Fifteen children are tasked to protect the planet by piloting in turn, a giant mecha and battling a series of mechas from parallel worlds in a inter-dimensional 'natural selection' process. Even one loss means the annihilation of their entire universe, while each victory still requires the life of the pilot sacrificed to fuel the mecha.
This fantastic premise merely serves as a backdrop however, against which each character is brought to life in wonderfully realistic complexity. The assigned pilot in each episode must come to terms with the inevitability of their imminent deaths, finding the strength to sacrifice themselves for the sake of family and friends.
While the animation and cgi effects may not be impressive to all viewers, Bokurano's strength lies in its characters as well as its story-telling. The intricate sci-fi plot is presented through the 24 episodes in bits and pieces, ultimately to form a coherent whole leaving behind no plot-holes and hardly any relevant unanswered questions.
This show is definitely not palatable for all viewers, particularly sensitive ones. The antagonists who organised the death-matches remain unpunished till the end of the show, which is an otherwise emotionally satisfying ending. Moreover viewers are warned that by the end of the show, nearly every single major character will be dead.
Score:8.5/10
Highly recommended.
