Fly Boy in the Sky is a side story occurring before the events of Banana Fish. Fly Boy in the Sky tells the story of how Shunichi Ibe and Eiji Okumura met. This story focuses on Ibe's point of view about Eiji when he was young.
Story[]
During a high jump competition, Eiji attempts and fails a complicated jump. Ibe, watching a televised broadcast, is impressed by the performance but notices that Eiji appears to be depressed. Ibe seeks out Eiji to interview him, and to photograph his jumps for an exhibit.
During the interview, Eiji opens up about how he has fallen into a professional slump. When Ibe asks Eiji about why he looks sad when he competes, he responds that it is because he feels nothing when he jumps. Upon viewing the photos Ibe has taken of Eiji's jump, both men observe that what Eiji is feeling is a sense of weightlessness; Ibe remarks that the bliss on Eiji's face looks like a "home run ball up in the sky."
Image Gallery[]
Main Article: Fly Boy in the Sky/Image Gallery
Trivia[]
- Fly Boy in the Sky was originally published in 1984 — a year before Banana Fish was first published.
- Fly Boy in the Sky has been included in Yoshida's compilation book "吉田秋生The Best Selection (フラワーコミックス)"