Lonely Rolling Bocchi
The reporter asks the bandsman how he feels about his job, and the bandsman responds with a story of how he’s been feeling all week. He says that he’s been feeling lonely because there are no other people to share his life with. The reporter asks the bandman if he’s ever felt this way before, and the bandman replies that he has never felt this way before. The reporter then asks the bandman if there are any other people in his town who feel this way, and the bandman replies that there are no other people in his town who feel this way.
The bandman says that he was once a friendless nobody in school. He’d turn his life around when he formed a band with strangers that became popular. He argues that band is a place where introverts can shine. Hitori gets inspired and asks her father if she can use his guitar. Hitori plans to learn the guitar and establish a stellar band at school. She practices during the night as her family watches.
Three years after becoming a master guitar player, Hitori never played a note for her middle school classmates at the annual culture festival. She couldn’t invite anyone to her band or make friends. It’s been a month into high school, and Hitori remains a shut-in inside her closet while playing her father’s guitar. ..
Hitori is surprised to find that her previous video has been shared so much and that people are interested in her music. She loves how her messages are full of introverts like herself, but she is concerned about the reaction her video has had. The user who commented on her previous video says he formed a band and played the same song at the culture festival, which made Hitori realize that she was not alone in this genre.
Hitori closes her laptop after recalling memories from middle school of buying and showing off band merchandise, and pitching song requests during lunch period. In the present, Hitori reopens her laptop to see if anyone has replied to the comment that bothered her. She sees someone wishing they knew somebody that played guitar in their school and decides to reply. ..
Kita walks up to Hitori and says, “Hey, I’ve been looking for you. I wanted to ask you to join my band.” ..
At the playground, Hitori notices someone and wonders if this is a gathering place for lonely people. Her theories get shut down when she realizes the man’s child and wife head toward him. Hitori receives a notification that she’s hit 30,000 subscribers on Oh! Tube. Suddenly, a girl heads toward Hitori and asks her if she’s a grand guitar player.
Nijika Ijichi introduces herself as the second-year-high school student Nijika Ijichi. Hitori informs Nijika of her high school status nervously. Nijika asks Hitori if she can become her band’s second guitar player for the day. Nijika grabs Hitori’s hand, startling her. The girls head into town, and Hitori can’t help but compare her low-rocker vibe appearance to Nijika’s.
Nijika informs Hitori that they’ll be playing at the Starry club since Nijika’s sister is a manager there. Hitori responds to Nijika’s questions to the best of her abilities but can’t rid herself of her anxiety. She tries to calm her mental nerves by reminding herself of her dream of performing at the culture festival and her first solo show at Zepp Super Arena. ..
Nijika and Hitori arrive at Starry. Nijika shows her around the place, and Hitori is surprised that the other band members exhibit similar introverted and indoor mannerisms. Nijika introduces Hitori to her bass player Ryo Yamada, who exhibits a mature and pleasant demeanor. The three head into the music booth, and Nijika hands her the set list and score. ..
Nijika and Ryo say that they’re the only members of the band. They’ll be playing multiple instruments while Hitori focuses on guitar playing. Hitori is hesitant and confident that she can make a decent impression on Ryo and Nijika. After their session, Nijika tells Hitori she’s terrible, causing Hitori to spiral out of control.
“It’s significant for band players to be in sync with each other,” Guitar Man says. “Hitori’s social anxiety holds her back. Her anxiety encourages her to rush ahead of others. As a solo player, she’s incredible, but in a group, she’s an amateur.”
Before Nijika and Ryo call it quits, Hitori tells them to wait. She explains that she’s always wanted to be in a band but couldn’t get enough people together. Ryo asks Hitori what type of songs she enjoys playing. Hitori informs her that she enjoys playing relevant band songs. Nijika realizes that Hitori sounds a lot like Oh! Tube content creator “guitarhero,” which is Hitori’s online alias. ..
Nijika tells Hitori that she loves playing in the band and that she’s been playing for years. She says that she’s been inspired by guitarhero’s craft and that she wants to keep playing. However, after one failed attempt, she decides to quit the band. Hitori realizes that Nijika really does care about her music and her fans. He presents her with a cardboard box filled with her favorite songs inside.
Nijika ponders how they should introduce her to the audience. Ryo grants Hitori the name Bocchi and reveals to her that their band will be called Kessoku Band. At the Starry concert, Kessoku Band introduces themselves to the crowd and promises to play popular songs. After their performance, Ryo, Hitori, and Nijika head backstage to discuss it.
Nijika suggests holding a welcoming party tonight, but Hitori flees the room. The episode concludes with Hitori vowing to bring out her full guitar-hero powers and defeat her social anxiety.
The Episode Review
The first episode of Bocchi The Rock establishes Kessoku Band’s members wonderfully. It also concludes with our protagonist Hitori Goto vowing to accomplish multiple goals by the series’ conclusion. It appears Bocchi the Rock sets up a lot of worthwhile events to look forward to regarding Kessoku Band’s activities and journey to stardom.
I can see Hitori’s character feeling relatable to many people who deal with social anxiety. Her mannerisms and fear of letting her new companions done will resonate with many folks who find themselves in a similar bind occasionally. It’ll be intriguing to see how Hitori overcomes her mental illness throughout the course of the show’s narrative. Let’s hope she grows at a steady and authentic pace.
The other characters had fine introductions, but they could have offered more than what we received. The episode’s art quality and animation looked stunning. There were many scenarios where the animators used the camera angles to bring out Hitori’s lonesome and anxious personality. From walking in a hallway alone to her fateful encounter with Nijika in the park, the backgrounds looked semi-realistic. ..
This chapter establishes the tone of the show well. It feels like viewers are in for a comfortable and relaxing ride with this anime. While that’s fine and dandy, I hope they include some intensity too. Seeing something like Kessoku Band go head-to-head against other popular bands would add a layer of depth and intensity to Bocchi the Rock. That said, I’m looking forward to seeing what lies ahead for Hitori and her friends. ..
