[Report]"Theatrical Compilation Bocchi the Rock!" "Rock Stage Greeting" Held "It's become an irreplaceable work"

■ “I would be happy if this becomes such a big production that people remember it as ‘Bocchi the Rock!'” (Yoshino Aoyama, voice of Goto Hitori)

The first part of the movie “Bocchi the Rock! Re:/Re:Re:,” a compilation of the TV anime “Bocchi the Rock!”, is currently in theaters. The second part will be released nationwide on August 9th.

To commemorate the release of the theatrical compilation, a “rock stage greeting” was held on “Rock Day,” June 9th, with four cast members from Yuzuru Band taking to the stage.

[Event Report]
The theatrical premiere of “Bocchi the Rock! Re: Theatrical Compilation” was on June 7th. On June 9th, “Rock Day”, a Rock stage greeting was held, with the four cast members Aoyama Yoshino (role of Goto Hitori), Suzushiro Sayumi (role of Ijichi Nika), Mizuno Saku (role of Yamada Ryo), and Hasegawa Ikumi (role of Kita Ikuyo) gathering together.

When asked about the highlights of the first part, which has been generating excitement since the first day of release among many audience members who have already seen the anime, Suzushiro said, “Everything is worth seeing, but what got me the most was the way it began. It was completely different to how I expected it to start, and it was truly made to be a ‘theatrical’ compilation. There are so many highlights, so I hope everyone will watch it without blinking! Even lines I’ve heard and scenes I’ve seen many times made me feel like I was seeing them for the first time, and it felt like they just went straight into my heart. I hope everyone will savor the first viewing!”, appealing to the unique charms of a theatrical compilation.

Furthermore, this film, which began its nationwide release with two new songs, the opening song “Shine Like the Commonplace” and the ending song “Now, I, From the Underground,” sang on it. Hasegawa, who sang it, said, “When the opening song, “Shine Like the Commonplace,” was released, the production team’s comments were posted on X, and among them was a comment by Ai Higuchi, who wrote the lyrics, which read, “Have you ever thought of yourself as a genius? And have you ever thought that you weren’t a genius? But at that moment, it feels like your dreams become reality.” I myself have had a feeling of lack of self-confidence since I experienced failure, but when I saw that comment, I felt a great relief when I realized that that was the starting point and that I am now working hard to move forward. So I think this song will give people who listen to it a push in the back.” He spoke passionately about the song.

Mizuno then commented on the lyrics that he is particularly fond of, saying, “I really like the line, ‘Even if I can’t change, there’s no one to replace me.’

Hasegawa said, “The lyrics and the music are both great, so I hope you’ll listen to them a lot! The ending song, ‘Now, I, From the Underground,’ is even more moving when you listen to it after watching the whole thing. It’s the best ending ever.” He spoke enthusiastically about the greatness of the new song, which matches the work.

Hasegawa sang “Guitar, Solitude and the Blue Planet” on THE FIRST TAKE, which was released on June 7. When asked for her impressions, Aoyama reflected, “I cried… I’m so glad…” and continued, “It was the Ikumi I know, but it was also the Hasegawa Ikumi who plays the vocalist of Kessoku Band, Kita Ikuyo, and it was so thrilling. I was glad to be alive to witness the moment when the real Kessoku Band’s activities, which have been through various things such as ‘Kessoku Band LIVE-Hoshi-‘, and the activities of the Kessoku Band in the anime and manga intersected…!”

In response to Aoyama’s comments, Hasegawa recalled her feelings at the time, saying, “I was standing there as Kita Ikuyo from Yuzuru Band, so I was so nervous I thought I might lose my voice, but I wanted to make sure I got across Hitori-chan’s lyrics, so I sang as if I was shouting.”

Furthermore, “Bocchi the Rock!” has attracted the attention of artists all over Japan and is always a hot topic. Regarding the reaction from the anime broadcast to the present day, Mizuno said, “Kitani Tatsuya, an artist I really love, posted it on Instagram… I never thought there would be a world line where I’m being pushed by my favorite artist…” and seemed to be at the peak of her joy.

Aoyama continued, “Recently, Ado posted it on social media, and God called it ‘God’. What does this mean…” he said, expressing his surprise and joy.

When asked about their feelings about the release of the mini-album “Yuzuruband”, the Zepp tour, their appearance at ROCK IN JAPAN and their musical activities as Yuuzuruband, Aoyama said, “We think we have to work hard to keep up with Yuuzuruband’s success, but the Yuuzuruband that came from STARRY in Shimokitazawa will never change, so with that feeling we hope to continue to deliver the music of ‘Bocchi the Rock!’ to everyone.” He spoke of his enthusiasm for their future success.

Speaking on behalf of the cast, Aoyama expressed his gratitude to Director Saito and the other production team and staff who have worked together to create this film, saying, “When it comes to making animation, there is only a small part that a voice actor can do. I think everything else is thanks to all the creative people. There are so many names in the credits, but we were able to get to this point only because each of you worked with such passion, and we, the voice actors, are also able to put an incredible amount of passion into our acting. I think that what we all did with our burning hearts has reached you all as something passionate.” He then addressed the audience, saying, “I want to thank everyone! Let’s all say thank you to the production team!!” which elicited huge applause from the audience.

To the audience who will be watching this film, which was made with such passionate feelings, Hasegawa appealed, “I feel that it is something very special that you are going to the theater to see this film, and I am truly grateful. I think it will be really fun for people who love ‘Bocchi the Rock!’ to get together like this and watch it, and I am happy. I hope that people who haven’t seen the TV anime will also watch the theatrical compilation, and that the appeal of ‘Bocchi the Rock!’ will be conveyed to many people from here!”

Mizuno continued, “Even though I’ve seen the anime many times, it’s a completely different experience when I’m in the theater, and ‘Bocchi the Rock!’ with the loud sound is truly wonderful, so I hope everyone will watch it all the way to the second part.”

Suzushiro then expressed her gratitude once again, saying, “It wasn’t even decided (originally) that we would be doing a theatrical compilation, so I think it’s a miracle that we’re able to be on stage like this, and I think it’s all thanks to everyone who has supported us. I’ve packed all of my passion into the main story, so I hope everyone enjoys it!”

Finally, Aoyama spoke of her love for the work, saying, “This is a work that changed my life personally, so I hope it will become an unforgettable memory for all of you as well for the rest of your long lives. I would be happy if it becomes such a big work that ‘Bocchi the Rock!’ appears in your memory in a slideshow, and I hope it becomes an irreplaceable work in your lives.” The event came to a close with great success.