#bsd Meta

[sorcerersandskillusers]

Bungou Stray Dogs does not follow our timeline! Its an entirely separate universe. So the question "what year is BSD set in?" doesn't have an answer.

This is one of the most common questions I've seen about bsd, "What year is it set in?" or people saying stuff like "Why do the guild dress so old timey?" or "Why do the characters have flip phones but such advanced technology?" etc...

And the truth is, the series is set in a completely different world then ours, some series like Jujutsu Kaisen or Harry Potter are set in our world, and (mostly) follow our history. But the BSD universe is just fundamentally different, There was a war, heavily modelled after world war 1, less than 20 years before the present. There are loads of references to huge political events that simply didn't happen. in fact, it seems like the technology of bsd is many decades ahead of its politics. For instance, the Guild all being dressed like great depression era Americans fits if you consider that the great depression happened just after ww1 IRL.

Another difference is that In BSD Europe is described as the centre of global power instead of America, which might be explained by Dazai saying Europe has a high number of powerful skill users.

Maybe Abilities accelerated the growth of technology, they probably also changed the balance of politics.

What im saying is there is so much different in the bsd universe, that trying to match the story to a real life year or time period will never work, its like trying to find out what kind of wood a rock is made of, they have similarities but are just fundamentally different.

[nighttimeebony]

So recently, my boyfriend and I have been trying to figure out when Bungou Stray Dogs is taking place. More specifically, we've been trying to pin down a precise month in the anime using details from the anime, as well as character profile sheets for things like ages and birthdays. With all that said, here's all the time-relevant information I was able to gather from season 1 of the anime.

A couple quick things to establish before I really get into it. Firstly, all of the evidence I gathered for this comes from the anime, not the manga; obviously, there are some inconsistencies and continuity errors between the manga and the anime, but because the anime is in color with more detailed backgrounds, that made identifying potentially time-specific details (like weather, plants, and cars) easier.

Secondly, I did not include the episodes from the Azure Messenger arc. The reason for this is because the Azure Messenger arc is meant to take place two years prior to the manga and anime, so any timeline details in those episodes are likely to be either inaccurate or potentially inconsistent with other evidence.

Thirdly, the one thing that made this job so much easier is the fact that almost every character has both an established age at the beginning of the series, as well as a clearly defined birthday, but I'll only really be relying on main characters for plotting out a timeline. This includes everyone from the ADA, and only some of the recurring characters from other organizations like the Port Mafia or the Guild, especially if those characters' ages are in some way related to the characters from the ADA.

Now, with all that out of the way, down the rabbit hole we go.

Episode 1:

Atsushi is 18, and his birthday is May 5th. We also know that Atsushi was kicked out of the orphanage recently. In orphanages and the foster care system, children have to remain under the care of those facilities until they age out of the system at 18. Considering the orphanage's attitude towards Atsushi, I think it's safe to assume that they likely kicked him out as soon as he turned 18 and were no longer legally responsible for him. So, at the very least, Atsushi was kicked out of the orphange at or near the beginning of May, making him freshly 18 as opposed to 18 years and six months, or something like that. He's fresh off of being 17 instead of being closer to 19.

Atsushi mentions that he hasn't eaten in several days, and is considered to be on the brink of starvation. This is clearly a bit of a hyperbole, since the human body can survive for roughly 2 to 3 months without food, and while Atsushi is clearly very small and skinny, he's nowhere near emaciated, so "several days" in this instance probably means about a week, give or take. We also know from Dazai that the tiger has eaten livestock and farm animals, so Atsushi is clearly subsisting off of something, even if it is small and he's not eating anything during the daylight hours.

Another reason why we know Atsushi has only gone a few days without eating instead of weeks or months is because of something called refeeding syndrome. When the body goes too long without food, reintroducing food, even in small doses, is like a massive shock to your system. Once your body has grown accustomed to the fact that you're not going to feed it, it starts subsisting off of itself in order to survive. (In short, your body will literally eat itself if you go too long without eating.) So, once your body gets used to this after a certain amount of time, reintroducing food to your system is like exposing a Victorian child to the internet. Instead of welcoming the sudden influx of calories, your body will actually reject it because it's too overwhelming to properly absorb. In mild cases, the most you'll do is just vomit whatever you've eaten, but in more severe cases, it can actually be fatal. Basically, you have to re-teach your body how to eat and digest food. Based on the way Atsushi is able to scarf down several bowls of chazuke without vomiting, it's likely that Atsushi has only gone a few days without eating instead of weeks or months.

Dazai then goes on to say that the tiger has been causing chaos in Yokohama for two weeks, and that the tiger was spotted in the Tsurumi ward 4 days ago (Yokohama is a city, and Tsurumi is just one of the 18 wards that exist in the city).

In conclusion: It's been almost a month since Atsushi left the orphanage.

Episode 2:

Kunikida pulls out his notebook to say that Dazai received a complaint in August, and another complaint in September, and in the same month it's stated that he's racked up a 6-month long tab with the cafe. Since this scene is meant to establish Dazai's problem-causing behavior and that it happens often, the fact that Kunikida references calls from August and September seem to imply that these are the most recent calls that the Agency has received, and if that assumption is correct then this would mean that the series is taking place in October. Which, I suppose could be true, but it doesn't really align with other evidence we get later. But we'll still tuck it away in our back pocket for later just in case.

Episode 3:

Atsushi accurately guesses that Naomi and Junichirou were students before they started working at the Agency. We know that Junichirou is 18 and his birthday is July 24th. While we don't know Naomi's age, we can assume that she's most likely 16, since she's stated to be younger than Junichirou, still attends school, and only works at the Agency part-time because of that. We don't know how long the siblings have been with the Agency, but since Junichirou is stated to be an assistant rather than a detective like the others, it's likely that they haven't been there for very long. It's not a leap to suggest that Junichirou probably took his entrance exam not long after he graduated high school so he could provide for Naomi.

Since Japanese school terms end in March, and Japanese high schoolers are all 18 by the time they graduate, Junichirou would have graduated when he was 18, but would've turned 19 not long after, since his birthday is in mid-July. So Junichirou is 18, but potentially very close to being 19.

Additionally, Naomi is specifically a part-time employee, and since she's still in school, this is probably not a summer job, or else she'd likely be working full-time. In Japan, summer vacation lasts from around mid-July to the end of August.

Later in the episode, when Junichirou uses his ability, Higuchi mistakes it for snow and comments that snow is odd in "this time of year". According to Weatherspark, Yokohama doesn't tend to get a lot of snow, and when it does, the snow doesn't seem to stick around for very long. The months where Yokohama is most likely to get snow is in January or February, so at the very least, we know the series doesn't take place during winter.

Conclusion: We are most likely in late spring to early summer

Episode 4:

We don't get very many time indicators in episode 4, but when Atsushi is wandering around the city, we can see that the trees lining the sidewalks are lush and green.

Not only are the trees fully green, but they also aren't budding like they would be in early spring, or wilting like they might be in autumn. This remains consistent across multiple episodes. This strengthens my theory that the series takes place some time between late spring to early summer.

Episode 5:

There aren't a lot of time-specific details in this episode either.

Episode 8: (again, we're skipping the Azure Messenger episodes)

Again, not a lot of time-specific details.

We are introduced to Kyouka. Kyouka is 14, and her birthday is November 4th. We know that she's been with the Port Mafia for six months, but that doesn't tell us much about when the series takes place in the present.

Episode 9:

When Kunikida and Atsushi take Kyouka to a restaurant, there is a wisteria tree in full bloom just outside the window.

According to Gardenia.net, Japanese wisterias bloom around late spring to early summer, with various tourist sites specifying that they start blooming in mid-April, with the peak bloom ending in mid-May. After this, the flowers will develop into pods that ripen in late summer, and in autumn, the leaves will turn yellow. Considering that the leaves on top of the flowers are thicker, and the flower stems are shorter, this tree is likely just past peak blooming time, but not yet into pod development. Which makes me think that we're probably somewhere between the middle and end of May.

Later in the episode, when the detectives are trying to find Atsushi, Kunikida provides a photograph that he says was taken by a tourist.

Obviously, Japan can receive tourists at any time, but considering that Atsushi and Kyouka were specifically visiting popular tourist areas and locations when Akutagawa kidnapped them (and when you consider all the other evidence we have so far), it's possible that this is taking place during one of Japan's more popular tourist seasons.

Japan has two prime tourism seasons: spring and autumn. This detail by itself doesn't indicate much, but when you combine it with everything else we have so far, the case for the series taking place in late spring to early summer just gets stronger.

Episode 10:

No significant time-indicative details.

Episode 11:

In the dub, Kenji states that he's only been with the Agency for two months.

When Kenji and Atsushi are walking through the market together, a pedestrian walks up to Kenji and comments that his "vegetable garden isn't draining like it should." In Japan, the spring months of March to June are broadly considered to be the best times for gardening vegetables.

Episode 12:

Almost no timeline details in this episode

Other, more specific details:

Episode 1 takes place during a single night. It opens during sunset, and closes during the night. We'll call that Day One.

Day Two consists of episodes 2 + 3 + 4 + 5. Atsushi's entrance exam takes place early in the morning, he officially meets Junichirou and Naomi at the cafe for lunch, and are then sent out to investigate Higuchi's tip just after. The three of them are gunned down in the alleyway before being taken back to the infirmary, where Atsushi regains consciousness. When Atsushi wakes up in the infirmary, he's wearing different clothes, which could imply that he was kept there overnight, but there's no indication that that's the case. Junichirou is still being treated in the next room over, and when the episode cuts the next scene, it's still the same time of day outside that it was when Atsushi had his encounter with Akutagawa. (first screenshot: episode 3, just before the attack in the alleyway | second screenshot: episode 4, the first shot of the sky after Atsushi wakes up in the infirmary)

I'm guessing that Atsushi's clothes were probably too shredded and bloodied, so Yosano removed them to better assess his supposed injuries and dressed him in scrubs until his own clothes could be mended and cleaned. Then the Port Mafia attacks the Agency some time during the afternoon, and then, while the Agency is still cleaning up, Ranpo is assigned a case with the police that he and Atsushi go to investigate at about late afternoon, and the day finally ends with Ranpo, Dazai, and Atsushi going home. We only know that this has to be the end of the day because the police interrogation and the walk to the station both happen at sunset.

Episodes 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 all take place during the same day, with episodes 2 + 3 encompassing the morning to noon, and episodes 4 + 5 encompassing the afternoon and evening.

Episodes 8 + 9 + 10 all take place during the next day. We'll consider this Day Three. In episode 8, Dazai is kidnapped either early in the morning or late at night (since it's completely dark out when he encounters Kyouka).

And then Junichirou comes back to the office after fully recovering. Because of Yosano's ability, I doubt that Junichirou was in the infirmary any longer than a day. I'm guessing Yosano probably kept him overnight to finish her treatment, and then let him go back to work the next day once he was fully healed. Then the whole incident with the train happens, and Kyouka wakes up in the infirmary in the next episode. Again, we're given no indication that this episode takes place on a different day, since Dazai is still missing, but no one seems particularly concerned about it, whereas, if he'd been missing for at least two days at a time, the other detectives would probably start to get suspicious. Then, Kunikida and Atsushi take Kyouka to lunch and buy her tofu, and Atsushi and Kyouka have their sightseeing adventure before being attacked by Akutagawa. Then the Agency immediately set out to rescue Atsushi.

Episode 11 is where the specifics get tricky, because of the two-parter with Higuchi's plot and Kenji's plot. The first section of the episode is where Fukuzawa agrees to let Kyouka stay to become an official member of the Agency. I believe that section of the episode still takes place on Day Three. I'll explain why in a bit. Then, Kenji's half of the episode probably also takes place on Day Three (because again) Dazai is STILL missing and no one questions it, not even Atsushi. Then the episode ends after Kenji and Atsushi get beef bowls (presumably for lunch since the sun hasn't set), and then after the credits, we get a scene of Dazai reading in his dorm, where he says he'll tell the Agency he escaped the Mafia "tomorrow". This after-credits scene with Dazai also takes place during sunset, marking this as the end of Day Three.

Meanwhile, Higuchi's plotline takes place in the evening/night of Day Three, because we see her going home to her apartment, and later when she wakes up in the middle of the night to go save Akutagawa, the moon is still out.

Episode 12 definitively takes place over the course of two days. The episode starts with Atsushi waking up, surprised and confused as to why Kyouka is in his dorm. This marks the start of Day Four, just one day after meeting Kyouka. The reason why we know this takes place the day after Kyouka's introduction is because this is the first time anyone's had to address where Kyouka would be sleeping. If a few days passed in between episode 10 and 12, then Atsushi wouldn't be confused as to why Kyouka is rooming with him because he would have already known why she was staying with him, meaning that this is Kyouka's first official night in the Agency dorms since Fukuzawa agreed to let her stay to become a member. Then comes Fukuzawa's meeting with Fitzgerald, and Kenji's disappearance. That marks the end of Day Four. In the next scene, we get a text pop-up telling us that the events with Lucy in Anne's room are happening the day after Kenji went missing, which means that the last half of episode 12 officially takes place on Day Five.

So!

In conclusion: the first season of Bungou Stray Dogs takes place over the course of five days, and is set during the end of May.

If this is all correct, and the first season does actually take place in May, then there a couple of potentially interesting details regarding the characters ages.

Atsushi is freshly 18.

Dazai is technically only 21 by the time season 1 comes to a close, since his birthday is in June.

Chuuya is freshly 22, since his birthday is in April.

Kunikida is 22, but would be close to turning 23, since his birthday is in August.

Akutagawa is freshly 20, since his birthday is in March.

Kenji is 14, but would be close to turning 15, since (like Kunikida) his birthday is also in August.

Junichirou is 18, but would be close to turning 19, since his birthday is in July.

[flowers-of-buffoonery]

I have many Thoughts about kunikida and dazai but kunikida realising something is wrong and immediately going to dazai about it is the Thought ever.

kunikida was with the agency - he could have asked yosano, ranpo, even fukuzawa. instead, he climbs several flights of stairs to go ask dazai - and then he doesn't even ask, he simply acts as though assuming dazai would know the answer.

at this point in the story, kunikida is entirely in the dark about dazai's past; everything he knows about his partner comes from observation, from paying attention to what dazai says and does.

kunikida knows nothing about dazai save for what he's been able to put together himself, which apparently is: if something's wrong, dazai will know what it is as well as the implications. he will know how to fix it, and kunikida trusts him to do so.

as much as dazai's antics grate on kunikida's nerves, he's perfectly aware of how capable dazai is. he knows nothing about him other than what he's learnt, and that's enough for him to trusts dazai with his life.

[calmlb]

Higuchi’s Unrevealed Ability

my theory on what it could be…

i think that Higuchi’s ability will be called “Takekurabe” (Growing Up/Child’s Play) after her most famous work, and i believe it might have something to do with reincarnation. here’s why…

in this official art she is featured with red spider lilies, which are symbolic of death, but are also thought of as a bridge between heaven & earth…a reminder of the “cyclical nature of life & death”

Takekurabe also explores themes such as how life is fleeting. & also abt being forced into a role that you didn’t want, or wouldn’t have chosen for yourself

(plus potential foreshadowing: in this official art, Higuchi is surrounded by pinwheels— which symbolize childhood, but also the cycle of life, & the buddhist teaching of reincarnation)

back to reincarnation…

after being told that Akutagawa may never wake up, she reached out to him & a glow appeared around her hand— like she was activating an ability— before pulling away bc she remembered that he didn’t want her (or anyone’s) help

but this means that she’s able to give help in this sort of situation

additionally, the fact that she almost always appears in official arts w Akutagawa indicates that she will probably use her ability on him at some point, which makes sense considering his terminal condition

(note the pulse in the background, his bright eyes, & her white suit)

because we have yet to see her use her ability, i’m assuming that she can only use it once, so she’d be giving up her life for Akutagawa’s (a life for a life— his reincarnation)

this would imitate irl Higuchi’s unfortunately short life— with her having died at only 25 years old. it also makes sense to give her such a powerful ability since irl Higuchi is such an important figure in japanese history— japan’s first professional woman writer of modern literature

now for a less likely, but fun theory…

i wonder if Higuchi’s sister has anything to do with her ability (in bsd she’s unnamed, but her irl sister’s name was Kuniko so that’s what we’ll call her)

according to Higuchi’s bungo episode, despite her literary genius, irl Higuchi was practically useless without her sister

Kuniko was the one who made what Higuchi did possible & kept things functional behind the scenes

so i think it’d be super interesting (& a cool irl reference) if Kuniko was involved in some way with Higuchi’s ability (i also just want to see more of her bc this sister duo is so cute :’))

bonus: when i watched this anime adaptation of Takekurabe, this was the ending scene & i wonder if it was harukawa’s inspiration for this official art 🥹

white lilies represent purity, & since they were off by the side of the road, they might have represented the character’s fleeting purity. white lilies are also used at funerals to represent a soul’s return to purity & its journey to the afterlife… which circles back to the reincarnation theme 👀

[vivid-vices]

out of all of the commonly circulated bsd headcanons, the one that drives me most insane is mori forcing dazai to sleep in a shipping container. not even getting into how incredibly out of character that would be, it eliminates two much funnier options for why he was there

1. he was luring verlaine to a place with no witnesses or potential casualties and set it up as his residence so it wouldn't seem suspicious (it was still suspicious as fuck but more in a why is this kid so fucking weird? way)

or my personal favorite that is much less likely

2. dazai was in his "in case you haven’t noticed, i'm weird. i’m a weirdo. i don't fit in. and i don't want to fit in. have you noticed me sleeping in a shipping container in the middle of a toxic waste dump? that's weird" era

if mori wanted to force dazai to do anything during that era, it would probably be to actually take care of himself. like would you want a teenage boy who smelled like toxic waste and lack of showers in your office half the time? i'm gonna guess no.

[unicornpopcorn14]

Chuuya's reaction to Dazai getting hurt during the Lovecraft fight has always been so interesting to me...

Because it's the kind of worry you'd never expect from a character as gruff as Chuuya, who had displayed nothing but hostility towards Dazai so far. Usually, characters that are labelled as "angry" or "anger issues" (which Chuuya is much more complex than that but you get my point) act more as a tsundere type of way when the one they "don't care about" gets hurt. And show their care in very, very subtle ways (ex. their eyes widen, their mouth parts and closes again, etc) before putting up their front once more.

Chuuya, however, is open, and vocal about it. His worry is clear not only to us, but to Dazai himself, the one he shouldn't be displaying the concern to (as per the cliche). Shouldn't it be some sort of secret that Chuuya does care? Isn't that what skk's dynamic has been shaping up to be until now?

I'm telling you- the way my mind blanked when Chuuya just casually.... showed concern not once, but twice, was a sight to see.

Besides, the context makes it much more confusing, because Dazai isn't some rookie, and Chuuya knows that more than anybody. He was the youngest executive in Port Mafia's history, of course he can handle a hit or two. Of course he'd seen him handle a hit or two, sometimes without batting an eye.

Heck, Chuuya himself was hurling Dazai like a ragdoll in their reunion, which was their last meeting. And you could argue that he was going easy on him, but Dazai has mostly withstood the same damage (as far as I could see), and Chuuya was as bitter as ever.

So that kind of contradicts both what we knew of Chuuya so far, and how their dynamic was shaped to be. I mean, that just makes Chuuya a hypocrite, yeah? What makes him care now, all of a sudden? What makes him care at all?

Well, to me, this backasswards reaction implies one (or more) of the following:

- Dazai rarely got physically hurt during their partnership and thus this is an unexpected thing for him to see (during a mission).

- The four years of separation made Chuuya unsure of how much Dazai can withstand physically now. Also the fact that he isn't in the mafia anymore, aka fighting enemy organizations on the weekly, would naturally make Dazai lose his touch in a way, what prompts Chuuya's reaction.

- Dazai getting taken off guard took him off guard which led to panic. Especially since the situation was (momentarily) out of their depth. Seriously wtf even was Lovecraft?

- During the dungeon scene Dazai was an enemy, while in the Lovecraft fight he was as an ally. The difference might be significant to Chuuya.

- This has always been Chuuya's reaction to Dazai getting hurt regardless of the situation.

- "Only I can hurt him like that" ahh logic

- Asagiri was still experimenting with their dynamic and thus there are some inconsistencies.

This scenario didn't play out again (after their reunion) for me to exactly determine which one is more plausible, but it is 100% canon for Chuuya to shamelessly show his concern and run to Dazai to check on him before properly dealing with their opponent, which I find to be such an appealing layer to their dynamic, and a good spin on the type of character he gets stereotyped as.

Bonus: Dazai also becomes a softy when Chuuya's hurt, especially post corruption. Dead Apple alone displays that multiple times.

All in all, Skk are doing a terrible job at maintaining their 'hostile' and 'antagonistic' relationship post their reunion. Freaks.

[originalaccountname]

I did quickly go through the manga, with the help of the fanwiki, to see how much that "Atsushi's orphanage headmaster visions have been caused by Q" twist holds up (as sometimes, new plans come up as you write, especially if your series is over 10 years old)

In the first chapter, Atsushi has a flashback of the orphanage staff kicking him out, but they do not have individual identities. The first apparition of the headmaster as himself is when Atsushi is under the influence of Dogra Magra, in chapter 25, "Q":

His next apparition is in chapter 28, when Atsushi is being held in the Moby Dick, right before Lucy comes in and chooses to help him (note: that scene also compares Atsushi's abuse is to another person's, Lucy's.)

After that, there's chapter 39, "Portrait of a Father", where Atsushi doesn't hallucinate him, but we learn about who the man was to Atsushi, and witness his funeral.

His next hallucination is in chapter 52, at the very end of the Cannibalism arc. He explains to Akutagawa that the headmaster has been been haunting him less since (the final fight on) the Moby Dick, but has been silent since the funeral.

There are a few more mentions of the headmaster that I haven't mentioned, but a very notable one is that Atsushi saw becoming stronger and his upcoming fight against Akutagawa as a way to free himself from the headmaster's influence, much like Akutagawa saw it as a way to gain Dazai's approval.

I don't think we see Atsushi hallucinating the headmaster after this until chapter 122, but the Dazai hallucinations start showing up in chapter 63, so really not that long after the previous one. The next Dazai ones I could find were in chapters 78, 105 and 121.

The conclusion is therefore that Atsushi hallucinating the headmaster has been a very active and purposeful part of his journey as a character since very early on. It started manifesting after Atsushi's breakdown while under the influence of Q's ability, and it's taken various approaches as Atsushi faced different struggles, but it's always been there.

While wearing Dazai's face, the hallucination was given more credit in Atsushi's eyes, but its words were barely less sharp and hurtful. However, they did tend to push Atsushi into acting, rather than cowering and giving up.

We're seeing Atsushi heal in real time, no matter how messy it is, and I'm so proud of him.

[tachiguin]

Thinking about Dazai and Kyouka and how they're both former Mafia members who managed to escape and join the Agency... and that's an experience that's uniquely theirs, nobody else could understand what they went through—and what they're still going through, as a consequence of all that they did in the past.

They could afford to talk about it more, or share some kind of solidarity over it. But then again, neither Dazai or Kyouka are the type to be forthcoming, especially when it comes to their pasts. I imagine that there's still little things! Like Dazai understanding some of Kyouka's trauma when nobody else knows exactly what bothers her and why. Like Kyouka knowing the full extent of the cruelty that Dazai is capable of, and therefore comprehending the weight of his choice to be on the side of good.

[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.

[featherstorm2004]

Ok but the implication that Fyodor inherits the personality traits of the people who kill him is extremely messed up when you think about it. And considering how old he is it's very likely his original personality has been completely taken over by this point, honestly I wouldn't be surprised if Fyodor doesn't actually have a grand master plan but is instead working with a hodgepodge of half baked ideas culminated by his past vessels over the centuries.

Especially when you consider that these new desirers seem to effect him strongly, with him not giving two shits about Aya until he took over Bram and now suddenly he's yandere levels obsessed with her.

[cosmickoshi]

The way Chūya's gaze softens as he registers the contents of the photograph... the way he collapses to his knees as he crumples beneath the weight of the relief that comes with being handed something that might answer the question that has been gnawing away at him all this time... the way the rest of the Flags surround him not in an overbearing or imposing manner but as reassuring and grounding presences during this very vulnerable moment... I'm going to be sick.

[sorcerersandskillusers]

So im still in shock from the new episode but i want to point out that all of the skk angst that came out after 101 and 109 was just destroyed in one go.

all of the art and breakdowns of how much chuuya was suffering having to hurt dazai and it turns out he chose to shoot dazai like 3 extra times (I don't blame him, i love dazai but he does kind of deserve it)

This was 100% not part of the plan and was Chuuya relieving some pent up aggression

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Hello, I've seen some takes about higuchi being paid much less than akutagawa despite having a high rank and being his direct subordinate, do you think that's true?! I loved your meta on higuchi, it's really good.

Um. I think it's rather unclear but - possibly?

We know Akutagawa gets paid a lot, judging from Atsushi's reaction to his paycheck in one of the omake (at least, I'm pretty sure it was from there). Higuchi probably does get paid less, as she is lower ranked and also hasn't been with the Mafia for as long.

However, I also want to comment that the Akutagawas seem to not spend very much - the beginning of that omake is Atsushi spotting Akutagawa at the same grocery store, where things are implied to be cheaper. The macarons that Gin gets in another omake are the kind of treat they clearly don't spend on too much. It makes sense, given their origins and heavy focus on survival - they are probably hoarding whatever they make, just in case. Also - both Ryuu and Gin make what can be assumed to be a decent amount of money.

We don't see Higuchi's parents, only her and her little sister. I doubt they have anyone else, considering Higuchi went to "a profession that isn't suited for her" in the first place - it's likely they were struggling for money and Higuchi took the jobs she could. (Also that irl Higuchi's stories typically focused on lower-class and poorer individuals - I think it makes a lot of sense if BSD's Higuchi was poor.). However, I don't think they're outright struggling by this point in the story. They seem to be able to live fairly securely, from what we've seen. Her Mafia paycheck is probably still much more than any Agency member's.

But a lot of the money she earns likely goes to her little sister. If she's not old enough to work, then Higuchi is the main provider or breadwinner. Money she does make is likely used up faster than the Akutagawas too, who are both making money and likely living as frugally as possible. So, even if the difference in their salaries isn't that big, Higuchi might go through what she makes faster, if her little sister really is dependent on her (presumably she's going to school and needs books and food and whatever else - that adds up fast).

It's hard to say without further focus in the manga to be quite honest. I hope we get a little more, but as for now, this is my take on it.

I'm glad you enjoyed my Higuchi analysis! That makes me really happy to hear. She deserves more fan love :)

[pebblul]

Guys I think we all need a moment to appreciate how the characters spoke in the early BSD mangas.

Kunikida’s sass is unparalleled and I need you all to realize this.

[calmlb]

I think Dazai being traded to the Port Mafia would be super interesting BUT ever since I looked into IRL Tanizaki I can’t see it being anyone but him 😭 there’s so much foreshadowing in the themes of IRL Tanizaki’s works that it would actually be perfect??

Unless my other theory happens which is that no one will get traded because maybe Mori will accept Yosano telling him about Tachihara being a double agent as payment enough

[vivid-vices]

i've been thinking more about morizai and odazai and the way they're mirrored as both having hope for dazai, in drastically differing ways.

mori sees dazai as a reflection. a reflection molded to become an eventuality. he sees his past in dazai's future and tries to guide him accordingly. dazai holds the weight of mori's hopes for him, which are placed there with care, but drag him down and destroy him all the same.

odasaku sees himself in dazai, yes, but much more importantly sees him as a vessel for hope. even when he talks about the darkness in dazai, he never loses focus on the idea that it could be lessened. and in his dying moments he chooses not to overwhelm dazai with the full weight of his hope for him, and instead, only when asked, gives him a relatively reasonable goal that he knows dazai will accept.

they both place their hopes on dazai's shoulders with good intentions but only one of them is able to give dazai the kind of hope that he needs to survive, because that hope is actually solicited and comes from a place of loving dazai as a whole person rather than seeing him a valuable asset first and caring about him as a person second.