kkimczyra

I first watched the anime prior to reading the manga, and both are excellent. Personally, I would recommend reading the manga first and then watching the anime. Since the manga is how the Banana Fish story was meant to be told, you also get to see the growth of the supporting characters since many of their scenes were either cut or reduced significantly. I also suggest reading the side stories to give the main storyline more depth and to complete the emotional journey.

Sexual assault, child photography/rape, sex trafficking, trauma, violence, death, murder, guns, firearms, gang warfare, drugs, and racism are mostly a few of the topics Banana Fish addresses.

I'm always wanting to talk about Banana Fish, but I'm not sure where to begin without having a nervous breakdown. From child prostitution and pornography to sexual assault, drug abuse, and gang warfare, Akimi Yoshida is not unafraid to touch mature and controversial issues. It also focuses on the results of sexual violence, such as the long-term effects of Ash's abuse on him and his relationships. Each chapter takes you on an emotional and disturbing ride that is both impactful and deeply moving.

Ash is amazing, as well as intelligent and attractive. Math, science, and economics are just a few of his topics where he excels. And, it was heartbreaking to know that all that had happened to Ash was revealed. It was disheartening that his father, who was responsible for Ash's safety, had failed to protect him. He was raped when he was seven years old. So what does his father do? "Listen, if any weirdo catches you and tries anything funny. You just keep quiet and let him do what he wants, but when it's over, you just make sure the bastard pays you." Those were excessively harsh words, and it is horrible to instill that concept in a seven-year-old child. He was repeatedly sexually abused at the age of eight. Later on, he killed someone for the very first time. He was only eight. He was scared, terrified, and even hurt, but his father's negligence caused Ash to get hurt and did he come in with a toxic mindset. Later on, he was kidnapped. Those cruel abusers took everything from Ash. His innocence, happiness, and freedom were all taken away from him. They made him think about himself a lot. Ash believes that he does not deserve love and to be loved. He belitles himself. He's only seventeen years old. He should have a normal life, but it was forcibly taken from him. It's also upsetting because there are so many people around Ash who are completely aware of what's going on or what Golzine and his subordinates are doing to him, but they refuse to help. Max is the first adult to show concern for Ash. When he burned the images of Ash, I was overcome with emotion since he clearly cares about him as if he were his son. It was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. My heart bleeds because he told Ash that it's fine to enjoy his life free of the burden of his past.

Over time, I believe freedom and Eiji became synonymous with Ash. Eiji gave him moments of serenity, tranquility, and humanity, allowing him to be a seventeen year old boy rather than the monster Ash had always believed himself to be. It was the kind of unconditional love Ash never felt he deserved or could ever have, but desperately needed and desired, perhaps even without recognizing it: to love and be loved unconditionally, not as a monster or a lynx, but as a human. Terible heartache when Ash put a gun in his hand and didn't hesitate to shoot himself for Eiji. I sobbed uncontrollably because Ash has always prioritized Eiji's safety over his makes me painfully sad. I believe he decided not to see Eiji and instead returned to the library, his favorite place, where he could be free of violence and crime and immerse himself in books like a normal teenager. He died with a smile on his face while reading Eiji's letter. He's not alone because Eiji's soul was with him. I hate that when people think Ash found freedom in death, since I don't believe that. When he died, he was already free in my eyes. Thanks to Eiji, for loving him for who he was, for loving both his light and his darkness, for saving his humanity from fading away by giving him these moments of tranquility. Eiji was Ash's ultimate freedom, which he had never expected to find or have. And, before I literally break down away from my sanity, one of the most heartbreaking and painful things isn't Ash's passing away. It was Ash suffering and going through inhumane treatment.