Hello everyone! I am Holofan4life.
Welcome to the Bocchi The Rock Let's Rock rewatch discussion thread!
I hope you all have a lot of fun <3
S1 Episode 5 – Flightless Fish
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ANSWER TODAY’S QUESTION
What do you consider to be personal growth?
What do you think Manager-san meant when she told Bocchi "I see you"?
Bonus) If you ever change your hairstyle, what would you change it to?
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Information – MAL | Anilist | AniDB | ANN
Streams – Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime
Please do not post any untagged spoilers past the current episode or from the LNs out of respect to the first time watchers and people who have not read the LNs. If you are discussing something that is ahead of the current episode please use spoiler tags(found on the sidebar). Thank you!
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Rewatch Schedule
Threads posted every day at 6:00 PM EDT
| Date | Episode |
|---|---|
| 10/09/2024 | Bocchi The Rock Episode 1 |
| 10/10/2024 | Bocchi The Rock Episode 2 |
| 10/11/2024 | Bocchi The Rock Episode 3 |
| 10/12/2024 | Bocchi The Rock Episode 4 |
| 10/13/2024 | [Bocchi The Rock Episode 5]() |
| 10/14/2024 | [Bocchi The Rock Episode 6]() |
| 10/15/2024 | [Bocchi The Rock Episode 7]() |
| 10/16/2024 | [Bocchi The Rock Episode 8]() |
| 10/17/2024 | [Bocchi The Rock Episode 9]() |
| 10/18/2024 | [Bocchi The Rock Episode 10]() |
| 10/19/2024 | [Bocchi The Rock Episode 11]() |
| 10/20/2024 | [Bocchi The Rock Episode 12]() |
| 10/21/2024 | [Bocchi The Rock Overall Series Discussion Thread]() |
by Holofan4life
9 Comments
Hello, guys. Holofan4life here.
Welcome to the Bocchi The Rock Rewatch.
I presume the ones that don’t participate are introverts like Bocchi 😛
What really can be said about this show? It’s hard really to put into words. For what amounts to a music show, it really is a breath of fresh air. Why? Because unlike a lot of other music shows, it’s less about the music and more about the characters and the comedy.
When it originally came out, I wasn’t planning on watching it. It kinda flew under the radar at first, probably because I like a lot of people thought it was your generic show in a similar vein as Love Live or Show By Rock. But then clips started to circulate of the show and I said to myself “Alright. I’m gonna have to check it out.”
One of the best decisions I made in the year 2022.
I’m really excited to host this rewatch because I think it’s going to get a lot of engagement. People look back fondly on this show, and I think there’s good reason why. It should be noted that I’m coming off the heels of the Spice and Wolf rewatch which is renowned for its dialogue and how clever it is. Bocchi I kinda view in a similar light, and as we’ll soon see it can be just as infectious.
With that out of the way, let’s begin.
I’m watching the sub, by the way.
I finished watching Gurren Lagann for the first time last week. Really great show, probably would give it an 8.5 out of 10. I like Kill La Kill more, but both are exceptional series.
Manager-san
Ooh, payday
Ten thousand yen
That’s roughly $70
Bocchi wondering what to spend it on.
Also, a big manga haul? Where I live, one manga is like $15.
Gotta collect it for the concert, unfortunately.
A new song entitled “A Farewell to Yukichi”.
And now Bocchi is in the trashcan.
Nijika thinks they should get second jobs during Summer vacation in order to pay for an album as well as a music video.
Bocchi freaking out because they might be working at the beach.
Meanwhile, Ryo’s song is really good
Ryo stroking Bocchi’s chin like a cat, which has Kita feeling envious.
Nijika plans on having a concert here next month.
Ooh, but her sister isn’t putting her on. How salacious!
Manager-san typing ahoge in the computer for some reason.
She explains she let them performed last time so they can make a memory.
Hey, it’s the dark haired girl we’ve seen before.
So, the last time they performed, it was in May. Interesting.
Manager-san advising they keep their band as a hobby.
“You can’t even sleep without stuffed animals to cuddle!”
Honestly, that little factoid makes her incredibly endearing.
And Ryo has the pictures to prove it. Of course.
Oh boy. Manager-san has something to say to Bocchi. One-on-one.
Nijika pounding her frustrations away by drinking tea.
Kita and Ryo trying to comfort her
Man, Bocchi really looks out of it.
The way she’s animated here looks like it was done by Joel Haver.
Turns out what Manager-san wanted to say is that if Nijika wants to perform, she needs to audition.
And now Bocchi is showing obedience by pretending to be a dog. Sure.
Only a week to practice
I like how it’s like Bocchi and Kita are in sync with each other.
And now Bocchi is hiding in a pipe lol
Kita is surprised Bocchi isn’t considered good because she thought she was good the first time she saw her.
Bocchi and Kita practicing guitar
Kita thinks they just need to show how hard they’ve been working.
“So please stick with me until the day of the audition!”
OH MY GOD
BOCCHI, RYO, AND KITA ALL CHANGED THEIR HAIR INTO MOP TOPS.
I’m going to tell my kids this was The Beatles.
And of course this was Ryo’s idea. Of course.
Bocchi mentioning she can’t have any dalliances with women. Which… is the joke that the haircut is a gay one? I feel like I’m missing something.
Oh, it was a wig. Of course.
None of them seems to know what growth actually entails.
For Bocchi, she thought finally being a part of a band would be growth in itself. But it seems not to be the case.
Nijika calling it a day after seeing the look on Bocchi’s face.
Bocchi walking home now
Nijika
Nijika apologizing for never asking Bocchi what type of band she wanted to be in.
“You can always post videos and stuff nowadays if what you want is to get your sound out there.”
Oh, if only she knew…
Nijika recognizes she might have dragged Bocchi into this against her will.
Nijika has a reason why she started the band, but she can’t share it yet.
And with that, she is off
Well, that was a nice scene
Day of the audition
Kessoku Band setting up
Manager-san and her friend watching
Guitar, Solitude, and the Blue Planet
Who wrote this song, Captain Beefheart?
Bocchi realizing she wants people to go crazy not just for her, but for all the members of the band.
The song is pretty good. Maybe a bit generic sounding, but I could see myself listening to it repeatedly.
Bocchi proclaiming she wants to make Nijika’s actual dream come true.
“I don’t want the band to end just yet!”
Not the biggest fan of some of the CGI used here. Kinda makes them look like characters from Kemono Friends.
And so it went off without a hitch
Or not. Manager-san is overly critical
Still, she knows what band they are now.
“A shitty one.”
Nah, I’m just joking, she says they passed 🙂
Nijika remarking to Ryo how Bocchi’s playing is so different.
Bocchi having to throw up
And we get Saitama Prefecture Takizawa Dam, which is live action footage of a dam.
I was about to say, this episode was lacking in some comedic moments.
Various dams we get, in fact. Toyama, Iwate, and Nagano.
Manager-san feeling that Bocchi’s lack of self-confidence holds her back.
“She could grow even more.”
Approps of nothing, it bothers me there are people who actually ship Bocchi and Manager-san together.
Manager-san staring at Bocchi
“I see you, okay?”
No! No, show! Don’t give the fans the wrong idea!
Black-haired girl convinced Manager-san liked them from the start.
She was even keeping a window open in the concert schedule for them.
Nijika isn’t lying. She is a tsun-tsun-tsun-tsun-tsun-tsun-tsundere.
**Ran out of space. Part two in the replies.**
Rewatcher! Episode 5 Flightless Fish
“I do still want to be popular and have everyone go crazy for me… but now it’s not just for me. It’s the four of us!” Bocchi
Bocchi may not think she learned what growth really means, but for me and a lot of the audience it’s clear the Bocchi trying her hardest in this audition to make Nijika’s dream come true has leveled up so much from the Bocchi in episode 1 who had to hide underneath a mango box.
Cutting back to the start of the episode, this whole situation started when the manager told Nijika that Starry couldn’t have a repeat of Kessoku Band’s terrible performance from episode 1. Nijika rushed out in anger with Kita and Ryo chasing after her. Before Bocchi has a chance to leave too the manger tells her something. When Bocchi finally gets there looking like a zombie, exactly how I feel after climbing the massive gauntlet of stairs out of my subway stop, she lets everyone know the manager wants them to audition.
Nijika feels relieved yet still a bit annoyed at her sister for how she phrased the whole thing. Her sister is really not beating the tsundere allegations. When they strategize over the audition Kita makes an interesting observation that Nijika and Ryo don’t think Bocchi’s guitar playing is good enough yet. Obviously Kita who’s heard Bocchi play alone feels she’s great, but since she wasn’t there in episode 1 she doesn’t know playing together in a band is a different skill set.
After some scenes of practice between Bocchi and Kita followed by Ryo’s hilarious antics we’re met with such a good set up scene. It’s the night before their big audition and Nijika decides to get a bit real with Bocchi while at the vending machine. She apologizes to Bocchi over dragging her into Kessoku without really knowing what type of band Bocchi wanted to be in. Honestly I don’t think Hitori herself knew at the time either. She instead had hazy dreams of popularity and success. Nijika was the one who pulled Hitori out of that fog and towards a more concreate path. That’s why a lot of BTR fans see Nijika as Bocchi’s angel and I’m no different.
Bocchi asks if Nijika’s dream is to preform at the Budokan and what’s really interesting is that Nijika’s dream is even beyond that. I love though that Nijika doesn’t tell Bocchi her true dream now, probably not wanting to put that pressure on her. In this moment Nijika really embodies being Kessoku band’s leader.
With it finally being the day the audition I honestly feel nervous myself. I just really want them to do well. Bocchi’s inner dialogue overlayed with their performance Guitar, Loneliness, and Blue Planet is mixed really well to where it feels like they’re complimenting each other. Another unfinished manga adaptation of a music performance from this year could really take some notes from CloverWorks. The level of detail on everyone’s performances along with the varying close ups just make the scene feel so dynamic. I especially love Bocchi’s foot stomp after declaring she doesn’t want everything to end here which perfectly in time with the song’s chorus. Now that’s the determination of a badass rocker which everyone can’t help but notice.
After that amazing performance everyone is on bated breath as the manager critiques each of them before explicitly saying they passed. When they’re all out of earshot PA-san (since we don’t know her name) asks the manager to admit she liked them from the beginning. It’s heartwarming to see that the manager always kept a space open for her little sister’s band. While she might have seemed harsh, I feel the manager made the right choice. If Nijika would’ve given up from just that then Kessoku band wouldn’t be cut out to rise any higher. Still the manager is definitely a confirmed tsundere.
Overall, this episode showed not only growth of Kessoku band into a more cohesive unit but also Bocchi growing to have a more concrete path forward.
**Rewatcher**
I was listening to some Rush today and after thinking about it I think their song [Limelight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg8BIMh_KgQ) is very fitting for Bocchi. Especially the lyric “One must put up barriers to keep oneself intact”.
Not sure if Bocchi would listen to Rush though. But for some reason Ryo strikes me as the type. Or just the type to listen to prog rock in general.
I forgot how much of Kita fangirling over Ryo was in this show. Not that I mind, it’s very entertaining.
I know it’s just a one off gag but I really want to know why Ryo has a photo of Manager-san sleeping on her phone. That’s probably one of Ryo’s stranger moments and that’s saying something.
Speaking of which, I think I ship Manager-san and her assistant together. It might just be the yuri brainworms but I dunno, they seem like they’re a cute couple.
This episode is actually very Manager centric and I’m all here for it. Nijika was absolutely right when she called her big sister a tsundere. I think Manager-san is sweet though, with how she wants her sister’s band to succeed but isn’t great at outward displays of support and affection.
This episode had great moments for both sisters actually. I loved Nijika’s conversation with Bocchi by the vending machine. It gives some more depth to Nijika in my opinion. She knows how impulsive or even irresponsible she can be but she’s trying her best.
We also get a full on band performance this episode which is great to see. I loved getting to see the performance. Already makes it feel like our characters have gone a long way.
This was also followed up by the great visual gag of Bocchi throwing up and it cutting to live action footage of dams.
Come to think of it, a lot of anime show vomit as sparkly or rainbow colored. I think that might have something to do with broadcast regulations. I can’t quite remember.
Once again, really great job on the animation this episode. One subtle bit that I like is when Bocchi is out of breath and catching up to her friends. I think it looked rotoscoped but I don’t know for sure.
The standout bit of animation this episode is Bocchi’s freakout at the end when she realizes she doesn’t know enough people to give away tickets.
It’s also really funny that Bocchi seriously thinks that giving a ticket to her dog is an option.
My favorite joke of the episode was probably Ryo convincing Bocchi and Kita to dress up in suits and get mop top haircuts. I think that might have been a reference to The Beatles since that’s also how they dressed early in their career.
Anyway, another great episode. I’ve really got nothing but nice things to say about this show, it’s great.
**Questions of the Day:**
**What do you consider to be personal growth?**
That’s kind of a broad question. But I suppose I’d consider personal growth to be doing something that challenges what you’re comfortable with. In Bocchi’s case, that’s joining a band.
**What do you think Manager-san meant when she told Bocchi “I see you”?**
I think that was Manager-san saying that she understands what Bocchi’s dealing with and wants her to succeed.
Veering slightly into headcanon territory, I think it also could mean that Manager-san used to be very shy and introverted herself.
**If you ever change your hairstyle, what would you change it to?**
I’ve always been curious if I could pull off a pompadour. Just to see what it’d look like on me.
***Socially Anxious Rewatcher***
I think the first thing I bought from my first paycheck were the Chunibyo Blu-Rays
Considering the performance you put on last time, I understand why Seika wouldn’t put them on again. At least until they prove they can put on a respectable performance
But I can also understand why Nijika is angry. You’ve just finished your first song and get told no, not just from anyone but your own sister.
But Seika could’ve also just told her that they need to prove that they can be better. That’s what intended to do, but Nijika stormed off before she could say it. It should probably have been the first or second thing she said.
[Ryo didn’t even hesitate lmao](https://imgur.com/a/eJu7CQg) Also, that picture is adorable
At least the drama got resolved quickly
I mean you do have to show that you’ve grown as a band, but I’m pretty sure you actually have to play decently well for Seika to put you on. Better get practicing!
[I don’t even know where to begin](https://imgur.com/a/xO7OwdK)
I forgot that we actually get to hear the song now instead having to wait for the concert
(Edit: I kinda forgot to write that I love this song)
I think Bocchi has already grown a lot in a relatively short amount of time. Not just on her own, with the whole social anxiety thing, but she’s not just doing it for herself anymore. She wants the band to succeed because she wants them all to succeed.
[I think that’s just her normal state of being](https://imgur.com/a/GNh1kPD)
They passed!
[This is relevant again](https://imgur.com/a/QjsVC7p)
I FORGOT ABOUT THE DAMS LMAO
I think there about a million different ways [you could have worded this better](https://imgur.com/a/WpdAiIE). [ But then again…](https://imgur.com/a/QjsVC7p)
[More tsundere](https://imgur.com/a/QjsVC7p)
Oh yeah, the tickets… Good luck Bocchi
[She gave up immediately lmao](https://imgur.com/a/aq8NL9Y)
**Questions of the day**
1. When you progress towards your personal goals
2. Like in a reaffiming way along the lines of “I know how good you are/what you can do”
Bonus. As an experiment, my hair is currently the longest it has been in probably over a decade/maybe ever. While I don’t dislike it, it just doesn’t look good on me and it’s also a pain to maintain. So I’ll be getting my hair cut back short very soon
**Rewatcher**
Okay. I’ve been re-reading the manga (plus material & interviews from the anime guidebook) during the rewatch, and there is something VERY special with this episode. The entire episode spans about 7 pages in the manga. Less than 15 four-cell strips. For reference, episode until now covered about 3 times that amount. In the manga, the girls learn they need to pass an audition, they worry a little about it, perform successfully and rejoice. That’s about it. That CloverWorks would produce such a solid episode from this amount of content speaks a lot about the talent of their staff.
While an unadapted gag ended up being used for this episode (Hitori looked for illegal money-lending on the first day in the manga), half the episode uses a more contemplative mood to slowly build up the expectations and worries of our main cast.
These added sequences are still very carefully crafted, showing little details in their daily lives (like Kita performing her [Minister of Social Network duties](https://i.imgur.com/YEAALsA.png) wherever she goes), keeping their consistency with the characters’ established personnalities (such as Nijika [doing her best to defuse Hitori’s panic mode](https://i.imgur.com/DTpnWgg.png)), and having Hitori voices her doubts about what growth means. This first half culminates in the nighttime scene between Hitori & Nijika, and its [absurdly gorgeous character acting ](https://www.sakugabooru.com/post/show/209514)
The second half came like a thunderstorm, letting all this doubt explode and unleash the power accumulated until this moment. The band did great, especially Hitori who set the tone in the very first seconds when declaring her new goal of having people go crazy for ALL of the band. The powerful song from the music department of Aniplex, together with the creative power from the animation staff, combined well to show off the band’s growth.
The animation did look somewhat stiff during the musical part, with the creation process being quite a complex scheme including a live performance, a numerization in CG and a hand-drawn reproduction from the desired perspectives. But for all this work, it did wonders on character behaviors during the performance (just look at all [the Nijika-Ryo interactions](https://i.imgur.com/o8kYdIp.png)), and enabled some crazy ideas such as that [guitar-camera](https://i.imgur.com/VKI9YIr.png).
And even after all of this, CloverWorks still had some crazy ideas left for this episode, delivering us a “nice dam” moment, as well as a psychedelic first-view experience of Hitori breaking down as she realizes their success means she now has to sell her quota of tickets. The girl just can’t bask one minute under the sun before being drenched with an anti-Hitori rainshower!
Yoshi-yoshi. You can get all the chin rubs, Kita-chan.
My big sister can’t be this cute. That panda looks … vintage?
The rather realistic animation of Bocchi running makes her stick out even more so than the blue skin color.
Can I give Bocchi some belly rubs? Someone give her some belly rubs.
Can we talk about fashion a bit, this something K-on, Imas, Bocchi and many other shows just do so right. The girls, Bocchi excluded, look so good in their street clothes.
Double Bocchi reaction is a great visual joke. Same as the continued wallpaper joke.
This is something I forgot last time, but keep an eye out for the posters in the background. Many feature bands that are related to show. There was a Kana-Boom one, which wrote(?) one of the songs for the show, iirc.
[Guitar, Solitude and the Blue Planet – First Take version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3akM3m_tz0)
I wonder what the technical process for the animation of them playing their instruments was. 3D with hand drawn hair and eyes? Rotoscoping? Full 3D?
We interrupt this episode of Bocchi for some dams from Yuru Camp. Look at those dams. Dam cool.
That’s the wrong thing to say in that situation, Tenchou!
I remembered that counting joke.
Karakara time.
**Socially anxious rewatcher!**
The random shots of dam spillways overlaid with “One Moment, Please” *is* my favorite joke of the show. Even this time around, I had to pause the show to quit laughing before I could watch the rest of the episode, lol
To me, personal growth is making steps to overcome some obstacle within yourself.
Manager-san meant that she recognizes what Bocchi’s dealing with, and wanted to express her support. But we see how well Bocchi understood her…
**Rewatcher**
Another pretty fun episode, plus out first concert performance! This is the first time we’ve actually seen them preform an actual song, and it was such a good performance. I love also how we actually see them actually working towards making sure they pass the audition, its a stark comparison to their performance back in EP1. Plus to mention the manga again, it’s wild how much the anime added cause the manga ver didn’t even have the scene with Nijika and Bocchi at the vending machine for example. The anime really has been proving itself to be an adaptation that just nails everything right.
**Questions**
> What do you consider to be personal growth?
Maturing really, moving past how you were in the past and becoming more independent and furthering your growth whether it be education or personal.
> What do you think Manager-san meant when she told Bocchi “I see you”?
That she sees that Bocchi has skill, she just needs to refine it and not let her anxiety hold her back.
> Bonus) If you ever change your hairstyle, what would you change it to?
My hair is curly (like 4A/4B), but I’m actually trying to get it to drop down. I just need to find the right products.
Unfortunately we won’t actually see any of that.
Ooh, their new song.
So what did she tell Bocchi?
Next Saturday? That’s nowhere near enough time to lean a new song.
They look interesting in their matching suits and wigs.
Hmm… Not sure where the subtitles I used got it from but the common title for this song I see is “Guitar, _Loneliness_ and Blue Planet”, not what they used which was “Guitar, _Solitude_ and Blue Planet”.
And thus, they passed the audition.
They’re still not working together as a group.
Dam.
Yup, she’s going to have some problems meeting that quota.
Questions:
1. Development of personal skills.
2. She’s noticing Bocchi’s musical abilities.
3. I’m pretty happy with my “high slope” haircut. Very easy to manage (read: looks fine without doing anything) while still looking good.
A note about the music: They’re still not working together as a group. They’re all off in their own world, not listening to each other. They’re supposed to be making music together. Emphasis on “together”.