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私たちの幸せな時間 [Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan]
木曜日、午前十時。それは私たちが生きることのできる唯一の時間......。
3回の自殺未遂を繰り返したピアニスト樹里は、叔母に連れらていった拘置所で無差別殺人を犯した死刑囚・佑に出会う。母との確執、弟の死......。互いに激しい反発心を抱く二人は、心に大きく深い傷を持つ。やがて二人は......。映画・原作ともに大ヒットを記録した純愛劇を、完璧なまでの美しい世界観で佐原ミズが描き切る----。
"I have something I don't want to lose"
"So much so that these terrible feelings have grown."
A pianist who attempted suicide 3 times, Juri, is taken to help her aunt at a prison where murderers who killed indiscriminately are sentenced to death. There, she meets a man named Yuu who took the lives of 3 people. A mother's antagonism--a brother's death... Together they embrace the violent rebellion in their hearts caused by the large, deep scars they carry. However, before long, they both embrace an earnest hope in their hearts. "I want to live"...
An adaptation of novel by South Korea's most popular female novelist, Gong Ji-Young.
3回の自殺未遂を繰り返したピアニスト樹里は、叔母に連れらていった拘置所で無差別殺人を犯した死刑囚・佑に出会う。母との確執、弟の死......。互いに激しい反発心を抱く二人は、心に大きく深い傷を持つ。やがて二人は......。映画・原作ともに大ヒットを記録した純愛劇を、完璧なまでの美しい世界観で佐原ミズが描き切る----。
"I have something I don't want to lose"
"So much so that these terrible feelings have grown."
A pianist who attempted suicide 3 times, Juri, is taken to help her aunt at a prison where murderers who killed indiscriminately are sentenced to death. There, she meets a man named Yuu who took the lives of 3 people. A mother's antagonism--a brother's death... Together they embrace the violent rebellion in their hearts caused by the large, deep scars they carry. However, before long, they both embrace an earnest hope in their hearts. "I want to live"...
An adaptation of novel by South Korea's most popular female novelist, Gong Ji-Young.
252 pages, Paperback
First published August 22, 2008
25 people are currently reading
1536 people want to read
About the author
Mizu Sahara
63 books86 followersJapanese name 佐原ミズ.
Pen name used by manga-ka Sumomo Yumeka for her predominantly seinen works. Published in the magazines Afternoon (Kodansha), Melody (Shueisha), and Comic Bunch (Shinchosha).
Pen name used by manga-ka Sumomo Yumeka for her predominantly seinen works. Published in the magazines Afternoon (Kodansha), Melody (Shueisha), and Comic Bunch (Shinchosha).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 284 reviews
July 9, 2025
Can somebody pass me the tissues?
September 12, 2025
♪"Two broken worlds, in silence shined,
a fleeting spark that love resigned."♪
Our Happy Time — A Prayer for the Broken, A Song for the Lost..
Some stories don’t promise forever — they gift you fragments of fleeting light, pressed into the darkest corners of existence. Our Happy Time is one such tale: a meeting of two souls bruised by life, bound not by promises of tomorrow, but by the fragile grace of borrowed hours.Happiness was never the promise. Only a few hours — tender, painful, unforgettable. And those hours ended me. This manga is not just a story, it’s an experience — delicate, devastating, and quietly profound.This was not just a manga, not just an adaptation — it was an experience that tore me apart piece by piece.
I don’t even know how to put this into words. I just closed the last page and I’m still crying. This story… it broke me. It’s so unbearably sad, yet so beautiful, I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.
We follow Yu Jeong / Juri, a woman burdened by depression and repeated suicide attempts, and Yuu, a death row inmate who has committed unforgivable crimes.Juri a woman who no longer wanted to live.
Yuu, a man who had no choice but to die. Two souls broken beyond repair, sitting across from each other on Thursdays. At first, silence. Then words. Then a bond so delicate it felt like glass — beautiful, dangerous, destined to shatter.Their lives intersect through weekly prison visits. What begins as strained silence slowly blossoms into raw conversations about guilt, forgiveness, loneliness, and the fragile meaning of existence.
The conversations, the silences, the way their pain echoed each other’s — I was overwhelmed. I kept pausing, just staring at the panels with tears in my eyes, because the art makes the sadness hit even harder. Those soft, delicate lines… it felt like every page was whispering don’t forget this.
This isn’t a romance in the conventional sense. There are no grand declarations, no fluffy clichés — instead, there’s a tender connection built on shared pain and unspoken understanding. It’s about two people who have lost their will to live, finding a fleeting reason to hold on.
🎹 The Pianist Who Couldn’t Live, The Prisoner Who Couldn’t Escape — Together, They Found Freedom in an Hour...
𝄞 Juri
In the novel, she’s a K-pop star who once stood under blinding lights, adored by millions but hollow inside. In the manga, she’s a pianist — her music once a sanctuary, now a wound that bleeds every time she touches the keys. No matter which version you read, she’s broken, fragile, so tired of living that she keeps trying to leave this world. And yet, in the most unexpected place — a prison — she meets someone who teaches her that maybe, just maybe, her hours can still hold meaning.
☣ Yuu / Yunsu
A murderer. A death row inmate. Someone society has already written off as unforgivable. And yet… he is more than his crime. Beneath the silence, the letters, the walls, he is just a boy who was abandoned, unloved, and crushed by life long before he ever committed a sin. His pain is unbearable to read, and still, through Juri, he starts to believe he is seen, heard, maybe even worthy of love. It’s cruel and beautiful all at once.His letters broke me😭
Their Story Together — “Two Broken Souls, Borrowing Hours from a World That Never Meant to Give Them Forever.”She Carried Scars, He Carried Chains — But Love Asked for Neither..
💌Themes That Stayed With Me:
~Crime & Punishment: The weight of past actions and the shadows of justice.
~Forgiveness: Learning to let go, for themselves and for others.
~Love: A fragile, deep connection between two broken souls.
~Redemption: Even the darkest hearts can find a spark of light.
~Hope & Survival: Tiny moments of life and meaning in the bleakest places.
~Trauma & Healing: Pain acknowledged, slowly transformed.
~Cultural & Moral Reflections: How beliefs shape what we call right and wrong.
And that ending… god, I’m crushed. I knew it wouldn’t be “happy,” but it still left me completely shattered. At the same time, I felt this weird warmth — like even the smallest, briefest moments of connection can mean everything.
This manga didn’t just make me sad. It made me feel. And honestly? I don’t think I’ll recover anytime soon.
As if that wasn’t enough, I went and watched the Korean movie adaptation called Maundy Thursday, - right after finishing the manga. And I shredded even more tears. Seeing their pain come alive on screen made it feel heavier, more suffocating, more real. Thursdays will never feel the same to me again — the word itself now carries this weight, this ache, this memory.
This story is beautifully painful. It doesn’t heal you. It doesn’t offer you comfort. It simply sits with you in the sadness and forces you to look at the fragility of human life, at how love, forgiveness, and understanding sometimes arrive too late — and yet, still matter infinitely.
Impact:
This manga hurts. It doesn’t sugarcoat trauma, nor does it pretend forgiveness is simple. It will sit heavy in your chest, yet it also whispers of hope, of the possibility of light even in the darkest places. By the end, you realize the title isn’t ironic — it’s about those fleeting, precious hours when two souls truly connect.
Final Thoughts:
Our Happy Time is for readers who seek more than escapism — who are ready for a story that’s bittersweet, contemplative, and beautifully human. It’s a reminder that sometimes happiness is not about forever, but about moments.
If 2025 had a genre, it would be: me, in my room, sobbing over fictional characters like it’s my full-time job — and yes, this manga fits perfectly 💯
🔚 Conclusion: A Painful Beauty That Stays With You!
This isn’t a story you read and shelve. It’s a story that sits in your chest, in your ribs, in your memory — reminding you of the fragile, fleeting, heartbreaking beauty of connection. Our Happy Time doesn’t just tell a story. It breathes it into your bloodstream.
4.5/5 — Warning: extreme emotional hangover guaranteed.
Want to read
April 28, 2021i am ready for pain.
August 2, 2024
4.25/5
I think it's impossible not to cry during the last chapter. If you love pain, just read it.
"Because seeing you made him want to live a little longer."
I think it's impossible not to cry during the last chapter. If you love pain, just read it.
June 25, 2017
"Everyone has their own pain that they carry. How can I spend my days without giving in to it?
I'm groping for an answer..."
My feelings bro...
November 17, 2012
READY YOUR TISSUE BOX. IT IS GOING TO BE A CRYING FEST! I think this was like The Fault in Our Stars for many others. Maybe if I felt that book, I would cry like this.
Juri's life is dark, lonely and painful. With a mother who wishes Juri was never born, while things can't get any better, right?
Juri has attempted to commit suicide 3 times. And every day was a burden. #3987, Yuu, has a lot of similarities as Juri. Both painted with a past, a darkness, a death.
Yuu's life, gosh. I can't even describe how cruel and twisted. But truthfully, things like this happen in real life and it pains the crap out of me. Sentences such as "Sorry bro..." utterly crushes me. The back story to Yuu's life, oh, I don't...I can't.
Aunt Monica is the sweetest, wisest, little woman. Gosh I just want to hug her. She is lonely but kind. Some of the things she does just make me tear up. Sahara Mizu did a great job drawing her. Her postures, movements made me want to cry. Aunt Monica has more depth as you read on. She has her past and her unfortunate events.
The warden is also so kind. I always have this image of evil wardens and I think that is true in most part but the warden in this manga is just so cute and kind. Awwww~
This manga was dark, and hollow. It seemed to suck your soul out. I wanted to cry so bad. (Thank you Lynn for warning me before hand. I have a box of tissues at the ready. But Lynn, I want to yell at you because WHY DID YOU INTRODUCE ME TO THIS PAIN?!!! ;______________;). But this manga was not all pain and sadness, there were beauty, elegance, and magic. The pages flew by with each passing one, more intricate delicacy seemed to fly off the page. The arts was beautiful, lyrical, and thoughtful.
This manga was powerful, dark, light, and just purely beautiful. This manga is about life, living, and enjoying. I highly recommend this manga! If you are going through a hard time, please, I beg of you, read this!
Random thought: Yuu looks like Haru from Tonari :3 Cute!
Quotes: These are only SOME of the quotes within the manga. There were way too many great quotes within the manga.
"I was always looking for a place where the bad days didn't keep running by..." ~ Yuu
"To me, the hours that pass by each day are just an agony that I want to throw in the trash." ~ Juri Mutou
"Yeah, you were the only reason I didn't pick better ways to kill myself, Aunt Monica. It's the thought that there actually is somebody who'd miss me and grieve for me that makes my heart ache." ~ Juri
"If you pardon the things that unfortunate people do, then what of the people killed by his selfish acts? And the people who say he should be the one killed?" ~ Juri
"You said that the hours of every day are trash. However, that is the way someone lucky enough to welcome the next day thinks." ~ Aunt Monica
"Grudges don't simply disappear. And I know that no matter what people tell you to comfort you, it just sounds like sarcasm." ~ Aunt Monica
"Is a rope around the neck and a drop from the gallows all that we can do for a guy who lived his life without ever smiling? ~ Inoue
"We were only granted 30 minutes every Thursday. Today may be the last day...and so we continued to talk, even about trivial little things, and even if our throats became sore..."
"In that moment...I was happy." ~ Yuu
"If only the entire week was Thursdays..." ~ Yuu
Juri's life is dark, lonely and painful. With a mother who wishes Juri was never born, while things can't get any better, right?
Juri has attempted to commit suicide 3 times. And every day was a burden. #3987, Yuu, has a lot of similarities as Juri. Both painted with a past, a darkness, a death.
Yuu's life, gosh. I can't even describe how cruel and twisted. But truthfully, things like this happen in real life and it pains the crap out of me. Sentences such as "Sorry bro..." utterly crushes me. The back story to Yuu's life, oh, I don't...I can't.
Aunt Monica is the sweetest, wisest, little woman. Gosh I just want to hug her. She is lonely but kind. Some of the things she does just make me tear up. Sahara Mizu did a great job drawing her. Her postures, movements made me want to cry. Aunt Monica has more depth as you read on. She has her past and her unfortunate events.
The warden is also so kind. I always have this image of evil wardens and I think that is true in most part but the warden in this manga is just so cute and kind. Awwww~
This manga was dark, and hollow. It seemed to suck your soul out. I wanted to cry so bad. (Thank you Lynn for warning me before hand. I have a box of tissues at the ready. But Lynn, I want to yell at you because WHY DID YOU INTRODUCE ME TO THIS PAIN?!!! ;______________;). But this manga was not all pain and sadness, there were beauty, elegance, and magic. The pages flew by with each passing one, more intricate delicacy seemed to fly off the page. The arts was beautiful, lyrical, and thoughtful.
This manga was powerful, dark, light, and just purely beautiful. This manga is about life, living, and enjoying. I highly recommend this manga! If you are going through a hard time, please, I beg of you, read this!
Random thought: Yuu looks like Haru from Tonari :3 Cute!
Quotes: These are only SOME of the quotes within the manga. There were way too many great quotes within the manga.
"I was always looking for a place where the bad days didn't keep running by..." ~ Yuu
"To me, the hours that pass by each day are just an agony that I want to throw in the trash." ~ Juri Mutou
"Yeah, you were the only reason I didn't pick better ways to kill myself, Aunt Monica. It's the thought that there actually is somebody who'd miss me and grieve for me that makes my heart ache." ~ Juri
"If you pardon the things that unfortunate people do, then what of the people killed by his selfish acts? And the people who say he should be the one killed?" ~ Juri
"You said that the hours of every day are trash. However, that is the way someone lucky enough to welcome the next day thinks." ~ Aunt Monica
"Grudges don't simply disappear. And I know that no matter what people tell you to comfort you, it just sounds like sarcasm." ~ Aunt Monica
"Is a rope around the neck and a drop from the gallows all that we can do for a guy who lived his life without ever smiling? ~ Inoue
"We were only granted 30 minutes every Thursday. Today may be the last day...and so we continued to talk, even about trivial little things, and even if our throats became sore..."
"In that moment...I was happy." ~ Yuu
"If only the entire week was Thursdays..." ~ Yuu
December 4, 2015
"If only the entire week was Thursdays..."
Rating, 4.5
I'm reading a ton of books lately ... AND have limited reading time (Damn you, real life!). So another addition to the currently reading list should be out of question. Right?
So, I ignore said books. Or ... try too (no an easy feat with GR on hand)
But in the end ... I just can't resist.
So, because I shouldn't ... yesterday I added 2 books, 1 manga (finished) and 4 picture books (done).
Because I can!
(just had to get it off my chest)
Now to the point.
Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan is a manga adaptation of the novel Our Happy Time, written by the popular South Korean author Gong Ji-young .... also there is a movie adaptation from 2006, Maundy Thursday aka Our Happy Time.
One would say see (or read) one ... you've read (saw )it/them all, yes? Not my case. Years back I watched the movie, oblivious there was a book ...
... and I cried my eyes out.
Then I discovered there's a book.
Translated in English. Yeay! I loved it and I cried my eyes up ... again (Thumbs up to the translator!).
But what do you know .... yesterday I found out there's a manga adaptation too, by Japanese mangaka Sahara Mizu. The names have changed (apart for Sister Monica) there are a few minor changes to the story .... but it was still good ... and I still cried by the end. The translation was a little bumpy and that worried me a little, but maybe because I was already familiar with the story, I got past it.
Rating, 4.5
I'm reading a ton of books lately ... AND have limited reading time (Damn you, real life!). So another addition to the currently reading list should be out of question. Right?
So, I ignore said books. Or ... try too (no an easy feat with GR on hand)
But in the end ... I just can't resist.
So, because I shouldn't ... yesterday I added 2 books, 1 manga (finished) and 4 picture books (done).
Because I can!
(just had to get it off my chest)
Now to the point.
Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan is a manga adaptation of the novel Our Happy Time, written by the popular South Korean author Gong Ji-young .... also there is a movie adaptation from 2006, Maundy Thursday aka Our Happy Time.
One would say see (or read) one ... you've read (saw )it/them all, yes? Not my case. Years back I watched the movie, oblivious there was a book ...
... and I cried my eyes out.
Then I discovered there's a book.
Translated in English. Yeay! I loved it and I cried my eyes up ... again (Thumbs up to the translator!).
But what do you know .... yesterday I found out there's a manga adaptation too, by Japanese mangaka Sahara Mizu. The names have changed (apart for Sister Monica) there are a few minor changes to the story .... but it was still good ... and I still cried by the end. The translation was a little bumpy and that worried me a little, but maybe because I was already familiar with the story, I got past it.
June 19, 2011
THIS IS THE BEST MANGA EVER. I loved this story so much, it remains till today my favourite manga. And Sahara Mizu became my fave mangakan of all time. The illustrations are beautiful. Raw without being overly graphic. Each frame is poetic, taking into consideration the characters and their expressions. The settings, the umbrella, the clock that is constantly ticking, all hinting on the vulnerability and lack of shelter from the negativity of the world and the the inevitable end of the prisoner on death-row. Their past was elaborated so well. I feel for the characters and the dialogue just moved me so deeply. I cried like crazy at the end. Wishing they could somehow be together despite it all. Even though I know it was futile. And the music and the piano... That scene killed me. TORE MY HEART to SHREDS. I highly, highly recommend this.
Because it is truly beautiful.
Because it is truly beautiful.
July 20, 2024
Our Happy Hours ??? More like “emotionally devastating” hours… wow, I need a minute… 😭
This is the unlikely love story of two flawed individuals who are riddled with deep-seated emotional pain.
”They wanted to die for their own reasons. Juri Mutou is the daughter of a once-famous pianist whose career came to an end after giving birth to her. After a traumatic event she experienced as a teenager, Juri has attempted suicide three times and has come to hate her mother. With her life clouded due to a dark past, her aunt Monica, a member of the clergy, invites her to visit a convict sentenced to death.
Yuu is a death row inmate charged with murdering three people, leading to many attempts at ending his own life within his jail cell. He frequently receives letters from Monica, who hopes to help him, but sees this as an act of pity. But when Yuu decides to meet Monica to say that he wants her to stop sending letters, he encounters Juri, a meeting that would change both of their lives.”
tw:// attempted suicide, emotionally abusive parent, mention of SA
This is the unlikely love story of two flawed individuals who are riddled with deep-seated emotional pain.
”They wanted to die for their own reasons. Juri Mutou is the daughter of a once-famous pianist whose career came to an end after giving birth to her. After a traumatic event she experienced as a teenager, Juri has attempted suicide three times and has come to hate her mother. With her life clouded due to a dark past, her aunt Monica, a member of the clergy, invites her to visit a convict sentenced to death.
Yuu is a death row inmate charged with murdering three people, leading to many attempts at ending his own life within his jail cell. He frequently receives letters from Monica, who hopes to help him, but sees this as an act of pity. But when Yuu decides to meet Monica to say that he wants her to stop sending letters, he encounters Juri, a meeting that would change both of their lives.”
tw:// attempted suicide, emotionally abusive parent, mention of SA
February 28, 2016
My heart feels positively crushed right now. Having read glowing reviews about this one shot manga, I knew what I was going into, and yet I stopped breathing for a moment when the ending came.
At its core, Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan deals with basic human emotions; love, happiness, grief, self loathing, depression, forgiveness. The plot is unusual-who'd have thought that a story between a death row inmate and a suicidal girl would work so flawlessly? And here is another pearl of a life lesson that this manga imparts- You always get to learn from everyone you meet in life; their age, gender, social station, education notwithstanding.
At its core, Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan deals with basic human emotions; love, happiness, grief, self loathing, depression, forgiveness. The plot is unusual-who'd have thought that a story between a death row inmate and a suicidal girl would work so flawlessly? And here is another pearl of a life lesson that this manga imparts- You always get to learn from everyone you meet in life; their age, gender, social station, education notwithstanding.
January 9, 2020
This is a beautiful, melancholic tale about a woman, who has tried to commit suicide thrice, and a convict man who has killed three people and how they bond together. I've pretty much diluted the main story, but saying more than that would be too much as this manga is only 8 chapters long. It's been a great start for me this year with this manga. Definitely recommended to people who like heart wrenching stories. :)
January 18, 2019
Wow, this is sad. I was feeling depressed for days after I finished it. The art and the story are good, though it felt a bit rushed. The characters were interesting and we got to know them throughout the manga as it unfolds. And, as it is a short one, you can easily read it in an hour or two.
June 10, 2013
Our Happy Hours. I don’t think that there could be any other name more fitting. From the very beginning I knew deep inside how the story was going to end. All I had to hold on to were the fulfilling, happy hours that Juri, a former pianist that has attempted suicide three times, and Yuu, a man on death row who killed three people, spend together. And when it all ended, I was just left remembering the moments they had together.
I do admit that the premise can cause eyebrows to be raised. A story about a depressed woman spending time with a murderer every Thursday is not a story that many people would call sweet, romantic, or, in fact, normal. But in reality, this story is sweet, in its own tender way, and romantic, in its own hopeful way, and, for some odd reason, the story does feel a bit normal when one actually reads it. And to top it all off, there is a very apparent sense of standing in the rain-like sadness and melancholy lingering in the atmosphere of Our Happy Hours that one can not just shake off. It isn’t the in-your-face kind of sadness as you can put up a little umbrella made out of the happy hours…
It’s just that sometimes I don’t like an umbrella being in the way!
Juri and Yuu are both characters that are hard to write and pull off. Juri mainly because of her depression, which is a condition that takes research and understanding to effectively write. Yuu because, well, he had killed people before. And even though he regrets it enough to actually long for death, his actions are still almost impossible to forgive. But even so, Gong Ji-young writes these characters in a masterfully skillful and sensitive way.
Gong Ji-young really shows how fragile and vulnerable these two characters are. I had this extreme wanting to protect Juri and Yuu, though I knew that it was impossible since I am kind of in a different world than them. Their development, growth, and healing are painful and inspiring at the same time. Seriously, the two leads’ characterization is simply breathtaking.
The flow of the story isn’t slow yet it isn’t fast. It takes its time presenting the characters, their emotions, conflicts, and wants before letting everything take off. I actually wish that the pacing was slower so it would have taken less time to get to the ending.
Let me explain. The ending is painfully sad. The kind of sad that might make you cry, your tears streaming down your face and ruining your makeup. I knew all along that it was coming but it still hit me hard and devastating me. I didn’t even have a tissue box available! It was a perfect ending with notes from the piano and love , but still painful.
Christianity does have a role in Our Happy Hours. Juri’s aunt is part of the clergy and Yuu does study to get his Christian name. I don’t think that this caused the manga to be preachy in at all. In fact, the manga shows the flaws of the people in the clergy (without making an offensive portrayal, of course) and there were some underlying messages that a person, Christian or not, could listen to and learn from.
The art, awhile not the most fantastic thing about Our Happy Hours, flawlessly fits into the mood of the story as a whole. The delicate character designs and carefully drawn backgrounds make the art something really pleasant on the eyes to look at.
Our Happy Hours is an absolutely lovely manga that deserves to have its large audience. It is rare to encounter such a beautifully bittersweet story. I will be cherishing Our Happy Hours for years to come.
Note: I have recently learned that Our Happy Hours is an adaption of a novel by Gong Ji-Young, an author who is considered one of the most popular female novelist in South Korea. Admittedly, I haven’t read the book, and am not sure if I ever will be able to, but I believe that the manga is a fantastic manga in its own right.
I do admit that the premise can cause eyebrows to be raised. A story about a depressed woman spending time with a murderer every Thursday is not a story that many people would call sweet, romantic, or, in fact, normal. But in reality, this story is sweet, in its own tender way, and romantic, in its own hopeful way, and, for some odd reason, the story does feel a bit normal when one actually reads it. And to top it all off, there is a very apparent sense of standing in the rain-like sadness and melancholy lingering in the atmosphere of Our Happy Hours that one can not just shake off. It isn’t the in-your-face kind of sadness as you can put up a little umbrella made out of the happy hours…
It’s just that sometimes I don’t like an umbrella being in the way!
Juri and Yuu are both characters that are hard to write and pull off. Juri mainly because of her depression, which is a condition that takes research and understanding to effectively write. Yuu because, well, he had killed people before. And even though he regrets it enough to actually long for death, his actions are still almost impossible to forgive. But even so, Gong Ji-young writes these characters in a masterfully skillful and sensitive way.
Gong Ji-young really shows how fragile and vulnerable these two characters are. I had this extreme wanting to protect Juri and Yuu, though I knew that it was impossible since I am kind of in a different world than them. Their development, growth, and healing are painful and inspiring at the same time. Seriously, the two leads’ characterization is simply breathtaking.
The flow of the story isn’t slow yet it isn’t fast. It takes its time presenting the characters, their emotions, conflicts, and wants before letting everything take off. I actually wish that the pacing was slower so it would have taken less time to get to the ending.
Let me explain. The ending is painfully sad. The kind of sad that might make you cry, your tears streaming down your face and ruining your makeup. I knew all along that it was coming but it still hit me hard and devastating me. I didn’t even have a tissue box available! It was a perfect ending with notes from the piano and love , but still painful.
Christianity does have a role in Our Happy Hours. Juri’s aunt is part of the clergy and Yuu does study to get his Christian name. I don’t think that this caused the manga to be preachy in at all. In fact, the manga shows the flaws of the people in the clergy (without making an offensive portrayal, of course) and there were some underlying messages that a person, Christian or not, could listen to and learn from.
The art, awhile not the most fantastic thing about Our Happy Hours, flawlessly fits into the mood of the story as a whole. The delicate character designs and carefully drawn backgrounds make the art something really pleasant on the eyes to look at.
Our Happy Hours is an absolutely lovely manga that deserves to have its large audience. It is rare to encounter such a beautifully bittersweet story. I will be cherishing Our Happy Hours for years to come.
Note: I have recently learned that Our Happy Hours is an adaption of a novel by Gong Ji-Young, an author who is considered one of the most popular female novelist in South Korea. Admittedly, I haven’t read the book, and am not sure if I ever will be able to, but I believe that the manga is a fantastic manga in its own right.
December 19, 2010
I'll admit that I've only read the scanlated version u____u
God knows I'll buy the book if I saw one...
--------
After failing her third suicide attempt, Juri was asked by her aunt to accompany her to talk to a convict on death row who was known as number 3987. Monica, Juri's aunt, is a chaplain who had tried to write some letters to him but was always pushed away. As Monica was the only person that Juri cared for, she promised to help her, albeit in pessimism because she saw no benefit in talking to a criminal that would die sooner or later.
Prisoner number 3987 is Yuu, a young man who was found guilty of killing an innocent passerby then shoving a mother and her baby onto a railroad to get them crushed by a train.
Like Juri, he had tried to commit suicide several times in jail. He refused to talk to anyone, but later he remembered that his deceased brother loved to listen to Juri's piano playing.
Yes, when she was 16 years old, Juri was a famous piano player that was labeled as gifted. However, before she turned 17, a tragedy ruined her live and made her promise not to touch the piano again.
Juri also harboured a hatred towards her mother, who admitted that she'd rather not give birth to her. Her mother was a pianist, but her hand became limp after she giving birth of Juri. She confessed that Juri was an unwanted child, because she had given birth to a son before and she would never want another child.
Prior to their second meeting, Monica was injured because a relative of Yuu's victim pushed her down when she was trying to ask forgiveness for Yuu's action. Since then, Juri started going to the prison and talking to Yuu in Monica's place.
For one hour each week, they meet during visiting hours every Thursday at 10.00 a.m.
Why didn't Juri play piano anymore?
Yuu asked her, but she didn't give him the answer until one day she returned to the prison worn out and broken down, telling him to listen and to talk to her in return, because she could not trust any other person outside the cell who talked to her with so many lies and false pretenses.
After spending time with Yuu, Juri felt how honest, sincere, and perceptive this man was.
How could such a kind man have committed a horrible thing?
Yuu couldn't answer that. He continued to be burdened with guilt for the rest of his live. His short live, in this case.
Yuu's numbered days remained in full control of the authorities, who seemed to be toying with the lives of the convicts on death row. Their lives were often suspended for an unknown period of time. Some spent a year in prison, some had to wait for decades before they were executed.(*)
The most important question was, could people ever have mercy, for themselves and for others?
To forgive and to go on living, that was what Monica believed in. But not everyone could do that. Is there a need for apology if it can't change a thing?
Only time will answer that. That was their happy time together. Because in the short time that they were together, Yuu and Juri managed to change their perspectives on 'life', and found what LIVING means.
----------------------------------------
Note
(*) we have the same system here in Indonesia. I believe there's a woman who had to wait for about 27 years before she was executed.
Thank you berry muach for Andrea who helped me to fix a lot of mistakes in this entry :D
God knows I'll buy the book if I saw one...
--------
After failing her third suicide attempt, Juri was asked by her aunt to accompany her to talk to a convict on death row who was known as number 3987. Monica, Juri's aunt, is a chaplain who had tried to write some letters to him but was always pushed away. As Monica was the only person that Juri cared for, she promised to help her, albeit in pessimism because she saw no benefit in talking to a criminal that would die sooner or later.
Prisoner number 3987 is Yuu, a young man who was found guilty of killing an innocent passerby then shoving a mother and her baby onto a railroad to get them crushed by a train.
Like Juri, he had tried to commit suicide several times in jail. He refused to talk to anyone, but later he remembered that his deceased brother loved to listen to Juri's piano playing.
Yes, when she was 16 years old, Juri was a famous piano player that was labeled as gifted. However, before she turned 17, a tragedy ruined her live and made her promise not to touch the piano again.
Juri also harboured a hatred towards her mother, who admitted that she'd rather not give birth to her. Her mother was a pianist, but her hand became limp after she giving birth of Juri. She confessed that Juri was an unwanted child, because she had given birth to a son before and she would never want another child.
Prior to their second meeting, Monica was injured because a relative of Yuu's victim pushed her down when she was trying to ask forgiveness for Yuu's action. Since then, Juri started going to the prison and talking to Yuu in Monica's place.
For one hour each week, they meet during visiting hours every Thursday at 10.00 a.m.
Why didn't Juri play piano anymore?
Yuu asked her, but she didn't give him the answer until one day she returned to the prison worn out and broken down, telling him to listen and to talk to her in return, because she could not trust any other person outside the cell who talked to her with so many lies and false pretenses.
After spending time with Yuu, Juri felt how honest, sincere, and perceptive this man was.
How could such a kind man have committed a horrible thing?
Yuu couldn't answer that. He continued to be burdened with guilt for the rest of his live. His short live, in this case.
Yuu's numbered days remained in full control of the authorities, who seemed to be toying with the lives of the convicts on death row. Their lives were often suspended for an unknown period of time. Some spent a year in prison, some had to wait for decades before they were executed.(*)
The most important question was, could people ever have mercy, for themselves and for others?
To forgive and to go on living, that was what Monica believed in. But not everyone could do that. Is there a need for apology if it can't change a thing?
Only time will answer that. That was their happy time together. Because in the short time that they were together, Yuu and Juri managed to change their perspectives on 'life', and found what LIVING means.
----------------------------------------
Note
(*) we have the same system here in Indonesia. I believe there's a woman who had to wait for about 27 years before she was executed.
Thank you berry muach for Andrea who helped me to fix a lot of mistakes in this entry :D
April 1, 2018
Infinite stars *****
Do you want to cry for like 20 min after finishing this?
Do you want to feel unable to think straight for an entire day?
Do you want to spend the next two weeks in a haze of aftershock?
Do you want to read a dark psychological story that will rip your heart apart?
Well, you have come to the right manga. Prepare your heart, for it is going to be broken apart.
This is M/F by the way, but there is no romance, only friendship. And I haven't read such a tragic story since Stephen King's Green Mile. I've read this 2 years ago, and I'm still in after shock.
This story has made me cry like no other story ever did. I swear, 20 min straight, bawling and hiccuping. And I'm pretty though and jaded. But this story.... pulverized me.
Do you want to cry for like 20 min after finishing this?
Do you want to feel unable to think straight for an entire day?
Do you want to spend the next two weeks in a haze of aftershock?
Do you want to read a dark psychological story that will rip your heart apart?
Well, you have come to the right manga. Prepare your heart, for it is going to be broken apart.
This is M/F by the way, but there is no romance, only friendship. And I haven't read such a tragic story since Stephen King's Green Mile. I've read this 2 years ago, and I'm still in after shock.
This story has made me cry like no other story ever did. I swear, 20 min straight, bawling and hiccuping. And I'm pretty though and jaded. But this story.... pulverized me.
January 15, 2025
Warning: THIS IS A TRAGEDY MANGA!
Juri Motou is an ex pianist star that tried to committee suicide three times but when her nun aunt bring her to spend every Thursday 30 minutes with a criminal named Yuu who is convicted to the death sentence, they both realize that life deserved living.
Oh man I cried like a baby, even if the story was sad I found it really beautiful with strong but painful lessons to learn ...
December 1, 2022
Deep, poignant, emotional, gut-wrenching, and heartwarming at the same time. I would highly recommend reading it once even if you aren't familiar with the manga format.
January 6, 2012
I can't believe no one else has reviewed this yet, but I shall jumpstart this by contributing a review.
Firstly, a warning: this manga will make you cry buckets. I nearly flooded my room with tears. And it wasn't because it had some lame, cheesy sob story. It actually had something worth crying about.
The manga follows a woman, Juri, who has attempted suicide a few times due to a dark secret that she has been keeping ever since she was small. After her most recent attempt, her aunt, a chaplain, asks her to meet with a prisoner that her aunt has been exchanging letters with. The prisoner (whose name I can't remember, even though I really should) is on death row for murdering three people (you'll see why in the story). Juri reluctantly agrees to meet the man, and the two slowly start to understand each other and heal.
The reason why this story will make you cry: [SPOILER ALERT!] the sentence is carried out at the very end of the manga and the man is hung.
I found this especially devastating because their lives sucked (their back stories were extremely painful to read), and just when I thought things were finally looking up for them (because they'd found each other), the guy died.
This manga definitely had elements of romance, but it isn't the kiss/hug kind of romance. It's the heart-wrenching, your-love-is-enough, I'm-happy-just-being-with-you kind of romance.
Another thing I want to mention is that at the beginning of the manga, it says, "10am on Thursdays. This is the only time we can live." These two sentences are relatively important, so if you do read this manga, remember them!
The reason I give this manga four stars instead of five (despite having flawless art and a beautiful plot) is because it was just so sad that I didn't feel satisfied at the end. I guess I just like my happy endings.
Firstly, a warning: this manga will make you cry buckets. I nearly flooded my room with tears. And it wasn't because it had some lame, cheesy sob story. It actually had something worth crying about.
The manga follows a woman, Juri, who has attempted suicide a few times due to a dark secret that she has been keeping ever since she was small. After her most recent attempt, her aunt, a chaplain, asks her to meet with a prisoner that her aunt has been exchanging letters with. The prisoner (whose name I can't remember, even though I really should) is on death row for murdering three people (you'll see why in the story). Juri reluctantly agrees to meet the man, and the two slowly start to understand each other and heal.
The reason why this story will make you cry: [SPOILER ALERT!] the sentence is carried out at the very end of the manga and the man is hung.
I found this especially devastating because their lives sucked (their back stories were extremely painful to read), and just when I thought things were finally looking up for them (because they'd found each other), the guy died.
This manga definitely had elements of romance, but it isn't the kiss/hug kind of romance. It's the heart-wrenching, your-love-is-enough, I'm-happy-just-being-with-you kind of romance.
Another thing I want to mention is that at the beginning of the manga, it says, "10am on Thursdays. This is the only time we can live." These two sentences are relatively important, so if you do read this manga, remember them!
The reason I give this manga four stars instead of five (despite having flawless art and a beautiful plot) is because it was just so sad that I didn't feel satisfied at the end. I guess I just like my happy endings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2019
Trigger warning; rape & suicide. Please ensure to hold a box of tissue near while you read it. Thank you very much.
After multiple suicide attempts, Juri was asked by her nun aunt to accompany her to a jail and meet one of the inmate that is on a death row. Obviously, Aunt Monica is trying to make Juri realizes the value of a future that she has compared to him. Unbeknownst to her, one meeting led to another and the more Juri talks to Yuu, the inmate, the more she learns about the world outside of her own.
I don't think that this manga could pull off my heartstrings and make me cry since I know that this is a heartbreaking story just from the synopsis. Owh, I was wrong. It is a heart-wrencher! This manga contains 8 chapters and every chapter tells the story of one of their meeting. It's a story of two people from two very different yet very similar world. A very cruel world. A few times in it, when Yuu speaks, I want to pause and jot down his dialogue. It's very emotional and gives something to think. What I learned from this is that everyone need a purpose to live. Without it, we're like a sheet of paper that being push away by the wind...it's pointless. I would want to read the original novel Our Happy Time.
October 27, 2017
The drama and tragedy genre manga that ended brokenhearted beautifully..
February 22, 2014
I cried and cried and the pacific ocean was formed! (That's a bit over reacting but i really felt like i cried an ocean for this one. On every chapter i pause for a few minutes just to get a few tissue and cried! Men! That tissue is suppose to be for my flu yet i end up using almost everything just for my tears. Watta a cry baby im am)
A real tearjerker. In this book/manga one can realize the importance of life. I was really amazed coz i don't really have any idea about convicts but i know the feeling of wanting to end your own life. Time flies so fast, i think the book tells us to treasure each and every moment of life without regret(well its the person's own decision on what kind of life or path he/she will take). I agree that the protagonist girl is brave, brave she decided to live and forgave her mother. I hope most people are like the nun, i really idolize her(even though her past isn't a beautiful one). Very inspiring....my review ends here. Bravo for the author! :)
So people, time to forgive, ask for forgiveness and give lots of love love love, for our life is too short to dwell only on our hatred, guilt and despair.
Love love love muwah muwah muwah
A real tearjerker. In this book/manga one can realize the importance of life. I was really amazed coz i don't really have any idea about convicts but i know the feeling of wanting to end your own life. Time flies so fast, i think the book tells us to treasure each and every moment of life without regret(well its the person's own decision on what kind of life or path he/she will take). I agree that the protagonist girl is brave, brave she decided to live and forgave her mother. I hope most people are like the nun, i really idolize her(even though her past isn't a beautiful one). Very inspiring....my review ends here. Bravo for the author! :)
So people, time to forgive, ask for forgiveness and give lots of love love love, for our life is too short to dwell only on our hatred, guilt and despair.
Love love love muwah muwah muwah
June 8, 2012
I hope someday (soon hopefully) that this manga would be released in my country because God knows I'll buy it.
I have never read such a heart-racing, heart-wrenching story. Not only is the art exceptional, the story is even more so. The way that these two protagonists are brought out, and the way they are able to understand each other is beyond any description I can possibly forge.
This story explores the question that we all ask ourselves, and that is whether life is worth living?
The pure and savage emotions that clash across the pages of this book bring to light the good and the bad of human beings.
It is a story worth reading, and whether you learn something after it or not depends on you.
I have never read such a heart-racing, heart-wrenching story. Not only is the art exceptional, the story is even more so. The way that these two protagonists are brought out, and the way they are able to understand each other is beyond any description I can possibly forge.
This story explores the question that we all ask ourselves, and that is whether life is worth living?
The pure and savage emotions that clash across the pages of this book bring to light the good and the bad of human beings.
It is a story worth reading, and whether you learn something after it or not depends on you.
April 6, 2014
I Cried .. and I don' cry easily ..
Something that shows different human emotions like this is just plain beautiful :')
Something that shows different human emotions like this is just plain beautiful :')
March 10, 2022
i rate this infinite stars, because it is that fucking good. (it also had me sobbing for a chapter straight)
December 19, 2024
➺
4.5/5 🌟
September 2, 2015
3.5 stars
Nah, yg suka tragedi pasti bakalan suka sama yg satu ini. ;)
Btw, ini manga adaptasi dari novel KoreaOur Happy Time, sudah diterbitin di Indo juga. Aku blm pernah baca versi novelnya sih, dan juga tdk minat baca. Entah kenapa aku rada alergi sama novel Korea (terutama jika itu kontemporer) biarpun aku demen Kpop juga. *Kalo sekarang mostly demen lagu JYJ saja sih sebenarnya, dulu sih sblm 2010 itu update bgt sama lagu2 Kpop, sekarang udah bosan...sama halnya dgn dramanya, dulu demen, skrg udah bosan juga... gitu2 aja sih temanya, hahaha :p*, sama alerginya dgn novel Indonesia (young adult terutama), apalagi yg pake bahasa kelewat gaul lu lu gue gue gitu, selalu sukses bikin aku mengernyit bacanya. Kalo novel China dan Jepang sih aku demen bgt, apalagi yg historical, mungkin krn aku suka dgn budaya dan sejarah mereka.
Anyway, ceritanya ini sih sebenarnya bkn romance. Lebih ke persoalan forgiveness dan move on dari masa lalu yg pahit. Pada 6 chapter pertama sih aku merasa biasa saja, namun last chapter sukses bikin aku terisak-isak parah, haha. Sejujurnya sih, terlalu banyak faktor kebetulan di sini. Tapi yah kadang2 dunia memang terasa kecil ya? Seperti temanku yg rupanya saat masuk ke rumah barunya setelah menikah ternyata kebetulan berdampingan rumahnya dgn teman di tempat kursus yg sudah lost contact sekian tahun, teman kursus tsb juga baru merit dan baru pindah ke rumah baru tsb, haha.
Balik ke ceritanya, aku tadinya berharap lebih dari novel ini. Maksudku tuh, kan Yuu si pembunuhnya dibilang membunuh 3 org tanpa alasan, masalah mental dll, tapi ternyata dia punya alasan tersendiri, yg pada akhirnya akan membuat kita bersimpati pada nasib si pembunuh ini. Ceritanya sih memang bagus, dan memang ada yg begini juga di kehidupan nyata, yg punya alasan tragis di balik tindakan kriminal mereka, tapi menurutku lebih seru dan unpredictable plotnya jika ternyata dia itu pembunuh yg bnr2 jahat, aku ingin lihat bisa dibawa ke mana ceritanya.
Karena kenyataannya, di dunia nyata itu ga semua kriminal itu bisa semenyesal seperti Yuu sampe ingin bunuh diri terus sewaktu di penjara, perasaan yg ada para tahanan tsb malah senang kalo bisa dibebaskan.
Begitu juga dgn Juri si heroine, lebih seru kalo dia itu memang rada twisted orgnya, bkn heroine yg punya masa lalu kelam. Kalo aku punya ibu seperti ibunya Juri yg ga percaya anaknya diperkosa gurunya, sudah kabur duluan aku dari ibu yg begini ketika sudah cukup umur. Masi mending kalo Juri itu rupanya sayang ama ibunya biarpun ibunya benci padanya. Tapi rupanya Juri juga benci padanya, so kenapa ga kabur dan hidup di tempat lain drpd liat muka ibunya terus? Eh dia malah coba bunuh diri 3 kali. Duh, keknya Juri ini tipe princess, dia ga bisa hidup di luar banting tulang sendiri, enggan lepas dari glamornya hidup mewah bersama mama yg kaya, baginya ga ada pilihan lain lagi, benci liat muka mama tapi ga bisa hidup tanpa uang mama (biarpun uda kerja?), so bunuh diri aja deh. *muter bola mata*
Anyway, ceritanya sih bagus juga jika mengesampingkan si Juri. Tapi ya begitulah, menurutku masih agak klise buatku. Pengarangnya yaitu Gong Ji Young menurutku masih cari aman dgn membuat karakter seperti Yuu dan Juri.
We were only granted 30 minutes every Thursday. Today may be the last day...and so we continued to talk, even about trivial little things, and even if our throats became sore...
How much I long for Thursdays... If only the entire week was Thursdays...
I'm afraid... That when I see her, I'll want to keep living.
Thanks to the Thursdays that I spent with you, I knew for the first time how it felt to be happy.
Nah, yg suka tragedi pasti bakalan suka sama yg satu ini. ;)
Btw, ini manga adaptasi dari novel KoreaOur Happy Time, sudah diterbitin di Indo juga. Aku blm pernah baca versi novelnya sih, dan juga tdk minat baca. Entah kenapa aku rada alergi sama novel Korea (terutama jika itu kontemporer) biarpun aku demen Kpop juga. *Kalo sekarang mostly demen lagu JYJ saja sih sebenarnya, dulu sih sblm 2010 itu update bgt sama lagu2 Kpop, sekarang udah bosan...sama halnya dgn dramanya, dulu demen, skrg udah bosan juga... gitu2 aja sih temanya, hahaha :p*, sama alerginya dgn novel Indonesia (young adult terutama), apalagi yg pake bahasa kelewat gaul lu lu gue gue gitu, selalu sukses bikin aku mengernyit bacanya. Kalo novel China dan Jepang sih aku demen bgt, apalagi yg historical, mungkin krn aku suka dgn budaya dan sejarah mereka.
Anyway, ceritanya ini sih sebenarnya bkn romance. Lebih ke persoalan forgiveness dan move on dari masa lalu yg pahit. Pada 6 chapter pertama sih aku merasa biasa saja, namun last chapter sukses bikin aku terisak-isak parah, haha. Sejujurnya sih, terlalu banyak faktor kebetulan di sini. Tapi yah kadang2 dunia memang terasa kecil ya? Seperti temanku yg rupanya saat masuk ke rumah barunya setelah menikah ternyata kebetulan berdampingan rumahnya dgn teman di tempat kursus yg sudah lost contact sekian tahun, teman kursus tsb juga baru merit dan baru pindah ke rumah baru tsb, haha.
Balik ke ceritanya, aku tadinya berharap lebih dari novel ini. Maksudku tuh, kan Yuu si pembunuhnya dibilang membunuh 3 org tanpa alasan, masalah mental dll, tapi ternyata dia punya alasan tersendiri, yg pada akhirnya akan membuat kita bersimpati pada nasib si pembunuh ini. Ceritanya sih memang bagus, dan memang ada yg begini juga di kehidupan nyata, yg punya alasan tragis di balik tindakan kriminal mereka, tapi menurutku lebih seru dan unpredictable plotnya jika ternyata dia itu pembunuh yg bnr2 jahat, aku ingin lihat bisa dibawa ke mana ceritanya.
Karena kenyataannya, di dunia nyata itu ga semua kriminal itu bisa semenyesal seperti Yuu sampe ingin bunuh diri terus sewaktu di penjara, perasaan yg ada para tahanan tsb malah senang kalo bisa dibebaskan.
Begitu juga dgn Juri si heroine, lebih seru kalo dia itu memang rada twisted orgnya, bkn heroine yg punya masa lalu kelam. Kalo aku punya ibu seperti ibunya Juri yg ga percaya anaknya diperkosa gurunya, sudah kabur duluan aku dari ibu yg begini ketika sudah cukup umur. Masi mending kalo Juri itu rupanya sayang ama ibunya biarpun ibunya benci padanya. Tapi rupanya Juri juga benci padanya, so kenapa ga kabur dan hidup di tempat lain drpd liat muka ibunya terus? Eh dia malah coba bunuh diri 3 kali. Duh, keknya Juri ini tipe princess, dia ga bisa hidup di luar banting tulang sendiri, enggan lepas dari glamornya hidup mewah bersama mama yg kaya, baginya ga ada pilihan lain lagi, benci liat muka mama tapi ga bisa hidup tanpa uang mama (biarpun uda kerja?), so bunuh diri aja deh. *muter bola mata*
Anyway, ceritanya sih bagus juga jika mengesampingkan si Juri. Tapi ya begitulah, menurutku masih agak klise buatku. Pengarangnya yaitu Gong Ji Young menurutku masih cari aman dgn membuat karakter seperti Yuu dan Juri.
May 4, 2023
Check out this review on my personal page, where it looks better
---
Four and a half stars. The title translates to Our Happy Hours.
The main protagonist of this tale used to be a promising teenage pianist. Now, as a thirty-year-old woman, she has swallowed a bottleful of pills and is waiting to die. She wakes up in the hospital, where she receives the unsympathetic visit of her cold, strict-looking mother. The protagonist shares with the old woman that she’s been trying to die since she was a teenager because she fears that at any point she’s going to murder her mother.
The protagonist’s fate seems out of her hands at this point. Her mother wants to send her to a mental institution at least for a month, but the protagonist’s aunt, a nun, offers her an alternative: the two of them will meet with a death row inmate who hasn’t responded positively to the nun’s attempts at supporting him. The protagonist can’t spare any empathy for anybody, even herself, but such a visit seems like a better option than getting locked up in the loony bin.
On the day of the visit, we learn that the death row inmate, jailed for murdering three people, is an orphan who lived in the streets for most of his life. He also clarifies to the protagonist’s aunt that the clergy sicken him: they look down upon people and offer empty platitudes. In his words, “The group which discriminates the most are the people who decorate themselves in pretty words.”
As the guards take the inmate away, the protagonist follows them to give him a drawing that some child had drawn for him. When the guy suggests that the protagonist apparently hadn’t gotten enough of looking down upon him, she surprises him by saying that she considers him lucky. She adds, “If people understood those things at the start of their lives, they’d be able to decide on their own how they’d like to live. When people are betrayed at the end of their lives, they hold on to hope until then. I think that would be a blessing. The greatest burden is when a person is let down in the middle of their life.”
As the inmate gets taken away, confused by her words, he realizes that he has seen this woman before: back when she was, for him, the distant image of a girl playing the piano.
What follows in this short series is a tight plot where the main characters spend a bit of time every Thursday getting to know each other, learning why they ended up as broken people who lost all hope along the way. Is it possible for those who have already given up to welcome the light of a new day?
A bleak yet beautiful tale that I’m very glad I read. I have to thank ChatGPT for this recommendation; I asked it what mangas similar to Inio Asano’s Oyasumi Punpun it could come up with. I had already read most of ChatGPT’s suggestions, and I had come across this particular series I’m reviewing, but I had ignored it because I didn’t see myself sparing any empathy for a death row inmate who likely killed innocent people. I thought the story did a good job acknowledging that the guy’s actions were partly unforgivable, certainly from a legal perspective.
Anyway, I recommend this story if you want to end up with tears in your eyes as you read it seated on a bench in the wooded area near your apartment.
---
Four and a half stars. The title translates to Our Happy Hours.
The main protagonist of this tale used to be a promising teenage pianist. Now, as a thirty-year-old woman, she has swallowed a bottleful of pills and is waiting to die. She wakes up in the hospital, where she receives the unsympathetic visit of her cold, strict-looking mother. The protagonist shares with the old woman that she’s been trying to die since she was a teenager because she fears that at any point she’s going to murder her mother.
The protagonist’s fate seems out of her hands at this point. Her mother wants to send her to a mental institution at least for a month, but the protagonist’s aunt, a nun, offers her an alternative: the two of them will meet with a death row inmate who hasn’t responded positively to the nun’s attempts at supporting him. The protagonist can’t spare any empathy for anybody, even herself, but such a visit seems like a better option than getting locked up in the loony bin.
On the day of the visit, we learn that the death row inmate, jailed for murdering three people, is an orphan who lived in the streets for most of his life. He also clarifies to the protagonist’s aunt that the clergy sicken him: they look down upon people and offer empty platitudes. In his words, “The group which discriminates the most are the people who decorate themselves in pretty words.”
As the guards take the inmate away, the protagonist follows them to give him a drawing that some child had drawn for him. When the guy suggests that the protagonist apparently hadn’t gotten enough of looking down upon him, she surprises him by saying that she considers him lucky. She adds, “If people understood those things at the start of their lives, they’d be able to decide on their own how they’d like to live. When people are betrayed at the end of their lives, they hold on to hope until then. I think that would be a blessing. The greatest burden is when a person is let down in the middle of their life.”
As the inmate gets taken away, confused by her words, he realizes that he has seen this woman before: back when she was, for him, the distant image of a girl playing the piano.
What follows in this short series is a tight plot where the main characters spend a bit of time every Thursday getting to know each other, learning why they ended up as broken people who lost all hope along the way. Is it possible for those who have already given up to welcome the light of a new day?
A bleak yet beautiful tale that I’m very glad I read. I have to thank ChatGPT for this recommendation; I asked it what mangas similar to Inio Asano’s Oyasumi Punpun it could come up with. I had already read most of ChatGPT’s suggestions, and I had come across this particular series I’m reviewing, but I had ignored it because I didn’t see myself sparing any empathy for a death row inmate who likely killed innocent people. I thought the story did a good job acknowledging that the guy’s actions were partly unforgivable, certainly from a legal perspective.
Anyway, I recommend this story if you want to end up with tears in your eyes as you read it seated on a bench in the wooded area near your apartment.
December 1, 2022
I had a lot of expectations for this book. I saw the high rating and comments about how people cried reading this because of the deeply touching subjects like suicide, depression, forgiveness, and abuse. I read the first 3-4 with my expectations toned down. By the time it was around 6-7 chapters in, I was still eagerly waiting for that magical, emotional moment to happen. Maybe it'll happen by the end?
Eventually, I finally finished the whole thing and realized that this might be one of the most overrated manga I've ever read.
I think it's because I'm just not the right target audience for this. I didn't cry or got emotional. Maybe I'm just too old to be reading this type of genre. Or maybe It was because the manga's story differs from the original novel. I don't know.
❓ What It's About
Spoilers ahead.
Our Happy Time is a romance manga adapted from the original novel of the same name, written by Korean author Gong Jiyeong.
The plot for Our Happy Time is simple. Our protagonist Juri is a pianist prodigy who stopped playing one day because she was raped by her tutor, which is primarily her mom's fault because she let that happen, ergo mommy issues. From that day on, she started having suicidal thoughts and even tried committing suicide multiple times.
One day, her Christian nun aunt asked her to come to a penitentiary to connect with criminals, in the hope to find some kind of meaning in life. One of the inmates, Yuu, is scheduled to be on death row. And guess what? they share a similar connection. Attempted suicide? check. Depression? Check. Traumatic background? Check.
As time goes on, they eventually started bonding together and developed a deep relationship. Eventually, the two of them came to a realization that life is indeed super duper precious.
👎 What I didn't like
Let me just start with the issues I have with this manga. Firstly, I think it's too preachy about forgiveness. I know it's a Christian thing, but it would've been interesting to convey forgiveness as a question instead of a statement. For example, is it necessary to forgive in order to move on? What happens if you don't forgive?
Secondly, plot convenience, especially the childhood connection thing. We saw two kids listening to a piano piece played by a girl, and a decade later, that girl suddenly stopped playing the piano and magically showed up right in front of him.
The drama is too much. The overall story/message tries too hard to tackle serious issues but it doesn't work for me. I can relate to the character to a little extent, mostly depression, self-loathing, and suicidal thoughts, but aside from that range, I think Yuu or Juri sits on the extreme end of society so it was difficult to relate.
👍 What I liked
On the other hand, there are actually several things that I liked. Firstly, the manga's main message opens many questions about morality. Are criminals human beings? Where do we draw the line with the death penalty? Should we empathize with murderers?
Secondly, for a short story, I think the character development and pacing feel extremely well crafted. In addition to that, the art is simply beautiful.
Eventually, I finally finished the whole thing and realized that this might be one of the most overrated manga I've ever read.
I think it's because I'm just not the right target audience for this. I didn't cry or got emotional. Maybe I'm just too old to be reading this type of genre. Or maybe It was because the manga's story differs from the original novel. I don't know.
❓ What It's About
Spoilers ahead.
Our Happy Time is a romance manga adapted from the original novel of the same name, written by Korean author Gong Jiyeong.
The plot for Our Happy Time is simple. Our protagonist Juri is a pianist prodigy who stopped playing one day because she was raped by her tutor, which is primarily her mom's fault because she let that happen, ergo mommy issues. From that day on, she started having suicidal thoughts and even tried committing suicide multiple times.
One day, her Christian nun aunt asked her to come to a penitentiary to connect with criminals, in the hope to find some kind of meaning in life. One of the inmates, Yuu, is scheduled to be on death row. And guess what? they share a similar connection. Attempted suicide? check. Depression? Check. Traumatic background? Check.
As time goes on, they eventually started bonding together and developed a deep relationship. Eventually, the two of them came to a realization that life is indeed super duper precious.
👎 What I didn't like
Let me just start with the issues I have with this manga. Firstly, I think it's too preachy about forgiveness. I know it's a Christian thing, but it would've been interesting to convey forgiveness as a question instead of a statement. For example, is it necessary to forgive in order to move on? What happens if you don't forgive?
Secondly, plot convenience, especially the childhood connection thing. We saw two kids listening to a piano piece played by a girl, and a decade later, that girl suddenly stopped playing the piano and magically showed up right in front of him.
The drama is too much. The overall story/message tries too hard to tackle serious issues but it doesn't work for me. I can relate to the character to a little extent, mostly depression, self-loathing, and suicidal thoughts, but aside from that range, I think Yuu or Juri sits on the extreme end of society so it was difficult to relate.
👍 What I liked
On the other hand, there are actually several things that I liked. Firstly, the manga's main message opens many questions about morality. Are criminals human beings? Where do we draw the line with the death penalty? Should we empathize with murderers?
Secondly, for a short story, I think the character development and pacing feel extremely well crafted. In addition to that, the art is simply beautiful.
May 6, 2013
You guys, I am so excited that Lynn put some manhwa on my to-read list for Sadie Hawkins' Sunday. I love reading manga and manhwa, but I do not do it enough, because I mostly live from review copy to review copy. Also, this is totally a story I probably would have skipped left to my own devices, both because I'm not a fan of the cover art and because it sounds so depressing, and I'm still getting used to the idea I love depressing stories. Thanks, Lynn, for getting me to read something out of the usual, especially since I loved it!
Manhwa, for those who do not know, is the Korean equivalent of manga. Both manga and manhwa have a reputation for being melodramatic and crazy, which is perhaps rightly earned. I expected Our Happy Hours to fall into that category, but it is surprisingly melodrama-free. The subject is treated with the appropriate gravity, but nothing needless is added to up the emotional ante unnecessarily. The plot's not drawn out or over-complicated.
Juri tries to commit suicide for the third time. A former pianist, she now refuses to play and hates her mother, once a famous pianist. All Juri wants is to die, out of this life with untrustworthy people and nothing to live for. Her Aunt, the only good person in her life, is a nun, who works with death row inmates, trying to bring a bit of joy into their dreary lives while they went for the sentence to be carried out. She asks Juri to come speak with one of the inmates.
Unsurprisingly, Juri does not want to do so, but, given that she can do that or spend time in a mental institution, she agrees. Speaking with Yuu, a convicted murderer doomed to die, she opens up and is able to overcome her own mental blocks. She finds beauty in the world and connection. Though they come from completely opposite backgrounds (her: wealthy; him: a poor orphan, who had to prostitute himself), they have a lot in common and bond slowly. Their story is touching and tragic. Oh, the feels that I did not expect!
The writing, or at least the translation, was much stronger than usual, perhaps due to the fact that this is an adaptation of a novel. The art works quite well with the story, very shadowy. The conclusion does run a bit to the cheesy side, but everything else was perfect. Dark, emotional, and full of feels.
Manhwa, for those who do not know, is the Korean equivalent of manga. Both manga and manhwa have a reputation for being melodramatic and crazy, which is perhaps rightly earned. I expected Our Happy Hours to fall into that category, but it is surprisingly melodrama-free. The subject is treated with the appropriate gravity, but nothing needless is added to up the emotional ante unnecessarily. The plot's not drawn out or over-complicated.
Juri tries to commit suicide for the third time. A former pianist, she now refuses to play and hates her mother, once a famous pianist. All Juri wants is to die, out of this life with untrustworthy people and nothing to live for. Her Aunt, the only good person in her life, is a nun, who works with death row inmates, trying to bring a bit of joy into their dreary lives while they went for the sentence to be carried out. She asks Juri to come speak with one of the inmates.
Unsurprisingly, Juri does not want to do so, but, given that she can do that or spend time in a mental institution, she agrees. Speaking with Yuu, a convicted murderer doomed to die, she opens up and is able to overcome her own mental blocks. She finds beauty in the world and connection. Though they come from completely opposite backgrounds (her: wealthy; him: a poor orphan, who had to prostitute himself), they have a lot in common and bond slowly. Their story is touching and tragic. Oh, the feels that I did not expect!
The writing, or at least the translation, was much stronger than usual, perhaps due to the fact that this is an adaptation of a novel. The art works quite well with the story, very shadowy. The conclusion does run a bit to the cheesy side, but everything else was perfect. Dark, emotional, and full of feels.
September 17, 2020
This was such a hard hitter man like the ending would definitely make you upset. The whole manga is very much heavy because we have two individuals here, who experienced hard times in their lives. Our female lead Juri , was raped by her piano teacher in which her mother didn't believe her and bet Juri up. This made her quit piano and caused her to attempt suicide 3 times. To help get through rehabilitation, she was asked by her aunt who is a nun to visit inmates, who basically have no family of their own.
This is when she met our male lead Yuu and he is currently on death row due to his involvement by killing a man and a mother with a child. It doesn't explain much on why he killed the man but apparently from my guess, he was a crime boss that made Yuu be involved with gangs? Also from seeing the vision on what he told Juri, the killing of the woman and child was an accident. Yuu also had a young brother who was blind and he got killed too.
The only criticism I have with this manga is that it's rather short to explain properly on the crimes that Yuu did. Like if this was 15 chapters, we would get more details on the crimes Yuu was involved in. You just be unsure if he only was involved with one of them or all of them. Yeah it made me brain big with full of questions to say the least.
Anyways this manga definitely gave me the feels in its ending. Juri was so strong for admitting forgiveness to her mother. If that was me, I would immediately shut her out of my life cause she was so vile and disgusting towards Juri for admitting about a paedophile who destroyed her. The mother literally disgusted me in this!
If you need a good cry, read this manga. It is very good folks👍
This is when she met our male lead Yuu and he is currently on death row due to his involvement by killing a man and a mother with a child. It doesn't explain much on why he killed the man but apparently from my guess, he was a crime boss that made Yuu be involved with gangs? Also from seeing the vision on what he told Juri, the killing of the woman and child was an accident. Yuu also had a young brother who was blind and he got killed too.
The only criticism I have with this manga is that it's rather short to explain properly on the crimes that Yuu did. Like if this was 15 chapters, we would get more details on the crimes Yuu was involved in. You just be unsure if he only was involved with one of them or all of them. Yeah it made me brain big with full of questions to say the least.
Anyways this manga definitely gave me the feels in its ending. Juri was so strong for admitting forgiveness to her mother. If that was me, I would immediately shut her out of my life cause she was so vile and disgusting towards Juri for admitting about a paedophile who destroyed her. The mother literally disgusted me in this!
If you need a good cry, read this manga. It is very good folks👍
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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