Banana Fish is One of The Saddest Anime

Banana Fish is one of the saddest anime to watch because it addresses some really big issues with gut-wrenching scenes.

Eiji has primarily lived a sheltered existence, but Ash hails from a world of crime and violence. Despite their polar personalities, the two form a bond and pledge to work together to complete the Banana Fish probe. As Eiji learns more about Ash’s world, he discovers the awful reality in which he lives. The series deals with some serious issues and has several heartbreaking moments, making it one of the saddest animes to watch.

Because Ash’s Brother Is Incapacitated By Banana Fish

Griffin, Ash’s older brother, is an Iraq war veteran. He gets given the narcotic Banana Fish during his time there and goes insane, killing his team. Griffin is fully paralyzed as a result of the drug’s influence.

When Griffin returns from his mission, Ash is left to look after him. Griffin, unable to care for himself, simply sits and mutters “Banana Fish.” He doesn’t even recognize his own brother, and it’s because of this that Ash seeks out the enigmatic Banana Fish.

Because Ash Suffers Childhood Trauma

Ash is raped by his Little League coach, Carter Wilson, when he is seven years old. Carter Wilson is a decorated veteran and well-respected Cape Cod man. The police don’t believe Ash’s father when he reports the incident to them.

The assaults continue until Ash reaches the age of eight, when he kills his attacker. When an investigation into the matter reveals the bones of children at Wilson’s residence, Ash is declared not guilty of the murder. As word of the rumors spreads, Ash’s father plans to send him to his aunt’s house, but Ash decides to flee and becomes a wanderer.

Because Ash Is Raised By A Pedophile

When Ash runs away from home, he is apprehended by sex traffickers. He is sent to work at the Cape Cod restaurant, which is a front for sex trafficking. When Ash is working on Cape Cod, he meets a man named Dino Golzine.

Golzine is a mafia lord who adopts Ash as a pet. Despite the fact that Golzine becomes Ash’s guardian and raises and educates him, their bond is far more evil than a father and son relationship. Golzine sexually assaults Ash, and his obsession grows worse with each passing day.

Because Ash Struggles For His Freedom

Despite the fact that Ash is the leader of his own gang, he is effectively a Golzine property. Golzine has been training Ash to take over his criminal empire, and he is quick to remind him that he is his property and pet.

Like his namesake, Ash is frequently compared to a lynx, a wild, untamable animal. When Golzine subdues him, he frequently declares “the Lynx has been caged,” emphasizing Ash’s lack of freedom. It’s a horrible reality that Ash has to deal with on a daily basis.

Because Ash Has To Put Up A Tough Front

As the leader of a gang, Ash must put on a harsh exterior in order to lead and keep his members in line. In reality, Ash is a really resilient individual who has endured years of sexual abuse.

Living as a sex slave for Golzine and being forced to commit horrible acts as a gang boss has hardened his skin. Part of his harsh exterior, though, is only a ruse. After all, he’s only an 18-year-old teenager who is tortured and terrified, and who even sobs in his sleep.

Because Ash Realizes He’s A Danger To Eiji

 

When Ash meets Eiji, he realizes that he has finally met someone who sees him for who he is at his core. Past the intimidating act, past the façade of a gang boss. With Eiji, Ash may be a regular adolescent who enjoys himself and laughs.

As a result, Ash want to keep Eiji near to him. Eiji is a source of comfort for Ash, and he is unwilling to let go of him quickly. However, the unfortunate reality is that Eiji’s life is in risk as long as he is with Ash, and Ash may not always be able to defend him.

Because Ash Is Forced To Kill His Best Friend

Shorter Wong, Ash’s best buddy, is given the Banana Fish medication in an experiment to prove how it works. He is taught to target Eiji as his source of dread and anxiety, and he is told to murder him, thanks to exposure therapy.

 Shorter is unable to control himself due to the drug’s impact on his thoughts. He asks Ash to assist him and relieve him of his suffering. When Ash is forced to choose between killing his best buddy and seeing Eiji die, he is faced with a difficult decision.

Because Ash Is Willing To Sacrifice Himself For Eiji

As he gets closer to uncovering the truth about Banana Fish, Ash creates a lot of enemies. Yut-Ling and Golzine, two of Ash’s most powerful opponents, join forces to knock him to his knees.

Yut-Ling delivers Ash a gun and assures him he won’t injure Eiji if he kills himself. Without hesitation, Ash pulls the trigger, only to discover that there are no bullets. Ash gives over his Banana Fish information and returns to Golzine, where he will work as a lowly prostitute under Golzine’s supervision for the rest of his life. To keep Eiji safe, Ash is willing to go to any length.

Because Ash Almost Loses The Only Person He Cares About

Rather than going after Ash directly, Yut-Lung is constantly after Eiji, Ash’s most prized possession. He sent two men to assassinate Eiji, and while they fail to kill him, they seriously wound him.

When Ash sees Eiji unconscious, he explodes in wrath. Fear of losing the only person in his life who has never asked for anything fuels his rage. As Eiji’s life hangs in the balance, Ash’s happiness hangs in the balance as well.

Because Ash Doesn’t Get The Chance To Enjoy His Freedom

Against all difficulties, Ash manages to put an end to his nightmare. Banana Fish has been destroyed and Golzine has died. Now that Ash has his freedom, he may join Eiji on his return to Japan.

As he rushes to the airport to meet up with Eiji, Ash is ecstatic and pleased. In a tragic and brutal turn of events, however, Ash is stabbed in the street by a rival gang member. Ash dies before he can ever experience genuine independence, clutching the note Eiji wrote him.