- Main
- BEAST
"You've got the wrong idea. I'm not strong, and I'm not popular. In fact, my entire life has been cursed. I know full well how you feel, envying and hating everyone around you." |
Atsushi Nakajima (
Appearance
Atsushi has light gray hair, pale skin, and is of average height with a slim build. He has segmental heterochromia, consisting of purple on the top half of his iris and yellow along the bottom curve of his pupil. His hair is short and swept forward in loose spikes with a lock left long on the right side of his face. This uneven style is the result of bullying he suffered at the hands of other orphans in the orphanage, and he never fixed it.[4] Additionally, he has a prominent black streak in his hair.
Before joining the Agency, he wears rags issued by the orphanage,[5] and after he joins the Armed Detective Agency, they issue him a white button-up with the sleeves pushed to his elbows from Doppo Kunikida,[6] a loose black tie from Akiko Yosano, black pants from Yukichi Fukuzawa,[7] black fingerless gloves from Ranpo Edogawa,[6] suspenders from Kenji Miyazawa,[7] and a long black belt from Osamu Dazai.[6]
When he transforms into a partial tiger, his eyes become tiger-eye-like, and he develops fangs. If more drastic, his limbs turn into into a tiger's, and his tail emerges.[8] When he finally develops considerable control over his ability, he can transform fully into a white tiger with black stripes and retains the tiger's gold eyes.[9]
When he morphs with Rashōmon, together with his ability Beast Beneath the Moonlight, he wears the black coat of Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, and his tiger claws become longer.[10]
Atsushi is disguised as a ship worker at the Boswellian during Ranpo's negotiation with Ōchi Fukuchi.[11]
Others
Personality
Atsushi's traumatic past affects much of his daily life, and he is tormented with nightmares, flashbacks, and the internal monologue of the orphanage director who abused him.[5][12][13][14][15][16] He has a severely low sense of self-worth and is somewhat naïve, which causes him to initially feel helpless when confronted with dangerous situations. When paralyzed in guilt and/or fear, he has difficulty reacting or understanding what to do.
He also tends to react strongly and believe things at face value, trusting others' judgment above his own and even abandoning his own instincts.[17] For example, when learning of the ¥7 billion bounty on his head, he became convinced that he was putting the Agency at risk. He felt intense guilt and decided to leave, believing it will keep the Agency from being targeted.[12]
All things considered, Atsushi cares deeply for his fellow Agency members and for the well-being of civilians, especially during dire situations.[18] On various instances, Atsushi would not hesitate to help and save others, even those he has never met before. One notable example is Dazai, whom he saves from "drowning" during their first encounter, albeit with some inhibition initially.[5] During his secret entrance exam where he was faced with a simulated bomb threat, he used his own body to cover the bomb and shield the other members, also people he had never met.[19]
He has a strong sense of morality, which also directly stems from his upbringing. He believes his worth in life depends on his ability to protect others and has an aversion to the abuse of one's power and to preventable deaths.[13][15][20] He even tries to help even his enemies at times and would often feel sympathy for most of them, as seen through his interactions with Kyōka,[13][21] Lucy Maud Montgomery,[1] Sigma,[22] and even Fukuchi during his supposed death.[23]
However, Atsushi still experiences paralyzing fear of fighting alone and often needs a companion to aid him in battle or at times save him in order to feel confidence.[24][25] When faced with the possibility that he alone was to fight Kamui, the primary mastermind behind the global terrorism plot, Atsushi initially felt frightened after being threatened by Kamui to cut off his head. The weight of his actions deciding the world's safety and the Agency's revival further fueled the pressure Atsushi carried, even admitting that his solitude at that time surpassed that of when he was in the orphanage.[24] Hence, after Akutagawa arrived to aid him, Atsushi felt a sense of assurance, knowing that he is not alone anymore.[25]
Although still struggling with his self-esteem mostly due to the words of the late orphanage director, Atsushi gradually improves his confidence and sense of self. He continues to be strengthened by several missions and the clashes against the Port Mafia,[17][13][14][26][20] the Guild,[1][20][27][8] and the Rats in the House of the Dead,[10] among others. His will hardens in these tough situations, and he becomes steadfast, reliable, and intensely caring. As Akutagawa mentioned based from their various clashes, when pushed to adverse situations, Atsushi comes back as a "more bothersome enemy".[25]
Background
Atsushi grew up in an orphanage, where he suffered from severe abuse – both verbal and physical – from his caretakers,[5][12][13] as well as social isolation from the other children.[28] This history of mistreatment has evidently taken a huge toll on Atsushi's self-worth as an adult and has caused him to constantly question the value and usefulness of his life.[5]
According to the orphanage director, Atsushi's parents dumped him. The director becomes the foundation of Atsushi's warped self-worth. The abuse, presumably severe especially because of the tiger rampaging at night, led the director to occasionally chain Atsushi in a cell with little to no food for at least three days. Atsushi was also forcibly injected with what he thought might be poison (which Atsushi later thought in his adulthood might be nutrients). Moreover, at one point, the director forced Atsushi to hammer a nail into his own foot as a way of teaching him how to "endure pain". When he was unable to, the director himself hammered Atsushi's foot, afterwards instructing him to reflect on his own.
The director emphasized Atsushi's hatred towards him, seemingly even encouraging it. Alongside the director and other caretakers' abuse, Atsushi suffered at the hands of the other orphans. Oftentimes, the other orphans threw Atsushi under the bus when they got in trouble, as the orphanage ran on some sort of point system that affected if and when they were fed.[28]
Once he hits 18 years old, Atsushi was kicked out of the orphanage under the pretense that they had a lack of funding and had to downsize.[5] Though he was unaware of it at the time, he was actually transforming into a white tiger under the moonlight due to his ability and causing chaos,[29] including destroying crop fields and storehouses.[5][30]
Ability
- Main article: Beast Beneath the Moonlight
Beast Beneath the Moonlight (
After becoming an official member of the Agency and under the influence of All Men Are Equal, he gains more control over his transformations - as shown during his second fight with Akutagawa, when he breaks the transformation on his arms to escape.[31]
Beast Beneath the Moonlight ( | ||
Manga Debut: | Chapter 1 | |
---|---|---|
Anime Debut: | Episode 1 | |
Ability: | Weretiger Transformation |
Battles
- Main article: List of Battles
Atsushi Nakajima vs. Ryūnosuke Akutagawa (Alley) | Interrupted (by Dazai) | |
Atsushi Nakajima vs. Kyōka Izumi | Unsettled | |
Atsushi Nakajima vs. Ryūnosuke Akutagawa (Cargo Ship) | Win |
Atsushi Nakajima vs. Beast Beneath the Moonlight | Win | |
Atsushi Nakajima, Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, and Kyōka Izumi vs. Tatsuhiko Shibusawa | Win |
Appearances
- Chapter 1 - Looking the Gift Tiger in the Mouth
- Chapter 2 - A Certain Explosive
- Chapter 3 - Yokohama Gangster Paradise, Part 1
- Chapter 4 - Yokohama Gangster Paradise, Part 2
- Chapter 5 - The Fatalist's Sorrow
- Chapter 6 - Murder on D Street
- Chapter 7 - Kill A Man and Die Thee Too, Part 1
- Chapter 8 - Kill A Man and Die Thee Too, Part 2
- Chapter 9 - Beauty, Hushed Like a Statue
- Chapter 10 - Detective Boys
- Chapter 11 - Back in the Day...
- Chapter 12 - Rashomon and the Tiger
- Chapter 13 - The Rupturous Detective Agency
- Chapter 15 - Constantly Pushed to the Past, Part 1
- Chapter 16 - Constantly Pushed to the Past, Part 2
- Chapter 17 - The First Job
- Chapter 18 - Flowers and Autumn Leaves, Snow and Gold
- Chapter 19 - The Three-Way Battle
- Chapter 21 - The Brother and the Devil (flashback)
- Chapter 24 - The Grapes of Wrath Ripen in His Eyes, Part 2
- Chapter 25 - Q
- Chapter 26 - Will of Tycoon
- Chapter 27 - Upon the Shattering Shores
- Chapter 28 - The Emergency Plan
- Chapter 29 - Even If My Head Be Mistaken
- Chapter 30 - The Silent Tower and the Raven's Feast
- Chapter 33 - A White Whale, into the Oceans of Heaven
- Chapter 34 - The Last Tycoon
- Chapter 35 - Rashomon, the Tiger and the Last Tycoon
- Chapter 36 - If I May Lay Down This Burden Today
- Chapter 37 - Closing the Party
- Chapter 38 - Slap the Stick
- Chapter 39 - Portrait of a Father
- Chapter 41 - Addict
- Chapter 43 - Cherrirs!
- Chapter 44 - Fitzgerald Rising
- Chapter 45 - Fix it, Master Craft
- Chapter 46 - The Masked Assassin
- Chapter 47 - Mutual Destruction, Part 1
- Chapter 48 - Mutual Destruction, Part 2
- Chapter 49 - Mutual Destruction, Part 3
- Chapter 50 - Mutual Destruction, Part 4
- Chapter 51 - Echo, Part 1
- Chapter 52 - Echo, Part 2
- Chapter 53 - Echo, Part 3
- Chapter 56 - The Perfect Murder, The Perfect Killer, Part 3 (cameo)
- Chapter 57 - Sunday Tragedy, Part 1
- Chapter 58 - Sunday Tragedy, Part 2
- Chapter 61 - Dogs Hunt Dogs, Part 3
- Chapter 63 - Enemies of Society
- Chapter 64 - You and I, Children of Sin
- Chapter 67 - The Sadness of Those Without Wings, Part 1
- Chapter 69 - The Escape
- Chapter 70 - The Escape, Part 2
- Chapter 71 - Bungo Hound Dogs, Part 1
- Chapter 72 - Bungo Hound Dogs, Part 2
- Chapter 73 - Bungo Hound Dogs, Part 3
- Chapter 74 - Skyfall, Part 1
- Chapter 76 - Skyfall, Part 3
- Chapter 77 - Skyfall, Part 4
- Chapter 78 - To Threaten God, Part 1
- Chapter 79 - To Threaten God, Part 2
- Chapter 81 - The Strongest Man, Part 2
- Chapter 82 - The Greatest Conspirator
- Chapter 83 - Toward the Complete Answer, Part 1
- Chapter 83.5 - Toward the Complete Answer, Part 2
- Chapter 84 - Hero vs. Criminal, Part 1
- Chapter 85 - Hero vs. Criminal, Part 2
- Chapter 86 - Hero vs. Criminal Part 3
- Chapter 87 - Hero vs. Criminal Part 4
Vampire Infection Outbreak Arc
- Chapter 88 - As If Hurtling Downward
- Chapter 89 - Hero War, Gang War (image)
- Chapter 91 - At the Detective Agency Anew
- Chapter 92 - At the Portway to the Sky, Part 1
- Chapter 92.5 - At the Portway to the Sky, Part 2
- Chapter 94 - At the Portway to the Sky, Part 4
- Chapter 94.5 - At the Portway to the Sky, Part 4.5
- Chapter 97 - At the Portway to the Sky, Part 6 (flashback)
- Chapter 99 - At the Portway to the Sky, Part 8
- Chapter 100 - At the Portway to the Sky, Part 9
- Chapter 100.5 - At the Portway to the Sky, Part 9.5
- Chapter 102 - Wicked Realms Beyond Mankind, Part 1, Section 1
- Chapter 102.5 - Wicked Realms Beyond Mankind, Part 1, Section 2
- Chapter 103.5 - Wicked Realms Beyond Mankind, Part 2 Section 2
- Chapter 104.5 - The Two "Fuku"s, Part 2
- Chapter 105 - In The Small Room, Part 1
- Episode 1 - Fortune is Unpredictable and Mutable
- Episode 2 - A Certain Bomb
- Episode 3 - Yokohama Gangster Paradise
- Episode 4 - The Tragedy of the Fatalist
- Episode 5 - Murder on D Street
- Episode 8 - Teaching Them to Kill; Then to Die
- Episode 9 - The Beauty Is Quiet Like a Stone Statue
- Episode 10 - Rashomon and the Tiger
- Episode 11 - First, an Unsuitable Profession for Her / Second, an Ecstatic Detective Agency
- Episode 6 - The Azure Messenger
- Episode 7 - Love for the Disease Called Ideals
- Episode 12 - Borne Back Ceaselessly into the Past
- Episode 17 - Three Companies Conflict
- Episode 19 - Will of Tycoon
- Episode 20 - Though the Mind May Be Wrong
- Episode 21 - Double Black
- Episode 22 - Part 1: Poe and Rampo; Part 2: Moby Dick, Swimming in the Sky
- Episode 23 - Rashoumon, the Tiger, and the Last Emperor
- Episode 24 - If I May Shed Away My Burden Now
- Episode 30 - Slap the Stick & Addict
- Episode 31 - Part 1: Herurisu! / Part 2: Portrait of a Father
- Episode 32 - Fitzgerald Rising
- Episode 33 - The Masked Assassin
- Episode 34 - Cannibalism (Part 1)
- Episode 35 - Cannibalism (Part 2)
- Episode 36 - Cannibalism (Part 3)
- Episode 37 - Echo
- Episode 42 - A Perfect Murder and Murderer (Part 2) (cameo)
- Episode 43 - Tragic Sunday
Quotes
- (To Osamu Dazai) "At the orphanage, people always told me I'm worthless. I have no idea where my next meal will come from or my next bed. No one would care if I died on the street. I might as well just let that beast eat me and be done with it."[5]
- "Suddenly, an idea came to me. A foolish idea that I can't get out of my mind. If I have any chance of saving them all, of returning them home safely, would that mean it's okay for me to keep on living?"[32]
- (To Doppo Kunikida about Kyōka Izumi) "She said the crêpe she ate with me was 'delicious'. She was told that the weak didn't even have the right to breathe. And she replied, 'Maybe that's true'! I…… think otherwise! I mean, Dazai-san didn't— In fact, no one at the Agency abandoned me!"[14]
- (To Ryūnosuke Akutagawa about Kyōka Izumi) "It's not up to you to decide who's worth living. Why couldn't you have spoken to her some other way? People can't live unless someone tells them 'it's okay to go on!' Why can't you even understand something that simple!?"[26]
- (To Lucy Maud Montgomery) "You've got the wrong idea. I'm not strong, and I'm not popular. In fact, my entire life has been cursed. I know full well how you feel, envying and hating everyone around you."[1]
- "Compared to the enemy, our Agency has fewer ability users who are geared for battle. I'll need to put in every effort I can. And with my power, I can do it. This time…… It's my turn to keep the Agency safe!"[15]
- (To Ryūnosuke Akutagawa) "It's true that I'm foolish and worthless. But it sure beats being you - a murderer who just wants to bandy his power around! Am I wrong? You've got the power and status but you still fight 'cos you want to be feared! That's far more worthless in my book."[27]
- (Referring to the tiger) "No matter where I run, the tiger follows. It's the same as the way I can't escape the beating of my own heart… for you're my strength to keep living. I hear you well, now. I understand your words well. I know. I know everyone's souls are on fire. I'll say the same to you. Hurry up, or I'm leaving you behind. Come, tiger!"[33]
- (While facing Kamui) "I don't fear the enemy. I don't fear the pain. What is fear is that I'm alone. […] Solitude scares me. At the orphanage, solitude was the norm for me. But now, this same solitude scares me. I wish there was someone fighting at my side. Anyone would do. Somebody…"[34]
- (After escaping from Ōchi Fukuchi) "Why did Akutagawa let me go? I don't know… […] Moreover, was there some sort of important meaning in that? Or did it end that way by sheer coincidence? I didn't understand."[35]
Etymology
- The name Atsushi (敦) is a Jinmeiyō kanji which are kanji that can be used as personal names.[36][37]
- The surname Nakajima means "inside" (中) (naka) and "island" (島) (shima/jima).
Namesake
- Main article: Real-life References#Atsushi Nakajima
Atsushi Nakajima (May 5, 1909 - December 4, 1942)
|
Trivia
- According to 1st official guidebook:[38]
- What are you strengths and weaknesses? "My weakness is how weak-willed I am, I don't know my strengths."
- Who is your ideal partner? "A kind person."
- What do you want now? "Ochazuke."
- What is your motto? "Everything will be fine as long as you’re alive."
- What's your favorite spot in Yokohama? "The shopping streets."
- According to 2nd official guidebook:[39]
- How do you spend your free time? "Borrowing books from the library and studying."
- What time do you sleep and wake up?: "Due to habit from my time at the orphanage, I always sleep at 9PM and wake up at 5AM"
- How do you feel about teaming up with Akutagawa? "I don't think I'm teamed up with him mentally."
- According to 3rd official guidebook:[40]
- What have you been doing recently? "Examining my bank books to check my salary."
- Something that you won't lose to anyone? "I don't have any self-confidence, so I don't have that."
- Something you want to overcome? "I want to become a normal member of society"
- According to the 5th official guidebook:
- What color would you compare yourself to? "White. Because my hair is white and it's also the furthest color from Akutagawa."
- What will you be doing in 10 years? "Wondering if I can survive in this city in such a mess . . ."
- His initial character setting given to Sango Harukawa by Kafka Asagiri is as follows: "Atsushi Nakajima. Age 24. Simple and witty. Ability: Beast Beneath the Moonlight. Can transform into a tiger".[41]
- When Atsushi is wearing his belt, it seems to act like his tail as if he were in tiger form. When he is relaxed, the belt hangs down. If Atsushi is surprised or scared, the belt acts much more lively.
- In BONES' anime adaptation, the black streak in his hair is omitted, yet it still appears in promotional art and in the mobile game.
In Other Languages
Notes
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 16.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Volume 2.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Volume 6, Omake
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 1.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Volume 3, Omake.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Blu-ray & DVD: Volume 3, Cover.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 36.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 29.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 53.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 82.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 5.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 8.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 11.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 25.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 28.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 4.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 8.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 2.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 34.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 9.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 76.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 87.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 83.5.
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 84.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 12.
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 35.
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 39.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 39.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Volume 9, Omake.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 36.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 8.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs: DEAD APPLE (Film).
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 83.5.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 88.
- ↑ Jinmeiyō kanji. Wikipedia
- ↑ 敦. Wikitionary
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Official Guidebook Kaikaroku.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Official Guidebook Shinkaroku.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Official Guidebook Tenkaroku.
- ↑ Bungou Stray Dogs - Behind the scenes of the character designs! Kafka Asagiri and Harukawa 35 tell us more. Pixivision Interview