Gakuen Bungou Stray Dogs - The First Half (Part 2/2)

How it feels to be in the fandom of a show about friendship :

small art for aku bday :>

Though the latest chapter was relatively short and rose more questions than it gave answers, I believe Fyodor's speech about the "dimensions" is hinting Atsushi's role in the upcoming fight against Amenogozen.

In this panel, Fyodor is clearly talking about Akutagawa, who is able to block Amenogozen's space and time attacks. What's interesting here is the choice of words.

The individual inhabits "the paper world".

Ofc, this could only be a callback to the paper that magically popped out of thin air right into Fyodor's hand, and which he stabs to demonstrate that a two-dimensional character cannot escape an attack coming from someone outside the paper.

But! It is interesting to note that it can also call back the The Book, which Fyodor referred as "our origin" in chapter 119.

Akutagawa, like any other character in BSD (minus some exceptions), is part of the Book. Therefore, that would mean he is a two-dimensional character, since his life is part of a piece of paper. Now that Fyodor controls Amenogozen a singularity which defies the logics of the BSD world, he is "a dimension higher" than the Book. Which allows him (through Amenogozen) to land attacks that seemingly "come out of nowhere" (in the panel below Amenogozen's arm comes from Aku's belly instead of piercing it from side to side)

Now, back to Atsushi. In chapter 119, Fyodor said something that I believe is the hint for Atsushi's role in the fight against Amenogozen.

Atsushi is a bookmark. Therefore, that means he's not completely part of the Book, but outside the Book. Thus, a dimension higher than the Book, on par with Gozen (dimensionally speaking, at least).

It's also interesting to note that, in the panel below, Fyodor says "us three-dimensional beings", which could mean he's including Atsushi in this label - but this is kind of a stretch imo, since he could also just be referring to Gozen and himself.

At any rate, Atsushi's role as a "bookmark" has to be relevant for the upcoming final clash against Gozen. Especially if he fights alongside Akutagawa (forget that the latter has been stabbed. He is fine. The anime says sskk will fight together and I believe it. RYU IS FINE 🥲🥲)

After all, chapter 119 has already showed us that Aku can fight on equals terms with Gozen in terms of space and time (the first two dimensions).

All he lacks is the ability to counter the thrid dimension, "depth", that only the people "outside" the Book possess. In other words, people like Atsushi. We already know that the tiger's claws can erase abilities, so I think Atsushi is able to counter Gozen's 3D attacks... theoretically speaking.

So in conclusion, I think that chapter 119 and 120 gave us the hints of what the cast needs to defeat the divine being: someone who can counter him in the two dimensions of space and time (Akutagawa), and someone who can block the attacks coming from the third (Atsushi). Which would eventually lead to the final clash the anime has teased, with sskk facing Gozen, and this famous sentence finally taking on its full meaning:

No. Technically, there is no need for more than Atsushi and Akutagawa.

Technically. As long as they manage to complete each other's weaknesses with their own strengh.

Please note that this post is merely my own interpretation of the recent chapters, from which I've built my theories. They could be a total stretch and be proven wrong in the upcoming chapters. But I firmly believe that the elements from Fyodor's villain monologue have to be relevant at some point in the future. Hopefully chapter 120.5 and its successors will provide more answers than questions...

not the way

Commission for @/DeeVee_Cake on twitter! Robin and Chopper having a chill reading session

but i don't know how to walk toward the past or future! — it's simple. feel strongly. that's what you do when you want to experience the past.

Chapter 1118 spoilers

Y'all. Y'ALL, this chapter was so good! And what stands out to me the most about it is how perfectly in fits with the overarching themes of the series.

Bonney unlocking a Nika-like form is SO GOOD, even just on the surface level. The design is wonderful, and I just know that her and Luffy's team-up fight is going to have absolutely wacky cartoon shenanigans, and I personally can't wait. But the themes behind the unlocking of this form make it even better.

Bonney's devil fruit works off of imagination and belief, if she can picture it and then believe it is something she can achieve in the future, she can do it. But, if she looses faith, that power no longer works as well. We saw that earlier in this arc before she saw Luffy (as Nika) and her faith was (in part) restored.

And so her only now being able to unlock a Nika-like form means that she did not truly believe that she could (or would) ever be free until this moment

and as heart wrenchingly sad as that is, for a child to no longer believe in their own future of freedom, it makes sense. Bonney grew up under the oppressive thumb of the world government. She witnessed at such a young age, her father - her incredibly kind, incredibly strong father - have his autonomy, his FREEDOM stripped away by being turned into a living weapon for said oppressive government. Of course she is going to struggle to picture herself as being totally free.

But then she meets back up Luffy, and he asks her to fight with him. And when she says that there is no way that she could keep up with him when he's Nika, he says "Of course you can!" And we see Bonney regain her hope in that moment. We see her regain her belief in that she can be free, that she WILL be free one day, thanks to Luffy believing in her. We see a man that she believes is god look at her and validate her strength, validate her power, and most importantly validate her freedom. Who tells her that freedom isn't something just for him, but rather that it's for everyone. That it is for HER.

And while this is shown literally thanks to Bonney's devil fruit, it also works in the metaphorical sense as well. Luffy is not the only person who can be totally free. That level of freedom is achievable by everyone, whether or not they literally become a version of Nika or not. And Bonney's Nika-like form is confirmation of that. It is the physical manifestation of the idea, and I think it's an incredible way of showcasing it.

I teared up when I got to the Nika Bonney part of this chapter. It is a culmination of everything One Piece stands for as a series, and I'm so happy that it's not shying away from it.

Imagine being Collun & you're like 1 & barely gaining consciousness & you're starting to realize that while all the other kids get to ride piggy back on their dad's back yours is so tiny he rides on your back so he can like burp you after you drink a bottle & he can barely even hold up the bottle for you, but he's still your daddy & you still cry for him when you're scared & he's just this little guy who means everything to you, but like also you accidentally sat on him once & he would've suffocated to death if your mommy hadn't been there to move you.

What a fucking trip man. Gaban definitely tried to give him a piggy back ride multiple times despite Ripley telling him it's not a good idea. Now he has back pain, but it's completely worth it.

The beasts got dirt on him (his true kind-hearted nature)

Favourite daughter!