On February 21, 2025, Aki Hamaji, the creator of the popular manga 'Bocchi the Rock!', shared a special illustration on their X (formerly Twitter) account to celebrate the birthday of the protagonist, Hitori Gotoh, affectionately known as 'Bocchi-chan'. The artwork features Bocchi-chan in various outfits, including a tracksuit, maid costume, and her 'approval-seeking monster' form.

Voice actress Yoshino Aoyama, who voices Bocchi-chan in the anime adaptation, expressed her surprise and delight at the timely release of the illustration, commenting, "The teacher's birthday illustration is up on the day!?"

'Bocchi the Rock!' Season 2 Announcement

In addition to the birthday celebration, it was announced at the "Kessoku Band TOUR 'We will B'" event on February 15, 2025, that a second season of the 'Bocchi the Rock!' anime is in production. Yūsuke Yamamoto, who served as assistant director in the first season, will take over as director for the upcoming season at animation studio CloverWorks. Erika Yoshida returns as the scriptwriter, and character design will be handled by Keito Oda alongside Kerorira. A commemorative illustration by Aki Hamaji has been released to mark this exciting news.

The anime is based on the popular four-panel manga Bocchi the Rock! by Aki Hamaji, serialized in Manga Time Kirara MAX (Houbunsha). It follows the story of Hitori Gotoh, an extremely shy and socially anxious girl who joins the band Kessoku Band, where she grows alongside her unique bandmates: Nijika Ijichi, Ryo Yamada, and Ikuyo Kita.

Airing from October to December 2022, the first season quickly gained popularity, especially among young audiences, winning multiple awards and earning widespread acclaim both in Japan and internationally. Musically, Kessoku Band's full album Kessoku Band became a major hit, ranking No.1 on Oricon’s "Digital Album Sales by Work" for 2023. In 2024, a two-part theatrical compilation of the anime was released.

Teaser Trailer

Source : ORICON NEWS