Two years following Bocchi the Rock’s premiere, the franchise has finally received a new major installment in the film duology of Bocchi the Rock! Re: and Bocchi the Rock! Re:Re:The films serve as a compilation of the original anime, and while released as separate films in Japan, they were presented as a double feature in other territories for a limited time.
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Anime compilation films have a reputation for being redundant additions to their franchises, and while they don’t do as much to flesh out or change the original story compared to projects like the Code Geass trilogy or the Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann film duology, Bocchi the Rock! Re: and Bocchi the Rock! Re:Re: still stand out thanks to their stellar animation, direction, and a few notable additions to the original story. Much more could have been done, but fortunately, there’s still plenty to like for old and new fans alike.
Bocchi The Rock!'s Compilation Films Don't Add Much To The Story
Bocchi The Rock! Hasn't Changed Much, For Better Or Worse
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The major problem with the Bocchi the Rock! film duology is how it handles adapting the original story to film. Some scenes were cut or shortened for time, a necessity when trying to condense 12 episodes into two films, but beyond that, Bocchi the Rock! Re: and Bocchi the Rock! Re:Re:, much like other anime compilation films, don’t do much to change the anime’s original story. There isn’t much in the way of new scenes or major overhauls to the original narrative, so it can certainly be disappointing for anyone who wanted something new after so much time.
In the films’ defense, however, it would have been hard for them to make any major changes. The only thing the anime skipped from the manga was a largely irrelevant chapter, so there wouldn’t be a point in putting it back in the story, and doing anything to tease at future stories would come across as padding when season 2 has yet to be greenlit. Overall, there wasn’t much room by design for the Bocchi the Rock! films to change much about the story, so the films being the way they are is perfectly understandable, even if it’s a little disappointing.
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Bocchi The Rock! Is Still A Triumph Of Animation
Bocchi The Rock! Looks Just As Great In Film
Even with the shortcomings of its story content, the Bocchi the Rock! film duology still has plenty going for it, starting with its animation. Part of the reason for Bocchi the Rock! 's success is its animation that both looks gorgeous and makes excellent use of mixed media. Sure enough, Bocchi the Rock! Re: and Bocchi the Rock! Re:Re: have all the same great animation and visuals that helped make the anime a massive success. Bocchi the Rock! was the first time Keiichiro Saito would direct an entire series, and two years later, his work is still a sight to behold.
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With these being compilation films, however, that invites the question of what about the animation was changed from the anime. There aren’t any major differences between the visuals of the films and the visuals of the original anime, and because of that, it’s hard to tell if Bocchi the Rock! ’s art and animation received any major improvements for the film duology. That being said, with the incredible quality of the animation, the visual aesthetic is still great, even without any notable changes.
Bocchi The Rock!'s Few Changes Are Great For The Story
The Story Gets Even Stronger Without Changing Too Much
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While the Bocchi the Rock! films didn’t change much, there were a few notable changes and additions that added a lot to the story. For starters, both Bocchi the Rock! films open with montages of the main characters’ daily lives, the first one showing what they were doing before forming Kessoku Band and the second one showing what everyone did during summer break. Both openings did a lot to flesh out everyone’s characters without diverging too much from the original story, and the great music and animation accompanying each montage made them even greater additions to the series.
There were also additional montages in the films with plenty of great direction, as well. The films used montages to speed through certain episodes within their limited runtimes, and surprisingly, each montage in the Bocchi the Rock! films was scored to one of the bonus tracks from Kessoku Band, the studio album collecting all the songs from the anime. Many fans of the anime likely never heard those songs before, so it was a nice bit of fanservice that also helped make the sequences feel anything but monotonous.
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The best changes, however, came from the second film. The story covered was largely centered around Bocchi and Kita’s relationship, and going along with that, Bocchi the Rock! Re:Re: did numerous things to emphasize the importance of Bocchi and Kita’s dynamic such as opening and ending the film with the first time Kita saw Bocchi and including a new scene that showed Kita putting more effort into guitar practice to not let Bocchi down. It all did wonders to flesh out an already great story, and it helped make it stand out even better.
Are Bocchi The Rock!'s Films Worth Watching?
The Films Are A Worthy But Redundant Part Of The Franchise
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With everything that’s been said about the Bocchi the Rock! films, the biggest question that needs to be addressed is whether they’re worth watching. With how little content is added from the original anime, the films do feel a bit redundant when the anime is so easily accessible, and it’s especially disappointing when there’s still no word on a potential second season. In that regard, Bocchi the Rock! fans old and new might have trouble finding things to like about the compilation films, so it’s hard to recommend it to anyone hard set on seeing something new.
That being said, it’s not as if the films have no merit to them. The few new songs and story additions still add plenty of charm to an already fantastic series, so Bocchi the Rock! Re: and Bocchi the Rock! Re:Re: are both still plenty worth watching for old and new fans alike. As great as entirely new content would have been, the films are still a great addition to the Bocchi the Rock! franchise, and they shouldn’t be passed up by anyone who can see them.
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Bocchi the Rock!
TV-14
Animation
Comedy
Music
Bocchi the Rock! follows Hitori "Bocchi" Gotou, a shy high school student with social anxiety who dreams of becoming a rock musician. Despite her introverted nature, Bocchi joins a band called Kessoku Band and embarks on a journey of self-discovery and friendship. Set against the backdrop of a lively music scene, the series explores themes of personal growth, teamwork, and the power of music to connect people.
Where to Watch
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*Availability in US
- Cast
- Yoshino Aoyama , Sayumi Suzushiro , Saku Mizuno , Ikumi Hasegawa
- Release Date
- October 9, 2022
- Seasons
- 1
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
- Franchise(s)
- Bocchi the Rock!
- Writers
- Erika Yoshida , Aki Hamaji
- Directors
- Keiichirô Saitô
- Main Genre
- Comedy
- Creator(s)
- Aki Hamaji
