#bsd coat theory

[calmlb]

what if i want to get you started on the symbolism of dazais coat

(the neurodivergency does not allow me to understand the symbolism of dazais coat.)

(from the 'chuuyas not in the dark era' post)

NEURODIVERGENTS UNITE 🤝🏻

well i was actually referring to Chuuya’s coat in that post, but it’s relevant to both to them!

i’ve noticed a trend with harukawa & coats… when someone is where they’re supposed to be, they usually wear their coat properly (arms in the sleeves instead of it resting on their shoulders)

Dazai never wore the oversized, black coat that Mori gave him properly… as if to symbolize that he’d never belonged in the mafia. once he decided to try living in the light, he got his tan coat, which fits him perfectly :’)

beast Dazai does wear the black coat correctly, bc the mafia is where he chose to be in that universe

then we have Chuuya. he had his jacket in the sheep, but until sometime pre-dark era/post dragon head conflict, he didn’t have a coat— as if he was still trying to find his place in the mafia

i have a hc/theory according to my analysis that something happened post DHC that made skk much closer. if that’s true, it would make sense why we finally see Chuuya wearing a coat— & not only that, he has it halfway on

bc his partnership with Dazai solidified his place in the mafia, & assuming that Dazai would be there indefinitely, Chuuya was probably (subconsciously) starting to solidify the mafia as where he’s supposed to be

but then Dazai left. and the next time we see Chuuya, he’s still wearing his coat (he did decide that the mafia is his family, after all) but he’s not wearing it properly, it hangs off of his shoulders

this could symbolize that the mafia isn’t where Chuuya is meant to be— that maybe in the future, he’ll leave & find His Place (or perhaps he’ll wander & never find it)

only time will tell…

but that’s my version of The Coats Theory :’)

(ps: notice how Chuuya wears a jacket that fits him when he works with Dazai in the meursault arc… 👀 we’ll have to wait & see if this means anything)

honorable mention for Akutagawa who also properly wears his coat— symbolizing that the mafia is most likely where he’s supposed to be. however the fact that he’s no longer wearing his coat in chapter 120 (having gotten a new outfit) shows us that he’s having an important moment in his character arc :’)

[iamthemess]

I touched a little on Dazai in the first post so I'm gonna add some more examples to that.

Mafia Dazai, black coat worn over the shoulders. He is a member of the mafia, but eventually, he leaves. Unlike other characters, he is not tied down to the mafia and does not see himself as purely mafia. Even if his blood is "port mafia black." His loyalties sway, he might be mafia, but he is not loyal to Mori.

When Dazai is with Oda, he doesn't have a coat. With Oda, he isn't a port mafia members, he's just a kid. He's not a demon prodigy or a monster, he's just Dazai. He doesn't need a coat because there is no side, it's just him.

When Dazai joins the ADA and becomes a "Good person" he chooses to wear a light coat. Similar and somewhat resembling Odasaku as Oda was seen as "a good man." He wears his coat properly because he is committed to his loyalty to the ADA unlike his relationship with mori and the pm.

Dead apple Dazai. The colour might be white here but it does not fit the white as a "Good guy" colour thing. It's more being used as a colour to signify that they are a group. Much like the decay of angles who are "bad guys," but their main common colour is all white.

Once again, Dazai has sleeves and refuses to use them. We know that he was only playing them from the start. He is not loyal to this group.

Anyways that's all off Dazai with his coat.

His jail outfit is a whole different thing because for starters it's a uniform for the prison so it can't really follow the same guidelines for coat theory.

[iamthemess]

Adding this to the theory pile

I love the symbolism of PM Dazai's coat being too big for him. It's Mori's coat, not his and it's never felt like his.

It's the aspirations and plans Mori has for Dazai. It's why the first thing he asks Dazai when they see each other again, is what happened to the coat he gave him.

The coat is not supposed to fit him because the Port Mafia is not where Dazai belongs. It's why his Agency coat fits him because the Agency is where he truly belongs.

But I also find it hilarious that the Demon Prodigy of the Port Mafia was running around in ill fitting clothes.

I just know Kouyou did a double take seeing him and restrained herself from either laughing or sighing at the sight.

Like if Dazai wasn't tall he'd be tripping on that thing.

[bluemooniegif]

Let's talk about Coats in Bungou Stray Dogs, and what they mean

[i.e. a repost of perhaps my most famous BSD analysis ever]

Mild spoilers for Beast, Dark Era, and Dazai, Chuuya, 15 ahead! (I'm thinking of posting an explanation of how the Beast Universe works soon anyway... lmk if that's something you'd like!)

If you've come across this theory before (uve most likely seen me talk about it on tiktok or youtube), you've probably heard already that the coat or outerwear a character is wearing (especially if it's different from the rest of their outfit) is indicative of the persona that they're trying to project.

You may have noticed, for example, that the colour and the way that Dazai wears his coat changes depending on the organisation and universe he's in. Let's start by taking a look at his Port Mafia outfit from the Canon universe:

As you look, remember that Dazai joined the Port Mafia against his will. He only joins because Mori promises that if he's useful to him, he'll provide Dazai with a quick and painless way to die:

And now I want to get into why Dazai doesn't actually want to die, but that's a whole other post for a later time.

So, Dazai joins the Mafia, rather begrudgingly, and dons the relevant 'uniform' as he does. This is necessary to show Mori and he other members of the PM that he is committing to the role; it is necessary for survival.

The important thing to note here, however, is that he wears his coat off-the-shoulder. Of course, this could just be chalked up to the questionable fashion standards of teenage boys, but when we consider that the coat is like a representation of the Mafia's values... it becomes an indication that Dazai is putting on a persona; one that he's ready to throw away at the drop of a hat. The are three reasons I know this is how he feels for sure:

we saw the exact moment Mori recruited him, and how reluctant he was to join;

he actually did throw it all away the second he had the chance;

Beast. let me explain.

Have a look at Dazai's outfit in Beast, where he takes on the role of Mafia Boss:

There are several notable differences here, but for a moment I just want to focus on the fact that he's wearing his coat properly. That was the one thing that really struck me as significant the first time I read BEAST: in the world where Dazai has to fully commit to the role if he wants his plans to work out, he pushes himself to play the part, regardless of how he feels.

The next huge difference lies in the bandages: here, his left eye is covered, whereas in the Canon manga his right eye is covered. There are several theories we could derive from this: a popular one is that each eye represents light and dark, respectively. In the Canon universe, Dazai covered the eye that saw the light, so he could more easily resign himself to living in darkness. Then, Oda pulled the bandages away, and he found himself running towards the light. I could talk about this for hours, but for the sake of brevity... ouchies.

Moving on. Another thing to note is that, duh, there's a bigass scarf around his neck here. Why? How? It looks an awful lot like Mori's... which could mean nothing. Just like how his ADA coat looking like Oda's could mean nothing. Haha so normal guys don't even worry about it!!

ANYWAY. Coats. Isn't it interesting that Akutagawa also properly wears his coat (a hand-me-down from Dazai, nonetheless) and spends a vast majority of his time trying to prove that he is worthy of being in such a high position within the PM? Isn't it interesting that his ability, the entire reason he became the Mafia's guard dog, relies on that very coat? His entire personality and reason for living becomes so entrapped within Rashoumon that the two are practically inseparable.

In Beast, when he's given a coat that echoes that of Oda's, he still uses it (via Rashoumon) like a shield, and like a weapon... but he tries to learn how to be more gentle. The beginnings and intentions are almost the same, but the outcomes are totally different. Which is very telling. I'll let you connect the remaining dots on that one.

Now, there is one more Mafioso character who wears his coat off-the-shoulder in Canon. But for some reason, in BEAST, he doesn't wear a coat at all... Strange, right?

I am, of course, talking about Chuuya. And the thing about Chuuya is that defining the representative idea of his coat is much more difficult than it was with Dazai, purely because there was so much going on at the time he joined the Mafia. He was betrayed by his closest family, while simultaneously feeling like he betrayed them. He had no choice but to accept Dazai's offer, which was actually Mori's offer. He'd been backed into this corner by Dazai, but also by the Sheep, and he'd lost everything, but was being offered all the things he used to pine after: answers, protection, relative safety. Maybe even family, something he could devote himself to- but all this lay in the hands of the organisation he'd promised to eradicate. He was going through it, as the poets say.

Personally, if I were to assign his coat with a specific ideal/persona, it would be this: acceptance of the Mafia, and hatred towards Dazai. Just like Dazai, wearing his coat off-the-shoulder indicates that he doesn't fully prescribe to their ideals... but in this instance, it also means that he doesn't truly hate Dazai like he claims.

I know, fork in the kitchen. But I also want to point out something that helps drive this perspective home for me: whenever they fight together, as Soukoku, Chuuya takes his coat off. He has a lot of fighting quirks, actually- he always keeps his hands in his pockets (something that is echoed by Dazai ohmygod I cry whenever I think about it), takes his hat off for Corruption (this is discussed in-depth in Storm Bringer), takes off his gloves when he wants to ramp up Tainted Sorrow. But, just like the coat, this only happens whenever Dazai is around. Chuuya literally and figuratively bares himself to Dazai, which can be read as something necessary for him to be saved by No Longer Human, yes, but it would be remis of anyone to ignore the fact of their trust in one another.

There's one more reason that I think these two ideals are so intertwined: it is, you guessed it, Beast!

The interesting thing is that here, where you'd almost expect him to wear something similar, Chuuya simply doesn't have a coat at all. Why is that?

If we follow the same logic that we did for Dazai, we can assume immediately that Chuuya doesn't want to hide behind a facade here. He has no facade to consider hiding behind. He's honest about his work with the PM, and open about his complex feelings towards Dazai- mostly his hatred, though that manifests purely because he's frustrated; a part of him knows Dazai can be doing better, or working differently, but he can't understand why. Or maybe he does understand why, and this frustrates him even more.

It's extremely complicated, and I feel like the way I've said things makes no sense, but I hope it's at least got you thinking. What does this truly mean for Chuuya? What does it mean for Atsushi, who doesn't wear a coat in canon, but does in Beast?

(I already have a post delving into Atsushi's character design, which I think is genuinely one of the coolest things ever!! I don't discuss Beast in it, but it's a great starting point if you're interested <3)

I feel like I've rambled on too much, but I'm fighting brain fog rn so this is as coherent as it gets. I hope this has helped you learn something, or made you interested in delving deeper into costume design in BSD as a whole. I kiss you mwah!!!

[inamagicalhallucination]

did i already share it? well ill share it again ig

dazai after oda's death wandering around yokohama, a mess becuz someone so precious to him died, unable to understand the very human feelings he's feeling, perhaps feeling something so strongly for someone for the first time (at least whilst being aware that he is)

its night time now and he's crumpled up in some alley way not knowing what to do or how to process anything when someone calls out to him

he ignores it

they come near him

he reaches for his gun, angry at being approached by who ever the fuck-

"are you okay?" the voice asks, and dazai's so caught off guard even tho he shouldnt be - there r only two ppl after all - ppl who dont care and ppl who ask if ur okay to pretend that they do

oda was always an exception

he thinks he says fine and that should be the end of it and it is becuz the voice leaves and dazai tries to go back to breathing

except it comes back a while later with the familiar rustle of plastic bags and suddenly someone's in front of him, not touching, but close enough dazai cant ignore him, his hand tightens on his gun

"you look like you havent eaten" and in front of him, in a plastic bag, riceballs, water, and napkins

he stares

"you're well dressed" the voice says "so you probably have somewhere to go to" he doesnt "but you look hurt, covered in blood. if it was one of my students i would want someone to help them"

when dazai looks up the person in front of him doesn't look older than him

he's got long blond hair tied up, glasses, dressed in a black button up, a tan coat, and a stern look on his face

"i dont" dazai says even though he doesnt know why he's telling this strange man anything - but its true he has no where to go (chuuya's? but something stopped him before he could; ango's? that... if ango had been here... maybe oda wouldn't have-)

"dont what" dazai doesn't reply but the man seems to understand - his face falters for a second

"youngins these days, they never plan out anything. why would you spend money on expensive looking clothes and not rent out a place? my first priority was an apartment! i bought non necessary clothes after" the man scolds gesturing to his coat, dazai wants to reach for his gun again "whatever, you can stay with me for the night - i have a spare couch! this is a one time thing though! you better rent out a hotel room tomorrow!"

dazai stares at him in surprise, at his offer, his contradictory tone, voice, and words or simply the fact that someone can show such... kindness - dazai isnt sure

he doesn't remember agreeing - but he must have

must have agreed and followed the man back to his apartment, must have cleaned up the blood (odaodaoda) in his bathroom, must have eaten his food, drank his water and fallen asleep on his couch because thats where he is in the morning

its still dark out when dazai wakes up in an unfamiliar place and remembers the man

he has a feeling that the man will scold him for not immediately finding a place but let him stay for longer, but he cant stand to be here any longer

he needs to leave

go far far away from oda, the mafia, this man who showed him kindness for no reason as if oda was still here watching, making sure - he needs to go

there's only a brief hesitation when he sees the man's coat, so familiar to the one oda wears, hanging by the door, easy to grab and leave

he doesn't feel guilt when he takes it with him

he thinks of the man a few times here and there in the two years he spends wandering, waiting

he meets him again eventually, walking into the ada office with a fake backstory - he's there with the person he was told was the boss

when he looks over his eyes linger on the coat, a touch of something but not recognition

this is fine with dazai who puts on his best happy mask

"hey there! i'm here for a job interview! my name's dazai"

"Ah yes. My name is Fukuzawa, I am the president of the Agency. This is one of my employees, your future coworker if it all works out, Kunikida"

[hesperidia]

If i remember correctly Mori (and the pm, in general) weren't very present in the last arc, except for when Chuuya said it was Mori who sent him to mersault.

So i was wondering, maybe he took advantage of the situation to go look for the actual Book. It is a possibility that he could locate it in Yokohama, and it wouldn't be far off to say he wants to destroy it.

After all, the existence of the Book means unpredictability and one of Mori's goals is to keep the city safe first and foremost. He does not like chaos either and after seeing the near apocalyptic scenario the DOA made with only a page of the book, it would be better if it didn't exist altogether.

Which brings me to the point: He would choose Atsushi as the ADA member that gets transferred to the pm. Why? Because of the singularity Beast beneath the Moonlight and Rashomon make.

(now i am relying on memory so i might be wrong) Atsushi's tiger is said to cut through any ability, it is hinted that he's linked to the Book (That's the main reason the Guild wanted to capture him)

I imagine the Book would not be so easy to destroy, that's why he and Akutagawa should combine their abilities again to make it possible (like they did in dead apple, when they fought shibusawa).

There's also the thing about Atsushi losing control of the tiger (since he wouldn't be under Fukuzawa's ability anymore) and i want to see that explored. In dead apple he could reconcile a bit with his ability, but it might be out of control again, and it would be cool for his character development for him to finally accept and gain full power over it.

[creatorbiaze]

while looking for something on google i found an interesting Fyodor theory and analysis & wanted to share bc it's fascinating tbh

@im-a-chunky-potato thought you'd think it's neat

[certifieddrawer]

BSD chapter 121 – SPOILER / "THEORY"

Something i haven't seen anyone else point out, is that in the last pannel of the chapter, "Dazais" clothes clearly don't fit him

For comparison, both from the same chapter

His coat is clearly too big for him. The sleeves hang too low, usually just below the elbow, now down to his wrists.

His pants don't fit him either, although the coat hides it pretty well.

Overall his clothes are significally more baggy.

His hair is also parted diffrently. Dazais hair is almost always parted down the middle. First I thought his hair was being blown by the wind – thusly messing the parting – but one look at the hem of the coat proved me wrong.

The right side of his hair is instead longer then the left side.

He also seems to not have his neck bandage. The longer then usual sleeves concealing his arm bandages (or the lack thereoff).

"Dazai" is morphing into someone else. Which brings me to:

Atsushi is shorter then Dazai, making Dazais clothes most likely too big for him.

The longer side of Atsushis hair is the right one. The parting of hair – while not exact – seems to also match our resident tiger lad.

The illusion of Dazai is being torn apart, as Atsushi realizes its true nature. His own thoughts, fleelings, and conclusions wearing a Dazai themed Halloween mask.

When Atsushi says he 'knows who you are, he's not talking about Dazai or the hallucination, but *himself.*

Atsushi has never needed someone else to tell him to live, but he has always felt like he does.

To be less extra 'bout it, i think Atsushi groked what he is and is going use that to save Akutagawa / kick Fyodors ass.

If i missed or got smt wrong feel free to tell me

[randobsdanalyst]

Clothes in BSD

Part 1: Loyalty, Morality, and Characterization Through Coats and Colors

Thread on Twitter: https://x.com/RandoBSDAnalyst/status/1806408372897353988

Clothes are an integral part of the symbolism in Bungou Stray Dogs, as Harukawa and Asagiri spent a lot of time working together to come up with the final designs for the characters. The idea of coats and borrowed clothing especially appears over and over again in the series, building upon each other and adding to the themes in ways that demonstrate what matters to the characters.

We can begin with coats. The fandom-famous coat theory is related to loyalty and motivation, but I believe there’s so much to be said about vulnerability and morality as well when it comes to the coats. There’s notable variation regarding color and the way coats are worn and treated throughout the series, and there’s much you can understand regarding the characters based on the coat and clothes they wear and how. 

We can start off by using Dazai. In Fifteen, he does not actually wear a coat, opting to instead wear just the tie, white dress shirt, and black dress pants. He had no attachment to the world or any organization at that point in time, and so there was no need for the Demon Prodigy mask and the many other masks he would very quickly develop over time. From a more morality-based viewpoint, their mind had not been completely darkened at that point, either, despite them very obviously displaying signs of how twisted their mind was and how much he was quickly learning from Mori over time (hence the black tie and black pants). However, right after the events of Fifteen, he did start wearing a coat after being gifted one from Mori. It was black, like the tie and pants, and it hid parts of the white dress shirt he still wore underneath. This is connected to how his mind had become far more dark by that point, and how he had officially become part of the underground by joining the Mafia. He covered up the remaining bits of genuineness and good still left in him, and officially became the Demon Prodigy Mori had been trying to shape him into. Then, by the time we see Dazai in Osamu Dazai and the Dark Era, he had also decided to wear a black suit jacket underneath the coat. Just as it obscured more of the white dress shirt underneath, it further obscured Dazai’s self and hid anything left that was remotely genuine and innocent out of a (sub)conscious desire to not be vulnerable and get hurt. Those parts of him still existed, but they were hard to find, especially as nobody but Chuuya and Oda tried to truly understand him and his struggles. What the others could see was that Dazai was fully enveloped in his Demon Prodigy mask by then, and he was very eerily reminiscent of Mori in the darkness and cold logic he carried with him wherever he went.

However, there are hints as to how he truly felt about Mori and the Mafia, even back then, as coats in BSD do say so much about loyalty. It is important to note that even though he wore the suit jacket properly during the Dark Era, perhaps indicating his commitment to the masks and in pushing away the good he can do due to his feelings regarding himself, he still did not ever wear Mori’s coat properly. This indicated his wavering loyalty, hinting that he in no way was particularly loyal to the Port Mafia and Mori  from the very beginning. His reason for officially joining and adopting the thin facade of loyalty at the age of fifteen was only to continue observing humanity after Chuuya inadvertently convinced him to see life in another light. He wanted to get a glimpse of life and what it means to be human amid all the death and destruction, not to further the interest of the Mafia and Mori beyond what would allow him to continue his exploration. And we see that as soon as they see Oda’s body on the floor and rushes to him, the coat falls off. He then claimed to have burnt the coat afterward, removing any attachment to the darkness and Mori, despite mentally still being very much affected by them.

Once he left, he started wearing the coat that is now so familiar. It is tan, similar to the coat Oda used to wear, and a physical reminder for himself of what he is doing all this for. He wants so badly to belong in the light and fulfill the promise he had made to one of the only people who understood him, and so he must have felt the coat was a perfect replacement for the one he once wore. And, unlike the black coat, Dazai wears this coat properly, as he is genuinely loyal to Oda and Oda’s wishes for him. Beyond the coat, Dazai also decided to change other parts of his outfit. He does wear a dark vest underneath the coat that is quite similar to the suit jacket he used to wear, but he chose to replace the rest of his clothes with ones that are lighter, more befitting of someone in the light (though the dark vest serves as a reminder of his moral grayness). If they were going to create a whole new persona, especially one that tries so hard to come off as friendly and bubbly, then they would need clothes to match. His black pants were replaced with khaki ones, and his black tie was replaced with a bolo tie. All in all, while there are still many layers to what Dazai wears (Dazai will perhaps never be perfectly at home around others no matter the organization, as humanity is still something he does not consider himself a part of), the overall vibe is less formal and dark. 

Let’s move on to Chuuya, whose design had a lot of thought and time put into it by both Asagiri and Harukawa. Chuuya wears many layers as well no matter what age you consider, which hide the vulnerable parts of him in a way that is similar to Dazai. Even in the Sheep and during the Dragon’s Head Conflict, where he wore what could be considered streetwear, he still wore several layers to hide himself. He may end up wearing his heart on a sleeve for those who look and may bleed for those he cares about, but emotional vulnerability and trust is still difficult for him. But what’s more interesting, once again, is how his clothes also display his loyalty. Chuuya is an extremely loyal individual, and his connections to the different organizations he works/worked for are so important to understanding him and his view of his humanity. Chuuya has always been trapped and bound to whatever organization he works for by his loyalty, and forced by the nature of his ability to always protect those under him. He thus wears a literal choker around his neck after joining the Port Mafia, a physical representation of the “dog-like” loyalty that binds him to the Sheep and then the Port Mafia. It was not part of his outfit during his time in the Sheep, but that is most likely because he did not see his loyalty and his ability as truly binding. He cared for the Sheep and thought that they cared for him in return and only expected so much from him because he’s him. But once he met Dazai and Mori and experienced first hand what the Sheep truly thought of him, he began to feel tied down by his own loyalty and forgiving nature.

Chuuya also used to wear his jacket properly in the Sheep, and before Dazai left the Mafia, he wore any jacket or coat that was part of his outfit properly as well. The Sheep, and then the Mafia, were his family for better or for worse, and he feels such a need to protect those under him and to become more of the leader he unfairly thought he should have been for the Sheep. He was determined in these goals and to protecting Yokohama through missions in the Port Mafia, and so his outer layers are worn the way they were meant to be. However, you may notice that currently, Chuuya does not wear his coat properly despite his loyalty towards the Port Mafia. It’s the one layer of his clothing not fully worn. It also comes off often, and there is one common denominator to every time Chuuya does take off the coat: either he’s relaxing after a long day, or he’s with Dazai (who is the only one he takes his coat off around when he’s meant to be working for the Mafia). Whether hes’s fighting against, with, or for Dazai, his coat is always the first item to go flying (literally). Think of the dungeon scene, the fight against Lovecraft where the very first attack results in Chuuya’s coat falling off, and the rescue in Dead Apple where Chuuya’s coat falls off when he jumps off of a plane. This reveals something interesting: while Chuuya is incredibly loyal to the Port Mafia, he would always be willing to cast that loyalty aside for Dazai. Even if Dazai is a known traitor, Chuuya is willing to cast that aside for the sake of Soukoku and Yokohama. There was no need to do this before Dazai left the Mafia, and so he never wore his jackets or coats improperly before then. The shedding of the coat is also a physical representation of the way they trust each other and are willing to cast aside some of their masks and their game of hatred to reveal some of the vulnerability underneath — something that goes unsaid between the two but is so important to their bond. Without that deeply rooted trust, Soukoku would not function the way it does. Not only that, but the coat he sheds is also black, and removing it reveals the lighter layers underneath, as if Chuuya is shedding his darkness each time in order to be genuine. It is only Dazai that gets to see the more human side of Chuuya while Chuuya is working, only Dazai that gets to see the truth behind the darkness that shrouds both of them.

One could also say that the coat very loosely represents Chuuya’s masked feelings towards Dazai, though this interpretation does not really get the whole picture, considering how coats are a consistent symbol across characters and how Chuuya does take off the coat when he’s relaxing (so the coat representing his loyalty and feelings of responsibility to the Mafia, and the layers representing the layers shielding his vulnerability, makes more sense). But let’s indulge the idea for a moment. Chuuya acts like he hates Dazai, but that mask leaves very quickly when needed (just like the coat), as those feelings of hatred have no depth or genuineness. This idea still can be tied back to loyalty, however. Once Dazai left, there was a new layer that had to be added to the game the two like to play: they are now in different organizations with differing principles since Dazai left. It makes sense for Chuuya, as an executive, to detest somebody who had betrayed the organization. The Port Mafia is not kind to traitors, after all, and the organization is not meant to be easy to leave. However, Chuuya’s true feelings regarding Dazai’s betrayal of the Mafia are obviously far more complex. He doesn’t truly feel betrayed by Dazai’s departure like a high-ranking member of the Mafia is meant to, no matter how he acts outwardly. Instead, as someone who “had” considered himself to be Dazai’s partner, he knew and still knows Dazai too well to be genuinely mad at him for leaving such a place. If anything, he sorely missed having him with him. He thus never wears his coat properly, ready to take it off whenever the mask of hatred he is meant to keep on after Dazai betrayed the Mafia (connected to his loyalty to the Mafia) goes at odds against his heart and loyalty to his partner. And in return, Dazai doesn’t hesitate to still make him an integral part of his plans.

Now let’s talk about their outfits in the BEAST universe, because something you can notice immediately that differs from the main universe is that Dazai and Chuuya do wear their coat, in Dazai’s case, and suit jacket, in Chuuya’s case, properly. So what does this say about BEAST Dazai and Chuuya? In the case of Dazai, it being worn properly showed his dedication to the plan he had come up with and took over the Mafia to ensure the success of. He took the job of being the boss seriously, and so he wore Mori’s coat the way it was meant to be worn. The dark coat also added another intentional and well-maintained layer of darkness that shrouded the white dress shirt underneath everything Dazai was wearing. It’s a lot harder to take off a well-worn coat than a coat that simply hands from the shoulders, much like how his Demon Prodigy mask and darkness are a lot harder to see through in BEAST. He intentionally isolated himself due to his goal, allowing only Chuuya and Gin by his side, and blinded himself to the pain and darkness that surrounded him so completely as a result. Chuuya, too, is more dedicated to his role and to the goals of the Port Mafia, as all he had in BEAST was Dazai due to being even more isolated from others than regular Chuuya. And even if Chuuya did have others close to him, since Dazai remained in the Mafia, Chuuya had no reason to switch from wearing his coat or jacket properly to wearing them over his shoulder like he did in the regular universe. There was no conflict between his loyalty to Dazai and his loyalty to the Mafia, and so his feelings towards Dazai only intensified the dedication he had to the organization. In addition, notice that BEAST Chuuya wears a red dress shirt instead of a white one like he does in the regular universe, which could represent how much lonelier and thus darker BEAST Chuuya was.

Fyodor is another character whose coat and colors tell us a lot about him. As confirmed by Asagiri, his outfit and general appearance were based on The Brothers Karamazov by irl Fyodor Dostoyevsky. More specifically, his design was influenced by a scene in the book where Ivan, the middle of the three brothers, has a conversation with the devil. Looking at the scene, it is clear where Fyodor’s ushanka and hair came from (thanks, @/wolfkil1r on twt for this revelation):

I’ll do a separate analysis on the literary references that went into Fyodor’s character, but it is important that his design is meant to evoke the character of the devil from the novel. Clothes give you an idea of a character’s motivation, after all. In addition, the black in his outfit and hair contrasts with the white found in the Decay of the Angel. Black shrouds the white, like how evil corrupts the pure and how Fyodor manipulates the group behind the scene. The black covering the white also evokes the idea of the fallen angel. The character of the devil in The Brothers Karamazov was once an angel who had fallen from grace and was forced to shoulder the burden of humanity’s sins. Fyodor, similarly, lost his humanity (and the goodness within) due to the nature of his immortality and his desire to achieve his goals using whatever means are most effective. He wishes to get rid of the sinfulness of humans, but has long since sacrificed any goodness he may have had for the sake of efficiency. Besides black and white, though, Fyodor is also very closely associated with the color purple, a color that is deeply connected with the idea of nobility and power. In Christianity, the color is also used to represent Christ’s suffering and death, since a purple robe had been placed on him as a sign of mockery before his crucifixion. As Fyodor is a character so closely tied into religion, Christ, the devil, and the concepts of death and rebirth, this truly is the perfect color for him.

For both Fyodor and Dazai, however, there’s also another set of rather symbolic outfits to look at: the white ones they wore in Dead Apple after being made to do so by Shibusawa. The white once again evokes the idea of purity,  and of angels. White is also often used to symbolize death, due to the color’s spiritual importance as a result of its connection to purity. The outfits (and a lot of the characters associated with Fyodor, who are known for having long white hair and wearing white) bring these two concepts together beautifully. Wearing these gorgeous pieces of clothing while in the safety of Mukurotoride, Dazai, Fyodor, and Shibusawa observed the ruin that the fog brought to Yokohama from above, like angels observing humanity from heaven. Due to the nature of their intelligence and thought processes, all three of them are known for feeling isolated from humanity, their minds unable to be comprehended by the masses. Angels are indeed the perfect representation of this isolation, evoking the idea of being distant from humanity. This also ties in quite neatly to the symbolism of angels and religion in the series, as just like in the play in The Untold Origins of the Detective Agency, the “angels'' were portrayed as people who watched destruction unfold below them after putting different things into motion. They may appear pure as snow, but their morals and ideas can be put into question. Or you could think of it as angels being too divine and disconnected from humans to lose themselves in morality and experience something so human as suffering, which would make sense in the discussion regarding humanity. 

However, their outfits were not pure white, so the outfits could also add to the fallen angel symbolism prevalent in the series (which is of course very closely related to the idea of angels in the series, as the “angels” in BSD aren’t quite pure). The inner lining of the coats were black, as well as their shoes, Fyodor’s gloves, and the dress shirt Dazai wore underneath. And speaking of Fyodor’s gloves, that was actually the only addition to Fyodor’s outfit other than the coat. He was still wearing the same outfit he always wears underneath. All this is a reminder, representing how they are still them. Even though their intelligence allows them to rise above the rest, there is still darkness (morally and psychologically) that lies inside the minds of the three individuals. The black against the flowy white does elicit the image of a fallen angel, after all. The three may all be beautiful and beyond human in terms of their brains, but darkness has long since become a part of them, the “purity” of their appearance corrupted by their minds and perspectives of humanity. This really does go along well with a lot of other symbolism in the series, and it ties back well with the fact that Fyodor is the only dark-haired member of the Decay of Angels. 

With these interpretations in mind, it is interesting that Dazai was the only one who did not wear his coat properly. He instead wore it over the shoulder, much like he had back in the Port Mafia. This could be a way of symbolically representing how his mind is still forever affected by his time in the Mafia, and how he liked to lean more into his Demon Prodigy mask especially when with Fyodor. Dazai has a habit of subconsciously soaking up the darkness around him and slipping into whatever role is expected of him, tailoring his masks and perspectives based on the person he is talking to in order to appear as if he belongs and can deeply relate to the other. And indeed, for a long while, Fyodor thought Dazai’s thought processes and ways of seeing people are the same as his, which is why he was so caught off guard by Dazai’s ability to adapt, trust, and use the unpredictability of humans to his advantage. On this note, the way Dazai wore the coat could also be thought of as showing Dazai’s true feelings regarding humanity. Even though he was playing the role of the angel observing from the distance, it has become clear based on his thought processes in the ADA (and even back in the PM) that he does not think of this distance as a benefit. He admires humanity, and wishes to observe it from close up. After all, Chuuya had shown him so much about what it meant to fight and struggle as a human being, and Oda had provided him a compass for which to guide himself morally. He could never find humanity boring and predictable, a perspective that makes him so different from Fyodor, Shibusawa, and the weapon Mori desired to shape him into. 

Moving on from Fyodor and Dazai (though I will be coming back to them again in a bit), Nikolai also has a pretty interesting design. His long, flowy overcoat is a nod to The Overcoat. The story is about a poor department store worker who lived the epitome of a monotonous and dreary life, and struggles to replace a coat that had been well worn. He eventually saved up for a new coat, and when he finally got it, it allowed him to finally enter the world of humans and desire. He was free from the monotony of his banal existence. But then one day, he was attacked and the coat was taken from him, bringing him back to his dreary reality. It was inevitable that the world of humanity and emotions wouldn’t last, and the man died as pitifully as he lived. I feel like it was irl Gogol’s own existence and experience with religion that inspired Nikolai’s design and characterization far more than a single specific piece of his work, but I feel like the story does play well into the futility of Nikolai’s desire to be free from the structure of society and his own existence. 

As for Nikolai’s specific coat, it is white, but it also has a black lining on the inside. There are also black details on the suit and pants as well, making the outfit appear like a mix of the ones worn by clowns and ringmasters. The outfit is perfectly representative of Nikolai’s character, blending the comical and whimsical side of him with his sharp intellect and (rather sadistic) interest in creating games. The white and black also show his conflicting relationship with morality and honesty. Instead of having the colors in layers like the other characters, the white and black are all over the place, contrasting to form a twisted, clownish image that makes it difficult to discern what is true from what is not. He wishes to push morality and to shed the boundaries set by human nature and morality, and so he does not get set layers of white or black. However, after Fyodor’s “death,” when Nikolai was talking about his conflicted feelings and how much being understood by Fyodor meant to him, you can see that the black parts of his outfit are hidden. He’s being genuine for once, revealing his true feelings and pushing aside the goal he thought he wanted to achieve: of being free from everything. Instead, what he had truly wanted was to be understood.

Now, I promised to circle back to Fyodor and Dazai, and that is because there’s still one final detail for this section that’s very important and connects different pieces of clothing in BSD (which is why I saved it for the end). Going back to Fyodor’s outfit in Dead Apple, there was a unique design on the bottom that may be familiar to those who draw Sigma’s coat. Here it is again:

Shubisawa and Dazai, too, had the symbol as a part of their outfits, and it was also on the strange outfit Akutagawa was wearing at the very end of the last episode of season 5:

And here is the same thing on Sigma’s coat. The shape of the cutout forms the exact same symbol.

Clearly the symbol is important and might be leading up to something if Akutagawa’s new outfit contains the same symbol, But what does it mean? Well, the shape is actually known as the othala rune. Runes were originally created and used by Germanic groups before they adopted the Latin alphabet, but variants were devised by Scandinavian as well as  Anglo-Saxon groups. Knowing that Sigma’s design seems to have some Celtic and Nordic inspirations, it’s to be expected that a symbolic rune would be utilized in his design. The othala rune, generally (as there is obviously going to be variation and nuance in the way the rune is thought of), represents the idea of home, legacy, and heritage. 

This is so perfect for Sigma’s character, whose whole story revolves around how he does not have a past and a home. To him, these two things are the very basis of what makes a human human, and they therefore drive his decisions and struggles. And just like any other human, Sigma fights tooth and nail against the constant tirade of life, clinging on desperately to the hope of finding the meaning and purpose that he believes his life to lack due to his supposed lack of humanity. This drive is exactly what Fyodor wanted to exploit using the casino, and is what allowed Dazai to successfully convince Sigma to betray the Decay of Angels. They both knew what Sigma desired was a true home, and that he would do anything to protect anything even slightly close to one, even if he felt like he could never match up to the others. 

Shibusawa, too, had wanted to know his past, as he had forgotten it after his death. He had no home or past that he could remember, and so he sought his old memories, wishing to get them back so he could understand what happened to him and find his true self. And so he was easily manipulated by Fyodor for a second time, his ego and wish to get back his memories preventing him from seeing that Fyodor only wanted to use him. There is obviously more to what motivated Shibusawa (which was why he had desired Atsushi’s ability and to experience dying once more), but this is why the othala rune was part of Shibusawa’s outfit as well as the outfits he had forced Dazai and Fyodor into. In addition, it could also be said that it emphasized the way all three are isolated from humanity and do not belong anywhere: Shibusawa because of his death, Fyodor because of his ability, Dazai because of the dehumanization he went through, and all three because of their intelligence and incomprehensible minds. 

Who knows what it means for Akutagawa, though. Is it the symbol of an organization or one used a lot in an alternate universe? Is it the Akutagawa we know, and he was given the outfit by someone? At this point, there is so little we know about how Akutagawa ended up by Atsushi’s side again, as well as the fates of others who had turned into vampires. However, the story isn’t done yet, so we’ll see how the plot points get resolved.

[rervraiilstew]

THEORY: Abilities, The Fourth Dimension, and Gozen.

A small preface! Several points in this you could probably start throwing rocks at me and say that I'm reaching too hard and/or thinking about this too deeply and/or that I'm wrong. Most of the way through this I’ve felt like I’ve put on a tinfoil hat and have flown off the rails and phased through onto the other face of the flat earth(/j).  

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The main focus of this entire theory is that abilities are directly related to the fourth dimension.  

Abilities And the Natural Laws They Break: 

Facts to note: 

The fourth dimension is time. 

Several abilities deal with time, space, and/or matter (and gravity if you want to count that.) 

And some examples of those abilities are: 

Space abilities: 

“Space related abilities” refer to abilities that affect a space or create a space that goes against existing 3rd dimensional constraints—length, width, height—either in intercepting a space or creating its own space. For example (and one of the best examples of this), Lucy. 

(BSD Chapter 15, ~ Page 36)

Other space ability users include: Rimbaud, Poe, Louisa, Nikolai, Kunikida, Akutagawa, and Tanizaki. Some more so than others (Lucy, Poe, Tanizaki, Akutagawa). For some it only loosely applies or needs some justification/explanation for it to apply (Kunikida, Louisa). The best examples by FAR are Lucy and Poe. 

Time abilities: 

“Time related abilities” refer to abilities that break normal laws of time. I.e. by slowing it down/stopping it, repeating it, speeding it up, etc. Some ability users have abilities that deal with both space and time (again, prime example being Lucy ) usually by having an ability that creates or inhabits its own space with its own time.

Other time ability users include: Louisa, the Meursault cat-girl, Oda, and POSSIBLY Teruko depending on how you look at it. 

Matter abilities: 

“Matter related abilities” refer to a LOT of abilities in bsd. Any ability that allows someone to shapeshift, create something, destroy something, or change something is matter related. A lot of these abilities likely even go against the law of conservational mass; however, they might not if given the correct explanation. 

For example: Akutagawa. You could argue the matter is not being created with his ability(though it's unlikely) and that the extensions from his coat are still the same mass as the part of the coat it’s from. This could be achieved by Rashomon becoming less dense and more fluid in relation of how far away it’s stretched from Akutagawa’s coat. And because his ability is said to be able to cut through space itself, that would also count as a space related ability. 

And for an example of an ability that most definitely breaks the law of conservation of mass, is Thou Shalt Not Die. Sense her ability can heal things like lost limbs, blood loss (S1 Tanizaki, S4 Kenji), etc., matter must be created for her ability to work. You could not give an explanation like Akutagawa’s, because her ability results in injuries being fully healed and that part of the body remaining functional.  

Other matter ability users include: Atsushi, Kyouka, Kouyou, Fyodor, Pushkin, Ivan, Shibusawa, Natsume, Mushitaro, Tetcho, Melville, Jouno, Steinbeck, Mori, Lovecraft, and Teruko (again, depending on how you look at it). 

Teruko’s ability: 

Teruko’s ability could be argued to either be a matter ability, or a matter AND time ability. On one hand, it could be taking the actual previous and future ages of the person she’s using her ability on (kind of like Mirai from TBHK iirc). In this case, it would be a time and matter related ability. On the other hand, it could just be changing the person’s physical appearance and anatomy based on factors unrelated to the actual “keyframes” past or future of that person's life. In this case, it would only be a matter related ability. 

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How Abilities Work:

Abilities are, as previously stated, directly related to the fourth dimension. That's what gives them the ability to manipulate 4th Dimensional and 3rd Dimensional elements like time, space, and matter.

Each ability is it's own very niche gateway to interacting with and breaking basic structures and laws of the third and/or fourth dimension.

-----

Dazai and Gozen:

Gozen:

Quick circle back to Fyodor: 

What confused me for so long about his plan is why is he wanting to manually kill off/start war against all ability users instead of using the page(<- probably dysfunctional) to get rid of abilities? If he truly wants to purge the world of “sin” (abilities) then why kill the people who didn’t even choose to have an ability (/who didn’t choose to be exploited by the government)? Why not get rid of the problem itself: abilities?  

And a possibility is that ability users would die without their abilities. If he simply writes abilities themselves out of existence and ends up getting all ability users killed, then to him it would've essentially been like killing a ton of innocent people. He's antagonizing them for his own sake as well as for his plan to group everyone together through a common enemy/fear.

And then there’s how the deaths from Gozen’s sword are portrayed. 

Which circles to “why the bubbles?” For one, it's a way for the death to be more easily communicated to the reader. Simply drawing a character just lying in a puddle of their own blood can be easily misinterpreted as them simply being heavily injured but not dead yet. The bubbles are a stylistic choice to show that there’s a difference in the nature of deaths caused by Gozen compared to any other way of dying. 

The “death” that Gozen gives to whoever he kills is not essentially just death itself. The heart doesn’t stop, the body doesn’t die, and the brain is still intact up until it gets turned into bubbles. 

Gozen severs the connection between the ability user and their ability. And given that: 

Gozen is a fourth dimensional being 

Fukuchi’s ability  

Fyodor’s objective to kill ability users + his control over Gozen’s actions(and therefore how Gozen interacts with the 4th dimension) 

Gozen is perfectly capable of severing the ability-ability user connection. With access to the fourth dimension, the strength (Fukuchi’s ability) to cut that connection, and the will and instructions (Fyodor) to do it, it could be possible that that’s how Gozen is killing off ability users. 

(BSD Chapter 115, ~ Page 30)

Dazai:

Given how abilities work, I propose that Dazai's ability can be summed up as being like an enzyme inhibitor but for abilities.

And Gozen's killing mechanism and Dazai's ability are really fucking similar. Gozen permanently severs the ability, whereas Dazai temporarily inhibits the ability.

However one piece of evidence I can provide is that Dazai's ability relies on him DIRECTLY touching the ability user or the physical mass of the ability. His ability places a temporary blocker to stop the connection between the ability user and their ability, which requires that either the physical manifestation of the ability or the ability user's body is touched so that the blocker can actually have an affect and therefore nullify the ability. And this is why Dazai's ability does no harm to the ability user, but Gozen's does.

Dazai's ability never permanently harms or changes the connection between an ability and ability user. Gozen's, however, does.

And this whole theory arguably makes Fyozai even gayer. What do you mean that you ensured that the killing mechanism of the divine being you smushed together is just an amplified version of your ex's ability?? gayass.

(small little addition to this theory)

 

TLDR: Abilities operate in the fourth dimension. Gozen kills by severing the connection between an ability user(3rd dimension) and their ability (4th dimension). Dazai’s ability(temporarily blocks the connection between an ability user and their ability, kind of like an enzyme inhibitor) is a toned-down version of Gozen’s killing mechanism. 

[vii0so]

[BSD 119] Theory/Analysis

"Other Half"

I think this ties into the 'opposites/complements'. Fyodor realised Dazai had Chuya and now he's about to realise Atsushi has Akutagawa (Light & Shadow). He is looking for his 'other half' quite literally - the sole being that will complement his existence.

Basically 2 halves that complete each other. Like a jigsaw puzzle (except it's only 2 puzzle pieces that only fit each other).

Fyodor's comment "even Dazai was not fit to be my other half" could be interpreted as this: 2 puzzle pieces that seem almost identical and look like they would fit, but when you try to connect them you realise there are small differences to the shape.

Meaning, the pieces - no matter what - are not meant for each other. In this example one piece has it's perfect match - the only puzzle piece that will ever be his other half: Dazai has Chuuya.

That leaves Fyodor searching...again (seriously, this guy has lived over 2k years and he is still at square 1). So for now I'd like to assume that Fyodor's realisation that Dazai couldn't be his other half happened during the prison arc. Fyodor had been 'testing' Dazai to see if he was fit for the 'other half' role.

Also, in the end (just before Fyodor's "death") where Dazai reveals that he's alive and that Chuuya was never a vampire, Fyodor's shock seems more on point if you think of it as the reaction of realising Dazai's other half was Chuuya this entire time.

Next part will be about Atsushi in Fyodor's endeavour for his 'other half' and how it involves Akutagawa:

"So, why can Atsushi NOT be Fyodor's other half?"

Glad you (nobody) asked!

...First I'll go on small rant on why it's impossible for our lovely 'bookmark' to be the 2k+ old rat's other half.

Enjoy my constantly changing mind's thoughts :)

█▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒

What's needed to be the 'other half' of anyone?

Synergy

This is the closest and most(?) accurate word to describe the 'other half' business.

In short, 'synergy' is the interaction of two 'anything' that produce a greater effect together rather than apart.

Think how Akutagawa and Atsushi work better and are stronger when fighting together/ complementing what the other needs (Atsushi using Akutagawa's coat/combining abilities is an excellent example of this) rather than when fighting alone.

"So, their abilities being compatible is all they need to be the 'other half'?"

...Well no

Synergy isn't just about abilities, it's about effect.

Imagine you have a fire...ok good, now think of something that would make the flame rage higher - destroy more...do you have it, good

I have no idea what you thought of and it doesn't matter (maybe this whole thing wasn't a good example...). Well I thought of gasoline. You know the "don't add fuel to fire" saying?...ok.

Now think of Dazai and Chuuya for a moment (shouldn't I be talking about Aku n Sushi???)

Hypothetical scenario:

Chuya starts a fire (small, like a campfire or smth).

Then Dazai comes along and pours gasoline where the fire is.

Well...it's interesting right? (you're getting sidetracked!) oh.

Basically that's 'effect' (cause and effect - gasoline and raging fire)

So synergy = effect(a) + effect(b) = cause = effect(c)

(I really hope this makes sense to you who somehow found this)

effect(a) = first half (FH)

effect(b) = other half (OH)

cause = e(a) + e(b)

effect(c) = FH + OH = Best performance, Godly power, and more.

We continue ;-;

I wanted to sidetrack and explain soukoku's synergy/other half bs but I need to get back to our (often forgotten) protagonist and his edgy bf...So off we go!

Ok, finally back on track! ...(did you forget where we left off?)

Here! "So, why can Atsushi NOT be Fyodor's other half?"

███▒▒▒▒▒▒▒

2. Fyodor's obsession with the 'bookmark'/Atsushi's ability.

I could be done by just saying: "abusive relationship" but I won't...I'm too far in to stop now.

Let's start by seeing everything right with 'other halves':

Synergy: When they are alone, they are a pebble, but when they're together, they are a dual piloted mecha that in theory can kill a god...In short, they work best when together.

Ability compatibility/harmonisation

Essentially soulmates (the literal tied-together-by- the-soul type): will only ever have this synergy with their other half. Meaning the full potential of their power will never be understood/unlocked unless done with their other half.

Literal other half: basically all I've said above. Their puzzle piece only fits with their other half.

█████▒▒▒▒▒

⋘ ERROR ⋙

⋘ [Brain] is not responding ⋙

⋘ Ｒｅｓｔａｒｔｉｎｇ．．． ⋙

Ok...let's get back to the main Question:

"Why can Atsushi NOT be Fyodor's other half?"

I'll get straight to the point:

There is no synergy

They are not destined/fated

They don't help each other

Fyodor only wants to use him as the bookmark

Fyodor is aware that Atsushi is not his other half (he called Atsushi his "remaining option") but is still forcing it upon him.

You can't force someone to be your other half. It's a soulmate thing.

Fyodor is looking for godly power, not a companion/partner (not meant romantically).

Fyodor won't be able to do what he wants anyway because there is no synergy in play here. (maybe he'll use the 'page' to force it, but it probably won't work. He could also try getting Aku to kill him and then steal his body, but I still don't think it'll work)

And the last and most important point is:

Atsushi has Akutagawa

███████▒▒▒

Akutagawa is Atsushi's other half. Therefore no matter what Fyodor does, he will never be able to fit Atsushi's puzzle piece.

I considered writing down why Aku is Sushi's other half based on their abilities, but maybe it'll be in a seperate post. For now here are the main points:

Darkness and Light

Yin and Yang motif

Like, I'm sure most people are aware, these two might as well be the definition of this motif.

"Yin and yang can be thought of as complementary and at the same time opposing forces that interact to form a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the assembled parts and the parts are important for cohesion of the whole." Georges Ohsawa. (1976). The unique principle : the philosophy of macrobiotics. George Ohsawa Macrobiotic Foundation.

Just realised this is the same as the synergy I was talking about earlier...Oh well, I guess it all ties together in the end! :D

██████████ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇ!

Here is the TLDR:

Fyodor is looking for some form of ultimate power, so he needs a 'other half'.

Dazai has Chuuya so Fyodor chose to instead pursue a literal God-like being - The Bookmark: Atsushi.

Atsushi's other half is Akutagawa, so Fyodor can't have him anyway.

Yin and Yang is an important motif in this whole other half business.

[skkflower]

Thinking about what comes off when Chuuya unleashes Corruption. He willingly takes off his gloves. From Fifteen we see that Chuuya and his hands are how connected he is to his own sense of humanity. He is relinquishing his ties to feeling human and surrendering himself to that loss of control on purpose.

His hat and coat tend to fly off though. His hat has a connection to both Rimbaud and Verlaine. I feel like this could be a callback to how Rimbaud’s dying words to him where a command to live and he’s sort of going against that by putting his life on the line. Verlaine and the hat was more of a callback to the questioning of identity again, so the hat flying off without Chuuya meaning to is Chuuya refusing to accept Verlaine’s definition of humanity. It doesn’t apply to Chuuya and he won’t let it.

The hat is also symbolic of his ties to the port mafia, but I’d argue that the coat is more so. According to @moonlikesanime ‘s coat theory how a character wears a coat in bsd, symbolizes their loyalty to an organization or an idea. Chuuya’s coat coming off during Corruption is less about his ties to the Port Mafia and more about his trust in Dazai.

However, in thinking about what comes off, something that stays on, comes to mind— the choker. The origins of Chuuya’s choker remain mysterious, but there is an obvious connection of Dazai’s dog jokes and a collar type accessory. The connection between Corruption and Dazai’s relationship to Chuuya is being made here. The choker staying on during Corruption is Chuuya’s trust in Dazai to bring him back. It ties together Dazai bringing back to humanity and his safety. In addition, Dazai is the one to find his coat and hat (not sure about the gloves but I’d argue that’s for Chuuya to get back himself because it’s a self image thing). Dazai brings back Chuuya’s connection to a place to call home and his family.

[iamthemess]

Coat theories!!! Akutagawa's turn!!!

Now you knight think, Akutagawa has one coat and he wears it all the time.

He does, but he doesn't. He has his coat, but on occasion, he gives it up.

His black coat is given off to Atsushi, leaving him with a white shirt.

I do not remember where I was going with this, I've been thinking about it all day and idk what my original thought process was.

These images are just chillin in my phone tho.

Something about ying and yang. Black and white. Morals and changing allegiances for the good of thw world or somtjinf.

And now my auto correct is on cfa m FUCK. *crack

I will just post this and try to fix the mess later. Enjoy

Also something something Atsushi despite being against the pm values using the power associated with death to do good + Akutagawa using his death ability to further the actions that Atsushi takes and trusting atsushi completely.

[aurae-rori]

theory: dazai is mono

proof: they both have trench coats & brown hair and they also have like something on the sides of their coats.

also this is dazai's backstory because we don't know how he came to join the port mafia, when the cycle was broken he was a kid again instead of the thin man so he ended up in bsd or smth also similar themes of being used by adults or being scared by them + this is where "playing hero" as a kid got you -> trying to understand the meaning of life and finding it futile as a child who suffered from abuse as little nightmares is definitely a metaphor for abused children uhh yeah like for pt 2???

[anythinganother]

BSD CHAPTER 114 SPOILER ‼️‼️

Before we got an actual chapter... I wanted to put some theory here based only on this one panel ✌️

Remember theory about yellow light while Fyodor's death being Nikolai's ability? Fyodor here lowkey looks like some mask or costume. As we saw earlier in season 4, Nikolai's disguises was rather realistic. I think he took Fyodor out of the helicopter by his coat and put some other corpse in disguise in his place. Just to try to fool Dazai and Chuuya that Fyodor is really dead.

Fyolai reunion PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

Edit: yeah, chapter came out and it indeed is embarrassing 💀 DON'T LOOK AT IT but im not gonna delete the post lmao

[starlightshadowsworld]

Bsd except Atsushi is mentored by Ranpo.

Ranpo was the one to get Shibusawa put in jail, found Atsushi and bought him to the Agency.

Atsushi kinda just follows Ranpo around like a duckling and gets his sweets for him.

He's figured out how to read a map and is good with directions, so he accompanies Ranpo to his cases.

Ranpo notices just how observant Atsushi is, and starts to ask him questions during cases. He coaxes Atsushi to share his theories, even if their wrong.

And is very so proud when he's right.

Ranpo just sitting down by a crime scene like you're up Atsushi, knowing it'll help Atsushi with his confidence and learn investigative work.

He's not Ranpo's level, no one is and Ranpo has aoready figured out the case. But shsss officer this is a teaching moment the corpse's not going anywhere.

Atsushi wears a coat, more akin to a cape at times that he keeps snacks in. He loves mystery novels and geeks out when he learns Ranpo met THE Edgar Allan Poe.

He learns to not rely on his ability so much. As well as how to utilise it non offensively, such as using the tigers senses to find criminals abd trust his instincts.

And how to use his tigers strength to carry Ranpo's snacks. His physical training is left to Fukuzawa though.

Ranpo finds Atsushi is has a snarky personality under all the politeness and loves drawing it out. He gives Atsushi a headpat and praise when he completes a case, even if he's made mistakes.

Because he knows Atsushi is still learning and seeing him smile and grow from the lost kid he was, is rewarding.

Ranpo was a lost kid, he's guided Yosano to their side and he guided Atsushi too. They're family, and Ranpo will do anything for his family.