A Perfect Day for Bananafish is the first episode of the Banana Fish anime.
Summary[]
Ash Lynx, a 17-year-old leader of a street gang in New York City, is given a street address and a vial of an unknown substance by a mortally wounded man. The man speaks the words “banana fish” before dying — the same last words spoken by Ash’s brother Griffin, an Iraq War veteran who fired on his own squadron under mysterious circumstances, and who is now in a vegetative state. Meanwhile, Eiji Okumura, a Japanese photographer's assistant, arrives in New York to complete a report on street gangs.
Plot[]
In the midst of a war in Iraq, Max Lobo and fellow soldiers are resting as night falls and the sounds of the war are heard in the distance. As they discuss a fellow soldier having fallen victim to a narcotic making its way around the area, Max asks where Griffin is. As if on cue, said man appears. His silence is not noticed by the others until it's too late when Griffin suddenly grabs a rifle and opens fire on them. As a few men are killed, Max grabs a handgun, shooting Griffin in the legs and bringing his shootout to an end. Carefully approaching Griffin, Max questions the dazed man why he did such a thing, but Griffin is only able to mutter the words "Banana Fish".
In downtown New York, Ash Lynx is making his way down an alley when he suddenly hears a man struggling. Finding a man in a suit heavily wounded and near his end, Ash is asked to take a pendant and mail it to an address in Los Angeles. The man dies just before two teenagers appear. Seeing Ash with the deceased man, the two right away become fearful of his presence and hesitate to answer his questions of why they are there but quickly answer when he points a hidden gun at him. They explain they were ordered to kill the man by Dino Golzine. The conversation is halted when they hear sirens approaching. Ash orders the two to leave while he talks to Dino.
The following day, Ash arrives at a lavish mansion but is momentarily prevented from entering by Marvin Crosby. The heavy-set man tries to force Ash to show respect to Dino by having him address said man as Papa Dino, but Ash refuses. When he brushes past Marvin, the older man questions if the teen is going to make more suggestive movies, but Ash mocks Marvin's sexuality and particular tastes, leaving Marvin to utter how he is not able to do anything about it since Dino favors Ash so heavily.
Ash is escorted to a room where Dino is having a private breakfast. Though Dino offers Ash to join him, Ash makes it clear that he is there for business. Dino reminds the teen to keep his hands out of his pockets when around Dino. Ash begrudgingly obeys by removing his jacket and then questions why Dino had two members of his gang hunt down the man. Dino tries to convince Ash that the man is no one for him to be concerned with but Ash argues that Dino broke his promise of not killing anyone.
Dino tells Ash that the man was a rat who needed to be dealt with and had Ash's men carry out the task. Dino then asks how Ash found out about this. Ash claims that the two teens in question have been acting strangely which made him keep an eye on them. Dino praises Ash for this as he states this is a trait of a great leader. When Ash shows a bit of cockiness, Dino quickly reminds the blond teen how he got him off the streets and brought him into a life of wealth and luxury, along with Dino's unwanted affections.
Later, Ash meets with his best friend and leader of the Chinese gang Shorter Wong. Seeing Ash up so early, Shorter right away notices something important must be taking place. Admitting he had to meet Dino, Shorter guesses that Ash most likely ran into Marvin whom Shorter knows has a preference for men fitting Ash's appearance and he has a vindictive side. Ash jokes that Shorter's worrying will lead to him being bald before he rides off on his motorbike.
At his apartment, Ash gives a particular knock. The door is answered by a young boy named Skip. The young boy informs Ash that Charlie Dickinson called and left a message that the visiting men from Japan will be arriving the next day. Although Ash is reluctant to do so, Skip says that this will put the cops in his debt if he does the interview. After Skip states the second occupant of the apartment has remained the same as usual, Ash reaches into his pocket to retrieve cash when he feels the pendent from the previous night. After paying Skip and trying to send him home, Skip informs him of the rumor of Arthur being involved in recent events, a conclusion that Ash had come to. Once skip leaves, Ash takes the pendent out of his pocket to study it.
In his greenhouse with his treasured orchids, Dino is disturbed by Abraham Dawson who informs him a portion of a substance is missing.
Meanwhile, Ash is still looking over the pendent when he gives it a small shake that alerts him to something hidden within it. Opening the pendent, he finds a small vile that has a powdery substance in it. Ash enters the next room and questions the man on what exactly the "Banana Fish" is that he has been muttering about as it is the same thing the man said before he died. The man he's speaking to being Griffin who is revealed to be Ash's older brother.
In an airport, Eiji Okumura is called over by Shunichi Ibe.
In a vacant lot, the two teens Ash had caught are standing before a brick wall when Ash fires bullets at them, just grazing their skin but scaring the two greatly to the point they run away when given the chance. With the two gone, Ash reminds the rest of his gang that they do not follow the orders of Dino and his mafia but are free to leave this gang to join Dino's mafia anytime they wish. He particular points out Arthur regarding this, which is met with borderline mocking agreement. When Ash leaves with several of his men behind him, Arthur asks Wookie if Ash might be onto them, but Wookie feels they are in the clear since Ash missed his shots. Arthur points out that Ash didn't miss by accident but rather on purpose as a way to send a message to the others in the gang not to go against him and that playing dirty is the only option someone would need in order to beat Ash. Wookie suspects that Arthur is going to use this path to beat Ash which Arthur somewhat confirms when he states he needs to get revenge for what Ash did to his hand.
In the city, Ash meets with Dr. Meredith to pick up medicine for his brother but asks the doctor to look at the substance he found. The doctor right away rules out the everyday narcotics they know of, and Ash asks him to try to identify it as quickly as possible.
At Dino's mansion, the mafia moss learns that Ash was the one with Stephen Thompson when he'd died and is most likely the one who has the missing substance Abraham reported to be gone. Dino then turns down Marvin's suggestion of approaching Ash about this as it would just cause Ash to become more curious about what's going on.
Ash is later summoned to speak to Dino and is questioned about his encounter with Stephen. Ash first tries to act like he doesn't know who Dino is talking about, but Dino doesn't fall for it. With Dino not buying it, Ash claims that Stephen had only tried to ask for help before he died. He then tries to leave but Dino then asks if Stephen had given him anything. Ash states that Stephen didn't give him anything, but Dino once more appears to not fully believe him.
As Ash leaves, he mocks Marvin for acting as a chauffeur for the day and misses Marvin's angry expression. Marvin's attention is then directed to Arthur when the teen states he has an offer for Marvin that the man might be happy to accept.
At a police station, Eiji is captivated by the new environment but told to stay close to Ibe and Charlie. As detectives go over a case of a man being the third case holding similarities to others surrounding their means of death when the captain is brought out to meet the Japanese men. Captain Antonio Jenkins greets Ibe and mistakes Eiji as the photographer's son. Eiji corrects the captain by explaining he's actually a nineteen-year-old college student which surprises the Americans.
Ibe chuckles at their surprise but understands they're mistaking Eiji being younger than he actually is as even in Japan he is often mistaken for looking younger than nineteen. Jenkins sees this as something that can work in their favor since the gang they're going to meet doesn't trust adults. Ibe asks if the local gangs are that dangerous. Jenkins states that the leader of the gang they're going to meet, Ash, is very sharp and had taken control of the gangs in the area in almost no time at all even though he's seventeen years old. His authority is made even more impressive when Jenkins adds that Ash is Caucasian and controls gangs of other ethnicities which Jenkins states is a difficult thing to do. Hearing Ash's name, Eiji wonders what the gang leader is like.
At Ash's apartment, Ash can tell that his small residence has been searched even though Skip thinks everything looks fine. Knowing who it was, Ash feels that Dino is getting desperate but knows the mafia boss will not find the substance where he has placed it.
In the mansion, Marvin informs Dino that nothing was found in Ash's apartment. Upset by the news, Dino authorizes Marvin to use any means he wishes to get Ash to talk. Marvin is excited to carry out the task but calms a little when Dino adds that he cannot kill Ash. A while later, Marvin and Arthur are at a bar where Marvin shares the task Dino gave Marvin. Arthur questions if Marvin has decided to accept the deal or not. Marvin decides to accept, and Arthur reminds him of a promise he made.
In Dr. Meredith's office, Griffin is being looked at with Ash providing that his brother was somehow exposed to a bad narcotic while in Iraq. Meredith reminds Ash that he is not an expert in the area of drug use but can say with certainty that he has not heard of any kind of drug causing the problems that Griffin has been experiencing for such a long time. When Ash adds that Griffin mutters the words Banana Fish, Meredith asks if Griffin likes the work of Salinger. He explains that Banana Fish is part of his work, describing it as something that will make a person feel like dying if they came across it while at sea.
At a bar, Skip is leading Ibe and Eiji down a staircase. Although Ibe and Eiji are nervous, they feel more assured that the police are listening and are ready to rush in when needed. Upon entering the bar, the two Asian men are on edge as all eyes turn to them. They continue to follow Skip as he leads them to one area and introduces them to Ash whom Eiji is surprised to see he looks nothing like how he imagined he would. Although the two are intimidated by Ash, they get his permission to ask questions and to take pictures as long as his face is not shown.
As Eiji prepares the equipment, he hears Ash taunt him about Ibe using a kid as his assistant. He corrects Ash by stating he is older than the leader which surprises Ash and some of his guys. After a little while, Ash notices that Eiji is curious about his revolver. He confirms that the gun is real and even allows Eiji to hold it to feel how heavy it is, an offer that shocks his gang and Ibe since it is extremely rare for Japanese to have guns.
After giving the gun back, Eiji sits with Skip and hears how Ash has never let anyone touch his gun and had blown off a drunk man's fingers when an attempt had been made once. Skip makes a toast to Eiji's bravery, but Eiji is shocked to find the beverage is a Coke and Rum. When mentioning how he heard Ash is an excellent shot, Skip brags how Ash uses a Smith and Wesson 357 Magnum revolver and a cut barrel. Eiji points out how Skip looks up to Ash and the young boy doesn't hide this. Ibe approaches, not having gotten much information from Ash since the teen isn't very talkative.
Ash then receives a phone call from Shorter who tries to warn him about Arthur planning an ambush. Unfortunately, the warning comes just seconds too late when Arthur's guys suddenly burst in and start causing havoc. Despite the chaos and small space, Ash is able to handle numerous men at once without any of them landing a hit on him. When the police burst in trying to break up the fight, Wookie spots Skip and Eiji behind the bar. The two are chased out to the streets with Ash trying to warn Skip not to head out that way but is held back from chasing after.
Skip and Eiji make it outside but are right away captured by Wookie and his guys who force both of them in a car and drive off just as Ash breaks free and makes it outside. With the car driving away, Ash takes careful aim and manages to hit one of the guys in the head. Eiji begins panicking at how his life is at risk before his and Skip's phones are taken and tossed out the window to prevent the cops tracking them down.
Ash is able to follow after when he takes Shorter's bike and is quickly able to catch up as the car heads toward a warehouse district, unaware that Arthur and Marvin are waiting.
Characters[]
- Ash Lynx
- Eiji Okumura
- Max Lobo
- Dino Golzine
- Shorter Wong
- Frederick Arthur
- Shunichi Ibe
- Charlie Dickinson
- Antonio Jenkins
- Gregory
- Skip
- Stephen Thompson
- Griffin Callenreese
- Marvin Crosby
- Abraham Dawson
- Wookie
- Alex
Gallery[]
Main Article: Episode 01/Image Gallery
Difference between Anime and Manga[]
- Anime: Griffin is shown wearing a short-sleeved shirt when he appears.
Manga: He is shown wearing a tank top.
- Anime: Max uses a handgun to shoot Griffin.
Manga: He used an automatic rifle.
- Anime: Ash's debut is shown after Griffin is shot.
Magna: The murder and investigation of a man is shown first.- The anime moved the investigation scene to take place after Eiji and Ibe arrived at the police station.
- Anime only: Eiji's debut is shown before Ash punishes the two rouges from his gang. Ash is also shown to shoot with his right hand instead of his left hand.
- Manga only: Eiji and Ibe are shown to meet Charlie at Rockefeller Center and Ibe is shown to be a smoker.
- Manga only: Max's debut is shown after Eiji and Ibe first meet with Charlie.
- Anime: Ash's second meeting with Dino takes place before Eiji and Ibe head to the police station.
Manga: The meeting takes place after they get to the station.
- Manga only: Eiji and Ibe are shown at a cafe and being given a quick rundown of what to expect of Ash and first meeting Skip.
- Manga only: A scene is shown of Arthur talking to his gang and Marvin before the bar fight.
- Anime: Shorter calls Ash to warn him about the fight.
Manga: Shorter heads to the bar to warn Ash personally and participates in the bar fight.
Trivia[]
- Episode 01, along with the following Episode 02 were previewed at a screening at the Shinjuku Wall 9 cinema in Tokyo on June 30th, 2018.
- Regular broadcasting of the anime began on July 6th, 2018.
- "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" is a short story by J. D. Salinger.
References[]