Until We Meet Again is one of those staple series in the BL genre. It’s unwavering promise that true love does conquer all, even when everything seems hopeless, and that not even death can stop it is powerful, to say the least. It’s just incredible. Recently, I was lucky enough to interview the author LazySheep and one of the things we talked about was the upcoming release of the first volume of English translation of the manga.
Released through Yen Press and translated by Emma Schumacker with art by Hibiko Haruyama and lettering by Chi Bui the manga is an amalgamation of both the original novel and the 2019 series produced by Studio Wabi Sabi.
Thirty years ago, Korn and Intouch were university students in Bangkok. Serious and stern, Korn was the son of one of the city’s most notorious mafia men while Intouch was just this bright ball of love and light. Though they couldn’t be more different if they tried, the two fell in love.
But they were born in a time when the world was against homosexual relationships, and no one was more against it than their own fathers, who put the lovers through hell. While Intouch tried to remain positive and fought for their future, Korn fell deeper into darkness. He couldn’t deal with all the pain their fathers were putting on them, and how much it was truly hurting. One night, on Intouch’s birthday, while both their fathers were attacking them, Korn grabbed his father’s gun and shot himself in the head. Thirty seconds later, Intouch did the same thing.
But even though their bodies were gone from this world, something tied their souls together. Something that allowed them to find one another once they were reborn. The red thread of destiny.
Thirty years later, Korn was reborn in the form of Dean, the handsome president of the university swim team while Intouch was reborn into Pharm, a sensitive freshman, who becomes a member of the cooking club.
As a whole, reading the manga adds a whole new dimension to the story. My favorite things about the art is the fact that Haruyama kept In and Korn in the same clothes they wore in the series, right down to In’s plaid shirt. It’s a small, silly detail, but it just added something wonderful to the experience. It was like giving me a glimpse deeper into a world I have become so familiar with that I no longer need subtitles to watch it.
Yen Press did a great job at packaging the manga, right down to the cover, which is almost identical to the original Japanese version. The cover is glossy and sturdy, while the pages and art are perfect. Schumacker’s translation is wonderful and keeps true to the spirit of the characters. It was a wonderful literary journey and I cannot wait for volume 2!
10/10
Releasing 10 October the first volume of the Red Thread can be pre-ordered on Amazon for $13.00. Volume two will be released on 23 January and can be pre-ordered here.
More The Red Thread soon so…
Stay Tuned!
And Follow YenPress for more great titles including the English adaptation of Manner of Death!
Life In Cartoon Motion 