Bokura ga ita
2006
Original language: Japanese
- animation
- drama
The story
Nanami Takahashi is a high school student entering her first year. Immediately on her first day however, she becomes the victim of a practical joke by the school's most popular guy, Motoharu Yano, who coincidentally also ends up in her class.
What it’s like
Soft, sunlit school corridors and a lot of quiet interiors, with the warm, slightly washed-out look of a mid-2000s Japanese production. The mood starts out light and teasing, with the bright bustle of a new school year, then deepens into something aching. Its rhythm is unhurried and dialogue-driven, with long stretches of ordinary days in classrooms, on train platforms and walking home. Music tends toward gentle piano and soft strings that swell at emotional turns. The tone is sincere and tender, with awkward humour early on and a melancholy that builds steadily. Its central relationship moves slowly from antagonism toward closeness, and the second half leans into betrayal, loss and grief. Intensity is emotional rather than physical: there is no graphic violence, and the sadness comes from heartache and illness rather than gore or fear. It suits a rainy afternoon, a late evening alone, or anyone who wants a teary, old-fashioned school romance. It is for viewers who enjoy slow-burn romance and don't mind being moved to tears.
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