Doppo Kunikida, mostly called by his last name Kunikida, is one of the first ability users fans are introduced to in Bungo Stray Dogs. He and Osamu Dazai, mostly called Dazai, are partners and work for the Armed Detective Agency. He lives by a set of ideals and has the ability Lone Poet, the ability to make objects written in his notebook materialize in real life.
Kunikida was the first character to have their past revealed in the anime, although he has been pushed aside in favor of other characters. Here are ten things you didn't know about Doppo Kunikida.
10 He Is A Virgo
Kunikida is an idealist who does not stray from his ideals. He follows everything written in his notebook to the letter and ensures to never stray from his path. Although throughout Bungo Stray Dogs, these ideals of his are challenged by various antagonists.
As a man under the Virgo zodiac, he is just like the star sign. Logical, practical, and systematic, Virgos are perfectionists and strive to improve themselves and their skills.
9 He Is Very Naive
Although Kunikida is a serious individual that only follows his ideals, he is shown to be naive at times, especially when he is with Dazai. For example, he writes everything he believes to be right inside his notebook he always carries around.
However, Dazai takes advantage of this by lying about a particular thing and telling him to write it down while he can. This is a charming point of his character for many fans.
8 He Hates Bloodshed
So far, the weapons that Kunikida has made with his ability (Lone Poet) have been handguns, grenades, flashbangs, and his go-to wire guns. The reason why Kunikida does not like creating weapons with his ability and prefers wire guns is that his ideal way to work is to save all human lives without the need for bloodshed.
He also hates seeing the youth of Yokohama being injured or dying hopelessly in front of him, which is a pivotal plot point in later episodes of Bungo Stray Dogs.
7 He Is A College Drop Out
Kafka Asagiri has stated in a tweet that Kunikida was a college drop out. This is an interesting fact as the real-life Doppo Kunikida quit school so he could support his family in 1888.
He also left for school in 1889. The life of the fictional Doppo Kunikida was heavily influenced by his real-lifestyle, but especially with Kunikida's views and way of life.
6 He Does Not Like Authority
It would not be surprising if Kunikida liked authority, as he follows his ideals to the letter. However, Kunikida hates authority as well as unplanned things. This can be influenced by the real-life Doppo Kunikida as he was expulsed from school for his political views as well as how he does not let anyone deny his ideals.
By reading others' poetry, with a heavy influence by William Wordsworth, he developed a devotion to nature as well as other things.
5 He Follows His Ideals To The Letter
When fans are first introduced to Doppo Kunikida in the first episode of Bungo Stray Dogs, it is easy to see what kind of character he is with his interactions with Dazai and Atsushi Nakajima. He carries around his notebook with his ideals and never strays from them.
This is heavily challenged throughout the series by multiple antagonists and those who frequently clashes with his ideals, such as Port Mafia.
4 He Used To Be A Part-Time Math Teacher
Kunikida's stern attitude goes all the way back to his past when he used to teach children math. The first mention of this is in an early episode of Bungo Stray Dogs when Dazai mentions he used to teach math, so this is partly why he is so strict when it comes to certain things.
He used to be a part-time math tutor at a cram school before joining the Armed Detective Agency as a detective, and eventually, he even becomes an Interim Director.
3 He Has 58 Conditions For An Ideal Partner
As stated numerous times throughout this article, Kunikida does not play when it comes to his ideals. He hates when things are not planned out and surprises, so he even writes down his daily routine and his morning in his notebook.
Included within his notebook is also his 58 conditions for an ideal partner, which Dazai read and is the only one who knows of them.
2 His Life Is Heavily Influenced By The Real Doppo Kunikida
Doppo Kunkida was a Japanese author who was born as Kunikida Kamekichi on August 30, 1871, and died at 36-years-old of tuberculosis on June 23, 1908. He was a big Wordsworthian and his political views caused him to clash with the Japanese at the time of him being alive. He read various works from Ivan Turgenev, Thomas Carlyle, and Ralph Waldo Emerson and even adopted Christianity, which Japanese people did not adopt at the time.
The fact that Kunikida grows from a character who follows his ideals to the letter into a man who must think on his own is a homage to the real-life Doppo Kunikida.
1 He Cannot Use His Ability On Objects Larger Than A Notebook
Kunikida has an ability called Lone Poet that is not considered the strongest in Bungo Stray Dogs, but is a useful contender compared to other abilities. With it, he can create objects to escape or support other members of the Armed Detective Agency.
However, there is one vital flaw with his ability: he cannot create an object larger than his notebook. While it is unknown if he can buy a larget notebook and break this law, his go-to is usually non-lethal weapons such as a wire gun and a flashbang.