Jun 23, 2011
It's complex to grow up in a society that won't accept you. It's complex to be brought up by your own parents who won't accept you. It's complex to raise a child who won't accept you. Something so simple yet beautiful, like love. That, too, is complex.
Complex follows the lives of Junichi and Tatsuya and how their "complex" relationship affects them and everyone around them. How is it complex, you may ask? Well, they are both boys. Society as a whole have not always accepted homosexuality. With this mindset on both sides, several problems and issues must arise from that emotionally and physically. For example,
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Junichi once said that he is not gay, he just loves Tatsuya only. Why must questioning sexuality have to interrupt one's love for another? Unfortunately, that's how the world works. And the story does one hell of a job portraying such ideas with great depth.
Originality is key in Complex. Very rarely do I come across a yaoi manga that is not only about questioning falling in love with the same sex, but several other issues that are dealt with in this manga which greatly impact the story as well. Infidelity, depression, bretrayal, and doubt, to list a few. We hear many stories of these elements that involve heterosexual couples. However, in Complex, all sorts of life's troubles and tribulations are packed into the lives of a gay couple and that is very rare in all forms of media.
This is not your typical yaoi manga, they just don't hook up and "the end!" They have a whole life after that and and we walk each and every one of those steps together with the characters. After all, each chapter is greeted with a number of the age the characters are at. And there is always something special and/or daunting on each dash on that timeline keeping you interested throughout.
What stands out the most in Complex is how realistic the stories and characters are. As a homosexual man myself, I find many of the issues the protagonists endure are things I can relate to which helps me grow emotionally invested to them. It's as if I'm not reading a manga, I'm experiencing someone's life.
The romance, the drama, the comedy, the suspense, the sorrow, the joy all reflect real life into an artform. Complex holds an infinite capacity of what it has to offer. I encourage readers to use this manga as a learning tool which provides life-long lessons embracing the importance of family and protecting and flourishing love.
"Difficult times, fun times, sad times, happy times, we were always together." - Shinozaki, Junichi
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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