Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan

First off, I'd like to thank the MyAnimeList community for making me aware of this little gem.

Our Happy Hours is a very heart wrenching read that grips you the moment the characters are introduced. These characters are quite intelligent and smart when it comes to interactions, dialogue, and actions. It is quite easy for a story like this to have very gullible and moronic characters that are willing to believe anything. But not in this story. The main character Juri does not warm up right away to the prisoner on death row called Yuu. She does not feel the need to feel bad for a man who killed 3 people even if he did have a very rough life because there are many people out there in the world who have had just as hard a life as he did...and they didn't kill people. Her thinking is all very logical and this story is riddled with great character moments like this. Juri only later warms up to Yuu because she needs advice that only he can give her, since they are both similar in a way. I do not want to spoil more but these smart and complex characters are what make this manga a joy to read.

As for the story itself, it flows along at a great pace and never drags. It is only 8 chapters but the story knows where and when to stop, and 8 chapters was perfect. Since this is a small manga with only 8 chapters, I won't be going too much into detail. However if I did have a little gripe, the story for as good as it is never takes any risks. This becomes apparent in chapter 6 where it is revealed why Yuu killed 3 people. Its a very sad moment but it is a moment that is meant for the reader to have a bit of sympathy towards Yuu even though he committed the horrible act. I would have preferred if they kept Yuu a simple murderer who committed a one time act on people he didn't know or have a grudge against. For as good as the scene is, all it does is enforce the idea that Juri and Yuu are similar in a way. If they went with the simple murderer route, it would have really left Juri to question her liking towards Yuu and it would have made the story a lot more tense. Also would have made things just a bit more complex too...all I'm saying is that I was itching for a better twist.

Nitpicking aside, the art was very good. It's nothing incredible but it has a very murky feel to it, which goes perfect with the story and theme. The theme itself is about not dwelling on the past which caused you hurt. Revenge and hate could only get you so far until someone else gets hurt. It's all about accepting what happened, dealing with it in a respectful manner, and then moving on with your life. This kind of theme has been done many times before but this story handles it exceptionally well, so I personally have no complaints about it. It is handled in a very smart manner and I'm thankful.

This is a great read and I recommend it to anyone who is in the mood for a great drama manga.

Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan (9/10)

Story (10/10): I would say that this is the most beautiful manga that I have ever read so far. In just 8 chapters, I was compelled by its storyline. I was moved by the backstories of each character. This is the first time that I have cried over a manga. I just literally burst myself into tears, that kind of tears that I shed when I watched AnoHana. This is what I love about seinen, josei, and slice of life manga, there's more into it, like a deeper plot. It has something that is not in shounen and shoujo manga. The theme is great, absolutely beautiful and sad.

Art (9/10): The art is well-drawn. Although simple, still it connects and just go well with the plot and characters.

Character (8/10): I like the development of the characters. I think it was great that we get to see them revealing a little about themselves, about how they helped each other in little ways in so little time.

Overall (9/10): I really love it. It's probably one of my favorites now. I'm planning on reading the novel where it is based.

People have their own sorrows. This manga tells a story which prompts us to look beyond the past of others. People cannot chose what happens to them. Most often circumstances rather than our will dictate what our actions are.

The idea of the story is very poetic. A woman who has attempted suicide thrice and a convict who has killed three people and also has tried to kill himself many times-- such are the kind of people that society generally gives up on. Either we are not able to help them and therefore avert our eyes, or don't understand them so turn away. We see them as incorrigible.

What do these people think of society back for having themselves treated in that way? They must feel as if they are not parts of the society. They must feel like the world is not for them. And yet they have to follow its norms. That must be very suffocating. That is possibly why they try to take away their own lives-- to get away from it. Can a person from within the society reach out to a person like that? Probably not as the insider can only imagine how they see. Another person from outside might.

The manga addresses the issue of difficult childhood and how it molds our lives throughout. It is not easy to steer away from the results of trauma from past. But should we we even ? Don't those sad experiences turn us into our present selves? Rather than forgetting them, shouldn't we try to build on them, learn and benefit? That would be a more satisfying result.

The story is comment on people who blinded by their own troubles forget how others feel. There is a comment on how the religious people are humans only, and have their own flaws. The story doesn't follow the the stereotype of people being reformed by religion. In the real world many people don't want to deal at all with religion. The story is about such people too.

I like this manga because it lays bare the sorrow of people who have lost everything and don't care about anything at all now. It gives the reader the hope to be happy also.

Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan was a wonderful read. It's nice finding a manga like this once in a while. I read a lot of Shounen and Shoujo mangas and they don't have as deep of meaning as mangas like these ones. Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan is one of the most realistic, heart felt mangas I've ever read. I love the psychological and romantic aspect of the story. There was neither too much of anything nor too little of the elements. The story was easy going and at times made me tear up. The lesson is definitely something one can live by. We all take away something different from the story, the obvious and the hidden, but it's something that will always be in our minds. So again, really good read. A really, really good read.

I read this story because it came highly recommendation as a deeply impactful and emotional story.

Well, to be truthful, I don’t think it has much emotional impact for a variety of reason. However, I have come to like the story because it brings up some interesting questions and it makes readers think about some potentially uncomfortable yet interesting things.

Let me talk about the things I do like first.

There is a lot of things about death penalty which one tends to think and ultimately form opinions about, but Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan (WSJ) did give me pause to think about some of the smaller aspects, e.g. the long years of isolation and the thoughts/feelings during those years, the people who visits such criminals, and etc.

This is the part I like. It made think about the things that just aren’t the most immediately obvious or most popular aspects of the subject. In one particular thoughtful scene, the characters ponders on whether doing something wrong is still bad if it ultimately leads to a better life for someone who may otherwise not have it. What if it leads to a better life for multiple people?

It’s a type of ‘utilitarian’ scenario, but the context gave me pause and actually had me thinking for quite a bit.

The above might make readers think that all the ‘thoughtful moments’ are centered around the death penalty or deaths in general. However, this is not the case. The story also focuses a lot on the philosophy and meaning behind living in general. Whether one finds impact/meaning in what the story brings up depend on the person, but I think WSJ did a fine job in asking and saying the right things to give one pause.

That part of WSJ is something I really like. However, the part that I did not care for yet the part the seemed praised the most is the emotional impact. I never did quite feel the impact others did and the reason being that the story felt too contrived by the end.

Initially, I thought the premise was strong and fascinating. A person who committed several senseless murders against strangers. Another person who tried to commit suicide several times and is filled with cynicism/apathy.

That two such people could form a connection ultimately create a deep desire to love and live in both…that premise had sounded wonderfully interesting. It also sounded tough as the author needed to work out how to make readers sympathize/understand two very difficult to understand people and ultimately immerse in their desire to love and live.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. I’ll avoid spoiling the story, but in short, the author took the ‘easy way out’ in order to make readers like the characters. The characters have revelations that easily absolve their crimes/personalities and even change the people around them.

So, by the end, rather than coming to sympathize and perhaps even like them in spite of their flaws, you’d like because they’re perfectly average protagonists who just had a bad life.

This is a shame, in my opinion. The premise is unique and had great potential for impact, but the plot takes much of that potential away. It is still a decent story which can draw emotion from readers, but I don’t think it’s really anything particularly special.

So to summarize my review: I think WSJ’s strength lies in its ability to make readers think about a potentially uncomfortable subject (death penalty) and the little aspects that might not normally be thought of. However, its character development is its weak point.

Is it still worth reading? Absolutely. Doubly so because it’s such a short story that one can easily get through it in no time. I would definitely recommend a read.

This is a piss-poor rip off of the movie Dead Man Walking. While that movie was about redemption and owning up to your past, this is a lousy melodrama about star crossed lovers. Comparing Sean Penn's character to the prisoner in this comic leads me to feel both humored and an irate irritation. Any of the nuance and moral ambiguity is thrown out the window in favor of tear-jerking schmaltz. I say this is a clear rip off of Dead Man Walking, because there is clear overlapping elements; both are about a nun who helps a prisoner on death row during his final days, both have a character trying to find god in his last days (although Dead Man Walking handles this with a subtlety that this piece of trash is incapable of), and both have a character performing music both the death row inmate dies.

Watch the movie and avoid this terrible imitation.

This story took me on an emotional ride with it's focus on different life stories and how a simple mistake can change your life forever. Sure it had some cliche subjects in the history of the characters, which for me is what takes it away from being a true masterpiece, even thou it's one of my favorite manga over all.

The shorter format of just 8 chapters fit the story well. It's detailed where it has to without giving to much room for things that are not needed for the story. I love the art and felt for every character in the story. Both main characters and supporting characters are so well made that you just have to feel for them.

The story left me in awe and with so many thoughts on life. The tears rolled down my cheeks and I kinda didn't want it to end the way it did but it was still very fitting to the story.

Generic/cliche story and characters trying to hide under pretty words, slight philosophy and mainstream sugar coated darkness. Complete with same old formulated, generic/cliche, eye rolling “sympathize with me”/”like me!!!!” scenes, some of which really hurt identity of key characters and the story.

Tired/predictable story formula:
Suicidal girl meets “him” > you know what happens > you know what happens > you know what happens > end. In between, skippable/unimportant/boring dialogue and drawn out events to force the story into the next stage of the formulated story…well most of the time anyways. The surprises aren't worth reading the whole story.
The ending was decent tough, somewhat beautiful but also somewhat ruined.



Seriously tough, How much do they pay you 10/10 guys?

Heh, I was very sceptical about reading this, I see it every time every time i look up the top manga, but i never got to reading it. So after a while, i was like, "Eh.. Why not?" It showed to have a story, a tear jerker if you would say. Even i cried at this, overall i enjoyed this manga because it shows the pain of other people you would never think about.

Are you depress?

Do you feel suicidal?

Well, be careful if you decide to read this manga because it takes a nose dive into the darkness.

I read this long ago, for no particular reason. I think I was drawn to the cover art.

I can only recall the feeling of sadness watching these hopeless characters interact with one another about their internal pains.

I can't remember how it ended. Just feeling the hollowness & stress of all the meetings that took place in the manga.

This is one of those mangas where it's interesting, but I wouldn't really recommend it unless you're trying to get more exposure to different psychological genre mangas.

According to MAL, as of today, this is the 44th best ranked manga on the site. So I gave it a shot... With an average score of above 8, I had high hopes. So let's begin.

Story: Very good. The score I gave is an 8, as the story's plot is good, but it's not a 10 because there was so much deep issues, jammed into only 8 chapters, the issues required much more material.

Art: Very good, another score of 8. The art is thorough, and not sloppy, but not as crisp as I'd like.

Character: Good, so I scored it a 7. There's a lot of ups and downs throughout the 8 chapters, and I felt like it was a bit rushed, so the characters didn't feel like they were realistic in regards to their emotions and growth.

Overall, it's a good manga. It's nothing more than a 7 though for me, as the pacing is a bit rushed, and when the chapter ends, I was never super eager to read the next chapter. I know it's quite a serious manga, but I feel like 8 chapters wasn't enough. If the manga was longer, and the characters fleshed out a bit more, I would feel like it would deserve a higher score but it's difficult for you to become connected to the character in such a short story.

It's my first time writing a review for any anime or manga.
Now, how i feel about this manga. Although it is very heartbreaking story, even at one point I wasn't able to continue reading this manga but I am glad that I did. Every time I read this manga i feel sorrow and pain in my heart, there are tears in my eyes without realising it, that how much mankind can be cruel. Well it's better to not blame other instead of that we should try to improve our own self. So that's why after reading this manga i decided to be a well enough person who also care about other's feeling to make sure no one gets hurt due to my selfishness.
I would highly recommend everyone to try this manga ones

The only 10 I think I'll ever give. If you feel like you are in a dark place right now, then you might want to give this short beautiful adaptation of a Korean novel a read. I was incredibly touched by it. I am not just giving it a 10 because it gets at the heart strings, but because of the incredible new perspective on life it has to offer. Maybe not as enjoyable as say Onanie Master or Molester Man, but just that one level deeper in terms of learning about humanity, in particular empathy, and trying to understand others before making judgements.

I have just read the manga and instantly felt compelled to create an account on here and write my first review. There are already many synopsis (synopsises? synopsi?) out there in several other reviews, so I'll spare you some reading time.

I found out about and read this manga in the course of one hour. The reviews were high, and I wanted to see what the big deal was about. When I was greeted by the opening pages, my expectations lowered quite significantly-- because I thought the water-colored pages were a bit tacky, and I thought I was setting myself up to be reading one of those 'pseudo-intellectual' manga. I judged the book, or rather manga, by it's cover, which was a massive mistake on my part and, ironically enough, a major theme of the story.

This isn't a proper review in the sense that you're all used to, but let me just go ahead and say: Read it. Now. It's scored so highly and praised so vehemently for a reason. Let me tell you a little bit about myself. No other media in any other medium has had the kind of effect this short little manga had on me. I'm a 19 year old male. I train in boxing and jiu-jitsu and wrestled in highschool. By all accounts, and my saying so without humility, I am most certainly a 'tough guy.' This manga made my cry. Hard.

Watashitachi no shiawase no jikan, is been my first........say serious slice of life type of manga........though I am a beginner in being a manga fan. What I want to say is that this story leaves me crying..........what is it to be happy? What is called Happiness? What is it like to live for someone? To keep on living.........
The way how Juri get to understand Yuu, how their feelings develop for each other and how Juri goes on to live for Yuu, it's what love and passion is all about.
I liked this Manga because it touched me and I did give a few tears away in the last chapter.
I would recommend this manga to any manga lovers who would like to read about the difficulties of life the tragedies and how you get little moments of hope and happiness through your most cruel moments of life...........
This is my first review........I hope you found it helpful and would want to read this piece of art........Watashitachi no shiawase no jikan..............

WOW.ok first i like to say that this is my first review (so please go easy on me=])
to be honest when i saw that this manga is so popular i asked myself why??
but after reading Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan
i can say i know why this manga is so popular, this manga is very realistic and touching.
not like shoujo mangas which is what i most read the plot is different and
the charecter act is also different but thats what makes this manga so good. to finish i will just say that Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan
is a manga that all most everybody will cry in the end, but it is one of the best stories there is.

Well, actually I'm not sure to write a review since I'm not quite good on writing stuffs like this but, to sum up, I just want to share my thoughts and lingering feelings about thing Manga.

"dreaming of death... is nothing more than proof that you're alive, and just living is a part of life " - Mutou, Juri

While I was looking for Manga to read, I looked up to my Manga files saved to my HDD, then I found this thing, at first I didn't know its genre and synopsis. But I've decided to worked on it and read it for few chapters which I thought... Uhmm probably 3 chapter should enough to judge a story (whether to continue reading it or drop or hold),

Shockingly after reading the 3rd chapter, deym! Tears began to fall, I'm crying like an idiot in my room, I felt the strong emotion which I can't control, my heart start aching and feels like squeezing and its hard to breathe. I kept of wiping the tears that continuously pouring, as I go by reading it. GOOSEBUMPS are everywhere, chilling my entire body... I quite a long way since I started to act like this, probably when I read and shared Koe no Katachi.

Well no words can sum up all these lingering feeling that bursting inside my heart right now, though I actually felt want to share this Manga to lighten up my burden. Even though I was emotionally sensitive on matters like this, I loved them a lot. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS to those who have not yet read this and to those who to feel crying sometimes.

It's quite embarrassing to cry to things like this, but unexpectedly after crying I felt relieved and I say, "Ahh! It feels good to be alive after all"

My review will be simple.

If you want to read a tear-jerker manga. This is the one.
This manga really gives me the meaning of life, love, and sorrow.
Great story, great moral value, and i don't find any manga that can give me such goose bumps.

A very powerful, captivating story that artfully, and sincerely showcased both the worst and best things about living and dying. The author wished no reader be spared from the heart-wrenching blows that the story inflicts - the story of two broken people, and the inspiring beauty of their honest love. Even just for the story itself, it is a must read. But the visual art is equally not disappointing, so don't worry :)

I only picked this because it was on top of the manga list, but I was very pleased with it. I have never read a manga with the tone of this one before. The time I was finished with the manga which is only eight small chapters I was very happy I read it. The ending really struck a cord with me and chocked me up a little bit. Anytime any work of art can elicit emotions like that out of you, it must be doing something right.