Banana Fish episode 23

Yes another banana fish blog. What are you gonna do, sue me?

Now, I don't always have a favourite episode. I watch to watch, and then obsess over the series as a whole. But when I have a favourite, it's my favourite. I won't shut up.

Banana Fish episode 23 - For Whom the Bell Tolls - is an amazing episode. If I had to judge, I would say it's one of the best episodes in Anime history. It probably isn't true, but it is to me!

Eiji is hospitalized after the events of episode 22, in which he protects Ash from being shot by members of Chinatown, and Ash is forced to stay away so Eiji isn't framed as Ash's accomplice. 

This is hard on the both of them. Ash, desperate to see if Eiji is okay, is constantly on edge. He blames himself for the accident, for not being more careful, for having his guard down after years of being on edge, and not noticing the intruders. We can see this in action around the end of episode 22, in which Ash legitimately has to be knocked out by Blanca so he doesn't run after the ambulance. so he can keep Eiji safe. 

Another way this is shown is, when Ash wakes up in episode 23, his thoughts immediately rush to Eiji. The only way he is shaken from this is by being reminded by Blanca the danger he would put Eiji in by staying near him.

In Eiji's case, he feels guilty for the danger he put Ash in by being so close to him, and is desperate to see him again, even in his injured state. When he finally meets Ash again later in the episode, he doesn't want to have Ash in danger because of him, and musters his courage up to push Ash away. 

As stated in the Wikipedia page and by Akimi Yoshida herself, Ash and Eiji's relationship transcends any platonic or romantic relationship. They're unidentifiable. That's what I love so much about them. They don't need labels or a status to dictate them, because they truly are one. Eiji feels when Ash is in danger, and Ash would do anything to keep Eiji safe - even putting his life and sanity at risk. Episode 23 highlights their good and bad parts, and their unmistaken love and yearning for each other. 

I would also like to add in the scene where Cain and Ash interact. Cain knows the bond Ash and Eiji have, and is pained to explain the reasons they can't see one another, but knows he can't do anything to take away Ash's pain. So, in turn, he tells him to stop torturing himself. To stop blaming himself for what has happened, as it isn't his fault.

Ash, though, can't accept the truth. This is when we see one of my favourite scenes, where Ash falls to his knees and prays to God. A God he has never believed in before. He prays for Eiji to make it out safe, and to instead take him. He cries, and then there is silence, whilst somber piano plays out. It's haunting to watch after seeing the series through, but it is such a good scene, remembering that Ash has a martyr complex. He is self sacrificial to a fault. He would sacrifice anything for Eiji - for the people he loves - and would quite literally die just to know others don't suffer. 

Another thing I would like to add is, in the hospital scene, Him and Hym starts to play. My favourite OST in the series. It plays typically during heartfelt moments between the two boys, when they are being vulnerable with one another. What was odd about the placement of this, though, is that when it is playing, the two are separating. 

This amplifies the sadness of the scene. Once used in times the two were so close to each other, now represents the sadness of departure. Him and Hym is their song, and it is the last time it is played in the series. They may have left each other in body, but not in spirit. 

For Whom the Bell Tolls is such a heavy episode. It shows so many different emotions. Desperation, anger, sadness, pride. But Ash and Eiji are shown perfectly. Their characters are depicted in such a way it's hard not to notice their love. It's perfect.