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Readers of my gemlog may have guessed that I quite like music-themed anime, so how could I have missed out on Bochi the Rock. It started out as probably the most invisible show of the season, but wao, that surely changed quickly.
Bocchi the Rock follows the story of four high school girls, Hitori Gotō (後藤 ひとり) aka Bocchi, Nijika, Ryo and Ikuyo as they dream of building their own rock band, the Kessoku Band. The show features some really nice music performances, as well as an interesting plot filled with humour and heartwarming moments. In addition, viewers can learn about different aspects of rock music such as guitar playing techniques, songwriting tips, and more.
All four girls have their own characters, but these are subtly different from our usual cast of Cute Girls Doing Cute Things (CGDCT) anime that follow the footsteps of K-On. The show centres around Hitori who from extreme social anxiety that makes her avoid social interactions outside her family whenever humanely possible. At the same time, she is deeply unhappy with her isolation and dreams of making friends. She channeled her loneliness into almost obsessive guitar practice over many years and had thus become an accomplished player.
Ryo, the band's bassist, acts as Hitori's foil, an introverted girl who chooses and cherishes her distance to others, but has no problems to interact with others if she so feels. Ryo gives Hitori her not very flattering nickname。Already Hitori (ひとり /一人) by itself literally means "one person", "alone", Hitori Bocchi (一人ぼっち) very appropriately means loneliness, solitude.
As the band's founder and drummer, Nijika is the heart of the band, which, we later learn, she created to perform in her older sister's club. In man ways she's "normal" one in the club. The fourth girl, Ikuyo, is the band's extrovert vocalist who's not so secretly in love with Ryo. To get in she pretended to play the guitar as well, but later relies on Hitori to teach her the basic.
What sets this show apart from the score of K-On look-alikes is its comedy. It is often bitter-sweet and at times (deliberately) cringey to a degree that I found almost painful to watch. In this it reminds me strongly of "If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die" that embraces the embarrassment that characterises so much of our lives.
If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die / 推しが武道館いってくれたら死ぬ
In this, I also don't feel that Bocchi belongs into the family of CGDCT anime - unless your idea of cute includes running around in a pink trainer and (slight spoiler) burying cicada. These are deeply human endeavours, but (at least by my book) not cute. The show is all the better for it.
For me, Bocchi the Rock stands out from other anime because it focuses on the struggles of social anxiety, fear and isolation. Through its characters, it explores the difficulties that come with these conditions and how they can be overcome.
P. S.: One day I hope to add a comment system to the log. Until then, please feel free to share your comments on Mastodon, where you can reach me under @temperedTea@mk.absturztau.be