Its biggest problem is that it’s not very funny. The four girls seem to keep each other at an arm’s length, or at least farther away than in other similar shows. While this makes their relationship more realistic (considering most of them just met), the characters simply don’t have the chemistry that you’ve come to expect from other moe comedies. After a few episodes, the show runs out of steam and starts to repeat gags, most of which weren’t good to begin with.
Another problem is that it focuses too much on the title character, leaving the other three main girls with little to no development. This could pay off once they make more seasons, but after 12 episodes I don’t feel like I know much about the characters, and thus I don’t have much of a reason to care for them. While Ryo was occasionally funny, Nijika and Kita were extremely bland and one-dimensional, and the two didn't serve much purpose aside from being nice to Hitori.
So, if it’s not funny, surely the other elements of the anime will carry it? Not really. The depiction of social anxiety had potential, but it’s mostly played for laughs and the stakes are always low anyway. I even thought the humor was mean-spirited at times. Regardless, the show never says anything meaningful; it sure seems to try, but it’s all very superficial. I think CloverWorks took too many liberties here, because the manga is better paced and also funnier sometimes. It would have been better if they stuck closer to the regular 4koma adaptation format. Generic doesn’t always mean bad.
The only element deserving of praise is the presentation. The realistic backgrounds clash with the characters most of the time, but there's no denying that this is a high-effort production, and a very creative one too. Hitori’s breakdowns and facial expressions were a highlight, and the animation during the musical performances was great, with better and subtler CGI than the average music anime. Audio-wise, the opening is a banger, and the insert songs and endings were generally good. The seiyuu also performed flawlessly, not much else to say about it.
Bocchi the Rock! bites more than it can chew. Everything it attempts has been done better by a million other shows. These “jack of all trades” anime tend to have a wide appeal, so I’m not surprised it became this popular; plus, colorful characters like the main four girls are very marketable, regardless if they’re interesting or not.
On a more positive (and side) note, I enjoyed the album “kessoku band” more than the anime itself. Their cover of “Rockn' Roll, Morning Light Falls on You” is fantastic, and the whole thing is an easy listen. I recommend it to any J-Rock fan! While I have no interest in watching a second season of this, I look forward to the next album.
