Kyoichi standing outside Chiharu's house at night, knowing he's already lost her to someone else, is the show's entire thesis. Boys Be... strips away every romantic fantasy and shows you what actually breaks your heart: not rejection, but the slow realization that caring about someone doesn't entitle you to their feelings. The animation is cheap and the premise sounds generic until you realize this show understands something most romance anime never will, that growing up means learning to love people you can't have, and meaning it anyway.

Three ordinary high school boys share a single obsession: girls. Kyoichi, the quiet one, has known Chiharu since childhood, but recently his feelings toward her have started to shift. Makoto is a lecher who considers himself an expert on the rules of love and is eager to win women over. Yoshihiko, a good-looking sports fanatic, is sadly clueless about romance. Over the course of a year, the trio stumble through love-related mishaps that reshape their lives, with the story told from the boys' side. The show is a slice-of-life romantic comedy that treats teenage love with humor.