Flightless Fish
Episode 5 of Bocchi The Rock begins with Nijika’s sister handing Kessoku Band their first checks. Bocchi ponders what she’d like to buy with it, but Nijika notes that she’ll be collecting everyone’s funds. She needs cash to pay for the concert quota. ..
Nijika suggests making an album and music video, but Kita informs her of the costs. If they plan on selling albums and shooting music videos, they’ll need to work another job over summer break to cover it. Bocchi’s not pleased after hearing that and offers to take out a loan to pay for those costs. Ryo switches the topic and says she finished crafting their song from Bocchi’s lyrics.
The group listens to Nijika’s proposal and agrees to play at the Starry Club next month. Seika is hesitant because she doesn’t believe the group has the skill to perform well. ..
Nijika only allowed her to hold a concert previously because Seika wanted to make a memory. Seika tells Nijika to stick to playing the band as a hobby, infuriating Nijika. Nijika departs after making a parting shot toward Seika. Ryo, Kita, and Bocchi plan to comfort Nijika, but Seika tells her to stay behind. Meanwhile, Nijika purchases a drink at a concession stand while confronted by Kita and Ryo.
Nijika is upset with Seika’s attitude. Suddenly, Bocchi arrives and informs Nijika about what Seika told her. Apparently, Seika told Bocchi they must audition for a chance to play at Starry Club. She promises to watch their performance. They can hold another concert at Starry Club if they perform well in the audition. Everyone is pumped for the audition as Ryo informs Kita and Bocchi about her plan to impress Seika.
Kita is surprised that the others don’t find Bocchi’s guitar playing phenomenal. She recalls her encounter with her in episode three and argues that Bocchi is a great guitarist. However, she wonders if it was luck that led to his success. They try to ponder what Seika will be looking for during their audition. Later in the day, Bocchi helps Kita practice guitar at school. ..
Kita assumes they must show Seika how much they’ve grown as a band. Kita asks Bocchi to stick with her until the day of the audition. Sometime later, Nijika arrives at Starry Club with some goodies. However, she’s stunned by Ryo, Kita, and Bocchi’s appearance. Kita and Bocchi look identical to Ryo now regarding hairstyle and attire. Kita asks Bocchi to stick with her until the day of the audition, but sometime later Nijika arrives at Starry Club with some goodies. Nijika is stunned by Ryo, Kita, and Bocchi’s appearance- they look identical to Ryo now regarding hairstyle and attire. ..
Kita argues that this is the best way to show their growth as a band. Nijika finds this situation silly and argues they should focus on practicing then trying to dress to impress. We get a montage of the girls practicing for Saturday’s audition. While this occurs, we receive a monologue from Bocchi about the idea behind growth and how she wonders what it means to grow as a band. ..
Nijika asks everyone to get a good night’s rest for the audition. As Bocchi walks home, Nijika tells her to wait. Nijika spots a vending machine and purchases a cola for her. Nijika apologizes to Bocchi for getting her roped into joining Kessoku Band. Nijika recalls never asking Bocchi what type of band she wanted to participate in or her reasons for playing in Kessoku Band now.
Nijika admits that everyone has their reasons for wanting to gain popularity. She discusses how people no longer need to perform in live concerts to gain popularity. Nijika notes how people can post videos on social media to get their music out there. In her mind, Bocchi agrees since she enjoyed posting clips on Oh! Tube under her guitarhero alias.
Nijika apologizes for her fired-up attitude, saying that she really wants to make her dream a reality. She doesn’t want to hold Bocchi against her will. Bocchi tells Nijika not to worry about it and asks if Nijika’s dream is to make Kessoku Band popular enough so they can perform at the Budokan. Nijika says that’s only part of her dream, as she doesn’t want to unveil the whole thing to her yet. Nijika departs. ..
Kessoku Band set up their instruments in front of Seika and PA-san. At the same time, Bocchi declares in her mind that she contemplated all night about her reasons for playing in Kessoku Band now. Nijika introduces everyone and tells her sister they’ll perform a new song called “Guitar, Solitude, and the Blue Planet.”
Bocchi, a 17-year-old high school student from Saitama Prefecture, is a member of Kessoku Band, an unsigned Japanese pop group. The band is currently in the middle of their nationwide audition tour and Bocchi is determined to make the most of it. She has no idea what “growth” means or what success might look like, but she’s committed to helping her bandmates achieve their dreams and making Nijika happy. After their performance, the girls thank Seika for giving them this opportunity and prepare to continue their journey. ..
“They were good,” Seika said, her voice low. “But I think everyone’s flaws are really glaring. Why are they not cheering as PA-san says they passed?” She looked around the room, searching for an answer. “I don’t know… maybe it’s because we’re all so ashamed of ourselves.” She met the eyes of her friends and saw that they were all staring at her in surprise. “Maybe that’s why Bocchi is so happy.”
Bocchi is filled with immense joy after vomiting. We receive a humorous real-world clip of a water dam as an intermission. The girls comfort Bocchi, and Ryo mentions that she thought of their next song. Kita suggests taking a group photo to celebrate. At her table, Seika glances at Bocchi. Seika knows that Bocchi is a phenomenal guitarist. ..
Despite her lack of experience, Bocchi is determined to succeed. She takes notice of Seika and starts to think about how she can be more acknowledge by her peers. Despite being scared, Bocchi persists and eventually succeeds in getting Seika to acknowledge her talent.
The Kessoku Band shot their group photo on stage. PA-san and Seika discuss the band’s audition. PA-san asks Seika to admit that she liked them from the very beginning. She notes how she left a window open in the concert schedule for them and asks why she’d tease them like that. Seika argues she wanted to put them on when they were ready.
Seika, the band’s manager, is determined to help them grow and succeed. She pushes them hard to improve their skills and achieve their goals. Bocchi and her friends are excited for the journey ahead. Ryo tells Bocchi she looks forward to her new lyrics. Bocchi can’t wait to see where this journey takes her. Meanwhile, Nijika informs them that they must sell twenty tickets at 1,500 yen each in order to meet the quota. They all work hard to sell five tickets each. ..
The episode concludes with Bocchi undergoing a downward spiral when she realizes she’ll need to sell her fifth ticket to a stranger. ..
The Episode Review
This chapter is about growth. Everyone learned what it meant to work together. Although this episode’s outcome was predictable, seeing our girls practice individually and as a team–put a smile on my face.
Nijika’s dream in the anime is that she will become famous with her bandmates, but we don’t learn much about her beyond that. Despite being Kessoku Band’s leader, we don’t get to see much of Nijika beyond her dream. This episode teasingly hints at more to her dream, but fans will be delighted to see how the show handles her this time.
Bocchi has continued to develop into a mature protagonist. She still has her comedic and anxious quirks, but Bocchi’s progress is undeniable. She’s not only fighting for her dreams, but for the goals of her newfound companions. Not only did Bocchi impress her friends, but she gained the attention of a club manager, which is worth praising.
This episode raised the stakes for our girls and pushed them toward their absolute limits. Their audition was stellar both visually and thematically. Although they have a few issues they need to address, it feels like they’re on the right path. Let’s hope Bocchi The Rock can continue the momentum by adding more stakes, music playing, and emotionally-driven segments.
