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BANANA FISH #19
Banana Fish, Vol. 19
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.
The final volume of Banana Fish contains the same dichotomy of darkness and light that characterizes both Ash and Eiji. Harsh reality and soft dreamlike memories find themselves hand-in-hand with heartbreak and hope, sentiment and cynicism, love and murder.
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.
The final volume of Banana Fish contains the same dichotomy of darkness and light that characterizes both Ash and Eiji. Harsh reality and soft dreamlike memories find themselves hand-in-hand with heartbreak and hope, sentiment and cynicism, love and murder.
187 pages, Paperback
First published September 26, 1994
About the author
Akimi Yoshida
155 books268 followersAkimi 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).
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).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 373 reviews
August 27, 2018
Nobody fucking TOUCH ME
July 22, 2018
im only adding this volume so i dont pile everything on my shelves
ANYWAY
WHAT THE FUCK
i can't stop crying and i also need therapy
brb gotta go drink bleach what the fuck WHWAT THE FUCK THATS SO UNFAIR
hahaha im in so much pain right now i havent cried this much in years
ANYWAY
WHAT THE FUCK
i can't stop crying and i also need therapy
brb gotta go drink bleach what the fuck WHWAT THE FUCK THATS SO UNFAIR
hahaha im in so much pain right now i havent cried this much in years
December 20, 2018
fuck, where do i start? this was one hell of a trip. i don't think i've been this anxious while reading something in my entire life; maybe its because it got worse as it went. kinda want to punch akimi yoshida in the face; i got way too attached to ash (my beautiful son i love u). the story wasn't exactly what i had in mind, i went in thinking it was a cute gay manga with a tiny bit of angst here and there, so imagine my surprise when i got all this thrown at my face. it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. pretty heavy stuff, but still a good story with some great characters too (shoutout to sing, cain, shorter, and eiji - love you guys too). anyway, cried my eyes out in this last volume, not really the way i wanted things to end. will be thinking about this one for a long time i guess.
ps: ash lynx deserved better.
ps: ash lynx deserved better.
August 17, 2022
I’m never gonna recover from this.
Read
July 12, 2020...
’Ash,
I am very worried because I haven’t seen you and I don’t know if you are okay.
You said to me before, “we live in different worlds,” but I am not sure if that is true. We are from different countries, and our skin and eyes are different colours. But so what? We are friends. Isn’t that enough? What else do we need?
I am very happy I came to America. I made many friends here. Above all… I met you, Ash.
You asked me many times if you scare me. But I never felt scared of you, not even once, From the first time I met you.
Actually, I always felt that you are hurt, much more than me - that your spirit is wounded.
I know you are much smarter than me, and bigger, and stronger - but even so.. I always wanted to protect you. Funny, isn’t it?
But what did I want to protect you from?
I think I wanted to protect you from your future. Because your fate was sweeping you away, like a flood.
Do you remember telling me about the leopard in the Hemingway book? He died at the top of the mountain, and you said he knew he will never go back down. But I said you are not a leopard, and that you can change your future. It’s true, Ash. You can change your fate.
You are not alone, Ash. I am with you. My soul is always with you.
Sayonara, America.
Sayonara, New York…
… Ash,
but I’m not saying “sayonara” to you.. because this isn’t goodbye.
I know we’ll see each other again someday..
You are my best friend, Ash.’
’Ash,
I am very worried because I haven’t seen you and I don’t know if you are okay.
You said to me before, “we live in different worlds,” but I am not sure if that is true. We are from different countries, and our skin and eyes are different colours. But so what? We are friends. Isn’t that enough? What else do we need?
I am very happy I came to America. I made many friends here. Above all… I met you, Ash.
You asked me many times if you scare me. But I never felt scared of you, not even once, From the first time I met you.
Actually, I always felt that you are hurt, much more than me - that your spirit is wounded.
I know you are much smarter than me, and bigger, and stronger - but even so.. I always wanted to protect you. Funny, isn’t it?
But what did I want to protect you from?
I think I wanted to protect you from your future. Because your fate was sweeping you away, like a flood.
Do you remember telling me about the leopard in the Hemingway book? He died at the top of the mountain, and you said he knew he will never go back down. But I said you are not a leopard, and that you can change your future. It’s true, Ash. You can change your fate.
You are not alone, Ash. I am with you. My soul is always with you.
Sayonara, America.
Sayonara, New York…
… Ash,
but I’m not saying “sayonara” to you.. because this isn’t goodbye.
I know we’ll see each other again someday..
You are my best friend, Ash.’
Read
July 27, 2018I'm cycling through all five stages of grief rn
May 9, 2018
Well shit. That ending was spoiled for me a while before I actually finished the series and I finally got to volume 19 and was like “no? guess we’re good”. However. Big fucking HOWEVER. Yoshida sensei did that shit. She did that to me. Then came the fucking epilogue, Garden of Light. How fucking dare her. I don’t think I’ve ever cried over a manga in my life. At least I don’t remember having done so before, but holy fuck I sobbed like a baby at the end. Then I reread the epilogue again today, a day after I finished the whole manga, AND I CRIED AGAIN. WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ME. EVERYTHING HURTS. FUCK. THE ANIME WILL WRECK ME.
I read this manga because the anime was announced to air in July 2018 and I was quite interested. Of course I wanted to give the series a read so I knew what to expect and to ultimately see if this manga was something I’d want to see an anime of. Needless to say, I literally gave every single volume a 5 star rating. Yoshida sensei knows how to tell a goddamn story with great pacing, complex, morally gray characters, and delve into the nitty gritty of America’s social and political issues. The 19 volumes may seem intimidating. There are actually about 100 pages per volume and as it is set up, each volume reads more as a chapter than an entirely new volume. Despite how long Banana Fish was, I really enjoyed the pacing. I figured it would be really taxing and just full of unnecessary filler. Damn, was I hella wrong. Yoshida sensei uses every single detail and expands on it in an interesting, complex addition. She uses the best of her abilities to expand on the characters, giving each one a new depth I never would have thought of. She even does this for the villains, which at times will make you sympathize with them. In my opinion, that is proper writing.
This manga was written between 1985-1994 by a cis-het Japanese woman and it was one of the most progressive things I have ever read in my life (I do not mean any of this offensively). Nowadays, it’s really difficult to impress me with mangas and animes because some end up following the same recycled plot and overused tropes, but Banana Fish kept me on my toes the entire damn time (I don’t mean to put down other mangas or animes; I simply found Banana Fish to be just something entirely new that I enjoyed). I have read many mangas in my life. This has automatically become one of my all time favorites ever. I am so glad I read Banana Fish. I have high hopes for the anime adaption because I have seen the staff that will be behind it, and I can say that I have a lot of trust in them; not to mention, MAPPA will be the studio for it. (-: I feel that Banana Fish will truly stick with me for the rest of my life.
Side note: This manga is labeled as a shoujo. IT IS A FUCKING SEINEN TO THE CORE. THERE IS LITTLE TO NOTHING SHOUJO ABOUT BANANA FISH (in my opinion) SO IF YOU PLAN ON READING IT THEN BEWARE OF THE TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Rape, sexual assault, child prostitution, child pornography, drugs, gang/gun violence, slight gore, death, Vietnam war
(the rape, child prostitution/pornography, and sexual abuse are not shown explicitly, but be mindful that these are heavy, prevalent themes) You have been warned. If any of these topics makes you uncomfortable, do not read this manga.
I read this manga because the anime was announced to air in July 2018 and I was quite interested. Of course I wanted to give the series a read so I knew what to expect and to ultimately see if this manga was something I’d want to see an anime of. Needless to say, I literally gave every single volume a 5 star rating. Yoshida sensei knows how to tell a goddamn story with great pacing, complex, morally gray characters, and delve into the nitty gritty of America’s social and political issues. The 19 volumes may seem intimidating. There are actually about 100 pages per volume and as it is set up, each volume reads more as a chapter than an entirely new volume. Despite how long Banana Fish was, I really enjoyed the pacing. I figured it would be really taxing and just full of unnecessary filler. Damn, was I hella wrong. Yoshida sensei uses every single detail and expands on it in an interesting, complex addition. She uses the best of her abilities to expand on the characters, giving each one a new depth I never would have thought of. She even does this for the villains, which at times will make you sympathize with them. In my opinion, that is proper writing.
This manga was written between 1985-1994 by a cis-het Japanese woman and it was one of the most progressive things I have ever read in my life (I do not mean any of this offensively). Nowadays, it’s really difficult to impress me with mangas and animes because some end up following the same recycled plot and overused tropes, but Banana Fish kept me on my toes the entire damn time (I don’t mean to put down other mangas or animes; I simply found Banana Fish to be just something entirely new that I enjoyed). I have read many mangas in my life. This has automatically become one of my all time favorites ever. I am so glad I read Banana Fish. I have high hopes for the anime adaption because I have seen the staff that will be behind it, and I can say that I have a lot of trust in them; not to mention, MAPPA will be the studio for it. (-: I feel that Banana Fish will truly stick with me for the rest of my life.
Side note: This manga is labeled as a shoujo. IT IS A FUCKING SEINEN TO THE CORE. THERE IS LITTLE TO NOTHING SHOUJO ABOUT BANANA FISH (in my opinion) SO IF YOU PLAN ON READING IT THEN BEWARE OF THE TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Rape, sexual assault, child prostitution, child pornography, drugs, gang/gun violence, slight gore, death, Vietnam war
(the rape, child prostitution/pornography, and sexual abuse are not shown explicitly, but be mindful that these are heavy, prevalent themes) You have been warned. If any of these topics makes you uncomfortable, do not read this manga.
May 29, 2021
Will I ever stop getting stomach ache whenever prayer x starts playing? I don’t think so
November 17, 2010
Just finished 19th and final volume of Akimi Yoshida's manga Banana Fish... best fucking manga of all time. Characterizations, dialogue, the action sequences, immigrant gang culture, US geopolitical analyses, everything spot-on even two decades after its creation, even a dose of heavy bromance to spice things up... I don't think I can stop crying about the fact that it's over, and there's no more left to read. If you don't take my word for it, you can at least be comforted that my opinion seconds that of Warren Ellis, who credited Banana Fish at the time of its release as being "amongst the best things currently being published in the English language."
In addition to the quality of the story and characters itself, even the side information used to set the tone of the series is of value and of note. Yoshida-sensei had written into the plot some intriguing analyses of US political motivations and interests abroad, and particularly in Latin America that have since played out in time to be rather predictive at the point in which she had written them in the 1980s.
The climax of the main story has already been reached in volume 18, so 19, in a way wraps up the loose ends and concludes the story rather quickly. The latter half of this book is composed of stories that are not directly linked, and serve more as recollections and memories of the characters who are left behind. Eiji and Ash's story is thrown for one last loop that reveals even more of how they relate to one and other...
Don't miss it! Groundbreaking even in the '80s when this series was started, this is STILL the series that will change your opinion and push the envelope of what shoujo manga can achieve.
Last note: The original release of this series was via Viz's now unfortunately defunct "Pulp Graphic Novel" imprint, which managed to license and release volumes 1 through 7 of the series. If you can, pick up copies of the superior but out of print Pulp release, which gives the series that stylish cover and book design that it deserves that is sorely lacking in the newer releases.
In addition to the quality of the story and characters itself, even the side information used to set the tone of the series is of value and of note. Yoshida-sensei had written into the plot some intriguing analyses of US political motivations and interests abroad, and particularly in Latin America that have since played out in time to be rather predictive at the point in which she had written them in the 1980s.
The climax of the main story has already been reached in volume 18, so 19, in a way wraps up the loose ends and concludes the story rather quickly. The latter half of this book is composed of stories that are not directly linked, and serve more as recollections and memories of the characters who are left behind. Eiji and Ash's story is thrown for one last loop that reveals even more of how they relate to one and other...
Don't miss it! Groundbreaking even in the '80s when this series was started, this is STILL the series that will change your opinion and push the envelope of what shoujo manga can achieve.
Last note: The original release of this series was via Viz's now unfortunately defunct "Pulp Graphic Novel" imprint, which managed to license and release volumes 1 through 7 of the series. If you can, pick up copies of the superior but out of print Pulp release, which gives the series that stylish cover and book design that it deserves that is sorely lacking in the newer releases.
June 27, 2022
every day i search for a piece of media that can give me the violent harrowing emotional reaction that the banana fish ending gave me
December 29, 2019
The tears are real ;____;
What a bittersweet ending, I'm happy and sad and emotional and don't touch me ;____;
What a bittersweet ending, I'm happy and sad and emotional and don't touch me ;____;
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December 5, 2025
never touching this again
December 30, 2019
5/5 stars. I’ve been crying for half an hour. Yup, that’s the review, thank you for your time, happy painful readings :)
Just kidding, let me share my pain and suffering because that’s what I do best.
Everything hurts and I’m dying. It’s almost three in the morning and I’m sad. I am, very dead inside.
But I will say that the fact that I was crying for like an hour straight says a lot about how attached I grew to these characters.
Akimi Yoshida created an extraordinary story here. And I appreciated that it was such a daring story too. It dealt with a lot of difficult topics and it was set in the eighties (as I said in my review of volume 1, immediate brownie points).
This manga is really, the whole package. It had a lot of elements I love to see in stories and they were balanced so beautifully and tastefully. The taste, guys, the absolute TASTE of this series is astounding. While it was a very painful experience to relive all of this after watching the anime, there’s an artistry and complexity that we have to appreciate in this story. It never got boring. It might’ve dragged at times but I was still fully invested and interested to know what was next. It deserves all the praise.
I love how unexpectedly wholesome at times and constantly captivating this manga is. From the big conspiracy, the underlying plots, the characters, the deep bond that existed between Eiji and Ash, the trust they had in each other and in others like Shorter, Max, Sing, the funny moments, the sad moments, the intensity, the serenity, the soft moments, the tough moments. It basically made me laugh and cry and curl in a ball wanting to scream into the void. It’s a whole ass package of a story isn’t it? It’s goddamn brilliant. That’s what I have to say about this manga. If you’re okay with pretty heavy topics, you like conspiracies, you like the eighties, don’t mind a little bit of blood, want to see a type of bond that transcends just love, you want to see a familial bond between characters, and of course, don’t mind tragedies, then by all means, read Banana Fish.
(Update I woke up the next morning after finishing this, thought about Ash for half a second, and was crying again so... that’s fun)
And now welcome to me crying and being angry about everything... lol. Please enjoy.
Fuck me, I can’t stop crying.
Eiji gave Sing the letter he meant to give Ash. Eiji also got Ash a plane ticked to goddamn Japan so they could go like they meant to and I’m just... I- Eiji’s letter is making me SOB.
“Actually I always felt that you are hurt, much more than me- that your spirit is wounded... I always wanted to protect you. Funny, isn’t it?”
Just kill me already. Shoot me, it would hurt less.
NO! Eiji felt it the moment it happened and I want to die. Death would hurt less. JUST END ME.
Lao can choke. I can’t believe his goddamn audacity. He said he didn’t want Ash to kill Sing, SIR THEY CALLED OFF THE ONE ON ONE FIGHT, YOU STUPID DUMBASS!
“I think I wanted to protect you from your future. Because your fate was sweeping you away, like a flood.”
My tears will sweep ME AWAY.
You’re lying Ibe. NONE OF YOU WILL BE SEEING ASH AGAIN BECAUSE HE IS DYING AS YOU SPEAK-
“You are not alone, Ash. I am with you. My soul is always with you.”
:(
“But im not saying sayonara to you, Ash. Because this isn’t goodbye. I know we’ll see each other again, someday. You are my best friend, Ash.”
My heart has left the chat. I’m crying all over again... will they see each other in the afterlife? That’s my only hope :(
I can’t handle an Ash and Shorter origin story I’m in pain
Ah goddamnit now we get a future Eiji check up? My soul has left the server and is never to be seen again
23 year old Sing in the future went to meet 28 year old Eiji, I’m sobbing uncontrollably.
Eiji with his long hair, he’s majestic
“Oh! I wanna go to the New York Public Library.”
Oh no, sonny, that’s triggering for a number of reasons
Sing is a university student, but he just hangs with Eiji most of the time? I want to cry.
Sing’s name means demon, lion and guilt...
“I love your name. Did you know that Akira means dawn? I know somebody whose name means the same thing.”
STOP!!!
Michaels so grown! Ugh, I’m emo
“Did Okumura-San love this Ash person?
Yes, he did, very much...
Was this Ash person beautiful?
Very beautiful. So beautiful you could hardly believe it...”
“You satisfied? Eiji’s yours forever. Is that what you wanted?”
Listen, it just happened bro. Even after Ash left him, all the love Eiji had was for Ash alone I’m :((((
“Guess what? He hasn’t gone anywhere near the public library in seven years. He won’t even go anyplace where you can see the public library.”
I HATE LIVING
“You were smiling. As if you were having a really good dream.”
Oh, that got to me. I’m crying again. HE WAS THINKING OF EIJI IN HIS DYING MOMENTS. EIJI WAS HIS GOOD DREAM FUCK!
“It’s practically a love letter. Eiji’s letter- stained with Ash’s blood and with his tears.”
Oof Eiji doesn’t know Lao killed Ash.
“It’s been long enough, Ash. You hear me? Let Eiji go now. If you don’t let him go-“
I just got the worst visual of Ash’s ghost just following Eiji around. Always close enough but never quite touching Eiji. Like he wishes he had that second shot... thanks, I love pain.
“He’ll never be happy again. I need him to be happy because until he is, I can’t... Listen to me Ash. I’m getting him back from you. No matter what.”
“Michael?
Hm?
Did you know someone named Ash?
Sure did! He was my hero. Still is.”
Ash is Michael’s hero pls save me :(
“Was this Ash person Okumura-san’s... lover?
He was more than that... But they did love each other. Maybe the way lovers do. They were connected to each other, soul to soul.”
I’m- I’ve exceeded the possible levels of pain a human should even be allowed feel. Just add salt to wound it’s not like I’m already HURTING.
“Eiji changed after that, in every single way. His personality, the way he lives. Ash’s death totally changed him. It changed Eiji’s whole life.”
:(((
“Ash is dead! Why can’t you accept that? He’s dead Eiji! Let him go! Just let him go, damnit! Why can’t you move on? I want you to be happy again, Eiji.”
Sing hugging Eiji... my heart cannot deal
Eiji saw someone that looked like Ash and immediately ran to them... this is unbearable. Please.
“I’ll never forget Ash. I’d never want to forget him. But that doesn’t mean I’m not happy or that I’ll never be happy again. Ash lived all out, one hundred percent. You and I know that better than anybody else. I’m just grateful and proud that I got to spend at least a short while in the company of that brilliant, miraculous life force.”
The way Eiji speaks so fondly of Ash I can't deal :(
Eiji pulling up all of Ash’s pictures... I’m going to scream into the void. This hurts my little heart.
Eiji putting up a picture of Ash titled “Dawn” and Sing crying when he noticed Eiji put him up in his studio. I’m crying again... oh, wow the tears never cease to show up, huh.
That one picture of Ash and Eiji in those sweaters with that killer fashion and poses... I’m a sobbing mess
Ugh the one with Ash with his suit being held by his tie *chef kiss*
Anyway, I'm sad. That's all. It was a great manga I’m just very dead inside at the moment and probably forevermore. When I think about Ash or Eiji or this manga in general, it’s emo hours. There’s no stopping the visceral feeling of ouch in my heart. Yay, love that for us all. All I do is be in pain, all I am is suffering :D
Just kidding, let me share my pain and suffering because that’s what I do best.
Everything hurts and I’m dying. It’s almost three in the morning and I’m sad. I am, very dead inside.
But I will say that the fact that I was crying for like an hour straight says a lot about how attached I grew to these characters.
Akimi Yoshida created an extraordinary story here. And I appreciated that it was such a daring story too. It dealt with a lot of difficult topics and it was set in the eighties (as I said in my review of volume 1, immediate brownie points).
This manga is really, the whole package. It had a lot of elements I love to see in stories and they were balanced so beautifully and tastefully. The taste, guys, the absolute TASTE of this series is astounding. While it was a very painful experience to relive all of this after watching the anime, there’s an artistry and complexity that we have to appreciate in this story. It never got boring. It might’ve dragged at times but I was still fully invested and interested to know what was next. It deserves all the praise.
I love how unexpectedly wholesome at times and constantly captivating this manga is. From the big conspiracy, the underlying plots, the characters, the deep bond that existed between Eiji and Ash, the trust they had in each other and in others like Shorter, Max, Sing, the funny moments, the sad moments, the intensity, the serenity, the soft moments, the tough moments. It basically made me laugh and cry and curl in a ball wanting to scream into the void. It’s a whole ass package of a story isn’t it? It’s goddamn brilliant. That’s what I have to say about this manga. If you’re okay with pretty heavy topics, you like conspiracies, you like the eighties, don’t mind a little bit of blood, want to see a type of bond that transcends just love, you want to see a familial bond between characters, and of course, don’t mind tragedies, then by all means, read Banana Fish.
(Update I woke up the next morning after finishing this, thought about Ash for half a second, and was crying again so... that’s fun)
And now welcome to me crying and being angry about everything... lol. Please enjoy.
Fuck me, I can’t stop crying.
Eiji gave Sing the letter he meant to give Ash. Eiji also got Ash a plane ticked to goddamn Japan so they could go like they meant to and I’m just... I- Eiji’s letter is making me SOB.
“Actually I always felt that you are hurt, much more than me- that your spirit is wounded... I always wanted to protect you. Funny, isn’t it?”
Just kill me already. Shoot me, it would hurt less.
NO! Eiji felt it the moment it happened and I want to die. Death would hurt less. JUST END ME.
Lao can choke. I can’t believe his goddamn audacity. He said he didn’t want Ash to kill Sing, SIR THEY CALLED OFF THE ONE ON ONE FIGHT, YOU STUPID DUMBASS!
“I think I wanted to protect you from your future. Because your fate was sweeping you away, like a flood.”
My tears will sweep ME AWAY.
You’re lying Ibe. NONE OF YOU WILL BE SEEING ASH AGAIN BECAUSE HE IS DYING AS YOU SPEAK-
“You are not alone, Ash. I am with you. My soul is always with you.”
:(
“But im not saying sayonara to you, Ash. Because this isn’t goodbye. I know we’ll see each other again, someday. You are my best friend, Ash.”
My heart has left the chat. I’m crying all over again... will they see each other in the afterlife? That’s my only hope :(
I can’t handle an Ash and Shorter origin story I’m in pain
Ah goddamnit now we get a future Eiji check up? My soul has left the server and is never to be seen again
23 year old Sing in the future went to meet 28 year old Eiji, I’m sobbing uncontrollably.
Eiji with his long hair, he’s majestic
“Oh! I wanna go to the New York Public Library.”
Oh no, sonny, that’s triggering for a number of reasons
Sing is a university student, but he just hangs with Eiji most of the time? I want to cry.
Sing’s name means demon, lion and guilt...
“I love your name. Did you know that Akira means dawn? I know somebody whose name means the same thing.”
STOP!!!
Michaels so grown! Ugh, I’m emo
“Did Okumura-San love this Ash person?
Yes, he did, very much...
Was this Ash person beautiful?
Very beautiful. So beautiful you could hardly believe it...”
“You satisfied? Eiji’s yours forever. Is that what you wanted?”
Listen, it just happened bro. Even after Ash left him, all the love Eiji had was for Ash alone I’m :((((
“Guess what? He hasn’t gone anywhere near the public library in seven years. He won’t even go anyplace where you can see the public library.”
I HATE LIVING
“You were smiling. As if you were having a really good dream.”
Oh, that got to me. I’m crying again. HE WAS THINKING OF EIJI IN HIS DYING MOMENTS. EIJI WAS HIS GOOD DREAM FUCK!
“It’s practically a love letter. Eiji’s letter- stained with Ash’s blood and with his tears.”
Oof Eiji doesn’t know Lao killed Ash.
“It’s been long enough, Ash. You hear me? Let Eiji go now. If you don’t let him go-“
I just got the worst visual of Ash’s ghost just following Eiji around. Always close enough but never quite touching Eiji. Like he wishes he had that second shot... thanks, I love pain.
“He’ll never be happy again. I need him to be happy because until he is, I can’t... Listen to me Ash. I’m getting him back from you. No matter what.”
“Michael?
Hm?
Did you know someone named Ash?
Sure did! He was my hero. Still is.”
Ash is Michael’s hero pls save me :(
“Was this Ash person Okumura-san’s... lover?
He was more than that... But they did love each other. Maybe the way lovers do. They were connected to each other, soul to soul.”
I’m- I’ve exceeded the possible levels of pain a human should even be allowed feel. Just add salt to wound it’s not like I’m already HURTING.
“Eiji changed after that, in every single way. His personality, the way he lives. Ash’s death totally changed him. It changed Eiji’s whole life.”
:(((
“Ash is dead! Why can’t you accept that? He’s dead Eiji! Let him go! Just let him go, damnit! Why can’t you move on? I want you to be happy again, Eiji.”
Sing hugging Eiji... my heart cannot deal
Eiji saw someone that looked like Ash and immediately ran to them... this is unbearable. Please.
“I’ll never forget Ash. I’d never want to forget him. But that doesn’t mean I’m not happy or that I’ll never be happy again. Ash lived all out, one hundred percent. You and I know that better than anybody else. I’m just grateful and proud that I got to spend at least a short while in the company of that brilliant, miraculous life force.”
The way Eiji speaks so fondly of Ash I can't deal :(
Eiji pulling up all of Ash’s pictures... I’m going to scream into the void. This hurts my little heart.
Eiji putting up a picture of Ash titled “Dawn” and Sing crying when he noticed Eiji put him up in his studio. I’m crying again... oh, wow the tears never cease to show up, huh.
That one picture of Ash and Eiji in those sweaters with that killer fashion and poses... I’m a sobbing mess
Ugh the one with Ash with his suit being held by his tie *chef kiss*
Anyway, I'm sad. That's all. It was a great manga I’m just very dead inside at the moment and probably forevermore. When I think about Ash or Eiji or this manga in general, it’s emo hours. There’s no stopping the visceral feeling of ouch in my heart. Yay, love that for us all. All I do is be in pain, all I am is suffering :D
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2026
“I’ll never forget Ash. I’d never want to forget him. But that doesn’t mean I’m not happy or that I’ll never be happy again. Ash lived all out, one hundred precent. You and I know that better than anybody else. I’m just grateful and proud, that I got to spend at least a short while in the company of that brilliant, miraculous life force.”
I honestly had to brace myself before starting this final volume. I dreaded reading it so much because I knew my heart will never be ready, but I picked it up anyway because I had to see it through. And wow, it hurts so much! After I finished the main story, I just sat there feeling completely broken. My heart felt like it had been shattered into pieces. I wanted to pretend I didn’t read it and make up my own happy ending where everyone gets to be safe, loved, and okay. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to re-write an ending in my head this badly. It’s painful because I cared about these characters so much, and by this point, they didn’t feel like characters on a page anymore. They felt like people I had been worrying about for nineteen volumes.
What really got to me was how much this volume sits with grief, memory, and everything left unsaid. Ash absolutely broke me. Seeing him at his most vulnerable made everything hurt even more, because underneath all the danger and chaos around him, he was just a boy who deserved softness, love, and a future. Eiji’s presence hit me so hard too, even during the moments when he wasn’t directly there. His love for Ash feels so pure and unforgettable that it lingers through the whole volume. The extra stories made me even more emotional. Shorter’s part brought back so much warmth and sadness, and it reminded me how many people Ash mattered to. Sing also really stayed with me because you can feel the guilt, responsibility, and pain he carries. Akira’s part made Ash feel almost like a ghost in everyone’s lives, someone gone but never really gone.
This volume hurt so badly, but I still have to applaud how beautifully it was written. It’s the kind of ending that makes you angry, sad, empty, and grateful all at once. I know some readers may have a hard time with it, especially anyone hoping for a softer kind of closure, because I definitely struggled with it too. I wanted happiness. I wanted peace. I wanted something kinder after everything Ash went through. But the emotional impact is impossible to deny. It made me cry, made me ache, and made me think about love and loss long after I closed the book. I don’t think I’ll be touching this series again for the next five to ten years because I need that much time to recover. Still, Banana Fish is unforgettable to me, and this final volume left a mark I don’t think will ever fade.
Date Read: 2025.05.22
I honestly had to brace myself before starting this final volume. I dreaded reading it so much because I knew my heart will never be ready, but I picked it up anyway because I had to see it through. And wow, it hurts so much! After I finished the main story, I just sat there feeling completely broken. My heart felt like it had been shattered into pieces. I wanted to pretend I didn’t read it and make up my own happy ending where everyone gets to be safe, loved, and okay. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to re-write an ending in my head this badly. It’s painful because I cared about these characters so much, and by this point, they didn’t feel like characters on a page anymore. They felt like people I had been worrying about for nineteen volumes.
What really got to me was how much this volume sits with grief, memory, and everything left unsaid. Ash absolutely broke me. Seeing him at his most vulnerable made everything hurt even more, because underneath all the danger and chaos around him, he was just a boy who deserved softness, love, and a future. Eiji’s presence hit me so hard too, even during the moments when he wasn’t directly there. His love for Ash feels so pure and unforgettable that it lingers through the whole volume. The extra stories made me even more emotional. Shorter’s part brought back so much warmth and sadness, and it reminded me how many people Ash mattered to. Sing also really stayed with me because you can feel the guilt, responsibility, and pain he carries. Akira’s part made Ash feel almost like a ghost in everyone’s lives, someone gone but never really gone.
This volume hurt so badly, but I still have to applaud how beautifully it was written. It’s the kind of ending that makes you angry, sad, empty, and grateful all at once. I know some readers may have a hard time with it, especially anyone hoping for a softer kind of closure, because I definitely struggled with it too. I wanted happiness. I wanted peace. I wanted something kinder after everything Ash went through. But the emotional impact is impossible to deny. It made me cry, made me ache, and made me think about love and loss long after I closed the book. I don’t think I’ll be touching this series again for the next five to ten years because I need that much time to recover. Still, Banana Fish is unforgettable to me, and this final volume left a mark I don’t think will ever fade.
Date Read: 2025.05.22
August 15, 2021
I am emotionally, mentally and even physically crushed. I can't even begin to tell how much pain I'm in right now. But if it means getting to know Ash I would do it a million times over.
I understand all the reasons. Oh, how I wish I didn't but I do. Still all I can say is... what a waste
What a cruel waste.
What a waste of the beauty this world could have had. A beauty, not just in the appearance and flesh but in every form imaginable. Inside and out.
Then again who is the world to claim or deserve all this beauty, to hell with it. There was only one person who did deserve him and I can't help but get mad at his surrender/sacrifice when he deserved Eiji to the fullest too, although I understand completely.
And I wonder if he never knew about the leopard of the mountain, would it make any difference?
How can the new day start without the dawn?
How can one live if there's no tomorrow?
Because I need to know.
Sweet dreams Aslan Jade.
You're finally safe and in peace, sleep well...
I understand all the reasons. Oh, how I wish I didn't but I do. Still all I can say is... what a waste
What a cruel waste.
What a waste of the beauty this world could have had. A beauty, not just in the appearance and flesh but in every form imaginable. Inside and out.
Then again who is the world to claim or deserve all this beauty, to hell with it. There was only one person who did deserve him and I can't help but get mad at his surrender/sacrifice when he deserved Eiji to the fullest too, although I understand completely.
And I wonder if he never knew about the leopard of the mountain, would it make any difference?
How can the new day start without the dawn?
How can one live if there's no tomorrow?
Because I need to know.
Sweet dreams Aslan Jade.
You're finally safe and in peace, sleep well...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2023
I understand why this series is so much liked. Ash is this tortured beautiful hero, remorseless and cold as steel who opens up through his platonic love with another boy... Add the horrible background he grew up in, his eros-thanatos image, the innocence and pure love of Eiji and you get this so 90’s YA emo vibe that certainly brought lots of emotions to many readers.
Going beyond that Banana Fish is not without defaults, notably its plot. It starts as a suspenseful crime story around a mysterious dangerous drug but this plot is cast away at midpoint to be replaced with a struggle of will between Ash and Golzine. And then the story starts losing coherence.
From then on everything and everyone goes ott. New archetypal/caricatural characters are introduced (Blanca/Foxx), situations are more and more unbelievable (guerilla warfare in NY without anybody noticing, total absence of a Police subplot, Ash’s almost super-human abilities) and the series is very close to overstaying its welcome.
The art is good but not amazing. It is too light, lacking shadows and textures. The characters are well designed, particularly Ash of course, but the settings are cold and very mechanical in their execution. The action scenes are usually well done and the storytelling is good overall.
I don’t regret finally reading this series after more than 20 years in the limbo of my TBR but I wish it had been a bit shorter and more restrained in its second half.
Going beyond that Banana Fish is not without defaults, notably its plot. It starts as a suspenseful crime story around a mysterious dangerous drug but this plot is cast away at midpoint to be replaced with a struggle of will between Ash and Golzine. And then the story starts losing coherence.
From then on everything and everyone goes ott. New archetypal/caricatural characters are introduced (Blanca/Foxx), situations are more and more unbelievable (guerilla warfare in NY without anybody noticing, total absence of a Police subplot, Ash’s almost super-human abilities) and the series is very close to overstaying its welcome.
The art is good but not amazing. It is too light, lacking shadows and textures. The characters are well designed, particularly Ash of course, but the settings are cold and very mechanical in their execution. The action scenes are usually well done and the storytelling is good overall.
I don’t regret finally reading this series after more than 20 years in the limbo of my TBR but I wish it had been a bit shorter and more restrained in its second half.
January 29, 2022
First few pages I was like, “meh. I’m just going to pretend this volume didn’t happen.”
Then you get a back story.
Then you get a story set in the future.
And then you can’t ignore what happened any more.
This series was so damned good. I know it won’t be for everyone, but it was for me.
Terribly heartbreaking, especially that epilogue. Call backs to the earliest volumes where you were just kind of having a good time while reading.
You get sucked into the series before shit gets too heavy.
It is just fun and well done.
Then you get a back story.
Then you get a story set in the future.
And then you can’t ignore what happened any more.
This series was so damned good. I know it won’t be for everyone, but it was for me.
Terribly heartbreaking, especially that epilogue. Call backs to the earliest volumes where you were just kind of having a good time while reading.
You get sucked into the series before shit gets too heavy.
It is just fun and well done.
June 9, 2019
I can't Breathe 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
January 23, 2022
i hate banana fish so much.
May 27, 2022
absolutely destroyed me.
May 29, 2025
kept my cool finishing the main story but fully burst into tears during the epilogue story on the page where eiji is looking at the photos iykyk
January 17, 2022
This manga is so beautiful. It’s so breathtaking and so devastating. I sobbed so hard, I’m still sobbing so hard. My head hurts and my face is incredibly red. Nevertheless nothing in me regrets reading this masterpiece, just looking at the cover breaks me into a million pieces. But all the messages, allusions, metaphors, and overall theme of this book is nothing short of incredible. I love it. I miss you ash.
September 3, 2018
I will never understand why did it had to end this way. Perhaps it was too ahead of its time, or maybe it was actually Yoshida's intention all along. I only know i loved every part of it and i wish it'd have a different ending. In my heart, he'd be happy. They'd be happy.
January 2, 2020
I'll always love Banana Fish, and this last volume sumarizes all the emotions that this story makes you feel. (can't help crying every time I read this)
June 17, 2026
Worst $6.99 I have ever spent. That being said, FIVE stars…I am in tears and will never ever get over Banana fish. The bonus comics destroyed me (Garden of Light when I CATCH you…)
December 27, 2019
Este volumen fue la lloración entera. Ayns. Que bonito es el último capítulo y que bonito es el epílogo y que bonito es Angel Eyes y que triste todo.
https://www.neapoulain.com/2020/03/ba...
Esta entrada, como todas las que he estado publicado, llevaba pendiente un tiempo (terminé de leer el manga el diciembre) y me estoy aprovechando de que Panini México acaba de anunciar que traerá Banana Fish este año en 10 tomos (o sea, van a ser 2 en 1) para invitarlos a que se sumerjan en esta depresión y tristeza colectiva que se llama Banana Fish. Nota: no estoy mintiendo cuando digo lo de la tristeza. Es un fandom que se la vive nadando en sus lágrimas, especialmente desde que adaptaron el anime. (Más advertencias conforme avance la reseña).
Bueno, empecé a ver Banana Fish el año pasado porque contraté Amazon Prime para ver American Gods (adivinen quien ni siquiera vio cinco capítulos de American Gods) y Good Omens (que amo) y me lo encontré de casualidad. Llevaba tiempo queriendo verlo porque había visto cosas (en general posts sobre lo triste que era) en la red sobre esta serie y lo vi. No sabía nada de la historia, sólo que tenía que ver con crimen (oh, boy) y dos chicos, uno de los cuales era japonés (oh, boy). Es mucho más terrorífico que una historia de crimen sobre las pandillas de Nueva York. Especialmente cuando lo ves de tirón, acabas triste, empiezas a leer Esclavas del poder de Lydia Cacho (más sobre esto más adelante) y lees el manga al mismo tiempo. Probablemente ese tren de actividades fue de mis peores decisiones de 2019.
¿Más sobre eso? Muy bien, quiero empezar contándoles que Banana Fish es una historia muy violenta. Ya he abordado el tema de cómo narramos la violencia en el blog cuando hablé de Tokyo Ghoul (les recomiendo mucho checar la entrada) pero eso se centrada sobre todo en el exceso de ketchup que tiene ese manga (no he visto el anime, nunca lo voy a ver, es una cosa terrible). En cambio (y acá va mi advertencia más grande), Banana Fish tiene un montón de violencia sexual. En diferentes reseñas he hablado de cómo odio cuando la violencia sexual es usada en la ficción como un recurso burdo para hacer pasar a personajes femeninos por momentos traumáticos o hacer que personajes masculinos sientan deseos de vengarse porque mancillaron el honor (ugh) de una mujer y esa clase de cosas. Y como nunca, jamás, pero jamás, se habla de las consecuencias. Se corre un tupido velo y listo. El momento traumante pasó, la mujer puede evolucionar y volverse una badass de la nada. Banana Fish es ese manga que te obliga a ver las consecuencias, nunca te muestra nada gráfico (ni alimenta el morbo de nadie) y pinta todo esto como lo horrible que en verdad es. Todas las situaciones podrán ser sólo ficción en la historia, pero Akimi Yoshida no se inventó nada. Quizá lo más horrible de todo es saber que, en un lugar del mundo, todo esto pasa. No me voy a meter en detalles, pero sí quiero que vayan advertidos del tema.
Ya redactada mi advertencia, vamos a hablar de la historia, de los personajes y de por qué les recomiendo leerlo (o verlo, es una adaptación muy fiel..., o los dos, como hice yo). Los protagonistas son Ash Lynx, un adolescente norteamericano que es el líder de una pandilla en Nueva York con ataduras a la mafia de las que quiere liberarse cueste lo que cueste y Eiji Okumura, un adolescente japonés que acompaña a un periodista para hacer algunas fotografías. Sus historias se entrelazan cuando secuestran a Eiji por estar en el lugar equivocado en el momento equivocado y Ash acude a rescatarlo (y el que acaba rescatándolo es Eiji, pero ajá). Ambos personajes son de mundos muy diferentes: desde sus experiencias pasadas hasta las diferencias culturales marcan las diferencias entre ellos. Y es con ellos dos (y todo un set de secundarios muy interesantes) que Akimi Yoshida construyó una historia como esta. Todo se revuelve entorno al misterio de qué es (o quién es) Banana Fish, pues hay gente muy poderosa detrás de ello, dispuesta a todo para conseguir lo que sea que es.
Dato curioso es que este manga fue categorizado como shojo por la revista en la que fue publicado originalmente y la demografía a la que se dirigía. A mí nunca me pareció extraño (o sea, no leo mucho shojo de sólo romance porque no es mi interés, ajá, pero esto era crimen, suspense, amistad, amor...) pero ahora que lo licenció Panini en México y lo anunció como shojo crimen (que es una descripción bastante accurate de lo que van a leer en el este manga) vi muchas respuestas del corte de cómo un shojo podía ser crimen o no ser rosa o etcétera, etcétera, etcétera. Mis ojos se quedaron en blanco para siempre, se los juro. La cosa es que finalmente shojo, shonen, josei, seinen son sólo demográficos de cuál es el público objetivo que cada cosa y sí, es obvio que hay temas que se repiten hasta la saciedad, pero creer que como el shojo está dirigido a chicas (que ya sabemos que no sólo lo leen mujeres jóvenes, pero again, demográficos) no significa que todas las historias sean cliché de novela rosa. Es más, ni siquiera todos los que sí son románticos románticos tienen por qué ser cliché de novela rosa. Dicho eso, Banana Fish es una historia cruda y muy triste, pero que, como ya mencioné arriba, no se enfoca nunca en el morbo.
Además, si les entra la curiosidad, creo que también Banana Fish es un buen reflejo de cómo los japoneses de los noventa percibían a los Estados Unidos y a los americanos. Cuando lo estaba leyendo yo y mi esposa lo estaba viendo lo comentábamos porque nos parecía llamativo y sí, cuando lo busqué, el cómo estaban retratados la mayoría de los personajes extranjeros (o sea, casi todos), tenía mucho que ver con la percepción de los japoneses sobre los americanos. Muy interesante de analizar si les interesan esos temas.
Bueno, yo ya no tengo mucho más que decir. Sólo decirles que aprovechen ahora que Panini los va a traer a México porque la verdad es que hace años leí una reseña medio vieja que consideraba casi imposible que licenciaran esta serie (y nunca la leí). Luego MAPPA sacó el anime (thanks god es una excelente adaptación) que ahora pueden ver en Amazon Prime y yo seguí sin verlo o leerlo hasta el año pasado. Y justo ahora los licenciaron, así que por aquí aparecí yo a decirles que aprovechen y lo lean. Yo lo leí en inglés, lo pueden encontrar en internet fácilmente si ese es su caso (mi única advertencia es que tengan paciencia porque en inglés suelen estar los escaneos de las primeras ediciones de Viz y la primera mitad de los tomos está publicado en espejo, o sea, formato occidental, que se lee de izquierda a derecha... y a la mitad decidieron cambiar a saber por qué). Así que eso es todo, se los recomiendo (esta última repetición es por si las 400 pasadas no quedaron claras).
https://www.neapoulain.com/2020/03/ba...
Esta entrada, como todas las que he estado publicado, llevaba pendiente un tiempo (terminé de leer el manga el diciembre) y me estoy aprovechando de que Panini México acaba de anunciar que traerá Banana Fish este año en 10 tomos (o sea, van a ser 2 en 1) para invitarlos a que se sumerjan en esta depresión y tristeza colectiva que se llama Banana Fish. Nota: no estoy mintiendo cuando digo lo de la tristeza. Es un fandom que se la vive nadando en sus lágrimas, especialmente desde que adaptaron el anime. (Más advertencias conforme avance la reseña).
Bueno, empecé a ver Banana Fish el año pasado porque contraté Amazon Prime para ver American Gods (adivinen quien ni siquiera vio cinco capítulos de American Gods) y Good Omens (que amo) y me lo encontré de casualidad. Llevaba tiempo queriendo verlo porque había visto cosas (en general posts sobre lo triste que era) en la red sobre esta serie y lo vi. No sabía nada de la historia, sólo que tenía que ver con crimen (oh, boy) y dos chicos, uno de los cuales era japonés (oh, boy). Es mucho más terrorífico que una historia de crimen sobre las pandillas de Nueva York. Especialmente cuando lo ves de tirón, acabas triste, empiezas a leer Esclavas del poder de Lydia Cacho (más sobre esto más adelante) y lees el manga al mismo tiempo. Probablemente ese tren de actividades fue de mis peores decisiones de 2019.
¿Más sobre eso? Muy bien, quiero empezar contándoles que Banana Fish es una historia muy violenta. Ya he abordado el tema de cómo narramos la violencia en el blog cuando hablé de Tokyo Ghoul (les recomiendo mucho checar la entrada) pero eso se centrada sobre todo en el exceso de ketchup que tiene ese manga (no he visto el anime, nunca lo voy a ver, es una cosa terrible). En cambio (y acá va mi advertencia más grande), Banana Fish tiene un montón de violencia sexual. En diferentes reseñas he hablado de cómo odio cuando la violencia sexual es usada en la ficción como un recurso burdo para hacer pasar a personajes femeninos por momentos traumáticos o hacer que personajes masculinos sientan deseos de vengarse porque mancillaron el honor (ugh) de una mujer y esa clase de cosas. Y como nunca, jamás, pero jamás, se habla de las consecuencias. Se corre un tupido velo y listo. El momento traumante pasó, la mujer puede evolucionar y volverse una badass de la nada. Banana Fish es ese manga que te obliga a ver las consecuencias, nunca te muestra nada gráfico (ni alimenta el morbo de nadie) y pinta todo esto como lo horrible que en verdad es. Todas las situaciones podrán ser sólo ficción en la historia, pero Akimi Yoshida no se inventó nada. Quizá lo más horrible de todo es saber que, en un lugar del mundo, todo esto pasa. No me voy a meter en detalles, pero sí quiero que vayan advertidos del tema.
Ya redactada mi advertencia, vamos a hablar de la historia, de los personajes y de por qué les recomiendo leerlo (o verlo, es una adaptación muy fiel..., o los dos, como hice yo). Los protagonistas son Ash Lynx, un adolescente norteamericano que es el líder de una pandilla en Nueva York con ataduras a la mafia de las que quiere liberarse cueste lo que cueste y Eiji Okumura, un adolescente japonés que acompaña a un periodista para hacer algunas fotografías. Sus historias se entrelazan cuando secuestran a Eiji por estar en el lugar equivocado en el momento equivocado y Ash acude a rescatarlo (y el que acaba rescatándolo es Eiji, pero ajá). Ambos personajes son de mundos muy diferentes: desde sus experiencias pasadas hasta las diferencias culturales marcan las diferencias entre ellos. Y es con ellos dos (y todo un set de secundarios muy interesantes) que Akimi Yoshida construyó una historia como esta. Todo se revuelve entorno al misterio de qué es (o quién es) Banana Fish, pues hay gente muy poderosa detrás de ello, dispuesta a todo para conseguir lo que sea que es.
Dato curioso es que este manga fue categorizado como shojo por la revista en la que fue publicado originalmente y la demografía a la que se dirigía. A mí nunca me pareció extraño (o sea, no leo mucho shojo de sólo romance porque no es mi interés, ajá, pero esto era crimen, suspense, amistad, amor...) pero ahora que lo licenció Panini en México y lo anunció como shojo crimen (que es una descripción bastante accurate de lo que van a leer en el este manga) vi muchas respuestas del corte de cómo un shojo podía ser crimen o no ser rosa o etcétera, etcétera, etcétera. Mis ojos se quedaron en blanco para siempre, se los juro. La cosa es que finalmente shojo, shonen, josei, seinen son sólo demográficos de cuál es el público objetivo que cada cosa y sí, es obvio que hay temas que se repiten hasta la saciedad, pero creer que como el shojo está dirigido a chicas (que ya sabemos que no sólo lo leen mujeres jóvenes, pero again, demográficos) no significa que todas las historias sean cliché de novela rosa. Es más, ni siquiera todos los que sí son románticos románticos tienen por qué ser cliché de novela rosa. Dicho eso, Banana Fish es una historia cruda y muy triste, pero que, como ya mencioné arriba, no se enfoca nunca en el morbo.
Además, si les entra la curiosidad, creo que también Banana Fish es un buen reflejo de cómo los japoneses de los noventa percibían a los Estados Unidos y a los americanos. Cuando lo estaba leyendo yo y mi esposa lo estaba viendo lo comentábamos porque nos parecía llamativo y sí, cuando lo busqué, el cómo estaban retratados la mayoría de los personajes extranjeros (o sea, casi todos), tenía mucho que ver con la percepción de los japoneses sobre los americanos. Muy interesante de analizar si les interesan esos temas.
Bueno, yo ya no tengo mucho más que decir. Sólo decirles que aprovechen ahora que Panini los va a traer a México porque la verdad es que hace años leí una reseña medio vieja que consideraba casi imposible que licenciaran esta serie (y nunca la leí). Luego MAPPA sacó el anime (thanks god es una excelente adaptación) que ahora pueden ver en Amazon Prime y yo seguí sin verlo o leerlo hasta el año pasado. Y justo ahora los licenciaron, así que por aquí aparecí yo a decirles que aprovechen y lo lean. Yo lo leí en inglés, lo pueden encontrar en internet fácilmente si ese es su caso (mi única advertencia es que tengan paciencia porque en inglés suelen estar los escaneos de las primeras ediciones de Viz y la primera mitad de los tomos está publicado en espejo, o sea, formato occidental, que se lee de izquierda a derecha... y a la mitad decidieron cambiar a saber por qué). Así que eso es todo, se los recomiendo (esta última repetición es por si las 400 pasadas no quedaron claras).
March 5, 2025
Ett samlat betyg på serien blir en fyra. Den är en sällan skådad blandning av rå och camp, som är ganska oemotståndlig ändå.
April 20, 2024
Helt ärligt har inga ord..
February 8, 2021
I dont think I had ever really given any book a 5 star before I think,,, but BANANA FISH DESERVED IT. EIJI DESERVES IT. And damn... Ash too.
I love this story so much. I love how it progressed, every tears I've dropped wouldn't be a waste, it felt so so much. Even though there were so many things that made me felt uncomfortable but thank god its not that detailed? Even though there were still...
GOD, I felt so human while reading this whole manga. I felt all of the feelings.
Aside from how good the story is, The characters are so good too!! From the main characters like Ash, I dont think I'll ever forget him... and thats when you know a MAIN CHARACTER is so good. From others like Shorter, Max, Sing and maybe Ibe too lmao BUT THE MOST MOST EIJI!! My heart, Ive never felt so so much precious for a fictional character? And all of their character developments is sOOO satisfying. I really enjoyed them so much.
And heck even though I hate the antagonists and villains, they were good in their part too. Except Arthur hes just a childish man crying for his fingers lol (jk).. And even though Yut lung seems kind of evil, I just bully him as a whiny bitch.. hes a pretty one though.
AND OH GOD... MR. BLANCA?! He's so 😔💛 yep.
The Illustrations is very very very good too!! I like the style of 80's? I think, I really do! And the dialogues man, some will never leave my brain there are so precious. Damn, even the simple 'Sayonara' moments are gonna be imprinted on my brain and tattooed in my heart.
ALSO THE DIVERSITY MY GUY, i love stories with diversities.. I mean yes this story is set on New York but wow.
Also I love how the story isn't much predictable? Sure there were some but its still good! I love how 'Action' it is too!
I dont think I'll ever move on from this story? I watched the anime too and it hurt hurt hurt.
But I love how it captured A story that I wanted. Sure its like, painful and all but it wont leave your mind after watching it. Its gonna be unforgettable... for me at least.
Im so glad despite the trigger warnings, Ive managed to read this manga. I love it so much!
NOW SPOILERS(?)
I love Eiji and Ash's relationship so much in the story. Sure! Its not really detailed as them being in a relationship, heck they could be lovers or BFFls but thats why I like it! Their relationship is beyond words and their love and care for each other is beyond life and death too.
I feel like I am Ash and Eiji as an audience. Like throughout reading I root so much for Ash and wants to hug him and thats what Eiji did!! And god I wanna protect Eiji from any danger and thats what Ash did!!
But so is in the end, I dont think I'll ever moved on from Ash.. and we're all in the same page as Eiji with that one.
I loved the Ending, I think its perfect for the story... not for Ash though but come on... I think its predictable that It could happen. But also that leaves us never moving on from the story.. I think.
now it all leaves to me watching and re-reading this story for months before I could finally let go haha.
I love this story so much. I love how it progressed, every tears I've dropped wouldn't be a waste, it felt so so much. Even though there were so many things that made me felt uncomfortable but thank god its not that detailed? Even though there were still...
GOD, I felt so human while reading this whole manga. I felt all of the feelings.
Aside from how good the story is, The characters are so good too!! From the main characters like Ash, I dont think I'll ever forget him... and thats when you know a MAIN CHARACTER is so good. From others like Shorter, Max, Sing and maybe Ibe too lmao BUT THE MOST MOST EIJI!! My heart, Ive never felt so so much precious for a fictional character? And all of their character developments is sOOO satisfying. I really enjoyed them so much.
And heck even though I hate the antagonists and villains, they were good in their part too. Except Arthur hes just a childish man crying for his fingers lol (jk).. And even though Yut lung seems kind of evil, I just bully him as a whiny bitch.. hes a pretty one though.
AND OH GOD... MR. BLANCA?! He's so 😔💛 yep.
The Illustrations is very very very good too!! I like the style of 80's? I think, I really do! And the dialogues man, some will never leave my brain there are so precious. Damn, even the simple 'Sayonara' moments are gonna be imprinted on my brain and tattooed in my heart.
ALSO THE DIVERSITY MY GUY, i love stories with diversities.. I mean yes this story is set on New York but wow.
Also I love how the story isn't much predictable? Sure there were some but its still good! I love how 'Action' it is too!
I dont think I'll ever move on from this story? I watched the anime too and it hurt hurt hurt.
But I love how it captured A story that I wanted. Sure its like, painful and all but it wont leave your mind after watching it. Its gonna be unforgettable... for me at least.
Im so glad despite the trigger warnings, Ive managed to read this manga. I love it so much!
NOW SPOILERS(?)
I love Eiji and Ash's relationship so much in the story. Sure! Its not really detailed as them being in a relationship, heck they could be lovers or BFFls but thats why I like it! Their relationship is beyond words and their love and care for each other is beyond life and death too.
I feel like I am Ash and Eiji as an audience. Like throughout reading I root so much for Ash and wants to hug him and thats what Eiji did!! And god I wanna protect Eiji from any danger and thats what Ash did!!
But so is in the end, I dont think I'll ever moved on from Ash.. and we're all in the same page as Eiji with that one.
I loved the Ending, I think its perfect for the story... not for Ash though but come on... I think its predictable that It could happen. But also that leaves us never moving on from the story.. I think.
now it all leaves to me watching and re-reading this story for months before I could finally let go haha.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2016
Last Volume. Whew! What a trip. After finishing the previous volume I was left wondering how this last 180 page volume was going to be filled. There just didn't seem to be enough story left. And I was right. Sort of. There are 3 stories in this volume. The first (and shortest) is the last little bit of the Banana Fish epic saga. It is really only the last sequence that sums up the conclusion of the story. As there was really only a couple of loose ends to tie-up that was easy to do in the 30 pages opening this volume. I can't really talk about my reaction to the conclusion without giving away spoilers. And I hate doing that.
The next story (and the longest, as it just slightly edges out the last story in the volume for length) is a kind of flashback that deals with a younger Ash Lynx and his first meeting with Shorter Wong. This is how they became friends and why the relationship (and it's consequences) has such an impact throughout most of Banana Fish. Most of what is here, was either hinted at or explained in earlier volumes, but now it's told in it's entirety and from Shorter Wong's point-of-view. This is nice story and it's fascinating to see a much younger Ash, who isn't quite as omniscient as he would be in the Banana Fish story.
The last story? This is kind of an epilogue to the entire saga. It takes place 9 years after the events of the main story and ... Well ... Let's just say I was sobbing like a little girl (and yes, that is a good thing) by the time I finished it. Not saying it's sad or tears of joy (that might constitute a spoiler alert). Let me just say it is redemptive and very emotional for anyone who has read the saga and become invested with the characters. This is a wonderful epilogue to a 19-volume & 3400+ page epic. Also the art in this volume was much better, less rushed, than in some of the previous volumes. It may not be the best, but if you like manga, kid protagonists, over-the-top-yet-campy violence, a large cast of interesting characters (yes, some the supporting characters are a bit cliché, but the main characters make up for it), and a mystery involving government cover-ups, international scandals, mercenaries, assassins & gangsters, then Banana Fish is definitely worth the time.
The next story (and the longest, as it just slightly edges out the last story in the volume for length) is a kind of flashback that deals with a younger Ash Lynx and his first meeting with Shorter Wong. This is how they became friends and why the relationship (and it's consequences) has such an impact throughout most of Banana Fish. Most of what is here, was either hinted at or explained in earlier volumes, but now it's told in it's entirety and from Shorter Wong's point-of-view. This is nice story and it's fascinating to see a much younger Ash, who isn't quite as omniscient as he would be in the Banana Fish story.
The last story? This is kind of an epilogue to the entire saga. It takes place 9 years after the events of the main story and ... Well ... Let's just say I was sobbing like a little girl (and yes, that is a good thing) by the time I finished it. Not saying it's sad or tears of joy (that might constitute a spoiler alert). Let me just say it is redemptive and very emotional for anyone who has read the saga and become invested with the characters. This is a wonderful epilogue to a 19-volume & 3400+ page epic. Also the art in this volume was much better, less rushed, than in some of the previous volumes. It may not be the best, but if you like manga, kid protagonists, over-the-top-yet-campy violence, a large cast of interesting characters (yes, some the supporting characters are a bit cliché, but the main characters make up for it), and a mystery involving government cover-ups, international scandals, mercenaries, assassins & gangsters, then Banana Fish is definitely worth the time.
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