Bokura ga Ita

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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

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.

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.

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.