Aug 8, 2014
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)
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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