We Were There Review: A High School Love Story Where the Past Won't Stay in the Past
by Yuuki Obata
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Quick Take
- More emotionally serious than typical high school romance manga — the complications are real and the characters feel them fully
- Yano's past is the series' emotional center and is handled with genuine care
- 16 volumes complete; rewards readers who want romance with real weight
Who Is This Manga For?
- Readers who want shoujo romance that takes emotional complications seriously
- Anyone who has loved someone who was still partly attached to a previous love
- Fans of romance manga with genuine psychological depth
- Readers looking for complete serious shoujo romance
Content Warnings & Age Rating
Age Rating: T (Teen) Content Warnings: Death of a previous partner; unresolved past trauma affecting current relationship; separation arc; emotionally serious throughout
T rating — appropriate for most readers; emotionally demanding.
Yu's Rating
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Story Depth | ★★★★☆ |
| Art Style | ★★★★☆ |
| Character Development | ★★★★★ |
| Accessibility for Non-Japanese Readers | ★★★★★ |
| Reread Value | ★★★★☆ |
Story Overview
Nanami Takahashi enters high school and falls in love with Motoharu Yano. Yano is popular and charming and carries something about his past — his previous girlfriend died, and he is not over it.
This fact is established early. The question is not whether Nanami knows but what it means for her relationship with someone who is partly still somewhere else. The series examines this question with genuine emotional patience — neither Nanami nor Yano is wrong, their complications are real, and the manga doesn't resolve them by pretending they don't exist.
The series includes a time skip and a separation arc that tests both characters and the reader.
Characters
Nanami Takahashi — A protagonist who enters the relationship fully aware of its complications and loves Yano anyway; her choice is genuine rather than naive.
Motoharu Yano — A character whose charm conceals damage that is neither romantic nor decorative; his struggle to be present in his current relationship while still grieving is the series' most honest content.
Art Style
Obata's art is clean and emotionally expressive — character faces carry the emotional weight the series requires, and the school settings are rendered with comfortable specificity.
Cultural Context
We Were There ran in Betsucomi, a Shogakukan shoujo magazine. The series is known for addressing grief and complicated relationships within the shoujo romance format, pushing beyond the genre's usual emotional register.
What I Love About It
Yano's honesty about his limitations. He doesn't pretend to be fully present; he knows he isn't; he tries and sometimes fails. His relationship to his grief is handled with a specificity that makes him one of shoujo manga's most psychologically real male leads.
What English-Speaking Fans Say
Western readers describe We Were There as the most emotionally serious high school romance manga in English — specifically noted for Yano being unusually psychologically complex for the genre, for the complications being handled with patience rather than resolved conveniently, and for the separation arc being genuinely affecting. Consistently cited for readers who find typical shoujo romance too light.
Memorable Scene ⚠️ Spoiler Warning
The moment when Nanami understands fully what she is asking of Yano — and what he is asking of himself — is the series' most honest statement of what their relationship actually requires.
Similar Manga
- Ao Haru Ride — High school romance with similar emotional seriousness
- Strobe Edge — Obata's earlier work with similar themes
- Mars — Shoujo romance with heavier psychological content
- Kimi ni Todoke — High school romance with gentler emotional register
Reading Order / Where to Start
Volume 1 — Nanami and Yano's relationship begins immediately.
Official English Translation Status
Viz Media published the complete 16-volume English series.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Yano is psychologically complex for the genre
- Emotional complications handled with patience
- Complete at 16 volumes
- More serious than typical high school romance
Cons
- Separation arc is difficult
- Slow pace requires patience
- Some readers find Yano too damaged to root for
Format Comparison
| Format | Notes |
|---|---|
| Individual Volumes | Viz Media; complete 16 volumes |
| Digital | Available |
Where to Buy
Get We Were There Vol. 1 on Amazon →
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*Affiliate link — I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Written by
Yu
Manga Enthusiast from Japan
I grew up in Japan and manga literally saved me during a tough time in elementary school. My English isn't perfect, but my love for manga is real — and I want to share it with you.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.