Poor Yuri. Poor Yano – Bokura ga ita Episode 23

I cannot believe how a few episodes can change my perspective of a character. However, Bokura ga ita did. I remember calling Yuri a sickening and bloody biatch (yes, very bad language used there) but now, I simply pity her. Yano did too, which was why he stayed together with her after ex-Nana died.

This episode continues with the emotional trauma of the four main characters and this is magnificent. Absolute shoujo greatness for the past few episodes. I loved it!

Move on for summary and thoughts.

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Episode summary

Yano and Takeuchi were about to go for skating, until Takeuchi revealed that he had confessed to Nana during that period when Yano was sick. Yano called him very despicable and it was clear that he was very annoyed about it as they left the skating ring before even skating. As Takeuchi went back, his sister wondered what happened as he arrived back so soon and laughed when Takeuchi told her about the confession. It seemed that his “sister” realized that Takeuchi had such confidence because he had never competed unless he had a sure chance of winning. That was also why Yano was particularly disturbed by the confession.

On the flashback, we see Takeuchi saying that he liked Nana a lot and told Nana not to give an answer because he would not tell no as an answer. That confidence was that Takeuchi was able to keep Nana happy and protect her. On the other hand, Nana was in her room, thinking about what Takeuchi had said. She also called Mizu-chin, asking if she was in fact suitable for Yano at all. With what Takeuchi and Yuri said about her being incompatible affecting her judgment, she seemed to lose all confidence. In school, as everyone was doing snow shoveling, she also avoided him despite the attempts from him to talk.

As she ran off, Yano gave chase and asked her what she really wanted. She then said the relationship is tiring her out and asked whether if there was someone out there that was better. Yano stupidly replied “so what if there was someone”, smashing whatever little confidence she had as she remembered what Yuri said about her being a person that could understand Yano better than Nana. She then cried and left, leaving Yano in total shock.

We see Yano and his mother doing some gardening, as they talked about the apparent moving to Tokyo. Yano’s mother had never planned for anything in her life and was very fickle and weak minded about issues. She felt that he was always very tied up, like he was stressing out, but he pushed the issue away. She then added that Yano was an accident but she could not bear to abort him.

She often despised him before he was born, as he was a burden if she was to get married. As she did not know what to do, she jumped from marriage to marriage blindly, without thinking. Now, she finally woke up and wanted to find happiness by using her own feet to move her life path. However, she added that the one thing in her life that she was proud of was that the burden turned out to be the greatest blessing in her life. That was why she wanted him to be happy.

Back in school, Yano asked Nana to go home together, also for Nana to reject it as Yano went off in anger. Mizu-chin asked Nana if it was all right to be so and Nana said whatever she said would simply make things worse. Mizu-chin then told Nana that there will be one day when Yano would eventually give up. We then see Yuri chasing Yano, stumbling and finally falling on the snow, hurting herself. Nana saw this scene from where she stood in the class, with Yano lifting Yuri up and looking at her. At the end, Yuri sat with Yano at the train station, saying that Yano stayed with her simply because he pitied her, rather than taking revenge. He said no matter what, she could not change the thing that was the “worst about her”.

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Thoughts

I really feel that Yuri had the short end of the stick. I think it will be hard to not feel pity for her, especially when Yano said that he only stayed with her then for pity, rather than taking revenge. In my opinion, to be a relationship and dumped for revenge gave you a legitimate reason to be angry with the person. However, when the person only dumped you because he pitied you initially and got together with you, you have a really poor and sad person.

That person is Yuri and it’s hard for me to be stone-hearted when it came to her.

I would also add that Takeuchi is somewhat similar in that manner. I know that I am not the kind to compete with anyone unless I know perfectly well that I have a very high chance of succeeding. I tend to hide and avoid any form of fighting unless I know very clearly that I will win. I guess that is why I am quietly supporting Takeuchi x Nana, simply due to the fact that I fully understand Takeuchi.

I remember reading somewhere, perhaps in the animesuki forums that there was someone who commented that the main characters are not ready for a relationship. I agree to a certain degree with Nana. Nana is too emotially fragile and insecure to have any significant relationship with any guy. The fact is that she cannot trust anyone, not even Yano who clearly loves her a lot. That said, that might be curbed slightly if she ends up with Takeuchi but the truth seems to be there. She is not ready for a real relationship, not with anyone just yet.

However, I deviate from the view that Yano is not ready. He is a really careless person but I realized that he is in fact a very nice guy that has his priorities wrong. Now, the whole relationship is falling because of Nana’s insecurity but he is still fighting on hard. However, like what Mizu-chin, he would lose it one day. I hope it is not that soon but with the ending looming, it seems like the end.

I got a feeling that the ending will be rather sad but the next episode seems to be Yano leaving with his mother to Tokyo. More drama is promised!