Comments on: Bokurano 13 and 14 http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/09/12/bokurano-13-and-14/ Get decultured Sat, 22 Nov 2008 08:14:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Adam http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/09/12/bokurano-13-and-14/#comment-26004 Adam Sun, 16 Sep 2007 13:44:58 +0000 http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/09/12/bokurano-13-and-14/#comment-26004 @ConcreteBadger: Do. Seriously. The anime is good, but the manga is outstanding. (The two have also diverged significantly now, so no need to fear spoilers.) <a href="http://www.mangascreener.com/project.php?id=64" rel="nofollow">MangaScreener</a> are your friends. @ConcreteBadger: Do. Seriously. The anime is good, but the manga is outstanding. (The two have also diverged significantly now, so no need to fear spoilers.) MangaScreener are your friends.

]]> By: ConcreteBadger http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/09/12/bokurano-13-and-14/#comment-25934 ConcreteBadger Sat, 15 Sep 2007 20:32:11 +0000 http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/09/12/bokurano-13-and-14/#comment-25934 @Adam: Cheers for clarifying that. Talk about harsh choices! I really want to read the manga now... @Adam: Cheers for clarifying that. Talk about harsh choices! I really want to read the manga now…

]]> By: Adam http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/09/12/bokurano-13-and-14/#comment-25930 Adam Sat, 15 Sep 2007 20:14:21 +0000 http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/09/12/bokurano-13-and-14/#comment-25930 @ConcreteBadger: "I wonder what would happen if the worlds did call a truce and refused to fight…would that wipe out both?" I think the anime mentioned it early on, but the manga is definitely very explicit: if the battle is not resolved within 48 hours then <em>both</em> Earths are destroyed. There really is no way out. It was a rather inspired piece of knife-twisting by Dung Beetle to make them watch, though. The stars going out was a lovely touch. @ConcreteBadger: “I wonder what would happen if the worlds did call a truce and refused to fight…would that wipe out both?”

I think the anime mentioned it early on, but the manga is definitely very explicit: if the battle is not resolved within 48 hours then both Earths are destroyed. There really is no way out.

It was a rather inspired piece of knife-twisting by Dung Beetle to make them watch, though. The stars going out was a lovely touch.

]]> By: ConcreteBadger http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/09/12/bokurano-13-and-14/#comment-25773 ConcreteBadger Thu, 13 Sep 2007 23:19:30 +0000 http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/09/12/bokurano-13-and-14/#comment-25773 @Peter S: "As for Maki opening up the capsule, it make sense to me. After what they had just learned she just had to know. Who was in there? Were they like us? Most awful of all, they were. And they were grimly looking at her. That blew me away. I notice Maki’s death blow was deliberately gentle. " It makes sense in a way but at the same time it didn't fit in with her reluctance to face the hard truth. I guess curiosity to know this truth won out...her show of mercy as the victor wasn't lost on me either. You're absolutely spot on with the portrayal of the enemy though: all the way through we're shown how cruel, pitiless and generally crappy the kids' world is, alongside another crying out for survival. I love the way the moral ambiguity and juxtapositioning of cruelty and kindness are portrayed, as painful as it is to watch. I wonder what would happen if the worlds did call a truce and refused to fight...would that wipe out both? I'll be watching #15 and #16 later this week though, no worries about that! :) @Peter S: “As for Maki opening up the capsule, it make sense to me. After what they had just learned she just had to know. Who was in there? Were they like us? Most awful of all, they were. And they were grimly looking at her. That blew me away.

I notice Maki’s death blow was deliberately gentle. ”

It makes sense in a way but at the same time it didn’t fit in with her reluctance to face the hard truth. I guess curiosity to know this truth won out…her show of mercy as the victor wasn’t lost on me either.

You’re absolutely spot on with the portrayal of the enemy though: all the way through we’re shown how cruel, pitiless and generally crappy the kids’ world is, alongside another crying out for survival. I love the way the moral ambiguity and juxtapositioning of cruelty and kindness are portrayed, as painful as it is to watch. I wonder what would happen if the worlds did call a truce and refused to fight…would that wipe out both?

I’ll be watching #15 and #16 later this week though, no worries about that! :)

]]> By: Peter S http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/09/12/bokurano-13-and-14/#comment-25723 Peter S Thu, 13 Sep 2007 05:11:05 +0000 http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/09/12/bokurano-13-and-14/#comment-25723 Well, I was hoping for a return to dread, fear and pity in this show. #13 gave it in spades (then the hiatus in episodes, grr). For me at least, the tone of the show forever changed when they showed the desperate people on the alternate universe, the hippie and the "Don't destroy us!" sign, the mother consoling her son ... I can't look at another battle and feel grateful that they won. Of course, if they didn't win that'd be the end of the show, wouldn't it? Hmm ... As for Maki opening up the capsule, it make sense to me. After what they had just learned she just had to know. Who was in there? Were they like us? Most awful of all, they were. And they were grimly looking at her. That blew me away. I notice Maki's death blow was deliberately gentle. And you're right. They fought an "enemy" whose society was free enough to know what was going on, and to cry out about it. Should the kids' world, more secretive and greedy for profit, actually deserve to win? And #15 adds a twist which I won't spoil in case you haven't watched it yet. I feel that for "away games" they should have a banner the Zearth holds up which says "SORRY." And I wonder what would happen if both machines decided not to fight at all. Maybe the strangest moment of the ep was Maki's happily holding a baby. After she had wiped out a universe. Well, I was hoping for a return to dread, fear and pity in this show. #13 gave it in spades (then the hiatus in episodes, grr).

For me at least, the tone of the show forever changed when they showed the desperate people on the alternate universe, the hippie and the “Don’t destroy us!” sign, the mother consoling her son … I can’t look at another battle and feel grateful that they won. Of course, if they didn’t win that’d be the end of the show, wouldn’t it? Hmm …

As for Maki opening up the capsule, it make sense to me. After what they had just learned she just had to know. Who was in there? Were they like us? Most awful of all, they were. And they were grimly looking at her. That blew me away.

I notice Maki’s death blow was deliberately gentle.

And you’re right. They fought an “enemy” whose society was free enough to know what was going on, and to cry out about it. Should the kids’ world, more secretive and greedy for profit, actually deserve to win? And #15 adds a twist which I won’t spoil in case you haven’t watched it yet.

I feel that for “away games” they should have a banner the Zearth holds up which says “SORRY.” And I wonder what would happen if both machines decided not to fight at all.

Maybe the strangest moment of the ep was Maki’s happily holding a baby. After she had wiped out a universe.

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