Hump Day Husbandos: Chuuya Nakahara (Bungo Stray Dogs)

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Lilia Hellal
March 9, 2022
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I admittedly came to Bungo Stray Dogs rather late — and what made me finally turn to it last month was its rather appetising offering of some wonderful looking ikemen, including today’s husbando Chuuya Nakahara.

Checking out the show proved to be the right call, since it stars one of the most appealing main characters of all time in the form of cinnamon roll Atsushi Nakajima; “greatest detective in the world” Ranpo Edogawa, who is as cute as a button when seeking affirmation; and the serious megane type with a heart of gold, Doppo Kunikida.

But just for today, we’re highlighting the main reason I finally gave Bungo Stray Dogs a watch.

Who is Chuuya Nakahara?

Chuuya Nakahara, or Mr Fancy Hat, is one of five executives of Port Mafia, the villainous, underground organisation. His ability is the manipulation of gravity, titled as Upon The Tainted Sorrow — one of countless references to the characters’ real-life counterparts.

He is one of the most fashionable characters of the cast, and he looks great fighting Sanji style — using his legs only with his hands tucked into his pockets. He’s voiced by GRANRODEO’s vocalist, Kisho Taniyama. I’ll be the first to admit that taking an interest in the show just because of Chuuya is woefully shallow, but it was so worth it.

Why we love Chuuya Nakahara

Chuuya is the fiery red-headed trope to a T. His dynamic with Dazai is one of the funniest pairings of the lot, and feels reminiscent of the humour between Gilbert and Oz in Pandora Hearts. Considering his and Dazai’s history, Dazai is able to ruffle his feathers with barely any effort, and that typically results in Chuuya quickly losing his temper. His attitude with everyone else is that of a cocky, arrogant and rude disposition — but this is due to how he developed as the strong, relied-upon member of a gang in his youth.

In many ways, Chuuya, despite being an antagonist, has his own endearing traits that he attempts to mask. He’s not as violent as other members of Port Mafia, cares for his subordinates, shows empathy to his enemies, and he hates disloyalty and betrayals. Plus he has a great hat.

His upstanding personality traits such as these show that he has an overall good head on his shoulders despite his status as a Port Mafia member and how much of a terrifying powerhouse he is.

Why you will love Chuuya Nakahara

He’s one of the strongest characters in the show; we almost never see him fighting at full strength because no-one would be able to stay toe-to-toe with him were he to unleash his full potential. His sheer power is humorously juxtaposed with his small size and pretty-boy appearance, which isn’t the least bit intimidating at first glance.

Chuuya’s rough and tragic backstory makes him all the more sympathetic, as he was once a teenager struggling with a rather unusual issue concerning his identity, life, and what it means to be human. His inner strength and mentality is especially commendable once his origins are shown, and it’s topped off with how he experiences unfamiliar relationships as an adult when he learns that relationships are give and take.

While Chuuya is almost always in the background across the current anime’s three seasons — be sure to watch the movie DEAD APPLE to remedy that somewhat — when he does make an appearance, he effortlessly takes the limelight and helps make Bungo Stray Dogs that much more entertaining. He’s a greatly captivating for all the right reasons, and Bungo Stray Dogs would not be the same without him!

Catch the show now on Crunchyroll.

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