Bsd fans will pride themselves on being media literate because their favorite characters are based on literary icons and then tell you unironically that Hirotsu lied to Chuuya that Dazai picked up Chuuya's drunk call when Dazai's SPEECH BUBBLES ARE LITERALLY ON PAGE.
And then they'll fight you on it as a valid interpretation when they are deliberately ignoring the very clearly visible evidence that Dazai picked up the call and answered.
Yes, Hirotsu lied, but NOT to Chuuya. He lied to Kaji to protect Dazai about pretending to answer because WE SEE Dazai's responding speech bubbles ON PAGE.
Being open to interpretation is a good perspective to have, however when you look at a box of chocolates that is clearly marked chocolate and tell everyone that there is no chocolate and only spinach in the box then you're just wrong.
never give a black lizard fan more than 2 minutes of black lizard content at a time they might keel over from being bombared with too much canon material at once
what if hirotsu was the one to bring tachihara into the mafia? like obviously tachihara orcastrated him getting into the mafia, but imagine hirotsu ended up being the one who brought tachihara in.
like hirotsu thought it was just going to be a basic bust but then he sees this kid who is really really good with a gun and he's like 'new recruit ig'. he then gets put in charge of the kid by mori.
So… I have declared July as HiroMori Month (yes, I know, I'm ridiculous xD), and I figured I'd write down some thoughts that have been living rent-free in my head:
Why I Think They Make Sense
In the manga, there's this scene where Hirotsu looks at Mori after Dazai confronts him about killing the former boss. You can see it in Hirotsu's eyes: He is not shocked, not angry… but worried. Worried for Mori. Because he knows that, even if Mori says he doesn't regret it, that kind of thing must have done something with him.
Yes, it was duty. It had to be done. But that doesn't mean it didn't leave a scar.
This is probably the reason why Hirotsu speaks to him later, when Mori stands in the old boss's room and touches the dried blood on the wall. Mori says he has no regrets, but since he's clearly based on the real historical Mori Ōgai, I honestly think that's nonsense. The real Mori spoke about constantly having to wear masks. His deep sense of duty almost completely suffocated his true self.
He came from a respected family, and society demanded cruel things from him, like leaving his one true love, Elise Wiegert, simply because she was German and their relationship was sadly “inappropriate” at the time.
He couldn't afford to live freely. So instead, he poured all that pain into his writing.
What Helps Him Cope?
I'm not entirely sure how BSD-Mori deals with his pain. Maybe it's simply by caring for the one part of himself that remains innocent → (BSD) Elise. And from BEAST!, we know that, deep down, he'd rather take on a fatherly role than being a monster.
Fiction vs. Reality
And yes, even if BSD is just a story, I keep thinking about this stuff. Because the meaning of these two characters (Hirotsu and Mori) feels deeper to me, since I guess/hope I happen to know a bit about the real people behind their names. ^^;
Hirotsu, in real life, was an incredibly gentle man. Quiet. Emotional. And I believe that, had they met, he would have done Mori a lot of good, by understanding the weight of duty and still offering a kind presence.
Historical Note (or my confusion ^^;)
I have to admit something though: I honestly have no idea if the real Mori Ōgai and Hirotsu Ryūrō ever met. They did live at the same time, that much I know. But I've never found any proof of correspondence, letters, meetings… nothing. Maybe I'm just too dumb to find the right sources, or maybe they really never crossed paths. So what I'm writing here is based on each of them individually, not any real-life connection.
Still, I can't help but imagine: if they had met, maybe Hirotsu could have been someone who didn't need Mori to change, didn't judge him for the masks he wore, but simply saw the man behind them.
Why Not FukuMori?
For the record… I never liked Fukuzawa. Sry. ^^;
But that's just my personal opinion. He always struck me as distant and kind of arrogant. Strict. Cold. (I only like him on the 10000 Yen bill xD)
Mori, on the other hand, even though he's cruel at times, feels so painfully human to me. You can feel that he's carrying something. And Hirotsu, whether in BSD or in real life, strikes me as someone who wouldn't try to fix that, but who could quietly sit with it. And maybe that would have been enough.
Just My Two Cents
And well… these were just my two cents. It's simply how it feels to me.
Funny thing is: ever since I visited their graves and started reading even more about the real historical figures, this quiet little wish keeps growing in me: that maybe, somehow, they could have met.💔
I know it sounds weird. Maybe even stupid. But I genuinely wish Mori had found some kind of peace in his real life. Because truth be told? His life was a mess. Probably even worse than mine… and that's saying something.
As a side note: I'm honestly glad Mori isn't on any yen banknote like Fukuzawa. Spending bills with Natsume Sōseki's face (1000 Yen) already felt painful enough, but can you imagine if Mori had been on one? T.T How would I even be able to buy Mori and Hirotsu merch without dying a little inside each time? xD
Tagging my Mori-senpai and Hirotsu-senpai, because if anyone's qualified to judge my brainrot, it's you two. :3
@ochitsubaki @plinko-mori
And tagging you, because you said you want to read analysis:
