Work Text:
Abstract
Primary argument: The Decay of Angels is an anti-war organization created and led by Ouchi Fukuchi to punish politicians and the state for ushering the horrors of skill warfare upon humanity, therefore “freeing” the world from suffering while also “freeing” skill users from their sin of exacerbating warfare.
Organization: The analysis is divided into four sections. In-text citations are by chapter number instead of volume number and page number. Footnotes are utilized to provide further context.
Intro to Decay of Angels
First, we need to understand the reference to the decay of the angels. According to translation notes, “The Decay of the Angel is the last novel in Yukio Mishima’s series, The Sea of Fertility, which is about a man who follows his friend’s journey of reincarnation. The Japanese title of The Decay of the Angel--Tennin Gosui--means “the five ways a celestial being decays” so the importance of the organization having five members (as mentioned in volume 14) is more readily apparent in Japanese. While some meaning is lost, this translation uses the official English title to make it clear exactly which literary work is being referenced” (Volume 15). The celestial being refers to both the angel and the earth as a heavenly body.
In Chapter 90, Fukuchi explains the origins behind the nomenclature of the Decay of the Angels. The organization is a reference to Buddhist devas that were once angels. The angels are the six realms and forms of existence in which a person can be reborn. Fukuchi explains, “Those “angels” are the highest rank of beings which exist in the deva realm and surpass humans. There’s scarce suffering in their long lives. Their existence is spent among enjoyment”. However, “even angels have troubles. They’re different from Buddhas as they are unable to attain liberation from earthly woes. Imprisoned by worldly desires, pleasure blocks their way to enlightenment and because of their longevity the death of an angel is sixteen times the torture of hell”. This means that “angels have to suffer” hence The Decay of Angels.
Knowing the significance of the organization having five members, the five signs of decay are mentioned in Chapter 57 as the Armed Detective Agency discusses four murders. The five signs are meant to indicate that the angel’s death is imminent. The five signs are as follows and are triggered by Nikolai through five acts of murder by the end of Chapter 58,
1). Garments are soiled. Dirt and grease seep into clothes.
2). The flowery crown withers. The garland of the head wilts and rots away.
3). The body’s radiance fades. A filthy odor comes from the body.
4). Axillary perspiration. Sweat pours from under the arms.
5). Lack of delight in their heavenly throne.
Now, who are the angels in the context of the manga again? Fukcuhi explicitly tells Tachihara in Chapter 90. Fukuchi explains that the angels are “those who don’t dirty their own hands, who don't bear the filth and send their inferior humans to the battlefield. Those who, bear no responsibility, crave nothing but honor, riches, and pleasures. They hold the reins of the people. Heavenly beings that others cannot reach. Namely, politicians. Their indiscretion births war. They must die and be reborn in the cycle and that death must be painful. I am the decay of the angels, the sign of death that falls on a nation's greed”. The Decay of Angels is an anti-war organization that seeks to hold politicians and the state responsible for the carnage they have inflicted upon the world. Politicians use their citizens and ability users as pawns as they wage war for their own gain. Fukuchi wants to bring about the end of the world for its people to be reborn in a world free from skill warfare which perpetuates violence and greed. This concept directly references the original series’ plot of a man following his friend's journey through reincarnation. The Decay of Angels is an organization rebelling against the order of the world, the status quo, and the state which upholds that order no matter who has to die. They demonize themselves to enforce the change they believe is needed to end the pain and suffering inflicted on the world by the angels.
The Great War
The seeds of rebellion were planted at the end of the Great War. Fukuchi, Mori, Fukuzawa, and Yosano were all involved in the Great War, however, Fukuzawa was the only one not on the front lines as he was a government assassin. Skill warfare in Japan began with Mori and his immortal regiment plan using Yosano’s ability to heal and revive their army. Skills were introduced to warfare via the “skill doctrine” invented by European superpowers. Tachihara’s brother states in conversation with Mori, “If we don't want to lose, we need to prove [immortal regiment] worth to the upper brass as soon as possible” (Chapter 65). Essentially, Mori is responsible for the success of skill warfare in Japan and if the government did not utilize his plan then the country would have fallen. On that same page with the exchange between Mori and Tachihara’s brother, this image is shown
which appears twice during the arc so far. At first glance, it could be a logo, emblem, or badge of sorts associated with the military. However, none of the characters directly mention this image and it only appears when a character discusses skill warfare. In the image, we have a human figure standing in the center of a cogwheel with downward crossed swords and the guns mirroring each other facing outwards. Hands are raised with palms up towards the sky. A dagger is faced downwards towards the figure[1]. A single hand holds the cogwheel and all that resides within it. The figure is representative of humanity (skill users included) as the hand, the angels, control them and use them as cogs in the machine of war. The hands with palms facing up are considered a submissive, nonthreatening gesture while the angels arm a peace-seeking human race with guns against their will. The downward-facing crossed swords indicate the end of conflict and are often used on military gravestones. The swords and hands being placed closest to the figure indicate that humanity at its core does not seek conflict and does not wish for war, however, due to the greed of politicians, human lives become sacrifices for political gain. Fukuchi through his experience in the war and as a government agent understands the way humans and skill users are being manipulated by the angels. He wishes for humanity to be free from suffering and to be reborn but to do that he has to destroy both the angels and the world.
The introduction of skill warfare exacerbated the horror of war but countries had no choice but to adapt or die. When Mori is berating an exhausted and traumatized Yosano, he tells her “You know what a samurai is right? They died out because they couldn't adjust to battlefields with guns and canons. Then, in the last war, the nation transformed tanks from simple gun turrets to enemy-crushing monsters and massacred their foes. On the sea, the side that didn't recognize that the aircraft would take center stage lost. And now, special “skills” are changing warfare. Your role is to make the military comprehend this change. Do it or else our nation falls” (Chapter 66). This explanation is almost identical to the speech government officials give to Fukuchi when convincing him to lead the worldwide military police, “at what point do you think life is eradicated from the earth? It's when it fails to adapt to change. Those left behind the times are all annihilated just as the dinosaurs were wiped out by climate change triggered by a meteor. We are the same. When skill users changed the war, nations that adapted to it won. And now a terror cell of skill users is changing the color of the world” (Chapter 81). Later, when Fukuchi is giving a speech to government officials about his “army of mankind”, the cogwheel image appears again but without the angel's hand beneath the cog. This implies that since Fukuchi has assumed leadership of the army of mankind, the angels have lost control of humanity which now rests in the hands of Fukuchi. It’s worth noting that Fukuchi’s career after the war mostly consisted of killing other skill users on the government’s orders.
The theme of war in the manga can be best described through Mori’s words to Fukuzawa as they fought over control of Yosano three years after the great war, “War is a game where the side who cares about “heart” loses first” (Chapter 66). War is not about the heart. War is about strategy and using human lives as pawns for political gain. Even now, the war between the Decay of Angels and the Armed Detective Agency is currently a chess game being played between Dazai and Fyodor. They use human lives as game pieces to achieve their respective goals of freeing the world from sin through destruction vs saving the world from chaos through sacrifice but in the process, they only further contribute to the carnage of war.
Official art from Volume 16
Politicians and The State
Since the state and politicians are the core of the conflict, the notion of “peace” that differs between the state and the Decay of Angels needs to be addressed. The government wants to maintain the status quo for the sake of peace whereas the Decay of Angels wants to disrupt the status quo for peace. Both the state and the Decay of Angels are willing to go to any lengths to secure and attain their vision of “peace”. The opposing organizations mirror each other in this aspect. This section explores the greedy, selfish side of the state even though they ironically play the role of the “hero” in the arc as they fight against Fukuchi.
In Chapter 64, Chief Taneda tells a hesitant Ango, “What is the mission of the special division? It is peace. To grant our vast populace the blissful joy of thoughtless peace. To hell with the law! To protect the peace, I’d gladly have even good men die”. Taneda’s outburst is comical as it follows the decay of angels’ logic and further blurs the definition of terrorism. Later in Chapter 80, a reporter watching the news in the government agency says this herself, “[the decay of angels] has every country rewriting their definition of terror”. Both opposing organizations have conflicting definitions of terror, however, the state does not include its own acts of terror when defining terrorism. This lack of accountability and awareness is what drives Fukuchi, who is aware of this ignorance, to take the world out of their hands and into his own to attain his concept of true peace and freedom.
As politicians wait for the vote on international military police, they discuss the pros and cons of the vote:
1: “Won't the burden just get dumped on the countries that lost the war? Better to stick with protecting our own nation”
2: “No… let's make life hard for the secretary-general while we’re here if we vote yes we can demand a lot in return”
3: “Not a bad idea, eh? We could brand country “M” a terror sponsor and chop their territory up. Then in the chaos, we can snatch up mineral rights for the whole region. For now let's delay the vote, keeping the international focus on this will help cover up the airspace violation affair”.
The dialogue plainly shows the selfishness and greed demonstrated by state officials even in a global crisis. They make plans for invasions and work to use the current crisis to cover up their affairs. Too entranced by their worldly desires to see the pain and suffering of those they are meant to serve, only caring about the survival of the state and themselves by association. The lines blur further. The state’s need to secure order above all else extends internationally beyond borders. In Chapter 90, a fictional country’s leader falls victim to the vampire outbreak. An official states “As this nation's society, it's meaningless if the people survive but the country itself does not”. Politicians and officials again prioritize the state over the lives of its citizens. This begins to beg questions: Can humanity exist without the state? If all of your citizens are annihilated then what is left for the state to do? If a state is just an intangible concept then what gives the state meaning? Is it not the people? Are they protecting the state or the order the state enforces? Is maintaining order so much more important than helping citizens?
The government’s lack of awareness is further shown as politicians persuade Fukuchi to lead the international military police, “This is the era we live in. Terrorists ignore borders. They steal state secrets with their skills. They use cutting-edge technology to sow chaos worldwide”. Governments ignore borders when they invade countries for resources. State double agents steal neighboring countries' secrets with their skills. This list of terrorist activities applies just as much to the government as it does to terrorist groups. This is not a defense of those activities by either organization, but an argument that the state has more in common with the evil of the world than its citizens are led to believe. State-sanctioned violence continues to persist fourteen years after the Great War. The politicians beg Fukuchi, “Please show mankind a new, glorious light” and Fukuchi complies as he carries out the Decay of Angels plan.
Since Fukuchi has worked for the government for many years and leads the hunting dogs, it’s valid to believe he is acting hypocritically. However, humans are not their jobs. They are not the position they hold. Ranpo explains this best when he tries to convince the government that the armed detective agency is innocent, “Don't think with your job or your position. Think with your soul”. Fukuchi’s resentment for the state, war, and politicians only grew over the years and has driven him to abandon his government position to attain what his soul seeks-- freedom and peace.
Pursuing Freedom
The other members of the Decay of Angels may have slightly different personal motivators but they are all motivated by the idea of being freed from something. The first introduction of the organization from one of its members is in Chapter 57 when Nikolai engages Atsushi in battle. Nikolai tells Atsushi, “We are the Decay of the Angels. Hiding here as terrorists, we are a murder organization and the five people who will announce the demise of the celestial world”. Nikolai uses the term “celestial world” referencing the original Japanese title, signaling the organization's aim to destroy the world for it to be reborn. In the following chapter, Nikolai explains his motivations for joining the organization allowing us to see the common thread that stitches the members together which is the concept of freedom. Nikolai wishes to die so he can be free from his mind. Whereas Fyodor wants to free the world from the sin of skill users, therefore, bringing “mercy to the evil of the world”. It could follow that Fyodor’s hatred for ability users stems from their role in the Great War but that’s just speculation. Nikolai and Fyodor are the only other members that have explicitly stated their personal motives thus far[2].
Nikolai, Fyodor, and Fukuchi are not just sacrificing the world for their aim but themselves. All three of them know they will die if they succeed. In this sense, they have all willingly demonized themselves in their pursuit of freedom. Freeing themselves and the world from sin, greed, and war. This concept is most striking during the chainsaw conflict with Nikolai and the Armed Detective Agency,
Chapter 57
The organization chooses freedom over happiness as they choose to demonize themselves. This is still inherently selfish but is connected to humanity being manipulated by those in control and wanting to break free from the metaphorical cage. In Chapter 58, Nikolai explains his two reasons for why he kills. The first one, directly references how the decay of angels demonize themselves, “because it's fun… I am a monstrous person with nothing inside. That’s the answer for victims. Doesn't it seem like that? Being killed by a monster with no humanity. It's irrational but understandable so they die accepting it”. Nikolai’s real answer is “Birds. They fly without being bound by gravity. The perfect freedom-- that's what I’m seeking” again accompanied by the cage image. Atsushi doesn’t understand so Nikolai explains, “I am completely sane. I understand the evil of murder. I feel a sense of guilt just like other people”. But Nikolai backtracks all of that when he mocks Atsushi with “Now what part of what I just said was a lie? You shouldn’t trust the words of a clown” leaving Atsushi horrified, angry, and confused. Nikolai further blurs the lines of the demonization of the organization by demonstrating that humans, not monsters, are the source of evil in the world.
In Chapter 77, Sigma is confused about why Nikolai is alive when he was supposed to die during the chainsaw murders. Nikolai explains, “and I was ready to die to prove it was truly my own free will. I didn't expect anybody to understand that motive and nobody ever did except for Dostoy. Dostoy’s my only friend. The only one who gets me. That's what I thought. Then I noticed if I kill that friend… we’ll be free from the brainwashing we call emotions. We can prove that we’re truly free as a bird”. Nikolai changes his objective when he realizes he’s being brainwashed by his own emotions for Dostoy. The pursuit of freedom from emotions is connected to the overall goal of the organization: to be free from the fear, grief, and terror of being a human under the control of the angels. Furthermore, in the organization’s plan to obtain One Order, Fukuzawa explains, “One order is a kind weapon. A weapon that releases soldiers from the yoke of sin” (Chapter 91). Soldiers that mindlessly obey orders without a sense of morality have no fear, regret, remorse, or guilt to haunt them during their lives. The decay of angels can end the world without humanity being plagued by their emotions.
Fukuchi and New Double Black
During the fight between Fukuchi and new double black, Fukuchi explicitly explains his motives and more nuance is provided for his character. He tells them, “I’ve never relished in the violence I’ve done” showing that Fukuchi didn’t get enjoyment or pleasure from the horrendous ways he tortured people on behalf of the government. Fukuchi then mentions the Great War and his role on the battlefield, “it was in that battlefield that I was born. I was nothing before that. Fukuzawa and you… you know nothing of that[3]. You believe that rubbish about a “good state”. I did the killing. The state did the ordering. Now it's clear as day. It's only because of the state and its order that the hell they call war can be born. Better for all of us if it never existed in the first place”. Fukuchi seems to pawn off responsibility for his actions under the guise that he was taking orders. Although, he resents both himself and the government for their role in exacerbating the horrors of war. Fukuchi continues, “Oh bother even here there's war in the end. Is there no divine justice in this world? I have withstood a barrage of hardship and pain, never yielding. In a world refusing to accept loyalty and piety… tyranny may yet provide the kindling”. Fukuchi is an extremely self-aware antagonist. He knows the pain of war and wants to prevent the world from feeling that kind of pain any longer yet he will continue to terrorize and kill as a means to achieve that goal.
Atsushi is enraged by Fukuchi’s reasoning and new double black attempt to attack him only to fail. Fukuchi threatens them, “I will show you the true essence of the battlefield. A battlefield is a garden of carnage. One where justice, courage, and faith all wither equally. The only paths allowed are an easy death or an uneasy one. I welcome you to it” (Chapter 86). The “garden of carnage” metaphor shows how war is only capable of producing death. The only thing that grows on a battlefield is the pile of dead bodies. Ideals like justice, courage, and faith become meaningless as the humans that hold them become corpses. This metaphor is mentioned by Fukuchi again later in the chapter, “Skill user wars are gardens of carnage”. The state’s use of skill warfare is again tied back to the motive. When Atsushi and Akutagawa manage to land a presumed fatal blow on Fukuchi, he only says, “Heaven still refuses to free me of my mission”. Fukuchi resents the fact he can’t die until he attains his goal. The freedom the Decay of Angels seeks is freedom from consciousness and emotion. They seek the freedom of death to rebirth a world free from humanity’s sin and suffering.
Conclusion
This can be best concluded with Ranpo’s words, “By nature, a battlefield is not where people can be” (Chapter 93). War can only be fought with war. That is the inevitable truth of the world. Therefore, to create a world without war the decay of angels must bring about the rebirth of the world. Humans are not meant for war but those in power, the angels, force war upon humanity. To seek freedom from war seems to be a path that only leaves behind more pain and carnage. This begs further questions: Do we then accept our fate at the hands of politicians? Are we truly powerless? Can anything be done to fight against an evil state without being labeled as terrorists? Can we ever be truly free? Who will really protect us? What is to be done?
*Final Note: Thank you so much for reading. I know this is a really depressing read but I hope this made you love Bungo Stray Dogs even more. Also, I plan to update this work as Asagiri continues the manga. I could be totally wrong about many things but I had fun digging deeper into the manga regardless.
Works Cited Asagiri, K, Harukawa, S. Bungo Stray Dogs. Yen Press, 2021.
[1] I am led to believe the image is reminiscent of Buddhist imagery or a reference to imperialist Japan and the dagger is a Buddhist reference. However, I am unable to verify this for certain. Therefore, I will be refraining from discussing its possible ties to those subjects as I am not educated on them and cannot find any reliable resources. It is of the utmost importance to me to uphold the integrity of my work. If there is anyone educated on the matter that can help clarify, I would be deeply grateful and would credit you in the edited work.
[2] Sigma had his sky casino but now Nikolai’s using him for his ability. Bram is just trying to sleep.
[3] Fukuzawa never went to the battlefield during the Great War.