Lonely Rolling Bocchi the Rock! Review

Graphics by Keischa Calumpiano

Bocchi the Rock! is a light-hearted comedy music anime that ventures on the journey of Hitori Goto (also known as 𝑩𝒐𝒄𝒄𝒉𝒊) as she performs in a band for the first time. While we can compare it to the likes of K-On! for having a similar concept, several aspects of this anime make it beloved by many. The number of comedic scenes will entertain the viewers, as some became viral memes found enjoyable even by non-watchers. The official tracks from this anime are all good music we would highly recommend. Personally, our favorite is 𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘉𝘦 𝘢 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯! Plus, its short duration of twelve episodes is attention-span friendly and leaves the fans wanting more at the same time.

What makes 𝘉𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘩𝘪 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘤𝘬! a hit with the fans is none other than the characters, especially Bocchi herself. Bocchi is an introvert with social anxiety and wants to make a difference. One day she sees a band on television talking about how one of their members was an introvert like her, and in turn, Bocchi wants to be like that. So from then on, she worked hard to be a guitarist by practicing the guitar every day and even uploading her covers online.

One fateful day in high school, she crosses paths with 𝘕𝘪𝘫𝘪𝘬𝘢 𝘐𝘫𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘪, and from then on, Bocchi gets caught in the whirlwind of their band called 𝑲𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒐𝒌𝒖 𝑩𝒂𝒏𝒅. Throughout the anime, we watch Bocchi slowly crawl out of her shell and overcome her social anxiety with the help of her bandmates.

The first time Bocchi performed in front of a crowd, she hid inside a cardboard box, but as the seasons passed, she grew closer to her bandmates while slowly emerging out of her comfort zone even if it was challenging. The other members of the Kessoku Band have helped their pink-haired friend and bandmate in their way. First is 𝘙𝘺𝘰 𝘠𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘢, the bassist, who helped Bocchi with the lyrics of their song and encouraged her to make it as she would instead of making it generic yet half-hearted. On the other hand, we have the drummer 𝘕𝘪𝘫𝘪𝘬𝘢 𝘐𝘫𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘪, who dreams of Kessoku Band reaching the big scene knowing Bocchi is the well-known “Guitar-hero” online after their rocky yet successful attempt at their first live house show. Last but not least, we have the vocalist 𝘒𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘐𝘬𝘶𝘺𝘰, who sought to improve herself on playing the guitar after initially breaking out of the band with the help of Bocchi— to the point where Kita saved her bandmate from a broken string.

Despite Bocchi being the center of the anime, the community also loves the other Kessoku Band members! They love Kita for her shining 𝘒𝘪𝘵𝘢-𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘢 that rocks people away, Ryo for her weird yet funny antics, and Nijika for her optimism and leadership. Furthermore, side characters such as 𝘒𝘪𝘬𝘶𝘳𝘪 𝘏𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘪, the drunken yet inspirational bassist, and 𝘚𝘦𝘪𝘬𝘢 𝘐𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘫𝘪, the owner of 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 and Nijika’s sister, are also beloved by the fans!

The anime truly rocked everybody’s world, leaving us to recommend it if you’re interested in an anime similar to 𝘒-𝘖𝘯! with the likes of having something relatable for you. Who knows, maybe you’ll find yourself picking up a guitar and having your shining moment just like Bocchi did!