Bokura no

Bokurano ("ours" in English) takes place during the summer vacation for school students. A group of middle school students who are enrolled in the same summer school decide to explore the beach when they find a hidden cave. Inside the cave are several machines and computers, which the owner explains he is using to develop a game and asks the children to play. However, the game is not as simple as it seems to be.

Although the premise might seem boring and the characters too young to relate to, Bokurano not only makes it all work, but it all works well. The summary makes it seem like a rehash, but the story line and plot are much more unique than what they seem at first, with added depth as the story progresses. The characters are younger than the target audience (approximately high school or college age), but it adds to the drama and comes as a reminder that age does not equal maturity. The struggles of the characters are diverse, as well. At least one character will strike a particular chord with any viewer, but it's more likely that many characters will do so.

Visually, the show is very pleasing. Unlike some other series, which tend to have characters with essentially the same reused faces and hairstyles, the characters in Bokurano are all very distinct. The CG is used sparingly and is not over-the-top or cheesy. The fighting scenes are interesting and vary greatly in style and length. Additionally, the opening and closing themes are haunting and tie in well with the themes of the series.

Over-all, this is one of my favorite series, and I'm definitely not a fan of anime. Whole-heartedly 10/10.