#and what if i said this was the gateway to kunikida and fyodor making out sloppy style. what then.

[phtalogreenpoison]

GUYS GUYS I JUST HAD A THOUGHT

..fyodor parenting aya.

that's it. that's the thought.

[joeys-piano]

Atsushi for the character ask please? Thank you~🙏💕

Do you love/hate this character?I have a complicated relationship with Atsushi.

From a writer’s perspective, he’s a good audience-substitute or surrogate. We’re introduced to the world of Bungou Stray Dogs, predominately through his eyes, and that’s a classic trope used in fantasy and stories with supernatural elements. Kind of like in Harry Potter, how we’re introduced to the wizarding world and the rules through his eyes. It’s easier to get the audience up to speed and familiar with certain things when we can follow along with a rookie character and learn as they do. Our introduction to BSD would be so different if we followed Kunikida or Kyouka or Ranpo or Fyodor. Atsushi was chosen as our “gateway” into this supernatural world for a reason. His storyline follows first as a newcomer, and then an apprentice or student, and then when he’s immersed and can progress stably on his own, THAT’S when we can see the world through another’s perspective and learn more about the curious ways and world of BSD. It’s a linear progression, comfortable to follow, gives Atsushi a lot of growth, and so on and so forth. It’s like a traditional hero’s story, from farmer to knight in a sense.

From a personal standpoint, I dropped BSD from my watch list back in 2016 because season 1 was really hard for me to get through and in the nicest way possible, I needed time away from Atsushi. There is some consensus in the fandom that season 1 was rough and that Atsushi’s story in season 1 was...many things could be said about it. For years, I didn’t like Atsushi. There was something about him that I couldn’t put my finger on. I didn’t know if he was annoying, or if the frequent flashbacks to his time in the orphanage were too on the nose and forced sympathy. Now that I’m older, I understand the reason behind why it was done that way, but I think it could’ve been handled better, narratively-speaking. There are ways and there are better ways to express trauma, to express emotional and psychological scars, and I think season 1 of the anime wasn’t sure how it wanted to go about that. It left a bad taste in my mouth, and that taste transferred to me having a negative view on Atsushi’s character. I think he’s a sweet guy; but every time I thought of him, I could only see season 1 and all the things I felt about it.

It wasn’t until 2019, around this time of the year, I got back into BSD. I saw it on my dashboard because my girlfriend at the time was into it, so I decided to pick the show back up and watch it. The difference three years can make. One, I was older. Two, I’ve been through more life and I was in a rough place at the time. A combination of those two things made it easier to swallow season 1 and I could better relate to Atsushi’s struggles and how the anime portrayed his because I was going through a similar thing. Bungou Stray Dogs was the highlight of my 2019 because it was the anime I needed to move on from something in my life and I love the themes in season 1 and into season 2. While Atsushi isn’t my favorite character, I’m not as hard on him now than I used to be.

BSD is one of those shows where you kind of have to be in a certain mindset to watch it, or you have to have gone through something so that you could understand the personal struggles that every character faces. 2016 Joey didn’t know any of that. 2019 Joey did. Watched through season 1, watched through season 2, watched the OVA, watched the movie, waited and watched season 3. Read some light novels on the side. I really do mean it when I say that BSD was the highlight of my 2019. It got me through stuff and I’m glad Atsushi was there to be my friend, walking me through most of it.

To answer your question: I think Atsushi is a relatable character. Not my favorite, but I don’t hate him.

What’s your favorite trait of this character?It’s hard for me to pin something down. When I look at Atsushi, I see my younger-self reflected back at him. I see the person that was confused, hurt, scared, withdrawn, and unsure about himself. At the same time, I see someone with an incredibly compassionate heart, someone who wants to help others and be there for them, and someone who deserves to love and be loved for who they are. I see that. It’s hard for me to point out a trait that I like about Atsushi because it means I have to pick something about myself that I like.

And just writing this and seeing how hesitant I am to actually name something, it speaks a lot about me and it speaks a lot to how I relate to Atsushi because I think he’d struggle too if you asked him this. The closest thing I can answer this question with is that Atsushi feels incredibly human. I’ve probably walked past hundreds of Atsushis in my life because he feels that human. He has qualities, fears, insecurities, and flaws that a lot of us have. His story can be heavy-handed at times, but watching him grow and growing more sure of himself and seeing that he has good friends and is in a good environment has a ripple effect on us. I don’t know where I’m going with this.

What’s your favorite moment/event involving this character?I made a kickass AMV for Atsushi’s fight scene in season 3, so yeah that one.

If you could have one power/attribute/etc. of this character, what would it be?His ability to see the good in others. He may be naive and has a lot to learn, but I admire that he can find the good in others. Okay, his animosity towards Akutgawa is understandable and I find it hilarious. But even I don’t think Akutagawa is an exception.

When did you fall in love/hate with this character?Read the first question on this ask. It basically tells you everything.

Who’s your OTP for this character?I wish for Atsushi good health, a good life, good friends, and wishing him the best as he finds closure and recovery and support from everything he’s been through. That’s what I want for him. If he finds love along the way, I’m happy for him. It’s good to know you’re not doing this alone. May the universe bring Atsushi close to someone that loves him for who he is.