Bokurano Ep 8 – “Revenge despite innocence of heart”

Bokurano redeems itself from a slightly lackluster episode with a power blasted episode on several revelations of the game. There are so many shocks at the last three minutes of this episode, and brings about a sense of confusion when it seemed that the goal is in fact somewhat clear. It seems that whenever a glimpse of hope is given, the ugliest side of man, even innocent children who were not stained by the world of the adults, would appear.

Revenge is on the cards, and Chizu will be the one dealing the pain.

Episode summary

With Kako’s death, the next pilot was Chizu. She said that she just had to fight, as redemption for causing Kako’s death. She also told Dung Beetle to remove Kako’s body, as the battle started. Chizu immediately started to move away from the battle, as the other children wondered what she was doing to escape. Chizu spoke softly that people who deserved retribution still survived. As the government officials wondered what Zearth was doing, they checked whether everyone had evacuated from the city. Tanaka reported that the occupants near Zearth’s current area had not evacuated.

As the children wondered, images of the school appeared at the cockpit in front of Chizu, as we saw Hatagai trying to set up a hidden camera in the female’s changing room in school. All the children were wondering who the teacher was, only for Kirie to note that it was their teacher. As Hatagai installed the hidden camera, Chizu cleared the part of the building where Hatagai was, as he tried to run away. The children tried to persuade Chizu out of killing the teacher, but Chizu said she could care less what they think of her but Maki said that was not the problem. Dung Beetle also informed that the enemy was not willing to wait, as it attacked Chizu, with Chizu slamming the enemy down.

Chizu started to ask why she definitely had to die, and asked if it was karma, retribution, fate or coincidence. Hence, Chizu said if she was going to die, she would do something she enjoyed as she hunted Hatagai down. She played with Hatagai as Zearth’s arms missed Hatagai slightly as he ran away, before Chizu said that she would end it all. Just when she was about to strike down Hatagai, her sister came into the way as she stopped. Chizu mumbled for her sister to move away as Zearth’s arm struck, only to realize that it hit the side instead of them. Chizu said her sister was too kind and did not know Hatagai did all that, but she said she was just as kind since she was not able to be ruthless even at this time when she was about to die.

Chizu started to cry, asking why she was always this way. The enemy was also recovering, as Yoko moved to Chizu and asked if she was no longer going to fight and whether the declaration of redemption was all an act. Yoko said if she continued to be so, Waku and Kodoka’s death would be for nothing, and everything would be meaningless. Chizu stated that when she died, all of them would be following her as everyone looked downcast from the impending fate and asked whether everyone would be doing their part. Chizu started to attack the enemy, and said it was the only thing she could do now as she thrashed the enemy with Zearth’s arms.

She finally found the weak spot of the enemy as Dung Beetle reported how it was an overwhelming victory. The cockpit exterior returned to opaque as she said she was about to die and it was because she was a bad child. A flashback came when her sister was in middle school and wearing the uniform, with the very young Chizu wanting to be with her sister in the same school. As her sister promised to wait for Chizu, the young Chizu smiled as she died holding her midriff, telling her sister to find happiness. At the balcony of the school, the aftermath of the battle was devastating, as Kanji noted that Kodoka would probably know how long and the cost of restoring the buildings.

Moji was looking up at Zearth, while the government officials told them to protect the children and withhold information from the public, lest there was an outrage of children fighting this war. Tanaka arrived to the scene, as she noticed that Kako and Chizu were not around. Moji explained that Kako died in the chaos, and Chizu was the replacement pilot. Aiko asked if they still had to fight, and Tanaka said they were still analyzing and apologized. Moji then asked Tanaka to view the forehead of Zearth, as Tanaka saw two lights go off, with nine remaining.

Moji noted that there were twelve lights before this battle and Jun said that it did not matter. Moji continued that the lights might coincide with the amount of lives remaining. Mako said it was weird that three lights disappeared when Chizu and Kako were the only ones dead, only for Kirie to hint that Chizu might be pregnant. Everyone was surprised at this and questioned Kirie, who was unable to give a definite answer. That also meant that Chizu’s child was in the contract and Jun said angrily the reflection of the lights was a huge joke and seeing it disappear one by one.

Kanji then added that there were eleven of them, with ten since Kana was not in the contract. Since there were nine lights, that meant that one person other than Kana was not bound by the contract. Jun said it was impossible since everyone did it, and Aiko said one of them might survive. Moji analyzed the situation too, saying that they had two pilots less now, and that meant that two more people were required. Tanaka added that it was time that the military would take the places, and the two of them would be the pilots to sign the contract.

Thoughts

Updated list of kids after Episode 8 = Click here

Wow, I really like the ending of this episode, revealing some very painful and hopeful facts for everyone. The first thing that is the biggest problem is that someone is in fact not in the contract after the revelation of Moji. I do wonder who is the one among them, since Chizu’s child is speculated (not proven, but probably so from the way she holds her tummy and the little bulge on her tummy) to be under the contract. I do not know whether they can feel anything, but since Kana is also around when everyone is, it is no indication to note who is the one left out.

I am very astonished to know that this possibility exists, as it might be possible that some others might start to jump to conclusions about who’s the one excluded, though it seems very likely that Moji will be able to hold the group effectively, especially with the immature Kako dead already. I feel that the lights is also a very ironic symbolization of the fate that the children has to hold, and in a way, I paused at that screen to look and count before knowing it from the spoken words.

Chizu’s arc is somewhat depressing. Most people will have slammed Chizu as somewhat as a slut. I even said in a few episodes earlier that I disliked Chizu. I take that back. I take that all back. She is perhaps one of the most misunderstood characters at the very start of Bokurano and no one can blame her for whatever has happened. I cannot imagine how she can actually survive and yet still spare a thought to the teacher after the protection of her sister.

Chizu really loved her sister a lot, especially from the flashback scene. It is clear that her family is not dysfunctional, rather than she is just lost as a child and was taken advantage by Hatagai who saw her as a girl that he could make use of for sex. I honestly wished that Hatagai did die from the Zearth’s attacks but it will diminish the story because it portrays Chizu as a girl who is a very kind soul, willing to give concessions to people who had made so huge mistakes toward her.

Despite the treatment of her teacher toward her, she is still ready to forgive, and it is apparent that she never really wanted to do the killing. I admire Chizu somewhat for it, as it humanizes her rather than making her yet another psychopath. I mean, psychopaths are nice but I guess I like a bit of realism in my shows. They are children in mostly normal families except for a few after all.

Chizu’s death to me is the saddest arc compared to the rest. For one, she is the one that took the burden of the useless Kako, even shouldering the blame onto herself even though she had absolutely nothing to do with it. She is also bearing a child, one that she does not even deserve to be pregnant. She is but only 12, a child that has not shown the world. In a way, life has been somewhat cruel to her, misleading her to various falsities about life and security.

The next episode seems to be talking about Daiichi and he seems to be the next pilot. I have seen little of him, but from his remarks from the few cameos in the various episodes and the preview, it seems that he will likely be the first one that will face up to his eventual death and protect his friends and family from the enemy. I cannot wait to see this arc.