This article contains mentions of attempted suicide and suicidal ideation.
Summary
Bungo Stray Dogshas gained a considerable following since its release in 2016, and it’s not hard to see why. The series is packed with action, comedy, mystery, andan unending turf war between the Armed Detective Agency and the Port Mafia, two organizations filled with supernaturally gifted individuals. WhileBungo Stray Dogs’ has no shortage of engaging characters, two among them truly stand out. The former mafia partners,Osamu Dazai and Chuuya Nakahara, have captivated fans since Chuuya’s introductionto the series in episode #9.
Right off the bat, it was clear the pair had more going on than a simple enemy rivalry. While they’re often at each other’s throats, sometimes literally, the duo has their fair share of more positive interactions. Fans have long speculated about the true nature of their relationship with no theory being proven or disproven, making it impossible to give it a solid label. Though fans are still reeling from the events ofBungo Stray Dogsseason 5, it’s never been more clear thatDazai and Chuuya make for a compelling pair.
All episodes ofBungo Stray Dogsare currently streaming on Crunchyroll
10Dazai & Chuuya Share Tragic Origins
They Both Ended Up in the Port Mafia by Age Fifteen
It’s unlikely that either Dazai or Chuuya would have joined the Port Mafia if not for its current leader, Ogai Mori, who saw their potential early and took measures to ensure their allegiance. Little is known about Dazai’s past, but it’s evident he was suicidal and didn’t mind violence by his mid-teens. In episode #26, “Dazai, Chuuya, Fifteen Years Old,” a flashback shows Dazai blankly watching as Mori assassinates the former Port Mafia boss. Mori had chosen him to be his witness so Dazai could testify that the old man died from illness and entrusted the mafia’s leadership to Mori.
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Chuuya’s youth was spent as a member of the Sheep, a gang of children who controlled areas of Yokohama Port Mafia wanted. Mori kidnaps Sheep members and forces Chuuya to investigate with Dazai. This causes the Sheep to lose trust in Chuuya, resulting in an attempt on his life. While he’s down and bleeding,Dazai appears with the mafia’s army, sent to eliminate the Sheep and invite Chuuya into the Port Mafia on Mori’s behalf. Chuuya reluctantly makes a deal with Dazai to spare the Sheep in exchange for joining.
9Dazai & Chuuya’s Abilities Are Complimentary
Unrivaled Raw Power Meets Unmatched Ability Nullification
Dazai possesses the Ability, “No Longer Human,” which allows him to nullify the powers of other Ability Usersvia touch. In episode #1, Dazai and his partner, Kunikida, are tasked with finding a mysterious tiger that’s caused havoc around Yokohama. They meet an orphaned teenager named Atsushi who turns out to be an Ability User with no recollection of his transformations into said tiger during full moons. Upon being attacked by Atsushi in his Weretiger form, Dazai showcases “No Longer Human” and causes Atsushi to transform back into his human form.
Dazai, like mostBungo Stray Dogscharacters, is named after a famous author with the character’s ability “No Longer Human” sharing a name with the real Dazai’s most famous novel.
Chuuya, on the other hand, is gifted with the Ability, “For the Tainted Sorrow,”which allows him to manipulate the gravity of objects or people he touches.His most dangerous asset, however, is “Corruption.”In his Corrupted form, Chuuya can transform nearby gravitons into miniature black holes, capable of leveling entire buildings. The trade-off is that Chuuya loses all lucidity and the power coursing through his body can be fatal. This is where Dazai’s Ability becomes especially essential, as“No Longer Human” is so far the only known way to keep Chuuya from overpowering himself into an early grave.
8Dazai & Chuuya Were The Port Mafia’s Most Powerful Team
The Former Duo “Double Black” Has Yet to be Outshone
Mori recognized the pair’s potential the moment he met Chuuya, after Dazai had been a member of the Port Mafia for some time. In episode #21, he comments thatDazai and Chuuya’s former alliance as the duo “Double Black” was deemed the most devastating rivalry in history, having defeated an entire enemy gifted organization overnight during the events of “The Dragon Head Conflict.” This, among other feats, made their partnership the Port Mafia’s greatest asset and makes themone of anime’s greatest teams ever.
“The Dragon Head Conflict” was the culmination of a long bloody inter-organizational war within Yokohama’s underworld. The opening scenes of the feature filmBungo Stray Dogs: Dead Appledepict a small segment of the infamous night in question. The two infiltrate an enemy base, take out its lackeys, and confront the leader, Shibusawa. Enraged by the death of so many Port Mafia members,Chuuya uses Corruption to take out Shibusawa and the entire building, putting an end to the “The Dragon Head Conflict”once and for all.
7Dazai & Chuuya Are The Most Powerful Team Period
Even as Enemies, They Can Still Work Together
Though they are now foes embroiled in the opposition between the Armed Detective Agency and the Port Mafia,Dazai and Chuuya are still capable of working together when the need arises.Episode #21, “Double Black,” shows fans just how in sync the pair still is despite their partnership’s termination over two years ago. When a common enemy unites their organizations, the duo is tasked with liberating a dangerous young Port Mafia member from The Guild members Lovecraft and John’s grasp.
Fans wanting a more light-hearted take on the world and characters ofBungo Stray Dogsshould watch the spinoff seriesBungo Stray Dogs WAN!, which is far more comedic in tone.
Despite threatening Dazai with violence immediately upon their reunion,Chuuya, begrudgingly, goes along with Dazai’s strategy to fight Lovecraft, including activating his Corrupted form.While he attacks the seemingly indestructible being, Dazai tricks John into revealing Lovecraft’s weakness.He activates the bomb he’d hidden in his arm cast, which Lovecraft adsorbed into his body minutes prior, causing the creature to become weakened from the blast. In his vulnerable state, Lovecraft is no match for Chuuya’s black hole-like blasts. The rescue mission is a success, even if Chuuya does end up passing out from exertion.
6Dazai & Chuuya’s Character Designs Are Complimentary
An Inverse of Dark and Light With Similar Fashion Trends
Good character design is a fundamental component of successful visual media, so ensuring that characters look appealing together onscreen is vital. This is especially important for characters with significant connections, and Dazai and Chuuya are no exception. In an anime filled with characters in suits and button-downs,these two complement each other exceptionally well through the masterful use of inverse color tones, similar outfit details, and overall warm to neutral-palettes.
Dazai sports a light-colored suit and black vest while Chuuya wears a black suit with a lighter-toned gray vest. Their natural features, too, are similarly opposing: Dazai is dark-haired and dark-eyed and Chuuya is a blue-eyed redhead. Despite these differences, there are also several corresponding details seen in their designs. Both Dazai and Chuuya wear an X-shaped necktie, each with a center embellishment. They both also have prominent buttons on opposite sides of their person and neck accessories, Dazai’s being his signature bandages and Chuuya’s being his choker.
5Dazai & Chuuya Are Hilarious Together
Dazai Loves to Push Chuuya’s Buttons
As initially seen with Kunikida,Dazai has a penchant for tormenting his work partners.During his time in the Port Mafia, Dazai annoyed Chuuya to no end, and Chuuya had a way of getting under Dazai’s skin just as much. Their near-constant arguing as teenagers is comparable to two brothers engaged in tense sibling rivalry. Even now, as adults in opposing organizations, their bickering continues whenever they see each other.
Dazai loves to prank Chuuya and make fun of his clothes, especially his hat, andChuuya threatens to hit or kill Dazai nearly every time they meet.Even in the most dire of circumstances, they give each other a hard time and hurl petty insults back and forth. Dazai also enjoys making things difficult for Chuuya for his own entertainment, knowing it will get a rise out of him every time.
4It’s Always Exciting to See Dazai & Chuuya Fight
The Unending Battle of Longtime Rivals
Few interactions between these two don’t result in Chuuya attempting to assault Dazai in some way, typically with his fists, including his series introduction in episode #9. This makes the duo haveone of the best rivalries in anime history. After Dazai is captured and chained up in a Port Mafia-owned basement, Chuuya shows up to interrogate him, not buying that he’d allow himself to be captured so easily. The two have a brief conversation, during which Dazai makes several petty remarks, before engaging in combat.Chuuya gives Dazai a run for his money using his natural brute strength alone.
It seems only fitting their first onscreen interaction would result in a fight, considering thattheir first meeting as teenagers was a fight.In episode #26, Dazai is the first to meet with Chuuya’s wrath when he and Hirotsu step into the Sheep’s territory. Chuuya uses his Gravity Manipulation to launch himself at Dazai, slamming him into a wall before planting his foot on Dazai’s gut and demanding information. It’s here thatDazai begins his pattern of verbally taunting Chuuya during physical altercations, even when his comments result in further kicks or punches to the face.
3It’s Always Heartwarming When Dazai & Chuuya Get Along
Beneath the Animosity Lies a Strong Connection
Though the two constantly argue and butt heads,there’s no denying Dazai and Chuuya have their caring moments.During the fight with Lovecraft in episode #21, Chuuya is seen calling and running after Dazai just about every time Lovecraft injures or sends Dazai flying. At one point, Dazai seems to have lost an arm and tells Chuuya he needs to tell him something before he dies,nearly sending Chuuya into a panicbefore revealing his missing arm was just a bluff.
After defeating Lovecraft,Dazai quickly nullifies Chuuya’s Corruption before he loses too much blood.Chuuya scolds Dazai for not stepping in sooner, to which Dazai teases him about enjoying the destructive show. Chuuya then passes out from overexertion, and Dazai chuckles and smiles before saying,“Don’t worry, buddy. I’ve got you.”In a post-credit scene, Chuuya is seen fast asleep and snoring on the ground where Dazai left him, alone. Most notably,his jacket, which he’d lost at the start of the fight, is folded neatly at his sidewith his previously discarded hat set atop it.
2Dazai & Chuuya Trust Each Other with Their Lives
When One is in Danger, the Other Comes to their Rescue
Dazai and Chuuya’s trust in each other is frequently reiterated, but nowhere is this better illustrated than inDead Apple. Dazai’s formidability comes less from his superpower and more from his skills in predicting others’ actions with uncanny accuracy, especially Chuuya’s. At the beginning of the film, Dazai is seen casually slipping a pill into his mouth. Given his many previous suicide attempts coupled with his ominous dialogue in this moment, it’s easy for viewers to assume the pill is related to another attempt, but this proves not to be the case.
InDead Apple, Dazai is stabbed with a poisoned knife, presumed dead, and left in a void caused by the creation of a massive dragon. To save the city,Chuuya activates his Corrupted form, certain that Dazai is still alive.After destroying the dragon, Chuuya enters the void and punches Dazai in the face, causing the pill capsule in his mouth, a poison antidote, to release its contents. Dazai predicted his poisoning, butwas touched that Chuuya believed in himenough to know he’d be alive to save him from his Corruption, despite the odds.
1There Are Hints That Dazai & Chuuya’s Relationship May Be Something More
Various Moments and Curious Official Art Leave Fans Guessing
The nature of Dazai and Chuuya’s relationship has been a source of speculation andshipping fodder for anime fans. There is evidence to support any number of theories, but no concrete answers. To say Dazai and Chuuya have some form of friendship would be an understatement, butthe idea that they may consider one another as found family is easily bolstered by numerous examples.Their years together in the Port Mafia alone make for a solid basis for this theory, as the mafia offered them camaraderie and a form of family in and of itself.
official art forBungo Stray Dogsoften depicts the duo in ways that imply an intimate connection
As for romance, official art forBungo Stray Dogsoften depicts the duo in ways that imply an intimate connection.Official art fromDead Appleshows the pair holding hands and entwined with a red ribbonthat seems to reference the Eastern concept of the red thread of fate. There is also a moment inDead Applewhere Chuuya passes out in Dazai’s lap. If this was confirmed, then Dazai and Chuuya could beone of anime’s best couples. Sadly, until one of them makes an unequivocal declaration of love inBungo Stray Dogs,the only certain definition for this enigmatic duo is “it’s complicated.”
Bungo Stray Dogs
Cast
Bungo Stray Dogs is an anime series that follows Atsushi Nakajima, a young man with the ability to transform into a tiger. After being kicked out of his orphanage, he joins the Armed Detective Agency, a group of individuals with supernatural powers combating mafia activities and other threats. Set in a fictionalized Yokohama, the series explores the balance between human conflicts and extraordinary abilities.
