Nobody expected that “ Bocchi the Rock! ”
had the success it has had, but the series came out of nowhere to
become one of the most watched anime of the end of 2022. Its ratings
continued to increase to the point of competing with the very popular “Chainsaw
Man”. And it achieved this thanks to an incredibly rare balance in
anime.
Although many anime series today are
increasingly known for dealing with deeper, more mature and understandable
themes, many others continue to be adored for their antics. “Bocchi
the Rock!” It did both well, especially when combined with its soundtrack. Said
music and the quality of the series in general are considered so good that they
managed to drown out even the sound of a chainsaw.
Bocchi the Rock! It began as a manga by Aki
Hamaji, which began publishing in 2017. After accumulating five
volumes since then, the anime adaptation began in October-2022. The
protagonist is the eponymous Hitori “Bocchi” Gotou, who does not like social
interaction and prefers to practice music alone.
However, Hitori's world is turned upside down
when she befriends three other girls and the group forms a band. By
sharing her love of music, they discover that they enjoy playing as well as
being in company. There are even other bands in the series, with all the
musical groups and their members' names based on real Japanese bands, such as
Asian Kung-Fu Generation.
Being apparently a comedy anime with musical
motifs, there was no reason to suspect that “Bocchi the Rock!” was going to
have the success it had. However, not only was it a ratings
success, but for some it overshadowed the shonen action series “Chainsaw
Man.” This victory is due in part to the fact that, like “Chainsaw
Man,” “Bocchi the Rock!” did justice to its genre to a large extent.
For many, “Bocchi the Rock!” It is a fairly
relaxed and easy to watch anime. Due to its short series
nature, it is much calmer than “Chainsaw Man,” and much less heady than shows
that deal with more current issues. At the same time, the characters
and the way they are written feel familiar, especially considering the era in
which it was released. Bocchi's antipathy towards social interaction
and his inability to make friends is something that many viewers could respond
to, seeing such traits in their own lives. Even those who tend to be
more social might have felt that problem after the COVID-19 pandemic, with the
progression of Bocchi and the other characters coinciding with the return to
normality in the real world.
These characters are very well written and never seem like
mere stock archetypes like those seen in similar comic anime. The “cute
girls doing cute things” subgenre of comedies often lacks overly layered
characters, but “Bocchi the Rock!” took what was essentially a simple comedy
manga and made its characters and story truly come to life. Of course,
there's a lot to be said for the musical element of the series, which is
top-notch. The quality of the music and the way the musical performances are
presented are a clear selling point, especially when it comes to going viral on
social media.
These musical segments were natural as well as
grandiose, as grandiose as they needed to be without distracting from the story
of the episode. Furthermore, they contributed to the
development and interaction of the characters, making these performances essential
to the plot. In many ways, this made “Bocchi the Rock!” in the “K-On!”
of this generation, and has since become a viral hit thanks to its exciting and
moving story.
