Bokura ga Ita

My review will be different. I might save you some time:

The first half of the show (up through episode 12) was simply wonderful, hovering between 8/10 and 9/10 for me. I don't even mind what happened on episode 12 — I thought they were both right and both acted right.

But.

Between episode 13 and the end, it kept drawing out, and out... and out. It became a true shoujo soap drama where one character picks on the tiniest little things and makes the relationship unnecessarily difficult, while the other character can't get away from the past. It was slow and tiresome. I just didn't enjoy this second half very much, but it was still watchable, and you will probably be able to stick through it. Unfortunately, the ending is nothing really worth waiting for anyway.

The main girl, Nanami, plays it so perfectly in the first half though. The way she talks... if I hadn't seen the second half, she'd easily be one of my favorite characters. Animation: low-budget mediocrity galore with mostly static frames, but they do try to be artistic with it (e.g. all the bubbly framing around key scenes, or how they occasionally blank out one eye for effect). Pacing: slower than average. Music: gently compliments every mood, insert songs never feel unwanted or out of place, and they cycle through a remarkable number of ending themes (9!).

All in all, I definitely recommend at least starting Bokura ga Ita, and if the front half leaves enough of an impact, perhaps try a bit of the back half for yourself. It's certainly not awful, but just nowhere near as alluring as the front's wonderfully carefree slice of life, and far more irritating. And it may leave a bad aftertaste.

P.S. — If you do watch the entire thing, be sure to check the manga for the last episode since they leave out a key line after the anime's final scene. (It's in the last few pages of Chapter 31. You'll know it when you see it, but feel free to ask me if you're uncertain.) And if you're up for it, there are 39 more chapters to Bokura ga Ita after this. read more

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

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

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

"I always begin to inspect the anime, even if I did not like" this proposal is
anime Bokura ga ita
In other words a waste of time on useless characters - children and their inclinations emovskih
(All bad, he does not love me, etc.)

Start honestly intrigued me, because I have always liked romance, do not know if the creators
confused her, instead of romantic melodrama, they have done "a la Santa Barbara", whether it is anime constructed
only for girls who love this genre and from that strange and appreciation of the anime ...

Story: 1 (boy, girl meet, then parted, then again there are - for mneya is quiet
horror of snot and confusing emotions)
Art: 1 (The most terrible show-off that I've seen, although I do not care for showing off extreme, but constantly
closed bangs when they have problems and not middle of painting the characters of the second plan, it is my vyvorazhivaet)
Sound: 1 (tedious music, all I can say)
Character: 1 (I do not understand the nature of these characters, I can kind of person who over trifles
do not survive, and if there was love, you can find another, but probably not destiny)
Enjoyment: 1 (It was a feeling of "When will it end, and when finally one of the protagonist'll bet
girl and make her truly happy? ! !)
Overall: 1 No comment
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Beginning off with the horrid graphics, Bokura Ga Ita makes for one of the worst animes I have ever seen. True, this might be because I have very high standards and judge from the quality of art and sound. Honestly, I only forced myself to watch a couple of episodes until I finally dropped it for good. Basically, it's a story about a girl who falls in love with this controlling guy who sees his dead girlfriend in the girl. The main guy's best friend also falls in love with the new girl, and it's all screwed up, but not in an interesting way.

The storyline, I will give 4/10. The idea is somewhat original and is pretty realistic, a characteristic that you don't find in many animes.

As for art, 1/10. Watch 5 minutes and you'll know what I mean.

The sound is decent, though it could have been a lot better.

The characters are pretty interesting, despite the poor quality of this show.

As for enjoyment of watching this, it might make you depressed. There is not much of a plot in this romance story, and the guy's controlling behavior makes you want to punch him half the time. Overall, I give this anime a 2/10. read more

I found this anime through Ao Haru Ride "recommendations." It was the 4th one on the list and I had seen all the previous 3 anime recommendations above it (Kimi ni Todoke, Wolf Girl and Black Prince, Say I love you), so I thought, "Hey, why not? I'll give it a shot and watch it." I'm a sucker for romance/shoujo. So let me give you a break down of this anime. Maybe I will help you not waste your time on it.... *note: screw you those that recommended this anime on Ao Haru Ride*

[no spoilers]

Story: Scored 6 - Fair
Maybe I should give this anime more credit for it's story? I'm not sure, but 6 was "fair". I didn't think it was the most amazing, yet it showed the struggles of a couple and the reality that everything isn't all peaches. I felt like it was a really messed up anime also. The story was down-right depressing.

Art: Score 6 - Fair
I felt like it was very old-school styled and the whole time I kept thinking "Where's their other eye? Oh great, they have no face this time lol. Could they have just added another eye for crying out loud?!" It really bugged me and anyone that watched this anime can not say they didn't think that also lol. Also, the art style was very childish. Characters almost looked chibi like/lovely complex art style (anime I have not seen but seen art of). I was also put off by the art style and almost didn't begin the anime.

Sound: 5 - Mediocre
I felt like when the songs would pop up, that it was time for a sing a long. I felt like they could've opted out all the singing and put instrumental music or anything else.

Character: 3 - Poor
Takahashi - I quickly became annoyed with her because she became so wishy-washy and couldn't speak her mind. Someone needed to slap her. Yano - Baka. Yamamoto - someone needed to punch this girl.

Enjoyment: 2 - Dreadful
I was enjoying this anime in the beginning and then forced my way through to episode 23. At episode 23 I almost couldn't continue and had to google it. On wikipedia I got the summery and of the manga. After reading that, my thought's were "this anime is really messed up" (more than it already was). I continued the anime in pain, but I needed to finish it. Will I read the manga? I don't know. Maybe it will give me better feelings than where the anime left off.

Overall: 4 - Decent
This anime just made me sad. The whole relationship in the beginning seemed nice (if only the flow of the beginning of this anime had gone the same throughout the show or picked off where it disappointed the audience), but nothing is ever pretty. If this anime wanted to paint a picture of a messed up world then it did the job. Don't watch this if you don't want to get depressed. And I mean, there are a lot of good "sad" animes' out there that executed this type of genre beautifully like: Anohana, Honey and Clover, Clannad, Nana, Wolf Children, etc . But this one is just f*d up. But hey I will say this, I did enjoy some of the quotes and the things the characters did say to each other at times. "Ever since I met you, I feel like... I’ve lived to meet you." - Yano

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Alrighty, for each anime I do the 3 episode testing before I judge it. For this anime it was especially hard just to watch one episode but I sat through two out of the supposed 3 I was planning to watch no matter how painful it was. By golly was it ever so painful.

Let's start with the problem of the plot itself. Why is it that it's always a popular boy with a problem who is admired by some timid girl? Yes I understand that the popular boys are the ones with the traits us girls like but it's not like we strive to date a popular guy. I can almost guess that the friend of the popular Yano, Take will most likely fall in love with Nana at some point in the story. Maybe it was suppose to be that obvious within the first episode already but I seriously doubt they wanted the plot to be exposed before we've gotten a grasp of the characters.

The characters are just so cliché that I count even count how many animes have the exact personalities of Nana and Yano. Nana, the girl who just about fits in with the crowd, doesn't really stand out and is a total pushover when it comes to class related situations. The common "Nana" always depends on the "Yano" to come to her rescue like some prince charming. Corresponding to that, the "Yano" of the galaxy must always come save the damsel in distress "Nana" even though he finds it rather needy. But the "Yano" type of character must always help out the dependent "Nana" because he's just the type of guy every girl wants, helpful, charming and kind.

The art was another story. If I really wanted to see this kind of art, I’d re-watch Lovely Complex because the art is pretty much just a better version of the art in Bokura Ga Ita. The character designs are rather simple and bland for my liking and the colors aren't bold enough to be eye catching and comfortable. It's pretty much like looking at a canvas painted a beige so light it looks like nothing but white.

All in all if there was a sequel I’d say "didn't like the first, don't plan on watching the second."
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Okay so let me explain you a thing here.

I'm very close to dropping this show. VERY close. And there's a lot of reason's.

Story: 7

At first it seems like your typical high school romance, until they drop a bombshell on you. And I love that, it makes things interesting and entertaining. BUT. BUUUUUT. There are a few things that urked me. I can't spoil anything so I can't exactly tell you what but trust me if you're sane you will understand what I mean. Around episode 16 things just kinda get grueling and unless you're team Yano you're going to be so very angry with Nanami your head may explode.

Art: 4

To be blunt, it kinda sucks. The animation is choppy, majority of the time characters only have one eye or no eyes (Which is very lazy) and the ears.... oh god the ears. It's like Yaoi fingers but on a head. Typically I can get passed this and enjoy the show but there will be times when I just kinda sigh at the very lazy attempt at drawing.

Sound: 7

Your atypical cheesy romance songs. Nothing too special, but it does fit the show. Might have been rated higher if they didn't overuse a very annoying "lalalalalalalala" track whenever I'm trying to enjoy a cute scene.

Character: 10

Now let me tell you a thing. Let me tell you a big thing. This show isn't just some silly romance. It is very much a journey into the mind of a young teenage boy who has to deal with a lot. Okay. This show may SEEM like it's about some silly little high school romance, but let me tell you a thing, NOTHING in this show is okay. Once you realize the main characters name is the same as another characters, things will click and you will realize just how bad things are. Again, don't want to spoil anything, but just know that these characters are VERY real and VERY understandable. You WILL get attached to them and feel for them.

Enjoyment: 6

It's be a spoiler to explain this. But I was enjoying the show until a certain point where things just get dumb and then I decided to read the comment section and I realized just how much I hate fangirls ignorant, blind, prepubescent hormonal raging lady boners for characters. I found myself getting more angry with the characters and their choices rather than actually being happy for them. I started to ship something other than the main ship which is always an issue with these types of shows because you begin to understand how horrible the main relationship ACTUALLY is. By episode 16 I stopped enjoying myself and rather I began hating the show and coonsidering just stop watching it all together because I knew EXACTLY what was going to happen and I didn't like it.

Overall: 7

To anyone who thinks logically, I recommend watching this show until around episode 15. Anything after that will cause rage and have you take out that rage on a myanimelist review. I wanted to love this show but it was really hard in the later episodes. My hated for Yano just pilled up until I couldn't take it anymore and when I went to go discuss and confirm my rage it only made me angrier.

If you're just looking for a mind numbing romance and you're not looking into plot, then I invite you to dive right in. read more

Characters in any good story make mistakes and learn from them. That is a fair statement, in my opinion; however in "Bokura ga Ita" I felt like I was watching the characters make the same mistakes countless times. In the beginning (let's say about 5-6 episodes) the story seemed fine, but as the story went on, the characters kept arguing and fighting over the same things: distrust, past relationships, lack of ability to convey feelings correctly. I kept going to the next episode in hopes that they would finally learn from their mistakes, yet it never happened.

After each fight, they would make up and the same thing would happen again. Neither one seemed to try harder to make it work. They just wouldn't get it into their heads what they needed to do. Both Yano and Nanami were making me frustrated throughout the whole anime. Yano wouldn't let go of the past and Nanami had major trust issues. In order for their relationship to go farther, they needed to fix these flaws and it was quite obvious.

Anyway, you get the point that they had problems. It was majorly disappointing to see their pitiful relationship. I just could not enjoy the story and I did not have feelings for either of the characters. Rather than enjoying the anime, it was as if I was being socked in the face over and over with the painful drama cycle. It would have just been easier and a lot less miserable if they broke up and never got back together if they're just going to contiue fighting. Nanami and Yano didn't seem to have true feelings for each other, because if they did, they would want each other's happiness. This was no romance anime, it was a war zone.

I would be lying if I said that I didn't like anything from it, though. It had nice music and the art wasn't too bad. There was some good comedy in there as well. But if I knew of all the craziness I was getting myself into before watching this, I wouldn't have touched it. It's probably a more realistic view of high school relationships, but I think I prefer ones that I would enjoy. If you like drawn-out drama and heartbreaking romances, then you may like it. read more

Bokura Ga Ita is pretty much your regular high school romance show, the clichés are there, the characters don't vary much either, A boy and a girl meet each other and fall in love, being young and inexperienced their relation has many flaws and they keep running into troubles affecting their daily life. Being an average show who doesn't stand out from the others who really shine in this genre although it has enough to create a little corner for itself. There's plenty of happiness and sadness, way too balanced actually not favoring each despite the sad scenes show a bit more of an effort in characterization, its quite dramatic but doesn't go as far as shocking the viewer, I personally prefer heavier emotions, scenes that make you cry a river over a tragic event and then rejoice when the storm has gone and everything ends better. It lacks the shocking developments that made other shows famous and so its somewhat mild and plain in comparison.

The characters are the usual clueless filled with uncertainty, fighting over small things and dwelling too deep, trying to attach meaning to things that are much simple, dragging the show into an overextended carrousel that could be done in much lesser episodes, theres the usual love triangles and lots of unrequited love but their just treated as secondary characters mostly. The drawings seem way too simple at the beggining but their more detailed on the crucial scenes and on the closeups, I'm not sure if its an artistic choice or just a way to produce faster but it looks decent enough and in this genre its not really the main concern anyway, it does a good job conveying the feelings of the characters and portraying them to the viewer and thats what matters here. One of my favorite details on the characters is definitely the cuteness in the girls, the clothes, the expressions and even the weird hairstyles of the lead female.

The plot evolves into countless break ups and getting back together, it prolly was meant like that but their always contradicting themselves and falling in the same mistakes not learning but also not giving up, it portrays how clueless a teenager can be and how the events in his life make him grow into a stronger adult, but its far from a reality scenario, I personally didn't like it, I don't mind fantasy but when your revolving around human emotions there should be some reality basis there and the show just seems to twist them as they want and in the end their feelings don't evolve much, definitely the weak point here, not so much the story but the development is flawed turning into a loop trying to better explain things and dragging out for too long.

The music is one of the good parts, calm and tender, well placed in the emotional moments soothing the mood. The voice actors sound just right on the characters in all the moments.

Overall Its a decent show but mostly for fans of the style, it doesn't shine as a great anime, its not original and has some considerable flaws. The art is.. diferent but like-able and the sound is good so technically its good raising its ratings, but the development is way too slow and I feel it wasted allot of time going over and over where it could have been resumed without hurting the context, it also has plenty of repeated flashbacks wich might be acceptable for someone who watches the episodes spaced out but for someone who devours it quickly will make you feel like skipping some parts specially in the second half of the show.

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Okay, this might be more of a rant than a review since my feelings are fresh and raw.
Let’s begin with the horrid artwork/animation. The characters had one eye missing throughout the show. I tried overlooking it but it was extremely distracting. I don’t know whether that was an artistic signature or pure laziness. Artwork team, maybe get your shit together?
But what made the entire anime more hard to watch was *drum roll*: the characters. One of the most important elements of the show was the biggest downfall here. The main protagonists were plain dumb and annoying. I tried overlooking the fact that they were still fresh in high school (although age doesn’t have much to do with it) but man they were constantly getting on my nerves. One small problem was being dragged for so many episodes simply because of a miscommunication and lack of trust? Also, why does every rom-com/shōjou anime glorify the main male lead to be your alpha dominant, arrogant and aggressive type? Being physically/verbally abusive isn’t something you should be displaying in shōjou anime, where the main audience will be young girls, who will grow up thinking it’s okay having someone slapping/pushing/dragging you by your hands? It's not something unique in this show but it's a common trend amongst the genre itself, sadly. It’s unhealthy and it needs to be stopped. And it definitely doesn’t need any more glorification by having the female lead fall for that nonsense, for heaven’s sake.
Basically, most of the episode consists of: misunderstanding, lots of crying from the main female lead and unnecessary drama. The entire series was stretched out thin, there was no substance to the show, and nothing could make up for the terrible artwork & even more terrible plot/character development (because there wasn’t ANY to begin with).
Also, I watched this on a whim because someone recommended/suggested this alongside Nana? Like, I saw NOTHING in resemblance, not even close. As a huge Nana fan, I’m offended that they were even compared to begin with.

PS - Excuse the typos & grammatical errors in advance! read more

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

Despite the technical flaws with the show, Bokura ga Ita is a very enjoyable series. It has a lot of the cute, "aww" worthy moments that fans of the genre know and love. It answers the question of "how to keep a relationship alive". However, if you are expecting high quality animation or intense character development and plot, then don't waste your time. If you accept the issues and see the show for what it is, you will find that it is a great romance series. Bokura ga Ita is a must watch for fans of romance/drama and here is why:

What I like about Bokura ga Ita is that it explores relationships.Unlike a lot of anime where the majority of the story revolves around "how" and "if" the two characters end up together, Bokura ga Ita focuses on "when" and "after" they decide to start a relationship. This anime shows the delightful moments as well as the obstacles that Motoharu Yano and Nanami Takahashi come across in their relationship. Although some of the simple problems they face are blown out of proportion,remember this is a DRAMA, so it is to be expected. The interactions between Yano and Nana is what really shines through in this anime. You can't help but feel bad when they are fighting and when they aren't at each others throats, you will find they are the sweetest thing on earth. That being said,I did enjoy this anime however like any other show it has its flaws.Some may be able to accept its flaws while others may have a harder time. Whether you decide to look past this show's problems and start watching or to skip it because of them is entirely up to you.

An issue that many people have with this show, even before watching it is the animation.The animation is average for its time with some scenes appearing lazily done. For example, background characters would be gray blobs in some scenes. However, the show is very bright, colourful and appealing to the eye especially in the major scenes. I believe that it's possible for most to look past the (sometimes) iffy animation because it is not the main focus of this show. The animation isn't AMAZING but for a show of its genre, it doesn't have to be. Bokura ga Ita's simplistic yet artsy visuals get the job done. Like the animation, the sound also fits the show well, complimenting the art style. There aren't any outstanding tracks which you would want to download to your iPod, but none of the songs felt out of place, and the music in each scene sets the mood almost perfectly.

The story circles around four main characters and through this series you will learn the back stories of certain characters which are rather interesting. The development between Yano and Nana is really the main focus of this show. Their love for one another is put to the test when things like jealousy, past experiences, broken promises, and secrets get in the way of their relationship Their interactions are cute and endearing and will legit make you envy the bond that they have. One problem is that certain characters will sometimes act out of character (if that makes sense) doing things that seem like they wouldn't do just to add more drama into the mix. This is a minor issue though, as this is easily overshadowed by the cute and funny interactions between all characters.

Bokura ga Ita is a bit unnecessarily lengthy, as it gets drawn out a bit towards the end. It could have been a few episodes shorter, but nevertheless fans of this genre will surely enjoy the long ride. If you are wondering whether or not you should watch the show because you are not particularly a fan of the romance shojou genre, I recommend watching the first 3 or 4 episodes as it gives you a general idea of how the series will be like.
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I actually wanted to give this anime a complete 10, just because of the feelings i have for this anime series now, in my heart i already gave it a 10, and that's all i need, and here is why i like this anime so much now:

Story: 10/10

First of all I have to say that this is a bit of a cliche story, but it's hard to find a drama/romance anime that isn't about love, breaking up, sadness and happiness, so i can't judge the story for that.
In this story is so much there, so many things you can see, so many things you can feel and so many things you can learn. Some people will say that this anime is kinda boring, or had some annoying parts, or they will say that the love story was stupid and annoying, but I think that's because many people were watching this from the wrong perspective. You have to put yourself into the story, try to see the things that happened like it happened to you, and then you will understand it. After that you will realize how much this anime gives to you, so much you can learn.
There aren't many things in life that can teach you, but this is surely something that can teach you of some things, how to act to others, how to care about others, how to feel, how to think about some things,not to judge everyone on a instant, about memories that never really fade away and many many other things even I maybe didn't realized, but there is surely so much here to see and I wish many people will see that like i did, because then they will really learn much about HOW TO LIVE, just like i have, just by watching this Anime.

Characters: 9/10

God damn it. This anime is showing people like they really are, not just some random perfect ones, because no one is perfect, but they show people how they can be different, how they can think different and how they can easily misunderstand each other, just like it really is, just the TRUTH.
So many emotional characters, wise ones, the ones that are closed to everyone, the ones that have an open heart and also the ones who don't really want to get hurt, but want someone to take care of them.
All these characters together made an atmosphere which made this anime and its story so damn good.

Animation: 8/10

I really got used to this animation, even if I had some problems with it at the beginning.
I loved the colors and the warm and beautiful drawings of the characters, where you can see how they really feel. The moments when you can see only "one eye" of the character, you can tell how they really feel, on a instant, and i think that's a great job they made, I mean i can tell how someone feels or thinks just by looking at the face, and you have to think that this is sometimes really hard in real life, so it is even harder in a animated version.

Music: 9/10

The beautiful, peaceful, quite music in this anime made my heart so soft, it always made a really great atmosphere that makes you want to cry. A really beautiful opening also, that shows that there is happiness in this anime too, and a really beautiful ending theme that also goes as the background music and fits perfectly to the moments in the anime.
Just beautiful.

Closing words:

All i have to say is, THANK YOU Bokura ga Ita, thank you for teaching me so many things, and thank you for all these emotions i felt while watching you.
Thank you for everything... 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

"...timing in love, is everything..."

We Were There, what can I say. It made me happy, sad, angry, laugh(a bit) and at the end it made me feel...a little empty. I know it sounds bad but it isn't not really. Read on>

Short Summary:
Nanami is starting her high school life. Her first day there isn't going as smoothly as she would want; she forgot a classmates name and was given the wrong name by a guy she met, she also happens to start liking the same boy who caused trouble for her. She knows it's a bad idea. Can she win the heart of Yano and make him forget his past love?

Nanami, the lead girl who just wants to make the boy she likes happy and make him look at her, see her, for who she is instead of always comparing or living in the past. She's proof that you can't control who you start liking. she is honest about her feeling from the start. You'll feel sorry for her and at the same time a bit angry that she takes so much crap. I mean, come on!

Take who's only fault is that he fell inlove with his best friends girl friend. But, does he do anything about it? No, not really, not while they're together. He is there for her to talk to her when she feels lost and doesn't know what to do. He was probably one of my first friend-zoned characters in anime for me, and it's a shame really..not gonna say anything more on that.

Yano is unbelievably sweet (sometimes) but he is so dense. He's the type of person that if he's good, he's so good, but if he's bad, he should get kicked in the balls for what an insensitive ass he is. You just want to scream at him, "Move on Yano!" Gonna be honest, he just made me angry, maybe I need to drink more tea or something.
Sometimes you have to lose something to notice it's true value, but do you have to lose something multiple times? Come on!

The video quality wasn't bad, to put in in one word would be mellow. Like the soundtrack, and their voices were genuine to their character and not annoying. The art is different, and a little old fashioned but pleasant. It wasn't like regular bubbly anime that focuses on girls boobs or really huge eyes and I thought that was nice. Reminded me a little of "Lovely Complex"

The beginning it's better then the end. Maybe better isn't the right word. It's sweet. You expect it to end differently. I wasn't happy when I finished it but now that it's had time to settle, it ended just as it should have. Bittersweet.

Now why did it left me feeling empty/a little depressed? Because they don't give themselves a break. They have the worst timing and even though they love each other it's just never ends happy. They expect for it to be 100% ok and life isn't 100% ok. You have to know some things are messed up and you have to move on! Me frustrated? Pfft

Why an 8 if I sound so unhappy with it, heck if I know, the anime is like a worm that crawls into your brain and cleans up so that it can be the one to mess things up. cooks for you and things. When it leaves it makes you a little sad that it did, just proving that it wasn't so bad. I just gave a worm analogy that I'm not even sure of. I need to reduce my caffeine...

But then again, when she said at the beginning the lline, "..this is definitely going to be the worst mistake of my life..." you can't really expect for it to be sunflowers and chocolates.Yum chocolates.
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I really regret watching this anime. But for good reasons. If you get easily affected by a little drama (like me) this anime will haunt you for a long time after. The anime left me dumbstruck. And increadibly bitter becasue Yano and Nana just never seem to get what they want. I think this is one of the saddest anime's I've watched, and I actually cried once. Ahem, yes.
The story is pretty good (9), its very entrancing and you just need to know what happens next. Overall it was really depressing at times, but there was comedy used at the exactly right time so it kinda balanced it out.
The art...was a little weird so I gave it 6. But you do get used to it.
The sound -in the anime- made it all the more enjoyable. Props to the composer. Gave it a 9.
The charcters were the best. I gave 'em a 10. They're all increadibly likable (except one purple haired person) and you can get really attached.
For enjoyment I gave a 9 - because although this anime will stay with me for a long time, and is one of my favourites, it left me increadibly overwhelmed. I was honestly depressed for a whole day after I finished because ...well *sniff* its just that powerful. Although it probably is just me.

But really, I totally recommend eveyone who enjoys shojou to watch this. Because its brilliant. 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

If you are going to watch this anime because you think you are going to travel the romantic roller coaster of anime love, think again. This is probably the worst romance anime series I have ever seen. Now the question is, were to begin with this atrocity?
Let's start with shitty character development. You know how when you are watching this genre of anime, it is common to root for the main character while they go through the obstacles keeping them from their love. Good luck rooting for the main character in this story because she is such a whiny little bitch. I just wanted to choke Nanami out; making mistake after mistake. The male love interest, Yano, has such a fucked up past love life, it makes no sense why he would want to be in a relationship with Nanami in the first place especially since she has no real appeal anyway. The most likable person in this show is the side character dude with a damn dog. It's pathetic. Character development is suppose to be one of the strongest points in this genre and I feel this show lacked the most in the character development department.
The story was extremely bland and predictable. It is also soooooooo drug out. At one point you could skip like 3 episodes and they would still be hung up on the same shit or be mad about something else dumb and blown out of proportion.
Art was okay; nothing balls of the wall amazing and I kinda liked the opening so that part was okay.
On the note of enjoyment........., do you honest even have to ask?
I would only suggest this anime if you have seen EVERY SINGLE romance anime out there and had nothing else to watch. Put this one at the bottom of your watch list or not on any list to watch ever.





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