yeaaaa i was not really expecting this mang a to have a happy ending nor did i want it to have a happy endiing. but anyway i dont really have nothing to say other than this was a nice manga, worth reading, and would kinda confuse you in the ending. yayyyyyyyy

story wise- this manga is awsome
art wise - kinda different than the others but you get use to it so nice art for me
character - i didnt like that every single femal character look almost like guys especial when they all are flat chest "every single one of them" but o well

i give this manga a 9.5 because i kinda got confuse with the ending but in a way kinda understand what the author was trying to say

First of all, let me get this straight: the plot is very repetitive. There are a lot of robot battle scenes that aren't particularly exciting. The plot is woven around the individual pilots, to the point where they seem like individual independent short stories that have been tied together.

What's the point of reading this then? Well if you're looking for a simple thrill this manga is not for you. The manga really shines in its dialogue, its exploration of the humanity behind each of the characters. I was surprised that such an existential manga existed. Of course, the manga leaves you empty and kind of hollow, and there is no resolution; but this is so with any existential work.

I was very impressed by the author's treatment of existential dialogue. Spoiler: Upon learning the true nature of the "game", that is, every pilot is to die, each pilot deals with this crisis differently. The most important parts of this manga has to do with the fundamental points of existentialism: why them? Why not anyone else? Kirie mentions that in a movie, anyone's death is equal to the death of the hero - and that is the idea that the existence precedes essence; just essence of the "hero", created through the construct of the movie, is no better than an extra in the same movie. It is a biased viewpoint. The extra has probably validated his existence through his choices and his behavior.. just because the movie dictates that these are the ones to root for, which is their "essence", does not mean that their death is more tragic than the others.

This dialogue is especially brilliant, because it pertains directly to the heroes of this manga.

Other existential themes involve the absurdity of life. We learn that *SPOILER* every earth is going through the same thing, and Kokopelli did the same thing for his earth as well... it is an endless cycle. The way that the manga ends is perfect, with the dungbeetle sitting, starting a new cycle, over and over again. The world is neutral, it is not biased. It goes on, no matter the thoughts and the beliefs of the people. They ask who it was that made this game, and dungbeetle can only claim that it's always been like this... and so it is with the futility of life.

And of course, like any good existential work, it is all about death. In a cyclical world that seems without purpose, everyone in the manga still cherish life, as this life is given meaning by the finality of death.

This manga is definitely a painful and tragic story, but also beautiful in the way that it is told. While the plot does possess many unlikely and unexplained circumstances, and starts off roughly in the beginning, after a couple of chapters I became hooked.
The issues it explores are dark and bleak, but nonetheless riveting and raw. Each of the characters have a story behind them, and the way they respond to their powerlessness over their situation is not only realistic, but heartwrenching. Even though there is a lot of morbidity/death involved, the story is interwoven with hope and bravery that the main characters display. And although it is depressing to read since the fate of each of the characters is already pre-determined, I found myself captivated with every chapter of this manga. I highly recommend it to people who don't mind tragic stories and are unafraid with unpleasant realities.

... Last updated on February 8th, 2011, 8:08pm

It definitely looks like Evangelion at first glance. But things change pretty quickly. This guy wrote Narutaru, I already expected it to happen. There is no main protagonist, there is no villain, there is no deus ex machina to save the day. Everyone is the lead character of their own life. Who will you shed tears for (or care for, if you're the machismo type) in this story ? How ridiculous (and in some cases, hypocritical) are you for doing that ? These questions will haunt you as you read this series.

There is more existential pondering here than most. What happens in this fictional universe is already beyond common sense and societal restrictions, but in the end, infinitely human. This is the biggest reason why I read manga, especially this kind of manga. Of course, you might as well claim that every death in fiction is a huge cliche with a finite set of recurring themes. But then you might as well claim every life is a cliche.

It's how the story is told that makes it worth reading.

this is bullshit man, i dont get how can anybody read this, look what kind of fun can provide me this shit if u know u are gonna watch how every single character dies one by one so fast that sometimes you dont even remmember their names, characters with future and a lot of things to live and lot on their minds because they die after they pilot so everyone is fated to die , man that is not fair, there are things dark but this man does not make sence , look if you want to read something good then read historie or akira or who knows, but this is far faaaaaar from being fun , i fucking waste a lot ot time , i cant understand why this shit was serialised and how i read it till the end, this is really true, its a pain, and it does not worth reading it, i only give a 9 because there a LOT of bullshit out there and after all the plot was something above good, anyway, if u want to read this, my opinion is that its not worth readin , is a pain, like reading some shoujo or something like a guy who has a crush on the most popular girl in school and always the same shit

Bokurano is crushing. I marathoned it the first time I read it, but this time I read it slowly over a few days and enjoyed it much more. I think if you read it too quickly, you'll become numb to it.

I don't normally cry over things - I made an exception for Bokurano. Several times.

It's not just an angst-fest - it takes a really long, hard look at humanity. The result isn't always nice, but it's not just cynical either. I think I need some time to redigest what it has to say though.

Anyway, I won't gush any more than that. Reading it doesn't really leave you in a gushy mood anyway. Mohiro Kitoh's status as my favourite mangaka is confirmed - now I just need to gather up the strength to reread Narutaru...

This manga is wonderful.
I loved reading it every bit of the way
I can not even express how much I connected with a lot of the characters, it truly is sad but it really makes one think about how much we might take our lives for granted. If you just want action, this is surely not for you, sure there is action, but it is not the real exciting part of it.

first of all this manga is just too heavy for one to read just for joy. So emotional and dark and its fun reading but if you try to think more into it its too deep and sad.

Totally recommended but the same time not recommended for all. I recommend it to to those who are just sitting in front of their computer. its good a read to make you understand things more. I don't know much but it sure had lots of things it can taught a person with.

I rarely give 10 to a manga but this one's worth it. Its better than other manga's that are current airing and doesn't have an ending if you ask me.

Great Read

I really enjoyed reading this series, especially learning about everyone's background story. The whole premise of the story is pretty depressing and has some very dark moments (well, depending on how desensitized you are to violence), but there were also some very happy and humorous (Dung Beetle is one freaky-looking mascot, but the stuff that came out of his mouth was hilarious) moments as well.

This manga isn't really graphic as I thought it would be, much of the horror and violence is left for the reader's imagination. It tells and describes to the reader the horrific moments and/or was always on the verge of showing them, but doesn't. Then again I might have repressed something.

The ending was clear from the start, but the journey was horrifyingly fun and memorable that my jaw never even got tired of dropping or it just didn't close for periods of time.

just wow, i simply cannot find fault with this, and that is a first, great story, great characters, hell, even the artwork was top notch, this is something that everybody should read, simply magnificent