#yes he was a terrible older brother to eiji but now he's trying to become friends with all the younger male prisoners

[linagram]

i just realized that if eiji and miki are the guards.. it means that they would most likely have to cover the prisoners' songs just like es did still waiting for their half and harrow covers.

so i think eiji would cover the male prisoners' songs and miki would cover the female prisoners' songs and it's such a funny concept to me because it would go like this:

miki: NO!! THESE GIRLS DIDN'T DESERVE TO SUFFER!! I FORGIVE ALL OF THEM THEY ALL HAD A REASON TO KILL SOMEONE!!

eiji: what do you MEAN I HAVE TO COVER MY OLDER BROTHER (who i hate and for a good reason)'S SONG.

and also i'm pretty sure kei's song would be a banger so it's like. eiji would cry because he has to cover his brother's song AND WHAT'S EVEN WORSE IS THAT HIS BROTHER'S SONG IS ACTUALLY GOOD

[fairydust-stuff]

Banana Fish: an Understanding of Lao

Lao Yen Thai Sing’s half brother seems to be the pariah of the Banana fish fandom, with fans often putting him in the same category as Dino Goldzine, Yut’s older brothers and even Foxx. I do understand why he’s a hate sink for some people he stabbed Ash and his actions lead to Ash dying and Eiji ending up depressed in the spin offs. However I like Lao as a character and i can see where he's comeing from. Therefore, I feel compelled to analyze Lao’s final heartbreaking choice from what little we saw of him.

Lao’s point of view

The way Lao see’s it Ash killed Shorter Wong who was both of their friend in episode 21. Yut Lung even states “You deplore Ash for letting Shorter die” and why shouldn’t he? Neither Ash nor Sing is giving him any practical reasons for trusting the guy. While it could be argued that Lao should trust Sing as his boss. I emphasize with his frustration of being kept in the dark and being asked to take Orders from Ash, who’s not even his boss and who everyone claims had good reasons but are offering none of what those reasons are. Also Lao is like a lot of the other gang kids concerned with whose top dog. “ I just want you to become King of Chinatown” Lao states during episode 22 because as we’ve seen in Banana Fish who has the power does matter and for these kids it means survival. So yes he wants his little brother to dominate the streets. He is caught up in the power games of the streets and territory disputes the distractions that keep people like Dino and the Lee’s in power. That’s what Lao was taught and that’s what he prioritizes. He originally see’s Ash as a threat to Sing’s position and as his brother feels it’s his job to protect Sing’s throne so to speak. You could argue that Lao thinks Ash got Shorter killed to make a play for China town. From his point of view he’s protecting both his territory and his brother.

Lao has a point Whether Yoshida intended this or not Lao actually brought up a valid point “ All he cares about is that Japanese boy!” this is a pretty valid point Ash has basically prioritized Eiji’s safety over that of the entire group during this arch and continues to do so. It’s not unfounded for Lao to not be a fan of this choice since he prioritizes the needs of his own group over that of Ash’s boyfriend. The only reason this seems wrong is because we’re constantly told by the narrative that no one is allowed to have concerns or goals that don’t line up with Ash’s desires except bad guys but framed from an outside point of view it’s at least understandable that Lao feels this way.

Lao is the least vindictive antagonist Ash has Sure Lao spies for Yut lung but he flat out refuses to kill Eiji he may not prioritize the other guys safety over that of his whole gang, but he’s not going out of his way to hurt the guy either. Lao does not believe in harming those who he has no cause to target. Unlike many other Antagonists Lao one hundred percent refuses to drag Eiji into his conflict with Ash. This proves Lao isn’t a terrible person and what causes him to kill Ash is the idea, Ash is a threat to his brothers safety. Sing states him and Ash are going to fight eventually, even though he can’t beat Ash. This thought scares Lao because he knows if Sing fights Ash he will die. As shown by Lao going up against one of Yut’s goons and throwing Sing into the water he just wants his younger brother to be safe. How is that any different from Ash pulling the trigger on the gun Yut handed him to keep Eiji safe? Ash has no problem killing or trying to keep Eiji safe Lao is the same way about his brother. It’s a different form of love but its still love. Also Ash murdered Fredrick and his guys for Shorter. Lao wanted to but actually showed more restraint out of respect for Sing. He’s no worse than Ash when it comes down to it

Tragic I don’t think Lao’s death was supposed to be positive. Nadia states earlier in the story “These kids are killing each other and you do nothing” Lao vs Ash could be argued to be an example of this. It could be argued that Ash didn’t have to choose death and that Lao didn’t have to stab him but the tragedy of it is Lao did. We don’t know a lot about Lao and Sing’s background but we do know that Shorter meant a lot to them both. It can be argued Lao hasn’t had the time to process his grief properly and when struck with the notion his brother could be the next let emotion cloud his judgement. It’s very telling that Lao’s last words to Ash are “I won’t let you take Sing away!” Lao committed a terrible crime because he was driven by fear and unlike Ash didn’t have Max or any adult support to help him work through these feelings. Lao only knew the ways of streets where every problem is solved by violence. Is it that surprising that Lao didn’t see any other option then stabbing Ash?

Final thoughts Lao is dead he paid the price for his choice and now Sing has to identify his body. We don’t know his age but I’m guessing he’s not much older than Ash. Also unlike Superhero shonen action protagonist Ash lynx. Lao’s of the world really do exist in the gang scene. There are a lot of gang members who kill rival gang members in retaliation for the deaths of their friends or protection of their own and then get killed themselves. it’s a vicious cycle and its not justice, just very sad especially for those who have to deal with the aftermath of losing a child or sibling to gang violence.

Also Lao is not and I repeat not as bad as Foxx or any of the Lee brothers. Who even came up with the notion a sixteen year old kid who wants to protect his fourteen year old brother is even remotely on par with sadistic rapists? Even Lao in his well -intentioned yet oblivious dumb ass choices are miles above the Lee brothers in terms of how to treat your half-brother. I’m not going to pretend Lao is saint or murder isn’t wrong, but i do not believe he belongs in the same category as the likes of Dino Golzine. So there you have it, I like Lao and I don’t think he deserves all the hate the fandom gives him. So i thought i'd share some of my thoughts.

[lapinbunwrites]

Origin:

Name: Anais Kobayashi

Nickname(s): Ace

Meaning of Name: Grace (Anais) Small forest (Kobayashi)

Hero Name: Night Hero: Nightstalker

Birthday: October 31st 1987

Age: 25

Gender: Female

Place of Birth: America

Lives Where: Bellevue Nebraska

Nationality: American

Ethnicity: Biracial, French/Japanese

Occupation: Headmaster of USP

Physical:

Height: 5’8”

Hair Color: Dyed black, naturally white

Eye Color: Icy Blue

Complexion: Tan

Face Shape: Round

Distinguishing Feature: Scar across right eye, has a flame scar on her back

Blood Type: O-

Power: Ice and Fire

Family

Siblings: Yes

How many: Four

Where in family: Oldest

Siblings: Anja Kobayashi, Ren Kobayashi, Akane Kobayashi, Ryo Kobayashi

Parents: Elena Kobayashi, Eiji Kobayashi

Relationships:

Eiji: She has a deep seeded hatred towards him. She does not and will not forgive him for all the abuse he has caused for her and her family. They would constantly fight with each other, physically and verbally. He would constantly belittle and berate her for not being strong enough. Eiji had very high expectations for her, wanting her to surpass him and everyone. He wanted her to become the strongest person in the world. Their relationship got to the point where she couldn’t take him anymore. She left home one day without telling him. She hasn’t seen him since she left.

Elena: Anais holds some hate and resentment towards her mother. Her mother would constantly belittle her for not being as strong as her or being able to control her powers as great as she could. Her mother would constantly berate her about how she wasn’t good enough. She would verbally abuse her. Anais gained resentment towards her mother when she left her and her siblings.

Anja: They were close to a certain degree. They had a mutual understanding of each other’s role. She does deeply care for her younger sister, going out of her way to make sure she was doing okay. She tried her very best to make herself smile. She would secretly go out of her way to give her some gifts. She always felt terrible for leaving her behind to take care of the younger three.

Ren: They weren’t very close, though she did care for him. She would often try to help him with anything he needed. The two didn’t know a whole lot about each other. She would often, when there father wasn’t around, play video games with him to help him with his anger. The two would hardly ever talk about anything. He was always distant from her.

Akane: She wasn’t close to her. Even though she had a harder time trying to take care for her, she did care for her. She was a bit stricter on her since she was there to take care of her. She was mostly seen as a mother figure than a sister.

Ryo: Anais was protective of Ryo. She knew the horrors of training that their father would put them through. She was very kind and caring towards him, always making sure that he had a smile on his face, even if it was short lived. She would always take the fall for him if he would get in trouble. Anais would always stand up for her youngest brother when he would abuse him.

Ichiko: At the age of eighteen, Ichiko took her niece in when she left home. She took care of her and helped trained her until she became a sidekick for a superhero. The two are relatively close to each other. Ichiko knows a few habits that Anais has and tries to help her to the best of her ability. Anais cares for her greatly and always feels indebted to her for looking out for and taking care for her.

Leon: Leon was her babysitter when she was a child and when her mother was still around. She has known him since she was five years old. He took care of her until she was the age of ten. When she turned twenty, the two saw each other again. At first, he was wasn’t all too happy with her. He was harsh on her, especially when she became the headmaster of USP. After a couple of years, the two grew close to one another. He became the closest person to be a father figure to her. The two would have each other’s back when it came to fighting and they would do almost anything for her. He would pretend that he didn’t know anything about spoiling her.

Hawkeye: At first, she couldn’t stand him. Anais found him annoying and irritating. She found him to be a nuisances. They were only ever to work together for one mission and never see each other again. It took many years for Anais to open up, but she gave him some trust. After things got hairy with missions she had to go on with him, and after revealing who she was, she put full trust into him. She then started to fall in love with him. The two get married and they have a child.

Secrets:

Phobia(s): Being left behind

Dream(s): To live peacefully

Most Ashamed Of: Leaving her siblings behind

Compulsion(s): Has a habit of picking the skin off of her lips

Obsession(s): Flowers, Finding games

Secret Hobbie(s): Flower arranging

Secret Skill(s): Singing

Love Interest: Hawkeye

Details/Quirks:

Morning or Night: Night

Light Sleeper or Heavy Sleeper: Light (has trouble sleeping at night)

Favorite Dish: Pork rice, onions, carrots with red sauce

Favorite Type of Food: Umami

Least Favorite: Bitter

Favorite Movie: Mulan

Least Favorite Movie: Gone Girl

Favorite Song: Happy Now By Zedd Ft. Elley Duhe

Least Favorite Song: Anything by Ed Sheeran

Coffee or Tea: Neither

Left Handed or Right Handed: Left

Specialties: Hand-to-Hand-Combat. Mid-Range Combat, Long-Range Combat

Appearance:  Anais is a tall woman with a tan skin tone, a well toned body, icy blue eyes, with dyed black hair. Her natural hair color is white. Her hair goes to her mid back. She usually keeps it in a ponytail or up in a bun. She lets her bangs hang out. The bangs that are closest to her ears are longer than the ones by her forehead. For work, Anais wears pant suits. Her casual outfits consists of short sleeved shirts, skinny jeans, jackets, graphic tees, shorts, sometimes skirts, and tennis shoes. For her hero work, she wears a black hooded jacket, black skinny jeans, black ankle boots. She usually hides her face and covers it with a visor glasses and black half mask that covers her mouth. She makes sure she hides her face so no one knows who she is.

Personality: When Anais was in elementary school, she was a happy-go-lucky girl. She was always seen with a smile, even though her parents weren’t nice to her. She always tried to look on the bright side of things. Her personality drastically changed when she hit eighth grade. She started to stop talking to people and started to become more standoffish and distant. Anais became stoic and let whatever happen, happen. She hardly ever complained when something bad happened to her. This led to her aloof personality into her adulthood. She hardly made friends. The things she says comes off as cold and she is seen as cold. Even though she won’t admit it, or show it, she does care for about people, such as her students and the teachers. She is an intelligent and hardworking woman. She still second guesses herself when making big decisions, which leads to mistakes. Anais is an awkward woman who sometimes stutters over her words when in new situations or around new people she doesn’t want to meet.  

Background: Anais is the eldest daughter and oldest child of her family. She has two younger sisters and two younger brothers. She is ten years older than her youngest sibling. She is the daughter of the second and third greatest heroes. She has something rare, having two powers, ice and fire. Her father being having the power of fire and her mother having the power of ice. At a young age, she was able to use to use both powers right away. Her father saw her power one day and decided to train her that day. She realized that her father wasn’t going to nice to her about it. She pretended that it was a fluke and repressed both of her powers. Her father would train her in her hand-to-hand combat and swords. He knew she could wield her powers and tried to beat her to use it, but she refused to. From then on, she would see what powers her siblings would have and she would practice her powers in secret.

At the age of thirteen, her mother decided to leave them. She took it upon herself to take her younger siblings. She wouldn’t to anything after school. She would go right home to make sure that her family was doing all right. Anais found out that her youngest brother was similar to her. He had the same powers as her, ice and fire. She became protective of him, defending him whenever their father decided to train and beat him. It then became too much for her bare, so she left herself.

She talked to her younger sister, the one closest in age to her, before she left. She decided to crashed at her aunt’s place and stayed with her for a while. Because of her, she was able to get a job as a sidekick. She was able to help a hero, the headmaster of the University of Superpowers. When she became a sidekick, she disregarded her birth name and went by the name Ace. She mostly worked in the shadows and at night, dubbing her the Night Hero: Nightstalker. When the headmaster passed away, they elected her as the new one.