Just Sad Manga

I bring to you the bane of my existence, a life lesson in learning to just say "fuck it that'll do"

Personal grievances aside, i love banana fish (and especially shorash) so very dearly and i cannot express my excitement for the dub, i have been waiting for this for 6 years up until now

ALSO this is very vaguely a redraw of this drawing i did from.. 2024????? I think????

thank you @flyboyeiji for suggesting the idea!!

close-ups and reference:

How I felt drawing Asheiji in the big 26:

I had the ending spoiled to me before I even started reading and it still got me.

Original:

i feel like i can't form coherent thoughts about the boy other than I LOVE OKUMURA EIJI SO MUCH. I mean, he's definitely /not/ the bubbly puppy we met in the anime. not just that. i knew the anime toned down his more abrasive insults and i could figured out he was in his own kind of depression after the injury from anime only, but it's the breaking of the facade that he had a perfect life before the main series.

He's probably still raised with love and adoration that's why he was able to radiate that. He had an ordinary life, came with it ordinary troubles. I don't know if i find it personally relatable, but it's just realistic to have regrets in your life.

I could understand better why he fell for Ash. It was his assertiveness, confidence, and the fact that he kept fighting back that inspired him. There are attractive qualities in general, but fly boy informed why Eiji in particular would be drawn to those qualities that he didn't have. And you can see how he was influenced by that strength, particularly in his growth in the second half of the series.