FauxAzn

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.

Hiromi

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 everycouple 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.