English Title: Bocchi the Rock!
Japanese Title: ぼっち・ざ・ろっく!
Director(s): Saito Keiichiro
Screenwriter(s): Yoshida Erika
Studio: CloverWorks
Released: 2022
Runtime: 12 episodes, ~24m each.
Starring: Aoyama Yoshino, Suzushiro Sayumi, Mizuno Saku, Hasegawa Ikumi
My Verdict: Comedy about a shy guitarist who joins a band and struggles with anxiety. Absurd delivery. Lacks musician jokes but entertaining and relatable.

This is based on the ongoing manga of the same name by Hamazi Aki that began in 2017. I have not read the manga so the review is purely of the anime.
The titular character Goto Hitori, nicknamed “Bocchi”, is a loner. This is not entirely by choice but as she is an introvert and extremely shy, she remains a loner. Wishing to one day join a band and be noticed, she picks up her father’s electric guitar… Three years later, now in high school, she’s somewhat a shredder and has an online following as “guitarhero” but still hasn’t debuted live at school or anywhere or made any friends.
One day, Ijichi Nijika notices Hitori with her guitar and Nijika begs Hitori to join her band named Kessoku Bando (結束バンド) since the guitarist has bailed. Nijika is the drummer and her friend, Yamada Ryo, is the bass guitarist. They play at a club-bar called Starry run by Nijika’s older sister Seika. Soon after, they recruit Kita Ikuyo as a vocalist. It is arguably a bit of a convenience but that is the premise. In any case, Hitori is given the nickname Bocchi (ぼっち), meaning “loneliness”, derived from her given name Hitori which can also mean “one person”.

The story follows Bocchi as she learns to play in a band and to actually interact with people. The comedy, whether overt or subtle, mostly comes from Bocchi’s awkward interactions, and her reactions and mental state.
At a basic level, the irony for Bocchi is that she withdraws when confronted with the things she wants, afraid to step outside her comfort zone.
For example, she had been hoping to get attention just by carrying around her guitar around but people don’t care and she does not actively make the effort to talk to people either. When Nijika notices and asks Bocchi to join her band, the very thing Bocchi has been dreaming about, she withdraws in fear. But as she is socially inept, she doesn’t know how to say No either and so she is dragged along.

The humor is not too dark or cynical, but it is self-deprecating. Bocchi is extremely shy and her anxiety when someone looks at or talks to her is correspondingly intense. She assumes everyone sees her as pathetic and useless—generally, she assumes the worst. Internal speech and cutaway gag are common techniques, usually a hard cut to some graphic and/or voice-over that elaborates on Bocchi’s anxiety or social ineptitude. Often, the visual style is different, even using live-action and claymation, for easier differentiation.
Sometimes, it cuts away to another scene. For example, in a later episode when Bocchi goes to an izakaya with her bandmates, she realizes that eating and hanging out at an izakaya is a fun experience after all. But as she assumes worst, her paranoia and imagination take off: it cuts to two middle-aged men sitting at the bar, and one is talking about how overworked he is, how his wife might be having an affair and even has suicidal thoughts.
In short, although Bocchi’s reactions and imagination may be extreme, they are relatable (at least to shy pessimists)—the delivery, however, is twisted and absurd.

The main characters around Bocchi are essentially the expected color-coded templates given the genre without implying that this is a bad thing.
Ryo has short blue hair and is the cool and seemingly indifferent bass guitarist. She knows her music but has no financial management skills, basically the poor musician. She is somewhat of a loner but likes it that way.
Kita has red hair and is the youngest, and the most enthusiastic and energetic. She is the cheerful go-getter who sees the best in others.
Nijika has blonde hair and true to the role of the drummer (and band leader), she is optimistic but grounded. She is considerate; not only does she mostly see what Bocchi is, she knows how to gently handle Bocchi.
Other secondary characters such as Seika act as the “older sister” mentor to Bocchi.
Whilst these characters are templates, the balance is necessary given Bocchi’s extreme shyness and anxiety. And they are well-written and complex enough as characters one could invest in. For example, Bocchi is not simply shy and therefore vulnerable and lovable. Her anxiety can be frustrating and annoying. She also admits that her motivations to join a band are not entirely pure, although they are not dishonorable either.
Perhaps the only complaint in this regard is that Nijika is too mature. Nijika could take one or two episodes to learn to deal with Bocchi which is not unrealistic.
The music composed by Kikuya Tomoki is generally excellent. It could simply be described as anime rock. It’s not too punky or grungy or heavy, it is balanced and catchy. It is thankfully not too simple. And whilst that may be the sound the band is going for, it would be nice to see their music broaden in the future, perhaps to include something psychedelic on the one hand and something heavier and more technical on the other.
It is not implausible that high school girls who are serious about their music could write these songs, although maybe not that quickly. At least it is not implausible that they could play them. They are not simple but they are not highly technical either and even if they are, talented musicians who have been practicing daily for a few years would have no problem.
The unrealistic part is Kita. She is a vocalist but does not play an instrument. She wants to learn the guitar and as enthusiastic as she is, taking merely a few months to be able to play with a band is unrealistic even if merely as a token rhythm guitarist. She also admits it may be difficult to sing and play guitar at the same time. One could argue all she needs is to know their few songs but still, it is a stretch.
The voice acting is solid as expected and it is good the voice actresses provide the vocals for the songs as well.
The animation is generally well-executed. The linework is mostly clean with full colors. There can be more gradients but objects such as the musical instruments and equipment are nicely rendered. It is difficult to state that the characters’ hand movements and placements are always accurate. Nijika’s drumming in the earlier episodes does not always look right but Bocchi’s playing is generally plausible, which is way better than most anime out there.
Ultimately, this is a band anime and comedy about Bocchi’s extreme anxiety and personal growth. The comedy is relatable (at least to shy pessimists) although it lacks music/musician jokes. For example, the first one is obvious: Bocchi has skill but playing with a band is another matter, and since she has never played with anyone she totally sucks.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t build on that. At one point, they want to write a song. Bocchi is to write the lyrics and Ryo the music. The audience is shown a glimpse of Bocchi’s process and that’s it. This is a missed opportunity to show the band arranging the song together, to make mistakes and argue with all the consequent drama and comedy—it’s a goldmine for music/musician jokes about key changes, time signatures or any inappropriate musical element.
Overall, despite some weaknesses, it is still a well-produced, entertaining and relatable anime.
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