If any of you anime watchers and/or manga readers ever came across the series, ‘Bungou Stray Dogs’ then I’d like to think that we could be kindred spirits.
The story follows the main character, Dazai Osamu. Not only was he a beloved character in the story, but he also resembled a world-famous Japanese author who goes by the name of, Tsushima Shuji. He was born on June 19th, 1909 in Kanagi, Aomori Prefecture of Northern Japan. He is most famous for his two novels “No Longer Human” and “The Setting Sun”. Those who have watched the anime or read the manga might know Dazai Osamu’s unique ability. For those who don’t know, he can negate all other abilities with a single touch along with the whispered phrase: “No Longer Human.” The phrase was one of the animes ways of paying homage to one of Tsushima’s most famous novels.
The reason I started this whole harang with the anime/manga is for two reasons; (1) My curiosity about the meaning behind the title and (2) The long hours of googling following the first episode of the anime. The investment starts here! In regards to reason (1), Bungou Stray Dogs directly translates to Literary Stray Dogs which I thought was interesting. Although the plot of Bungou Stray Dogs resembles more of nature and didn’t seem to have a relationship with the literary world, what fascinated me was that every single character was named after a famous deceased author or poet. Each character’s special ability bears the title and style of their fellow authors' known works. Even authors such as Bram Stoker, William Shakespeare, Goethe, and Victor Hugo make an appearance. I am impatiently waiting on the individual anime adaptation of these four.
I believe that the authors and illustrators of Bungou Stray Dogs knew what they were doing when they first came up with the idea. Not only was the outcome an exciting read and/or watch for the audience but it also gave an introduction to the vast world of literature through its characters. This brings me to reason (2). Quite frankly I was so excited after stumbling upon the anime on Netflix, that I went on a googling spree about Dazai Osamu. The following day I got my hands on the ebook version of his novel “No Longer Human”. Although the reason for my introduction to the author was admittedly hilarious when you consider the fact that the anime/manga version of him was starkly different from his real-life self. I was bound to be intrigued by him.
My first impression of him via Google made me think that he was less of a human being. My reason for this impression was that Tsushima Shuji never smiled. In all of his pictures, he had a look of complete detachment that resembled the stillness of the deceased. Only after I read his novel, No Longer Human was I able to understand the nature of his thoughts.
No Longer Human is written in the style of a semi-autobiography of a story much like Tsushima Shuji’s other works. It is famous for being his suicide note to society. Unfortunately, just after its publication in 1948, he and his wife committed suicide. It tells a story of a young man, Oba Yozo, who struggles with the gradual loss of the traditional roots of the Japanese culture and the arising Western ideology during post-war Japan. As a consequence of being caught in this state, he thinks of his status as underqualified in terms of being a human and develops a dread from an early age. In the first-person point of view, the slow degradation of his morals and his downfall into a life of crime, prostitutes, morphine, and unsuccessful suicide attempts, is displayed in the novel. The protagonist of this story develops complete confusion and isolation as he felt he was the only one not given a handbook on 'How to be human'. No matter how hard he tried and which mask he wore, he did not fully understand the concept of being ‘human’ and failed to find someone capable of making him feel more human. Although the book left me feeling hollow and filled with despair, I couldn’t help but feel somewhat at peace, much like the protagonist at the end.
For me, No Longer Human ended twice. The first time I thought it ended was at the scene before the epilogue where the protagonist states,
“Now I have neither happiness nor unhappiness
Everything passes
That is the one and the only thing I have thought resembled a truth in the society of human beings where I have dwelled up to now as in a burning hell.
Everything passes
This year I am twenty-seven. My hair has become much greyer. Most people would take me for over forty.”
The second time the book felt like it ended was the last scene of the epilogue. An old acquaintance, a shopkeeper who knew the protagonist from a young age, gives her view of him;
“It’s his fathers’ fault," she said clinically. "The Yozo we knew was so easy-going and amusing, and if only he hadn’t drunk – no, even though he did drink – he was a good boy, an angel.”
I realized as a reader that at the end of the novel, no one truly knew Oba Yozo, or what he was going through daily. To add to this tragedy, we realize that those who knew him but were long-lost contacts never thought whether or not he was still alive.
It was much food for thought when one realizes that some, maybe even most of what transpired in this book were real-life scenarios, feelings, and thoughts that Tsushima went through when he was alive. This brought about a burning question within me, “What does it mean to be human?”, and the answer to this, we may never fully understand in this life or the next.