#romania black

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No one warned me what I was in store for...I just...

... Please don't spoil me, but this episode. Damn.

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Banana Fish - Manga Additions and Favorite Panels: Volume 17

We get a LOT more on Foxx in this volume, which is mainly how sinister he is and maniacal. He is definitely the worst of our antagonists outside Golzine, but this man has NO class -- whereas Golzine maintains some facade of twisted, demented sophistication.

Still, I LOVE Ash's retorts to all of Foxx's antics. GOLD.

And of course, after they escape Foxx's clutches, we get Eiji's live-giving hug to Ash, who is literally shaking and needed that SO BADLY. Ugh, this moment, y'all...

Blanca has a LOT to do in this volume, but one thing that stands out as a difference between the manga and anime was this scene:

In the anime, Dragon Moon sneaks up on Blanca seemingly, which in the moment did seem a little strange. However, in the manga it's completely different in context. Blanca is making a phone call and Dragon Moon catches him. Interesting!! There's a lot with Blanca and Dragon Moon in this volume, which I appreciate -- as a whole, Blanca's character has had (like Foxx) more development!

And then, of course, we get the harrowing scene of Ash and Eiji leading up to Eiji being shot. And it hurts just as much in the manga as it does in the anime...

One thing that is added is Jessica and Ibe both have more to do in regards to Ash and Eiji in the manga. Jessica is able to empathize and relate more with Ash, having gone through a similar circumstance (being raped) as him, and Blanca basically puts her in charge of watching over Ibe.

I have to admit, I feel sorry for Ibe here, who blames himself for Eiji getting shot, and is adamant on watching over Eiji in Ash's place, since he can't be around Eiji at the moment...

This part below will probably be one of the more controversial parts of the manga...Blanca does not hold back in yelling at Ash about wanting to go to Eiji. On the one hand, Blanca just doesn't want Ash or Eiji to be hurt any more...but dude...he really spares no sympathy in his argument. Couldn't you have found a better way to communicate this to Ash? The man is SUFFERING, Blanca...I can definitely see how people would be furious at Blanca for how he goes off on Ash, even if his intentions are in a good place...

And man, while I appreciate the more "cathedral" symbolism of the window in the anime, there's something powerful about this shot of Ash in front of a grimy window, symbolic of the world he's become absorbed in, asking God (praying probably for the first time) to let Eiji live...even offering himself in his place...it's POWERFUL.

And the volume rounds out with Dragon Moon revealing his past to Blanca. Oh, the contrast of Ash kneeling in front of a dingy window in his most desperate hour to Dragon Moon cozy on a couch, just as equally isolated and alone...well, except Blanca is there. Man, how Blanca reaches to both our yin and yang in this volume (Ash and Yut Lung)....interesting how his cadence and voice is strict and stern with Ash, but soft and pliant with Dragon Moon. Interesting...

And we only have two volumes left! Man.... **nervous laugh**

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Banana Fish - Manga Additions and Favorite Panels: Volume 12

This volume has had the most panels I’ve wanted to share -- I couldn’t add them all! Some additional bits of information, first:

* Ibe tells Eiji they’ve been in New York City for a YEAR. A YEAR is how long this series has taken place over, at least. No wonder Ash and Eiji have grown so close!

* Eiji’s scenes in the apartment from the start of Episode 18 where he antagonizes Ash are just as adorable as they are in the anime. :3

MAN, so Blanca starts out really not on Eiji’s side, doesn’t he. This moment was NOT in the anime, and I was stunned by it, reading. 

Blanca also doesn’t approve of Eiji’s tastes in food either. Blanca is a food snob, confirmed. 

ANNNND he actually fires on Eiji in the middle of the city! Holy cow! This was crazy, seeing them have to run away! 

In the anime, Ash realizes he’s no match for Blanca in the hotel room with Eiji. In the manga, he goes on a walk out in the rain and realizes it...and then goes back to the hotel to dry off and talk to Eiji.

 While I think the anime is more “realistic” in how the scene is handled, this is definitely more directly symbolic...

And of course, we have our talks of gods and Izumo. Also, Eiji admitting he thinks Ash is handsome is satisfying, here. 

And then, of course, the moment Ash says he won’t forgive anyone that harms Eiji....UGH.

The warehouse scene is bit for bit like the anime, and these expressions!

ESPECIALLY Ash asking Blanca not to kill Eiji. 

My heart = broken.

And the volume ends there! @____@ 

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Banana Fish - Manga Additions and Favorite Panels: Volume 3

This volume details the events of Episode 4 and 5 in more detail. I really love this page below, both of Max realizing Ash's plan with the capsule (and re-capping the kiss again) and Eiji (who looks so good here) meeting back up with Ibe. Those shirts, y'all...

Let it be known, how this manga handles Griffin's death is SO GOOD. Especially when Max confronts Ash. I actually like this reaction better than the anime. It's just...heartbreaking.

There's a lot more information about Charlie and Ibe's reactions to everything, as the manga mostly details, but the panels of Ash giving Eiji the gun feel just as powerful here as they do in the anime...except, Eiji is pretty much naked when Ash sees him in the manga.

That "bang" panel, though? STILL gives me chills.

The duality of these pages are incredible to me; in one moment, Ash looks straight up like a demon (I'm not sure we even get lighting like this in the rest of the manga), in acknowledging he's going to be getting revenge on Golzine. The other page is towards the end of the volume, the ending of Episode 5 in the anime, when Ash is crying over his brother's death. It's the same face, same composition, same shot of Max above...but the tone and Ash's emotional levels are COMPLETELY different. *cinematic poetry*

Man, they really played up Ash shooting Golzine in the manga, taking a total of 5-6 pages, but I love it. It's so comic-book-esque in design, and the graphicness and tension is built up so well! *chef's kiss*

Finally, the infamous target practice with Eiji. Ahh, poor smol bean. We all know Eiji is a terrible shot, but I still love Ash's concern over him in these panels...

You can start to see the style of how Yoshida draws the character change a little bit in this volume. After this volume, the character designs will start to look like how we see in the anime. Definitely an emotional, fantastic volume of the manga.

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Practicing My Makeup for the SK8 The Infinity Livestream Discussion this Thursday!

Humble Florist by day.

Anti-Hero of the "S" by night.

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Banana Fish - Manga Additions and Favorite Panels: Volume 14

One of my favorite additions of this volume from the anime is actually showing Eiji TRYING to practice shooting, in preparation for the Ash rescue mission. 

I mean, he’s still a terrible aim, but he’s TRYING, y’all! 

Plus, we get Sing and Eiji talking and slowly piecing together who Blanca is and what he would have to do with Dragon Moon and Ash...

Speaking of Blanca, I like that the manga gives us more moments of him and Ash and him thinking about Ash’s situation. He was so quick in previous volumes (Volume 12 specifically) to tell Ash to “stick to the position given to him” and not try and defy Golzine. But as the series drags on, you can slowly see Blanca start to work out perhaps WHY Ash would not want to do this...

It is ESPECIALLY noted in this exchange where Blanca learns that Golzine has “adopted” (still gross) Ash -- it seems Blanca had no idea this had happened, and lends to the idea that Blanca is slowly piecing together that maybe getting emotions involved and helping Ash isn’t such a bad idea...

I for one am SO glad that this exchange with Eiji and Blanca didn’t happen in the anime right before the actual rescue. I don’t think my heart could have handled the tension! @_@ 

The volume is pretty-beat-for-beat the same as Episode 20 -- we do get more of a “chase” in this volume of Ash through the streets, and Dragon Moon and Blanca go to a separate location and chat before getting in the car to head to the museum. In the anime, they take a car straight to the location and talk on the way there. Not much of a difference, but a small one. 

The moments between Ash and Eiji in the sewers, though, are just as wonderful as the anime, in case you’re curious. 

I just love how open Eiji is with Ash, and I like how when the mangaka draws them together, it’s like they take up the whole panel and none of the background or anything else in the shots matter:

UGH, Banana Fish....you did it again! Now, onto Volume 15, where we meet up at the museum!

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Banana Fish - Manga Additions and Favorite Panels: Volume 8

This volume covers Episodes 11 and 12 in the anime. For the most part, there’s a lot more exposition of what was happening “behind the scenes” before Ash and Arthur’s confrontation in Episode 13. 

First off, it was sobering seeing this image of the twin towers pop up on the page, but combine that with Ash and Eiji standing parallel the monoliths with discussion of how at the end of the day, we’re all just “human?” DAMN.

Ash and Eiji’s tussle is just like the anime, as is the “makeup” in the library, but I have to say, I LOVE these panels and the little expressions with Eiji, here. 

Akimi Yoshida is a MASTER at expression and conveying pain and torture in his characters’ faces, as we see in this scene. As Ash is about to go off to face Arthur, we see him say a “farewell” so to speak to Max...Max’s face just killed me, reading: 

And then there’s the pumpkin scene, which was just as adorable as the anime, and the subsequent discussion about Ash’s past relationships. It’s just heartbreaking...

Especially this scene here, where Ash is about to face Arthur. No words needed, his face says everything. **cries in manga**

As far as additional material, we do get the following: 

* Charlie is working with Arthur to track down Ash, after he’s killed so many of Arthur’s gang members, though Charlie doesn’t want to believe it. I found that interesting!

* Ash takes Cain for a ride in town with the car he stole from Golzine, which I love. More Cain in this manga, please! He’s so cool!

* People in all the gangs are taking bets on who will win the fight between Ash and Arthur

* And then there’s this moment with Eiji as he runs off to find Ash -- this dialogue just makes my heart break for Eiji!

UGH. MUH HEART! </3

Also, BONUS:

Cain apparently met Ash to see Cats.  He was just as unimpressed. 

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Banana Fish - Manga Additions and Favorite Panels: Volume 13

We actually start the volume off with Ibe-san telling Ash he likens him to an “Asura,” or a heathen deity that fought with the good deities -- he even nicknames him “Ashura,” and it’s clear Ibe’s not too thrilled that Eiji’s life is in danger while he’s around Ash.

Ash gives Eiji one last look before he leaves to join back with Golzine, as we saw at the end of Episode 18. It’s so sad...

As is this panel where he gets the Banana Fish information from Max. Max knows that Eiji’s in danger, but the sadness in his face as he tells Ash to save his friend...just...pass me the tissues, already!

Blanca is slowly coming around to the fact that Dragon Moon may be a harder client than he intended not to work for...the conversation between him about Natasha is pretty word-for-word with the anime. 

BUT...y’all, one thing the anime didn’t fully give us that the manga does...

Is Sassy and Serious Eiji Okamura. 

Eiji in this volume does not hide that he doesn’t like Dragon Moon, but in talking with Sing, he realizes he has to go to see him ... it makes MUCH more sense in the manga here than the anime to me. 

Also, in the anime, he says, “you bully,” but I think this is more fitting: 

And, since we know the passage of time is more pronounced in the manga than the anime -- which operates at a breakneck pace (but it’s soooo good) -- I do appreciate that there’s the added line here where Eiji says he wants Alex to “teach him” how to shoot instead of just giving him a gun...

There is a LOT more discussion and planning in the operation to rescue Ash, and all the parties find out Ash is still alive from the Opera -- Sing even goes up to Golzine’s car and spots Ash. Of course, Ash can’t see him and Golzine has no clue who Sing is...

And Max and Steve find out about the same way. I also like the added scene were Sing meets Eiji for coffee and they talk about how Ash was probably drugged so he couldn’t see and how they need to prepare for that when rescuing him. It’s a nice addition of behind the scenes planning that we don’t see in the anime. 

Also, AGAIN, Eiji is not happy about Dragon Moon...Sing’s pretty doubtful Eiji could kill him or anyone though.

OTHER VOLUME 13 ADDITIONS:

* The scene were Ash breaks down to Golzine’s committee/the military how to use Banana Fish is LONG -- it’s several pages and shows how intelligent Ash is, and simultaneously dangerous.

* We see the scene were Max is fired, though he’s not too upset by it. 

* Dragon Moon is straight up SAVAGE and a total diva, suggesting Eiji not only jump out a window but commit suicide and let them chop of his head for letting Ash give everything up on his behalf. 

* The volume ends with Ash being punched by Golzine, and YES, the manga is just as hard to read as that scene in Episode 19 is to watch.