Nature made Ash beautiful; Nurture made him a killer!
VICE NEW YORK IN THE 80s...
Nature made Ash Lynx beautiful; nurture made him a cold ruthless killer. A runaway brought up as the adopted heir and sex toy of “Papa” Dino Golzine, Ash, now at the rebellious age of seventeen, forsakes the kingdom held out by the devil who raised him. But the hideous secret that drove Ash's older brother mad in Vietnam has suddenly fallen into Papa's insatiably ambitious hands--and it's exactly the wrong time for Eiji Okamura, a pure-hearted young photographer from Japan, to make Ash Lynx's acquaintance... Epic in scope, and one of the best-selling shojo titles of all time in Japan, Akimi Yoshida put an electric shock into the genre and gained a huge crossover audience through Banana Fish 's stripped-down, non-stop style.
Ash has only one hand of cards--a loyal posse of street thugs, an investigative reporter, and a sympathetic cop, as he plays his one draw with tricks, trumps, and the hand jive from a .357 Magnum...
Akimi Yoshida (Japanese: 吉田秋生, Yoshida Akimi) is a Japanese cartoonist from Tokyo, best known for her manga series Banana Fish. Yoshida studied at the Musashino Art University in Tokyo and made her professional debut in 1977. Despite serialising her works in shōjo manga (girls' comics) magazines, most notably in 'Bessatsu Shōjo Comic' and 'Monthly Flowers', during the 80's she developed a visual style akin to the aesthetics of shōnen manga (boy's comics) of that era, contributing significantly to creating a bridge between these two traditions. This is particularly evident in her international best-seller Banana Fish (1985-1994), a thriller set in New York City blending action and homoerotic romance. Among her other major works are the series Yasha (1996-2002) and Umimachi Diary (2006-2018). Yoshida's comics have received a number of accolades in Japan, including three Shogakukan Manga Awards (1983 and 2001 in the category 'shojo', 2015 in the general category), an Excellence Award for manga at the Japan Media Arts Festival (2007) and the 6th Manga Taishō award (2013).
LOL, it's sometimes really good to have a lighthearted moment after such a high tension moment with so much death. Just two boys eating Japanese food and talking about their childhoods. Ash not liking pumpkins anymore because he got scared of his own reflection. So pure. I'm going to make coffee, clean his wounds, and bandage him up and I'm not going to catch feelings. I AM SOFT. I think everyone notices the impact Eiji has on Ash- Ash is reminded of the innocence that he lost and probably never had. Eiji is open, understanding, and has a calming presence. Ash can feel like he's just a normal kid when he's with Eiji and not a killer who was raised in such a fucked up environment. "Even if the whole world is against you, I am always on your side." OH I'M CRYING "Stay with me. I won't ask for forever. Just for now Eiji." Forever OH MY FUCKING HEART. Why is it do I think that Dino's password is something sentimental like fucking Ash's birthday or something lame like that. "The innocent can sometimes be more dangerous than any weapon." Max spitting out straight FACTS
highlights of this volume: 1. Ash and Eiji being utter softies for each other "Stay with me. I won't ask for forever. Just for now Eiji." "Forever." 2. Ash being a genius mfer and just going cause it's iconic and i love to do iconic shit against the whole mafia?? EPIIICCC!!
4.5/5 stars. The fluff in this volume, was unreal. Too good to be true. Last volume I was screaming and crying and now I am smiling like a dork but also crying because these bois deserve the world, and I cannot give it to them. Ash is a goddamn genius, this volume proved it again and again. I love that I am undeniably invested in this story, and I know exactly what’s gonna happen but I’m still holding out for hope... because I’m an idiot. Anyway here’s my messy recap/review of volume 7.
First of all, despite here being no major action in this volume I was living for every second of it. I want to see Ash take Golzine and Arthur down. I love how in multiple points in this volume it is pointed out how much Ash is working to protect Eiji, doing what is best for him so he can be safe. They deserve peace of mind PLEASE! The conspiracy was something we’ve known about for like two volumes, and now we’re working towards exposing this damn Banana Fish and putting a stop to Golzine.
I didn’t even made it past the copyright pages, before I saw a drawing of Ash resting his head on Eiji’s lap. My visceral reaction was to gasp and firmly say: Absolutely NOT. I am not ready for any kind of fluff, please. I know the fluff will make me love these characters more, and I don’t want any more of an emotional attachment to characters I know still have a world of pain to get through. Yoshida, you can keep it. No, really please do- I- I’m begging you, please-
Anyway, fluff could not be avoided and I collapsed in fluff within like the first ten panels.
I love how the whole gang is terrified of waking Ash up and Eiji was like, you babies and proceeded to smack Ash so he would wake up. Again, the level of trust. It was really funny how the whole gang was terrified, they were like Eiji’s going to die.
Eiji killing me with his softness He admires the natural leadership in Ash, and that added five years to my lifespan. I think this was the first time that Eiji mentions that Ash could live in Japan *cough, he is suggesting Ash come back with him, cough* Him laughing at Ash and teasing him for his fear of pumpkins is the softest thing ever. Eiji teasing Ash about his blond hair and Ash not getting the joke Eiji purposefully jabbing at Ash because he said he was sensitive Eiji just continuing the Japanese Klutz joke when asking if the Sensitive American wants a sandwich made by a Japanese Klutz. Where did this sarcasm come from? I want to know. Eiji giving Ash the finger playfully and Ash giving it right back
By the way, it’s really nice to see a developing relationship where there is established trust, respect, and affection. Ash and Eiji aren’t moving from square one to square twenty-give in the span of one volume. There is slow-burn and an actual buildup. There’s subtle shows of affection and care. Actual chemistry between them. I love that for them.
I wish we had a volume with nothing but Eiji and Ash being absolute dorks, I don’t want mention of Golzine, or of Arthur, or dead Shorter. I want fluff for just one volume, it’s all I ask.
Max is so right, he said Ash took Eiji along because he really needed someone there with him after what happened with Shorter. And Max said Eiji has this soothing aura to him, just knowing he’s there calms those around him. That’s my son y’all. Can Ibe and Max stop bringing up all these soft moments between Ash and Eiji, like them saying Ash can only be his age when he’s around Eiji. If I get another soft scene like the one I just read about them, I will personally wrap myself into a human burrito and cry about it. And you can’t stop me.
Welp... guess who’s wrapped themselves into a human burrito? Me bitch. Ash crying because he’d tried so hard to ignore everything bad that had happened in his life, how he first killed when he was 8 years old. Is this a headshot right into my emotions? Because my Pisces heart cannot deal. Eiji reassuring Ash, telling him he is hurting right now, and that that’s okay? Could I love their mutual support any more? I don’t think so.
“Even if the whole world is against you, I am always on your side.”
I think this whole manga is against my emotional ass, but ok. It’s not like I knew what I was getting into or anything. Eiji was able to make Ash smile, so at this point I’m about ready to never get free of this burrito.
I quit. I quit, Ash really rest his head on Eiji’s lap and said: “Stay with me, I won’t ask forever. Just for now, Eiji.” And Eiji just said: “Forever.”
Just shoot me through the heart it’ll hurt less.
Ash in those glasses: Iconic. When Eiji asked what Ash was doing and he just said: stealing. Iconic. Eiji going off in Japanese: Iconic. Ash’s outfit in the park: Iconic. Ash stealing 50 million dollars from Golzine all on his own: Iconic Ash himself: Iconic Ash bidding his goodbye to Golzine: Iconic
Whenever anything ever mentions Achilles I just think of Madeline Miller and how she messed me right up. I don’t appreciate this double attack.
When Ash said he wished he could’ve seen the pictures Ibe took of Eiji, please stop. When Ibe started crying I wanted to jump in and give him a hug.
Anyway it’s hurting and I sort of don’t want to keep reading but at the same time, I really do. But I feel like I need to take a moment before I jump back in because shit will hit the fan hard soon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
It has been a long time since I dug into this series. I didn’t plan on picking it up again, but I haven’t had much to read lately so I figured why not.
It took me a bit to get acclimated, but once I got about 30 pages in I loved it just as much as I always had. Ash is smart and the writer is smart enough to have thought through his strategies. The believability never gets obstructed like it does in some stories. Guess I know where my money is going again for a while.
The relationship developing between Ash and Eiji is amongst the most beautiful I have witnessed in just about any form of media. There was a scene in this volume that made me weep like a baby and close the book for a second, just to take in the power behind what I'd just read. It was such a small moment of tender, honest character interaction that, despite 6 amazing volumes of intricate plot/character development and endless action preceding it, truly drove home once and for all just how invested I am in this story and its characters. I am officially in this thing til the end, even though I know it's going to destroy me. I'm just glad to be experiencing what I know will be one of my all time favourite series for the first time ever.
Another solid, well-paced volume of “Banana Fish”. The storytelling gets a bit more Ash-centric again; we concentrate on him being on the run, still trying to solve the Banana Fish mystery that claimed his brother. Machiavellian power schemes are also targeting him, with a direct confrontation in sight.
Yoshida is extremely talented in keeping her plotlines together and her storytelling flowing. Even in the absence of any true revelations, the character drama is substantial enough to make you read this saga on the edge of your seat.
🍕Escala del dolor: 4 🍕Razón del dolor: La mayoría fue bien feliz pero después tenemos el breakdown de Ash 😭 🍕Información nueva: la reacción de Nadia a la muerte de Shorter. (Y más sobre su relación con Charlie) La escena del parque (I love Ash with glasses, he looks so cute) Ash fingiendo ser un repartidor de pizza y entrando con un arma??¿Por qué hay tantas escenas geniales de Ash que no fueron animadas? AHHHHHH 🍕Momento favorito: “Stay with me.. I won’t ask forever, just for now, Eiji” 🥺 También la escena de las calabazas cuz that was so wholesome 😭💕 🍕Comentario: YUT LUNG EN ROPA CASUAAAAL. Hay muchos detalles que le dan un toque nuevo a los personajes, ya sea cambios de ropa, pequeñas escenas o expresiones. Recalco en hecho de que está ambientado en los 80, a diferencia del tiempo actual, lo que también le da un aire distinto. Also se usan algunos slurs ocasionalmente, which is kinda weird, pero es la traducción que se eligió en inglés, ya que dudo que sean los mismos en japonés. I blame the translation for it.
Ash hid by disguise and wits. He drew designs around Golzine’s financial empire, setting them up to bankruptcy. Dino was forced to disappear into Europe. When Dino and Ash meet face to face one last time, Dino swears he’ll bring in a taxidermist for Ash’s benefit once he returns. Dino is not to be underestimated. He might come back. He’s a powerful man this one. However, Ash is setting his sights on Arthur, his nemesis. Arthur’s outfit is dwindling by the numbers. The double-crossers are getting whacked. They should know better when it comes to Ash. Now, Arthur is growing desperate.
Il capolavoro di Akimi Yoshida, a mezzo tra un noire e un boy love, scritto anni '80, troppo presto per poter rivelare l'amore tra Ash e Eiji, che tuttavia traspare; è un legame troppo forte quello che vediamo in ogni azione di Ash che tende a proteggere Eiji anche a mettendo in pericolo la sua vita; Eiji a sua volta si fa coinvolgere nella triste e violenta quotidianità di Ash per restare sempre a suo fianco. Epilogo tragico, da cavare il cuore, ma tutto sommato giusto. Da leggere e gustare in ognuno dei suoi 10 volumi della Panini Comics.
i think this is my favourite volume so far… there’s so many great moments in this one, asheiji being domestic and cute, ash is so in love and gone for eiji it’s adorable. eiji yelling back at ash in japanese and laughing at him. max and ash scheming together and wearing father son disguises. ash being comfortable enough to tell max about his trauma, and max listening and just being there for ash in his own way ugh i love them so much. also nearly all my favourite ash panels are in this volume :3
Ahhh. So many slurs like I get why they're there and also this is written and set in the 80s, but wow there's so many.
There's so much happening and this story definitely focuses more on the gang stuff than anything else. I kind of wish we could focus a bit more on the characters like when Ash was having that moment of vulnerability I loved, but it didn't last very long.
In this volume we have a lot of set up for more problems further down the line and some very smart moves from Ash’s part. Though not a lot happens, we get to see Ash and Eiji fluff and that was enough for me. We also get some Ash and Max moments, which i’ve come to appreciate more and more. I’m hoping we can finally be rid of Arthur next volume.
Se atrevieron a mostrarme la parte más vulnerable de Ash, sumándole la compañía de Eiji... el final me va a doler mucho más de lo que pensé. Me reí mucho con este tomo, entiendo porqué la parte de las calabazas es tan recordada. Me gusta mucho la relación de Ash con Max, todo esto de "padre-hijo" me hace lagrimear un poco.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This volume brought some quieter more emotional beats. While there was some action the focus was on some more dirty business tricks. It allows for a clearing away of some characters for a little while and sharpen what the next conflict will be. It was a clever way to work through it and to give some place for the story to go.
(THIS REVIEW IS ORIGINALLY FROM STORYGRAPH, FROM 1ST MAY 2025.)
This volume had me thrilled so many times. Repeatedly I laughed out loud with joy at the wins of the heroes and feel a pseudo-pride in these fictional characters. It's been a long time since I've been so attached to characters like this.
“There’s the Ash who ruthlessly kills his enemies.. cool through the blood and bullets.. and there’s the other Ash, who gets mad when being teased about being scared of pumpkins. Which is the real one? Or do they both exist side by side in you, without contradiction?”
You’re going to bring a TAXIDERMIST????? Fucking PSYCHO shit. Like high key everyone knew he was playing hard ball with the bad guy energy and is a sick mother fucker but a fucking TAXIDERMIST! Come on man.