The Fall 2023 Manga Guide

The Red Thread

What's It About? 

When Dean, the captain of the swimming club, takes the podium during Pharm's university orientation, something unusual happens. Though the two have never met before, they're unable to hide the turmoil that suddenly wells up inside them as they can't help but feel that this isn't the first time they've laid eyes on each other. Perhaps The Red Thread of fate links them together from their past lives...

The Red Thread has a story and art by Hibiko Haruyama, based on the original Thai novel by Lazysheep. The English translation is by Emma Schumackerm, with lettering done by Chi Bui. Published by Yen Press (October 10, 2023).

Content warning: Manga includes early scenes depicting homophobia and suicide. Reader discretion is advised.

Is It Worth Reading?

Rebecca Silverman

Rating:

I didn't grow up watching The Princess Bride to the point where I can recite the entire film, including sound effects, by heart for nothing – if there's a story that's the embodiment of the line, “Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while,” I'm sold. The Red Thread is one such story. Adapted from a Thai novel (which, interestingly, makes it the third Yen Press release to do so; the other two are Manner of Death and sotus), the plot follows two Thai college students who were in love in their past lives and find each other again in this one.

Of course, first, we have to be aware that they did die once before, and that makes for a complicated opening scene that comes with content warnings about homophobia and suicide. In what looks like the 1990s (based on clothes and tech), Korn's parents don't approve of their son's dating In, and since Korn's family is also a crime family, the problems continue to pile up. Rather than live without each other, the young men pull a Romeo and Juliet – in front of their dads. It isn't hugely explicit, but it is very upsetting, although as a narrative trick to get us invested in Pharm and Dean, their present-day incarnations, I can't deny that it's effective.

The main storyline seems to start at the same age when In and Korn first met – when In (now Pharm) begins at university, reinforcing the idea of this being a genuine second chance. Both Pharm and Dean note that they've spent their entire lives looking for someone in every crowd, never sure who they're seeking but certain they'll know when they show up. That proves to be true, but what's wonderful is the different circumstances they find themselves in. On Pharm's first day at school, he meets Team and Manaow, and both of them are whole-heartedly invested in Pharm loving who he loves, gender notwithstanding. It's a relief after what we saw of his previous life, and Team seems to recognize that Pharm and Dean are meant to be together even before Pharm does. Dean, for his part, had nearly given up on finding his mysterious someone before he spotted Pharm, and seeing the two of them realize that they've finally found their person is kind of beautiful. It isn't flashy or explicit, but the art gives us a sense of rightness that's just what the story needs.

I'm invested. This isn't a complex tale, nor is the art particularly beautiful. But it's hard to pass up the underlying idea of getting a second chance to make things work. If you're a hopeless romantic and can get through that opening scene, this is worth giving a chance.