Bokurano starts out incredibly well. The pacing is excellent, the hints and foreshadowing are all expertly woven to induce a sense of dread to the audience and the children. This is not a happy show. It explores the psyche of each one of the children, their pasts, and how they deal with adversity, all before they are required to fight the next alien invader.
Now, some of the issues I have, or issue, is that the stories of the first half or so of the children are more interesting than the rest. They delve into some complex moral and psychological issues that many mediums tend to ignore or gleam over. I won’t go into too much detail on exactly what the situations are, but they are definitely horrifying. This leads to the first half or 2/3 of Bokurano being more interesting than the last third, which is a shame, but doesn’t discount the incredibly addictive nature of this show.
I tend to put a lot of emphasis on shows with what I consider great endings. I want the last episode to be one of the best in the entire series. Sadly, that leaves me weighing a little too much on the ending and not giving enough credit to what came before it. Not always, but it’s something I’ve realized. Bokurano is a strong show that explores a vast amount of psychological topics, I only wish that the final stretch was where the stronger episodes lied. Still, the show offers an interesting look at how each one of the children react to their past, their present, and what they want for the future without being over-dramatic or apathetic. A great show that was slightly let down by it’s final stretch. Still, I’d easily recommend this anime to anyone looking for a melancholic, yet entertaining and addictive ride through the ups and downs of these tragically flawed adolescents on a grand scale.
Verdict:
8.5/10
