Opposites attract (and in a mature way) in Banana Fish
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygN0GnfbrFY - 12:59
The video analysis I use in this reflection of the anime Banana Fish is one that appeared as a
recommended video for me on youtube recently. When I first watched this video, I knew it was an
anime I wanted to talk about due to how it handles its sexual themes, which is something I like to be
careful of myself when analyzing anime (refer to the Day 2 - Introduction post for my anime classes
when talking about human sexuality). How it does this is with the principle of opposites attract,
specifically with two characters who are completely different from each other, as well as their worlds,
but still manage to connect in a meaningful, and mature, way (the only other anime I know of that does
something like this is the other recent anime Carole & Tuesday, which I have already written a
reflection about).
Anyway, these two characters are Ash and Eiji. While Ash is more of an empty shell of who he
used to be due to his upbringing involving the mafia, Eiji is someone who sees Ash as an actual
person due to his personality, which involves his willingness to help Ash with his problems, even if
Ash needs to help Eiji in order for Eiji to help Ash. In other words, Eiji and Ash complement one
another, which is probably why the idea of opposites attract works so well when applied to people.
How the sexual issues of this relationship are handled is commendable, which isn't done well very
often in anime. Ash and Eiji are gay, but besides for a few moments, you wouldn't really be aware of
that. It's important to them, but no one else really needs to do anything about it except for accepting
that by acknowledging it in a mature way. Besides homosexuality, sexual abuse, like rape, is also dealt
with in a mature way. Eiji helps Ash deal with these difficult experiences in his life by talking to him
about it in a comforting way, which no one else in the anime does. Sexual abuse is also something that
needs to be acknowledged in a mature way.
Overall, Banana Fish is an anime where opposites attract in a mature way, which is something
anime should do more often in order for it to be taken more seriously.
The video analysis I use in this reflection of the anime Banana Fish is one that appeared as a
recommended video for me on youtube recently. When I first watched this video, I knew it was an
anime I wanted to talk about due to how it handles its sexual themes, which is something I like to be
careful of myself when analyzing anime (refer to the Day 2 - Introduction post for my anime classes
when talking about human sexuality). How it does this is with the principle of opposites attract,
specifically with two characters who are completely different from each other, as well as their worlds,
but still manage to connect in a meaningful, and mature, way (the only other anime I know of that does
something like this is the other recent anime Carole & Tuesday, which I have already written a
reflection about).
Anyway, these two characters are Ash and Eiji. While Ash is more of an empty shell of who he
used to be due to his upbringing involving the mafia, Eiji is someone who sees Ash as an actual
person due to his personality, which involves his willingness to help Ash with his problems, even if
Ash needs to help Eiji in order for Eiji to help Ash. In other words, Eiji and Ash complement one
another, which is probably why the idea of opposites attract works so well when applied to people.
How the sexual issues of this relationship are handled is commendable, which isn't done well very
often in anime. Ash and Eiji are gay, but besides for a few moments, you wouldn't really be aware of
that. It's important to them, but no one else really needs to do anything about it except for accepting
that by acknowledging it in a mature way. Besides homosexuality, sexual abuse, like rape, is also dealt
with in a mature way. Eiji helps Ash deal with these difficult experiences in his life by talking to him
about it in a comforting way, which no one else in the anime does. Sexual abuse is also something that
needs to be acknowledged in a mature way.
Overall, Banana Fish is an anime where opposites attract in a mature way, which is something
anime should do more often in order for it to be taken more seriously.
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