Appreciating the BSD ending songs- part 1
So it has been a little too long since I last did one of these posts but I've been thinking about the BSD ending songs for the past... several months and honestly I love all of them so much and Luck Life did such a good job with the lyricism and the song themselves.
So in this post I will sort of be going over each ending- my interpretation and the characters who I think they're associated with.
I'll be dividing this post into 2 or 3 parts since I want to cover all endings
1. Namae wo yobu yo - I'll call your name
This, IMO is probably one of the more emotional BSD endings from the instrumentals to the lyrics. Whenever I listen to it, it always hits me in the feels. When I first heard this ED, it very obviously felt like it was centred around Atsushi and also a bit about Atsushi and Dazai's relationship itself. So that's the pattern I've noticed with the first 2 or 3 endings- they revolve around one character as an individual and the their relationship with life or the meaning of it which ties back to the central message of BSD itself.
So, with ED 1, going back to what i was saying earlier, it very obviously revolves around Atsushi.
"I was searching, for the reason I'm able to remain as myself
If there's a version of me that exists within your heart
I feel like I can become a new me
Able to make my way through"
The conflict we have of Atsushi struggling to accept himself and reconcile with his weretiger form and truly accept his ability and this ending- it shows being able to accept ourselves even when things are dire- I suppose that's the thing about BSD endings, they always present a positive outlook which makes you feel good after listening to them.
Whenever I listen to this part- i sort of think of it as Atsushi calling out Dazai's name. Because, even at this point in the story, Dazai is kind of like Atsushi's guiding light. Though, dazai is not a perfect mentor- instances from the manga or the LNs like 55 minutes show how Atsushi views him as a symbol of hope. Like this part from 55 minutes
"This smile meant everything was going to be all right."
Overall, I honestly get quite nostalgic whenever I listen to this ending and for me, it represents accepting yourself- even parts you may not like about yourself and having hope that everything is going to be okay :)
2. Kaze ga Fuku Machi - Town Where the Wind Blows
Little fun fact: Yokohama is also referred to as the "town where the wind blows"
Moving onto the 2nd ED- Honestly, i feel like this ED is probably the most underrated out of all the five endings.
Anyways, I think this ED is mainly related to the Dark Era, Dazai and Oda. As in, this is mainly from Dazai's perspective.
It literally starts off by saying-
"I’ll hold them tight, never letting go
I’m here, still breathing.
Along with the things most precious to me"
"I'm here, still breathing."- AHHH- this sounds like it could be a direct conversation between Dazai and Oda. Like I can imagine him visiting Oda's grave and saying this- telling Oda that despite everything, he's still here.
"The words you gave to me
They’re kept locked away with care
Always there within my chest"
Oh, well. This is quite literally about Oda's last words to Dazai about becoming a better person and is so beautifully expressed here.
"And I’m living true to myself
So that I can stand pridefully before you"
This part emphasises that Dazai IS trying to be a better person. He is changing. Slowly but surely. He has come so far from his days in the port mafia. Has friends in the agency. People who he trusts and probably cares about and people who care about him. Odasaku would definitely be proud of how far Dazai has come.
"I had the feeling something might change
Despite how different I’ve become"
This part is probably referring to Oda's death. Something that led to a huge change within Dazai's life itself. And, moreso, we can see that Dazai HAS changed considerably in certain ways ever since he left the mafia. He is doing better in the "light" than he would if he stayed behind in the mafia.
Creds to @popopretty for the translation
But going back to the earlier verse, despite a difference in his work environment and the company he is now surrounded by, one thing that unfortunately remains constant in his life is his depression and the desire to die- or should I say, the lack of a reason to live. Yes, things are better for him at the ADA but at the end of the day he still struggles with his depression.
There are a few more lines emphasising the change in Dazai's life and once again, following the trend of the previous ending, it also presents a positive outlook.
It suddenly all comes back to me
I’m certain, the future resulting
From the days we spent together back then
Overall, whenever I listen to this ending, I end up thinking about Dazai and Oda's relationship and how far Dazai has come from his days in the port mafia.
For me, this ending symbolises changing for the better and also represents hope that eventually things will get better.
I'll be covering the other endings in my next post and honestly, I'm really looking forward to talk about Lily since it's definitely one of my top favourites.
