In Volume 1, we met Haruki, a woman suffering from intense, debilitating grief from the loss of her lover, even after 5 years. She finds Sakura’s 10-year diary and decides to finish it, in an attempt to understand those things about Sakura she did not know. She is accompanied by an apparition, or perhaps hallucination, of Sakura.

In Volume 2 of Haru Tsudzuru, Sakurasaku Kono Heya de (春綴る、桜咲くこの部屋で) Tokuwotsumu’s exploration of love and grief was absolutely gripping. I had to stop myself from reading too much at a time, at least partially because of the the deep emotion it brought up in me with every page…especially as the story progresses and we learn the story behind Sakura’s death.

Of note there was one scene early on that stood out. Haruki visits a woman whose daughter is known to see ghosts and spirits. When Haru asks her if she can see Sakura, the girl says she sees nothing. At that moment, Haruki understands that the Sakura she sees is the memory of her lover; a presence who is gone from any plane of existence.

Haruki meets Sakura’s coworker who idolized her, Sakura’s boss, revists Sakura’s family. Kaede, the coworker and Haruki become friendly over their mutual bonds with Sakura, then friends on their own. In the end, Haruki is able to move forward with her own life, even while recognizing that she would not be who she is if it hadn’t been for Sakura’s love.

I wouldn’t say that this is an easy read, but there is a freedom in the journey from darkness to light. Tokuwotsumu is an artist whose style appeals to me greatly and I think it does a good job of capturing the emotions here really well.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Service – 0
Yuri – 10
LGBTQ+ – Yes

Overall – 9

This was a manga that took some fortitude to finish. I’m glad I read it though and will possibly come back to it one day if I need the lessons it teaches again.