This week’s episode was… EXPLOSIVE! No, literally. BANANA FISH is back to form. The intrigue takes a backseat to some good old-fashioned gunslinging. If you’re not one for violence, this episode is not for you, but for everyone else, let’s watch some heads roll in Episode 10, Babylon Revisited.
We’re in a post-Shorter world and the Banana Splits are dealing with the aftermath of last week’s emotional finale. Sing and Alex team up to free Ash and Shorter from Golzine’s clutches, but not before Ash stages his one-man assault on the mansion. Meanwhile, Golzine and Arthur are showing off the effects of the newly ‘perfected’ Banana Fish.
Commando Ash: There is nothing hotter than watching Ash tear through all of Golzine’s men. He’s a one-man arsenal and it is a sight to behold! Everyone has been saying how dangerous Ash is, but, this is the first time we really get to see him go ham. It’s… beautiful…
Character Growth: Two instances in particular stand out from the rest. In a surprise twist, gun-shy innocent Eiji asks Ash to give him a gun so he can protect himself. It only took 9 episodes, but, he is finally ready to get his hands dirty and stop being a damsel in distress. The second comes from Ash, who up until this point has said on a number of occasions that he can’t protect Eiji and won’t if push comes to shove. But, in this week’s episode he finally goes back on his word and promises to protect Eiji with his life, something Yut Lung has stated will be his downfall at some point.
Meaningful Title: All of the episode titles have been references to novels and short stories by famous American authors. This week’s episode is no different, borrowing its title from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1931 short story, Babylon Revisited. The story takes place not long after the stock market crash of 1929 and deals with how the characters adapt to the aftermath. Seeing as this is a post-Shorter episode, this is by far one of the most fitting episode titles.
Battle Tactics: Ash uses some pretty basic battle tactics during his escape from Golzine’s mansion. First, he destroys Golzine’s private arsenal, so his men have limited access to weapons, then he instructs his boys to destroy all of Golzine’s cars, so that when they do escape they can’t be followed.
I’m still not over Shorter’s death and neither are the characters, namely Ash. This is a low point for our hero and we see Ash making quite a few emotionally driven decisions, some of which will have lasting consequences as the series progresses. One in particular had me yelling at the screen, but, I won’t reveal that until after the last episode…. It’s just hindsight is 20/20.
There were some great character moments from Ash and Eiji, with both taking strides in their relationship. You can really see just how much they mean to one another, and no, I don’t mean in a romantic way. There is an underlying respect and trust that permeates their relationship and we see that in play in this week’s episode. Eiji has absolute trust in Ash, even when he has shown that he is capable of committing unspeakable acts of violence, Eiji is never fearful of Ash. In turn, Ash sees Eiji as someone with whom he doesn’t have to put up any pretenses with. He can be vulnerable around Eiji without having to do anything in return. Ash mentioned that everything he was ever given; food, clothing, shelter, it all came with a price tag. But, Eiji never asks Ash for anything, he’s just there for him when he needs him and that is something Ash desperately needs in his life.
This week’s episode despite all the gun violence and explosions was surprisingly emotional, with Ash being forced to deal with his emotions surrounding Shorter’s death. BANANA FISH has always been a character driven story, and with this new loss, it’s going to be interesting watching the Ash and the Funky Bunch pick up the pieces and continue with their mission.
I’ll be back next week with another BANANA FISH review, but in the meantime, be sure to check out MANGA.TOKYO’s other amazing Summer 2018 reviews!!
The summer anime season is over. We had a few refreshing titles that kept us company through the hot months, but fall is bringing so many new titles and a few sequels we’ve been waiting for a long time.
