Bokurano

The usual complaints I see are that characters have a lack of "emotion" and 'reaction". Subtle facial features and pent up emotions do not mean there is a lack of emotion.

In real life, when someone is happy they do not jump around in joy and their faces do not suddenly get larger with a gigantic smile. These are over exaggerated emotions. When someone is angry or upset, not all people just collapse in tears or pop blood vessels. Most pent this emotion up and most people do not notice it unless they are looking very closely.

Though Bokurano's premise is out of this world, everything is rather human.
This manga is fantastic, placing the characters in a hopeless and desperate situations. It forces the raw emotions out of each character and the reader themselves.

If you are into deep stories that challenge the fundamental nature of life and humans, please read this. Do not read this if you are looking for a funny or happy go lucky story. You will not find it here.

a thoroughly moving read. it oscillates between seinen and shounen at times, but honestly it thrives on borrowing from the sensibilities of each at different times. an absolutely excellent blend of serious reflections on life and boyish flights of fancy. and, as it progresses, a truly harrowing read. an experience i'm all the better for.

I love this Manga. I really really do. I think about each character's indvidual experience a lot. I've read this manga twice, the last time was about 5 year ago. Every now an then I see a chair that has been lived in and can't help but to think about Bokurano. I know a lot of sci-fi stories have similar plots but this was the first sci-fi story that had known like this.

That being said, I have never reached the last chapter of the manga. The story drags on a little bit too much and I always find myself just a few chapters away from the climax before I get antsy and just end up looking it up. I know that the anime and manga end very different and I very much prefer the manga ending.

Spoiler alert: people have interesting thoughts and motivations and live/fight/die for different things.

Spoiler alert 2: shit happens, people die.

Um...that's literally the entire manga. I can't even make this shit up if I wanted to. I cannot understand how this received such high scores.

Sure, the characters were pretty interesting, and the premise of the story was pretty fresh, but the entire story was overwhelmingly repetitive. All the manga ever did was to repeatedly drill the 2 above spoilers into the reader's head over and over again using different characters as it killed them off one by one in predictable fashion (seriously I've never seen so many obvious death flags used in any manga ever). The plot was pretty much the most linear and predictable I've ever read, I pretty much saw the ending coming from a mile away.

If you understand the 2 spoilers I've provided above, then this manga has absolutely nothing more to offer you and I recommend you spend your valuable time elsewhere. This was 66 frigging chapters long and was an absolute waste of time.

Bokurano is something that probably initially misled a lot of people. Nowadays it has a pretty infamous reputation, but if you were to see or read it when it first came out, or nowadays if you somehow go into it knowing nothing about it, it might seem like a pretty innocent and generic premise: a bunch of kids get signed into a contract where they have to pilot a giant robot and save the earth from aliens. It seems like something that has been done a thousand times before, but if you are perceptive you might notice that there is something...off about it all.

And then you keep reading and realize just what it is that you've stumbled into.

The twist comes with the knowledge that the robot will kill the pilot after a battle is over to fuel itself. Meaning that all of the children who entered the contract effectively exchanged their lives for the sake of saving the world. And there is nothing anyone anywhere can do to change that fact, these children are dead no matter what they do.

Before each battle, we get a bit of insight into every single child and find out who they are, what they're struggling with, and what motivates them.

It is in these stories that Bokurano shows just how bleak and dark it is. The stories vary in their exact tone, but they all carry an inherent despair and sentimentality because the child is eventually going to die. Some of the stories are REALLY dark, with one in particular that I think most people will definitely remember. What's most interesting is that some of these stories seem to have points of their own, usually to espouse some very unusual and cynical messages that you really don't see that often, such as a discussion about the whole "one death is a tragedy, one million is a statistic" concept that ends nothing like you'd expect it to.

Even though this manga is so oppressive, and seems to border on being dark for darkness' own sake at times, it is incredibly gripping and powerful. All of the children's stories are heartbreaking in their own way and none of them are bad. The side characters like the army guys and Koyemshi are also pretty memorable in their own right. The ending to this series is also brilliantly done.

Kitoh's art is actually kind of strange. Normally I dislike the kind of stylistic decisions Kitoh makes; his characters have pretty generic, simplified facial features common to a lot of manga, and his characters are mostly pretty skinny and have very subdued facial expressions. But he obviously knows a thing or two about drawing, his scene composition, perspective, grasp of form, etc, are all clearly displayed in the manga and help elevate the storytelling of the manga. His design sense is also quite unique; his robots look nothing like what you'd see in most mech shows, many of them are very bizarre and abstract and don't really resemble anything in particular. The end result meaning that even though Kitoh is not necessarily one of my favorite artists in the industry, I do like his style all the same and I feel that it is more than adequate to telling this story.

At the end of the day, Bokurano is probably a manga that many will find is just trying way too hard to be edgy. But if you are like me you will probably find that the execution of the heavy content is more than satisfactory and makes the story more powerful most of the time. If you want something that will give you intense feels and is unlike anything you have seen in the robot genre, this is for you. It is a pretty different work altogether from Evangelion despite some superficial similarities, so you wouldn't necessarily dislike it if you're not an Evangelion fan.

Simply put, 'Bokurano' is about a group of children who are deceived into signing contracts which will see them pilot a giant robot, Zearth, in a deadly fight for survival against alien invaders. The catch, however, is that the robot is powered by the pilot's life energy. Regardless of the outcome, win or lose, the pilot is guaranteed to die and nothing can be done to change that. The inevitability of the characters' fates makes for a difficult and oft heart-wrenching read but one which will reward those few brave enough to see it through.

'Bokurano' can essentially be broken down into a series of story arcs which each focus on the child next chosen to pilot Zearth. They all follow a formula: the reader is shown a little of the characters' backstories, their motivations, how they prepare themselves during their final days and finally the fight itself. Considering there are 15 children, it would be easy for the series to fall into the trap of becoming dull and repetitive, but this is never the case with 'Bokurano'. The series does an exceptional job of developing its core cast and making each child unique from one an other. Some may be more likeable than others but all are sympathetic. Successful characterisation is achieved through a balanced mix of introspection and dialogue, effectively helping to further the impact of each character's death. The pilots aside, the most significant character is Dung Beetle, a mysterious being that first summoned the children to Zearth. Dung Beetle can almost be thought of as a guide or narrator for the series, throwing in little titbits of information throughout the series to help explain some of the sci-fi elements. Fortunately, there is enough intrigue and mystery surrounding his character that he never feels like a mouthpiece for the author. The supporting cast was largely comprised of national defence personnel and relatives of the children, and they all perfectly compliment the core cast of characters. Moreover, the role of parents in 'Bokurano' was beyond tragic. For a parent to have to stand idly by and see their children die, completely helpless to influence the outcome, is one of the most heartbreaking things you could ever see. All-in-all, 'Bokurano' should be commended for creating such a diverse and memorable cast of characters.

Just as 'Narutaru' - another good manga from Kitou - was a deconstruction of the pet monster genre, 'Bokurano' is a deconstruction of the mecha genre. That is, it looks at the practical problems that would arise from having to pilot a super robot in real life. The high chances of mass civilian casualties, the terrifying implications of failure and the massive pressure and stresses placed on the pilots are all shown as harsh truths with zero sugar-coating or beating around the bush. Most significantly, there is absolutely no plot armour. Typical mecha series leads are protected by the fact that their character is integral to the plot of the series, but this is not the case in 'Bokurano'. Anyone can die at any moment, so you are always on the edge of your seat. Now, the words “deconstruction” and “mecha” may lead some to assume that 'Bokurano' is yet another series that aimed to cash in on the success of 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' during the late 90s and early 2000s, but it must be stressed that the similarities here are superficial at best. Thematically speaking the two are worlds apart, which leads us to our next point: its themes.

One of the most famous quotes of all time, oft attributed to Joseph Stalin, is, “one death is a tragedy, a million is a statistic”. Whether it was actually Stalin who said it and whether it was in those exact words is a topic for another day, what matters is the sentiment behind those words and how the idea is explored in-depth in 'Bokurano'. Death is a regular occurrence in 'Bokurano', often on a large scale, and every pilot has their own take on it. Some of the children will aim to minimise casualties by delaying the fight until everyone is safely evacuated, others pay no mind to the surrounding population and consequently cause major collateral damage. It is an interesting play on the trope, to say the least. 'Bokurano' could also be seen as a series about accepting and coming to terms with one's own death. Each child knows that they are unable to alter their fate and how they all react to this knowledge is very different. Some try to live out their last days as happily and peacefully as they can, others mentally break down and cut themselves off from society. The themes in 'Bokurano' may be heavy but they are explored naturally over the course of the series. The pacing is excellent and allows the reader enough time to take everything in before moving on. The story never feels rushed or inorganic and it culminates in the most fitting conclusion the series could possibly ask for.

The super robot fights are secondary to the ideas of the manga itself. Just as Kitou used monsters (or “Dragons”) in 'Narutaru' to tell a coming-of-age story, super robot fights are simply the vehicle through which the themes of 'Bokurano' are explored. That said, the action sequences are still very good and fans of the mecha genre will not be left disappointed. The fights take place in a variety of locations, from city environments to military bases. The enemies themselves come in a variety of forms, from humanoid and insectoid designs to even weapons such as cannons. There are a wide array of attacks, all coming from different angles and ranges. Best of all, the strategies involved are all vastly different. Some fights are over almost instantaneously while some can go on for close to two full days, playing out almost like a game of high-stakes chess. While the super robot fights were never the focus of 'Bokurano', that they remain fresh and thrilling over the entire course of the manga is impressive all the same.

The art is generally solid. The super robots are one of the highlights of the series, varied in design and drawn on a massive scale. The designs are more abstract than your typical mecha series, resembling something closer to 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' than 'Gundam', but suit the atmosphere of 'Bokurano' perfectly. Also of note are the aircraft designs. Kitoh has something of a reputation for his detailed vehicle designs and his passion for aviation shows through with some very meticulous work. Shading, in particular, was used to great effect to create depth. Backgrounds are also well done and scene composition in general is sound. Where the art falls a little short, however, is in its human character designs. There are few distinguishing characteristics that set the core cast apart, so the characters can appear a little “samey”, for lack of a better word. Most are drawn with thin bodies and the same subdued expressions, so it takes a bit of time before one can discern between the cast. Ultimately, the artwork in 'Bokurano' may not be as awe-inspiring or detailed as what you would find in a Kentarou Miura or Hiroya Oku manga, but it perfectly compliments the mood that Kitoh was trying to achieve with 'Bokurano'.

Overall, 'Bokurano' is not a manga that I could readily recommend to anyone. It depicts a cruel, nihilistic world where children are at the forefront. It is a tragic story with some shocking content yet, unlike 'Narutaru', it never felt gratuitous. In the wrong hands 'Bokurano' easily could have been passed off as edgy trash but Kitoh handles it with a level of maturity which hadn't yet been displayed in any of his previous works. 'Bokurano' is and will likely remain Kitoh's magnum opus, his crowning achievement in an impressive catalogue of work. If you are looking for a darker take on the mecha genre then you could certainly do a lot worse than 'Bokurano'.

One word : Excellence

well I can try to sum up my week long encounter with Bokurano(Ours). Well i just want to warn all who read this that this is a very depressing manga, it's hard to explain...

Well the story is truly amazing, do not let the giant robot fool you this is by no means a traditional Mecha Manga. It is it's own story and not just another dime a dozen gundam clone. well the story itself revolves around 15 midde school kids at a summer camp, they get bored of collecting sea-shells and go explore the nearby cave. in the cave they meet a strange man named Kokopelli, who asks the kids if they want to try a new game he made where you pilot a giant robot against 15 alien invaders...
they all except one agree to play and sign a "contract" by touching a strange rock-like object, after they sign they all wake up on the beach and see a giant robot that they get teleportrd into and kokopelli teaches them how to control it, this is no game...

The most depressing part about this manga is that in the begining chapters they are all told that they will inevitably die after piloting the robot(Which they named Zearth)

The Characters are another key aspect in this story, there are no 2 dimensional characters here they are all unique and all have interesting backstories and battles.
The Art is great in it's own way...
and it's just a great manga.

just be warned as i said before this is a very depressing manga and the ending almost left me in tears! but that's the sign of good storytelling if a story can touch you that much...

this is one series you do not want to miss.

No reviews for this? You're killing me.

Bokurano is probably the most nihilistic thing ever written. In essence, it's a series of 15 short stories about these 15 kids who are trapped in a competition where they gotta pilot a 500m tall robot. If they lose, the world is screwed. Gradually, through a series of well written and shocking twists, everything about their mission ends up being bad for them and pretty much everyone around them. It's a brutally realistic depiction of what you'd get if you actually did put a bunch of middle schoolers in charge of this sort of thing. Some are wannabe heroes, others have mental breakdowns, at least one goes on a murdering rampage, and a few just don't care. It also turns out that people don't like it when you fight in the middle of a city and cause 10,000 casualties.

How tragic is this series? Well, sometimes you can actually hear the author chuckling in the background as one of these kids gets their lives or minds completely destroyed. On occasion a few of these tales end on a heartwarming or content note, but I suspect that's only because Kitoh had stomach worms at the time or something.

But the thing is, even though this story is soul crushing, it's continuously gripping. I read the whole thing over the course of a weekend in a feverish marathon, something I never do for anything. Each child's story is unique and interesting, and every time one ended and another one came up, my reaction would be "I don't care about this kid, that last one was so good how can this one compare?" and every time without fail, I would be blown away.That kid's unique struggle and subsequent battle would set them totally apart from everyone else, and be good enough to stand as its own story. Kitoh is that good of an author, and even though he's royally screwed up in the head(as shown by this, Narutaru, His Murder Plan, and everything else he's ever written) he knows how to put a method into his madness. The guy is a genius, but I don't think I'd ever want to meet him.

In terms of art, all the human characters are wirey and lacking in detail. Backgrounds are elaborate, but sharp and have a sort of blank feeling to them. Objects like vehicles are interesting and futuristic without being outlandish. The art style is perfect for Kitoh's style of writing, honestly. The main attraction is the "mecha" designs though. These things are not Gundams. They absolutely enormous, with styles varying between vaguely insectoid and completely abstract. Kitoh's mind is not limited to his eccentric writing, it caries over into his artwork. You generally do not see anything as weird as this guy's stuff in any comic.

Now let's talk about the anime for a sec. The anime version of Bokurano sucks. The director hated the manga's story because it was too bleak, and tried to rewrite it himself. It turns out that that guy did not have the ability to outdo our mildly psychotic author here. The result was a pretty show with an amazing OP, but a sucky story and a lame ending. Speaking of endings, the manga ending is incredible. It's not awe inspiring or anything like that, it's just a beautiful ending that completely fit the story.

In terms of being a realistic deconstruction of the mecha genre, this series completely stomps Evangelion through and through. And most other giant robot series for that matter. You actually might not be able to enjoy robot stories after this, since Bokurano turns them completely inside-out. It's almost the polar opposite of Gurren Lagann, but somehow just as awesome.

Viz is publishing this in the US starting in February 2010. I'm totally picking it up.

Bokurano is a depressing manga that just uses mecha as it's excuse for a premise which is completely filled with psychological trauma.

The mecha battles are not the main focus in here. Don't be fooled by the cover. For what anyone could care, the mecha could have been a space ship or a magical uniform and it wouldn't make as much of a difference.

While the manga is surprisingly good in the psychological analysis department, it is however not as good in the mecha fighting and the sci-fi department. The fights lose their touch when you know that they are, as shown by the synopsis of the manga, a doomed battle with no hopes of selfish victory. Rather, it feels like a Mayan ritual where people are made to be sacrificed in order for the continued survival of their race.

While this does bring a good view into questions of life and death when one is confronted with the same and the nature of the human soul, it can make one feel alienated with the plot. There is nothing to root for and the stakes are worthless from the very start. There is no glimmer of hope, no light at the end of the tunnel, so as to speak. While the mecha in question is being powered by the human will, there is not a real great display of where human will actually matters to change the status quo.
While it's true most characters display a good amount of human will, it is simply not enough to make a difference in the universal scale of things. By the end, everyone is a plaything of fate and nothing ever matters.

However, in spite of it flaws, I would agree that the manga did atleast the psychological aspect right. This manga can be heavily divisive depending upon the nature of the reader and hence you may or you may not appreciate it. You will of course, definitely not enjoy it given its depressive premise and the nihilistic aspect where nothing truly matters.

There are many other similarly depressive works, which however don't revolve around a world ending crisis and only revolve around the horrors of everyday life like domestic abuse, bullying, etc. There is not much difference between bokurano and them and bokurano isn't good enough to make a mark when compared to these.

TLDR:Read it if you like similarly depressive works like madoka magica for instance. Don't read it if you want some good mecha action or some plot resolution.

7/10

This may well be my favorite manga, and I have read a LOT of manga. The best thing about this manga is the characters, and the plot primarily serves as a way to learn about the characters. The main cast is made up of middle school students who have been tasked with piloting a giant mech called "Zearth", and after each one pilots the mech, they die. The pilot is chosen at random from those contracted to pilot it, but they are told in advance. The story is structured around each pilot's last days on earth before they fight to save it. None of the characters are ignored, and all of them get some nice development through the story.

Altogether, I think that the characters in this story are all written well, and resemble real people quite closely. Through the main cast, we see the world through many lenses, as they live very different lives, and we get commentary on society and on varying types of people within it. It is interesting.

One thing about this manga that is particularly stand-out is how the author handles death, in that the characters react in very real and visceral ways.

Review in Haiku: Bokurano

Depressing manga
Worse than evangelion
Read at your own risk.

STORY:

To avoid spoilers;
Bunch of kids find big robot
Aliens show up.

Super dramatic
It gets really dark real fast
Zero to hundred.

Please don't get spoiled
The twists in this are insane
Ten points out of ten.

ART:

Characters are meh
They are good but nothing great
Got same-face syndrome.

On the other hand
The mecha design is superb
Unearthly and strange.

It's got weird angles
Kind of hard to see some stuff.
Seven out of ten.

CHARACTER:

Each main character
Is fleshed out to a degree
You'll get all their tales.

They are all children
Tossed into a big bad war
This will not end well.

Every single one
Has a couple of problems
Eight points out of ten.

ENJOYMENT:

I didn't "enjoy"
Bokurano as one would
Enjoy a manga.

After I finished
I felt like my soul was dead
Made me want to cry.

It's a manga for
A specific reader type
Nine points out of ten.

OVERALL:

Evangelion
Go eat shit, you're nothing
In terms of sadness.

(just for the record, this is a slight alteration of my anime review)

NOTICE: I will be making many references to Narutaru. Can’t help making a joke about it and for all intents and purposes, this is a double review for both series. Damn things are practically the same anyway. Also, this is one of those weird retrospective texts that focuses more on what happens around a series that in it. If you don’t like it, it ain’t my fault.

PROLOGUE
Bokurano, aka Narutaru mk2.
Ok, the guy who makes these things clearly goes for impressions through shock value around children abuse. Where Narutaru was “Let’s have kids being tortured and miserable, with Pokemon flavor”, Bokurano is “Let’s have kids being tortured and miserable, with huge robots flavor”. In both cases, the critters or the robots don’t really play a role in the actual points the titles want to show. They are there for flavor, just like milk is to tea. Down to it, the only focus to both series is “Torture kids, torture them more, and them kill them miserably.” Sounds disgusting and vile, doesn’t it? Well, that’s what makes it so damn special. It’s like Ausvich in a way. You don’t care about the area, as much about the inhuman acts that took place there during the era where being blonde and blue-eyed was totally GAR.

VALUE SECTION
Anyway, where Narutaru lacked an overall objective in its story and was mostly random arcs about kids in happy-go-lucky situations going from bad to worse, Bokurano actually tries to have one.
Saving the world with a huge robot!
…Pretty lame-sounding, doesn’t it? What are we to like this premise, twelve year olds?
(EVA 01 stares angrily towards me)
Errr… What I meant is that it basically uses a childish concept as means of shock effect. And it works too. Imagine the Care Bears dancing happily around a tree and then suddenly the tree sprouts teeth, eats them, goes “munch, munch” and then spits out their bloody sculls.
…Yeah, nice way to kill your childhood innocence.

Bokurano is similar. Just like its older brother used cute little critters, this one uses big robots. You think it’s going to be childish but then turns Happy Tree Friends … without the humorous irony.
Does it work? Erm, yes, it works as shock value for sure. It really is GASP material the first time you watch it. The thing is, shock value is a one-time special ability. Just like any super attack in any shounen series, it only works once on each individual. The second time you try to use it, the opponent has a way to counter it, block it, negate it, or in the case of the viewer “It’s not as shocking anymore!” Therefore, it needs to have other elements to keep the viewer still interested in replying the whole mess.
…And this is where it all falls down.

Narutaru was bad in this regard as the complete lack of general direction as a story meant that you have no reason for you to want to relive the whole mess. What is there to watch? Bokurano kinda fixed that problem by adding the objective of world salvation. Ok, now you can watch again the process of how they try to do it.
…And it still fails.
Thus, Value is very low. (3)

STORY AND CHARACTER SECTION
You see, it’s not really about saving the world. It’s about kids in miserable situations. It’s like “Wow, I will be dead soon; how will I spend my last hours alive?” So you can pretty much screw the whole battle for the salvation of Earth. Although losing the battle automatically means that Earth will blow up, it’s not really the point at all. The robot battles are as I said flashy extras that serve very little to the actual plot. They do provide mystery as in many cases the cast tries to figure out what the hell is going on here, and in some other cases it does affect the story as the damage from the battles affects the lives of the rest of the world. All that unfortunately happens too rarely and in very convenient moments to actually feel natural in-story. For example, if someone is killed by a bad robot, he will be relative to the kid piloting the robot at the moment.

Practically, the story could easily be remade as individual arcs around the last moments of children with terminal diseases. You can take out the robots and the salvation of Earth and it would make almost no difference. What I mean is that although there are 14 kids that are supposed to be the main cast, the story always focuses on one or two at the most at any given time, leaving all the rest as background decoration, until their time to fight and/or die comes along. Now, I am not an ass to demand 14 characters being exposed at the very same time. But I do demand for all of them to be equally important to the story. They could for example do a Bacanno! type of non-linear story, where we see the same events happening all the time but through different perspective, each time from a different kid. We could have 1 battle with a bad robot in the whole series and each kid gets to fight it at the same time. That would make it concrete. But no, what we got was a singing contest. The kids were taking turns, waiting like drones for an invisible force to choose their turn and then all of a sudden they would be thrown in a dreadful situation where they are supposed to resolve it before fighting for the last time in their lives.

It works as shock value but at the same time it has no overall binding with the freaking setting of the story. Not to forget to mention all that political mambo-jumbo they threw in that serve as nothing else but detracting from the main themes of the series. Why have them if they make the story even sloppier than it already is? That translates to bad storytelling. It was bad in Narutaru; it tried to be better here but in fact it ain’t.

I must also point out that the anime version pulled the adaptation decay turd on us and changed the ending to be happy in a way. Well, duh, I prefer the sad and grim manga version far better.
Thus, Story and Characters are bad for not feeling natural to the viewer because of the lack in uniformity. (5)

And I know that a series is not supposed to be realistic, but come on, the story is supposed to be about contemporary Japan of today, normal kids of today, having normal lives of today. Excuse me for expecting some realism. Not in reactions to normal problems; it does a good job in its slice-of-life drama. I mean on a level of constant uniformity where they are main characters all the time and not for a few episodes when the scriptwriter decides out of the blue to throw in a “The robot calls you to be the next pilot” ass-pulling trope to turn their role from Kid12 to Main Hero.

Hm, what did I leave out? Ah, yes, Art.

ART SECTION
I won’t stick here much, sue me. The visuals on the robots are generally good. The character figures look simplistic and unappealing but that is not really a minus. If they were trendy shounen leads, they would be complete sh*t in the context of the story; so at least they save face where they lose it in character motivation. So good job there for a change. Cinematics for atmosphere built-up? Sure, they are ok. Ok, I must admit they did a very good job here, despite not WOWing me in any way. 8 for Art.

And for the final entry we have Enjoyment. Boy, so hard to excuse this part.

ENJOYMENT SECTION
I sure liked the controversial aspect of the series. It’s not really about kids piloting transforming robots and happy-go-lucky protect the planet from evil aliens. It is also thought-provoking in a way, as it does make you think and feel strange about the situations the kids are thrown in.

And now the nasty part. This series is based too much on shock value. It leaves you with a vivid impression because of the horrible things that happen in it. Yet at the same time, it has very little to back it up. The second time you try to watch it, you clearly see it ain’t so dramatic and the actual plot is peanuts. Also, the focus on character exposition is pretty amateur’s work, as most feel like stunts for most of the story until magically thrown to the position of Main Hero for the sake of… well, dying. Character exposition moments before dying? Talk about Newbie Errors 101. Too many characters, too little time invested on each, too many things befalling each one at once, making it unnatural.

I know most anime fans don’t care about that and as long as it shocked them it is considered a success. I on the other hand look at the bigger picture. Does it do it better than other stories with similar elements? Just think about the most famous titles that kinda remind you of Bokurano (and it ain’t Narutaru).
Alien Nine? Hm, maybe.
Elfen Lied? Far less characters and thus far more focus on each one of them.
Neon Genesis? Sorry, dwarfed big time.
Battle Royale? Ok, now it is invisible.
My, look at that, now it ain’t so special after all. It may rank on the better made but it still feels bad next to the titles it has similarities with. For all it maters, I admit it’s better than Narutaru.
…Oh well, let’s give it the base and call it for the day; I feel generous today.

p.s. Here are some overall rating for Narutaru next to Bokurano. Just a last moment bonus and such…
Art: Narutaru:6, Bokurano:8
Story: Narutaru:4, Bokurano:5
Characters: Narutaru:5, Bokurano:5
Value: Narutaru:3, Bokurano:3
Enjoyment: Narutaru:4, Bokurano:5
Average: Narutaru:4.5/10, Bokurano:5.5/10

A title that will stick with you.

The story's main focus is a large cast of kids who are thrown into an almost inescapable death-trap, forcing them to rethink how they wish to spend their last moments alive. It is a concept that fascinates me to no end. Each character is unique and memorable in this anthology of death and misery.

The problem lies in its execution. Some of the twists and turns that happen in the story are truly impactful, but the characters experiencing these events simply feel alien. It is one of those titles where characters act deadpan most of the time. When the story is told through people that fail to represent basic human behavior, most of its messages fall flat. Add some clunky monologues about death and issues in society, and it all makes the story feel pretentious toward the later parts.

Without spoiling too much here are two examples. Out of all the kids, only one of them actually panics and thinks of how much he has yet to experience in life. Yet everyone around him acts as though he's abnormal. I can't help but think this character had more potential. Later on we also learn one of the girls was abused in the worst way possible, and yet everyone acts as if she's the villain in the drama. Heck, her parents seem to condemn her actions more than they condemn the men who put her in that situation.

Did I still enjoy it? I would say yes, the art was fitting, some of the children's stories do stand out and it captures a dire atmosphere. It makes the reader think and that makes it memorable and worth picking up if you want something that isn't just brainless entertainment.

A bunch of 7th grade kids fight with a giant robot to save the world. Could it be more cliche?

I've found references to Bokurano anime on the internet, finding for mecha style animes. At first i watched the anime and found it amazing. But then I've read the manga. It was outstanding.

The main plot involves this fifteen kids who sealed a contract with a strange man. Everything they know it was they have to use a giant robot to fight with an enemy with similiar one. Sooner they discover that every fight has it price. Many people die during battles (many know people, even kids relatives often) and most important, the contract has horrible conditions they never knew.

Without any spoilers i can say the remaining history develops around how the kids face their fates, and how they deal with the feel o lost or despair of being in charge of mankind. Every one react in different ways. Some fall in despair. Some fight bravely. Some simple don't mind anything and some just (try to) runaway.

The way the plot develops is amazing. Every kid has it own fears, history, desires. Their history sometimes get involved into and sometimes the character has their own history. Every chapter was better than another. The only "mistake" i cant found was the art, wich particulary i've disliked. Its detailed sometimes but miss an art finalization. I dont know if i get used to it or if the drawing get more improved until the end, but this doest matter.

If you like Evangelion like anime/manga Bokurano dont you dare die before reading this. And do it before you seal the contract.

Bokurano ours is a story about a man who convinces 14 (I think) middle schoolers to join his crew to fight aliens(?). However the man doesn't use traditional methods to fight aliens. You see he had sadly watched too much anime and decides the only thing capable of fighting giant aliens is a giant robot. Now these kids must randomly take turns to pilot this giant robot and save the world. But Unbeknownst to them piloting a giant robot comes at a great cost. A cost they must live with the rest of there life. So this becomes an Eeny, meeny, miny, moe game from hell.

Despite the complicated issues this series has (as well as the reveals later), the idea is pretty simple. Big giant alien needs to be defeated using the big giant robot. So the story needs to be carried specifically due the characters and there personality, likability and traits. However when the AI looking thing has more personality than literally any other character in the series thats when you have fucked up. Every character is this person who's suffering from this dark past or this guy who the most generic good guy type you can find. Its like the author one archetype and put them in each character without playing around. They were definitely some moments where these characters felt alive and fun. But majority wise they did pretty much what i expected them too and it was boring. Maybe the author wanted to say these are middle schoolers of course they are predictable. But he's also writing himself by not making them interesting most of the time. I think the only characters i liked was 1 of them. The rest felt acceptable and some downright bad.

The action i had massive issues with. They were 2 good fights in this series and they had barely any contact with each other why? Because they were supposed this tactical. People had to use there brain whilst knowing each second they waste is another innocent's man death. I really liked that aspect of the series. Most of the fights were just hit them harder and considering the scale of the series it wasn't really all that great. Each fight had a good moment but that was small considering the overall scope of the fights. There is also this massive issue with giving the characters more *depth* by giving them a backstory during every fight. No one wants a backstory during keep them separate. You are ruining both the fights and the story. It also doesn't help like i said some of them have the worst backstories ever. Like we are just supposed to suddenly like these characters now who have been predictable this entire way.

The art is also a mess. All the effort has been put into the mecha and aliens the characters themselves look like they were drawn by an entirely different inexperienced artist. This series also throws in tons of philosophical nonsense as if we are supposed to forget the weak characters, the mundane action the weak art. Some of the bad guys in the series get away scott free. I think the author wanted to imply that they are fighting not just for themselves but everyone on earth which means every life needs to be protected. Of course reality is often different but whatever.

My issue with the philosophical nonsense is that its all been done before. Nothing i haven't seen before. Its thinking aspect is probably its strongest suit but all these thinking has already done by series both better and older than this. I honestly don't understand what the author was thinking adding all that nonsense in it. Its also never really explained why they used middle schoolers at all.

I guess some of the good parts would be how each character has to deal with the cost. And i liked that part. Most handled as expected but the ones that handled differently. Those are the interesting ones. They are ones that kept me engaged and wanting to read this series. However too many issues with unlikable cast. Underage pointless nudity. Which i can't even call fan service because the author doesn't know how to draw characters. Too many issues, too many problem, too many complication. Every single one bringing the series down. This might have been worth it if you are massive Psychological fanatic. But don't expect anything knew. If you are a psychological fanatic you've seen all this shit before.

TLDR: Too many issues to make this series actually fun and enjoyable. The only consistent and real aspect of this series was buried under a mess of weaknesses. 3/10

The manga series named Bokurano is a highly controversial and divisive narrative that, at its core, is a tale about human desire, nature and value. The story of Bokurano starts when a group of 15 children inadvertently sign a contract to save their world by piloting a giant mech, “Zearth”, and battling other, more dubious mechs. The start is rather slow, with the true nature of the series’ tone being initially elusive, but it quickly becomes apparent that neither the reader nor the characters were aware of the severity of their situation, which they are no longer able to escape. Once their predicament has been revealed, the manga becomes darker, with victory seeming impossible and the characters falling one by one.

The story, after the reveal, revolves around each of the fifteen pilots battling their own adversary, mustering as much daring and tactical ability as they can, often needing to sacrifice both the lives of their comrades and their firmly established ideologies. One of the merits of the story is that, much like Evangelion before it, it chooses to focus on sociological and psychological undertones within a context in which they can believably exist, rather than settling for a run-of-the-mill action romp. There isn’t a single punching-contest style battles; every conflict is emotionally charged and relevant to at least two characters. Not only does this make the stakes feel higher and the sacrifices more heart-breaking, but it allows huge variety between the battles, which could easily have felt repetitive and uninspired. Each struggle feels genuine, with no battle feeling like a shallow rehash or obligatory plot device. However, this can also lead to some horrifically slow pacing, which, though usually feeling relatively natural and relevant, sometimes feels like padding required for the chapter to reach its designated length. Also, in tune with the earlier variation, some of the character stories and moments don’t hit with quite the force of others. Like Evangelion, the series deviates from its monster of the week format more greatly as the series continues, becoming more and more complex, bordering on convoluted, but the depressing atmosphere and feeling of inevitable loss remain from beginning to end. On the whole, though, the story is sufficiently engaging for a reader with sufficient patience and investment. I read the whole manga series in one week, and couldn’t imagine reading it in any other way.

The characters, as was mentioned earlier, are where Bokurano is a particular stand out. Each character is deeply flawed, with the overcoming of their insecurities or weaknesses being driven by the uncertainty that they now find themselves facing. No two characters feel too identical, and they all have meaningful relationships with their families, friends and often other Zearth pilots, which ground them and give us a sense of deeply understanding who they are and what they believe in. This understanding gives us context into the part of them that’s really at the core of the narrative: if we were to die within a week, what would we want to do? Would we about business as usual, and not want to upset the flow of the world? Would we say our final goodbyes to our loved ones, devoting our final moments to others? Would we seek out our final opportunity to appease our selfish desires of violence, sex or revenge? Unless the reader is a robot or a perfect human, these questions would doubtlessly have appeared at least once to them. Given the nature of the story, I cannot go into detail without considerable spoilers, but Chizuru Honda and Kirei Yousuke do manage to stand above their contemporaries in terms of memorability.

The supporting characters serve their part well, seeming completely aware of their dire situation while also remembering that their lives lie in the hands of children, and treating them with appropriate delicacy and understanding without coming off as condescending or brash. The opposing mechs and their respective pilots are ominous and overbearing without detracting from the emotional core of the story, but the real star of the series is Dung Beetle. Much like Kyubey, he immediately arouses suspicion with his harsh attitude and cold, insulting demeanour, but even he has more layers than what is initially portrayed, and it’s easy for the audience to relate to, and even support, him towards the end of the story. This cast is ultimately what saves Bokurano when the pacing slows to a crawl or if the reader isn’t that interested in mech battles.

The art for Bokurano is just as interesting as its story and characters. At first it appears unremarkable; clean and polished, but without having much of an identity. However, that the side characters and the main characters have similar levels of detail and each individual character can be told apart from the others does set this series apart. The characters, for the most part, do not view themselves as exceptional, unbeatable individuals who deserve to be the stars of the story, and the art reflects this, painting them as regular people in extraordinary circumstances. There are also subtle differences between the characters in Bokurano and other manga, from a design perspective. The ears are oddly detailed, and the eyes are a similar size to those of real people; this gives the series a much more realistic aesthetic, which, combined with the unusually minimalistic range of expressions and simple levels of detail, makes look and feel more human than many series with a less high-concept setting. The mechs, particularly the enemies, are well-designed and unpredictable, with much of the tension in the battle arising from learning what they can do, what they will do and what their motivations and level of understanding are.

On the whole, Bokurano is not a series for people who want a flashy fun happy-go-lucky shounen with bright colours and brighter characters. It is an ugly, honest presentation of human weakness, strength, desire and nature that holds little sympathy for its readers/viewers. Its story, characters and art style all work cohesively to present a story that is simple on the surface, yet is underscored by a focus on humanity and youth.