Literally. The second the finale aired, the whole arc suddenly turned from tragedy to comedy. And suddenly, Chuuya was very justified for shooting Dazai an extra few times.
EXTREMELY funny Chuuya frame in retrospect
Bsd is such an interesting subset of series to me, because it's the type of series where, if you like it, we can sit here for hours and hours talking about the all the characters, the depth, the trauma, the emotion, the significance in the coats, the yin yang symbolism, "away with you, you fool," skk, etc.
But if you don't like it, then you will think it's a badly written silly little detective anime, and I cannot convince you otherwise.
i think this is the only series that could manage to fit all these tags and then some. like where's "detectives" and "time travel"?
Thinking about how Dazai was the first person not to use Chuuya for his power. Thinking about how when they first met, Dazai kept telling Chuuya that he's just a kid. Thinking about how he was the only one who believed all along that Chuuya was a human. Thinking about how he's the one who stops Chuuya's power from corrupting him whole.
Thinking about Chuuya trusting Dazai, even after four years apart. Thinking about him turning to him and asking for the plan, even though they hadn't fought together in years. Thinking about him being willing to sacrifice himself on the sole belief that Dazai was alive, despite all evidence suggesting otherwise. Thinking about-
If I had a nickel every time one of Dazai's partners shot him in the head leading to Dazai's "death" only for it to be an elaborate plot to fool the enemy that could only have been achieved with an insane amount of trust and a little bit of luck tbh-
I'd have two nickels.
Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice
It's such an underrated little detail that Atsushi, in fact, did not want to join the Agency, because he thought the job was too crazy and violent for him, and he firmly believed every single one of them was nuts (which he's not wrong). Dazai simply manipulated convinced him to join by pointing out the fact that Atsushi didn't really have money or friends. So he was stuck with the weirdos.
Like, he seriously just wants a paycheck and chazuke. Oh sure, he found a family in the ADA, but I'm sure he thinks he's the only sane one there.
You know, for as much as bsd has spiraled, I don't think Fyodor's motivations have really changed all that much since we first met him.
He's always hated ability users. A fact which I think a lot of people tend to forget is that most regular people don't know that much about them, except that they were part of the war. They know they exist, but in contexts like the Port Mafia and vaguely aware of the Agency's existence. They're not people who are liked, they have to be watched by the government, and Fyodor's always hated them.
He wants to rid the world of ability users, because he believes they are a sin (despite him being one himself). We don't know why, and I don't want that Tragic Backstory™ because I'm happy hating him as he his now, but that's been the case ever since he tried to have the Agency and Mafia defeat each other. Ever since the movie where he was willing to team up and cause a Gifted Genocide via Gifted Suicide. Also, he's kinda right about Fukuchi's plan being flawed like...yeah, world domination has never worked out well in the past. So him wanting a war against all Gifteds and manipulating Fukuchi to do it actually makes tons of sense, considering what we know about him. He thinks that peace will come as soon as the Gifteds are done with.
I saw a video once that tried to claim that Chuuya accidentally became popular, and I actually laughed. Like no. Nobody gives a character a hat, gloves, red hair, and a choker without at least expecting they'd be popular. No one makes a character short, a wine lover, loud, and a Mafia executive if they didn't suspect they'd be popular. you don't make a character the ex partner to the other most popular character and have them bicker like children if you thought, "eh, no one cares about this guy." No one gives a character the power of gravity manipulation and the power to create black holes when they go feral if they thought, "yeah, pretty mid-tier character" NO ONE MAKES A CHARACTER JUMP OFF A PLANE AND FIGHT A DRAGON—
You know, after this arc, the detective agency is really going to have to kick up their marketing skills to get clients back.
So I've decided to make an ad to help start them off. Ehem:
*deep voice here* Do you have a problem too difficult for the police to handle? Cases you need solved, people you need to disappear? Problems with the Port Mafia who we definitely hate and do not like at all? Well, we're the people for you! Come to the Armed Detective Agency *insert picture of the Agency's mascot here* Members include:
~one dude that's actually armed
~one dude that's actually a detective
~a furry
~a super chill guy named Tanizaki. Just don't go near his sister, like, ever
~his sister
~a 14 year old farmboy who is either hungry or sleepy (can move mountains, confirmed)
~a 14 year old former assassin (she's changed now swearsies)
~a former mafioso/torture specialist. Moonlights as a suicide romantic
~a doctor who can heal all (fatal) wounds*
*if wound is not fatal, it must be made fatal for her to heal it
Does not include:
~anyone who gives a frick about the law
The Armed Detective Agency has taken on a great number of cases, and someone there has probably saved your life (or taken the life of one of your loved ones) at some point in time. Come show your appreciation! Led by, you guessed it, another former assassin, this group of fundamentally messed up individuals can solve your toughest cases!
PS we swear we're not terrorists.
....on second thought, this might not be such a good idea.
tbh i think that scene is less about atsushi “learning the truth abt dazai” and much more about him finally being able to acknowledge how much of himself he sees in akutagawa without the mental block of his warped perception of dazai. and even then i don’t see this seriously impacting atsushi’s relationship with dazai like this is about his relationship with aku