one of the (many) reasons why this exchange makes me so emotional is that Dazai knows very well the feeling of only ever being used and taken advantage of as a tool, and not knowing anything other than that life. He understands that Sigma can’t yet comprehend the notion of someone wanting you without any ulterior motives, of people just having natural relationships that don’t involve wanting to get something out of each other, because that was his life before he met Oda, who was a “balm for the soul” (in his own words) for him; hence, he doesn’t try to explain it to Sigma at first. But he does relent once Sigma takes Dazai’s initial silence as him being unworthy for an explanation... He doesn’t go into more detail as to why “understanding would be difficult”, because that would require opening up about himself which is something Dazai is still far from ready for, and because he knows Sigma wouldn’t be able to fully understand or accept all of this yet, but just the two reasons he does give for choosing him are already causing Sigma to start to rethink everything he’s ever known about the world and how people treat each other.

Dazai chose him to use his ability, just like everyone who’s always used Sigma has -- but he also chose him to save his life, and to help the agency, people he cares about and wants to help for completely selfless reasons, without expecting anything in return (sure, Dazai jokes about him being on the agency’s payroll, but that’s just his usual deflecting to avoid admitting that he cares :’). This is completely foreign behavior in Sigma’s world, where everyone has to use each other in order to survive, but he’s realizing that Dazai is different from them: he’s realizing what it feels like to be wanted simply out of compassion and love, and not because of how valuable he may be. Sigma isn’t just any other ordinary orphan Dazai saves; he wants to save him particularly because he empathizes with him and sees his old, hurt, jaded self in him, and he’s slowly becoming the balm for the soul for Sigma that Oda was for himself back then, which is truly touching.

Writing a complex character such as Dazai is actually really hard even for people who understand him because he is, as you said, extremely unpredictable. I don't know exactly what to tell you, but I'll try to help a little bit!

The whole thing about Dazai is that he doesn't understand humanity. He understands the basics and why people do what they do because he is analytical and has been studying people's behavior and human connections forever. But he doesn't feel connected with humanity and empathy the same way other people do. He perceives others from like, the other side of a barrier. He studies them carefully. Manages to care about them deeply sometimes. Even deeper when they're able to see him and get to him (Odasaku, Atsushi, Chuuya, the whole agency in fact means something to him). But there's always this layer of disconnection and apathy and emptiness he doesn't know how to get rid of. It's like he cares, but he actually doesn't because he rationalizes everything and turns it into a game of chess, more or less? And I think that frustrates him. He isn't used to caring about people because he doesn't understand them, but he takes an interest in the people he finds amusing to study and once he cares deeply, they're taken away from him (that's why he mourns and regrets Oda's death so much. He feels like the world takes everything away from him the second he manages to feel human). Hence the whole thing about not feeling human (amongst other things). He cares and yet he is realistic. He has regrets and suffers and feels pain and he can care about others (ignore all the people who keep portraying him as an emotionless monster, please) but he doesn't drown in self-pity when it comes to all the people he has killed and his past because he can rationalize that. It was another era. He has moved on. And if it's for the greater good of the mission or his journey to find something to live for, he doesn't care how many random people he has to kill (when he was younger he valued other people's lives way less, of course. Now that has changed because his apathy is something he doesn't turn into cruelty and instead uses to rationalize plans and help the world and the agency. Basically, when he was part of the mafia it was kind of "I don't give a fuck about random people" because he genuinely didn't feel anything for them, but now, even if he doesn't genuinely care for them, he protects even random people because that's what the image of kindness Oda had planned for him). Oda tells him that, if the good side and the bad one are the same and he hasn't found anything to live for yet, why not help the world while he's at it? And it's such a beautiful thought because Dazai has this issue with understanding humanity and making bonds. But he understands, now more than ever after Oda's death, what living and killing means. He might not actually care that much for society and its well-being, but maybe he can find something to live for in the light more than he would in the darkness. He keeps wanting to kill himself, right? He keeps trying. But he doesn't actually want to. It's common sense. If he truly wanted to, he already would've done it. "I don't like pain" is the most common thing to say when you don't actually want to do it. I think that, unlike Nikolai, who actually craves to die as a representation of freedom, Dazai only wants to keep trying and trying to find a reason for living. Chuuya was that thing when he was in the Mafia. Chuuya and Oda, because Chuuya is quite literally his soulmate (in the sense of bringing amusement to his life and also making him feel human, as his ability is the only thing that can help Chuuya. And also Chuuya not being human but being the most empathetic and emotional of all the people Dazai has met in the mafia) and Oda was the first one to actually understand him and see him for who he is, something I don't think he'll ever find again and that's why Oda's death fucked him up so bad. He found a place to belong and somebody to live for, and then he dies and leaves him alone? It's not fair, but he'll try to fight for good and live in the light if that's what Oda wanted for him. As if Oda knew him better than he knows himself because I also think he has a hard time with his own perception and personality.

In simpler words: Dazai has a hard time understanding humanity because he feels disconnected from it by a layer of apathy and the fact that he doesn't understand basic human needs/actions because he doesn't share them. One of the things that makes us human is desires, right? Wanting. Loving. Longing. Dazai rejects all of that because he doesn't know what he wants and nothing he tries ends up making him feel whole. In "No Longer Human", actually, you can read things like "It is almost impossible for me to converse with other people" and "I have never known what it means to be hungry / Eat or die, the saying goes, but to my ears, it sounded like just one more unpleasant threat". So he isn't a monster, his brain just functions in a different way. He sees everything. Analyzes every little thing. He's smarter than everybody else and he's aware of that, but he feels lonely there and only wants somebody to understand or something to fight for. Oda gave him both things, and the agency gave him a reason to keep going because he genuinely cares about doing good and keeping them safe. I don't think Dazai's journey has ended, because he still fights against.... So many things with himself. His past. His future. His desires. But at least now he has a thing to enjoy and bring him happiness. His constant act of being "silly" isn't that much of a facade. I mean, I think it is because if he acts like a clown, nobody will ever see the true self he hides. But I think he ends up having fun with the agency and annoying Chuuya because he sees them respond to his behavior and he finds it amusing. I think being extremely smart and lonely and tormented can coexist with being fun sometimes.

As per writing in his POV.... It depends on what you want to write, really. I think his brain functions differently depending on his mood. I guess the most important thing is to keep in mind his surroundings because he's always hyperaware of every little thing. But it frustrates him not knowing how he's feeling or not understanding what he actually truly needs, often focusing on others instead of looking into himself, because every time he does, he only finds himself empty and craving for something he doesn't know what it is. In his worst moments, I think it's quite obvious he tries to fix things with distractions and impulsive actions like substance abuse. In his more analytical moments, it's when he becomes more apathetic and sees the world as his game of chess and people as only pawns. He knows he's human, he just doesn't feel like it. Fyodor has a sense of superiority Dazai doesn't share. He's smarter because his brain functions differently, but he is no God. He is no entity. He analyzes from the POV of somebody external to humanity but knowing quite well he isn't God. And when he's having genuine fun and feeling some type of care/love? I think he's grateful. The emptiness is always there, though. Always haunting him. In the back of his brain. But he sees hope in Atsushi and a place to keep his promise in the agency and maybe fulfill his heart. He might always have a fucked up perception of himself, but at least he's aware that doing the right thing fills the hole in his chest more than tormenting others. As I said, he likes it there (and Chuuya) because it makes him experience humanity even if he keeps telling himself he isn't human (No Longer Human quote: "You miss her, don't you?" / "Yes." / "That's human nature, I guess").

I don't know if I helped you?? I think it's a bit of a mess, sorry 😭 It's like 3am and I don't know if what I said makes any sense, but I really hope I was able to help you!

holy FUCK it took me fifteen minutes to read all of this and i'm glad i did because this is the most succinct and articulate analysis i have ever seen of dazai's underlying nature and his ambitions in relevance to the plot OP I THINK IF ASIGIRI CANT WRITE ANYMORE YOU SHOULD TAKE OVER BSD MANGA BC I THINK U UNDERSTAND DAZAI BETTER THAN HE DOES SOMETIMES TBH💀💀 aaaa jkjk i digress you were so real for bringing up the yozo/dazai parallels bc there's genuinely so many and if i still had my fucking BOOK :side eye: i could go through the intricate and profound commentary i left in the margins but alas my dear friend insists on keeping it longer. there's nothing more i can say on this topic bc i agree w you on everything wholeheartedly i think you deserve a scholarship to harvard or smth bc god DAMN you would slay as a lit or lang major

omg I never see anyone talking about fukuzawa and kunikidas background but I agree with you so much I think he met him as a teenager if not younger. I've always liked to think that kunikidas parents know fukuzawa somehow and he kinda grew up knowing him. kunikidas whole background and family is such a mystery it drives me crazy

DUDE SAME HOLY SHIT I'm so curious about Kunikida's background because!! We know!! So little!! Like the only reason we know he used to be a math teacher is because he was literally working as one when Dazai's entrance exam happened - what was he doing before?? How did he discover he has an Ability?? Considering it's basically canon Abilities come from trauma, what even happened to him so his own manifested?

People talk about how Dazai is so careful on what he tells the agency but ngl, the agency know jack fucking shit about each other lmao. It's not just Dazai - we still have no clue what the fuck is up with the Tanizaki siblings or how Kunikida joined the agency. No one knew about Yosano's backstory before she shared it with Tanizaki and Kenji sans Ranpo and Fukuzawa because they RESCUED HER. Its confirmed no one sans Ranpo and Fukuzawa (possibly Yosano) know how the agency was founded in Untold Origins; and so much around Kenji is a mystery as well. We know about Atsushi because of his trauma dumping (as he deserves) and Kyouka because her joining the agency was so dramatic - everyone else though is far from an open book. Especially Kunikida.

Also - Kunikida's so fucking WEIRD, right?? Like people talk about him like he's the 'sane' one of the agency, but that's just because he's next to Dazai fucking Osamu, who makes anyone look normal. Kunikida is way too down with violence - hell, the first appearance we get of him he pins a starving orphan to the floor, it's noted he's not allowed to ask questions to clients because he gets violent, and he's told to cool it by Dazai of all people. Like?? He's passively suicidal with a HUGE guilt complex, and like, that obsession with his ideals can't come from nowhere. Like Kunikida's commitment to his ideals to the point of self destruction is shown to be bad for him, the center of his character and his flaws, so where does something like that come from? People also skip over the specifics of his moral code - because that's not clear cut either lmao. He breaks into weather stations because they reported wrong, steals cars when people have insurance, is just kinda like -_- when Atsushi and Kyouka are in danger in the start of the manga, and really, he's just... his morals don't align with the law. Period. Nor do they seem simple, despite how people want to read him.

So how the FUCK did that happen?

Because like I said, we know so little about Kunikida!

I really like the idea you said, about Kunikida having grown up knowing Fukuzawa! That's definitely interesting, I don't think I've heard that. It would make sense if Fukuzawa started training Kunikida early - because he's way too good for someone who started training at say, 18. In Dazai's Entrance Exam he wipes the floor with an opponent who has a significant weight and size advantage over him, and I actually think he could match Chuuya in terms of pure martial arts (maybe not beat, but it would definitely be a close fight without Abilities). That's too good for someone who only started training hardcore when he hit adulthood.

Also - I think Fukuzawa was the one who gave Kunikida his Ideals notebook. I don't think he was there when his Ability manifested or anything, but I do think he was the one who gave Kunikida that direction, that sense of purpose. It makes sense to me - Kunikida's dislikes have authority listed (considering the author irl, that makes sense), and he's got one of the most vulgar speech patterns in the series and comparatively rarely uses honorifics... yet he respects Fukuzawa so much?? He defers to him so much?? He's his successor, outright stated? What caused that type of loyalty, that type of deference?

Was Kunikida the first person to take an entrance exam, considering the agency was started for Ranpo and Yosano definitely didn't? What was his even like?? WHY did they make him the first one to take it, if he did?

Idk, I REALLY hope we get more on Kunikida's backstory soon. There's so much that's implied, and at the least I hope we get more on his relationship with Fukuzawa.

I don’t know about anyone else but:

If you really look at SKK and SSKK, the people who line up in terms of the dark and light side isn’t so much their job position but like…what they started out as.

Sure, you could look at it as one detective/light and one mafia/black but SKK was started when both dazai and chuuya were in the mafia.

Really looking at how they care, to me Atsushi is taking up Chuuya’s role and Akutagawa is taking up Dazai’s in the pair.

Like for one, chuuya and atsushi very much are the half that cares about life. We see it in the way chuuya wants to spare his men and atsushi is pretty self explanatory. They also tend to be the up close, ultimate offense in the pair, running up to deal damage and take damage.

On the flip side, Akutagawa and Dazai (at the time SKK was founded) don’t really care about others lives. They do their job for one reason or the lack of one. They also tend to be the far away, ultimate defense as Rashomon (while can definitely be offensive but to a more effective degree than dazai in regards to ability (because dazai with a gun is probably more dangerous let’s be honest)) usually helps form armor or bolsters the attack the offense is making.

Obviously is not perfect one on one especially since dazai went to the agency, but if you look more at attitude and role in the SKK then that’s what I usually see.

Let me also bring up that both atsushi and chuuya have “uncontrollable” aspects of their abilities as another parallel. Dazai and Akutagawa both have a better understanding of how to apply their abilities. That’s not to say chuuya doesn’t know, he definitely has a fundamental, deep and impressive grasp of his gravity manipulation but going off of just the roles of SKK and what each part of the pair demonstrates especially comparing start SKK to start sskk, is more what I’m getting at.

Though with dazai switching to care more about lives and sort of adding that mafia/detective component to the SKK pair, I wonder if a similar change will be reflected in the younger sskk as well. Will one of them have a sudden change of heart? Or add another layer to the SKK representation? Who knows…..

he would never admit it, but Chuuya prefers ADA!Dazai to PM!Dazai. arl, he doesn't hate the Agency, and we don't really know his thoughts ab them. he doesn't like weak people, and no one there is really weak, everyone has some skill or ability that he'd find useful (Tachihara like the Black LIzard said has the perfect ability to be an assassin, Fukuzawa and Kunikida are extremely strong in martial arts (and Chuuya is the Mafia's best martial artist, it would be so interesting to see him fight Fukuzawa. without ability, only to know who'd win), Kenji is a sweetheart and Chuuya has already acknowledged his strength, Atsushi is just like him, Kyouka is Kouyou's ex apprentice ofc he'd like her, and Yosano is the embodiment of girl power with one of the most useful abilities ever) so yeah.

Dazai is objectively better in his ADA era (ofc one can prefer his younger self, find it more interesting, but he's a better person in his twenties). Sometimes it doesn't matter why one does good things, it's enough the fact they're doing good, that they choose to. maybe Dazai became a good man just because of Oda's last words, but he became a good man. even if he still has to work more ab himself, he's trying and he's doing a good job at it. and a reality where Chuuya (who has matured in those years too, who has changed like Dazai has changed) kinda likes this Dazai is appealing. one where he sees how much Dazai is trying to be better, ad Chuuya's the type of guy to appreciate something like that. (Chuuya loved Dazai, trusted him, but he isn't (and wasn't) the type of guy to like unjustified violence- when Dazai was the type of guy who didn't really care ab reasons) like a "I recognise you've changed, it's ok I've changed too, but yk this version of you is better than the edgy emo kid able to put a bullet in someone's head just because he was bored" not saying he's perfect, but come on PM!Dazai is a piece of shit to anyone except Odasaku (the ff tropes I wanna write but don't find the strenght to) (soukoku is the real deal) (they're gonna be endgame I feel it) (not really I'm hoping for the pride month)

I'm looking at this from ALL ANGLES SHIPWISE PLATONIC WISE QUEER WISE HOWEVER THE FUCK YOU DIGEST SOUKOKU:

When it comes to bsd ships, those specifically with Dazai it's always:

when people say Sigma deserves better... okay i get it. He's a newborn fawn.

When people say Atsushi deserves better, that's obvious, age.

Kunikida akutami gives him enough manga tribulations.

Everyone above has just started their life or have been living it in such a way that their innocence is still in contact.

But then there's Chuuya Nakahara.

"Chuuya deserves better than Dazai"

??????

Does he?

Or is it perfect.

The only person to walk through hell with Dazai, the only one to understand his grey morality.

His constant in every alternate universe.

No matter what the decisions they make for their personal lives, whether its the "path of saving" or "a world blood & darkness," they CHOOSE time and time again to respect eachothers choice.

They don't try to diminish each other's philosophies on life. "SUCIDAL or SELF SACRIFICIAL behaviour"

Chuuya, who is Dazai's trump card for every important turning point in his plans (& literal plot amour)

Friendships or acquaintanceships that are made during childhood/teenhood have different foundations to one's we make in adulthood. There's a childlike innocence where you and that person never grow up no matter the time that has passed.

Mother always considers her child a child even when they become an adult.

An older sibling will always consider their younger sibling a baby.

It's like high school mates seeing one another years after, "you're the kid I sat next to during lunch who always ate a bag of chips."

And though humans grow, they change not down to things such as an inner child.

What I'm saying is that this whole Chuuya deserves better is ridiculous because he has just as much sins on his head like Dazai, if not more (considering he's still in the mafia).

This ugliness that they share binds them closer together than any of the relationships they have with other characters.

They can't fool eachother with pretenses/lies. They know when the other is unsure, when the other is lying, when the other has already come to a conclusion.

It works as a ship, as platonic, as rivalry AS ANY PAIRING WITH BASIC MUTUAL RESPECT & UNDERSTANDING HEAVY ON THE UNDERSTANDING.

They see their distorted reflections and accept eachother's reflection.

Because a lot of characters have respect for Dazai, that doesn't mean they understand him(which has been stated before).

That's why it's not black & white or white & white

it's BLACK & BLACK

THAT'S WHY THEY'RE CALLED DOUBLE BLACK 🙄lol.

ahhhh omg congrats on the milestone!! So deserved!!

If you don't mind, I'd like a siblings figure match up please :). My mbti is an istj, I'm quiet and shy but I can have small talk with people who start conversations first because starting conversations scares me. I'm the serious about school friend, so my social life is very minimal.

Anyway, I'd say there aren't really people I don't get along with because I barely talk to anyone lmao, but i do find people who arent hardworkers annoying, like i wont say it or show it outwardly, but they do ge on mu nerves. Pronouns are she/her and I'm short.

As you know, I play the piano and I guess writing fanfiction is a hobby haha.

I'm caught up in the manga but haven't read any of the light novels.

Thanm you so much in advance! Hope the info I've given is sufficient!

QUIIIIIIIIIIIIII MY FELLOW ANIME FAN, TWOSETTER, AND CLASSICAL MUSIC STAN <333 TYSM, AND I HOPE YOU LIKE YOUR RESULT! 😁

The image used is not mine. It belongs to it's original owner.

Calculating...

Your sibling figure is... ATSUSHI NAKAJIMA!!!

-Atsushi doesn't really mind your shyness, but if you want him to, he can do the talking for you. I don't think Atsushi is that shy that he wouldn't be able to hold a normal conversation

-He doesn't mind your quietness too! I feel like he would appreciate having someone whom he can sit in comfortable silence with and not worry about having to make conversation

-Atsushi admires your seriousness towards your grades. He'll try to help you with your schoolwork, and if he can't, he'll encourage you and remind you to take breaks <33

-As we all know, Atsushi is very hard-working, so you'll rarely ever see him slacking off. However, he is more than happy to stop what he's doing to spend some quality time with you

-He is interested in the piano. Growing up in the orphanage, he never really had the chance to listen to music, yet learn it. So he naturally was curious about the instrument, and he would gladly accept if you proposed to teach him how to play it (I recommend teaching him how to play Canon in D first... on second thought maybe not ehehe)

-Introduce him to bubble tea and classical music! Atsushi is more than happy to try out new things with you, and he actually has self-control when he buys bubble tea. And as for classical music, he'll listen to all of your recommendations. I headcanon that he would like Chopin or Liszt

-If you're ever insecure about your height, Atsushi will comfort you while listing off how great of a person you were, regardless of how tall you are. He never teases you for your height, and he will scold other people (*cough* Dazai) if they tease you for your shortness

-He'll never judge or tease you for your interests and hobbies, and he will be very supportive of you every step of the way. Just... please don't break any laws or burn down Yokohama /lh

-Also, being his younger sister figure also means that Kyouka is your sister figure too. She loves you in a sisterly way and will not hesitate to cut down anyone that is bad to you

-Atsushi is pretty protective over you. Since his job involves dealing with criminal organisations, he wouldn't want you to be kidnapped, or worse, killed. He might even ask Kunikida to teach you some self-defense

-He will let his guard down around you, and that means being vulnerable with you as well. Please comfort him. It would mean the world to him if you hugged him and assured him that he was the best brother figure you could ever ask for

-Bonus: Atsushi is actually a fast learner on the piano. I bet he can play Flight of the Bumblebee now at 200 notes per second <33 (Jk. Atsushi's not sacrilegious and he never will be)

-Over all, Atsushi is a sweet and caring older brother figure to you. He won't hesitate to sacrifice anything to keep you safe and happy

@i-just-like-goats

probably the most controversial person in bsd: dazai

Just a rant abt dazai, I guess

Before the dazai stans/simps come after me, I'd like to say that this is my opinion and you're entitled to yours

Ok so. I HATE how dazai is like. this omnipotent, smart all knowing god. I understand that this is an animanga and so the impossible is often achieved here. But, can we get like...idk, some arc where dazai doesn't have everything planned out?

Another thing: maybe it's because I stan kunikida that this certain attribute irks me, but dazai is just SO GODDAMN LAZY. like ok, you can unravel a whole plot against the ada and pm? And yet you cannot do the bare minimum of work in the office? And end up pushing it onto your younger co-worker? If that already isn't bad, it's the fact that he causes a general disturbance when he's not working. Ok dazai I see how it is.

Dazai simps are always like:

*insert picture/ edit of dazai doing some hot shit or smth* "omg never has being a psychopath/ suicidal been so hot"

Suicide and self harm is not to be romanticized. ever. I don't care if it's "just a fictional character or anime." It's not ok. also, as much as i dislike him, someone pls check up on him??? bc people who joke abt their mental health are not ok and it should be taken seriously :')

The only reason why many people like him is because of his voice actor and character design. If people didn't think that dazai was attractive, then probably 90% of the fandom would hate him.

Technically this is unjustified but he fucking abused akutagawa. Both physically and emotionally. YES YES, I KNOW, AKUTAGAWA ALSO ABUSED KYOUKA. But you know who started it? Mori. And yes I hate his guts. Dazai probably should give him a good punch for that or something. But, dazai has never even acknowledged akutagawa. Never given praise or positive criticism like he does to atsushi. Never even apologized to him, which was the bare minimum. Apologies cannot fix everything but I hate how he doesn't feel a single INCH of remorse. I understand that dazai, too, was abused, but the unfairness between atushi and akutagawa is just so annoying.

!spoilers for BSD BEAST ahead!

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He almost killed akutagawa in beast. Just because of some idea that young akutagawa had that dazai didn't like, he almost killed a, what? 12 year old kid? Kidnapped his little sister as well. Don't give me bs over how "oMG bUt He SaCrIfIcEd HiMsElF". It doesn't justify his actions.

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!end of spoilers!

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To conclude: osamu dazai is an amazing japanese writer. I really do admire his animanga character's smartness and skills, I just wish it was written out better, and I really don't get the appeal of him

Heya! It’s me again!! Can I request a BSD crew with Dazai, Chuuya, and Atsushi with a older siblings reader that really cares for them and is overprotective. (Really cold on the outside, but with them its a whole different story) Sorry it’s long!! Looking forward with your works!

Thank you for the request and thank you for reading!! Sorry about the wait, and it got kinda long. Reader is gender neutral and hope you enjoy!

TW: Suicide talk in Dazai’s (nothing too heavy is mentioned), and small spoiler for Oda (I know I keep bringing him up but I love him okay), abuse mentioned in Atsushi’s 

Being an Overprotective Older Sibling (Sour but Sweet) with: Dazai, Chuuya, and Atsushi

Dazai

He stresses you out so, so, SO MUCH

You were ready to just wrap him up in a straitjacket and just attach him to your back, but you figured he would find a way to break free or kill himself (or even both)

When people saw the two of you together, on the outside, it looked either like a: you were handling an overgrown toddler or b: he was being held hostage by this scary looking individual that looks like they could rearrange your organs from the inside out

But, with you guys, it was the complete opposite. You were the best relative that Dazai had and could count on, but you refused to let him try any suicide attempts from his book (at least while he was in your presence). You were really sweet, always made sure to look out for him, and constantly protecting him. 

When you came into the ADA looking just for him, everyone was confused. Who was this random stranger coming in with the coldest expression, asking specifically for Dazai, holding a wrapped box. They knew that he had many enemies that range from now to his past, so now they were assuming that you were someone that came to get revenge.

Kunikida tried to intercept you first, but you told him that you only came to see Dazai and no one else. And that he better still be alive and uninjured or else. Well, they obviously took that as a threat and before a whole brawl could break out, here walks in Dazai and Atsushi

“Oh, (Y/N)! What a surprise to see you on this lovely day. Here to check on your dear little brother?” Hold up...BROTHER?? DAZAI HAS A SIBLING, AND HE’S THE YOUNGEST??! Poor Kunikida is about to malfunction and Ranpo is just sitting back enjoying the show with his snacks

“Osamu...How many times do I have to tell you...stop forgetting your lunch! You need to eat properly. And before you even say anything, you are going to eat this. I know you didn’t eat breakfast this morning, because just drinking coffee is not breakfast, and...”

You went from getting ready to whoop some ass to nagging him what is going on

 And that was the day that the Agency found out that Dazai had an older sibling. They were wondering why you never came to the office, and when you responded that is was, “none of their damn business”, they decided not to question it (at least in front of you). And they were so shocked to see you act, no be, so delicate with him. You were still talking to about your lunch, looking at him with the softest expression telling him, “I know you struggle with caring for yourself, so let me do it for you. You’re my younger brother, Osamu, let me do my job in taking care of you. You won’t let me protect you when you’re on the job, so let me protect you everywhere else.”

So, he was the reason why you weren’t working in the office alongside him? And it was true. After his days in the Port Mafia, when you were working alongside him, it was fine. He hated that you always got in the line of fire to “protect” him (and he knew and kept telling you that he didn’t need it, and if he did get hurt, to just let him suffer, to let him die). You didn’t understand his complete need to end his life, and it ate you up inside, but it also you a new resolve. Maybe he didn’t believe that his life was important or that he mattered to someone, so you took it to show him that someone did care, that you cared. 

It backfired one day on a mission, when you took a bullet that was meant for him. You were so close to death that day, knocking right on His door, and it shook him to his core. Back in those days, he cared for you and Oda, and cared little for himself. He came so close to losing you, and he realized he wouldn’t know what to do without you. You were one of the only people (honestly beside Oda) that he actually felt some kind of emotion for, and he would be damned if he lost you too

So he came with a new resolution after he left the Mafia, he would handle the dangerous life, while you stayed home. You obviously strongly rejected this idea, but he left no room for refusal. He rather be the one close to death than you, you still deserved to live life, not him. 

It led to a very long, emotionally draining, confrontational argument for hours, but the decision was made. You would live a regular life, far from any kind of violence or death, working a regular job while he would put his life on the line. On the terms that he would constantly keep you updated (ie. not ignoring your hourly calls and texts), actually eat the food that you prepare (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), and not push you away whenever he needed someone to leave on. 

You also threatened politely let him know that if these conditions weren’t followed, then all bets are off and you would raise hell. You were here to stay and you’ll make sure that he is too

You were a positive influence on Dazai’s life, and it was so funny how you would switch personalities. How you switch from being so kind and childlike to so frigid and antisocial was very entertaining to see. He does love you, and while you would try to police his every move (which was literally impossible), he wouldn’t change it for the world.

Plus he LIVED for you coming to stop by in the office now, seeing how Kunikida would try to avoid eye contact with you and Atsushi nervously sweating in his seat was hilarious. He knew you wouldn’t hurt them, but it was still pretty amusing

Chuuya

Opposite of Dazai, you stress him out SO MUCH

Part of it is because you’re overprotective, another part of it is because you are a complete smartass and you knew it

“Damn (Y/N) can you LET ME BREATHE FOR A SECOND?!”

“...”

“Seems like you’re breathing fine to me.”

“WHY YOU-“

But, he may complain, but he actually didn’t dislike that you were working with him in the Port Mafia. You could keep an eye on him, and he could make sure that you didn’t get into any extra trouble that could interfere with his missions or have you get disciplined by Mori. It was a win-win for you both

If there was one thing that he could change though, is your constant need of trying to take the hits designated for him. He doesn’t need you always jumping in front of him, defending him with your own body. He was more than capable of taking care of himself, if he wasn’t then not only would he not be one of the top executives, but he also wouldn’t still be alive

Also he has a reputation to uphold. How was he suppose to display his raw power and talents when you were continuously intruding on his cases?! Not to mention the fact that you act so detached when you’re dealing with the other members. It’s to the point that they’re too intimated to even make eye contact with you

Which he thought was so bizarre because you were one of the nicest people that he has ever come in contact with (even though he was your brother and you guys interacted with each other every day). You played the annoying sibling role very well (too well in fact), but you still make sure to look out for him and make sure that he’s okay, emotionally and physically. 

He understood why you did it, but at the same time he didn’t. You were both extremely strong, and he was the one with the better ability (not to mention that he’s the one that has Arahabiki inside of him). It came off that obviously you wanted him safe, but also that he couldn’t handle what comes at him. He’s not a little kid, he’s not some weakling that needs to be persistently protected, you both didn’t survive this long solely because of you, it was because of you both. It was a teamwork effort, and while he gets that he’s your youngest brother, he worries about you too

And he proved his point one night, when he had to dress your wounds after a mission went south. Here he was, scolding you and cursing about how stupid you were being, and the more he went on, the more you figured that he was angrier at himself for letting this happen. 

“Why is it so hard to understand that I want to protect you too?! Why don’t you give a damn about yourself like how you do about me?! You act like this entirely new person on the field like you don’t give a damn what happens to you and it PISSES ME OFF! Just like you protect me, I can and will protect you. I may be loyal to the Port Mafia, but you come first, always.”

After that, you did let him handle his own battles (but if he got a single scratch on him, then you will be joining whether he agrees or not). You were still annoying in Chuuya’s eyes, but it was just him being his stubborn, short tempered self about his older relative. He wants the best for you without a doubt and he wants you to realize you don’t have to carry this imaginary burden of protecting him, because you weren’t the powerful one in the family. He had your back just like you had his. You were one of the only things that still convinced him that he was still human and not a monster, and no words will measure just how much he appreciates you for that. You had your moments when you were irritating the hell out of him, but he still loved you regardless

Besides, you were the only person who somehow was able to get one of his favorite vintage wines (it still confused him so much how you got it and not him, and you refused to tell him) so he definitely couldn’t afford to lose you

Atsushi

Okay, you do not play about this man, ever

After growing up in the orphanage and joining the ADA, it took a while to get readjusted to being around people that weren’t trying to purposely harm you for just existing. For Atsushi, even though he was hesistant to join the agency, you were honestly against it. Sure, it was a fresh start from that horrible place, but it was also another gateway for danger. Not to mention how sketchy this suicidal guy was, if he was able to join the agency there’s no telling what other nut cases are apart of it too

Plus, you needed to keep your brother in your presence at all times. Enough has happened to him already, and you were going to do everything in your power to prevent him from going through that type of pain ever again, you swore

But after he discovered that he’s the weretiger that’s been causing trouble (which you had a hunch about but no way to confirm) and with him having no type of knowledge on how to control this new ability, it seemed like you two had no choice but to stay with the ADA. You weren’t very happy about this arrangement, but if it was able to help Atsushi with his newfound ability and provided you with the means to support you both (ie. getting paid), then so be it. You sucked it up and both joined

It took...some time for the other members to get used to your demeanor. Having someone in the agency give off such an intense deadly vibe was a little unsettling. It seemed like Kenji, Ranpo, and Dazai were the only three (besides your brother) that weren’t phased by it, but other people like the Tanizaki twins tried to steer clear of you as much as they could

It wasn’t that they hated you, it’s just...your aura wasn’t the friendliest. And it was even more confusing since you were the exact opposite for your brother! You conversed and laughed with him, but you never did it with the others. Watching Kunikida and Dazai do their daily banter didn’t even make you crack a smile. But whenever you were around Atsushi, it seemed like you were carefree, glowing even. It was evident that you both kept each other smiling and positive, and it warmed everyone to see

Whether it was desk duty or field missions, you were both always paired with each other. If Dazai and Atsushi were assigned to a case, guess who was also magically assigned with them too? If he was stuck on desk duty, you were too. No one had a problem with it surprisingly. Which was a complete lie but after you...made a convincing argument, they left you alone and let you tag along with your brother as long as it didn’t interfere with the success of the case

Junichiro low key understood it though, don’t be fooled cause he’ll snap for his sister too if he had to

You didn’t even give any enemies the chance to even come close to Atsushi. That’s how serious you were with keeping your word. Even when him and Akutagawa fought, you would find a way to get involved. You will not let anyone else hurt your brother again if you could help it

He did get upset with you, whenever you did this, which led to a really bad blowout between you two. You figured this was going to happen sooner or later. It just seem like Atsushi was ready to prove himself to someone when he didn’t have to, but you didn’t understand why he felt that need.

Ever since you guys have been in that hellhole of an orphanage, you always tried to protect each other, but you always tried to take the beatings that were meant for him. He always blamed himself for you being beaten and tortured. It was his fault, if he just takes the abuse and the “punishments” by himself, then you wouldn’t have to get involved and suffer because of him. If Atsushi wasn’t so frail, if he wasn’t so weak, if he just wasn’t a mistake-

“Naka, you okay? You’re zoning out again. You’re gonna walk right into the street if you don’t stop that!”

“R-right. Sorry (Y/N). I guess what happen-“

“The orphanage still gets to you, I know. Please stop blaming yourself, Nakajima. It wasn’t any of our faults, and I don’t blame you for none of it. If anything, I should have done a better job of protecting you. There’s no excuse, neither one of us should have went through what we did, especially you. If anything, I’m the one that needs to apologize. I should’ve tried harder in keeping you-”

“(Y/N) stop saying that! Neither one of us deserved it! You can’t be the strong one for the both of us. I want and have to protect you too! I want to be confident enough in myself and my ability to keep you safe. I already failed when we stuck at that damn orphanage, I’m not going to fail you again! Damn it (Y/N)! Give me a chance to prove to you that I can take care of you like how you took care of me!”

You were stunned. Did your little brother carry this much of a burden because of you? How long has he been feeling this way? He didn’t have to prove himself to you! He was more than enough, and you couldn’t help but feel guilty thinking that it was your fault for him feeling this way

After a very long heart to heart with him, you finally understood where he was coming from. You couldn’t promise him that you would stop your protective nature, but you did let him fight his own battles for once (but you still weren’t letting him get seriously hurt, that still wasn’t going to happen obviously). He told you that he was getting older, and that like it or not that you weren’t always going to be by side. He needed to learn how to stand on his own two feet, and while he loved that you were there for him to lean on, he needed this for himself and for you. He knew that being the best brother that he could be was getting stronger and getting better with his ability, he owed you that much

Atsushi loves you, and he has the same resolve like you. Being that you two are the only thing that you both have left in this world, he wanted to make sure that he wouldn’t lose you under any circumstances. Him bettering himself everyday with the help of you and the agency members and was more than enough to make sure that wouldn’t happpen

Dazai’s background, clues in canon, and my theory.

Y’know, there’s a couple of things that I think are very informative about Dazai’s character, when trying to get a canon read on him (and not an AU or “I prefer it this way” or “but it’s good for the fic” one).

One of these is that I do not believe that Dazai has ever wanted for anything in his life - in a material sense - prior to going underground and then having only an ADA detective’s salary... and no, I’m not one of the ones who believes he has money saved away (from the mafia, at least) that he can use at any time - if he needs to keep his record clean, then that means not using dirty or laundered money. Those two ideas also do not cancel each other out. If he has alternate funds, they’re personal.

The other one might end up being another post, but here goes-

To back up this first point, are several things throughout the series. I know that someone once pointed out that Dazai uses a high-end smartphone. He also is still able to keep two of them - his old mafia phone and his personal one. 

I personally find it interesting how Dazai is *always* seen in a suit of some kind, especially in his younger years; it’s reminiscent of how young men in wealthy families are often characterised as not knowing how to dress down and be casual. Everything is formal. We see him in a suit at fourteen years old, and I think we can safely say that this isn’t just Mori saying that he has to dress that way, because Mori doesn’t seem to have any problem with assorted characters such as Q and Tachihara dressing in ways that are either strange, or much more in line with one being a punk teenager. Instead, Dazai is seen in a suit - and consistently - for four years. And even now, that’s still a suit, just a sloppily put together one.

Another aspect that informs us about Dazai’s origins is the way that he speaks.

At fifteen years old, when he isn’t talking to Chuuya (and that’s an important distinction to make, since Chuuya is one of the few, if not the only, person who makes Dazai act like a child) he tends to have a habit of speaking in measured tones and with a high vocabulary. He’s definitely still a child, but he knows how to talk to adults in a way that will get him listened to - specifically, adults in positions of power. Not just “power of him, as a child” but power. I think it’s important to remember also that the light novel of Fifteen makes note of how Mori and Dazai “colluded” - worked together on - the assassination of the previous Boss. 

So this wasn’t just drilled into him by Mori. Mori just found what was already there and utilised it.

Also relevant from Fifteen is this one line here:

“Dazai is not Mori’s subordinate. He isn’t even in the mafia. And he certainly isn’t an illegitimate child, or an orphan he picked up, or a medical assistant.”

Emphasis mine.

The important thing here is that Dazai isn’t an orphan. In a series where everyone is even in the present still recovering from a massive war, the fact that he’s pointedly not an orphan despite being with Mori like this and no parents ever mentioned, is interesting.

Now, as far as I’m aware, one of the popular things to do is to have him, in AUs, be Mori’s heir, or Mori’s adoptive son in some other respect. The thing is - I don’t think he needs to be. He clearly had a family he was with before Mori. And yet, they aren’t present.

I do have a particular theory about perhaps not who they are in a specific sense, but certainly who they are in a general sense, where even if the details change the idea stays the same.

The idea, which is just my theorising, is this: Dazai was born to someone of influence. Possibly a high-up government official or nouveau-riche, or possibly an old family. Either way, they had money, and they had power. His parents weren’t close with him. He may have had older siblings (he may even have young siblings, by this point, not that he’d recognise them). 

Dazai would have had notable issues regarding suicide well before he is first seen in the manga at fourteen; his family, however, effectively disowned him by leaving him with an underground doctor, assuming that he would not survive (remember: he had bandages over his head, as well as all of those other areas) or not caring if he did. Their family may have collectively decided that it would be easier to forget about him than to carry on with the shame of a child who would attempt suicide at such a young age. 

Dazai would have had the education of a young rich boy, a “bocchan,” and not taught that there was right and wrong as a child. Only that there were people who had, and people who took, about money and power and how to talk to people at stuffy parties, maybe expected to marry one day and have children to carry on the family name, in case his potential older siblings weren’t able to.

I also believe that Dazai at least in part chose to cut ties with his family, and that on the off-chance that, like with Mori Ougai and Elise calling him “Rintarou,” he had a different name as well in the past, he chose to change his name, and would never willingly go back to his prior name.

As for where I’m getting a lot of this?

Real Life Dazai’s own family were new money. His father held a high position in the government, which was respected at the time. It’s heavily implied through his works that he didn’t know how to relate to his family, feeling pressured into liking and wanting things he didn’t feel interested in, and scared of disappointing them. He mainly saw a specific servant woman as his mother figure more than his actual mother, since his actual mother was barely in his life. They had money, and could afford to get him a very good education, and the only reason why he didn’t is due to two different reasons: one of those was how he was involved in communist activities, and the other is, in a more impactful way, his suicide attempt/s. His inheritance was also cut off until he vowed to improve himself - several times, even!

You can read up on this more by looking up his real life self’s wikipedia page, but all one really has to do to get from this to what I wrote out as my personal ideas for BSD Dazai, is to adjust for the fact that he would be living in a more modern time period as opposed to having been born in 1909, and an alternate world history, and the fact that BSD Dazai takes less time to reach such a low point as he is at fourteen.

Bearing in mind that BSD is prone to changing things, it’s also prone to not changing things as much when it’s not necessary, or making stealth references. Which is why I said that although the details may shift and change and not be accurate, the idea that Dazai came from a wealthy family where his mental health problems were simply left unaddressed (and possibly made worse) for long enough for him to get to such a state as he’s in at fourteen years old only for them to ignore his existence after leaving him with Mori and for him to choose never go get back in contact, seems fairly in keeping with things.

It’d also give extra weight to what he says to Atsushi in Portrait of a Father. That he “doesn’t have much advice to give, except for one general thing - when one’s father dies, they tend to cry.” Dazai himself would in this case have complicated feelings about his own family, and much like Atsushi, would have later gone on to find that “positive father figure” in someone else, even if the older male figure themself is barely that much older than him. 

(I’d love to go deeper into this with the way this would affect him in his present situation, but for some reason I started this post when still very tired, so maybe when I have more energy.)

🎫 here’s a gush pass :3 feel free to gush about whichever f/o you want, however much you want, then send this ask to 3 other selfshippers >:3c

(@rose-wine-selfships 🌹🍷✨)

Ahh! A gush pass??!! 😳🎫 @rose-wine-selfships thank you! Better late than never right? 🥺💖 ahh!

Am going to gush on the best two fictional loves of my life if you don’t mind? 🥺 I love Atsushi so much and I want to talk about my dear Jason too! 🥺🐺🐯 I hardly do and he deserves some nice spot light too ! For those that don’t know him to well! 🥺

Come and hear my rambling under the read more ≧ω≦

Mi Tigre! Mi amore! He is such a mood and such a vibe! I love his overall person, his design, his personality, his sweet and beautiful kindness towards people who have gone through similar situations as he had and his just can’t help but want to save them from such fates. He wants the best for all those he cares about and how he believed for a long while that if he can safe others than it would be enough proof for him to continue living. Even at the cost of his own life and I just (ಥ﹏ಥ) nooo my love please,,,

It’s kind of scary how much I resonated with that… not gonna lie, I’ve always had such a mentally too to an extent when I was younger, heck even a bit now but not as drastic as my younger self thought… (then again Digimon college Au definitely tells me otherwise… ;;w;; ahh anyway),,

Atsushi has definitely grown so much and is still learning to better himself! I believe that in this new environment of being with good people of the Agency, he will continue to develop and get better. Being surrounded by a found family that cares and loves his well being, will boost his confidence! And soon he will be truly an amazing mentor towards a future main 👀 watch the manga end the way it started with Atsushi saving someone who was in a similar situation 🥺 of course not the way Dazai did 👀 but it will be a full circle 🥺 like just envision an older!Atsushi in Dazai’s place of saying his name, “My name? Nakajima, Nakajima Atsushi!” 🌅 hdkahdkalfkaldhlasads not gonna lie I just want to see older Atsushi rocking his confidence and growth 💖🥰

Overall, I don’t think I’ve ever come to love such a main character before? The way I resonate with him makes me all warm and fussy and has allowed me to see,,, a lot about myself and reflect on it better. His path to healing isn’t linear, it’s been a constant up and down motion 🥺 I really don’t want to see him encounter more bad things ;;;~;;; but I know it’s to progress the story and for him to get better; but please Asagiri-sensei, don’t be so bad on him ;;0;;

I love mi Tigre so so much UwU he truly my source of comfort and love daydreaming of sweet and silly romantic things with him 💖 the ideal relationship and try to definitely lift myself up in anyway I can with him, especially during my depressive moments. Which happens a lot especially when it comes to comparing myself to others ;;w;; it’s a terrible thing and I swear I break my own heart so many times a day,,, but I know despite it all Atsushi loves me entirely because I am me, there is none other like me 🥺 all his kisses warm my soul ♥️(*´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥﹏°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ )人(´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀)

Now!! TO MY PRECIOUS GENTLE STORM, MY RAIN, MY DEAREST MATE 🥺‼️🐺🌧

Aghddkjahdkfkaljddj!!! The best boi, the best oc I love so dearly like! 🥺 Jason “Jaystorm” Grey! He is my own fictional OC that I created sometime in 8th grade I believe? About 2010! So almost 11 years I think!

He has dealt with a lot of my creative mind and just pure high school into college anguish ;;;w;;; my gentle storm hasn’t had the best life, in either Au or actual story he’s in. Legendary Wolf Warrior’s story, he and his later sister where born from an affair situation. While not much suspicion was raised with him, he later had to endure a lot of traumatic events in his life.

First, with his older brother leaving him behind to deal with his alpha father’s (older brother’s biological dad) anger.

Witnessing his actual dad (Jason and Lula’s dad) get murdered in cold blood, right in front of him, believing it was his fault for him trying to run away with his brother.

Become physically and mentally abused by his alpha, who was trying to shape him into something worse under all this abuse.

Witnessing said alpha, murder his mother for supposedly sending away his sister through a river. And because of the affair she had that birthed him and his sister. Who’s fate is unknown to him for a long, long time until they are much older.

And then the aftermath of standing up to alpha’s abuse and fighting back for all the years of torment he was put through. Gaining his powers of the Storm in the process. But Jason, bless him, never wanted to be the one to kill him, he just wanted to leave of his own accord, but this terrible wolf that raised and abused him wanted to fight and kill him for trying to leave.

Because of this, he is often plagued with nightmares and believes he sees him in the far distance for a long while after he travels on his own. The mental and emotional abuse staying with Jason for a long while. Even after when he arrives at the Forest of Dreams, being the last warrior to arrive of the seven that exist.

He has no control of his powers for a long time, sometimes drawing storms with the slightest anger. He had no idea how to fight without almost killing someone else in the process. Jason had so much guilt and fear of losing control of this higher power he possessed, even scared of losing the other warriors because of his lack of strength and skills at them. They, who have had their powers for far longer as younger pups.

But of course he has them too, despite his insecurities and fears, the others help him and show him how to better control such a power, especially at his age. They don’t turn him away as he worried so much, they train him and tell him to control his emotions that cause a major melt down of his powers.

Danielle especially (me in that sense UwU), who understands what it means to let one’s emotions get the best of them, helps him find his balance and most especially helps him talk about his past.

He definitely says it so nonchalantly, never realizing how bad his life was for a long time. Actually believing most alpha’s in wolf packs led with such a tyrannical stance. More than surprised by Dany’s father’s lead and his genuine kindness to others and other animals around the Forest of Dreams. A lot of it is due to the abuse of his own alpha and how his mind was filled with such negative things, especially about himself.

Jason does feel like an outsider most of the time, even more so than some of the other animals/humans who lived similar lives, but especially because of his powers. But he grows from when he first arrived in FoD, he learns to socialize more, how to hunt and give to the forest, how live a life of his own and not be ruled over by past influences. He looks back on his younger self a lot and reflects on how he wished to save that young version of himself from so much.

But he has in a sense, by living on his life and being everything his alpha never was and tried to instill in him. He has a new family, one that is genuine and true and would never leave him despite the terrible things that happened. 🥺🌧

Jason is my best mans, the best boi that deserves the world and much peace. Many think the Storm power for him is kind of odd considering his pretty pacifist nature and gentleness. I think it fits him perfectly anyway 💖🌧 he is pretty similar in Digimon Au, though most of his strength and growth is him and his experiences and also the voice encouragement by his Digimon, Raiwolfmon. Even so, he is still a dear and precious person, nothing like the terrible “father figure” that raised him. He is all his own and so much better.

Well I’ve talked for too long 👀🥰 I hope you enjoyed my gush ramble on the two loves of my life! 🥺💖🥺💖🥺💖 I love my Atsushi and Jason so much and this gave me so much time to reflect on them, especially Jason 👀♥️ he is the best boi and love him so much in private a lot UwU but hopefully I can do more DanyJay things 💖🥺🌧🥰

Thanks again for the gush pass rose! 🥺 sorry for the long wait too UwU, bless you! 💖♥️🥺♥️🥺♥️💖 and excuse my rambling and maybe confusing spasm speak to explain things ;;w;; by all means I’m here to answer all the questions 👀😳

Oh! I think it'd be really cool if you did a sort of 'what's in an op analysis' if you'd like too. Also, Scarlet Sky is from the dark era episodes, while Dear Prince is from dead apple! And they're both already in english :) Hope this helps!

Namae Wo Yobu Yo

I am so sorry this took so long to finish. I ended up doing an analysis a while ago but I’m a chronic dumbass, which means I ended up accidentally deleting it all. The utter despair that came from losing my un-backed-up work caused the delay. 

So! I’ll start with Namae Wo Yobu Yo, because that was the one you were originally interested in, right? I may have gotten that wrong. Crap. Anyway! I’m using the english translation from the wiki. Let’s break down this song. Buckle up, it’s a long one, y’all. 

The first thing I noticed from the song is that it’s in first person, and it’s being sung to someone, not about someone. The actual imagery of the ED is pretty straightforward with a focus on establishing a dichotomy between Atsushi and Akutagawa. Most of it shows Atsushi and how Dazai’s there to support and guide him, while Akutagawa’s left to suffer alone. There’s a particular ouch of a scene where Atsushi’s drowning and Dazai’s there to pull him out, but Akutagawa just sinks deeper into the water as the ghost of Dazai’s hand fades. 

Knowing that this ED caps off the episodes where we see the majority of Atsushi’s character development, I’m of the opinion that this song is being sung by him. 

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, Then even amid the darkness on this long, hilly road, I feel I can become a new me, able to make my way through!

Initially, I thought this was about Atsushi singing to Dazai. The first verse establishes a conflict--the narrator is trying to stay true to himself, but he’s finding it difficult. He feels as though the person he’s singing to knows him better than he knows himself, and that as long as this person holds him in their heart, he can persevere through any difficulty.    

So that each of us, walking our individual moments, can keep on smiling... So that we can keep moving forward, exploring the meaning of life together... I'll call out a name: your name, So that you can remain who you are.

Here’s what made me question this, though. It’s not the person being sung to who is calling out a name--it’s the narrator. He’s calling out the other person’s name, to make sure this person doesn’t lose themselves and keep living. I found the significance of naming this person especially beautiful. 

A name, after all, is unique to a person. In a lot of fairy mythology in particular, names are important and hold power. To know someone’s true name is to know them utterly, and that gives the wielder a degree of control and even ownership. To name someone is to know them, and to hold them to who they are. 

Whenever you're darkened by sadness and your tears overflow... Whenever your heart floods with loneliness and begins to waste away... I'll call out a name: your name, Just as you once called out mine.

It’s like Atsushi’s reassuring this person. When they’re in their darkest hour and they feel alone, when they’re losing themselves, Atsushi will name them. And by naming them, he holds them to their truest self. When they’re drowning, he will pull them back out of the water. Does Atsushi do this for Dazai?  

Taking in a deep breath, I drink it down, then release it to the sky. Am I allowed to believe that everyone can find happiness? Even me?

This next part makes it clear that Atsushi’s the one singing. A lot of his personal conflict during the show is about learning he’s worthy of living and of happiness. He’s always struggling with his own perceived naiveté.  “Even me?” he asks, with that childlike uncertainty. 

Even if the future awaiting me is so bright that it's blinding, If I'm to face it alone, there's no real meaning in it. I'll shout out a name: my name. I'm still right here; can you hear me?

Atsushi also struggles a lot with loneliness. Even in the manga, he’s struggling with feeling alone and with doing things alone. What he wants, more than anything, is the warmth of companionship and camaraderie. That’s what he’s talking about when he says he doesn’t care how great his future is, not if he’s alone to see it. And then he names himself. He’s grown by this point in the song, to the point where he doesn’t need someone else to name him. He’s secure in who he is, and he knows himself.

"I guess no one would notice if I were gone," I whispered, as I looked up to the sky, alone. Then amid the wind, I heard, from somewhere far off: my name, a gift that allowed me to remain who I am.

So, this part is interesting. When Atsushi was at his lowest, feeling as if nobody cared about him at all, someone named him. Someone saw him for what he was. It kept him from falling apart entirely and losing himself. The question is, who named him? Was it Dazai? 

I’m skipping the last two verses because they repeat, but the song ends with the lines “I’ll call out a name. Your name.” Who is Atsushi naming?

If I were to go off how this song caps off episodes 1 to 12, I’d definitely say this song is about Atsushi and Dazai. It’s Dazai who gives Atsushi a chance at something better, and it’s Dazai who is the first person to truly believe in him. The emphasis, with this context, is on how Dazai named him first--and how that was a gift. 

But the beauty of this song is that it can apply to many of the other characters, and it’s relatable to people who are listening. If this were the ED for the later episodes, I’d say it’s Atsushi singing to Akutagawa. After all, the two of them come to know each other in a way nobody else seems to understand. And they are, in a more literal sense, always yelling out each other’s names. But they hold each other true to themselves, especially during the cannibalism arc. This places the emphasis on how Atsushi names the other person, rather than being named himself.  

The argument could also be made that it’s a younger Dazai singing this song to Oda. Then the emphasis (at least for me) shifts that one part about wondering if he, too, deserves happiness like other people do. I love Namae Wo Yobu Yo because every time you recontextualize it to be about a different relationship, there’s all sorts of new, varied nuance that crops up. 

Anyway, I’m so sorry this took so long, and I hope it was helpful!

I heard that Dazai & Fyodor are a mirror to eachother what does that even mean?

It means that they are foils! A foil is a character who had a distinctive similarity to another character, but the differences are mean to point out something about both characters.

@linkspooky has written a fantastic meta on Fyodor and Dazai’s foiling that I highly recommend here. It explains, in detail, the ways in which they are alike and the ways in which they are different.

I’ll talk a little bit about Dazai and Fyodor’s philosophies because I’m a former philosophy teacher and a nerd who loves this stuff, and then about their abilities, and lastly about Fyodor as a symbol for Dazai’s past:

I. Philosophy

In short, Dazai’s ideals are more about existentialism, whereas Fyodor’s are a specific philosophical branch of existentialism known as nihilism (Ironically, the real life Dostoyevsky was not a nihilist and in fact staunchly refuted nihilism). Basically the quickest summary of these philosophies is that both characters start from an inherently nihilistic perspective:  there is no inherent meaning in life.

The branch of nihilism they start from is existential nihilism, which is the most commonly studied branch. (Side note: many, including Fyodor’s character, associations of nihilism are negative and depressing; that is not however necessary as a part of nihilism despite the colloquial usage of nihilism=empty and despairing). The idea is that whatever you do is purposeless.

Where they differ is that Dazai ventures into the existentialist part. Existentialism concerns itself with humanity first and foremost, with an emphasis on decisions (I consider myself a Christian existentialist a la one of the founders of existentialism, Kierkegaard). It says that you can choose a reason to live (hey, the main theme of Bungou Stray Dogs!) and thereby there is meaning in your life based on your choices.

Let’s look at what Oda said to Dazai as he died, the words that inspired Dazai to leave the mafia and strive to be a better person:

Listen. You told me that you might find a reason to live if you lived in a world of violence and bloodshed. You won’t find it. You must know that already. Whether you’re on the side who kills people or the side who saves people, nothing beyond what you would expect will appear. Nothing in this world can fill that lonely hole you have. You will wander the darkness for eternity. (…) Be on the side that saves people. If both sides are the same, become a good man. Save the weak, and protect the orphans. Neither good nor evil means much to you, I know… but that’d make you at least a little bit better. (…) Of course I know. I know better than anyone. Because… I am your friend.

There’s a kind of nihilistic perspective, but here Oda is also saying he can make choices and his choices will make a difference to others. Dazai is, at the current point in the story, trying to respect individual autonomy. Whether he actually does such a great job is a topic for another day/later in this meta (he doesn’t, see: Akutagawa), but he understands individuals (aaaand can manipulate them based on that fact; not good). Fyodor, on the other hand, has completely given in to his god complex, believing that he alone can rewrite (literally, via the book) the world to erase ability users. He wants to impute his beliefs on the entire world, without even giving them a choice in the matter.

II. Abilities

Neither Fyodor nor Dazai appear to be able to touch someone without activating their abilities. Symbolically, Dazai’s “No Longer Human” deactivates a part of another person and means few if anyone can be a proper match for him. (However, his ability can also save people: see Q and Chuuya, notably both from the mafia; Dazai needs to accept this). It shows his being separated from people emotionally.

Fyodor’s ability, whatever it is, seems connected to touch and (maybe) brains. He killed quite a few with touching them, but we don’t know to what degree he has control over it (if his ability was involved in whatever happened to Goncharov or Sigma, he might have a degree of control). But either way, his ability means that he can’t connect with someone (physically, a symbol of the emotional) without hurting them. This is true of human connection in general: everyone hurts everyone at some point. You just have to learn to live with it.

Fyodor, however, lives very much in a world of black and white. He makes Goncharov happy all the time, unable to experience pain or negative emotions. He believes all ability users are a sin and should be destroyed. He’s an idealist in a lot of ways, believing in absolutes (which is also a hallmark of a childish perspective; Dazai, too, is still quite childish in a lot of his thinking). But he doesn’t believe the world can get better, so he wants to destroy it and in doing so force every single ability user to feel his pain (that their abilities are a sin) by wiping them out. In short, Fyodor wants empathy despite refusing to listen to the feelings of others. (He understands their feelings; he just chooses to emphasize his pain over theirs.)

III. Empathy and Fyodor as a symbol for Dazai’s Past

Fyodor’s nihilism isn’t actually that different from Dazai’s perspective during his time in the mafia. Dazai was like, shooting bodies because he could, killing and torturing countless people in a desperate attempt to feel anything at all. (Fyodor actually still seems to feel for people despite his murder spree so.)

Just as Dazai avoids facing Akutagawa and actually having a decent conversation with him because to do so would mean accepting how he abused Akutagawa and facing his younger self, he needs to face that Fyodor is a reflection of his younger self in a lot of ways. God complex, destructive applications of nihilism, believing life doesn’t have value. But Dazai found value in mentoring Atsushi (and still Akutagawa through shin soukoku, it’s just… more distant than it should be). Probably shin soukoku will be instrumental to defeating Fyodor in the future and such a moment should be a point at which Dazai starts to face himself.

I’ve written before that BSD is basically a very long redemption arc for Dazai, and as part of that, you have to face your past. Atsushi’s view of Dazai is way too idealized right now; he basically puts him on a pedestal. Fighting Fyodor might help Atsushi come to terms with whom Dazai actually is, if he notices certain key similarities.

Who are your top five BSD characters?

I love to talk about  how much I love my faves. If you ever ask want to ask me who my faves are for a series feel free to send me an ask.

1. Human Failure - Dazai Osamu

I like that he’s a bad person. I know I say this a lot, but I really do think stories are at their best when they allow characters to be bad people.. The narration itself never tries to make excuses for who Dazai is, or gloss over what he’s done in the name of making him look good. It just allows him to exist as is. Dazai is a total failure of a human being, but at the same time he’s more human than any of us. 

You get the sense that Dazai is an overgrown kid who just, never learned to deal with any of the things that adults learn to deal with as a result of growing up as a person. He views himself as this non-human thing and at first when he’s much younger means he thinks he can do whatever he want. 

There’s a lot of works in ficiton that attempt to correct the misery in “No Longer Human” Osamu Dazai’s final work, which to me is really a disrespectful response to the work itself. Like, Dazai wasn’t trying to comment on society, and he didn’t think he was more right than anybody else or saw through the lies of society. Dazai wasn’t trying to be miserable on purpose or like, meditate on human nature. 

I am writing a tired story for young readers,

not because I want to be different,

or because I am unconcerned with young readers’ tastes.

I write it rather because I know it will please them.

Young readers are tired and old themselves these days,

and my story can bring them no discomfort and no surprises.

It is a story for those who have lost hope.

No Longer Human is just this deeply honest and brutal work of his that stands on his own. People feel the need to make miserable things happy and correct them, but sometimes things are beautiful because they are miserable. Dazai himself as a character is like one of the only responses to No Longer Human that I’ve ever been able to digest, because it’s not trying to correct anything. 

Dazai is a bad person, but he’s still undeniably human he’s not something lesser or greater than human, and in his own way he is trying to live too. A lot of people forget the humanity of the work. 

2. Old Sport - F Scott Fitzgerald

He shares the name with the author, but Fitzgerald is so obivously based off the main character of the author’s most famous work, the Great Gatsby. Gatsby is at the same time, a scathing critique of the false dreams we spend our entire lives working towards, but at the same time instead of condemning us for dreaming in the first place like a lot of critiques do, it instead reaffirms that humans wants to dream, that they live because they want to strive for something and that there’s still worth in that even if it ends up entirely in failure. 

Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther… . And then one fine morning—So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

Gatsby sailed against the current, and it ended with him drowning and yet his efforts in life were not worthless. The book portrays that kind of complexity, that there are two sides to everything. 

“You can’t repeat the past.”“Why of course you can!”

And as a character Fitz embodies that complexity just as well. His goals are good, what else but family can you burn everything for? Yet at the same time, you see he goes the extra mile in trying to destroy everything around him for the sake of his goals. Just like Gatsby, his goals are inherently one impossible to achieve and two, self destructive. Yet, there’s something brilliant in watching how this man will not give up and will continually break himself against the currents trying to reach just a little bit farther.

3. Ugly Girl - Lucy Maud Montgomery

Lucy is a character I like because she’s the introduction of how victims can be more grotesque and violent. They are not always people who beg to be saved the way Atsushi and Kyouka do. As the story advances, it becomes deeper and deeper in complexity especially when it comes to the issue of saving the orphans, and being on the side of helping people. It’s not always so noble a thing as Atsushi makes it seem to be, it is sometimes messy and even harmful.

What I likea bout Lucy is that nothing about her is straightforward. Trauma has made it possible that she cannot be straightforward or forthcoming with her own emotions in any way. Not only that but you can still see just like Atsushi the effects of being raised as an unwanted child in an orphanage have not worn off. She gets mad when Atsushi ignores her, because she feels at any moment he might abandon her. Her assumption is that people will not care, that they will fail her and Atsushi has to work against these assumptions. 

Ultimately what I like is that Lucy does not get saved, but rather starts to save herself. The reason that she’s on this list instead of characters I like for the same reasons is that she’s started to show the growth that Akutagawa really has the potential to show and I myself cannot wait until he hits. She’s started to grow for the sake of one boy who inspired her and related to her, and in the end it’s more like she was the one who saved Atsushi which led to one of the most beautiful moments in the second arc of the manga. 

4. A Monster Without a Heart - Nikolai Goggol

Goggol is one of my favorite characters despite being only around for a few chapters at most. The ideas behind his character are so interesting and thematically rich. He’s a character who decides to live and die entirely based around the concept of freedom.

Due to that fact he’s far more insightful and clever than most of the characters in the manga. He’s the only person who can be on equal terms with Dostoevsky, rather than just being either a total sycophant, or someone mind controlled like the rest of his compatriots. That’s because Goggol as terrible as he is completely owns who he is as a person. 

His lines are some of the best in the series. The moment where he takes off his mask and reveals to Atsushi he’s not the villain of the story, but a human being completely aware of the harm he’s causing others just completely smashes Atsushi’s simple black and white values of good and evil he has been fighting with so far. It reminds the audience once more that this is a story about human beings. 

5. Just a Normal Person- Edogawa Ranpo

Ranpo is here for two reasons. One my love of detective novels, and Ranpo exists as a tribute to those same novels so every plot he is involved in reads as a love letter to my favorite genre. The second is that Ranpo himself is so interesting a person, because he’s so clearly coded as someone neurodivergent and not able to fit in with a lot of society.

Yet, he’s the only case of such a character where I’ve seen them so humanized. Nobody ever treats Ranpo’s quirks as a burden, or pities him for them. It’s even right in Ranpo’s backstory that he was constantly targetted and taken advantage of because he was only specifically really smart at one thing and couldn’t fit into society otherwise, and the detective agency was made to give him a place to fit in. 

Ranpo is valued for who he is. Because of that he’s able to be completely self confident and know his worth. His cocky attitude comes from the fact that he’s somewhere where he’s accepted by others. Not only that but Ranpo is also the person who helps accept other people into the detective agency, as shown in the empathy he showed Yosano. Rampo’s on my faves not because he’s treated like an eccentric super genius, but how much the story empathizes that underneath his layers he really is just a normal person the same as everybody else.

It’s one of my favorite quotes in the manga and it shows why I love humanizing work and human misery above all else. 

Your ability doesn’t matter. That sorrow has value. 

A Chill in His Bones [Dazatsu Secret Santa]

Heyoooo! It hasn’t even been Christmas Eve here for an hour but I’m so excited to post, so here’s my gift for you @looking-for-stray-dogs! I really really hope you like this! Your prompts were all so nice, I had such a hard time choosing one! 

Prompt: “In the middle of a stark winter landscape, with nothing but snow for miles and miles and the howling wind, Atsushi finds Dazai.”

(hope you don’t mind me putting it under a read more- the post is a little long! happy holidays!)

@dazatsu-exchange

A faint chill seeped in through the walls of the dormitory, drifting through the room and permeating through Dazai’s thick sweater. Absently he rubbed his arms, listening to the clinking in the kitchen as Atsushi prepared a warm meal. He wondered for a moment if the heater had been broken; the coldness seeping through his skin and sinking into his bones said it was. To his chagrin, every thought that flitted through his distracted mind left a lingering longing for warmth, one he couldn’t shake off no matter how hard he tried. Thoughts of cozy fires and warm drinks; thoughts of long embraces that he could feel in his bones as contentment spread through his body; thoughts of a deeper connection that always seemed to slip out of his grasp the moment he obtained it; all seemed too far and too luxurious for him to ever obtain.

A particularly strong gust of wind caught his attention for a fleeting second. The howling fell upon ears that felt as if they were filled with cotton as the gust shook the glass in the window panes. He watched as the branches of the lone tree in the yard shiver, shaken by the wind. Stripped bare of their leaves, they looked vulnerable and scared. Dazai wondered, for a moment, if he was as transparent as the trees outside: could anybody tell when he felt as if he were on display, shaking with the slightest breeze? Was there anything left of him worth staying for when his last leaf fell, leaving behind the bare bones of a broken man?

Tilting his head down again, Dazai crossed his arms and slumped down, debating his next move. There wasn’t anything for him to do here after Atsushi insisted he could hold his own in the kitchen, and sitting there alone wasn’t doing anything to help his situation. He had thought he wanted company, that maybe he could numb out his own voice with somebody else’s, yet all he seemed to do was bother the one person who seemed to still have patience for him. If he left, Atsushi might look for him, but all he’d have to say is that he decided he wanted to be left alone and that they could talk tomorrow. Maybe he could whip up some sort of excuse regarding work - Atsushi would hate to prevent him from finishing something for the others at the agency, wouldn’t he?

His left foot started bouncing on its own the longer he thought, nervous and uncomfortable energy crackling through his veins like static. That fuzziness was starting to take over more and more lately, and he didn’t think it had anything to do with the steadily diminishing sunlight. The month of December was hardly halfway through and he was already getting tired of seeing the smiling faces and cozy decor in shops and cafes around the city. Too many people were reconnecting and rejoicing, celebrating another year together and giving gifts for that very reason. When he was out with Atsushi the younger always softened at these scenes, a faint sparkle in his eyes when he turned to Dazai to say something. Every time, Dazai faked a smile and nodded, adding another thing to the ever-growing list of discrepancies between him and everyone else.

At this point, his surprise at how frozen he became every year was rather pitiful. As holidays inched closer his blood became colder, circulating through his veins as slush. His heart seemed to beat more sluggishly and an ever-present headache started as the cold crept in until Dazai could barely tell himself apart from the ice the winter would bring. Still, he hoped that maybe something had changed, that maybe now, since he had someone so warm and welcoming, he could slowly thaw himself out before he caused any problems. When that didn’t prove to be true, he couldn’t help but be disappointed - and worried for what that meant for him.

Another strong gust of wind came, rattling Dazai to his core. He shivered again, curling in on himself in an attempt to retain what little warmth he felt left. Different parts of him were slowly yet steadily becoming more and more numb as the wind howled, echoing off his skull and tearing through every thought like hungry beasts. Snowdrifts were building up yet the blizzard still persisted, snowflakes with razor-sharp edges tearing through his mind. Dazai couldn’t stop this storm - it was foolish to think he ever could. If he could still feel his fingers, he would clench them into fists or bite his lip, hoping the pain of his fingernails or teeth would pull him out of the storm.

Yet he felt too numb. He could only listen to the onslaught of self-deprecation and watch himself travel further from civilization.

With a quiet sound, a cup was placed in front of him, barely drawing Dazai out of his thoughts. His head felt too heavy to lift, yet he did it anyway and was met with Atsushi’s worried smile. Carefully, Atsushi placed a hand on Dazai’s knee. He was too warm and Dazai had been out in the cold for too long. His knee burned and he wanted to jerk away, yet the layer of ice melting away felt too nice to leave.

“What are you thinking of?” Atsushi asked softly, kneeling down to be more level with Dazai. The room around them was quiet, save for the occasional tremble of glass as the wind continued to blow. Dazai glanced out the window, taking in the gray clouds as they hung over the city yet refused to let go of the rain or snow they might hold. After following his gaze, Atsushi slowly trailed his hand from Dazai’s knee to his shoulder, the slightest skim of his fingers lighting a fire over Dazai’s skin. It hurt to have someone so near to him after having been huddled on his own. He was tired of hurting.

Finally getting the hint that he wouldn’t be getting an answer, Atsushi sighed and grabbed the cup he set out for Dazai. Using one hand to push his knees down, Atsushi gently cupped Dazai’s hands around his drink and held them there, watching his face for a change in expression. Not wanting to face Atsushi’s gentle gaze, Dazai watched the tea ripple with every breath he took. Atsushi’s hands were too warm against his own, his face too gentle and his heart too kind. Dazai wanted to fall in to him and take solace like he was clearly offering, yet he worried Atsushi wouldn't be able to- or wouldn’t want to- catch him. If he fell, it would all be up to Atsushi: would he catch him and care for him, or let him shatter like the icicle he was?

“You know, I’m glad you’re here,” Speaking softly, Atsushi slowly removed his hands from Dazai’s and sat on his heels, placing his hands in his lap. As he played with his own fingers with his eyes cast downward, he looked almost bashful. Dazai leaned his head up, a little more attentive. “I know winter is rough on you, but it’s nice to have someone to be with for once.”

Dazai let out a sound to let Atsushi know he was listening, nodding his head ever so slightly. Sharp shards of crystal ice ripped at his brain, accusing him of ruining the holidays for Atsushi. 

He could feel Atsushi’s realization before he had the chance to say anything. Dazai opened his mouth to correct himself, but Atsushi beat him to it. The voice interrupting him was sweet, miles away from the scolding he was expecting. "It's hard to see everybody around you smiling and laughing while you're stuck in the dark. Believe me, I know," he continued. Dazai arched an eyebrow before fully fixating on Atsushi's face. There was a far-off look in his eyes as he remembered some misery of his past. He looked for a moment like he probably did back then, traces of an emptiness and jealousy swirling around in his eyes. When he turned to look at Dazai, those waters stilled and flooded with a peace Dazai wondered if he could find for himself.

"I guess it's just good to feel like I'm on the other side of things now," Atsushi finished with a shrug. "And I'm excited for you to join me."

Huffing out a laugh, Dazai turned his attention to the untouched drink in his hand. He felt as though he had gulped the whole thing, the warmth trailing through his system like an old river. The sensation would be fleeting, he knew, but it felt oh so good now to be something other than numb. With a gentle clink he set the cup down on the table and reached for Atsushi, drawing him near in a hug. Their legs bumped against each other awkwardly as Dazai guided Atsushi closer and the muscles in Dazai's back were strained, but Atsushi was warm and solid in his gasp. He could still feel the flecks of ice slashing at his brain, cold nipping at the edges of his thoughts stubbornly, but at least for the moment he had a flame to huddle near and help him fend them off.

Atsushi made no move to get up until he could feel Dazai’s hands twitch behind him. When he did pull away, he had a fond smile on his face. Briefly, Dazai debated lurching forward and kissing him, teasing him, and letting him in further than he’d ever let anyone before. The small part of him he hid away peered out and quickly darted away again. There was too much...too much to truly let himself lay bare- Dazai didn’t know if he’d ever be ready.

Still, it felt nice to know somebody had the map to find him.

"Let me know if you need anything, okay? The food is almost ready." After affectionately cradling Dazai’s face in one hand, Atsushi lifted himself up from the ground and walked back to the kitchen, humming an old Christmas song underneath his breath. Dazai stared at the spot he occupied, worrying as the cold seeped into his spot. His eyes drifted to the table, where the cup of tea sat, still steaming.

Something to keep warm.

The wind howled again, shaking the windows once more. Dazai didn't flinch this time; instead, he sipped at his tea.

On the topic of BSD mental issues..

Because a lot of people in this fandom just LOVE to bestow their own mental problems on characters and even go so far as to claim not a single BSD character is mentally alright, I went on a little rant to debunk this bulshit of a claim. If you’re one of those who support the “everyone is mentally ill because I said so” theory, don’t even bother reading this, please, and save us both the time.

If you do read, however, please keep in mind those are just my opinions and analysis and why I personally find the claim that everyone is mentally ill bulshit. You’re free to believe what you want but I’ve had multiple people come spurting out insults at me simply for not believing every single character is mentally diasbled.

First, our beloved ADA Atsushi - He's actually doing really well. Sure, he's not 100% ok but we were given no serious childhood trauma impacts (except for flashbacks that don't really... do anything to him mentally except for motivating him to do better which is, you know, not a sign of mental illness), he doesn't have self-destructive tendencies, he doesn't feel like he owes the society anything but he doesn't slip to nihilism either. His motivations are humane and sane and relatable. I mean, if anyone told you your friends would be in mortal danger if you stay with them, wouldn't you try to get away from them too? Dazai - Ok, Dazai is far from stable. He still handles his issues surprisingly well though and his constant suicide attempts are really played off as a joke, which is not the best way to handle them but it takes a lot of seriousness from it and kind of makes it hard to believe it's what he actually wants to do with his life. Especially since there are times where he goes out of his way to make sure he stays alive (Dead Apple being just one example). Kunikida - Arguably one of the most stable characters in the show. Some people claim he has OCD but have you ever seen an actual OCD patient? His love for schedules and hard time when they can't be kept is something that runs in my family and nobody has ever been diagnosed with OCD. People need to realize that having your life planned out is not a mental illness. Yosano - I'm a little more benevolent about Yosano, especially since she has a more psychotic side to her and she seems actually damaged by her childhood but I stiil stand my point that she is doing extremely well for someone who supposedly has a mental illness. It's almost as if the "insane" side of her was purposedly overblown for comedic purposes. Ranpo - I know a lot of people say he's autistic but I don't agree with that hc. Why? Well, I have a classmate who's not autistic and she's exactly like him. She's smart, almost genius, has great deduce skills and brilliant crime-solving abilities (tested multiple times with Black Stories or whatever that game is called in english) but she is unable to live on her own. She knows close to nothing about real life, skills used for everyday functioning and as for public transport, she only learnt how to use it recently and she's almost 19 years old. I also have an autistic friend who specifically said he'd find it insulting to hear that Ranpo is supposedly autistic. Tanizaki - I'm not sure what to say here, Tanizaki is a normal guy. Nothing special about him. He's willing to go great lengths for his little sister but I think anyone with younger siblings can relate to that. At least anyone who cares for their younger siblings. Kenji - Go on and tell me how Kenji of all people has a mental illness, I dare you. And if you pull out his cheeriness, you're obviously just too depressed to fathom that some people might actually enjoy life. Fukuzawa - Again, one of the most stable characters in the series. Say what you will but he's not unstable and his ability to stay calm at almost any situation except for when his kids are in danger is just further proof of this. Kyouka - I'd say she might have issues. My afforementioned autistic classmate pointed out that she feels autistic to him so there's that. Also her childhood visibly screwed her over. However, she's still surprisingly stable and normal despite all of that so while she might have some issues, they are greatly balanced by her strong will and natural personality. Naomi - I wouldn't say Naomi is 100% ok in the head but not to a point where I'd claim an actual mental illness. Sure, I'm not a doctor but nor is anyone who diagnoses her with whatever it is they diagnose her with. Haruno - And exactly what is wrong about Haruno? She's cute, positive, cheery, hard-working and supportive. And she gets scared in situations that invoke this. Literally NOTHING weird.

Next up is our dear Port Mafia Akutagawa - No denying it, Aku has serious issues. Again though, he's doing far better than most people with similar problems but that could just be due to him letting his frustrations out via murder. Chuuya - No issue found here. Sure, he's a little short-tempered but that's about it. A lot of people are short-tempered without being mentally ill. And he could be portrayed with some serious issues due to his origin and past. Gin - Do we even know enough about her to diagnoze her? All we know is that she's silent, a little shy and that she's always on odds with Tachihara. Make me a diagnosis from that. Higuchi - Aside from her massive crush on Aku, there's nothing weird about her. She probably picked the wrong job but she's willing to work hard anyway to earn her place there,, which is not exactly typical for people with mental illnesses. Hirotsu - STABLE PERSON. Just... what else is there to him? He is literally the voice of reason who commands the black lizard solely because he can actually keep them under control. Geez, there is literally nothing linking him to any mental problem! Kajii - This guy's got issues, no denying it. And I won't even say he could do worse because obviously he could but he's fairly close to being the insanest (is that a word?) he can get. Kouyou - Oh look, ANOTHER completely stable person. I mean, come on, she's been an executive since Dazai and Chuuya were 15, that's seven years. Clearly she couldn't hold her position if she weren't stable. Not to mention, we saw her being stable in stressing situations so. many. times. Elise - She's an ability. No comment. Mori - Yes, he has his issues. But he's the hypercompetent Mafia boss who stayed in charge for a very long time already and there's no sign of anyone overthrowing him any time soon, nor planning to because he's just a great leader, something he couldn't be if he was mentally ill. Oda - Do I even need to elaborate on this? Oda is very probably the sanest person we got, one who sees the wrongs of his past and does his best to overcome them and repent, all of which goes without him being depressed or self-loathing in the slightest. Randou - This has been talked about a lot. Randou is sensitive and impulsive and sometimes acts on emotions rather than rationallity. None of that makes him a mentally ill person. It just makes him a person, a human being we can all relate to. Ace - Ace is a selfish human being who thinks too highly of himself and is manipulative and abusive. Is that a problem? Yes, obviously. Is that a mental illness? Not necessarily and more likely no than yes. He does things for his personal gain and everything went his way for far too long for him to expect it to go any other way. And as we all know, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutelly. Q - Does anyone really think Q is sane?

Now for the group that so many people dislike it’s honestly sad, the Guild Francis - Francis is, first and foremost, a very loving husband and father. He goes on this insane mission to Japan to obtain a mystical object he believes is real but never got any deffinite proof of. Is he naive? Perhaps so. And after he loses, he gets depressed and broken because he finds out his wedding ring disappeared, probably because his wife did something. That breaks him. And honestly? He has every right to break down. It's understandable and human and it does not make him mentally ill. Louisa - While yes, she is very shy and some argue she has some sort of anxiety disorder, all of this can be explained by the fact that she's practically a child. She's 18 dammit. Who could leave their home country at 18 only with an organization of older people, who also all seem very sure of themselves, while having no combat ability and nothing to really bring to the table? If she were mentally weak, there's no way she'd go looking for Francis after his fall, it's actually more likely she'd hurry back home, probably with tears and fear of being arrested if she were to stay in Japan for longer. Margaret - Name me one thing that makes you think Margaret of all people would have a mental issue. One thing. Most of her screentime is her being a vegetable. And while that is certainly a health problem, not a mental health one. Nathaniel - Hey, he was completely ok before meeting Fyodor. Being religious is not a mental health problem and f you if you say otherwise. John - Again, nothing unstable about John. He's not even that selfish, doing what he can to support his family and even picking up the remainings of the Guild to keep the people together and give them new hope because, y'know, hope is very important to people. Lovecraft - He's not even human. You can't apply human mental health logic to him. Herman - We've seen him for how much... 2 minutes total? And even from just that, he seemed like a calm and composed guy. No sign of mental problems whatsoever. Mark - He's hyper, that's what people say at least. But is he really? Kind of hard to believe when all we've seen of him is two scenes of adrenalin rush, one scene where he tries to lift the spirits of his coworkers and one scene where he just decides to go back home because this adventure is obviously over. No sign of mental illness here either. Lucy - A little more visible traumatic impact than with Atsushi and some abandonment issues, which are completely understandable and relatable. Not necessarily a mental illness. Poe - Ok so Poe doesn't feel well in company of others and he is a little psychotic when he gets too into his self-assigned role but 1) introverts are not mentally ill and 2) it's completely natural to get carried away when we witness the person we believe wronged us getting some karma back.

The one group that appeared for such a short time, yet everyone seems to love them, the Rats Fyodor - The most obvious god complex, clearly. He's not sane but he's stable so there's that. Nobody says he's ok, he's clearly not. But he's composed and smart enough to not let his issues control him. Ivan - Part of his brain is literally gone. He's not ok. he can't be. And unless part of your brain is missing too, you physically can't relate to him. Pushkin - Actually a stable, understandable character. Weak men are known through all of history to be the causes of major drama simply because their complexes over being weak lead to them finding joy in torturing the strong. It's not a mental illness, it's just bad character. Oguri - Clearly, Ogugu has issues. Call it survivor's guilt or PTSD or whatever you want, he has issues. Nobody is denying that. Still, he's doing fairly well when not desperatelly trying to seem evil.

I do not feel like doing the Hunting Dogs for the sole reason of me not liking them enough to focus on their mental states but they are pretty much lab rats, artificially enhanced humans and that alone should be enough to explain why I don’t believe in applying normal psychology to them. As for the Decay of Angels, there’s still much more to learn about them so I won’t get into that just yet. And when it comes to the governmental agents, I haven’t read the novels so I only know a bit about Ango and I honestly don’t see how anyone could think Ango has a mental illness.

I repeat again, these are my opinions, based on my experiences and what I’ve studied about mental illnesses (because believe it or not, I study about these things quite a lot). It doesn’t fit except for Tumblr romanticised versions of them and even those are iffy. You’re free to agree and disagree with all of this or with just certain parts but please don’t feel required to share your thoughts, I frankly don’t much care.

With that I bid you goodbye, at least until another thing prompts me to make a long-ass analysis almost nobody will read, nor care for.