It Wasn't Until I Stayed In The Fandom For Years That I Got A Solid Standing On How I View Their Relationship - Blog Posts

I made it the longest time without thinking about Dazai and Akutagawa's relationship but now I am again and it's pissing me all the way off.

"He's a sword without a scabbard" He was a SHIELD! He was a shield until YOU TOLD HIM that he needed to be a sword!

Rashomon was developed on the streets and used by Akutagawa to protect his sister and friends from the hostile environment they were surrounded by. The first time he had the intent to use it with blood lust he doesn't even get the chance to. Because he meets Dazai.

Pretty much the only flashback we get of Dazai training Akutagawa features him breaking past his defenses, beating him down, and telling him that he needs to be more offensive if he wants to survive in the Port Mafia.

Dazai also laments about Akutagawa seemingly not understanding that his ability works best for support and defense...Why didn't you teach him support and defense then??? The flashback is literally the process of Dazai teaching Akutagawa the "stab first, ask questions later" mentality we see with him struggle with in the present day.

You are literally his mentor why do you talk about his shortcomings like you're not the one who is supposed to be helping him overcome them? Like you didn't instill half of them?

I wouldn't have a problem with this except for the fact that the narrative refuses to acknowledge it. They talk about Akutagawa's poor tactical mindset like it's a natural part of him or formed in a vacuum while showing us the opposite. They never acknowledge that the reason Akutagawa needs so much character growth in the first place is because Dazai failed him as a mentor. Akutagawa is Dazai's greatest failure and imo it would make for a much better story if they treated the situation as such. But since Dazai can do no wrong it's framed more like "Akutagawa just doesn't get it. That's why Dazai gave him Atsushi to help him understand the error of his ways!" with no mention of the fact that Dazai is the one who taught Akutagawa those ways.

And if you want to go the direction of putting it all on Akutagawa, that just means Dazai is the worst mentor ever because he never managed to instill even one lesson in Akutagawa in a way that would stick for TWO WHOLE YEARS.

Ok rant over. (Insert Dazai is a good nuanced character disclaimer blah blah blah)