That would be K-ON!
I forgot to include that the main lead is an adorable socially-anxious introverted pink-haired girl that, objectively, everyone finds relatable to and also... hides in a box.
...
That would be Bocchi The Rock!
--- PREMISE ---
A teenage, socially reclusive, and introverted girl named Hitori Gotoh, who absolutely rocks playing the guitar, known as the renowned "guitarhero" on the internet, tries to jumpstart her boring life by bringing out her guitar one day at school, hoping to garner attention. Unfortunately, her social skills aren't the greatest and ultimately fail to no avail. However, after being invited to Kessoku Band (who later nickname her "Bocchi") as a replacement for their former guitarist, she strives to work hard and appease her bandmates in her journey to conquer her introverted attitude and make her way to the top with a newfound band (finding herself in some hijinks along the way).
Viewing the premise does not give strong vibes that this would be an "Anime of the Year" contestant anytime soon. To put it strictly, it's another one of those shows where the main individual (with some sort of issue) gets carried by their newfound friend/s they happened to meet one, coincidental 'special' day helping them fix said issue, right? I think that premise is totally unoriginal, uninnovative and monotonous, right, like hmm, almost like every drama/slice-of-life anime? Right?
Yes and no would be my answer. I admit this premise has been utilised before to a variety of directions and paths to follow, Bocchi being one them. With that said, this path slowly starts to diverge from other shows, mashing the CGDCT and music genres altogether alongside a vivid and distinctive cast with their respective intricacies. Just ask yourself why was there even a surge in popularity of Bocchi The Rock casting other top shows of this season out to the window? And that was what separates Bocchi The Rock from the ordinary to the extraordinary. It's unique in its own way, grandiloquent, and it manages to expand from existing archetypes to create a pleasant, fun and fantastic experience throughout.
Even though you might encounter problems with Bocchi The Rock!, you cannot deny it did capture or did something special to win the heartstrings of the entire globe.
---THE CAST---
Bocchi/Hitori "Pink-Haired" Girl Gotoh - Our main character everybody raves for who appears rather amusing in every Bocchi-The Rock! thumbnail you see (whilst also suffering in disguise); she's the main star of the show. Stigmatised with crippling social anxiety (which its portrayal truly feels genuine albeit slightly exaggerated), she tries to rework her personality to better adjust to her new friends and the challenges that pursue her. Self-improvement is heavily apparent in Bocchi The Rock. Although I crave a more thorough fleshed-out development of Bocchi-chan in which she transitions to a more outgoing individual, that would diminish the realism aspect that swiftly in only twelve episodes. Case in point, her character gradually shifts to achieve that change but not abruptly or quickly to keep those Bocchi-targeted gags running; it unquestionably works in the show's context. However, there are some instances where she breaks free from that caricature, and when it does happen, the show nails the job done blazingly.
Moreover, I sympathised with her character just from the first episode, which undoubtedly nails the thrust into her deplorable situation; not just me; literally, almost everyone can relate to this. Find another review on Bocchi The Rock!, and the word "relate" would appear every time. Every single time, I cannot stress this enough. In my eyes, this is what made the show "click" to many viewers and how a subconscious attraction commenced bringing forth this aspect of "oh, I can relate to that," to tremendous effect. Let me explain. A little while back, the adaptation of Komi-san similarly dealt with social anxiety. However, Komi-san's great weakness was her inability to express herself because, well, she cannot communicate a single word or line, making her an irritable character from the get-go. Since the show does not deliver that "oh, i can relate to that" aspect, as mentioned earlier, it flopped, flipped and fall because there's nothing more to her character we can resonate with (and there's precisely the reason why I dropped the show, sorry Komi fans). On the flip side of the spectrum, Bocchi expresses herself in multiple monologues ranging from sentimental to out-blown hilarious, fulfilling the aforementioned reliability of tremendous effect. With that effect rolling, the hikikomori Bocchi works stupendously as a main character to lead and, again, fulfil a show of relatability.
She might be my favourite character to come out in 2022, and that's saying something.
Ryou "Blue-Haired Girl" (Senpai) Yamada - The cool (and wildest) character of the bunch, she fits the word "introvert" of the bunch. Unlike Bocchi, she's more willing to communicate with her peers, and when she does, she exerts a whole lot of one-liners which are a blast to get hold of - she's the living personification of that one stone-faced emoji. Not always, but most of her dialogue is just one-liners, which is not necessarily bad; it fits her qualities well. Her character is reminiscent of mine, unfathomably lazy, brimming with the knowledge to lecture, and as a bonus: has the most deadpan and superficial of remarks to splutter on screen - she's so aberrant, I love it.
Nijika "Yellow-Haired Girl" Ijichi - The upbeat and cheerful leader of the band, she's that one girl who motivates everyone at their lowest of lows and is an inspiration to all. And yeah, that's about it. To be frank, I kind of liked her at the start, but it soon got overshadowed by the other characters of the roster. Her character is limited to make people feel motivated over and over again, it honestly feels tedious. Now, I want to disclaim I don't dislike her completely. I suppose looking back, her character does crack a fruitful of jokes and heartfelt lines, and also plays a vital and crucial role in some scenes, but when compared to the rest of the cast suiting various personalities, she feels the most "withdrawn" in that archetype. Everyone's bubbling around in their own way and that what makes them special, but for Nijika, her screentime and characterisation makes the speciality a harsh killing blow - a detriment from the way I see it.
Ikuyo "Red-Haired Girl" Kita - The outgoing and sweetheart of the main four, she fits the stereotype of an extrovert so much, it's sometimes overbearing. It isn't a complaint, but as a fellow introvert, her aura was too much to handle and funnily enough, her ginormous social aura complements the jokes and gags. She serves as a complete contrast to Bocchi, a foil to her in every single way. Actually, if you could rank the fellow members from least social to most social, it'd be: Bocchi, Ryou, Nijika and lastly, Ikuyo. Ikuyo, I mean, Kita, well - she has the most friends, has the most-followed Isstagram account, constantly takes group pictures whenever she has the chance, and like Nijika, motivates her bandmates as the hijinks follow. She's that girl, and honestly, she suits the main squad perfectly. I really thought I wouldn't like her at the start, but she surprisingly grew on me, and maybe that's because of her interactions with Bocchi and the gang. But whatever the reason was, it worked.
Finally, the rest of the cast follows Bocchi's family: her supportive parents, her sweet sister and the family dog Jimihen (ah, I see what you did there), the manager, the other girl who accompanies the long-haired manager, the other one, the drunken booze lady ... yeah, I forgot their names. Every individual I mentioned has their moments assisting Bocchi, and those range from damn wholesome to out-blown hilarious like you'd expect.
---VISUALS---
The visuals are nothing more than an eye-pleaser. It's well-polished, capturing the essence and lighting of each scene, and neat as they are, there's a level of careful thought in the production department that makes it the real deal. The output of imagination drawn out and the attention to detail in some of the camera angles and shots are top-notch immaculate, carrying the medley of emotional imagery in the frame. In addition, they compensate and serve the comedy significantly; more on that in a bit.
The moeblob character designs look equally as impressive and memorable, too, and I indisputably adore the realistic haircut fringes of the main four.
A minor gripe I have with the show would be the performance sequences. Don't get me wrong, they still have that essence of detail exuberating with the aforementioned cinematography dynamics, and they sound great and prosperous in substance; however, there's something about their character models looking stiff and jarring playing their respective instruments. I assume it's the CGI compositing or perhaps even rotoscoping involved, and they brought the immersion a tad down, I'll say. Likewise, it'll be difficult to 2D-animate the absolute precision when playing, so I can see why they went for it. And again, I would like to reiterate that's an acute nitpick of mine. So don’t cancel me Twitter, or should I say in terms of Bocchi’s universe: That Twit Twit App.
---SOUND---
Firstly, I would like to address that the VA's performances were simply incredible. I can't give enough credit to Bocchi's VA, the real standout, she delivers that withdrawn yet simultaneously seizing the bombastic and crazed voice of Bocchi's. Her vocal range is damn exceptional. The rest also felt and fit their respective personas firmly, Nijika's and Kita's sounding high-pitched and cheery, and the offbeat Ryou, who's sounds so dead inside. Nobody, and I mean nobody, said inferior or out of place, they damn fit their characters (including the side ones) and further exemplify the terrific casting of the seiyuus. When a joke is inbound, their vocal delivery is so immaculate it adds to heightening up the execution greatly of the wacky comedy in this show (again, more on that in a bit).
Also, the show's sound director (Akiko Fujita) needs to be more acknowledged, him leading the sound department to produce this level of sound design and mixing, the right timing and the integration of instruments orchestrating - such pristine, how pristine.
Speaking on the subject of musical performances, everything makes up perfectly. the band rocking out with riveting instruments at play, the clanging of the drums, the slap of a bass, the fingerpicking of a guitar amped up as the main vocalist sings, blooms an enticing atmosphere encompassing and filling the setting with noise, glowsticks at large, what more can I add? Without a doubt, whoever was behind the instrumentation and the immense prepping in the studio to create this bombastic of a performance needs a gold medal right away. All and all, it's a massive tour de force from Cloverworks.
Yet again, during some earlier scenes, when mistakes during the playing were made, (as per intention of the ensuing narrative), it was a stretch barely audible that something felt off as everything all at once felt strung together perfectly which until I increased the volume which now, I can hear. I thought it'll be more noticeable, but unfortunately, I think they were too focused at the prospect of making this sound good to listen to the viewer - maybe that's a me thing, though.
Also, I've noticed a ton of individuals complaining from one web/online form to another that these musical numbers sound so generic, but c'mon, what did you expect? You can't receive Radiohead-level songwriting, swooning and melodicoulous vocals and such rich textures to constitute a flavourful musical number/song/performance - they debuted from Pablo Honey, and that's generic enough to make my ears bore. My point is, it had to happen this way. Or you could wait for the psychedelic band spin-off coming out in Nonever, another regular month in the Bocchiverse.
On a brighter note, can we all applaud the idea of fictional bands performing the opening, the ending and songs played in a show? It fits suitably within the context of a band-music genre of a show, and was damn meta-inducing: you could say my mind was blown to bits, in a good way of course. I know K-On did that before, but it is a nice nod, nevertheless.
# --- THE THING EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT: COMEDY ---
On the other hand, what about its comedy? Well, dear reader, comedy is a tough egg to crack in my eye, a difficult genre to master, as it requires a balance of timing, delivery, and unexpected twists. It's great to see a show that can achieve this and provide a consistently entertaining and humorous experience for its audience, and that's precisely what Bocchi The Rock captures. Most shows fail to nail a single line; some rely on punchlines and visual, witty gags and references to deliver me only just a slight chuckle. This show cleverly utilises comedy to its highest grandeur standard, with the only thing that can come quite close being Kaguya Sama's slapstick comicness; still, Bocchi manages to elevate that level to even greater heights. Bocchi's The Rock's comedy is stupendously brilliant and widely imaginative in its planning and execution, its significant selling aspect of the widespread buzz and hype in the media. Some could say it's the pinnacle of comedy, a sentiment I surprisingly agree with more or less. The VA's performances capture the range of humour, the work of editing cut at the perfect time to enhance a gag impact and the final block of the lot: the animation and art style cement itself as the icing on the cake, constantly changing to benefit the many jokes. Some jokes and gags are the typical types and straightforward, such as the show's use of facial expressions, a momentary pause from literal excitement to an "eh?", or Bocchi's tidbits of narration in the most outlandish of moments, yes, those are still quirky and fun. However, that does not come close to the "other" comedic bits spread throughout this show. If there were one sentence that can encapsulate those, it would be: you really didn't need to do this, yet you did it anyway.
This show's inventive technical competency in producing comedy is its greatest asset, paving the way for the wackiest yet surreal sequences blooming in life. It is a definite over-the-top treat. You could argue these instances feel dragged out and too absurd for conventional anime viewing, but it also gives a nice change of pace to most shows in the comedy genre, leaning more toward the experimental side. I find myself to be neutral on both points: Sometimes, the shift in art style and animation might get too over-excessive, but from a studio perspective, the flame of passion within the production team for adapting the manga and bringing those jokes to life in an animation format instead of disregarding them and bringing lukewarm and lazy half-assed jokes to the table warms my heart enough. It fully captured the heart of its source material and went forward with it. Cloverworks, you mad lad, you have finally done a show justice, more than justice, if I may add.
Not to mention, its experimentalism has generated the many compilations and montages you can find on Youtube, Reddit, or other social media applications. Looking back, that is seriously impressive, considering Bocchi was mostly unheard of in the general public - I didn't know this comforting yet bombastic of a show existed before it started appearing on my feed aplenty. Either way, to sum it up, Bocchi's comedy is a gem to behold, nothing else. It's gushing with cleverness, tight-knit with ingenuity in delivering some of the most notable laughjerkers in a while. Nothing can ever be the actual "peak" of comedy, something we can all laugh and chuckle about like a madman. Remember, comedy is subjective. But what it has done is it took one step forward, brimming with creativity, for it solidified as one of the greatest in the artistic medium of animated comedy. That's a bold compliment, yes, but we can all see the same picture here: it's golden.
Edit: About the "too absurd for conventional anime viewing" statement I've written, I've watched FLCL thereafter that, and that's even more wackier than this. Might make a review on that though, but it's quite a chore to get through that one.
#
After reading all of this, I'm pretty sure you can conclude I very much enjoyed the time together with Bocchi The Rock! The premise may be simplistic in nature, but I definitely won't forget the farcical but unique slapstick comedy, the exaggerated but authentic portrayal of social anxiety, the dear friends we made along the way, genuinely enticing musical numbers and versatile vocal performances, the depressive alcoholic spiral in our mid-30s: this show has it all. This is Cloverworks’ redemption arc starting here all out, I’m calling it.
I rarely give out a score around 90-ish, personally. However, this show is an exception; it deserves the high praise and success it's received over the past few weeks. And as a side notice, after this significant explosion in acclaim and popularity, there's been a ton of extra content in marketing in promos, stitched clips, BTS footage and interviews to consume on Youtube. I highly recommend those if you have already checked out the show.
*Revised on 22/1/2023 and 23/5/24
I want to say upon further reflecting, this show dwindled in terms of impact over time (to me that is), I feel it isn't worthy of a 90 anymore. Sure the comedy is peak, and the characters are practically unforgettable, but there are more shows to me that nails each quality of what a show needs to bring to table than Bocchi. So regrettably, my new score is a rough 85.
~~~