#bsd theory

[sorcerersandskillusers]

Spoilers for Chapter 114.5

This confirms that Dazai is literally the only person who can kill Fyodor since he would nullify the possession. Which makes the "You can't kill me line" way funnier because Fyodor was really thinking

"please for the love of god do not be the one to kill me"

[caldera1000-7]

(I think this was originally posted/drawn by Dazai_9 on Instagram.) This art I've been looking at it then got a random thought... Dazai was "saved" by Oda/joining the agency. Atsushi was "saved" by Dazai. Kyouka was "saved" by Atsushi. In this image its very obvious to see Akutagawa wasn't "saved." I didn't think much of it till the quote rang in my head: "People live to save themselves."

(Although we could say maybe Atsushi was helping in his growth and possibly somewhat saving him - now that I think of it maybe Akutagawa's path is him saving himself. He was the one who sacrificed himself for Atsushi or because he came to know the value in another's life at that moment truly afterall. This was a decision of his own. And it seems Dazai and Atsushi were just giving the pushes and slight guides for him to have gone in this direction.)

[literatureloverx]

Hii! I'm new here, but I'll just get to the point. I want to know your opinion about something

I've heard a lot of people saying that Dazai would cheat on his partner. I know it's not true, but I just wanted to know your opinion about it

Have a nice day!

I do like people who just “get to the point”. ♥️ First of all, welcome to the family! Second, I don’t think so at all.

Dazai is not a bad person. The only scenario where I could see him being unfaithful is if he were afraid of emotional intimacy (which I think he would be) and tried to push his darling away. Though, even then, I am not sure he would actually go through with it.

Given his self-sabotaging and self-destructive tendencies, it is possible, but whether he would genuinely cheat or merely create the illusion of it is open to interpretation. His desire to distance himself from his darling would likely stem from his idealised view of them, believing he doesn’t deserve them because he sees himself as tainted.

However, in my opinion, Dazai genuinely wants to improve because he is exhausted by the constant emptiness he feels. Let’s say he has a darling who fills that void inside him—would he truly want to let them go? I believe he would only push them away under specific conditions, such as self-sacrifice, driven by the need to protect them from the inevitable consequences of being involved with him—both because of his dangerous life and his internal struggles.

That being said, considering how Dazai thrives on manipulation and control as well, even if he were to push someone away, it might not be purely self-sacrificial. It could also be a subtle test, a way to see how much they are willing to fight for him. (I somehow love how hypocritical he can be. The poor man is so stuck—please, someone shake him and tell him, “We can do this together.” 🥺 He is so lonely.)

Though, I think this is an extreme scenario, one where he is 100% invested in someone, particularly romantically.

I hope this answers your question. Have a nice day as well! ♥️

[sylviealexandria]

It’s kind of a strange thing—Dazai, Akutagawa, and Kyouka all dislike dogs. At first, I figured it was just a Port Mafia thing. Maybe something to do with their situation pre-mafia (that's probably true, too). But since bsd loves its symbolism, I thought of something else.

Dogs stand for hope, loyalty, and unconditional love—everything these three have been taught to reject. To them, trust gets you hurt, devotion is a trap (except towards the mafia), and love is just another weapon in someone else’s hands. Their walls weren’t built by choice; they were built by the people who came before them.

Dazai taught Akutagawa, and Akutagawa taught Kyouka. A cycle of cruelty, passed down like a rule. Maybe their mentors convinced them that "dog-like" traits were impossible for people like them. Or worse—that kindness was a weakness they couldn’t afford.

And the irony? Back when Dazai still had Oda and Ango, before everything fell apart, his toast was "to the stray dogs." Poor Dazai. The only place he ever felt love was the one he could never return to.

[minimafioso]

Ramblings about ending themes and theories why Chuuya doesn't appear in them;

With the exception of S3's ending which shows the whole cast connected to the Dead Apple movie, Chuuya has not appeared in an ending song.

S1 & S2 are connected, focus on SSKK and Dazai.

S4 focuses on Atsushi and daily life at the Armed Detective Agency, though we get SSKK and Dazai at the end.

S5 focuses on everyone with a major role but has a lot of focus with Dazai and Akutagawa's relationship

Again, this one is particularly interesting as Chuuya has quite a significant role in Season 5 with his involvement in Fyodor and Dazai's plans. Almost the entire ADA is there, the Hunting Dogs, and several confirmed members of the Decay of Angels.

One could argue it's because his involvement was meant to be a surprise however, unlike in S4, Taniyama Kishou (Chuuya's Seiyuu) is listed in the cast of characters so his appearance was not surprising.

S3 was omitted as it included everyone who appeared in Dead Apple and is essentially a clip show to market it. The endings I included have art or edited scenes connecting characters significant to the season or tell a story.

It's interesting considering Chuuya drives the plot each season in some way.

Image heavy under the cut

Season 1 was his introduction season and while he didn't move that plot significantly as Dazai knew already where to locate the files, we got some insights into Mafia hierarchy and a brief glimpse of the duo known as Double Black.

Season 2 was him at his most impactful. Not only did we get the infamous Double Black episode but Chuuya also revealed himself and information on the Guild to members of the ADA who didn't know him and was a crucial person for Atsushi to see that lead to their truce with Port Mafia.

Season 3 is interesting because we had the 15 arc prequel episodes but they do not impact the main plot.

Instead we get Chuuya forced into the role of Port Mafia boss that ends with him being outsmarted and taken off the playing field due to him being a threat the ADA would not likely be able to handle. They took him out as quickly as possible and we don't see him again until next season

Season 4 gave us crumbs of Chuuya but his involvement saved the Armed Detective Agency and kept the plot moving forward

We also got the infamous OLD WORLD shot in the intro and I haven't forgiven Bones for that little bit of bait

Season 5 is infamous at this point, once again reminding us that Double Black is not a duo to be taken lightly. Chuuya's role was both as an antagonist but revealed as a secret ally. Once again he saved a member of the ADA and helped with dealing with the major threat, Fyodor.

Considering he is the second half of Soukoku, the duo that is the driving force in the partnership between Atsushi and Akutagawa, and a key piece that moves the plot forward, why doesn't he appear in the endings?

I have two theories, we'll go with that more likely one first.

My theory is that Chuuya will play a more significant role in the future. A running theme in the endings is a focus on Dazai and SSKK or members of the ADA. The only consistent member currently in Port Mafia that appears is Akutagawa.

Even by Season 5 Atsushi has not been at the ADA as long as it feels due to how long the series has been running. He's only begun to understand the landscape of Yokohama and the history ability users. Dazai introduced him to this new world so he's experiencing it in the light of the agency.

I wont go into my theory about Atsushi being the perfect pick to go to Port Mafia for narrative reasons, but that drives my next point. Port Mafia will probably have the spotlight again in the future. They've been fairly absent not counting the obvious 3 in s5 (Aku, Chu, Tachi)

Against all odds and near misses Chuuya and Atsushi have yet to meet. There's a lot of speculation about that but I think if Chuuya does interact with Atsushi it'll be because it's his turn to mentor the new generation of Double Black thus taking Dazai's place in the end credits. What does that mean for Dazai? Who knows, it's all just me theorizing!

The other theory?

Well, this one is more a sad symbolic one; the idea what Chuuya doesn't appear in endings because he doesn't get one. Well, to clarify; Asagiri doesn't pull punches with Chuuya and has stated Chuuya will not be having the easiest of paths. With the looming threat of the Storm still brought up by Verlaine in the present day it could mean he doesn't get a nice happy ending image like we see the ADA get in the S4 ending

"Chuuya’s character is an inexhaustible spring."

"I can’t describe the joy I get out of writing such a deep, intricate character and then having everyone read about him. I would like Chuuya’s fate to remain in the palace of imaginations. His destination is still a secret, although there is one thing I can say with confidence:"

"His will not be a peaceful, easy path."

- Asagiri Kafka, Storm Bringer Afterword

Edit: For clarity the symbolic theory is not the Asagiri plans to kill him off, but that he does not get a good ending showing off the people he cares for at PM the way we see the ADA in a group shot in season four

Asagiri says things won't be easy for him. But he's also very resilient so we'll have to see what is in store for him in the future

[ghostlytragicangel]

Listen batshit insane theory that Fyodor is the broken sword while Atsushi is the time sword.

This is gonna sound crazy but I'm gonna keep going.

Which could be why Fyodor is looking for his other half because the swords were called the twin swords which could be why he had originally thought that Dazai was his other half and could be why Fyodor seems to know so much about Atsushi.

Remember that one chapter where Atsushi has a sword going through his head and Amenogozen also had a sword go through their head so what if the sword going through Atsushi's head wasn't really a hallucination but a projection from the time sword.

And in 55 minutes Atsushi was called the foreseer and travelled through time.

[snowyleopardess]

Okay, am I fucking losing it??? Because it looks like Akutagawa has STRIPES ON HIS CHEEKS.

LIKE A TIGER. DID AKUTAGAWA GET POWERS AND/OR CHARACTERISTICS FROM DRINKING ATSUSHI'S BLOOD.

BECAUSE HOLY FUCK

Ps I wasn't the one to originally theorize this, this post was:

[iamthemess]

Wanna know what else I'm obsessed with?

It's Natsume. Lots of people forget about him or never even really noticed him. but I did and he is honestly the most unsettling character to me.

He is constantly around Dazai, watching throughout 15 and dark era and he spies on the agency/Dazai? in the present timeline too.

He appears around PM Dazai all the time unless he is with Mori or Chuuya but not Odasaku. He watched the lupin trio.

It's not just the watching, it's the interfering. He gave Oda that book, that book that made Oda who he is and in turn made Dazai who he is.

Was Mori really the only one who made the decisions about Oda dying? Why was there no other choice unless it was a part of a bigger plan?

He put Mori in a prime position where he would be called upon to treat the old mafia boss, where he could learn and understand that the city was falling apart. For a lot of that time the person giving him orders was Natsume.

Natsume was the one who hired Fukuzawa to be Mori's body guard.

Natsume was the one who made the detective agency a possibility.

He is the one who put Mori and Fukuzawa in charge of opposite organisations. What else did he do?

How did Mori find Yosano? Where did Dazai come from? How did the guild know about Atsushi?

Time and time again Natsume shows up to create a chain of events leading up to creating a perfect pair who could cause devastation and/or save the city.

He started with Mori and Fukuzawa, Mori who would continue this line of succession by creating soukoku, Dazai and Chuuya. Mori even quotes something Natsume told him. "only diamonds can polish diamonds."

Dazai, with Natsume possibly guiding him, goes on to find his own diamonds to be polished and creates Shin soukoku.

Everything that has happened can stem from Natsume, a character we rarely see and isn't outwardly stated as important. What is he hiding?

[bluemooniegif]

Soukoku's first meeting could not have been written more perfectly. Allow me to explain

A quick note on the manga panels: these are fan translations from BSD Bibliophile. At one stage they refer to Dazai as 'the youngest boss in Mafia history,' and the executive meeting as 'a meeting of five bosses.' This is just a stylistic choice! All of the panels shown here are from chapters 8 (volume 2), 10 & 11 (volume 3)

I love this scene more than life itself, because it is literally the PERFECT introduction to Chuuya, his character, and his relationship with Dazai. Let's talk about it!

First: some context. Dazai seems to be in a bit of a predicament- he's walked right into a trap set by the Port Mafia, an organisation that we don't know much about at this stage in the story. What we do know, and what we can observe, is this:

Dazai is a former executive, and appears to have walked into the trap on purpose

He is now being held in a room that Akutagawa describes very negatively- the fact of being here is dangerous

Dazai reveals that Akutagawa was once his subordinate, and that he thought very lowly of him at the time. He claims to still think of him this way. Akutagawa has a violent reaction to this.

This is a PERFECT example of 'showing, not telling' within a story. Rather than making a bunch of asides, describing what Dazai and Akutagawa are feeling and why, Asagiri & Harukawa have plopped us into the middle of a rather awkward reunion. I feel like I've walked into my friend's Christmas dinner and am now witnessing family politics unfold real time. It's like watching a car crash.

Now, we move between settings a bit, jumping around to watch Yosano DESTROY Kajii, Atsushi rescue Kyouka, and subsequently be injured and kidnapped by Akutagawa. We watch the Agency fall into disarray when Fukuzawa demands that everyone go looking for Atsushi- interesting, considering that Dazai is IN THE BASEMENT OF THE PORT MAFIA RIGHT NOW.

I've had lots of discussions and arguments about the meaning and significance of this. I won't delve too deep into it for now, but the way I see it is this: something the ADA is really REALLY good at is splitting up Mystery-Inc. style and working to solve cases etc., together, but apart. Dazai is also something of a stray dog (... cat), regularly wandering off and reappearing of his own accord. He's been with the ADA for several years at this point, and they would understand the way he operates well. Even if there's no indication whether he explicitly told anyone what he's doing or where he's going (which honestly, does that matter, when Ranpo would know immediately anyway?), we can safely assume that this is more or less a regular thing for them.

Anyway, back to the point. the Agency is not fazed by Dazai's disappearance... and neither, for some reason, is Dazai. He stands chained to the wall in the PM's basement- the same one, we discover later, where he's brutally tortured countless victims and traitors, and he's humming a little tune to himself, smiling, totally relaxed. We as the audience know he's pretty unflappable, and Akutagawa's expression when he sees him confirms this, too.

But. BUT. This doesn't last.

With the ADA descending into chaos, we switch perspectives back to Dazai again. He's bored at this stage, and thinking to himself that they must be searching for Atsushi soon (an indication that he was riling Akutagawa up earlier, btw) when he hears it: A voice that makes his resolve crack. A look of panic on his face that, at this stage, we haven't seen yet.

He turns, and we see Chuuya for the first time! He's got this strange smug look on his face, something deeply vindictive. Here's a current mafia executive, and he's so happy to see Dazai chained to the wall of their Torture Basement that you can't help but wonder... is there something that Dazai did to him, personally, that makes him feel this way? Or is this guy just so deeply involved with the PM that the fact Dazai left is like a personal slight against him?

Now, we don't really have long enough to truly panic over this predicament, because almost immediately these two fall into their old habits. Dazai isn't PLEASED, but he isn't afraid. He goes right into bantering with Chuuya, who surprisingly meets him right in the middle. Their regular dynamic shines right through: it's quick-witted quips, inside jokes, and knowing looks. It's this odd relaxation in their posture. In all of this, we have an acknowledgement of what they were, and evidence to suggest that they still are... whatever that thing is. Whatever you wanna call it: partners, boyfriends, best friends, buddies. That much is up to interpretation; the only undeniable fact is that they once knew each other better than themselves, and still do.

Then, the fight. This, to me, comes across as more of a way to display how powerful they both are individually: Chuuya punches concrete so hard it shatters in several places, Dazai snaps his fingers and breaks out of handcuffs.

We have front-row seats to what is in my opinion one of the best action sequences in early BSD, not just for what physically transpires, but what it tells us: they deeply understand each other on multiple levels. They're constantly predicting each other's moves, and they know where each other's weak spots are.

But there's also been a lot of growth. Dazai surprises Chuuya a few times, and vice-versa. Despite their apparent closeness, it's still clear that they haven't been together like this for a long, long time.

Then, they reach checkmate. It appears as though Chuuya has won, and we're fed some more Dazai lore- he was the youngest executive the PM ever saw.

This is how Chuuya remembers Dazai. Again, I want to remind you that this is the first time so far we're seeing PM-zai, and he is worlds away from the Dazai we've grown to know so far.

Though Chuuya seems to have driven Dazai into a corner, the roles are quickly reversed when Dazai claims to know something about a meeting between all five of the Mafia's executives. Chuuya quickly realises this is one of his 'predictions,' further proving the depth of their mutual understanding.

With hindsight, we know just how big a deal a meeting of this scale is, and knowing a certain stormbro (who I won't reveal just in case of spoilers) will be there makes me lose my mind, personally. It clearly affects Chuuya, as well, which was undoubtedly Dazai's goal.

With the power balance disrupted again, they quickly fall back into that same bantering dynamic. The volatile nature of their relationship is so perfectly portrayed within this short scene that it actually makes me sick, I genuinely don't think it could have been more perfect

Anyway. Chuuya has realised, at this stage, that Dazai had multiple goals when he allowed himself to be kidnapped, and one of those was to piss Chuuya off (which is something I think he could've managed even if Chuuya wasn't physically there). This, in turn, pisses Chuuya off, especially when he realises the predicament Dazai has left him in- let him escape, or the Mafia suffers. A test of loyalty, Chuuya's greatest weakness. Do you understand why I am tearing my hair out and howling at the moon??? This is fucking insanity.

And then, the final moment! The part we all know and love! Not only does Chuuya choose to err on the side of caution, allowing Dazai to escape- he also leaves with the repetition of another inside joke. And Dazai laughs- he looks genuinely happy, too.

That is all. I'm gonna go cry now ಥ_ಥ

read this original thread on twitter

[lotus-soda]

Okay I gotta talk about this! I got a lot of thoughts and uh here they all are :)

To start, irl Ueda Akinari translated Chinese tales into a more Japanese style (I find this interesting as Ammenogozen kinda translated people between dimensions :)

Secondly, (now this may be a coincidence but I don't think so tbh) he is the Third author (In bsd anyways) to have a literary counterpart who had a connection to China in some way (Please correct me if I'm wrong on this) Akutagawa and Atsushi both wrote at least one or two stories that either took place in China or were related to it (Moonlight over mountain took place in China for context)

now onto the stories of Ugetsu Monogatari and Harusame Monogatari that I think connect to bsd characters!

Shiramine (White peak) - Nakajima Atsushi

While the tengu bird depicted in Shiramine and the tiger in moonlight over mountains are clearly not the same, the stories are quite similar.

A man either leaves or is rejected from his family and travels to another place to vent/write poetry. Both are turned into animals by the end of their story. (Also fun fact, the story the play draws from is is Matsuyama Tengu which depicts the man as a poet, linning up with Nakajima's poet)

(Also Tengu are a form of jappanese Yokai for anybody unaware before this like myself)

I also wanna point out both characters succumbing to their animal and inevitably growing 'dark' and 'monstrous'

Atsushi's eyes are growing dark, a frequent depiction of evil or darkness growing over a character...

Kikka no Chigiri (The Cyrsamthimum pledge) - Akutagawa

Now this has more to do with bsd Akutagawa than his author counterpart (Unless there is a story like this in which tell me cus I need motivation to finish a book of his stories I have lol)

Anyways in Kikka no Chigiri, the main protag is a warrior (Oh look Aku is a knight *wink* *wink*) and falls ill and vows to come back for the man who nursed him back to health on the day of the chrysanthemum festival (He was close to the guy) Also oh who showed Aku the light metaphorically? Atsushi. Who did Aku try to protect and vow to come back for? Atsushi....

In the story The warrior comes home and finds his lord dead, and learns a new one took over, who now everybody follows, even the protag's cousin. The protag's cousin locks him up and the warrior realizes he is unable to go back to his friend for the Chrysanthemum festival. So unwilling to break his promise, the warrior kills himself and visits the friend as a spirit. Afterward the friend travels to see the warrior and kills the cousin after lecturing him on loyalty.

(Alright back to analysis lol) Anyways I think the Warrior is Akutagawa, the friend is Atsushi, and the Cousin is Dazai (Potentially Mori or even Gin) Now let me explain, the Atsushi and Aku parts I feel are self explainable, but lemme talk about Dazai for a moment. So basically my dude up and left Aku leaving (Locking him up metaphorically) in a bad mindset. While I don't think Aku had met Atsushi prior to him joining the pm or really before the series... it's something to think about I guess...

That's all I'll write for now, I might do a part two with other stories, but I got both an Atsushi and Aktagawa book to finish, so until then, eat something, drink water, and get some rest people :)

[featherstorm2004]

So, we've finally found out what role Atsushi plays with the book and we now know he is the book mark. Which suggests there are other characters who are part of the book, and I've seen people speculate on what Dazai might be because well...he's Dazai.

But I offer you this what if Akutagawa is also part of the book.

That could explain why he and Atsushi are able to create such a strong singularity and it could also explain why in beast Dazai chose him and Atsushi to be the only people who'd know the truth of their world. So, I argue that Akutagawa is the pen of the book, the one who takes an active role in shaping the story, after all Atsushi has always been an extremely passive protagonist only reacting to things that happen to him in the story, so it would make sense that he'd be the bookmark.

However, Akutagawa has always been an active protagonist constantly seeking out his own story, determined to grasp it with his own hands so realistically that would make him the pen as he actively tries to shape the world around him.

And Dazai? why not have him be the author the person who wields both the pen and bookmark.

[sorcerersandskillusers]

*SPOILER WARNING CHAPTER 112*

Something is really off about Fyodor's death in the manga

Having just read the latest chapter, I noticed something really weird with Fyodor death scene. It all comes down to Dazai's reaction.

Before Fyodor "death" we see Dazai being all smug and gloating about what Fyodor missed, very typical of his character in general.

But then his mood suddenly shifts completely

He suddenly becomes very sombre, no triumph or gloating, this could be him regretting having to kill Fyodor, but the next few panels make me think there's more too it then that.

Look at Dazai's expression here, the way he seems so suspicious of the hand

I don't think we've ever seen Dazai's eyes like this, they are blank white, it's almost like his mafia eyes but colour inverted. This is not the face of someone who just beat their greatest enemy, or someone mourning their loss, It looks like Dazai is unsatisfied, I can't quite describe it, but there is something more in those eyes.

After Fyodors death Dazai is uncharacteristically quiet and Chuuya even points it out, again, nothing about this says "we won!" it feels like we still lost somehow.

So why would Dazai not want Fyodor dead? While it could be because he was sad to lose the only person who thought like him, while that's possible, I want to explore another idea.

Death did not stop Fyodor.

Dazai could have killed Fyodor when he had him cornered in the cafe if he wanted to, or have someone else kill him so he doesn't break his promise to Oda.

But he didn't, he let Ango arrest him instead, even though Dazai knew what a threat he was, why?

It all comes down to this.

The only way Dazai can counter Dostoyevsky is when he's right there in front of him. So now he's dead, Dazai can't read his actions any more. It's like he's fighting a ghost, all the plans Fyodor will have laid in case he died will be 10x harder to uncover and stop since it's much harder to fight an invisible enemy.

Remember that Dazai did not order the piolet to kill Fyodor, Bram did, and Dazai admitted to not having any say in that deal

.

I don't have any final point here, I just wanted to vent these thoughts. Does Fyodor quoting jesus on the cross mean he's going to come back in three days? What's going on with Sigma? I have way more questions than answers and it's driving me nuts

[caldera1000-7]

Second time I've ever seen Akutagawa apologise was before he was supposed to "kill" Atsushi here.

I like how out of all the known generations of duos in BSD, SSKK/Shin Soukoku (I still don't like this name for them as a more yin-yang sounding one sounds more suitable.) they harbor the least amount of hatred toward each other at least after some time, or are just more likely to end up being the "successful" duo. Especially considering that one interaction in Beast... They could get along without even fighting.

With Fukuzawa and Mori its like they're on complete opposite ends, they in the past and now do not get along.

With SKK/Soukoku/ Dazai and Chuuya, they haven't gotten along but could work together when they had to. They still have an amount of hatred in their complexity, or just could never work as "friends" after everything that has happened or during all that has, despite the trust that has built upon years of working together.

Then there's Akutagawa and Atsushi... At first it was confusion, then hatred from Akutagawa, then Atsushi firmly not liking him, to Akutagawa understanding, to Atsushi still being confused but not completely firmly disliking/getting along with him through their team-ups and the fight with Ivan despite their verbal clashes during that time. To Akutagawa being there on that battle with Fukuchi when Atsushi was alone, to the trust that built for the battle as comrades for that one time in that second they needed to defeat Fukuchi.

I don't know what they are now, and I await the day they become friends even if it happens when one of them dies. But they definitely had more of a journey of understanding and not liking views, of jealousy, of defeat, of strength of self, of willpower, of survival, of trust, and of life and death.

Asagiri really makes some interesting and well-written character duos.

[mikayuumouse]

Dumb Bsd theory I came up with that's probably already been said but idk I wanted to discuss it;

So Fyodor was all like "I'll let you use the backside of the Page from the Book if you join my side"

Atsushi of course agreed to this, but then Amenogozen stabbed him and Fyodor said this;

So Fyodor really only wants Byakko. He doesn't give a crap about Atsushi

Then he commanded Amenogozen to decapitate Atsushi, and Atsushi almost was killed until someone cut Amenogozen's arm off

And who was that? Atsushi's knight in shining armor, Akutagawa

Anyways, blah blah blah, more stuff happened, as you all know, I don't wanna just recap all the latest chapters, I just want to talk about a specific aspect

Fyodor is most likely desperate for the Bookmark/Byakko. I don't think we really know anything about the Bookmark(?) except for the fact that Atsushi's ability slicing claws are valuable. But like, Fyodor's been doing all this plotting and scheming for years, just to get the Book and maybe the Bookmark

I have no idea how Fyodor was going to get Byakko out of Atsushi if Atsushi had actually been decapitated by Amenogozen, but I Atsushi's gone now. He's not dead, but he's in the fourth dimension with Ueda, where Fyodor (probably) can't reach him. If Fyodor can't reach Atsushi (whether dead or alive), he can't get the Bookmark

But who's someone Fyodor can get to? Akutagawa

Also this was Fyodor's face when Akutagawa cut Amenogozen's arm off,

and he looks genuinely shocked, because I think to his knowledge at the time, Atsushi's claws were the only thing that could hurt Amenogozen (as he said while guilt tripping Atsushi into thinking Kenji, Tanizaki and Kunikida's blood were on his hands). Fyodor most likely sees Akutagawa as a threat of some sort, especially since he's so unprecedented

But Akutagawa isn't stable right now

Akutagawa is injured, alone, enraged and just very recently got all of his memories and trauma returned to him. He's not in the best of shape, and also, he is desperate. Perhaps even more than Fyodor. Akutagawa wants and needs Atsushi back, because Atsushi is his reason to live and his heart

Now, Fyodor ripped up the "Page" but c'mon that was most likely a fake. Fyodor's got the real thing kept somewhere else (maybe just on his person). Or maybe he has more fake Pages (if the original Page he decimated was even fake)

So what would happen if Fyodor pulled out another Page, whether fake or real, and offered it to the feral, desperate knight known as Akutagawa? What if Fyodor told him the power of the Page, and how Akutagawa could bring his beloved weretiger back?

Akutagawa doesn't know people who die by Amenogozen's blade get transported to the fourth dimension. He thinks Atsushi is dead.

What if Fyodor manipulates that aspect of Akutagawa? Like, what if Fyodor's plan has altered, slightly, to where he uses Akutagawa's desperation to get Atsushi/Byakko

There could be a lot difference ways of executing the whole thing, but I assume Akutagawa would be tricked by Fyodor and then somehow imprisoned and then once Atsushi's back from the fourth dimension (does Fyodor know about the fourth dimension? I don't remember if it's even revealed if he does or not), he'll use Akutagawa against Atsushi. It's guaranteed that Atsushi would join Fyodor's side to save Akutagawa, as he agreed to it to save the Agency, although Atsushi probably wouldn't trust Fyodor's promises

Idk this is a very random theory and probably stupid 😔 but I do wonder how things would play out if the story took this direction

[sylviealexandria]

When I read this, it raised the possibility that Dazai is linked to The Book, maybe even being a part of it. A visual clue was how Dazai's ability is depicted in the anime: as letters in a blue glow.

(A slightly blurry image, but you can see the letters.) Atsushi’s realization occurs while facing what appears to be a hallucination or illusion of Dazai. However, considering the themes of bsd, where perception and reality blur, this vision might not be just an illusion. Dazai's ability could be The Book’s own defence mechanism, preventing reality from being rewritten by external forces. And, as far as I know, there's no other nullification ability in the bsd universe. Maybe I'm overthinking this too much, but considering how Asagiri's brain works, it's not that far of a stretch.

[minimafioso]

"The four levels of "甲”(kou),”乙”(otsu),”丙”(hei), and 丁(tei) are used. The best grade is "甲" and "丁" is a failing grade." I bet Chuuya's parents were proud of their smart lil guy