Animaniacs #37 -May 1998- DC Comics

Dazai Osamu (BSD): a case study of a nihilist turned absurdist

I've talked a bit before about the themes of absurdism within BSD, and I think this plays heavily into Dazai and the personal journey he's gone on throughout the series (light novels included). From my perspective, his character development has followed a shift in ideology, from nihilism to absurdism.

First, I'd like to define how these two philosophies are similar yet different. Nihilism is the belief that life is intrinsically meaningless, and that there's no value to seeking meaning. Absurdism also believes that life has no intrinsic meaning, but states that revolting against the absurdity of existence is the way to create meaning.

While I don't think Dazai 100% fits either category fully at any given point in his life as we've seen it thus far, I think in his PM days he leans more towards a nihilist perspective, and following Oda's death he leans more towards an absurdist perspective.

Dazai's reasoning for joining the PM was because he thought that perhaps being around violence and raw emotions would help him understand humanity, giving him a reason to live. This doesn't sound quite like nihilism, but honestly, I think he gains a more nihilist point of view as time progresses and he realizes that he can't find meaning in the PM. I'm not even sure he believed that there was meaning to find in the first place, he was just desperate to prove himself wrong, and then failed, which really cemented this nihilistic mindset for him.

Friedrich Nietzsche, often regarded as the founding father of nihilism, claimed that nihilism "not only the belief that everything deserves to perish; but one actually puts one shoulder to the plough; one destroys.”

If life doesn't have meaning, then it doesn't matter to Dazai if he destroys. So, he fills a corpse with bullets, he horrifically abuses his subordinate, he actively tries to take his own life.

Nihilism is right in line with his suicidal nature. This isn't to say that all nihilists are inherently suicidal, but when one believes that life has no meaning, it's quite easy to come to the conclusion to kill oneself. I think this mindset really lends to his general depression and suicidal ideation, on top of the fact that he feels generally disconnected from humanity. It's so easy for him to consider himself inhuman because he has this nihilistic point of view that nothing matters and everyone else in society seems so dead set on opposing that worldview.

And then you have Oda. He is the closest thing Dazai gets to finding meaning within the PM. Like Chuuya, this is a person that fascinates Dazai, although his reason for fascination is much different. To Dazai, Oda represents what is good in the world, he thinks that he is a good man, and struggles to reconcile how a good person can come out of an existence so seemingly pointless and horrific.

Then, Oda dies.

It's an absurd occurrence, and to Dazai it only proves that life has no meaning. This is exemplified when Dazai speaks to Fyodor about God in Meursault: "[God] is known for is famous for his coincidences and absurdism, I've seen it countless times," and a flashback to Oda's death is shown. A good man died for seemingly no good reason, and to Dazai, this only proves life's meaningless, because to the universe it didn't matter who Oda was, he died, regardless.

(I quoted the dialogue from the BSD anime English dub because I feel it better suited my argument, but you can see that he's essentially saying the same thing).

This event should have only further cemented Dazai as a hardcore nihilist, but fortunately for him, Oda was able to get a word in before he passed. He told Dazai that as long as he believes the sides of good and bad are the same to him, he should be on the side that helps people. Oda suggests fighting against life's inherent absurdity -- and that's absurdism in a nutshell, revolting against a meaningless universe.

Dazai takes his advice, and within a few years, he's working for the ADA, he's on the side that helps people.

In that same conversation with Fyodor, Dazai speaks further about life's meaning:

"Those who scream within the storm of uncertainty and run with flowing blood." That's absurdism, the rebellion against uncertainty, meaninglessness, absurdity.

While I don't think Dazai is a bona-fide absurdist due to his suicidality (absurdism basically sees suicide as giving into meaninglessness), I think he's on his way there because of moments like this.

I don't think he's totally convinced that life is completely and utterly meaningless anymore. He, at the very least, has a respect for those who forge their own meaning through the act of revolt.

"Man stands face to face with the irrational. He feels within him his longing for happiness and for reason. The absurd is born of this confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence of the world." - Albert Camus

Queerplatonic NaLu

Before I get into this I need to define what queerplatonic means.

It is a relationship which is more intense and intimate than is considered common or normal for a "friendship", but doesn't fit the traditional sexual-romantic couple model. It is characterized by a strong bond, love, and emotional commitment, yet is not perceived by those involved as "romantic".

In other words something that is between friendship and romance.

Do you remember that chapter/episode where Mira convinces Lucy that Natsu has a crush on her? Lucy doesn't believe her at first but slowly she started seeing everything Natsu says and does as evidence of him having feelings for her. She then freaks out and has mixed feelings about being in a romantic relationship with Natsu. However eventually she becomes more comfortable with that idea. In the end she is embarassed and disappointed but this incidents does affect their relationship in any way. In that chapter Lucy went from seeing their relationship as platonic to seeing it as romantic and back to viewing it as platonic in a matter of hours.

This is what Mashima wrote about that chapter.

A lot of anti NaLu arguments claim that Mashima has already intended NaLu to be platonic. That's however not what Mashima actually said. He said he didn't intend their relationship to be romantic. I think that's important to note.

Now this is quite old and given that Mashima is from a different culture and speaks a different language, him knowing this specific term that a lot of english speakers don't know is unlikely. So it's entirety possible that he intended NaLu to be a queerplatonic relationship without knowing the specific term for that kind of relationship.

Mashima states he has been written NaLu as more than just friends but less than lovers. Something in between friendship and romance. In other words queerplatonic.

A lot of the good faith anti NaLu arguments claim that Nalu isn't a bad relationship but a platonic one. While to NaLu shippers their relationship is very obviously romantic. Both sides are convinced that their interpretation is canon. I think this happens because their relationship exists in the area between friendship and romance. It's neither or both depends on your perspective. It's friends with benefits but the benefit is that they live together and cuddle a lot.

A relationship with a strong bond, emotional commitment and love where people in the relationship don't think of their relationship as romantic does very much perfectly describe NaLu. I think Lucy has feeling for him but she doesn't necessarily view their relationship as romantic.

While not exclusive queerplatonic relationships are more common amoung aro/ace people. A lot of people including myself have speculated about Natsu being on the ace spectrum. He shows little to no sexual attraction and what little attention he does show is directed towards Lucy. Which to me feels very much like grey/demi sexual. It's something to consider.

From the begining it felt like there was something more present in their relationship. A sort of ease and tenderness that isn't typically depicted in romantic relationships

That being said I don't think their relationship was romantically coded the way Gruvia or Jelsa were.

I do think Mashima has changed his views on NaLu and is writing them to be more romantic and that's perfectly fine. As things stands now their relationship feels more on the romantic side rather than platonic and I would very much like to see them actually get together. I just don't think that was his original intention.

But regardless of intentions fairy tail is fiction and so your interpretation of NaLu be it romantic or platonic is perfectly valid. Similarly even if I'm wrong my interpretation of them being queerplatonic is also valid.

I think viewing NaLu as a queerplatonic relationship is interesting and it's something we should consider while discussing whether NaLu is platonic or romantic.

My shiguang sickfic manga ❤️ Please Enjoy!

Rating: T

Pgs 1-2/20(?)

<>Pgs 3-4

Will have S2 spoilers around Pg 10!

I will be sharing early access pages as well as notes and the process of how I create this on my patreon!

intothefrisson Twitter/Insta

Chapter 1073 really had this:

And I am so happy.

Since practically the very beginning the World Government has been presented with their negative side.

Captain Morgan was The Marine at the beginning but we quickly learned he was not a man of the people. He was only in it for himself, and was 100% willing to 1-lie and go back on his word and 2- step on anyone to keep a strangle hold on power. (A great foreshadowing for the whole WG throughout the series and their void history). This was also the first time we saw the WG flag and I looked at it, thought about the fact I was committing to watching a Pirate Show, then I tilted my head sideways about 45 degrees:

Look at that hidden Skull and Cross Bones design. It’s like some modern deconstruction that is supposed to be edgy and simplified.

There are some exceptions in the Marines (like Bell-mere or Garp or Koby or Tsuru-even Smoker and Tashigi) but for each of those they also have Morgan, the rat faced man from Arlong Park, Spandam, and this guy in 1073 (off the top of my head). Plus all that went down for the Buster Call. They (and the actual CD/World Government) are only around for what they can get for themselves. They do not care about the people. They do not care about who is hurt. They fit the classic idea of a pirate; liars, prying on the weak/defenseless, selfish, lawless, cruel.

And these are the characteristics the WG pushes on the pirates we know. (Kidd was known to kill people, Gold Roger hoarding treasure/wealth, Pirates send many scrambling, the legal slave trade, not to mention all the reactions people in the East Blue and early Grand Line had when they learned about Luffy being a Devil Fruit eater) But the narratives are opposite. Yes Luffy is all about personal desires and governments are all about imposing rules on society (in theory to complete a just social contract). But! Luffy has a strict moral code and rules he follows and makes sure his crew obeys (dreams, not beating people up for nothing, making sure they know HE is the Captain) These Marines actively disobey the laws they are supposed to be enforcing and don’t care about the chain of command they are under to the point where characters shouldn’t even trust their words.

Plus there is the rest of the 1073 story:

Can I just point out that Whitebeard’s island is not part of the World Government, and so, like Wano or Fishman Island, you would think that the Marines have no actual jurisdiction. These people the Marine is asulting/terrorizing are actually the ones with rights, and the Marine is invading. But he doesn’t see it like that, and his overwhelming use of force only helps him impose his own will. Besides, the WG would never tell him to not. (Especially after WB’s death, and that they would probably consider the island “hostile.”)

and thinking about WB, the fact that his (redesigned) flag is similar to the WG flag makes me think there is an argument that WB was more of a fair government to his people, actually upholding a just social contract for those under his protection.

tldr; The World Government/Navy are “Just Like Pirates” and were established to act as such from the beginning of the story. Their Flag and many Marine characters help push this point time and again in the story.

Deepest Darkest secret :3

I still watch those gacha reaction videos. Every time I join a new fandom my first instinct is to look at those gacha reaction vids. I love them sm guysss.

"At your big age?" Yes

"In 2024?" Y E S... YES YES YES YES.

Gear 5 Luffy just does something to my brain that I cannot explain he’s just so ??? Pretty? Happy? Silly? Perfect? Idk but I ADORE him and this character design is and always will be everything to me.

GUYS

the top right of jax’s numberplate

and “mind altering drugs”

the spudsy sauce??

“dangerous and demanding tasks”

the adventures??

“*adult things* being prohibited”

THE CENSORSHIP??

and he’s SO good at playing the fool and making people smile

What do you think could make Tsukasa cry? From the beginning of the series until now, he has never been seen to cry despite what happens to him, so I was curious to know what you think. I hope you read it and have a nice day! :3

Thank you ^^

If you want to know, what would make Tsukasa cry would probably be the moment he receives love.

When he hears Amane say for the first time that he loves him with every word, when he hears that he is important, when he hears that his sacrifices were things that Amane did not want because what he wanted was to be by Tsukasa's side because he loves him.

He will cry when Amane admits that he will protect him, when Amane hears his calls, when Amane is the one who will hug Tsukasa, and not the other way around.

All Tsukasa needs is love, affection, care. He did everything he could for his brother, even before he met the entity. He asked Amane if he loved him, he wanted to feel that love, but what he received was the opposite.

He is so used to no one liking him, to no one caring about him, that it doesn't hurt him anymore.

Tsukasa know this will happen, he himself said that "Amane won't come, even if I call him"

Why won't Amane come?

He also explains "he's never done it before"

Tsukasa is the boy who was abandoned by everyone, including the person he loved the most. People don't usually like him, he always hears and sees looks of fear and contempt from other people. No one has ever asked him how he was, if he needed anything, no one cares about him.

And he knows this, he's sure of it.

One of the reasons he looks for a reason to "stay".

At the moment he was most vulnerable, he talked a little about what happened to him and Amane, that sad and empty look.

And you see that look shine when Hanako finally shows up to save him.

Then, the shine disappears again when Amane says he saved him "because he was there".

Tsukasa had a little hope here, but Hanako killed it again.

You see some of that hurt reflected when Tsukasa calls Amane selfish, when Nene says she loves Hanako and Tsukasa is handcuffed behind him saying "good for you" in the official translation.

When shortly after that Nene says she hates Tsukasa.

Can you see it?

Nothing negative will make Tsukasa cry because he expects it, because he is used to receiving contempt and indifference.

When you expect hate and not love, the tears dry up.

But when love finally comes to him, Tsukasa will overflow, because he has never dealt with it, he would not know how to react.

I can even see him shocked, in disbelief at first.

Like when Nene JUST hugged him.

He reacted that way with just one hug, so imagine how he will react when the person he loves the most finally admits that he loves him deeply?

He sings in search of a place where he can be happy

Tsukasa is neglected even by the fandom.

I understand that he did a lot of wrong things along the way, but let's remember that Tsukasa is that little baby who spent his days fulfilling Amane's wishes to see him happy.

Little Tsukasa became Yorishiro with this troubled personality because of his union with the entity.

The entity greatly influences his behavior, but he chose to stay by her side because the entity was the only one who could fulfill his wish to save his older brother.

The entity was the only one who stood by him when everyone else turned their backs (even though we know that the entity is also just using him).

All Tsukasa needs is love, affection, kindness, and that will be enough to make him cry.

He is a good boy who suffers unfairly for having chosen to save the life of the person he loves the most.

He didn't do it for himself, he never made wishes for himself, he wasn't looking for any ambition, he just wanted to see his brother happy, even if he didn't feel that he was loved by Amane, he didn't care about that, he just wanted Amane's happiness.

The cost of Amane's happiness is Tsukasa's pain.

If you want to see him cry, truly love him.

Tumblr

Tsukasa's loneliness…

I've been thinking about Tsukasa's situation. How he is so tired. Tired of waiting for Amane, tired of being alone, tired of staying awake.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAP!!!

I hope you have an amazing birthday!!

@thisanimatedphantom

@theinkymystery