Summary

• Bocchi the Rock! serves as great LGBTQ+ representation through its casual usage of LGBTQ+ characters.
• Most of the protagonists in Bocchi the Rock! are meant to be attracted to girls, contributing to positive representation.
• Bocchi the Rock! normalizes LGBTQ+ content and helps it become more mainstream in the anime and manga industry.

Warning: Contains spoilers for Bocchi the Rock! volumes #5-#6.Bocchi the Rock! was one of 2022’s biggest anime, and one of the best parts about it was how it was a huge step forward for LGBTQ+ representation. Despite its initially quiet release, Bocchi the Rock! ended up being one of the biggest critical and financial hits of 2022. The anime was praised for its thoughtful story of social anxiety coupled with gorgeous and surreal visuals that pushed the boundaries.

Many factors contributed to Bocchi the Rock!’s success, but one that doesn’t receive nearly enough attention is how the show serves as great LGBTQ+ representation.

While not explicitly a yuri or girls’ love series, Bocchi the Rock! still offers positive representation through how many of the characters are written, and the manga adds even more to that. The series has a very casual usage of LGBTQ+ characters, and that sort of normalization of the idea is both great to see and does a lot for representation, as a whole.

Most Of Bocchi The Rock!’s Cast Are Written As LGBTQ+ Characters

Bocchi’s LGBTQ+ representation is hinted at or stated several times. Kita is introduced as having a crush on Ryo, and impressing Ryo serves as her primary motivation for learning guitar. Ryo also suggested having dalliances with women to make Kessoku Band more like rock stars, and while Ryo could have been joking, Bocchi went along with it to say that no woman would want to be with her. Just from that, it’s easy to conclude that most of the protagonists are meant to be attracted to girls, and that sort of casual representation is a step forward.

Bocchi's manga makes the series’ LGBTQ+ representation even more explicit. Chapter #66 revealed that Kita talks about Bocchi at home as much as she did Ryo, casting their relationship in a new light. The manga also confirms that Bocchi is attracted to girls, first by showing her fantasizing about becoming a pro gamer with a cosplayer girlfriend, and again when she fantasizes about becoming a cliché harem protagonist. Bocchi the Rock! makes it clear that many characters are supposed to be seen as LGBTQ+, and thanks to that, the series serves as a great example of positive representation.

Why Bocchi The Rock!’s LGBTQ+ Representation Is So Great To See

Bocchi the Rock! has very clear LGBTQ+ representation, and all of that, naturally, is great to see. One of the best things media can do with LGBTQ+ content is to normalize it so people can understand it as a natural part of life, and Bocchi the Rock! being so casual about its representation is perfect. The fact that it became so popular also helps with that, as it means that its LGBTQ+ content will reach more people than other shows, so even if Bocchi the Rock! isn’t trying to do anything specific with its content, it’s still doing a lot for positive representation.

Something else to consider about Bocchi the Rock! is that it’s another sign of LGBTQ+ content being normalized. In recent years, anime with explicit LGBTQ+ content like Wandering Son, Banana Fish, and Bloom Into You have become increasingly mainstream, so Bocchi the Rock! becoming popular serves as another example of anime and manga being more open to that sort of content, even outside stories specifically marketed as LGBTQ+. It’s unknown if Bocchi the Rock! will have any lasting impact on LGBTQ+ representation, but the fact that it was able to become so big while being so casual about it is still great to see, regardless.

All episodes of Bocchi the Rock! are streaming on Crunchyroll!

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