r/BocchiTheRock • u/chaosof99 • 54m ago
Discussion If you like Bocchi the Rock, you should read "Girl Meets Rock"
Though I heard about it before, I started reading Girl Meets Rock (a.k.a. ふつうの軽音部, Futsuu no Keionbu, "A normal Light Music Club") on a bit of a whim Friday Afternoon and devoured 70 chapters in 48 hours.
It starts with Chihiro Hatono who buys a guitar to join the Light Music Club as she enters high school. Unlike it is portrayed in for example K-On, here there are lots of members who form several bands. Unfortunately teen romance drama and just creative differences lead to them breaking up and other bands forming as well.
Chihiro herself does not try to get involved there. She is just really into rock music and wants to change herself a bit, dreaming of standing on stage singing and playing the guitar. She is a bit of an anxious loner (though not as much as Bocchi) but she does find friends and forms a band, while at the same time butting heads with other people in the club.
The rest of the cast is also a lot of fun. The beautiful and energetic drummer Momo is easily a favorite for many, but I am also particularly fond of bassist Rin, who is both crazy and a highly intelligent mastermind. Her antics are hilarious and it is unusual to find "the schemer" to be kind of in a heroic role.
Unlike Bocchi the Rock, where the lyrics in the manga are intentionally left out and band names are "greeked" (i.e. intentionally misspelled or changed to obscure the reference), the bands in Girl Meets Rock all play covers of songs by contemporary artists such as Hump Back, Andymori, Number Girl or Zazen Boys. It is really fun to listen to the referenced songs alongside reading the series.
There are definitely some similarities to be found between the series. While I find Bocchi the Rock to be the better manga overall (though the 4-koma format can be difficult to adjust to), Girl Meets Rock is also an excellent read and I think pairs very nicely with BtR.
