One of the biggest misconceptions I feel people have about Kunikida is that they think he doesn’t care about the people around him.
This sentiment that at best he tolerates Dazai’s antics and at worst he despises him. That he’s this angry and cold person who finds everyone around him a nuisance.
And it blows my mind because if anything Kunikida cares too much. Hell I’d go so far to say that’s what defines his character more then anything else.
Kunikida who comforts scared children with bombs strapped to them. Kunikida who is haunted by Sasaki’s death 2 years after the fact because he blames himself for not being able to save her.
Kunikida who tried to mentor Rokuzo, to give him a role model and a job. He was never going to give that blackmail to the police because he’d never hurt him.
Kunikida who had Kyouka’s phone alert him whenever someone else tries to ring it so that he could come to her aid.
Kunikida who was gonna let himself rot in prison for a crime he didn’t commit because he blamed himself for not being able to save that girl.
Kunikida who regularly cleans Katai’s house when he himself can’t do it. He drove for hours one day because Katai wanted to visit the sea. And got him to join the Agency because it would be good for him.
This is the same guy who has been so ready to throw his life away to save his friends and even strangers.
Kunikida who defies anyone who dares stand in the way of him protecting others. Even when guns are drawn, even when it would make more sense to back down he refuses too.
He was stabbed by Amenogozen and held onto that blade as long as he could so that Atsushi could get to Junichiro.
As for Dazai…Kunikida canonically calls Dazai twice a day to check up on him.
The Agency (55 minutes) has a protocol for when Dazai is fatally wounded. And Kunikida has ensured that everyone knows it, inside and out.
Kunikida knew Dazai was in the river in the first episode because (Dazai’s entrance exam) he put a tracker on him so that he can go fish him out of trouble.
He bought 30 bowls of tea on rice for Atsushi and then gathered the rest of the Agency on a moments notice all because Dazai wrote him a vague note.
For crying out loud the entire reason Dazai’s in the Agency to begin with is because Kunikida trusts him.
Like I can understand where the “oh Kunikida’s a perfect little rule follower” allegations come from. I don’t agree with them and neither does the series but I get where they come from.
But I don’t know where this came from.
Kunikida doesn’t care…Kunikida doesn’t even live for himself. He says multiple times that his ideals can live on without him. And in those moments he’s choosing to save the Agency over himself.
And the Agency are his ideals, they are the people he dedicates his life to. He is one of the most selfless characters in this entire series.
To the point that Kunikida chose protecting the city over trying to kill Mori. Because that’s what the Agejcy stands for, that’s what Fukuzawa would want and that triumphs anything else.
I won’t even accept the oh it’s because Kunikida’s angry and annoyed all the time because so is Chuuya. And I have yet to see anyone think that he doesn’t care for other people.
Kunikida throws Dazai around and suddenly he despises him and we can’t imagine they care about each other. But Akutagawa can hack off Atsushi’s legs off so often that even Atsushi isn’t phased by it and no yeah no debate whether they care about each other.
“Kunikida you are the strongest and most virtuous of us in the Agency. It’s why the enemy tried to break you first.” -Ranpo to Kunikida in the cannibalism arc.
“He’s the perfect flag bearer for us, unwavering, unyielding and compassionate towards the weak. A man born to be a leader, yup who else could it be but our very own Kunikida.” -Dazai in the OVA
And even Beast Kunikida hugs Beast Akutagawa and says tells him that he’s not evil and a part of the Agency so it’s a constant in every universe.
When the world is so jaded and cruel Kunikida defies it by being kind.
