#bsd book theory

[valenteal]

Ok I finally got it. Natsume had the book, either he created it or it was given to him or he found it, then he gave it to Oda (the third installment of the series that’s so rare because it’s literally the book) then Oda gives up the book when the kids die by telling Dazai about it (or at least giving him enough information to figure it out there by making Dazai the new owner). But Oda had written in the book, created an opportunity for Dazai to have a better life and do good. But he left it at his own death so Dazai would still be making the choice himself. Dazai finds the book among Oda’s belongings and tries to bring Oda back and give him happiness and then BEAST happens. He creates a world in which Oda is happy, uses Akutagawa as the protagonist and creates Atsushi using the Book to be the antagonist/shapeshifter, bases his ability on Natsume’s and lets the story unfold. But because of a singularity caused by his ability interacting with the Book instead of changing his own realities past he creates an alternate reality that only he is aware of. In that alternate reality he cannot die until the story is completed and he passes the Book on to the next Author/Authors. So he passes it to Akutagawa and Atsushi and kills himself knowing there is a reality in which Oda is happy. Back in the main universe Dazai struggles to continue the story/find a successor, because he can’t die unless he doesn’t own the book but he can only alter the future, not the past or present. So he writes a story about 6 organizations vying for the book beginning 2 years in the future, it takes him 2 years to write. He uses Atsushi as the protagonist this time and sets him up to inherit the book with a heroes journey to prepare him and Dazai as his mentor to guide him.

Dazai will die at the end, no doubt about it. The entire story is written by Dazai, which is why he always knows what’s going to happen. He gave the single page to the special operations division to set up the decay of angels arc. He and Fyodor are so similar because Dazai wrote him. Well, he wrote his actions and how it played out, but the DoA existed before he got the book.

I think maybe his suicide attempts, at least serious ones, stopped while he was in the Mafia. He was searching for meaning in life and he caught a glimpse of it in the Mafia. He wasn’t invincible while he was there, he was just not trying to die. But after Oda died his suicidal tendencies came back in full force, but Oda had made him unable to die without writing a story with narrative consistency so he couldn’t just say “then Dazai Osamu died painlessly in his sleep.”

Btw if anyone else came up with the same thing I swear I didn’t steal it. I didn’t look at any theories currently in circulation. Mostly because I’ve been focusing on canon but also because so many people just don’t understand the fundamentals of the story or characters so I knew if I did I would be sifting through endless painful misinterpretations. (Yes I’m a bit of a bitch and a lit snob im not gonna deny it. But I took an advanced accelerated college lit class at 17 so I would say my confidence is warranted)

[vjjjeeee]

MY BSD BOOK THEORY

I did this as a video on tik tok but I wanted to share it here. This will look at a possible candidate for who created the book.

First we need to establish what the book is. The book, according to Fitzgerald is a blank novel that whatever is written inside becomes the truth. Fyodor also states that the tiger is a bookmark to the novel. However, some fans forget that the book is still blank, like a notebook waiting to be written inside.

Now onto the theory, I beleive that the book was created by Homer, the author of the Odyssey and the Illiad. I came to this conclusion as it would make sense for an important artifact to be created by one of the original story tellers and he has also inspired many authors in bsd.

Some examples include Rimbaud, who references the muses which was a part in ancient epics, not just the work of Homer. Gogol also mention a story of Achilles in his novel Dead Souls. Dostoevsky mention the odyssey in The Brothers Karamazov. This is relevant as authors being referenced to appear later on as bigger villains is something that has happened in the story. Dazai mentions Dostoevsky in no longer human, so it is possible for Homer to appear at some point.

Another piece of information to take in is that historians believed that Homer was blind, due to him including blind bards as a sort of self insert, which in the ancient world, made you closer to the gods. An example being many prophets in ancient text where blind, a big one being Tiriseus.

This would explain what Ranpo says about the creator of the book may not be human or beyond the bsd world.

Sigma can also be used an example here as the original term was from Greece, which is where Homer and all his epics, are from. Also, Sigma’s want for a home links to the themes in the Odyssey with Odysseus wanting to get home and the main themes of Xenia.

It could also be possible for Homer to be an organisation with some historians thinking Homer could have been multiple people, allowing for more ancient authors to appear in bsd.

My knowledge of Homer comes from me studying him at a level.

[thelesbododo]

I really like the idea of the book being in Dazai's possession or at least him having some sort of attachment because the idea of Chuuya being being the vessel for the god of destruction and Dazai having a book that's sole purpose is to create is just something that I find so appealing

[thepepsicolafams-blog]

Everyone is talking about the parallels between this new chapter of BSD (Chapter 121) and BSD Beast.

Before in the last few chapters (Chapters 115 - 120.5) were compared to the BSD Novel “STROMBRINGER”— specifically of how both Atsushi and Chuuya had lost close members that they considered friends and family to a power Ability Users that knows way more about them then they know themselves and wants them to themselves for reason yet to be known.

But now in this current chapter though, it parallels to the BEAST universe with Atsushi and fear.

Here we have “Hallucination Dazai(?)” talk to Atsushi about how he never needed to be ‘brave’ or ‘strong’ to get stuff done or fight what he fears.

The chapter talks about fight fire with fire— or in this case fear with fear as “Hallucination Dazai(?)” directs Atsushi’s attention away from how scared he is to fight Ame No Gozen to save Akutagawa because it was way he had lost a great portion of his friends/family—to the now fear losing whatever now remains of his family and friends with Lucy and Kyouka still waiting for him in the ‘Anne Room’.

This fear turns into motivation that makes him keep fighting.

Somewhat similarly, this is also seen in BSD BEAST of how BEAST!Atsushi used his fear of pain, suffering and specifically Death to become the Port Mafia’s White Reaper.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And this is just my thoughts so feel free to just skip this, but I find it interesting that this is not the first time something like this happened. Every time we saw “Hallucination Dazai” previous it said the same if not similar things to Atsushi.

I get that it's in his head, that's what a hallucination is, and he has the same thing with The Orphanage Headmaster, and I know it takes Dazai form to guild Atsushi and that’s it’s a hallucination in his mind so that it shouldn’t mean so much. But after seeing the end of this chapter I'm wondering how this will go out.

Like all I want to see now are some answers to Atsushi “Who you really are” like my guy... what do you mean!!! Is this a hallucination or something else? Is it Atsushi’s Bookmark powers telling him what to do and stuff, is it Atsushi connecting to the Book with how much it reflects to the world of BSD!Beast or is it Atsushi’s tiger powers/Byakko talking to him.

I say this because Atsushi had referred to know what this “hallucination” really is meaning that it’s not what we originally thought it was/that’s it’s not really a hallucination of Dazai but something else entirely.

Or

Is it Atsushi finally understanding what Dazai had been teaching, what he is telling him, this whole time and discoing/realizing who he really is.

Looking into himself in the picture he made of Dazai to help him keep fight to finally understand that he has a right to live, that he doesn't need to be brave to fight-- that he always been able/has been doing this and that he should stop now because some rat drew some pictures and ripped some paper.

Having that anime protagonist moments of self-discovery and finding the will to keep fighting.

Guess we just have to wait and see. Next Chapter is coming next month, and I can't wait for what happens next!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On another note, it's a very funny coincidence that when I went to the library the only BSD Novels there were that day were BSD! BEAST & BSD! STROMBRINGER-- both of which i took with me and am now reading! What a coincidence!!

[vii0so]

[BSD 120] Theory/Analysis

These are my first thoughts on parts of chapter 120. It includes my personal interpretations and theories of certain things.

Warning: Spoilers ahead

█▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒

1. Akutagawa & "True strength"

In my previous theory, I believed Rashoumon was in control of Aku's body (hence the old speech and clothing choice).

In BSD, abilities are the soul. "True strength" and "within yourself" could point to Rashoumon.

It could be that Akutagawa has inherited the purpose of his ability (Rashoumon). Therefore unlocking its full potential and or memories. Hence the drastic change that Atsushi sees.

The "purpose" stuff was another thing I briefly mentioned in my previous theory. In short: Purpose = job (e.g. the bookmark)

"This blade serves the heavens"

This blade = "I" (Akutagawa/Rashoumon)

The heavens = probably "the book"

"This soul follows the path of righteousness"

This soul = Rashoumon

This would mean: Rashoumon is righteous.

"The path of the knight"

Knight = Protector/Defender

This could mean Rashoumon is the book's protector.

So his purpose could be the book's "Knight", just like Atsushi is the book's "Bookmark".

If we want to say it in book terms, it'd be the book's cover.

─────────────✧

"Idea. Will. All are empty."

This is directed at Akutagawa. Saying that he has no individual thoughts or will, he is just an empty shell.

I believe this can be seen as saying "You're a puppet."

This could mean that the current Akutagawa is like this because his role as the "knight" is needed (A god-level threat to the book has appeared and needs to be dealt with).

Meaning, it could very well be his soul's (Rashoumon's) purpose (the knight) has taken control. Making him a puppet with the only thing moving him being his purpose.

─────────────✧

███▒▒▒▒▒▒▒

2. The higher dimension

First off: If we think of the real world where we are, then the BSD universe would be a "lower dimension" to us.

In BSD, the book can change/shape their world and therefore is part of the "higher dimension"

Basically, anything that doesn't follow the law of abilities and/or our everyday normal earth standards, can be considered as a higher dimensional being/thing.

As Fyodor explained: Stabbing a page will "kill" the character drawn on it. No matter how OP they are, they will never be able to perceive our dimension (reality) and therefore will not be able to stop it.

To make it easier: An author can write a story where the mc faces an enemy and dies. The author controlled the story/fate of the mc. The mc would never be able to stop that from happening.

...Actually this example would be closer to what the book does...they are a similar plane of existence but not the same. Fyodor's example is better for Ame-no-Gozen though.

─────────────✧

Let's think of it the other way around to better explain:

In short: if you were to write/draw a character, that character would never directly be able to harm you or interact with you. That's because we're in a higher dimensional plane of existence.

Stories may just be fiction to us but to the characters they are real, just like life for us is real.

When a character becomes aware that there is a higher dimension/they are in a story, they still can't physically/directly interact with our world. The most they can do, is "break the 4th wall" and indirectly interact with the audience (e.g. talking to/looking at the camera/us).

─────────────✧

Random:

The book is a higher plane of existence than anything in the BSD universe. Hence why anything written in it becomes the truth.

Ame-no-Gozen is a lower dimension than the book.

Therefore, if someone wrote Ame-no-Gozen out of existence in the book, it would be considered true and he'd be gone.

─────────────✧

█████▒▒▒▒▒

3. Fyodor's Plane

This entire "plane to board" thing has had me worried since the previous chapter.

I know they want us to think of this:

But it still feels odd. He gets on that, becomes undetectable. Is that what he's really planning to do though?

He says it's not his concern (whether they live or die) but it seems like a definite lie. In one way or another, it matters.

He seems to be in a hurry. It doesn't seem fake, in actuality it seems like he's trying to hide how urgently he needs to leave.

He completely dropped the whole "Dazai wasn't it so I'll just take Atsushi" and switched to "I don't care whether any of you die".

Honestly, he probably decided to drop the "other half" stuff when he realised Atsushi didn't have the same thoughts as the tiger.

And the "idc what happens to you lol" is more like "I need to leave quickly so let's stop here" which shows urgency.

Which means, Fyodor has somewhere to be...and fast.

Okay, this next theory is a long shot even for me, but what if he needs to get to Sigma before he wakes up?

Don't ask me why, I'm not sure. But it sure is something to think about. It's time-sensitive and we're aware that Sigma hasn't woken up yet. It seems to fall into place with the urgency.

─────────────✧

███████▒▒▒

4. Fukuzawa's Survival

This seems like a challenge to battle but Fukuzawa knew there was no way of fighting Ame-no-Gozen. So who is he challenging?

Fyodor.

Yep, Fukuzawa will fight Fyodor...

All the people (including me) that believed Fukuzawa will die at some point in the story, might be right after this battle.

Why does he say it like that?

And why does he look like he hesitated?

I checked the Japanese and it's: 特には (toku-ni-ha)

Which means:

Note: The "ha" (pronounced "wa") is a particle.

Fyodor, what do you mean?! Is it that you care about his survival "in particular" or "not particularly"? (...I should just leave this to those who are fluent in Japanese. I'm overcomplicating stuff again.)

Anyway, I feel like there's more to this than what we're seeing (Or maybe I just forgot something...)

─────────────✧

5. Where's Rampo?

...no, seriously, where is he during all this?

He's probably doing stuff in the background to help fix this situation but we haven't even seen a glimpse of him since Fyodor came back.

Maybe we'll see him during the Fyodor vs Fukuzawa fight.

─────────────✧

██████████ Completed!

TLDR:

Akutagawa is basically Rashoumon right now.

Akutagawa is the book's "cover" (protector/knight)

Higher & lower dimension = Pretty much the same difference between us and any character in BSD.

Fyodor may need to get to Sigma before he wakes up. Hence the urgency to leave the fight.

Fukuzawa might die fighting Fyodor.

[ghostlytragicangel]

I'm going to be honest I saw Ueda Akinari and my first instinct was to assume that he is the past life of Atsushi who previously had the book until he realised his mistake hiding the book away until people found out he hid it and sealed him inside his sword when he wouldn't tell them where it is.

[bungobble-my-balls]

WAIT SIGMA WAS ONLY A PAGE IN ATSUSHI'S STORY

BECAUSE ATSUSHI IS A BOOKMARK AND THE BOOKMARK MOVES AS THE STORY GOES ON

BUT SIGMA WAS BORN FROM A PAGE, AND ONCE THE BOOKMARK PASSES A PAGE IT DOESN'T GO BACK

THEY MET ONCE FOR A SINGLE CHAPTER, A BRIEF IMPORTANT INTERACTION, AND THEN DIDN'T SEE EACHOTHER AGAIN (FOR NEARLY FIVE YEARS IN OUR TIME NOW). ATSUSHI CONTINUED WITH THE STORY BUT SIGMA STAYED WHERE HE WAS (DEALING WITH DOA AND FYODOR BALONY)

SIGMATSU ANGST SYMBOLISM?? IN MY BUNGOU STRAY DOGS??!!??

[m1ss-n0mer]

Holy shit holy fuck holy fuck fuckity fuck.

So, bsd chapter 118, right?

Mind blown, but for more reasons than one might realise.

So, Fyodor saves Atsushi at the end, right? This is most likely because, since the beginning, there's been a bounty on Atsushi's head because apparently he's some kind of lead to the book.

In the chapter really early on (like, chap. 13 or sth) where Atsushi and Akutagawa are fighting on that ship, we see that Fitzgerald, Fyodor, and Agatha are the intended recipients of the weretiger, and the ones trying to find the book.

Fyodor is so close to that goal now, so I'm thinking Agatha Christie (and potentially the rest of the Order of the Clock tower or whatever they're called) are going to get involved.

[sorainhere]

CH 121 THEORY!!!!

Spoilers and cross posted on Reddit

Ok so at the end of the chapter Atsushi looks at the Dazai hallucination and asks "I know who you are now " Which really confuzled me until I got a theory.

Atsushi isn't hallucinating the book is showing him images of the people who guided him (the orphanage director, akutagawa, Dazai etc) to help him out

We know that his ability can guide someone to the book and it's connected because of the guild arc where it's admitted his ability can find the book.

So if they are connected and it's truly not a hallucination like we have all been thinking (because that boy is traumatized)

It's not a hallucination because if it was he wouldn't have recognized that it wasn't like Dazai because hallucinations act like how we think someone acts which means he wouldn't be able to tell something isn't right about it...

So what if it's the book guiding him and helping him out??

For what reason idfk but think about it

[dazachi]

Theory time on the whole "ADA member transfers to PM" deal and why I genuinely think this was part of Dazai's plan (loooong post):

Based on what we have, I actually think we can assume that Fukuzawa, Ranpo, Dazai, all of the higher ups in the PM, and the govt. are aware of the deal and that Dazai will go back. Here's why:

Prior to Fyodor's arrest, Dazai had been maintaining an essentially crimeless record (and if he does do something morally questionable, he either had government backing from Ango, or was done in a way that can't be pointed back to him).

However, before anything could progress in S4, Dazai purposely put himself out in public to get arrested. I'd even argue that he had Ango purposely release some of his old crimes rather than it being written on the ripped page of the book (and if it was actually written in the book, then Dazai must have anticipated it in the first place because he knows Fyodor would do that).

This idea is further cemented by the fact that Ango, Mori, and Chuuya are actually aware of what Dazai is doing (more than the ADA even). Dazai had contacts in and out of Mersault ready before his arrest.

To make these plans in the first place, Dazai had to have talked to (at least) Mori and Ango. This would have to be roughly around the same time as when Mori and Fukuzawa made a deal. What if all of this was just one meeting?

Because let's face it. Fukuzawa only saying "except Yosano" was such a red flag moment. If there was anyone Mori would have wanted back in his control, it would either be his angel of death or his demon prodigy. The conversation must not have ended there...

Also, why was this deal even created in the first place? I feel like there could have been a different agreement, and this just looks like an excuse to get Dazai to go back. Fukuzawa agreeing with this deal is weird because he knows what the PM is like. Why would he subject his employees to possibly experience working there?

Dazai may have actually purposely put himself up for the taking in preparation to a future enemy that needed him back in the PM- back in his hometurf with all the manpower he could command and to give soukoku the free reign they had once again (without the limitations of the law on Dazai).

So anyway, now we have Dazai with his crimes leaked, which would have been fine alone because it could be played off as part of what was written on the page, but then he kills some guards in Mersault and commits jailbreak, along with several other crimes in just 30 minutes. In addition, he is clearly shown to be working with Chuuya, a well-known criminal, who has also committed several crimes while there.

Say what you will about Mersault security (which is actually good but just couldn't keep the demons on hold lmao), but they would 100% have records of what Dazai had done there. Even if he could be considered crimeless before, he can no longer be called crimeless again now. His actions here are beyond the manipulations of the book. To have these crimes (in France) erased would require the government to have an agreement with another country and to have Dazai go into hiding for some time again (doable, but troublesome).

That leaves us to the fact that Dazai is back to willingly committing crimes and partnering up with Chuuya as Soukoku for an extended period of time. All of these acts are known to Mori and Ango.

This implies that the choice had been made prior to S4, and this is why Dazai could do all these crazy schemes.

This also clears up why Ranpo and Fukuzawa no longer consider Dazai in the ADA roster recently. Not because they don't care for him, but because he is secretly no longer part of the ADA in the first place, and Dazai's safety is now under the concern of the PM.

Scarily enough, this could also possibly set up Dazai as the next boss of the PM in preparation for the next big enemy. One thing some people in the fandom noticed was that Mori had mentioned before that Dazai would become the boss when he turns 23. This fits in the timeline well because Dazai is several months (or maybe even weeks) closer to his 23rd birthday (or he may already be 23 right now). All of this may have been pre-planned for longer than we think.

Also, as a personal opinion on the other possible transfer candidates, they actually have better hold on the ADA and would not function well in the PM.

The PM would clash with Kunikida's ideals (though it would be interesting to have the future leader of the ADA be put in the PM the same way the future leader of the PM was employed in the ADA)

Tanizaki would be a great candidate, especially for his skills (and it would be interesting to have another redhead in the PM hahaha), but I highly doubt Naomi would take his transfer sitting down (Naomi would probably even attempt to join the PM) and, in turn, Junichiro would hate to bring his sister in the PM as well. Tanizaki's entire shtick involves his care for his sister, and taking that away brings him back to having no motivation to go crazy.

Atsushi is actually my 2nd option. Moving Atsushi to the PM would make him learn more about how the PM functions, and this allows SSKK to spend more time building their relationship. Chuuya could watch over the two of them as an aide to Dazai's mentoring, and this could lead to more character growth for Atsushi. Unfortunately, this voids Atsushi's plans to learn how to fight under Kunikida's tutelage, and the "no killing" deal with Akutagawa slightly lessens its impact because they would now be in the criminal organization rather than the opposing one (I'd rather have Akutagawa join the ADA tbh. This would further cement the "no killing" idea that Atsushi demands of him and build the SSKK partnership.)

Kenji is also a good bet, but the PM already has Chuuya, which makes having Kenji redundant. Kyoka would not return without an all out brawl and would actually waste all the efforts from S2. Ranpo would be insufferable lmao, and he is not made for Mafia types of strategy (he's smart! But he is not here for the manipulation and long chess matches. He doesn't have the patience for that when he can get straight to the point), and I'm not sure who in the PM he would have synergy with yet...he works best as a detective.

NOW, I may be wrong, because who knows what Asagiri will pull on us, and all of this is based on what is shown (I'm not sure if we could trust it lol), but this is the theory I came up with based on my understanding of events. Dazai planned to go back, and the tripartite knows of it.

Before anyone says this is a waste of Dazai's character development, I'd argue that there may be a misconception as to what Dazai is actually here to learn.

Odasaku knows that good and evil does not matter to Dazai. Dazai choosing to save people is not Dazai's character growth because he has ALWAYS been capable of that despite his unconventional means. The real character growth that Dazai needed was that there was a world beyond the darkness that he insists on putting himself in, and that he is capable humanity. Mori realized this too by proving the humanity in Dazai by chasing him out with Odasaku's death. Dazai has also realized this, and is now ready to return to his hellhole as a new man touched by the light. He is ready to be a leader, not the tyrant that he would have been without this lesson. Mori just prevented another insane mafia boss from taking the throne.

In addition, the PM has repeatedly been defined as the organization that protects the city in the dark. Being in the PM does not hinder Dazai from saving people (again, they've done so before while there). This might actually give him more power to move around and defend Yokohama more efficiently.

I guess this is it for now. I may have missed some things, but these are my main arguments for now hehe

[writtingsofgod]

You guys are so naive.

You guys are so naive. that could litteraly be a random notebook page. and he ripped it apart infront of atsushi to make him feel more hopeless that there is nothing he could do.

Also. the page is too precious to be destoyed. PLUS im pretty sure it was mentioned somewhere to take back everything written on the page, you have to rip it. OR when Tachihara realized that The Agency is innocent, a rip appeared on the page.

Plus why is it empty? when you look closely at the hand placement, its empty on both sides. it was confirmed that the page is filled with words in a tiny font on the other side.

It wasnt the page he was just playing with atsushi to make him feel like he coulnt do anything anymore and its over. often psyhological manipulation

[elkieanddoppo]

this is quite interesting !!!

bc of how much we lack on kunikida's lore, all these things that we currently know about kunikida doesnt seem to make a lot of sense. it's like it was just made up on the spot for the sake of creating something in the last minute, creating a fake identity.

the book theory on god is so good. credits to my friend, kiel, on twitter. i love you /p

[wonx2]

Realized i havent posted my Sigma theory on tumblr so here goes, i doubt im the first one to think of this.

Sigma was not created by book but summoned by it from a different world

In Beast Dazai says how when something is written in book, the real world and the book world change places/the book world is summoned in its place.

So in one of those infinite worlds within a book Sigma was already alive when his existence was summoned into the real world. And he doesn't remember it since Dazai is the only one who can remember it because he was able to create a singularity and merge the memories. So no singularity=no memories.

What makes me certain of this theory is that when Sigma woke up all he had was "a train ticket to a non-existent station". Doesn't it make perfect sense that the train station actually does exist but in a different world rather then just him spawning with this random but extremely specific thing?

And Fyodor, the person who knows the most about Sigma says this about him, I think he wouldn't have to make a point how he's an outsider in THIS world, and how had Sigma been actually created by the book he technically wouldn't be an outsider since he comes from the real world as well.

In conclusion Sigma was summoned to this world with some purpose. Biggest thing this changes is the fact that he actually had a home 3 years ago and it was taken from him by coming into the real world. It could possibly change how his ending is played out: would he find out about this and strive to go back or would he come at peace with his circumstances and continue living in real world

[thelesbododo]

I find it interesting that Atsushi was said to be the guide to the book and one of the first people he met outside of the orphanage was Dazai, someone who is very likely connected to the book

[thepepsicolafams-blog]

BSD: Within the Pages and Beyond

My personal theory & thoughts about the roles of The Book.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Atsushi = As we know now from chapter 119, he’s The Bookmark, representing the present– what's happening now in the story, marking where the story was left off, where to go back to continue reading, the function of a bookmark. He is also the guide/guidepost to The Book– this in turn led to many who were searching for The Book (The Guild and Fyodor) to come to Yokohama where it was believed to be.

But-- Here's my idea:

Natsume = Outside force, an Author (as seen in Oda’s flashback, he’s the Author of the books Oda was reading when he was a kid– it was the day they first met) or the Narrator of The Book. He was the past, before everything– before the Tripartite Framework was even made. He was the one protecting Yokohama for years before the Armed Detective Agency, Port Mafia and the Special Division for Unusual Powers. And Yokohama’s been seen as the place where The Book is in, all well as a page that was taken out of it that was being researched by the Special Division for Unusual Powers. 

Oda = Reader, would have been the next Author or Narrator after Natsume–he did after all give up killing to become a writer, which was given to him by Natsume-- who book he was reading when he first met him! He was supposed to be the future (like how his Ability could see into the future, even for a few seconds), or timeline wise, be the present that the story is now. But after his death, the story couldn’t go anywhere, there's no one to keep writing the story Natsume had left– or so you’d think but he did help the story by creating a new path for the MC. Giving the MC of The Book a new drive to follow the new path, to keep living and becoming someone who would see the beauty of saving lives instead of ending them. 

Dazai = The Original Book MC, the whole of the BSD story was supposed to be about him. I can’t be the only one to realize how in nearly every light novel Dazai or his presence in it, shows how important Dazai is to the world of BSD. Especially in “Bungou Stray Dogs: BEAST”, where BEAST!Dazai was able to see the original/main story of BSD and made a world where Oda– The Reader turned Author and more importantly his Best Friend who was the reason why he left the PM in the original story– was alive, The MC created another world after discovering the plot, changed said plot to ensure that his best friend would live in these one. And isn't it funny how the first person Atsushi meets in the beginning of story was Dazai, The Bookmark catching up with/following the MC, saving his life from drowning to keep the story going because there's still so many pages left, this is not where your story ends. 

Sigma = The next MC after Dazai, he was or is likely supposed to be a sequel to Dazai’s story once it ended– I say this simply because he was created by the book.

Fyodor = Original Author, he created the story and world of BSD– or at least the backstory around its world. About how Ability Users came to be and other stuff. Now he wants to rewrite the story– the tipping point was losing his last reader and that's why he does what he does in the story. 

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So yeah, that's my bit, please take this with a grain of salt, I just wanted to put something out there. Hope you like it!

[vii0so]

[BSD 121] Theory/Analysis

This chapter was full of things for me to over-analyse and theorise about. As always, expect spoilers, sidetracking and theories that sound farfetched.

Topics:

The (Fake) Page

Fyodor's Fixation on Dazai

The Book and Atsushi's Hallucinations

Rampo

─────────────✧

█▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒

The (Fake) Page

To start, no...that's not the page.

As I mentioned in my last chapter post [BSD 120.5], this had been a plan from the start by Fyodor, for Atsushi to not question where the page is, by showing an ordinary page and letting him assume it's the page.

Plus, Atsushi was having a mental breakdown due to the situation at the time and couldn't think clearly but do you really think an actual page from the book - a godly item - would tear that easily? No way. It's known as indestructible for a reason.

Fyodor's plan was to break Atsushi mentally. That's what he wanted to see. Atsushi in despair.

Fyodor shows he has the page (tricking Atsushi), says it can bring his friends back (giving Atsushi hope), then tears it up right in front of him (Making Atsushi feel despair and hopelessness, breaking him).

Just look at his thoughts! He lost hope, fell to despair. If he doesn't fight, he'll die, and yet he sees no reason to continue.

Maybe Fyodor needs Atsushi to want to die before he kills him. Maybe as the 'bookmark', that's some sort of activation key for something to do with the book.

─────────────✧

██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒

Fyodor's Fixation on Dazai

Originally, I wasn't going to talk about this but here I am.

Fyodor decides to talk about Dazai right after mentioning the back of the page. In this he also mentions the prison, furthering my theory (Section: "The page isn't with Fyodor") that the real page is with Sigma back at the prison.

That was a bit off topic but needed mentioning, since Fyodor chooses to talk about Dazai right after mentioning the page (Yes, I'm saying it twice. Important things must be repeated).

Fyodor has no reason to mention Dazai in this way to Atsushi. If my theory that Fyodor needed Atsushi to fall into despair (...gosh, the more I say that word the more I think of Danganronpa), break him, is correct, then he has no reason to talk like this.

I would understand if Fyodor only talked about or mentioned how he beat Dazai, as Atsushi who views Dazai as all knowing would despair thinking "If Dazai couldn't beat him how can I even try?" (actually...did he already think this in one of the chapters and I forgot?) but Fyodor goes beyond that and mentions enjoying his time with Dazai.

Now, It could be just as they show; Fyodor making Atsushi believe that because of Dazai he will give Atsushi the page as stated with:

But he didn't need to do it like this.

Atsushi probably didn't even mentally register anything Fyodor said other than getting the page. So there really wasn't any reason to say all the Dazai stuff. Just mentioning giving Atsushi the page would have gotten the same reaction.

Dazai is a key figure in Atsushi's life and therefore suspecting emotional manipulation in this case (especially after finding out Atsushi - the tiger - is the book's emotional hearth - the bookmark.)

其は 「根源辺縁体」の　寵愛深き この世の楔

note: ...I spent quite a while stuck on translating this and it's not even part of Chapter 121 (it's 119) so I give up (for now).

I've left the Japanese behind in case I come back to this or in case someone else wants to tackle it (plus I spent way too long getting each kanji with my basic hiragana knowledge and BSD raws that didn't show the hiragana clearly for me to search for the kanji without guessing.)

= ✧ =

Anyway, the current translation ("emotional hearth"), would indicate that Atsushi's emotions play a big role in what happens. Therefore it's a given that Fyodor would emotionally manipulate him to activate some sort of trigger that'll help his plans.

But let's not suspect manipulation for a moment.

Why talk about Dazai?

Well, Dazai is important, "in what way?" I'm not sure, and Fyodor mentioning him right after the page shows that he is a key figure (connected to the book in some way).

Fyodor needs Dazai. Or at least...a version of him.

...I don't know what I'm saying either.

Dazai is 100% involved with the book in some way and Fyodor is aware of this fact.

Dazai is also one of the only people in Fyodor's life that understands him and can have an actual conversation with him. Fyodor has lived a long time. Once you live that long everything is predictable.

I'm sure some of the people reading this must have watched a movie or read a story at some point and thought "the ____ was obvious" wether it was the ending, villain, or something else. This happens because we have seen other media with the same things and therefore can predict what happens.

Now imagine you find a movie, book, game, etc. that isn't like anything you've seen before. It's got the same foundations and yet...you can't predict it. You can guess what will happen but you will never truly know (wow, a lot like me with BSD...I'm getting off topic).

That's how Fyodor feels. Seeing the same old cliche for 2k+ years, nothing new at all.

...Until he meets Dazai.

Dazai is the movie that's nothing like the others. A mysterious person he couldn't predict. Someone similar to himself.

So imagine you find a movie DVD that is the key to a door but also a movie that you've been looking for a long time (something new, unpredictable). You'd be interested, right? That's Fyodor's obsession with Dazai.

It's like being in a time loop and having someone remember with you. (is that even a good example? probably not...)

─────────────✧

████▒▒▒▒▒

The Book and Atsushi's Hallucinations

Honestly, at first I was like "Huh???", then I told myself, "Atsushi figured it out so we as the readers must be able to as well", and so I read it a couple more times and thought "The only thing that makes sense is that it's the book", any other possibility I came up with sounded too farfetched and might as well get turned into an au fanfic instead of a canon theory, so...It's the book.

Now, before I get into why, here's a random fact about myself:

I usually avoid reading other people's theories so that I can have fun theorising (having a mental breakdown/j) on my own without my theories being influenced by others.

That being said, I saw a post of someone being confused about the ending of the chapter and I was curious to see if anybody else thought it was the book like me in the post's comments.

To my surprise, a lot of people thought it was the tiger instead.

So let's start with: "Why is it not the tiger?"

This line is all the proof we need: "You're the tiger aren't you?"

It wouldn't be my style if I didn't try over analysing the raws...so I did!

I tried translating the original Japanese myself and basically got the same result with minor differences, so the [Nine of Cups] translation (shown on the left) is as accurate as it gets.

Since I didn't find anything particularly interesting while translating, here's some random Japanese that appears in the panel:

Anyway, yeah, there's no reason in my mind why it would be the tiger. There's just no way. There's no reason for it to be.

Why would the tiger say this? Why would the tiger not appear as itself? Why would Atsushi be so surprised if it was?

Also, Atsushi is the bookmark, the emotional hearth of the book, why wouldn't the book speak to him?

There's just no way it's the tiger.

Now, that we have that out of the way, let's continue:

The floor during Atsushi's "hallucinations" is usually just the ground/floor itself or a blank space (usually totally black or white).

But this time, the entire white area turns colour (from white to black), enabling us to see that there had been lines there all along.

The lines are most likely a reference to the japanese writing paper:

Genkouyoushi [ 原稿用紙 ] - manuscript paper

There have been references made before. Here are some examples:

A & C : Official Art ✧ B : Volume 18 cover ✧ D : TDIPUD LN Cover

Even though this time the distinct space between square rows isn't present and makes this look more like average grid paper I personally still believe it's a reference to genkouyoushi.

Since Atsushi is the emotional hearth, his emotions matter...a lot.

So let me give you a situation before the next part:

The lights suddenly go out in a factory, signifying that there's no power (electricity).

This factory relies heavily on electricity to function and therefore for emergencies has a backup power generator.

Once the power went out, the backup power generator kicked in, meaning nothing stopped for too long and work continued.

Now imagine:

Atsushi is the electricity in this case.

The Dazai "hallucinations" are the backup power generator.

And the factory is the book / the story we read (BSD)

When Atsushi loses all hope, without any chance at all of recovering, that will be the end of the book as well (Or at least it'll trigger something to do with the book).

Since that can't happen if the world is to continue, there is a fail-safe measure (the backup power generator) that activates when Atsushi feels particularly low (really low) or is in need of guidance away from self-destruction.

So, the book speaks in the image of Dazai - who Atsushi holds in high regard (though I'm fairly sure there's more to the book choosing "Dazai" than this) - as a way to "return the electricity to the factory".

─────────────✧

██████▒▒▒

Rampo

Why is Rampo not mentioned here?

Seriously, what plan are Dazai and Rampo scheming against Fyodor?

He must be safe and working in the background...right?

─────────────✧

██████████ Completed!

I know I said I'd post this "soon"

...and suddenly "soon" turned into almost a month.

85% was written within a week of the chapter's release. But my brain didn't let me think after I tried deciphering Japanese (Kanji and general translation) for this (the translation part I gave up on) and suddenly I couldn't type anymore. I tried coming back to it but I still couldn't type much so I left it for a while.

Suddenly I realised I still hadn't finished it and the new chapter was releasing in a few hours! So I said to myself "leave it incomplete like the last time, or speed write a whole bunch of stuff and just post it".

...I typed faster than I thought I could.

So here it is, actually completed (a round of applause for me! :D)

I hope what I wrote makes sense, some parts may be off-topic(?) as I was in a rush and can't re-read what I wrote right now.

See you all in a few hours when I read the new chapter (or tomorrow if I choose to sleep after reading the chapter instead of immediately starting to type my theory/analysis post like I usually do)

─────────────✧

TLDR:

No, the "page" torn is not the real page. It was only used as an act to make Atsushi lose hope.

Yes, Fyodor is obsessed with Dazai in the way that we find an unpredictable movie without cliches refreshing.

Fyodor's manipulating Atsushi emotionally as a way to activate something to do with the book.

The Dazai "hallucinations" are the "book" and are a fail-safe measure (think more closely to: backup power generator) so that Atsushi - whose emotions affect the world - does not fall completely to despair (which is what Fyodor wants)

Rampo is not mentioned in the people who still need saving/are still alive but he's most likely planning in the background.