#dazai is valuable as a negator of abilities

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Dazai to Odasaku about Akutagawa: "If I'd left him to his own devices, he would've ended up a slave to his own powers until he destroyed himself."

Hey hi what does that mean???

I'm probably way overthinking it but it just reminded me of when I first started my watch of the anime and we get to the opening scene with Akutagawa and Rashoumon (I can't find the exact scene but here's something similar from DA)

He implies he's not attacking with her so much as he's reining her in from devouring everything - and originally I thought, hey, that's a cool premise. It seems like there's something odd about this guy's ability; he's talking about it like it's almost sentient.

But then it didn't really get brought up again so I kind of forgot about it.

And sure maybe all the above line means is that his ability is naturally attuned to violence and he could grow more bloodthirsty, etc - but if that's the case, why bring him into the mafia?

So I started thinking about Dead Apple (which I really need to rewatch...) and how there was this focus on Atsushi as the "antithesis" of special abilities. And I just kind of thought about that because... wouldn't that title go to Dazai...?

But then it's stated that Atsushi's claws can cut through any ability... including Rashoumon (he also has some connection to the Book which absolutely must be related somehow but I'm skipping over that for the purposes of this post). Dazai describes Akutagawa as "a sword without a sheath". Is Atsushi part of the sheath? It would make a degree of sense: after all, we get a sharp reminder in the movie of how imperative it is that Dazai nullifies Chuuya's ability - it is literally needed to keep Corruption in check.

But why such a focus on self-destruction and sheathing... unless there really is something dangerous that needs to be reined in? That needs to be controlled.

I think about the dragon in Dead Apple called the "chaos of all special abilities".

I think about how the tiger and dragon are another representation of yin and yang. I think about how Atsushi and Akutagawa so clearly have that yin-yang dynamic. I think about how Rashoumon very well has the appearance of a hungry snake - or a dragon.

I think about how the focal point of an entire altered timeline was the prevention of Akutagawa from joining the mafia and the taking of his sister. And then I wonder why Akutagawa always seems to factor into Dazai's plans.

I think there's something special about Akutagawa's ability.

I think that something special, whatever it is, is very dangerous - more than we know.

#of course there's not too much evidence for this #but it's just a really weird line to me #like it stands out #and i'm not kidding my first thought on seeing his ability #was 'whoa are we sure that thing is an ability?' #'because it seems alive' #i need to rewatch dead apple #i genuinely believe there are clues in there about the nature of abilities #after all the whole singularity thing (first referenced in dark era) became important for chuuya's backstory #also regardless of whether this is true or not i really believe there is something special about akutagawa #we know people wanted atsushi for the tiger and for the book #dazai is valuable as a negator of abilities #chuuya was literally experimented on and i think it was implied he originally had an amplifying ability? #which would make him and dazai exact opposites #why shouldn't the same be said of atsushi and akutagawa? #it makes sense #*sigh* basically i just want more akutagawa content that's all #i admit as a trauma response rashoumon makes a lot of sense #she's protective violent and hungry #...yeah that checks out #i'm not totally sold on the idea for this post i just think it's neat to think about #anyways #storyrambles #bsd #bsd akutagawa #bsd atsushi #shin soukoku #sskk

[uneducated-author]

... Okay time for my honest, unbiased view on the bsd s5 ending.

It wasn't amazing.

A lot of it was! The final circumstance, with Fukuzawa utilising the one order and being burdened with the responsibility, that's incredibly well done. So is the way Fydor died (I made a whole post on how it worked thematically and how it perfectly utilised the strengths and disparate worldviews between Dazai and Fyodor) and the ending with Aya and Bram, and how Bram is utilised by Ranpo makes sense in an interesting way. So, the ending, and the new situation we find ourselves in is amazing, but it just... feels a little shallow.

First of all, Fukuchi. 'The great and powerful unbeatable villain is secretly on the good side/let's himself be defeated' isn't inherently a bad trope, but it needs a bit more time and buildup than we got. I feel like, after some of the best fights in the series with Amenogozen, and how clever and tactical his techniques were, the final fight seemed a little like he'd been written into a corner. It's a good fight ideologically, but we've seen Fukuchi win without his sword before (Tachihara) and it just, falls a little flat that he just gives up that fast.

Same with Dostoyevsky! We never even figure out his ability, and he dies by being stabbed by a vampire and blown up? Thematically sound, but just so anticlimactic. And I can't help but wonder, why didn't Chuuya just manipulate a bullet into the back of his head? It would have been much easier.

In fact, the whole prison break arc is now a little less impressive on a rewatch. When you rewatch the Moby Dick arc, you're constantly struck with 'wow, if that hadn't happened, the whole plot would have fallen apart, the strategy was so intricate and layered'. Now, when you watch the prison arc, you're just like 'oh yeah, Chuuya's on Dazai's side. Dostoyevsky never stood a chance'. Chapter 101 or 109 don't have any long term narrative weight because it isn't a genuine emotional moment of vulnerability, it's a performance.

I still love the proof of the bond between Soukoku, and the fundamental truth, that they'll always rely on each other. But it just cheapens Dazai's moments of vulnerability in this arc.

Also! Sigma! Is completely irrelevant to the plot. Unless this kicks into gear in the new arc (which I think it will), Sigma tells Atsushi the page is with Kamui and that the detective agency is to be assassinated. This has no merit, because Fukuchi reveals he has the page of his own accord, and Ranpo negates the assassination plots. Then he's a valuable character during the prison break, proving Dazai's character growth, and his bond with the detective agency, but he doesn't have any plot weight. He's just there for Dazai to explain things to, an audience self insert. Then he gets stabbed by Fyodor, and trades information for a plot that's been wrapped up already, and he's literally forgotten about. (Unless the information he got was actually relevant to an arc that comes into play after Fyodor's death, in which case I shall eat my words happily.)

I think I was just kind of disappointed. A lot of the ending just had no gravity. Everyone is alive, the strategy implemented at the beginning worked, and the villains are defeated by theatre tricks, or because they wanted to die.

I just feel like the story lost scale a little bit. I made another post actually praising BSD's use of scale, how it keeps threats small, contained and personal, but the latest arc stretched too large, without any significant loss.

I really don't want to come across like I thought that the series was bad or anything. The character moments were great, and there were some masterfully wrapped up themes and morals, and I loved the ideological fight between Fukuzawa and Fukuchi and also Dostoyevsky and Dazai. I just... feel like the ending almost corrupts the greater story.

(Of course if anyone thinks otherwise, I'd love to hear from you! Healthy discourse is always a joy!)

#bungou stray dogs #bsd dazai #bsd chuuya #bsd fukuchi #bsd sigma #bsd spoilers