Bokurano is a rare gem that manages to take the best parts of shows like Evangelion and ties them together with a much more streamlined plot. Bokurano is the story of 15 children who pilot a gigantic robot in defense of the earth. Each time the pilot defeats an enemy, he or she dies. Episodes focus on one character at a time, usually after the pilot has been chosen. Each character has a very distinct personality and way of coping with the extreme circumstances.
Plot: (lots of spoilers)
Bokurano has a fast paced plot with several key shits over the course of the seres. The first is when the children discover that the pilot of the robot dies after they complete their battle with the mysterious foes who threaten to destroy the earth. This is key in setting the shows dark tone from the onset, many shows fail to do this at the beginning - shifting gears halfway through the season. Bokurano's consistency in keeping this tone throughout is very satisfying and makes it a much more enjoyable show. The second key shift is mid season, when it is revealed that the battles they have been fighting are against other humans from alternate dimensions. This kind of Darwinian survival of the fittest is what determines whether one universe should survive and others should be destroyed. The finale focus's on one character just like the other episodes, but It is the least likely member of the cast that ends up surviving. The end felt satisfying and I feel that the story was tied together well. 9/10
Character Design:
When I watched the first episode I was thinking the whole time that there were too many characters for me to feel any kind of connection with any of them. This fear was quickly dispelled after I watched the next few episodes and saw that while you don't learn everything there is to know about each character you learned what was most important. If I have one qualm with this show it is that it tended to use cliché sub plots as the medium to deliver this background information. This did subtract somewhat from the shows otherwise refreshing originality.
This is, despite it's mecha elements, ultimately a show about life. The children mature both as a group and individually throughout the show, keeping them intriguing all the way to the end. This diversity and attention to detail in character design is one of Bokurano's best qualities. 8/10
Visuals:
Bokurano's subdued tone is carried across into its art style. The level of detail is very good for a show that was drawn in standard definition, during the finale there were several scenes that blew my mind with their complexity and the number of objects on screen. The mecha's are all CGI, usually that is a turn off as it is very difficult to blend the 3d with the classical animation but Bokurano manages to do this with very little awkwardness. I would love to see a Blu-Ray for this show. 9/10
Sound Design and Score:
Bokurano has an excellent score, further providing the show with it's unique tone. The opening title "Uninstall" is one of the best I have ever seen and I am glad they carried it across all 24 episodes. Thechae first ending title "Little Bird" is OK, but the second one "Vermilion" is much better. 8/10
Conclusion:
Bokurano provides a unique spin on the mecha genre with its focus primarily on the characters and it's exiting plot it will appeal to people who typically would not pick up a mecha show. I would recommend it to almost anyone. 8.5/10
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