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Bungo Stray Dogs’ Characters: Akiko Yosano

Manga colouring of Bungo Stray Dogs  :｡･:*:･ﾟ’★ please don’t repost or edit  ｡･:*:･ﾟ’★ko-fi || click for better quality

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Forever wondering what happened between Julia Chae and Wolf. Last time we see them is Wolf spotting her out on the street and ordering his followers to chase after her. Then the next time we check in is during the karaoke incident with Jeongmu and Lala. They talk about the beef Wolf has with her as if it either already happened, or it didn't happen at all (it's not clear which of the above it is). So, he either caught her and the beatdown occurs off screen, or he decided to drop the whole ordeal entirely (Jeongmu's gang seems to think the latter is unlikely). I wouldn't be surprised if we're supposed to assume something occurred off screen, in between Season 1 and 2, but it would've been nice to get some closure.

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I think the funniest thing about Jimmy Bae is that he IS actually like, a really strong guy and a great fighter. He is a freaking monster even to experienced fighters! His ego has plenty of basis!

But we keep watching this dude take L after L so we can't help but forget he's actually strong. But he's only losing because he is surrounded by people who are even more terrifying than him. One has to keep in mind, he may have lost, but he undeniably held out and even gave a run for their money against THE biggest of top dogs in the fighting scene.

He had a crazy close match when pitted against the #4 of Cheongang, Doyun Kim, who is basically Jimmy, but with several more years of experience in him. Doyun is part of a legitimate gang, and a top ranker too, while Jimmy is still in high school. The fact that Jimmy made it a close match should scare us.

Then his most obvious losses were when he picked a fight with Wolf Keum who is three rabid legendary beasts hopped up on adrenaline in a trenchcoat, and, of course, when he was matched against Ben Park who is a colossus that shrugs off bone shattering strikes and hits like a goddamn isekai truck.

Jimmy is an absolute monster, but we as readers are blind to it because he is surrounded by incomprehensible eldritch horrors, and this is why I love him.

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i love making shitty memes

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Jimmy Bae, the Ride or Die

One of the most underrated aspects of Jimmy is just how consistent his characterization is when it comes to being a total ride or die for his friends. Like, it's not really super obvious until we see his backstory, where he drops everything to run to rescue Jack, but the fact that Jimmy would rather abandon his pride than a friend in need, has always been there, even from the very beginning.

The thing is that Jimmy has so few actual friendships, that this mostly just shows as him being condescending to the kids he bullies. In Episode 12, at the pool hall, Jimmy comments on the Eunjang students' reluctance to jump in to help their friend.

Then later, in Episode 95, during Ben and Alex's backstory, Jimmy does the same after Sean and his buddies cower and flee from the fight, instead of helping Alex.

Then, all the way at the end of the series, in Episode 237 during the battle between Eunjang and the Union, Jimmy is still calling out his opponents for saving their own skin, over helping a friend. That's three separate instances, at the beginning, middle, and end of the series, where Jimmy pointed out instances where kids preferred to stand on the side while their friend got beaten up by him.

Sure, Jimmy is a bully and a real jerk, especially since he's always the instigator of the fight in these scenarios, but we also come to understand that his single redeeming trait is that the most important thing to him is not pride, but loyalty.

For him, it doesn't require a second thought to immediately rush to where Jack is in trouble, even if it means he's probably just going to get beaten up as well. To him, there's nothing worse than abandoning a friend in need. It's one thing to torment some random guy he barely knows and frankly, doesn't care about at all, and it's another thing to stick to the sidelines while someone you're supposed to be friends with gets ruthlessly beaten to a pulp.

The cool thing about this is that it does nothing to redeem Jimmy or make up for the horrible stuff he does, since he's still a terrible person who harasses his peers for fun. All it does is give him another facet— Jimmy may be an awful kid, but he has his own set of principles, and a line that he'll never cross, ever. Anyway, just thought this was cool and I don't see many people talking about it.

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The funniest part of the Union Thief arc in retrospect is the explanation that the 'Gold bag' is, in fact, Wolf's schoolbag, therefore strongly implying that, since it's being used to carry wads of cash and important files, it's not being used for actual school purposes, therefore contributing to the theory that Wolf does not, in fact, do his schoolwork or go to class at all, really

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There's a lot to be said about the rushed ending to Weak Hero, but honestly, it was genuinely a great read up until those last few chapters. It's easy to want to rate the series by how it wrapped up, but honestly, I don't want to let how it ended ruin my enjoyment of everything else. I think it would have been preferable that Seopass just put the entire series on indefinite hiatus, instead of ending everything so messily, but I also think that Weak Hero can still stand up as a great read, even after factoring in the unsatisfying conclusion. Part of me does hope that Seopass decides to revisit Weak Hero eventually, possibly write a spin-off sequel that picks up where the main story left off, though even without a better conclusion to each character's arc, it doesn't change or overwrite the reasons why I initially grew to like the cast and story. Essentially, Weak Hero could have been an incredible comic, had Seopass gone all the way and written it to true completion, but as it stands, it's still an enjoyable read, regardless of everything that happened near the end.

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I love the dynamics between the Union executives and their No.2's. Like, you put Jimmy, Wolf, and Jake in a room together and they're like hissing cats. Meanwhile, Jack and Hwangmo are in the hallway, silently bonding over how they're constantly herding said hissing cats. Dean never participates because he thinks of himself as above the other sidekicks.

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Weak Hero thoughts, rants, and spoilers for chapters 263 to current.

Sorry if this gets lengthy, but I got some feelings to express.

So, I gave myself a few days to process my thoughts and emotions on the conclusion of Weak Hero. To try and make sense of the direction the author decided to take his story on. And honestly, I'm still left feeling let down and disappointed.

In my opinion, one of the greatest slights an author can do to their fanbase and to their work, especially if it's a lengthy story, is to end the story abruptly. To me that is the equivalent to a slap in the face. A big slap to all the fans who have invested their time, energy, and possibly even money to the story the author has been creating. Years of tuning in and refreshing pages, only for the ending to feel so damn rushed.

I was really holding out for a small sliver of hope, I wanted to "trust the process." Maybe there would be an introduction to an amazing plot twist, or a great revelation to understand and explain why the storyline turned into what it did. But at this point, with only the epilogue left, none of that is gonna probably happen, and I'm left wondering why?

I've even wondered if the kdrama had any influence on how Weak Hero ended. Would it have been different if the kdrama never existed? Did Seopass just get tired of his story and the characters, maybe he wanted to move on to something else already? Cuz any which way that I try to look at it, I just can't comprehend why he chose that ending. Especially for Donald. One of the most charismatic characters in the series. The final boss, who possessed both brains and unmatched brute strength. A master strategist who managed to unite a whole district. A literal unbeatable character.... who he gets done in by a wayward truck!?! Right after the biggest fight in the series!?! Like, are you for fucking real? That's how his demise happens?!!?

I'm not even a Donald fan! He was never my fave (that honor always went to Jimmy ❤️), but even I expected more for him. Donald didn't even go down swinging, kicking, barely hanging on by the skin of his teeth. His death happening in the same way he lived his life, like some sort of poetic justice. No. We got none of that. Instead, we get a self defeated Donald, who was reaching out to the universe for someone to stop him, and who purposefully? didn't avoid the truck???

I'm sorry but no, DONALD DESERVED BETTER!!! HE, AS A CHARACTER, DESERVED BETTER!!!!

AND THEN, we get thrown some pity crumbs at the end with Stephen. Which to me was just another rushed ending. We get some half assed reunion. No backstory on what Stephen had to go through. No idea what his thoughts were while recovering from his near fatal drop. Did he ever think of Gray? Did he ever try looking for him?

Was I the only one that expected more from Stephen and Gray's reunion??? I can't be the only one completely disappointed, or am I?

I am however grateful we got to see Stephen again, I really am, and that we got a conclusion for him. Since it didn't happen with some of the other plotlines.

For instance, what happened to the Mapo guys, and Changhui saying they were going to wait for an opportunity to strike back? Am I the only one that remembers this?

And where the capital F was Wolf's backstory? He's a fan favorites and we get nothing? No idea on why he's a such a psycho or the reasoning behind his 3 second rule? Or even why he has it out for Grape so much?

And let's not forget about this guy! He never even got a name!

There's more, but I'm not gonna go into all of that right now since I don't want to just trash this series. I fell in love with it for a reason, and now I want to talk about the parts that I enjoyed, and that made me remember why I  loved this series so much in the first place.

Like...

The fact that Jimmy wanted Donald's recognition. Even after talking crap about him every chance he got~ lol. He still valued him as a capable leader and cared about how Donald perceived him.

And how Jimmy's signature wrist swish was influenced by Donald!!! I would have never in a million years thought that Donald was the reason and inspiration for it.

And I absolutely loved how Jimmy and Wolf were bickering at the end. It completely reminded me of siblings arguing with each other at any and every opportunity! I know there's gotta be some underlying respect and friendship for each other there, waaay deep inside, somewhere in a dark crevice of their little crazy hearts. 😆

And cuz I want to gloat too, I'm gonna add Jimmy whooping Gerard's butt. Take that shuttle patch!

I was also pretty surprised by how distraught Phillip became after Donald's death. Especially considering that the last time Phillip had any real interaction with him, Donald pretty much blew him off. Phillip not being important enough for even a backwards glance. For Phillip to still remember what it was like standing next to someone like Donald, and to have all those emotions come out of him just broke my heart.

And I am not about to forget my lovely Colton! Our very first villain. Pervy villain at that! And how much growth he's had, even as a secondary character. I went from feeling disgusted at him to wanting to give him all the hugs and support in the world.

I love you Colton you big doof! 🫶

And with that last thought I end this. Because as much as I hate the ending, I can go on and on about the things that I did like.

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I recall skimming the interview with Seopass awhile back.

And yeah, I think some people expected Weak Hero to be a purely action/fight scene focused series, and might have been disappointed with the plot not simply being Gray systemically fighting and winning against every one dimensional baddie that exists.

Personally, I like that Seopass/Razen made the story deeper than just a simple action series, while also writing/illustrating great action scenes as well.

I am wondering how/when Seopass plans to wrap things up- whether they'll leave things as they are or...? There's definitely a loose thread left over with Cheongang, since I recall Juwon was going to see a "Ronald", and Changhui was planning to swoop in and take advantage of the situation post Eunjang vs. Union fight.

Weak Hero Musings (10): On the Wasted Potentials of That Death

SPOILER ALERT

(Parts 1-8 were posted on my other blog @weakherodiaries)

A part of me is still resentful that Baekjin (Donald)'s death does nothing to end the criminal enterprises of Changhui's Cheongang (Sky River) and Lee Chungil's network.

Don't get me wrong, I never wanted for Baekjin to become a murder victim. But to simply use his death to highlight the problems of child abuse, youth mental health, and loss of true friendships is such a wasted potential to me. Because Baekjin wasn't just an abused minor, he was also a juvenile criminal. The story is no longer about school violence because Baekjin's crimes were tied to those two crime syndicates.

So I used to wish that Baekjin's death was the result of criminal intent (a conspiracy to murder) by either Cheongang or Lee Chungil. The death would've served as the punchline for the story, and brought the Union and Eunjang kids together. Conspiracy to murder through traffic accidents is a classic trope in kdramas and films, so I thought that my expectation was reasonable (I know, the joke's on me. Ha. Ha. Ha). However, since Baekjin's funeral proceeded without the appearance of the law enforcement before, during, or after, I knew that I was hoping in vain.

With the Eunjang and Union kids as eyewitnesses in the syndicates' trials and/or investigations, every character would've had the chance to shine as weak heroes too. They would've pulled through, not by muscles, but by brain and bravery.

With how things are going now, I'm worried that the webtoon might just end openly with Eunjang and Union kids' brawl against Cheongang's or Lee Chungil's thugs. How regrettable would that be, since this story has never been simply about brawls.

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seopass thinks he can put wolf keum in every new release of weak hero to make me automatically like the chapter and he's right

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Weak Hero Musings (10): On the Wasted Potentials of That Death

SPOILER ALERT

(Parts 1-8 were posted on my other blog @weakherodiaries)

A part of me is still resentful that Baekjin (Donald)'s death does nothing to end the criminal enterprises of Changhui's Cheongang (Sky River) and Lee Chungil's network.

Don't get me wrong, I never wanted for Baekjin to become a murder victim. But to simply use his death to highlight the problems of child abuse, youth mental health, and loss of true friendships is such a wasted potential to me. Because Baekjin wasn't just an abused minor, he was also a juvenile criminal. The story is no longer about school violence because Baekjin's crimes were tied to those two crime syndicates.

So I used to wish that Baekjin's death was the result of criminal intent (a conspiracy to murder) by either Cheongang or Lee Chungil. The death would've served as the punchline for the story, and brought the Union and Eunjang kids together. Conspiracy to murder through traffic accidents is a classic trope in kdramas and films, so I thought that my expectation was reasonable (I know, the joke's on me. Ha. Ha. Ha). However, since Baekjin's funeral proceeded without the appearance of the law enforcement before, during, or after, I knew that I was hoping in vain.

With the Eunjang and Union kids as eyewitnesses in the syndicates' trials and/or investigations, every character would've had the chance to shine as weak heroes too. They would've pulled through, not by muscles, but by brain and bravery.

With how things are going now, I'm worried that the webtoon might just end openly with Eunjang and Union kids' brawl against Cheongang's or Lee Chungil's thugs. How regrettable would that be, since this story has never been simply about brawls.

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Pilyoung (Phillip)

Whenever I say that Taeoh (Teddy)'s and recent Jimmy (Jihoon)'s development are my faves, I seem to forget Pilyoung's. This dude's development is so ahead of the curve. He, unbeknowst to himself, had been steadily gaining the respect of his former enemies: the thing that he used to look for in the past.

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Weak Hero Print Edition Vol 6 (Out in Korea since September 2023)

Front and back covers

Look at these pretty babies.

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Weak Hero Analysis and Meta - Wolf Keum Motives and Money

I keep thinking that the reason why Wolf joined the Union must have something to do with money, because when he tries to leave (unsuccessfully, the first time), Donald says "you should've said that before taking all the dirty money", implying that the reason why Wolf initially joined was for the cash.

This is interesting though, because everything we see from Wolf points to him not actually caring about money on a personal level. He got mad when he was stolen from, but more because of the principle of things; he was angry that someone would dare to try to take what was his, not because he was super attached to the money.

We know with some amount of certainty that he's not attached to money because he's always giving free handouts to his underlings-slash-friends (questionable whether Wolf even knows what friendship is; he blurs the line a lot imo).

(For reference, this is three separate instances where Wolf threw money at his underlings/companions. One is even from a flashback that takes place before Wolf's fight with Gray, showing that this generosity isn't a recent development.)

The alternate theory is that Wolf joined the Union just as an excuse to pick fights with people, which I personally disagree with, since I don't think Wolf ever needed a half-decent reason to get into fistfights, and its lampshaded multiple times that Wolf was coerced into joining, since he's always looking for a reason to get out.

Simply put, the puzzle pieces don't seem to add up. My current theory would be that Wolf initially joined the Union for a one-off benefit, much like Jake. He needed a large sum of money (or status?) to do something, but once whatever it was got sorted out, he no longer had any incentive to go along with what Donald asked him to.

Unlike Jake, Wolf has the kind of personality that doesn't agree with getting ordered around, even if the person giving out orders is someone he's indebted to. What is probably also a factor is that Jake cares about his friends-not-underlings a lot more than Wolf cares about his underlings-maybe-friends.

Wolf repeatedly went against Donald's rules, knowing that he'd be dragging Ganghak down with him. He treats everyone under him (sans Hayden) to a "Last Meal", a last taste of their Union benefits, before they get kicked out and probably punished severely.

ANYWAY. In conclusion I just wanted to ramble about Wolf Keum some more, also highlight that being part of his gang is the best of both worlds. You're constantly in fear of pissing him off and getting the shit beaten out of you, but also Wolf Keum is your sugar daddy, so pros and cons, really.

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Weak Hero - Wolf Keum Meta and Backstory Theory

I recently reread and caught up with this series; it's one of the two webtoons that I genuinely like. Anyway, having thoughts. Spoilers for up to chapter 227.

Hot take that Wolf Keum is actually very similar to Gray Yeon. He actually makes the connection himself while watching Gray fight Dongha: They both get serious tunnel vision when they're fighting.

But I don't think the parallels stop there. I'm not the first person to bring up the theory on Wolf's backstory, that he was formerly a victim of physical bullying, before the roles swapped when he started to retaliate. The main evidence that points towards this theory is that Wolf likes to block with his face... that is to say that he just doesn't block hits. He's a tank, and he's borderline unphased by getting pummeled. It's very possible that he has a history of receiving hits a lot, therefore building up a resilience to physical blows.

The main thing we're told that makes us go "Oh wow Wolf Keum is insane", when he's first introduced as an antagonist, is the 3 second role. He beats anyone up for holding eye contact with him for longer than 3 seconds.

Now consider: everytime Gray beats someone to a pulp, his internal monologue is "I'll make it so that he can never look us in the eyes again."

Because of what happened to Stephan Ahn, Gray fights against those who threaten his friends or himself, beating them to the point where they wouldn't dare to retaliate, or do anything to challenge his authority. In a similar manner, albeit exaggerated to an unreasonable degree, Wolf retaliates against any (perceived) threat against himself. Maintaining eye contact is seen as a challenge, in both Wolf and Gray's book, but whereas Wolf is always reactive to the smallest slight, Gray is willing to let microaggressions off the hook.

The theory that Wolf used to be a victim is also supported by the timeline as well. He's the newest member of the union. He's a dark horse; he was on nobody's radar in Middle School, before suddenly becoming a big deal in High School. Just like Gray, who was simply an unassuming "nerd" up until his third year, when he went ballistic on the bullies who had tormented Stephan all year.

The difference? 

Gray had Stephan; he has friends who support him and drag him away from the edge. Friends who tell Gray "hey, they're not worth it, you're better than them".

I think it's safe to assume that no one has the guts to tell Wolf that. Without anyone to put the brakes on his rampage, Wolf got into the habit of going too far, for too little.

The role reversal from constantly being on the bottom, on the receiving end of other's violence, to being on top, would have contributed to Wolf's short temper and overwhelming arrogance. He reacts to smallest things because he won't let anyone bully him anymore. He's arrogant because he's drunk off of the victory of being on top. There isn't anyone to tell him that he's "done enough", so he keeps going, and going, and going, until it's no longer "retaliation", he's simply become the same as those who he originally lashed out against.

We even see these traits in Gray, after his fight on the rooftop, which Jake comments on. Jake compares Gray to Donald, saying that he's grown used to fighting, even to the point that he enjoys beating people up. But I think, assuming my theory isn't off the mark, the comparison would also work with Wolf.

It's the behavior of someone who has been the victim of aggression, and is sick and tired of putting up with it. They blindly, instinctively, lash out at any (perceived or otherwise) threat to themselves, or that which they want to protect (Gray's friends, Wolf's newfound authority). Other than that, they don't go intentionally provoking others into a fight, nor do they go out of their way to torment those who have done nothing to ruffle any feathers.

The only exception is... Grape, who Wolf seems to get an extra kick out of tormenting. I do suspect that the reason for this will be revealed with Wolf's backstory, but for now I will summarize this entire post by saying that I am the biggest Wolf Keum apologist, and will be a biggest clown too if this theory is completely off the mark.

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ok because I have wolf keum brainrot and chapter263 reconfirmed that he was practically unknown, prior to his entry to the union- i just wanna know what his backstory is (asking for the hundredth time).

like, it's so off that someone like wolf, who gets into fistfights regularly, managed to remain inconspicuous throughout middle school, enough that most people didn't even know what he looked like prior to his union debut. he has pastel purple hair.

the only plausible explanation i can think of is that he wasn't getting into fistfights regularly in middle school, which is also weird because every flashback we have of him from then is of him fighting?