481st G-View: BOCCHI THE ROCK!

Not the first Girls’ Club/Band anime starring a socially awkward girl but one that took the world by storm. Not since K-ON! has a show in this genre received this much adulation from open-minded animeniacs. Question is whether it is worthy of the hype. Let us find out as we take a look at BOCCHI THE ROCK!

Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life, Yuri

Themes: Bands, Music, School

Number of Episodes: 12

G-Rating: 11/10

Plot Summary: Hitori “Bocchi-chan” (“Loner”) Gotō is a lonely high school girl whose heart lies in her guitar. She does nothing every day except strum her guitar by herself at home. However, she happens one day to meet Nijika Ijichi, who is looking for a guitarist for her group named “Kessoku Band.”

As mentioned in the introduction a Girls Club/Band show starring a socially awkward girl is nothing new. Heck before this is not even the first anime adaptation starring a girl named, or nicknamed in this case, Bocchi. However, what makes this one special is:

1: How relatable Hitori is to many people who also/still have great difficulty conversing with people or are afraid of the outside world. Basically socially anxious people. While I am not exactly one myself I know several friends who were/are that have experienced similar struggles as Hitori in their teenage years.

2: The show made social anxiety hilarious without mocking the very real struggle some people go/went through. First of all is thanks to the excellent voice work by Yoshino Aoyama. Second is how everyone reacts to Hitori every time she has her, let us say, “episodes”, and treats her or learns to adapt to her behavior. It is both funny and sweet on their end. It helps that they all know she is a wonderful girl who just needs the right approach and patience to see her greatness not just as a guitar player but person.

3: I rarely go over the presentation this early in reviews but because it plays an important role in the comedy I will make an exception. Intentional pun incoming but the animation in BTR, especially during Hitori’s “episodes” should not rock as hard as it does. Her increased worries about the dangers of the real world are presented in so many different kinds of art styles such as hand drawn, graffiti, and live-action set pieces just to name a few. Seriously I was not expecting this much punch in a Girls’ Band show. Take the wild imagination scenes in cartoons like Bobby’s World and Doug and magnify them by 100. That is what Hitori’s outlandish visualizations of what could happen to her are like. Be it the terrors of working her first job or adult life for a “stoned” loner they are presented in gloriously insane mental scenarios though some of them could be considered “justified concerns”.

4: Hitori’s facial expressions. It is tied to the presentation but also deserve a category of their own. They are that good.

Having said all this praise about the comedy it, as always, depends on viewers’ sense of humor how much they enjoy it.

Next to the excellent comedy is Hitori’s journey of slowly leaving her comfort but quickly going back to it. Again something people could relate to. It takes a lot of courage to step up and become great but old habits die hard too. Basically Hitori shows us it is possible to achieve great things one step at a time but fully leaving the loner lifestyle is a whole other story. For some it takes a long time to fully become an extrovert and for others they may live most of their lives as an introvert who at best puts one foot outside. Fortunately for our heroine she has kind and understanding people around to support her on her journey. Naturally many of them too have their own stories to tell and are equally fun to watch show what they got on their own or interacting with the awesome loner.

Left to right: Kita, Ryo, Nijika and Hitori.

First up is band leader and drummer Nijika. She is a cheerful soul who often has an idea and goes for it, sometimes recklessly but is of course very understanding. Most of her struggles revolve around leadership, personal goals and Manager Onee-chan.

Next is Kita. The outgoing redhead, vocalist and most social of the group. Her cheerfulness and nearly limitless energy is the bane of many introverts, meaning the her band mates but they do their best to hang in there. Her joy and cuteness are infectious. However, she too has worries about her abilities and self worth.

Ryo is Ryo. Ryo is the bassist. Ryo is enigmatic (kinda). Ryo is a cheapskate and wealth of knowledge…so long as it is a topic she is interested in. Ryo is what one would get if they made a documentary about enigmatic rock stars. Ryo has an androgynous charm that drives girls wild. Ryo is a fountain of secrets. Ryo is only truly understood by one girl. Ryo is Ryo.

Besides our lovable heroines there are plenty of delightful side-characters from Hitori’s family to a certain shark toothed rock legend who stole the show for some. She too could have her own documentary although she is less enigmatic than Ryo because Ryo is Ryo.

Having said all that the rest is what veterans of the sub-genre would expect from a Girls’ Band show. Lots of practicing, fun times, hard work and awesome performances every now and then. This leads us to the soundtrack. It has multiple EDs and Insert songs. All bangers. The OP is one of my favorites of Fall 2022 and the 2nd ED Karakara, specifically the start of the song. Oh how many times I replayed the first 15 seconds…

The yuri in BTR must be experienced with as little knowledge as possible to truly appreciate it. The simple way is to think of it as Hitori’s harem but delving deeper reveals what can only be hinted as the difference between idolization and legitimate passion for someone.

Overall Bocchi The Rock certinly lives up to the hype, especially for Girls’ Club and Band show fans. Hitori’s social anxiety is a hoot thanks to excellent execution. Her character growth is great, especially for people who can relate. Her band mates are equally lovable and the side-cast are full of great peeps. The presentation deserves a ton of praise in and of itself in its variety and the yuri must be experienced with little knowledge beforehand to be appreciated more. Definitely a personal favorite of Fall 2022 and year. The ending left a ton of room for a second season. With it being one of the mega hits of the year I would be shocked if we did not get one at some point.