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Yut Lung (Mandarin: 李月龙, Lǐ Yuè Lóng, Cantonese: 李月龍, Lei Yut Lung) is one of the main antagonists of the series and the youngest son of the Lee family, the largest crime family in China.

Possessing an encyclopedic knowledge of herbs and poisons, he allies with Golzine to determine the chemical composition of Banana Fish. Yut Lung possesses a deep grudge towards his brothers, who raped and murdered his concubine mother, and eventually violently deposes them.

He is hostile towards Ash Lynx and Eiji Okumura, and frequently attempts to capture and murder the latter in Banana Fish.

Appearance[]

Yut Lung has long black hair down to his hips that is usually tied into a ponytail by a red tassel-like cord at the neck, and sometimes, draped over his shoulder. His hairstyle sometimes varies from braided, to let down freely. He has black eyes (purple-hued in the anime) and has often been mistaken for a woman because of his appearance. He also has a dragon tattoo along his neck, but by Episode 12 To Have and Have Not the tattoo is shown to be gone. Then the tattoo comes back in Episode 19 Ice Palace. He wears small white/pearl earrings in his ears. He can often be seen posing himself in more feminine manners.

In the manga, Yut Lung did not have a dragon tattoo, it was instead a dragon bracelet.

Personality[]

Yut Lung is most of the time quiet and stoic. Although he presents himself usually politely and harmless, he is actually a cold-hearted, ruthless, calculating, and deeply resentful young man. The cruel death of his mother which he was forced to witness at six years old, along with the fact that his family views him with very little regard, has left him not only thirsty for vengeance but also devoid of any form of love for most of his life, as hatred is his primary motivator; stating that he would even kill his brother's wives and children to wipe out the Lee family.

Because of this, he has no qualms about using Banana Fish on his brothers and even has them executed. Yut Lung's most recurring trait is his deep loathing for Eiji Okumura, which he goes on to say comes as "natural" as the desire of others to protect Eiji. At the same time, he believes he and Ash are alike due to their similar upbringings and has at many times tried to have Eiji killed because he saw how both men deeply and purely cared for one another; something he is implied to be incredibly jealous of.

Yut Lung likely resents Ash and Eiji's close relationship for they can care for each other unconditionally, something Yut Lung is unable to understand as he was surprised when Ash was ready to commit suicide to save Eiji. Yut Lung's many attempts on Eiji and his dislike of him are because Eiji is the opposite of Yut Lung, someone raised with love and whom people love, while Ash, unlike Yut Lung, is not purely motivated by hatred like him, for Ash has people he cares about and care about him, while Yut Lung does not.

Despite his flaws, Yut Lung is not completely devoid of morality for he too was horrified by Shorter's fate when he was given the Banana Fish injection and Ash was forced to kill him.

Yut Lung's demeanor and his fondness for wine may make it seem like he's over eighteen, but he's only sixteen years old.

Despite Yut Lung's actions, he still rarely shows a somewhat kinder side to him. For example, when Ash had thrown a knife at Blanca and it had gone into his arm, and Yut Lung had been tossed down a flight of stairs, yet brushed it off, he still asked if Blanca was okay. He also helped to free Ash, and even if that was for his own plan, he still gave him ointment for his wounds to prevent an infection.

History[]

It is revealed in Episode 23 that his mother was a poor street vendor's daughter and became the mistress of his father, who was 65 at the time, when she was only ten years old. His mother gave birth to him at the age of 15. Although Yut Lung's mother was a concubine, his father treated them both well as he presumed that due to his age Yut Lung would be his last child.

Yut Lung's father suddenly died when he was six years old, and soon after his six older half-brothers raped and murdered his mother as he was held back in Hua Lung's arms, who was fifteen at the time, which he described as, "watching my mother being eaten by demons." Their motivations for the cruel murder were both because Yut Lung was a mistress's child and because she would be a threat to their inheritance if left alive.

As Yut Lung's brothers were much stronger, older, and influential, they took advantage of and abused him, forcing him to accentuate his feminine traits and engage in child prostitution, as seen in one episode where Yut Lung was made by the Lees to sleep with Dino as a welcome gift to the Lee Conglomerate and Corsican Mafia's budding business partnership. It is also implied that Hua Lung possesses romantic feelings for Yut Lung, as he states, "I know you're kin, but you make my heart flutter."

Due to experiencing these traumas, Yut Lung grew to hate his brothers for raping and murdering his mother and abusing him. He vowed to bring the lee family to extinction and avenge his mother by killing his brothers for the crimes they'd committed against them.

Story[]

Main Article: Yut Lung/Synopsis

Relationships[]

  • Ash Lynx: Later he considers himself and Ash to be like Yin and Yang. He considers Ash a great demon and wants him to assume control of the Corsican Mafia just so that Yut Lung can fight all out against such a foe. He seems to see himself in Ash, so much so that they are almost the same, to the point that when Ash finds someone who cares for him and for whom he can depend, Yut Lung becomes driven by jealousy, wanting Ash to continue to feel alone, just as he had felt.
  • Eiji Okumura: Yut Lung is shown to have a strong hatred towards Eiji. This stems from believing he will drag Ash down. He also hates Eiji because of how much he means to Ash, seeing him as an undesirable weakness. He shows resentment towards Eiji for having a "normal" and sheltered life in comparison to Yut Lung and Ash. However, it's implied that he also craves to have that sort of connection with someone.
  • Shorter Wong: He was under the impression that their Chinese ties would be enough to get Shorter to cooperate with his plan. Yut Lung uses Shorter's sister as leverage to ensure Shorter's participation and appears to see him as a means to an end to carry out the kidnapping at hand. When Shorter discovers Yut Lung's true identity and nature, he reacts with anger, referring to Yut Lung as a snake, wishing he could kill him if it wasn't for his sister's life being on the line. Despite Yut Lung using Shorter as a means to kidnap Eiji for his brothers' plans, he seemed genuinely horrified by Shorter's demise and didn't seem to know what would happen to him.
  • Sing Soo-Ling: Recognizing Sing at Dino Golzine's manor, Yut Lung approached him and simply told him to come with him. With Yut’s family connections and Sing’s gang at risk, he obliged. Despite Yut Lung's actions, Sing appears to show some concern for Yut Lung, though he tries to push him away at first. After Yut Lung's treatment of Sing's gang, Sing is unable to forgive him, but after finding out about his past, he comes to understand Yut Lung, and is unable to hate him. In the end, he tells Yut Lung he must live to make up for his mistakes and offers to help him make peace in Chinatown again. Yut Lung believes Sing is justified in killing him for his actions.
    However, as evidenced by their last interaction in display, in which the two share a sincere talk which soon turns into a juvenile squabble it is likely that the two become far closer, making Sing the one person that Yut Lung yearned for all his life, somebody who would show concern and sympathy for his sake. Many portray them as lovers.
  • Dino Golzine: He travels to meet the mob boss and joins him in bed as the Corsican mafia and Lee clan consolidate power amongst themselves. In his manor, Yut uses the opportunity to gain intel on Golzine's plans and later joins him in his goal to capture Ash Lynx. Yut Lung comes to regard Golzine as a rival to his territorial expansion and to that end initiates a plot with Blanca to catch Ash in the first step to undermine Golzine. Yut Lung would not intend to work alongside him but rather see him as someone to depose only for Yut with the backing of the Chinese mafia to further their goals in America.
  • Blanca: He employed Blanca into his service after his contract with Dino Golzine had been completed. He is persistent in getting Blanca's hired help despite the latter's repeated refusal, though he eventually agrees to work for him after saving him from an assassination attempt. He later asks him not to leave when Blanca wants to end their contract.
  • Lee Wang Lung: Yut Lung's oldest half-brother. Because Wang Lung was the oldest and first inheritor of the Lee organization, Yut Lung held the most resentment toward him for most likely organizing the murder of his mother. Yut Lung's hatred grew over the years as he was forced to do the work his brothers placed upon him until he was eventually able to get his revenge.
  • Lee Hua Lung: His brother who he has worked with for a time. Hua-Lung was his brother who held Yut Lung back while his other siblings violated his mother. Later, he is even shown flirting with Yut Lung, touching his hair and commenting on how he looks beautiful, and more like his mother every day. Eventually, Yut Lung administers him the Banana Fish drug reducing him to essentially a mindless thrall, and uses him as a figurehead for the Lee family, while he controls things from behind the scenes.
  • Wu: Yut Lung's loyal servant and bodyguard who is later killed by Ash, seems to shock and frighten him to some degree.
  • Yut Lung's Mother: Yut Lung's mother was raped and killed by his half-brothers in front of him when he was six years old. Because of what they did to his mother, Yut Lung aims to get his revenge by killing his brothers and the entire Lee family. Yut Lung cared very much for his mother through these actions.

Etymology[]

Yut Lung's name is known as "The Moon Dragon" that swallows the darkness.

Abilities[]

Yut Lung is an expert herbalist and poison maker, having deep knowledge of multiple forms of either and their effects, as well as being skillful enough with proper dose usage. His wisdom on these matters is deep enough to allow him to understand the real effects of Banana Fish upon seeing its chemical composition even before its explanation. He is also skilled in the usage of acupuncture.

Being raised among the Lee family even as an outcast has given him a deep knowledge of the underworld, its affairs, and its darkness. He has also been used as a prostitute on his brother's orders, similar to Ash's own experiences, which has allowed him to show a masquerade of weakness that has tricked many. Once rising to power Yut Lung proved himself a capable criminal mastermind although still lacking behind the likes of Golzine.

Yut Lung has also been trained in multiple subjects such as the art of assassination as he can sneak behind people without making any noise. Despite this, Yut Lung is not a physical fighter and is completely defenseless if held against his will in any manner.

Equipment[]

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Yut Lung carries anesthetic needles with him. He pulls a needle out and proceeds to aim for his victim's neck. Making them turn into a "doll-like" state. The anesthetic varies, two examples of which are Shunichi Ibe not being able to move but can still hear and see, while Eiji Okumura cannot see, hear, or move. Sometimes the needles can remove the "doll-like" state, but makes the victim's muscles numb, as shown by Eiji's recovery.

 Episode Appearances[]

Quotes[]

  • "A bloody history is inevitable when you are the ruling clan"
  • (To Sing) "What's wrong? You hated him, right? Guess what? So do I"
  • (To Eiji) "No need to glare. I won't eat you up."
  • (To Eiji) "There's nothing you can do to help Ash."
  • (To Eiji) "And what can you do to help him?"
  • (To Eiji) "You really irritate me."
  • (To Eiji) "You want people to protect you, like with Ash, or make them want to tear you apart and crush you."
  • (To Eiji) "So, what to do with you now."
  • (To Eiji sleeping) "I heard you tried to escape again. You have some spunk."
  • "Nothing is born from history"[2]
  • (Yut to Ash regarding Blanca and Eiji) “We have hired him, his target is your friend”[3]
  • (To Lao) “I have other things for you to do for me.”[4]
  • (Discussing with Blanca Yut's plans for Ash and Eiji) “We still have two more scorpions. Unlike Lao, they know what’s best for them.”
  • “I'm a monster too, Blanca.”
  • “I'm not hearing any good news.”
  • “Ash, in fact, becomes all tame when he's around him. He's degraded from alone lynx to a content pet cat.”
  • (To Blanca) Depending on your answer, I may not forgive you.

Trivia[]

  • He is the seventh and youngest son of the Lee brothers.
  • Yut Lung has been compared to a snake a few times in the story.
  • Yut Lung is the youngest antagonist in the Banana Fish series.
  • In the manga, he does not have a dragon tattoo on his neck and instead wears a bracelet with a dragon on it.
  • It is unclear how much of his background after his parents died is true as it most likely could have been thoroughly fabricated to make himself seem less suspicious to others and Alexis Dawson even disproving that Yut Lung was not adopted by him as previously claimed.
  • Akimi Yoshida once stated in an interview that she despises Yut Lung, saying, "I haaaaate him." She dislikes his pessimistic personality and "those who confine themselves in the shadows", and found his long hair irritating to colour.[5]

References[]

  1. Banana Fish Production Book. Photos found here.
  2. Banana Fish Episode 17
  3. Episode 18
  4. Banana Fish Anime Episode 22
  5. Comic Box 'Actors' Interview 1990, found here

Navigation[]

Banana Fish
People
Main Characters Ash Lynx | Eiji Okumura
Ash's and Eiji's affiliates Max Lobo | Shunichi Ibe | Griffin Callenreese | Jessica Randy | Alexis Dawson
Corsican Mafia Dino Golzine | Marvin Crosby | Frederick Arthur | Abraham Dawson | Mannerheim | Blanca | Eduardo L. Fox
Chinese Mafia Yut-Lung | Shorter Wong | Sing Soo-Ling | Lao Yen Tai
Street Kids Alex | Skip | Bones | Kong | Cain Blood
New York City Police Department Jenkins | Charlie Dickinson
Other Characters Minor Characters
LOCATIONS
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