Banana Fish, Vol. 15

BANANA FISH #15

by Akimi Yoshida

Nature made Ash beautiful; Nurture made him a killer!

VICE NEW YORK IN THE 80s...

Nature made Ash Lynx beautiful; nurture made him a cold ruthless killer. A runaway brought up as the adopted heir and sex toy of “Papa” Dino Golzine, Ash, now at the rebellious age of seventeen, forsakes the kingdom held out by the devil who raised him. But the hideous secret that drove Ash's older brother mad in Vietnam has suddenly fallen into Papa's insatiably ambitious hands--and it's exactly the wrong time for Eiji Okamura, a pure-hearted young photographer from Japan, to make Ash Lynx's acquaintance... Epic in scope, and one of the best-selling shojo titles of all time in Japan, Akimi Yoshida put an electric shock into the genre and gained a huge crossover audience through Banana Fish 's stripped-down, non-stop style.

Ash, freed from the clutches of Dino, races to find Eiji, but Dino's men beat him to the punch. A deadly battle rages at the National History Museum, and Ash captures Yut-Lung. Perhaps a deal can be struck and hostages exchanged...

Genres: Manga, LGBT, Comics, Graphic Novels, Crime, Queer, Japanese Literature

184 pages, Paperback

First published October 26, 1992

About the author

Akimi Yoshida (Japanese: 吉田秋生, Yoshida Akimi) is a Japanese cartoonist from Tokyo, best known for her manga series Banana Fish.
Yoshida studied at the Musashino Art University in Tokyo and made her professional debut in 1977. Despite serialising her works in shōjo manga (girls' comics) magazines, most notably in 'Bessatsu Shōjo Comic' and 'Monthly Flowers', during the 80's she developed a visual style akin to the aesthetics of shōnen manga (boy's comics) of that era, contributing significantly to creating a bridge between these two traditions. This is particularly evident in her international best-seller Banana Fish (1985-1994), a thriller set in New York City blending action and homoerotic romance. Among her other major works are the series Yasha (1996-2002) and Umimachi Diary (2006-2018).
Yoshida's comics have received a number of accolades in Japan, including three Shogakukan Manga Awards (1983 and 2001 in the category 'shojo', 2015 in the general category), an Excellence Award for manga at the Japan Media Arts Festival (2007) and the 6th Manga Taishō award (2013).

Reviews

[g · Rating 5 out of 5]

"my brother... shorter... he really loved you" well thanks for that now i'm gonna go cry in the bathroom peace out

[Lauren Lanz · Rating 4 out of 5]

“My brother…. Shorter…. he really loved you.”

Brb I’m passing away.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm calling this one A Night at the Museum with Banana Fish since that's were Ash leads his pursuers while trying to lead them away from Eiji and other friends. Some nice scenes and a nice change of pace from oddly deserted streets. The depiction of exhibits and dinosaur skeletons was fun. 

[Nea Poulain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Normal. Pero ya sé que viene y no quiero. 😭😭😭

[riley :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

i’m crying i love banana fish if i could buy the entire series i would😭😭😭

[Mawdz :] · Rating 5 out of 5]

shorter mentioned but at what cost

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

The real reason Ash runs into the Museum of Natural History is because Yoshida wanted to draw dinosaur bones and I get it.

[jemi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yo sé que Max considera a Ash como su hijo. Esa escena final me estrujó el corazón y me confirmó su cariño por el chico :'(

[Queens Love Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Let us get one thing straight… For you this may be a game, but for Ash his very life hangs in the balance. And there is nothing so dangerous as a cornered beast…”



This volume stressed me out because it feels like Ash never gets a single second to breathe. Every time he manages to get through one problem, another one immediately crashes into him, and by the end of the book I felt just as exhausted as he did. Ash completely carried this volume as usual. I loved seeing how sharp and strategic he was under pressure, but the emotional side of him hit even harder every time. The second Eiji is in danger, all of Ash’s control starts cracking, and I honestly think that’s what makes their relationship so compelling. Eiji represents the softer part of Ash that he tries so hard to protect. At the same time, I need Eiji to stop getting captured every five minutes because it’s becoming ridiculous. It’s honestly amazing he hasn’t been killed at this point. I understand why everyone targets him, but after a while I just wanted to yell at the pages whenever he ended up in trouble again.

Yut-Lung was especially frustrating here because of how cruel and personal he feels. He clearly understands how attached Ash is to Eiji, and he uses that knowledge in the nastiest way possible. Every scene with him made me tense because it always feels like he’s trying to emotionally destroy Ash, not just beat him. Blanca also added a lot of pressure because he knows Ash so well that it almost feels unfair. There’s something unsettling about a character who can predict Ash’s thoughts and reactions so easily. I also appreciated Max a lot more in this volume. He brings some warmth into a story that can feel incredibly cold and brutal at times. I really like that he sees Ash as an actual person and not just a dangerous kid who’s useful in a fight. Sing’s involvement also made the conflict more interesting for me because there’s this extra emotional weight connected to Lao and Chinatown politics that makes everything messier and more personal. There are so many people moving around Ash at once, and everyone seems to either care about his bond with Eiji, want to exploit it, or simply not understand why it matters so much to him.

I flew through this volume because the pacing is so intense and nonstop. The hostage situation, the constant tension, the shifting alliances, and the pressure surrounding every decision kept me completely locked in. I can see why some people might feel overwhelmed because there’s a lot happening at once and the story barely slows down long enough for the characters to recover emotionally. I definitely missed some quieter moments, especially because the emotional scenes between Ash and Eiji are usually my favorite parts of the series. Still, this volume really reminded me why I’m so invested in them. Ash acts tough constantly, but whenever Eiji is involved, his fear and desperation become impossible to hide. Those moments always hit the hardest for me because they show how badly Ash wants something good and innocent in his life, even when the world around him keeps trying to tear it away from him.

Date Read: 2026.04.25

[✨Anahí✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

❝ Ya se acabó todo. Solo olvídalo.❞

¡¡¡¡Dios!!!! No miento, he llorado, definitivamente Ash es un personaje con una de las infancias más tristes que he leído. 😭😭😭😭

[liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

ash’ revenge trip is so badass

[Spudpuppy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ash’s relationships with Max and Shorter have me crying in the club….

Also loved the dinosaurs and how well Yoshida expresses tension with her paneling

[aslan]

Max is such a great dad I’m :(

[monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

fuck this author and their mom i’m legit sitting in a puddle of my own tears right now

[mydarlingreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't get it. What's Blanca's reasons for staying? For being with Yut Lung as his bodyguard? To safeguard Ash in a different manner because he also doesn't like what Golzine has done with Ash? To prevent Yut Lung or giving Yut Lung a reason to kill Eiji and kill Ash?
Ash diverting them to the Natural Museum is genius- he probably knows the layout well and when Yut Lung's men have been pushed to their limits which are significantly lower than Ash's in his weakened state- they're all playing into his hands just like Blanca said. This is clever- this is smart. I love how Blanca is just saying all the shit that he thinks Ash would do and Yut Lung saying who fucking cares just take him and then all of it coming true must be so frustrating. LOL
OH THANK GOD THEY'RE ALL REUNITED!!
Ash saying that he likes Eiji's congee... my man's got taste.
Oh god, they're bringing in a military guy now just to get Ash?? CAN WE EVER GET A BREAK!?!?
Ya know Max is a good dude. He really is. He was willing to burn the pictures of Ash because while to the whole world he's dead, he's still alive (clearly) and he's still able to be hurt and in some way still be impacted by those pictures and having all his friends and comrade knowing that that's what he went through and that's what had happened to him. It's hard to get that level of respect that they do for Ash and I think for them to know that that's also what happened to him it'll be harder for Ash to keep his head up and lead them. I think Max knows that too. But also it's because Max knows that it still weights a lot on Ash's conscience and mind of all the trauma he's experienced and never really had time to process.

[seb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ash and the gangs' escape from Papa Dino spills into the sewer (literally - poor Alex). Most of this volume is a cat and mouse game between Ash and Yut Lung (or Blanca, really), as Ash massacres Yut Lung's men in the Museum of Natural History. The boys do finally manage to all get away after a bit too much back and forth of hostages, and we learn that Lao is Sing's brother, which will surely be important soon. Sing seems to still be torn on whether or not to take revenge on Ash for Shorter, which like, dude, it's a little late for that now? Finally, Max shows up again and gets Ash to help him obtain some nasty photographs from Ash's past. I'm really so tired though of all gay people being pervert child molesters in this story. If I could just see one (ONE) well adjusted gay man who doesn't want to do little kids... smdh.

[Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is almost over, and I still don’t really want it to end.

This volume was okay. Some pivotal moments in the overall plot. The final pieces are being put into place. It is a bit impressive to see the narrative arc come together so neatly. In any volume the story could go for several more volumes or tie up in another one or two. You don’t see that kind of attention to variables beyond a creator’s control. Charles Dickens’ serialized work and Neil Gaiman’s Sandman come to mind. They did well with it, and this author does as well.

But I’d have to read up more on this author. Maybe they knew the trajectory right from the get go 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ash was seen running like something was swooping down on him. Actually, it was Yau-Si men gunning for him, literally. But Ash has his piece and shot back. Then he dives into the museum of natural history. Yau-Si made the mistake of sending too many of his men inside. As Blanca warned, that’s what Ash would’ve wanted. Yau-Si went inside, another big mistake. Ash got behind him and took him hostage just as his friends were brought in held hostage. They made an exchange. Ash and his pals escape. Golzine brings in a special forces fella. One wonders if this is another mistake...

[Yackie]

For me, it’s the constant demonization of homosexuality. Every gay character in this series is a predator, if someone is gay they’re a f*got, the gay bar is a front for child trafficking. The dialogue of the black people is written like the author has never met a black person in their life. Also I feel like Max makes way too many jabs at Ash for being forced into child prostitution and idk if the end was supposed to rectify that? Also every woman in this series has been sexually assaulted so far.
I have so many problems with this series.

[Robert Hudder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Takes us through two escape situations and then onto more investigating. I was expecting a greater ratcheting up but this volume was focused on a rivalry. By the end, I wonder if this will go much further up.

In some ways, this follows the classic corruption of a character trope found in many crime novels. Will Eichi survive intact? The issue is that in those kind of stories, the bad folks are given their justice. What will that mean in this case or will there be a justification for all that Ash has done?

[T.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"All of the hostages for this little prick."

"Lay one finger on any of my buddies and I'll make your death worthy of Fangoria!"

"What's wrong with ketchup, anyhow?"

Lots of great one-liners!
I loved Ash seeing choke Yut Lung with that stupid braid of his.
And happy for the return of Max Lobo, too.

I'm so invested in this series.
Finally made it to the one with the dinosaur skeleton on the cover.
Only a couple more laps around the track before the grand finale!

[Vivian Lu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the natural history museum and Max aka dad really stepping it up and being a good father figure. This was such a crazy volume. But, I’m also tired of Lee’s obsession with Ash and this Eiji. 3.7/5 rounded up to four on goodreads

[Anto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Te amo, Max

[MariaQM · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Aleja Uribe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ay, mi pobre Ash! :(

[Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

cap 79 - 83

[anny ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars.

i love max

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10

[n · Rating 5 out of 5]

the natural history museum scene 😭😭😭😭

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

The museum fight scene alone deserves 5 stars