ใบไม้ผลิที่ไม่มีเธอเป็นซากุระ

by Keisuke Uyama, ฉัตรขวัญ อดิศัย (Translator)

นิยายรักที่จะทำให้คุณยิ้มได้ทั้งน้ำตา
สู่ภาพยนตร์บน Netflix

บ่ายวันหนึ่งในช่วงปลายฤดูร้อน
ฮารุโตะ พบกับ มิซากิ ช่างตัดผมมือใหม่ในร้านเล็ก ๆ
เขาตกหลุมรักเธอตั้งแต่แรกเห็น มิซากิไม่เพียงงดงามราวดอกซากุระ
แต่ยังเป็นแรงบันดาลใจให้เขากลับไปเป็นช่างภาพอีกครั้ง

แล้วในที่สุดทั้งคู่ก็กลายเป็นคนรักกัน

ทว่าช่วงเวลาแห่งความสุขช่างแสนสั้น
วันหนึ่งมิซากิหายหน้าไปเพราะโรคร้ายบางอย่าง
ขณะที่เธอพยายามปิดบังสภาพร่างกายที่เปลี่ยนไป
ฮารุโตะกลับทำทุกวิถีทางเพื่อให้ได้พบกันอีกครั้ง

เมื่อฤดูใบไม้ผลิมาถึง ไม่มีใครรู้เลยว่า
ซากุระจะผลิบานดังเดิม...หรือโรยราชั่วนิรันดร์

Genres: Romance, Japanese Literature, Japan, Fiction, Drama, Asian Literature, Emotional

328 pages, Paperback

First published February 17, 2017

Reviews

[Yasaman · Rating 3 out of 5]

عشقی همانند گلبرگ های در حال سقوط
اولش فکر میکردم با یه عاشقانه ی آرام مواجه هستم اما صفحات پایانی کتاب به راحتی اشکمو در آورد!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5
This book was so absolutely tragic, and I’m so happy I stumbled across it at work. I bought it because it was pretty, but I didn’t expect to be crying in my room two days later after just a little reading. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more books by this author.

The cherry blossom and seasonal imagery was so beautiful. The fleeting nature of the blossoms, a metaphor for the fragility of life and love in the story. Clever foreshadowing.

The translation felt a little simple. I think some scenes would’ve hit a lot harder in the original Japanese, but I’m still so glad I got to read this. The characters were layered and interesting, even though the relationship only lasted about three months before everything happened. I liked that it focused on an illness that isn’t super prominent or relatable to the general public. It felt different from what’s out there in media today.

Misaki was such a raw and relatable character. Even with everything she was going through—failed relationships, toxic people, her illness—her biggest worry was that her ex-boyfriend might find her ugly and stop loving her. She reflects on how “to be loved by someone is a truly wonderful thing,” how it brings “the happiness of having been born a girl.” Misaki felt this with her whole heart, holding on to the joy of loving and being loved, even as everything else in her life crumbled. You can feel how much it meant to her, even knowing how fleeting it all was.

Takashi was my favorite character. He’s such a mess and makes so many mistakes, but he’s also so human. He tries so hard to do the right thing for Misaki, but he ends up making things worse, hurting her relationships and even his own. Everything he does is out of love, but this unconditional love and parental figure confusion ultimate backfires.

Haruto, though, thought he was the one hurting Misaki, but we know it wasn’t him. He was shunned, gaslit, and made to feel like a villain for just wanting to connect with someone who made him feel alive. I wondered how things would’ve been if he’d known about Misaki’s illness earlier, but honestly, I’m glad he didn’t. Watching him grieve for someone who was only in his life for a short time—but completely changed him—was so very real and raw.

This book left me with so many emotions—grief, warmth, and that overwhelming feeling of how fleeting and fragile love and life can be. This will stay with me for a bit, not just because it’s tragic, but because it captures the beauty in the smallest, most meaningful moments. I didn’t expect much when I picked it up, but it ended up being such a reminder of how deeply stories like this can affect you.

[Wanrada | 丽达 · Rating 3 out of 5]

✿ 3 stars - เรียกได้ว่าเป็นไปตามหลักสูตรมาตรฐานนิยายรักญี่ปุ่น ไม่ต้องพยายามคาดเดาอะไร เพราะแค่ชื่อเรื่องก็เหมือนเฉลยไปแล้วนัยๆ คือถ้าเดาอะไรไว้ในเรื่องมันก็จะเป็นไปตามที่คิดไว้เลยก็ว่าได้ เป็นอีกเรื่องที่อ่านแล้วสามารถนึกภาพของการนำมาทำเป็นภาพยนต์ได้เลย สำหรับเวอร์ชั่นนิยายเรายังรู้สึกขาดหรือตะหงิดในบางเรื่อง ด้วยบริบทของอารมณ์ตัวละครที่ไม่ได้ลึกมากและความสมเหตุสมผลในบางเรื่อง แต่ก็ยังอ่านได้เพลินๆ อยู่ค่ะ ตั้งตารอดูฉบับภาพยนต์เลย คิดว่าภาพยนต์น่าจะมาเติมเต็มในส่วนที่หนังสือขาดไปได้ดี

[Tiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Mook · Rating 3 out of 5]

ค่อนข้างดีเลยนะคะ อ่านได้เพลิน ๆ 🌸
สิ่งที่ขาดไปคือบรรยากาศซากุระและความสัมพันธ์ของตัวละครที่เดินเรื่องไวจนทำให้เราไม่ค่อยอินเนี่ยแหละ แม้พล็อตจะธรรมดาจบแบบนิยายรักญี่ปุ่นหน่วง ๆ ทั่วไป ถ้าเวอร์ชันภาพยนตร์ได้ใส่อารมณ์และฉากฟุ้ง ๆ เข้าไปอีก เนื้อหาต้องซึ้งและน่าติดตามมากกว่านี้แน่นอนค่ะ

[Mii · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tldr: It's a good story if you're into tragic romance. It doesn't have much effect on me for a number of things I will discuss in this "short" review, but I did enjoy reading it. In fact, I lost sleep because I wanted to know how the events will turn out, even though I know how it'll end. It is predictable in my case, but for people who want to try this book, I'd say go ahead! There are better reviews than my three stars and the story might resonate better with you.

Overall, I liked this book and enjoyed reading it. I couldn't put it down! It's just that there are still some improvements to be made in terms of the story flow maybe? So please don't be discouraged by the three-star rating --- Go give this book a try.

Spoiler review:
Takashi and Ayano are MVPs in this book. Their love and patience for Misaki is just bonkers. Misaki's scenes with Takashi and Ayano are better written imho than Misaki and Haruto's scenes. There's just something touching about the familial love and bond in this book.

I wouldn't say that Haruto and Misaki are badly written characters, maybe I was just expecting more of a bond, more moments, I'm not sure. I'm just a sucker for slow burns and I'm not too much into whirlwind romances, so that's probably why I wasn't super into them... But that's the point of the story, and it's in the title as well.

Cherry blossoms, as I understand from Japanese culture, symbolize how life is both beautiful and fleeting. Just like Misaki's life, and her life with Haruto, it all came by so fast for the two of them (specially Misaki because of her condition). I think it's great symbolism.

I must say though, the entirety of Winter until the end of the book made me clench my jaw hard. The photo exhibit, the park scene, the knitted cap revelation... Man, that was painful. The last line of the book, as well, was also really sad.

I think the delivery of the story was lost in translation (I'm sure it all sounds better and maybe more poetic and flow better in Japanese), so there were times wherein the narration or the internal dialogue of the characters would sound more formal, then become more informal, but maybe it's just me. This is only the third Japanese novel I've ever read so I was probably expecting something else from the writing style, though, so please do take this statement with a grain of salt.

[Jilly Wonker · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I was twelve and in the middle of the sappy nicholas sparks epidemic, I would have loved this book. But at 30, I can only describe this story as “dry” with no substance.

Sure, the characters were nice and the brother and sister had a very sweet relationship. But what did Haruto and Misaki really have in common? Their relationship was way too sappy and shallow.

And as for the disease, I feel like the author Googled the worst possible thing that could happen to a human, crossed out the big C, and went for this one.

Again, really nice (and almost cookie-cutter) characters but if you’re looking for a deep and meaningful love story that explores the intricacies of human relationships — this is NOT it.

Great cover tho!!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 short, sweet, n sad. definitely enjoyed reading it but sometimes translated works don't hit as hard and i feel like this could be a case of that. Still wouldn't write this off and had a good time with it

[Kit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sobbing internally

[Mara Lozada · Rating 4 out of 5]

why did I do this to myself T-T
would've been 5 stars but lowkey the translation made it read a bit weird at some parts

[Yusra · Rating 3 out of 5]

“She was like the cherry tree. When she smiled, she was like the blossoming of the pale pink flowers. Everything around her grew brighter.”

[🤍 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Felt like I was reading a poorly written fanfiction. Unlikeable characters, particularly the guy, Haruto. I get that Misaki was sick, but even their relationship was super fast-forward, and it had no time to grow, no time to explore other things. The only consolation was the illness and death which presented a closure to an otherwise boring story.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I was really into it, but when she got sick, the story got a bit slow for me. I hated how selfish she was but also understood why? But still

Haruto deserved better, but I also can't blame her for acting on it the way she did

I suppose I couldn't give it a 5 because of how I feel they couldve had more time together just so not everything was so sudden

But also couldn't find it in my heart to give it a 3 cos of how much I could relate to the characters and all the dilemmas they were facing

So yeah I suppose any book that gives you enough emotion to think about the story is good enough to be recommended

[Art Fueled · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book brought me to tears from the middle part of the story until the end. It was simultaneously beautiful and heartbreaking. It made me appreciate what I have and the people around me, prompting me to reflect on how fortunate I am to be healthy, able to enjoy life as it should be.

My only critique is the division of chapters into seasons. I found it surprising when the narrative abruptly shifted to the next day within a season, without clear transitions. At times, I had to re-read to determine who was speaking. This lack of clarity is the sole reason I didn't rate the book a full 5 stars.

[bubblemustard · Rating 3 out of 5]

อ่านเรื่องนี้แล้วเรารู้สึกเฉยๆ พออ่านได้เรื่อยๆ ไม่ได้มีอะไรแปลกใหม่
ก็ดีตามมาตรฐานนิยายรักของญี่ปุ่น แต่เราชอบฉากเกือบจบมากเลย แบบอ่านแล้วมันติดอยู่ในใจ

(สปอยล์หนักมาก)

คือฉากที่พระเอกนางเอกเจอกันครั้งสุดท้าย แต่พระเอกไม่รู้ว่าคุณยายคนนั้นคือนางเอก 😭

แต่โดยรวมแล้วเรารู้สึกมันเดินเรื่องเร็วเกินไป ยังไม่ทันได้อินกับความรักพระนางเลย แล้วก็ช่วงหลังๆ มานี้เรารู้สึกเบื่อๆ กับพล็อตรักกันแล้วก็ต้องแยกจากกันด้วยโรคร้ายแล้ว คิดว่าคงจะไม่หยิบหนังสือพล็อตประมาณนี้มาอ่านอีกแล้วล่ะ ;-;

[Kosuke Kamiya · Rating 4 out of 5]

感想

彼女から貸してもらった本。
あまり恋愛小説は読まないが、普通に涙ぐみながら読んでしまった。
プロカメラマンを目指す晴人と美容師の美咲。
二人の順調に見えた交際に難病が忍び寄り、最終的には関係を断ち切らせてしまう。
「君の膵臓をたべたい」等の王道のカップルどちらかが病気になるありきたりな話。
しかし、だからこそ読みやすかった。少し小難しい小説ばかり読んでいたのでスラスラ読めた。

私の彼女も持病を持っており、いつ意識がなくなってもおかしくないと言われている。
そんな背景もあり、晴人への感情移入が止まらなかった。
彼女に万が一があった場合、晴人まで純粋に彼女のことを思い続けられる自信はない。が、
彼女に何かあるまでは自分のなりの100%で相手に尽くしていきたい。
そう改めて思った。　

[Lauren Cornilleau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow - reading this book was a rollercoaster of emotions!
I didn’t expect I would cry so much. This was poetic, moving and even heartwarming at times.

I think this heartbreaking story will stay with me for a while. I really enjoyed how love in all forms was portrayed, the emphasis of the different seasons and the long descriptions of the changes in nature, how the characters dealt with the passing of time and how photography was a big part of the storyline all throughout the book.

A few of my favorite quotes (may contain some spoilers):

“The things we saw together, my memories of those days, I'm sure they will never change, no matter how much time may pass. The past does not disappear, it remains forever in our hearts. That is a thought that makes me very happy.”

“A piercing blue sky. Gentle sunshine, a soft breeze, like a song. A warm kind of day.”

“Blown by the breeze, the cherry trees were like pink clouds swimming in the sky.”

“Its blossoms were blowing in the breeze, their blooms like smiles. The falling petals were just like snow.”

“She was like the cherry tree. When she smiled, she was like the blossoming of the pale pink flowers. Everything around her grew brighter. Just seeing her made me smile too. She was always so serious, so intent. She gave my whole life a new vitality, just like these cherry trees in full bloom. That's how wonderful she was.
I only wish she could have kept on blooming. I wish she hadn't had to fall. I wish we could have seen these blooming cherry trees together once more. But that was not to be. This spring, you are no longer here, no matter how hard I might look...”

“Whenever spring comes, I will think of you. I will think of you whenever I see cherry blossoms. I will never, ever forget you. I will never forget anything about you: nothing about the time we had together; your smile, your kindness, the way I hurt you. I do not have a single photograph of you, but still your image is etched in my heart.”

And now I just discovered that there is a movie adaptation. I don’t know if my little heart can handle it right now but definitely at some point I’ll try to watch it.

This was a really pleasant read. I recommend it to anyone that likes to feel deep emotions and is not afraid to shed some tears.

[It’s Beautifully Bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall Rating: 5⭐️

Spice Rating: 0🔥

Format: Hardback

Favourite Quote: “I wish we could have had the chance to grow old together”

Tropes: first/last love, impossible love, terminal illness, miscommunication, grief, secrets

This book was intensely emotional read but once I started I could not put it down really beautifully written the story was incredible and the topic was really well written.

I love cherry blossom trees and this book has really made me reflect and appreciate them even more, it was so hard to pick my favourite quote because I wanted to include the cherry blossoms, their part in this story is truly special and very important but without the context of the book I couldn’t quite find the right one. But this quote really gripped my heart. Time is something that shouldn’t be taken for granted and again this love story showed this in an incredible yet respectful way.

I think I cried more with this book than any other and I have read my fair share of emotional books, at first I didn’t understand why so little chapters but even that was creatively designed to fit the character and their story.

I did feel for the brother to go through so so much trauma and his girlfriend I cried at that scene near the end (you know which one!!) and the way she graciously accepted the request I don’t know what I would have done in that situation but I was so broken for her!!

Loved the bar and the family vibes, the way the locals / regulars were described had me smiling and they didn’t know the whole time!! Again broke my heartttttt!!

I think this book just had me sobbing every chapter and then the hat oh the hat by then I am crying rivers and oceans because the guilt he has I wish they had more time - probably like everyone but the read was so good I just couldn’t put it down.

Wanted to fire those nurses wasn’t a fan but the Dr I didn’t like or not like maybe because he wasn’t that prominent in the story for me.

I would recommend this beautiful book if you are prepared to feel everything.

Can we talk about this hardcover wow! The colours and the pictures so beautifully created not to mention the title of the book all had me trapped I couldn’t stop myself picking this book up, and under the illustration was a pink book!! Perfection. I also noticed the back cover, very clever and surprise, surprise it had me crying again when I realised what it was.

[Punnchyyy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"ชีวิตมนุษย์นั้นเปราะบางและไม่แน่นอน"

เรื่องราวของฮารุโตะ ชายหนุ่มที่เดินทางจากต่างจังหวัดมุ่งหน้าสู่โตเกียวเพื่อไล่ตามความฝันในการเป็นช่างภาพมืออาชีพแต่กลับไร้พรสวรรค์เลยล้มเลิกความตั้งใจ และทำงานพาร์ทไทม์ไปวันๆ ฮารุโตะไปร้านตัดผมแห่งหนึ่งและได้พบกับมิซากิ ช่างมือใหม่ที่ยังประหม่าเพราะประสบการณ์น้อย ฮารุโตะตกหลุมรักเธอตั้งแต่แรกเห็นและเอ็นดูที่มิซากิพยายามอย่างเต็มที่ในการทำงาน เขาจึงไปตัดผมด้วยบ่อยๆ เพื่อเอาใจช่วยและรอโอกาสที่จะชวนออกเดท วันนึงมิซากิดั๊นตัดติ่งหูฮารุโตะขาด มิซากิเสนอตัวว่าอยากชดใช้อะไรก็ได้เพื่อไถ่โทษ ฮารุโตะสบโอกาสเลยขอให้ไปดูซากุระด้วยกัน และนั่นคือจุดเริ่มต้นของความรักที่มีเวลาเพียงชั่วยามก่อนซากุระจะร่วงโรย ไม่นานหลังจากทั้งคู่เริ่มจริงจังในความสัมพันธ์ มิซากิตรวจพบว่าตัวเองเป็นโรคที่ไม่มีทางรักษาและจะมีชีวิตอยู่ได้ไม่ถึงปี จะมีชะตากรรมแบบไหนรอคอยหนุ่มสาวคู่นี้อยู่ที่ปลายทาง

ขอยกให้เป็นเล่มที่เตือนสติหลายๆ คนเกี่ยวกับความเปราะบางและไม่แน่นอนของชีวิตได้เป็นอย่างดี อ่านจบแล้วยังรู้สึกหน่วงๆ อยู่นานพอควร

[Reem · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I thought the cover looked pretty and hoped that it would get me out of my prolonged reading slump, and although it did quite the job I was hoping it would, I often found myself trying to finish it in order to scrape it off my reading list. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not by any means a bad read, just a really un-notable one. The story is simple to get through and it reminds me of a manga I read many years ago, somehow every Japanese work is a tad bit similar to the other. The ending was soul crushing, but if you’re up for it then I’d recommend you to check it out.

[Chantell Kraemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book absolutely GUTTED my soul!!! I wish I could say it put it back together again, but it didn’t…and I’m ok with that.
It’s not many books that I just sit and sob as I read and this one definitely invoked the tears.

Haruto and Misaki will live on with me for eternity. ❤️🌸❤️That much I know. This story is filled with love and ultimately loss .The story is divided into Seasons for the chapters. Winter was the chapter that got all the emotions stirred up for sure! I started this on the first day of Spring knowing nothing about the book other than I LOVED the art on the cover of it and the Cherry Blossom tree.

I will for sure be checking out the movie on Netflix right away!

[White House Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not normally into romances, but I enjoyed this one very much. I knew it was going to end in a tragedy, but I still wanted to read more to see how the characters were going to handle the situation. The book takes place in a very short time span, 1 year, yet I feel like there was good character development, the pacing was great and the story drew me in. I will probably go watch the movie simply because I liked the book.

[Nicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick read and very sad as it deals with a truly awful terminal illness I have not heard of before and can’t even begin to imagine how distressing it would have been. I loved the descriptions of Japan and the cherry blossoms.
The romance didn’t unfold quite as I would have expected either, which made it even more tragic.
Misaki was such a sweet character and I liked the dynamics of her relationship with her brother and his girlfriend too.

[Kristine M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like I was watching a drama unfold. BUT I had issues with Misaki's characterization. Her motivation felt hollow, especially in the face of death. It felt weird that her physical appearance seemed to matter more than thoughts on life, health, or even its impact on those around her. You’d think she’d be more focused on healing & cherishing time with loved ones, rather than her looks. Her character development could be improved.

[Dao Chau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and moving. The writing is smooth and you can't help but feel invested in the characters. Reading it becomes introspective and makes you wonder what you would do in the situations of each character. It also carries an inspiring message of living your life with passion and makes you want to do so after reading.

[Isabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Words can’t describe the emotion brought on by this book. I personally think the most heartbreaking scene in this was when Misaki was right in front of Haruto, RIGHT THERE!! But Haruto didn’t recognize her and picked up her hat for her. And only when Misaki was dead did Haruto realize. Right place, wrong time.

[Perla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say the story is fast paced. It doesn’t drag and gets straight to the point. I wish Misaki would’ve told Haruto about her condition. I just feel like he would’ve been understanding if he was told from the beginning. Nonetheless, it’s a good story.
P.S. There is a Netflix movie about this and it didn’t do it any justice. Of course, this is just my opinion.

[Ranette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young couple face a terrible desease that causes her to age rapidly. She turns him away to save him the torture of seeing her deteriorate. But he persists and gains her love again through a screen. True love.

[Hind · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished the book!!! Oh my heart, I was about to cry in the end. I really enjoyed reading the book :))) my heart goes to the main characters :( the atmosphere of the book is so calming. I don’t imagine this is happening to someone in really life. It was a lovely book to read :)))