Banana Fish Episode 5 Review: Death to Morning

We just keep rolling with the punches in this week’s episode of BANANA FISH. The previous episodes were setting up the groundwork for the whole ‘Banana Fish’ mystery. Now that the setup is out of the way, the real work begins, with Episode 5 marking a turning point in the series as the characters prepare to delve deeper into the secrets surrounding Golzine and his connection to the elusive ‘Banana Fish’.

Japanese Title: 死より朝へ

Plot

Ash is freed from prison thanks to some help from Charlie and Max, but, after finding out about the death of his brother, our troubled antihero is out for blood, so he sets his sights on the man responsible: Golzine. In a surprising turn of events, Eiji races off to help Ash get his revenge, much to the disapproval of Ibe and Charlie. Shots have been fired on both sides, and there’s no turning back now as Dino’s men and Ash and crew gear up for battle.

Episode Highlights

Flashback: In this week’s episode, we get a bit of insight into Eiji’s past courtesy of a flashback scene, which reveals some of the details surrounding how he wound up in New York with Ibe.

Guns: BANANA FISH is a pretty violent anime, with each episode depicting some manner of violence, be it physical or otherwise, though most of the violence is doled out via your run of the mill shootout. So, it stands to reason that guns play a big role in the story. This week, we get up close and personal with a few firearms, thanks to Ash and his short gun training session with Eiji.

Split Screen: There’s a moment towards the end of the episode when Ash and co. are staging an attack on one of Papa Dino’s clubs, where Ash and Arthur lock eyes on one another. Because of the distance between the two characters, a split screen is used to emphasize the importance of the moment.

Manly Tears: Ash sheds a few of these, after the attack on Golzine. Ash and crew take a moment to lick their wounds and plan their next course of attack. Ash slips away from the group for a moment alone, and in it, we see a much more contemplative and subdued Ash. Usually, he’s always thinking, always planning his next move, but in this moment, you see just how young and vulnerable Ash really is….

Themes & Trivia

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 Thomas Wolfe’s short story collection, From Death to Morning.

Orchids: There is a scene in this week’s episode where Papa Dino is seen trimming orchids, particularly white orchids. Typically, white orchids symbolize innocence and purity, so it is especially notable that Golzine is seen cutting these particular flowers, as he is a notorious crime boss with a liking for young boys.

Comments

This week’s episode was a lot more focused than the previous ones, since, for the first time in awhile, all of the major players are in the same place. It’s kind of like watching the Avengers assemble for the first time. Prior to this point, we have spent time getting to know these characters separately (or at the very least in groups of two or three), with each episode’s run time divided between the various interconnected ‘storylines’. But, for the first time everyone is on the same page (well, for the most part) and the end goal is more or less the same: uncover the secrets of ‘Banana Fish’ and take down Golzine. All these characters and moving parts have been leading up to this and it’s nice to see some of the threads coming together. Each character has a piece of the puzzle and I can’t wait to see them come together and work everything out for better or worse.

Out of all the characters in the series, Max and Shorter are definitely my favorites, so I was glad that we got to spend more time with my boy Shorter this time around. Unlike the other characters that just let Ash run around half cocked, he serves as a semi-voice of reason/ride or die bro 4 lyfe. It’s a fun dynamic, because they can talk to each other as equals despite their differing alliances and backgrounds.

Eiji is probably the ‘weakest’ character in the series so far, especially when viewed next to heavy hitters like Ash, Shorter, and Max. In comparison, he has no place in the rough and tough world in which the series takes place, and yet, time and time again he finds himself at the forefront of all the action. He is our insight into the world of the series, and for the most part, he serves as our in-series proxy to the events that take place each episode. While I will readily admit that his damsel in distress role in the overall narrative becomes a liability as the series progresses, in the early stages of the story, EIji helps make BANANA FISH much more relatable to the viewer, because unlike everyone else, he isn’t one of the guys. He’s an outsider, so he has a much more objective view on things. Yeah, he is rather accepting of the situations around him and yeah, he can be a bit naive at times, but, at the end of the day, he is a part from it all.

New Horizons

All of the pieces are in play and a plan is in the works for the BANANA FISH crew, with Episode 5 marking a turning point in the series. Eiji is showing a bit more backbone than he has in the past, and conversely, we get to see some vulnerability from Ash of all people. The die has been cast and only time will tell if the ends justify the means. But, for now, this was another solid episode and I can’t wait to see how they bring the rest of the story to life in the coming episodes!

NEXT TIME: My Lost City (マイ・ロスト・シティー)