This episode certainly isn’t for the easily offended. I’ve grown used to Bokurano taking on some edgy and unsettling issues but this is probably the most uncomfortable viewing I’ve yet experienced with this show - we’re presented with the backstory to poor Chizuru prior to her turn in the pilot’s seat, and what a tragic story it is too.
Guess what? This show is still fantastic and Kako is still a little bastard! When you take the events of this episode and compare them with the other significant demise in this season’s schedule, it’s clear what a pathetic little coward he is. Running on his own selfish desires and screaming “Why me? It’s not fair!” like a spoilt child, he’s the polar opposite of TTGR’s Kamina, who died a heroic man’s death with no fear or regrets. Initially I was taken in by his sob-story of neglect and misery but… and the ‘but’ is a significant one.
Bokurano continues its pattern of alternating episodes containing mecha battles with those that build up to them; this time it’s Kako who is the main focus of this episode, which features no fights with aliens but plenty of character-driven stuff.
I’m enjoying Bokurano more with every passing episode - it’s possibly my favourite show of the season right now. As predicted, Masaru is an interesting central character for this episode, purely because of his unusual outlook on life. We’ve already seen how nonchantly heartless he is, and in this outing we get to see why. The old saying claims that the apple never falls far from the tree - the Kodaka family are a case in point. Masaru really looks up to his ruthless father, whose business practices are a constant cause of dismay for Masaru’s more compassionate brother.
No, this isn’t a game any more. Bokurano achieves something that every good mecha drama should: it shows the consequences of taking an awe-inspiring robot into battle and pulls no punches. The opening scene, reminiscent of the devastation shown at the beginning of End of Evangelion, shows wrecked buildings, mangled vehicles and news bulletins reporting hundreds dead or injured; the police are interviewing the children and preparations are made for Waku’s funeral. There’s not even another battle to satisfy action junkies here: this episode deals with the physical and emotional fallout.
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.
Remember that feelgood family film called The Cat Returns? Like Bokurano it was directed by Hiroyuki Morita, but this series is nothing like it AT ALL. Everything about Bokurano, from the premise to the character designs and the overall ‘feel’ is completely different from the Studio Ghibli movie. Sure, it starts off innocently enough with a bunch of kids enjoying a day at the beach; after meeting a strange man working on a bank of computers in a seemingly deserted cave however, they are invited to play a ‘game’ he’s working on in which a giant robot fights monsters to protect the Earth. Then things get really, really strange…
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