My Daughter Perona 👻❤️

A Fear Even Greater: BSD Ch. 121 vs. BEAST Ch. 4

I was reading the new chapter today and I couldn't help but notice some similarities to BEAST that I wanted to share. I'm sure I'm not the first person to notice this nor do I usually do this kind of analysis post but I thought it was interesting and I'd like to share so please bear with me!

BSD CH. 121 SPOILER WARNING

I've highlighted the segments from each work that I think are thematically relevant to each other in the same colours because my brain works that way, but if yours doesn't don't worry - I will explain:

In YELLOW we have Atsushi's instinct to flee in the face of the enemy. I touch on this a bit more later on but BEAST!Atsushi is further along this thought process than canon!Atsushi. B!Atsushi seems mostly afraid of pain and violence while canon!Atsushi is more despondent. He's lost hope and had his spirit broken from watching his surrogate family die in front of him (understandably, poor baby)

In GREEN we have Dazai acknowledging/calling out Atsushi's cowardice. BEAST!Dazai is mostly describing how Atsushi used to be while canon!Dazai is snapping Atsushi out of his current doom-spiral.

He does this in most of his other hallucination appearances, not dissimilar to his interaction with Atsushi in Ch. 25.

In PURPLE we have the core of this whole rambling post (*´▽`*) There really isn't any contrast in these two, both B!Dazai and canon!Dazai are saying the same thing here.

Which brings us to CYAN where we see how the purple bits deviate slightly with context. It's a minor difference but B!Dazai lists the things that Atsushi used to fear (pain, violence, etc.) but canon!Dazai lists the qualities that Atsushi feels he's lacking (courage and hope). B!Atsushi is already able to use this "technique" (for lack of a better term) in combat, likely because he was exposed to terrifying situations earlier and more frequently than canon!Atsushi and has had more time to adapt to them (again, poor baby [╥﹏╥])

Now in RED we skip ahead a bit in the BEAST chapter to Dazai giving Atsushi his next directive. B!Dazai uses Atsushi to enact his plan and (eventually) bring Atsushi and Akutagawa together while canon!Dazai urges Atsushi to compartmentalize and focus on saving the people that he's still able to save.

Canon!Dazai's request is reminiscent of Oda's final words to him which - knowing Asagiri - could very well be intentional even if this is obviously not the "real Dazai" but rather the manifestation of some part of Atsushi's inner thoughts or Byakko (personally my money's on the tiger theory but we'll see). The Oda/Dazai/Atsushi/Akutagawa parallels will never stop and I'm here for it tbh.

[Dark Era excerpt from this translation from @nkhrchy]

Which brings us to MAGENTA (Could I have done these in chromatic order? Yes. Did I only realize that after typing it all out? Absolutely.) In both cases at this point Atsushi comes to a realization and I think the difference in what that realization is really drives home how well BEAST uses alternate universe to emphasize characterization in canon. Some of this is based on my assumptions about the final page of Ch. 121 and is therefore at risk of being jossed next month BUT I think that what canon!Atsushi is realizing in the final panel ("who you really are") is that this Dazai apparition comes from The Tiger. If it isn't Byakko explicitly I think it's fair to say that it's coming from somewhere within Atsushi himself. So, that being said, let me explain a little bit: B!Atsushi's only recourse is to take refuge in Dazai's plans/orders. His "greater fear" stems from an instance when he deviated from those orders and as a result he feels safest behind the bulwark of going along with Dazai's will. Not the healthiest coping mechanism, but it makes sense considering what B!Atsushi has experienced up to that point. Canon!Atsushi, however, is (I assume) realizing that the safety and reassurance - however harsh it may seem - of the Dazai in his head has actually been coming from himself the entire time. I think it's safe to say that whether it's his subconscious or Byakko, this apparition takes the shape of Dazai because that's who Atsushi trusts during times of crisis; that's the voice he's desperately wishing he could hear. Ultimately canon!Atsushi is in a much better place (despite... everything lol) because he's able to recognize his own internal strength instead of clinging to the safety he sees in Dazai. B!Atsushi does eventually start this process after Dazai fires him and Kyouka (and then steps off the roof of HQ RIP) but he has to take the time first to heal from the anxiety his violent upbringing inflicted on him (quite understandably - let's all say it together: poor babey T_T) There's more I could say about canon!Akutagawa undergoing a similar process re:Dazai but this post is too long! So I won't ♡

OKAY! My brain has never been satisfied with using one word when I could use ten so if you made it to the end thank you and I'm sorry ♡ I am not a writer and doing this reminded me why!! So I will definitely stick to drawing pictures (I'm almost finished one I swear! I'm like a plant, I wither into nothing in the winter months)

Concept:

So my idea/theory that Fyodor’s going to cause Atsushi to lead him to the book is starting to feel a wee bit more plausible now.

Because while the page is gone the book is still out there.

And if defeating Gozen isn’t the answer to returning everyone then I’m pretty sure Atsushi will go hunt down the book in desperation.

I’ve always wondered if when the tiger seemingly chasing Atsushi to Yokohama in the beginning, it was because it was leading him to the book.

Which is in Yokohama.

That Atsushi might not know its location but the tiger does. And so maybe of Atsushi fully transforms he’ll be able to find it.

Unknowingly leading Fyodor to it.

And well…it does seem like it’s a full moon back there and we don’t know if All Men Are Equals can reach Atsushi now.

For those who haven't seen it yet, the official translation is already on mangadex!

MangaDex

Bungou Stray Dogs - Ch. 122 - That Which Pushes Us Forward - MangaDex

Read Bungou Stray Dogs Ch. 122 "That Which Pushes Us Forward" on MangaDex!

Bsd chapter 122 - translation

(this translation may be incorrect, so if you read this remember to check the official translation! This post only has the pages with dialogue, also, read from left to right)

Dazai: Think about it. It's what people do to remember the past.

Atsushi: H-here is... the agency?!

Dazai: Physical distance doesn't matter in the fourth dimension.

Dazai: To get from point A to point B on this sheet in the quickest way... what should be done?

Atsushi: ? Go in a straight line, of course...

Dazai: Normally, but we are in a higher dimension.

Dazai: Just do it like this.

Dazai: It is possible to intercept all the places here... and attack the origin point, which is ame-no-gozen.

Atsushi: Will you do the same with me?

Dazai: If you understood, let's fly.

Dazai: Focus.

Atsushi: Dazai-san! You...!

Dazai: Just look...

Past Dazai: I want to recruit you for the Port Mafia

Akutagawa: Jinko...

Akutagawa: Why did... you protect me?

Dazai: I want to recruit you for the Port Mafia

Akutagawa: Why am I... remembering this now?

Akutagawa: I just... hated... this world that let my street friends die for nothing.

Akutagawa: I wanted revenge... for being born into this world.

Dazai: If you're ready... I'll give you what you want.

Akutagawa: What I want? Are you... able to give me a meaning to live?

Dazai: I am.

Atsushi: Akutagawa...

Dazai: It's taking too long to activate your ability! You won't survive like this in the organization!

Akutagawa: I didn't feel any pain. Dazai-san was the one who gave me a meaning to live. But...

Akutagawa: ...He disappeared without any explanation

Akutagawa: And when we met again, he had a new subordinate.

Dazai: "My new subordinate is much better than you"

Akutagawa: Jinko! Jinko! Jinko! Jinko!

Akutagawa: Feeling humiliated and resentful… I feared I would never be accepted. This motivated my heart. And I bet everything on the tiger's execution.

Akutagawa: And then.. then...

Akutagawa: Fool... go now

Dazai: We arrived.

Dazai: The true body of the god is beyond this door.

Atsushi: Where are we?

Atsushi: It's big. And it's completely sealed…

Atsushi: It doesn't work, it's too heavy. It doesn't even move.

Orphanage director: You stupid brat. No one will save you.

Orphanage director: You don't deserve to live.

Dazai: I can only get you this far.

Atsushi: Thank you. I couldn't have gotten this far alone.

Dazai: I was the one who called you to the agency. Who brought you into a dangerous world. It's the least I can do.

Atsushi: No. You are not Dazai-san.

Atsushi: Because of the nullification ability… he couldn't become an illusion and talk to me. And you sometimes… didn't behave like Dazai-san.

Atsushi: You thought I wouldn't listen to you… if it wasn't in this form, didn't you?

Atsushi: You're right…

Atsushi: Director. When your illusion disappeared… I started seeing Dazai-san. Then…

Director: It was… the only way.

Director: I don't have… the right to talk to you. That's why…

Atsushi: You are just a shadow… created as a consequence of Q's ability.

Director: Yes. The real me is already dead. But…

Atsushi: Enough. I don't want to talk to you.

Atsushi: It's no use. It's not moving at all. But… if I don't defeat the god behind this door, everyone will…

You know how I know Shanks is toxic with a capital T? Because as soon as bro pulls up to where his exes are at:

One of them IMMEDIATELY leaves as soon as he sees his face. You could not threaten him enough to breathe the same air as that homeless looking man. 😭

Meanwhile, the other is more upset by him pulling up than he is by all the other traumatic events he just went through in a literal WAR. Buggy doesn't have post traumatic stress disorder, he has post traumatic Shanks disorder. 💀

If cellphones were a thing in the One Piece universe they would both have Shanks' number saved as "do not answer" & I just wanna know exactly what put him in that position.

Congrats sskk for reaching 10,000 works on ao3!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉

Happy Valentine's day ❤️❤️

They look so funnysilly in this particular official art it makes me giggle like a little girl

the girls!! a partial color spread redraw

This truly was our Jujutsu Kaisen

again & again