The 2018 anime adaptation of Banana Fish , produced by , brought Akimi Yoshida’s legendary 1980s manga to a modern audience. Set in contemporary New York City, it follows 17-year-old gang leader
To understand the magnitude of the 2018 anime, one must understand the weight of the source material. Akimi Yoshida’s Banana Fish began serialization in 1985. It was a groundbreaker, eschewing the magical girls and high school romances typical of shojo manga for a hard-boiled American crime saga. It tackled topics that were taboo in mainstream media at the time: child sexual abuse, gang warfare, drug trafficking, and homosexuality.
: A pure-hearted Japanese photographer’s assistant who visits New York and forms a deep, soul-mate level bond with Ash.