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I’m not really good at writing reviews, so I made a little list of factors, which made me fell in love with this anime:
- interesting and deeply developed world
- you want to keep learning more about fairies and the art of silver sugar
- also the anime explains everything you might want to know
- main character, Ann Halford, is very likeable and watching her makes you cross your fingers whenever she faces difficult challenges
- character designs are pretty, especially main characters
- beautiful art style, fitting fantasy vibe – sometimes there are lower quality drawings/anatomy proportions moments, but it happens in majority of anime series and I don’t feel bugged by this
- immersive fantasy ... atmosphere
- you’re not bored, but also not overwhelmed by the plot – good relaxation option

You may want to watch it, if you liked: Akagami no Shirayuki-hime. They are similar in some way and I love both of them.

I wanted to give my full opinion about Sugar Apple Fairy Tale, after I watch all of the episodes, but I just couldn’t resist. Sorry ^^’. This is just too good :D

My short review:
I'll start with aspects which I didn't particularly like.
First 3-4 episodes are difficult to get through. I can't really tell why, but it wasn't until after some time when I felt "gripped", despite liking the characters and the "romcom vibe".
The second flaw is main character Hori-san. For me, she often lacked personality. After some time I wasn't able to tell how she is really like. Also, by looking at the title, she's supposed to be one of the two main characters, but she frequently disappears. Added her poorly written personality, she just becomes someone from the background.

Still, I recommend you to ... watch Horimiya and here's why!
I really like the rest of the characters. Especially the fact that they were relatable, their actions were fully understandable and logical (at least in their own logic ;) ). What's more, I had many laughs and after getting to the 5th episode I couldn't wait to see what is going to happen next!

If you cannot decide whether you should watch this anime, my review is just for you.

As you can see, it took me a long time to finally watch the anime. I'm not a big fan of mafia/gang related plots and hearing that Banana Fish is a boy love story I was even more reluctant, because I was afraid that it would be based on toxic relationship tropes like stockholm syndrom etc.

Fortunately, I was mistaken. After watching first episode I was already fully absorbed in the plot. But... what makes Banana Fish so special?

First off, the pacing. You literally cannot feel bored while watching it and ... at the same time it's not overwhelming.

Secondly, the main character. I'm impressed how well the series captured Ash - dangerous and highly intelligent guy, who has his own gang AND is just a 17 years old teen. He is capable of actions, which are impossible for many adult people and experienced even worse things. He's also the person, who is able to rescue everyone (including himself) and has the greatest combat abilities. But at the same time he's impulsive, moody and lost (not in a psycho way, but typical for a teenager). Compared to the second main character (Eiji) he seems to be the older one, but from time to time we are reminded that he's just a child, which makes his situation even more cruel. Of course sometimes he's 'too perfect' or 'too lucky', but the show somehow gives an explanation to that and that was enough for me to enjoy it.

Another thing which caught my attention was the remorse. In many action movies/series people kill each other more than they talk and after taking somebody's life they act like nothing happened. In Banana Fish main characters seem to know the weight of taking a life and that affects their thoughts and mental health.

For people having similar concerns to mine - the gang fights are more like a stage for all of the events to happen. You don't have to understand many things related to 'the underground' life, because the show will explain everything.
Also the relation between Eiji and Ash is completely healthy (as it can be) and mostly depends on your interpretation, so if you watch it just for the boys love then this might be not the best choice.

Other factors that may discourage you from watching Banana Fish are: violence, blood, SA, death. Overall, the show is not the easiest to take, so watch it wisely!

Last thing which I want to mention is the writing of second main character Eiji.
(If you don't want to be influenced by my opinion, then you can stop reading now and start watching the anime ;) )
In the first episode I really liked him, but with time he started losing his personality. I felt that he's just an element which helps the story to progress, so basically anyone could take his place. Mostly in the middle of the show he was difficult to beare for me. His actions were lacking logic and I felt that people talk more about him than he really appears on the screen. Fortunately, at the end something changed and again he started having more opinions and gaining depth to his personality. It might be only my impression, but I wanted to assure you, that despite that, Banana Fish is worth watching. I would call that just a small 'inconvenience'. Moreover, it doesn't affect the most important question in the story - can a pure, calm world, free from violence coexist with cruel and dangerous world of 'the unlucky' ones? You have to watch Banana Fish to find out.