It may be shocking to learn that I do read non-BL manga given the spree I’ve been on so far this year! Hereditary Triangle is a slow and thoughtful book about the impact of the past and how youthful relationships continue to resonate in the present. Koutarou and Kajiwara were childhood best friends, with Koutarou being more introverted and melancholy, and Kajiwara being outgoing and charismatic. As they enter their young adult years, they both get a crush on Touko, who starts dating Koutarou. Koutarou is constantly worried about Touko finding his friend more interesting and attractive, and they have a semi-love triangle situation going. Then Kajiwara vanishes out of the area without a word and goes off to become a photographer, only communicating to Koutarou through letters, until he finally dies in a road accident. This leaves Koutarou with many regrets and doubts, especially about whether he should have expressed himself more to Kajiwara, and also if Touko would have chosen Kajiwara to marry instead of him.
One day, Kajiwara’s son Kaoru shows up in the neighborhood to clean out his father’s house. This sets off an exploration for both Kotarou and Touku of the regrets of the past and the development of a friendship between the three. I thought this was a very well done work. The art is pretty perfect for this, with thin, spare, delicate lines and many beautiful details. It’s able to convey the sensitive and gentle emotions that pervade this book. All the characters are interesting and have their own issues to work through and confront. I enjoyed Kaoru’s exploration of the events that his father was involved in and his determination to try to help. Kajiwara remains frustratingly elusive, but I think that gives us as the reader the same experience that his friends go through — his absence in the narrative resonates with the impulse he has to flee whenever things get to be too much.
Overall, this was a lovely surprise to stumble across at the bookstore! I’m always happy to see premium one-volume editions, which feel like good value for money. This would be a good read for adults because it has more of a literary fiction vibe, but it’s appropriate for teens and up.
