he didn't condemn Dazai's training of Akutagawa like so many like to pretend he did, many ignore his anger issues which have gotten him in trouble more times than once. Chuuya isn't perfect and he isn't a saint and that's what makes him so incredibly compelling.

He's kind and trusting (even to his own detriment) but he's also vindictive and impulsive. He's a complex character with many shades to his personality and I'm just tired of seeing him reduced to only one shade of that personality.

Dazai’s Search for Genuineness, Trust and Humanity Part 2

My personal interpretation and understanding of BSD Dazai using Dazai-sensei’s works and some of his background information

These are just my personal thoughts on Dazai, I would love to hear your thoughts as well! Also please note that I have yet to read the manga or the light novels, so I will only discuss the anime 

This is part 2 of this analysis

2. Dazai’s desire for trust and genuineness in the world 

2.1 Examining such through his works

2.2 Dazai-sensei’s background

2.3 Connection to BSD Dazai and Atsushi

Keep reading

Jouno - the epitome of nurture over nature?

Let’s talk about Jouno again. He’s such an intriguing character. Chapter 92.5 gives us an important insight not only into his past but also into the psychology of many BSD characters.

Asagiri sensei has again made it clear that there is no entirely good or evil characters. It might be a bold statement but in my humble opinion, what we witnessed in this chapter is that the environment might even have a greater influence on your behaviour and attitude than your nature.

Furthermore, Jouno's development makes me extremely optimistic in regards to Dazai's. But let me explain all my thoughts down below the cut.