I wanted to do a book review...
A book themed about psychology
But it's not a medical book...
It's entitled...
- BOKURANO -
english translation: - OURS -
In japan... yeahh... I think now you know its a manga...
I actually accidentally came across this manga on onemanga while searching something about mecha manga... came across Bokurano... didn't know what that means back then... went on reading the first chapter..
The drawing... not too bad... nothing special really... at least its not shoujo type... hey, what genre is this actually... owh, it's seinen... (info; shounen = for boys, shoujo = for girls , seinen = for adult)
I love good seinen manga... the other seinen manga I read is The Ravages of Time (Amazing historical manga about China), Bokko (great historical manga too) and Shekeisyu 042 (Sad + Inspiring story about an inmate)
Seinen manga are good because the storyline is deep as well as the message portrayed, really fits adult's mind who wants a reading that challenge their intelectual and perspective of life.
Ok.. back to Bokurano.. its a seinen manga... but, on chapter one... its just a bunch of kids... 15 kids given the power to control a robot to fight another robot invading earth...
duhh, typical fighting manga... robot vs robot... fighting for the earth bla bla bla...
Somehow I stick on reading it until after the first battle...
Yeah... they won...
oppss..
[Spoiler warning; those who want to read the manga should read it first before continuing]
i warned you...
ok.. so the first kid won... and then he accidentaly fell from the robot (very high) and died... because one of the 15 kids accidentaly pushed him...
ok... what's that about? Why does the main character just die like that?
wait... a 13 year old kid (all 14 of them are 13 y.old with one 9 y old) just killed another 13 year old kid.. accidentaly of course...
Not just that... in the battle between the two huge robot... the innocent normal people actually died... (not like ultraman.. where buildings were destroyed.. but you dont see any civilians died)
Ok, so this is a realistic battle manga...
Then, after the second battle (the second kid became the pilot)
He died as well... not killed... but just died...
That's went the truth was revealed...
Whoever controls the robot will be forced to use his life force and ended up dead after the battle...
Well, all 15 of them has been contracted to ride the robot, so that means... all of them will eventually die...
Can they quit??
If they lose a battle, or run away... then the other robot wins, and the whole earth will be destroyed....
So the choice is up to them, this 15 (13 now... 2 died) 13 y.old, they hold the power to save the earth...
What's so bad? They get to be a hero.. cool!!
No no no... this is what so great about this manga... its captures people's emotion... in a realistic point of view... DO THEY WANT TO SACRIFICE THEMSELVE TO SAVE THE EARTH?
Throughout the manga the question will be asked...
IS IT WORTH IT FOR ME TO DIE AND LET OTHER PEOPLE LIVE....
i) when my life ****** !!!
ii) when no one has ever treated me nicely
iii) when this world has caused my mother to commit suicide... why should this world live then?
iv) when i dont really care what happen to this world
v) when my parents dont even see that I exists
vii) When I'm just a kid... I deserve to live longer and follow my dreams...
viii) When... WHY ME????
ix) and many other reason....
All this 15 kids portray the different aspect of society nowadays.. each with their own story to tell.. some are very surprising and extreme... but definitely true...
And you got to remember these are just kids... their not adult who can think rationally or adult who can say it is our duty to protect the earth or our loved ones... just kids who know little about the world, and the fate of the whole earth depends on them... and they no longer have a future... they will die one by one... imagine the psychological impact on these small little childrens...
What about adults? How will everyone else reacts when their planet's fate depend on this kids? Also during the battles, thousands people died being stromped over and all... will the adults allow this?
For me, the most sad is that..
How will their parents act? If they say do not die.. then everyone will still die if they dont fight, so its a question of wether everyone die, or only their son/daughter die... like it or not, they'll have to lost their son... imagine how would the parents feel...
The family values showed in the manga... will definitely touch your hearts... from the ugliest of parents to the most caring of families...
You will visit the two extremes of human's emotion when faced with death...
And so the lyrics of the ending of the anime of this series: "We clung to our life with all our strength...
we never stop to see how DISGUSTING it was"
Throughout the whole manga... the story show no comprimise and keeps on hitting you with depression and more depression of what happen to the kids... I warn you, do not wish for part to smile...:)
The story also has some extremely sad part... I was nearly (nearly??) moved to tears during Daichi's (the 3rd pilot) death... it was so... so... cruel... its not fair (you'll say this a lot)... this is just at chapter 8 of the manga, not long.. if you can read until at least chapter 8, I'm sure you'll be stuck because of the intensity of emotions in the manga...
Anime vs Manga...
Definitely choose the manga for this story, the anime cuts too many part and the ending is not the same... the manga definitely dive deeper into human emotions, makes it more worthwhile...
So if you want to read something to stir up your emotions...
BOKURANO is the story for you.. find it at www.onemanga.com
Oh yeah... the chapter where they reveal why it is called BOKURANO (ours)... is so... so... meaningful, find it for yourself~ :) Why this sad, depressing manga has such a inspirational name... Bokurano... Ours...
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