Banana Fish s a popular Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akimi Yoshida.
Ash Lynx is the protagonist of the story.
Here is a collection of the best Banana Fish Quotes.
Banana Fish Quotes
Let’s say I am exceptional, right? The problem is, I never, ever, my whole life, wanted to be! ~ Ash Lynx.
A bloody history is inevitable when you are the ruling clan. ~ Yut-Lung.
Stay with me. I won’t ask forever. Just for now, Eiji. ~ Ash Lynx.
This little act of charity, you’re going to regret this, man, because I will kill you. ~ Ash Lynx.
You are not alone, Ash. I am with you. My soul is always with you. ~ Eiji Okumura.
Sayonara, America. Sayonara, New York. But I’m not going to say sayonara to you, Ash. ~ Eiji Okumura.
Ash asked me to look after them. ~ Sing Soo-Ling.
I envy you being able to jump like that. ~ Ash Lynx.
If I ever lose you too, I’ll go crazy. ~ Eiji Okumura.
Depending on your answer, I may not forgive you. ~ Yut-Lung.
Best Banana Fish Quotes
Innocence can be more dangerous than guns sometimes. ~ Max Lobo.
Water-gate is history, Max. Don’t tell me you still believe the pen is mightier than the sword. ~ Ash Lynx.
I’d do anything for you. ~ Eiji Okumura.
Over my dead body. If anybody hurts you, it’ll be over my dead body. I don’t care who it is. I am not letting anybody hurt you, Eiji. ~ Ash Lynx.
You want people to protect you, like with Ash, or make them want to tear you apart and crush you. ~ Yut-Lung.
Ash, I can’t anymore. Set me free. I’m in so much pain. ~ Shorter Wong.
I’m a monster too, Blanca. ~ Yut-Lung.
Vulture got together with the viper. You make a great pair! ~ Ash Lynx.
You said to me before, ‘We live in different worlds,’ but I am not sure if that is true. We are from different countries, and our skin and eyes are different colors. But so what? We are friends. Isn’t that enough? What else do we need? ~ Eiji Okumura.
Look, sun’s setting. Sunrise and sunset are about the only times this junkyard of a city looks good. ~ Ash Lynx.
Famous Banana Fish Quotes
If there really are such things as devils, they’d probably look like you. ~ Max Lobo.
Come back safely. I’ll be waiting for you, forever. ~ Eiji Okumura.
Why now, after all this time, does it have to be you, of all people? Goddamnit, I don’t stand a chance. I’m dust against him. ~ Ash Lynx.
My name has become the signal for a massacre. What on earth have I become? ~ Ash Lynx.
This town’s my backyard, remember? ~ Ash Lynx.
Time is an ironic thing. For us, it means to age. But for boys like him, it means to grow. ~ Sergei Varishikov.
Ash is strong. ~ Eiji Okumura.
Those pictures you said you took of Eiji, wish I could’ve seen them. ~ Ash Lynx.
Humans can change their destiny. They have wisdom leopards don’t. Besides, you’re not a leopard. ~ Eiji Okumura.
That’s right, death. You said I am not like ordinary people. If there was just one thing I’d say that was true about. It is – I’m not afraid of death. ~ Ash Lynx .
Forever. ~ Eiji Okumura.
I know we’ll meet again, no matter how far apart we are. You’re the greatest friend I’ll ever have. ~ Eiji Okumura.
Top Banana Fish Quotes
Listen to your big bro for once, okay? ~ Eiji Okumura.
Go! ~ Eiji Okumura.
You asked me many times if you scare me, but I never felt scared of you, not even once from the first time I met you. ~ Eiji Okumura.
We need to stay apart, so at least one of us survives. ~ Max Lobo.
Griffin is dead. Not that you’d give a damn one way or the other. ~ Ash Lynx.
What could be more relaxing than three days away from these guys? ~ Ash Lynx.
Let him go! ~ Eiji Okumura.
I am very worried because I haven’t seen you, and I don’t know if you are okay. ~ Eiji Okumura.
Logic’s got nothing to do with it! Strength is all that counts! That’s how it works on the street! What the hell do you know? ~ Ash Lynx.
I’m really glad I came to America. I met lots of people, and more than anything, I met you. ~ Eiji Okumura.
Wise Banana Fish Quotes
It’s my problem too! If you go alone, you’ll just be killed. You’ll die for nothing! ~ Shorter Wong.
His face when he laughed was cute, and childlike, and totally angelic. ~ Shorter Wong.
That guy always regarded me as a human being with a real heart, not some sort of tool. ~ Ash Lynx.
War is always good business for those in power. ~ Ash Lynx.
I think I wanted to protect you from your future because your fate was sweeping you away like a flood. ~ Eiji Okumura.
Aren’t there any decent parents in this world? It’s not like kids get to choose them at birth, you know, and they can’t exchange them if they turn out to be losers. ~ Ash Lynx.
I’m sorry, Ibe, but believe me when I say this, I’ll die before I let them lay a finger on Eiji. ~ Shorter Wong.
Popular Banana Fish Quotes
Don’t apologize. That’s something for us Japanese to do. ~ Eiji Okumura.
Is this the American dream? ~ Ash Lynx.
If I’m going to die anyway, at least I’ll die trying! ~ Eiji Okumura.
Well, I already know you’re a sick man. Hope the plane doesn’t crash with you on board. It’ll go straight to hell. Not fair to the other passengers. ~ Ash Lynx.
If you feel responsible, the same goes for me. ~ Eiji Okumura.
I wasn’t expecting the law to protect me. I’ve ignored it all my life. I sure as hell don’t plan on hiding behind it now. ~ Ash Lynx.
What’s wrong? You hated him, right? Guess what? So do I. ~ Yut-Lung.
No need to glare. I won’t eat you up. ~ Yut-Lung.
If the former boss gets hit, then it’s the duty of the new boss to make the drop. ~ Sing Soo-Ling.
So these were the 60 quotes from Banana Fish manga.
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Short Description of Banana Fish
“Banana Fish” is a groundbreaking manga from Japan, crafted by Akimi Yoshida and popular from 1985 to 1994.
It tells the gritty New York tale of Ash Lynx, a gang leader investigating a dangerous drug, “banana fish”, alongside Eiji Okumura, a Japanese photographer’s aide.
This series defies typical girls’ manga norms with its realistic art and intense plot, drawing a diverse readership beyond its intended young female audience.
| Full Name | Banana Fish |
| Genre | Drama, Thriller |
| Created by | Akimi Yoshida |
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| English Publisher | NA: Viz Media |
| Imprint | Flower Comics |
| Magazine | Bessatsu Shōjo Comic |
| English Magazine | NA: Pulp, Animerica Extra |
| Demographic | Shōjo |
| Original Run | May 1985 – April 1994 |
| Volumes | 19 |
| Prequels & Related Works | Fly Boy, In The Sky (1984), Angel Eyes (1994), Garden of Light (1994), Private Opinion (1995) |
| TV Series Directed by | Hiroko Utsumi |
| Produced by | Yuka Okayasu, Kyōko Uryū |
| Written by | Hiroshi Seko |
| Music by | Shinichi Osawa |
| Studio | MAPPA |
| Licensed by | Amazon Prime Video |
| Original Network | Fuji TV (Noitamina) |
| Original Run | July 5, 2018 – December 20, 2018 |
| Episodes | 24 |
Celebrated for its storytelling and action, it has sold over 12 million copies.
The English version by Viz Media broadened its reach in the U.S., and a 2018 anime adaptation expanded its global presence, especially on Amazon Prime Video.
Quick Facts about Banana Fish
- “Banana Fish” is a Japanese manga series by Akimi Yoshida.
- Serialized from May 1985 to April 1994 in Bessatsu Shōjo Comic.
- Set in 1980s New York City, follows street gang leader Ash Lynx.
- Ash investigates “banana fish”, a drug that brainwashes users.
- Forms a significant bond with Japanese photographer’s assistant, Eiji Okumura.
- Breaks from traditional shōjo manga with realist artwork and action storytelling.
- Attracted a diverse readership including men and adult women.
- Influenced the male-male romance genre in manga.
- Critically acclaimed for its plot, dialogue, and action scenes.
- Over 12 million copies in circulation by 2018.
- Viz Media published the English translation, reaching a wide U.S. audience.
- Adapted into a 24-episode anime in 2018, syndicated globally on Amazon Prime Video.
- Story involves Ash’s quest against the mafia and uncovering his brother’s past with the drug.
- “Banana fish” is revealed to be a mind-controlling drug developed during the Vietnam War.
- Series concludes with the death of mafia head Golzine and Ash’s tragic end.
- Ash’s design was initially based on Stefan Edberg, then shifted to River Phoenix.
- Series created during a creative surge in shōjo manga in the 1970s and 1980s.
- Yoshida inspired by the film “Midnight Cowboy” and real-life figures for character designs.
- Ash’s character evolved from a cheery protagonist to a complex leader.
- Manga known for its realistic portrayal of characters and action sequences.
- Ash’s death, integral from the start, reflects the theme of intense, short-lived lives.
- “Banana fish” concept influenced by historical mind control research.
- Serialization coincided with the “manga boom” in Japan and internationally.
- English serialization began in Viz Media’s Pulp magazine in 1998.
- Continued in Animerica Extra until 2004, with collected volumes published.
- Second edition of volumes released with original format and updated script.
- Manga reprinted by Viz in 2018 following the anime adaptation.
- Series explored themes of violence, loyalty, and the impact of war.
- Distinguished by departure from shōjo norms, embracing a more masculine art style.
- Ash’s eventual isolation from Eiji highlights the sacrifices made for love and safety.
Top Questions about Banana Fish
A: Banana Fish was first serialized in May 1985.
A: Banana Fish is considered a shōjo manga, primarily targeting adolescent girls and young adult women.
A: Akimi Yoshida is the author of Banana Fish.
A: The majority of Banana Fish’s story is set in New York City during the 1980s.
A: The main character is Ash Lynx, a street gang leader with a troubled past, including being a child sex slave and an enforcer for the mafia.
A: Banana Fish explores themes of homoeroticism, significantly influencing the boys’ love genre of manga.
A: Banana Fish broke from traditional conventions with its realist artwork, action-oriented storytelling, and mature themes, unlike the typical romantic fantasy-focused stories.
A: The English-language version of Banana Fish was published by Viz Media, starting in 1997.
A: Ash investigates the mystery of “banana fish,” a drug that brainwashes its users, linked to a broader criminal conspiracy.
A: Eiji Okumura, a Japanese photographer’s assistant, becomes Ash’s closest ally.
A: The anime adaptation of Banana Fish was released in 2018, several years after the original manga publication, and brought the story to a new audience.
A: Akimi Yoshida was influenced by the film Midnight Cowboy, which inspired themes of close bonds between men in Banana Fish.
A: Banana Fish concludes with Ash Lynx dying, smiling and clutching a letter from Eiji, symbolizing their profound bond.
A: Banana Fish’s visual style is more realistic and masculine, with tight bold strokes and action scenes, setting it apart from the typical shōjo manga.
A: Banana Fish’s themes of drug use and mind control reflect Akimi Yoshida’s interest in real-life government research into mind control, as well as the broader drug culture of the era.
