My ex once described gender as soup—it's fluid, can swirl all over the place, and can be enjoyed at one's leisure. However, depending on how you approach it, it can also be exceedingly messy. We unfortunately live in a world where many people fail to understand what defines gender. As somebody who currently identifies as non-binary myself, I am reminded of that fact every single day. When I heard the question of gender was at the heart of Mona Lisa, I was intrigued about how the manga would tackle the subject. While there are plenty of directions the story can go as this first volume acts primarily as a setup for the overarching story, I am a little concerned about what exactly this story is trying to say.

According to the behind-the-scenes section of the volume, Mona Lisa's author, Tsumuji Yoshimura, just wanted to write a love triangle, but it seems like their editor pushed them to develop a more unique backdrop for that story. Mona Lisa does have a distinctive setup and artistic symbolism. The story takes place in a world where gender is chosen at a very young age. There are a lot of questions here about what defines a girl and what defines a boy, with kids feeling pressured to put themselves into binaries regardless of whether or not they're ready. It's a surprisingly poignant trans and coming-out allegory that has gender as a focus while also highlighting how little it might matter. I think the story is at its best when it uses its premise to bring up that uncomfortableness and perspective. At the end of the day, it's up to the individual to decide who they want to be and why; this isn't a choice that somebody else can make for you.

That being said, it is a little concerning when Mona Lisa frames gender affirmation with romantic and potentially sexual attraction. The basis for the story being two people (Ritsu and Shiori) of the opposite sex competing for the love of Hinase, who is genderless is interesting. However, I was taken aback when the characters started saying things like "I'm going to make you a girl" or "I'm going to make you a boy" as an add-on to their confessions. It feels a little contradictory when we have characters that have shown signs of being on the receiving end of outside pressures informing their gender only to declare that they are going to affirm the gender of our main character. It paints this weird picture that the suitors' feelings would cease once Hinase develops specific gender features. It makes them come off as unintentionally cruel to Hinase. I really hope that this hypocrisy is the point because that could actually be a compelling story. I'm just concerned because the story was not formulated with gender in mind, and it's possible it isn't being approached with the thought and care necessary.

This also translates into the artistic direction of the manga. In a nice change of pace, Mona Lisa doesn't just use black and white, as there are also moments where the color blue is used specifically for emphasis. I like the fact that Hinase always has some type of blue associated with them. However, much like the direction of the story, I'm not 100% sure what that use of color is supposed to represent. Is it gender ambiguity? Is the use of blue symbolic, or is it meant to be practical? Sometimes, it'll literally be a splash of color on the page, while other times, specific objects like an envelope will be highlighted in order to draw the reader's attention. I think my biggest issue is that, as of right now, I don't know where the story is going to go, for better and for worse.

I like our main character Hinase. I think their story is incredibly relatable as somebody who also sometimes feels trapped in a world where I am either forced to hide who I am or forced to make a choice about who I want to be. There's a lot of quiet storytelling and foreshadowing revolving around Hinase, highlighting that they most likely have some trauma associated with their condition. They want to feel comfortable in their own skin or have some type of normalcy in their life, but they are constantly reminded that they are not "normal." If anything that I have talked about in the past few sentences is something that you relate to, then I think I can recommend this story. It doesn't even have to be about gender specifically; that's just how well the character writing for the main character is done.

Personally, I think I will keep reading Just Like Mona Lisa. It has a brisk pace and a lot of really good moments that I think affirm a lot about the ever-evolving question of gender. It might be just a love triangle on the surface, but there is a lot of potential for this story to branch out in different thoughtful directions. While I think there is also just as much potential for the story to go in a surprisingly cynical direction as well, I want to have faith that it won't go there. While a little shaky and inconsistent in its symbolism and theming, Just Like Mona Lisa is a surprisingly refreshing take on a love triangle. Fingers crossed it keeps that intrigue for the right reasons moving forward.