Bokura ga Ita
We Were There

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Love hurts.

Two words that truly sum up the entirety of Bokura Ga Ita - We Were There. The story follows the interconnected lives of four people made tragic by circumstance and choice from their highschool days, and ten years hence.

This manga is categorized as a Shoujo, yet the maturity of the tale, and the realistic way everything is approached and handled is far more like a Josei, and therefore better for a more mature audience, either in age, mentality or both.

★ Story (9) - What starts off as a deceivingly simple and very cliche tale of a good, innocent girl falling love with the ... school delinquent quickly evolves into a very painful and tragic story spanning ten or so years. A simple tale of what seems to be a first love during high school is completely shattered as dark, troubled pasts come to light; revelations of secrets in families are revealed, abuse and abusive behavior are uncovered, cheating scandals abound and the death of one girlfriend takes its toll on several characters.

Yes; this manga is dark.

What stops this story from being cliche and overly dramatic is the mature, realistic way events are shown and handled. None of the events are taken lightly, or just passed by as a chapter's event, or played up for the entertainment factor and the sake of the reader. Everything is taken seriously, broken down and scrutinized from all sides and different perspectives, each side with its own conflicting feelings and thoughts that adds to the realistic nature of the tale.

There is also a certain ambiance...A certain feeling throughout this whole story. The atmosphere is somewhat vague and dreamlike, coupled with a nostalgic sense, and a feeling of yearning for people, places and even the past. This dreamy, sad quality suits the entire story very well and only adds to the plot.

★ Art (3) - Unfortunately, this is where the good reviews go out the window. The art for this series (an award winning series at that) is extremely poor and badly done. The blank, pupil-less "frog eyes" that every character has are incredibly unnerving, creepy, and rather off-putting. Their bodies and clothes look like rough, sketchy doodles and the backgrounds look very lazy or merely incomplete.

The sketchiness and bad line art coupled with poor landscapes, and overall poor design make this one of the poorest artsyles I have ever come across in a manga.

★ Character (9) - You have the innocent girl, the bad boy, his good-guy pal who wants the innocent girl, and the sister of the dead girlfriend who wants the bad boy. Cliche and stereotypical, right?

Wrong.

This manga really deconstructs all the stereotypical cliches and "boxes" that so many authors place their characters into. Every character is given depth, meaning, different sides and perspectives, making them very three dimensional and understandable. While you may think you know a character, you'll see that they make choices, or act completely differently from how you perceived them. Characters you thought you knew make surprising choices, or shocking things are revealed about them which changes your perspective from back to front and around again.

These characters are carefully layered and even convoluted. Intricately layered and folded with sharp edges that can cut if not carefully handled. The beauty about the characters in this series is that they are not limited by what the audience wants them to do, but they live by whom they are.

And that changes more often than you think, making them all very interesting.

★ Enjoyment (9) - For those out there that are sick to death of immature, cheesy little Shoujo tales this is for you. This manga is very realistic and almost brutal in its deconstruction of a first love, and of love and relationships in general.

★ Overall (9) - This is a beautiful, tragic, and very understated series that I highly recommend for those with a taste for realistic relationships, and the heart to handle them.

This, most certainly, is not a series for everyone. For instance, this series does feature unhealthy relationships and the people who stay in them voluntarily. This has upset many people (including me) but then, that is the character's own choice and it is interesting to see WHY they choose to stay, or still love the abuser.

This series is for older, mature audiences, or those that can understand that love can be painful and dark; that it takes and wounds; that it chokes the innocence and youth out of life - that it scars and leaves behind bruises on the heart that even Time cannot heal.

Love hurts indeed.

“I’d been living all this time to meet you, Takahashi.” – Yano

Bokura ga Ita (We Were There) is a must-read for all rom-com and drama lovers. Written by Yuuki Obata, it is filled with the most beautiful (and romantic) quotes relating to life, which is one of its greatest aspects as a Slice of Life manga. Given that the story follows a high school romance between an innocent girl (Takahashi) and a popular boy (Yano), it may be assumed that this is just another cliché rom-com or drama manga. However, it’s greatly unpredictable. As the story progresses, you will face several turn of events among ... the characters.

Volumes 1-8 (and the anime) focuses on their lives in high school, while Volumes 9-16 goes into their adulthood five years later. The manga takes place within a ten-year time span. Instead of dragging on, the story allows you to understand the characters by reflecting on their past and their daily lives.

The story is uniquely remarkable. High school love begins to bloom, and they both face several obstacles over time, especially the meaning of trust. A new chapter of their lives begins after high school, and shocking secrets are revealed that took place within the five years of their separation. Reality hits every character. It focuses on several aspects of life, including unrequited love, psychological issues, and family drama. The drama goes on, and the characters mature as the years go by. The ending is so beautiful that I could reread the last chapter for a lifetime. (10)

Thankfully, there are only five main characters, and each of them have their own personality that distinguishes them from each other. They all meet new people that make a huge impact on their lives. Interaction with the supporting characters influences their decisions and allows them to think of situations from different angles. It’s easy to develop a love-hate relationship with the characters as they mature, especially when tears are shed. As you read on into the story, you may find yourself sympathizing with some of the characters as they experience trial-and-error. (10)

The art is unique for the most part, but some may find it annoying. The manga’s artwork leaves a lot for your imagination. The introduction of a new scene is fully drawn with a concise background and artwork in general. After that, it becomes sketchy with mere outlines until the next scene. The backgrounds are not fully drawn, and the characters will appear to have either one eye or a blank face. It doesn’t distract from the story at all, and it’s easy to grow used to it. The characters are drawn to fit their personality. For example, Takahashi’s eyes are round, giving off her cute baby face that shows her innocence. (8)

After watching the anime, I became curious as to how the two main characters continued their relationship. Honestly, the characters pissed me off in the anime because of their naivety, but my feelings changed after continuing the story. I read the best romance, drama, and slice of life manga in my life. My heart reached out to the characters as they dealt with tragedies, and I found myself relating to the characters, especially Takahashi as she dealt with her first relationship. (10)

If you’re looking for a good slice of life, rom-com, and drama manga, I highly recommend Bokura ga Ita. You’ll come to realize why Yuki Obata won the Shogakukan Manga Award for this masterpiece in 2005. Read into the remarkable love story of Takahashi and Yano. Prepare to laugh, cry, and even crave to punch a character in the face. I promise you won’t regret reading this. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to read this beautiful final chapter again. (10)

*If you completed the Bokura ga Ita anime series, you can continue the story at Volume 9: Chapter 32. However, read Chapters 29-31, because the scenes are different from the series.*

I think this is the best manga I have ever read. I can't believe Obata-sensei's art. It was so amazing it captured my heart. There was no need for petty dialogues and self-reflections, all feelings were portrayed in the art itself. I've never read a manga that tells a story in a series of pages that have no written words, but still flawlessly telling such a wonderful story.

I kind of didn't appreciate how she drew eyeballs at the start though, and how the characters still look like kids even after ten years. Haha. But every flaw was overlooked by every emotion so everything was ... still good. I cried so much til my eyes dried up. I cried still even though it's done. Plus Obata-sensei preaches safe sex. Plus points for that.

I can see why people like this. If you love drama and painful relationships, then this is for you. However, I just couldn't stomach this at all, especially since neither the reviews or the summaries adequately covered what kind of story this is.

What this Manga does well:
- While the art is kind of same-y and everyone looks extremely young, it really did frame the story well. The lilting sadness that permeates this series owes a lot to the art. There are a lot of painful looks exchanged and things left unsaid.
- The story's pacing is quite good and it was easy to just get into ... the swing of things and binge read.
- The premise and plot is intriguing, and lots of backstory is presented to be explored.
- For those of you who read manga raw, the language is really easy and following it should not be too difficult.

Why this manga may not be for you (as it was not for me) (spoilers through volume 3)
- The boyfriend, Yano, is just the worst. He's a really unsettling character for me. His cheerful exterior clashing with his dark history and personality bothered me greatly (as it should). However, it has left him a manipulative, abusive teenager who tries to find "love" and "happiness" in all the wrong places.
- Nana, oh Nana. She's a ditz for sure. I thought she was fine but I really felt bad thay she couldn't see the forest for the trees when it came to Yano.

If Yano wasn't so bad, or actually regretted his actions, I would probably have kept reading on despite the subject matter. I'm sure he does later (I hope), but if I have to trudge through 5+ more volume to get there then it's not worth it.

In every manga there are two things which I really judge and those are the story and the art. In this manga, it showed a magnificent story but with the art.. well not so much.Wait, I shouldn't bash up my point already..This is only the start of my review.

"We Were There" or "Bokura Ga Ita" has a very amusing and phenomenal title that really gives off that refreshing and relieving feeling that suits the taste of every Shojo Manga lover. But of course, the title isn't the only one that's phenomenal and uniquely developed and believe me.. the story is as magnificent as its title. ... It centers on high school life, a teenage love story and a twisted plot will make your head bang on the computer table, laptop screen or you'll just make a serious face every time a very unpredictable scene comes up. There are also mature sides in this manga and I'm sure people could catch up with it and handle it. What makes the story different is that it has a very dramatic sense of telling the story and there may not be a lot of comedic moments but it has an artistic style of capturing the highlights and the climax of the story. I don't know if I've seen a manga like this before and honestly I haven't. It's pretty original from the beginning to the end. Unrequited Love is truly present in this manga.The author has her way with words that made me absorbed the sad scenes and the emotional message of the characters. I can say that no words could describe the greatness of the story.

The drawings or rather the art is stylish and exceptional. The chapters that are near the end didn't have beautiful sketches. It was inconsistent and I had a hard time reading it maybe because it's a bit rushed. I think the author concentrated more on the story than the art. I believe that it's not perfect but it is not that bad either.

The characters were extremely enjoying to watch and fun to observe. It's hard to believe that a character can make the readers feel sensitive about the story besides the fact that it's only an anime character. If I were to grade or to choose which character was the best actor/actress, I think it's Yano. His complicated and bipolar personality almost depict a real person. I feel as though as if I'm looking at an award-winning actor. On the other hand,Takahashi Nanami is a typical shojo character who seem pretty normal but resides as the only girl in Yano's eyes. Takeuchi is another character whom I think deserves better (you may not know what i'm talking about but you will if you read this manga.). He is smart and conservative but he always gives up the girl he wants because the girl never chooses him. It's just fantastic that the ending gave a highlight for him even just for a little peek.

I can't say I got bored in this manga because if I did then I wouldn't have completed it. I really enjoyed the comedic acts of the characters and their honesty. The truth of life is what I witnessed in this manga and how true love really exist and how the words "if its meant to be then it's meant to be" because in this life you can truly meet your soul mate if you won't give up.

Overall, It's almost perfect but the art ruined it for me. I just hope you guys can have the luxury to read this manga because it's such a classic and a fine manga to read. Shojo fan or not, you will enjoy it if you just give it a try. The story, the characters and the drama will keep you coming back for more.

“Are we nothing but a collection of memories?”

It's been a while since a shojo manga rendered me speechless. If I could warn my 15-year-old self who started this series thinking it would be your typical slice-of-life, high school romance, I'd tell her to think twice. An extra package of tissue boxes would also be welcome. Yes, before I knew it, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with We Were There. What was supposed to be your average sweet, clumsy love story turned out a surpringly mature read exploring heavy themes such as grief, suicide and depression. Forget the fluff, the rainbow and the ... unicorns. The pure, humorous tone of the storytelling in the first volumes soon made room for mental agony later in the series. “What did I get myself into?” I told myself as I flipped through the pages, a muffled sob escaping my lips.

While I first thought the blurb couldn't seem more cliché, I found myself enticed by the fleshed-out characters and their tortuous struggles. Aside from the cheerful, naive Nana and a tormented Yano who builds up a wall of empty, deceitful smiles that fool everyone but never reach his eyes, even the secondary characters were given enough descriptions and development for the readers to form an opinion on them. Takeuchi, Sengenji, Yuri; they all have a huge impact on the main characters' journey as their paths meet and their destinies intertwine. The complex characterization in We Were There made it particularly hard to hate anyone despite their wrongs and the terrible way they handled some situations. Hidden secrets and warped pasts, angst and pent up tension, this series and its characters kept me guessing. Unpredictable and predictable. Sorrowful and full of ecstasy. Slow and full of action. It's a wonderful picture of life.

“Let's make our past fade into comparison with the present.”

I thought it was interesting that Obata decided to take the story into the future as early as she did. It was nice to see the characters moving into adulthood in a way that wasn't just an epilogue sort of deal. The time-gap only added more depth to the story altogether and allowed us to to see the characters grow individually, heal separately and find their way, which felt like a much more realistic and satisfying ending than what shoujo series usually offer.

“We didn't make mistakes. We didn't lie. We didn't fail. We did everything possible that seventeen-year-olds could do. But time distorts feelings and recollections. The promise I made turned to tears. The vow I made has become a sharp pain in my chest. And my beloved is forevermore a memory.”

Yet, what I liked the most about it is that relationships meander rather than being categorical: nobody actually lives 'happily ever after' (you wish!). The characters have to go through moments where they question themselves and their love for each other, dry spells where they don't see each other much, breaking up, getting back together, and other very human problems that relationships face. Yuki Obata's shiver-inducing writing and expressive artwork effectively get the characters' feelings across, perfectly capturing the emotions of teenage angst, but also the happiness and melancholy that go along with it throughout each chapter.

“With his face shimmering brightly in pitch black darkness and his eyes shining like the stars gathering in the sky as one, he told me that eternity does exist.”

I can't talk about the relationships without bringing up Takeuchi. My sweet, noble, selfless child deserves all the praise in the world and so much more. Regardless of my unconditional love and support for Yano and Nana, I can't deny that the love triangle in We Were There is among my all-time favorites. You read that right. The self-proclaimed anti-love-triangle-bullsh*t that I am was embarrassingly swooning over both sides. The circumstances, however, are very peculiar in this situation where one thing leads to another and Take is entrusted with Nanami's happiness by his dearest friend. Sounds familiar? It wasn't the deep love they both shared for the protagonist itself that made me so emotional, it was the beautiful, unbreakable, childhood bond between Yano and Take that made it impossible not to feel a lump in my throat.

“He'd say it while I was still hesitating. He'd act while I was figuring it out. He got everything I couldn't. I kept telling myself that I was just being me. Yet I couldn't help but envy him back then. I knew... if I had been born a girl... I would have fallen in love with him too.” – Takeuchi

“Meeting you was the greatest thing that happened to me. You know, if I had been born a girl, it's you I would've married.” – Yano

We Were There moved me like very few manga series have. My heart, soul and body were captured by Yuki Obata's poignant storytelling before I realized what was happening. The gleeful laughter and the impending doom. The genuine smiles and the inevitable heartbreaks. The happiest moments and the unescapable hardships. I will cherish the memory of these characters for whom I rooted, and their long, difficult journey to my grave. I will remember them in all their human vulnerability, how they fell and rose again, how they learned to confront their inner demons, how they braved the cruelty of fate with an admirable courage that never failed to make me cry. Just like life and love, Nana and Yano's story is tender, sour, boring, exciting, bittersweet and many things that are difficult to put into words. Wistful and hopeful, this final volume beautifully wraps it up and makes one believe in redemption and fresh starts.

“In only your words I have always believed. That is the only thing that hasn't changed during these past 5 years. Say, do you know? You are my compass.”

First of all this is my very first review and my mother language it's not English, so any mistake, sorry.

So I saw the anime and I was like, just this? And decided to read the manga, I'm not the type of person that cries with this kind of stuff and I confess while I was reading I turned into a crybaby.

This is not that kind of shoujo that everyone is alright, in this manga we have a lot of different stories, problems and some life lessons, we can learn and some people could relate, like me.
Love isn't easy and all pink, love it's difficult, ... needs work and effort, we have to learn and accept each other the best and the worst, and this manga show us how two different people, with different live stories, with different perspectives, with different personalities find them way to happiness and to fight everything to be together.

I considerer the Art really good, sometimes we had that sketchy chapters, but I think it depends where you read it. I really love the trace of the mangaka, the style everything, so for me it's really great.

About the characters, Takahshi it's a little bit annoying during the first chapters, I think she saw problems and create a lot of dramas where they didn't exist, she could just accept it and move one, but that's my way of thinking. Yano is a really great character, I fell in love with him. And it's nice that the author talks about a bunch of different characters, not focus only on the main characters.

I don't think this manga is for everyone, this manga it's not always the "happy ever after", we have a lot of psychological issues here, and the most sensitive person could not lead with this, this is a very adult manga, not a "fairy tail". It's different, very different, in a positive way.

This is a very touching and profound manga I really recommend it, I really love it.

Story:
The story is both frustrating and boring at the same time. I wish I could go into details of why I think so, but I am afraid I would spoil the reading for anyone wanting to read this manga. All I am able to say is that it is a very slow pace story about stupid behavior, broken promises, lies and too little communication. I consider myself to be a sensitive person: I am many times crying by hearing beautiful music, reading love stories etc. This story did never touch me in that way, instead I was just filled with frustration.

After reading about half of ... Bokura ga Ita (33 chapters) I gave up and begun scrolling fast forward to get a glimpse of the rest of the story so I would know if it was going to change and then I gave up completely.


Art:
The artwork is good but there are times when I have difficulties to know who is saying something and sometimes I even mix up the main characters as they are a bit too similar.

Story
Nothing was really unique about the story, it was simple and predictable, not as complex as it appears to be. But I like how the story was told, there was a lot of deep dialogues, you can easily understand how the characters are feelings.
The pacing was random, sometimes fast, and sometimes so slow with lot of unnecessary details. It could end with less chapters in my opinion.

Art
It did well to deliver the story, the expression were realistic. The background and places were drawn well, I was only hoping the character would be drawn more mature after they grow up, but in general I like it.

Character
Nothing ... is really special about them. I didn't like any character and I don't find them realistic at all. And I didn't relate to a lot decision made by those characters.
-Nanami is like any other shoujo character; She loves, she put all her faith on this love, no matter what happens she doesn't give up or move on, too sensitive and emotional, nothing new.
-Yano is someone who face some sad and critical events, instead of moving on and growing up, He make it a reason to torture himself and drown himself in regret, for too long time than those events deserve. And I don't think he did any wrong to regret and hate himself this much.
-The side characters are also bad, the typical second characters who insist on unrequited love for no reason even when it hurts them.

Enjoyment
I personally enjoy melodramatic stories, but it needs good reason behind all the drama, I don't think this manga deliver this reason for me, so I couldn't relate to the story. If you enjoy sad love stories (even if there is no real reason to make it this sad) then you can like this manga.

I love shoujo series that aren't superficial and are unique in their own sense, which is exactly what Bokura ga Ita is.

The story has a great pace and is very atypical from the usual shoujo, slice of life genre. It's really easy to fall into the pace of the characters and learn about each of them. They're all unique and complex...something I certainly admire about this series: there are so many sides to the story, giving it a much deeper, sort of realistic meaning. It's something that's actually relatively easy to relate to even if you've never been a situation like that yourself.

Honestly, it's ... quite an emotional roller coaster with lots of laughs and lots of tears! Such an amazing plot. I'd recommend it to anyone!

Well, hello. I will start by warning you first. This is hell. Or was as i have just finished it. I say that because as described it has drama. And the drama in this one is strong. If i am to talk about the story, it might not be anything spectacular. But it was good nonetheless. From this, i didn't actually learn something as i was occupied being too frustrated to think right. It was weird actually. There were many sweet moments, but many bad too. But so it's in love. The story flows in a way of it's own, you get sucked in their ... world and you can't contain the urge to just read the next chapter as to see more of them and the happiness that awaits them. The art style of this wasn't anything to write home about in the beginning, but i have to admit, there are some moments that just blow you away. If you do really read this one you might be impressed all the same. The most touching for me was Nana's prayer, and Yano's promise. Those panels just blew me away. As always i read this in one go as it's already finished, as it took me under 15 hours, there is something weird here. You easily spot inconsistencies or anything of the sort, but in this story that just made it all the better. The characters just go well one with another. There is a lot to talk about them, but in the end the idea is, they grew. From the beginning until the end the characters had good development and that could be felt very well in the ending chapters. The final i could say...well it's different for everybody. For me it was good, because it gave me all that i needed throughout the manga. If i were to speak about a lesson learned or whatnot, it would be just to never close yourself in front of your loved ones. As always life is hard, happiness is hard to acquire and everything else is hard. That's why we searching someone to hep us make those hard things a little more easy. Those loved ones. Life is long if you think about the future, and short if you think about the past. So don't be afraid of making mistakes when you search for happiness. Make yourself memories at which you will think someday looking back in the past. Giving the story my time, the time of the characters went forward. That's how it should be. I helped them go forward, they showed me their best. And now i am contented. If i would recommend this story to others? Maybe, if they liked drama and romance. Would i read it again? Hard to answer, probably not as i tend to remember what i read very well, and so it's a one time enjoyment. But even so, just that one time, i wouldn't exchange with anything else. That being said dear readers, go read and decide for yourselves. Be safe in your search for happiness from now on and we shall meet one day again. Farewell.

Ok so normally I dont comment on mangas and stuff but honestly, I found this manga to be really entertaining and worth the time.Like most mangas I've read, the stories usually start out very cliché and all but later the story starts to make sense probably after going through a few boring chapters. But never for once have I thought of dropping this manga. I loved Yano's character so much but I did find Takahashi annoying at times. All the characters are awesome and their stories and the problems they face and try to overcome, the circumstances they find themselves in and having to let ... go of what's truly important for the sake of love is what this manga is about and it is very beautifully laid out. The art is pretty good too.This actually brought me 2 tears. Highly recommendable.

The tears can't stop flowing.
I've been giving many series I watch high ratings due to being in the moment and simply enjoying that show the most at that time.

This is simply THE BEST romance I've seen and possibly will ever see. It shows so many people in so many places doing so many things feeling so many emotions, it has everything a romcom lover would die for. I won't give this an individual breakdown of why I chose the different ratings on art, characters, etc... because just like this story, you can't put a numerical value on something so precious.

This is the first manga I've ... ever read after watching the anime. I would have praised the anime much more if the manga didn't blow it out of the water then shoot it into outer space.

The characters are unforgettable and relatable, the art is perfect and hits you right in the feelings, the story carries you on a time span throughout the characters' lives of which I have rarely, if ever seen done or properly done in romance.

There are characters you don't care about, then there's characters you care too much about, and there's also characters you want to see succeed so badly >:| but didn't get to see even through 70 chapters! Shogunai, right?

It's hard to write a review without giving spoilers, but to sum it up:
----this is the first manga I've ever cried to, it's the first time I've ever read/seen media that's made me cry for over 20 minutes straight (no I'm not a slow reader@!), and It's the best ride I could have asked for
~tears of joy, tears of sadness, the tears wouldn't stop flowing

Well after I binged read tihis manga .
I came to an understanding that this manga easily turned to my number one in romance and drama.
I applause to Yuki Obata for making me cry endless chapters .
For making me binge read it ,because I couldn't stop flipping the page to see what is next.
Don't think I read it half way not think I stopped endings when Yano moved away. I kept reading it and I loved it.
Makes me believe love at first sight .Even if it hurst me .
Yuki Obata really knows how to develop her characters especially Nanami and Yano.( Who went through so much ... together).
Yukon Obata won an award for a reason and it's for having her characters be so strong .
Who wouldn't want to be friends with Akiko Sengeji or Takeuchi Masafumi?! They are like the best friend award goes to them for helping the main couple.
The authors drawings kept improving every single chapter too,it's a MUST SEE.

THE ENJOYMENT :
You wouldn't believe how much I was entertained the whole love triangle part.
I seriously for once even I didn't know who to choose.
That one night stand a certain character made. Oooooooh did not see that coming .bursted out crying.
It's drama,drama everywhere.
The slice of life into this story 'get ready to have Tissues in hand ,because they really get too you.
Well drawn and script that just brakes you down and think.T^T
don't get me started on the music because the music I got from the anime goes with whatever a sad Moment happens .


The story has a good message .
Told me to yes believe in first love at first sight.
Fight for that love.
Love does not wait you have to take the chance and go for it.
Don't lie to your spouse,don't keep secrets if your trying to have a good relationship.
Believe in promises you make if you love that person.
Don't lose hope you'll meet again. Somehow.
Yes there's regrets ,fights ,insecurity.
Relationships are hard to keep when she's slipping away.
I really love this manga and very little hate I got from it ,just some minor character that annoyed me ,but she was dealt with in a nice clean manor.
That set the main characters finale that was just so beautiful.
I am so going to buy the series.

I finished this manga a few months back, and I am just now making a review out of it.

The story is about a girl named Nanami Takahashi, who enters high school and falls in love with a popular boy named Motoharu Yano . She eventually gets to date him and as time passes by dating him, she learns about Yano's past and his problems of being unable to move on.
As the story progresses, it does indeed get hard for her, for she never fell out of love for Yano in the future.

All I can say is out of all the shoujo and romance manga ... I've read in my life so far, this has got to be my number #1 absolute favorite. It feels realistic and not at all dreamy. It's a happy, yet painful ride, but the read is absolutely worth it.

I started off by watching the animé for this, so of course, it broke my heart on the very last episode. After a year or so, I decided to pick up the manga from where the animé ended. I kept waiting for Yano to return, just as Nanami did. I waited, and waited, but we never got anything, except glimpses of his life every now and then. When Nanami was asked to give up on a love she had so much hope in, I could feel her agony coming through. There were certainly chapters that I did not like, but I got myself through them ... for a reunion between the two. There were also chapters that, when I read them, made sense, but at the same time, didn't fully explain anything at all about the characters. Some chapters were awfully devastating for me, that I cried on my bed for about 30 minutes, and had to put down the manga for one whole month -- it was something I was not expecting. There were disappointments, found within the characters, but later on, I understood completely the actions of characters. The art is cute, the storyline, while a bit cheesy, is probably one of the best shoujo's I've ever read/watched (and I am a shounen girl!). The characters seem to be patchy at first, but of course, they start out quite young. That's what made this my favorite shoujo; that we get to see the characters develop with their hardships.

In the end, I reread and rewatched the manga/animé, because it reminds me that, through hell and hardships, there is always someone or something waiting on the other side.

It absolutely restores my faith in love, whenever I am doubting it.

I highly recommend it for those who need the hope, as well as those who love a good shoujo. x

Wow what can I say about this manga? It's realistic as heck. It shows how cruel life can be. Despite how hard life can be, true love always prevail. This manga shows that no matter how long it is, if she/he is for you then it will always be. It is what it is. This manga also is a hell of emotional ride. I nearly cry while read this manga at my workplace hahaha. Truly masterpiece! The characters are relatable. Especially Yano. I totally can understand why he acts like that. Nanami also is a very likable female mc. She is really strong and independent. ... Not your typical heroine for a shojo manga.

Late review.
This is actually the first manga I've read. It's because I watched the anime and kept wondering when the next season would come. But with anime, we all know not every anime gets a second season. So after 2-3 months I learned about the manga already being completed. So I read it.
My opinion. My heart was and is still broken because of this manga. At the end I was sooooo happy that they finally finally FINALLY were together.

Story: Starts off typical shoujo. I like that the story continues onto adulthood. I couldn't even imagine after the anime that their relationship would fall ... apart the way it did until I started reading the manga. My heart just sunk. Our male lead really fell apart. As even to this day, even though I understand him, I don't either. He really put our female lead in a lot of pain. And loving him so much, she really went through alot to chase him down.

Personally I liked this manga. To this day I feel they could have been happy sooner than they did, but huuuh, what can I do. Haha I didnt write this.

Read this. Prepare yourself.

"We were there." The title itself suggests a lot of hidden possible meanings and would make you perhaps ponder with questions: "Who was there?" "Why?" "What's in there?" And "How did they got there?" The basic questions that we all learn. And as you read the story, you’ll discover answers on such questions. Bokura Ga Ita is one of those stories that'll tug some of your heartstrings. It'll annoy you; it'll make you sympathize with the leads; it'll make you wanna murder one of the characters; it'll even perhaps make you cry if you're sensitive and sentimental like me. It'll make you feel something. ...
I first saw the anime of this and it's one of my starting animes tbh. (I was in high school and school romances were kinda one of the tweeny ladies dream about.) The plot was rather simple and cliche. It's about a young couple who first disliked each other then as the story progresses, their feelings does too but there's a plot twist to it. How can you compete with someone who is dead? The universe is really mean sometimes cause it somehow played with them especially on the guy's side. Tragic love story. Well, i thought it's like another shoujo cliche but there's more to it. As for the characters, I usually go for the second guy tbh but I can't help but cheer on the lead guy. He had issues within himself so can't really blame him. The lead and the second guy lead are on a par with each other. Both are likeable and hateable xd Well that's just it. As for the ladies, T - T)b Nana is cool but she's stupid as well. I guess she just loves Yano that much. And this other girl... geez, I guess she already died in my mind lol At some point in the story you'll be like, " ' - ') oh come on. Does anyone ever think here?" But then every tragic love story has that phase. I'm satisfied with the ending though. I liked it.

Personal thoughts:
I enjoyed it just as much as I enjoyed the anime. I remember attending my morning classes with puffy eyes. It was school night when I watched it years ago. It was heartbreaking QᴗQ) It makes you think about fate. "If it's meant to be, it'll be."-- like this quote for example. Love is really unfathomable. It reminded me a part in the story where nana was asked, "Why do you love him? Why do you still love him?" (Not sure if it's in the manga, anime or the live action xd) And she had internal monologues but it all came down to the answer "I just do." To some it's perhaps insufficient and unacceptable but for me, it's a good answer. It's like there's a lot of reasons that explaining why you feel for them that way wouldn't do justice to it. People who felt love will understand that perhaps. Overall, I love it and it'll be one of my favourites.

Story- (9/10)
On the surface, it appears to be a seemingly simple, and rather cliched story about an ordinary girl falling in love with the popular guy. However, it quickly unfolds into a tale about love, death, what moves us and what doesn't.

It deals with a lot of themes, and it explores them wonderfully over the course of the main characters' journey from mere teenagers to adults. This is done through, a beautiful narrative, analogies, parallels and metaphors.

The author ditches the linear progress of the story in favour of showcasing the same themes or events throughout multiple perspectives. It deals a lot in flashbacks, ... and heart-wrenching monologues.

It has its fair share of drama, and it required conviction to sit through, so be warned. It has a tendency to get dark, and it doesn't shy away from delving into some truly tragic things.

Despite this, it sticks true to its core themes and sees them through to the end. It may get truly heart-breaking or simply infuriating at times, but in comparison to the overall execution, they may easily be ignored.

It may have a shoujo tag, but it handles details and concepts akin to a Josei. And if you stick with the story till the end, you will truly find yourself basking in its beauty. (However, I recommend you avoid this if you don't enjoy long dramas, especially since this is 70 chapters long, and there is a lot of heart break in between)

Art- (5/10)
The art is fairly simple, and rather distracting in the beginning. The proportions of hands and eyes truly set me of in the beginning. But, in its defence the art improves troughout the story, and compared to the beginning the final chapters are drawn quite well.

There isn't much in way of background and such, but a great amount of detail went into character expressions, which I appreciate.

Overall, not the best art-styble, but its no hinderance to the story and it does get better.

Character- (8/10)
Initially you are introduced to a seemingly cliched cast of characters, however, they quickly break out of their moulds, and develop stories of their own.

Most of the main cast starts out flawed, but each is awarded their own personal development arc, which is intervoven into the main narrative. I think this is especially true for the male lead, Yano who has the most significant character arc among the main characters.

I do feel like the side characters are dealt a bad hand in terms of character development. I feel like Takeuchi is by far the biggest victims to this. This is remedied somewhat by giving us a glimpse of his perspective and his experiences.

All characters are supplied with complex and humane motifs. Even if, their reasons are never explicitly stated, the story compensates for it, by giving us some perspective into their experiences and human behaviour (and its general unpredictability).

Enjoyment- (9/10)
I didn't quite know how to rate this. Would you consider crying through the majority of the story as enjoyment?

At times the story, can truly frustrate you, and it can just as easily sadden you. But, if you look at the bigger picture, you truly come to care for the characters. Even as ii begins to stetch too much in the middle, you are constantly invested in the lives kf these people.

It also has come light-hearted moments here and there but for the majority its tapers towars seriousness, especially in the second part.

Overall- (9/10)
Overall, the drama gets too heavy at timeas, and translation errors may dilute the true impact of the dialogue. At times, you will feel like certain arcs can be avoided altogether and the art-style is distracting initially. Not to mention minir characters are generally not given roo much importance.

However, as far as shoujo mangas so, the drama here feels purposeful (and not just for the sake of drama). As the story progresses, you are given more insight into characters behaviours and how the themes tie in with the plot of the manga.

It also doesn't spoon feed you the story, ans rather, lets experiences and parallels do the job for you.

As you reach the conclusion, you tend to let go of the major issues and just immerse yourself in the story thats being told.

It deals with its theme beautifully, and the repetition and Narrative devices make the story feel whole.

This is, however, not for everyone. It brutal in the way it plays with your emotions and lays the realities bear. Its also somewhat dark in the way it plays out, so be warned. However, if you have the stomach for it, completing the series ir worth it.

Note- Part 1 reference to the story taking place in high school, uptil chapter 23 whereas part 2 references to all subsequent chapters till the end.