This review is only for the two chapters unique to the volume, not for the extras that were also included with 19th volume of the manga. A side story of Banana Fish, this supplement aims to give readers some more context for its less explored characters – Blanca, the assassin, and Eiji Okumura, who is less explored despite being member of the main cast. Blanca’s chapter shows his relationship with Lynx, and his psychological evaluation of the young boy genius. The chapter dues raise an interesting point about the futility of trying to play god and artificially create human “elite”. Despite the art that’s simple but notwhat I would call stylized, I have actually enjoyed reading this chapter more than I did the main manga.

That is not the case with the second chapter, focusing on Eiji. Here, the usual style of cluttered but mostly meaningless dialogue and/or pages is in full force, and despite being merely a single chapter, I got bored of it fast. It doesn’t even bring any interesting content to tie in to the main story, but then again, Eiji always felt somewhat shoehorned to the plot to me.

Overall, those are somewhat average “gaiden” chapters, on the usual level of what you would expect of short side stories. Not exactly great on their own, but mostly enjoyable read for fans of the franchise – though again not much by their own merit but rather by being tied to a successful title.

But that is, after all, simply my… private opinion. *ba dum tss*