Read your Dazai analysis and 'But if Dazai is his own enemy, therein lies the struggle — being your own opponent. ' reminded me of No Longer Human quote: "I thought that in killing a dreaded adversary I might actually be bringing him happiness." Any thoughts?
Eeee, this has been sitting in my asks. Though I think you posted this on my main blog and I answered it there many months ago... BUT HEY you didn’t get DECEMBER 2019 ME to answer it SO
I don’t have the whole context for the quote, but it’s sort of hard to believe real life Dazai had an adversary he wanted to kill?? i mean, right? so hell yeah, it really does seem like he’s talking about himself and wow, for once I may have hit the nail on the head
otherwise if Dazai had some real adversary, I imagine this quote reflects the ways he empathized with his adversary in regards to mental health struggles. but I’m inclined to believe he is talking about himself— that he is the adversary
um, ahem, but yes I haven’t been on it in a while! It seems like I mostly, uh… *scrolls through profile* I mostly retweeted a bunch of viner content and whatnot because Twitter killed vine so i had to go somewhere
Hi...i was wondering why no one really likes the Dazai x Atsushi ship? Kinda makes me sad 3:
Hello there! I think the main reason is because while Dazai isn’t that much older (if I remember correctly, Atsushi is 18 and Dazai is 22), he gives off a very hardened-by-time vibe while Atsushi is just. You know. Pure. Still wholesome. Inexperienced. Very baby tiger. Dazai’s dark era struggles makes his character feel a lot older. Dazai also takes on a mentor-like role with Atsushi. So I think for a lot of people, the ship doesn’t quite feel right. I think these feelings are 100% valid because there’s so many creeps in real life. HOWEVER
That doesn’t mean it’s a bad ship! Enjoy your ship! I recall when Vine was alive and well, there were a lot of Dazai x Atsushi AMVs. And I mean, while a 4 year age difference might be something to question in real life - this is Bungou Stray Dogs! Let your ship sail! It’s just an anime!
I mean, everyone ships Yurio and Otabek from Yuri on Ice and they’re 15/16 and 18. You know might be something to question in real life, but Yurio and Otabek aren’t even real so
im rlly a HUGE fan of your bsd theories and i want to say that they are really mind blowing and I feel really WOKE from reading them. I just came across the one about dazai's ability being activated by suicide attempts and camt helo but wonder about why yosano is unable to treat dazai all the time unless it is due to ADA's assumption of his ability to be always activated? Ut would be great if you could answer this and keep up the great work! 😍
First of all, thank you so much!!! I have been away from this blog for a while, but I’m glad to hear people have enjoyed my ramblings and theories! (Sorry this response is probably hella late though)
Anyway, interesting question! I’m thinking that since Yosano has to half kill people to heal them—Dazai would nullify the healing and actually die.
Whether his ability is always activated or not is somewhat of a mystery to me (I’m not caught up with the manga rn so my apologies if this has been clarified). But I’m inclined to believe that even if it isn’t, the detective agency knows Dazai too well. He’s suicidal. Yosano’s death doctor tools could take him out no problem. Dazai would definitely be tempted to activate his ability if Yosano tried to heal him, effectively killing him. Either way, the agency probably doesn’t want to chance it
If you’re not reading the manga, do not read; warning- there are (minor) spoilers.
…
Okay I’m doing this for two reasons. One: my friend and I were talking about this. Two: for also my entertainment because I love to make theories.
So… My friend has brought up three (four) possibilities on what his ability is. Let’s get it.
One: Teleportation
I’m pretty sure majority of bsd fans had read this off of cillytourtel’s account, which my friend sent me on Twitter. And I have to say, I agree with this more than anything
You can read this theory (bc it’s explains more better) here: http://cillytourtel.tumblr.com/post/161707763051/ango-ability-theory
Two: Precognition
Now this is a little far-fetched but I thought this was pretty good.
If you don’t know, Precognition’s definition is foreknowledge of event; basically forsee the future. Now this may sound like Odasaku or Gide’s ability, where they can look 5-6 seconds into the future only if they’re in danger.
With Ango, he maybe can look into future events. With his high (yet cocky) intellectual set of mind, Ango might have some sort of knowledge on what happens in the next moments or so.
Maybe that’s how he knew where and when that car would crash on his side.
(also the gun)
Three: Mind-Control
This is also far-fetched but hear me(us) out.
My friend told me (and I quote): “what if he had some sort of power to control on how others think and act??” at first, I shook my head but then I thought about.
What if he could control on how his victim would say things, think differently, or do other stuff? For example: if he wanted to know more about an organization, he could use his ability and his victim would tell the truth or the whole plan- that sort of thing. I feel this is just a bit of a headcanon but I think this would kinda fit his kind of character.
Bonus: Corruption
Now this is sort of a headcanon from my friend as well.
The definition of decadence is moral decline by excessive indulgence. What if he had an ability; like Chuuya’s corruption mode- where he has more enjoyment or more confidence, making his identity a bit unknown. By this, he is a different person, has a different prespective on life in general, and of course!- more confidence in himself and his ability.
Also, chapter 64 was interesting.
(either his ability is fire or he’s a little too cocky.)
Anyway! Tell me your theories! (also sorry for being vague) Thank you for reading!! And thanks for these theories @/loltursin
haha I'm the anon who has been checking up on your blog (i don't have tumblr) for the past three months to see if you answered my Ranpo Daz ask; thanks for the detailed answer and good luck with your college apps!! (and maybe Ranpo did see past Dazai's past but was able to put it aside and treat him like he does all other ADA members) (Daz seems to have great respect for Ranpo san too) (i'll shut up gl until Dec!) (LOVE YOUR BLOG AND THEORIES)
tHANK YOU, ANON. you are a beautiful person, thank you, oh my gosh
I read this almost a week ago when I was having trouble sleeping after moving back into college. BEST KIND OF MESSAGE TO READ BEFORE CLASSES STARTED AGAIN
and yes, I can definitely entertain the idea that Ranpo was able to see into Dazai’s past and was able to put it aside. i would also like to add though that I’ve finally figured how to put in words something I wanted to say about Dazai & Ranpo in replying to your ask!!
I see Ranpo as being very particularly good at uncovering details, while I see Dazai as being particularly good at covering them up and hiding things. they are good at both, but I like to think that they compliment each other in this way
hey there! I apologize to for not having been very active this summer! I’ve been preparing for college internships, applying to grad school, working, and fighting a nightmare of what appears to be bird mites in my home life just likes to give me all the lemons fml
I probably won’t have full-fledged posts until late December this year, but i did want to touch on an ask i’ve had sitting in my inbox for a while! (i may do a better post with coordinating panel shots and further elaboration in the future!)
What does Ranpo think of Dazai and vice versa? For example, in Dazai's entrance exam, Ranpo seems to have saw straight through Dazai's lie of what his previous job was. They both have extremely brilliant minds... but there's barely anything on their interactions. I am very curious what do they think of each other?
i’ve not had the chance to finish the Entrance Exam ln, but i’ll share my current thinking for now!
I believe Ranpo and Dazai both initially have reservations about each other. Ranpo can see past a lot, and i think (initially) he knows there is a lot unknown about Dazai and his past. i don’t think he’s able to crack far into it, even given his ability smarts. i think Ranpo does know that Dazai has a darker side and can be deceptive and manipulative. however, i like to think that as Ranpo has worked with Dazai, he comes to understand that deception and manipulation are Dazai’s modes of operation.
i believe Ranpo sees Dazai not so much as a pawn, but as a crucial piece to the agency’s success. while Ranpo and Dazai both employ amazing trains of logic, reasoning, and planning—they bring different insights to agency. note how in one of the early episodes, Dazai admitted he didn’t know exactly how Ranpo figured out everything in the murder of the pretty lady who was found in the water. note also how Dazai strategized with Ranpo before that big guild battle. Remember how one of them asked whether it should end by the mountains or the water or something like that, idk. they are good compliments, and i believe Ranpo sees this
i believe Ranpo sees Dazai as a crucial function to the ADA maybe not most of the time because Dazai is lazy and is missing in action half the time smh when it really counts. Dazai’s skill set is almost invaluable to the agency, whether or not his methods align with Ranpo’s or the agency’s exact moral codes.
I believe Ranpo may have suspicions about Dazai’s long term goals, about his exact motivations for joining the agency, but that his suspicions have no viable, concrete evidence to rest on. for now, Ranpo is content to have someone like Dazai on hand.
I believe Dazai sees sees Ranpo in a very similar way, except that Dazai cares less about the agency’s success and more about having opportunities to strategize and bring down opponents. Ranpo is somewhat similar. he cares a lot about the agency, although I’d say much of his motivation comes from solving cases and using his ability smarts
i would also say that Dazai sees Ranpo as a good edge. i don’t think he sees him as a pawn, but he definitely sees Ranpo as an advantage. for one, i think Ranpo would suspect Dazai of using him as a pawn and Dazai knows this. he can manipulate Atshushi though a lot more easily (not letting him know that Kyouka would be saved in the end of his plan for instance)
[Source: @dazaiscans]
ohhh it was the mountains or the ocean
i’d like to emphasize that i don’t think Dazai sees anyone in the agency as his pawn exactly. i don’t think he sees anyone as being disposable. but he does have a deceptive and manipulative way of working with people
also, in case it wasn’t obvious, i don’t think Dazai sees Ranpo as being deceptive and manipulative (or having a dark past). not that Ranpo’s moral codes are very strict either, but you get what i mean. i believe Dazai may suspect that Ranpo still has reservations about him, but that they are largely insignificant with the way Dazai has presented himself in the agency so far. at the moment, the two are content to believe that the other is on their side and that they are working toward the same goals.
so that’s what i think right now. but after i catch up with the ln, i might extend this! great question though. i didn’t really consider how similar these two were until now.
another anon asked me further about current Dost ability theories, and i will return to touch on it as soon as I catch up with the last couple chapters! unless i’m late and it’s already been revealed lmao apologies for the late responses!
Hello, I'm a huge fan of Bungou Stray Dogs, and fortunately, I found your blog. I really enjoy your posts therefore I want to translate them and share with my friends for a nonprofit purpose, can I do that? When I have done, I will send you a link to my post on my fanpage and add full the credit. Thank you for writing the great posts.
I AM SO FLATTERED. YOU LIKE MY BSD POSTS ENOUGH TO WANT TO TRANSLATE THEM??? THIS MAKES ME SO HAPPY. I APPRECIATE YOUR APPRECIATION
But, yes, go ahead! I would be honored if you translated them to share with other people! As long as my username is in there somewhere, it’s all good. You can even take my posts and erase my text to put translations in or block out my text to put yours over it.
That goes for anyone! Shoot me a message if you’ve translated and shared my stuff somewhere—tell me what language you translated it into! I’d love to check it out and feel special because i have actual fans Also, you are at total liberty to paraphrase my words. Translating is tough! and my posts are hella long
PS: i apologize if i haven’t responded to your ask yet! there are couple that have been sitting in my inbox for a while and i plan on getting to them as soon as i can! :)
i apologize for the late response! i began writing a response around Christmas time, but i didn't catch up with the manga until last week, so i wasn't sure if Ango's ability had already been revealed and if this was even worth finishing ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ anyway, thank you so much for your kind words!!! i live for praise, keep it coming
i did not have a theory about Ango's ability for the longest time, but i do now, so IT'S THEORY TIME. and you anime-only fans can even read this whole darn thing because no spoilers. hell yeah
POINT ONE:
for starters, i believe everything i've seen so far suggests Ango does not have a combat ability. i believe his ability is something like Ranpo's fake ability, something that gives Ango an intellectual boost
to me, it makes the most sense given his position as a member of the government in the Special Ability Department and the way he acts like a know-it-all. but yes, he's technically a politician. and he's definitely a sharp politician who knows what's what. and he was the port mafia's intelligence agent. so… intelligence. i'm telling you
^look at this guy knowing all the stipulations like a real know-it-all
but yeah, i did not see Ango as a combat ability user. i personally haven’t seen any of the THREE organizations he's worked for give him a combat job. and i mean, look at this:
doing nothing to fight them off. where that combat ability at. probably doesn't have one
POINT TWO:
i think that Ango's ability allows him to spy on people. i think he can teleport himself to different locations. perhaps even just his mind or parts of his body, allowing him to remain hidden and secretive. the evidence is somewhat circumstantial, but nONETHELESS
i'm still convinced that this is Ango's arm:
*this scene wasn’t included in the anime adaptation, for anyone wondering. it was after Atsushi “saved” everyone from the fake bomb. the hand was just there. randomly thrown in, never explained. thanks Asagiri and Harukawa
idk what Ango’s arm is doing behind Naomi's skirt, but the clothing textures and layers match. anyway, i imagine that he spies on the ADA as part of his responsibilities as a Special Ability Department agent
and maybe Naomi has seen the hand before and always thinks it's her brother using Light Snow. no idea honestly
POINT THREE:
actually, this point isn't really evidence as much as it is circumstantial speculation. but yeah, i feel that Ango was never in any real danger when he was tied to that chair (whether or not mimic put him in that chair). it appears that the whole thing is a trap for Oda, but Ango doesn't seem to think Oda would still be on his side
Oda tells him that everything's okay—that he knew Ango infiltrated Mimic for the boss. but that's not true. Ango infiltrated the mafia. he's a traitor. but Oda faithfully believes in his innocence. then Ango, likely out of guilt, says:
so if Oda hadn't come to save him, was the building still going to blow up? my question is, how would Ango have escaped? the Special Ability Department was definitely there, and Ango knew it (i'll argue this). but i don't know if they would have gotten him out of the building on time. perhaps they knew Ango could teleport himself somewhere else?
again, Ango knew the Special Ability Department was there. what with the poison temari ball suddenly rolling out of nowhere. Ango knew about the temari ball. he went out of his way to point it out and then use it to escape with the ability department
In conclusion:
so yeah, teleportation
perhaps this even clued Ango in to the car accident with Dazai? i could possibly see Ango closing his eyes and being able to see someone coming for them (mind teleportation?)
maybe not, but it's some food for thought
finally, i don't know if there's a connection between the rl author's book and Ango's ability. someone correct me if i'm wrong, but I did some reading and it seems that Discourse on Decadence talks about errors in the ways of thinking during war (suggesting that war mentality/traditions are bad). the ability name may highlight that Ango is supposed to be a diplomatic (rather than war-crazed) character in BSD, but idk
Don't you think A. Pushkin's ability is a bit PROBLEMATIC? I mean, the ONLY condition mentioned is that it can only be inflicted to a person with an open wound. But when Mori, Fukuzawa, and Atsushi were inflicted, he was nowhere around the scene. Well, maybe Dost can do it if he has the "copying ability" but the others???. Or does this mean that Pushkin can literally inflict it to anyone with a wound anywhere on the planet? Or, does he create some sort of toxin which anyone can use?
good question! i think you have the right idea. i saw your ask yesterday, and as i was thinking about it and looking back at the manga—i also thought of a new juicy theory for what Dost’s ability could be. i’m excited about this one too! but first, to answer your question…
i tried looking for a panel where Pushkin even touched Atsushi, but i couldn’t find one. nonetheless, Atsushi was still infected after battling Ivan:
Pushkin never directly touched Akutagawa either. although Aku did use Rashomon on Pushkin to hold him down and keep him quiet—i doubt clothing contact is necessary if he didn’t require any with Atsushi. i think it’s safe to say that Pushkin CAN inflict his ability to anyone with an open wound (perhaps within a certain proximity though)
remember that Dost himself inflicted Mori’s wound and Mori got infected. it may be the copying ability, but if Pushkin or Dost didn’t directly infect Atsushi—then i’ll keep with the idea that Puhskin’s ability can inflict anyone with an open wound
i’m thinking that Pushkin’s ability is either to create the poison or decide who gets infected. probably the latter, imo. scary, really
i am also pretty certain that the masked assassin in chapter 46 was only one person—Hawthorne. he could fly the first time we saw him…
…we haven’t seen Dost or Pushkin fly, but the material under the assassin’s feet suggests that it was Hawthorne’s letters like Akutagawa said…
…telling us that Hawthorne inflicted the wound that got Fukuzawa infected. since we know for sure that Hawthorne was the masked assassin here
now that we’ve settled this, it’s *drum roll*
DOST ABILITY THEORY TIME
the weird thing is that Dazai says he knows who the criminal is, yet he doesn’t go looking for Hawthorne. he goes looking for Dost’s escape pathways. he goes looking for Dost
however, i DO think Dazai correctly identified the assassin as Hawthorne. but somehow, he connected Hawthorne the ability-killer to Dost. stay with me, children. i’m onto something here
what’s really even more strange is that Hawthorne doesn’t recognize Akutagawa. we could argue memory loss, but i argue that it’s not
recall that in chapter 37, after the mafia and ADA defeated Fitz, Hawthorne was deciding if he should join Dost. to save Mitchell. and in the above panel ^ we know he was talking about saving her
i’m telling you, Hawthorne is under Dost’s control somehow. i’m telling you that my theory is…
Dost’s ability is to create and fulfill contracts with people, giving him control over the people who make deals with him. he is a demon who makes contracts with people
evidence #2
so Dost calls this guy, who Astushi and Kunkida thought was the poison ability user. and he was just making dinner or something, all chill. probably cooking for his brothers i’m crying
then he drops the frying pan in this sort of trance, goes ballistic. he’s “counting” on his little brothers to stop these bad guys while HE runs away
but when Atsushi catches up with him, the guy pleads with him NOT to fight with his brothers and sisters. doesn’t sound like a guy who would leave his siblings in danger, does it??
it sounds like a guy who was under some sort of mind control via Dost’s command. although Dost’s ability cannot be mind control itself. otherwise, he would have just put everyone under mind control to begin with and he would have been practically invincible
thus, i believe Dost can take control of people once they enter contracts with him. although i do like the copying ability theory one anon suggested, this one can spew out drama like no tomorrow too
it also begs the question:
did Dazai ever make a contract with Dost…?
if it is a contract fulfilling/soul control ability, then all of Dazai’s references to Dost being a demon make a lot more sense. you know how making a contract with a demon goes
yoooo ... any theories about what is going to happen to chuya in the next chapters
aCTUALLY—yes
i have a strongfeeling that we’re looking forward to another arc with the guild. and becauseof that, i think yes, Poe did Ranpo a favor with the book—but also might havedone the guild a favor
i hope i’m not too late on this theory because i think the raws for the next chapter are out, but nonetheless—I believe this plot device may transition us to the next arc. i suspect that Chuya and Ranpo will still be trapped in the book as the current arc with Dost resolves or does whatever it it does (it’s Dost, i’m not sure it can resolve too quickly)
as we can see here in chapter 45, Poe is still working for the guild
and i really feel like there’s no way Asagiri threw two whole chapters of guild at us after the last arc just to show us how Fitz was doing (chapters 44-45). they’re coming back sometime. i feel like Steinbeck will have some bigger role too. look at this full page spread of vengeance for Fitz
as far as Chuya and Ranpo go, i think we may see some camaraderie between them, depending on how things take shape in the book. does Ranpo have glasses in this mystery novel? do his glasses get broken or lost? what does Chuya know about Ranpo and his super deduction?
i mean, holy shit, there’s a thousand characters in the novel and half of them are murderers so
i think these two will have to depend on each other to get out. Ranpo’s the great detective here, but um, 500 killers is a lot. i think he’ll need Chuya on his side here. and i’m interested in exactly what Ranpo means by, “Unless we both die, let’s meet again.” i’m not sure he means they’ll meet in the book. anyway, they’re intended to be trapped in the book for some time
“But even Ranpo-Kun will take days to escape…”
maybe it is just to stall and keep one of the strongest mafia executives from interfering with stuff. but hey, do you see how losing Chuya or Ranpo would be great motives for the mafia and ADA to be forced to work together in another arc? i do have a strong feeling that Asagiri wants to bring us more of this:
in conclusion, i don’t have much evidence to go off of with this theory. but i too am a writer like Asagiri, perhaps not as skilled, but
yes, i would do it just to bring back more bickering shin soukoku. as you see, Asagiri has already brought them back in this Dost arc. it’s too tempting
So how about a very crazy theory about Dost's ability... :3 This one is pretty shaky and has a lot of contradicting evidences but... it could be pretty interesting... "The ability to copy other abilities"... Why? Well first, lemme argue about one of the biggest Dost Ability Theories out there - "Killing via Touch". Because, if that is so, how come the guy who took him to the Mafia wasn't killed? Also, why did he have to plan a very complicated scenario to kill A? Now here goes my theory, what if
okay, I loveyou. i love this theory. it’s a good theory. i want it to be true. this wouldbring back the whole idea of the oddity of abilities from Oda’s arc and thelight novel
“The majorityare uncertain elements. ‘The Oddity of Abilities’ is another problem.”
“The oddity ofabilities?”
…
“Thegovernment has only started to analyse such a phenomenon recently.” Ango sayswith a look of seriousness. “They have already confirmed that similar abilitiescounteracting one another will result in the loss of control over the abilityand will cause it to develop in a hard to see, unpredictable direction. Thedetails are not clear, but… for example, if two ability users with the abilityto “launch an attack first” faced off, how would the situation unfold? If anability user who “will lie to the other party” and an ability user who “willdefinitely see the truth” talk to each other, what would be the end result? Theanswer is “we won’t know if we don’t try”. In most cases, one of the abilitieswill win out. However, it’s been said that rarely, a scenario where neitherparty emerges victorious can develop. The Special Ability Department terms thisas an “oddity”.”
[Source:translated by @nkhrchy from the Dark Era LN]
could theoddity of abilities be happening with Dazai and Dost? perhaps Dazai cannotnullify Dost’s ability since it is actually his ability being copied—and Dosthas more control of it, so Dazai loses his ability around Dost?
this also would make a whole string of reactions and multiple oddities with other characters. it’d be quite messy and complicated and i say yes to that kind of drama
as far as thecomplicated plan to kill A goes, i think it would have been complicated no matterDost’s ability is. it appears that he doesn’t want his ability discoveredwhatsoever, so perhaps he only uses it to make final kills with people who knowtoo much. he’s more of a brains guy like Dazai. and as these recent manga chapters have been emphasizing, Dost and Dazaiare a lot alike
i kind ofsuspect Dost’s ability may not be overall too impressive and that he is justable to use it to his advantage very well. he’s a man of strategy like Dazai.Dazai doesn’t have a very impressive ability himself (at least combat wise),but he’s at the forefront of so much that is going on. you wouldn’t want to mess withhim. Dost is also at the forefront of so much that is going on, and we don’treally see any combat from him either. despite this, you also wouldn’t want tomess with him
and yes, thelist is interesting. especially because the recent chapters have been alludingto Nastume having, potentially, the strongest ability? i’m not all too sureabout that though because it looks like the total summit of his ability mayjust be to turn into a cat so. maybe Dost wants to be a cat, don’t beso judgmental
also i want to mention that i really want to know what Dazai’s past interactions with Dost are. Dazai clearly knows to some extent what Dost is capable is. he keeps calling him a demon, too, which intrigues me. perhaps there is no ability and Dost is truly a demon? remember Lovecraft, y’all. that shit was crazy
What You Need to Know about Dazai Osamu and The Dark Era
this needed to be done
if you do not intend on reading Dazai Osamu and the Dark Era (translated beautifully by @nkhrchy here on tumblr), i implore you to at least read about the juiciest missing details so you can do the following with me:
love Oda more
love Ango more
suffer more
ship more??? hmmm??
i was thrilled when i found out the Dark Era was getting an anime adaptation. i just had the chance to watch everything from the second cur this Christmas break college devoured my free time and ate my soul, and i was tremendously pleased with the execution and the art. i did have a couple issues with it, but i can’t really complain. and four episodes???? god, we are so blessed. amazing. now everyone may know of Oda and we can all suffer together
DEEPER DETAILS FROM THE LIGHT NOVEL, HERE WE GO:
Oda:
ahhhh, so much about oda. for starters, there’s so much great inner Oda dialogue.
“Because the one who has gone missing is intelligence agent Sakaguchi Ango.”
If there was someone who could look into my heart, they would be lucky to see the image of a majestic, erupting volcano. Countless question marks burst forth from the volcano’s mouth, filling the air.
In reality, I curl my fingers a little.
Source: translation by @nkhrchy
^this passage sums up Oda pretty well actually! much of the ln is narrated by him. in the anime, we get some of Oda’s inner dialogue, but not the true bulk of it. he’s definitely a deep one and doesn’t let on that much about his emotions and feelings
the passage above also shows Oda’s faithfulness to Ango as a friend—you get a little bit of his faithfulness in the anime, but not to the extent in the ln. after they discovered the gun in Ango’s safe, Oda constantly struggles with the idea of Ango betraying them:
Why did Ango disappear?... I roam Yokohama’s streets looking for a non-existent glimmer of hope.
In another scenario:
Why would Ango want to betray the organisation?
During former intelligence wars, in order to get a member of the enemy organisation to betray them, money, sex, family, self-esteem, a sense of belonging could all become an obstacle. As long as all of these are struck down, the other party would agree to defect. So what is Ango’s reason for defecting and seeking refuge with Mimic?
To find the answer, I look beside me at Dazai.
Dazai continues to keep his head low, in deep thought. His expression—
Dazai is—
“—Hahaha!”
Laughing.
“I initially thought it was just a normal criminal organisation – but if it’s an organisation that Ango would seek refuge in, that means they’re not the sort of people to come crying and begging for forgiveness after a little lecture. On top of that, Ango as an enemy won’t be an easy adversary, not at all. Isn’t this exciting? It’ll definitely force me into desperation, and then—“
“Dazai!”
Hearing my call, Dazai stops talking. It’s not that I want to say something, but just to get him to quit it.
^this scene is a huge example showing how much Ango’s questionable disappearance bothers Oda. he doesn’t want to think of it as betrayal, let alone have Dazai laughing about it
even as Ango betrayed Oda right in front of his own eyes, Oda still feels tremendous pain at the thought of Ango abandoning him:
With my numb tongue, I say a few words towards Ango’s disappearing back. As to what I said, I don’t remember myself, but an indescribable loneliness fills my heart. My emotions feel like they’re at the end of the universe.
i also felt the anime underplayed how much Oda understood Dazai:
There is no one who knows Dazai’s inner self.
In the mafia, no one will look at what’s in their colleagues. This is an unspoken rule. They will not open up the lid over one’s chest to look at their heart and comment at the darkness stuffed within. This is a merit of the mafia.
But maybe that is wrong. At least it is for the man sitting beside me. Perhaps someone should persistently tie Dazai up, open the lid over his chest and stuff the head of a vacuum cleaner in. They have to let Dazai, who should be screaming in pain and resisting, settle down. Following which, the difficult things in his heart must all be dragged out under the sun and stepped on mercilessly.
mind you, this is a pretty unsettling passage, and @nkhrchy mentioned that translating it was a bit awk, but nonetheless—it goes to show that Oda understands how greatly darkness plagues Dazai. he knows Dazai is a dark and merciless mafioso, but he also sees him as being human
Oda really examines what Dazai reveals about himself too:
“I’m not upset... Things worth pursuing will always disappear the moment before you get them. Nothing is worth prolonging a painful life to pursue.”
I look at Dazai intently. Although we have known each other for very long, this is the first time Dazai has spoken about himself. One can see something as sharp as a giant fishhook piercing and gnawing into Dazai’s life.
but the best example of how much Oda understands Dazai comes after the mimic sniper scene, when Dazai dared the sniper to kill him. after Dazai had called it acting, Oda reflected on the incident and thought this:
As Dazai pointed to his forehead and approached the muzzle, the look on his face – like that of a child about to burst into tears – had already been branded upon my eyes.
Oda knows that little go-ahead-and-kill-me didn’t just come out of nowhere
The last particular thing I wanted to mention about Oda was the part when he visited his orphans before they all died *sobs*. perhaps it’s just me, but Oda came off rather stiff and serious? don’t get me wrong, he definitely thinks to himself, “I need to show them just how terrifying a true mafioso is.” however, he doesn’t say it to the kids. and, well, this doesn’t happen:
(for the record, he does tickle the one kid until he surrenders)
i get the point that the anime was trying to convey though. in the ln, Oda mentioned that the oldest boy wanted to be a mafioso when he grew up. so if you interpreted Oda as being too stiff or serious in this scene, just know that he was only trying to steer them from a life violence and death—to protect them. you should also know that Oda’s whole point of staying in the mafia was to earn enough money to provide food and shelter for these young orphans, just until they grew up and became independent and oh my god Oda is really too pure for this world
Ango:
oh god, you must understand how much Ango still wanted to be friends with Oda and Dazai
after Oda saved Ango from the exploding building, Oda gave him a handkerchief for his injury. then, after Oda fell into the magical temari ball trap, Ango tucked the handkerchief back into his hand, BUT WITH A NAPKIN FROM THE BAR. it’s as Dazai explains:
“A napkin from this store was wedged inside. It’s too obvious! Information agents will use unexpectedly dated methods sometimes.”
and if this does not show that Ango valued their friendship, let it be known that there was a scene in the ln with Ango looking at photographs after Oda’s death. and i mean, come on, they have to be the photographs Dazai requested they take at the bar. Ango was reminiscing over their friendship
The orphans:
i’m sorry, but you must know this
in the anime, the bus exploded right after Oda went back outside. however, in the ln, there’s a chase prolonging your hopes that the orphans live that ultimately serves to only crush your spirit
Oda ended up chasing the bus, and he somehow got on top of a minivan in front of the bus. he actually got the bus to crash into the minivan, but before he can reach the bus—the force of the explosion throws him into another car. Oda literally talks about wanting to get there before the explosion because (presumably) he saw it six seconds ahead of time through his ability Flawless. he thinks to himself, “Even if it’s one second earlier, I want to run to the bus.” which that, of course, would have killed him. the tragic thing about this though, he couldn’t physically do this because he was too injured to move and get there
and okay, i felt such things with the extra details in the light novel. this is what Oda describes before chasing the bus:
Through the gaps of the curtains, I can see someone sticking their hand out...
The boy notices me and widens his eyes. It is the oldest boy who said his dream is to become a mafioso. When he notices my gaze, he pulls the curtain open forcefully without hesitation. Behind his back, I can see all the kids. The young boy has pulled the curtain open for me to see this sight.
identifying the boy who had opened the curtains as the one who wanted to join the mafia is like an additional stab in the heart
Oda’s death:
okay, so you know this thing in episode 23:
okay, i actually don’t know what that is, but in the manga, it’s either a cigarette box or a matchbox with a city on it (maybe Yokohoma?) anyway, this was the very last thing Oda did before his death:
With trembling fingers, Odasaku draws out a cigarette from his coat, bringing it to his mouth in a strenuous action.
and so i believe Dazai was holding Oda’s cigarette box in the manga. something that was probably on Oda’s very person at the time of his death. so, to me, the box is a symbol of Oda — not a symbol of his memories at the bar with Oda and Ango. and for the record, Oda had given up smoking, but he found the old box and lit up one of the cigarettes as he was saying his final goodnight to the orphans. i think of it as like lighting a candle in their memories
A stream of faint purple smoke rises from the cigarette silently. I watch it.
“Sleep tight in the quiet place where you all are. I’ll take revenge for you all.”
I hold the cigarette between my fingers, watching the smoke. The cigarette finishes burning and the smoke disappears.
details from the light novel may also give you more to ship
perhaps you have missed two shipping candidates while watching the anime adaptation. have you ever entertained the shipping of OdaGide? don’t write this ship off until you read this post. no one writes about OdaGide better than @nkhrchy, our kayak captain
Additional thoughts on the anime arc:
Ages: this is a minor thing, but i was a bit disappointed that Dazai, Ango, and Akutagawa did not appear that much younger in the anime. i know it’s only a four year difference and it’s not that great, but the light novel had six illustration pages and i really enjoyed seeing the manga version of 16 year old baby Akutagawa in them. idk man. i need more baby Akutagawa. i also wanted younger Dazai because it’s such a pleasing thing to see a young soul already so dark? you can see the light novel illustrations here, as scanned by @akutagawaprize
Sound: okay, well this is just a random thing, but there was a lot of slow music and soft talking. it was fitting, but i expected a bit more playfulness in some parts. especially with Dazai’s goofy parts. i get it’s the dark era, but it didn’t feel so despondent that early on in the ln?
wow, what a long post. forgive me. i have so many feelings about this.
maybe it’s just me, but I was very confused about Dost’s ability after reading chapter 42. it seemed very complex—involving some level of manipulation or foresight or something. however, with a little rereading, i actually believe it’s a very simple ability
for starters, i don’t believe Dost used his ability on Ace. it’s like he said — he died of his own will. Ace probably believed that killing himself in Dost’s subconscious would bring him out of that fake reality. but he was never in Dost’s subconscious, so he actually killed himself
furthermore, Dost does seems to be introducing his true ability, like he says, in this panel:
that motion to touch him looks so slight and careful?? almost gentle for lack of a better word?? surely the impact of striking young sinnamon roll mafioso can’t have produced this effect???
and i mean, the strange thing about this panel is the direction Dost and sinnamon roll are moving in? if Dost had struck him in the forehead, shouldn’t our young mafioso fall backward? not face forward? he falls forward. his blood spits out the same direction. to me, it’s as if Dost has literally changed the blood flow of sinnamon roll’s body. that leaves me to conclude that Dost can execute people with a single touch. his ability is to end a person’s life by manipulating their heart, perhaps
additional thoughts: i can’t help but wonder how Dazai knows of Dost?? i really can’t wait for their interactions, and the glimpse of raws i saw for chapter 46 looks very promising. really though — here we have Dost, an individual with a seemingly high conviction to punish those who are evil — and there we have Dazai, a man with a richly stained and twisted mafia past. a man whose blood is more mafia black than, well, most of the mafia (according to Higuchi). oh, and then factor in the fact that Dazai’s touch can nullify any ability. do you SEE WHAT AN INTERESTING CONFLICT WE HAVE??? DO YOU??? given my theory is right lmao
theory with light novel spoilers: furthermore, i would find it very interesting and fucking heart wrenching if Oda was somehow factored into all of this. Oda was in the mafia and he led a mafia life (even though he tried not to kill for the better half of it). to Dost, Oda would deserve to be punished. but it’s possible Dost knew he couldn’t touch Oda because of his Flawless ability — so he’d have to find another way to end Oda’s life. and then that’s where Gide comes in. he somehow convinced Gide that Oda was his only salvation. i don’t put it past Dost to have thought it out like that either. i see him as being like Mori — someone who relies on mostly his cunning logic without really having to use his ability too much
anyway, that might shed some light on why Dazai considers Dost a demon. god, just look at that lightless eye panel shrouded by darkness
