"This Is Definitely a Tearjerker," "So Good I'm Already About to Cry," "I Cried Just From the Teaser": Fans Thrilled as Tear-Jerking Episode of Anime Bocchi the Rock! Gets Movie Adaptation

The official X account for the anime Bocchi the Rock! has announced that a prequel film focusing on the Ijichi sisters, Bocchi the Rock! the Movie: Hoshi no Ashiato, will be released in 2027, along with a teaser video featuring the key visual. Fans familiar with the original manga are already flooding social media with comments that it is "guaranteed to make us cry."

The anime Bocchi the Rock! is based on the manga of the same name by Aki Hamaji. It follows an introverted high school girl who loves guitar as she joins a girl band and grows through a variety of experiences. The series has been a major hit and has expanded widely across media, including a theatrical screening of an animated film and live events.

The video, released with the tagline "This is a story from before Kessoku Band was formed, a story of the sisters' dream that begins with a farewell," shows a visual of Nijika Ijichi (voiced by Sayumi Suzushiro) and her older sister Seika (voiced by Maaya Uchida). It was also announced that the film will be directed by Shin Wakabayashi of Wonder Egg Priority, with character design by Yukiko Horiguchi of K-On!, a screenplay by Erika Yoshida of The Tiger and Her Wings, and animation production by CloverWorks.

In response to the post, fans have shared their joy and anticipation, with comments such as "I guess it shows the time before they met Bocchi... It'd be amazing if it ended at the park scene in Episode 1," "The Bocchi the Rock! and K-On! staff have teamed up... This is too good to be true!!" and "What a surprise. I'm so happy, I could die happy now." Many also say they are already close to tears, with comments such as "I can only see myself crying when I watch that touching episode in a theater," "They did it! This is definitely going to make me cry!!" "Guaranteed tear-fest," "This looks so good I'm about to cry," "I'm crying right now" and "I cried just from the teaser."

(C)はまじあき／芳文社・アニプレックス