Everything you said on the b*sd post, yes!!!!!! Feel free to ignore this it you'd rather not get into it any further (understandable lmao) but I couldn't agree more, thank you for putting it into words. The fact that everything downright cruel D*azai does is played off as joke is exactly the point, and honestly it's so disturbing (like seriously, how am I supposed to laugh at that?). Also if I may add, all the ruthless stuff he does during dark era - Akutagawa abuse on top - ends up coming off as way less impactful than it should: that's because at that point the audience is already sympathetic of him for having known him so long as "the good guy", and has already gotten used to gloss over all the brutal stuff he does because “ahah he's just like that™ ”. I don't want to get into this any longer (because man there'd be so much to say) but again thank you for being brave enough to voice your thoughts on him!! I hope Dazai stans won't kill you ahah.

I hope you have a wonderful day / night!! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧

YES EXACTLY

Dazai is the sort of person who literally derives pleasure and enjoyment from causing hardship (anything ranging from mild annoyance to outright extreme suffering) to others.

He ruthlessly and repeatedly ruins people’s days (or lives) for fun.

If bsd would have a laugh track though, it would play every time Dazai does something like that, because “welp that’s what the silly bandaged man does!”

I think if anything, bsd teaches the power of PR and how a public image can be manipulated, because if it wouldn’t advertise Dazai the way it does (ie show his traits in an order and in a way that makes them palatable for the audience), people would see through Dazai’s “silly goofy attitude“.

The only reason people don’t despise Dazai the way they despise characters like Umbridge (from the series that shall not be named) is because Umbridge is an old lady and Dazai is a young dude who many people find attractive. (Even though. Let me just say. He’s probably the most average and normal-looking characters in bsd. So Idk what you’re all seeing but whatever.)

I bet that if anyone would meet someone exactly like Dazai in real life, they wouldn’t find his actions so “silly” and “goofy” anymore.