Netflix is bringing Banana Fish back into rotation. Starting August 12, 2026, MAPPA's 2018 crime thriller lands on Netflix in select regions — with brand-new English and French dubs — after quietly dropping off Amazon Prime Video. If you missed it the first time, this is the cleanest place to start.
Quick answer
Banana Fish returns to Netflix on August 12, 2026 in select regions, with new English and French dubs. The 24-episode series aired in July 2018, animated by MAPPA, directed by Hiroko Utsumi with scripts by Hiroshi Seko, adapting Akimi Yoshida's manga (relocated from the 1980s to contemporary New York). According to SenpaiRanks, Banana Fish sits in the strong tier of its catalog with an adjusted score of 7.88 — rate it yourself to move that number.
Where to watch it
Netflix takes over on August 12. The move matters because the show had gone dark on Amazon Prime Video, so for a stretch there was no legal home for it at all. We list platforms the way Crunchyroll won't — if a show is on Netflix, we say Netflix. Right now the honest answer for Banana Fish is: Netflix, from mid-August, dubbed for the first time in English and French.
Here is MAPPA's original trailer to set the tone:
Is it actually good?
Short version: yes, and it holds up. Banana Fish is a street-gang thriller wrapped around Ash Lynx and Eiji Okumura, and it is unusually brutal for a show this widely recommended. Per SenpaiRanks, it lands at 7.88 on our board — a score built on two axes, Consensus (how broadly liked) and Quality (how well it holds up), so you get a straight read instead of one blended MAL number. That is the wedge: MAL gives you a single figure; we split the question.
Pair it with the summer slate in our what-to-watch guide, or if you want more MAPPA-adjacent heavyweights, our take on My Hero Academia and the recent Sword Art Online film are good next clicks.
The read
A dub-first Netflix drop is aimed squarely at newcomers who bounced off subtitles in 2018. Expect a discovery bump — and a fresh wave of "is Banana Fish worth it" searches. The answer is on our ranking board.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Where can I watch Banana Fish?
A: On Netflix in select regions from August 12, 2026, with new English and French dubs. It previously streamed on Amazon Prime Video.
Q: Is Banana Fish good?
A: Yes — it holds an adjusted 7.88 on SenpaiRanks, in the strong tier. It is a dark, character-driven crime thriller, not a light watch.
Q: How many episodes is Banana Fish?
A: 24 episodes, which aired in 2018.
Q: Who made Banana Fish?
A: MAPPA animated it, directed by Hiroko Utsumi, scripts by Hiroshi Seko, adapting Akimi Yoshida's manga.
Q: Does Banana Fish have a dub?
A: Yes — Netflix is adding brand-new English and French dubs for the August 2026 release.