Banana Fish Merch When Banana Fish first started serializing in 1977, women read shounen manga (boys’ comics), and men almost never read shoujo manga (girls’ comics). Yet this particular manga shattered the gender barrier and gained the attention of readers from all over Japan. Its dark story depicted despair and sorrow, but there were also moments of joy – Ash and Eiji’s conversations, the baby banana they shared, or their father-and-son routine with Max Lobo – that made it something more than just a crime thriller. Even though the manga ended in 1981, it remains a beloved masterpiece by hardcore fans. It has even been adapted into an anime. And it is interesting to note that many anime fans who have not read the manga are still watching the anime, albeit for different reasons.
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