Banana Fish

Rash but skilled and street-wise Ash "Lynx" was picked up off the streets by Mafia Lord Dino Golzine, treated as a "pet" and was the now the leader of many street gangs around New York, Manhattan. Ever since his older brother Griffin was mentally destroyed by a powerful drug, he had been trying to track down the ones responsible. Not long later he comes across a mystery powder from a dying man who mentions the mysterious name "Banana Fish", something he had heard his broken down brother mutter repeatedly. Meanwhile, the timid Eiji Okumura a young journalist assistant is out helping to do a feature on street gangs and ends up caught in the feud when Ash is attacked. After being saved and learning that Ash is determined to bring down Golzine alone, Eiji decides to help him. However, Ash and his new friends end up being caught up in something bigger than they had bargained for as they uncover the truth behind Banana Fish, the key to destroying Golzine. Soon, Ash and Eiji find themselves growing ever more dependent on each other as they face many hardships.

After watching this show, I'm sure American Anime fans will be able to do some "Anime pilgrimages" of their own and go about location spotting in their own country. I watched this show out of curiosity and heard some good things about it. The American background scenery is pretty good to look at and art quality stays consistent. The second OP art particularly well done with a great combination of 2D and 3D art. The 3D hardly stands out like a sore thumb unlike Cloverworks. Plenty of attention to detail too. This is one of the rare shows that actually got the technical details of "hacking" right where they consulted the Japan Hackers Association instead of just using screens of random code.

It's not a bad show. You watch the drama unfold as Ash struggles to free himself from the mafia world and discovers how much Eiji's support means to him but it gets quite repetitive along the way. Early on in the show the pacing is quite good as the gang gets closer and closer to what Banana Fish is but afterwards, it's pretty much the same scenario. Ash tries to push Eiji away, does something crazy, shows his vulnerable side and Eiji returns to console him for a bit of "boys love" scenery. Rinse and repeat. Sure, there's a large scale gang war going on but it just feels dragged out and used as an excuse to squeeze in as many characters as possible, similar to the way shows aimed at the male audience is filled with girls. Action scenes are short but intense enough to watch and there's a bit of humour here and there to lighten things up. Fortunately, things do pick back up towards the last third of the show.

The show is based on a Manga serialised in the Betsucomi magazine aimed at high school girls which is probably why this show is filled with bishounen "pretty boy" character designs. There's sensual fan service similar to your harem show for guys, just less frequent but more... intense. As mentioned earlier, Fujoshis will probably feel right at home with the gay male romance and BL scenes such as hints of sodomy. It actually makes use of this to highlight how bad sexual harassment is for women too. However, there's also mild moments where dominance, rape, child slavery along with sexual abuse is mentioned with the odd image and obscured camera angle. It focuses on these issues a lot so if you're uncomfortable with all this you'd probably want to avoid this gangster drama and conspiracy show.

First time reviewing a manga so bear with me.
In all honesty I never once thought I'd be able to read manga and let alone a manga with these tags.

I started watching the anime that is currently airing and it's by far one of the best anime series I have ever watched.

I wanted to see what happened after the episode I was currently at while reviewing this manga so I started reading it from where the episode ended since I didn't want to wait a week without knowing what was gonna happen.

I got so caught up in it that I read it through to the end.
It appears the anime is following the manga but for everyone's sake, I hope it doesn't end up like the manga, that was so heartbreaking.
The most heartbreaking and tragic story I've heard of in anime.
It really was such a nice manga but the ending of it..
No. It was way too savage for me but a lot of people probably likes those sorts of endings.

I can't really explain in details what I think about the story and art and character and so on.

This is hands down, one of my favorite manga of all time.

Story: 10/10
Part of the why the story is good comes from how it is told, there's no worthless filler stuck anywhere, it's pure story all the time. The story is always moving forward, there's not even chapter breaks. There are also some spin off manga (two of which I have read, the ones that Viz published in the back of the last volumes) that tie coherently within the rest of the story and help explain a few things that are in the "nice to know" type category. Another thing I found important is that I could see where all the plot points evolved from, I never felt any sense of deus ex machina anywhere.

Character: 10/10
Characters are just as strong as the story, Ash isn't the only main character, even if he is the most interesting of the main characters. The characters all feel real and realized including the way that they interact. Even bit characters who only show up twice in the series are memorable (like The Fly).

Art: 6.5/10
Easily the weakest aspect of the series. The art is never unclear as to the action, it's just not the best thing ever basically. A lot of the characters have a similar facial structure and for quite a while, I confused two characters with very similar mustaches and hair styles/color. My complaints here are mostly minimal though, artwork does improve during the series and it never takes away from enjoyment factor either. But this is not a series you read because the pictures are pretty to be sure.

Overall: 10/10
I rarely give out 10s, but this series made me feel so attached to it that I actually cried at the end of it for several reasons. The addition of the two side stories that Viz decided to publish only helped the series out. I think this is a must for fans of drama with some action series if slight yaoi undertones don't bother you (that are never shown onscreen so to say). It's epic to say the least, it might be classified as Josei, but I think that this is just as much for the Seinen crowd too.

A typical mafia action story with a dash of shoujo.

I can imagine this being a decent story when it came out. Similar to Jurassic Park or Alien, if you view this title with a modern outlook, it's mediocre at best and has numerous aspects that I would consider generic. Honestly, if I am more versed in the mafia genre, I would drop this title without a second thought. But since I am not, it was refreshing for me; though it did not take long for that feeling to subside.

Art is alright for my taste, nothing too special but every panel isn't clumped with decorative details like the majority of shoujos of that era, which is greatly appreciated. Though it was clumped with walls of text instead because holding the readers' hands is simply second nature.

Characters are mostly 2 dimensional, with the exception of Ash since your enjoyment will depend entirely on that character. Some might consider him bland since you can essentially boil him down to a tragic backstory character who had to become flawless to survive. He is so god damn flawless to the point of redundancy. Geopolitical knowledge? ye. Hacking? yup. 200 IQ? got that. Dog-like sense of smell and hearing? wait this is getting weird. He is so perfect that his only weakness is, you guessed it, friendship. In a fight, next to no one can beat him. From a floor of goons to a train full of goons, just call Ash. There is another weakness he has but honestly, it's the author recognizing the repetitiveness of the story and decided to throw the readers another bone to chew on for the second half. The weakness I was talking about stemmed from having to be so flawless. It's basically a textbook princess stereotype, someone who has to be flawless despite having internal problems looking for someone for comfort. You can already deduct how most of the conflicts will be like considering there is an immortal plot armored character with a meek friend.

Like I have previously expressed, aside from Ash, there isn't any other characters worth commenting on. Eiji? I wouldn't consider a timid character existing for the sole purpose of making Ash feel a bit more 3d interesting. Even if there are interesting characters, their intentions and purpose are all laid out on a silver platter for the audience. There is no sense of mystery or any reason for the readers to think too much about them since they will be explained anyways. There's a character named Yut Lung who seemed to be dangerous despite looking the opposite. I thought he would be worth a dime but in the end, his intentions are explained to us in sections spanning several volumes then compiled together at the end for easy digestion.

I ought to end the review before it becomes a full rant. I guess the high score for both the anime and manga had my hopes up. I commented mostly on the characters since that was the lifeline of this manga. If you are really bored and don't mind a bit of shoujo in your action flick, this might interest you. If you are looking for something amazing, this ain't it.

Through and through, this is a series that has been misrepresented in how it is advertised. Whether it's the slightly odd name "Banana Fish", the inappropriate shoujo/shounen ai genre label, or the old artwork and the age of the series as a whole, this manga has no shortage of deterrents to make people shy away from checking this series out;
A fact which truly saddens me.
"Banana Fish" is not as goofy as its name, nor sappy as the genres it's associated with, and the age of the series does not in any way detract from the impact it has on the reader. My hope in writing this review is that people who happen to stumble across the page for "Banana Fish" by chance will ignore all that may drive them away from reading this manga, and give it a chance.
Because this manga deserves it, it really does.

Story: 9
I'm sure everyone who's reading this review has at least skimmed the summary for the manga in question already, so I'll spare you all the repetition. What I will say though is that the story of "Banana Fish" is much more complex than any three sentence long summary could accurately summarize. It's long, and intricate, and quite frankly, has many times where it takes some energy to read. This is the one apparent weakness in the otherwise well executed carefully planned epic that is this series: pacing. Overall, the pacing works, especially during the high points of various action sequences, but in order to set up those action sequences there are sometimes chapters upon chapters of strategic exposition and planning, and it can drag quite a bit. Not to mention the series is 19 volumes long, and I would guess around 4-5 volumes of that is set-up material, which can be a bit of a chore to slog through to say the least.
I'll use this as a lead in to my second point: it drags like a shounen, mainly because this manga is much more like a shounen than a shoujo. One of the biggest issues with the lack of popularity of this series is that a manga containing 19 volumes of gangs, rifles, gore, drugs, guerrilla warfare, and an almost complete lack of women and romance is being advertised as a women's romance. That is not to say that women cannot enjoy this series, I myself, a female, adore "Banana Fish". However, I feel it necessary to stress that this is not a lovey dovey romance series like your typical shoujo, and if that's what you're looking for, you should pack your bags and look elsewhere. For everyone else looking for a solid, smart, and satisfying action story, look no further, but beware the pacing.

Art: 5
While the artist does significantly improve her craft over time, it is clear that the art for this series is not its strong point. The style is very dated and it takes a long time for the author to settle into their style, and even then, the art isn't exactly anything to write home about. From a character design standpoint, one can easily differentiate between the cast, with the exception of some of the adults, who can be told apart by facial hair alone. One thing I will give the artist credit for, though, is matching a more serious and harsh style to the equally harsh and action-packed tone, rather than using flowers and overly large eyes that would seem out of place within the series.
The most important thing with the art is mainly to learn to look past it, since it never distracts from the story, and the series has a lot to offer beyond some of its artistic shortcomings.

Characters: 10
The characters are easily the strongest point in this series. Whether it's the ice-cold genius gang leader Ash, or his innocent and quirky foreigner best friend Eiji, all the characters are very likable, well rounded, and most importantly, well fleshed out. I mainly judge good character development by whether or not the characters are round and dynamic (multi-faceted and developed) throughout the course of the series. In this regard, I really can do nothing but commend the author, since every character in the cast (which is actually quite large) changes and develops, for better or worse, over the course of the series. This includes protagonists, antagonists, minor characters, major characters.... There is not one person in "Banana Fish" that I could point to and say that they were the same person as they were 19 volumes ago. Even characters that get minimal screen-time show changes caused by the events of the story and their reactions to the actions of other characters. One character who does deserve special mention is undoubtedly the second main character, Eiji Okumura. The world of "Banana Fish" takes place in the gang culture of New York city, a setting that most people who pick up this series would not be familiar with. In this case, the Japanese foreigner, Eiji, serves as the eyes that help us relate to and understand the setting and characters, since he himself is as ignorant as we are. This combined with his charming personality and incredible character development over the course of the series makes him a relatable rock for readers who might feel estranged from this manga at first due to the setting. Overall, the characters were masterfully handled throughout "Banana Fish", and if you are on the fence on whether or not you should read this series because of the plot, I would definitely recommend the read for the characters.

Enjoyment: 10
Though the plot and characters of "Banana Fish" can be described as nothing short of amazing, these factors would mean absolutely nothing if the series was not thoroughly enjoyable as well. Fortunately, I can say that this manga is as enjoyable on a personal level as it is on an objective level. During my first read through of the manga, I marathon-ed it in less than 48 hours! While I have mentioned there are parts where the story can drag, that does not at all hinder it from being extremely engrossing. That being said, this series is long and complex, and takes a fair amount of investment in order to get the most out of it, and if you don't tend to enjoy long epics, this probably won't be an exception... By a long shot. However, this series can easily appeal to a broad audience (were it actually advertised correctly), and for that reason alone, I would recommend anyone who finds the series even a bit intriguing to give it a shot. One thing I will say, without spoiling anything, is that the ending receives mixed reviews, and if you're looking for a series where everything is happy go lucky and roses by the end, I would tread carefully with this one.
Regardless, "Banana Fish" is really quite fantastic both in concept and execution, and is definitely a series I would recommend you buy at the end of the day. Unfortunately, hard legal copies of this manga are hard to come by. Many libraries have disposed of their old copies due to lack of popularity, and small print runs have made this series a rarity on used bookshelves and often frighteningly expensive through online sales. Still, this series has left enough of an impact on me that I continue to collect used versions, and herald it as one of my all time favorite manga.

And that, my friends, is why you should give "Banana Fish" a chance.
Because this manga deserves it, it really does.
Who knows? Maybe a spike in popularity will encourage a new print run. It already happened before in 2006, why not again?

Overall rating: 9 (an overlooked classic that deserves your time)

this is my first review so don't be too hard on me. The only reason why i found out bout this was i heard it was being adapted in the summer of 2018.

[Story] 10
The story is amazing. There no fillers no unnecessary yaoi just you reading about the characters story and what happens next.The Plot has this beautiful flow to and keeps you hooked no matter what.

[Art] 8

The art has this nostalgic 80's vibe,very clean and simple. Its adds the feeling that this is happening in the 80s in New York. The only problem with the art is that some the characters look the same. The same mustache, same facial features, and etc. but other than the fact that some characters look the same to me the art is amazing.

[Character]10
The Characters are the best part along with the plot. Ash inst the only main character its depends on the situation that takes place. Its crazy how much you feel for the characters and the feeling of knowing them. You get see the main character even the side characters have a enormous amount of character development and you start to understand why characters do what they do why they act the way they act.

[Overall]10

Overall this has quickly wormed its way into my heart and quickly ripped it out as fast as it claimed it. The story, the plot, the art ,and everything is just amazing.This is my new favorite manga and needs more praise and attention.

I was spurred on to read this after hearing about MAPPA's plans to adapt this earlier this year. I'm glad I did because this was a hell of a ride. It's certainly aged a bit in terms of the art and whatnot (hence the updating), but goddamn, the story and characters are timeless in their beauty.

[Story - 8]

While we start off with the pursuit of what 'Banana Fish' actually is, it's really a story centered around the push-and-pull between teenage hoodlums and their overbearing adult counterparts on both sides of the law. Considering this is set in 80's NYC, this lends itself to a lot of pulpy action and social commentary (whether by accident or by intention) regarding racial profiling, the sexual abuse of children, struggles in crime journalism, and so on/so forth.

The pacing's fairly solid: it doesn't take too long for the story to get moving along, but it does take a break in the back seat around the second act. However, this was only to allow the characters to get a breather from the grimness of their realities, and thus go under rather believable development thanks to (completely rational/logical) melodrama. Fortunately for the thrill-seekers, this second act isn't as long as the first act, so it takes very little time for the third act to begin. When it does, be prepared for WAY more twists and turns than before, with copious amounts of action and angst. This all pays off rather splendidly in the denouement, but even that stands by itself as a fitting conclusion for a tale of this caliber.

By itself, the manga is fairly strong, but there are a couple of drawbacks that are typical of this genre. It holds up to the test of time in some areas, but others do not; Some of the lingo/slang terms are rather stereotypical or callous, and both discussions & portrayals of rape can be awkward despite its universal depiction of the act as vile and inhumane. In these moments, the characterization (which will obviously be discussed below) helps salvage the title's reputation. Collectively, this title will be sure to stick around with you for a while thanks to its interesting take on themes, good pacing, and a splendid blend of crime action, mystery, and romance.

[Art - 7]

Admittedly, the art really sticks out as the defining trait of Banana Fish's age. Yoshida's art style certainly develops over time (especially in terms of character design and shading), but the minimalist aesthetic is a mainstay.

The action is alright most of the time (you can tell who's who + what they're doing, and it moves very fluidly), but there are certain pages that could have used a good re-draw to better clarify what exactly is going on. One could say the same for some of the settings, especially those that take place outside of NYC in the 'countryside'. While I do enjoy seeing settings represented in a 'minimal' manner, Yoshida's variant makes it hard to decipher just what exactly is going on sometimes.

However, character design is king here. From the teenage beauties such as Yau-Si and Eiji to the hardened looks of Max and Dino, Yoshida absolutely nails their designs in terms of conveying each character's core traits. Ash's look, however, is the most vital of these designs. His beauty is genuinely unmatched within the title (and perhaps amongst similar titles), which wonderfully contrasts his character forged from the consequences of having such looks. This is all further boosted by how timeless the fashion is; Sure, sometimes there are a couple of 'dated' looks, but this WAS published in the 80's. Otherwise, it's perfect for helping the designs convey the core traits, along with inspiring part of my wardrobe.

[Character - 9]

Characterization in this title is especially appropriate for this genre and demographic. The melodrama is perfectly......melodramatic, but within reason. The angst is heartbreakingly-convincing, and occasionally universal in nature. The humour, while occasionally crude, certainly lightens the mood and reminds you that not everything has to be so dour and grim in crime fiction.

Ash Lynx is easily one of the more compelling protagonists I've seen in recent complete reads. His arc of slowly opening up emotionally and recovering from the many traumas he's experienced is beautifully realized with confusing mixtures of rage, grief, and fear as his relationship with Eiji Okumura develops. By the end of the story, Ash is a completely different person than he was at the beginning, both for the better and for good reason. Eiji himself warrants some gushing for his arc of coming out of the shell of anxiety and growing into a fine young man. While he may not do a lot at first, he certainly rivals Ash in terms of Action Hero by the end of the story. His actions in the short story in Volume 19 is absolutely heart-wrenching in its frank portrayal of how people deal with loss, along with its consequences.

The antagonists, however, are hit-or-miss. Colonel Fox and Arthur are just glorified henchmen, while Golzine is irredeemable yet charismatic. Yau-Si is probably the only major antagonist I genuinely enjoyed: between his startingly-sympathetic monologues inspired by his tragic past to his cool and collected nature, he was probably the only genuine match for Ash in my opinion.

The supporting cast is all right for the most part: Max Lobo is a decent surrogate-father who helps Ash stay on track (and laugh) and Ibe is alright as a guardian but is there for the comedy really. Shorter Wong and Sing Su-Lin are great foils for Ash, yet are even greater for being completely different types of people. My favourite, however, would have to be Blanca: A KGB defector and probably the closest person besides Max that Ash has for a father, he embodies the effortless calm that Ash definitely aspires to be. While his time in Banana Fish is short, it is ultimately sweet for both the reader and the people around him.

[Enjoyment/Overall - 9/8]

This was a genuinely great read. It's not perfect, but those blemishes are (mostly) attributed to the time it was being published in initially. I would HIGHLY recommend this to anyone looking to try reading older titles, especially those that prioritize amazing characterization.

*Spoiler Free!*

This is one of those reviews where I recognize the flaws in the series but can't help but ignore them for the outshining aspects of other qualities. Much like others, the anime that's airing in 2018 helped spark this manga's popularity. In actuality, I was going to skip the anime last season but I watched the first few episodes and it led me here. What a shame that I didn't know about this manga sooner!

DISCLAIMER: This manga/series in general isn't yaoi or even romantically driven. If that was your main concern, then you should be relieved. HOWEVER, know that this series does mention a lot of SERIOUS issues such as rape, child molestation, gang/government entanglements, and much more.

STORY: 8/10

The story starts off strong in terms of its foundation, "Banana fish." Pondering what that is and how it's much more trouble than it's worth. The first few volumes are heavily focused on that but slowly drift off into other subplots and arcs that have "banana fish" as a drifting concept. It slowly becomes more of a character driven story in my opinion. But not in anyway like a slice of life. There's still heavy themes of the things mentioned in my disclaimer. This is not for the faint of heart. Especially with the rising mention of rape in modern media and organizations like THORN that are trying to safe/prevent child sex trafficking. Lighthearted moments exist of course. Some are pretty funny or heartwarming. But the story is written to always juxtapose that happy narrative with the harsh reality that is Ash Lynx's life.

I'd also like the comment on how well written the series is wrote as a whole. I tried to do research on the Mangaka but unfortunately I haven't found much of anything that's in English. She captured 80s America pretty well. The Mafia and gangs were a huge thing. She seems well educated as an American myself. I love that the settings takes place somewhere else other than Japan. And my god, I don't know if it was the translator, but some of the symbolism and foreshadowing that's expressed throughout among characters is so beautifully written. I adore it so much. Despite this however, like I mentioned, she does trail off onto other subjects. By the end the reader forgets it was about Banana fish to begin with.

ART: 7/10

I grew to really love the style (and frankly I like 80s style), but it is not the best in the beginning but gradually develops over the course of the manga. Not too much to say here. I liked it and the art got better.

CHARACTER: 10/10

This is the main reason why I ignore all the flaws in writing and art style. The characters. I absolutely adore all of them or hate the ones you're supposed to hate. We have true villains in this story. I have no empathy for some of them. I'll try to express how well these characters are written without spoilers to the best of my ability.

Eiji and Ash. These two single handily are the greatest contrast but perfect match. They both come from different worlds. Eiji is from a good family in Japan and Ash is from America but doesn't come from good graces. Somehow they're always sticking together and developing more and more. They both bring the best out of each other. Honestly, their moments in the manga are some of the purest and raw with helps juxtapose the extremely dark narrative. It makes their moments precious. I think that's what she was going for with her writing. I can't say too much more, but I promise they're the icing on the cake or your favorite book at the library.

As for the rest of the cast, Yau-Si is another well written character. You just want to hate him but somehow you can't truly. He's done terrible things but he has had terrible things happen to him. He's very much like Ash in that emotional travesty part, but this helps pan an interesting dynamic between the two and the rest of the cast. There's a lot of characters and I couldn't possibly comment on all of them but damn, they're great. Never forget our man Shorter <3 He's the best friend to Ash and that's all I'm going to say haha

ENJOYMENT & OVERALL: 10/10

I really want to convince more people to read the manga. I can't stress how much I underestimated this series. I didn't think I'd feel so shattered after finishing. I never thought this manga with a silly title and odd presence would make me read for hours. I didn't think I'd love these characters so much. Please give it a try, ESPECIALLY if you were like and were drawn in from the anime. There's so much greatness in this series and it will forever be one of my favorites. Don't be fooled !

This is a very uncommon shoujo manga, full of action, violence and almost no woman.
Social justice warrior in our current political climate often complain about lack of representation of nonwhite nonmales. Therefore its funny that this manga which i assume targets young females has almost no important female character. Some people might argue that this is no shoujo manga but they would be wrong, the portagonist Ash is written to be the crush of most young girls.His IQ is 200, he sacrifices himself for his loveinterest, he is acknowledged by every other character to be stunningly beautiful (also i find most characters look very much alike), he is courages and so on. The only thing that could stand in the way of being the crush of the female reader is his love interest in another boy, but yaoi is very popular with females so that shouldnt be a problem. He beeing the perfect human is really a problem. Everyone is familiar with mary stu characters. On the other hand one must give the manga credit for introducing a character that is so capable that even our demigod ash capitulates before him.

What i disliked the most was this repetitive sequence of: ash is captured, it looks like its game over, ash frees himself, ash is captured, it looks like its game over, ash frees himself...
If the important characters are always saved in the last minute than it doesnt surprise the audience anymore. Its no fun. To be able to take the manga seriously there need to be serious consequences somethimes. Even though everyone knows that Ash is the smarter than Einstein his enemys always underestimate him, then they lose, then they underestimate him again. Very tiresome.
But its still a decent read.

Banana Fish is quite a unique manga for me to read. Just reading the summary of the manga would be something that would push a lot of people away, because of just how intense and HEAVY it sounds (It is REALLY heavy and I actually went into the manga blind, so I did not read the summary thank gosh). Despite all that, I really enjoyed reading it. The story even though very dark and intense, there is the mystery of the "Banana Fish" that the readers have no clue about, and just the fact that there is no filler makes the mood of the manga so INTENSE (there is rarely any breaks before the next arc). The characters on the protagonist's side are very lovable and likable and his enemies, are one of the most disgusting and hateful beings ever in any manga I have read. The art is something I did not mind (even though many people disliked it). THE ENDING was something I despise (and why I did not give it 10/10). Even though I give it praise, this is a manga I would NOT recommend to most people. The story is very heavy for most people I know, and it most likely will trigger some people with its topics it covers. The genre is another thing I have trouble describing. It is labeled under SHOUJO but I disagree, it's hard to say what genre it is. Women might not like it because it is just so different than the normal shoujo and men would not like the homosexual themes in the story (yes there are themes like that and generally men don't read stories with those themes). However, it is not BL (at least to me). For the general audience, there is WAY too much sexual violence towards teens in the story to be recommendable.
I absolutely love this manga but it's just not everyone's cup of tea to read (the manga is outdated, it was published in the mid-80's).
However to me, it is a masterpiece (until the ending) and I give it a 9/10. Something only I and some people would enjoy.

Banana Fish is a work that gets better the closer you are to “I basically only read shoujo manga”. It is certainly more unusual in its genre, but it’s an “uniqueness” that starts to pale once it’s being compared to more varied works.

First thing that is obviously different from a regular shoujo manga is the artstyle. It’s not frilly and sparkly, it’s clean and readable, overall looking more “mature”. Well, “mature” being a double-edged sword as it also ends up looking as some BL works. That said, it is certainly a change for better over the standard. Both at that time and the current. Still, it does get a bit stale and uninteresting, there are some panels that are nice but there isn’t a single panel or page that will make you go “wow”. Being a dialogue heavy piece it doesn’t waste that much resources on the illustrations which is a pity.

Now for the story itself, I can’t really say there was a part that piqued my interest. In a core, it’s just a basic “you took something important from a mafia, now you become an outlaw as they try to get it from you and get their revenge". In a fact, it’s exactly that, but also most of the cast is gay. Not explicitly *shown*, but the dialogue makes sure to mention it. Or at least allude to it, in cases of more minor (pun not intended) characters. Anyway, it drags on way too long with little points of interest, would I not have a no drop policy I would have long dropped this before getting in the half of the manga. Sure, it does have themes usually not seen in shoujo manga such as drugs, prostitution/sex trafficking or actual murders, but that those themes alone does not make it good. It’s how those themes are treated that decides it. It also isn’t “mature” just because of those themes. At first I wanted to at least commend it for not fetishizing the rape (that much) and for a more serious portrayal of it. That was until the “I just got gangbanged, come here my ex-husband, let’s make out” scene. Also, the Dino ex machina in the final fight and the finale after that felt really underwhelming.

One of the main reasons why the story is not entertaining is because the protagonist just isn’t interesting. Sure, he has some childhood trauma, but other than being raped he’s pretty much a Gary Stu. Stunning looks, charismatic personality, great combat ability both hand-to-hand and armed and most of all, a fucking genius. Literally. Dude has an IQ over 180, which is something very few people have. Does it actually have an impact on the story though? No, not really. It’s just the author flexing on the reader with this random revelation, but nowhere in the story Ash feels as an actually genius. Not dumb? Sure. Clever? I guess. But he is simply not written as a genius. And no, “but it gets cancelled out by his personality” doesn’t count as an explanation.

Overall, I would recommend just watching the anime instead as it has better pacing and cuts out some parts (which is actually an improvement in this case) and the MAPPA animation does great service to the watchability of it.

During the Vietnam War in 1973, an American solider goes insane and starts gunning down his allies and friends. After killing off a majority, we see that he has gained a form of dementia, and keeps repeating one line, over and over: “banana fish”. This manga was created by Akimi Yoshida (who also made Kisshō Tennyo) back in 1985, and it's the most manly shoujo to date. In fact, Frederik Schodt, popular translator (whose works include Phoenix, and Rose Of Versailles) remarks that it's “...one of the few girls' manga [a]...male adult could admit to reading without blushing.” The series, Banana Fish –which ran until 1994 with a total of 19 tankobon volumes– now remains one of 50 best classic manga of all time.

It's very hard to say how the plot, narration, and pacing came about in Banana Fish. Even as you begin the manga, the overwhelming intensity is just there, even if any characters haven't been fully introduced. It is certainly not a straight-forward series: there is no “beginning”, no “rising action”, no “climax”. As it chronicles and documents the lives of NY gangs (and gang warfare), it does so extremely realistically. It can fluxuate between something that can only be described as “tension, strain, bombs, and anxiety” and a calm, relief-filled respite. This is easily the best part of Banana Fish: there is no filler, and the way it goes about presenting the story is invigorating and interesting. The plot is air-tight.

As a result of such an amazing plot line, we are also given the characters, along with the development that comes along. There is no “real” main character in this, as there are several ones that are heavily expanded on. But that's not the amazing part about it. All major main characters are introduced extremely early on (and no, there isn't a problem about memorizing names here!). There is no character in this introduced for the sake of plot. There is no Person XYZ who can offer a solution to the problems they face. Oh no. All major characters are given three dimensional personalities (along with some sort of backstory that is frequently talked about and expanded on) and they all have inner, realistic struggles which can apply to most of us. In short: yes, they're pretty great.

Ash Lynx, as an example, is the head of his gang. Blunt, rude, and often recognized as juvenile, we are led to believe that's all we should expect. But that's not so. Although he has killed, he is no heartless thug. It's important to note that, although he's got years of trauma under his belt, he is still the softest gang leader out there. The tough cynicism he takes on conceals a wish to be treated as a normal human being, for he has never wanted the life that Dino Golzine has given him. In contrast to him, we're introduced to Eiji Okumura (who is equally as interesting): a fresh-out-of-highschool althete who has travelled to New York to be a photographer's assistant. But that kind of description doesn't do him justice.

Although I won't say that every single one of the characters are memorable, but a great amount of the complex ones are.

The atmosphere and the setting in Banana Fish is spectacular. I, myself, haven't lived in NY, but the amount of time and research that went into understanding the city as a whole is great. It wasn't just some label stuck on the city to make it feel pretentious or whatnot, I mean, I'm sure some of us have read a manga that use NY as a foreign city to make it seem 'cooler', but this was not the case. Banana Fish made me feel like I knew NY (and I probably really don't, so that is just a testament to the incredible, “slummy” atmosphere Banana Fish created). It was the little things: actual street signs, large neighbourhoods, or building complexes in relation to certain areas. And it wasn't just NY that was researched, there was also the nature of drugs, which is a key plot point. The planning and effort were used to their fullest during the creation of this manga –brilliantly.

Despite how many times I've said how good this is, what really stands out is the fact that it was made for girls (as it was serialized in Betsucomi). Although Banana Fish can be easily treated as a seinen (or a mature shounen/josei) it is probably best read as shoujo. This manga is proof that, although most modern shoujo are bad, classics (or “hidden gems”) of shoujos still hold promise. Reading this can drastically change one's opinion on shoujo for the better, which is amazing on it's own. Not only that, but this manga holds tons of historical value to the 80's and 90's, as it was extremely popular in Japan. Back in 1998, the japanese magazine Comic Link hosted a poll for the "50 Best Manga", and unsurprisingly, Banana Fish ranked #1.

That kind of respect and praise definitely holds merit in the manga world today.

To be completely honest, there were some minor nitpicks I had when reading this, but by the time the final few volumes came around, the mangaka, an experienced professional, had not only noticed them, but also fixed/rectified them. And they weren't even “problems” per se; the criticisms I had were just some minor things I thought would give the manga that extra edge. And it did.

Certainly, there should be no disagreement. Banana Fish is a gritty, detail-oriented masterpiece, as well as a big milestone. Lines such as “Know how to use a M-16?” to “He's got a grenade launcher!” will not be found in shoujo today, which makes Banana Fish just that much better. There is a little something for every kind of manga reader to enjoy in this (and yes, I may be specifically looking at you fujoshis). So without a doubt, it gets a full 10.0/10.0 from me. Definitely, definitely check this title out; I really don't know what else could be said.

And finally: I will put a warning on this manga, as there is harsh rape and paedophilia portrayed; so caution to younger readers.

★★★★★★★★★★
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

"Dont give me your stupid advice...! Just leave me alone... I’m happy, goddammit! I know there’s at least one person in this world who cares about me. Who doesn’t want anything from me. Do you have any idea what that’s like? I never did... not once in my entire life—until now. And that’s worth more to me than anything else."


I would easily have rated this series a 10, but why did I rate it 9, you say?

This is my answer: because this series didn't give Ash a freaking break!!

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Don't get me wrong. I loved this series soooo much this has actually managed to be on my favorite list. This series was by no means bad. Far from it, to be honest. This was absolutely great! It always gives me the anxiety about Ash's life it was supposed to deliver. But the pain and the heartbreak I personally went through reading this series, reading every suffering Ash had to go through, cut off a single score out of my rating.

How can I begin to comprehend how Ash was able to live through all the crap that was thrown at him? Trouble after trouble, which he always literally put his very life on the line every single time. When I thought he already got away from one life-threatening situation, another one still able to pull him back. Every. Single. Time. I was like "GIVE HIM A GODDAMN BREAK ALREADY! LET HIM BREATH FOR A MINUTE!! LET HIM REST!!" He has no time to let his guard down.

Eiji was the only one who was able to calm Ash down. He looked and acted his age when he was with Eiji, even felt human with him around. He was able to relax, even for a bit, because of Eiji. But that's just it! It was just A BIT OF TIME! I personally think it wasn't enough to compensate all the pain Ash had gone through. I know Ash even once said that meeting Eiji was worth more than anything else. That he was more than willing to risk his life to protect Eiji. Even showed us a lot of foreshadowing, including the time when he asked God to take his life instead of Eiji. I know that, but damn, I can't still accept his fate. If only after all the crap in his life, he get the happiness he so much deserved at the end, or even if he still meets his end, he still somehow get decent breather throughout the series despite his plenty of sufferings, I could have lived by it. Yeah, Ash did a lot of terrible things in his life to survive but who could have blamed him? He was the actual victim here. I still hate how Ash only got a tiny bit of happiness through Eiji and it didn't even last long enough. And you thought that showing us a smiling and almost fulfilling face of Ash while clutching Eiji's letter with his bloody hands, it would make up for his early demise, you're definitely wrong! It actually made it worst for my heart! Goddamn! And seeing Eiji still couldn't let go of Ash even after 7 years, that was pretty depressing and tragic.

I know this review ended up as a rant. But nevertheless, it's just not possible to rate this series less than 9. This is still absolutely one of the best!

PS: I don't like the old art of this series. I honestly don't see why Ash was called a pretty boy in the manga because the old art ruined it. But then, when the art style improved I guess around volume 6 or 7, damn! Ash was indeed a beautiful life force! And knowing that his final character design was inspired by the late River Phoenix, I can't think of any other way to portray his physical appearance.

EDIT: Okay, after a month of not getting over this series, I decided to change my rating from 9 to 10. I mean, after gathering my thoughts all this time, the ending was freaking sad and devastating but it was actually fitting for this series. I realized how this kind of series couldn't have the happy ending every one of us wanted for Ash and Eiji. I now believe that the ending, as depressing as it was portrayed, was still a suitable ending for this masterpiece.