To mark the anime’s fifth anniversary, writer Hiroshi Seko was interviewed recently by Febri. There, Seko explained the classic American literature references in Banana Fish.
The original manga series was already inspired by classic American literature from the likes of Ernest Hemingway and J.D. Salinger, but the anime expanded on this even more by having its episode titles be classic American novels.
Along with these, Seko also shared in the interview some American TV shows that he loves, which may have inspired his work on various anime series.
Writer Hiroshi Seko Shares the American Literature Episode Title References
The Banana Fish anime by MAPPA was released back in 2018, and it is based on the manga by renowned artist Akimi Yoshida.
Banana Fish features numerous American literature references. For example, the protagonist, Ash Lynx, compared his life to The Snows of Kilimanjaro by Hemingway.
Its title is also inspired by Salinger’s A Perfect Day for Bananafish.
These aren’t just surface-level references though, as the themes the series explores are also informed by the cynical leanings of American modernist novels.
To further reflect this, and to celebrate the iconic writers of America during the early 20th century, Hiroshi Seko shared in the interview that it was his idea to make each episode’s title a reference to American literature.
Specifically, he listed 50 titles as candidates, and that was narrowed down to 24.
Aside from Hemingway and Salinger, the episode titles also feature works by William Faulkner and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Seko also shared that he wanted to include Truman Capote in the title candidates, but no work of Capote’s worked as an episode title for the show.
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Banana Fish Writer on the Other Works That Inspire Him
While Banana Fish is heavily informed by literature, Seko also mentioned that several American TV shows were also points of inspiration for his work.
Specifically, Seko mentioned the likes of Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, and The Walking Dead.
While he didn’t say how these shows inspired Banana Fish, Seko alluded that the pace of the anime was inspired by these shows.
Although the interview isn’t for a new project in the series, Banana Fish is celebrating its 5th anniversary with new merch, a collab café, and screenings of the anime.
This 5th-anniversary celebration will begin this August, and more details about it are expected to be revealed in the coming weeks.
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Source: Febri
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