There are a few good friends I have to thank for getting me active into anime consumption in the last few years; It was in 2016 when Kimmy, a Hollywood stuntwoman, put me onto an anime titled Bokurano, the coming-of-sage sci-fi epic about a group of fifteen unwitting teenagers contractually swindled by a so-called “game designer” into test-playing a unique new video game.
As the story goes, that game turned out to be in the form of Zearth, a giant black mecha they would each take turns piloting against hordes of monsters that would attack Earth. Here, with the consultation of a floating creature named Koyemshi, each battle would be fought using Zearth, which not only operates on life force, but also asserts the cost of victory would be the pilot’s death following each insane battle.
The 2007 anime arose from Kitoh Mohiro’s 2003 manga publication, and includes what remains as one of my favorite opening theme songs for an anime series. I remember watching it for weeks on Crunchyroll between episodes – frankly I had to take my time with it and couldn’t binge, really, but for good reason on top of the show not being snackable.
Bokurano is some pretty immersive work. It’s a slow burn episodic, but it delivers some of the most compelling, well-thought out story and character development with our teens each faced with their own problems, controversies and inner-demons. It was some really gripping and dramatic stuff to see juxtaposed next to such a sci-fi concept with a haunting, plush sci-fi mystique to it for all its thrills (think Pacific Rim if John Hughes had the controls and felt like being shitty).
I also wondered (typically) what it would look like as a live-action adaptation, and apparently so is Ashok Amritraj’s whose Hyde Park Entertainment will be developing a live-action adaptation of Bokurano with writer Charlie Craig (Pretty Little Liars, CW’s The 100 and Freeform’s The Perfectionists) tapped to showrun and exec producer the live-action series. Amritraj will also be exec producer with Rob Golenberg, and with Addison Mehr and Priya Amritraj will co-executive producing for Hyde Park.
I haven’t seen The 100 or any of the shows mentioned, but I have a small inkling of an idea based on a promo along with the network’s usual targeted demographic with its seasonal line of programming. What I do know is that Bokurano, from having seen the anime, looks like it’ll be right up Craig’s alley, and I absolutely support the idea of this getting a televised run of some sort. I honestly just hope it doesn’t end up on some streaming service I can’t afford because…well… you can only ask for so many favors from friends. (DEADLINE)