君の話

by Sugaru Miaki, vgperson (Translator)

Your Story is a novel by Sugaru Miaki, also known as Fafoo, writer of stories like Three Days of Happiness, Pain, Pain, Go Away, and The Place You Called From.

The story is about a man who’s opposed to the now-common practice of implanting false memories, but is one day given memories of a fictional childhood friend. This fabricated happiness torments him, but then, to his surprise, he meets her - a girl who shouldn’t exist.

Genres: Light Novel, Romance, Fiction, Drama, Science Fiction, Japanese Literature, Novels

283 pages, ebook

First published July 19, 2018

About the author

Sugaru Miaki (三秋縋) is a Japanese writer. He was born in 1990 in Iwate Prefecture. He debuted in 2013 with Starting Over. He is also the author of Three Days of Happiness, Parasites in Love, and Your Story.

In March 2019, Your Story was nominated for the 40th Eiji Yoshikawa Literary Newcomer Award.

See 三秋縋

Reviews

[Aescwine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sugaru Miaki has said something along this line: "Rather than waste my time reading a hundred books to find the warped one I like, I will write the stories I like myself." But thankfully, I don't have to do that. For me, I have found an author who keeps writing the sort of story I like.
I read his work after a long time and it reminded me of a feeling that I had lost a while ago. It made me remember what melancholy is; what drowning in a pool of melancholy feels like - sometimes it is heart-wrenchingly warming and at times, it is beautifully tragic. Although the story followed a similar structure to most of his novels, it was just as engrossing to read. I am looking forward to another book by him soon!

[Annemarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Miaki Sugaru's books. But this was not my favourite.

The worldbuilding of this book was absolutely amazing. We have a world where people can use nano-robots to erase or implant fake memories. Like often in Miaki's books, we start with our protagonists childhood. His parents are a big fan of these fake memories, living almost completely in them, his father with his several fake affairs, his mother with her fake children. He himself isn't allowed to get them until he's older and is pretty much neglected.

You can draw a lot of parellels between this setting and other addictions like alcohol and drugs. His parents live almost completely in their "memories" neglecting the real world and their actual life in favour of getting another fix. The book doesn't go into that aspect all that much, though.

Our main character is, as is often the case in Miaki's books, deeply unhappy. He has no friends, is neglected by his parents, has no hobbies and nothing he likes. He's just alive. So he decides to erase the memories of his childhood using the nano-robots, "Lethe" (yes like the river in Greek mythology). That's where things go wrong. He doesn't forget anything, but instead gets new, fake memories of a childhood friend he was in love with. He assumes he's send a dose of "Green-Green" which I guess would be better translated to "Young love" or something similar.

That's really where the story starts. Because he knows this girl isn't real. Yet suddenly this girl that shouldn't exist has moved into the appartment next to his. And we have a mystery on our hands. Because according to the law, fake memories can't be made about existing people. So she can't be the fake girl, and yet she seems to be.

This mystery was incredibly well-crafted and super interesting, but I found the reveals a bit underwhelming. There was also the weird pacing around the middle, where our protagonist goes from "I don't believe you, I know these memories are fake and I will ignore you" to "I'll play along" in seconds, without this actually being explained. It almost felt like Miaki couldn't think of a plausible reason and so decided not to include one. This is made even more unbelievable by something the girl says. Why does he decide to play along the second the girl admits they aren't actually childhood friends? That doesn't make sense

We then get the relationship aspect of the novel which felt a bit weak, imo. I don't get the sudden shift, and while I get that these characters had no one, so it sorta makes sense that spending time will have them fall in love, it still lacked development, which is where Miaki usually shines.

We have a part from the girls point of view as well, which also starts at her childhood. There are a lot of parallels between our two main character's lives, which one the one hand is a good thing, but on the other gets a bit repetitive.

The overall formula of Miaki's books hasn't changed, which makes them a bit predictable. But I feel like this book lacks a bit of the development that made the other books so great.
This book and Parasite in Love, his newer books lack the magic from the first. And I mean this both figuratively and literally. His other books have this magical realism element that is missing here, and while I feel like the worldbuilding in this book was really good (better than in Parasite in Love) I do kind of miss the magic.

All in all, this book has probably the best worldbuilding in all of Miaki's book, but the characters and their developement felt lacking. And by that, I don't mean it's bad, just that it isn't as good as I've come to expect from Miaki. The relationship also just wasn't for me, I don't understand it, it is build lies, literally. The ending was also a bit ... weird. It's almost as if nothing has really changed for our protagonist, his life is almost exactly the same as at the start of this book, which makes the whole thing feel pointless, rather than life-changing. And the protagonist does claim that it changed his life, but we don't actually get to see that.

I did really enjoy reading this book. The world is super interesting and I love the writing style. These books focus on very unhappy people in a relatable, understanding way that I really like. Not my favourite Miaki book, but still very good.

[Johan Kwok · Rating 3 out of 5]

Half of some stories could have been solved or at least sped up with simple communication, but for some reason the characters don't want to cooperate, and that's what bothers me the most. Talk, clear the misunderstanding and boom, no plot anymore! At least that was what I thought regarding the plot, until the story changed its course(for the better, I think). It wasn't about the gripping mystery narrative of "who's she, is she real, why is a fabrication here in reality" anymore, but the story about how this pair came to cross paths. Lies, memories, destiny.

Only reading my third novel(first was Three Days of Happiness, then Pain, Pain, Go Away) of this author did I notice that the structure of his stories are so similar! Same Boy Meets Girl formula, apathetic protagonists, supernatural stuff with death as a central theme to spice things up. Nonetheless, I still find it interesting. I guess he likes to write about those kind of stories, those kind of themes, as I do like to read about them.

Reflections about fate and the strong references from "On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning" at the end. Though I don't think there's such a thing as 100% perfect boy/girl, only the people that believes in it will ever be able/allowed to have fateful encounter, I guess. They'll interpret everything little thing as a sign of their extreme compatibility. And despite not agreeing with the idea of the One, it was a enjoyable to witness the events unfolding through the protagonists' destinified lens.

One random thing that came to mind: New Alzheimer's only took recollections, but not knowledge. But what if experiences are also a form of knowledge? Isn't that how we come to understand the world, through experiences? What is the nature of both?

[Nix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished everything within a day. "Your Story" is about a world where it is common to edit your memories or add new ones. Our main character meets a girl who should not be real, a girl created as his false memory.

Personally I felt this was a lot more positive a story compared to "Pain, Pain, Go Away" but Sugaru Miaki's signature bittersweet writing just like in "Three Days of Happiness" is nevertheless a reliable staple. Sugaru Miaki memtioned that this story was inspired by “On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning.” which is all about the theme of an fateful encounter with a destined person. This influence makes this more of a boy meets girl story than what the kinda sci-fi setting appears to suggest. The point of view gets split into male and female perspective later on and I feel Sugaru Miaki should really try writing from more of his heroine's point of view as it really added to the story. I was at peace with the ending and it felt right.

[Ezekiel Mariano · Rating 4 out of 5]

*inaudible crying noises*

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating work! It's like you're drifting through a dream. 初読みの作家さん。夢の中を漂うような、曖昧で心地よい雰囲気が続きます。物語の進行がレコードのA面からB面に移行するようにスムーズで、ラストに向かっての展開が見事でした。少し物足りない部分もありましたが、魅力的な作品です。

[Hirai · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Bagaimana jika sebuah memori bisa dibeli?”

Menyelesaikan buku ini dengan perasaan hampa, sedih dan bertanya-tanya bagaimana jika apa yang terjadi dalam kisah Your Story benar-benar terjadi di dunia ini? Kita akan diajak masuk ke dalam dunia kemajuan, pada masa itu kita bisa membeli memori (Mimori) dan juga kebutuhan lain seperti Green Green maupun penghapus ingatan. Apa jadinya jika semua itu dijual dengan mudah dan apa dampaknya terhadap ingatan asli kita?

Bertemu dengan Chihiro yang dibesarkan dalam keluarga yang sudah terkontaminasi dengan Mimori. Dirinya sendiri juga terjebak dalam kenangan masa kecil yang dibuat sendiri dari Mimori seolah dia memiliki teman masa kecil yang menyenangkan. Sampai suatu ketika teman masa kecil yang dia yakini hanya ada dalam ingatan palsu itu muncul? Ditambah maraknya penipuan yang mengaku-ngaku sebagai kekasih atau teman lama membuat Chihiro waspada bahkan meragukan ingatannya sendiri. Dari situ Chihiro mulai melakukan penelusuran dan bertemu orang-orang di masa lalu untuk memastikannya.

Ternyata apa yang ditemukan Chihiro justru fakta lain yang tak pernah terpikirkan olehnya. Gadis itu bernama Touka, fakta lain tentangnya menjadi kejutan hebat dari sisi pembaca menjelang pertengahan cerita serta motif yang dilakukannya. Jelas apa yang diperbuatnya terhadap Chihiro adalah kesalahan, namun setelah tahu tujuannya baik Chihiro maupun pembaca pasti sulit untuk marah padanya. Pada akhirnya mereka dibahagiakan dengan kepalsuan, sesuatu yang dibuat dengan skenario sendiri bukan asli yang terjadi di antara mereka.
Your Story mengangkat cerita dengan konflik unik tentang seseorang yang mempertanyakan mengenai ingatannya sendiri, tentang seseorang yang terpengaruh oleh ingatan buatan dan sulit membedakan mana yang asli dan palsu. Ironinya kita turut merasakan kehampaan dan kesepian yang dirasakan oleh para tokoh di dalamnya. Bagaimana sebuah kesendirian bisa mendorong seseorang untuk melakukan apapun agar memiliki ingatan yang menyenangkan. Mereka tak peduli semua itu palsu asalkan merasakan kebahagiaan.
Alurnya mudah dipahami, terjemahannya mengalir ditambah banyaknya footnote yang membantu kita memahami setiap istilah unik dalam bukunya. Buku ini memisah cerita menjadi beberapa sub bab jadi kita tidak akan bingung mengenai fokus cerita yang akan dibahas atau tercampur dengan masalah sebelumnya. Penulis mampu menyelesaikan cerita dengan pesan dan kesan yang tidak bisa dilupakan oleh pembaca.

Point Menarik dari Buku:
• Konsep dan kunci cerita unik tak terpikirkan sebelumnya bagaimana sebuah memori bisa dibeli dan diatur padahal memori terbentuk dari kejadian atau pengalaman asli dalam kehidupan kita. Kini dengan adanya Mimori kita bisa mengatur semuanya sesuka hati.
• Ada gejolak batin dari sisi Chihiro maupun Touka mengenai kemauan diri dan pencarian kebahagiaan semu dengan memori mereka.
• Konfliknya terselesaikan dan terungkap dengan baik menjelang akhir cerita.
• Ada sisi sedih dan senangnya meskipun kembali lagi semuanya hanya sekedar kepalsuan belaka.
• Gambaran bagaimana jika teknologi tidak digunakan sebaik-baiknya apalagi tidak ada regulasi khusus yang diberikan. Beberapa orang mungkin akan salah jalan bahkan kehilangkan dirinya sendiri. Betapa mengerikannya kalau semua itu benar-benar terjadi? Lagipula kenapa harus mencari dan memiliki ingatan palsu?
• Aku suka bagaimana penulis fokus terhadap inti cerita dan tidak banyak menambah tokoh di dalamnya sehingga lebih terpusatkan pembahasan yang diberikan.

Pelajaran yang Didapatkan:
Tidak perlu menjadi seragam dan menyamai orang-orang lain. Cukupkan dan bahagialah menjadi diri sendiri meskipun tidak memiliki ingatan yang menyenangkan dalam hidupmu. Ingat bahwa ingatan palsu itu tak pernah nyata dan justru membuat dirimu kebingungan. Tidak perlu mengikuti sesuatu yang justru nantinya bisa membahayakan dirimu sendiri. Sesuatu yang sudah dimanipulasi berlebihan menjadikan kita bingung membedakan mana yang benar dan hanyalah ilusi.

Untuk Siapa?
Cerita Your Story menarik dibaca untuk siapapun yang menyukai fiksi fantasi masa depan ditambah sentuhan penemuan baru mengenai pengembangan Mimori. Kita bisa mengambil sebab, akibat, baik dan buruknya mengenai teknologi yang dikembangkan tersebut. Kita bisa belajar lebih bijak tentang apa-apa yang baru dalam hidup agar nantinya jika semua itu benar-benar terjadi kita sudah siap dan sanggup menggunakannya sebaik mungkin.

[Gilssy Amor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find this fun and lonely at the same time and while I'm reading it, I always imagine the scene getting animated. I feel so crushed after I finishing the book like I was grieving for a died person or experiencing a really bad heart broken.

Y'all this book is so underrated💗💗

And there childhood moment is so sweet, it makes me feel like I was living inside there love story experience does sweet moment with a childhood friends you don't remember but can't forgot. It's like young adults in clean, fresh, and adorable romance.

The plot is also soo good, it plays with your mind and your prediction goes wrong but it turns into something more than you could ever imagine. (I beg you to not read the spoiled to appreciate the story line of this light novelಠ⁠﹏⁠ಠ). And the subject in this book is mainly about melancholy, solitude, to feel connection and be connected with someone or to be heard and be seen.

Like the first page really hooked and I know this novel was fired and you experience trains of complex emotion.
And I love it very much, I highly recommend this.

Plus the sci-fi mixed with drama and slice of life genre is portrayed very well in this light novel.
I didn't cry but it leave me feeling broken inside.

That's how I feel and I hope you enjoy the light novel like I do ^⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠^

[Kevin Ho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sugaru Miaki never fails to disappoint me in his ability to capture the beauty of every day life. It's the little moments that we take for granted, that becomes Sugaru's muse. There is charm in mundanity, and Sugaru never shys away from showing that in his prose. Whether it's listening to music, drinking a can of beer, or eating a simple meal, the characters do these acts with so much purpose. These actions didn't feel wasted and instead it dragged the plot along. With a hint of melancholy on page voice, Sugaru's voice really shines. I think this is one of his best works, and I'd recommend it to anyone who is looking for a bitter sweet romance.

[AVeryOddBox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know japanese but based off google translate I'm assuming this one is Your Story

This is my favorite Sugaru Miaki story by far, I have even done fanart of it, I love it.

It's narrative concept of memories is really really interesting and works really well to create what I think is Miaki's most beautiful work. I wrote a short story with my own concept of fictional memory elements that was inspired by this specifically, so this has that credit.

Give it a read!

[Jesica · Rating 4 out of 5]

CLASIFICATION: 3.6 ESTRELLAS

Creo que los asiatios tienen una forma muy unica de contar sus historias y lo mejor es que no decepcionan, a pesar de que no siempre tienen finales felices como estamos acostumbrados.
Me gusto mucho la manera en que nos conto esta historia, me hizo empatizas con los dos personajes, y al final me dejo con el corazon en un puño.
En fin, siento que fue un descubrimiento del que no esperaba mucho pero que al final me sorprendio gratamente.

[Anika · Rating 4 out of 5]

first few chapters were like watching paint dry. literally the most boring thing ever. almost DNFed. the writing style is not it AT ALL. worst writing i've read in all my years of living tbh. However, once I got past the terrible writing style, i realized that lowkey the PLOT ate. Everything changed with that realization i fear. Ended with me screaming, crying, throwing up, tweaking, seizing, etc... not me crying for 25 minutes for noob characters that weren't even fleshed out well. im confused too. i don't usually write reviews but this was an experience too weird to not share..
#myfirstlightnovel #omg #READIT

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting tragedy about fabricating love out of curiosity. Written from the perspectives of two lone souls never fated to meet, this novel explores how the fantasies and dreams that come from "what if's" can provide comfort and closure in the past, but can never truly substitute the realization of those dreams.

[Taman · Rating 5 out of 5]

อ่านเรื่องนี้เป็นเรื่องแรกของผู้แต่ง
ประทับใจมาก ก่อนเริ่มอ่านก็ดูรีวิวจากหลายๆที่ก็พูดไปในทางเดียวกัน พอเริ่มอ่านไปครึ่งทางก็เตรียมใจไว้แล้วว่าเสียน้ำตาแน่ๆ แต่ครึ่งหลังทำให้ความรู้สึกเราเปลี่ยนไป... พอตอนท้ายเรื่องก็เปลี่ยนอีก... อ่านจบแล้วเราไม่มีน้ำตานะ แต่หลงรัก Touka หัวปักหัวปำเลย ต้องหยุดอ่านหนังสืออื่นไป 2-3 วัน
เดี๋ยวจะตามเก็บให้ครบทุกงาน

[Inas · Rating 4 out of 5]

review to come

[Matthew Dacanay · Rating 5 out of 5]

igg

[Nguyen Duong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hay, thật sự rất hay nhưng mà chua chát quá

[Kiên Trường Vũ · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot of potential in the world-building, but the excessive scale may be diluting the plot, making it feel like something essential is missing.

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this is a horror book just not written through the lense of horror. The implications of someone rewriting your memory and ultimately changing the trajectory of your actions and your entire future is explored interestingly but from the perspective of someone who decides to give himself over to the fantasy.

The final stretch of this book is sweet and really well done but still by the end I couldn't shake the feeling if it's only ending up this way because she decided to play with someone's memories in such a selfish way

[YumeriNamba · Rating 4 out of 5]

面白かったのでサクサク読み進められたけど最後あたりから頭使うようになってちょっとややこしかった

[Aayan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, the ending just annoyed me with the random outsmarting each other nonsense which soured my enjoyment of the book.

[Zent · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0-4.5

An overall fantastic read, but it's too similar to his or her earlier novel, "Three Days of Happiness", which is the only other Sugaru Miaki novel I've read so far. (Spoiler alert for both this novel and TDoH).

Some of the similarities I've noticed:

- Protagonist lives an unfulfilling life, is unloved

- P. meets girl and falls in love, gradually gets closer as the story progresses

- P. encounters girl after making a major, negative life-changing decision that is caused by his dreary life

- Girl is equally miserable as P., though it's not obvious at first

- One of the two is dying, P. and girl try to develop a pseudo-romantic relationship in their last few weeks together

- Near the end, one of the two tries to do something (what they consider to be) positive to the other person (TDoH: P. saving girl's time, YS: girl trying to remove P's memories of her), but the other person flips it around.

None of this is an issue if this is your first Miaki novel, but if it isn't, you'll be able to predict at least some of the major plot developments after you've started noticing the similarities. That aside, I'll still gladly read Miaki's other LNs in the near future, simply because I enjoy reading books whose plot/setting is so uniquely depressing/emotional, though a little more variety would be nice.