Review of We Were There

This romance anime surpasses many in the shoujo genre in terms of its fairly accurate reflection of real relationships, however there are certain elements that prevent it from comparing with others of the same depth such as honey and clover. I ended up having a very love/hate relationship with this anime, for a few reasons, which are explained in the categories below. Plot: The first several episodes present background info that interestingly sets up the storyline, but at times the past events seemed so age-inappropriate that it made a couple of the main characters seem less real and credible. However as the series continues, the dramakeeps ensuing but it is actually fairly realistic and captivating due to its ability to make you relate to the characters. Overall, expect a large helping of drama, sometimes pointless albeit understandable, from this one and less of the traditional comedic relief moments that many have come to expect from the genre.

Art: Overall, okay: the general drawing style is pretty standard except for certain stylistic elements that were generally annoying and actually plot distracting until you get used to them. The anime has a tendency to draw characters with only one eye in moments where only one character's face is visible; I did not like this technique nor understood its purpose. Also, the profiles of characters always struck me as ugly, the eyes bulge slightly out from the face and they look kind of like fish. Otherwise the art was nice enough.

Music: Fine, appropriate for each scene.

Characters: You either love them or you hate them, but it is hard to argue that the characters are completely stereotyped. The main ones, Yano, Takeuchi, Takahashi and Yamamoto, are at times very frustruating but all the while are complex enough to merit praise. They accurately portray the desires, worries, and emotions of teens of their age (with one or two times of exception) and act accordingly. There are no "perfectly selfless" characters that I have seen appear in the genre at times and their are no antagonists for whom you never feel sorry. One of the strongest points of the anime in terms of believability and complexity, however this doesn't necessarily mean that you will care about them.

Enjoyment: Although I would have given this anime a 5 at many times, there were others when I could have given it a 9 because it can be so true to life. It kept me fairly hooked despite its rocky start, yet however much I felt I could relate to some of the experiences, I never felt as attached to the characters as I have in other, more stereotyped and simple romance animes. Although the plot is at times heartbreaking, it never made me cry once, which makes me think that there is some element lacking considering the gravity of the events. In the end, I would say that I am glad to have watched this anime because it is thought provoking and also an interesting comparison to its counterparts.