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damagedintellect · 3 months

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Nakahara Chuuya x Reader

💌 Would this be considered a social suicide? : Chapter 7 💌

Summary: You knew it was dangerous to take walks at night but hearing the water rushing under the bridge was calming to your nerves. You didn’t imagine you’d ever fall into the river and somehow wake up in your favorite anime. The isekai that I’m sure will come back to haunt me. It’s kept me up all night but I might as well get the brainrot out.

Notes: Reader is Isekai’d into BSD, Slow to start, Chuuya is endgame but there’s a fair bit of reader & Dazai moments too okay like a lot of Dazai moments, implied poly but not really

♡ I was in and out of the hospital for the last half of the 2023 but it feels good to finally write again! Updates will be slow but ya'll already knew that ♡

Tags: @celestair

💌 Word count: 2,401 💌 Available Chapters [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

The next day you had been in an extremely chipper mood despite most of your colleagues being burnt out. The agency members were slumped at their desks as Kunikida furiously scribbled away at the stack of papers that Dazai had secretly pushed towards the blonde. For you on the other hand it was hard not to have a skip in your step when Chuuya had walked you home last night after your date. The day had been a breath of fresh air not to mention romantic and sweet. As Atsushi was about to leave on a small errand, a delivery for flowers came to the office. Everyone eyed the elegant display wondering who they could possibly be for but Dazai just rolled his eyes with a huff. He rolled his eyes because he thought Chuuya was doing a victory lap since he already saw the pictures from the day before. It wasn't until the messenger stated they were for an Osamu Dazai, that he looked up in confusion. Ultimately it sent the office into a frenzy. Everyone was in an uproar asking questions that Dazai didn't exactly know the answer to until he read the card attached. He fondly smiled before diverting everyone’s interest elsewhere. He glanced in your direction as you winked to which he shook his head at you. Of course you were the one behind the flowers. He mouthed "You're ridiculous." From across the room as everyone continued to pester him. Mission accomplished.

You had been texting Chuuya whenever you got the chance to, you asked about his day, sent meme’s you thought were funny, you even sent him a picture of the flowers you sent Dazai. Within the hour another delivery arrived causing you to fall out of your chair laughing as you were handed an even bigger display of flowers. This time it made Dazai groan and pretend to barf. The rest of the office wasn't surprised in the slightest that you were given flowers. Half of them could probably guess who sent them anyhow. Atsushi was really the only one who was confused and asking questions.

Since no one was getting any work done with the distractions, and to deflect the lingering attention off of you, you suggested taking a break at everyone’s favorite Cafe. That seemed to do the trick immediately giving you the much needed space you desired. The flowers were beautiful and you thought the arrangement was very thoughtful. Dazai had made the joke that he's surprised that Chuuya didn't send roses which was most people's knee jerk decision when sending flowers for multiple reasons. One of which was to flex how much money they spent on them but also they are classically romantic and who doesn't like roses. Of course, Chuuya opted for red camellias. It made you laugh since that was the flower chosen to represent the redhead in multiple official art pieces. Although looking up the meaning made you blush. Google says, “They're known to symbolize deep desire, so if you're trying to win someone over, then sending a bouquet of red camellias will do the trick.”

It certainly was working, that's for sure. You only wished you could do the same to Chuuya but you couldn't imagine that the mafia would allow a random delivery for flowers to their headquarters. On top of that you didn’t actually know if Chuuya was still at his office or out and about.

Instead you tried to think of other ways to give gifts to the mafioso. The next day, with the help of Dazai, you broke into Chuuya’s apartment to give him flowers too. It's still weird that Dazai is willing to help you like this but you shrugged it off for the most part. It must mean he really did believe your lie about your alternate timeline. That and you were skipping work. You both headed to the cafe after operation “Fluster the slug” was complete since it was most likely where everyone else would be at this hour. Still it was a shame you wouldn't be able to see Chuuya's reaction.

As you and Dazai approached the cafe you noticed the rest of the gang standing just outside the doors. You didn’t have to look inside the cafe to know that it was, that, episode. The whole agency went ballistic. You play along passing off details about the organization responsible for the hit on the cafe. All you knew was they called themselves “The Park” but that was good enough for everyone else to jumpstart an investigation.

Kunikida was still working away by the time everyone was ready for the heist. It wasn’t like you could add anything, naturally being a noncombatant you stayed behind helping file all the papers that Kunikida had been polishing off left and right. They had been gone for roughly a half hour when you heard a firm knock at the door. You looked up from the stack of files laid out on your desk to see Chuuya at the entrance. Standing up in surprise you knock over a stack of papers in the process “Chuuya, What are you doing here?” You had been eager to see him again but this was unexpected.

He smiled at your clumsiness as he crossed the room to help you pick up the papers. “I was in the area so I thought I’d drop by.” As he handed you the last document he offered you his hand, gently helping you off the floor. Taking a glance around the office he noted that it must be a relatively slow day for you, perfect. “I was gonna ask if you’d like to have dinner with me later but maybe you’d prefer to grab lunch?”

You blinked a few times at him letting the words process a little bit. He was asking you out on a date? Realistically you never did grab lunch earlier and you had done more than enough work to warrant leaving early. Still it caught you off guard that Chuuya was actually invested in taking you out. Of course he said the feeling was mutual the other day but you're just not used to people wanting to court you.

“You can say no if now's a bad time. I just figured a real man should ask in person.”

You shook your head trying to get the words to leave your mouth. You could see his confidence diminish with how long of a pause you took in order to respond. “No no it's not that-now's a great time actually. I kinda skipped lunch with all the commotion earlier!”

Chuuya raised an eyebrow in concern “Something happen?” You both start casually making your way out of the office.

When the door clicked behind you Kunikida finally looked up from his work. “Wasn’t that the Port Mafia's gravity manipulator?”

—

You explained your very eventful start to the day to Chuuya as he nodded along in understanding. Ironically the mafia had been keeping tabs on “The Park’s” activity but they were such a minor threat Mori didn’t feel like taking them out. Essentially the Agency was doing them a favor by handling them. What a small world. You both were so enthralled with your conversation it didn’t occur to either of you that you didn't have a game plan for where to eat. To be fair you’d normally eat at the cafe but they were compromised. You didn’t even really know what Chuuya's favorite foods were either. The only thing listed on his likes that was food related was wine and it wasn’t exactly the right hour to be drinking just yet.

You both had been walking around in circles just talking and enjoying each other’s company, food was the last thing on your mind. However a thought did arise given your current circumstance. It made you smile devilishly at the opportunity that had presented itself. You pulled out your phone looking up the current eateries in the area to see if any had a take out menu. Chuuya gave you a quizzical look as you dragged him to some random restaurant. “Are you sure this is where you want to eat?”

“Actually about that,” You didn’t know how to pose the question. This was only the second date and you were already asking to go to his apartment. To be fair he had been over to yours without asking so maybe this way you could call it even. “I was thinking maybe we just get take out and watch a movie at your place.” Your request sounded meek and unsure. In fact Chuuya thought he misheard you all together.

What was so great about going to his apartment? Was it even clean enough for company? Chuuya wasn’t a messy person by any means; he's just busy and leaves things out on occasion. You watched his neutral expression waver as his face darkened. A man and a woman alone together. Oh, that was a possibility. Although he shouldn't assume that to be the reason. He berates himself for thinking like that.

It didn't take much convincing for Chuuya to agree. All you really had to say was you didn't want to be around crowds for a while. After that week with Q’s ability running rampant you were okay if you never left the house again. Plus you brought up that he’s seen your place and that it would only be fair to take you to his. He really has no idea what your true intentions were. You were excited to see his reaction.

As you made your way to his building you had a skip in your step, the anticipation was killing you. He gave you a look before he put his keys into the lock. It was weird seeing you marvel at him this way. He wasn’t used to people looking at him with such admiration. Your face lit up as he motioned for you to step inside. He thought your behavior was cute but he still didn't get why you were so enthralled with the idea of being over at his place.

He went to put the food down on the table and had to do a double take. “What the hell?!” Chuuya nearly dropped the food after seeing the flowers. He was about to search his place to make sure nothing else weird was done while he was out when he saw your face. Your smile beaming wide as you giggled at him. A light dusting of blush on your cheeks.

“So that's why you wanted to come here!” he accused.

Chuuya fiddled with the card for the flowers as he turned away from you. He didn't know what to say. No one has ever given him flowers before. No one other than Dazai also breaks into his apartment. Maybe he should change the locks again. Beside the point, he was baffled and touched.

You stepped in front of him leaning over the edge of the table to smell the flowers. “Guilty! I just wanted to see your face,” you turned to him, winking “It was worth it, oh and before you ask, yes I had Dazai’s help.”

He opened his mouth but you cut him off “I made sure he didn't mess with anything before we left and no I didn't go in your room. This is as far into your place as I got.”

Chuuya clicked his tongue, folding his arms across his chest. He was watching you reach across the table with a soft smile. You really were something else. He shook his head, grabbing a flower to put in your hair. “Well, I guess I should give you a tour then.”

You stare back at him feeling warm. You couldn’t contain your happiness as he ushered you around. It was fairly big for one person and pretty well kept for him not being around all the time. You sat down on the couch as he brought the food over. You were scrolling through movies on his streaming service when one caught the corner of your eye. “The boy and the puppy” You felt Chuuya tense up beside you as you clicked on it. Honestly watching a sad movie with your almost boyfriend seems like a win, win situation. If you cry, Chuuya gets to hold you. If he cries, you get to hold Chuuya. How sad could it really be?

Turns out, extremely sad! Why was it so sad? This was just as bad as “Marley and me” . It was so heartwarming but immensely bittersweet. You both had tears streaming down your faces but he was turned away slightly trying to save his dignity. God look at you, couple of cards you were, both of you completely wrecked by a sad movie. It made you ugly laugh at the situation you put yourself in. His head snapped in your direction furrowing his eyebrows at you. “How can you be laughing at a time like this?!”

“Why did you let me watch that, you knew how sad it was!” You were laughing through your tears as he threw his arms up “The hell! You knew, I knew it was sad and you still clicked on it!” Chuuya was banking on the fact that since he’s seen the film before, knowing would prevent the water works and he would be able to suavely comfort you, but he took one look at you tearing up and then he started tearing up and now you both were a mess.

“Well this backfired!” you wiped your tears before throwing yourself on top of the redhead burying your face in his chest as Chuuya fell backwards on the other side of the couch. You pouted “I thought I was strong enough! I was going to cute cry and lean on you for comfort. This is the worst!”

He laughed shifting to make this position more comfortable. Wrapping one arm around you to make sure you didn’t fall off the edge and the other to pet your head. “Can’t win 'em all I guess.”

“Pffft yeah no kidding.” You nuzzled into his touch listening to his heartbeat. You don’t know how long you stayed like that but it was nice. It made you smile until your face hurt. It reminded you of the night Chuuya came over to your place. You felt your eyes slip shut and you drifted to sleep.

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#the bsd isekai au no one asked for #chuuya nakahara x reader #nakahara chuuya x reader #chuuya x y/n #chuuya x reader #xreader #x reader #bsd imagines #bsd fanfic #bsd x reader

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daz4i · 11 months

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What are your top 10 favourite things about your babygirl-princess-clown

akskflflglb um fr i think instead of doing a top 10 thing I'll just gush but in separate topics(?). if it's okay. bc it feels weird to list things when it comes to love. does that make sense

starting with the surface level stuff i gotta gush abt his design bc if it wasn't for it i wouldn't be into bsd now akskdlglg (<- saw gifs of him from the season 4 trailer and went "who's that saucy gendered fella. i gotta know them")

in addition to just liking it visually, i think it has a lot of neat symbolism too. the pinkish-red puff balls for example, i THINK are meant to be a reference to the color of the overcoat which is described to be a muted red color iirc. also possibly adding a red element to go with the subtle card aesthetic he has going on

the black and white can be a nod to his shifting personality changes, the crazy killer persona and the "perfectly sane" side of him. they are (mostly) equal in size, side by side, and overlapping each other. the exceptions are the hat and eye cover - mostly white - and his hair, completely white. i think this comes to imply he's still leaning more towards morality, but. the whole murder thing still taints it, same way his guilt taints him.

um. tldr cool design :) visually pleasing and has some deep meaning behind it :)

ANYWAY NOW ONTO SOME DEEPER THINGS.

i mentioned the two personas thing and well. i wasn't an akechi obsessed blog before switching interests for nothing. fucking love characters that are 2 identities at once despite them directly conflicting each other. i think there's something very real about it - we all change ourselves depending on the environment - but nikolai takes this aspect that exists in every person and takes it to the extreme (no grey area. just black and white yet again 👀). he claims to be one or the other, but imo it's a lie, never believe the words of a clown or you'll go insane etc. he can be both at once. honestly I'd argue he can draw more guilt from *enjoying* killing than from just the killing itself, which makes things spicier.

his thoughts abt free will are so so interesting and i totally get where he's coming from and why he goes to such extremes to prove it exists when it's smth that matters to him this much. i kind of admire it tbh? like having a. let's say value, that you really stick by, and doing whatever you need to follow it, is p amazing! horrible way to live but i gotta respect it when i see it 👍

his whole performanc shtick means so much to me as a fellow dramatic bitch. he is so fun. every time he's around is a delight not just bc i love him but also bc that's just the way he is. he brings in such refreshing energy to every scrne he's kind of impossible not to love imo. also the whole ring leader vibe i think plays into the 2 personas thing, really hammering in the pretense of it all

. i kinda started rambling here idk if any of this is even coherent I'm sorry. there's also so many other aspects i didn't even get into oof

anyway back to shallow again:

murderous men hot

big thighs awooga *cartoon eyes popping out sound effect*

#sorry this is very messy my brain is very Off. but this was nice i like rambling abt him #thank you for the ask 🖤 sorry for the late reply ajskdkg 😭😭😭😭

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flxwxr-bxy · 1 year

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– WIP'S (ALYSSUM)

(Here you can see if I'm currently working on your bouquet or not!♡)

– TGCF

- Hualian x M! Reader (son of Jun Wu)

- Shi Qingxuan x M! Heavenly official Reader

-Hualian x F! Reader

– High Card

- Chris crushing on a fellow player and pinochle worker

– BSD

- Dazai x M! Reader who is alike to Mikey

– HAIKYUU!!

- Hinata x GN! Reader who leaves anonymous love letters

(Alyssum: Apart from being a symbol of beauty, the Sweet Alyssum protects the wearer from dangerous situations.)

#So happy to have so many requests!!#Ty so much :)

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kikizoshi · 1 year

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I just realised not too long ago that... well, I don't think I actually like Fyodor anymore. I don't think I can. I just get annoyed every time I see him do anything.

Of course, I still absolutely adore him in his debut arc, but after that? In Meursault? I just... I can't. He doesn't even feel like the same character I fell in love with.

And the recent chapter really solidified that, I think. Or maybe it killed my hope that he would get better... Idk, something about it made me realise how much I don't like his characterisation anymore, and that... it really hurts.

Even though I still love and adore early Fyodor, and have by no means lost any passion for writing and exploring him, this later version... At this point I just want him to be put out of his misery.

I think the main problem—other than the fact that almost no BSD character remains well-written after their debut arc—is that this is a very, truly terrible environment for any sort of interesting development.

Maybe it had potential to be, but he and Dazai have pretty much just been circle-jerking each other for years, and not even well. Like, they communicate in symbols corresponding to past conversations. Okay??? But there's nothing truly impressive to me in that. It's just a fact that they're capable of it.

I wasn't all that impressed that Fyodor could memorise the scratches on Ace's cards, either. What was impressive about his character was how he was able to use his talents of memory and manipulation to force an interesting conclusion, and then the insight we get with Karma into his true motivation and morals.

No matter how I look at it, Fyodor truly shines when interacting with characters who are either not as intelligent as him (Ace, Karma), or intelligent in vastly different ways (Nikolai). He's interesting and complex when interacting with people he's actively manipulating. I want to punch him every time he has a convo with Dazai (like, seriously, whenever Fyodor has a scene I'm happy, and whenever Dazai appears in it, I want to cry), because his entire character devolves into "I knew that you knew..." on and on ad infinitum. (And yes, I'm well aware that the way in which he manipulated Ace was stupid and makes less sense the more you think about it, but at least he was doing literally anything intelligent/creative. I'm not actually looking for Machiavelli or even Makima in Fyodor, this can be brain candy, but, y'know, I want to see him do cool things and be his cool, creative self.)

Also, I do understand that there was no way of achieving this with the structure of the recent arcs. Pretty much the only way to include Fyodor at all was probably to make him a spectator. But I still would have taken 'hidden, shadowy figure whose true plans are unknown' over the peanut gallery. Maybe if the prison break was a good enough payoff, it'd've been worth it, but the prison break is just an atrociously-constructed chimera of contrived happenstances and character assassinations.

And I just... God, I just want Fyodor back. But we won't get him back, and I've somewhat reconciled that already, but it adds an extra layer of hurt to realise I don't even like him anymore. I hate that I get annoyed at his every expression now.

#don't even get me STARTED on the fact that he put DOSTOYEVSKY in prison #and then REFUSED to do any interesting character development with it #DOSTOYEVSKY!!!#bsd #BSD Fyodor #BSD Dostoyevsky #BSD Dostoevsky #BSD Fyodor Dostoyevsky #BSD Fyodor Dostoevsky #BSD Dostoyevsky Fyodor #BSD Dostoevsky Fyodor #thoughts #I'm not even addressing Deus ex Cat Woman #we all saw that atrocity and I've mentioned it before #she makes as much sense in the latest chapter as she did in her debut #oh my *God* was this one poorly written

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grymmnox · 1 year

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winged!bsd au - paul verlaine

yeah it's probably obvious i'm not doing these in any particular order by now. welp.

for paul verlaine, i went ahead with the wings of a black swan. (Cygnus atratus)

blurb in the doc:

black swan theory. (“The black swan theory or theory of black swan events is a metaphor that describes an event that comes as a surprise, has a major effect, and is often inappropriately rationalized after the fact with the benefit of hindsight.” –wikipedia, black swan theory page) swans can also be a symbol of love and loyalty, which i found quite ironic considering his and rimbaud’s relationship. black swans are featured on the tower card within tarot decks, and the card symbolizes chaos and destruction. demonic beast guivre, the singularity inside of verlaine, is the embodiment of chaos itself. in certain circumstances, swans can also symbolize the end of a relationship, whether through death or something else. black swans also symbolize death in some cultures, due to their black coloration and red beaks. some legends say their beaks are stained with blood, and another says they have the feathers of mountain crows.

#[.grim txt]#bsd #bungo stray dogs #bungou stray dogs #bsd winged au #paul verlaine #verlaine bsd #bsd verlaine #that's enough tags probably

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emmacifer · 3 years

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Art analysis: 'Poe and Ranpo' chapter-opening art

The upward eight of swords? The Black Cat? The Murders in the Rue Morgue?

*Spoilers ahead for the manga, ‘The Black Cat’ by Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’ by Edgar Allan Poe

Chapter 32 is the chapter where Poe challenges Ranpo and Yosano, but mostly Ranpo, to solve a mystery he has spent 6 years meticulously constructing, thinking that he finally would have his revenge on Ranpo. And, for what’s worth, I think it’s interesting to point out the potential references that are embedded in this chapter opening art.

# All my analyses are personal opinions and I do not mean to override any takes the reader might have. That being said...

The first reference is the upward eight of swords.

In the art, we can see a hand, or possibly just the hand of a body, reaching out from a coffin, and eight swords in an upright position jutting out of it. I haven’t really learned anything about tarot cards before but after reading up on it, I feel like it might have something significant to the card of the upward eight of swords. Please do correct me if I am wrong on any accord.

The upward eight of swords represents a situation where you feel trapped in a situation but you have no way out. The more that you think about it, the more that you feel trapped. But in actuality you are not bound by the situation itself but the thoughts by which you chain yourself. You are able to escape the situation if you want to.

In the tarot card, the woman is fenced by the upright swords but isn’t necessarily imprisoned by them. She would know that she can escape if only she’d take the blindfold off.

So far in the manga, there has been two scenes where Ranpo admits that he does not have an ability and that his deduction skills are his own observative intelligence and methodology:

Chapter 32, which we are analysing right now

And, chapter 56, where he tells Mushitaro he will defeat him even though he does not have an ability, but since his comrades think he’s invincible (dazaiscans)

Ranpo kept telling Yosano all throughout the first part of the chapter that he needed his glasses so that they could solve the mystery of the novel they were trapped in and return to the real world. He's shown to have not wanted to question the guests or investigate his surroundings, but since Ranpo's "ability" has always been himself, he is subconsciously or unconsciously doing it anyways. He notices things when he's not even having to put in the effort to do so. He can point out his deduction process and justify the outcome as he always does.

But he still said that he wasn't doing fine. I don't mean to mischaracterize Ranpo in any way, he is a very brilliant character with a childish, occasionally teasing personality but serious when the time calls for it. But in this chapter, his initial statement that says he couldn't use his ability because he did not have his glasses, did put him in a tight place for a hot minute. Now this is what would relate to the upward eight of swords. The card symbolizes a situation where you feel trapped in a situation but it is not the situation itself binding you, but your thoughts. You are able to escape if you want to. The lady in the card is able to escape if only she took her blindfold off. I wouldn’t necessarily say Ranpo is in denial of the fact that he does not have an ability, because, evidently, he very much is aware of said fact and acknowledges it himself.

The second reference is the black cat behind the window.

While most ability users in BSD have their abilities named after a famous work of them or a reference to one of their works, Poe's ability name ‘Black Cat in the Rue Morgue’ has a combination of two of his works: 'The Black Cat' and ' The Murders in the Rue Morgue'. And the mystery novel that he introduced Ranpo to in Chapter 32 also seems to be a combination of the tales of irl Poe's two stories, 'The Black cat' and 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue', with, I'd say, only the exception of it being set in the future since the original novels of irl Poe did not have any futuristic elements in them. I’m not saying that the mystery novel is an exact replica and combination of the two irl novels, it’s just that the overall atmosphere of the novel seems to somewhat reflect certain elements of the irl novels.

The Black Cat is a story about a man who hanged his own cat from a tree and later killed his own wife in the heat of a moment. The protagonist of this novel enjoyed drinking to the extreme and it was in the moments when he was highly intoxicated that he committed acts such as gouging out the eye of his beloved cat, Pluto, and hitting his wife over the head with an axe, accidently killing her.

The Murders in the Rue Morgue is a story of how the intelligent mind of Auguste Dupin solved the muder mystery of two french ladies who were killed by an unknown murderer in their apartment at Rue Morgue street. Said unknown murderer later turned out to be an orangutan that a sailor captured from Borneo then brought to Paris, In the novel, several people known to have heard the murder were questioned individually about the unknown culprit, just like how the people in the mansion were questioned about the murderer in chapter 32, in the novel. It could be said that questioning witnesses is a common theme that can be found for any mystery story but it’s just an interesting similarity.

The thing about the mystery novel BSD Poe wrote was that-

a) There was a murderer whom the people did not know

b) The protagonist was trying to find out who the murderer is

c) The protagonist himself was the murderer

In the story of ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’,

a) There was a murderer whom the people did not know

b) The protagonist, or protagonists, since there were two of them, were trying to find out who the murderer is

Obviously BSD Poe’s mystery novel did not feature an orangutan that accidently happened to kill people but that is where the element of the story of ‘The Black Cat’ comes in, because the protagonist of ‘The Black Cat’ murdered both his cat and his wife in the name of intoxication, which leads us to

c) The protagonist himself is the murderer

Personally, I feel like ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’ fits better than ‘The Black Cat’ for the references in BSD, since it features a protagonist, who was amazed by an individual who had a very observant mind. The protagonist of the novel had much admiration for Auguste Dupin’s thought process and how he could read something seemingly simple to deduce something deep out of it. Much like the admiration and respect that Poe has for Ranpo’s ability, the non-ability.

The third reference is the roses.

Everyone knows that roses are typically associated with love, romance and passion, but they could also have different meanings depending on their color and their symbolisms in different cultures. Yellow roses in Japanese culture are said to mean jealousy, at least according to source. It might symbolize the jealousy that Poe has of Ranpo and his aspiration to beat Ranpo. But he is equally jealous of it as he is fascinated by it, which orange roses can symbolize: fascination and desire. They could also mean enthusiasm and passion, both of which Poe has for Ranpo’s company and ability. He admires Ranpo and his ability, in the way that one would admire their opponent in a friendly rivalry sort of relationship. He is constantly awed by it, and draws a lot of inspiration from Ranpo.

In conclusion, I think the fascination that Poe has of Ranpo and the fact that Ranpo acknowledges his and Poe’s encounter six years ago as ‘the only time I got pushed to my limits by another detective’(easygoingscans) is very compatible of them and I do believe that their rivalry and friendship is something that helps both of them grow and benefits both individuals. It is something beautiful.

Some more sources below for the meaning of roses if anyone wants to find out more!! Also thank you so much nika @nikadoesanart for beta-ing this analysis >//<

https://www.pickupflowers.com/flower-guide/rose-flower-meanings.

https://www.thursd.com/articles/different-colors-of-roses-and-their-meaning/

https://blossomtown.com/bt-news/what-do-flowers-mean-find-flower-language/

#bungou stray dogs #bsd analysis #ranpo edogawa #edgar allan poe #bsd ranpo #bsd poe #bungou sd #i've been putting this off for a long time about time I posted this #art analysis #bsd art analysis #yosano akiko #bsd yosano #bsd meta

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elf-osamu · 2 years

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it's time to analyze (in my case, it's actually more like pointing out stuff) the bsd vol 22 cover 💪 (this is for fun and because i like analysing things, i could be wrong) (idk if someone has already done this)

1. the all-seeing eye (of god): also known as “the eye of providence”, it's a symbol who represents the divine providence, meaning that the eye of god watches over humanity. imo this refers to fyodor's religion, orthodox christianity (i say orthodox because fyodor is russian and in russia the main religion is orthodox christianity).

2. camellia/tsubaki: the red camellia symbolized a noble death amongst warriors and samurai, but generally it means love.

3. the ram skull with red camellias: the skull alone represents life and death; the red camellia, as said before, mainly represents love. these two symbols together could represent “the struggle between the beautiful and ugly in times of evil versus good” (fyodor being the “evil” and osamu the “good”) - “the ram skull symbolism is deep and, although it is an ancient symbol, nowadays, it was linked to occult sciences and devil-worshipping. however, if you choose this model, consider the original ram skull meaning: perseverance and leadership”.

4. ^ the red camellias are on osamu dazai's side...

5. osamu is holding a card where atsushi is pictured, as if he (osamu) is using “his last card”, his ace in the hole, to reverse the game.

6. fyodor is holding a card too, however it isn't clear who or what is on it.

7. ^ about cards: “cards can also represent luck, either good or bad: "the hand that fate dealt me"”. “the four suits in playing cards, clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades, collectively represent the four elements (wind, fire, water, and earth), the seasons, and cardinal directions. they represent the struggle of opposing forces for victory in life”. i think this could be possibly related to the ‘game’ that osamu and fyodor are playing at nikolai's behest (i'll not go into detail because i don't wanna spoiler the manga for those who haven't read it yet).

8. all of this is ‘contained’ in a mirror: “mirrors reflect light which allows them to reflect the world around them. in spiritual concepts, light is a powerful symbol of wisdom and awareness. as a consequence, mirrors are symbols and carriers of truth and reflect what our truth is”. “spiritually, a mirror symbolizes spiritual reflection. the spiritual mirror reflects the consequences of both positive and negative actions. it is said to reflect the life that a person creates. ancient romans believed that mirrors have special powers and can catch a part of a person's soul”. in bsd, fyodor and osamu are often viewed as a reflection of each other.

9. nikolai observes them (fyodor and osamu) because of what happened in the last chapters of the bsd manga.

10. idk maybe there is something else but rn i have to go also sorry for my grammar i'll edit this when i can

#bsd #bsd manga #bungo stray dogs #fyodor dostoevsky #osamu dazai #dazai osamu #manga #atsushi nakajima #nikolai gogol #bsd analysis #symbolism #bungou stray dogs #sigma #bsd dazai #bsd fyodor #bsd sigma #bsd nikolai gogol

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jintaiyang · 2 years

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The new BSD volume cover is really interesting

First of all, I am so happy to see my dear Dos-kun in the cover after so many volumes 😭😭😍😍😍

Gogol is above them, covering them with his coat, which means that he will control their lives (I believe that he is the one who will choose who will be saved from the poison, independent the winner of this "escape room game")

Sigma is right under them, but it is out of the frame that Dazai and Fyodor are in. So, I believe that Sigma will play an important role to their lives (not to control them, like Gogol, but still he is an important role in this part)

The frame maybe symbolizes the situation that they are in: the poison in their bodies and the only 25 minutes that are left for them.

And last, but not least, the cards that Dazai and Fyodor are holding. We see that Dazai has Atsushi, who is somehow his trap card in the whole story. But, we don't see clearly Fyodor's card. According to what we saw in the chapters, I believe that Fyodor's trap card - secret weapon, which he holds, is Chuuya.

#bungou stray dogs #bsd spoilers #bsd #dazai osamu #dazai #fyodor dostoevsky #bsd fyodor #bsd sigma #nikolai gogol #my theories

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lastlenore · 2 years

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ok im done screaming about kolya ill talk abt the cover because im also chuuya trash

it's pretty obvious that that's a reference to chuuya right? him being in the sheep, once upon a time, all that. also not to have an skk moment but those flowers look like red camellias(associated with dazai and chuuya canonically)

what crushes me is the way it's drawn, harukawa sensei drew the skull to look like it's crumbling, it looks so brittle. it also looks like it's being corroded from the inside, making way for the flowers to bloom. it looks infected.

i think it reflects chuuya right now, as a mindless pawn. it's so heartwrenching that someone so capable like nakahara is simmered down to just another "piece". of course it's terrible that all the other characters with their own lives have to go through this whole war, but chuuya(and the pm) especially.

there's this thing i call the Snape Effect (it's an actual writing thing, i just forgot what it's officially called) that tells writers to basically craft an incredibly human and "quirky" character(likely an antihero), someone with values, morals, friends, enemies and feelings, then kill them off. it makes a death more tragic (this is why Oda's and Aku's death is especially hard to get over, because we saw them as people, we followed thru their experiences only for that all to be cut down)

now whether the authors of bsd created chuuya with SO MUCH depth just to reduce him to a vampire because of popular demand, or because of their own plot, im not rlly gonna comment on. bottomline is that chuuya is as developed as a character can get.

for him to just be fyodor's "power move" is so unfortunate.

but !! im not yet done

it's been mentioned on twt by user @/rum_skk that fyodor's card might be Akutagawa(unlike what one would think—chuuya, because he's very clearly fyodor's pawn atm). while i cant really make out what's on the card(pls tell me if u can!! are the colors inversed??), i agree that it might be aku.

the key to decrypting Harukawa-san's covers is symmetrical symbols, most of the time. it's a thing in graphic novel and manga cover designs. artists need to convey as much as possible about the volume without spoiling anything. they only get one page, so how do they do it? symbols, and oftentimes, symmetry too.

BSD is a plot-heavy story, there's thousands of references that can point to a character or a scene: apples, bandaids, the colors red and blue, yin and yang, etc etc. By drawing those symbols that reflect an opposite context on the other side of the canvas, Harukawa-san maintains the "good and bad" narrative that BSD is going by.

you guys can actually see this in most cover pages/color spreads of BSD, Harukawa sensei loves this technique and i think it's endearing. It's seen with Aku and Atsu(black and white), the PM and ADA's Aura(red and blue), etc.

no back to the picture, here's the main symmetries i can point out,

there's also the (possible) throne angel thing, that supposedly looks over humans and their morals, on the center with one of its swords impaling the sheep skull.

maybe the Throne Angel and Chuuya's symbol being on the center with no symmetrical partner hints that there's a plot hole with Chuuya being just another pawn? maybe the fact that Nikolai and Sigma are looking at Fyodor and Dazai respectively implies which "side" they're on?

^^tbh i dont think Fyodor's gonna die this round, that's gonna be SO unfulfilling and it leaves so many knots untied. As for Dazai, while I think there's lots more bs he needs to take care of, if one of them is gonna die it'd be him.

This might be a stretch and FAR too much over analyzing, but i think there's no way this thirty minute game(which fun fact!! is the quickest recommended duration for one chessgame) will be either of these crazies' undoing. Wouldn't that leave so much plot holes? "why would Nikolai let Fyodor die like that, didn't he plan to use Sigma to find out his ability?? if Fyodor dies, who's gonna keep coercing Fukuchi into world domination? if Dazai dies,,,, well,,,, erm,, who's gonna say sorry to Akutagawa?"

i think Asagiri will pull another twist, like the light snow theory on twt, that would somehow save both these menaces from the poison.

#bungou stray dogs #bsd predictions #nakahara chuuya bsd #cover interpretations #poly overanalyzing eyerolls #bsd volume 22 #i wanted to add things about Sigma too #and why his name is like that #buuuut ill wait till i have a bit more info abt em #tldr BSD creators are both nerds good for them

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sorcerersandskillusers · 8 months

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Asagiri is so clever with his card symbolism!

I looked up the meanings for the king of clubs and the eight of hearts

Its literally Dazai's possible futures. Him switching between the powerful tyrant that Mori wants him to be, and the kind and caring friend that Oda will make him in the end

whenever playing cards are brought up in bsd, pay attention to them, they are normally really good clues about the characters they connect too

#bsd #bungou stray dogs #bungo stray dogs #bungou stray dogs dazai #dazai #bsd analysis #bsd theory #bsd theories #bungou stray dogs theory #bungou stray dogs analysis #dazai osamu #sakunosuke oda #bsd odasaku #the day i picked up dazai

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along-came-atsushi · 3 years

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BSD Mayoi’s Tarot Cards

I really liked BSD Mayoi’s approach to the tarot card theme and the beautiful artwork they put in there. Therefore, I decided to take a closer look at their meanings and to see if it fits with the chosen character.

All used cards belong to the Major Arcana tarot cards. The Major Arcana represent life lessons, karmic influences and big archetypical themes that influence a person’s life and the journey of their soul. They are the symbol of human consciousness and the key to life lessons. The Major Arcana include 21 numbered cards, starting with The Fool as the number 0. A Major Arcana in a tarot reading means that the person must reflect on the life lessons or that they are currently experiencing this time.

The tarot cards’ meanings and interpretations depend on and changes whether it’s upright or reversed. That means every card has positive (upright) and negative (reversed) meanings and their interpretations are heavily based on context. For example, The Fool in a reversed (negative) interpretation doesn’t simply mean that the person who gets the tarot reading is stupid, but that they might be in a point in their life where they have to decide something important and are reluctant to do so. Justice in an upright (positive) interpretation doesn’t simply mean that the person is righteous, and so on.

Besides their general meaning, the tarot cards also have a meaning for specific aspects of human life: health, spirituality, love and relationships, career and money. For this meta I’m focusing only on their general meaning.

I’m going to show and quote the character’s reaction to their assigned tarot cards first, then describe the card’s design, explain their general meaning and lastly compare it to the character’s personality, relationships and ability. The original cards’ description is based on Rider-Waite’s “Pictorial Key to the Tarot” card guide and can vary with other cards’ designs. Please note that Mayoi has either left out or changed some elements in favor of their artistic freedom.

All information in this meta has been gathered from my research of several internet sites. I really had fun with the way I wrote this meta, so if we’ll ever get more characters as tarot cards, I’d very much like to continue this series.

[Beware: Spoilers for the Hunting Dogs/Decay of Angels Arc!]

Atsushi – The Fool

Memo:

Nakajima Atsushi as The Fool tarot card. While initially surprised by the name of his card, after learning of its interpretations, he seems to be deeply moved as he looks back on his past.

Quotes: - “The name of this card, ‘The Fool’, surprised me at first, but I see it has positive meanings too! I'm kind of relieved...” - “It also stands for ‘freedom’. Hm... Compared to my old self, I can learn a lot of things, everyone from the Agency is by my side... and I can decide my own path...”.

Description:

The Fool usually gazes at the sky and the universe. Atsushi’s gaze is turned towards the viewer, probably a design decision. But he has his head lifted up towards the sky, still implying the original direction of The Fool’s gaze.

He carries his bag with a branch that rests on his shoulder and the bag contains all the things that he needs. Since it’s not big, it could mean that he either doesn’t need much or that he doesn’t own much to begin with. The white rose on his bag symbolizes purity and innocence. The white dog to his feet symbolizes loyalty and protection.

Normally, The Fool is seen to be at the edge of a cliff, unaware that he could fall into the unknown. Behind him is a mountain, symbolizing the challenges that are about to come. But he doesn’t care about these things right now, he’s focused on starting his journey and to learn the lessons that he came to learn.

Meanings and Interpretations:

- UPRIGHT: (new) beginnings, freedom/free-spirited, adventure, travel, originality, innocence, foolishness, carelessness, idealism, youth, spontaneity, lack of commitment.

- REVERSED: recklessness/risk-taking, carelessness, negligence, stupidity, distraction, apathy, irrationality, lack of fun/hope/faith, holding back.

Atsushi’s reaction at the meaning of his card is not surprising, since the word “fool” is not associated with positive meanings. The Fool in tarot is interpreted as the protagonist of a story and the Major Arcana is the path he must take, which is also called “The Fool’s Journey”. Along his way he meets new teachers and new life lessons and unveils the great mysteries of life. He eventually completes his journey reaching The World card.

Despite its name, The Fool is generally a positive card and the change it brings are seen as a welcome one. It indicates new beginnings, which means that someone is on the start of an exciting and unexpected adventure. On this adventure, The Fool may take a leap of faith, but will grow through this as a result. The adventure may not only be mental, but also physical, where The Fool has to travel to a place they’ve never been before.

Reversed, The Fool still means new beginnings, but it can signify that the person is reluctant to start their adventure or to jump into their new experience. It can indicate that the person is living in the moment, but that they behave recklessly towards others in their excitement.

~ ~ ~

This fits Atsushi, since he is the protagonist of BSD’s main story and his journey starts without him knowing about all the things that are about to come (positive and negative).

Atsushi’s past experiences in the orphanage as well as his isolated upbringing make him somewhat unaware and naïve about the world he lives in and its rules. He is unsure in his own capabilities and hesitates to take a new path unfolding before him (e.g., him joining the ADA). The new beginnings, as well as the dog symbolizing loyalty and protection could be a give and take symbolization for Atsushi. Meeting several characters in his life (especially the ADA members) offers him a new beginning, but he also stands in as a new beginning for these characters.

He is loyal and protective towards people who are important to him, but they also believe in him and are loyal and protective towards him, too. During his journey he takes a leap of faith in trusting in characters that were on the antagonizing side at first (Lucy, Akutagawa, Fitzgerald) and as a result, he grows through these interactions.

If possible, he likes to avoid doing tasks alone due to his lack of self-confidence and experience, which is shown when he questions himself, feels distressed or tries to avoid tough situations. Whenever the situation forces him to rely on himself (e.g., infiltrating Moby Dick) he comes out of it having learned a new lesson. His journey doesn’t only take place in his mind, but he has also physically traveled to a place where he has never been before (e.g., Standard Island).

Negative memories and experiences are something that hold him back throughout the story and make him hesitant in his decisions (e.g., the headmaster’s voice in his mind). He acts recklessly and careless in stressful situations, which causes him to tap into other characters’ traps (e.g., when he was under Q’s curse). During these situations he is not able to move on on his own and needs the help of others (e.g., Dazai scolding him). But he slowly realizes that he is now free from those past circumstances. He embraces the good things in his life and with this gradually moves on from his past.

Yosano – The Empress

Memo:

Yosano Akiko as The Empress tarot card. While she is not particularly interested in the divination aspect of tarot, she seems to have noticed the similarities between herself and The Empress.

Quotes: - “Tarot, yes... I am not at all interested in the overly uncertain aspects of divination, but The Empress has a rather beautiful design. I like it.” - “Apparently, The Empress is associated with vitality. Fufu, ‘vitality’. I like the sound of that.” - “I can only treat humans. And even then, I cannot treat all humans. I cannot control the vitality of the land like The Empress. Even so, I must do what I can.”

Description:

The Empress sits on a throne as representation of her dominion over growing things. She wields a scepter with her left hand, which represents her power over life. A shield is placed at her feet, the eagle on it is the heraldic emblem of the Holy Roman Empire. She wears a crown with stars, showing her connection to the mystical realm and the cycles of the natural world (usually there are twelve stars, symbolizing the twelve months of the year and the twelve planets).

Golden wheat grows in the foreground, framing her figure and indicating the abundance of harvest. The background is adorned with mountains, instead of a forest as in the original design. The depiction of nature in The Empress’ card signifies her connection with Mother Earth and life itself. She rejuvenates herself by the energy of nature.

The figure of The Empress is often depicted as a pregnant woman, her robe is patterned with pomegranates, the symbol of fertility. She is also mostly adorned with the symbol of Venus (that is sometimes shown on the shield instead of the eagle), which is the epitome of love, creativity, fertility, beauty and grace.

Meanings and Interpretations:

- UPRIGHT: Pregnancy, fertility, motherhood, sensuality, nurturing, creativity, beauty, femininity, nature, harmony, art, abundance.

- REVERSED: Insecurity, infertility, lack of confidence, lack of growth, overbearing tendencies, disharmony, negligence, creative block, dependence on others.

The Empress represents femininity and motherhood. Parents-to-be (mothers as well as fathers) who receive this card are encouraged to build on their communication with their children and to show them their nurturing side. However, even if the person is not a parent The Empress’ message stays the same.

It tells you to embrace your softer side and to listen to your emotions and intuition. People, especially those in need of empathy and compassion, will be drawn to you and you will be able to provide them with your nurturing. Not only does The Empress represent the creation of life, but also of romance, art or business. She symbolizes the emergence of an idea and the need to be receptive to change.

When The Empress appears reversed it tells you to embrace your feminine qualities. This also applies to men, as it is believed in tarot that all humans have masculine and feminine energies that need to be brought into balance. It signifies that a person may have been suppressing or neglecting their feminine side that needs to be embraced.

A person may be too focused on the material and mental aspects of their life and has disregarded the emotional and spiritual aspects. They may be putting the needs of others before their own or they may feel emotionally overwhelmed, so that they neglect the people important to them. It is advised to shift your focus in these situations and to ground yourself to get back to your inner balance.

~ ~ ~

Yosano is not associated with pregnancy or motherhood per se (since she is not a mother), but her role as a doctor and her ability can be interpreted symbolically in that way. She “creates” life or “gives birth” by bringing people back to life. She “nurtures” life by healing severe wounds.

This fits with her story arc, because she started her medical career already in her childhood. What began as a forced work during the war, turned out be a good blessing at first. The soldiers were in awe with her and her restoring ability, they were thankful and drawn to her nurturing side.

However, this turned out to be seen as the exact opposite, when the soldiers gradually experienced more trauma due to them being brought back to life over and over again. The same people now behaved hostile towards Yosano, involuntarily earning her the title “the angel of death”.

This trauma and abuse led to Yosano suffering herself, because she was forced to put the need of others before her own. This then led to her despising her own life and ability. She became visibly miserable and just a shell of who she once was, believing that she only brought demise to other people.

It was only when Fukuzawa and Ranpo found her that she started to gain hope and strength, because she was told that they were not interested in her ability, but in her kindness for others.This was the start for Yosano to realize that it’s not her supernatural ability alone, but also her mind and intentions that can help people, and marks the start of her career as the ADA’s doctor (even without her ability she is still a doctor and even without that she still values life and wants to save it).

Through her experiences she now knows the limits of her own abilities (both her supernatural ability and her abilities as a doctor), which can be seen in her reaction to her card. She still hasn’t given up on her work and duty, despite her negative memories. She won’t be losing track of herself, because she now has people at her side who truly care for her.

Kenji – The Chariot

Memo:

Miyazawa Kenji as The Chariot tarot card. He seems very interested in the illustrations of the brave horses and their chariot. The two horses depicted on the card remind him of his days back in Ihatov.

Quotes: - “The Chariot looks so valiant! And it has two horses! I bet they're good horses.” - “Apparently, one of the meanings of The Chariot is ‘the ability to take action’. Hmm~, I can't really tell, but what do you think? Do I have that?” - “I think it would be so fun if I could do my detective work with horses like the boy on this card! If I worked with horses, I feel like I'd be able to do a lot more!”

Description:

Kenji is depicted as armored warrior. His laurel crown (although heavily altered in design) symbolize victory, success and spiritual evolution. The figure of The Chariot usually stands tall inside his chariot. In Kenji’s case that has been upgraded and exaggerated to him standing with one foot on the foreside and pointing with one finger ahead. A heavy indication of taking action and moving forward.

In front of the chariot are two horses, which represent positive and negative opposing forces and duality. The two horses pull in different and opposing directions, yet The Chariot uses his willpower and sheer resolve to move them in the direction that he wants. He doesn’t need to hold reins to move, instead he controls it through the strength of his will and mind.

In the original card’s design, the armor of The Chariot is decorated with crescent moons, which represent what is coming into being, a tunic with a square, representing the strength of will and other alchemical symbols that are a representation of spiritual transformation.

The canopy above his head is adorned with six pointed stars that indicate his connection to the celestial world and the divine will. Instead of horses, two sphinxes are in the foreground. A city with a large river can be seen behind The Chariot, symbolizing the need to be in flow with the rhythm of life while charging ahead towards your goals.

Meanings and Interpretations:

- UPRIGHT: victory, overcoming obstacles, success, ambition, determination/willpower, control, self-discipline, hard work and focus, action.

- REVERSED: forcefulness, lack of direction, lack of self-control, powerlessness, aggression, coercion, being blocked by obstacles, opposition.

The Chariot upright represents overcoming obstacles through determination, focus and willpower. The person may feel motivated, ambitious and in control, therefore they are encouraged to go for what they want. There may be challenges and obstacles in The Chariot’s path, but if you stay focused and believe in your own abilities, you will be able to overcome these. The Chariot can also represent travel, as it is a means of transportation.

People who receive this card may feel like they are fighting a battle and because of that act defensively or aggressively to hide that they are emotionally vulnerable at the moment. In this case, you are encouraged to find balance between the heart and the mind. The Chariot also indicates success in sports and competitions.

The Chariot reversed means that a person may feel powerless and lack direction and confidence. They may feel put upon by others or the circumstances in their life. This can lead to anger and frustration as well as uncontrolled aggression. The Chariot advises you that you need to take control of your own destiny and to not let outside forces determine your path.

It indicates that you need to set boundaries and stick to them and to be clear about the time and resources you are willing to dedicate to others. If people in your life become too needy and demanding the person is advised to take back their own power.

~ ~ ~

Kenji starts his story by moving from the land to the city. His decision to leave his family and village, live in the city and to work for the ADA can be interpreted as him moving forward in a physical and spiritual sense. He is willing to challenge his new surroundings and grows through this as a result.

He has shown to be very confident in himself and his abilities, being the most optimistic of the group and to always look on the positive side of things. Tough situations do not worry him much, because he believes the outcome will work out just fine.This determination also transfers to other characters when they are with him and should they find themselves in a distressed situation (e.g., when he had his mission with Atsushi who was constantly worried about how Kenji does his work).

Being able to control something with his pure willpower could also be interpreted as an allusion to his supernatural ability that allows him to lift up cars or tear down stone walls on a whim. However, Kenji’s ability relies on the fact that he needs to be hungry in order to use it and the ADA members also advise to not disturb him when he is sleeping, because he will get irritated and aggressive in that state.

Kenji has been shown to not only be able to get over physical obstacles, thanks to his ability (e.g., bringing Fukuzawa out of the hospital). He is also able to encourage his peers to get over mental obstacles (e.g., his speech to the ADA when they flee from the HD).

Kunikida – Justice

Memo:

Kunikida Doppo as the Justice tarot card. Having always stood for justice and ideals, Kunikida has a favorable impression of this card.

Quotes: - “Justice... What a well-named card. The sword and scale illustrations aren't bad either.” - “I have no desire to sit on a throne, but I value fairness, which is one of the meanings this card holds. I want to uphold this as I carry out my Agency duties.”

Description:

Kunikida as the figure of Justice sits on a throne, holding a sword in his right hand and scales in his left hand. The sword points upwards, symbolizing a firm and final decision. Its double-edged blade is a reminder that our actions always carry consequences. The scales show that intuition must always balance logic and are a symbol of impartiality.

He wears a crown with a small square on it, a representation of well-ordered thoughts. His white shoes looking from underneath his robe also symbolize that our actions have spiritual consequences.

The figure of Justice sometimes is depicted in front of a loosely hung purple veil, which signifies compassion. Two pillars frame the figure, symbolizing balance, law and structure.

Meanings and Interpretations:

- UPRIGHT: justice, karmic justice, consequences, legal disputes, law, truth, honesty, integrity, cause and effect, life lessons, fairness.

- REVERSED: injustice, karmic retribution, dishonesty, corruption, lack of accountability, dishonesty, unfairness, karmic avoidance.

In an upright context, the Justice tarot card is a representation of karmic justice, legal matters, cause and effect. Justice symbolizes truth and integrity and can imply that a person may feel the urge to speak out the truth. This person values honesty and integrity in others, too.

Justice also relates to balance and signifies that an event may occur that is beyond a person’s control or their own making. In these moments Justice encourages the person to keep themself level-headed as the events unfold. It also signifies that a person is about to make a choice and that they are currently weighing all their options. In legal matters, this card shows that the outcome will be a fair and balanced result.

Reversed, Justice means injustice and the avoidance of karmic justice. It symbolizes that a person has been treated unjustly or that they are in a situation where they are being affected unfairly by the choices and actions of others. The person may feel victimized or blamed for something that isn’t their fault. Justice reminds the person to still keep their balance. If the person created the situation themself, it is advised to think about how they can react to that situation. It also signifies that the person must be accountable, if they created the situation by bad choices and actions. This means that the person should not blame others and to be more self-aware.

It can also symbolize dishonesty and that a person should not lie their way out of something or try to justify it. The person may also have hardline views in their life and prejudices the people around them. In legal matters, Justice indicates that the result will be one of injustice or that the outcome may not what the person has hoped for.

~ ~ ~

Kunikida is practically the personification of justice of all of the ADA members and justice is also something that he has been shown to think about a lot. He takes his work very professional and serious and tries to bring every case to a fair result. If he isn’t able to save people, he calls out the unfairness of the situation (e.g. when he tried to save the abducted victims in the Azure Messenger case.) This shows that he feels responsible and guilty even for events that were out of his control.

He seems to try to balance his own life by sticking to his written ideals and calls others out shouldn’t they behave in the same way (e.g. mostly seen when Dazai is neglecting his work). If he notices that people are distressed during a bad situation, he reminds them to keep their balance or he tells them to think about what they can do (e.g. to Atsushi when the Black Lizard attacked the ADA office). But he also reminds himself about these things (e.g., seen when he was told by Jouno that he felt relieved about the ADA getting caught and with this his ideals falling apart. But then he got back to his knees and defended the ADA, so that they could escape.)

When Kunikida meets new people, he keeps up his guard and distance at first, and holds prejudices about them (e.g. when he met Dazai, Atsushi and Kyouka). This can lead to him having a wrong first impression of people (negative and positive) and with this easily fall into traps (e.g., when he did not realize that Sasaki was the Azure Messenger).

This implies that he first weighs to be careful about whom he trusts (in this case a new colleague), and changes his mind about them later, once they have proven to be trustworthy.

Tanizaki – Temperance

Memo:

Tanizaki Junichiro as the Temperance tarot card. While he initially tilted his head at the card's rather strange design, he faces its mystical aura head-on. He seems to have interpreted the card's meaning in his own way.

Quotes: - “The person on this card is pouring liquid from one cup into another... What on earth for?” - “So, Temperance also means ‘harmony’. Hm, am I harmonic? Oh, sometimes I sort things out when there's a commotion at the office... so I guess I am?” - “Hmm, so it means ‘devotion’ too... The only person I'm devoted to is Naomi. To me, Naomi is irreplaceable.”

Description:

Tanizaki balances himself with one foot on land, representing the need to stay grounded and the other in the water, representing the need to be in flow. The water he pours between two cups are the symbol of the flow and alchemy of life. This was a standard symbol of Temperance as one of the cardinal virtues, as it represents the dilution of wine with water.

In many decks, the figure of Temperance is depicted as winged angel, but instead we see two feathers, probably meant as surrogate of the angel’s wings. The background shows a path leading to a mountain with a golden crown on top, but this depiction has been changed in Tanizaki’s card and the golden crown rests upon his own head instead. The crown is a symbol of taking the higher path and staying true to one’s meaning and purpose in life.

Meanings and Interpretations:

- UPRIGHT: Balance, peace, patience, moderation, inner calm, perspective, tranquility, harmonious relationships, soulmates, purpose.

- REVERSED: Imbalance, self-indulgence, excess, clashing, lack of perspective, discord, antagonism, recklessness, hastiness, self-healing, re-alignment.

Upright, Temperance indicates that a person has found their inner calm and peace. They have a good perspective on things and care about harmonious relationships. It signifies feeling content and having found tranquility. Temperance shows that a person is in touch with who they are inside and what they value.

They have their own moral compass and have learned not to get dragged into other people’s conflicts. Minor issues won’t knock them off balance, instead they adapt to the situation with a clear mind and a calm heart. Figuring out your aspirations and your goals is easier for people who get this card in their readings.

In a reversed position, Temperance means imbalance. It signifies that a person behaves in a reckless manner. The person may have lost touch with their inner calm and peace, which leads to them seeking gratification in harmful and risky ways (like alcohol, drug use or gambling).

It can also mean that the person has a lack of harmony with the people in their life and due to this the person may lash out to people close to them, which then causes them to get dragged into drama. In these situations, it is advised to take a step back and look at how you are behaving, because you may lack to see the bigger picture. Examining the root causes and working to resolve them is the way back to your inner calm and peace.

~ ~ ~

Tanizaki appears to be one of the calmest people in the ADA. He does not get into quarrels with others, even if he is wary or hesitant about their ideas (e.g., giving in to Naomi’s demands and shenanigans, hesitating and getting tricked by Dazai to participate in Atsushi’s entrance exam).

Although, he is nervous on missions, he still takes them on with a clear mind and a professional approach. Many missions are entrusted to him alone, showing that people know that he can handle the situation just well.

His decision to work for the ADA could imply that he has found his goal and his purpose in life. His dedication to Naomi shows that he is patient and calm, and that he cares deeply for a harmonious relationship between them. Keeping her safe above all things indicates that he’s sees it as his purpose in his life, too.

However, Naomi is also his biggest weak point. Whenever she is in danger or hurt, Tanizaki gets knocked off his balance and inner calm. These situations make him hastily jump into actions and due to this he becomes an easy target for others (e.g., when he attacked Higuchi out of anger, he didn’t notice Akutagawa; when he was about to kill Mori to save Fukuzawa, he tapped into Kouyou’s trap).

Even though this does not only concern Naomi’s well-being, as he has also been shown to make rush conclusions, if other people he cares about are in danger or in a predicament (e.g., when Fukuzawa was about to die due to cannibalism; offering to join PM as exchange instead of Yosano). His work as a detective on this aspect lets him also get regularly dragged into other people’s drama, either the drama of clients or the drama of other ADA members.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sources: www.biddytarot.com | www.thetarotguide.com | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Arcana

#atsushi nakajima bsd #akiko yosano bsd #kenji miyazawa bsd #doppo kunikida bsd #junichiro tanizaki bsd #Atsushi Nakajima #Akiko Yosano #Kenji Miyazawa #Doppo Kunikida #Junichiro Tanizaki #bsd meta #bsd analysis #Bungou Stray Dogs #bsd mayoi

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caffeinatedseri · 3 years

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Dead Apple Light Novel

Recently, I decided to buy LN 5, Dead Apple, purely because I’m a sucker for all of BSD’s light novels, so this post will revolve around what I took away from this novel.

Dead Apple is Canon

Since the story jumps around in the timeline a lot, I had originally thought that Dead Apple took place outside of canon (especially with Atsushi’s flashback).

However, a particular part of Asagiri’s afterword stuck out to me:

Now, allow me a moment to discuss some of the particulars of Dead Apple. Chronologically, the story takes place after the second season of the anime — in other words, after the war with the Guild, which puts Dead Apple somewhere between the ninth and tenth volumes of the manga.

The novel also ended up affecting the main story in numerous ways, and I’m sure this new experience will continue to influence my future work as well.

It’s not unusual for a light novel to insert itself into the main timeline (see 55 Minutes which takes place in the 10th volume), but it’s nice to have confirmation that the same applies to Dead Apple.

Of course, just because a work isn’t canon compliant (see BEAST), doesn’t mean that it has no potential for further analysis or it doesn’t bring any added complexity to the main plot. Regardless, this post serves as somewhat of a precursor to my other posts concerning Dead Apple since I have a tendency to talk about it a lot, and I’d like to establish a basis for a lot of my posts.

Differences between the Movie and Light Novel

In the afterword of the light novel, Hiro Iwahata (the author of this LN) said:

“Furthermore, I worked on this book under Asagiri’s supervision, meaning there are several lines in certain scenes that differ from the movie. It might even be fun comparing the two! Nothing would make me happier than the fans enjoying this novel alongside the movie.”

As per Iwahata’s request, I went into the light novel, looking for differences between it and the movie. However, the novel is surprisingly, almost identical to the movie (maybe not surprising considering it is a “movie novelization”).

Because the differences are so miniscule, I believe they hold an even greater significance, since Asagiri must have wanted to change these specific details for a certain reason.

Some of the differences I talk about might be unimportant, but I did my best to catch everything that was changed from the movie.

1. The movie doesn’t mention SKK as a part of the Dragon’s Head Conflict, but the novel says, “Some fought under the alias Twin Dark.”

This probably means that SKK became a pair either before the Dragon’s Head Conflict or during (although I’m pretty sure that the “organization” they destroyed over night was Shibusawa’s organization).

2. When Dazai says that he would’ve continued killing people in the mafia if it weren’t for Oda, Atsushi has little to no reaction in the movie; I would describe it as maybe a hesitant or concerned feeling.

In the novel, Atsushi has a more outward reaction.

““Huh...?!” Atsushi was baffled. He had no idea whether that was true. What did Dazai mean by that? (...) The melancholy Atsushi felt from Dazai had disappeared, and Dazai continued to speak in his usual lighthearted manner.”

Not only does he react verbally, but the novel also adds an inner monologue (mainly for Atsushi) that can’t be portrayed as well in movie format.

To me, this change highlights how Atsushi sees Dazai purely as a good person; he reacts in such a startled manner because he believes that Dazai is too good of a person to be in the mafia killing people (which we know Atsushi hates). This trend reoccurs throughout the story, of Atsushi turning a blind eye to Dazai’s “bad side.”

3. This one isn’t at all the movie’s fault, but the novel gives a lot more clues as to what the “dead apple” and the dagger in the apple motif represents.

The first time it appears is when Kunikida and Tanizaki meet the Special Division’s agent, but they find out that he’s already dead.

“It [the apple] was, without a doubt, a simple fruit... save for the fact that there was a knife sticking out of it as if to condemn the taste of sin. A blade had been driven into the symbol of original sin. A dreary, ominous aura, oozed from the ripe fruit like venom.

Throughout the novel, it seems to associate the “dead apple” motif with Fyodor pretty strongly, especially since this paragraph ties in Fyodor’s ideals nicely with the symbolism of the apple and dagger.

The apple represents sin, the very first sin — which you could interpret as sin at its purest — while the dagger represents the condemning of such sin. However, the apple can also potentially symbolize life, while the dagger stabbing into life can mean death.

Fyodor’s ideals revolve around “removing the sin” of ability users (represented by an apple in this case) but he does so through manipulation. The dagger is associated with stealth and deception, which is fitting with what Fyodor does to “remove the sin” of ability users.

However, he’s also taking the lives of ability users in this process, hence stabbing the apple, coincidentally committing another sin in his attempt to relinquish all sin.

4. In the “Snow White” Oda and Dazai flashback, everything is identical to the movie (word for word), but there is some additional narration.

“It was an alarming sight — Dazai sounded like he was in a trance. It was as if he was ignoring all this world had to offer while in pursuit of something else.”

I’ve talked about this particular scene before here, but the gist is that Dazai was discreetly talking about himself while referring to Snow White.

Dazai joined the mafia because he believed that the violence (or true human nature) would give him a reason to live, but we already know that this kind of thinking was flawed. Thus, this line most likely means that Dazai was ignoring all of the “good” qualities of the world while pursuing a reason to live, which inevitably wouldn’t work.

5. Right after the flashback, when Dazai takes the pill, the novel really sells the act of “Dazai walking towards his death and going to the evil side.”

Personally, this scene in the movie felt more open to interpretation after you’ve seen the ending. You could say that Dazai took the antidote and said “Being on the side that saves people is more beautiful,” because his plan is to continue living to save more people.

However, the novel throws away any possible double meaning with this paragraph:

“Dazai then reached for the pill with his bandaged hand, neatly picked it up, and slowly brought it to his lips — just like Snow White and the sweet, poisoned apple. The venomous red-and-pure-white-pill disappeared inside his mouth.”

After Dazai’s tangent on how Snow White could’ve committed suicide out of despair, the narration compares him directly to Snow White. With the added venomous pill stated outright, it only further cements the idea that Dazai’s actually committing suicide here.

I don’t particularly like this change, because it feels like this moment was set up entirely just to divert the audience’s expectations, rather than it be a standalone scene that makes sense when considering the rest of the story. (It might not necessarily be a change, possibly just a rough translation from movie to novel).

6. When Atsushi wakes up from his nightmare, there’s some additional inner monologue:

Everything’s okay. I’m not the same person I was when I lived at the orphanage. I have friends. I have a place where I belong — the Armed Detective Agency. Things are different now.

The anime (and in turn the movie) tends to downplay the effects of Atsushi’s trauma — probably due to the limitations of anime — but regardless the novel portrays it much better with how Atsushi’s trauma affects practically every aspect of his life.

7. I thought Fukuzawa’s ability only gave his subordinates control over their abilities, but the novel says:

“Yukichi Fukuzawa and his skill, All Men are Equal, a peculiar ability that allowed him to suppress and control his subordinates’ skills.”

Does this mean that Fukuzawa could control and suppress all of the agency’s abilities? It could be a weird translation, but it seems oddly specific.

8. This detail isn’t actually a novel exclusive, but it is an extremely small detail that I missed while watching the movie, so I figured I would add it here too.

“the phantom’s notebook had the word Compromise written on the cover. A copy of himself that didn’t follow ideals but made compromises was an abomination to Kunikida.”

Considering how abilities act as the shadow to every character in this story, this is a nice detail that shows how Kunikida’s inner desire is to compromise, because carrying such heavy ideals is undoubtedly a burden. However, because he holds onto his ideals so strongly, it becomes his biggest weakness AND his biggest strength.

9. There’s a super small detail added to this scene with Dazai, Fyodor, and Shibusawa. When Dazai suggests that Shibusawa could be saved by an angel or a demon, the following exchange occurs:

“Hmm... Maybe an angel?” Dazai picked up the skull on the table. “Or maybe a demon?” “It’s obvious what both of your true intentions are, if you ask me.” The third man mirthfully cackled and took the skull from Dazai’s hand.

In the movie, Dazai doesn’t pick up anything, so as a result Fyodor doesn’t take anything from Dazai either.

Because Fyodor walked into the scene after Dazai suggested that an angel or demon would save Shibusawa, I strongly suspect that this was foreshadowing future events in which Fyodor does “save” Shibusawa by giving him his memories back.

The novel adds more to this foreshadowing by having Dazai pick up the skull before it’s taken by Fyodor — essentially having Fyodor take the cards out of Dazai’s hands and put them in his favor.

It’s also worth pointing out that the skull is also the object that Fyodor uses to revive Shibusawa into a supernatural ghost of some sorts at the end of the story.

10. This may be just a difference in translations but in the movie, Shibusawa refers to Fyodor as “Demon Fyodor-kun”, whereas in the novel Fyodor is called “Fyodor the Conjurer.” (Ango uses the Conjurer title as well).

In western esotericism, a conjurer is a person who summons supernatural beings, like spirits, demons, or God.

This slightly changes the connotation of Fyodor’s title from a inhuman being of pure malicious intent to just a human who summons these otherworldly beings. This idea also aligns with Shibusawa’s revival, since he’s some sort of supernatural ghost that was “summoned” by Fyodor.

11. Skipping past the parts where Kyouka and Akutagawa regain their abilities, and Chuuya talks to Ango in the government facility, (since they have little to no changes between the movie and the novel) there is a somewhat significant detail changed in Draconia once again with Dazai and Fyodor.

In the novel, this glowing ball of energy from the movie is actually described as an apple:

The two lights melted into one and spun until they formed a juicy sphere. They had produced a single apple — a juicy, poisoned apple red as blood.

It birthed a skill — and an extremely powerful one at that — the ability to absorb. Every last crystal adorning Draconia’s walls was sucked into the apple with intense force. Ten — a hundred — a thousand — two thousand — every last one was greedily devoured by the apple...

The apple swelled as it absorbed the numerous crystals until the red light became hotter than the surface of hell.

Since the “dead apple” motif aligns with Fyodor’s character, we can assume that the apple is representative of sin, and sin is associated with abilities, as Fyodor believes.

This strange poisoned apple is made of abilities and has an ability (the ability to absorb), and it commits a sin (greed) in its devouring of other abilities; it’s also hotter than “hell”, which is a very specific connection that leads me to this idea:

My theory is that a normal apple represents life, while a poisoned apple (or dead apple), indicative of a stained, impure life, represents sin. Fyodor believes abilities are akin to sin (what a clever rhyme), therefore all of their lives are sinful.

12. This is arguably the most insignificant change of this entire post, but I feel obligated to put it here regardless since it was different from the movie. When the Special Division detects the singularity of Shibusawa’s dragon form in the novel, it says:

“Abnormal values for singularity are increasing! They’re twice — no, 2.5 times higher than they were six years ago.”

In the movie, the number is five times higher instead.

Why did this number change? Is it significant? I honestly have no idea (I’m surprised I even caught this), but it’s there and I had to document it anyways.

13. The novel adds this narration for Shibusawa when he gets his memories back and he’s in the orphanage’s room with Atsushi:

“Shibusawa clearly recalled the events from six years ago. Fyodor had enticed him to go to the orphanage where he tortured a young Atsushi... until Atsushi fought back and killed him.”

There’s two things to take away from this: Fyodor had known Shibusawa for at least six years, and Fyodor had been planning the events of Dead Apple since at least six years ago.

I find it hard to believe that Fyodor’s plan was thwarted by Dazai, because of how Fyodor demonstrated his ability to plan ahead in the main series, but I’m not sure what the long term effects of this plan could be. If Shibusawa succeeded, then it could’ve aligned with the DOA’s goals, but once again I don’t think Fyodor’s plan was actually foiled.

14. Super minor once again, but right after Shibusawa gets revived, the last sentence of chapter 5 is,

“Nobody would ever see the smile on Fyodor’s face.”

Honestly, I think this was just added to create an ominous tone, but it’s a nice detail regardless.

15. As the red fog spreads across Yokohama, there’s a good part of exposition that connects the “dead apple” motif to Fyodor once again:

“After the red fog devoured the earth, the planet would undoubtedly look like a floating red apple from space. There would be no humans left on its surface, nor any signs they ever existed. It would be a true paradise, and with that, the Dead Apple would finally be complete. A dead planet covered in red fog — that was what Fyodor had planned and sought out.

Nothing other than death could wash away the original sin of man, so it was only fitting for the sin, which started with a fruit, to end with one as well.

It’s pretty long, but I like the way this passage is written, more specifically the last part since it fits well with the sinful poisoned apple idea.

It also aligns with Fyodor’s ideals of creating a true paradise, free of ability users. However, if Fyodor had planned to have the Earth covered in fog, that could mean that his plan was actually stopped by Dazai and Atsushi in the end.

16. Shibusawa has a few additional lines of dialogue when he talks to Atsushi in their final fight.

“The dragon and tiger... I see now why they are called rivals.”

The dragon and tiger have their roots in Chinese Buddhism, but to go further into that topic would make this already lengthy post even longer.

“Don’t get the wrong idea, though. I’m not blaming you for what happened.”

This line is a brief moment of weakness for Shibusawa, which is interesting in contrast to his strong will to kill Atsushi. Just as Atsushi learned to accept the past and the tiger’s ferocity, Shibusawa shares the same attitude by separating the blame from himself to just simply accepting the past for what happened.

17. In the aftermath of the last fight against Shibusawa, Atsushi and Kyouka meet up with Dazai.

Kyouka asks, “Are you sure this is what you wanted?” which prompts two different responses in the movie and novel respectively.

In the movie, Atsushi says, “Just as Shibusawa was able to forget that he’d been killed before, I think Dazai can put his past behind him again. But this is fine.”

In the novel, Atsushi says:

“... I could probably seal away this memory just like how I’d forgotten I’d killed him before. But... I’m okay with this.”

I interpreted Kyouka’s question in the movie to be questioning Dazai’s loyalties, as he did betray everyone, and Atsushi responded in Dazai’s defense because he trusts him.

However, the novel does change Atsushi’s response to focus on himself rather than Dazai, which in turn changes the implications of Kyouka’s question.

Kyouka seems to be asking Atsushi whether he was okay with killing Shibusawa, and Atsushi responds by acknowledging that he did kill Shibusawa, and that’s okay. (a very clear development from the beginning of the story when he believed it was unnecessary to kill anyone, and he didn’t want to kill anyone)

18. In the epilogue, Ango talks about the underlying motivations behind the “Dead Apple” case. This change could be attributed to translation differences (like many others in this post), but the connotation does slightly differ from movie to novel.

In the movie, Ango says, “How is a man like Shibusawa, so intelligent that others look like alien creatures to him, to act, to be destroyed, or to be saved?”

In the novel, Ango says:

“Perhaps the two of them [Dazai and Fyodor] just wanted to get a glimpse of someone like them... Perhaps they wanted to see what he would do and how he would meet his demise... or perhaps how he would be saved.”

The movie simply poses a broad question of what would happen to Shibusawa, a person alienated from the rest of society.

The novel changes this to focus on Dazai and Fyodor’s perspective — two irredeemable aliens from society just like Shibusawa — executing this grand scheme out of curiosity to see what would happen to someone of the likes of them, and if there’s a possibility for redemption.

19. This is the final difference on this list, and it’s quite a large change. In Fyodor’s monologue at the very end of the story, he has a completely different tone from the movie to novel.

In the movie, Fyodor says, “But in order to end this world, rife with crime and punishment, I do need that book.”

The novel says:

Glittering high-rises and stately brick buildings stood side by side in this port city with its countless citizens who struggled against crime and punishment. “I think I’ve taken a liking to this city myself..” Fyodor took a bite of the apple in his hand, and the juicy nectar ran down his delicate fingers. “You’d all better be on your best behavior until next time.”

The reference to the book may have been removed for consistency with the main series, as the book is a part of the DOA’s plan (or more specifically Fukuchi).

It also seems like Fyodor has grown fond of the city, and no longer wants Yokohama to be destroyed, so it’s still possible that his plan deterred from what he had originally intended.

Beyond that, I’m not entirely sure why crime and punishment was mentioned, or why there’s such an ominous tone to his ending statement, but that’s up to personal interpretation.

That concludes the long list of extremely specific and minor differences between the Dead Apple movie and light novel!

Overall, I would say it’s worth checking out the light novel if you don’t have a strong grasp of the Dead Apple story, because it definitely presents the small intricacies of the plot in a more comprehensible way.

On a side note, the manga adaptation has a lot of noticeable differences from the movie and light novel, mostly with the addition of entirely new scenes (which you can read @buraihatranslations — what a shameless self plug). I would highly recommend reading it as those extra scenes are very amusing, to say the least without giving any spoilers.

Honestly, this post was a lot longer than I intended, but I hope you enjoyed it regardless. Thank you for reading!

#bsd #bsd dead apple #bsd meta #bungou stray dogs

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