Banana Fish Part 2 (with Marion Bea)

Covers volumes 12 through 19 of Banana Fish by Akimi Yoshida

It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for: Banana Fish fan Marion goes on an epic rant about The Ending of the series. Seriously! What?! WHY?! Who thought this was okay!? Marion and Shojo & Tell host Ashley also discuss the role of women in Yoshida’s series, touch on the importance of found families, walk through all the ships we’re given in the end (obviously, OTP is Ash and Eiji), and ponder why Blanca has such broad shoulders. Plus: Did Ashley cry while reading the short story “Garden of Light” on the bus? You’ll just have to listen to find out.

LINKS

Banana Fish is available from Viz Media
The title comes from a J.D. Salinger story called “A Perfect Day for Bananafish”
Read Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture, edited by Roxane Gay
The divisive dish, natto
Midnight Cowboy was an inspiration for Banana Fish
Leadership Quiz: What type of leader are you? [The Guardian]
Outro song: “Found & Lost” by Survive Said the Prophet (the Banana Fish anime opening). Buy it on iTunes.

SOCIAL

Follow Shojo & Tell on Twitter @shojoandtell
Follow Shojo & Tell on Instagram @shojoandtell
Read Marion’s writing about anime and manga on her blog, Otaku, She Wrote
Read Marion’s writing on Anime Feminist
Follow Marion on Twitter @eccentricmarion
Follow Ashley on Twitter @AshMcD00

Comments, questions, constructive criticism, concerns? Need to tell us your feelings about the ending? Email shojoandtell [at] gmail.com or simply leave a comment on the episode page.