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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
A pleasant manga about a girl who, after learning guitar and playing on YouTube, joins a band and tries to overcome her anxiety and nerves.
I was a little lost for much of this, trying to figure out the panel-order conventions (that seem different from the previous manga I’ve tried), but once I felt more certain that I’d figured it out, the reading went more smoothly
I was a little lost for much of this, trying to figure out the panel-order conventions (that seem different from the previous manga I’ve tried), but once I felt more certain that I’d figured it out, the reading went more smoothly
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Summary:
All Hitori Gotoh has ever wanted was to be popular. Unfortunately, she's desperately shy and doesn't even like the thought of interacting with her classmates. Those two things don't mesh too well, as Hitori has found out the hard way.
Still, she has a dream and an idea of how to obtain it – she will become the world's greatest guitarist, join a band, make friends, and prove how awesome she is to the world. Only, uh, joining a band is easier said than done. Turns out you have to actually talk to people to accomplish that part.
Review:
Oh dear. Poor Hitori is soo shy. I just want to hug and protect her (but that would probably make her freak out, so I wouldn't actually do that). Bocchi the Rock! Vol. 1 is a gentle start to the series, introducing us to our primary character, her new friends, and the situation she's made for herself.
This manga is very much a slice-of-life-style comic. It isn't a fast-paced read, but it is perfect when you're looking for something casual and bright to help lighten the mood. Just be warned, you'll probably feel the urge to protect Hitori at some point.
I like the rest of the bandmates so far. I think we need to get to know them more, as only one or two have really had the time to shine (so far). That said, there's a lot to love about the sense of humor in this series. It's funny, sometimes in ways you wouldn't expect. I've been told the anime nails the humor, so that's exciting news.
Highlights:
Slice of Life
Music
Seinen
Shy girl musician
Will I continue the series? Probably
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
All Hitori Gotoh has ever wanted was to be popular. Unfortunately, she's desperately shy and doesn't even like the thought of interacting with her classmates. Those two things don't mesh too well, as Hitori has found out the hard way.
Still, she has a dream and an idea of how to obtain it – she will become the world's greatest guitarist, join a band, make friends, and prove how awesome she is to the world. Only, uh, joining a band is easier said than done. Turns out you have to actually talk to people to accomplish that part.
Review:
Oh dear. Poor Hitori is soo shy. I just want to hug and protect her (but that would probably make her freak out, so I wouldn't actually do that). Bocchi the Rock! Vol. 1 is a gentle start to the series, introducing us to our primary character, her new friends, and the situation she's made for herself.
This manga is very much a slice-of-life-style comic. It isn't a fast-paced read, but it is perfect when you're looking for something casual and bright to help lighten the mood. Just be warned, you'll probably feel the urge to protect Hitori at some point.
I like the rest of the bandmates so far. I think we need to get to know them more, as only one or two have really had the time to shine (so far). That said, there's a lot to love about the sense of humor in this series. It's funny, sometimes in ways you wouldn't expect. I've been told the anime nails the humor, so that's exciting news.
Highlights:
Slice of Life
Music
Seinen
Shy girl musician
Will I continue the series? Probably
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
Rating: 4/5
It’s nearly impossible to read the manga without thinking about the anime that sprung from it (which if you haven’t seen, close Goodreads right now and do that). A lot of the groundwork in already here in this playful tale about our titular Bocchi and her struggles with anxiety as she joins a band in a monkey’s paw style fulfillment of her long held wish.
Two things kept the manga from soaring above the 4 star line. First being Hamazi’s style leaning a moments a bit too cute, for lack of a better word, which dulls some of fun of Bocchi being such a mess. Second being the inclusion of several characters responding to Bocchi, usually in a “what’s with her?” joke, which undercuts the general kindness the story and cast handle Bocchi’s anxiety. They’re small but they add up.
It’s a fun volume and Hamazi is responsible for a brilliant new character but the story was evaluated by its adaption, not the other way round.
It’s nearly impossible to read the manga without thinking about the anime that sprung from it (which if you haven’t seen, close Goodreads right now and do that). A lot of the groundwork in already here in this playful tale about our titular Bocchi and her struggles with anxiety as she joins a band in a monkey’s paw style fulfillment of her long held wish.
Two things kept the manga from soaring above the 4 star line. First being Hamazi’s style leaning a moments a bit too cute, for lack of a better word, which dulls some of fun of Bocchi being such a mess. Second being the inclusion of several characters responding to Bocchi, usually in a “what’s with her?” joke, which undercuts the general kindness the story and cast handle Bocchi’s anxiety. They’re small but they add up.
It’s a fun volume and Hamazi is responsible for a brilliant new character but the story was evaluated by its adaption, not the other way round.
Jonah has been BEGGING me to watch this for over a year now. I watched the first episode and wasn't *super* overly captivated by it, so I thought I'd give the manga a try. It's way too small for me to read - divided up panel style with a very big margin and inter-panel spacing - so this was a physical struggle for me to read!
Also sharing some of the content in the manga with Jonah, the manga seems to express Bocchi's sexuality in a more overt way (not a bad thing, necessarily, though she is a child so nudey stuff is a little too
Also sharing some of the content in the manga with Jonah, the manga seems to express Bocchi's sexuality in a more overt way (not a bad thing, necessarily, though she is a child so nudey stuff is a little too
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"It's been so long that I've spoken that my voice isn't..."
Same, Hitori, same.
I love and hate how relatable Hitori is. Not being able to hold eye-contact, doesn't know how to talk when nervous, can't go into places and procrastinates for 15+ minutes, is nervous all the time when with people, etc. Although I'm not that extreme anymore and that was rather me in middle & high school, I do still have those moments occasionally.
I love it because of the realistic representation, but I hate how relatable it is, lol. I feel every sweat that Hitori goes through in this story, and it's lowkey stressing me out. (But that's just me; every extrovert would probably think she's exaggerating.)
On the other hand, I'm more like Ryou though, because I love being and doing things alone. While I do have social anxiety, I don't have the need to change that. Whether it's shopping, watching a movie in theaters or whatever, I totally don't mind going there alone and I probably have more fun than being with people.
Well, enough about me.
The story is rather slow-paced, but I don't mind that. I love the realistic take on social anxiety.
And yea, it's probably likely she'll turn into an extrovert by the end of the series, simply because she's the protagonist, but let's hope not.
I also really love the "fanarts" of each chapter. Idk what they're called but it's common for every manga to have the characters pose for sth in every beginning of a chapter; sometimes it's random, other times it's giving the vibe of the chapter. It's not "fan" art, since the artist/author is drawing them, like bonus art...
What makes it special here, is that the reference image is shown and it's usually from a song or music video.
Same, Hitori, same.
I love and hate how relatable Hitori is. Not being able to hold eye-contact, doesn't know how to talk when nervous, can't go into places and procrastinates for 15+ minutes, is nervous all the time when with people, etc. Although I'm not that extreme anymore and that was rather me in middle & high school, I do still have those moments occasionally.
I love it because of the realistic representation, but I hate how relatable it is, lol. I feel every sweat that Hitori goes through in this story, and it's lowkey stressing me out. (But that's just me; every extrovert would probably think she's exaggerating.)
On the other hand, I'm more like Ryou though, because I love being and doing things alone. While I do have social anxiety, I don't have the need to change that. Whether it's shopping, watching a movie in theaters or whatever, I totally don't mind going there alone and I probably have more fun than being with people.
Well, enough about me.
The story is rather slow-paced, but I don't mind that. I love the realistic take on social anxiety.
And yea, it's probably likely she'll turn into an extrovert by the end of the series, simply because she's the protagonist, but let's hope not.
I also really love the "fanarts" of each chapter. Idk what they're called but it's common for every manga to have the characters pose for sth in every beginning of a chapter; sometimes it's random, other times it's giving the vibe of the chapter. It's not "fan" art, since the artist/author is drawing them, like bonus art...
What makes it special here, is that the reference image is shown and it's usually from a song or music video.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
