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California Tuning Artbook (Akimi Yoshida)

Sorry for these are not proper scans I tried messing around with the camera editor to make the lighting a little better. I finally got California Tuning and All about Akimi Yoshida art books, so I’ll be posting more soon :) if anyone really wants a better high quality pic just message me I’ll do the best I can lol

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hi everybody I have some updates I wanted to tell you guys, I got my hands on the all about akimi Yoshida book along with another book that came with it and California Story’s art book California tuning. I can’t wait to share the scans with you guys as soon as I get them :) on top of that I was thinking about making a YouTube channel just talking about Banana Fish /Yoshida’s Works analyzing and talking about the movie inspirations behind her works and how they tie in. It won’t be for a little while though because I am busy with work and school lol but I hope you guys will be interested !!

I have some other things I want to buy to be able to archive online my goal is to try to get anyone else who has scans or merchandise that is basically none existent now to not gatekeep and share so we can keep a documented archive of it

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1985

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Longer and Slower Than a River 1982 (Kawa yori mo Nagaku Yuruyaka ni)+ California Story Artwork

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California Monotagari (California Story) Artwork PART 2

Credits to @/cutecats96 on Twitter 4 scans

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Thank you so much for this blog. The Banana Fish manga means so much to me. It’s one of those series that is an important work in my life, and a piece of art that is irreplaceable to me. I’m so happy to see a blog dedicated to this wonderful, tragic, magical story—especially the manga!

As an English-speaking reader, I wish all the side stories would have been included in the American release, or in any of the other Western releases. Maybe one day…

Until then. Thank you, Fly Boy~

Aaaah I am soo happy you feel that way, it really encourages me continuing to work on it. Its really disappointing now a days old medias are getting swept under without a trace because they are physical. Only makes me wonder how much of Yoshida's work got lost or is sitting somewhere in somebodies basement. So I really want to work hard to find as much as I can ^_^

I too hope one day the rest of the banana fish spinoffs will be translated, or any of Yoshida's other works for that matter...

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California Monotagari (California Story) 1982 Artwork PART 1

Nagged off my buddy Max on Twitter @/cutecats96 so everybody thank him for the scans lol

California Story is seen as the predecessor to Banana Fish following very similar themes, as well with taking place in New York City too, except set in the late 70s. I highly recommend you read it, I did right after I finished the BFish manga, its around 50-60ish chapters.

The story follows Heath Swanson who's run away from his home in San Diego and travels cross country to NYC to live with some friends. On the way, he meets another runaway kid named Eve, who's dream is to visit California. Eve grows an attachment to Heath and follows him along to New York and they begin on their time surviving NYC in the late 70s.

Also, this story is where Jenkins and Charlie first showed up fun fact, so it too takes place in the same world as banana fish.

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Thank u so much for all that u post!!! I love seeing the og manga material being preserved online :')

Of course!!!! It’s funny because I originally watched the series five ish years ago now and despite really loving it, I didn’t really remember much lol I only decided to rewatch it this past year because I was visiting NYC and I wanted to watch movies/tv that took place there to get hype so I revisited it and it was WAY better than I remembered it was really like watching it for the first time again since I forgot the second half of the story.

Anyway, I enjoyed it so much I went to read the manga which I loved even more since I’m big into eighties culture and music. When I get fixated on things I really wanna dig up anything I can find, which I had a tough time doing for Banana Fish since even today with the anime and its spike in popularity in 2021 many fans didn’t stick around long or dig into the source so there wasn’t people digging up lost art or anything plus the age of the series and that it’s Japanese makes it even harder. So I try my best, thank you!

And if anyone has found lost art or scans they want uploaded, please message me! :)

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Banana Fish Magazine Clippings + Covers

Credit source @/nekokinu on Twitter

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Akimi Yoshida’s Manga Magazine Cover Artwork

Haven’t looked into the name of the magazine, I’ll update later (live posting from work LMFAO)

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Akimi Yoshida’s River Phoenix / Hironobu Nomura + Banana Fish Sketches Art

Uploaded by @/kachi_ttonabf on Twitter. Images are from the late eighties, and I’m assuming the signatures are from the nineties based on the style change.

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Banana Fish Locations in Real Life

Photos from my last couple trips to NYC. I’m from outside of Philadelphia, so I’ve been taking trips often over summer on the train since it’s a short ride lol

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With Liberty and Justice 4 All 🗽

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Banana Fish : Private Opinion from Akimi Yoshida’s Book Special (2017)

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Akimi Yoshida’s Animated Works (1980s and possibly 90s)

I found these on @/ani.crystals page on Instagram. According to her the video above along with 3 others listed in the Dropbox, were commercials she character designed for the Japanese TV news in I assume the eighties or early nineties. The other two videos in Dropbox are from a anime called Bobby’s Girl (1985) where she also did character designs for, and the main character looks strikingly similar to Eiji, along with the character’s voice actor being Hironobu Nomura who Eiji was modeled after.

Because of Tumblrs restrictions to one video per post I’ve decided to combine everything in a Dropbox here. Please check it out! It is fun to imagine this is what Banana Fish could have looked like if it was animated in the 80/90s especially since the animations were done in her original art style.

If link or videos does not work please tell me!!

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"Banana Three Kingdoms" by Akimi Yoshida, "June" March 1992 issue No. 63

Uploaded by @/kachi_ttonaBF on Twitter.

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Banana Fish CD Drama Original Soundtrack Vinyl (1988)