The tiara and black dress looks are too cute! "Bocchi the Rock!" author Aki Hamaji releases birthday illustrations for Ikuyo Kita and Hitori Gotō.

On the official X (formerly Twitter) account of manga artist Aki Hamaji, illustrations celebrating the birthdays of characters from her work, Ikuyo Kita (CV: Ikumi Hasegawa) and Hitori Gotō (CV: Yoshino Aoyama), have been released and are attracting a lot of attention.

Hamaji posted the illustrations with the hashtags "#IkuyoKitaBirthday2026" and "#HitoriGotoBirthday2026," along with the comment, "HBD! HBD! HBD! Whoo!"

The released illustration depicts Kita and Hitori wearing matching black dresses with tiaras on their heads. Kita is wearing a sash that says "BIRTHDAY GIRL," winking brightly while striking a peace sign. The extravagant birthday cake they are holding features number candles "0421" and "0221," representing their respective birthdays, and a handwritten message in the bottom left corner reads, "Congrats Kita-chan + Bocchi-chan!"

"Bocchi the Rock!" is a four-panel manga series by Aki Hamaji, currently serialized in Houbunsha’s "Manga Time Kirara MAX." It is a musical coming-of-age story following the protagonist Hitori Gotō, an extremely shy and socially anxious girl. After being invited by drummer Nijika Ijichi (CV: Sayumi Suzushiro), she joins "Kessoku Band" and grows through band activities alongside unique members such as bassist Ryo Yamada (CV: Saku Mizuno) and vocalist/guitarist Kita. The TV anime aired in fall 2022 and received a massive response both in Japan and abroad.

In response to this post, fans posted various illustrations and photos using different hashtags on X, and the timeline was filled with celebratory comments. Many messages of congratulations were received, such as "Happy Birthday, Kita-chan!" and "Happy Birthday, Bocchi-chan!"

(C)はまじあき／芳文社・アニプレックス