The idea that the protagonist of Bocchi the Rock! , Hitori Gotou, is a smoker. This all comes from a billboard that has been put up across Japan as part of a collaboration with the Tobacco Institute of Japan , urging those under the age of twenty to avoid tobacco use.
In this collaboration, the girls of the Kessoku Band from the Bocchi the Rock! they appear upright accompanied by the text « If you are under 20, you definitely should not smoke! ». However, the protagonist Hitori Gotou appears with a grim expression while the other girls appear smiling. Franchise insiders know her expression is probably due to Bocchi's own social anxiety, that she doesn't know how to act now being on a billboard.
However, the problem arose when those unfamiliar with the franchise looked at the ad and analyzed it. Because these people don't know that Bocchi suffers from a social anxiety problem, they assume that she has that expression because the ad is dedicated to her. I mean, in the Kessoku Band group, Bocchi is the smoker and she has that expression because she knows that she is doing the wrong thing.
This amusing situation drew comments on comment forums in Japan:
- « Oh no, Bocchi-chan has done it again! ».
- « I don't know, I think even people who know Bocchi will think that the ad is dedicated to her ».
- " People with social anxiety are the first to pick up dangerous habits, so Bocchi is likely to be the one to start smoking before her friends ."
- « In my experience as a school teacher, the most upright boys and girls are the first to acquire vices ».
- « I think that Yamada would be the first to start smoking, I think it suits her personality ».
- " Nah, the blonde on the right is the one who would definitely smoke first ."
Source: Otakomu
