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this is a stupid long thread (help) but lemme talk about this bc especially the aspect of no longer human being chuuya's metaphorical leash, and him likely facing some type of scorn within the port mafia for essentially being dazai's dog is the exact reason why i think skk, both https://twitter.com/chuuyakiss/status/1276347930950197248
as a partnership and a relationship (on whatever level you wanna see it), was ultimately doomed to fail so long as dazai remained with the port mafia, and is probably part of the reason why sskk is seen as a natural evolution from them as they're simply put granted both genuine
compatibility (which fukumori don't have) and a more equal footing (which skk didn't have).
despite skk's dynamic being a little more complicated than just the brain and the brawn of the operation (they do have an inherent understanding of each other on some level that allows
despite skk's dynamic being a little more complicated than just the brain and the brawn of the operation (they do have an inherent understanding of each other on some level that allows
them to trust each other when it matters), even without corruption fifteen arc alone drives it home that ultimately dazai seeks control above all else, disregarding all sentimentality or regard for others as he sees the world as a giant chessboard filled with any number of pawns
to use (i suspect mori is at least partially responsable for this mindset as from the get-go he openly refers to dazai as /his/ pawn, and never fails to show it, so it's no wonder dazai came to see the world as a place filled with people he could use just as he himself is
actively used, i'm not forgetting that "you remind me of someone/who?/me" exchange).
from the beginning dazai plays chuuya like a fiddle, openly exploiting his weaknesses, and however much chuuya is one of the only people to ever "challenge" dazai into an emotional reaction and
from the beginning dazai plays chuuya like a fiddle, openly exploiting his weaknesses, and however much chuuya is one of the only people to ever "challenge" dazai into an emotional reaction and
generate a genuine sense of camaraderie and fondness, there's no getting around the inherently toxic nature of their relationship fuelled almost exclusively by dazai's imposed superiority in their dynamic. corruption at this point was just the nail in the coffin.
port mafia!skk was essentially chuuya offering himself to dazai again and again in blind faith (which is highkey chuuya's biggest character flaw stemming from his own trauma but that's for another time), while dazai never offered him the same courtesy despite the closeness
(however complicated) they shared, instead weaponizing that trust to ensure he was always in complete control of his "dog" (interesting how almost everyone in bsd hates dogs and how a lot french symbolist poets (ie baudelaire's le chien et le flacon) equate dogs to the baseness
of the public that in bsd alienate those with abilities (aka bsd's meta-commentary on creatives and society) so dazai calling chuuya a dog probably carries more weight than we realize)
(this is turning into a dazai character study lmao) the real turning point was ango and
(this is turning into a dazai character study lmao) the real turning point was ango and
odasaku in particular. for the first time in maybe his entire life, suddenly someone treated dazai not as a pawn or as someone to fight for control, but as a human being. that's why dazai was so fascinated with odasaku's job. his daily life was so laughably mundane and removed
from the power plays and machinations dazai was so entrenched in he saw them as normal, it literally threw his entire understanding of the world off its axis.
odasaku (and ango too there might be complicated feelings to unpack there but he's important) created a crack in the
odasaku (and ango too there might be complicated feelings to unpack there but he's important) created a crack in the
mental and emotional cage mori had dazai trapped in, and his death shattered it completely. dazai joining the ADA is his on-going redemption /and/ healing arc where he's essentially learning what it is to be human (and building himself back up from being "no longer human", i find
it interesting that technically (?) the japanese title really emphasizes the concept as being stripped of a status one can "no longer" lay claim to so imo dazai's own story is about regaining that lost status).
what this means for skk (finally we're getting there) is that bc
what this means for skk (finally we're getting there) is that bc
dazai's imperious need for control no longer extends to complete disregard for others, especially allies (or in chuuya's case not-so-reluctant frenemies i'm still fond of but watch me not admit to that other than in convoluted ways), it's an olive branch of sorts towards chuuya.
their banter, while it was always playful, doesn't carry the same damning weight of a clear show of power, and despite dazai still incorporating chuuya into his plans, there's no longer a violently weaponized aspect to it.
dazai leaving the port mafia was good for him but also
dazai leaving the port mafia was good for him but also
for chuuya, who gets to exist outside of his shadow and construct his own identity beyond dazai's dog dispatched wherever he's needed. it at the very least implies the possibility of a more equal footing between them, righting the fatal flaw in their partnership and even allowing
for a reversal wherein it would be dazai's turn to put blind faith in /chuuya/ beyond his calculated trust.
for chuuya specifically it makes me wonder where his character arc is going though, bc i'm highkey convinced chuuya coming into his own means overcoming his own flaw of
for chuuya specifically it makes me wonder where his character arc is going though, bc i'm highkey convinced chuuya coming into his own means overcoming his own flaw of
validating his humanity through devotion and servitude to others (kind of reminds me of atsushi which is ANOTHER thing to unpack) and maybe even address the fact that without dazai to act as a leash, chuuya is essentially a volatile and dangerous power liable to bite the hand
that feeds him. so long as mori is convinced of his absolute loyalty he's an asset to the port mafia, but if he were to put that loyalty into question who's to say mori wouldn't try to do like the sheep did and eliminate chuuya before he posed a threat?
idk this is just me entertaining fantasies of chuuya joining the ADA bc it would serve as chuuya gaining power over corruption through fukuzawa and having control over himself for the first time in his life plus it would be a NICE parallel for skk rebuilding the ruins of their
relationship in an environment free of toxicity this thread is a mess and like 20 tweets long i'm so sorry
