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cousticks · 6 months

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I think one of my favorite things about all the collective BSD medias is that we can see glimpses of characters at so many different stages in their lives, and are given the opportunity to watch them grow and change. Like... sure, there's a lot of medias with dynamic characters that change across it, but something about these snapshots of characters' lives we see across the novels & main series feels more organic and alive to me.

We see Oda at 14, already jaded and with blood and his hands, in Untold Stories. We catch him again at ~21 in TDIPUD, just kind of... minding his business. And already. he seems so different from this teenager, more content with his place in life, but he's still outrunning his past. It isn't a completely different person, the past still follows. And then again in Dark Era, where he's made connections with others, connections with places, and has someone to miss him when he goes. I don't think 14 year old Oda had that.

Dazai, too, of course. We can see him at 15, at 16, at 18, at 20, and at 22. We get Dazai at so many stages. His descent into the mafia and the absolute misery around him, and his slow crawl up to the light and how its changed him. How it lingers.

I think Ranpo's arc from terrified 14 year old boy who can't understand the world in Untold Stories to the confident, self-assured and generally relaxed detective he is by the main story is one of my favorites. You can see how clearly he's always been the same, but the change in his confidence and his security on his place in the world is incredible.

There's so many arcs I could talk about. The way pasts linger in BSD makes every character's arc feel so much more real. The way they're all striving towards something but slip, but aren't perfect at hiding where they came from, and how each character's journey and arc is completely different. They aren't all cookie-cutter arcs of 'haha was a bad guy now a good guy,' there's convoluted non-linear climbs that makes their arcs feel so much more realistic. I love being able to see characters in so many places in their lives I love being able to watch how circumstances ruin them, how circumstances bring them back. Incredible. I'm obsessed with all of them.

#bungo stray dogs #bsd #bsd oda #bsd dazai #bsd ranpo #bsd untold stories #bsd dark era #white hill road #placeholder oda tag #placeholder ranpo tag

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thelesbododo · 11 days

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This is a headcanon circulating around a sensitive topic and one that you may not agree with so if you don't want to read it please scroll.

This headcanon revolves around the character Osamu Dazai and the concept of sexual assault

I believe that Dazai was sexually assaulted as a child

This has nothing to do with Mori and takes place long before they even meet

While it is true we know little to nothing of BSD Dazai's past, it is also true that it is highly likely the Irl author and his No Longer Human counterpart was SA'd

There are two specific pieces of writing are evidence of this

"My true nature, however, was one diametrically opposed to the role of the mischievous imp. Already by that time I had been taught a lamentable thing by the maids and manservants; I was being corrupted. I now think that to perpetrate such a thing on a small child is the ugliest, vilest, cruelest crime a human being can commit. But I endured it. I even felt as if it enabled me to see one more particular aspect of human beings. I smiled in my weakness. If I had formed the habit of telling the truth I might perhaps have been able to confide unabashedly to my father or mother about the crime, but I could not fully understand even my own parents. To appeal for help to any human being - I could expect nothing from that expedient. Supposing I complained to my father or my mother, or to the police, the government - I wondered if in the end I would not be argued into silence by someone in good graces with the world, by the excuses of which the world approved.It is only too obvious that favoritism inevitably exists: it would have been useless to complain to human beings. So I said nothing of the truth. I felt I had no choice but to endure whatever came my way and go on playing the clown"

- No Longer Human

"I ceased being a child soon after entering grade school. It was then that my younger brother’s nurse taught me something that took my breath away. It was a beautiful summer day, and the grass by the vacant house out back had grown tall and dense. I must have been about seven, and my brother’s nurse could not have been more than thirteen or fourteen. My brother was three years younger than I, and the nurse shooed him off. She said, ‘Go get some leaf grass’ - that’s our word for clover back home. Then she added, ‘And make sure it’s got four leaves too.’ After he left, she put her arms around me and we started rolling around in the tall grass. Thereafter we would play our secret little game in the storehouse or in one of the closets."

- Memories

Both No Longer Human and Memories are semi-autobiographies, meaning they're somewhat based in truth

I can't speak from experience but SA has a big effect on the lives of the survivors

Some of thes effects include;

Sleeping or Eating disorders

Dazai canoniclly has issues sleeping and there are scenes that imply he has issues with and/or doesn't see the point in eating, at one point saying that it is "so much trouble"

Nightmares

There is a specific scene within one kf the light novels where Kunikida asks if Dazai has nightmares.

(Unfortunately I can't find the exact moment so I can't quote it so if anyone can find it please let me know)

Self-hatred

It might not be clearly stated that he hates himself but ay the same time its rather clear that he does

Suicidal thoughts or self-harm

He is a suicidal maniac

Riskier sexual behaviors such as having many partners

He canoniclly has had quite a lot of lovers

Substance abuse

The one scene we see of his apartment we see that there is more alcohol than furniture (it's also a popular hc that Dazai smokes which makes sense considering his past with the pm and that irl author smoked)

Another moment to mention was when he seduced the nurse (which technically counted as SA too but that's not the point of this)

I'm probably gonna end it here because it's late and I'm tired but anyone willing to add or correct anything please go ahead and I hoped you enjoyed my hc

#bsd #bungo stray dogs #bsd dazai #bungou stray dogs #dazai osamu #dazai #soukoku #dazai x chuuya #dazai headcanons #dazai hcs #dazai bsd #bungou stray dogs dazai #dazaibsd #osamu dazai #bsd headcanons #Bsd hcs #bsd thoughts #bsd analysis #bsd theory

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selfaware-bungou-stray-dogs · 11 months

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Hehe imagine if you’re the BSD characters’ favorite fictional character too and you’re supposed to die in your own universe and that’s why they’re so obsessed with protecting you

We will protect you

Self-Aware! Atsushi Nakajima x GN! Reader x Self-Aware! Akutagawa Ryunosuke

Description: BSD gang learned, that you are a fictional character in their world. And, if book tell the truth, you will die. They want to protect you. Especially two of your bodyguards.

But, maybe, the situation is not, what it seems.

Warning: OOC. Yandere. Bad friends. English is my second language.

__________

Purple moon shined above Yokohama.

And Kirako Haruno finally become truly self-aware.

It was not only the great day for ADA, but for all BSD cast in general. And they have the reason for it.

Apparently, while Kirako was in... stasis, she was connected to the world of Their Guiding Light. And she heard their conversations and can tell more about Their Guiding Light.

Almost all characters, except Aya and Bram, who decide to finish reading the book and promise to join others later, were sitting in the meeting room. Kirako was sitting at the head of the table. She started talking.

"Their name is [Y/N] [L/N]. They are [age]..."

Kirako talked and talked. But some characters became more and more confused.

Naomi was the first one, who spoke: "Don't [Y/N] sounds familiar? I am pretty sure, I have heard about a person with same name, looks and interests."

More people nodded. Yes... It was something familiar with this description.

Suddenly, Katai facepalmed.

"I know. [Y/N] is the name of one of the characters from 'Love-love adventures of lovers in the dark. Sanctify life with the power of love'! One of the secondary ones!"

'Love-love adventures of lovers in the dark. Sanctify life with the power of love' was a book series, that was popular in their world, even before they gain self-awareness. And, for some reason, was still available to read even after their world become empty. It was a romance novel. Cliché storm, except [Y/N], secondary character of the novel. They were interesting, funny, kind. And much better than Main Characters.

BSD Cast start talking with each other. It was nice to know, that Their Guiding Light are also their favorite book character.

And then they heard sobs.

Aya walk inside the meeting room, carrying Bram and the book they were reading before. Girl was crying. Bram looks displeased.

Aya ignored questions of 'if she is okay' and 'what happened'. Aya, with the help from Kunikida, put Bram in his hammock, that was created specifically for him.

Now she was just standing there, holding the book in her arms. Crying.

And, suddenly, Aya threw the book on the ground. It was a copy of 'Love-love adventures of lovers in the dark. Sanctify life with the power of love'. Aya stomped on the book a few times.

"Idiot author! How dare you! How dare you to do this to [Y/N]!"

Bram grumble:

"Agree, child. The Author really has a lack of brains, morality and common sense."

Junichirou, who hurry to Aya's side, to calm her down, stopped in his tracks. Everyone was looking at Aya.

"What happened to [Y/N], Aya. Can you tell us, please?"

Aya nodded and pointed at the book.

"In the last chapter, [Y/N] have died! And their death make Main Characters realized that they love each other! But they didn't even cry for [Y/N], and their family, friends and others didn't care that [Y/N] are..."

Aya couldn't take it anymore and start crying.

The silence in the room can be cut with a knife...

"Kirako, did the book's events already started?" asked Fukuzawa. He looked concerned and determined at the same time.

Kirako shook her head.

"No. They haven't."

Fukuzawa hums.

"We still have time. But we must hurry."

_____________

Meanwhile, in your world

_____________

You are sure, that you need new friends.

Because with current ones, you won't need enemies.

Few months ago, your friends decided to participate in the competition. They should write a summary for a Light Novel. Reward - having their 'book' 'canonized' in favorite manga as a popular in-universe book series. And these idiots decided to make the book as personal as they can.

By writing about them.

Your friends have won. Now the 'magnum opus' were cannon in Bungou Stray Dogs universe.

You were furious. Not because they won. Because of one character.

One of the characters were based on you, despite the fact, that you told them multiple times that you don't want to participate and not okay with sharing your information with thousands of strangers.

The Characters have your name, age, appearance and interests.

You tried to talk to your friends, so they removed this character from the book. No response.

You tried to talk to people, who arranged the competition. No response.

At the end, you were a fictional character in BSD.

You hoped, that people on The Internet won't start post theories about LN plot and characters.

Also, you phone were going crazy

It seems, it wanted to make sure you are alive and breathing. Reminders to drink water, take meds, go for a walk, no jaywalking...

What a crazy day.

_______________

🐾 After learning, that 'you' will die in your universe, BSD gang will double their efforts in finding a way to you.

🐾 It's unclear, when the events of the book will start, so they must hurry.

🐯🧥 Akutagawa and Atsushi will double their training, so they can protect you.

🐯🧥 You won't die. They won't allow it.

________

Few months later

______________

You were sitting in the middle of the room. All BSD characters were sitting around you. Kids, Aya, Elise and Q were sitting near you, hugging you. Kids were scared, that you will disappear at any given time. You groaned. You had a headache. Not only BSD gang were self-aware and in your apartment, but they were sure that you will die.

"Let me get this straight. In the book from your world, I am the character of a light novel, right? And my character dies in the end, right?"

Aya, who was squeezing your hands, nodded.

"Yes! And it would be awful!"

You take a quick look at the other. All of them were concerned. And you saw a really unfriendly gaze of Akutagawa. Ryuunosuke stand up and walked towards the door. Atsushi followed him.

"I will deal with Main Characters from the book. They were the reason of your death. I will protect you." growls Akutagawa. Atsushi send you encouraging smile.

"Don't worry, [Y/N], Akutagawa and I will make sure, that they won't hurt you. I promise, we won't torture them."

It seems everyone, even Dazai, was fine with it.

You can't let this happen. Your friends are idiots. And they have ignored you. But it's not the reason to kill them.

Now, you have to stop Akutagawa Ryunosuke and Atsushi Nakajima.

You leaped forward, thankfully, you didn't hurt Aya, Elise and Q. You managed to wrap your right arm around Akutagawa's right leg and left arm around Atsushi's left leg. Then you found yourself being pulled forward.

"Wait, stop, please! Let me explain!"

Akutagawa and Atsushi take a few more steps, before stopping in their tracks. You looked at them, your arms were still wrapped around their legs.

"It's not what you all think! It's all a big misunderstanding!"

After three of you were back on your sits, you start talking.

"Okay... Let me explain, what happened. Few months ago, my friends decided to took part in..."

______

One explanation later

______

"So it's not a prophecy. It's just my friends been idiots"

BSD cast were silent. You show them the adverts for competition, comments, your messages for your friends and other evidence.

Atsushi asked, looking at you.

"So... Are you sure you don't want us to teach your friends a lesson?"

You want to say no. But... They ignored you, share your personal information with thousands of people. But still... Maybe, you shouldn't be petty and let them...

"What is Official [Y/N] Gore fanfic?" asked Q. You turned towards Q. Kids get a hold of your laptop and start looking an information about the competition.

And find an official site, that your friends were running.

Elise clicked on one of the titles.

"Hm? 'Love-love adventures of lovers in the dark. Sanctify life with the power of love' and 'Hostel' crossover featuring [Y/N]? What it's about?"

Before she can read even one word from the fanfic, you grab the laptop and take it away from the kids. You were shaking. Because of disgust and fear.

You take a look at the site. Your friends were posting fanfics about their 'magnum opus'

Some of the fanfics were about you.

NSFW fanfics.

You looked at Akutagawa and Atsushi.

"Is the offer of teaching them a lesson still available?"

__________

At the end, after spending a few months in a hospital, your friends deleted the site. They post an apology letter and even compensate you for mental damage they have done.

When your friends were asked, what happened to them, they were silent. It's not like someone would believe that they were attacked by a white tiger and dragon-like demonic beast.

BSD cast were still protective over you. Especially Atsushi and Akutagawa. But, at least, no one will hurt you. With words or actions.

#self-awareau #self-awarebsd #bungou stray dogs au #bsd #bsd x gender neutral reader #bungou stray dogs #gender neutral reader #bsd anime #yandere #Self-Aware Akutagawa Ryunosuke #Self-Aware Atsushi Nakajima #atsushi nakajima x reader #akutagawa ryunosuke x reader

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emilover-1 · 3 months

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Mori isn't a pedo

TW: anime and manga spoilers, mentions of pedophilia, beast spoilers, light novel spoilers, official guidebooks spoilers

WARNING: my purpose isn’t to defend/justify/excuse/support pedophiles or lolicons, i have friends who have been victims of pedophilia and trust me the last thing i would do would be to defend/justify/support/excuse pedophiles and or lolicons.

CHARACTER SHEET

Basically, in his character information sheet, it says that he likes young girls, in JP it would have been young misses (幼女) but anyways, it doesn’t necessarily means something romantic, just like in the guidebook it can be platonic, after all theory, sweet red beans also appear on his likes, which- is a like in general but I believe firmly that it isn’t a romantic like, since Mori actually likes taking care of kids since in beast he literally runs an orphanage, so it makes me believe that it is a platonic type of like.

GUIDEBOOK

A lot of people didn’t understand this BUT, when he said about his favorite type is little girls below 12, doesn’t necessarily mean a romantic attraction, it’s a favorite type in GENERAL, we know that Mori likes taking care of children (beast) so it could be a favorite type as in platonic, and honestly, I believe it could be a reference to the irl author.

ELISE

Elise isn’t meant to represent Mori’s sexual desires despite the name, Elise is meant to represent his regrets, needs, and wants, nothing sexual here despite the name of the ability, I won’t talk a lot about the regrets because I already have.

In beast, Elise was a 20-year-old, but why? Because Mori didn’t need her as a child anymore, he already was running an orphanage so what he needed more was a helper, someone who could help him to take care of those kids, having another kid instead of a caretaker who could help him wouldn’t work for him.

A lot of people consider Elise a “victim” when she is an ability, she can’t really feel, she does whatever Mori wants her to, same with how she acts, she could be straight up a doll for him.

OMAKE

Omake 12, Mori says that Elise is his wife, however is that really what it should have said?

Bsd has a LOT of mistranslations, for example with Yosano in the Spanish version it isn’t specified who dragged her into the war, yet the English version says that Mori was the one who dragged her into the war.

In the JP version, it doesn’t say so, in the JP he says tsuma (妻), and while yes, if you put tsuma on the traductor it says wife, is the traductor really reliable? It isn’t. Tsuma goes from “side” and “edge”, indicating someone who is at the side of someone else, tsuma has historically been used for someone/something by the side, it depends on the context of the situation but honestly for this context I believe it makes sense to use the historical version. Mori could have perfectly used Okusan (奥さん) that directly mean wife, again I believe it’s a clear reference to the irl author who give things to interpretation a lot of times.

CONVERSATION WITH KOUYOU

This again, is used a lot for “proving” that Mori is a pedo, but again, this is another of the mistranslations, in the chapter 37 in the EN version he says “I’m touched, but the only girls I protect are aged twelve and under I’m afraid” yet in the ESP version it says “I’m very happy to hear that, but I’m only interested in those under twenty, you know?” In the anime if you put the JP audio and English subtitles it says “I’m grateful, but I deal only with those under twelve” however if you put the English audio it says “I’m quite grateful for that, but I prefer the woman in my life to be under twelve” which- absolutely sounds weird however the JP version and the JP version, from what I understand says “I’m happy but my defense range is under 12 years old” So, the prove that a lot of people use are straight up mistranslation because on every language it is different and it even variates from the manga to the anime.

CHAPTER 65

Basically, in this chapter a lot of people think that Mori was a creep towards Yosano because he liked her, and I honestly agree he was creepy, but not because of that, let’s start talking about some panels. I want to talk about this one a bit "先週まで和菓子屋の店番だった妾をアンタが無理やり徴用したんだろ" it’s translated very weirdly since it basically says on the translator as "You must have forcibly conscripted the mistress who was the keeper of the Japanese sweets shop until last week." but knowing the context I translate it to "You forcibly drag me, I was the keeper of the Japanese sweets shop until last week" however the translations are very weird, and even more because the kanji “妾” means concubine or mistress, but anyways, let’s go to the next panel.

The anime did a very bad job with this panel too, in this panel Mori says, “Such a strong will….” While having tears in his eyes and apparently, a nosebleed, however rather than being a nosebleed because of Yosano per se, its because of the strong will she has, the confidence she has. Mori represses his feelings due to being the pm boss and going always by the logical solution, in a lot of times he has been shown with regret on his face, an example being the fight with Fukuzawa, so I believe that the nosebleed is because of admiration while the tears are because of him deep down wanting to have that will. Also, his expression changed when looking at her before having the tears and nosebleed.

Next panel, basically a lot of people think that mori has an attraction towards Yosano because of this panel, in this panel he says “よ·さ·のくん私の与謝野君がお気に召したかね?” which means “Did you like my Yosano-kun?” which- does sound creepy, and I won’t defend that, but rather; I will explain. Mori wasn’t the only one who acted that way towards Yosano, other soldiers did too, but why would they? Because she was useful, with the soldiers I think that it was rather admiration for such an ability but that doesn’t change that the way they acted is weird. Mori not only admired Yosano due to her strong will, but because of her ability too. She was useful to war, and therefore she should not be attached because they could not only end up having hatred towards her which would cause her mental health to be worse, and or those soldiers could get killed and it would also affect her mental health. Sure, Mori did abuse her however it was never his direct choice to, sure shooting someone in front of her and forcing her to heal them did affect a lot on her mental health, but we also have to understand that going by Mori’s logic it would be better if she was willing to heal them without the necessity of them being at the border of death (it is shown that she COULD heal minor things).

DEAD APPLE AND LOLITA COMPLEX

This topic is very connected to the next one, so let’s start. In the Dead Apple intro, Mori is shown as someone with a Lolita Complex (ロリータ) and also in the Omake 12, let’s see what Lolita Complex mean; The term Lolita originates from the book Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, we are not going to talk too much about this right now since it will be talked ahead. The English term refers to a man who finds young girls, mostly fictional sexually attractive, yet the Japanese one is different, it comes from positive idealization and romanticization of girl’s culture. I would also say that even though Asagiri said that Dead Apple is canon, I wouldn’t consider EVERYTHING from Dead Apple as canon due that Asagiri didn’t write it.

LOLITA AND LOLICON

To give context, Lolita comes from the book by Vladimir Nabokov, it touches topics about pedophilia, the protagonist being the pedophile towards his stepdaughter that has 12 years in the book and 15 in the movie, the term “Lolita” is used a lot for little girls or teenagers in porn. In Japan, the term Lolicon comes from the book Lolita, Lolicon refers to obsession, liking or attraction towards little girls coming from fiction. Which brings us to question; Can Mori be considered a Lolicon? The answer would actually be no, I used to think that Mori was a Lolicon, but analyzing it he wouldn’t be considered as such. Does he show attraction to Elise? No, taking in account that he isn’t attracted to little girls, and that he didn’t call Elise his “wife” where does the thought of mori being attracted to Elise? It comes mostly from the dark era in the anime version where he is dressing Elise, and honestly the anime did a bad job at this scene. In the light novel, he wasn’t just dressing Elise, in difference he was scolding her for throwing the dresses while running naked, but even if we go with the anime version, there wouldn’t be anything rare since he isn’t blushing or anything else.

CONVERSATION WITH FUKUZAWA

Omake 12

A lot of people, yet again misunderstand some of his conversations with Fukuzawa and use it as “proof” to say that Mori is a pedo, yet misunderstanding is again big. Firstly, the Omake. I believe that Fukuzawa either answered like that because of a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding because; Mori says that Elise is his tsuma, and since it technically does mean wife, Mori saying “Ah, that’s the response that hurts the most!” could mean that he either said it before or he said that on purpose even though it could be misunderstood. I can understand Fukuzawa’s reaction as a misunderstanding, and the next panel makes me think that even more, Fukuzawa says that he will report Mori, yet he didn’t, which makes me think that Mori told him that Elise was his ability afterwards

Chapter 30

In the chapter 30, during Fukuzawa and Mori’s fight, Fukuzawa says “相変わらずの幼女趣味か?” towards Mori, and yet again the mistranslation is very big. The word “趣味” usually means hobby, interest, fondness and even sometimes affection, which is very different to say that it is a fetish, in some translations it even says lust which not necessarily means something sexual but most of the times it is used for sexual things, so I do not understand them using those words.

ABILITY

First, to start about the ability part, we have to state what it has been said in the anime, manga, and even light novels; Abilities are tied to the soul of the user, it reflects the pure form of the user, but what does this has to do with anything? A lot of people use as an argument of mori being a pedo his ability; Elise being a child and the ability name being Vita Sexualis, which honestly at this point I’m not surprised, but as I’ve said before; The book isn’t an erotica despite it being cataloged as such, the book is about the sexual encounters of the protagonist named Shizuka Kanai which is like a autobiography by the author. He quote on quote suspected that unlike the rest of the human race, he might be indifferent to such sexual desires, so why is it named Vita Sexualis? Again, it is about Life and Sex, yet a erotica has to awaken sexual feelings, but the book HARDLY does that, so I do not think it can be considered as an erotica, it surprises me how so many people assume that just by the name.

Thank you for reading my analysis! The first two topics are inspired by some post of plinko mori, and the lolita complex is inspired by this doc!

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osameowdazai · 6 months

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hey I dying to know more about rimlaine I think ur the best person to come to for it wanna rant abt stuff for a while and or lemme know some hcs ! :3

Waking up to this ask was like getting a present first thing. It did take me all day to write this though cause I'm slow

Gosh ok so reading Stormbringer for the first time (it's the first bsd light novel I read cause Chuuya is my favorite character) and going through this book and seeing the journal entries Rimbaud wrote. Reading that they EXCHANGED NAMES? Verlaine being like 'I didn't like him though' like excuse me??? And. just Rimbaud saving his life at the end? Becoming his literal heartbeat,,,,, Verlaine realizing too late how he felt,,,,

They kill me

Anyway, headcanons for you:

They're both also lonely people, but not in the same way which is where they end up misunderstanding one another

Rimbaud is much more romantic of the two.

Verlaine gets flustered with affection, but always, always Tries to play it cool.

While Rimbaud may have been the one to teach Verlaine how to dance, he likes when Verlaine leads (who doesn't like to be spun and dipped come on)

They're both probably touch starved

I can't help but associate them with vintage radios (thanks cou)

Rimbaud can probably play some sort of instrument but doesn't very often. Maybe the piano.

Since the piano is just sitting around, Verlaine ended up learning how to play it and sometimes plays for Rimbaud (or rather, he just happens to play it when Rimbaud is around, it's not actually for him despite playing songs he knows he likes. Whatever you say, you silly man.)

I like the idea of Verlaine wearing reading glasses.

In the beginning, Rimbaud would give Verlaine books that he'd annotated so now they both annotate books and trade them back and forth

Verlaine will read his favorite books over and over until they're falling apart

They steal books from places while working jobs, especially Verlaine. Does that target have an interesting-looking book? His now tyvm

They spend so much time together that they pick up one another little habits and Verlaine hates it when he realizes he's done this.

They're both very observant people and I refuse to believe they aren't fully aware of everything their neighbors are up to all of the time

They're probably gossipy with one another about it, too

#i am sleepy and technically already told people i was going to bed oops so ill stop here #ty for the ask zai #it was fun to type up #zai 🌱#bsd #sol's writing #ig #rimlaine #i feel bad putting this in that tag but i want it organized on my blog #😔#ALSO #I can't believe you said you think I'm the best person to come to for them #like #crying???#what a compliment #ok going to bed now

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iwritenarrativesandstuff · 9 months

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on a very random note (and hope you don't mind me talking about it ^^;), I do think Studio Bones is doing a great job at adapting Season 4 and I'm really enjoying it!

Though sometimes, I wish that they didn't omit some manga panels because it makes me a little sad that the weight of certain moments is taken away:

Exhibit A: Dazai laughing at Chuuya's impression

Exhibit B: Chuuya talking about Dazai leaving the mafia

Exhibit C: Dazai getting arrested

Exhibit D: Ango visiting Odasaku's grave

and the last one because this moment destroyed me when I read the manga and cause he's my personal favorite:

Exhibit E: Rampo facing Mushitarou on his own

genuinely, I'm really enjoying the adaptation right now and it's not that I don't appreciate the effort put into this <33

And it's true, these are minor manga panels so it wouldn't be too much to change or discard it and yet in taking away such minor panels, it also takes away the grand depth and complexity of what the characters are thinking and feeling in those moments.

It takes away the weight of the scene.

And that's the thing, bsd is a series that has so many complex characters with intricate dynamics, thoughts and moralities that it's a little bittersweet to know that the anime falls short sometimes when capturing certain moments and deprives us of the struggles, humanity and genuineness that these characters have and are going through.

again, nothing against Studio Bones but I often think of the things that could have been :<<

@langdahling

Hey you two! First off, I want to apologize for the huge delay. I was trying to think of what to say in response and I think I always make responding to asks way more work than they ought to be...

But anyways. Here are my general thoughts on the BSD anime, which I'm probably only going to elaborate on here once, and then drop it.

I enjoy the anime, really I do. But it's strange to think how drastic the difference is in the way the characters are interpreted between those who have only seen the anime and those who have also read the manga (and perhaps also the light novels).

First off, let's go over what the anime does well, since I want to ensure we're appreciating what is still a lot of effort from everyone in that studio. Animation, and all the things that need to happen to get a show off the ground, is not easy. Here are some things that stand out to me:

Those backgrounds: you know what I'm talking about. The stained glass, the sunsets, the city shots, the imagery. Beautiful, stunning work honestly.

Use of imagery and clever animation choices: there are some things that are going to change by necessity when adapting from page to screen. The clever animation teams will use this to their advantage - I don't think Bones always does this effectively, but when they do... oh man, is it ever good. I, for one, really liked the kind of projector effect over Dazai's farewell to Chuuya in s5.

Use of colour and light: go back through any scene and pay attention to who has what colours and the way the lighting is positioned. Again, these are those smart animation choices I was talking about.

The music: Score's really good. I wish the music was used a little more consistently (there's some weird choices made... why Wake Up Call for the Tachihara fight???) but the music itself is catchy and sets a good tone.

The voice acting: It's so good. See, even when I wasn't convinced about how the scenes were going to be framed, I never doubted the voice actors would carry it. (I'm talking about the Japanese actors here specifically, but the English dub is pretty good too... sorry I can't speak on any other dubs though...) I really love Kyouka's seiyuu (Morohoshi Sumire) and the way her voice takes on more inflection through the series as Kyouka comes into her own especially.

The abilities and the use of writing: Love the way the abilities are animated. And the use of text to emphasize character intros and key scenes was always good, but I legitimately freaked out when they used it for the Page's narration over Nikolai's speech in Season 4 - good! artistic! choices!

And we're lucky enough to have an adaptation that follows the major plot beats pretty much to the letter! ...so. Why does it tend to disappoint fans of the manga so often?

Well I know a lot of people have their opinions on it. owlyflufff I agree with you - the exclusion of certain panels make for very odd characterization choices - as in, it totally changes the context of the scene and what the character might be thinking. See Exhibits A through C for the best examples. For Exhibits D and E, I personally feel that we got enough in the scene to draw the same conclusions about motive and intent, but that Ango panel... oof it hurts so much. I'm ok with the Dark Era flashbacks personally though: same character motive, just with different artistic interpretation.

langdahling, you're also right though. Pivotal emotional moments aside, I feel a lot of shows (not just BSD) don't know how to let their characters breathe. Pacing is a huge issue in a lot of things I find. You have to let us know who these characters are. Let the characters breathe, and give us, the audience, time to breathe with the characters. It's important. It's really important. It's something the manga does well - it's endearing. Every character gets a little endearing, silly moment. This is necessary for a series that is fundamentally about humanizing its cast.

As for my own opinion on what the adaptation lacks... well, I have a bit of an interesting view because both my mom and I actually watch this show. I, as you all know, am a deranged little weirdo about it who has literally gone through everything BSD I could find and inserted it directly into my brain cells. My mom, on the other hand, has only seen the anime, but is privy to other information about the series um. Because I talk about it non-stop (sorry mom). I happened to be visiting her when season 4 started airing and we watched the first little bit together - the Untold Origins adaptation. To be clear - this adaptation was good. I think it was probably the best after Dark Era. But. My mom turns and looks at me at the scene where Ranpo breaks down shortly before Fukuzawa lies about him having an ability (because I've told her the rough summary of it before) and says "I don't think Ranpo's desperation came across". She said it felt like a breakdown, sure, but it's not the same as the pent-up frustration and fear that was made so incredibly clear in the novel. She said if I hadn't explained that Fukuzawa realized it was kind of his last chance to reach Ranpo, that he had to do something to save this kid, that she would've been left completely bewildered as to why Fukuzawa would tell him such a massive lie. (Never mind the exclusion of his parents, which was why nothing but a lie would work but I digress...) This happened later in the series too. Kunikida was given a prolonged fish-eye closeup through Jouno's entire speech about his ideals instead of the balloon symbolism used in the manga (literally one of the most baffling changes to me - I don't really feel any which way about the fish eyes in general, but imo doing any kind of prolonged like 20 second close up of one character's face during what is a pivotal moment for them is uh... a weird, if not outright poor, animation choice). Poor Akutagawa's death scene being... like that. He dies with grace! He DIES WITH GRACE! That's important!!! He made a choice and was satisfied!!! For all of the Bones and Asagiri Dazai favouritism, he's probably one of the worst examples of watered down emotion - it's no wonder so many people mischaracterize him. Why is he smiling when Jouno arrests him? Why does he look unbothered when he realizes Chuuya's been vampirized? Where is the scene after Q attacks where he conflictedly realizes he'll have to resort to underhanded tactics to win??? Thank god for Miyano Mamoru and his voice acting because otherwise. Geez. And then Sigma. Oh my god. You need that scene where he helps the casino guest. That's his first scene. They condensed his backstory. Sigma's entire character was watered down. And I knew it was going to be before I even watched Sky Casino arc, because this is the core problem I have with the anime in general -

There is a lack of desperation. And it comes, primarily, from the watering down of intense, pivotal moments, and then, the removal of some of the more lighthearted or kind scenes in favour of getting quickly to the action.

I feel that contrast is what's necessary to give these emotional beats weight. And often... it just doesn't hit. It's odd to me, as imo one of the core themes of BSD is desperation. Every character has this desperation at their core - a desperation to succeed, a desperation to live, not having a reason to live and being desperate to find it. It's all desperation - and this really, really does not come across well in the anime. Not consistently. I think the most egregious example is the Sky Casino arc. Both Sigma and Teruko are just as desperate as each other. Teruko stopping the plane was not a guarantee but a play on her part that could very well have resulted in her death. There's heavy implication the bones in her arms shattered in the manga. Her and Tachihara had to take a quick breather after it. That's not in the anime. Sigma's backstory being condensed does a great disservice to explaining why he is so desperate to save the casino - I felt we were primarily told rather than shown. And so the Sky Casino arc, with desperation at its core... was underwhelming. As I figured it would be before it even came out, as the anime already had a history of cutting details out, rushing through the build up, and making odd artistic choices that dampen the emotion of said pivotal scenes. It sucks, really.

And while it's fun to get two seasons in one year, I find myself very, very worried on behalf of the animators and the workers in that studio. I would've been happy to have two in one year... if I thought they were at all prepared for it. But I don't think they were. Season 5 feels very rushed and I know I'm not the only one who's said this. Makes me worried for the pressure everyone's under to churn this out so quickly.

In the end, I rationalize most adaptations of anything as having two (or multiple!) cakes. The BSD anime is enjoyable! And fun! I love seeing my little guys walk and talk and use their cool powers. It's a completely different experience to the manga. Unfortunately, for anyone who's read the manga, it's... a bit of an underwhelming experience, but still. It's a fun watch - even if it's not really what I was hoping for.

#thanks for the ask!#this is probably the only time i'll speak on my thoughts about the anime adaptation and my criticisms tbh.#i just don't want to spread too much negativity about it #but i also think people's grievances with it are completely fair and that these criticisms deserve to be known also #bsd #bsd anime criticism #storyrambles

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camilletea · 7 months

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I first watched BSD in 2018, and I spent the first season in confusion and the second season in despair (I got attached to Oda for some reason- who wouldn't be?).

I didn't memorize the names of the characters and couldn't grasp the plot - just thought it was some bad guys after the MC as most shounen animes tend to do.

So it was a surprise when I still remember some events that happened in the Dark Era (in season 2). My heart definitely sank when I realized the fate of the children, and became throughly crushed upon Oda's death.

It was only that year, after the second season, that I closed my laptop and never opened the site for BSD. I just assumed it was only two seasons.

Now in 2023, when I heard of its name rising from the dead (although the fandom probably never died), that I opened my laptop with the intent to watch it again from the first season. So, imagine my surprise when I found out that it's already on season 5 and has a movie.

Watching from the start, now that I'm older (and probably not a good idea to watch when you're not in a good headspace but- ye), gave me the understanding to grasp everything. And it hurts like hell. My heart went out to Atsushi, but Chuuya ended up becoming my favorite character.

Then I discovered the Light Novels (especially Strombringer and BEAST), and suffice to say, I'm never gonna be the same again (the amount of tears I shed-).

I become attach to one or two characters in an anime series because I somehow see myself in them, but I never thought I'd find one where I can see bits of me in multiple fictional characters with names of dead authors and poets.

#bsd #bungou stray dogs #bungo stray dogs #oda sakunosuke #odasaku #nakajima atsushi #nakahara chuuya #bsd beast #stormbringer #bsd confessions #thoughts

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wildflowerteas · 1 month

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and here’s the second 🫶🏼🫶🏼

yeah this party is going to be . . . something. for sure. there's still six months+ to go before July 17th 1958, but its definitely a point of no return for the plot. It's going to bring together some really interesting characters, too, so i didn't want to just end with it on this chapter. spoilers: characters involved in Law Enforcement other than the LAPD and from my favorite ( signed ) BSD light novel will be making their debut also the LOTUS PEAR WHAT??? HOW DID I MISS THAT OH MY GOD. staring out the library window right now in shock my god my godddd.

argh. im so happy i get to share this fic with you guys its been so fun seeing you lose your minds enjoy it as much as i've enjoyed writing it.

#ask

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bluemooniegif · 3 months

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So I purchased 55 minutes and just finished reading it- honestly I'm crying....! Why does nobody speak about this light novel it's one of my favorites from now on!?! Do you have any thoughts on Gab/Jules Verne, I literally haven't seen anyone talk about him aahh

I hope you're always healthy and happy٩(●ᴗ●)۶

55 minutes is seriously the most underrated ln ever!! it has everything that i love about bsd innit and more!! I'm so glad you liked it anon 💞

#asks #bsd #55 minutes

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whathorselegs · 3 months

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Hi.... If you don't mind, can I ask your top 5 (or top 3) favorite characters from Bungou Stray Dogs? And why you loved them? And your top 5 favorite moments from the series? Sorry if you've answered this before.....

No need to apologise, I’m happy to answer! :D

Lets see, fave characters, it’s so hard to narrow it down to just five because I love most of the BSD characters

Surprise to no one, Chuuya. I love my scrunkly boy. For as little as he appears in the main story he steals every scene he’s in, his light novels have so much character to explore. His backstory is wild. There’s so much for me to sink my teeth into in terms of character and so little there’s a lot of room to theorise. He has a fun personality to attempt to write as well. I have a lot of Chuuya posts so I won’t rant too much about him here.

Kunikida was definitely my first favourite character. Strict but caring, follows the rules but they are his own rules, reluctant mentor figure, thrown into a high position at such a young age, really smart but such a dumbass. Dazai’s character in season 1 wouldn’t nearly be so enjoyable if he didn’t have Kunikida to reign him in. I love his dynamic with Atsushi, he doesn’t want to be a mentor, but he doesn’t want this kid to get hurt. So he tries to land somewhere in the middle. He tries to get Atsushi to arrive at the right conclusion himself, he wants him to grow on his own, but will be there for him when he needs it.

Yosano, BSD needs more Yosano content. Again, I loved her dynamic with Atsushi during the train heist. Her and Kaiji’s conflict of beliefs about the value of human life and death was so interesting. Her past with Mori was definitely interesting too, but I am much more interested in seeing more of the present day Yosano. I don’t want her to be forced out into the field, because that’s something she doesn’t want, but I would love to just know more about her role in the agency. Her day to day. More of her beliefs. More exploration of how her trauma affected her ability to heal people. Is she even a real qualified doctor?? Did she actually go to med school??? Because some part of me wouldn't be surprised she didn’t, given her history.

Akutagawa siblings. I’m putting them as one because a lot of what makes Akutagawa interesting to me is his relationship with Gin. I love main timeline Akutagawa and all his complexities but Beast!Aku is golden. I love the Beast movie so much that when I picture Akutagawa I picture the actor, not the cartoon man, haha. They are both little creatures to me, I wish their dynamic was more explored. I wish Gin was explored more in general, pretty sure we see them the least out of all of Black Lizard.

Dazai. Here’s the thing, originally, I wasn’t much of a Dazai fan. I didn’t not like him, but he wasn’t my favourite. BUT then I started reading the real Dazai Osamu’s works and I love his writing. Rewatching BSD and starting the manga, after I had read some of Dazai Osamu’s works, gave me a better appreciation for the BSD character. NLH, Setting Sun, Flowers of Buffoonery and Dazai Osamu’s fairytale retellings, all very much affect how I view Dazai and how I write his character. I have a very love/hate relationship with writing him though because I’m constantly questioning whether or not he would do X actions, but then I remember the characters in the books would, so I write it in anyways, haha.

Honourable mentions: Aya, Kenji, Kyouka, Atsushi, Bram, all of The Flags, Lucy (Okay I’m going to stop before I list them all)

Favourite moments:

It’s got to be Chuuya fighting a literal dragon, right? I’ve rewatched Dead Apple a lot, I never tire of Chuuya throwing a building down a dragon’s throat. And of course Chuuya screaming Dazai’s name in the midst of corruption. Not even in a shippy way, but in the context of Dazai should be dead, as far as anyone else knows he’s dead, but Chuuya believes in his ability to survive. He believes even when it’s supposed to be impossible, if he uses corruption, Dazai will be there to stop it. And if he’s wrong, he accepts dying alongside him. That’s about as ride or die as it gets and I love it.

Atsushi jumps to save Kyouka. He has no reason to, other than despite all he’s been through, he still believes people deserve to live, they deserve to be told that. Kyouka was willing to die to stop hurting people, to pay penance for an ability she had no control over and Atsushi was willing to die trying to save her. I don’t care what people say, Atsushi is a good main character, I don’t care that he cries a lot or that he needs saving and losses fights. I care about how much he cares. I care that he sees good in people like Kyouka and Dazai, he sees the good in Lucy. Moments like this make me love BSD.

Similar vein, Lucy frees Atsushi. Helping Atsushi is a lose/lose scenario in Lucy’s perspective. The guild is all she has, the only place that has ever given her some value. Atsushi is the man that robbed her of that value. But in this confrontation she learns Atsushi is a lot like her, that in this one conversation he has attempted to understand her pain better than anyone else in the guild and so she takes a chance on Atsushi. She chooses to help him and Yokohama despite knowing it will cost her everything she has. And she does it with a smile on her face like it’s nothing. Love Lucy so much.

Ranpo can’t ride public transport by himself. This one is a little silly, but you see I am a neurodivergent adult who also really struggles with public transport. Trains scare the heck out of me, so I don’t go on them alone. Ranpo is just like me for real and it gave me a silly little serotonin to see it.

Okay, I tried not doing two Chuuya scenes but Chuuya showing up to save the agency in a helicopter and throwing bullets at the Hunting Dogs is also one of my faves. Especially as he was sent there to save them and then Kunikida goes and jumps out the thing and blows himself up anyway, it’s just funny. BSD does a good job of balancing action and humour and serious moments very well. This is supposed to be an epic sacrifice for Kunikida, his friends all think he’s dead. But looking at it from Chuuya’s perspective is funny. People say “Oh, why didn’t Chuuya do anything” like Kunikida really gave him a chance to. Maybe he did have a plan and maybe he didn’t get a chance to do anything because Tall, Blond and Explody over there leapt out the door.

#bungou stray dogs #bsd #ask #rambling #long post #I went on a big tangent here haha #thank you for the ask! It was fun answering!

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jellie-the-aqua-puma · 5 months

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Hi...if you don't mind me asking, who are your favorite romantic relationship's couples in books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series (can be canon or non-canon)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....

Hi! Thanks for your ask! This is a good question, and this is my first ask so don’t apologize! Currently my mains are

Dazai/Chuuya aka Soukoku from BSD, I really like their dynamic, just the familiarity they had when they came on screen for the first time together. I think Bungou is really well execute though, so S2 showing that they still can come together and pretty much treat each other the same way / exasperation with no heat? And then the light novels are soo helpful too! I really think they’re sweet for each other, and I just think that’s neat! Plus there’s so much to unpack with their relationship! Yeah Chuuya wasn’t happy when Dazai left, but did he really resent him for it? Did he take it personally? What are they going to do now? All they do whenever they’re together is their best to protect each other.

Gojo Satoru / Geto Suguru from Jujutsu Kaisen, the tragedy! Oh man! It took me a bit to get on board with this, but I’m in for life now. It was the “My six eyes tell me your Geto but my soul knows otherwise.” I haven’t looked back. Gojo so shamelessly admitted that and Geto fighting back? They actually remind me a lot of Soukoku, with the obvious being Gojo = Dazai and Geto = Chuuya, but also Gojo was the one who got left just like Chuuya. So much went wrong for these two when it didn’t have to! If Geto had just took the time to explain, if he didn’t stubbornly try to rationalize his mistake, if Gojo had not taken Geto’s words at face value, if he’d’ve pushed a little more. I really love the impact they had in each other. Geto is the reason Gojo pushes for a better future for young sorcerers (does not seem like it’s going that well) and Gojo was the reason Geto wanted to make the world a better place for sorcerers.

Sun Jing / Qiu Tong from Tamen De Gushi (Their Story), a Chinese manhua. The story is just so cute, innocent, and straight forward. No screwing around, misunderstandings, annoying drama, etc.

Galo / Lio from Promare - this movie was so good! These two are really cute! I’m gonna say they’re semi-canon …

Hua Cheng / Xie Lian Heaven Official’s Blessing. Tragic characters when separated but together work towards their best future! Love it.

Cheng Xiaoshi / Lu Guan from Link Click I watched this on a whim and was so impressed by the characters and story! Im super interested to see where their relationship will take them, especially after what’s been revealed in S2, which I’m still reeling from! I am eagerly waiting for season 3!

I’m curious about yours now! What would you say yours are?

Honorable Mentions in no particular order below the cut

Yeong-sin and Seo-bi from Kingdom (kdrama) even though they don’t interact much, them being the only two survivors of the zombie epidemic in Jiyulheon is really what sets them a part for me although anytime they’re around others they act like they don’t know each oher.

TodoDeku was super cute in a very innocent kind of way. I liked that Todoroki was the first person who wasn’t Izuku’s friend who to saw his potential and see him as competition. I haven’t followed My Hero since S4 tho.

Yoruichi / Soi Fon Bleach; I felt Soi Fon’s devastation, to be joined at the hip and devoted and then abandoned and left behind. Yoruichi is merciless, she didn’t gaf lol.

Speed / Trixie sealed in by the 2008 Speed Racer live actions. They were crazy in the anime.

Astrid / Hiccup from the HTTYD film franchise, what a power couple.

Nancy / Edward from Enchanted, they are wasted by Disney but they’re oh so cute!

Aurora / Phillip from Sleeping Beauty, they are also wasted by Disney.

Goku/Chichi Dragon Ball, Chichi is wasted by Akira.

Steve / Bucky too, from Captain America, the way Steve was constantly ready to raise hell for Bucky got me. I pretend anything Phase 3 and after didn’t happen.

#asks #fav romantic ships #fav ships #from all years of my life #satosugu #soukoku #galolio #promare #bsd #bungou stray dogs #their story #tamen de gushi #link click #shiguang daili ren #shiguan #ships #heaven official's blessing #hualian

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linklethehistorian · 1 year

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Linkle, I must know, what are your thoughts on Mori as a character? His actions and motivations?? Id love to hear your opinion, btw that last chapter of cherish was great!! I loved it so much!!!

Ahhh hello there, anon, thank you so much! 🥺😭💕💖🥰 It’s such an honor to get a message like this from someone who is reading the fic. 💕🥺💖🥰💕🥺💖🥰 I’m so glad you liked Chapter 12; it definitely has one of my own personal favorite scenes, tbh (but I won’t take up your time talking about that right now lol). Having a fan base for Cherish is truly lovely; I’m so blessed by each and every one of you. 🥺💖

As for your question, I’m always happy to share!

Before I say anything at all on my opinion, though, I’m first going to make it clear that I am completely setting aside that one…particular matter that has been discussed to death by the fandom for the moment, because I fear far too many people tend to forget that it is entirely possible to make any remotely positive commentary on a fictional character without that actually somehow meaning you condone his alleged…preferences. For the people in the back that need to hear this out loud to be set at ease: I in absolutely no way do.

Now with that out of the way for a bit, let’s talk about the rest of Mori. I’ll throw it under the cut, though, both for length and for potential spoilers of multiple light novels (Dark Era, Fifteen, Storm Bringer, etc.) and obviously the manga up to his last appearance in current arc. Oh and obviously the typical Mori-related trigger subjects. Yeah.

Honestly, on a general note, these days I think Mori as a character is super cool; I’m not sure where precisely I’d rate him on the list of characters because I honestly like nearly every character in BSD and think they’re pretty awesomely written, but on a general scale of 1 to 10, he’s a very solid 8 or 9 for me.

My first introduction to him was…admittedly not at all the best possible representation of him.

When I first joined the fandom, I began my journey through the series by watching the anime adaption of Dark Era, at the behest of a dear friend who said I would be best off doing so before I watched the rest of the show (of which there were only two seasons at the time) and then reading the manga, in order to get the best and most meaningful experience; it is not something I remotely regret, and in honesty, I would probably wholeheartedly recommend any new people to do the same, if they intended to start with the anime. Regardless, though, this decision did have the impact of making me immediately strongly dislike Mori as a person from the very start, given what he did to the orphans, Oda, and Dazai by extension.

Really, I wouldn’t say that I came to see him in any particular shades of grey motivation-wise until I watched the episode titled Double Black, in which there was the first reference of what would have become of the Port Mafia and Yokohama as a whole had he not usurped the throne to the organization so many years ago.

After that, I began to look at him with a bit more understanding and curiosity, horrible and ruthless though his nature may still mostly have been. Fifteen (specifically the light novel, NOT the anime) — which it should be said, I think is the best existing canon representation of Mori in terms of giving us a good look at his thoughts and motivations — only amplified that outlook and interest for me, and I think it alone is largely to thank for why I enjoy him as a character as much as I do in current time.

Although he’s definitely not someone I’d feel particularly comfortable writing an entire story solely around — as I don’t believe I’m expert nor absurdly passionate enough to do so compared to some genuine Mori fans that I know are out there out there — I nevertheless really, really do enjoy writing him, especially in Cherish (which is only the second time I’ve written him, if I’m honest — at least, in anything I’d consider publishing, anyway).

There’s just so much potential in him plot and personality-wise; he is incredibly flexible of a person in terms of his thoughts, mannerisms, motivations, and actions, which makes it super fun to explore and play around with when telling a story. I’d say he easily has one of the most fun personalities among the BSD ensemble, purely because of utterly unpredictable it can be; on one hand, he has moments where (at least outwardly) is capable of being extremely friendly, outgoing, generous and unassuming, and yet on the other, he is very much always inwardly observant of all that is going on around him and capable of quickly switching to being cold, calculating, and openly cruel at the drop of a hat. But even then, usually, his cruelty doesn’t come in the form of physical violence; it’s often emotional manipulation, intimidation, taking your fears and weaknesses and using them against you to get him whatever he feels he needs in the present moment. Sometimes, it isn’t even outwardly visible that the switch of gears happened; he knows how to poison you in the sweetest and most unassuming yet effective way possible — whether that poison is literal or metaphorical. He’s definitely the kind of person who could sing you to sing to sleep every night and kiss your cheek every morning even as he’s secretly plotting your demise. lol

That being said, I think a lot of the fandom, in their hatred for him as a person, tends to mischaracterize him a lot, rather than looking at it objectively. I’ve seen a lot of fics and general fandom takes that portray him as a sadistic person who is cruel simply for the sake of being cruel and does terrible things to others purely for the enjoyment factor, but that is 100% not who Mori is; canonically, Mori does what he does mostly, if not entirely, out of what he feels is necessity as the leader of the organization. Now, I’m not saying there may not be parts of him that enjoy certain things he does — it’s certainly more than possible, and even highly probable — but his actions as godfather are driven by achieving what he feels is the optimal solution, not by personal pleasure and amusement; as a matter of fact, in Fifteen, he even made it clear when speaking to Chuuya that he fully acknowledges a lot of what he does is morally reprehensible — he just feels that it is his duty to commit these atrocities for the ‘greater good’ of the organization, and that the end therefore justifies the means.

The thing is, there is a character in BSD who is exactly the way this portion of the fandom characterizes Mori, and he was even a member of the Port Mafia, so if people really wanted to canonically explore this dynamic of a character who wholly gets off on tormenting people, causing suffering and probing others’ heads rather than doing it as just a business practice, they absolutely could still do it and be true to canon by writing about said other character; it’s just that it’s not a convenient truth that a lot of the fandom wants or likes to face — because that would mean acknowledging that it was everyone’s beloved Dazai and not the oh-so-despised Mori who used to think in such a sick and twisted way during his days in the criminal underworld.

Granted, some people do write both characters very well and very accurately, and I applaud them, but I do find it frustrating when the fandom reduces either Mori to this purely evil, sadistic villain who is bad just for the sake of being bad, because he is so much more interesting as he truly is in canon.

It’s this dichotomy where his dedication to the overall well-being of his people and company is admirable and even understandable, yet at the same time his individual actions when you look at them from a moral perspective are pretty much all morally reprehensible in some way, shape, or form — if not in every way. The same is true of his time in the army; as a general concept, his desire to protect Japan during the Great War was on the whole admirable and understandable, we know that he was well-meaning about it, but at the same time, no matter how desperate the situation was, what he did to Yosano and his entire army was absolutely disgusting and unacceptable — especially because it came so easily to him to do it and he made no apologies for it nor expressed any guilt over the suffering he caused later on.

Do I think Mori is, on the whole, a good person? Absolutely not. Do I think that he sometimes has the best of intentions in mind with his schemes? In the grander scheme of things, yes; it’s just that he mostly doesn’t care who or how many he has to hurt to achieve that so long as it’s slightly less than his net gain from doing it, which in turn cancels out things enough to prevent him from ever being labeled as being or acting as a “good person” at any moment.

I think the best, most objective description of him is to say that he’s pragmatic and ruthless.

…And then obviously there’s the part that everyone in the fandom discusses to death — about the main universe version of him being into little girls. Not a whole lot to say about that; it’s gross, it’s wrong, it’s unforgivable, it’s morally reprehensible, and it’s chilling and disturbing and it definitely completely disqualifies him from being labeled a good person even if he had been able to earn that title from something he did somewhere along the way.

That being said — and I know this is probably going to be controversial to a lot of the fandom, so let me say upfront that I’m not saying that that isn’t 100% a valid and understandable reading of who he is and the way he feels based on all the evidence throughout the series, nor am I trying to convince anyone otherwise — purely because it is fiction and therefore all made up to begin with, at least for my own personal comfort, I typically choose in my own personal readings to just look at him as someone with a particular weakness for little girls because he’s fatherly — although I make no effort to claim that to be the objective truth, nor does such interpretation affect or influence any of my writings in any way; it’s simply the way I prefer to engage with BSD on my own personal time — outside of my writings.

As a matter of fact, in my one fic, Bittersweet Belief, he was intentionally written with the intention of being portrayed as a groomer, and in Cherish, his ‘tastes’ will be portrayed no less nor more suspicious than how they are in canon, and therefore it will never be fully, directly addressed, but may be interpreted however you wish.

I do not need people coming to me providing evidence of why they believe there is no way to look at it differently, as again, I am not arguing that it is objectively untrue in any way that Mori is written to be a pedo in BSD, and when in public spaces among other people talking about it I don’t even try to say otherwise, much less convince anyone of it. I understand fandom etiquette and I am not trying to erase anything about him from others’ perceptions in order to make him more “likable”. I am just engaging with BSD, whenever I am personally reading it and watching it, in the way that is more comfortable for me. Nothing more, nothing less.

Anyway, yeah, Mori’s a super fun character to write and observe in the BSD world! I think there’s a lot of depth to him and he’s very well-written — probably among my top past antagonists purely for the super interesting personality and the purely pragmatic outlook to life and business.

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squidsandthings · 4 months

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i know nothing about bsd but i know you are a big fan

can you try to sell me on it

HI I JUST SAW THIS ASK AND YES YES OFC

Okay so bungo stray dogs as a series basically asks the question: "what if we made characters based on dead authors and gave them abilities based on thier written works"

which might sound

a bit strange

but here me out

Because bsd is one of the most brainrot inducing works of fiction i've engaged with in AWHILE. The story is so much fun to analyze and engage with. And it's biggest selling point, to me, is the characters.

Bsd's characters are so hard not to get obsessed with. Every character from the main one's you'll see around alot to the side character's you hardly see at all has thought behind them, their motivations, and thier morality. Bsd's characters are achingly human in a way I don't know if i can do justice in words. It's a story about character growth and change and you can feel it reading the manga, light novels, and the anime (when bones isn't making me want to pull my hair out). It might cause you emotional damage...but you will never run out of things to think about with this show and especially it's characters.

also also

you might have gathered from my bsd posts (and generally bsd induced ramblings) related to the characters is the fact that absolutely no one in bsd is normal about each other. Which obviously lends itself well to shipping but besides that the character dynamics in general drive me up a wall /pos. I cannot stress enough how many partnerships are just in the show. Not romantic, not even platonic, just unspeakably weird about each other in a way which @cousticks so eloquently put as "everyone is gay enemies to lovers but won't admit it". and it truly does mean EVERYONE. I cannot stress enough how many pairing are in this show. and by pairings I do mean non-romantic, bsd isn't a romance focused story in the slightest, but it is character focused, and by extension character dynamic focused and there's so much to love and analyze with bsd's character dynamics

also it has one of my favorite anime first episodes ever so do with that what you will

bsd is so much fun to watch, to read, to analyze, to obsess over, and to just be a fan of and I highly recommend it. I hope you give it a shot.

Hope you liked the pitch <3

if you do you watch it you should tell me and let me know your reactions >:)

#ask #bsd #beloved mutuals #bungo stray dogs #bungou stray dogs

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jenoutof10 · 2 months

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Hi.... If you don't mind me asking, can I ask, what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....

hi! i definitely dont mind, this is such a fun ask so i'm SO SORRY ive only answered now 😭 also im horrible at explaining my thoughts so please bear with me...

1. jujutsu kaisen

i can go on and on about jjk but I'm trying to keep this short so I don't go on an endless rant. OKAY. i love the power system of jujutsu, it's simple but also pretty flexible and creative, i love the historical and traditional aspect of it + how it ties into clan culture, i love how it branches into barrier techniques, reverse cursed technique, binding vows, etc. for characters like gojo in particular i love how he's pictured as the strongest and how akutami shows the gap between him vs all other sorcerers, like he was in a whole different league and how his birth changed/tipped the balance of the world of jujutsu. i love the whole "saving others" thing like how yuuji wants to save everyone, megumi wants to save good people, nobara wants to save the people who mean alot to her, gojo thinking abt how he can only save people who want to be saved, geto wanting to save sorcerers from non sorcerers, etc. i like how the series has aspects of history (like how sugawara no michizane was a sorcerer and how his descendants include the gojo clan is ⅓ of the three main clans of the series, and basically the entirety of tengen (lol)). i love the anime adaptation and how crazy the animation is (when s1 came out i was alr baffled but after watching s2 and looking back at s1 im even more impressed at their development), the manga's artstyle i was a big fan of but now not so much (the scratchyness and alternating thick and thin rough lines around the time of shibuya arc were PEAK). besides that as a buddhist myself, the multiple buddhism references in the series really cemented my love for it as it felt familiar and it feels like ur getting a shout out esp since most shows feature themes of catholicism and christianity.

2. blue lock

i'm honestly unathletic af idk why im here. i think what hooked me was the whole individualistic + egoist concept and the elimination setting (like squid game) 🙏 for me blue lock's prime is [2nd selection, 4v4] until the end of [u20 arc], i really liked the art style during that period! sadly, i feel blue lock has fallen off ever since the current NEL arc, it feels as if theyve deviated from the original ego concept (fuck this whole "protagonism" thing man wtf) and the artstyle has undergone changes im not particular to. also the anime wack af.

3. bungou stray dogs

im going to be honest. i did NOT like bsd. s1-s3 was too all over the place for me and i really did not get the series at all, i actually thought it ended but then they released s4 & s5 in 2023. almost a year since s4 came out, i came around to watching it and i got HOOKED, i think a big factor was that there was less fillers and a lot more action scenes, plus the detective vs mastermind thing truly popped off in s4 + s5. besides that, i enjoyed the introduction of new cast and the return of previous ones (now as allies). sure, there's plot holes and the anime cuts off a handful of scenes but it WAS an incredibly enjoyable watch. plus i'd say bsd has mountains of content (atleast in comparison with other serieses) because besides your usual manga, anime, and occasionally stage play adaptation. you have the alt univ. BEAST, light novels like stormbringer or 55 minutes, wan!, and even bsd gaiden (which has nothing to do w the main series)

4. haikyuu

THE classic. it was the first anime i got into when i started quarantine and it brought back my animanga phase. i love how the characters all have interesting stories to tell, their own motivations and personalities. lots of teamwork, teambuilding, found family(?) aspects, plus all the themes have their own specific themes which i dig a lot (ex. inarizaki and their foxes + shrines). plus i love how this series captures the thrill of watching sports, it MIGHT be overexaggerated to some but i get lightheaded when theyre at match-point and on the verge of losing so it does provide some kind of high. OH and i like that they show realistic wins and losses.

5. hunter x hunter

i have not read the manga but this show was serious to me. i'm a sucker for meta and power systems, and nen is like... actually insane. i love the characters SO MUCH, the variety of designs and appearances, how the series shows the way they grow throughout their adventures and experiences, the way they show a character's relationship with the rest of the cast, etc. it also gives a somewhat nostalgic vibe? i love the opening, endings, OSTs + narrator. it truly does feel like ur tagging along on their adventures, it was a real tearjerker for me tbh.

6. avatar: the last airbender + the legend of korra

i think atla is an amazing show bcs 1. cool setting and world building 2. the cultural references 3. cool dynamics 4. character personalities and development 5. cool power system and fighting styles 6. found family etc etc... ITS A COMPLETE PACKAGE. im p sure not much are fond of tlok but i love it. i think some reasons include the fact that korra isnt like aang, but i think thats what makes tlok interesting, korra is 17 when the show starts and the show continues to follow how she grows and develops into a fully realized avatar both physically and spiritually. i also think its bcs of how they modernized bending and how lots of the cultural aspect is lost but i think its an incredible and interesting way to showcase real life modernization.

7. jojo's bizarre adventure

jjba CHANGED ME 😭 this series is actually insane like if it was a person please get it to a mental ward. i think as an artist, it holds a very dear place in my heart. the show itself is absurd and unbelievable so it keeps you on your toes (dont mind the plot holes and inconsistencies, at some point you're just gonna have to live with it). but the selling point for me is the characters, everyone has amazing, colorful and distinct designs that match well with their personalities and overall air. not to mention the artstyle and references in everything to everything? lol. the show's different parts also feature different main casts, dynamics and storylines, sometimes they do a callback to a previous part.

okay! it was very hard choosing between the 7 of them but i think they actually were the ones that truly left an impact on me. thank you so much for the ask i finally got the chance to ramble about the stuff i consume 😭😭😭 there's a lot of media I'd love to talk about and mention so maybe one day ill make a post on hopefully all the media ive consumed.

honorable mentions:

genshin impact

i started genshin in 2021 when 1.3 came out, i was dead serious about this game during quarantine. i love liyue so much its what truly got me hooked (everything from the music, the sights, etc. for me liyue/pre inazuma was prime genshin), i enjoyed building characters and doing showcases too. started losing interest when sumeru came out and slowly stopped logging in/playing daily. the reason i wont put this in the actual list is bcs im pretty clueless about the new characters and story, nor do i have much interest in them. (i came back to do the lantern rite event, love the new liyue regions!)

detective comics

i love action and fights, especially when they feature powers, so liking superheroes makes sense 🤷 DC gets shit on alot bcs of the DCEU but the films aside i like DC better than marvel. im particular to gotham and the batfam, it's just more dark and gritty, plus there's lotsa drama going on LOL. the gotham knights cast also branches alot like to young justice (I LOVE YOUNG JUSTICE 😭), teen titans, titans, birds of prey, and ofc justice league.

chainsaw man, mob psycho 100, code geass, assassination classroom, neon genesis evangelion, trigun, fairy tail

#ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE ASK I HAD SO MUCH FUN HAHAHA #🍑 ask jen #🍑 jen geeks

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