Bungo Stray Dogshas numerous spin-off stories, many of which have been adapted into the TV series, to create a more complete telling of the world. However, one such novel, titledBEAST, stands out from the rest, as it is a hypothetical role reversal,in which heroes are villains and vice versa, and some dead characters are alive once more.
BEASTstarted as a small bonus story packed in with the theatrical release ofDEAD APPLEin 2018, but a full novel and even a 4-volume manga were created later and released in 2019. It tells of a parallel world where it was Akutagawa - not Atsushi - who joined the Armed Detective Agency.
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Black and White
The world ofBEASTisquite similar to the main seriesup to a particular point in the childhood of the main characters. In the original series, Akutagawa and his sister Gin were brought into the Port Mafia, with the former becoming Osamu Dazai’s underling. However, after the death of Oda Sakunosuke, Dazai left to join the Armed Detective Agency, where he recruited Atsushi Nakajima.
But in theBEASTuniverse, Dazai didn’t accept Akutagawa as a pupil and only took his sister. Atsushi became the feared killer of the Port Mafia instead, and Akutagawa was the one recruited into the Agency, but not by Dazai, who in this world became the leader of the Port Mafia. It’s none other than Oda Sakunosuke that recruits him into the fold.
BEASTisa fascinating “what if” story that switches roleswhile paying special mind not to warp the characters’ behaviors and attitudes too much. Akutagawa is the same old dark and edgy fellow, but he finds himself in the company of the Agency, who he butts heads with over his single-minded goal of saving his sister by any means necessary.
Akutagawa is still violent, but there’s a sense that he hasn’t gone so far as to have abandoned parts of himself that were bound to be tossed aside when he joined the Mafia. It’s hard to say that he isn’t the same character as he is in the OG series, which makes this change of scenery jive well with his development into a more merciful and kind soul.
Atsushi’s characterization feels similarly in line with his depiction in the main series. He’s an orphan who’s sensitive and haunted by trauma. He’s recruited intoa group that gives him belonging, but that belonging is far darker here. Instead of working to save others, his fear of death is preyed upon so that he will kill effectively. He doesn’t even learn to control his power, instead wearing a collar that hurts him.
HowBEASTConnects To The Original
Spoilers Ahead!
In the main series, several characters - namely antagonists - are in pursuit of a powerful book with the ability to make real whatever is written inside of it. It can alter reality so long as what is written is composed in the narrative structure of a novel. It has been the basis of the villains’ primary goals during Seasons 2 and 3 and plays a huge role in the currently airing Season 4.
Because the book is capable of rewriting reality, it’s supposed that infinite worlds and possibilities are therefore housed within the book. InBEAST, it is revealed that the events of the novel are not merely hypothetical,but another reality contained within the book.
The philosophical implications of the world existing purely within the purview of the book’s possibilities lead some characters to question if their world is “real.” However, as Oda puts it toward the end of the story, no matter how their world is allowed to exist, they are still genuine people, and it shouldn’t affect them.
Given the anime’s track record for adapting the novels, some might wonder ifBEASTwill get adapted into the anime one of these seasons. Such a thing is unlikely, however, not only because it is so different but because it has \already been adapted. In addition to the novel and manga,it was turned into a live-action filmdirected by Koichi Sakamoto.
The soundtrack was done by Taku Iwasaki, with a main theme performed by Granrodeo, both of whom have made music for the anime. This film’s treatment marks it distinctly as the “official” adaptation. An anime version seems unlikely with the care put into this project, and it even featured new content written by original author Kafka Asagiri that wasn’t in the novel.
Unfortunately, fans might struggle to find the film for legal streaming as it has yet to be made available in the west, but anime fans certainly can find a way.Among all the light novels that have expandedon the original manga,BEASTis the only one that dares to ask “what if” and in doing so, it reveals so much more about the core series than one could have predicted. It’s definitely worth checking out.
