Even if at first there are nods to, and people get immediately reminded of, K-On!, which is a manga and an anime about how a girl without perspectives in life starts to enjoy calm and happy moments in a band, there is a recent South Korean film with the idol of EXO, Park Chanyeol, which shares a lot of the underlying themes covered by Bocchi The Rock!
MORE: How Bocchi The Rock! Portrays Social Anxiety
What Is Bocchi The Rock?
The storyline of the anime Bocchi The Rock! is basically the following: one day, Hitori decides to learn how to play the guitar, borrows the guitar from her father, and dreams big. She yearns to make friends and perform live with a band, but, for three years, she ends up playing at home, alone, with no friends at all, due to her extreme social anxiety. Hence, the lonely and socially anxious Hitori (which means alone, in Japanese), devotes her time to playing the guitar at home and uploading videos online, under the internet alias of “guitarhero”.
One day, she meets the extroverted drummer Nijika Ijichi, who then invites her to join her band when their former guitarist flees before their very first performance live. Soon after that, she meets Kessoku Band’s bassist, Ryou Yamada. When they first perform together, Hitori is unable to play without hiding inside a box — and that was a solution found by Ryo Yamada, when she brought a box that could fit Hitori “Bocchi” Gotoh, so that she could play the guitar without having to worry about stage fright.
Even if their first performance together was very below average, their shared love for music makes the girls feel empowered. Soon after, Ikuyo Kita, the guitarist who had fled before, rejoins them. Bocchi and her bandmates start a journey as young girls who share a love for music and that aim and strive to improve as musicians while enjoying their high school days. They embark on a journey of friendship and self-discovery.
The Box – Another Journey Of Friendship And Self-Discovery Through The Shared Love For Music
There is a South Korean film, 2021 The Box, with EXO’s Park Chanyeol as the main character, that has much in common with Bocchi The Rock! This film was written and directed by Yang Jung Woong. Ji-Hoon is a young talented singer and guitarist with powerful skills. However, one thing is holding him back: extreme stage fright caused by social phobia. He dreads playing in front of crowds, and thus, the only way he is able to perform in public is by hiding inside a big cardboard box – from which the film borrows its name. Min Soo, who is a former industry producer that fell from grace, and now is sidelined in a business sector over which he used to wield immense power, discovers Ji-Hoon’s talent, realizing that he could have another big star on his hands, and invites him to go on a tour with him.
In a journey in which Ji-Hoon deals with his own fears to become a star and finally shine out of the box, the guitarist and singer and Min-Soo get to know each other more while traveling and performing through South Korea and, while Min-Soo helps Ji-Hoon come out of his box, he also gets to learn a lot more about himself.
The Box & Bocchi The Rock! – Portrayals Of Stage Fright And Social Anxiety/Phobia
While social phobia can be defined as the fear of being scrutinized and judged while performing some type of task in public, and the term social anxiety is used to describe feelings of intense nervousness and self-consciousness experienced during one-on-one meetings or group social gatherings, the main characters of both Bocchi The Rock! And The Box share a little — or more than a little — of both.
There comes a point in Bocchi The Rock!, when Hitori goes to perform with the band for the first time, when she actually uses a box of mangos to cover herself when performing in public, much like Ji-Hoon does — actually several times, hence the name of the film — in many of his performances. Though she does that only once — Bocchi and Ji-Hoon make street performances, but when Hitori does so, she does not need the box any longer —, while Ji-Hoon takes longer to get rid of the box as a prop, both embark on journeys that lead to them getting free from their fears with the help of outsiders that end up becoming friends.
The common trope of the power of friendship that is recurrent in anime is a subtle undertone in both The Box and Bocchi The Rock!, as well as the shared love for music and the feelings of social maladjustment. Their journeys are those of self-growth as well as growing with peers and helping them mature as well, and these are only some of the points that make Bocchi The Rock! a great anime and The Box a great live-action film.
The powerful stigma surrounding mental health in both Japan and Korea has kept these people from seeking treatment, which takes a huge toll on their lives. Therefore, when art discusses these times that are considered taboo, it is always welcome, since viewers can relate to the issues and feel represented. However, there is more to life than being introverted or extroverted, and overcoming problems is an inherent part of everyone’s lives.
Whether the public shares the characters’ love for music and feelings of social anxiety or inadequacy, or even if they do not relate to their mental issues, this anime and this film are strongly recommended because of the positive impact their messages have on the mindsets of those who follow Hitori’s and her friends’ journey in Bocchi The Rock! and Ji-Hoon and Min Soon’s journey in The Box, and both show them how it is completely possible to process and cope with emotions and traumas, throwing a positive light on such usually dark matters. And bright, but realistic takes on problems are good tools to help anyone break out of their boxes in life.
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