BEFORE YOUR MEMORY FADES BY TOSHIKAZU KAWAGUCHI: WHEN SOMBRE STORIES TAKE THE CENTRE STAGE

“Sometimes I strongly believe that we mustn’t allow the death of a person to be the cause of unhappiness. The reason is simple: if we let everyone who dies be a cause of unhappiness, that would mean people are being born to be unhappy. But the opposite in fact is true. People are born for the sake of happiness.”

Before the Coffee Gets Cold series has undoubtedly occupied the prime spot in the reading community for the best cosy fic recommendations, and the third instalment in the series, Before Your Memory Fades, is no exception. But this book is a bit different from the first two instalments. For one, this story is set in Donna Donna, a time-travelling cafe on the slope of Mount Hakodate, run by Nagare Tokita’s mother, Yukari Tokita. Nagare and his cousin Kazu decide to run the cafe while Yukari travels to America to find a young man’s parents. In her absence, Nagare, Kazu, and her daughter, Sachi, befriend the locals and assist them on their time-travel journeys.

If there is a pattern I’ve noticed in this series, it’s that every book takes a more sombre turn. While the first two books feature customers with unique backstories who learn new lessons at the end of their journeys, this book focuses on a single theme: navigating the trauma of death and regaining the will to live through four stories.

The first story is about Yaoi, a twenty-year-old woman who was orphaned at a young age. After the death of her parents, she was passed around to different relatives, but she never felt at home anywhere. As a result, Yaoi ends up blaming her parents for dying on her. So, to vent her anger, she decides to travel back in time to meet her parents, but her trip takes an unexpected turn when she learns about her mother’s past. Grief and loneliness can manifest as anger, especially after surviving a series of misfortunes. Yaoi’s story is a strong start to this book, as it sets the sombre tone that remains prevalent in the rest of the stories.

The second story delves into a journey of friendship and romance that’s closely intertwined with the tragedy of ambition. Hayashida and Todoroki are a popular comedic duo, but their lives change when Todoroki’s wife, Setsuke, tragically passes away. Her last words urge Todoroki to win the Grand Prix Prize. To honour his wife’s last wish, Todoroki works day and night to win the Grand Prix, but once he wins the prize, he loses the will to live. Thus, he decides to travel back in time to report his victory to Setsuke, except he doesn’t plan to come back. Kawaguchi’s love stories in these books are all quite endearing, and Todoki and Setsuke are no exception.

The third story feels the most tragic. Reiko Nunokawa struggles to come to terms with her younger sister Yukika’s death, but gets a chance to see her again when Yukika travels from the past after finding out about her diagnosis to ensure Reiko doesn’t give up on happiness.

The final story is all about young love as university students and childhood friends Reiji and Nanako profess their love for one another, but life gets in the way of their blossoming romance. I won’t spoil much, but both Reiji and Nanako are prominently featured as supporting characters in the first three stories, so their characters get a lot of time to build up and bond.

Honestly, Before Your Memory Fades is a strong addition to the series, with its emotional storytelling and heartwarming moments, sprinkled with witty banter. I’m looking forward to reading the next two books and working on a blog post to rank all five novels.