Anime doesn’t always have to be action-driven shonen titles with male teen protagonists and plenty of bloodshed. Sometimes, a show can be as simple as a girl wanting to start a band. In the Fall 2022 anime season, Bocchi the Rock! proved to the world that even slice-of-life anime can be excellent -- its MAL score topped even the astonishing Chainsaw Man, probably the most hyped show of 2022.
What made this unexpected viral success possible was a mixture of great humor, beautiful animation and brilliant character writing. Bocchi the Rock! is populated by young women with well-rounded personalities and complex dreams, funny quirks, and a strong sense of who they are and what they want. For female fans of anime who are often subjected to simplistic and sexualized versions of women, Bocchi the Rock! may feel like a breath of fresh air.
Bocchi’s World Is an All-Female Space
Whether intentional or not, Bocchi the Rock! relegates its male characters to the sidelines. In addition to Bocchi, the spotlight falls on the other band members -- Ryo, Ijichi and Kita -- and the manager of the club they work and perform at, all of whom are young women. In the first few episodes, even when featured in the scene, Bocchi’s father’s face is never shown -- a curious choice that might reflect a desire to show, for once, women living, dreaming and working without men.
What's even more fascinating is that the young women of Bocchi the Rock! each represents a different side of femininity. There’s no one way to be a woman or a girl; one can be shy or exuberant, an introvert or an extrovert, a leader or a follower, a dreamer or a lone wolf. Bocchi and her friends prove that women can be all these things -- and much more.
Bocchi Is Following Her Dream Despite Her Social Anxiety
When she is still in middle school, Bocchi watches a famous band being interviewed on TV. When one of the members admits to having been an outcast back in school, Bocchi has a sudden epiphany: learning to play the guitar will finally allow her to fit in. While that doesn’t work out exactly the way she imagines, Bocchi becomes an internet phenomenon and an incredible solo guitar player. In a world of music that's too often dominated by men -- confirmed by who Bocchi sees on TV and live -- Bocchi herself is an inspiring exception.
Not only is Bocchi a female guitarist but she is also a victim of social anxiety who manages to push through it. While the show exploits most of her weaknesses for comedy, it never does so in a disrespectful way. Her difficulties are never downplayed but rather experienced with her, and her fellow band members are always patient and willing to wait for her to get through her most challenging moments. For all the girls and young women struggling to be heard or seen, as well as all of those coexisting with anxiety, Bocchi is a beacon of hope.
Bocchi’s Fellow Band Members Express Their Femininity in Different Ways
Ijichi brings the band together and Kita infuses it with life. In Bocchi the Rock!, they are the extroverts and the most traditionally feminine characters. Kita is naturally beautiful, cute and nice -- what a girl is often expected to be by society. While all of this is true and valid, her blatant attraction for Ryo and her determination to learn the guitar despite all the effort she has to muster both contrasts with the image of the 'nice, pretty girl' that the audience might be used to.
Ijichi is just as exuberant and friendly, but unlike Kita, she is the person who takes charge and makes things happen. She recruits the band members, gathers the money and organizes the meetings -- without her, the Kessoku band wouldn’t exist. Her closest friend Ryo couldn’t be more different. Aside from Ijichi, Ryo has barely any friends and loves being alone and appearing edgy and cool. She is the disruptor, always coming up with extravagant ideas and shaking things up.
However, Ryo’s androgynous nature is her most notable trait. Already sporting an eccentric haircut and fashion style, she also likes to play with her appearance -- once transforming her image altogether to a masculine suit and a short haircut -- and has no qualms about playing with ideas of sexuality. She talks about being with other women and clearly entertains Kita’s crush on her. She is the farthest person in the group from a traditional young woman.
Surprisingly, Bocchi herself responds to the idea of hitting on women with complete ease; her only objection comes from the conviction that no one would want to be with her at all. Another interesting personality is Ijichi’s older sister, the manager of the club, whose aloofness and strength make her a more stereotypically 'masculine' character. Her relationship with her collaborator, PA-san, is close and ambiguous enough to let the audience imagine that there could be more than a friendship there.
In Bocchi the Rock!’s world, which is virtually devoid of men, Bocchi and the other young women are free to express their femininity in a safe space where everything is allowed. Some are cool and collected, others exuberant and driven, but all know who they are, what their dreams are and who they want to become. While under the male gaze, they might be forced to become side characters, in Bocchi the Rock!, they can pursue their goals, express their personalities and establish strong bonds with one another.
In this respect, Bocchi the Rock! offers young women a series of widely different role models to choose from, demonstrating that they can be whoever they want to be and go after whatever dream they might want to chase. What’s more, the anime suggests that even when it comes to love and attraction, there is more than one answer and one path.