Merry Month of Manga: HETEROGENIA LINGUISTICO

There's a lot of fantasy manga out there, but this is the first one not to focus on a traditional hero's narrative or even fantasy food, but instead on language

 HETEROGENIA LINGUISTICO (Heterogenia Linguistic: Ishuzoku Gengogaku Nyuumon), by Salt Seno.  First published in 2018 and first published in North America in 2020.

PLOT:

Hakaba is a linguist in training who is forced to take over for his mentor after an injury.  Thus Hakaba ventures out into the world to interact with the likes of werewolves, lizardmen, harpies, and more.  With the use of his professor's notes and what clues he can gather from his companions and their behavior, Hakaba will learn to decipher the languages of these non-human races, no matter what form it may take.

STORY:

Linguistics is one of many branches of anthropology, with a focus on exploring the definition, history, and evolution of language.  Within the larger field of anthropology it is often treated like the metaphorical red-headed step-child, as it mostly lacks the exciting artifacts of archaeology, the hard science of biological anthropology, or the lofty philosophy and globetrotting expeditions of cultural anthropology.  This attitude is why I'm so surprised to see a manga like Heterogenia Linguistico, which explains a lot of basic concepts about linguistics in a way that's accessible and narratively interesting.

Hakaba is not a particularly compelling protagonist.  He's a bit hapless and sometimes struggles with culture shock, but he's well-meaning, kindly, and not judgmental.  In fairness, he doesn't need to be.  He's just the vessel through which the reader can learn about language, along with his half-wolfman child guide and translator Satsuki.  Seno does a good job humanizing the many animal races Hakaba encounters along the way.  While they grow increasingly less humanoid as the story goes on and we occasionally get glimpses of more negative historical record that fit with fantasy conventions, most of the creatures Hakaba encounters are friendly folk who are simply living their lives as they trade and interact with one another.

What impressed me about this series was how organically it incorporates lessons about language into the story, mostly in the form of Hakaba's notes/internal monologue.  He not only discusses topics such as the difference between sounds made during inhaling versus exhaling or how lips (or the lack thereof) can affect the range of sounds one can make.  The fantasy setting also allows Seno to address non-verbal forms of communication, as Hakaba encounters creatures who communicate through smell, color, and gesture, and it's all done in a way that doesn't feel like exposition.  It's a marvelous feat of communication in its own right.

ART:

Maybe it's just the cover treatment, or maybe there's something to the character designs, but reading this reminded me a little bit of Delicious In Dungeon.  Mind you, any similarity between the two is only surface deep.  Seno's art is not quite as complex as Ryoko Kui's.  The designs and faces are simpler and the faces not quite as dynamic or humorous.  Much of the visual charm of this series comes from its innate coziness.  The communities that he encounters are simple and domestic, just everyday creatures going about their everyday lives, and this homely feeling pervades the whole book.

RATING:

Heterogenia Linguistico is a clever way to make a concept as nebulous as language accessible and entertaining through its cozy atmosphere and simple yet engaging premise of an anthropological study.  It's the sort of story you could only ever find in manga, and for that reason alone it's worth a look.

This series is published by Yen Press.  This series is ongoing in Japan with 3 volumes available.  2 volumes have been published and are currently in print.