This had so much potential, but being an adaptation from a one volume manga series which was discontinued, there obviously wasn't going to be much to go on.
It's not the length, either; I've seen two-episode stand-alone (or dropped series) OVAs which were more coherent and developmental in both plot and characters.
One can argue that it was based off a pilot manga, but I've read better pilot manga as well.
I wanted to give higher ratings to it due to the potential it had, but since nothing more came of it, nor will come of it, the low ratings will stand. So, let's get started.
Plot
As soon as I saw the artwork, I drew parallels to Saiyuki, which is up there on my list of favorite anime. A quick search confirmed it, so perhaps my expectations were just completely let down when this started.
Granted, it didn't start out too badly; we were presented with three protagonists who had their own secret reasons to play a deadly survival game for money. These three strangers were gathered together by some mysterious company to form a team, and either had to defend their own data disk from opposing three-person teams (being the Home Team) or defeat members of other teams to get their disk (Away Team).
Of course, it's a given what would happen when you throw three strangers, two of which being hardcore lone wolf jerks, together and expect them to work together: The same sort of synergy that's seen in Saiyuki (the "I don't care about you but I really do care about you" teamwork).
However, all it has is the opening. In the end, we find out nothing about why they're playing this game, and what the people in charge are trying to do with it. Again, it could be argued that it was based off a pilot manga, but with such a vague plot direction, it shouldn't have been adapted in the first place if it either wasn't going to explain what the writer intended for the series, or become an actual series and eventually hit upon it.
In essence, there really isn't any plot besides the first ten minutes or so of the first episode.
Characters
What would happen if you put two Sanzo-like characters in the same room with each other with one Goku-like character (Saiyuki)? The answer is the protagonists of Bus Gamer.
The first character we're really introduced to is Toki Mishiba, who is a reticent lone wolf who at first doesn't seem to care about anything around him. He was taught some form of budo (martial arts). Other than that, there isn't much else to his character. We get to see some flashbacks of sorts of him with whom I presume to be a brother, and their parents dead, but there isn't much else offered about him or why he wants the billions of dollars from the Game.
The next character is...well, I'd describe him as a mix between Gojyo and Sanzo. Nobuto Nakajyo is the stereotypical "bad boy" of the pretty-boy genre. He has semi-long hair, smokes, and has superb street fighting skills. In fact, he seems rather eager to get into fights even though he's the most level headed of the group.
The final character is like a taller, blond Goku; Kazuo Saitou is a high school senior who obviously knew nothing about what sort of game it was, and has no combat skills what so ever. He's highly skilled with electronics, and is the upbeat "let's get some teamwork going" sort. I suppose he's the glue which holds the team together, though that got on Toki's (and sometimes Nobuto's) nerves more than once.
There's a fourth character who is introduced in the second episode; a female detective named Keiko Ichinomiya. She appears to be investigating the deaths of young adults, and by the context, it's obvious that her investigations have taken her to investigating those killed in the Game.
That's all there is to them. Seriously, there isn't much left in the anime which I haven't already described. Even by the last episode, we know little to nothing about any of them, or why they're playing the Game. There was little to no character development within the three episodes, and it might not sound like much time, but three episodes is certainly long enough to develop characters a little.
Animation
Filled with still frames, odd pauses, and transitions that make you scratch your head and wonder what happened in the previous scene, the animation isn't anything to boast about.
In episode two, the three protagonists are supposedly caught by a female cop, but by the next episode, they're back to getting ready for a Game, and it isn't until later that we find out they fled from her.
There was also a weird transition in the second episode when they're going over a plan while having the Home advantage, and Kazuo mentions having to hold onto their disk "again".
There are a series of still clips after that which pretty much describe that the three have been playing the Game for quite some time since we saw the disjointed team in the first episode. This makes plot and character development even more frustrating, as we still know little to nothing about them.
The fight scenes are short and not often shown. Just when I thought we were going to see a couple good fight scenes in the second episode, the screen cuts out to another section. That isn't what I'd call "high quality animation".
Overall
Disappointing.
It had potential, but was supremely disappointing. Even with anime I give low ratings to, I sometimes recommend it for folks who might enjoy the genre, or are bored.
This, I wouldn't recommend to anyone. The plot has no direction, the characters are flat and underdeveloped, the animation is sloppy and lacking, and there are many parts which left me scratching my head.
In fact, the only reason I watched all three episodes was in hope that it would turn out to be like some of the two-episode series I've seen, and explain enough for people to at least have a grasp on it. That, or it would pick up and explain everything in the final episode.
Bus Gamer did neither-nor. It remained flat and slow-paced throughout the entire three episodes. The only faster paced area was the "final" fight on the rooftop in the third episode.
If you're bored, I'd suggest Excel Saga or Hetalia; they're what I call "crack anime", but they at least make more sense than Bus Gamer. The only reason I didn't give it a lower overall score was because of the potential the idea DID have...potential which was squandered.