Why Bocchi The Rock! Season 2 Return Is Inevitable?
It’s been two years since we last saw Bocchi The Rock! on our screen. With its impressive narration and stellar visuals, the anime enchanted many hearts and became one of the most-watched anime of the year. Despite its great performance, it remains unclear when Bocchi The Rock! Season 2 will be released. Will it return this year? Well, fans are curious to see their favorite Bocchi-chan back on their screen. But it looks like they have to wait for that.
Based on an underrated manga series of the same name, Bocchi The Rock! follows the journey of socially awkward Hitori Goto. Due to her nature, it becomes hard for her to make new friends. However, her admiration for guitar and desire to be a part of a music band helps her to come out of her shell. Things start becoming fruitful for her when she meets a girl named Nijika Ijichi, who offers her to join their newly formed Kessoku Band.
Bocchi The Rock! Season 2: Is It Renewed Yet?
Unfortunately, not! The first season of Bocchi The Rock! breathed the first air on December 25, 2022. Shortly after its debut, the series received massive popularity. It gained a positive reception from the audience as well as the critics. Not only this, but the anime was also liked by every demo of people. It garnered strong 8.3 stars out of 10 on IMDb, 8.8 out of 10 on MyAnimeList, and 4.9 out of 5 on Crunchyroll. Not only this, but many also called the series worth watching.
Despite being highly popular, the series hasn’t received a second season. Two years have already passed, and there hasn’t been an official renewal announcement for Bocchi The Rock! Season 2. That makes things more complicated. That’s because the show is highly popular and still hasn’t received another season. While many ask for the proper reason, the studio house has remained mum about its decision. Some believe the series has been shelved. Why not?
It’s been almost two years, and CloverWorks has yet to make an official announcement. So, will it mark the end of the series? Many questions have surfaced on the back of the fans’ minds. However, it remains unclear when we will get a chance to see Bocchi The Rock! Season 2.
Bocchi The Rock! Receives A Follow-Up Movie
Instead of returning with Bocchi The Rock! Season 2, CloverWorks surprised its fans with a follow-up movie adaptation. The film was announced in late May 2023 and split into two parts. According to the official announcement, the two parts were titled “Re:” and “Re: Re.” Both parts have already been aired in Japanese theatres on June 7 and August 9, 2024. The official reports state that the compilation film has already become a major success.
On the opening weekend, the first film collected over 218 million yen (approx $1.48 million). Thus, it has marked the biggest-ever follow-up movie of the year. In fact, the series has surpassed many popular anime series. Its total domestic gross crossed 640 million yen ($4.35 million). The first film also received first place, according to Kogyo Tsushin. As for the second recap film, it ranked sixth in its debut week. Despite that, the film performed incredibly well. The second movie earned 250 million yen ($1.7 million) in its first four days of release.
Chances For Bocchi The Rock! Season 2
Since the first season was a massive hit, the production house returned with two follow-up movies, which performed incredibly well at the Japanese box office. As mentioned above, the films surpassed many popular anime franchises. Thus, the two movies’ massive success proves why the studio house should return with Bocchi The Rock! Season 2. However, it’s been two years, and nothing has been known about the second season.
But since the second recap movie, Bocchi The Rock! Re: Re, aired on August 9, 2024, there’s a possibility that the official source will soon announce the second season. Typically, the anime renewal is based on the reception vs. cost graph. We have already seen that both movies did well on the performance front and are commercial hit series. This makes sense why CloverWorks will return with Bocchi The Rock! Season 2.
But Why Bocchi The Rock! Season 2 Is Not On The Cards?
Despite the anime series remaining one of the most-watched anime of the year, it hasn’t yet received Bocchi The Rock! Season 2. Well, initially, nobody thought the series would receive instant success after its debut. That’s because the manga isn’t that popular compared to the success of the anime. Since the source material is underrated, many believe the series will face a downfall. Now that the anime is a blockbuster hit, many believe a second season is more plausible.
Another reason for the delay is that the first season’s director, Keiichiro Saito, is currently busy with other projects. He is popularly known for directing several hit animes like Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. Since Saito is currently busy with other projects, it won’t be easy for him to work on Bocchi The Rock! Season 2. Another big reason for the delay is CloverWorks, the studio house behind the anime. The studio house is known for creating 3 – 4 animes per year.
Since its hands are full at this moment, it doesn’t seem like the studio house will return to animate the second season of Bocchi The Rock! at least this year. As of now, CloverWork is busy animating The Elusive Samurai, I May Be A Guild Receptionist, Unite Un! Uni: Birth, and Black Butler: Emerald Witch Arc. It’s also busy filming anime movies like Fureru and Grotesque. Considering this, it seems like Bocchi The Rock! Season 2 will face great delay.
Bocchi The Rock! Season 2: What Will Happen Next?
The first season’s finale began with a concert where Bocchi’s guitar got out of tune. However, she somehow managed to pull through with Kita’s help. While everyone played their part brilliantly, Kita decided to give Bocchi the spotlight. However, she panicked, and due to her social anxiety, she tried to stage dive into the crowd. Things didn’t work well for her, and she injured her face. But after recovering from the concert, Bocchi’s father revealed that he had monetized her account and gave her the money he received from the ad revenue.
Later, with the help of her bandmates, she went to buy a new guitar. Things didn’t turn out well for her, as her social awkwardness created more problems. But she managed to buy a new guitar with Kita’s help. If Bocchi The Rock! Season 2 returns, then it will undoubtedly focus on Bocchi’s struggle to overcome her social anxiety. With Kita’s help, things will become somewhat easy. It will also focus on her self-growth as an artist and a person.
Is There Enough Source Material?
As mentioned above, the anime is based on Aki Hamaji’s manga series Bocchi the Rock! It was serialized in December 2017 in Houbunsha’s Manga Time Kirara Max magazine. Since the series is ongoing, it doesn’t seem like there will be a scarcity of source material. As of now, it has been collected in six tankobon volumes. The first season covered only 20 chapters, which is one and a half volumes. Likewise, the movie has covered only one volume per part.
So, considering this, there are three more volumes left to be covered. Unlike other anime, which cover three to four volumes, Bocchi The Rock! only covers one volume per season, giving it ample source material to delve into. So, the second season could return. Another reason for its return is the anime’s success, which is highly reflected in its manga sales. As of January 2024, the manga had a total of 3 million copies in circulation. That’s great news, and this proves why the show should return.
Bocchi The Rock! Season 2 Cast Details
If the show returns with another season, it will definitely bring back the Kessoku Band members, including the socially awkward Hitori aka Bochhi. These are the following characters whom you can see in Bocchi The Rock! Season 2:
- Hitori Goto/ Bocchi – Yoshino Aoyama
- Nijika Ijichi – Sayumi Suzushiro
- Ryo Yamada – Saku Mizuno
- Ikuyo Kita – Ikumi Hasegawa
- Kikuri Hiroi – Sayaka Senbongi
- Eliza Schmitz – Sally Amaki
- Shima Iwashita – Maki Kawase
- Michiyo Goto – Rie Suegara
- Naoki Goto – Junji Majima
- Futari Goto – Misaki Watanda
- JimiHen – Kotori Koiwai
Bocchi The Rock! Season 2 Release Date
As of now, it remains unclear when Bocchi The Rock! Season 2 will be out. That’s because the series hasn’t yet been renewed. However, considering its excellent manga sales and the follow-up movie performance, it seems like the second season is inevitable. Considering this, we believe the show will soon receive a second season. If it gets renewed this year, it will take 12 to 18 months to wrap up the production. So, considering the timeframe, we can expect Bocchi The Rock! Season 2 will be released sometime in the fall of 2025. This is all for now. Stay with The Anime Daily for more such updates.
