Soukoku

Why

you should

ship

soukoku

Official art

Official art and soukoku moments

Its litterally obvious

In more than more of official arts, dazai and chuuya are represented together. It may be for the sake of visibility since the fan are litterally begging for this type of arts, but still. Its made by the authors to show some side of the characters that are not necessary develloped in the anime.

However, bungo stray dogs is an action, mystery and supernatural anime and the whole plot doesn't go along well with any type of romance. So despite the number of hint showing Dazai's and Chuuya's feelings for each other, they couldn't be because of the nature of the anime.

More official arts

Social beings

Narrative beings

Visual beings

We need to interact with one another. We learn in a collaborative way.

We can understand images from millions of years ago, even from other cultures.

We tell thousands and thousands of stories. ⅔ of our conversations are stories.

Last but not least

In this official art of Bungo stary Dogs : Dead Apple, we can see Chuuya and Dazai sitting next to each other, smilling (chuuya smilling like this is creepy, fr) But watching closer..

More official arts (again)

Social beings

Narrative beings

Visual beings

We need to interact with one another. We learn in a collaborative way.

We can understand images from millions of years ago, even from other cultures.

We tell thousands and thousands of stories. ⅔ of our conversations are stories.

Dazai is really like : "Why would i just touch his shoulder or something when I can put my hand on his cheek" Also Chuuya jumped out of a plane and fought a dragon that was hundred of times bigger than him, believing Dazai was still alive and would save him. This a a show of trust in Dazai's plan and startegy

Dead Apple is really fruity

The manga planel of this scene ???

And of course, this scene ???

REALLY REALLY SUSPICIOUS

wow

Dazai litterally confessed

As I said, Beast give a lot more reason to ship Dazai and Chuuya. In fact, it could have been platonic if Dazai didnt seems flustered after saying this. There is so much to analyze. First, Dazai eyes being fixed in Chuuya's, this gesture mean talking in an honest way that shows no doubts. Secondly, their proximity ??? They are forehead are almost touching, sorry this is just a pre-kiss posture for me, smh. They are more like the stars, chuuyas eyes, dazais arm litterally pressing chuuya against a wall ANYWAY..

Bungo Stray Dogs : Beast

Bungo Stray Dogs : Beast

To set context, beast is the eighth light novel of the Bungo Stray Dogs series. In the parallel world of Bungo Stray Dogs: Beast, fledgling detective Akutagawa's desperate mission to rescue his younger sister from the Port Mafia's clutches brings him face-to-face with the organization's fearsome White Reaper…a.k.a. Atsushi Nakajima. In this novel, Dazai is the boss of the Port Mafia.

One of the beast official art (I really want it to be animated, Im delulu.)

As beast is another source of inspiration for the shinsouoku shipers, the souokoku shipers also had some materials to work with !

Again, really close

This time the discussion is whatever. In the last case, Dazai is clearly touching chuuya's lip with his finger, and they are again really really close fioesqfhioq

And here, Chuuya taking the side of his dear and beloved "Boss".

Bungo Stray Dogs : Beast

Bungo Stray Dogs : Wan

Just some more pic to light up our days

“A view worth the billions.”

— Chūya about Dazai

Asagiri said in an interview, that he had a very hard time to design Chuuya. In fact, he designed him in a way to fit with Dazai's design and that what made his design very hard to make. There design are also made to be opposite.

The "hair hold memory" thing (Just a theory)

So this mean that cutting your hair would remove the memories you were holding to with them (like a relationship, a friendship, a grief..)

In the firsts episodes of season 3, during Dazai and Chuuya 15yo arc, when the two of them first met, Dazai touched the left side of Chuuya's neck to desactivate his ability, right ?

Since he has short hair, we could deduce that je likes to have his hairs short, but then he grew up only one side of his hair, not cutting it off

Its the same side where Dazai touched him for the first side, so it's kind of a way to keep the memory of Dazai touching him forever.

Link with the real author

So as we know, Bungo stray dogs characters are based on real dead author. Meaning there can be some link between the real author and the character.

In "Memories", a book written by Dazai Osamu, we learn that he had a crush on his classmate when he was in junior high. When he was 15, to be precise. We can link up this with the age at wich Dazai and Chuuya met.

Plus, there is some informations we can also connect between the boy he had a crush on and Chuuya

Even if the Bungo Stay Dogs chracter are not really the same as the author they are suppose to represent, we can really see very much similarities with so much of them, like things that happened in their life being recreated in the anime. that's why, the meeting if Chuuyas an dazai at 15 could not be as random as you may think

Opposite attract dynamic

Physical apparence :Dazai is elegant and neat, dark brown hair, tall and skinny, and brow/red eyed. He often wear a formal suit. Chuuya has a more bold and eccentric apparence. He has "short" red hair, and is more muscled. He wears fancy clothes and got accessories like his hat

Their personalities :Dazai is known for his deatched attitude, cynical and manipulative, whereas Chuuya is direct, impulsive and hot-tempered.

Fighting style/abilities : Dazai use his ability "No longer Human" to anihilate other ability user's ability whereas Chuuya use "For the Tainted Sorrow" who gave hiom a tenflod strenght. Dazai is also the only one who can stop Chuuya's "Corruption".

Colors : Dazai is more associated as dark or neutral tones like black or grey, linking up with his calm and cynic attitude. Chuuya is associated with more blod tones like red, showing of his explosive temper

Their relationship

Their relationship

Some facts

Their stage actors ship and adore them ( Dazai played by Tawada Hideya and Chuuya played by Ueda Keisuke).

When Dazai left the PM, he blowed up Chuuya's car for him not to be suspected by Mori to have helped Dazai out of the PM

The author if the series, Asagiri Kafka, adds with Igarashi Takuya that Chuuya is the only one who can predict and understand Dazai's true motive.

On AO3, Soukoku is the most written ship for both characters as well as the Bungou Stray Dogs tag.

Dazai once stated that he did not enjoy the company of men or hugging men. Yet in one promo picture, he is seen hugging Chuuya from the side, while wearing a very amused smile and winking at Chuuya.

The ship is the most popular ship among the Japanese and Western fandom.

In the interview for a bonus after purchasing the DVD or Blu-ray of Dead Apple, the director if the film, comments on Dazai and Chuuya's relationship as something more than friends where one another can understand and communicate as if they are one soul in two different bodies

Most of people don't understand what Soukoku really is. This ship is often seen as an "enemies to lovers" relationship dynamic. But those people don't understand the real things behind soukoku

1. Both of their past
2. Dazai's struggle with emotion and feelings
3. their pride

Indeed, soukoku can not have an happy relationship dynamics. The fact that they are both in enemies organization or even the developement of their relationship say it clearly. I personally label them as "Soulmates who can't be". They truly care about each other, and it's shown severals times in the manga. However, Dazai and Chuuya can't be together for severals reason.