Akutagawa Ryuunosuke/Character Book

## Personality

*Slightly Air-Headed Charismatic Writer*

He has a dry personality, but he also has an air-headed side, like when he ends up getting flustered at a slight lie. His bearing betrays his good upbringing, and so at first glance, people say the first impression they have of him is "a stiff person." On the other hand, though, that charisma ends up attracting unwanted people. Also, he is quite the heavy smoker.

## Interview

1. Between Western and Japanese clothing, which do you prefer?

I'm not too picky on what I wear, but I guess I prefer Japanese clothing.
Despite how I look, I'm pretty lazy, so I do like clothes that are easy to wear.
2. Dazai really idolizes you - what kind of a guy is he?

Ah, that red guy, huh? He's a funny one. He's a bit of a weirdo, but he's a very serious guy.
 At first I thought he hated me, but now I rely on him.
3. What would you do if someone told you to quit smoking?

Quit smoking? I would certainly refuse.
My art will not be born unless there are cigarettes, so being unable to smoke them would be akin to dying, you see.
Are you telling me to go die?
## Relationships

### Natsume Souseki

For Akutagawa, Natsume is his master for life. He was deeply saddened by his master's death, and so he feels bad that his own works allude to suicide.

### Shimazaki Touson

The two are each others' antithesis, to the point that Akutagawa even shows disgust towards Touson, who audaciously pesters him. However, acting like that only further piques Touson's interest.

### Shiga Naoya

He holds Shiga's way of life and his works as his ideal, and he wants to be a writer just like him. Because of this, he degrades his own works as failures in Shiga's presence.

### Kikuchi Kan

As former classmates, they share an intimate friendship, calling each other "Ryuu" and "Kan". Akutagawa feels comfortable around Kikuchi, and considers him an older brother with whom he's close enough to sass.

## Life

He was born into a household in Tokyo which sold milk as a family business. He lost his mother at age 11, and became an adopted son of Akutagawa Michiaki, his uncle. After he enrolled in Tokyo Imperial University, He published a coterie magazine called "Shinshichou" with his former classmates in First Higher School - Kikuchi Kan, Kume Masao, and others. He attended Mokuyo-kai in Souseki Sanbo after he published "Rashoumon" at age 23, and became Natsume Souseki's pupil. He commited suicide via poison.

## Representative Works

### Rashoumon / 羅生門

A novel based on "The Tale of Past and Present". It is a story about a menial servant who becomes a thief after his exchange with an old woman he met taking shelter from the rain in Rashoumon. He writes in great detail of the ego of human beings who treat others with cruelty for their own survival.

### Hell Screen / 地獄変

A novel based on "Tales from Uji Collection." A Painter of Buddhist images follows orders to paint a "Hell screen," even sacrificing his own daughter. It shows his attitude to make any sacrifice he must for the sake of art.

### Cogwheels / 歯車

A story about a man who travels to Tokyo for his friend's wedding banquet, and gradually drowns in his own hallucinations. Although it is rather short, this story vividly depicts the hallucinations that drove Akutagawa to suicide.