If you understand some Japanese, you might have noticed how Bocchi is named. Hitori Bocchi translates to being alone, or lonely. That fits with Bocchi's traits. This amusing approach in naming Bocchi is applied to all the characters in the series. For example, Bocchi's teacher is named Oshie Teruyo, when combined roughly translates to "I'll teach you". So with that, let's talk about the characters in this show.
Hitori Bocchi is awkward and has a hard time talking to other people. However, she wants to be able to have fun interacting with friends. Bocchi will do some quirky methods to do normal things. She does things like making scripts for daily conversations only for it to fail when the other person doesn't talk like in the script. Bocchi also often misinterpret what other people say. This behaviour of hers makes for some humorous situations.
Including Bocchi, we have four characters in what I see is the main group. There are Sunao Nako, Honshou Aru, and Sotca Luckythar.
Sunao Nako translates to "honest child". She is frank and straightforward. She is the first person to talk to Bocchi in her class. She is often sweet to Bocchi, but sometimes, she likes to tease Bocchi as well. Her most amusing interaction is with Aru, which I will introduce next.
Honshou Aru roughly translates to "having a hidden nature". She gives a facade of her perfect self in front of everyone. But in truth, she's just really unfortunate. She wears clothes with hangers still attached and mistakenly put on wrong uniforms. She creates a fun dynamic with Nako. Nako knows Aru's real condition and often makes fun of it. Aru, of course, wants to deny it. This becomes a running joke throughout the series that I can say doesn't get old or never becomes a drag to see. Despite this, Aru is great at helping Bocchi and the others with their problems.
Sotca Luckythar is read as "sotoka rakita", which translates to "came from the outside". This relates to the fact that she's not Japanese and indeed came from outside Japan. Sotoka is amazed by ninjas and came to follow Bocchi after thinking that what Bocchi does is ninja-like. I feel like Sotoka is under-utilized for most of the anime. She lacks impact, unlike the other characters. The good news is, she gets her spotlight later in the show.
This anime focuses on two parts, the comedy and sweet/heart-warming moments. I would say the comedy is above average. Hitoribocchi's author, Katsuwo, also made a superb comedy series, Mitsuboshi Colors. If you're familiar with that show, you might find some of the same types of comedy here. The comedy revolves around things I've said before, like Bocchi's awkwardness, Aru being unfortunate, and among other things.
The other part of Bocchi doesn't disappoint. Hitoribocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu succeeds in making sweet moments, frequently relating to Bocchi growing to be more friendly. Other characters get their time too because Bocchi's growth, of course, won't happen if Bocchi is alone. As Bocchi becomes stronger from slowly making friends, others are also influenced by Bocchi. The music does an excellent job to complement the comedy and sweetness in Hitoribocchi.
In conclusion, Hitoribocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu is an anime that does two things that it wants to do well. It has sweet scenes to put smiles on your face and some light-hearted comedy to keep you entertained. The characters are shortly defined by their names, but they extend beyond just those names. Hitoribocchi has great character dynamics coupled with character development in just the right amount. It's a great light-hearted show to watch.
