It’s crazy for me to think that I once thought Banana Fish‘s villains were weak. I still think Arthur and Abraham weren’t the cream of the crop but this side of the cast has significantly improved over the course of the show.
Golzine admittedly has always been a compelling threat though this episode has the most screen time in which he and Ash are onscreen together which, in turn, gives us better insight at how messy this relationship is. Be it as a sex toy or his successor in his criminal empire, Golzine doesn’t appear to value Ash as a real person. Were he not pleased with Ash in one way or the other, he probably would’ve gotten rid of the boy by now. That he still puts up with Ash’s rebellion is astounding but I suppose that has to do with pride. The man is still convinced he can put the lynx on a leash and he doesn’t want to admit that he can’t. It’s no wonder that Ash is actually losing the will to live while he remains under Golzine’s wing.
As much as I like Golzine, I must admit that I have been finding my attention drawn more towards Yut-Lung. Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if he turns out to be Ash’s final opponent instead of Golzine. He’s certainly been very nefarious as of late. Just at the start of this episode, he tries to hire Blanca to kill Eiji and that’s minutes after Ash agrees to his and Golzine’s terms. A scummy move, for sure, but it amuses me just how much this mafia leader dislikes this one normal guy and getting Golzine’s finest assassin on your side would be the smart thing to do. My only issue with this guy is how often he seems to be getting information off-screen. I’m just saying, attributing all the dirt he’s gotten on Golzine and Blanca to the Chinese mafia’s network is a really contrived way for him to advance his schemes.
Ultimately, Blanca does join Yut-Lung albeit on the condition that he just acts as a bodyguard who will only kill when necessary. I’m curious what the significance is behind the dirt Yut-Lung got on him. Why does it matter to Blanca that another person knows his real identity and the fact that he once had a wife? Maybe Blanca had a child with his wife and has acted as assassin to secretly secure funds for said child. Cliche I know but it’s not too far from the realm of possibility with Banana Fish.
Normally, I’m all for a rescue mission plot but having Eiji as the leader is incredibly worrisome. I like the guy and it’s a bit refreshing to see him stage the bold plan for a change but again, he’s in a world he doesn’t belong in. For crying out loud, he’s yet to fire a gun at someone, let alone kill with it. Even with having Sing and Cain on his side, I just shrug off the feeling something may go awry next episode. Eiji, I hope you know what you’re doing.
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