ichaquisitor:

Ye I kinda get what you mean and I feel like it would be a possibility.

I am personally not too much sure  by all the “who tells the story” theories so far, as it kinda sounds to me like a poetic title – however it does put the focus on the Noah, and imo especially on the Earl and Neah (since the return of the D in “D Campbell”, while I’m sure it doesn’t mean “Dear” in that case, seem to be a call back that those are the two dears to focus on)

If I was to pick someone who tells the story, I’m on the wagon of it might be Lavi telling the story, recording it as a Bookman. And unless his brain was damaged enough to have him talk like a child again (please don’t go there), I could imagine him telling the stories to a kid.

Comparing it to Santa makes me think about how sometimes this is how we talks of Legends and Myths. Some stories that passes through time and gets written by poets; like the Illiad or Odysseus or Arthur’s legends. I can see the story trying to get a lesson across, and therefore, hundred years ater, to hear “I’m going to tell you the story of the Dear Gray Man”

Or it could be just about Regrets too. For exemple, if it is Lavi telling the story as the latest survivor (although it could be anyone but to word my idea better II’m gonna go from there), I can feel a bitterness, being the last survivor. In many case like that, it is often recommanded to write a letters to ones regret (usually burning the letter then) which would result with a letter starting with “Dear Gray Man, thanks for this hell”. Or hell, could just as much be Allen, who in regrets and restrospecte, would talk like that.

So I don’t really know personally who tells the story. And to be honest, it is not my main focus? What strikes to me is that, by calling that Dear Gray Man this way instead of a Noah, there’s kind of a feeling of mysthification, of a legend that are going to be passed throught the ages because of its lessons and its heroes. To me it kinda takes the Noah to another level, more than just defining them by who they are, it uses terms that can be passed toward the ages. Maybe centuries from now, just like at the begining of the story, no one will associate “Noah” with what the Noah represents, and inorder to pass their stories, a formulation in the kind of “Dear Gray Man” would seem like a way to remember them for sure.

Moreover, in a way, since it’s just “Man” and not “Men”, I wonder if it’s not just one person. And in that case I think it would be Mana/Adam that is pointed. I know that Hoshino said it was Dear because of a letter and a story to tell, but I also think that, “Dear” is how you call the people close to your heart.
Allen doesn’t know yet about Mana being the Earl, but wouldn’t he be the best exemple of a Dear Beloved who turns out to be a Gray Man? And in that case, out of the love and sorrow of that idea, I could see such sentence being formed. And I think it’s a possibility, since Hoshino revealed for “Dear” a bit after all the revelations on the Earl.

But anyway I think any interpretation can be taken from it at this point, there’s nothing that strikes to me as /The/ Reason. In restrospecte, when the serie will be closer to an end, it will probably makes much more sense to any of us.

But my personal takes are mostly that it Takes the Story and makes it a Myth in verse, that it’d be Lavi telling the story out of remembrance and regrets, or that it’d be Allen, for those reasons and/or his affection for Mana adding in. and most likely, directed to the Earl more than to Neah.

But anyway I do think that the “childlike” aspect is also a possibility, so there’s no wrong with thinking that. I would personally think it would have to do with the Tale dimension the story took, but it could be just about anything, like a Younger Generation still passing on the story.

But for the same reasons Bookmen exists, (*winks to Lavi’s speech*)I think it would be to pass down the story. And to pass down, to educate, would include to tell it all to the yougster and therefore probably ending up with a more childish formulation – for those listening and those who are going to repeat the story of the Dear Gray Man to others.

But I might be reading too much into this. All of that to say, I think you’re totally legit in your thinking ;O

these are very interesting and all but have you guys considered the fact that Hoshino (and her publisher) is just really bad at English? i mean just look at her Instagram’s bio…