Characters / BunAl Blade

Bungo to Alchemist character index
Blade | Bow | Gun | Whip | Taints | Crossover charactersThis group is composed of authors of pure literature (純文学), single-target attackers with high attack and defense. The four starters all belong to this group.

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In General

• Mighty Glacier: Has the highest defense and second highest attack out of the weapon types, but on the other hand it has the lowest evasion.

1 – Akutagawa Ryūnosuke (芥川龍之介)

Eh, I can't smoke here?

Voiced by: Jun'ichi Suwabe (JP), Richard Thomas (EN, anime)
Live-acted by: Hidetoshi Kubota (stage play)
Rarity: Rainbow
Faction: Neo-Thought (新思潮)
Famous Works: Rashōmon (羅生門), Hell Screen (地獄変), Gears (歯車)
Sanity: Unstable (不安定)

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• Can't Hold His Liquor
• Classy Cravat: A white one with a gemstone button as per dress code of Neo-Thought faction.
• Cloudcuckoolander: Described by Tokuda as "Often seen daydreaming", while frequently misplaces his belongings and is Super Gullible at times. Akutagawa is officially described in game as “Has a calm and steady look, but is actually bit of an air head”.
• Eastern Zodiac: Dragon (1892)… were you surprised?
• Hallucinations: Whenever weakened, he claims to see gears wriggling at the corner of his eyes. This is a reference to his short novel Gears.
• Hates Baths:
  Akutagawa: "(At office) It's such a pain to take baths."
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Kikuchi. They even have matching gloves.
• Heroic Self-Deprecation: Akutagawa thinks poorly of his own works and compares them unfavorably to someone like Naoya's. He's fighting not to save his own literature, but to save the literature of others.
• Idiot Hair: Has few notable ones.
• Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Is handsome, and has long blue hair that ties into a ponytail.
• Loss of Identity: His main struggle in the first official novel, The Faceless Genius (顔のない天才).
  "In my previous life, I suicided due to some sort of anxiety. Fate had given Akutagawa Ryuunosuke the choice to abandon his life. So, if I revived like this, I am not returning to Akutagawa Ryuunosuke anymore.

  Then, who am I?"
• Meaningful Name: Ryuunosuke means 'Son of the dragon', as he was born in the dragon year (1892), on dragon day (March 1), at dragon time (7-9 am).
• Not a Morning Person
• Oblivious to Love: More of the fanboy type, but he had no idea Dazai admires him, and instead believed the younger hates him. Reasonable, though.
  Akutagawa: "Dazai-kun? Honestly, I just remember him as the one in red. At first he neither make eye contact with me nor speak to me, so I thought that he hates me."
  • This eventually became a discontinued trope as the game proceeds. In a recent interview, Akutagawa said that he had read and actually likes Dazai's works, and now relies on him much.
• Smoking Is Cool: He is a heavy smoker, with number of his lines revolve around smoking. Due to the genre of the game, it's naturally designed to look cool.
• Super Gullible: At times becomes disconcerted due to easily falling for lies, both in game and in real life. He once had a friend who offered him a "cure" for rashes by applying it at certain body parts, and let's say it didn't go that well.
• Terrible Artist: Sure, he is a legendary writer, but when it comes to drawing, his creations are just... stylish intheir own way◊.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Amberjack Teriyaki.
• Western Zodiac: Pisces (March 1).

2 – Dazai Osamu (太宰治)

Fufufu, you're actually a fan of mine, aren't you?

Voiced by: Yūichi Nakamura (JP), Zeno Robinson (EN, anime)
Live-acted by: Ryō Hirano (stage play)
Rarity: Rainbow
Faction: Decadent School (無頼派)
Famous Works: No Longer Human (人間失格), Run, Melos! (走れメロス), The Setting Sun (斜陽)
Sanity: Unstable (不安定)

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• Ascended Fanboy: He is a huge fanboy of Akutagawa, who he unfortunately can never met when alive. This time Dazai finally can get close to his idol, and for him it's much more than just appealing.
• Eastern Zodiac: Rooster (1909).
• Embarrassing Nickname: Chuuya only calls him 'peach blossom bastard', a reminder of their first meeting, which didn't go all that well for Dazai.
• Freudian Trio: With the rest of the Decadent school sanity-wise: Id (unstable) to Ango's Superego (somewhat stable) and Odasaku's Ego (stable).
• His Own Worst Enemy: While Dazai has certainly had a hard life, a lot of his issues result directly from his own actions.
• Idiot Hair: Has one.
• Inferiority Superiority Complex: Dazai loves to brag, but he's easily crushed, and he doesn't have any emotional state between 'I'm a genius author!' and 'I'm good for nothing and should go die'.
• The Knights Who Say "Squee!": Admires Akutagawa to the point that Akutagawa even knowing his name overjoys him.
• Lovable Coward: Would rather avoid direct confrontation by any means necessary, and flatters even people who know he wrote insulting things about them.
• Narcissist: Thinks pretty highly about himself.
• Older Than He Looks: Died at 39 in real life, yet looks like he's in his early twenties here.
• Prone to Tears: As seen in The Setting Sun event, he can go from boasting and complimenting himself the previous second to sobbing over his own failures and attempting suicide the next, vice versa.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Red to Akutagawa's blue, both being the game's most popular characters. Dazai is cheerful, narcissistic (on the exterior) and sometimes a Gadfly, while Akutagawa is calm, polite and holds a low opinion of himself. It's even reflected in their colour designs.
• Sinister Scythe: Wields one during battle.
• Trademark Favorite Food: He puts miso on everything.
• Ungrateful Bastard: Used to bad-mouth his teacher Ibuse and fabricate stories about him. He later apologize to Ibuse though, and the latter forgives him.
• Western Zodiac: Gemini (June 19).

5 – Izumi Kyōka (泉鏡花)

I am Izumi Kyōka, a pupil of Ozaki. My motto is cleanliness first, eliminate dirt.

Voiced by: Hiroshi Kamiya
Live-acted by: Shōgo Yamazaki (stage play)
Rarity: Rainbow
Faction: Ozaki Clan (尾崎一門)
Famous Works: The Holy Man of Mount Kouya (高野聖), A Woman's Pedigree (婦系図), Demon Pond (夜叉ヶ池)
Sanity: Somewhat stable (やや安定)

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• Animal Motif: Rabbits, which he adores and has a collection of related merchandises.
• Does Not Like Spam: Won't eat any food that he thinks isn't completely cooked through or just plainly contaminated, mainly owe to his childhood trauma of dysentery.
• Eastern Zodiac: Rooster (1873).
• Fan Boy/Like a God to Me: He puts his teacher Kōyō on a pedestal and throws a fit at fellow student Shūsei's indifferent attitude towards him, which he views as not giving enough respect.
• Fear of Thunder: He hates thunders.
• The Illegible: His handwriting is said to be too small to read.
• Kimono Fanservice: An elegantly patterned one with an autumn leaf motif haori as per Ozaki clan dress code.
• Neat Freak: Seems to be shaping up to be Levi's successor in recent media. Many of his lines revolve around cleanliness; he obsesses over it to the point where he always wears gloves, will not eat food unless he thoroughly cooks it through even when it's already cooked, and even then will not eat the part his hand has touched, even though he wears gloves. Tokuda is especially annoyed with this tendency of his.
  Kyouka: "Sterilize! Disinfect! Fumigate!"
• Trademark Favorite Food: BOILED tofu.
• Undying Loyalty: To Ozaki Kouyou, his former and now once-again teacher.
• Western Zodiac: Scorpio (November 4).

6 – Natsume Sōseki (夏目漱石)

Please allow me to operate freely, whether I fight or run away.

Voiced by: Kosuke Toriumi
Rarity: Gold
Faction: Leisure School (余裕派)
Famous Works: Kokoro (こゝろ), Botchan (坊ちゃん), I Am a Cat (吾輩は猫である)
Sanity: Somewhat unstable (やや不安定)

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• Cool Old Guy: A fair amount of authors respect him.
• Eastern Zodiac: Rabbit (1867).
• Sweet Tooth: The old man likes sweet food so much, he even once dreamed of a house made of Yokan. In his past life, it was what indrectly led to his death.
• Western Zodiac: Aquarius (February 9).

8 – Tanizaki Jun'ichirō (谷崎潤一郎)

Literature affirms the perverse nature of man. I won’t forgive anyone who tries to take that away.

Voiced by: Nobuhiko Okamoto (JP), Lucien Dodge (EN, anime)
Rarity: Silver
Faction: Neo-Thought (新思潮)
Famous Works: Naomi/A Fool's Love (痴人の愛), The Tattooer (刺青), The Makioka Sisters (細雪)
Sanity: Stable (安定)

One of the representative writers of the Aestheticism movement, a very effeminate man with a perverted disposition and a love for women and feminine beauty.

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• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: As one of the most renowned authors in Japan as well as one of the best blade-type authors stats-wise, he is quite an eccentric person.
• Casual Kink: A masochist who has a fixation towards women's feet and has living with his desires proudly on display as his motto.
• Chivalrous Pervert: Despite his perverted advances, he still ultimately sides with the librarian, fighting against the Taints.
• Classy Cravat: Averted, the only one of Neo-Thought faction without this – in fact, the only character defying faction dress code in the game.
• Combat Sadomasochist: Has the 'masochist' part down.
• Eastern Zodiac: Dog (1886); oddly appropriate considering his personality…
• Fan Boy: Of Nagai Kafū, whom he likes to follow around and whose works he seems to have a fondness for.
• Hidden Depths: He's very serious when it comes to literature, as he's currently enraged by the Taints who corroded literature and called Akutagawa out about his apathy on his own works, though considering how he is, one doesn't really expect him to have this side.
• Large Ham: Is very over-the-top in speech and dress.
• Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Has a long silver hair which is tied with a hair stick.
• Lovable Sex Maniac
• Orgasmically Delicious: Gets 'delusions' whenever he's eating, and especially thinks tempura is erotic.
• Potty Emergency: Happens to him in the novel from eating too much parfait.^note Could be a gag taken from his last novel, Diary of a Mad Old Man.
• Stalker without a Crush: To Nagai, but the latter doesn't seem to mind and thinks highly of Tanizaki himself. Of course, given the amount of Ho Yay, this could come off as the less platonic variety.
• Too Kinky to Torture: He loves pain, and his actions clearly show this (he moans when he's injured and specifically asks to be hurt more even when he was already critically injured). It's even lampshaded on his profile descriptions, and in his recollection with Satou Haruo, where he was at his worst, getting almost delirious due to the lack of women to abuse him.
  Haruo: I'm seriously scared of your insatiable masochism.
• Western Zodiac: Leo (July 24). Incidentally, his biggest idol both in real life and in-game, Nagai, and his friend Haruo are a Sagittarius and an Aries respectively, highly compatible signs with his.

12 – Shiga Naoya (志賀直哉)

I only believe in things I see with my own eyes!

Voiced by: Tomoaki Maeno (JP), Jake Paque (EN, anime)
Live-acted by: Yoshiki Tani
Rarity: Silver
Faction: White Birch School (白樺派)
Famous Works: Dark Night's Passing (暗夜行路), At Cape Kinosaki (城の崎にて), Wakai (和解)
Sanity: Stable (安定)

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• Eastern Zodiac: Sheep (1883).
• Death by Adaptation: He dies near the end of the anime, but game events released after the fact features him regularly.
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: Choleric for the White Birch group.
• Non-Idle Rich: Like most White Birch writers, he came from a line of aristocracy and could probably get by without doing anything. Instead he advocated for human rights, participated in protests, and of course became a professional writer.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Western meals like omelette.
• Western Zodiac: Pisces (February 20).

13 – Mori Ōgai (森鴎外)

Is it strange for an ex-army doctor to be writing novels?

Voiced by: Tōru Ōkawa
Rarity: Silver
Faction: Leisure School (余裕派)
Famous Works: The Dancing Girl/Elise (舞姫), The Boat on the Takase River (高瀬舟), Vita Sexualis
Sanity: Somewhat stable (やや安定)

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• Bizarre Taste in Food: He enjoys sweet buns put on top of Chazuke.
• Combat Medic: He's also a doctor.
• Eastern Zodiac: Dog (1862).
• Jack of All Trades: In his past life, he attended medical school at twelve and served as a medical officer in the army after graduation. He had a rank of Lieutenant General, was a government official, managed to became one of the most well-known pioneers of modern Japanese literature, while also reared five successful children. And between all this, he still found time to pick up an argument about literature with Tsubouchi that lasted for almost a year.
• Neat Freak
• Sweet Tooth
• Western Zodiac: Aquarius (February 17).

14 – Kawabata Yasunari (川端康成)

..... Ahh, excuse me. I thought it was enough to greet you by meeting your eyes.

Voiced by: Tomokazu Seki
Live-acted by: Kaoru Masaki (stage play)
Rarity: Gold
Faction: New Sensation School (新感覚派)
Famous Works: The Dancing Girl of Izu (伊豆の踊子), Snow Country (雪国), Thousand Cranes (千羽鶴)
Sanity: Somewhat unstable (やや不安定)

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• Death Glare
  Kajii: "I know I'm quite eye-catching, but stop staring so fixedly at people, would you?"
• Dramatic Ellipsis: Most of his dialogues include a bunch of these.
• Eastern Zodiac: Boar (1899).
• The Quiet One: A stoic man of few words.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Blue to Riichi's Red – he's much more taciturn and quiet.
• Scarf of Asskicking: As per the requirement of New Sensation writers: a checkered scarf.
• Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness:
  Kawabata: "As we foretell how many suns the paulownia bud would grow tomorrow...... To the new literature kingdom...... I have found the travel ticket that would grant me permission of entry......"
  Riichi: "In other words... by welcoming stimulus from newcomers around me, I also push my own growth — This is what Kawabata wished to say."
• Western Zodiac: Gemini (June 14). Incidentally, he and his best friend Riichi (Pisces) have incompatible signs.

17 – Kajii Motojirō (梶井基次郎)

Do you seek a reprieve from the pressure of daily life? Then, leave it to me.

Voiced by: Noriaki Sugiyama
Rarity: Gold
Faction: Neo-Aesthetic School (新興芸術派)
Famous Works: Lemon (檸檬), In a Castle Town (城のある町にて), Winter Days (冬の日)
Sanity: Somewhat unstable (やや不安定)

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• Can't Hold His Liquor: Is said to have nasty drinking habits, and once drunk, becomes a completely different person.
• Eastern Zodiac: Ox (1901).
• Western Zodiac: Aquarius (February 17).

18 – Hirotsu Kazuo (広津和郎)

I believe in the power of words and the pen. Now and forever.

Voiced by: Jun Fukuyama
Rarity: Gold
Famous Works: The Neurotic Age (神経病時代), Embracing a Dead Child (死児を抱いて), On the Waves (風雨強かるべし)
Sanity: Somewhat stable (やや安定)

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• Cloudcuckoolander: A mild one. Like Akutagawa, he is absent-minded and often misplaces things.
• Determinator
• Eastern Zodiac: Rabbit (1891).
• Like Father, Like Son: Was born to the author Hirotsu Ryuurou.
• Western Zodiac: Sagittarius (December 4).

19 – Mushanokōji Saneatsu (武者小路実篤)

What's your dream? For the sake of my dream, I'll do anything.

Voiced by: KENN (JP), Lucien Dodge (EN, anime)
Live acted by: Taishi Sugie
Rarity: Beige
Faction: White Birch School (白樺派)
Famous Works: A Good-Natured Person (お目出たき人), Friendship (友情), The Teacher of Truth (真理先生)
Sanity: Stable (安定)

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• Eastern Zodiac: Rooster (1885).
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: Sanguine for the White Birch group.
• The Idealist: Indomitable optimism, faith in humanity, and desire to help other people made him the epitome of the White Birch's ideals.
• In-Series Nickname: Musha.
• Non-Idle Rich: A member of the nobility, Mushanokouji spent much of his time trying to help people, e.g. establishing a utopian commune.
• Overly Long Name: So much so that he requests to be called just Musha.
• Sheltered Aristocrat: Mushanokouji was deeply sheltered by his family and does not know all that much about ordinary people's lives or even table manners.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Fruits. Apparently enjoys the Grilled Salmon teishoku in the dining hall as well.
• Western Zodiac: Taurus (May 12).
• Wide-Eyed Idealist: So adamant in his optimism, his desire to make dreams come true and build a utopia he almost becomes a parody of himself.

21 – Sakaguchi Ango (坂口安吾)

I'm gonna say this now, don't get your hopes up!

Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita (JP), Billy Kametz (EN, anime)
Live acted by: Ryōtarō Kosaka
Rarity: Gold
Faction: Decadent School (無頼派)
Famous Works: Professor Blowhard/Professor Wind (風博士), Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees (桜の森の満開の下), Discourse on Decadence (堕落論)
Sanity: Somewhat stable (やや安定)

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• Cool Shades: Rarely seen without them.
• Delinquent: And is proud to be one.
• Eastern Zodiac: Horse (1906).
• Large Ham
• Trash of the Titans: Collects so much junk in the library that some of his possessions have made it into Miyoshi's room, which Miyoshi does not appreciate.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Monkfish hotpot, and he's apparently quite good at making it.
• Western Zodiac: Libra (October 20).

23 – Tsubouchi Shōyō (坪内逍遥)

Discussing literature over a meal……there is no other time where one may enjoy such a degree of "happiness".

Voiced by: Toshihiko Seki
Rarity: Gold
Famous Works: Portraits of the Contemporary Students (当世書生気質), The Essence of the Novel (小説神髄), A Paulownia Leaf (桐一葉)
Sanity: Stable (安定)

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• Animal Motif: Sheep, and he loves to collect related merchandise.
• Arch-Enemy: He harbors intense hatred for Bimyō.
• Cherry Blossom Guy: He wears a sakura-print haori, his kimono has a spring color motif and he talks about "bringing springtime to literature".
• Eastern Zodiac: Sheep (1859), coincidentally.
• Gentleman and a Scholar
• Gratuitous English: Despite his traditional Japanese Cherry Blossom Guy design, he peppers English words into his sentences and quotes Shakespeare.
• Hime Cut: Even more evident in his injured sprite where his hair is down.
• Pen Name: He was born Yūzō, Shimei ghostwrote under this name. He also has another penname, Harunoya Oboro.
• Western Zodiac: Cancer (June 22).

24 – Futabatei Shimei (二葉亭四迷)

Hm, it's still nothing compared to my research on Russia.

Voiced by: Hiroki Yasumoto
Rarity: Gold
Famous Works: The Drifting Cloud (浮雲), An Adopted Husband (其面影), Mediocrity (平凡)
Sanity: Somewhat unstable (やや不安定)

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• Eastern Zodiac: Ox (1865).
• Ghostwriter: He published under Shōyō's real name, which he feels ashamed about.
• Gratuitous Russian: Speaks Russian when he's getting worked up.
• Old Shame: In-Universe, he pulls no punches about how ashamed he is of his first work Ukigumo.
• Pen Name: He was born Hasegawa Tatsunosuke; Sōseki calls him by this name.
• The Perfectionist
• Sleepyhead: Due to suffering from jet lag much.
• Western Zodiac: Aries (April 4).

25 – Arishima Takeo (有島武郎)

I'm one of the White Birch School, Arishima Takeo. Please take good care of Musha-san and Shiga-kun.

Voiced by: Soichiro Hoshi
Live acted by: Mahiro Sugiyama
Rarity: Gold
Faction: White Birch School (白樺派)
Famous Works: A Certain Woman (或る女), Descendant of Cain (カインの末裔), A Bunch of Grapes (一房の葡萄)
Sanity: Normal (普通)

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• Eastern Zodiac: Tiger (1878).
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: Melancholic for the White Birch group.
• Shrinking Violet: Is a pretty shy person.
• Sleepyhead: Known for falling asleep anywhere in the library.
• Western Zodiac: Pisces (March 4).

26 – Satō Haruo (佐藤春夫)

Jeez, Tanizaki or Dazai or whatever, isn't it tough on you collecting all these weirdos in one place.

Voiced by: Yuuki Tai
Live acted by: Kōji Kominami
Rarity: Beige
Faction: Mita School (三田派)
Famous Works: Melancholy in the Country (田園の憂鬱), The House of a Spanish Dog (西班牙犬の家), The Sick Rose: A Pastoral Elegy (病める薔薇 短篇集)
Sanity: Somewhat unstable (やや不安定)

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• Big Brother Mentor: Acts like this, due to him having a lot of disciples during his previous life.
• Does Not Like Spam: Hates mackerel pike.
• Eastern Zodiac: Dragon (1892).
• Only Sane Man: He's considered to be one of the more 'normal' authors in this game.
• Straight Man: Acts as this when he's with Tanizaki or Dazai.
• Starter Mon: One of the authors that the player is able to pick at the beginning of the game.
• Western Zodiac: Aries (April 9).

27 – Kobayashi Takiji (小林多喜二)

If you need me, I'll work with you.

Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi
Rarity: Beige
Faction: Proletariat (プロレタリア)
Famous Works: The Crab Cannery Ship (蟹工船), The Absentee Landlord (不在地主), Life of a Party Member (党生活者)
Sanity: Unstable (不安定)

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• Big Eater: He asked for seconds at the dining hall.
• Eastern Zodiac: Rabbit (1903).
• Fan Boy: He greatly admires Naoya and is deeply grateful for what Naoya did for him after his own death.
• Goggles Do Nothing: Wears a pair on his neck that doesn't seem to serve any purpose other than aesthetics.
• Not in This for Your Revolution: Takiji has no interest in helping the government of Japan, quite understandably, but he'll fight to protect literature that he holds dear.
• Shear Menace: Wields two scissor-like blades that resemble crab pincers, a reference to The Crab Cannery Ship.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Cutlet Bowls/katsudon.
• Western Zodiac: Sagittarius (December 1).

28 – Ibuse Masuji (井伏鱒二)

I'm really grateful to you for giving this old man a place to shine.

Voiced by: Shunsuke Takeuchi
Rarity: Gold
Faction: Neo-Aesthetic School (新興芸術派)
Famous Works: The Salamander (山椒魚), Black Rain (黒い雨), John Manjiro the Castaway: His Life and Adventures (ジョン万次郎漂流記)
Sanity: Somewhat stable (やや安定)

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• Eastern Zodiac: Dog (1898).
• Heroes Gone Fishing: He enjoys fishing, and wishes to fish with youngsters some time.
• The Mentor: Tired yet loving one to Dazai.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Fish, and curry udon as well.
• Western Zodiac: Aquarius (February 15).

29 – Yokomitsu Riichi (横光利一)

I want to become an eccentric, different from anyone else. ... What are you laughing at?

Voiced by: Wataru Hatano
Rarity: Beige
Faction: New Sensation School (新感覚派)
Famous Works: The Sun (日輪), A Fly (蝿), Machine (機械)
Sanity: Normal (普通)

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• Alternate Character Reading/Pen Name: He was born Toshikazu, Riichi is an alternate reading of the kanji making up his first name. He doesn't mind being called either.
• Eastern Zodiac: Dog (1898).
• Hime Cut: Subverted, he has straight hair and the sideburns framing his face are cut horizontally to resemble this style, but it's also styled in combination with bangs and Fashionable Asymmetry.
• Japanese Pronouns: First-person temae^note both a first- and second-person pronoun, but polite if former and very rude if latter., occasionally lapsing into watashi. Note that he is not a keigo speaker despite this.
• Kimono Fanservice: As per New Sensation dress code, a very plain and understated one coupled with a checkered Scarf of Asskicking.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Red to Kawabata's Blue – he shows more emotions and is a lot more socially adept.
• Scarf of Asskicking: A checkered scarf, as is required of New Sensation writers.
• Translator Buddy: Plays this role to Kawabata due to his quiet personality and odd manner of speech.
• Western Zodiac: Pisces (March 17).

30 – Oda Sakunosuke (織田作之助)

Ah~ I’m beat. Wanna go eat curry?

Voiced by: Masaya Onosaka (JP), Robb Moreira (EN, anime)
Live acted by: Shō Jinnai
Rarity: Beige
Faction: Decadent School (無頼派)
Famous Works: Hurray for Marriage (夫婦善哉), The Paradox of Youth (青春の逆説), Flawless (天衣無縫)
Sanity: Stable (安定)

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• Boke and Tsukkomi Routine: Seems to play the tsukkomi to the other two Decadent writers. Fittingly, he also speaks in Kansai dialect.
• Eastern Zodiac: Ox (1913).
• The Idiot from Osaka: Has a very thick Kansai accent, and while he may not be an idiot, he's eternally cheerful, prone to using dubiously safe 'health drinks' as well as drinking plain old booze, and generally more of a comedic character than much of the cast.
• In-Series Nickname: Odasaku, same as the one he had in his previous life.
• Interrupted Intimacy: Or so Odasaku thinks when he walk onto Haruo stepping on Tanazaki in the manga.
• Keet: The youngest of the Decadents, and the most cheerful one.
• Starter Mon: One of the authors that the player is able to pick at the beginning of the game.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Curry.
• Western Zodiac: Scorpio (October 26).

31 – Hori Tatsuo (堀辰雄)

Eh!? Ah, yes, I'll be glad to help you. Please let me know if I can do anything.

Voiced by: Kōji Takahashi (JP), Aleks Le (En, anime)
Rarity: Beige
Famous Works: The Holy Family (聖家族), The Wind Has Risen (風立ちぬ), Naoko (菜穂子)
Sanity: Normal (普通)

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• Eastern Zodiac: Dragon (1904); incidentally, his name has a character meaning "dragon" and he was a follower of Akutagawa.
• Like a God to Me: Deeply looks up to Akutagawa, having studied literature under him.
• Starter Mon: One of the authors that the player is able to pick at the beginning of the game.
• Western Zodiac: Capricorn (December 28).

32 – Nakajima Atsushi (中島敦)

Eh, me, too? ...Please don’t get too surprised when you see me in combat.

^{Inner Atsushi}  I don't have time to spare for fools.

Voiced by: Kaito Ishikawa
Rarity: Beige
Famous Works: Moon over the Mountain/Sangetsuki (山月記), Light and Wind and Dreams (光と風と夢), Riryou (李陵)
Sanity: Unstable (不安定)

A heavy case of Jekyll & Hyde: a sweet and shy young man off the battlefield, a sadistic growling beast on it.

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• Animal Motif: Tigers, as reference to their work Sangetsuki. Bonus point of Inner Atsushi owning small fangs.
• Anime Chinese Girl: For Outer Atsushi, ignoring his gender, his design and personality fits. Due to his familiarity with Chinese culture in his past life, he's given a lot of pretty Chinese costumes, and in the second Galactic Railroad event, he's literally a Chinese guy by the name of Zhongdao Dun. In battles, the writer instead becomes an Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy.
• Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: Inner Atsushi is sadistic, aggressive and dismissive of his opponents as hell.
  Inner Atsushi: It's a matter of course; I'm different from you fuckers.
• Blood Knight: Inner Atsushi doesn't come out for much besides fighting, so it's good that he enjoys it.
• Eastern Zodiac: Rooster (1909).
• The Glasses Come Off: Inner Atsushi takes off their glasses to fight. Outer Atsushi wonders how he can see without them, suggesting that they're *not* Purely Aesthetic Glasses.
• Inferiority Superiority Complex: The two personalities likely stems from Nakajima's insecurities in his first life; Outer Atsushi is the side of him with low self-esteem and doubts of his own capabilities, while Inner Atsushi is proud and bitter about others ignoring his talents.
• It's Fake Fur, It's Fine: Although they own a tiger fur, it doesn't seem to come from any real tiger as they were reincarnated from books.
• Japanese Pronouns: Outer Atsushi uses Watashi (私), a polite, gender-neutral first-person pronoun when referring himself (or Boku (僕), a casual one for youngsters to those he is more familiar with), while Inner Atsushi goes with the much more informal and masculine Ore (俺). This is likely to emphasize the difference of their personalities.
• Jekyll & Hyde: To Moka Akashiya levels; they're basically two different people in and out of battle, from looks, behavior to even voice.
• Literal Split Personality: In the "Purify the Setting Sun" event, a taint separates the two into different bodies.
• Mahjong: Outer Atsushi is very good at this.
• Screw Yourself: The only person Inner Atsushi really likes at all is Outer Atsushi, whom he calls "cute" and fights to protect. Considering the target demographic, the selfcest implication is strong.
• Smart People Wear Glasses: Of the two personalities, Outer Atsushi is definitely the more inclined to intellectual pursuits, and he's the only one who wears their glasses.
• Split-Personality Makeover: When Inner Atsushi takes control, he ditches their glasses and slicks back his hair.
• Split-Personality Team: Inner Atsushi handles all the fighting. In exchange, Outer Atsushi does all of the socializing - Inner Atsushi doesn't have any interest in "talking to idiots".
• Tsundere: Inner Atsushi can be this to Outer Atsushi at times. While he often mocks the other personality and calls him an idiot, he is ultimately very protective of him and won't tolerate those who try to mess with him.
• Western Zodiac: Taurus (May 5).^note They are born on Japanese Children's Day; make of this what you will.

40 – Matsuoka Yuzuru (松岡譲)

Passing on Soseki-sensei's teachings to the next generation. I knew that's my mission.

Voiced by: Daisuke Kishio
Rarity: Beige
Faction: Neo-Thought (新思潮)
Famous Works: The Melancholic Mistress (憂鬱な愛人)
Sanity: Somewhat stable (やや安定)

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• Classy Cravat: Like all Neo-Thought members, a white one with a gemstone knob.
• Eastern Zodiac: Rabbit (1891).
• Western Zodiac: Libra (September 28).

42 – Yamamoto Yūzō (山本有三)

Tell me, what kind of life are you leading?

Voiced by: Yasunori Matsumoto
Rarity: Silver
Faction: Neo-Thought (新思潮)
Famous Works: Towards the Truth (真実一路), A Woman's Life (女の一生), Waves (波)
Sanity: Somewhat stable (やや安定)

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• Classy Cravat: A white one same as other Neo-Thought faction members.
• Eastern Zodiac: Boar (1887).
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold
• The Heart
• Western Zodiac: Leo (July 27).

43 – Kume Masao (久米正雄)

Voiced by: Hiroyuki Yoshino (JP), Marc Thompson (EN, anime)
Rarity: Silver
Faction: Neo-Thought (新思潮)
Famous Works: Notes of a Student Examinee (受験生の手記), Firefly Weeds (蛍草), Shipwreck (破船)
Sanity: Somewhat unstable (やや不安定)

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• Classy Cravat: Like his fellow Neo-Thought members, he wears a white cravet with a gemstone fastener.
• Eastern Zodiac: Rabbit (1891).
• Green-Eyed Monster: Akutagawa stated himself that Masao is jealous of him when he and Kan goes to purify Masao's book.
  Akutagawa: "No need to look so surprised, you know. It's simple - He was jealous of me."
• Heroic Self-Deprecation: Doesn't really think highly of himself.
• Jerkass Ball: Pretty jerkish to Akutagawa at the beginning of the first novel, making the latter almost on verge of tears at some point. He's actually trying to pull both himself and Akutagawa out of their own crises.
• Perpetual Smiler
• Western Zodiac: Scorpio (November 23).

44 – Tokunaga Sunao (徳永直)

They say the arts improve the self! If ya make sure to remember that, the world won't seem so harsh!

Voiced by: Daiki Yamashita
Rarity: Silver
Faction: Proletariat (プロレタリア)
Famous Works: The Sunless Street (太陽のない街), The Family of Work (はたらく一家), The Bringers of the Light (光をかかぐる人々)
Sanity: Stable (安定)

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• Eastern Zodiac: Boar (1899).
• Keet: A cheerful and hardworking boy.
• Older Than He Looks: One of the more obvious cases.
• Verbal Tic: He has a Hakata accent, which includes ending sentences with -bai.
• Western Zodiac: Capricorn (January 20).

45 – Nakano Shigeharu (中野重治)

Not writing despite being able to write is neglecting life's calling.

Voiced by: Kenji Akabane
Rarity: Beige
Faction: Proletariat (プロレタリア)
Famous Works: Farewell to Poetry (歌のわかれ), In the Depths of the Heart (むらぎも), Pear Blossoms (菜の花)
Sanity: Unstable (不安定)

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• Eastern Zodiac: Tiger (1902).
• The Illegible: Good luck trying to understand this◊.
• In-Series Nickname: Has various nicknames, but Shigeji is the one used the most.
• Jerkass Ball: At one point during the Sunless Street Event, he gives a pretty harsh comment to the cat, due to him being affected by the gears that amplify one's emotions(in his case, anger towards the government). He eventually apologized in the end though.
• Not in This for Your Revolution: Shigeharu has no reason to be fond of the Japanese government and rather bluntly states that he doesn't trust them.
• Smart People Wear Glasses
• Starter Mon: One of the authors that the player is able to pick at the beginning of the game.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Crabs.
• Western Zodiac: Aquarius (January 25).

68 – Satomi Ton (里見弴)

Wait, Takeo-nii! What are you spacing out for!?

Voiced by: Akira Ishida
Live-acted by: Neo Sawabe (stage play)
Rarity: Gold
Faction: White Birch School (白樺派)
Famous Works: Passions and Piety (多情仏心), Heavenly Dragonflies (極楽とんぼ), The Anjou Brothers (安城家の兄弟)
Sanity: Stable (安定)

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• Eastern Zodiac: Rat (1888).
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: Phlegmatic for the White Birch group.
• Like a God to Me: He has known Shiga through his brother Takeo since young, and admires him much, even modelling one of his character after Shiga (which the older wasn't too happy about).
• Strong Family Resemblance: You can almost guess Satomi's relationship with Takeo by just looking at their game sprites.
• Western Zodiac: Cancer (July 14).

73 – Dan Kazuo (檀一雄)

Voiced by: Yuki Ono (JP), Tom Agilo (EN, anime)
Rarity: Silver
Faction: Decadent School (無頼派)
Famous works:
Sanity: Stable (安定)

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• Canon Immigrant: He is an anime original, debuting in the anime before being implemented into the game.
• Eastern Zodiac: Rat (1912).
• Only Sane Man: He's seen as the least Decadent-like writer in the faction, with his being the most restrained and relatively "normal".
• Sole Survivor: He was the last person to die among his group of Decadent friends, which caused him no little grief.
• Western Zodiac: Aquarius (February 3).

80 – Fyodor Dostoevsky (ドストエフスキー)

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• Combat Sadomasochist: Implied; in damage stages, he would loudly exclaim how the attack isn't good enough and how he wants more "thrill".
• Tsundere: More tsun than dere; he's gruff towards Lev and criticizes his upbringing and mindset, but turns out to truly care about him and want to be his friend.