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Some of the best short stories from Japanese online hangout 2Channel were recently turned into a manga by a very talented artist, with one tale in particular hitting netizens right in the heart.

Last year a group called Copy & Paste Mangaka started a video project, compiling a list of popular short stories shared between online users and fleshing them out into comic works to upload as part of a web series.

One in particular, a touching story about a girl named Saki and her mother’s passing, has recently gotten a lot of attention and shares via social media, and now we challenge you to watch it and just try not to shed any tears! (English translation of the story from the 1:45 to the 4:27 mark follows.)

▼ “Happy Birthday, Saki-chan! I’m so happy for you!”

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▼ “I had to move away and live inside the inside the TV now, which is why we can only meet like this… I want you to listen to what your Dad says and be a good girl. If you do that, I’ll come visit you again.”

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▼ “Saki-chan… Congratulations on your first day of school! I’m so proud of you! I’ve waited so long for this day…”

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▼ “Now I’m living in heaven, so I can’t see you face-to-face anymore, but if you help your Dad like a good girl, I’ll come visit you once more.”

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▼ “In fact, I’ve got a magic spell for you! Here goes! Now you’ll be able to cook and do laundry!”

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▼ “For when Saki gets a new mother”

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▼ “Saki-chan, you did a great job helping out around the house and I’m really proud of you… And you’ve got a new mom now, so I know you’ll be fine, which means it’s time for us to really say goodbye…”

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▼ “How tall are you now? I can’t tell… Oh how I wish I were still alive! I would love to be able to keep cooking lots of delicious food for you and watch you grow up…”

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▼ “But… Well… This is the last magic spell I have to give you. It’s magic so you can forget about me.”

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▼ “Mom, that spell doesn’t work. It can’t! That’s because…”
“A part of you will always be in all of our hearts…”

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▼ “Saki, and you too, Honey, are you guys ready?”
“Yeah!”

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▼ “Okay, let’s start!”
“To my mom in heaven…! Well, where to begin…!”

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According to the story, Saki’s mother unfortunately died from a terminal illness when Saki was only two years old. Shortly before her death, she asked her husband to record three videos of her to give to Saki- one on her third birthday, another on her first day of school, and the last someday after remarrying. Saki’s dad gets remarried when Saki is 10, and then she watches the third video. The “magic spell” her mother casts is for Saki to stop grieving over her, and to enjoy her life with her father and new stepmom. Of course it didn’t work on Saki, nor her dad or her stepmom. A piece of her will always be with them. So they decided to make a fourth video, this time for her to see from heaven.

Although this story doesn’t necessarily end with a perfect “happily ever after”, it brought an encouraging tear to the eyes of many exactly because it doesn’t sugar-coat the pain that comes with losing someone you love, whether it be a parent, relative, significant other, or friend. There’s no magic spell that can instantly make that sadness fade, or ever disappear completely, but there is magic in the fact that people can still endure despite that, and with time the pain can become more bearable, and even bring you closer to others who remain in your life if you let it.

Source: YouTube/Copipe Mangaka via Grape
Images: YouTube/Copipe Mangaka