J-Wednesdays 水曜日だ！: Bokura ga Ita

Bokura ga Ita, when I was in high school, was just a shoujo anime series (and a manga series, which I wasn't aware of). I finished the anime in high school but never really got to know the ending because the ending of the anime was open ended. It turns out that the manga was not yet finished at that time, and so the creators of the anime didn't have material to continue the anime series. Upon entering college, I heard the news that the manga was coming to an end, and that there would be an upcoming movie version split into two parts, which will include the conclusion of the series. I didn't get to read the manga because I was too busy with other series and fandoms and of course, my priority (HAH) which was studying. And so I waited for the movie to come out and unfortunately I was not in Japan and had to wait for almost a year to have a copy of the movies. For the reason that I am facing a sort-of withdrawal from the series (back in college), I purchased some English translated manga by Shojo Beat and the last volume of the Japanese version manga.

When I already had the copy (of the movie), and had so much time in my hands, all I needed to do was watch it. I then watched both movies and boy was it satisfying. Imagine the time I had to wait for just to know the ending to this lovely story? It was in 2007 that I finished watching the half-done anime series and I was dying to know how it ends. I've read some spoilers, I admit, but it wouldn't compare to when I actually watch it. Without further ado, here comes the story of Yano Motoharu and Takahashi Nanami entitled Bokura ga Ita, or We Were There.

The movie starts with Takahashi Nanami or Nana-chan reminiscing about her first love, Yano Motoharu, in what seems to be their old high school. She's all grown-up at that time, and while looking around, she's wondering what had happened to Yano, what he's doing, or where he is.

Then the story starts. Yano and Nana met in high school. While Yano is so popular among the girls and also some of the boys, Nana is just a simple high school girl who does not excel in her studies. When Nana met Yano, she didn't like him at first but came to be somewhat attached to him. They started dating but the thing is, Yano has a huge baggage that Nana-chan didn't know about and so that greatly affected their relationship.

This girl right here is Nana-san, who is Yano's ex-girlfriend. She died in a car crash when Yano and Nana-san were still dating in middle school. Yano has heavy resentment for her because of that.

The guy beside Nana-chan is Takeuchi-kun, Yano's best friend. He will develop feelings for Nana-chan as they continue to interact with each other while Nana-chan tells Takeuchi her woes about her and Yano's relationship.

The girl in the glasses is Yamamoto-san, Nana-san's younger sister. She had an affair with Yano after Nana-san died which happened because of their remorse for Nana-san.

Even though Nana-chan and Yano's relationship will eventually work out well, a huge trial will come to them that will cause their break-up. Yano will move to Tokyo because of his mother's job, and though their relationship will not end there just yet, slowly, they will drift apart.

What I've written was the summarized version of the already summarized first part of the movie. In the anime, lots of detailed scene was shown, like how Yano and Yamamoto-san had an affair, or how Yano and Nana-chan's relationship was developed.

I don't want to spoil the second movie here, because I think that's the most important part of the story. How come the title was "We Were There?" Of course, the story is stylized as something that had happened in the past, where they fell in love, grew together, and have grown apart. The second movie will have all the answers that some of you might also have been waiting for ever since you finished the anime series. However, I will not just leave this article like this, and give some snippets of what might or might not happen in the second movie.

Yano will still contact Nana-chan after he arrives in Tokyo. They would talk everyday and send pictures to each other.

Yano's mom will quit her job, because that's the kind of woman she is, but will eventually become really sick.

Yano will meet a girl (Sengenji Akiko), the one whom she will consider a "best friend in Tokyo," whom he confides in.

Because of his mother's fickle-mindedness and illness, Yano will end up working many part-time jobs just to have money to pay for his tuition fees, daily expenses, and hospital fees of her mom.

That's just the first part of the movie. Something terrible will happen to Yano that he wouldn't be able to maintain his relationship with Nana-chan anymore and will leave her hanging. It will be a roller-coaster ride from then on, and lots of things will happen to these five characters of the story, Yano Motoharu, Takahashi Nanami, Takeuchi Masafumi, Yamamoto Yuri, and Sengenji Akiko.

Despite the bitterness and sadness that these characters will be put through in this story, I can assure you that they would eventually attain their well-deserved happy ending. It's a story anyway. Right?