Bokurano: Ours, Vol. 2

Description

Saving the world is no child’s play in this dark and chilling mecha manga series. One summer, fifteen kids innocently wander into a nearby seaside cave. There they meet a strange man who invites them to play an exciting new video game. This game, he explains, pits one lone giant robot against a horde of alien invaders. To play the game, all they have to do is sign a simple contract. The game stops being fun when the kids find out the true purpose of their pact. Saving the world is hard. Saving yourself is even harder. Giant robots are invading Earth and fifteen teenagers must figure out a way to stop them. The key to mankind's survival is a towering mecha known as Zearth, but the iron giant's power is not infinite. It gets its strength from the power of life supplied by each teenage pilot. That's a deadly price to pay for someone not yet in high school. Review: Awful truths make for excellent reading - Stories tend to have specific points at which they truly get going. For Bokurano, that point is the second volume, when the young pilots truly understand what they're fighting for and what it means for them, and it's also when it becomes clear this is no ordinary story about children fighting to save the world. The story continues with the awful truth revealed- that no matter what happens, Zearth's pilots will die at the end of their battles. Naturally, this is a troubling revelation for those who will leave behind loved ones when they pass on, or simply don't want to die. Unfortunately for the pilots, there's no way out of the contract, and many more enemies for Zearth to defeat. The characters are still well developed, and the impact of the revelations on all of them is portrayed well, as various members start to crack under the pressure. Daichi Yamura is portrayed well as a selfless individual who provides for his younger siblings while holding out hope for his father's return, while Mako "Nakama" Nakarai seeks to be a good girl in order to overcome the shame of having a prostitute mother, but ultimatly learns valuable lessons from the way her mother lives her life. The characters have believable motivations and undergo significant change in the time we see them, making them easy to relate to. The battles are still enjoyable, although at times, they seem like something of a sideshow to the characters' personal struggles. Still, that, in and of itself, is an effective point. These children are only human, and had many issues going on in their lives before they became contracted, issues that they cannot simply forget about even if they know they are going to die. There is apparently some censorship of nudity in this volume. It's not enough to significantly alter the story or detract from the experience, but purists should be aware of it. All in all, this volume, the point at which the setup and most of the exposition are over and Bokurano gets to show what it's all about as a series, is an exciting step forward for the story, and well worth reading if Volume 1 drew you in. Review: Still highly worth it--much more than meets the eye - Yes, Viz did some minor censorship of the art in this volume--there are issues with showing nudity in prepubescent characters in the US. Whether or not you agree with their decision, don't dismiss the series just for that reason. It's still absolutely not to be missed. On the surface, this series looks like a simple mecha battle story, but there's so much more here. The characters have incredible depth and realism, and in each vignette the issues each child struggles with as they face death and the battle to save their planet and loved ones is brought into relief against the distinctive circumstances of their young lives. Many manga tend to recycle popular themes and stock character types, but these characters and their stories are stunningly original, complex, and moving. And, if you dig that sort of thing, Morito Kitoh's designs for vehicles and aircraft of the near future are also pretty awesome. There's a lot more here than meets the eye. After a volume or two, you'll definitely be hooked.