Bocchi the Rock! took the anime world by storm when CloverWorks released its series in 2022. This mix of music and comedy tells the tale of Hitori Goto, a high school girl with social anxiety who longs to become a rock musician. She struggles to achieve that goal, or even just make friends. However, thanks to another girl named Nijika, Hitori joins their Kessoku Band and begins pursuing her dreams in full force, even in spite of her fears.
The anime was a smash hit, gaining tons of fans. Some laughed. Some cried. Some cringed from just how real Hitori’s reactions felt. Now that the anime is over, though, fans may be looking for another show about characters who face their fears to get what they want. Fortunately, there are plenty of options to choose from.
10. K-On!
K-On! may not have the anxious protagonist of Bocchi the Rock!, but both anime follow high school girls growing closer through the power of music and friendship. This classic slice-of-life anime, released between 2009 and 2010, consists of 39 episodes, 2 OVAs, and a movie. It also features the well-known anime song “Don’t Say ‘Lazy'”, which is the anime’s first ending.
K-On! tells the tale of four high school girls who decide to join their school’s light music club to stop it from being dissolved. They’re the only members of the club, but their troubles don’t end there. Yui Hirasawa, the main character, can’t play an instrument or even read sheet music. However, over time, the girls band together to improve their craft and even continue pursuing light music once they get into university.
9. BanG Dream!
BanG Dream! is another musically-inclined slice-of-life anime by Bushiroad, with several series and movies to enjoy. It also has a corresponding rhythm game called BanG Dream! Girls Band Party!. The anime follows Kasumi Toyama, who has just entered high school. Her life is going well enough, but she’s looking for something she calls the “Star Beat,” a “sparkling, heart-pounding” feeling she got from looking up at the night sky as a child.
Kasumi finds the Star Beat when she decides to create her very own band and buy a cool-looking star-shaped guitar. Thus, the band Poppin’Party is born. Together with four other girls, Kasumi embraces that heart-pounding feeling she adores by learning to play music with her new friends.
8. Show By Rock!!
Show By Rock!! is another musical anime following adorable girls, this time created by Sanrio, who created famous mascot characters like Hello Kitty and Pompompurin. Four seasons have been produced, with the most recent one airing in 2021. Show By Rock!!’s heroine, Cyan Hijirikawa, is an ordinary human girl who loves music. Unfortunately, like Bocchi the Rock!’s Hitori, Cyan is too shy to join her school’s music club.
However, everything changes when she’s sucked into a mobile rhythm game called Strawberry Heart. There, Cyan is a cat girl surrounded by other animal-human hybrids. She joins the band Plasmagica with a rabbit named Chuchu, a golden retriever named Retoree, and a sheep named Moa. Together, they play music and defeat monsters threatening peace in this new world.
7. Love Live! School Idol Project
Instead of being about a band, Love Live! School Idol Project is about a group of nine girls who become school idols to bring their high school more attention. Only then do they have a chance to keep it from shutting down. The girls manage to achieve their dream of saving the school before setting their sights even higher. They participate in Love Live, a school idol competition featuring groups across the country.
6. Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You
Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You is a heartwarming slice-of-life anime that is currently ongoing in its third season. Sawako Kuronuma is nicknamed Sadako by her classmates due to her similarities with the girl from The Ring. Rumors are constantly spreading about her, and people fear her without even getting the chance to know her. One day, Shota Kazehaya begins talking to her, despite being one of the most popular boys in school, changing everything.
Over the series, Sawako makes the friends she’s dreamed of having for years, who stick with her through thick and thin.
5. WataMote
WataMote, short for No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular, revolves around a 15-year-old otaku girl named Tomoko Kuroki whose high school life isn’t turning out the way she planned. Fans of Bocchi the Rock!’s Hitori will find Tomoko all too relatable. Though she’s a loner and her only dating experience comes from video games, Tomoko mistakenly believed she would become popular once she entered high school.
4. Angel Beats!
Angel Beats! is an anime produced with the help of the Japanese visual novel studio Key. It’s a short but enjoyable watch, at only 13 episodes long, but it’s certain to make fans laugh and cry—sometimes even both. The story takes place in a high school set in the afterlife where things are anything but normal.
The protagonist, Yuzuru Otonashi, wakes up after dying without his memories. It’s there at the afterlife school that Otonashi meets Yuri Nakamura, who invites him to join the Afterlife Battlefront. Their mission is to fight against God for the unfair circumstances they were put in during their lives.
3. Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night
Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night follows a group of girls who help each other navigate their dreams and ambitions while supporting each other through challenges. It captures the essence of friendship and growth, much like Bocchi the Rock! does.
2. Zombie Land Saga
Exploring the unique aesthetics of Franchouchou, the zombie idol group from Zombie Land Saga, reveals a fascinating blend of zombie and human features. This 24-episode comedy horror anime showcases the journey of a group of resurrected zombies who come together to form an idol group aimed at revitalizing Saga Prefecture. The narrative is a heartfelt mix of music and friendship, highlighting the unique challenges these undead characters face in pursuit of their dreams. Fans of Bocchi from Bocchi the Rock! will resonate with Sakura, a shy girl grappling with the reality of her new life as a zombie.
1. Komi Can’t Communicate
For those who found Hitori’s anxiety relatable in Bocchi the Rock!, Komi Can’t Communicate elevates this theme even further. This slice-of-life romantic comedy, spanning 24 episodes, features a colorful cast of eccentric characters and a touching narrative interwoven with humor.
This list showcases a variety of anime that not only share thematic elements with Bocchi the Rock! but also inspire viewers to pursue their passions and connect with others, regardless of the challenges they face.
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