Who is Hitori Gotou?

An aspiring "rockstar", dreaming of fame and glory - but also a secluded introvert that's having trouble interacting with people, let alone playing the guitar in front of a bigger audience. People in her class barely notice her, so she decided to learn how to play the guitar just so she could bring it to school hoping someone would ask her about it. She's actually really good at guitar, so she also made an anonymous Youtube channel to share her skill with the world. And while she's very appreciated online, she's always dreamed of playing in a band. The luck seems to be on her side, as her future friend Nijika sees her in a park with a guitar and pleads her to be a replacement for their missing band member for a gig that's happening that very evening. Hitori, being the way she is hesitant about it but gets dragged in anyway and manages to perform later that evening... with a box covering her entire body, doing her best Solid Snake impression. Still, she manages to play and makes some progress toward being a functional human being. She also joins the band on a permanent basis and gets the nickname "Bocchi" which perfectly represents her secluded nature. With Nijika, another bandmate Ryou and later the returning runaway guitarist/lead singer Ikuyo they form Kessoku Band. The show is incredibly creative, using surreal slapstick comedy to show the scope of Hitori's emotions while switching between various different animation styles, even using stop motion and real-world imagery. Animation switching is not the surreal part though, the situations Hitori finds herself in can be quite bizarre - she can turn into various shapes and forms while occasionally referencing various art and pop culture imagery. It's hard to describe properly just how hilarious it can get, if you haven't already you should really see it for yourself. Even without the great coming-of-age story, Bocchi the Rock is worth the watch just for the comedy alone. The other band members are also all great, each with their unique and funny perks that make them so special and more than anything - human. Ryou is an introvert like Hitori but has no problem interacting with people. Instead, she gets too excited about what she likes, that being music and more than anything - guitars. So she spends all her money on her hobbies and is left begging the other group members for food money. She's also very slick and cool about it which makes other people rarely berate her for her actions. She's also the band's songwriter and often a voice of reason. Nijika is an extrovert with a very noble goal - doing all the activities that her sister missed out on and making it big as a band. She's the head of the group and their first and second gig were both played at her sister's venue. Out of the four members, I feel like she's the least explored one. But I don't think that's a bad thing because she aims for a bigger objective and her payoff will surely come in the later seasons. Last but not least, Ikuyo is an extrovert that truly shines like a sun among the group, but also other people around her. She's also got social anxiety just like Hitori, but being an extrovert she's handling it in a very different way. She's afraid of not realising people's expectations of her, but she always tries her best. Her aura is very charming which is why, unlike Hitori, she's the popular girl in her school. The supporting cast is also great, every character has a lot of personality and make each episode a joy to watch with how they interact with the main cast. My favorite supporting character would be Hitori's little sister, whose personality is a direct opposite to Hitori. Often you could even question who's the more adult out of them. With all these great aspects, you could even forget that this is actually a music show. But it is! And the music is great! Kessoku band plays various different and original songs. Like them or not, seeing the band on stage performing them should put a big smile on anyone's face. In conclusion, the show is great and it's hard to find any noticeable faults with it. The payoffs are still not that amazing, but this being the first season - it is expected for the bigger ones to come later. The best episodes are those in which Hitori manages to overcome yet another of her obstacles. Overall it is a very chill and family-friendly show, not the most exciting one but definitely oozing with charm and I can hardly wait for the continuation of Hitori's journey of becoming a true rockstar .