(Polished automatic translation, so if you notice any mistake, please feel free to bring it to my attention. Transcript under the cut.)
Interview with the original authors after the conclusion of Part 1:
The characters in Bunsuto possess supernatural abilities derived from the works of real-life literary figures. Dazai Osamu's No Longer Human nullifies the supernatural abilities of anyone he touches, Akutagawa Ryuunosuke's Rashomon transforms his coat into a black beast to attack, and Nakahara Chuuya's Upon the Tainted Sorrow manipulates the gravity of anything he touches. Nakajima Atsushi's Beast Beneath the Moonlight, which allows him to transform into a white tiger, is taken from The Moon Over the Mountain.
Asagiri-san says, "Originally, we wanted to use cool, charismatic literary figures as an entry point to pique people's interest. On top of that, we wanted to position it within the mainstream of manga, specifically in the context of superpower battle stories."
Harukawa-san says, "I thought it was a genuinely interesting idea."
The "literary giants" who appear include Mori Ogai, Edogawa Ranpo, Sakaguchi Ango, Dostoevsky, Fitzgerald, and others... While it features an impressive lineup of authors, it also shines a light on writers who are generally less familiar to the public. This is because Asagiri intended it to be "an opportunity to showcase the appeal of these kinds of writers, showing that there are also people like them." Authors like Tetcho Suehiro, Teruko Okura, and Saigiku Jouno likely became famous all at once thanks to Bunsuto.
While some aspects of the characters are based on the image of real-life literary figures, there are also many differences. Fans who learn about literary figures through Bungo Stray Dogs will likely be surprised to learn about Izumi Kyouka. He is a male author known for works such as The Saint of Mt. Koya and Onna Keizu, but in the story, he is a beautiful girl who acts as the heroine (!). Furthermore, Kyouka's mentor, Ozaki Kouyou, is also portrayed as a woman.
It is well known that the real Dazai greatly admired Akutagawa, but in the story, their relationship is the complete opposite, with Akutagawa being the one intensely devoted to Dazai. In Bunsuto, Dazai and Nakahara, bound by a complex mix of love and hate, have become one of the most popular duos, and this is a successful example of boldly expanding on the anecdotes about the two writers' actual strained relationship.
Asagiri-san says, "It's difficult to decide how much to rely on historical facts. When fictionalizing it, we've taken plenty of precautions." Harukawa-san says, "These are characters, not the literary giants themselves. In the beginning, I avoided making them resemble photographs of the real people, but I did incorporate some famous anecdotes into their characteristics."
Many of the characters' names are derived from famous authors, such as Gin (from "Ogin") for Akutagawa's sister and Naomi (from "Naomi") for Tanizaki Jun'ichiro's sister, and it's fun to investigate these connections.
"As an element related to the image, it enhances the character's appeal," (Asagiri-san)
On the other hand, Sigma, who plays a key role towards the end of Part 1, is unique, as the "original source" of the literary figure is unknown. While some fans are diligently speculating, Asagiri-san confesses that he "deliberately created a unique character from scratch"! However, he also adds that "the fact that we still don't know much about him is part of his charm."
Asagiri-san says that the reason he chose Atsushi Nakajima as the protagonist is "because The Moon Over the Mountain has been included in textbooks for many years." "It's a work that young readers often encounter first, and it has an extremely high capacity to introduce them to literature. Among the eccentric characters of literary giants, I thought he was the perfect vessel to serve as a stand-in for the reader."
In the story, Nakajima, due to his extraordinary abilities, is mistreated and eventually expelled from an orphanage, and continues to search for the meaning of "it's okay for people to live." The creator decided from the initial planning stages of the project that they "wouldn't avoid" literary themes such as "living" and "being human." The idea that "asking questions and getting lost in the process is literature in itself" is reflected in the title, Stray Dogs.
Analyzing the reason for its popularity, Asagiri-san says "I think it's the story, the characters, and the power of Harukawa's artwork." "Now that all the fans who are creating the 'atmosphere' of Bungo Stray Dogs are also contributing to it, I hope we can continue to create it together in the future," he says. Harukawa-san says she "doesn't really feel (the popularity)," but she's encouraged by the fans' enthusiasm, saying "I get a lot of inspiration at events."
It's amazing how Harukawa-san's interpretation of Asagiri-san's original work is almost identical to Asagiri-san's. The mini comic strips on the back of the paperback covers are entirely Harukawa-san's idea. Asagiri-san places complete trust in them, saying, "I supervise it to some extent, but I approve almost everything. They're the one who understands it best," expressing their complete trust in them.
Regarding their pen names, it's often speculated that Asagiri-san's name comes from Franz Kafka and Harukawa-san's from Naoki Sanjugo, but both claim there's "no connection." It's a strange coincidence that these two are both working on works that deal with literary giants.
Part 1 concludes with Nakajima flying to London, England. It might seem as if he's traveled through time and space to the past, but... Asagiri-san clearly states, "The times haven't changed!"
I can't wait to see which literary giant will appear next. I can't wait for Part 2 to begin.
