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ぼくらの [Bokurano] #1
Bokurano: Ours, Vol. 1
Saving the world is hard. Saving yourself is even harder. One summer, 15 kids innocently wander into a nearby seaside cave. There they meet a strange man who invites them to play an exciting new video game. Sounds like fun, right? This game, he explains, pits a lone giant robot against a horde of alien invaders. All they have to do is sign a simple little contract. The game stops being fun when the kids find out the true purpose of their deadly pact.
200 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2004
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December 2, 2011
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.
[b] VALUE SECTION [/b]
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
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.
[b] VALUE SECTION [/b]
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
September 11, 2018
Reseña y calificación para todo el manga
15 chicos son escogidos para pilotear un robot gigante y proteger a la Tierra del ataque de otros monstruos. Pero lo que desconocen al principio es que si pierden la Tierra será destruida y que ganen o pierdan ellos morirán.
El porqué no es muy claro y el quién nunca es revelado. Estas cosas sin duda afectan negativamente a la historia.
Pero lo que yo buscaba en este caso en particular eran las reacciones de estos chicos ante esta situación inimaginable y de tales proporciones: ¿Serían aplastados por el peso de la situación? ¿Afrontarían la muerte con valor? ¿Lucharían hasta el final por sus seres queridos? ¿Huirían? ¿Se volverían locos? ¿Se suicidarían?
Muchas historias no son profundas ni tienen mucho sentido y hasta hay una que me molesto mucho, y las batallas salvo una no fueron de estrategia. Pero aun así disfrute leyendo muchas de las historias y conociendo a sus protagonistas, y me quedo con esta frase:
“No intentes lo mejor. Solo intenta “algo mejor". Eso es todo."😊
15 chicos son escogidos para pilotear un robot gigante y proteger a la Tierra del ataque de otros monstruos. Pero lo que desconocen al principio es que si pierden la Tierra será destruida y que ganen o pierdan ellos morirán.
El porqué no es muy claro y el quién nunca es revelado. Estas cosas sin duda afectan negativamente a la historia.
Pero lo que yo buscaba en este caso en particular eran las reacciones de estos chicos ante esta situación inimaginable y de tales proporciones: ¿Serían aplastados por el peso de la situación? ¿Afrontarían la muerte con valor? ¿Lucharían hasta el final por sus seres queridos? ¿Huirían? ¿Se volverían locos? ¿Se suicidarían?
Muchas historias no son profundas ni tienen mucho sentido y hasta hay una que me molesto mucho, y las batallas salvo una no fueron de estrategia. Pero aun así disfrute leyendo muchas de las historias y conociendo a sus protagonistas, y me quedo con esta frase:
“No intentes lo mejor. Solo intenta “algo mejor". Eso es todo."😊
February 7, 2011
15 kids meet one summer and are offered a chance to play a "game" which seems pretty cool to them. Little do they know they pretty much have no choice and no one wins this game. Each kid will have an opportunity to pilot a giant robot in order to save the world, but the price is pretty high, as the first pilot finds out. The other children all handle the aftermath in different ways. The author does a great job of giving each kid a background and compelling reason to do what they do. He doesn't shirk on the brutality and unfairness of life.
April 22, 2025
[volumes 1-11, chapters 1-65] Like if all the DigiDestined kids had to pilot the Evas to the nth degree. Or Mamoru Hosada’s Summer Wars but instead of a really supportive extended family it’s fifteen extremely suicidal middle schoolers. I think Narutaru/Shadow Star leaves a way stronger impression because there’s a bigger heel turn from goofy summer adventures to Now Tell Pikachu To Waste That Dude, but Mohiro Kitoh is good at what he does: traumatizing fictional 13-year-olds
January 9, 2025
この星の無数の塵のひとつだと
今の僕には理解できない
I am just one of the countless specks of dust in this planet, but it is something I cannot yet comprehend.
In which we’re reading a heroic heart-warming tale about middle-school kids saving Earth by piloting giant robot against evil alien invaders.
I first read Bokurano more than a decade ago in my formative years. At the time, I was stunned and considered it a masterpiece, as well as something that contributed to my eventual worldview. Revisiting it, I could see its flaws more clearly. The action scenes could be hard to follow at times, the technical details of the plot get increasingly messy, and the sociopolitical commentary may not be as deep as I once I thought. Perhaps most damningly, it can be self-indulgent in how it espouses its nihilistic outlook on life, morality, and the world.
I still consider it one of the greatest works I’ve ever read. I won’t forget Mohiro Kitoh’s kids, either. There were courageous kids, scared kids, selfless kids, selfish kids… yet at the end, they’re all just kids.
And then there were none.
今の僕には理解できない
I am just one of the countless specks of dust in this planet, but it is something I cannot yet comprehend.
In which we’re reading a heroic heart-warming tale about middle-school kids saving Earth by piloting giant robot against evil alien invaders.
I first read Bokurano more than a decade ago in my formative years. At the time, I was stunned and considered it a masterpiece, as well as something that contributed to my eventual worldview. Revisiting it, I could see its flaws more clearly. The action scenes could be hard to follow at times, the technical details of the plot get increasingly messy, and the sociopolitical commentary may not be as deep as I once I thought. Perhaps most damningly, it can be self-indulgent in how it espouses its nihilistic outlook on life, morality, and the world.
I still consider it one of the greatest works I’ve ever read. I won’t forget Mohiro Kitoh’s kids, either. There were courageous kids, scared kids, selfless kids, selfish kids… yet at the end, they’re all just kids.
And then there were none.
July 7, 2012
Somewhere between Gundam Wing, Death Note and Battle Royale is this weird little manga - Bokurano is all mechs, junior high students and lots of worrying about whether they are doing the right thing. On a summer field trip, 15 junior high students sign a contract with a mysterious man in a cave, who tells them they have to save the world by piloting a robot and defeating enemies. It's all very vague and you don't learn much more in this volume.
It's an extremely fast read because so much of it is battle scenes or full page shots of the mech. I feel like the author might have gotten a little too over his head - there are so many characters that I don't really feel anything for them individually . I'm not going to say I didn't like it, but it's a three because the art bumped it up from a two. If more volumes are available at the library, I might pick them up, but I'm not in a hurry despite the cliffhanger ending.
It's an extremely fast read because so much of it is battle scenes or full page shots of the mech. I feel like the author might have gotten a little too over his head - there are so many characters that I don't really feel anything for them individually . I'm not going to say I didn't like it, but it's a three because the art bumped it up from a two. If more volumes are available at the library, I might pick them up, but I'm not in a hurry despite the cliffhanger ending.
July 9, 2025
Between 3 and 4.
Didn't really get into the story until the second half but then I was invested. I like the concept overall and considering the ending I might continue with the second volume just to see what happens.
Didn't really get into the story until the second half but then I was invested. I like the concept overall and considering the ending I might continue with the second volume just to see what happens.
February 8, 2017
I found the story a bit slow in the beginning but it definitely picks up towards the end of the volume. And maybe I'm just jaded but the twist wasn't exactly surprising. However, I am looking forward to picking up the next volumes. Hopefully the monster-of-the-week coupled with the kid-of-the-week doesn't get tedious. And while this deconstruction of the mecha genre feels like a mixture of old and new, I'm hoping there is enough of the new to keep the tension and mystery alive.
January 19, 2015
a cool premise, 14 school children must each take turn controlling a giant robot to defend the earth.
edit: I re-read this before reading the rest of the series. things I forgot to mention in the first review: they name the robot Zearth, they reference Neon Genesis Evangelion without naming it.
edit: I re-read this before reading the rest of the series. things I forgot to mention in the first review: they name the robot Zearth, they reference Neon Genesis Evangelion without naming it.
April 3, 2021
4.5 stars, review of the series entire. Fifteen kids stumble into a contract to pilot a massive mecha and save the world--only to discover that . The various tragic backstories/complex motives of the pilots and the dramatic reveals of the overarching plot can grow a little crazy, but within anime/manga standards it's not that bad and it certainly feels premeditated; the only significant consequence is that the kids read as a little older than 13 when their youth is such an important factor.
But the way that Bokurano expands and collapses its scale is brilliant and devastating. The revelations build on themselves, logical and unavoidable. The stakes are incomprehensibly large, so the cast copes however it can--by narrowing their view to one selfish final wish; by meditating on moral and social obligation in the face of death. But the stakes are also forcibly comprehended, by the weight (or lack thereof) of each character's life but also in the unique shapes of the mech battles--most remarkably . It's genre-engaged, adeptly written, and deceptively quiet within all that action; the art is crisp and unassuming, and the minimal screentone and powerful two-page spreads contribute a lot to the tone. This is one of my favorite manga and I love it even more this second time through, which speaks to its strength: for all the twists, it's less about shock value and more about sitting with the realizations that come after shock fades.
But the way that Bokurano expands and collapses its scale is brilliant and devastating. The revelations build on themselves, logical and unavoidable. The stakes are incomprehensibly large, so the cast copes however it can--by narrowing their view to one selfish final wish; by meditating on moral and social obligation in the face of death. But the stakes are also forcibly comprehended, by the weight (or lack thereof) of each character's life but also in the unique shapes of the mech battles--most remarkably . It's genre-engaged, adeptly written, and deceptively quiet within all that action; the art is crisp and unassuming, and the minimal screentone and powerful two-page spreads contribute a lot to the tone. This is one of my favorite manga and I love it even more this second time through, which speaks to its strength: for all the twists, it's less about shock value and more about sitting with the realizations that come after shock fades.
November 14, 2022
I thought I’ll never find more depressed mecha manga after Neon Genesis Evangelion or Gantz, and boy, am I so wrong.
Imagine: you’re in one summer camp at a beach with your friends when you stumble upon a questionable man named Kokopelli. He said he is developing a brand new game—a mecha-fighting game that you control from the inside like a GUNDAM, to be precise—and offered you to test it. Because it’s a game, there’s no harm to it, you think. Then you and your friend sign a contract which bound you to the game. You think it’s going to be nice and fun. And boy, could you be any more wrong.
It turns out, day after day each of you have take turn to fight real robot, killing real people inside it. If that’s not much, even if you win the match, the pilot who control the robot have to die.
The future’s pretty bleak, huh?
Imagine: you’re in one summer camp at a beach with your friends when you stumble upon a questionable man named Kokopelli. He said he is developing a brand new game—a mecha-fighting game that you control from the inside like a GUNDAM, to be precise—and offered you to test it. Because it’s a game, there’s no harm to it, you think. Then you and your friend sign a contract which bound you to the game. You think it’s going to be nice and fun. And boy, could you be any more wrong.
It turns out, day after day each of you have take turn to fight real robot, killing real people inside it. If that’s not much, even if you win the match, the pilot who control the robot have to die.
The future’s pretty bleak, huh?
January 19, 2023
If I didn't know where the story was going, I'm not sure I would continue with this series based on just the first volume. I feel like there was way too little happening in this first installment to grab the readers. Half the book was about Kokopelli but he failed to be the mysterious sinister character the author probably intended him to be, I couldn't bring myself to care about him - or any of the kids for that matter, given the sparse information we were given about them. If the big reveal about how the robot works exactly happened at the end of volume 1 instead of the beginning of volume 2, the first book would have definitely felt more complete and more motivating to keep reading the series.
November 30, 2025
The author is one of those freaks who try to say that there's no justification for killing someone who repeatedly raped a child, impregnated her, sold her out to his pedophilic circle, and then planned on making a snuff film with her baby. This moron tries to liken human filth to a kleptomaniac who mildly inconvenienced Chizuru's family after stealing their car.
How is it possible that Chizuru's fetus signed the pilot contract...? WHAT!?
Dropping it here. No more.
How is it possible that Chizuru's fetus signed the pilot contract...? WHAT!?
Dropping it here. No more.
May 27, 2021
Evangelion with 5 times as many inexplicably empowered children and 5 times less gratuitous symbolism. I guess that makes it Power Rangers.
Gets interesting right at the end, when the misanthropy and egotism of the chosen ones gets its chance.
Gets interesting right at the end, when the misanthropy and egotism of the chosen ones gets its chance.
August 27, 2024
one of the most insane and interesting premises to ever grace manga...an all time classic and horribly dark but still optimistic. theme song of the anime on piano is also amazing. this is such a must read...
July 23, 2025
Will write a long review on the page for the last volume of the series. All I can say here is that had this series' reputation not preceded itself, I wouldn't have read past the dull early chapters. Weak, weak start.
September 16, 2025
Review for series:
A relatively slow start but the later volumes are quite interesting. Some characters' stories are more intriguing than others however all have the same weight. Wish to re-read. As always, rating may change with time.
A relatively slow start but the later volumes are quite interesting. Some characters' stories are more intriguing than others however all have the same weight. Wish to re-read. As always, rating may change with time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2017
Fantastic, devastatingly dark series. Read it and weep.
September 5, 2017
Another alien fighting mech manga with a mystery aspect to it. Nicely drawn and a decent plot. Nothing makes it truly stand out.
December 29, 2018
Middle schoolers pilot a giant robot given to them by an alien who disappears after one final battle.
This one is going to get dark. It's already pretty dark.
This one is going to get dark. It's already pretty dark.
April 6, 2019
This book is awesome. This book is really satisfaying. This book is very fantastic. This book is totally incredible, this book is so incredible
July 16, 2019
What?
May 30, 2021
Gets good at the end very dark
June 4, 2022
El manga de mechas que no te esperas.
June 18, 2023
This was recommended to me as a "dark take on a popular trope" type of manga, but it's not for me.
March 10, 2024
did this anime series depress me beyond words, yes, so why am I reading it .. well
October 9, 2024
This is a review of the entire series:
Incredibly good but devastatingly sad. There is one plot point I really resent but I think that might be due to cultural differences.
Incredibly good but devastatingly sad. There is one plot point I really resent but I think that might be due to cultural differences.
February 19, 2025
Evangelion of the Flies
August 14, 2022
I was promised depth, emotion, and tragedy, and all I got was boredom, some uncomfortable backward morals, and fight scenes that were only slightly less confusing than the giant mech a bunch of children were operating. I never could quite tell what I was looking at.
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