[Categories: Anime Reviews]
Bokurano 2: Zearth
Wow, this really is shaping up to be an interesting one! The kids have to fight their first enemy on their own without Kokopelli’s help, instead taking guidance from the floating creature called Dung Beetle. It’s all very mysterious stuff which had my eyes glued to the screen, trying to look for some hints or hidden symbolism. Anyway, Waku is the one to be selected for the pilot’s seat and we learn a little about his motives before he leads his companions into battle.
I’m still finding the number of characters daunting but there are only a few of them who are the focus this time around; no doubt the others will come to the fore in turn as the battles progress. Waku is likable enough but sadly there isn’t really enough time to get to know him; Ushiro on the other hand is a obnoxious little sod, as shown in the shocking final scene of the episode.
The series is determined to play its cards close to its chest however. What’s the significance of the different chairs? Are the personalities and attributes of the children (such as Waku’s football skills) pivotal in how the battles are fought? Who is controlling the whole situation? What the hell is Dung Beetle anyway?! After a while I gave up on asking myself such things and tried to concentrate on the characters and soundtrack instead; both are outstanding by the way.
The op theme for instance is spectacular: a melancholy and haunting number that really soars, it’s performed by See-Saw’s Chiaki Ishikawa - I loved her efforts on Noir and no doubt others will be familiar with Gundam Seed Destiny and .hack//SIGN (sadly I’m not…yet). The incidental music is quite minimalistic, which makes the significance of the events that are unfolding quite understated. Considering the grave nature of the battle these kids are fighting it proves that sometimes less is more. For instance, that last scene has next to nothing in terms of the music building up the tension; this makes the fateful moment all the more jarring and unexpected.
Bokurano is probably going to be something of a sleeper title this season: I’m still confident that it’ll deliver some more shocks but it will probably do so quietly and without much fanfare, which makes it quite chilling. It’s also great to see the movement of a mecha actually having a noticeable effect on the landscape, giving the whole affair an air of realism - our young heroes are starting to learn the gravity of their situation and how their actions have consequences.
Leave a Reply