#chapter 122

He understands Akutagawa now

He fully sees Akutagawa for his humanity now

Atsushi has seen Akutagawa's darkest, most vulnerable side now

And that's just so...

I can't even put it into words oh my God, their relationship is so complex and heartfelt I'm screaming

I have a feeling that Akutagawa doesn't mind Atsushi seeing his past, seeing him at weakest, lowest point

I think their trust runs deeper than that

Second time I've ever seen Akutagawa apologise was before he was supposed to "kill" Atsushi here.

I like how out of all the known generations of duos in BSD, SSKK/Shin Soukoku (I still don't like this name for them as a more yin-yang sounding one sounds more suitable.) they harbor the least amount of hatred toward each other at least after some time, or are just more likely to end up being the "successful" duo. Especially considering that one interaction in Beast... They could get along without even fighting.

With Fukuzawa and Mori its like they're on complete opposite ends, they in the past and now do not get along.

With SKK/Soukoku/ Dazai and Chuuya, they haven't gotten along but could work together when they had to. They still have an amount of hatred in their complexity, or just could never work as "friends" after everything that has happened or during all that has, despite the trust that has built upon years of working together.

Then there's Akutagawa and Atsushi... At first it was confusion, then hatred from Akutagawa, then Atsushi firmly not liking him, to Akutagawa understanding, to Atsushi still being confused but not completely firmly disliking/getting along with him through their team-ups and the fight with Ivan despite their verbal clashes during that time. To Akutagawa being there on that battle with Fukuchi when Atsushi was alone, to the trust that built for the battle as comrades for that one time in that second they needed to defeat Fukuchi.

I don't know what they are now, and I await the day they become friends even if it happens when one of them dies. But they definitely had more of a journey of understanding and not liking views, of jealousy, of defeat, of strength of self, of willpower, of survival, of trust, and of life and death.

Asagiri really makes some interesting and well-written character duos.

[I understand now...]

(Kinda) this is how i imagine Atsushis thought process was going when “Dazai” was explaining the 4th dimension bs 🙁

sebastian ass #45

This is the moment that made me love Zoro and Vivi as a duo and it proves once more how he affects those around him. It happened with Nami in Orange Town, it happened with Usopp in Syrup Village, it happened with Sanji in the Baratie and it happens with Vivi here. It's not a coincidence these are, along with Luffy, Chopper and Tashigi, my favorite Zoro's duos (I view his relationship with these last three differently to the previous four, but that would be a whole other conversation I'm not going to have now lmao).

There's usually something about his demeanor that changes the perspective of people and/or impulses them to do something they've been afraid to do. In this case, it helps Vivi realize what she is willing to do and how far she is willing to go to save her people. And if it involves cutting her legs to get out of there, even if she dies fighting, so be it. Zoro knows they have no choice because they're running out of time, so why not give it a shot, even if it's a stupid plan?

Jigsaw would hate to see Zoro coming.

Now, opla skipped how Zoro affected Usopp and Sanji in their introductory arcs and, despite all the moments they have together, I can'r really pintpoint a moment with Nami that had the feeling I'm talking about.

Do I love the fact that the intricacies of his relationship with them, I'm talking mostly about Usopp and Sanji, are lost in opla? No, we were robbed.

Do I think they were absolutely necessary? Also no, I think they are a complement to what they needed to feel for Luffy, the only relationship that needed to shine in season 1 for all of them.

(I was about to start rambling about how I usually see people criticize the decisions opla made about Sanji but not about Usopp when I think the problem surrounding them is the same, but I will leave that to when I rewatch season 1) (I will say for now that both characters suffered because a lot of their respective arcs was changed, the lack of some original enemies and what they meant to their characters /and their relationship with Zoro in particular/ left them without the space to properly shine).