We love strong characters and Nakahara Chuuya is every bit of a character we adore in a shonen. The character has built itself a tremendous fanbase. With his flashy supernatural ability, proud personality, and funny interactions with Dazai, who can ever dislike him? However, the character had not made an appearance in the manga until recently. Before his reappearance in the manga, Asagiri had us all wondering if Chuuya was dead. However, thankfully, he is very much alive but at the same time, his situation is a lot more complicated than just simply calling him ‘alive’. Despite this, fans are just happy to see their favourite character return to the spotlight.
Bungou Stray Dogs is at its peak once again as the Vampire Infection Outbreak Arc cracks into another exciting chain of events. Kafka Asagiri and Sango Harukawa’s manga trended once again after chapter 98 and this time, the centre of the discussion was Nakahara Chuuya. Asagiri has been playing with his readers by dropping in multiple twists. Complicated strategies have always been best friends with the plot of Bungou Stray Dogs. But no one could have prepared themselves for what lay ahead for the fate of Chuuya in Bungou Stray Dogs.
As of chapter 98 of Bungou Stray Dogs, the manga opens doors to new possibilities that we are desperate and dread to explore.
Chuuya Nakahara: A Character we Love
Nakahara Chuuya has been a constant companion of every reader in the Bungou Stray Dogs manga and anime. Initially, he is introduced as a hot-headed young man, harbouring an especial hatred for Osamu Dazai. He is based on the real-life Japanese author, Nakahara Chuuya. His ability is called ‘Upon the Tainted Sorrow’, which gives him the power to manipulate gravity. Chuuya is a part of the Port Mafia and known for being one of the strongest members of the organisation, who is also a little sensitive about his height.
As the story deepens, we learn that Chuuya is far more than just an angry fighter. Chuuya might be a prideful person but he is also empathetic towards others. Although he enjoys a good fight, he has never shown signs of being sadistic. In the past, Chuuya was the leader of the Sheeps but when the members betray him, he joins the Port Mafia. He is immensely loyal to his organisation and is ready to make any decision for its safety.
Chuuya is the strongest martial artist of Port Mafia but that’s not all that’s strong about him. Keeping aside his combat skills and powerful ability, Chuuya is also the host of Arahabaki, a destructive God. He is generally stable but on using Corruption, Chuuya loses control and lets out Arahabaki, wreaking havoc on everything around him.
Is Nakahara Chuuya Dead?
The last time we witnessed a constant appearance of Nakahara Chuuya was back in the Cannibalism Arc. Ever since he has only made little cameos as flashbacks or as mentions. However, the manga brings back Nakahara Chuuya in the most dramatic manner by introducing him in a completely new form! Chapter 98 of Bungou Stray Dogs released in January 2022 revealed that Nakahara Chuuya is a vampire now.
The Vampire Infection Outbreak Arc introduced Bram Stoker’s infectious ability that turns people into vampires. Several members of the Port Mafia have already been transformed to vampires.
At the same time, Dazai and Fyodor are visited by Sigma and Gogol. The latter offers them a chance to escape prison given the condition that they win a deadly game. For support, Dazai chooses Sigma. As they make their first move, Fyodor sits without doing anything. The reason is later revealed– Fyodor had been waiting for his Trump card to arrive. Yes, his big trump card was Nakahara Chuuya, who had turned into a vampire.
Will Chuuya turn back into a human?
A lot of things are complicated in the Bungou Stray Dogs manga at this point. To answer if Chuuya will turn back into a human, several other questions need to be answered first.
The very appearance of Chuuya is mysterious. First, how did Chuuya turn into a vampire? He is known as the strongest member of the Port Mafia. This could mean that he was either tricked and turned into a vampire by a close one or he encountered someone stronger than him. Furthermore, Chuuya has a literal God inside him which makes it even more difficult to predict how he was turned into a vampire.
Even if he was turned, how Fyodor found him is yet another question that we would love to have answered. With so many vampires in formation, Fukuchi could not have tracked each of them easily.
When Chuuya appears, he is in his Sheep uniform, which raises more questions about the entire situation. However, the most curious part of it is wondering how prone is Chuuya to unleashing Arahabaki in this new form? Will he be able to use Corruption given that it requires a chant to activate it?
Since a large population has been turned into vampires, it seems like there might be some way to turn them back into humans. Since the calamity is a result of Bram’s ability, perhaps Dazai can nullify it if he touches the source, thereby turning everyone back to human. However, with Fukuchi’s influence, that might just not be as easy as it sounds.
With so many exciting questions, we look forward to the future of Bungou Stray Dogs and hope that Asagiri answers them all through his story!
Also Read: Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s Death in Bungou Stray Dogs: Is He Really Dead?
