page_title: Osamu Dazai (Bungo Stray Dogs)
section_title: Creation and design
hierarchical_section_title: Osamu Dazai (Bungo Stray Dogs) / Creation and design
caption_attribution_description: English: Osamu Dazai, taken in February, 1948日本語: 太宰治、昭和23年2月撮影
context_page_description: Osamu Dazai is a fictional character featured in the manga series Bungo Stray Dogs by Kafka Asagiri and Sango Harukawa. Dazai is a man who takes the orphan Atsushi Nakajima to the Armed Detective Agency where they solve mysterious cases often aiding the police. While cheerful and childish, Dazai used to belong to the Port Mafia where he often killed people. He also appears in the light novels that feature his life in the Port Mafia as a teenager as well as the animated adaptations of Bungo Stray Dogs including the feature film Bungo Stray Dogs: Dead Apple. Apart from the Bungo Stray Dogs series, Dazai made a cameo appearance in the anime film Eureka Seven: Hi-Evolution.
  Dazai was created by writer Kafka Asagiri and illustrator Sango Harukawa. His look and personality were designed to contrast with Atsushi's, while his name is the same as that of the late real-life writer Osamu Dazai. The fictional Dazai has been popular in Japan often appearing in polls and winning awards from different magazines. Critical reception to his portrayal in the anime and manga has been mostly positive due to his interactions with his partner Doppo Kunikida, his personality and his character traits.
context_section_description: Named after Japanese author Osamu Dazai (1909–1948), Kafka Asagiri created the fictional character to contrast with the protagonist Atsushi Nakajima. His main traits were his slender figure and humorous personality. He was disliked for attempting to commit suicide. Harukawa covered his body in bandages alongside other items when conceptualizing his design. The bandages are meant to represent Dazai's obsession with suicide. Asagiri was surprised by Harukawa's designs for the protagonists. Another contrast between the main characters was the idea of balancing their colors so Dazai's black hair contrasted with Atsushi's white hair.
  In writing Dazai's backstory for the light novels, Asagiri was inspired by a picture that had the real artists Dazai, Ango Sakaguchi and Sakunosuke Oda. The seemingly natural state the trio had despite being in a picture inspired Asagiri to write Osamu Dazai and the Dark Era. Another aspect of the trio that inspired the fiction was how the real Dazai reacted to Oda's death. In the real world Dazai was also a fan of Ryūnosuke Akutagawa's works but in fiction this was reversed in terms of the relationship between the two characters with the same name. Asagiri decided to keep this reason up to the reader rather than explaining why he chose this.
  When first reading the manga, anime director Yasuomi Umetsu was impressed by the relationship Dazai had with Atsushi, and Akutagawa. This gave the staff ideas for  making the symbolic sequences in the opening and closing video scenes of the anime series where the three characters are featured. The staff noted Dazai had a mentor-like relationship with Atsushi and Akutagawa which led to scenes where he is seen trying to pat their heads. For the film Bungo Stray Dogs: Dead Apple Asagiri suggested that Studio Bones change Dazai's hairstyle. Despite this redesign, and Dazai having associated with the main villain, Asagiri said they are not the main focus of the film; that is on Atsushi, Kyoka and Akutagawa. For the film, Asagiri conceived the idea of the story starting with Dazai's death and how he would be revived across the story. He wondered, however, what the cause of death should have been. Another idea for Dazai's characterization in the film was not to change it but focus on how he treats other people.
  Voice actor Mamoru Miyano found the younger Dazai more challenging to voice. Because of his darker personality, and because he did not care for others, Miyano had to use duller tone of voice. This stage of Dazai's character made a deep impression on him. Miyano also noted that Dazai managed to become a better person thanks to his friendship with Odasaku and Ango. In retrospect, Miyano felt that Dazai's darker period gave him a further understanding of his character as he changed across the story. Since being hired to be the English voice actor for Osamu Dazai, Kaiji Tang looked forward to working on Bungo Stray Dogs, having previously watched the series. Tang was delighted to voice Dazai for the English dub because he was attracted by his comical attitude.
caption: The real Osamu Dazai was a major influence on the fictional character.
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