When the Banana Fish AI English DUB first dropped on Amazon, the community exploded — and not in a good way. Anime fans were shocked to learn that the long-awaited dub wasn’t performed by voice actors at all. Instead, it was generated by artificial intelligence, and it sounded exactly like what you’d expect from a machine trying to mimic human emotion: soulless, flat, and, for many, deeply disrespectful.

At the time, backlash was swift, especially from longtime fans of Banana Fish, a story known for its emotional depth, tragic queer love, and haunting storytelling. But no one expected what happened next: Amazon quietly removed the dub without a single statement. And now? Fans are claiming the rarest of wins — united across dub and sub lines.

Amazon quietly removed the Banana Fish AI English DUB — and fans immediately noticed.

In a now-viral post on Reddit’s r/Animedubs, a Reddit user pointed out that Amazon had removed its AI-generated English dubs for Banana Fish and No Game, No Life Zero. There was no announcement. No apology. Not even a footnote. Just gone.

As the post stated:

“They’ve yet to make any kind of statement of why the dubs were even released in the first place.”

While the Latin American Spanish dub remains live, the English AI dub was pulled — a quiet exit that fans believe was anything but accidental.

On Facebook, anime pages and groups lit up with reactions. One commenter said:

“’Quietly’ is how kids drown in a pool. That was literally an international turmoil and the fact that Amazon retired said dubs is not a ‘quiet’ exit — that’s being scared of repercussions.”

This time, dub fans and sub fans were on the same side — and that’s rare

One of the wildest things about this whole situation? For once, sub and dub fans were completely united. That basically never happens. But when it came to the Banana Fish AI English DUB, everyone seemed to agree: AI voiceover just doesn’t cut it.

Travis Faulkner wrote:

“Good, it sounded like there was no human… Emotion, fear, nothing. Just… British food. Flavorless.”

Kira Griever Leonhart didn’t hold back either:

“That Banana Fish dub was worse than those crack dubs 😂”

The community saw what Amazon did, roasted it relentlessly, and then watched as the dub vanished without fanfare. If that’s not a win, what is?

The Banana Fish AI English DUB backlash may open the door to a real dub

What’s even more surprising is the shift in tone after the dust settled. With all the attention Banana Fish got over this — from fans, voice actors, and anime outlets — some are starting to wonder if this controversy might actually help the series long term.

More and more fans are now hoping that once licensing rights reopen, the buzz around the Banana Fish AI English DUBcould lead to a proper, human-voiced dub at last. As one commenter put it, “This just showed how popular the series still is.”

Of course, not everyone is convinced the danger has passed. Mario Pugliese warned:

“They’ll be back with the 2.0 model and we won’t be able to distinguish it.”

And Morgan Elizabeth Douglas added a measured take:

“AI should be used for voice dubbing for remaining lines if the voice actor dies mid production… Not as a replacement for voice actors.”

Still, there’s a noticeable shift. This wasn’t just outrage. It was action. It was fans showing up, speaking out, and pushing back — and for once, it worked.

Amazon may not have said why the Banana Fish AI English DUB was removed. But everyone watching knows why.

Because anime fans — dubbers, subbers, BL shippers, emotional wrecks like me — stood together and said: Not like this.

And now, just maybe, they’ll finally get the dub they’ve been waiting for.