I Like When They Have The Same Or Similar Reactions To Things

so refreshing to see Shanks thinking it’s okay to cry it out when all of Luffy’s childhood was spent being told not to be a crybaby

MY SON (the literal sun) ISNT HE SO CUTE (actively breaking the laws of the universe) HES JUST A LITTLE GUY (absolutely demolishing an emperor of the sea)

Mika Hakkinen & Lewis Hamilton throughout the years

IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF THE CULT'S DYNAMICS

Disclaimers: Sensitive topics are discussed below the cut; please do not incite drama, speak hate, or engage in bullying. I am not a mental health professional; I make no claims of expertise (in anything). This is a collection of my thoughts about what is currently happening on the Taekook side of ARMY, in the hopes that it may help us as a community respond more effectively to the toxic parts of our fandom. If you click below this cut, you are assuming responsibility for your own behavior and agreeing to engage with my blog respectfully, or you will be blocked.

THE NARRATIVES AT WORK

I submit that shipping Taekook is both an evolving conspiracy theory and a living cult.

There are various narratives within this subgroup, but in general, to ship Taekook, one must believe Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jungkook are in a closeted gay romantic relationship.

One also likely believes that their company (both BigHit and Hybe) and everyone around them have always actively hid their gay relationship.

Initially, Taekook (the “real” gay couple) was being hidden by Jikook (the “fake” gay couple) because Jikook was somehow more popular in Korea and therefore considered to be more profitable.

And this was the main narrative for years. It got Jimin dragged and hated online and in real life, to the point there was even a credible shooting threat at a concert.

Now, the narrative is being modified in light of the video footage revealed this week involving Taehyung and Jennie.

If Taekookers accept at all that Jennie and Tae were indeed photographed holding hands in Paris this week, then they likely believe both their companies are using this as a PR Relationship stunt to hide their real gay relationships before military service and comeback projects.

This belief includes:

1) assuming Taehyung and Jennie are not being honest;

2) believing Taehyung and Jungkook have no agency or power within their own companies; and,

3) all of their members and managers are also in on this nefarious plot.

Whether they believe Taennie is just cosplayers in an orchestrated smear campaign, or two actual idols in a PR Relationship, regardless, a large segment of this subgroup still believe that Jimin is the company favorite who gets special treatment.

Therefore, things that should be Taekook’s (such as songs and subunits and couple-like interactions) are instead given to the company’s king of fan service, to the point where Jimin “assaults” Jungkook with “unwanted” attention and physical contact.

THE LOGICAL FALLACIES

As amazingly popular as our Korean It Boy is, I have serious doubts about Jimin being the “company favorite” ever since Hybe took over two years ago.

As the “company favorite,” I’d love it if he got more lines in group songs, or was allowed to film as many music videos as he wanted, or could be given more than 10 days of promotion time for a project he spent a year working on. It would be stellar if the “company favorite” had in-ears that worked correctly during live broadcasts, or was invited onto IU’s show, or could host streaming parties or sell exclusive merch. To say nothing of the “company favorite” getting far more reality show appearances and magazine interviews and a Disney documentary with behind the scenes footage! Heck, I’d settle for his songs not being split on Spotify, his views not being culled on YouTube, and maybe just one congratulatory statement to the press or even just a CAKE celebrating his historic Hot 100 #1.

At least Jimin was “allowed” to include a hidden track with Jungkook (that wasn’t advertised or available to stream, so not fan service) and he was allowed to queer code his Like Crazy music video. So I believe he has some agency and say over his projects. I’m not sure he’s entirely understood or appreciated by his company—frankly, I think his potential was underestimated—but I don’t claim he’s a victim. Victim narratives play into cult dynamics.

But I digressed. I was talking about logical fallacies.

Let’s entertain the idea that for more YEARS, Jungkook and Taehyung have been horribly abused by their management and forced to hide their relationship.

They never thought to address this issue when they were renewing their contracts?

Also, what’s up with all the footage during RUN episodes when they are standing together, or on the same team, or hugging and cuddling, or leaning their heads on each other’s shoulders and legs?

Why were they allowed to flirt and dance and do skinship on stage—and all that stuff even made it into official footage?

Now let’s entertain the idea that Taennie is a PR Relationship.

So… two rival companies, just coming out of a bitter failed deal around a music industry monopoly, are now working together to make people believe Jennie and Tae are dating?

Even though idols LOSE popularity and company stocks take a DIVE when couples are revealed?

So Taennie is the strategy to promote solo albums and upcoming projects?? And both companies’ PR teams say “We can’t confirm it as it is their personal lives.” So no PR statement is the PR strategy??

We know it’s bullshit. It makes about as much sense as Hillary Clinton running a child sex trafficking ring out of the basement of a pizza parlor that doesn't have a basement.

But many in the cult believe it’s Absolute Truth.

The question is why?

The answer is in the dynamics at play here.

CULT DYNAMICS

It starts with a MISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN.

Baby ARMY get curious about BTS, hop on YouTube or TikTok, and are bombarded by the algorithm that claims Taekook is real.

Unless they go searching for original content (which takes up dozens and dozens of hours to sift through and much of which sits behind a paywall), they will not have much to contradict these claims.

Most older ARMY are understandably so sick and tired of the ship discourse that they don’t go into Taekook spaces and duke it out in the comments. Plus, content creators know that Taekook content gets hits and likes, which translates into passive income, so they keep making it.

See this video where a cult leader shows you she made over $109,000 in a year just from her Taekook edits:

So in the din of all this nonsense and noise, it’s up to Baby ARMY to seek out other voices, other input, to form an opinion. They have to be proactive. And sadly, a large segment of the population lacks critical thinking skills and do not WANT to seek facts.

We live in a very busy, post-fact world, where “credible messengers” (i.e., someone you know and trust) tell you their opinions. Then you try those opinions on for size, and they eventually become your opinions. It’s faster, it’s easier, and…

It lets you be part of the IN-GROUP. Next thing you know, you're part of a group chat with 400 indoctrinated members, spitting conspiracies like gospel truths.

In today’s globalized, fast-paced, hyper digital world, most people cannot tell you the names of their neighbors or local butcher or even their state’s politicians, let alone what all they stand for. But they can tell you how the Kardashians feel about organic salad in a plastic bowl, or what Trump believes about election results.

There’s a lack of real-world relationships that tether people to a shared reality.

And yet, there is a human need for Tribe.

A cult uses that instinct for TRIBE by constantly re-enforcing the notion that People Out There don’t understand, aren’t very nice, will even persecute you for knowing the truth.

But People In Here, the IN-GROUP, they appreciate you, they are reasonable and open-minded, they will be there for you when everyone else turns their backs on you and puts you down.

All you have to do to belong to the IN-GROUP is subscribe to these CONSPIRACY THEORIES.

First, you should think about becoming Anti-Establishment.

You cannot trust the Authority (company, government, scientists, whatever). The Authority is corrupt and will lie to you because it wants something from you (money, votes, microchips in the vaccines, whatever).

Do not trust what your eyes show you and what your ears hear. Believe your in-group. Be loyal to your found family. Your found family is SPECIAL.

Second, you need to begin to wake up to the Signs and Wonders.

Once you’re willing to see the truth, suddenly there are all these hints. All these little “Q-drops” of information. Like Taekook touching face moles during a song. Or seeing slowed-down, edited videos of facial expressions that look like evidence of jealousy. Or maybe hidden meanings behind tattoos of tigers and green mics. Or making a secret handshake or symbol with their fingers. These Signs and Wonders are FOR YOU.

*Now, I’m inclined to give Taekookers a bit of a break on queer couple coding because, culturally speaking, similar clothing and jewelry are couple-coded in Korea. And there are just as many if not MORE theories about Jikook using similar black and white clothing, matching jewelry, related tattoos, using special numbers in songs and timestamps, and even changing up lyrics as secret messages.

The issue here is that Jikook ACTUALLY DOES SOME OF THOSE THINGS. They actually deliberately type out specific numbers on some of their social media messages. They actually have dressed in the exact same outfits or worn each other’s clothes. They actually have changed up lyrics and sung them to each other.

Even so, any reasonable Jikooker will say “all of this is suspicious as hell, but not proof.” Like when Jungkook says his J tattoo stands for Jungkook—the placement over the M is suspicious, yes—but all sane Jikookers accept that Jungkook has spoken about that tattoo and he did not say it was for Jimin. We don't sit around calling Jungkook a liar just because we preferred our theory.

Taekookers, however, want what Jikook have so badly, even as they scorn it for merely being fan service.

Half the time the hints they claim are completely made up.

They see sandal footprints in the sand, and their leaders say it’s proof that Jungkook went on a secret beach date with Taehyung. Even though Taehyung went out with a friend and his parents that night.

Taekookers will see a photo of shoes all neatly lined up and say it’s a secret ski date with Hobi. Even though Jimin owns the exact same pair of shoes and there were no photos or accounts of them ever being at a ski lodge the day after Jin went into service.

Taekookers will swear they hear Jungkook’s voice off camera during Taehyung’s vlog and insist he was hiding in the trunk of the car during the drive to film. As if JK would hide in the trunk for hours instead of just… go in a different car that didn't have a camera??

All of these Signs and Wonders require a huge leap to arrive at the conclusion that Taekook is a romantic couple.

Meanwhile, evidence of Jikook spending birthdays together and couple holidays together and going on trips alone together and having integrated families and inner circles (stylists, tattoo artist, boxing coach) are ALL fan service. Every single person is in on the conspiracy.

Yes, even when JK’s mom screams “I love you!” to Jimin and makes her son eat seaweed soup on Jimin’s birthday, (JK was clearly FORCED to make up that story) it has to be fan service.

And when Jimin’s dad posts a photo of JK’s old dog on JK’s birthday (a birthday where Jimin visited him in the middle of working on his album, but Taehyung did not even though he wasn't working on anything), it's fan service. And when Mr. Park hosts a give-away event at his café where JK’s music is playing and cap and photo are proudly displayed next to JImin? Absolute fan service; he’s a money-hungry, attention-hungry cad, don’t you know? Even the charity he and his son do are fan service!

But JK went bowling with Wooga, so, Taekook are married. (Legally married. Not in Korea. But you know. They ARE married. Coming up on their third anniversary already!)

Twitter

린 🎧 (slow) | FACE🪞 on Twitter

“married and third year anniversary this year i- 😭 this the kind of info not even sasaengs know about because it’s straight up fiction”

It’s all there, if you’re just willing to see the Signs and Wonders. And believe your cult leaders when there's nothing to see or wonder about at all.

Third and perhaps most important, is the Star-Crossed Lovers angle. The VICTIM CARD.

You see, it’s not bad enough that openly gay couples face pure hell in conservative countries anyway—losing their jobs, their families, sometimes their will to live because the stigma can be so bad. But on top of all that, for years and years, Taekook have been forced apart.

They’ve been just tortured by Jimin’s attention-whoring greedy nature, and made to endure fabricated fan service skinship!

(When Tae and JK look happy to be around Jimin, it’s just because they are professionals and such good actors!). Darn that Park Jimin, the abuser and sexual predator!!

And after so long being forced to hide, now in solo era, poor abused victimized Taekook can be loud. So loud. So very loud and wild and free!!

After all, during the Vegas concert, Jungkook sat on Taehyung’s lap!! He's NEVER sat on any other BTS members' lap (except for all of them).

And when Jungkook came online and said “Keep being jealous, I’ll keep holding Jiminie!” and that Jimin was HIS! Then fans kept asking him about Taehyung, so he also said Taehyung was his. It was totally his own organic idea (except for how it wasn't).

When fans kept pestering Jungkook during his camping VLive about Taehyung, he said he was forced to admit that Taehyung was attractive, he’d never seen a man so attractive! (FORCED to admit it! So romantic!)

Meanwhile, as all this shakes down, there’s this scandal in the press that Jimin didn’t pay his insurance premiums because his mail was omitted by the company. News of this dropped EXACTLY the moment his first OST With You came out, and he went totally quiet.

And then, Jungkook also went quiet for a while too. He deleted all his previous Insta photos that were personal and changed the layout to be totally professional. He went to the White House. He did a collab. He partied for JitB. He went on a Meat Tour of Korea. He did a concert with his members. He headlined World Cup. But mostly he was getting quieter and quieter.

Eventually Jungkook deleted the app entirely. Sometimes he stayed in his home for six days at a time. He stopped working out or going into Hybe; he started drinking whiskey. And nowadays he doesn’t even want to look at the comments on lives. Not because he was sick of the Taekookers or anything, but because “the company is forcing them to hide!”

Of course.

And all throughout 2022, Taehyung and Jungkook are paired up for things, and Tae's talking about a fortune teller saying he and Jungkook were “fire and water.” And rather than be taken as cute moments between friends, these are just VERY LOUD SIGNS AND WONDERS.

Then there are leaks online of all these photos that involved Tae and Jennie.

And thus begins tons of lives where he mentions Jungkook.

I'm not saying Kim Taehyung had an agenda to throw fans off the scent of his actual relationship, but I'm also not NOT saying that.

Whatever his motivations, the cult interpreted this as a direct message for Taekookers to keep the faith!

And indeed, Taekook do hang out—sometimes openly. (Sometimes where there’s press that make them hold up signs while cameras are going off—but that’s not for work, that’s a date, because the security team there wasn’t Hybe’s, and it was a friend’s premiere.) Sometimes quietly, where they share photos of hanging out afterwards.

But it cannot be just two friends hanging out. It’s Signs and Wonders!! SO LOUD!! SO FREE!!

So many reveals—mostly coming from Taehyung, but Jungkook doesn’t often deny them. And it’s mostly Taehyung stroking Jungkook’s hair or laying his head on Jungkook’s thigh or whatever—but Jungkook doesn’t stop him. And Jimin seems totally unbothered by all of it, which is strange because it sort of debunks years of his efforts at fan service.

Yet, clearly THIS cannot be fan service or misdirection.

It can’t just be friends playing games, or a TikTok made for work. It can’t be recording someone without their informed consent for attention. It can’t be going to a concert with other members and sitting in separate rows as friends. Or going to a musical or movie to support friends. Unlike all the things Jungkook has done with Jimin, this has to be Real Love!!

So just to recap:

When the cult had no evidence of Taekook hanging out, they were a private couple.

When the cult had ever-increasing evidence of Taekook hanging out, they were being loud.

When the cult had evidence that Jikook hang out outside of work, that was just fan service.

When the cult had no evidence that Jikook hang out outside of work, that was just fan service getting exposed.

When the cult has evidence that Taehyung has a girlfriend, that’s a punishment.

MARTYRDOM

You see, Jungkook and Taehyung would go on WeLives without permission, remember? And Taehyung set up a dual live chat on Insta and JK didn't seem that into it but he was persuaded. Then they giggled and couldn’t find much to talk about for ten minutes. And Taehyung said he would take full responsibility for it.

And the cult now believes that “taking responsibility” means pretending to be in a heterosexual relationship. Even their insider sasaeng accounts predicted it!

Never mind how mad all of this seems. And it would be one thing if just one or two ideas were far-fetched, like looking at a pair of shoes and making assumptions. But all of it is far-fetched.

Facts do not matter. Because you cannot trust the Authority. You can only trust the In-Group.  

And the In-Group sees Signs and Wonders. So the In-Group knows the Real Truth.

The In-Group DECIDES TOGETHER what is real.

They can make entirely fake edits; cosplay; post false witness statements; harass models, coworkers, brands, businesses… they can hire trucks to circle the building with loud speakers, protesting and shouting their truth!!

And anyone who doesn’t believe the Real Truth is a Fake Taekooker.

No disbelievers allowed. Get out of the tribe. Only the faithful can stay in the Tribe.

Right now, you might be asking yourself: Why would you stay in a tribe like this??

Because the dynamic is ever-evolving, which is titillating, and participants get a sense of power, because they are able to help craft the narratives—by being so smart as to see the truth where others are blind sheep—so they can bond over how unique they are.

Plus… TAEKOOK NEEDS THEM.

The boys absolutely depend on their support. You see, Taekookers are the real HEROES here.

They understand the boys like normal people never could. If you know you know, and they are steadfast against any and all lies presented as evidence. They are loyal.

The whole world is against their baby bear and baby bunny!! They are the boys Only Defense. Just take a look at this video of their rallying cry:

If you've got martyrs, you've also got... CRUSADERS.

Yikes, right?

So, here are millions of fans who were lied to, misled, misinformed… They developed relationships over time with people who also believe this misinformation… They get a sense of power in crafting their own reality, in which the objects of their affection are victims and they are the heroes… And the only way to prove themselves worthy of the group is to stalwartly ignore anything that contradicts these narratives.

This is a literal, textbook cult.

Cults use deception, isolation, peer pressure, group-think, and suppression of critical thought. To varying degrees, all Taekook spaces do this too. (And yes, other ships and solos and mantis ALSO rely on these tactics. But I've never seen anything quite so open or pervasive in ARMY like the Taekook cult tactics.)

I feel I should make one thing should be made clear: a LOT of people sincerely believe in Taekook.

But there are also a lot of Taekook content creators who sincerely believe in the money they make off people believing in Taekook.

Like all cults, at the end of the day, it's a scam.

Now there’s evidence of a real relationship, and of course anyone who has invested time and money in Taekook is going to be pushing back—hard.

So how do we navigate this chaos?

Well, most cults end in one of two ways: an FBI raid, or everyone drinks the Kool-Aid and dies.

But more often than not, cults don’t really end so much as fizzle out over years.

Plenty of cults are still alive and well despite amble debunking (Scientology, Q-Anon, Illuminati, flat-Earthers, Larries—what they believe doesn’t really matter; it’s how they believe that makes them a cult.)

 Cults are a bit like hydras—you cut off one head, three stronger ones pop back up.

They won't stop. They have to BE STOPPED.

HOW TO DEPROGRAM A CULT

Well, back in the 70s, in the early days of deprogramming, the only thing that was effective was to separate the individual from access to the cult (by kidnapping if you had to), then bombard them non-stop with facts (using imprisonment or restraints if you had to) and eventually they are coerced into re-integration. But none of that is humane or legal by today’s standards.

It also leads to relapses.

Really the only way to deprogram cult conditioning is for a mental health professional to slowly and methodically discredit the cult leader(s) and gently present contradictions.

(How can Jungkook really be in a relationship with Taehyung if he’s always mentioning Jimin? How can Jimin be hurting Taehyung and yet they are on FaceTime for hours, trading fan art and watching tv shows? Why would the two most rich and famous pop stars in the world need a publicity stunt?)

And even then, the cult member has to be sort of able to question things for themselves, and it just helps to have other supportive people echoing their own questioning sentiments back to them.

It can take YEARS until a cult member reaches the breaking point and begins to listen to Out-Group ideas. (On average, five years, to be exact.)

And then they may begin a journey of self-expression, where they openly voice doubts or complaints against cult narratives. They may even engage in transference, jumping off the Taekook ship and onto another (the need for tribe is very real). This is an extremely vulnerable stage and should not be taken advantage of.

At this critical moment when someone is tittering on the fence, trying to figure out what reality is, you need to REWARD THE BEHAVIOR YOU WANT.

You want them to question. You want them to express their grief and doubts. You want them to look for real sources of information.

This is NOT the time to kick someone when they are down, or look for “gotcha” moments to shame them publicly.

If you see a Taekooker wondering if they’ve been lied to this whole time—they HAVE. And that is abuse. And abuse victims need to be handled with care.

I know that Taekookers have dragged Jimin to hell and back for years so I’m not about to preach love and acceptance.

But it’s also fair to say that Taekookers have been gas-lit and realizing that can be traumatic.

Wounded animals are dangerous. A traumatized human lashes out. And you know who the prime target always is. They are already starting to take it to Jimin directly.

I strongly recommend you take a very cautious approach if you engage with them right now. Especially if you’re thinking about arguing with them.

People who defend Jimin or Jikook end up doxxed, suspended, harassed--and someday, I fear a wounded cult member will get physically violent.

Be especially careful because plenty of big accounts are closeted Taekookers. Here's a thread exposing some "mystery cult" members:

THE MOST EFFECTIVE RESPONSE

I normally don’t try to police people or preach too much, but I’m going to give you some unsolicited advice if you managed to read all this:

Don’t go into Taekook tags or spaces. Don’t debate them. Don’t talk trash about them or the members. Don’t slam-dunk or spike the ball with snarky words or memes. Don’t give them a taste of their own medicine. Don’t be cruel.

First of all, don’t do any of that because Jimin and Jungkook would be mortified by it.

But second of all, don’t do it because it just makes them dig in harder; it adds weeks or months to the deprogramming timeline.

The goal is to get the cult out of ARMY fandom. Because they thrive on a victim/hero complex, attacking them reinforces cult dynamics.

I believe there is a better approach.

First, you can and should go Gray Rock whenever possible.

Starve them of oxygen. Don’t acknowledge them. If you do, be generic in your responses—boringly bland, detachedly polite. Ignore them completely; their hot takes do not matter.

Block and report if warranted, but never engage. On some level, they really want to be persecuted for their beliefs. It's why they keep coming into Jikook spaces looking for a fight.

But their beliefs are so ridiculous that they aren’t worth our time. Instead, direct your focus on what you want, which is to promote and celebrate Bangtan.

Second, you can provide what’s called a Graceful Exit.

It doesn’t always work if they know that’s what you’re doing, but it is perhaps the most effective technique, especially if they are already questioning the cult narrative.

You see, a shamed human being gets defensive, doubles down, won’t listen. But a human being offered a Graceful Exit Out of a Bad Place gets to reinvent themselves in a way that allows them some dignity while they change direction.

A Graceful Exit has a few components to it:

“Hello, Taekooker. I also saw a lot of misleading content when I was a baby ARMY. The algorithm feeds you Taekook content almost immediately. Then you make online friends, and they all believe in Taekook. Suddenly everyone is telling you really complicated theories about how Taekook is being hidden. Once you believe that, you have to also believe that Taekook are lying by omission, that Jimin and the members are also lying, that the company executives and translators and managers and staff are all lying, that Korean ARMY is lying, that fellow I-ARMY is lying… and that’s a lot of people spreading a lie for no real gain. Now that you have some evidence that Tae is happily in a relationship with someone else, it’s only natural to question your beliefs, because YES, Taehyung and Jungkook absolutely love each other. But are they IN love? NO. For my part, I trust Taehyung. I love and support Taehyung. I don’t spread the idea that he or Jungkook engage in fake relationships. If you support them, then you’ll accept what they are showing you. When you’re ready to stop shipping Taekook, ARMY will be ready to welcome you back. We can stream together and vote together and help our boys achieve their dreams. We can watch their content and go to concerts together and enjoy fan-works. But what we can’t do is make up really complex stories around BTS’ reality. Our place as fans is to appreciate their music, and let them live their own lives in their own way. It’s time to let go of old ideas, and embrace the new things they share with us.”

This tactic allows the cult member to feel sympathy for being human. It provides understanding that they’ve been deceived. It appeals to their higher nature and love for the objects of their affection. And reassures them they could have a place in a bigger tribe if they let go of the in-group.

It invites them in, instead of calls them out.

Now, you guys might not be willing to do that. Especially considering the hate trains and rape jokes and death threats they gave Jimin for years. Believe me, I get it. I GET IT.

So if you see someone spewing vitriol, now is not the time to call them in. Now is the time to block and report.

However, if I take out my anger on them, it’s serving my own feelings.

And I’m here to serve Jimin, Jungkook, and BTS, not my own need to be right.

So I believe the best way to do that is to Gray Rock the Die-hards and provide a Graceful Exit for the Questioners.  

Many cult members are not going to believe in Taennie unless Kim Taehyung makes an announcement directly--and even then, he’ll have to do it in such an emphatic way that they buy what he sells.

So we should accept that the cult is going to be around for a long, long time. Conserve your energy, my dears.

But for the ones who just got fooled but don't intend any harm, we can either hope they let go of their own volition, or we can try to make room for them as part of true ARMY.

What we shouldn’t do is get down in the mud and start slinging. Everyone loses ground that way.

THIS WAS THE LONGEST EVER POST; I AM SORRY!

But these have been my thoughts over the last few days. I’m okay if you want to comment, but I would like to ask that you DO NOT reblog to tag Taekook and that you don’t weaponize this post by spreading it around specifically where it could cause drama.

Drama is the exact opposite of my intention.

My desire is to provide some better understanding around how cults work and how to disband them.

In conclusion: Keep it classy. Ignore assholes. Be gentle with people recovering from gas-lighting. Stay true to the principles of BTS and ARMY. Apobangpo.

Love, Roo

showing of my favourite character be like

Memories.

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First <- Part 3 <- Part 4 -> Part 5

he’s always the center in these discussions. patron saint of yaoi culture

Clothes in BSD

Part 1: Loyalty, Morality, and Characterization Through Coats and Colors

Thread on Twitter: https://x.com/RandoBSDAnalyst/status/1806408372897353988

Clothes are an integral part of the symbolism in Bungou Stray Dogs, as Harukawa and Asagiri spent a lot of time working together to come up with the final designs for the characters. The idea of coats and borrowed clothing especially appears over and over again in the series, building upon each other and adding to the themes in ways that demonstrate what matters to the characters.

We can begin with coats. The fandom-famous coat theory is related to loyalty and motivation, but I believe there’s so much to be said about vulnerability and morality as well when it comes to the coats. There’s notable variation regarding color and the way coats are worn and treated throughout the series, and there’s much you can understand regarding the characters based on the coat and clothes they wear and how. 

We can start off by using Dazai. In Fifteen, he does not actually wear a coat, opting to instead wear just the tie, white dress shirt, and black dress pants. He had no attachment to the world or any organization at that point in time, and so there was no need for the Demon Prodigy mask and the many other masks he would very quickly develop over time. From a more morality-based viewpoint, their mind had not been completely darkened at that point, either, despite them very obviously displaying signs of how twisted their mind was and how much he was quickly learning from Mori over time (hence the black tie and black pants). However, right after the events of Fifteen, he did start wearing a coat after being gifted one from Mori. It was black, like the tie and pants, and it hid parts of the white dress shirt he still wore underneath. This is connected to how his mind had become far more dark by that point, and how he had officially become part of the underground by joining the Mafia. He covered up the remaining bits of genuineness and good still left in him, and officially became the Demon Prodigy Mori had been trying to shape him into. Then, by the time we see Dazai in Osamu Dazai and the Dark Era, he had also decided to wear a black suit jacket underneath the coat. Just as it obscured more of the white dress shirt underneath, it further obscured Dazai’s self and hid anything left that was remotely genuine and innocent out of a (sub)conscious desire to not be vulnerable and get hurt. Those parts of him still existed, but they were hard to find, especially as nobody but Chuuya and Oda tried to truly understand him and his struggles. What the others could see was that Dazai was fully enveloped in his Demon Prodigy mask by then, and he was very eerily reminiscent of Mori in the darkness and cold logic he carried with him wherever he went.

However, there are hints as to how he truly felt about Mori and the Mafia, even back then, as coats in BSD do say so much about loyalty. It is important to note that even though he wore the suit jacket properly during the Dark Era, perhaps indicating his commitment to the masks and in pushing away the good he can do due to his feelings regarding himself, he still did not ever wear Mori’s coat properly. This indicated his wavering loyalty, hinting that he in no way was particularly loyal to the Port Mafia and Mori  from the very beginning. His reason for officially joining and adopting the thin facade of loyalty at the age of fifteen was only to continue observing humanity after Chuuya inadvertently convinced him to see life in another light. He wanted to get a glimpse of life and what it means to be human amid all the death and destruction, not to further the interest of the Mafia and Mori beyond what would allow him to continue his exploration. And we see that as soon as they see Oda’s body on the floor and rushes to him, the coat falls off. He then claimed to have burnt the coat afterward, removing any attachment to the darkness and Mori, despite mentally still being very much affected by them.

Once he left, he started wearing the coat that is now so familiar. It is tan, similar to the coat Oda used to wear, and a physical reminder for himself of what he is doing all this for. He wants so badly to belong in the light and fulfill the promise he had made to one of the only people who understood him, and so he must have felt the coat was a perfect replacement for the one he once wore. And, unlike the black coat, Dazai wears this coat properly, as he is genuinely loyal to Oda and Oda’s wishes for him. Beyond the coat, Dazai also decided to change other parts of his outfit. He does wear a dark vest underneath the coat that is quite similar to the suit jacket he used to wear, but he chose to replace the rest of his clothes with ones that are lighter, more befitting of someone in the light (though the dark vest serves as a reminder of his moral grayness). If they were going to create a whole new persona, especially one that tries so hard to come off as friendly and bubbly, then they would need clothes to match. His black pants were replaced with khaki ones, and his black tie was replaced with a bolo tie. All in all, while there are still many layers to what Dazai wears (Dazai will perhaps never be perfectly at home around others no matter the organization, as humanity is still something he does not consider himself a part of), the overall vibe is less formal and dark. 

Let’s move on to Chuuya, whose design had a lot of thought and time put into it by both Asagiri and Harukawa. Chuuya wears many layers as well no matter what age you consider, which hide the vulnerable parts of him in a way that is similar to Dazai. Even in the Sheep and during the Dragon’s Head Conflict, where he wore what could be considered streetwear, he still wore several layers to hide himself. He may end up wearing his heart on a sleeve for those who look and may bleed for those he cares about, but emotional vulnerability and trust is still difficult for him. But what’s more interesting, once again, is how his clothes also display his loyalty. Chuuya is an extremely loyal individual, and his connections to the different organizations he works/worked for are so important to understanding him and his view of his humanity. Chuuya has always been trapped and bound to whatever organization he works for by his loyalty, and forced by the nature of his ability to always protect those under him. He thus wears a literal choker around his neck after joining the Port Mafia, a physical representation of the “dog-like” loyalty that binds him to the Sheep and then the Port Mafia. It was not part of his outfit during his time in the Sheep, but that is most likely because he did not see his loyalty and his ability as truly binding. He cared for the Sheep and thought that they cared for him in return and only expected so much from him because he’s him. But once he met Dazai and Mori and experienced first hand what the Sheep truly thought of him, he began to feel tied down by his own loyalty and forgiving nature.

Chuuya also used to wear his jacket properly in the Sheep, and before Dazai left the Mafia, he wore any jacket or coat that was part of his outfit properly as well. The Sheep, and then the Mafia, were his family for better or for worse, and he feels such a need to protect those under him and to become more of the leader he unfairly thought he should have been for the Sheep. He was determined in these goals and to protecting Yokohama through missions in the Port Mafia, and so his outer layers are worn the way they were meant to be. However, you may notice that currently, Chuuya does not wear his coat properly despite his loyalty towards the Port Mafia. It’s the one layer of his clothing not fully worn. It also comes off often, and there is one common denominator to every time Chuuya does take off the coat: either he’s relaxing after a long day, or he’s with Dazai (who is the only one he takes his coat off around when he’s meant to be working for the Mafia). Whether hes’s fighting against, with, or for Dazai, his coat is always the first item to go flying (literally). Think of the dungeon scene, the fight against Lovecraft where the very first attack results in Chuuya’s coat falling off, and the rescue in Dead Apple where Chuuya’s coat falls off when he jumps off of a plane. This reveals something interesting: while Chuuya is incredibly loyal to the Port Mafia, he would always be willing to cast that loyalty aside for Dazai. Even if Dazai is a known traitor, Chuuya is willing to cast that aside for the sake of Soukoku and Yokohama. There was no need to do this before Dazai left the Mafia, and so he never wore his jackets or coats improperly before then. The shedding of the coat is also a physical representation of the way they trust each other and are willing to cast aside some of their masks and their game of hatred to reveal some of the vulnerability underneath — something that goes unsaid between the two but is so important to their bond. Without that deeply rooted trust, Soukoku would not function the way it does. Not only that, but the coat he sheds is also black, and removing it reveals the lighter layers underneath, as if Chuuya is shedding his darkness each time in order to be genuine. It is only Dazai that gets to see the more human side of Chuuya while Chuuya is working, only Dazai that gets to see the truth behind the darkness that shrouds both of them.

One could also say that the coat very loosely represents Chuuya’s masked feelings towards Dazai, though this interpretation does not really get the whole picture, considering how coats are a consistent symbol across characters and how Chuuya does take off the coat when he’s relaxing (so the coat representing his loyalty and feelings of responsibility to the Mafia, and the layers representing the layers shielding his vulnerability, makes more sense). But let’s indulge the idea for a moment. Chuuya acts like he hates Dazai, but that mask leaves very quickly when needed (just like the coat), as those feelings of hatred have no depth or genuineness. This idea still can be tied back to loyalty, however. Once Dazai left, there was a new layer that had to be added to the game the two like to play: they are now in different organizations with differing principles since Dazai left. It makes sense for Chuuya, as an executive, to detest somebody who had betrayed the organization. The Port Mafia is not kind to traitors, after all, and the organization is not meant to be easy to leave. However, Chuuya’s true feelings regarding Dazai’s betrayal of the Mafia are obviously far more complex. He doesn’t truly feel betrayed by Dazai’s departure like a high-ranking member of the Mafia is meant to, no matter how he acts outwardly. Instead, as someone who “had” considered himself to be Dazai’s partner, he knew and still knows Dazai too well to be genuinely mad at him for leaving such a place. If anything, he sorely missed having him with him. He thus never wears his coat properly, ready to take it off whenever the mask of hatred he is meant to keep on after Dazai betrayed the Mafia (connected to his loyalty to the Mafia) goes at odds against his heart and loyalty to his partner. And in return, Dazai doesn’t hesitate to still make him an integral part of his plans.

Now let’s talk about their outfits in the BEAST universe, because something you can notice immediately that differs from the main universe is that Dazai and Chuuya do wear their coat, in Dazai’s case, and suit jacket, in Chuuya’s case, properly. So what does this say about BEAST Dazai and Chuuya? In the case of Dazai, it being worn properly showed his dedication to the plan he had come up with and took over the Mafia to ensure the success of. He took the job of being the boss seriously, and so he wore Mori’s coat the way it was meant to be worn. The dark coat also added another intentional and well-maintained layer of darkness that shrouded the white dress shirt underneath everything Dazai was wearing. It’s a lot harder to take off a well-worn coat than a coat that simply hands from the shoulders, much like how his Demon Prodigy mask and darkness are a lot harder to see through in BEAST. He intentionally isolated himself due to his goal, allowing only Chuuya and Gin by his side, and blinded himself to the pain and darkness that surrounded him so completely as a result. Chuuya, too, is more dedicated to his role and to the goals of the Port Mafia, as all he had in BEAST was Dazai due to being even more isolated from others than regular Chuuya. And even if Chuuya did have others close to him, since Dazai remained in the Mafia, Chuuya had no reason to switch from wearing his coat or jacket properly to wearing them over his shoulder like he did in the regular universe. There was no conflict between his loyalty to Dazai and his loyalty to the Mafia, and so his feelings towards Dazai only intensified the dedication he had to the organization. In addition, notice that BEAST Chuuya wears a red dress shirt instead of a white one like he does in the regular universe, which could represent how much lonelier and thus darker BEAST Chuuya was.

Fyodor is another character whose coat and colors tell us a lot about him. As confirmed by Asagiri, his outfit and general appearance were based on The Brothers Karamazov by irl Fyodor Dostoyevsky. More specifically, his design was influenced by a scene in the book where Ivan, the middle of the three brothers, has a conversation with the devil. Looking at the scene, it is clear where Fyodor’s ushanka and hair came from (thanks, @/wolfkil1r on twt for this revelation):

I’ll do a separate analysis on the literary references that went into Fyodor’s character, but it is important that his design is meant to evoke the character of the devil from the novel. Clothes give you an idea of a character’s motivation, after all. In addition, the black in his outfit and hair contrasts with the white found in the Decay of the Angel. Black shrouds the white, like how evil corrupts the pure and how Fyodor manipulates the group behind the scene. The black covering the white also evokes the idea of the fallen angel. The character of the devil in The Brothers Karamazov was once an angel who had fallen from grace and was forced to shoulder the burden of humanity’s sins. Fyodor, similarly, lost his humanity (and the goodness within) due to the nature of his immortality and his desire to achieve his goals using whatever means are most effective. He wishes to get rid of the sinfulness of humans, but has long since sacrificed any goodness he may have had for the sake of efficiency. Besides black and white, though, Fyodor is also very closely associated with the color purple, a color that is deeply connected with the idea of nobility and power. In Christianity, the color is also used to represent Christ’s suffering and death, since a purple robe had been placed on him as a sign of mockery before his crucifixion. As Fyodor is a character so closely tied into religion, Christ, the devil, and the concepts of death and rebirth, this truly is the perfect color for him.

For both Fyodor and Dazai, however, there’s also another set of rather symbolic outfits to look at: the white ones they wore in Dead Apple after being made to do so by Shibusawa. The white once again evokes the idea of purity,  and of angels. White is also often used to symbolize death, due to the color’s spiritual importance as a result of its connection to purity. The outfits (and a lot of the characters associated with Fyodor, who are known for having long white hair and wearing white) bring these two concepts together beautifully. Wearing these gorgeous pieces of clothing while in the safety of Mukurotoride, Dazai, Fyodor, and Shibusawa observed the ruin that the fog brought to Yokohama from above, like angels observing humanity from heaven. Due to the nature of their intelligence and thought processes, all three of them are known for feeling isolated from humanity, their minds unable to be comprehended by the masses. Angels are indeed the perfect representation of this isolation, evoking the idea of being distant from humanity. This also ties in quite neatly to the symbolism of angels and religion in the series, as just like in the play in The Untold Origins of the Detective Agency, the “angels'' were portrayed as people who watched destruction unfold below them after putting different things into motion. They may appear pure as snow, but their morals and ideas can be put into question. Or you could think of it as angels being too divine and disconnected from humans to lose themselves in morality and experience something so human as suffering, which would make sense in the discussion regarding humanity. 

However, their outfits were not pure white, so the outfits could also add to the fallen angel symbolism prevalent in the series (which is of course very closely related to the idea of angels in the series, as the “angels” in BSD aren’t quite pure). The inner lining of the coats were black, as well as their shoes, Fyodor’s gloves, and the dress shirt Dazai wore underneath. And speaking of Fyodor’s gloves, that was actually the only addition to Fyodor’s outfit other than the coat. He was still wearing the same outfit he always wears underneath. All this is a reminder, representing how they are still them. Even though their intelligence allows them to rise above the rest, there is still darkness (morally and psychologically) that lies inside the minds of the three individuals. The black against the flowy white does elicit the image of a fallen angel, after all. The three may all be beautiful and beyond human in terms of their brains, but darkness has long since become a part of them, the “purity” of their appearance corrupted by their minds and perspectives of humanity. This really does go along well with a lot of other symbolism in the series, and it ties back well with the fact that Fyodor is the only dark-haired member of the Decay of Angels. 

With these interpretations in mind, it is interesting that Dazai was the only one who did not wear his coat properly. He instead wore it over the shoulder, much like he had back in the Port Mafia. This could be a way of symbolically representing how his mind is still forever affected by his time in the Mafia, and how he liked to lean more into his Demon Prodigy mask especially when with Fyodor. Dazai has a habit of subconsciously soaking up the darkness around him and slipping into whatever role is expected of him, tailoring his masks and perspectives based on the person he is talking to in order to appear as if he belongs and can deeply relate to the other. And indeed, for a long while, Fyodor thought Dazai’s thought processes and ways of seeing people are the same as his, which is why he was so caught off guard by Dazai’s ability to adapt, trust, and use the unpredictability of humans to his advantage. On this note, the way Dazai wore the coat could also be thought of as showing Dazai’s true feelings regarding humanity. Even though he was playing the role of the angel observing from the distance, it has become clear based on his thought processes in the ADA (and even back in the PM) that he does not think of this distance as a benefit. He admires humanity, and wishes to observe it from close up. After all, Chuuya had shown him so much about what it meant to fight and struggle as a human being, and Oda had provided him a compass for which to guide himself morally. He could never find humanity boring and predictable, a perspective that makes him so different from Fyodor, Shibusawa, and the weapon Mori desired to shape him into. 

Moving on from Fyodor and Dazai (though I will be coming back to them again in a bit), Nikolai also has a pretty interesting design. His long, flowy overcoat is a nod to The Overcoat. The story is about a poor department store worker who lived the epitome of a monotonous and dreary life, and struggles to replace a coat that had been well worn. He eventually saved up for a new coat, and when he finally got it, it allowed him to finally enter the world of humans and desire. He was free from the monotony of his banal existence. But then one day, he was attacked and the coat was taken from him, bringing him back to his dreary reality. It was inevitable that the world of humanity and emotions wouldn’t last, and the man died as pitifully as he lived. I feel like it was irl Gogol’s own existence and experience with religion that inspired Nikolai’s design and characterization far more than a single specific piece of his work, but I feel like the story does play well into the futility of Nikolai’s desire to be free from the structure of society and his own existence. 

As for Nikolai’s specific coat, it is white, but it also has a black lining on the inside. There are also black details on the suit and pants as well, making the outfit appear like a mix of the ones worn by clowns and ringmasters. The outfit is perfectly representative of Nikolai’s character, blending the comical and whimsical side of him with his sharp intellect and (rather sadistic) interest in creating games. The white and black also show his conflicting relationship with morality and honesty. Instead of having the colors in layers like the other characters, the white and black are all over the place, contrasting to form a twisted, clownish image that makes it difficult to discern what is true from what is not. He wishes to push morality and to shed the boundaries set by human nature and morality, and so he does not get set layers of white or black. However, after Fyodor’s “death,” when Nikolai was talking about his conflicted feelings and how much being understood by Fyodor meant to him, you can see that the black parts of his outfit are hidden. He’s being genuine for once, revealing his true feelings and pushing aside the goal he thought he wanted to achieve: of being free from everything. Instead, what he had truly wanted was to be understood.

Now, I promised to circle back to Fyodor and Dazai, and that is because there’s still one final detail for this section that’s very important and connects different pieces of clothing in BSD (which is why I saved it for the end). Going back to Fyodor’s outfit in Dead Apple, there was a unique design on the bottom that may be familiar to those who draw Sigma’s coat. Here it is again:

Shubisawa and Dazai, too, had the symbol as a part of their outfits, and it was also on the strange outfit Akutagawa was wearing at the very end of the last episode of season 5:

And here is the same thing on Sigma’s coat. The shape of the cutout forms the exact same symbol.

Clearly the symbol is important and might be leading up to something if Akutagawa’s new outfit contains the same symbol, But what does it mean? Well, the shape is actually known as the othala rune. Runes were originally created and used by Germanic groups before they adopted the Latin alphabet, but variants were devised by Scandinavian as well as  Anglo-Saxon groups. Knowing that Sigma’s design seems to have some Celtic and Nordic inspirations, it’s to be expected that a symbolic rune would be utilized in his design. The othala rune, generally (as there is obviously going to be variation and nuance in the way the rune is thought of), represents the idea of home, legacy, and heritage. 

This is so perfect for Sigma’s character, whose whole story revolves around how he does not have a past and a home. To him, these two things are the very basis of what makes a human human, and they therefore drive his decisions and struggles. And just like any other human, Sigma fights tooth and nail against the constant tirade of life, clinging on desperately to the hope of finding the meaning and purpose that he believes his life to lack due to his supposed lack of humanity. This drive is exactly what Fyodor wanted to exploit using the casino, and is what allowed Dazai to successfully convince Sigma to betray the Decay of Angels. They both knew what Sigma desired was a true home, and that he would do anything to protect anything even slightly close to one, even if he felt like he could never match up to the others. 

Shibusawa, too, had wanted to know his past, as he had forgotten it after his death. He had no home or past that he could remember, and so he sought his old memories, wishing to get them back so he could understand what happened to him and find his true self. And so he was easily manipulated by Fyodor for a second time, his ego and wish to get back his memories preventing him from seeing that Fyodor only wanted to use him. There is obviously more to what motivated Shibusawa (which was why he had desired Atsushi’s ability and to experience dying once more), but this is why the othala rune was part of Shibusawa’s outfit as well as the outfits he had forced Dazai and Fyodor into. In addition, it could also be said that it emphasized the way all three are isolated from humanity and do not belong anywhere: Shibusawa because of his death, Fyodor because of his ability, Dazai because of the dehumanization he went through, and all three because of their intelligence and incomprehensible minds. 

Who knows what it means for Akutagawa, though. Is it the symbol of an organization or one used a lot in an alternate universe? Is it the Akutagawa we know, and he was given the outfit by someone? At this point, there is so little we know about how Akutagawa ended up by Atsushi’s side again, as well as the fates of others who had turned into vampires. However, the story isn’t done yet, so we’ll see how the plot points get resolved.