Two girls with troubled pasts and personality flaws. Which one to choose?
Watashitachi no Tamura-kun ("Our Tamura") is a two-volume Light Novel series written by Yuyuko Takemiya (who would later go on to write Toradora! and Golden Time) and illustrated by Yasu (who would later illustrate Toradora! as well), both volumes of which were published in 2005. The novels also have a manga adaptation illustrated by Sachi Kurafuji, which was serialized in Dengeki Comics Gao! from 2006 to 2008.
The story follows a consummate middle child Yukisada Tamura and his efforts in trying to resolve his feelings between his old love Komaki Matsuzawa, who moved away to the country, and his new love interest Hiroka Souma.
This series provides examples of:
- Broken Bird: Both of the romantic interests of the main characters have become who they are because of their troubled pasts. Matsuzawa's entire family died in a car crash that she survived, and Souma acts cold because of her past experiences with bullying, which cause her to stop coming to school.
- Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Subverted. Matsuzawa doesn't actually believe what she says, her belief that she is an alien from the moon is an admitted coping mechanism for the deaths of her family members, as she believes she will be able to meet up with them on the moon in the afterlife.
- Chuunibyou: Takaura's half-sister is into black magic too much.
- Game-Breaking Injury: Matsuzawa fell on race track and injured her ankle right in the middle of race competition late in the story.
- Love Triangle: Tamura likes Matsuzawa but Matsuzawa's feeling for him is unclear. Souma likes Tamura and he is also interested in her.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Tamura's friend Takaura has been talking to Matsuzawa on the phone and telling her about Tamura's current activities, including his budding relationship with Souma. Hachiya, the well meaning school nurse and confidant for Souma, pushes Souma and Tamura to move forward faster in their budding relationship than they probably should be. While both of them are well meaning, their actions cause some serious anguish for the love triangle, although it seems to work out in the end.
- No Romantic Resolution: The series end with Tamura confessing to both Matsuzawa and Souma, and both of them confess to him, but none of the relationships are truly confirmed or denied by the end of the series.
- Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Souma acts harsh and cold to people when she is first introduced, but really would like nothing more than to make some true friends and find love.
