I usually don't do reviews so this it's going to be my first one on MAL.

I have mixed feelings for Banana Fish it had such a strong start and big potential to be a masterpiece in my eyes but unfortunately the second half of the show ruined the idea I had at the beginning of the show.

I'm not homophobic & I get that it's shoujo but I didn't like that they tried to make all characters gay for Ash idk it felt so unrealistic; I can't excuse the amount of sexual tension and rape situations that Ash went trough it's just so fucking sad that they persistently continue to display it & I felt that is exactly one of the main reasons why Ash couldn't avoid his past & tried to die for the sake of other people lives.

The rape thing wasn't really handled in a inappropriate way. It was just basically used as an excuse for why characters like Ash & Lee Yut-Lung got to be the way they are. But the Yut-Lung motive became so fucking stupid that it blows my mind he wanted to kill Ash only out of jealousy towards the relationship between Ash & Eiji.

The ending was really confusing for me I'm going to be honest I didn't cry I got emotional but nothing more while i expected that it was going to end in a melodramatic way i find it kinda poor that Ash died or seems to be dead just from a single knife stab after being shot and stabbed multiple times throughout the show but again we don't know for certain if he's dead.

Don't let me even get started with the Golzine part it felt such like an ass-pull he was shot twice he went to modify the code and he came all the way to the construction site to shoot the military guy & save Ash and then fall off in that dramatic way like it was some Hollywood movie or something lol

I fell like the villains all had the motivation to kill Ash for pretty much self-satisfaction, and it never went any deeper than that, which it's a shame cuz It had the potential to tell a great story

Nevertheless, the series as a whole felt really nice. I loved the soundtracks, the openings, endings, the art and animation of the series.
Mappa really did a great adaptation it's just that I had high expectations, anyway it's a 8/10 for me it's very good but not great & course its just my personal opinion.

For me to be considered a masterpiece it must have a special emotional attachment & great storyline sadly Banana Fish didn't delivered me that perfection.