Why “Fifteen” Is About Dazai’s Backstory Too
Well, friends, it has happened. I am, after being embarrassingly slow on the uptake, fully convinced of one of the most popular BSD fan theories. I’m talking of course about the whole “Dazai is the former Port Mafia Boss’ kid” theory.
For some reason, I never gave the theory much thought despite always wondering about Dazai’s backstory. When I read the newly published translation of Fifteen though, it literally hit me like a ton of bricks. Ok, not literally, but you get what I mean.
It was so obvious! All the clues are RIGHT. THERE. I want to give my thoughts particularly on how this theory relates to Fifteen.
When we think of Fifteen, we think of it as being Chuuya’s story; about how he joined the mafia and the story behind Corruption is. It’s a backstory that’s complicated, over-the-top, and hella cool—it fits Chuuya perfectly.
What I didn’t realize was that it also heavily hints to Dazai’s own story preceding the series. It’s a story that simmers between the lines on the page and, like Dazai’s character, can only be guessed at. Because Chuuya’s backstory is so flashy, it’s easy to overlook the hints that Fifteen is just as much about Dazai’s backstory as it is Chuuya’s. But if you look, it’s there.
First is the whole convo between Mori and Dazai when they’re at Mori’s clinic:
Mori, the Port Mafia boss’s personal physician, and Dazai—who’d merely been brought in for care after a suicide attempt—conspired and carried out a secret plan: assassinating their leader.
First, we learn that Mori was explicitly the boss’s physician. Now I suppose it can’t be said without a doubt that Mori doesn’t have other patients, but the book is very careful to point out he is not the Port Mafia’s doctor—he’s specifically the boss’s doctor. So why would Dazai, if he had absolutely no tie to the Port Mafia, be brought to see Mori? It would make sense, however, if Mori was the doctor of one of his family members.
Which brings me to another important side note. In Fifteen, we learn that Dazai is not explicitly a part of the Port Mafia. He is not a part of the organization, and yet he must have a direct connection to the Port Mafia despite not being in it.
We see Mori as the present-day boss is incredibly well-protected, but Dazai is allowed not only into the bedroom of the old boss, but is allowed in while the man’s on his deathbed, and no one thinks it’s strange. Dazai’s word about the Port Mafia boss’s will for some reason carries weight to it. Dazai also throughout Fifteen, despite at this point not being a part of the Mafia, seems to have a pretty good understanding of how the organization works, and Mori asks him for his advice. Sure, we know Dazai is a genius, but why would he have a working knowledge of how the Port Mafia’s various business dealings?
Also one more thing about the quote above. “Assassinating their leader.” “Their” leader is interesting word choice. Dazai isn’t in the PM yet, so why would the old boss be his leader? Well, it would be make sense if he was still the head of Dazai’s family, if he was essentially the “leader” in a familial way to Dazai as he is in a professional way to Mori. I’d be so curious to see if the original Japanese text carries the same implication.
It also completely puts into further perspective why Mori refers to Dazai as a “miscalculation.” Dazai says: “Here we are, an entire year later, and I’m still alive—that’s why that deep-seated fear is still eating at you.”
Mori’s entire beef with Dazai is fascinating and something I talk about in this lil essay, but it makes even hella more sense why Mori would feel threatened by Dazai if additionally Dazai has some sort of familial right to the “throne” as the Port Mafia boss. Which brings me to my next quote:
He couldn’t let Dazai die. Because if he did...the previous boss’s supporters within the organization would most definitely turn on Mori and claim he was behind his predecessor’s death...there was no telling how many in this anti-Mori faction remained within the Mafia.
Ok, again, why would these older supporters give a shit about some random kid who corroborated Mori’s story of the boss’s death? Because Dazai would represent the “true” successor to the boss these people are still loyal too, and two deaths to this line would make Mori look even more suspicious than he already is. We start to get the picture that after the old boss’ death, the Mafia was divided into people: those who supported Mori and an “anti-Mori” faction whose loyalties were with the old boss’s line—a line represented now by Dazai.
This is why keeping Dazai in the Mafia is a double edge sword to Mori. Mori is able to present Dazai as a badge of his own innocence and proof that a peaceful transfer of power occurred from the old line to the new; however, Dazai’s existence in the Port Mafia will always conjure the shadow of the old boss and “rightful” line.
So then Mori asks Dazai to investigate sightings of the old boss—wait, what? As Dazai puts it:
You asked me to investigate instead of one of your top subordinates, so there’s only one person this individual could be: the previous boss, right?
Again, excuse me? I’m sorry? Por que? Dazai, thank you for bringing up a good point here. There are plenty of capable people in the Port Mafia. Why does Dazai think it makes perfect sense that he’d be the best one to investigate the old boss? Again, it would make sense if he knew the boss personally.
So, in sum, Dazai is positioned repeatedly as being very familiar with the old boss and the workings of the Port Mafia. When Mori is described as a “usurper” its exactly the person whom he usurped the role of mafia boss from that ends up being his co-conspirator in the assassination. Hiiiighly recommend reading the conversation Dazai and Mori have at the beginning of Fifteen!
