āThis is the only world where he lives and writes novels.ā
Why exactly is this the case? Of course, mathematically speaking, this statement would be improbable. Maybe the narrative is just overlooking the sequence of possibilities present in alternate realities - but that may not be the case. Thereās an importance in the emphasis Dazai puts on the fact that itās the only world where Oda lives and writes novels. There are multiple realities where Oda is alive - but not ones where he can pursue his dream.
How can this be? Of course, I obviously canāt detail every possible reality in a Dr Strange-esque fashion, but I might not have to considering that the confines of the available possibilities remain in the parameters of Dazaiās own reality. Remember, the Novel only works if the narrative written in it makes cohesive storyline (something pointedly contradictory to life itself. Then again, it is a Novel, after all). This limitation means weāre (thankfully) limited to the world and circumstances Dazai is aware of. Think of it like a deck of cards, in a sense. You canāt change the values in the deck but you can shuffle them around to turn the cards in your favour. Simply put, Dazai cannot rewrite the past or touch things nor can he just overwrite Mimicās existence, for example. As the manga puts itĀ āyou canāt just writeĀ āall of humanity diesāā because you need to be able to construct a comprehensive-enough plot to reach that sort of conclusion. Even then, itād be close to impossible because youād have to account for details out of your control.
In this case, Dazai canāt just sayĀ āMimic does not exist.ā Think about it, if you took the 4 of spades out of the deck, you wouldnāt only lack a set of 4s, but you would also lack a 4 in a set of ace to king. Youād ultimately be lacking a card and of course, reality isnāt a game ofĀ āgo-fish.ā This means the only option Dazai has is to counter the events of canon.
Moriās overarching plan of pressuring the government with Mimic is what ultimately leads to Odaās death alongside Gideās insistence on Oda being the only person who could kill him. Thereās no doubt Mori is aware of Gideās ability and he may understand Gideās sentiments to a slight degree. This is evident in how Mori seems to know that Oda doesnāt want to be rescued, despite initially agreeing to Dazaiās request. Mori understands that Mimic has probably done something to shift Odaās resolve and sees this as an opportune way to irradiate the organization. You can see that the PM does send gunmen to aid Oda, but in the end, he and Gide are the last ones standing. In Moriās eyes and in regard to the state the PM was in at the time, there may have been no other way to eliminate Gide.Ā
But what other measures are present to prevent this whole ordeal? A number of possibilities can be considered of course - but we know of the only plausible one that held out: Dazaiās rise to power as the PM boss. Think about it, anyone could have tried to overthrow Mori but the question lies in their competence and willingness to. With this criteria, we can understand how Beast managed to act as the only effective countermeasure in the aspect of saving Oda.
So weāve managed to replace Mori. Woo hoo Dazai is the mafia boss and can probably cut Oda some slack and yet, that reality wouldnāt suffice.
Whatever. Maybe we can overlook certain aspects of canon and say that Oda and Dazai manage to leave the PM together with the help of Ango. We can say Dazai becomes the boss and deserts soon after coming into power. But of course, that still wouldnāt be plausible since it comes into conflict with Sosekiās three-fold plan. Dazai couldnāt just leave the mafia unattended and there isnāt anyone else fit to run in the position other than him or Mori.Ā
Even if there is a world where both Oda and Dazai could live together - one major hindrance remains in the form of Dazai himself.
The truth of the matter is something Oda points out himself: āThere is nothing in this world that can fill the emptiness inside you.ā
In other words: There is no world where Dazai does not wish to die.
Something important to remember is that Oda is not Dazaiās ultimate means of salvation - Oda is not Dazaiās reason to live. Iāll apologize to fellow odazai enjoyers because of that - but if you look at it realistically and in the context of the story, youāll find that the statement isnāt too far off.
In any reality they have a relationship together, Dazai puts Odaās dream at risk with the inevitably of his suicide. His death would traumatize Oda to a degree weāve already witnessed with the death of the kids. The inevitability of his death, in turn, would mean that Oda may be able to live in that world but will never be able to pursue his dream.
Through Beast, Dazai positions himself in the seat that prevents Odaās death by external means and preserves Odaās dream by their lack of affiliation. Dazai puts himself in a position where Oda thinks nothing of him - a position where Oda can go on with life even in the event of his death. He pulls an Itachi, to put it simply.
In short, Beast is Dazaiās meticulously crafted design created to safeguard both Odaās life and his dream, seeing as they are both inexplicably intertwined.
In this fixed deck of cards, theyāre both destined to be dealt bad hands. At least in this way, Dazai manages to ensure that this doesn't have to be the case for Oda.Ā
Honestly, I came to this epiphany while brainstorming for a fic. Iām just humbled by how intricately woven the plot is and at the same time, Iām sitting here realizing Asagiri-sensei had laid out aĀ statement that I have (hopefully) managed to prove as though it were a math problem.
Is this meant to hinder anyone (including myself) from imagining a reality where odazai can both live in relative harmony? Of course not. It probably wouldnāt have even with that intention in mind. Iām pretty sure this may already be common knowledge but it probably wouldnāt hurt to compile my thoughts. Itās just some random shot in the dark, by no means comprehensive, and the aftermath of exploring the āuniverse conspires against usā concept. Overall, not much to it and of course itās ājust a theory, a film theoryā or well, anime theory in this case.
And thatās about it. Good on you for making it through the ramble. Thereās no cool ending to this amalgamation but you can imagine a pat on the back or whatever helps. Anyway, thanks for making it through this TedTalk.Ā
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