Please note

This review is all subjective and my own personal opinion. You do not have to agree with it, nor am I asking you to. I hope that this just helps you get an idea of what the anime I am talking about is like and form a basic and general consensus on it. The ratings I give anime and manga are mostly my personal overall enjoyment. This review will be spoiler free, with most of the images sourced from the first few chapters. TL;DR will be at the bottom.

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Introduction

I am not sure how I first came across Here U Are. I might have been browsing through AniList, looking at the highest rated manga on the website. With a very impressive average score of 87%, it was one of the first few results. I had a look at its page and saw it had no reviews, which was rare for something rated so highly. I wondered what Here U Are would be like, and so it piqued my interest. Eventually, I would get to reading it, and understand why it was scored so highly.

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Plot and Setting
Here U Are takes place in a university. Many romances have their setting as a school, whether it be a heterosexual or homosexual romance. If I had to guess as to why this often is the case, it is either because the readership is better able to relate to the story and characters (assuming they are of similar age to the characters in the romance) or that a school is an easier place to have a romance take place. A school provides an environment with a large amount of people the same age, making romantic encounters easier to happen. Furthermore, a school also throws in other dynamics, such as year level differences (this has more significance in Japanese culture, think about the whole senpai-kouhai thing) as well as the presence of education and its examinations. Whilst the actual education is seldom explored, this is sometimes used as a way to create opportunities for characters to get together, for something like a study group. With a university, things are not so different, with the main difference being having an adult cast. This does make this manhua different from a majority of other romances (or just the ones I have read). Having an adult cast also introduces some new aspects to the story, the new prospects of adult life. Indeed, adulthood can seem so distant for those in high school, so the far future is not discussed as much in romances that take place in high schools, but with one set in a university, questions regarding one's future are much closer.

Moving on from the setting, Here U Are quickly establishes the two main characters, Yu Yang and Li Huan, even having their first encounter within the foremost chapter. The quirks between the two's relationship are quickly revealed, but that is something to discuss later in the review. The beginning quickly introduces the main cast, the two most readers would be concerned with, building their characters enough to leave an impression, whilst also leaving enough unsaid for it to further develop later in the story. Even at the beginning whilst I did not know much about Li Huan and Yu Yang, I was quickly captivated by the two.

For the first part of the manhua, Here U Are focuses on Yu Yang and Li Huan's relationship, developing from two who barely knew each other, to something much more. It was easy to get engrossed into and find oneself cheering for the two. As events played out, the relationship developed, and the both of them did too. It was well paced and did not feel like a drag. There were some plot twists here and there, but they were not the main focal point but still added to the overall engagement of the manhua. Despite the theme remaining mostly the same (the romance between Yu Yang and Li Huan), DJUN managed to keep things refreshing enough to keep me reading and engaged.

In the later parts of Here U Are, the story shifts its focus to the other characters of Here U Are. Yu Yang and Li Huan are still there, but they start to become background characters, whilst still staying important to the story. If you are reading this solely for those two, you might be disappointed. That said, I found this section of Here U Are just as strong. The side characters are strong additions to the manhua, and the side plots with them were also capable of dragging me along on their journey. Most of these side plots focus on the romance between the other characters of Here U Are, progressing through their relationship and love. None of these made me disengaged with the manhua, I felt all of them were worthwhile additions to the story and added more variety.

If there is one thing I have to complain about Here U Are, it is the extra chapters. The chapters themselves are not an issue, in fact they were quite entertaining and fun to read, bolstering the cast of characters. My issue lies with within their placement in the story. Sure, they are extras, add-ons to the main story, but the difference in the time of when the extra takes place and the main story is quite glaring. The main story could have the main couple still developing their relationship, but then an extra would follow with Li Huan and Yu Yang already having a fully developed bond. Some extras take place a couple years after the main story. The placement felt jarring, but I still appreciated the addition of these extra chapters, and it is an issue that can be easily overlooked.

Sexuality

If one were to discuss the themes present in Here U Are, one cannot avoid the theme of sexuality.

Despite what you may think, a lot of Yuri/Boys' Love do not closely look into the extended themes of sexuality. Some just keep it at the fact the two in the romantic relationship are of the same sex, and nothing else. The questioning that comes from it and the societal impacts are not explored. For some, this is a better direction to take towards. If the story is aiming to be something very wholesome and a happy one, then delving into such themes would detract from the light-hearted tone it is aiming for. Omitting it, however, does take away a very important aspect of same sex romances, something that keeps it apart from regular romances. Furthermore, the struggles that come with being gay provides another obstacle for the couple to overcome, giving a new opportunity for further development and growth.

For same sex romances that unravel the theme of sexuality, a couple common aspects are explored. This can include social effects (which more often than not is being shunned by society), questioning whether loving someone of the same gender is real, and the very real fear of getting found out. Given that this manhua takes place in China, a country more conservative than most, these aspects are much stronger and need to be taken into more consideration.

So how are these looked into in Here U Are? Well, for Yu Yang for starters, he is quickly established as someone who is openly gay, which is different from many that choose to stay closeted. This, however, does lead to him being judged by others, which sometimes leads to him fighting back. His journey regarding his sexuality is unveiled later on, but it does play a big role in his character.

If Yu Yang was exploring the social consequences of being gay, then Li Huan probed into the internal dilemmas of being gay (not that Yu Yang does not do this). Li Huan does not consider himself homosexual, in fact DJUN stated in an extra chapter that if the two did not meet, he would have most likely married a woman. But meeting Yu Yang changed his life path dramatically, sending him on a route far different than the one previously laid out for him. As he starts to get closer Yu Yang, he starts to realise that the one you marry does not necessarily have to be a woman.

All of this made Here U Are even more entertaining to read whilst also making feel more real and grounded in reality. These themes do have a specific audience in mind, and do not cater to everyone, but for those who it does, I can see it really appealing to them.

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Characters
On top of the main two, there are numerous side characters that are introduced as Here U Are progresses.

Yu Yang is the first of the main couple. Yu Yang is first presented as outgoing and social, well regarded amongst the other students at the university. He is seen as kind, often helping out the other students and providing assistance on the day where the new students are coming in for the year. He does also possess a more abrasive side however, willing to get physical if others condemn him for his sexuality. His outside personality can only tell the reader so much as to who he really is, and as the manhua plays out, we discover more about his true personality and self. With his impressive height and intimidating appearance, Li Huan often gives off a bad impression. Just like how I stated with Yu Yang how one's outside personality can only reveal so much about someone, this also applies with Li Huan. He gives off a cold personality, someone who you are not likely to be friends with. On top of the fact that he does not talk much, this drives in that impression even more. But as you read on, you discover how likable of a person he really is. Chu Huanwen is one of Yu Yang's close friends. Chu Huanwen does play a role early on in Here U Are, but I cannot honestly remember much of what he did. From what I can recall, he was mostly in the background, providing a little to the overall story. He does however, have his own dedicated arc later on, which was something I enjoyed. His development in that was well executed and it once again delved into the themes of sexuality. Ji Yuan appears later in the story, playing a major role in Chu Huanwen's arc. I do not want to discuss Ji Yuan too much as that could lead to spoilers, but I would like to say he was a great addition to Chu Huanwen's arc and character. Ji Yuan helped develop Chu Huanwen to become more than just some background character, whilst also being a charming character himself. Pan Shu is one of the oldest members in the cast, running his own bar. In the beginning, Pan Shu is just one of Yu Yang's friend, who sometimes goes to the bar Pan Shu runs. Early on he does not leave that much of an impression, but like the other side characters, he gets his own arc. I did not expect his arc playing out as it did, but it was certainly interesting. Pan Shu can be playful and a bit of a player, which contrasts him from the rest of the cast. Zhong Qiujie is introduced in Pan Shu's arc. Zhong Qiujie can be very easily described as a tsundere. To be honest, I myself am not a big fan of tsunderes, and found Zhong Qiujie a little irritating at the beginning. That said, it is a common tactic to make a character very unlikable at the beginning to emphasise their later development, and Zhong Qiujie is an example of that. Stick through and you might just find him to be a likeable character. Xia Wangwang is one of the very few female characters in Here U Are. The very fact that Xia Wangwang is a woman sets her apart from the rest of the cast. Despite that, she felt in place and did not stick out like a sore thumb. A very energetic and joyful character, her personality lit up scenes whilst not being overly bothersome. She remains mostly a background character throughout the story. She does not get her own arc per se, but she remains throughout Here U Are and obtains her own character development. You could say she does have an arc, but it is throughout Here U Are, just in the back seat. Xiao Yi is another supporting character in Here U Are. Xiao Yi is a pretty kind character. There is not much I can say about him, but like Xia Wangwang, his arc plays in the background, so he is not forgotten.

There are some other side characters, but they are quite minor and do not warrant a discussion. What I think Here U Are deserves praise in is ensuring each character gets the growth they deserve, whilst also keeping the protagonists the star of the show. I did not feel that any of the characters were cheap additions to the story, they all added something.

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Dynamics between Li Huan and Yu Yang
Across homosexual romances, tropes are often seen. This can be through the pairings, character designs, plot and so on. Although some of these are present in Here U Are, it does not feel washed out.

A pairing of a serious and goofy character is a common trend found across romances. That is not necessarily the case here, in Here U Are it would be more accurate to say it is a pairing of a social and unsocial characters. Li Huan does not talk that much, whereas in contrast Yu Yang is presented as very social, often seen talking to others at the university.

Indeed, one could say this is a pairing of two opposites. Again, that is a common thing to do in romances, whether that be due to the heavy contrast making it more interesting, or that it provides an obstacle for the pair to overcome.

The two's height also plays a role in their relationship, at least on its outward appearances. It does provide more contrast between the two, showing how different the two are. It also reflects their role in their relationship and behaviour, whilst also breaking tropes. Despite Li Huan's appearance, it is usually Yu Yang that is being physical and getting into fights with others.

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Art
DJUN's art in Here U Are is clearly one more strong point of the manhua. The art is more character focused rather than setting focused, with lots of attention put into character designs and their expressions. How characters are portrayed through their art also complements their development. One example I can think of is how Li Huan is presented at first. In the beginning he is drawn as unlikable and distant, but as he develops, the depiction of him gradually changes.

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Conclusion and TL;DR
After completing Here U Are, I finally could see why this was so highly rated. It did so much right and fulfilled the role of being a great romance. Thinking back on it now, there is not much I can criticise Here U Are on, most of it comes down to personal taste. Here U Are is an easy recommendation to lovers of romance and Boys' Love. It might be a lengthy read, but it is one that you are very likely to enjoy. To summarise this review:

• The plot can easily keep you hooked, providing a wonderful story between the two protagonists.
• Later on the plot diverges to arcs focusing on the side characters, but these were just as strong.
• The theme of sexuality is explored, playing a major role in Here U Are, grounding the story in reality.
• The whole cast of characters are strong, all being worthwhile additions to the story.
• The art compliments the characters and their development, on top of being of great quality.

And with that, this review comes to a close. This became a very long review, so I thank you if you read it until the end. If you want to send me feedback on my reviews, please post a comment on this thread. Hopefully you were able to get something out of this review. If you did not like this review, then I apologise for wasting your time.

Thank you for reading my review.