As a result, I have no choice but to come crawling back into Ash and Eiji’s manly arms. C’est la vie. So what have I missd? First, Ash stole a whole bunch of money from the Corsican mafia. Next, he manages to call for a ceasefire with a gang from Harlem. They’re black ’cause they’re from Harlem! Last but not least, the series caps off the first cour with a duel to the death between Ash and Arthur. Obviously, the latter finally dies like the punk that he is, but our hero looks to be in pretty bad shape as well. So what now?

— Haha, yeah, good ol’ American values.

— Shunichi feels bad about separating Ash and Eiji because they’re such good friends. It’s a tricky one. If I had a kid, would I want my kid getting involved in this mess? Of course not. But at the same time, Ash is up against a massive government conspiracy involving a super dangerous drug and pedophiles. It’s a cause worth fighting for, and he needs all the physical and emotional support he can get.

— Technically, Eiji’s legally an adult, so he can make his own decision. If I want to morally absolve myself from the situation, I guess I could cop out and take that option. But honestly, I still see him as a kid, though.

— New OP for the new cour. Nothing too remarkable about it, though. Just some awkward Engrish.

— Ash’s guilt is piling up on him. He can’t get his revenge on Golzine and protect the people he care about at the same time. But he can’t walk away and give the old man free reign either. So by being there, is Eiji help or hurting Ash? Would he feel less emotional anguish without the guy around to worry about?

— Meanwhile, Eiji’s currently behind bars. He’s also wracking his brain over something Ash had said. C’mon, man, it’s not rocket science.

— Ash is so amazing at everything. He’s so strong and powerful!

— I love how you can just get kidnapped right in front of a police station in this universe.

— Well, this is a bit on the nose.

— As for Eiji, he gets to listen to Yut-Lung go on and on and on about how he’s just a burden to Ash. I know the kid probably has no confidence in himself, but at the same time, it’s hard to imagine why he would bother with anything that Yut-Lung has to say. If it weren’t for the guy, they never would’ve been captured in California. Hell, Shorter would still be alive. So why even hear him out? Why even lend his words any credence? Whether or not you believe in yourself is irrelevant to the fact that Yut-Lung is evil and also probably psycho.

— wut

— These girls are barking up the wrong tree anyway.

— Yeah, yeah, this episode is pretty much all about how awesome Ash is. Can’t die, is super hot, is super smart, so on and so forth. I do wish he had been written as a more realistic character. I know he’s not flawless. I know he’s got his issues. Nevertheless, it’s just hard to imagine a kid being this good at everything. He even admits that he rarely went to grade school, so where did he find the time to study, lead a gang, become an expert marksman, so on and so forth?

— Elsewhere, evil government dudes decide that Ash can no longer be allowed to live. As a result, we see a shady-looking nurse enter the hero’s room. Too bad Ash is so good at everything that he’s already memorized the nurses’ shifts. You can’t sneak anything past this guy!

— The failed assassin then goes and kills herself. Huh, the evil government dudes must have really had a hold on her. Still, considering how she was ready to die for this mission, you’d think she would have opened with the gun and not even bother with trying to poison Ash. Or hell, try to sneak some sleeping pills into his food or something.

— Unfortunately, Ash probably tore his stitches in the scuffle. He needs medical attention, but considering how evil government dudes are sending assassins after the kid, he won’t be safe for long.

— I love how these corrupt men from the FBI couldn’t look any less evil if they tried. Nobody cares about subtlety in this universe. Hehehehehe, gonna be evil tonight!

— Max wants to sneak Ash out of the hospital, but he’s too late. It sounds like he was busy trying to get approval to write about Banana Fish. I think he probably should’ve prioritized Ash’s safety first, but hindsight is 20/20.

— So the FBI dudes get to Ash first, and they drag our hero to some weirdo doctor at a mental health center. The guy is probably going to torture Ash with drugs and whatnot.

— Meanwhile, everyone hears on the news that Ash has died. Eiji, who is now Yut-Lung’s prisoner, can only sit helplessly in his room. I can’t imagine how he’ll get himself out of this situation without a little help. Maybe Sing will feel guilty and decide to lend a hand.

— Why did I lose interest in the show a few weeks ago? I guess I just have a hard time really embracing the premise. Banana Fish paints a society that is corrupted from the inside out. There are no safe spaces in this universe. Wherever you go, you are in danger. Wherever you go, there is no one you can trust. It’s sort of a bleak and weary world, and after fourteen episodes, it really makes me wonder how anyone can live with any hope in their heart.