AshEiji

AshEiji is the slash ship between Ash Lynx and Eiji Okumura from the Banana Fish fandom.

Canon
Eiji was the first person to Ash who has done something good to him without wanting anything in return, Eiji wants to protect Ash despite his lack of experience with fighting, using guns or being part of a gang.

Eiji tells Ash, "My words might not mean anything now, but just remember one thing. Even if the world turns on you, I'll always be on your side."

Ash cares for Eiji, saying ''"At least I know there's one guy who cares about me, It's the happiest feeling in the world." ''He'd rather be around one real person (Eiji) than be around fakes, people with high positions, Etc.

He cares so much to the point that he almost killed himself without hesitation, just to save Eiji.

In Banana Fish, Garden of Light, Sing explains to Akira Ibe that Ash and Eiji didn't have a sexual relationship but loved each other the way lovers do. He goes on to say, "'They were... connected to each other, soul to soul.'"

Fanon
Many fans are unsatisfied with the ending and create alternate universes (AUs) where Ash lives. Fans are also upset that their relationship is asexual (though they have romantic feelings for each other), however this fact is what makes Banana Fish popular among asexual fans.

On AO3, AshEiji is the most written relationship for both Ash and Eiji; It's also the most written ship within the Banana Fish tag.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

TUMBLR

Trivia

 * AshEiji was listed as one of fandom's top 7 anime ships of 2018.
 * Many people compare Banana Fish to No.6 and Yuri!!! on ice because all three feature a queer relationship at its core.
 * The author of No.6 stated that she based the relationship between Shion and Nezumi off of Ash and Eiji's.
 * Yoshida refers to Ash as “onee“ and Eiji as ”tachi“ implying that Eiji plays the more dominant role in their relationship.
 * Ash and Eiji are very frequently depicted together in official art. This is the case for both the show and the manga.
 * Though Ash's death is confirmed in "The Garden of Light" manga, the anime remains open-ended.