Review: Bocchi The Rock! - episode three ("Be Right There")
Episode two of Bocchi the Rock! dove into something all bands have to worry about: finances. After finding a great part-time job at the local club, it was time for Hitori a.k.a Bocchi to take care of another situation. Our review of episode two can be read here. Our coverage of Bocchi the Rock! can be found here.
Warning: The review features spoilers about the episode.
With the band's financial situation taken care of, it became time for them to recruit a new vocalist. Bocchi decided to take care of the hunt on their own. Fortunately, they managed to cross paths with Kita, who was previously in another band. After some talking, Bocchi decided to introduce Kita to the rest of Kessoku Band. Unfortunately, things take a wild turn when Bocchi discovers that Kita's previous band was, in fact, Kessoku Band. The vibrant redhead kept dodging the band because of their lack of guitar skills. Fortunately, their exit led to Bocchi's inevitable entry into the band.
As expected, Kita felt sadness for ditching Nijika and Ryo, but they didn't mope about it 24/7. During their time away from the band, Kita strengthened their guitar skills. Unfortunately, they somehow managed to accidentally practice on a bass instead, which led to one of the most hilarious moments in the episode. The episode ended with Bocchi beginning to aid in Kita's goal of becoming a guitar maestro like tricot's Motifour Kida or Band-Maid's Kanami Tōno.
The theme for this episode revolved around second chances. In music, band members exit for various reasons, including wanting something different or a simple disagreement within the group. Depending on how long they've been in the group, the news can be disheartening for fans. Over the years, rock music has seen plenty of reunions take place, including Glenn Danzig rejoining iconic punk band The Misfits after a 33-year absence and Kane Roberts reuniting with Alice Cooper after 34 years apart. For Kita, it was about righting their wrongs and having another opportunity to play with the band (and get a little bit closer to Ryo).
While previous episodes had their share of funny visual quirks, this episode took things to another level with clever moments such as a cardboard cutout sequence and a scene where Bocchi croons a tune with a video of an eagle flying in the background. Much like episode one, this episode included another hilarious fake-out ending credits scene.
With a complete band, it'll be interesting to see the further evolution of Kessoku Band.
Previous episodes of Bocchi the Rock! can be streamed on Crunchyroll right now.