Bokurano

tl;dr: A brilliantly written series about characters grappling with the meaning of death, but unfortunately marred by poor artwork.

A quick glance might suggest this manga is a standard mecha story where teens pilot giant robots to defend Earth from an alien invasion. However, it quickly becomes apparent that the mecha element serves primarily as a backdrop for deeper character-driven narratives. While battles are crucial to the plot, they are not central to the manga's core message. At times, the manga even skips depicting the battles themselves. What matters most is that only one randomly selected pilot can control the mecha, Zearth, to fight off invaders, but doing so costs the pilot their life. If the pilot fails or doesn't defeat the enemy within 48 hours, Earth and all its inhabitants perish.

Battles occur unpredictably, but immediately after each battle, the next pilot is revealed. This sets up the manga’s central focus: each main character's struggle with how to use their remaining time. The manga is episodic, with each arc dedicated to a single character. Initially, the pilots operate in secret while maintaining their normal lives, but as the battles continue, their identities become known to the military, media, and eventually the world, making normalcy impossible. This, combined with the diverse cast of characters, ensures each arc offers unique perspectives. The overarching theme explores the value of life through the lens of death, prompting characters to question what makes life worth living, dying for, and killing for. This theme is richly explored, although individual arcs sometimes lack depth. Overall, the writing effectively conveys its intended messages, delivering strong emotional moments and impactful twists.

This isn’t a manga where anyone gets a happy ending, nor do all endings reach bittersweet levels. Nonetheless, despite the melancholic tone, the endings feel reasonably satisfying. Near the end, the manga revisits the stories of deceased characters, providing some closure—except for Chizuru’s arc. Many characters faced complex situations, but only one had a clear villain who escapes unscathed. Worse, the manga attempts to portray this vile character as somewhat admirable, which is absurd and infuriating.

The biggest flaw is the art. It’s overly simplistic and lacks quality. The mechas are mediocre at best, though the action sequences are passable given their secondary importance. However, the art fails miserably at conveying human expressions, undermining emotional impact. This was particularly problematic during dialogue-heavy scenes, such as in Kirie’s arc, where the artwork contributed nothing beyond text. Additionally, the art fails to establish atmosphere or tone, which feels incongruous with the serious themes of the story.

Haiku Review: Bokurano

Dark manga journey
Darker than Evangelion
Read with caution, beware.

STORY:

To dodge spoilers' sting;
Kids find a giant robot,
Aliens descend.

Emotions run high,
Shadows deepen, pace quickens,
From zero to peak.

Beware of spoilers,
Twists that leave you breathless, stunned—
A perfect ten score.

ART:

Character sketches?
Decent but nothing stellar,
Suffering from sameness.

Yet, the mecha shines,
Unearthly designs emerge,
Strange, eerie beauty.

Angles odd and skewed,
Some scenes hard to fully grasp—
Seven out of ten.

CHARACTER:

Each lead gets their arc,
Their stories told in detail,
You'll know them well.

Children thrust into war's maw,
No happy endings here.

Problems plague each soul,
Complex, flawed, real as life—
Eight points out of ten.

ENJOYMENT:

Not "enjoyment" per se,
But an emotional ride,
As one reads Bokurano.

Finished, felt hollow,
Soul touched by profound sadness,
Crying seems natural.

For those who seek depth,
A niche, yet powerful read—
Nine points out of ten.

OVERALL:

Evangelion, step aside,
In sorrow, you're outmatched.
Bokurano reigns supreme.

Bokurano: Ours is a tale about a man who convinces fourteen (or so) middle school students to join his team to battle aliens. However, instead of conventional methods, this man, influenced heavily by anime, believes the only way to combat giant aliens is with a giant robot. These kids must take turns piloting the robot, saving the world while unaware of the immense personal cost involved. This becomes a horrifying game of chance.

The premise is straightforward - use a giant robot to defeat giant aliens. The story's strength should lie in its characters, their personalities, likability, and traits. Yet, when an AI-like entity has more personality than any human character, something's terribly wrong. Characters are either burdened with dark pasts or embody generic hero archetypes. There were moments when they felt alive and engaging, but mostly, they acted predictably, making for a dull read. Perhaps the author intended to portray typical middle schoolers, but it often came off as uninspired writing.

The action sequences had significant flaws. Only two fights stood out, separated by tactical planning under intense pressure. While I appreciated that aspect, most battles lacked creativity, resorting to brute force given the series' scale. Each fight had its moments, but overall, they fell short. Moreover, inserting backstories during battles ruined both the pacing and storytelling, especially when some backstories were weak or unconvincing.

The artwork was inconsistent. Effort seemed focused on mecha and aliens, leaving characters looking amateurish. Philosophical musings were thrown in, seemingly to distract from weak characters, mundane action, and poor art. Some antagonists escaped unscathed, implying the heroes fought for everyone's survival, though reality doesn't always align with ideals.

My main issue with the philosophical content is its lack of originality. It's been done better before. While thought-provoking, these ideas aren't new. Adding them without clear reasons muddled the narrative further. Additionally, why middle schoolers? It was never adequately explained.

Some redeeming qualities include how each character coped with the costs involved. Those who handled it uniquely kept me engaged. Unfortunately, too many issues plagued the series: unlikable characters, unnecessary underage nudity, and a myriad of complications dragging it down. Psychological thriller enthusiasts might find value here, but don't expect anything groundbreaking.

TLDR: Too many problems prevent Bokurano from being enjoyable. Its few strengths are buried under numerous weaknesses. 3/10

This might just be my favorite manga, and I have read an extensive amount. What stands out the most about this manga is its characters, with the plot serving mainly as a vehicle to explore their depths. The central characters are middle school students tasked with piloting a giant mech named "Zearth." Each pilot's turn in the mech ends with their death. The pilot is chosen randomly from those contracted, but they are informed beforehand. The narrative revolves around each character's final days on Earth before their crucial battle.

No character is neglected; each receives meaningful development throughout the story. Collectively, I find that all characters are well-written, mirroring real people closely. Through the diverse main cast, we experience multiple perspectives of the world as they lead vastly different lives, offering commentary on society and the various types of individuals within it. It’s intriguing.

A particularly remarkable aspect of this manga is how the author deals with death. The characters' reactions are portrayed in very real and visceral ways, making their experiences deeply resonant.

Bokurano is an extraordinary manga, both in its strengths and weaknesses. Let's break it down:

The story centers on personal experiences, delving into each pilot's life and how they cope with their problems while operating the robot. Instead of a single protagonist, every character gets their moment to shine. This approach yields some excellent moments due to intriguing characters with solid motivations; Komo was particularly well-developed. However, some characters are shallow and lack depth, like Kako, who stands out as a prime example. Additionally, Chizu’s arc is just bizarre—how her family "accepts" what happened to her or the absence of consequences for a minor enticer feels off.

The most commendable aspect of the story is the author's knack for surprising the reader. The way unexpected moments are crafted is truly impressive. Unfortunately, this strength falters in the final battle. The scale of events becomes so grand that it loses impact, and the conclusion of the final character development is simply skipped, leaving much unresolved.

The weakest point of the story is undoubtedly its ending. It’s poorly executed, embodying a pessimistic tone consistent with the work but neglecting the human element. By failing to show the outcome of the characters' worldviews and actions, the author disappoints readers who were invested in these arcs.

Artistically, Bokurano excels. The fight scenes are highly detailed, but the artwork really shines in its ability to convey the emotional weight of each scene effectively.

In summary, Bokurano is an engaging manga that explores thought-provoking themes and perspectives. Nonetheless, its failure to fully resolve certain plot threads combined with a lackluster ending somewhat mars the overall reading experience.

The manga series titled Bokurano is a deeply controversial and polarizing narrative that, at its heart, delves into themes of human desire, nature, and value. The story begins when fifteen children inadvertently enter into a contract to save their world by piloting a giant mech named "Zearth" and battling other dubious mechs. Initially, the pacing is slow, with the true tone of the series remaining elusive. However, it soon becomes clear that neither the readers nor the characters were aware of the gravity of their situation, from which they cannot escape. Once their predicament is revealed, the manga takes a darker turn, with victory seeming impossible and the characters falling one by one.

After the reveal, the story centers on each of the fifteen pilots facing their own adversaries, drawing upon their courage and tactical abilities, often needing to sacrifice both comrades' lives and their firmly held beliefs. One of the strengths of the story is its focus on sociological and psychological undertones within a context where they can believably exist, much like Evangelion before it, rather than settling for a typical action romp. There are no mere punching contests; every conflict is emotionally charged and relevant to at least two characters. This not only makes the stakes feel higher and the sacrifices more heartbreaking but also introduces variety between battles, which could otherwise feel repetitive and uninspired. Each struggle feels genuine, with no battle feeling like a shallow rehash or obligatory plot device. However, this can lead to some painfully slow pacing, which, while usually natural and relevant, sometimes feels like padding required to reach the chapter's designated length. Additionally, some character stories and moments don't hit as hard as others. Like Evangelion, the series deviates further from its monster-of-the-week format as it progresses, becoming increasingly complex, almost convoluted, but the depressing atmosphere and sense of inevitable loss remain constant. Overall, though, the story is engaging enough for a reader with sufficient patience and investment. I read the entire manga series in one week and couldn’t imagine consuming it any other way.

The characters, as mentioned earlier, are where Bokurano truly shines. Each character is deeply flawed, driven by the uncertainty they now face. No two characters feel too similar, and they all have meaningful relationships with their families, friends, and often other Zearth pilots, grounding them and giving us insight into who they are and what they believe. This understanding provides context into the core of the narrative: if we were to die within a week, what would we want to do? Would we go about our usual routines without upsetting the world’s flow? Would we say our final goodbyes to loved ones, dedicating our last moments to others? Would we seek out our final opportunities to fulfill selfish desires of violence, sex, or revenge? Unless the reader is a robot or a perfect human, these questions have likely arisen at least once. Given the nature of the story, I cannot delve into details without considerable spoilers, but Chizuru Honda and Kirei Yousuke stand out in terms of memorability.

The supporting characters play their roles well, acutely aware of the dire situation while remembering that their lives depend on children, treating them with appropriate delicacy and understanding without being 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 demeanor, but even he has more layers than initially portrayed, allowing the audience to relate to, and even support, him by the end of the story. This cast ultimately saves Bokurano when the pacing slows or if the reader isn’t particularly interested in mech battles.

The art for Bokurano is as intriguing as its story and characters. At first glance, it appears unremarkable—clean and polished but lacking identity. However, the fact that side characters and main characters have similar levels of detail, making each individual distinguishable, sets this series apart. The characters generally don't view themselves as exceptional or unbeatable heroes deserving to be the stars of the story, and the art reflects this, portraying them as regular people in extraordinary circumstances. There are subtle differences in character design compared to other manga—the ears are oddly detailed, and the eyes are similar in size to those of real people, giving the series a more realistic aesthetic. Combined with the unusually minimalistic range of expressions and simple levels of detail, this makes the series look and feel more human than many with less high-concept settings. The mechs, especially the enemies, are well-designed and unpredictable, with much of the tension arising from learning what they can do, their motivations, and their level of understanding.

Overall, Bokurano is not for those seeking a flashy, fun, happy-go-lucky shounen series with bright colors and characters. It is an ugly, honest portrayal of human weakness, strength, desire, and nature that offers little sympathy to its readers/viewers. Its story, characters, and art style all work cohesively to present a tale that is deceptively simple on the surface yet underscored by a focus on humanity and youth.

Bokurano has lingered in my mind for quite some time, not because of its subject matter but due to what I call the "Ergo Proxy" phenomenon prevalent in anime and manga. It's a tale that does many things right yet simultaneously stumbles in other areas. The ideas are great, and the artwork is impressive, but it fails to fully capitalize on these strengths.

Plot:
Initially, what drew me to Bokurano was its depressing yet intriguing premise, reminiscent of another unmentioned mecha series. The story begins with fifteen children inadvertently signing a contract to save their world by piloting a giant mecha named Zearth. They must battle menacing forces, unaware that Zearth operates on life energy, causing the pilot to die after each battle. Thus, they must spend their remaining time defending Earth while contemplating how to live out their final moments.

The concept sounds promising on paper, but execution makes all the difference. Instead of being an action-packed series, Bokurano emphasizes psychological and existential themes. Structurally, the story is divided into short narrative arcs focusing on individual characters' perspectives. While this approach starts strong, gradually raising thematic questions and advancing the mystery, it also leads to noticeable flaws like slow pacing and feeling overly structured. Some chapters feel padded and convoluted, diminishing the impact of character arcs.

For instance, certain situations meant to evoke sympathy often repeat known information unnecessarily. One absurd example involves a thief stealing a family car, with the story framing the main character as wrong—comparable to the chocolate bar nonsense from Erased.

Characters:
The characters are central to Bokurano, making it stand out for some readers. Each character gets focus in their arcs, exploring distinct flaws and overcoming insecurities or trauma. Not all characters are equally memorable, however. Standouts include Yoko Machi, Jun Ushiro, Chizuru Honda, and Dung Beetle, who have more screen time and meaningful relationships explored. Other characters vary in impact, with Kodaka and Isao being particularly disliked.

A major gripe is the excessive dialogue, filled with pseudo-intellectual musings. Themes about human nature need subtler conveyance rather than blunt force. Even though Bokurano uses symbolism appropriately, it still suffers from monotonous and inarticulate information delivery that could be better handled through clever dialogue or discovery.

Art:
Kithou Mohiro’s art is grounded and minimalistic, maintaining identity among characters without exaggeration. Character designs reflect normality, fitting the story's context. In contrast, the mecha designs are striking, enveloping foes with unpredictability and enhancing battles. Their variety avoids repetition, contributing to the ethereal atmosphere reflecting the story's nature. This combination creates a sense of dread and suspense, balancing the day-to-day lives of characters before their fatal demise. Overall, the art kept me engaged even during less interesting parts.

Conclusion:
After reading Bokurano twice and reviewing it earlier (where I heavily criticized it), I can now recommend it. Despite flaws like flat monologues, surface-level themes, and pretentiousness, it remains entertaining. It's not a masterpiece, lacking profound messages, but the intrigue of analyzing characters and seeing what drives them made it a good, memorable story about human weakness, death, desire, and sympathy.

A bunch of 7th grade kids fighting a giant robot to save the world—could it get any more cliché?

I stumbled upon references to the Bokurano anime while searching for mecha-style animes online. Initially, I watched the anime and found it amazing. But after reading the manga, I was blown away.

The main plot revolves around fifteen kids who sign a contract with a mysterious man. All they know is that they have to use a giant robot to fight an enemy with a similar one. Soon, they discover that every battle comes at a price. Many people die during these battles (including acquaintances and even relatives of the kids), and most importantly, the contract has horrific conditions they were unaware of.

Without giving away spoilers, the remaining story focuses on how the kids confront their fates and deal with the feelings of loss or despair from being responsible for humanity's survival. Each kid reacts differently. Some fall into despair, some fight bravely, some remain indifferent, and some try to run away.

The way the plot unfolds is remarkable. Every kid has their own fears, background, and desires. Sometimes their stories intertwine, and sometimes each character has their unique narrative. Each chapter was better than the last. The only "mistake" I could find was the art, which I personally disliked. It can be detailed at times but lacks final polish. I don't know if I just got used to it or if the drawing improved by the end, but it doesn't really matter.

If you enjoy anime/manga like Evangelion, Bokurano is a must-read before you "seal the contract." Don't miss out on this incredible experience.