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Jul 23, 2022
As poetic as the title sounds, everything about this manga is tragic. I actually like Takemiya-sensei's writing in a way that makes it seem as if she is asking her readers the question: Will we be dominated by our pasts, or will we remain steadfast and refuse to allow history to repeat itself? Throughout the series, it tackles a lot of heavy issues, such as class prejudice, racism, homophobia, incest, pedophilia, sexual abuse, rape, prostitution, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and drug abuse. Takemiya-sensei does not hesitate to delve into dark themes and taboo issues. So, yes, be sure to get your tissues ready because it
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is a painfully tragic story between Serge and Gilbert. It is, however, a beautifully crafted work of literature with a melancholy aftertaste. Also, Takemiya-sensei places a great deal of importance on writing six volumes of backstory about Gilbert's childhood and on how Serge's parents met and their early life.
From a reader's perspective, Gilbert may be seen as ill-tempered, violent, mischevous, and manipulative. However, his own psychopathic, destructive, and promiscuous tendencies, which are explained in detail, are too painful to know. He is the illegitimate child of Anne Marie and her brother-in-law, Auguste Beau, and was rejected and raised by maids without parental love. He spent his childhood in the wild, befriending wild animals and referred to a blanket and a rabbit as his mother and father. It's difficult for me to read as Auguste takes advantage of an innocent five-year-old Gilbert by stripping him of his cherished comfort items and beginning to groom him. The sheer degree of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse and the horrendous victim-blaming that Auguste inflicts upon Gilbert, as well as the fact that Bonnard abducted and raped him when he was nine, is downright nauseating. Gilbert's life was already completely under Auguste's control for the following five years until he sent him to a Catholic boarding school, Lacombrade Academy. During his stay, he meets his roommate, Serge, who is the son of a viscount noble and a gypsy coqutte. Despite their opposite personalities, they form a friendship that has a good influence on Gilbert. I really like that they are slowly becoming attracted to each other. I think both of them are outcast by society in some way. Gilbert faced ostracism due to his homosexuality and prostitution, whereas Serge faced racism his entire life due to his darker skin. One of my favorite moments between the two is when they have their little summer of love surrounding nature in the background. Upon learning of Serge's relationship with Gilbert, Auguste works to separate the pair. However, with the help of some of Serge's friends and Rosemarine, they escape from Lacombrade to Paris.
At this point, I started to think that maybe there could be a happy ending for Serge and Gilbert. I used to think that Paris could be a place where they could’ve built the closest thing to a normal life a gay couple could have or even a new start for Gilbert. Rather, it is a brief moment of hope of a happy ending because they never let Serge, especially Gilbert, be happy. My heart is aching at the thought of how close Serge came to saving him, but in the end, not even Serge’s love could mend Gilbert’s mutilated soul.
It's devasating and difficult to breathe, as with Gilbert's eventual prostitution, drug addiction, and death, and even Serge's cheerful optimism as he lost his self. The pain I felt as I typed this recalled Gilbert's dealing with sexual, physical, and emotional abuse at a young age. I so badly want to hug him. None of this is his fault. In addition, Auguste never loved or cared about Gilbert. From the start, it is clearly a predatory relationship. Auguste, himself, became the victim of repeated sexual abuse at his brother’s hands when he was young and was blatantly ignored by his adopted father. He is using Gilbert as a way to continue this cycle, not that it excuses much of what he does. This manga reflects how abuse affects the life of a person, which is greatly represented by Auguste. Even if it was only for a brief moment, Gilbert met someone who loved and accepted him for who he truly is behind his promiscuity mask and genuinely helped and understood him.
I'm forever haunted by Serge’s words to his long-gone Gilbert, right at the beginning:
"Gilbert Cocteau, you were the greatest flower to ever bloom in my life. In the faraway dreams of youth, you were a bright red flame, blazing so fiercely… You were the wind that stirred my branches. Can you hear the poem of the wind and trees? Can you hear the tumult of our youth? Oh, there must be others who so remember their own days of youth…"
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 2, 2022
Once again, I instantly fell in love with Sajou and Kusakabe. They also give me this heartwarming feeling of tenderness. When I was reading this manga, I couldn't help but smile. The story was told at a slow yet comfortable pace. I like how the tension between Hikaru and Rihito builds, and we can see the difficulties they face. Also, the enthralling art style, as well as everything else, is stunning, and it makes me love the story. However, I still get uncomfortable with Hara sensei when he tries to touch Rihito, whom he knows is in a relationship. Even so, I enjoyed reading it
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because we get to witness how their relationship grows and it's just so heartwarming.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Feb 2, 2022
I genuinely love how pure and poetic this manga is, as well as how well it captures young love and its everyday, unforgettable moments. However, this manga is full of cliches, yet it's drawn in such a way that it's captivating; it's pure and innocent, which I simply love about it. The plot is beautifully crafted as well. Sajou and Kusakabe are endearing and well-made characters. When I read it, I got butterflies in my tummy because of how simple the story was. I instantly fell in love with Sajou and Kusakabe. They also give me this heartwarming feeling of tenderness.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Feb 2, 2022
The side stories are immensely painful. I'm not sure how I'm going to get over this pain. I know it's been a year, but I don't think I'll ever overcome Banana Fish, let alone these side stories. The emotional pain this series caused me is eternal. As you can see, I'm still suffering from this.
Angel Eyes is not only Shorter's point of view, but also his perspective on events and his sister's involvement. It was also the start of Ash and Shorter's friendship. Then we get to see a younger, more raw Ash here, and Yoshida delves deep into rape culture, which I appreciate in
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this manga. At the end, it's lovely to watch Ash genuinely happy when he's surrounded by good people like Shorter.
They led me to believe that Garden Of Light would provide me with closure, but they were mistaken; it provided me with a whole new world of grief and pain. But how do I cope when Eiji isn't looking for someone to fill the void and no one can take Ash's place? Those panels of Eiji collecting all of Ash's photos and putting them in his gallery with the title "Dawn", Ash's name, moved me to tears.
In Private Opinion, my heart will never stop bleeding for Ash. Blanca is an intriguing and complex character. He taught Ash how to defend and protect himself. I know he had a bad upbringing as well, but he had an odd way of protecting Ash.
Fly Boy In the Sky is a mesmerizing side story that establishes Eiji's character in a different realm than Banana Fish. Personally, it provided me with a new perspective on Eiji's life. Here, we get a glimpse into Eiji's school days and learn about how he came to be who he is, his hardships, and his dreams as a young boy.
Meanwhile, Ura Bananas were a source of joy for me. It makes me so glad to see Ash happy and pain-free. It's such a relief to see them happy and discussing fan messages.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Feb 2, 2022
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
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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.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Feb 2, 2022
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.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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