genetic triangle
Writer & Artist: Fumiya Hayashi
Publisher: Yen Press (print and digital editions)
Translation: Alicia & Athena Nibley
Lettering: Phil Christie
Publication date: December 17, 2024
Rating: Older Teen
Genre: Manga (JPN), Romance, Drama, Literature
Hereditary Triangle is Fumiya Hayashi’s first work introduced to English-speaking fans by Yen Press. Originally a two-volume manga, readers can now experience the entire series in both digital and hardcover. It is important to note that despite being released in December, Hereditary Triangle was included in the publisher’s weekly magazine’s 10 must-read manga for 2024! From here on, I will discuss the manga without spoilers.
©Yen Press, 2024
Kotaro and Kajiwara had a close relationship in childhood, and despite their diametrically opposed natures, they have remained best friends for years. Eventually, he meets Touko, a beautiful junior in Kotaro’s department. Kotaro felt a familiar twinkle in his friend’s eyes. The omen is when Kajiwara sees something mysterious and beautiful, and Kotaro learns that his friend is in love just like himself. Touko returns Kotaro’s feelings, but the three continue to spend time together as usual, hoping that they will stay like this forever.
One day, Kajiwara disappears without saying anything. At first, he modestly exchanges short letters with his free-spirited boyfriend, no matter which country he is in, but eventually they fall out. Eventually, Kotaro hears the sad news that Kajiwara has died in an accident. Even though that should be true, Kotaro, who knows about Kajiwara’s existence, has a hard time accepting that he is gone. So, are it Kotaro’s eyes that are deceiving him as he sees a faraway friend standing before him, or is it his guilt-stricken heart?
©Yen Press, 2024
Hereditary Triangle was one of the announcements I was looking forward to reading this year. Another series that Fumiya Hayashi started producing around the same time, Kemtai Stories, was licensed in Turkish by Uikur Kaveh, and that’s how I came to know about their work. . I immediately fell in love with Kemutai Hanashi’s meditative approach to everyday life and intricate web of relationships accompanied by beautiful artwork. So, it’s no exaggeration to say that I entered Hereditary Triangle with high expectations and enthusiasm.
I was very pleased to find that the same care, attention to detail, and talent for bringing everyday matters so convincingly to the page was present in Hereditary Triangle. Hayashi explores love triangles where romantic and platonic feelings are intertwined in ways that are difficult to disentangle.
Kotaro has always admired the vitality and warmth of Kajiwara, who is very energetic and easy to love compared to his dull and introverted self. It is natural for him that Touko falls in love with Kajiwara, but even after many years of marriage, Kotaro still cannot understand why Touko chose him. Being afraid of the same aspects he loved about his friend was eating away at him. And when Kajiwara disappeared from the screen, a part of Kotaro let out an embarrassed sigh of relief. He fears a future in which Touko has finally “seen the light,” and just as he was fascinated by Kajiwara, Kotaro is fascinated by his friend’s sincerity.
©Yen Press, 2024
What I admire most about Hereditary Triangle is the initial simplicity of the dynamics between the trio, but also how impossible it is to find a solution to their predicament that will leave everyone happy and satisfied. The question is whether there is. Depicting the complexities of daily life rather than simple extremes is something I would like to see more of in stories, especially stories that involve romance.
When creators introduce extreme situations, such as huge debts, life-or-death situations, or extremely violent and cruel characters, it becomes difficult to understand where the creators want users to stand and which characters they want them to support. is easy to understand. Moreover, the solution to a predicament is often simple, just get there. However, the dynamic that Hayashi creates is far more grounded. As always in relationships, there are no clear winners or losers in the resolution, but I found the conclusion to this seemingly messy web of relationships both satisfying and moving.
©Yen Press, 2024
Another thing I appreciated is that Toko is not portrayed as the “villain” who ruined Kotaro and Kajiwara’s close friendship. She’s lively, kind, opinionated, and open, but she can also be a bit picky. What is left unspoken or misunderstood is not who loved whom, or who ends up with whom. By avoiding the usual romantic love triangle course, Hayashi has room to explore past memories and why the three of them drifted apart.
The simple and cute art style complements the series’ authentic and heartfelt atmosphere. The characters spend a lot of time in their hometowns in the countryside, at the beach, or walking around town, and each time the landscape quietly sets the mood and gently embraces the characters. Kajiwara is obsessed with taking pictures of landscapes and nature, which connects with aspects of his stories and his personality. In that sense, I feel that the constant presence of plants reminds Kajiwara that they are always a part of the characters’ daily lives.
©Yen Press, 2024 ©Yen Press, 2024
My only complaint about Hereditary Triangle is that the artist has already succeeded in drawing clear parallels between past and present by sequencing flashbacks and present-day events. . However, even though the message was conveyed visually, there were still many pages where the characters spelled out the message. Not only does it create redundancy, but it shifts the tone in a preachy direction in contrast to the rest of the story. If Hayashi had trusted his readers more, the series might have ended in a more subtle and meaningful way.
Thanks to Yen Press’ decision to publish Hereditary Triangle as a 2-in-1 volume, readers won’t have to pause between volumes. This series is a pleasant read thanks to Alethea and Athena Nibley’s smooth translations and Phil Christie’s competent characters. I wholeheartedly recommend Hereditary Triangle to all comic book fans, but especially to readers looking to immerse themselves in a series with adult characters, complex emotions, and an unresolved past. . You won’t regret encountering Fumiya Hayashi’s delicate pen!
©Yen Press, 2024
Hereditary Triangle will be available in digital and print versions on the Yen Press website and other retailers on December 17, 2024.
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