Ranked #407

Bokura ga Ita

Bokura ga Ita is an anime for romance and drama lovers. I, personally love the genre so I enjoyed BgI to its fullest (mind you, not as much as something like Kanon), however, BgI really leaves you with overwhelming emotions.

The story revolves around Takahashi Nanami and Motoharu Yano, two high schoolers who unexpectedly fall in love. As the series moves on, we get to see the ups and downs of their relationship that eventually climaxes when both of them must truly mature or move on - the choice being particularly difficult for Takahashi. Throughout the story, the viewer is introduced to various problems every couple faces from past influences to jealousy -in the end it's quite a simple plot outline with very gripping dialog (for a drama, that is).

Animation is taken care of very well - there's a water color-esque feel akin to Honey & Clove mixed with standard inked anime. The animation won't wow you but it's still nice to for the eyes.

Insert songs create a perfect scene where emotion must strike a chord. Music can make or break a scene and although the songs are prevalent during climaxes, they always seem to get the job done.

There's about 4-5 main characters that truly effect the plot - a couple of them are boring and static however the three main ones are the ones you'll come to love or hate. BgI is the type of anime that makes you feel for the character and sympathize with them; although you may not be in Takahahi's shoes, she'll often narrate her thoughts and feelings to you.

Overall, I'd suggest this for romance/drama lovers - I truly enjoyed every second of this anime and I'm searching for the manga right now. The plot, while simple provides a lot of entertainment for the viewer - whether you cry or laugh, Bokura ga Ita delivers what it's good at. read more

Story:
A girl falls in love with a popular guy through which the guy falls in love with her as well and then they started going out. Then things start to take a turn for the worse as the girl begins to question the guy's past which shakes their relationship. A story of love, heartaches, sercrets, dreams, etc. This is a show which couples can relate..or even those who still couldn't find love...you'll know the hardships of being in a relationship as well as the things that make it so wonderful. The series also has a bit of slapstick comedy to lighten up the mood. Quite a nice touch in my opinion.


Art:
Well, I couldn't say much about the art..it's simple. The characters don't look that cool or awesome as other animes, but they are characters which will be remembered. The bakcgrounds are simple, almost like they were just watercolored.
But despite the simplicity of the art, it's realistic. The characters clothing is a big example. They change clothes every episode or even during an episode. and the designs for the clothes are nice too.

Sound:
Since this is a romance series, expect that there'll be a lot of drama and sad moments just as much as happy ones. The background music really goes well with the mood of each situation and just at the right time. I almost shed a tear at one point in the series coz of the situation and the music was just sad...I give the music team a thubs up! no two! XD

Character:
The reason why this anime is great. The plot alone isn't enough to make you interested in watching a series, the characters do. And here the characters make you hate them at some point, or feel sorry for them at other times. There is no real antagonist in this story coz all of the characters are acting out of their feelings, and when you're in love, sometimes it's hard to see if what you did or said is wrong until you see the result..and there's also character development especially in the two main characters (Yano and Nanami).

Overall:
If you love romance, or romance anime to be particular, this is a definite must watch! read more

Quick Review:
Story: 9 (Manages to suck me in to this story from the very beginning and somehow forces me to find out whats next)

Art: 4 (its just damn awkward staring at characters for long periods of time without eyes.)

Sound: 5 (Not every scene when the on screen characters, gasp, gulp, groan, or preforming an act of moe, needs to buzzed in.)

Character: 6 (The fantasy slowly and effortlessly turned into reality.)

Enjoyment: 6 (No matter if you're a drama buff or feeling nostalgic of that love lost, this is indeed a drama roller coaster.)

Overall: 30/50 = 6.0 (...What is happiness to YOU?)


Full Review:
___Story___
This review is coming from a person who is not entirely into the Romantic Drama genre (prefer romantic comedies). So lets get to the brass tacks of this heart wrenching tale of an 'ordinary' girl and her boyfriend. Clearly the most important part of any deep seeded, plot twist driven, emotional roller coaster is the story. If you have watched any soap opera, telenovela, or romance anime/manga, you know how they normally go, Point A, plot twist, point b, repeat. This works perfectly fine in this show. And it even manages to suck me in to this story from the very beginning.
They perfectly sugar coat a taste of things to come, when you realize that such an important thing happens very early in the anime. I laughed a lot and cried a lot and even got pissed alot, but the story story still kept me wanting to know, 'whats going to happen next?' Behold, the power of the 'next episode' previews and skillfully placed teasers throughout the ending credits. Never have I experienced such a perfect mix of ending credits, cliffhangers, and music mold into such a unique experience, that I realized that i had spent over 10 hours watching this show.

___Art___
Aside the standard 'shoujo style' of drawing, the art direction is actually very 'unique' to say the least. It's sort of hard to describe the awkwardness I kept feeling when ever I tried to determine the feelings of the characters on screen. The first thing that will stick out the most is that 90% of the time, you will see all the characters with either one eye or no eyes. Now I don't know if this is to avoid "watching" their emotions like we normally do and instead, watch their emotions through sounds via the voice acting and chance flags. Whatever the reason, its just damn awkward staring at characters for long periods of time without eyes. Sometimes its just downright scary. And a large amount of the time, its not even necessary.
Sometimes I thought this was just a move to save time and money since you will also realize that they do A LOT of flashback inserts, especially during the later episodes. If you take a technical standpoint to that issue, from episodes 15 through 26, a full 8 minutes is wasted to the last episode recap, opening theme, and flashbacks to previous episodes. That is disappointing to say the least. But in their defense, each episode is riddled with so many plot and emotional twists that most viewers would easily forget why they are acting 'that way.'
Another useful 'cost cutting' technique that they seem to over use would be the pan and scan shots. Which means they draw an 'elaborate' drawing, then they pan and/or zoom the camera up, down, left, right, in and/or out to get the most effect of the drawing. In small doses, this is perfectly fine like in very important (emotional) scenes. But they do take this technique to the Nth degree. Do we really need to see a pan-shot of Nanami's face with no eyes for a full 8 seconds? There are many artistic flaws like that.
A little bit off topic but, this series does lend itself to very beautiful still shots worthy of any picture frame. Just google search the images for this show and you will understand what I am saying. Ironically, that is the reason why I started watching this show is because of all the artwork depicting this show.

___Sound___
As with any drama, there is a wide range of emotions being displayed through all the characters. Some of them play it out very well, some of them not so much. But any show that manages to get the audience to relate or feel the same way as the characters on screen, should be commended. They did a great job in creating such a wide range of emotions by not only voice acting, but the music and sound effects played a large part into pushing that emotional envelope.
The various songs portrayed in this show all came in at perfect times and never felt like it was awkward or forced. The lyrics to all 9+ songs are sure to bring tears to any drama lovers eyes. As it did with me numerous times. There is nothing really wrong I can say about the music in this show. Its all very appropriate and at times, too appropriate.
Again, with such a great execution of song usage, they manage to screw things up with using the same sound effects over way, way, WAY too much. As seasoned, anime fans would know, when a chance time (or flag) occurs, a 'pleasant' beep would go off. It sounds harmless at first, until you realize they are going to use the same sound effect 10-15 times in every episode.
Not every scene when the on screen characters, gasp, gulp, groan, or preform an act of moe, needs to buzzed in. Granted, half of the time the characters don't have eyes (the most predominant way to read their emotions), but at least let the audience realize these flags on their own instead of literally chiming in for us.

___Characters____
Love them, hate them, or both, they do pull off their lines with ease. They can pull of their personalities with perfection, but for some reason, I had no connection to the characters after watching for a while. I grew to love Nanami and the other cast of characters early on (remember sugar coating), but the plot twists weren't living up to my expectations later in the series that I just gave up cheering for them. The fantasy slowly and effortlessly turned into reality. That's when I started to become disappointed with it as it started feeling like high school all over again. Take that however you may (good or bad) I'm sure you're like me and just end up wanting to watch what happens next 'just because'

It's also a little hard for me to feel an attachment to the characters when they appear not to have any eyes for no apparent reason. I feel like this show would feel much more complete if they completed drawing their eyes, no matter how ugly they are. Kudos to the main cast though as they did manage to just keep it somewhat interesting from beginning to end. Hell, I even caught myself yelling at the screen from time to time at how irrational this drama can be. But hey, that's life right?

___Enjoyment___
No matter if you're a drama buff or feeling nostalgic of that love lost in your past, this is indeed an emotional roller coaster for the soul. Be prepared to cry tears of joy and sadness, and reflect on things that could have been that never were. You will most likely experience all of those things. But sadly the production value and direction they took this show is what ultimately gave me this score. I really wanted to give this show a 9 or even a 10, but the excessive nuances are just too much bear for this poor soul. Maybe they might do a re-release down the line. I'm sure that's just wishful thinking on my part. And on that note...

...What is happiness to you? read more

Let me try my best to make this review short and to the point.

First, Bokura ga Ita is drama. Drama, drama, drama. If you don't want to watch a couple go over countless drama scenarios over and over and over, then don't bother with this show.

Second, and this might be a slight spoiler, but if you like one of the male leads more than the other, this will make or break the series for you. The male lead that I liked a lot didn't win out in the end, so naturally, I'm a little bitter (okay, more than a little).

Third, don't expect real life situations or problems. I don't believe Nanami or Yano handled a lot of their situations like a normal couple would. I'm definitely no expert on relationships, but sometimes you know how things would have happen. It's TV folks, expect some "Ooooookay" scenes.

And as for my last point. The series was good enough to watch, but not good enough to warrant a "go see it now" from me. As I said, I was dissatisfied with the Anime ending, so I will most likely pick up the manga to see where it leads. Judging by my desire to read the manga after watching of the Anime, I should think that says it did well enough to see. á read more

Bokura Ga Ita is a series with a simple plot. However, it’s simplicity is what makes it so attractive. It got me hooked immediately with the slightest essences of fate and love and obvious heartbreak that is shown in the first few minutes of the series.

It is about the relationship of Yano and Takahashi, the two main characters, and that may sound a little plain and possibly predictable. But the characters are so loveable that you can’t help but get even a little attached and that alone will blind you from any predictability in the series. It is relatable to everyone who has been in or out of love and this series almost perfectly depicts how astounding first love can really be. And that’s my favourite part of the series: how amazing the love was between the two characters. The series also adds some mysterious elements to it as Takahashi tries to dig up Yano’s past. (So their relationship isn't all sunshine and daisies because Yano's past wasn't either.)

The only downside to this may be the art. I find that the art isn’t as colourful or detailed as something as Clannad, for example. There are some funny times when the characters have only one eye. =P

I love the music in the series and it was nice how they inserted music over certain moments in every episode. It really helped to emphasize the meaningfulness.

Overall, I feel that it is an amazing series and I recommend it to anyone who loves romance with a little bit of comedy. I can even slightly compare this to Twilight (only a little bit) so if you liked Twilight I guess you'll love this series(?)
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The story itself was moving and amazing. There was a lot of drama in it but the humor in the story helped when the mood got to dark every once in awhle. It wasn't perfect though. The humor helped, but when I got near the end I had to put the anime to the side for a week because I couldn't take the drama anymore. Partly my fault because I was watching the whole thing all at once I guess. The anime was good but if you're looking for something to make you crack up this isn't it. If you want something thats going to make you cry at times then this is the way to go.
The art wasn't anything to be shocked about. I thought it needed a little work. The art wasn't bad, but the faces were missing sometimes. In the beginning I respected that because I thought it made you more aware of what the characters were feeling through facial expressions, but in the end it was done to such an extent that I just think that it was a short cut. Half of the time the characters only had one eye and sometimes they just didn't have eyes. I think that it was a good idea at one point, but it was done way to often.
The sound was average. They're really isn't anything to say about the sound. I could hear what was going on and it was clear. Good enough for me.
The characters were well rounded. Maybe I didn't always like what the main characters were doing or thinking, but no one is perfect and the fact that they were flawed made them outstanding.
The enjoyment was pretty good. Sometimes I got depressed or annoyed with what was going on but that's a good thing and a bad thing. My feeling something for the anime meant that I was really into the plot and cared about the characters, but I wasn't always enjoying myself. I got a little fed up in the end. I came back and watched the rest but the drama was a little bit much sometimes and I had to take a breather.
Overall, this isn't something that I'm going to forget any time soon. It was an amazing story and I'm glad that I stuck to it and finished it in the end. It was worth the time and I would recommend it to anyone who's looking to watch a good romance. It may not always leave you smiling but it's a moving story and enjoyable to watch. read more

Takahashi Nanami has just started a high school with not many people she knows. Takahashi has a goal to make as much friends as possible. Amongst the female students, there is much talk about a boy named Motoharu Yano. Supposedly, mostly every girl likes Yano and is very popular with his contemporaries. Takahashi asks her classmate, Yamamoto Yuri (chuckle) about Yano to try and confirm this sort of "gossip". Yuri claims that she hates him and shortly after Takahashi begins to hate him as well but sudden feelings begin to grow.

Bokura ga Ita feels like any kind of shoujo anime out there. With there is nothing wrong with sticking to the classics. The story is played out well over a twenty-six episode period which didn't feel rushed or drawn-out. I really appreciated that there was no time skip in Bokura ga Ita. One thing that irritates me is when shoujo manga/anime has a large time skip, which makes you feel as if you're not seeing the full relationship between the two characters. Along with the typical romance. Just to clarify once again, there is nothing wrong with being cliche or typical. Along with the romance, I found myself enjoying the relationship between other characters more. The friendship and rivalry that Yano and Takeuchi had throughout the series the growing relationship between a mother and son that didn't exist for a while. This smaller stories in the series had me yearning for much more than the main romance.

The art is my highest rating of the show. I would hate to describe this art as "shoujo" as I have been already. The art feels very, very dreamy. All the scenes are full of color and they always shine brightly with light around the characters, almost as their in a spotlight when their time is up. I should also add that they captured a lot of stills and add a watercolor-type touch to the still. I welcomed those stills; they added a more dreamy touch when the characters explained their feelings and thoughts. The style of art always drags in that little extra bit of drama with the story. A picture to help explain.

The sound is probably one of my least favorite aspects of the show. Surely, the music added the scenes but I swear I was hearing the same songs every episode. There are varieties to the song as least, sometimes it's the instrumental version, sometimes the lyrics will be replaced with "la la la"s. The music fits perfectly with the scenes and the series but it just wasn't for me. The OP got a little old. The eight different EDs were probably my favorite part. Each one played the last scene out. Which got me thinking, there are only eight moods the episodes go out on? I cannot answer this question on my own. So you'll have to be the judge.

Characters were very well displayed as the series finally kicks off. Takahashi begins hating Yano, which I only remembered whilst flicking through the episodes. This is probably because there wasn't much evidence that Takahashi actually hated Yano. But when Takahashi starts to realize her feelings is when I started getting interested. All of her actions were never questioned until a fateful moment where it finally mattered. Which bothered me a little but that is her character; realistic as well. Yano is really described throughout the whole series as you learn about his murky past and how he lives in the present. You really see their relationship as well as the smaller ones. I mentioned before that those relationships were my favorite. Between Yano and his family, mainly his mother and between his friend Takeuchi. The characters seem very realistic and are portrayed well. Which is a huge plus in this show and review.

I found myself enjoying Bokura ga Ita. A definite check-out for anyone that is a fan with the genre. Which is a damn big fan base. It had it's flaws that I noticed but they don't matter as much as the whole series. The story may not be original, but it feels right at home when it comes to the drama and romance. Although, I did feel cheated at the end. A bittersweet taste is left in my mouth. read more

Bokura ga Ita is one of my favorite animes in the direction of romance.

The story was really good, very interesting and it was realistic. This story in Bokura ga Ita can really happen, so I found the anime really great. It was really well imagine how you would act itself.

The character was really great. There were what you did not like, but otherwise it was great. About some people have much to learn about some not, but it was good.
Especially the two main people liked it, the two are really sweet.

The drawing style is perhaps a bit of getting used to, but if you look at it appeared then that is no problem, because you become accustomed to it, the story is really good and realistic. It's just not as a style as today's animes but good.

The music in the anime was also great, there were always beautiful music to the relevant scenes. I very much liked.

Who likes romances and dramas can only recommend it, it is realistic and well done. A must for those of the romances and dramas like. read more

I guess i may be quite lenient in my grading of this anime,but i really think it deserves it.The anime is a high school romance focusing on the ups and downs of a relationship between the two main characters.

The story may be a bit cliche, but i think it was portrayed quite well. and if you are a romance-drama fan like myself then you would not mind. I think that the story is quite realistic and this is something i look at because then you can empathize with the character, even if you don't it grips you because you cannot really tell what will happen because reality is harsh and thats a fact. The complications that arise from the supporting characters makes the story interesting and the twists kee p you on the edge of your seat.

The Art was great i guess, im not so particular about the art but i think they were able to bring out the mood of the story quite well, and the scenic drawings are quite nice

The songs were great. They definitely suit this anime, being sentimental. The drama is brought out thanks to the songs and the insert songs are done up very nicely, you may even like some of the songs as you go along especially since there are like 8 different songs to end the episodes, and they are not in consecutive order,they are selectively used to suit the ending of the episode,which is quite rare in an anime so the sound was astounding.

The characters are of course important in the story with the supporting characters playing fairly big roles and are not left out at all like some other animes, they get a good deal of showtime. I myself found that i preferred one of the support chracters to the main chracter and it had me going like how sad it was for him...well i won't spoil it so go found out yourself...the main chracter Nanami is the narrator of the story and it is important as we get inside the mind of the chracter and see things from her point of view mostly, but its interesting too.

I thoroughly enjoyed the show being a drama-romance addict. The show also had its fair share of comic relief from time to time so its not serious everybit of the way. Its one of those shows where every episode leads to the next so your constantly watching non-stop(caution:once you start make you sure you have several hours ahead of you free).

The show really pull at your heartstrings. It is a very touching and meaningful story, you will definitely regret it if you don't watch it, its not everyday that you can find an anime like this. A second season will be out in june 2008 so i'm really looking foward to it, you will be too when you finish watching it. :) read more

(polish version)

Bokura ga Ita to całkiem niezła historia romantyczna opowiadająca o związku szkolnego idola i przeciętnej dziewczyny. Wbrew pozorom ten ograny schemat wyszedł twórcom naprawdę dobrze i na pewno pod względem fabularnym jest innowacyjny. Otóż bowiem anime nie skupia się na męczącym zdobywaniu swojej upragnionej miłości przez dwadzieścia parę odcinków, ale pokazuje co się dzieje później i jak ciężko wśród niedomówień i przypadku utrzymać prawdziwe uczucie. Obserwujemy więc 3 lata wspólnego życia bohaterów, bardzo ładnie zamknięte przez twórców.

Z powodu niskiego budżetu, grafika nie stoi na wysokim poziomie, jednak mi przypadła do gustu. Zwłaszcza ciekawy efekt "ucinania" połowy twarzy. Na początku irytuje, potem nawet znośne. Z braku środków, stosuje się też duże rozmycie tła, aby ukryć małą liczbę elementów, ale to tylko dodaje uroku w serii romantycznej, takiej jak ta.

Postaci również jest niewiele. Tak naprawdę wszystko kręci się wokół piątki, szóstki bohaterów w całym anime! Ale i tu duże brawa dla twórców. Jak sami zobaczycie tyle postaci potrafi narobić i tak sporego zamieszania.

Na koniec kilka słów o muzyce. Nigdzie w anime nie spotkałem tak romantycznych i nastrojowych ballad jak tu. Przewijają się one przez całą historię, a dodatkowo całkiem ładnie kończą poszczególne odcinki. Reszta tła muzycznego - raczej uboga.

Podsumowując. Jeśli szukacie dobrej historii miłosnej, prawdziwej i mogącej mieć swoje odzwierciedlenie w życiu, z całą odpowiedzialnością polecam to anime. A uboga grafika? Potraktujcie ją jako ciekawy styl kreski, formę retro. read more