Never heard of them before?
I really can't blame you. Getting news about them is as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack. But if you ever had the luck to come across one of their songs it won't be easy to stop searching for more. At least that's what happened to me when I listened to She's the sunshine for the very first time. I was sitting there in front of my PC and as I let the music flow to my ears there was very little I could do. it hit me straight to the heart. Then I discovered World on Fire and Shattered. It was then that I was done for ever. I don't know how it happened but I knew it just happened. The trading Yesterday won me over with their music. Really. I mean it. Now, I can't stop listening to their songs.
But like I said there isn't much about them on the net. All I could find was a page on Myspace, a paragraph on Wikipedia and a YouTube channel ( thank goodness for that).
Of course the fact that the band doesn't exist anymore doesn't help either :( . (Or better, they renamed themselves The Age of Information in 2007.) That said, I think that the band and more specifically their CD More than This does deserve a lot more credit and recognition. David Hodges who is the lead singer was also in Evanescence and co-wrote songs like My Immortal and Bring me to life.. enough said.

Yay. New BGI wallpaper downloadable from the Betsucomi website. Available in 800x600 and 1024x768. Click on the pic to get yours :)

Oh I am so trilled. I have been looking for months and months hoping to find a scanlation of this manga and no matter how hard I searched I couldn't find a group working on this. Well the search is over. *yay* and finally chapter 1 has been released -obviously the chapter came out when I was offline, but who cares- and is availabe to read now!

So what's the story is all about? Here's a short synopsis from Rebellious Love the scanlation group ( my new heroes!!)

During her summer break before entering high school, Mimori Ichigo goes to her grandmother's house near the ocean. There, she helps out at her grandmother's shop. One day while walking her grandmother's dog in the evening, she meets a boy named Kouki. They meet again, but this time she also meets Kouki's cousin named Taika. For some odd reason Kouki has no memory of when they met and Taika begs her to not tell him either. Later, she and Kouki sneak out to watch the fireworks, but they separate dramatically. When Ichigo goes to high school, coincidentally, Kouki and Taiga are also there, but they have no memory of her. Is it true or are they just faking it? If so, why lie?

just can't wait to read more!!!
In Japan the manga is serialised in Betsucomi, yes guys the same magazine that publishes Bokura ga ita

for chapter 1 this way

Guys I'm sure you know already what a big fan of Bokura ga ita I am and how deeply I love the story and its characters. And just for this very reason I, together with you all BGI lovers, have endured the poignancy, the controversy and complexity of such an entangling and delicate plot. We've learnt to appreciate every single character for their strenghts as well as their weaknesses. To some, we've also forgiven a lot ( oh how merciful we are) because We've become attached to them. We also managed to digest incredible twists and tragedies and bear (im)patiently a long wait hanging onto a dreadful cliffhanger for over a year. In a nutshell we've been through it all and we made it through. Yes, we made it to chapter 52!!!!. So now, the least we could get as a reward is an explanation.We deserve it. And if we don't deserve it I demand it anyway. Seriously.

Very well then, Let's start with Yano. *points finger* Yes you, Yano. I can accept the fact that you had a hard life. You needed a break from it all and off you went someplace else to put your past behind. I can accept that. I can also get past the fact that in doing so you completely abandoned your loved ones. You cut them out your life without a word or an apology . It's a very cruel thing to do but I can live with that. I can also get over the fact that you keep lying to yourself and the people around you neglecting your own feelings and hurting everyone as a result.
What i don't get is what the heck did you do with the furry jacket you were wearing at the airport in chapter 51? Seriously, when did you get changed??

the issue is very strange indeed but let's give the guy the benefit of the doubt. In that chapter we only see the back of someone who Nanami assumes is Yano. We don't know if it's really him or not. Nana might have picked the wrong guy after all.




But wait what about Nana herself?? We sure know what girl was wearing in chapter 51 and -look!- she did it too!!! The dress looks the same but the pattern's gone... Even the boots seem somewhat different..but *hey* the big change is the scarf. Not only is tied differently but is of another model and colour as well.. Oh and what about the hair. Side pony tail on one chapter and big bun on the next.. yay

Well, sure the guys had enough time to update their style during the hiatus LOL. And I'm far too happy to have the manga back to be take this lack of continuity seriosly. Besides I love Yano and Nana' new outfits and I think that overall they look much better ( although i loved Nana side pony tail!!!).
Anyway please forgive me for this total waste of time. Just felt to write something not depressing about chapter 52....

So here we are. after a whole year spent waiting for BGI to come off the hiatus here I am posting about the (in)famous chapter 52 a month (or so) after its release...oh dear. Why did it take me so long ? Well being unable to access the blog for several days sure didn't help. Yes, but also I needed some time to digest the story myself obviously after i got it translated ( thanks again to Suifantasy for her precious help with this). Now I can officially declare, this is the saddest, the most heartbreaking BGI chapter I've come accross so far.
In fairness, I knew the meeting between Nanami and Yano wasn't going to be an easy one- Obata sensei said it herself - but I never expected Yano to be so blunt about it !
All this time...all this time my defense to Yano's behaviour was based on the very fact that he avoided any contact with Nana because he was still in love with her.

It is a very twisted logic but try to follow me ^_^.

1. Yano has been through what he has been through and covinces himself he needs to put his past behind him.
   
2. So he pushes Nanami into his bestfriend' arms because he thinks that's the best thing he could do for her and vanishes but -and for me that was a big *gigantic* but-
   
3. He never actually managed to face Nanami and break up with her for good. Why not? because the boy knows deep inside he still has feelings for her ( late night birthday cake shopping ~anyone?).

The the lack of contact made completely sense to me up until now. I was sure that there was a limit to Yano's ability to lie about his own feelings, that being telling to Nanami's face he didn't love her anymore.
Chapter 52 shattered this certainty into tiny tiny pieces. *sigh*

I am pretty sure that the interenet is full of websites hosting the chapter in question. I got mine from skyfire (in chinese) some time ago. However in the comments to my previous post, Conqueror very kindly added a link to mangahelpers. so I am going to link this instead because you can download the raws more easily. *Thanks*

So the chapter opens continuing the same scene from chapter 51 ( no it's not the airport scene yet). Take went to Yano's place and *surprise surprise* found Yuri Yamamoto instead.
Take asks her if she's living together with Yano. He remembers when he met her at the train station, shortly after Yano's mother died. He asked her if he knew Yano's whereabouts but she completely ignored the question . Take couldn't help but saying she had to decieve Yano somehow to get to live with him.
Yuri seems quite puzzled by this remark and asks why is so hard to believe she is here now.
She said she is been living here for sometime. Then a dog enters the room wagging its tail and Yamamoto reaches for a box of food to feed the pet. Take recognises the dog "That's Lalami" Yamamoto looks quite impressed. In fact, She was never told that Yano got Lalami by Take himself. Takeuchi looked at Yuri quite surprised. Then, after a brief pause he asks " So, what kind of relationships do you guys have?"
Yamamoto, howver, doesnt seem too keen to give any explanation and doesnt like such an inquisitive tone. Truth is that Take finds hard to believe the whole situtation
“That day, that summer, that guy told me he was going to abandon the past. I believed him, bacause he disppeared in front of me after that. “He abandoned, not only me, but also Takahashi, but why…?!”

* flips the coffee table and the cup on top of it*

“… is it you two now?”

At the airport ( gosh I cannot believe I am writing about this!)

Nanami stands still watching Yano *a few steps away from her* walking towards the check in point.
I had a dream… that scene kept repeating countless times in my mind…
Was I laughing? Was I crying? Was I angry?
And him… with what expression in his eyes was he looking at me?
Nanami, with watery eyes, calls out his name. "YANO"
Yano stops and looks back ( those panels showing Yano turning back in slow motion style here are just a killer !!)
They look at eachother for a handful of seconds. There is a close up showing Yano expression is well shocked. Then he says " Takahashi? Is that you?"
Nanami thinks to herself, It really is Yano.. his smile hasn't changed.
Yano continues: "Wow, this is a surprise. What are you doing here, travelling?"
Nanami is so overwhelmed she can't hold back the tears and starts crying.
Yano smiling : Are you alright?
Nanami (still sobbing):Yes, I'm ok, I'm fine
Everything was just like the dream excpet for these words
"Well it's about boarding time, I'll better get going. Take care " concluded Yano with a smile and walked away.
( personal note here. I totally expected this kind of reaction from Yano. he's obviously shocked and he's trying to make a quick exit before the situation gets to difficult to handle....)

However, Nanami could not believe he was already gone. She tries to run after him but gets knocked on the ground by a passenger and her small kid..... (lol)

Back at Yano's house.
Takeuchi and Yuri are kneeled to the floor tidying up the mess caused by his outburst. Take looks profoundly embarassed but Yuri tells him to not worry about it. She knows that Take hasn't changed and at heart he's a good and caring person. Takeuchi hasn't changed at all. Yano did. However she tells him not to get mad at Yano because it's only a good lie. The conversation is interrupted by Take's phone ringing. After a moment of hesitation Take scratches his head and tells Yuri that Nana is at the airport to meet Yano. Yamamoto seems totally unfazed to hear that. Takeuchi can't refrain from asking her " Doesn't it bother you at all?"

The scene cuts to moments later when Take is at the door about to leave. Yamamoto asks Take if he will still drop by again, he says yes, because he wants to see Yano, maybe after he’s back from his trip. Take then confesses that he doesn't hate her. What she did wasn’t enough yet for him to hate her, that if he said anything that hurts her today, he’s sorry for it and he didn’t mean it.
Before he walks away, Yamamoto wants to tell him a “secret”
“That person, he always says he hates me. he says he doesnt like me but then he won't leave me ."
So even when he says he hates me more and more, I know that, somehow, he loves me” (personal note here : this girl has a logic more twisted than mine!!!!)
Then She also gives him an advice. "If you really love Nana, you should stop her before she gets hurt". He will lie to her too." concluded Yuri smiling.

At the airport lobby,
Yano is sitting all by himself, looking quite moody and pensive. His mind is lost in his memories of Nana from the highschool years. He takes a deep breath and is about to stand from his seat. and as soon as his raises his head he sees Nanami standing in front of him.
Yano: “What are u doing here?”
Nana: “I bought a ticket… there are some things I have to ask you”
“Why you didnt want to see me anymore? Or… you don’t like me anymore? You could have at least contacted me.”
Nana’s feet was trembling while saying this.“Is it true...?”
Yano: “Takahashi, I don't have feelings for you anymore, I'm sorry. Are u satisfied if I put it like this?” ( *heart shatters in pieces* personal note: Yano, that is so cruel!!! *runs away in tears*)
Nanami is surprised to notice that although he still looked the same he had changed somehow . “You are like a different person…”
Yano: “I am a different person. Its been five years… anyone will change. Takahashi must have changed too.”
Nana: “So that’s how it is… Did I… change? …”
Yano: "I don't know."
Nanami's eyes are filled with tears. Yano looks at her. Then he adds: It's better if we don't see eachother again, don't you think? I prefer a beautiful ending.

Nana talks to herself: “So that’s how it is… this is the way he wants keep his promise, then… the only thing I can do is…”
Yano: “Then... I’ll better leave…
Nana: “Wait…”
“Give me… the last words of goodbye … let’s end this beautifully…”
Yano: “Alright…”So he kneels to the ground
“Be safe, be happy…”
Nana: “Yano too… I am sorry I wasn’t able to be there… at Yano’s most painful times. This is my only regret...” . once again her eyes are full of tears and Yano gently wipes them with his hand . (this scene GETS ME everytime! *on the verge of tears*)
“ Takahashi please don't apologise, it’s not ur fault… You have done nothing wrong, … I love the high school times the most, there are so many beautiful memories. If I hadn’t met you, I wouldn’t have such a happy high school life.
Memories are also alive, Takahashi. They will also grow up… so whenever you feel lonely, just close your eyes… this way… whenever you want, we will meet…”
"Well" concludes Yano "I have to go now". So he leaves

Meanwhile
Take watches a dog playing with some kids and remembers about him and Yano playing with Lalami back in highschool. That time, Yano said Nana dumped him. . Take told him he was sorry to hear that but Yano asked why he was sorry about this, because it was obvious it wasn’t over yet… he said: “I like Takahashi and so does she . We told each other that so many times. Is there any reason to break up?”
Take now thinks to himself : “Is it because back then, we were still young?”. He then looks at his mobile.

Were it starts… is where it ends… memories are also alive
Nana receives a message from Take: “Let's talk…”
She stands in the middle of the road...and covers her eyes with her hands
Whenever you feel lonely… close your eyes...

Yano dressed in his happi coat: “Nana, u don’t believe me right I told there is forever.”
Nana: “I believe in man who believes in forver… really.”
Yano: “Whatever it is… fate… tarot cards… destiny… miracle… fortune teller… I believe in all of them. 3 seconds superstition, food that fell on the floor, if u eat them within 3 secs then its alright! ”
Nana: “Whats that… so weird. After the whole talk, u’re just teasing me!”

One day, they will all become memories

Chapter 53 out on the 13 of August ( the day before my birthday, yay!!)

PS Apologies for any unspotted spelling mistakes. The spellchecker has decided to disert me!

Yesss. shortly after chapter 47 Jshojo upped chapter 48 plus the final bonus chapter ! I think I could never thank the guys of the Jshojo team enough for this treat. I wasn't expecting the scanlations to be released so fast and I am even more thrilled because I was dying to read the red riding hood bonus chapter. Quite a bitter ending if you ask me particularly for Yano, the not-so-bad-wolf. Since this short story simply reflects what the main plot has been showing us so far ( well at least up to chapter 48) I guess it could not have been otherwise. Anyway let's hold our breath as little riding hood's wishful thought my come true, this is a fairy tale after all ^_^

Apologies for the lack of updates in the last couple of weeks everyone. I haven't vanished but I am in the middle of moving to a new place *excited* there is a lot of packing, cleaning, painting which is keeping me away from the blog and awake from daydreaming. Nah, the second is simply not true. In fact I have been day dreaming all the time about the new chapters of BGI. The recent interviews with Obata sensei made me even more curious about it and I constantly find myself speculating on the possible developments after chapter 51. Come to think of it I never made a post about this chapter so here it is.

Among a pile of letters there is an envelope addressed to Yano Motoharu. we can see Yano's hands reaching for it and unsealing the envelope before the content is revealed: A wedding picture of Takeuchi and Nanami laughing happily announcing their marriage. Yano jumps awake in shock with his eyes wide open. He finds himself on a couch with a cover over his legs and a cushion behind his back. " it was a dream" ( or a nightmare, ha.) Yano realises.There are lipstick marks all over his face and neck and one of his workmate is lying on the floor completely passed out. but he struggles to recall how he ended up sleeping there . He then thinks that he didn't want to go home so he must have hang out all night drinking with his workmates. A colleague of his, who is in the kitchen making some coffee, asks him about the birthday cake he got last night . Yano replies he hasn't go a clue of what he's talking about. He g get off the couch but his foot steps over a box squashing it. His colleagues then tell him how, after a few drinks , he started rumbling nonsense as" the cake.. I need to buy the cake" so in spite being so late at night he went to the shop and bought himself a cake made by slices of different cakes ( since all the whole ones were already sold out) Yano opens the box and finds what his colleagues just told him was true.
That evening the group goes out eating ramen. One of the colleagues asks Yano if he is going to give the cake to that someone he mentioned last night. Yano, a bit shaken, asks if did he actually say who the cake was for and the guy replies it was someone called Lala or Nana, a name definitely similar to his dog's name, Yano laughs at first saying it must have been his dog but is not able to say a word when his colleague points out he was definitely referring to a girl. His workmate then asks if he does buy a cake for her every year and then goes out drinking alone. Yano tries to dismiss the conversation telling him not to worry too much about last night. Whatever he did was definitely something silly due to having a drink too many.
His friend doesn't look really convinced. To him, Yano is the kind of guy who can say what really is in heart only when drunk. Yano denies and says that whatever he says when he drinks is just nonsense.

Meanwhile, Nanami is in her office searching the internet to get Yano's work address and telephone number. She can't stop thinking about last night at the restaurant with Takeuchi. She feels terrible for what she has done to him all along. She will never forget Takeuchi's hopeful eyes and the way she deliberately destroyed his smile by refusing his ring. He never deserved to be treated like she did. " I can't accept this" she remembers, Those were horrible words.
Seconds later, Aki comes to talk to Nanami. She asks her to reconsider the whole situation with Takeuchi, Although she was the one pushing her to go see Yano initially. In fact, she has found out the answer to why Yano never came back to her. Now he is living with someone else. he has started a new life.
Nanami, however, is determined to see him anyway. She thought that being with Takeuchi was enough to forget about him and be happy. But it seems that she can't give up on Yano yet. She needs to hear the answer directly from him, even for Takeuchi.Until he proposed she never realised how unfair she was being to him.
She needs to know if Yano is happy now and why, back then, he didn't come back to her. she admits that needs to find the answers that she has been asking herself for the past 6 years.

Nanami is on the train on her way to Yano's office. She looks at her mobile and feels very insecure. Normally, whenever she checked it she would find an email from Takeuchi. He will not want see her ever again. She realises that after what happened it will be impossible becoming friends once again.

Meanwhile Take is sitting in a cafe all alone . He has a cup in front of him but he staring into nowhere lost in his own thoughts. then grabs the phone. He calls Aki and asks her if she can tell him something.

Nanami stands outside Yano's office. She stares at the building trying to gather courage and thinks about that same situation back in high school when a very amused Yano was watching her from the window of his room. She rings the door bell. A guy answers the door and tells her that Yano is heading to the airport for a two day holiday in Sapporo. Nanami thinks that this might be the only chance she has before loosing contact again, so rushes to the airport.

Once she gets there Nanami starts looking for Yano among the crowd of passengers. She feels like re-living the night at the school festival. Finally she spots a familiar silhouette walking ahead of her. Nanami stares at the figure and although she can't see nothing but the back of his head face she recognises him. It's Yano. In tears, Nanami calls out his name .

Takeuchi goes to Yano apartment and finds Yuri answering at the door. Take *not surprised to see her*, asks where Yano is . Yuri replies that since they haven't seen each other for so many years she was expecting at least a greeting but then again she is aware Takeuchi never liked her from the beginning. Then she tells him that Yano is away on a trip.....

So ladies and gentlemen, this is the story of Bokura Ga Ita so far. Ah, good thing we don't have to wait much longer for chapter 52. It's a relief although I am sure that the meeting between Nana and Yano won't be an easy ride. A part of me is afraid that Yano will try to be as elusive as possible leaving Nanami with more doubts than before, even towards Takeuchi. Obata sensei anticipated that there will be a big event between Takeuchi and Nanami. I wonder if the meeting with Yano has anything to do with it. This is mere speculation but I don't find hard to believe that Yano might come up with an excuse like a change of feelings just to push her back into Takeuchi's arms ( in perfect Yano's style, I would say). Plus, this would avoid any explanation about his relationship with Yuri and give Nanami a reason for breaking any contact ( or would it?). I was quite surprised to learn that Takeuch went to Yano and Yuri's place. What for? He asked if Yano was in but he never said he came to talk to him.. Gosh is the 12th of June yet?

Wow. After the interview posted on Manganimation here's another one published by Journal Du Japon. I am thrilled!
So , the link to the original page (in french) is here . Below, you can find the Q&As in english.

Can you describe the story of "Bokura ga ita"?

. Yuuki Obata: Two students meet and face together the trials of life. Nanami Takahashi is a bit naive, Yano Motoharu is rather mysterious. At first, she feels idle facing him, then discovers he has lost his girlfriend and she wants to help him to overcome his pain .

How the series "Bokura ga ita" was born?

YO: I had already created three series on the theme of high school life ... The staff of Betsucomi "asked me to draw another one, but with a different approach.
When I started working on this series, I found difficult to capture the personality of students and I was afraid that the story, about a young boy whose girlfriend is dead, could come across as banal. I still wanted to continue and eventually it has been well received, so I'm happy.

After 13 volumes, have the characters matured?

YO: I do not want to make them grow up too quickly, I want it to be a progression. Of course, they are becoming adults, but they may take a step back, and then move forward again. I often feel that they do nothing but taking steps back, I wonder if they really progress at all (laughs) . The protagonists are still very young, the tests are therefore more difficult for them. Ultimately I wonder if it isn't a little too much and if it remains credible ...

In France, the release of the 13th volume has just been announced , what is its characteristic?

YO: Readers are expecting the meeting between the two protagonists , finally it has arrived ... (laughs)

What have you retained from your previous professional experiences (Rain Drops ...)?

YO: My first memorable experience is the first story I wrote but this was never released in France. During this period, I could draw anything I wanted to express. I had to stop when I changed magazine.

What difficulties have you encountered in working on this series?

YO: The pace of publication was hard for me to keep up with. It was difficult picturing the series as a whole, imagining what would happen next.. At first I had to publish a chapter a week, and for each chapter, I had to find a twist to keep the story interesting.

What made you become a mangaka?

YO: When I was young, I read lots of manga, a habit I lost when I started high school. After high school, I restarted and felt emotions that reminded me of my childhood. I wanted to translate those feelings by drawing. More generally after my studies, I had to think about what I wanted to do as a profession, becoming mangaka grew on me.

What is a normal working day like?

. YO: It starts with the "proto", a synopsis of the chapter. Even if the team I work with writes me a script, I can't find inspiration easily, I do not have a lot of ideas. Then we proceed to the stage of "nem", which consists of an initial drawing. Since I struggle on the "proto", I take much more time on the "nem", I discuss it with members of staff, and carry on like this until the publication.

Is this the first time that you're in France to publicise one of your series ?

YO: I visited Aix-en-Provence and Nice three years ago and I have already been in Paris twice, but it was for personal reasons.

What is your relationship with your french readers?

YO: I had no idea there were so many readers! What a discovery! (Laughs)

Can you tell us about your plans and projects for the future

YO: First I want to finish "Bokura ga Ita", then I hope to work on a more personal project , where I can really put a bit of myself, without depending on the public opinion. I am recording personal experiences, movies, music etc..

**Yes** it's a double treat this time around.
Available on Mangafox a bonus chapter entirely dedicated to the new character of Etou plus chapter 58. In this chapter our Seiso Academy heroes are getting ready for the upcoming culture festival. In the gen-ed department the students are gathering up ideas for the event. Aoi suggests the class could stage a play, Romeo and Juliet, where he and Kahoko will play as the main protagonists ( Kahoko is somewhat shocked by this idea...). On top of that, Kanazawa sensei calls all the participants to the last musical concourse and announces his plan to stage a live performance. This time the students will have the opportunity to play all together( Kahoko is immediately thrilled by the idea but then holds back a little because she's afraid to pull everyone down due to her lack of talent). As winner of the concourse, Len is also granted to choose a piece and perform solo. This will also be Len's last performance before his departure for Europe. Kahoko is upset by the fact that Len will be leaving soon she hasn't had the courage to say anything to him. In fact, she is trying her best to hide her feelings. Yunoki, however doesn't fall for that ( probably because he knows a thing or two about hiding feelings himself) and when he finds Kahoko practicing on the school rooftop alone he tells to stop whining already and be so self centred.
He also says that if the person most important to him was going to study abroad, he would definitely cast any selfish thought aside, like the fear of loneliness, and think about the person's sake. This must be already a difficult moment for Len so she should try as supportive as possible. Kahoko hears a violin playing and recognises it's Len. Before Yunoki starts teasing her even more Kahoko decides to leave on the spot, however, she thanks him for the advice.
On her way out, she stops by the door of the music room where Len is practicing. Kahoko is a bit hesitant and thinks about Yunoki's words. Len notices Kahoko standing at the door and asks her if she needed help with something. Kahoko says she just wanted him to know she will never give up on practicing violin and wants him to give his best too when he'll be studying abroad because she will be cheering on him. Len thanks her but you can tell is ecstatic. His smile never looked so beautiful.....

This is totally unrelated to the chapter but i had to post a link to this cosplay costumes which i completely fell in love with. They even have matching coats and accessories!!! *wants the scarf*.

*** very important edit: chapter 47 of BGI is up and available to download on Jshojo***


Now, you might already have heard about Yuki Obata participation to the Mang'azur 2009 convention in Toulosue last month. Yeah, I 'm sure the subject also came up a couple of times in the comments to previous posts but if for some reasons you skipped those, I'll mention it here as well.
Then, I'd like to take the opportunity to properly thank 天災流川 for interviewing the mangaka and also for posting a comment here on the blog with the direct link to the Q&As.
Eversince the convention took place I have been looking for some articles about Obata sensei's conference but trust me, until today the search proved itself harder than I thought. So to make sure that nobody misses out I decided to write a post about it including the direct link to the full interview here . Once again, many thanks to 天災流川 for this.

Personally, I was really excited to read about this interview and to get to know more about the author beside her own works. Obata sensei talks about her passion for drawing, the mangaka who inspire and influence her art ( namely Fusako KURAMOCHI and Ryou IKUEMI) .
We also get to know that normally she doesn't like doing autographs gigs because she doesn't want people have an image of her in her mind when they read her stories.
She also shares her option about her own works ( apparently one of her favourites is an early story called Maru, Sankaku, Shikaku a lighthearted manga far form the angsty reality present in her main two works).
Obvioulsy most of the interview involved questions about her main two titles Sumire wa Blue and Bokura ga Ita.
Like I said before i just recently broke my *taboo* of reading other Yuki Obata works beside BGI, which means I haven't still finished Sumire Wa Blue. At any rate, the plot is not explored in depth nor the interview gives any spoilers even because in France the manga has been published in full. That's good news after all, should the english scanlations get to a halt like BGI I know I can always buy the french versions ( my french is a bit rusty but, hey, what an opportunity to practice a bit more).
Anyway there are some interesting facts about the genesis of the characters ( and she also why Daichi plays hockey) and title itself, Sumire Wa blue. Although lame, I kinda wasn't suprised that the answer was a nod to the lines of "Roses are red, violets are blue. Sugar is sweet, and so are you ". ( because when I read the title I also thought oh it reminds me of that poem..)

Well now...about Bokura Ga Ita.

Obata sensei says she liked the anime version overall but she'd probably had chosen a different voice for Nanami , as wanted her to sound more bubbly, a bit more like Mizu-chan.

We also learn that some ideas for the story were based on the real life experience of one of her manager's friends ( who apparently was in a situation like Yano *dear me*...) and initially the manga was meant to have only 5-6 volumes. Eventually the volumes got extended ( with extra angst added) due to its popularity.
Obata sensei says that the story will include 14 volumes in total ( well, we hope to see the 13th out soon!!).
When she was asked if she could reveal anything about the upcoming chapters the author said

In the 3 newest chapters, Nanami and Yano meet. There’s also a big event between Nanami and Takeuchi, but it’s a secret !

( GOSH this is this is worse than not knowing !!!... The fact that Yano and Nana were going to cross paths again is a kind of understatement but what on earth is going to happen then??? What's the big event between Nana and Takeuchi?... ..oh GOSH. is the 12th of June yet? I want to know more, more!!! I am a sucker for spoilers when it comes to BGI)

Anyway, whilst we wait let me announce that WE WERE THERE volume 4 has just been released by Viz Media. I was quite thrilled to read this because it contains chapters never scanlated in English. Plus, I now adore the lines at the end of the volume ( well probably dedicate to Nana-san by Yano himself?)..

I want to meet you over and over again and I want you to make a fool of me over and over again. I'll keep repairing what you break until it wears me out. I'll stay with you until it breaks me. I'll be the clown, the idiot, the dog. I am willing to throw away my pride and composure. I don't need anything.... Only tell me that you love me

That's right. And in case you're wondering why I added part 2 to the title you need to read this first ad then check this gallery ( now with English descriptions, thank you so much Nicky!!!!!)
At any rate I recently opened an account on deviant art, more because I could keep track of all my favourite fan art than anything else. I don't think I will ever up anything drawn or painted by myself because it will be a total waste of Internet space. You already have to put up with my ramblings here on this blog so I'll spare you *that* ( you know, I have a heart too).
Anyway, the point of this post is just to introduce the pictures below. Yeah, I always thought how cool it would be to see a live version of Yano and Nana?


present bokura ga ita by ~LauULau on deviantART

Well here's the answer, really really cool. A big Bravo to LauULau, for making these pictures and showing us a live version Yano and Nana. The reason why I love it so much is also because she managed to remain so faithful to the manga characters without looking too fake. Brilliant work, really well done.


Opening Bokura Ga Ita 1 by ~LauULau on deviantART

To check the rest of the gallery, follow the link below the pictures. Enjoy.

***EDIT*** Call it coincidence or something ..while I was posting about how cool would be seeing a real life version of Nana and Yano, Oricon published this. The table in blue shows the results of a survey about what anime people would like to see in live drama version . BGI ranked at no 4 among the favourites..wow!!

I am a bit late on this but the new VK chapter has been released ( about a week ago, at least....). So, if you haven't read chapter 49 yet here's the link . I wanted to post about the scanlation a bit earlier but for some reason every time i went to check the website I couldn't see neither the scanlations or any other images.
Anyhow, despite the total lack of Zero I really enjoyed the chapter, especially the first part centered on Sara and Takuma ( now her prisoner) but then again if you are a huge Kaname and Yuki fan you may find way more interesting the second part since it includes one of the most intense and memorable scenes of this couple ( trust me. This is the proper I-want-this-printed-in-wallpaper-size type of thing). Anyway I won't spoil any further so happy reading :).

I know I know, when it comes to Vampire Knight I struggle to remain unbiased especially if we're talking about Zero. But
hey, he rocks my entire VK's world what else can I say. Therefore if you feel the same I would recommend to pay a visit to Sagakure's Live Journal and read the Zero dedicated bonus chapter. It is a cute 2 part story of our hero seen by Cross perspective. The first part entitled "Zero refuses to attend school" which describes how Zero finally get convinced to attend high school and share the building with the night class ( which needless to say he hates with a passion). The second part is called "two puppy brothers play fighting" and sees Zero involved in a playful sketch with his twin brother, Ichiru who seems having fun teasing him and making him annoyed as a result. Zero moans quite loudly but doesn't push his brother away when he jokingly clings on him. Don't care too much if it is just fangirl service those two are *really cute*

I love fairytales. Even in real life, even against all odds, dreams can become true. Thank you Susan for showing us how genuine you are.


Britains Got Talent 2009 Susan Boyle (Singer) (HD) - Funny bloopers R us

So the day has finally arrived, BGI the special book is out. What a nice feeling to know that finally the story is getting off the hiatus. I didn't hope to find any reviews already since the book was released just today in Japan, but then i bumped into this. There is a short but nevertheless interesting info about the contents of the special book .The GREAT NEWS is we finally have a date for the new chapters. That's right BGI will continue and brand new chapters will be finally released in the July issue of Betsucomi on sale the 12th June. OMG chapter 52 here it comes!! I can't wait!!!
As far as my understanding goes the special book includes summary of the story so far ( and chapters 49-50-51) with a review of every individual characters together with a relationship diagram. Also, it should include the latest three chapters and a commentary from the author herself . I'm not sure if the special book contains also the chapter which will appear in the July issue or just some anticipations.
***edit*** No it doesn't . According to this blog the book just reviews the story so far and the contents are the following

Character Introduction ... ... 4
Takahashi / Yano / Takeuti /Yamamoto Yuri / Akiko /Yamamoto Nana diagram of characters ... ... 10
Digest Story ... ... 12
Obata Yuki messages ... ... 18
Chapter 49 ... ... 19
Chapter 50 ... 59
Chapter 51 ... 83

Obata sensei apparently explains that the reason she went on hiatus was due to familiar matters ( then can we assume that thankfully she had no health problem herself?). At any rate welcome back!!!!

In my mind, Yano is still 17 years old.
This is because the last memories I have of him are as a mere 17 years old .
I've never seen Yano at 18 years old , or at 20 years old or even at 23 years old .
I have only known him for those 2 years in high school. But he is no longer 17.
I can't deny it, The Yano I know no longer exists.


Happy Birthday! Takeuchi and Nanami are dining together in a fine restaurant. They rise their glasses and toast to celebrate her birthday . Everything seems so perfect. Takeuchi is full of hope and asks Nanami if there is anything she would like to do. Nanami smiles thinking to herself it is time to make new memories and try to build a new beginning with Takeuchi since she will never be able to cross paths with Yano again. Since Fate lead them on two complete separate ways....

Meanwhile, back at Yano's workplace, he and Aki continue their conversation.
Somehow Aki's confession shocked Yano to the point he now feels able to admit the truth.
" I am living with Yamamoto now".
Aki is stunned by Yano's statement. Yano had to put the past behind but he says could not abandon the part of his past that would have not survived without him. He had no other choice but to let go the person that would have carried on living anyway, even if this was the one he cherished the most.

At the restaurant, Nanami tell Takeuchi she would like to go to Disneyland. She always wanted to go there but she never had the opportunity to. She repeats to herself the first person she made this request to doesn't exist anymore.

Aki asks Yano what happened to Yamamoto. She cannot believe that he chose Yuri over Nanami. Yano tells her he would never think about dying as he lacks the courage for such a powerful act, no matter how desperate he is . Aki replies that courage has nothing to do with things like that.
Then Yano turns to Aki and asks what she would do if she was on a boat together with other two people and the boat would suddenly overturn. What she would do if she could save only one of them? Would she choose the one she is more friend with ? the better looking one ? the one who has nicer personality? Would she go and save the one she loves the most?
He himself would just save the one who cannot swim. Takahashi can swim on her own. She is strong and will be able to be happy no matter with whom.

At the same moment back at the restaurant, Takeuchi places the ring box on the table, opens it and hands it over to Nanami . He then says he has been in love with her for a long time and now wants to spend the rest of his life with her.
Nanami feels this is the moment she has been waiting for . The moment to part from the of 17 years old Yano ( as she think these words she recalls all her memories of the moments spent together). From now on she will spend the rest of her life with Takeuchi. Goodbye Yano.
But the words betray her very own intentions . In fact, she is only able to say" I am sorry but I cannot accept it. Words from the past arise now to her memory " Don't you think that love is the opposite of great effort?". No matter the 24 years Nanami or the 17 years old. She hasn't changed. " I can't go back anymore but I promise Yano I'll never cry again. To be with the one I chose, to walk the road I chose even if the road leads to nowhere ..I will not cry anymore. i will live on."

Wow what a chapter. Very short but powerful. Again many thanks to Suyfantasy for the time spent to read the Chinese raws. I feel very sorry for Takeuchi as the rejection must have hurt him a lot but I feel that Nanami is right. She could not commit herself to a man she is not in love with. She decided to follow her heart and although the path she chose may not lead anywhere she decided to pursue it anyway. She will not cry and continue to live on loving Yano, no matter what. Even after all these years, even if she feels she has very few chances to meet him again. Is this the strenght Yano was talking about? But what about him? For what I know he can barely swim on his own Will he be so strong to save him and Yuri as well or will he drown with her?

Yesterday I watched the final episode of Skip Beat! and the most disappointing thing in it was in fact that it was indeed the last episode...WHYYYYYY
Yes, skip beat is also the cause of my lack of posts in the past few weeks. I started watching the first episode out of boredom and i got hooked the very minute the anime started playing.
This is such a good and refreshing show is not the typical shoujo story simply because Kyoko is not the typical shoujo heroine. That girl is so hard core is unbelievable. I am such a huge fan of her.
To be honest with you I am not really bothered about the romance part here ( and by this I mean the love triangle Shotaro, Kyoko, Ren) What I really love here is Kyoko as a person herself not her possible involvement in a love story. She is just as brilliant and funny as she is. I haven't laughed so hard watching an anime since the times of Lovely Complex or the first Episodes of Itazura na Kiss. Now that I have watched the last episode I have been left wanting for more...gosh the only thing that keeps my hope up for a possible second season is the fact that the anime had a very open ending. We don't get to know whether Ren will be accepted to play the part in Dark Moon, and if he will finally confess his love to Kyoko, has Sho accepted his defeat so remissively or has he something in mind? I mean there are so many loose ends in this story. Plus the anime ended with a Next Stage Is.. which clearly leads me to thing there is more to come, right?
Anyhow for now I can find relief by reading the manga which luckily continues the story after the anime ended.. but oh It would be so great having a whole new season as well

I have always refrained myself from reading others Yuuki Obata's works or at least my plan was to read them after the conclusion of Bokura ga ita. The reason for it may sound really stupid but I was afraid that would have been "too much information" which in a way could have spoiled my expectation about the ending of BGI.
You may think, eeeeeh ?since when you've been worriying about spoilers? Do you even read your own blog? All the posts about BGI are full of spoilers??True, but these are different. The spoilers I write about concern about existing chapters of BGI. Thy somehow represent a fact, a reality which is already there within the plot whether you like it or not . Reading a different story which may gave you "hints" or ideas on how of author would handle the development of a plot is a total different matter. This is like gambling and gambling is a very dangerous game. You might end up really really disappointed at the end.
Do you reckon I am being too much paranoid about this? Yeah so do I, that's why the other day I decided to break the taboo and started reading Kimi no Kachi. And my, now that I'm done with it the only thing I can say is..why didn't I do it before.......
Kimi no Kachi is such a wonderful discovery, a collection of one shot stories which was really worth my time. No it doesn't even bother me that some of characters resemble so much to Yano and Nanami because the stories stand on their own regardless. Actually I found interesting to notice how some ideas which ended up in BGI were already present in this earlier stories. My favourites are the 1st You Win ( which is the translation of Kimi no Kachi), Constellation in July a lovely story about two childhood friends who fall in love with eachother and and My Beautiful Boy where a girl falls for a boy at first sight but ends up confessing to his twin brother ( unknowingly).
This episode is the most original character design-wise ( along with spring fever.. ah ah you can tell these stories were drawn in the late 90s look at the boys' haircut !!!) but it does contain a scene -----------> very familiar to us BGI fans *heart pounding moment* ). After this I can officially say that Yuuki Obata is one of my favourite mangaka ever ( please please Obata-sensei give us a magic BGI ending too!!!)

read Kimi no Kachi here

And I'm back too! Yeah finally here I am happily typing away under this nice weather *yay*, unbelievable but true spring time reached England as well..how cool to enjoy the power of sunny days once in a while!!! It would have been perfect with less wind but hey you can't have everything, can you??...Anyway we've gotten to the end of March which tells me that a brand new season of the year is already started ..speaking of new seasons I am really excited because La Corda D'oro ~secondo passo~ is finally out.. Great!! I waited for ages and finally the series is here. Well actually I cannot really describe it as a "series" but more of OAV since ~secondo passo~ features only two episodes ( the greedy fan-girl in me is very disappointed about it ). The first one is already out and about all over the Internet (CR will make it available for everybody in a couple of days) whilst the second ( and alas final) episode will be aired on the 5th of June . Looking at the bright side of things ( feeling really positive today) I will have something to look forward to ...
The manga is still ongoing in all its mighty greatness and chapter 57 has been scanlated as well. I am not sure If I have ever posted the link to chapter 56 though. I remember reading the raw with the help of a text translation in english ( which I am sure I didn't posted because I was too tired). Anyhow, you can find the scanlation by Kaito Zero on Manga Fox. I will spare precious minutes of frantic search by posting here the links to chapter 56 and 57 Chapter 58 is said to be out at the end of April ^_^ OMG April is so going to be a good month... BGI ( first and foremost!!!) and La Corda d'oro as well *squeals of joy*

watch the 1st episode..here

So here we are to chapter 49. I know that my commentaries have gotten way ahead of the scanlated chapters ( the last released chapter is 46) but couldn't resist any longer. Therefore If yuo don't like spoilers please, please, please do not read further.
Before I get started with the story I would like to thank my buddy Suifantasy for all her help with the chinese raws. Without her I wouldn't have been able to understand most of the chapter. So all the merits and credits of this summary go to her!!!

Chapter 49 is the first of the latest 3 chapters of BGI. Presumably they will be part of the possible volume 13 of the series but at the moment they were published only in Betsucomi ( Oct, Nov and Dec 2007 issues).
It's Nanami birthday today and as she told AKi ( back in chapter 45) her intention is to get on with her life. After work she will go out and celebrate with Takeuchi without seeing Yano. However, the idea is proving harder than she thought. The day at work is passing by very slowly. She forces herself to concentrate harder than usual not to let any doubts creep in, The only thing she keeps her going is the idea that soon as the day will be over and this feeling of uneasiness will disappear. "Finally, it will be over, everything will be over." This is what she keeps repeating herself since the morning.
Aki however is still intentioned to make Nanami and Yano meet again. She stops Nanami on her way out and asks her to go see Yano. Nanami refuses saying she still has work to do ( she off to bring some copies to the sensei before going home). Aki tells Nana that she knows she is pretending and although she thinks she can be happy with Take she can't ignore her feelings. So if she can't do it for herself she should do it for Take's sake at least.
Nana asks why she should go, considering that he hasn't come to look for her all this time. She then admits she can't go on like this. She reached the point where she prays they not pass each other on the street by chance because she doesn't have the strenght and confidence to face him and break up with him. In the end, she continues, in these five years she hasn't changed a bit but she also has to move on. Aki then asked if she could have Yano for herself since she gave up on him. That is, if she could live with the idea of Yano being with someone else. Nana replied that she is has to .

Whe then move to Takeuchi's office. He is trying to finish his work but his mind recalls Aki's phone call. She told him about Nana and the fact she tried to convince her to see Yano. Takeuchi replied he was OK with it since she has the right to choose one more time. However, Takeuchi is now worried since he knows he waited too long to take action.

Nanami takes the copies to the sensei as last task for the day before meeting with Take. Before she leaves the house the sensei asks where there was something going on and Nanami replied it's her birthday and she will celebrate tonight . Nana however finds really hard to hide her true feelings so after a moment of hesitation asks What to do if the person whom she is been waiting for a long time shows up now that she's happy with someone else.
After a pause the sensei asks who she is referring to. Nana replies the person she fell in love for the first time and shared lots of different experiences with.. several "first time" memories about happiness and sadness and the promise many new experiences to share in a future together.
The sensei responded to not give up on what she cherished so far as these memories are worth much more than a simple hesitation .

We cut now to Aki, she storms in Yano's office and drags Yano in the staff kitchen away from the colleagues. She looks quite fed up by the whole situation.. She is desperately trying to reunite Yano and Nana for one last time but none of them seem willing to let their guard down in spite of their feelings. When the two are alone she asks him to speak to Nanami at least once. Yano tries to act cool and says something along the line : What we could possibly speak about? the good old times? Aki looses it and slaps him ( loved Aki for this!!) then tells him to stop pretending he doesn't care about Nanami because after all these years she's still the most important person to him . Then insists he has to talk to Nanami at least to give her an explanation. Yano ( trying to look as jerk as possible) "an explanation for having changed my mind?" ( if I was Aki I would have slapped him again). But Aki just replies " An explanation for having betrayed her". Then tells him that she heard some rumors about him living with someone else and asks him if it's true. Yano does not deny that but the colleagues who overheard the conversation could not hide their surprise since nobody knew about it ( looks like Yano was keeping the whole thing secret.)

It's 5 pm already and Take is getting ready to leave the office to meet Nanami. Nana is on her way back to the office to leave for the day. She receives a text from Take who warns her to take an umbrella as it looks like it's going to rain soon. Nanami thinks about this afternoon and she feels ashamed of her doubts. She wants to be able to return Takeuchi's feelings as he is the person who has been staying by her side until today.
Takeuchi walks towards the train station. He then stops with the other passengers waiting for the train . he holds a small case in his hand containing the engagement ring for Nanami. He looks at the case silently and his mind goes to Takahashi. Take is well aware that tone day Yano would have been back and Nanami heart might have doubts. Deep inside he admits that he has always known the bond between the two of them is too strong .
Aki is still at Yano's work place. She and her colleague are taking some group pictures of the staff. She looks at Yano is posing together with his work mates and sees him smiling. She notices his smile is still unchanged. Before leaving she calls Yano to one side and confessed him that she longed the love he and Nanami shared back in high school. It was like the perfect dream. Their relationship was the ideal love she had been wanting for herself. she thinks is so sad that the two people she envied the most ended up like this. She also tells Yano that she knows he is still loves Nanami and that's the very reason why he is avoiding any contact with her. She then thanks him for ending her one sided love.
It starts raining. Take continues his monologue saying that he always knew he could never win over Yano. The only thing he could possibly win was the time during which Yano and Nana were apart.

Chinese raws can be found here

I was going to use this post to start the summary of chapter 49 but first and foremost BIG NEWS about the manga series.
Bokura ga ita is due to restart very soon and this time is not just a rumor!!! Betsucomi confirmed the update yesterday and in the next month issue ( Japanese release date is 13/04) there will be a dedicated appendix to a BGI special book! OMG!! Finally!!! I still don't know if the appendix will include a review of the latest three chapters ( 49-50-51) or any upcoming chapters
(ahh think about it finally some spoilers about the airport scene..that cliffhanger is seriously killing me)

Here's the news as it appears on Betsucomi's page ..The wait is almost over!! Can't wait to read more BGI chapters soon!!!