Fanon/Popular Vs Canon (BSD EDITION)
((Note: This isn’t meant to hate on anyone’s headcanons nor poke fun at anyone — these are just small details that I find interesting about the series and characters! Write, interpret, and just generally enjoy BSD however you want!!)
I’ve recently been rereading both the manga and light novels which has led to me beginning to think a lot about what’s common in the fandom. After deciding to compare some recurring stuff to BSD, I’ve realized there is actually a lot of fanon/hcs that go directly against canon. If you know anymore, let me know! I just find it super interesting lol.
Fanon: Dazai likes chess/strategy games.
Canon: Nope! According to the Dark Era light novel, Dazai finds chess (and the game “Go”) to be super boring.
Quote:
“Hobbies? Hmm…” Dazai pouted boyishly. “Chess and Go are too easy, though. They’re boring. What else is there?”
“What about sports?”
“I hate getting tired out.”
“How about studying, then?”
“Too much work.”
“Then how about cooki—? Wait. Forget it.”
Fanon: Chuuya is overindulgent/enjoys luxury.
Canon: It…depends? Chuuya is known to enjoy wine, but shows little interest in his clothing as he picks it randomly out of a lineup. He also canonically had a very sparse apartment during the first few years of the mafia (though I don’t think it was described at any other point afterwards). This possibly points towards depression but also might be related to his workaholic tendencies.
Quote:
“Chuuya awoke in his bedroom. It was a dreary room: just four walls, a floor, and ceiling all drenched in bluish darkness. The furnishings were extremely sparse: a bed with some sheets, a small bookshelf, a tiny safe built into the wall, a desk at the center, and a book about precious stones tossed atop it opened to a random page. That was everything.”
Fanon: Chuuya is always mad/overemotional.
Canon: Not really? Chuuya is very reactionary, but his baseline tends to lean very droll and apathetic. Similar to Dazai, Chuuya (especially when he was younger) suffers a bit from ennui/boredom in general life. Based on the LNs, Chuuya’s general mood ranges from “Meh” to “Vaguely Content and Going Through the Motions.” A few times, Chuuya even tries to maintain this persona instead of getting emotional (though he ultimately fails usually lol).
Quote:
“Looks like we’re having another good week,” Chuuya said apathetically. “What a drag.”
Quote:
After heaving a deep sigh, Chuuya walked toward the back of the pool hall with a distant expression, not even greeting any of the attendees.
“What’s wrong, Chuuya? Aren’t you happy?” asked the tall man behind him. “We did all this for you, y’know.”
“Who celebrates one-year anniversaries? Ridiculous,” Chuuya scoffed. “I’m not not happy. I’m indifferent.”
Fanon: Dazai comes across as charming/charismatic in everyday life.
Canon: Nope. No. Absolutely not. It’s very obvious when reading the light novels, but most people find Dazai to be VERY off-putting when they first meet him. It’s consistent enough to the point where I’d consider it to be an integral part of his character.
Quote One:
A chill seemed to pass through the room.
I shifted my attention to the young man. His gaze was fixed on the wall, his face devoid of any emotion and meaning. He was as calm as if he’d simply stated his age.
The sight was nearly incomprehensible. It didn’t even feel like I was looking at a human being. Had this encounter occurred during midnight’s darkest hour rather than daybreak, I might have mistaken him for a ghost or perhaps a hallucination.
(Oda’s Perspective — The Day I Took In Dazai)
Quote Two:
“I’m Kunikida. If there’s anything you don’t understand, I’m here to help.”
“Oh, so you’re a detective at the legendary Armed Detective Agency! It’s an honor to meet you!”
He grabs my hand and shakes it vigorously, almost theatrically.
In that instant, I catch a cold, piercing glint in his eyes—as though he were calmly assessing his senior. No… it feels more like he’s peering straight into my soul through the gaze of some enlightened sage.
(Kunikida’s Perspective — Dazai’s Entrance Exam)
Quote Three:
Dazai’s gaze quietly penetrated Mori, as if his eyes could see inside the man’s body like some sort of medical device.
“To that end, I was the perfect accomplice. Nobody would suspect a thing. Once you became the boss after I vouched for you…I could have simply killed myself for some unknown reason.”
The pair spent the next few moments staring at each other in silence so heavy and noxious you might think it was a stare-down between the grim reaper and a demon. A single word rang in Mori’s head over and over like an alarm.
Miscalculation.
You misjudged the situation, he told himself. You failed to pick the optimal solution. You shouldn’t have chosen this child to help you. Dazai is unpredictable. He can be sharp, but in a dark, twisted way. He’s observant. He’s cold and calculating with no equivalent even in the Mafia, where the most evil reside.
(Mori’s Perspective — Fifteen)
Fanon: Kunikida is obsessed with rules and authority.
Canon: Kunikida is obsessed with his INTERNAL ideals, but cares very little for authority in general. I have no one quote that explicitly says this, but it is very clear in the Dazai’s Entrance Exam light novel. He consistently works with hackers and is willing to disregard the law and authority if it goes against his personal code of ethics (something also seen in the manga).
I have a few more, but these were the ones I immediately had on hand. I’m interested in hearing if anyone else has noticed anything. If you need any more explanations on the stuff I provided, please let me know!