Rock is a Lady’s Modesty is a story about self-repression and self-acceptance. Lilisa’s love for rock music is an intrinsic part of her being, something she can’t repress even if she tried. She’s under serious pressure from her mother to fit in at the prestigious Oshin Girls’ Academy and to earn the title of Noble Maiden, a feat that requires her to become the perfect representation of what it means to be a proper lady. Lilisa is determined to achieve this goal, but it requires her constant effort to hold back the less prim and proper aspects of herself, such as her serious temper, penchant for vulgar language, and, of course, her secret passion for the guitar.
When she finds Otoha, the perfect example of a Lady she aspires to be, going absolutely ham on the drums in the music room after school, she’s provoked into participating in a jam session with her that quickly turns into a heated battle of instruments. Otoha plays like a dominatrix (that’s literally how she’s depicted in the scene), tempting her further and further into the thralls of the rhythm, and reigniting Lilisa’s inner rage, fueling her desire to express it through rock.
At first, Lilisa denies that she could ever do another “passionate collaboration” with Otoha, but the temptation is too much to resist, and thus begins a partnership between the two that leads to them forming a band and aiming to one day grace the stage of Fuji Rock.
Throughout the show, the band’s best sessions are depicted as an experience bordering on orgasmic. By playing guitar, Lilisa isn’t just having fun or devoting herself to a hobby; she’s losing herself in the pleasure of it, spurred on by Oto’s provocative drumming and verbal berating. Rock isn’t a game to her; it’s what she lives for, it’s a core part of her identity.
Are you getting how this fits as a queer metaphor yet? It’s not exactly subtle, and the innuendo can feel rather heavy-handed at times, but that doesn’t detract from my enjoyment in the slightest. A story about breaking free from the suffocating confines of stereotypical femininity to have sweaty, sadistic/masochistic, passionate “sessions” with your ~~lesbian polycule~~ band, I mean, what’s not to love?
Most of the humor in this show comes from the girls’ hard rock attitudes. They aren’t afraid to push boundaries and get down and dirty. Lilisa and Oto swear like sailors, which might feel like cheap humor to some, but the shock of hearing lines like “Whip yours out too, you limp-d***ked mofo” never wore out its charm for me. The girls’ refined and polite behavior while attending their high-class academy, compared to their hardcore rock sessions filled with innuendo, makes for an undeniably hilarious contrast.
Some might question if this show is actually yuri, or if it's yuri bait. Although the yuri moments are often played for laughs (especially the more explicit scenes), the show’s queer themes and yuri fanservice make it a pure joyride for any GL enjoyer. If it is bait, it’s the goddamn juiciest worm I’ve ever been hooked on. Lilisa and Oto’s dynamic of pushing each other harder and harder, all while smiling in pure bliss, makes them the perfect partners. They’re both undeniably in love with rock, and their shared passion carries over. There’s plenty of shipping potential with the other band members as well, and the show doesn’t shy away from teasing us with moments of chemistry between any pair in the group.
The musical performance within a band anime is really what can make or break the entire show. Honestly, this is where Rock is a Lady’s Modesty shines the most. Other band anime I’ve watched have good music, don’t get me wrong, but no other band anime's sound mixing and sense of performance realism in particular has left me feeling exactly the way the show wants me to feel in the same way that Rock is a Lady’s Modesty has. When Tina is just starting out and she sucks, you can hear it, she sucks. When she starts practicing and getting better, there’s an actual, noticeable improvement that sounds just as unpolished, but passionate as an amateur should be. When Lilisa is knocked off her game, you can hear it. Her performance is weaker. She still sounds amazingly talented, with impressively polished, technical playing, but when she finally gets kicked into gear? It knocks your socks off. The emotion in the music is totally there. The ability this show has to have you make you feel the hype as if you’re an actual member of the audience is an astonishingly impressive feat.
The CG, mo-capped animation can be jarring at first, but in my opinion, it really added a lot to the immersion of the music scenes. Hats off to BAND-MAID for their performance.
Adding to the musical performances as well are the stunning visual metaphors the show incorporates to express the feelings of the band members right before a major shift in the performance. When Otoha and Lilisa first play collaboratively with a symphonic band, they sweep them up in a tornado of sound, progressively getting faster and louder. When Tina loses her rhythm during the battle of the bands, she’s getting swallowed up by a dark forest, trying to claw her way out.
Performances are never dull for even a moment in Rock is a Lady’s Modesty; they’re utterly engaging thanks to the shonen-battle-like dialogue, dynamic sound-mixing, and striking visuals.
Lilisa’s character really shines through with how exaggerated and expressive they animate her. She’s brash and abrasive, often losing her cool and laying down a serious(ly offensive) scolding on anyone unworthy of playing rock. She takes her goal to become the Noble Maiden extremely seriously, showing how ambitious and hard working she can be, highlighted by her impressive guitar abilities she’d honed from a young age. Her conflicting desires- to please her family and to absolutely shred it- make for a compelling main character.
Otoha is so unhinged, and I love her for that. Nothing matters to her except the pleasure she experiences from playing rock. She delivers absolutely brutal lines with a voice as sweet as honey. She’s a greedy lover, demanding more from everyone around her, pushing them to be their best selves. When she’s a little less worked up, she’s the supportive glue holding the band together- a perfect trait for a drummer, mirroring the important role in maintaining the group’s rhythm.
Taking the “prince of the girls’ school” trope and making that girl secretly an autistic weirdo with a big ~~chest~~ heart was honestly a brilliant choice. Tina provides a nice contrast to the harsher members of the band, especially as a foil for Tamaki, although it’s up to you to decide if you find her tendency to talk through her plushie Usami charming or off-putting.
Tamaki is the stone-cold ice queen bassist of the group. She only has respect for Oto, and she’s not afraid to make that clear, making for some nice mid-season conflict when she joins. As a guitarist who prefers bass myself, I love her choice to play the instrument that speaks to her more, despite her talent for both, and although she hides her emotions, I think that really speaks to her own motivations to chase the pleasure of playing rock.
We’re in a new golden age of Girls Band anime, but even with the competition, Rock is a Lady’s Modesty manages to stand out with its unique setting, bold sense of humor, and music that gets your head banging and middle finger in the air. If you're looking a show that can you have you laughing your ass off one moment, fangirling over a yuri scene the next, and bring everything home by blowing you away with some killer hard rock, this is the show for you.