Category: Bokura no

I just don’t know how to start this entry… it just was so… disturbing. Bokura no is just grabbing me like no other series this season, and at this point, it’s become my personal favourite of all the anime I’m currently watching. You can really see that the same mangaka for Narutaru worked on this, and Narutaru already was amazing. This episode can be best described by a quote from Takami: “if we do find him, what should we do?” Isao had been missing since the previous episode, and it’s only natural for the others to try and find him. Yosuki, Takami, Moji, Chizuru, Aiko and Yoko did, at least. I’m not sure about the others. Jun probably didn’t care enough, and Kana didn’t have something to tag along with. Kanji has shown that he’s got a relaxed personality, so he probably doesn’t worry too much, which is probably why he didn’t come. Daiichi feels a bit distant from the group, somehow, which could explain why we didn’t see him. I’m not sure where Maki and Mako went, though. I can see Mako being too shy to come, but Maki did show in the previous episode that she definitely cares about everyone. Anyway, this pretty much is a Chizuru-episode, in which she tries to find Isao, who has been turned crazy by the premonition that he’s going to die. I kept wondering how he’d pilot Zearth in a state like his, but this episode showed that he’s probably one of the few to actually die without having piloted Zearth when Chizuru kills him after he tried to assault her. The only bad point about Bokura no that I can really think of is that we just know that Chizuru will be the next pilot. While it would be awesome to see someone else in the pilot’s seat, she’s the only one whose background is fleshed out enough for it. Still, I loved how Chizuru blamed herself for killing Isao, and that she didn’t try to find some kind of excuse. Another thing I just realized is that the OP indeed shows little blurbs of what’s to come. I really noticed it after watching this episode, as it shows both Chizuru and Isao in the aquarium, and I actually recognized these scenes. Based on this, I’m especially curious as to what Yoko’s scene means, when she stands in front of a burning city.]]>

The total amount of episodes for Bokurano hasn’t been announced yet, has it? If I had to estimate, then I’d say 39 episodes. The current format of the show is intro-death-intro-death-intro. It’s a solid format, and definitely makes sure for enough development. Fifteen children means 15 x 2 = 30 episodes, where I can imagine that some of the arcs will be three episodes, instead of two. In any case, I do hope so, as this anime deserves not to get rushed. I’m also very surprised. I expected the impulsive characters to last at least till the end, because they’d make sure for some great conflict later on. But now it seems that the three most impulsive characters of the bunch are actually killed off the first. I really fear for Maki now, as she’s right now the most likely person to be the fourth pilot. Also, regarding my spelling of the title for this anime, I realize that most other people are using “Bokurano”, instead of “Bokura no”. Since the original title is in Japanese, which doesn’t use spaces, it’s always a question how to spell something like this right in romanji. Still, I decided to keep “Bokura no”, simply because: 1. I’ve grown to like it. 2. I keep mispronouncing Bokurano. With Bokura no, I at least know where the right emphasises on the words are. Anyway, about the episode, a lot of time was dedicated to Isao, the next pilot. He already freaks out even before he realizes it. The guy likes to speak his mind, even when he’s angry, so he starts to yell at everyone. At home, he tears up his entire room and actually hurts his own mother. His sister doesn’t have such a good relationship with him, obviously, while his mother is extremely worried. I assume that the one who picked him up in episode 2 also was his sister, not his mother, like I originally thought. In the end, he runs away from home, only to realize he’s going to be the next pilot. Chizuru Honda also had a major role. I’m not sure if Isao fancied her before everything started, but he does fancy her the most out of the characters. When he’s desperate like that, he’s obviously going to run to her. Chizuru, however, is cold and realistic again. We do get a bit of information about her, though. She’s actually like Isao, in a way. She too tries to run to the person she trusts the most, in order to find comfort. For Chizuru, this person is some kind of teacher for her, though he or she isn’t at home. I feel like I’m really going to like Mako when she’s going to get a bit of decent development. So far, we’ve only seen bits and pieces of her, though these were very interesting so far. She’s incredibly shy, but at the same time she likes to please everyone. Think of a combination of Takami and Yosuki. We also get a bit more information about Jun. When Kana was born, his mother died out of exhaustion. It’s quite possible for Jun to hate her because of this. Kana turned very silent because of this. I think that she figured that it’d just be best to not speak at all, so that she doesn’t anger her brother too much. Moji is another person who is high on the “next pilot”-list. He’s been having quite a bit of development in the past few episodes. This episode, he only explained a few things, but it definitely showed that he’s also got a lot of charisma. Aiko is the third person on this list, when we see her act very delighted that there might be a feint chance for her to be saved. If I had to guess, then Yosuki is going to have a big role in the next episode. Simply because Isao just continues to bully him. This episode he again kept kicking him in order to relieve stress. It’s also interesting, as we see Koemushi either have a conversation with himself, or Zearth, in which the second party questions whether Koemushi isn’t going too far in his insults. I also was surprised when the army actually got the permission to investigate on Zearth. Their commander seems to be on good terms with Kana, though we’re not yet shown exactly how.]]>

Short Synopsis: It’s Masaru’s father, and only now the concept of Bokura no really becomes clear. Good: Wow… just wow… Bad: Certain characters didn’t get any lines at all. Overall Enjoyment Value: 8.5/10 Oh boy… I may have misunderstood this part, so correct me if I’m wrong, but in this episode, it becomes clear that whoever pilots Zearth, will definitely die. Seriously, I knew that characters would die quite often, but I never expected it to be an actual RULE to this game. That’s why Kokopeli never appeared again, he wasn’t controlling everything from behind the scenes at all, he just died after he demonstrated how to pilot Zearth! The reason Takashi died also was because of this, and Jun had to take the blame. This time, it’s Masaru’s turn. And really, his case was so good. His brother (whom I previously mistook for his father) hates his father, but Masaru loves him. It’s a typical case in which a parent favours one of his children above the others. Usually in anime, the focus is on the neglected one, but this time, it’s the total opposite. The reason Masaru has turned so cold was because of his father, who doesn’t seem to have any mercy as well. It seems that the only one he’s nice to is Masaru himself, who in turn loves him as well. Notice the chair he uses in Zearth isn’t his own chair, but his father’s. During his turn in piloting, he indeed demonstrates that he’s rather merciless, when he doesn’t care what kinds of homes he’ll destroy or people he’ll kill. Because of this, he accidentally kills his own father when he falls down, due to carelessness. He goes berserk after that, which ends up killing the enemy mecha, and himself as well. This definitely was a Masaru-episode. The others didn’t get much development, aside from knowing that they’re all going to die. Because of this, I’m looking forward to the next episode a LOT. Especially the one who’s going to pilot next time will be interesting, now that he or she knows that fighting means dying.]]>

Short Synopsis: This episode features the children returning to their home, and attend Takashi’s funeral. Good: Only now, Takashi’s death really sinks in. Bad: I couldn’t understand the people who talked about his autopsy. Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10 Remember a random anime in which lots of buildings get destroyed? Chances are that during the aftermath, you won’t see anything that hinted about this. This definitely is different in Bokurano, as we still see the damages that Zearth caused. I’ll call it Zearth for now, as I have no idea whether Jiaasu really is a Japanese word, or a horrible katakanification of the word Zearth. This is probably the first time for an anime to actually kill of its main character, especially so early in the show. Takashi does leave his traces, as the children are now beginning to realize that this game can really be able to kill them. In the current episode, we also get to meet the parents and the homes of the now fourteen children. Masaru’s father is what you’d expect of him: cold and uncaring. With a father like that, I can imagine how he picked up that personality trait. I wonder what happened to his mother, as his father picking him up that his mother wasn’t able to (otherwise he wouldn’t have taken the initiative). He’s going to be the next one to pilot Zearth, which makes me really anticipate the next episode, as it’ll probably cause more and more conflicts. Moji’s are shown only briefly, they seem to work at some kind of restaurant. I wonder what will happen once he gets to be the pilot. Takashi wanted to pilot Zearth because it’s new to him, and Masaru will probably not care about life or death at this point, but what will happen when someone who doesn’t actually want to pilot gets to pilot it? Isao’s mother likes to scold him, but that’s only natural, as I can imagine him getting in more sorts of trouble. He doesn’t have that big of a role, but right after Zearth has disappeared, he did release his frustrations by yelling at everyone. I don’t think he’ll really be an antagonist. He’s just a bit too playful and likes to speak his mind. Daiichi didn’t have a big role this time. We do see a bit of his father, but that’s everything. So far, he doesn’t seem to have any problems with his parents, but we’ve yet to see where he lives. Kanji took things surprisingly well. Even after Takashi died, he still was able to still lie to the police without a worry on his face. He seems to live in the same building as Jun and Kana, and this episode showed that he’s got a “don’t worry too much”-personality. I wonder how long that lasts. Jun doesn’t seem to have any parents, they’re either dead or they’re away for a long while. I’m not sure which of the two it is, but if I had to guess, then it’s the second. He spends the episode thinking about Takashi. He and Kana live in a really strange apartment, by the way. Even the beds are piled up strangely. Yosuki also doesn’t have a big role. The only time we see a bit of him individually is during the interrogations, where he has trouble speaking, and when his mother comes to pick him up, from which the only new thing we get to see is his way too large backpack. Mako gets a bit more screentime than last episode, but it still isn’t much. It appears that she’s more of a shy girl, like Yosuki perhaps. But unlike Yosuki, she doesn’t try to be more talkative. Aiko has it the most difficult in this episode. She clearly is the most shocked by Takashi’s death, and she shows it when she starts crying, and avoiding her favourite chair when she gets home. I really wonder how her character will evolve, as she may be the first one to freak out, this also may cause her to be the first one to calm down again. Chizuru Honda actually turns out a little sadistic. She also doesn’t seem to care too much about Takashi’s death, and talks a bit freaky. When her mother tries to comfort her, she just pushes her away. I’m quite surprised that Takami actually told the police and her parents about Zearth. Obviously, nobody believed her, but this does show that she likes to be the goodie two-shoe. I wonder what will happen once the others find out that she tried to give away their secrets. Maki’s father is just as energetic as she is. She had a small role in this episode, though. Not much news apart from this was given about her. I’m still wondering about Yoko. Yet again did she have nearly no screentime for this episode. She only got one line for the entire episode. The only thing I figured out was that she likes to take care of Kana. Speaking of Kana, I really like her, with a brother like that. She hardly ever talks, so it’s very hard to understand how she actually sees her brother. Does she hate him? Does she care for him? Does she find him annoying? Is it also me, or has she never spoken during this entire anime? Anyway, this episode was really nice. The action-junkies will probably not find it that exciting, but the different characters were very interesting to see. :)]]>

Short Synopsis: The second episode centres around Takashi Wako, as he gets to be the first to play the game. Good: Gosh…. that ending. Bad: Still no real bad points. Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10 I never understood what people have against slow mechas. Okay, they’re less testosterone-inducing, but slow mechas are far more realistic than these fast ones. I mean, where do they get the energy to swing a sword of roughly 3000 kilogram along with the speed of 400 km/second? Anyway, before I start with the episode, I think it’s best to make a small list of the characters, as I just know I’ll forget their names if I don’t, especially with such a huge cast. Takashi Waku, he’s probably the most stereotypical character of the cast, but even he easily defied the clichés in the second episode. He’s impulsive, likes to say what he thinks, and he’s really good with football. He used to be in a top-team, though I think his father made him quit. Masaru Kodaka will probably cause a lot of conflict in the future, as he likes to get into arguments with others. I believe he was the one who tried to burn the crab in the previous episode. Kunihiko Moji is about the opposite, and he likes to be on the good side of everyone. He’s also one of the more mature members of the cast. Isao Kako is playful like Wako, but less innocent. Wako never really insults others, though Kako doesn’t really care whether he does or not. Daiichi Yamura is probably the most level-headed of the cast, I like him. Kanji Yoshikawa is sortof like a combination of Waku and Yamura. He’s carefree, though slightly mature at the same time. Jun Ushiro is your typical elitist, he regards himself above the others, and doesn’t talk much, and when he does, it’s without a lot of respect. Yosuki Kirie is an interesting character. He’s overweight and incredibly shy. Especially Kako likes to yell at him a lot. Now for the girls: Mako Nakarai hasn’t had a lot of screentime, and my memory is a bit fuzzy about her. More about her later. Aiko Tokosumi, the one with the blonde hair and the hat is one of the more talkative females. Probably one of the more normal ones as well, I like her somehow. Chizuru Honda seems a bit like a shy girl; with her my memory is fuzzy as well. The second episode was more about the boys than the girls. Takami Komoda has the most objections out of everyone. Judging from the OP, she has a really high status at school, and likes to play piano. I think she’s trying to keep her reputation the way it is. Maki Ano is the more care-free of the girls. She’s playful, but unlike Wako, she doesn’t try to force others, and unlike Kako, she never really insults others as well. Yoko Machi also didn’t really get much airtime in the second episode, but from what I remember, she’s also more level-headed, but she doesn’t like to be proven wrong. Kana Ushiro has been involved with this totally against her will. She’s the little girl, and she was just transported along with everyone else. It also seems that she’s Jun’s sister. Kokopeli was the reason the kids got involved with everything in the first place. I wonder if we’ll see him again, now that he disappeared. Koemushi (spelling?) took over Kokopeli’s role in guiding the children. He’s, to put it bluntly, completely arrogant. Chiasu is the mecha that’s been hiding in the sea, and that will be piloted by our characters. About the episode, like I mentioned above, it’s all centred on Waku. The episode itself was quite good, but I really liked the ending, in which Ushiro just pushes Waku off of the top of Chiasu, through the use of a simple joke. I can’t believe the first character has already died. At least, I assume he did, as so far, he seemed to be the main character of this story. I also can’t believe he just slapped his sister afterwards. I believe that that’s just a preview of things to come.]]>