Bokura ga Ita

Both the manga and anime are especially popular among teenage girls.Fact|date=January 2007

Plot

Manga

The anime basically follows through the plot line of the manga until Yano and his mom move, leaving Nanami behind. The story continues with Nanami, 21 years old and in her final year at S Girl's College, and already living in Tokyo. It turns out that she has not seen Yano for consecutively 5 years since the parting at the train station. Half a year into Yano's arriving at Tokyo and he completely cut off all communications with Nanami. The reason to this is unknown at this point, leaving Nanami both heartbroken and confused. It is believed that no one knows what happened to Yano. The story follows on, with Nanami deciding to leave her feelings for Yano behind and begins dating Takeuchi. However, the letter soon confesses that he did meet up with Yano (and was probably the last person to see him) before Yano actually disappeared.

It turns out that ever since moving into Tokyo, Yano ran into a lot of problems such as financial difficulties, finding a place for his dog, Lalami to live in (but managed to do so thanks to a close classmate, Aki, who later falls for him and even meets Nanami in the company they work at), and his mother's health problems. His mother's health deteriorates both mentally and physically (especially after Yano's dead father's wife shows up with the incline to take Yano back with her). Throughout this time, Yano has kept his problems from Nanami, in hope that she can concentrate on her studies. Twice he made the attempt to return to Hokkaido to see her, but failed to do so because of his mother. This is unknown to Nanami, however. Finally, Yano's mother took her own life (note that this takes place around half a year after Yano's arrival at Tokyo). Since the funeral, it is stated that Yano 'completely vanished'. It is shown that he did see Takeuchi around this time, telling the latter that he is leaving Nanami in his care, and that he has decided to give up everything from his past, even those dearest to him. Yano seems to believe that it was his fault that his mother committed suicide, stating that 'I was the one who killed her'.

Roughly half a year later, he made a phone call to Nanami's house which was then picked up by her mother. This too, was not told to Nanami until she was 21 years old. Yano's personality appears to undergo a change. He has since started dating many girls, but states that he "does not treat girls like anything important" anymore. During this whole time, Yamamoto Yuri has not given up on him.

The story continues a year after Nanami realizes the truth, with Aki who now works with Nanami in the same company, suspecting that she may have found Yano. Her suspicions turn out to be correct. However, though Aki finds out that Yano is aware of Nanami's whereabouts and her relationship with Takeuchi, he makes no move to see her. He even states that this is how he wanted it to be. The same goes with Nanami who decides not to meet Yano even after Aki gives her details about his whereabouts and informs her that Yano is currently a designer collaborating with their company. She tearfully admits to Aki that she has no confidence of making a clean break with Yano. It is shown that Yano is now living with Yamamoto Yuri and he also reveals that Nanami is 'different', stating that she will survive even on her own.

On the day of Nanami's birthday, as seen from chapter 50, Takeuchi proposes to her but he got rejected by Nanami. In the latest chapter 51, Nanami resolves to look for Yano. Upon being told that he is going on a trip, she ventures to the airport and sees the back of someone who resembles Yano. She calls out his name in tears, but the scene is left with a cliffhanger. Takeuchi, on the other hand, visits Yano's home and comes face to face with Yamamoto Yuri.

Anime

Nanami Takahashi, a 15 year old high school student, falls in love with and begins dating the most popular guy in school, Motoharu Yano. However, their relationship is not easily maintainable. Yano's past, as well as the complex emotions they bring up, make it difficult to be completely honest about how he feels. To add more troubles to their relationship, caught in the middle are Yuri Yamamoto, the younger sister of Yano's now dead ex-girlfriend, and Masafumi Takeuchi, Yano's best friend. Yuri's past with Yano goes deeper than one might suspect and her feelings run deeper than she portrays in public. Takeuchi cherishes Yano's friendship, but at the same time, he may lose it for someone dear to him, Nana. The story revolves around how Takahashi must search deep inside herself and find her true feelings for Yano while be able to trust and accept Yano's feelings for her as well, deciding if Yano is indeed the one for her or if someone else can provide better solace. There will possibly be a sequel that will most likely follow the plot of the manga.Fact|date=August 2008

Characters

nihongo|Nanami "Nana" Takahashi|高橋 七美|Takahashi Nanami
"Voiced By" Nozomi Sasaki

Age:15

:Commonly referred to as Nana-chan :She is a girl who confesses her love too easily, pretty clumsy, and looks very cute, very much like a baby. She takes a while to sort out her feelings, and is confused by what her heart tells her and what she wants to do. At the beginning of the anime, she decides that she will not become a lovestruck idiot over Yano like two thirds of the school, and fails as she becomes more and more curious of him. While dating Yano, she becomes obsessed with his past (both with his ex-girlfriend and her sister) and can't seem to focus on their future together, which ultimately leads to heart ache and a breakup.Fact|date=August 2008

nihongo|Motoharu Yano|矢野 元晴|Yano Motoharu
"Voiced By" Hiroshi Yazaki

Age:16

:A popular boy at his school, and most girls have a crush on him. He is an extreme flirt, and he thinks about perverted things mainly. He sometimes conceals the truth to avoid hurting Nanami. He's cold sometimes, and as Nanami says, "He smiles so carelessly". But he cares for people a great deal. He calls Nanami "Takahashi" and sometimes affectionately calls her "Nana-chan". Though he seems very cool and calm and very much a player, he has a hard time trusting women. His experiences with his ex-girlfriend (who died in a car accident) and mother affect his trust towards women. He gets extremely jealous and possessive of his girlfriend, which has once lead to him hitting Nana-san. However, he grows to understand that Nanami won't betray him, and falls in love with her. He has a hard time choosing between Nanami and the memory of Nana-san.

nihongo|Masafumi "Take" Takeuchi|竹内 匡史|Takeuchi Masafumi
"Voiced By" Takuji Kawakubo

Age: 16

:One of Yano's close friends. Unlike Yano, he's kind and considerate, and tends to offer advice to Nana when she's having problems with Yano. Take slowly relives his unmistakable feelings for he once loved Yano's girlfriend, and begins to do so with Nanami as well.
Once Nanami breaks up with Yano, he starts to become more confident, and doesn't hold back anymore. He starts showing his newfound affection for Nanami.

nihongo|Yuri Yamamoto|山本 有里|Yamamoto Yuri
"Voiced By" Erina Nakayama

Age:16

:She is a quiet person, and very unsociable. It is later revealed that she, like many other girls, has a crush on Yano, even though her sister was Yano's girlfriend. Soon after it is discovered that she slept with Yano a week after her sister's death. She feels that she was used but soon after believes that Yano felt pity for her or if better loved her as well. She becomes a love obstacle between Yano and Nanami.

nihongo|Nana Yamamoto|山本 奈々|Yamamoto Nana
Voiced By Yurin:Older sister of Yuri and Yano's first girlfriend. She is the exact opposite of Yuri, and has a similar personality to Nanami. She is called Nana-san by most people to distinguish her from Nanami Takahashi. She dies in a car crash with her ex-boyfriend a year before the series takes place. Birthday: July, 29th.

Media

Anime

Expand-section|date=April 2008Opening Theme::"Only You... (君だけを…) " by Mi

Ending Theme::"Aishiteru (アイシテル)" by Mi (eps 1,8,10):"Koko ni ite (ここにいて)" by Kaori Asou (ep 2):"Sunset (サンセット)" by Mi (eps 3,18):"Suki dakara (好きだから)" by Izumi Katou (eps 4,6):"Futari no Kisetsu ga (ふたりの季節が)" by Nozomi Sasaki (eps 7,9,11,13):"Utsukushisugite (美しすぎて)" by Izumi Katou (ep 12):"Kimi ga iru (キミがいる)" by Izumi Katou (ep 14):"Merry Go Round (メリーゴーラウンド)" by Nozomi Sasaki (eps 15,16,19,22):"Kotoba" by Izumi Katou (eps 17,20,21,23,26)

References

External links

* [http://www.mxtv.co.jp/bokura/ 僕等がいた MXTV Official Site]
* [http://www.bokuragaita.com 僕等がいた Official Site]
* [http://www.betsucomi.shogakukan.co.jp/bokura/ Betsucomi's manga page]