Send Them a Farewell Gift for the Lost Time Review

I received a reviewer copy of Send Them a Farewell Gift for the Lost Time from TOKYOPOP in exchange for an honest review. This review contains spoilers.

When I learned that the mangaka Cocomi had a new manga coming out, I almost lost my mind. While I haven’t done an official review of it yet, I am obsessed with their previous manga, Restart After Coming Back Home, and the sequel, Restart After Growing Hungry. There is something so special about the way Cocomi approaches relationships. They write relationships that give you butterflies and excite you, but that also capture the realistic nature of relationships often not seen in fiction. Learning of this new manga coming out, I couldn’t have been more excited.

Send Them a Farewell Gift for the Lost Time is a story about a breakup. In it, hairdresser Tsukushi is processing his breakup with his longtime boyfriend Toui, who is an esteemed novelist. However, he is having a hard time “processing” the relationship ending because they both keep hooking up with each other. As Tsukushi navigates trying to set boundaries and move on, we see both Tsukushi and Toui reflect on the things that led to their breakup.

I loved the portrayal of Tsukushi feeling like he kept sliding back into Toui’s arms despite trying to move forward. It was so realistic to the fact that when people break up, it isn’t always clean-cut. Tsukushi spent a lot of time worrying about Toui, even when he pretended that he didn’t. He still went over when Toui texted and found ways to communicate with him.

On Toui’s end, his previous experiences with relationships didn’t prepare him for what he was going through with Tsukushi. Toui is very detached from relationships, not wanting to seem desperate. This is due to witnessing his parent’s divorce. He also avoids communication and tries to fix issues with sex (hence, all the post-breakup sex.)

My favorite part of this story is how it taps into that sometimes time apart can be beneficial in your relationship. I love the idea that two people can come back together after working on their issues separately. It may not always work out, but the fact that they were committed to trying again makes all the difference.

In the case of Toui, a lot of his issues had nothing to do with Tsukushi. He needed that alone time to process why he wasn’t fully vulnerable. After being apart, he realized how much his parents had influenced how he was behaving. Tsukushi on the other hand realized he wasn’t communicating and was letting his resentment build up.

Cocomi also masters the art of making a story long enough to enjoy and get to know everyone but short enough that you are longing for more. Toui and Tsukushi felt so real to me that I already miss them. I would love to see a part two covering their relationship moving forward. They both were so much fun and distinct, it was clear to see why they worked well together.

I can’t wait to see what Cocomi releases next, but until then I’ll be rereading Send Them a Farewell Gift as much as I reread the Restart series. I’ve already ordered a physical copy of Send Them a Farewell because I need to have this in my collection.

Send Them a Farewell Gift for the Lost Time can be purchased from TOKYOPOP.