Apr 15, 2025
Apparently, a lot of people don't understand what they're watching/reading. It's not a girl trying to save the boy from his painful past. Whoever wrote this definitely didn't understand the story.
Bokura ga ita (the manga but especially the anime) is without a doubt the most emotionally intense romance/slice of life you'll ever see. Raw emotions are thrown in your face from beginning to end, the characters and what happens to them is much more realistic than you think. You want to scream for the characters to make the right decisions but at the same time you realize that everything they experience is so realistic. The
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author's writing is just incredible. You just forgot your youth. All the unsaid things, all the awkwardness and all those first times. Remember your first love and you'll see that it's not a cliché. What's more, in Japanese culture it's perhaps even more the case. So yes, if you want to appreciate Bokura ga ita at its true value, you have to be receptive and emotionally invested in the story.
In addition, I see a lot of reviews that talk about the animation in a bad way when in reality it is a real strong point. It is necessary to contextualize: we are in 2006, the golden age of shoujo. We have this somewhat old school animation, very simple, very minimalist in pastel tones. And in fact it works particularly well for Bokura ga ita, simply because the animation makes a huge contrast to the story.
Oh and also for those who say that sometimes an eye is missing, this has nothing to do with the animation. At that time, it was common for mangakas to draw only one eye (especially in shojou) for several reasons; saving time, wanting to attract attention and show the emotions of the character etc. In fact it has become a bit of a trademark at that time. So if you read the manga you will be able to see that this is also the case so nothing to do with the animation. I find it both fun and interesting. Also the ost are magnificent and never too much (Kotoba and Aozora by Kato Izumi are two of the most beautiful music I have ever heard).
In short, everything is there. Bokura ga ita is not just a simple love story.. it is a story larger than life that shows the ups and downs of youth, shaky and imperfect decisions that we can make at that age. It is a frustrating truth that is presented to you without compromise. One of the most beautiful anime that I have seen in my entire life. A real time capsule for all those who have not seen it yet.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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