Bocchi the Rock!

Inspite others have mentioned almost everything, I really wanted to make my own review on Bocchi because at the end it became one of my favorite animes unexpectedly. (I wanted to watch a 'music anime' and it just happened, like how Birdie Wing got me which I didn't expect from a sports anime at the first place.)

Bocchi The Rock offers everything to be a great show. It starts slowly so you have to be patient and bear with Bocchi's character, because she is a borderline annoying introvert. Not saying she is unbelievably portrayed, but the way she is... well, that's the way she will be till the end, more or less. I would have given this show a 10 if she had been a bit less of an annoyance, but I understood the artistic exaggeration here, so for me it was okay. Maybe, not for you, check the first few episodes, she will change, but not too much. (At least she won't perform in a card box and becomes able to stand in front of a large audience which is a great achievement, now that I think of it.)

But then the other characters of the band get introduced and they are all lovely and provide a constant source of wholesome fun. And then they start playing music which is the real deal! In episode 5 they perform on stage which is super dope and the show starts to show its true merits. Later they perform in episodes 8 and 12 and it gets more and more awesome, I have watched episode 8 a few times because that's really the climax of the story.

So, yeah, there is definitely a nice story arc in the show and it's nice to see as they get together as a band, caring for each other and getting better and better by each episode. The in-between episodes do not feel filler at all, every single one tells a correct story. I would have appreciated a little bit of more drama and a less annoying Bocchi with some real changes in her personality, but it's great the way as it is and maybe I'm asking for too much. Music plays an important part of the show and it truly shines in that department! Kessoku Band has even released its real album which sold pretty well, check it out, cos it's good.

(Don't expect romance or yuri content here, even though there is a small hint in the beginning when Kita is joining the band - maybe in Season 2? Btw. The drunken girl was my favorite. Anime doesn't shy away to show some bad examples, does it? My soul mate.)

"Society is scary!!!" I get you Bocchi, you have no idea how much I get you. This anime takes the idea of "humour based on my pain" to another level. This anime takes a very satirical approach on social anxiety. It's somehow just so relatable and so hilarious at the same time. This is the most I've laughed watching an anime in a long time, ever since I saw KonoSuba or SaikiK. I'm a huge overthinker myself. So this anime just hits different for me. It's a very exaggerated approach on overthinking and anxiety but that's exactly why it works. There are scenes where Bocchi goes on this long path of thoughts while overthinking and ends up getting scared of something very unrealistic. And it's hilarious yes, but then I look back at times when I get anxious of something very irrational and I just don't notice it at that time. So the writers got it exactly right.

The studio Cloverworks has outdone itself. I'm not a fan of their work because they tend to pick up stories with great potential, and they utilize like half of that potential (Horimiya, Balance Unlimited, Shadows House). But they have completely proved me wrong here. The animation is absolutely gorgeous. The character designs are downright hilarious. The direction and editing is so funny, it's unbelievable. And the source material wasn't even that famous. Not many knew about Bocchi The Rock when it started. And now its one of the highest rated animes on MAL. So they've created this almost from scratch. Almost every episode is hilarious. And the band performance scenes gave me goosebumps because I really cared about the character Bocchi, and knowing her struggles, I wanted her to succeed. The side characters and the camaraderie between them is great too.

Musically contagious, visually impressive and overcharged personality-wise. There's a lot of talent here!

But more than a successful little comedy, pretty animation and good use of different styles.. It is the excellent execution of a good emotional core, uplifting interactions and onlook on life that weights heavily on my heart, and the reason I can have this kind of connection. To me, it is more than just your average anime girls doing silly things together; but how it makes me think about myself and how things I wished were like for me and everyone around. I do feel my excitement peaked in the middle, leaving the ending to be lesser as a result.

But this studio knows how to tell a story through animation perfectly, and I wished to recommend this to everyone that has the time, and maybe a little doubt about anything. The feeling it leaves you with is how you finish with a "good day".

It was close to the end of the year of 2022, I was feeling bored out of my mind with nothing to do, so I decided to watch this random anime that piqued my interest, it seems funny and entertaining.

Fast forward 2 years later after watching the show, I known own a guitar is my second biggest hobby, and is obsessively trying to learn kessokuband's music.

This anime is truly the pinnacle of everything, relatable characters, great animation and humor. LEGENDARY MUSIC, it's just so perfect.

As an introvert. Bocchi gave me hope, that even as a socially anxious, if I played the guitar enough, I could shine like anyone else!

And not just Bocchi, other characters like Nijika, Ryo, I found tiny resemblances of myself, and it helped me try to better analyze who I am, and what steps I should take in order to counter this social anxiety that's making me struggle to make meaningful connecitons.

And kessokuaband's music, has carried, no, accompanied, walked side-by-side with me, through all my tough times. It's safe to say, that if I hadn't watched this show, I would've been a wildly different person.

One of my dreams is now, to play in a band, Thank you Bocchi, Ryo, Nijika, and Kita

Thank you Aki Hamaji Thank you AKFG Thank you to all who worked on this show Thank you to all who worked kessokuband's music And last but not least, thank you to myself, who decided to watch this show.

Bocchi the Rock is a slice-of-life anime depicting the story of young rocker Hitori Goto, her artistic and musical journey, and most importantly, her difficulty in dealing with deep social anxiety. What makes the anime so special are primarily the handling of comic timing and the incredible use of animation to depict the protagonist's inner states. Script and creativity match perfectly in the realization of a multifaceted, entertaining show with whom to empathize. Good is also the handling of the entire cast of characters and their relationships, and excellent the handling of the theme at hand.

Super recommended, as this is an anime that many people will manage to find very relatable as well as inspirational.