一里ぼっち – Anime QandA

What’s the show? Hitori Bocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu, Episode 2.

So how’s this episode? I love Bocchi! Bocchi is the best!

Oh-okay, yeah I kinda gathered that from your glowing review last week! You maybe, but my previous episode review was one of my lowest viewed, lowest liked episodic posts I’ve ever done. I was devastated at how much Bocchi is being ignored–or at least my review of it…

It means a lot to people who have trouble initiating conversations, you know!

Maybe you should take that as a sign that people aren’t that interested in reading episodic reviews for cute girl slice of life shows? Or maybe I should just double down on it and review it in excruciating detail every week! I’ll get people to notice Bocchi–or die trying!

Why do I feel like this is going to be a weekly train-wreck? As opposed to all my other reviews that end up with me frantically pounding my fists on they keyboard at 2am?

Bocchi randomly blowing her recorder is a big mood.

I feel like we’ve diverted from the intended goal… what’s this episode about? Bocchi and her new friend Nako are having a fight–or rather Nako is made at Bocchi but because Bocchi possesses the social acuity of a moss-covered log she ends up having to turn to Aru Honsho–her class’ vice representative and all round suspiciously nice girl. After an excruciatingly long-winded (and hilarious) flashback sequence we see that Bocchi dropped the ball by saying she only started talking to Nako because of the promise she made to her elementary school friend to “make friends with all the kids in her class”. Thankfully Aru is their to mediate and they’re soon friends again.

Phew, crisis averted! I know you’re being rude so I’ll chose to ignore you. Anyway, some time after that they approach Aru one morning before school and Nako notices that Aru still has the coat hanger inside her sweater even though she’s wearing it and so proceeds to ‘quiz’ her on her life and overall behaviour. Turns out Aru isn’t the ‘little miss perfect’ she pretends to be and is in fact a pretty big loser or “unfortunate” as Nako labels her. But she doesn’t do so maliciously, she’s just wanting to get the bottom of this girls’ character and have her be herself–something she warms to over the course of an awkward conversation (with most of said awkwardness coming from Bocchi’s constant mis-reading of the situation).

And so what’s gained from this episode? It doesn’t sound like much happens? In the grand scheme of things, sure, not much happened. But for Bocchi these a big steps towards being able to function around other people and have conversations with friends that don’t result in reading cheat sheets or running away. This is Bocchi’s journey and she’s gaining more allies along the way and did I mention I loved every minute of it?

Yeah, I think you mentioned that once or twice… Well I’ll say it again, this show is adorable and wholesome and just makes me so happy! More please!

Previous ‘Hitori Bocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu’ Reviews:

Curb Your Anxiety – Episode 1 Review

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What’s the show? Hitori Bocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu, Episode 1.

Uh-huh and what’s that all mean then? It means we’re about to witness the mother-flippin’ anime of the season, y’all!

I’m sorry, what? Ahem… apologies, I’m just a bit excited because this anime is amazing and brilliant and I loved every second of it and hueeee *breathes deeply into a paperbag*

Okay, okay… calm the heck down. Let’s take this slow, what’s the show about first of all? Right, so our protagonist Hitori Bocchi is a new middle-schooler who is combatting the world–namely because she suffers from extreme social anxiety and seemingly everything she thinks or says or does causes her monumental grief in just virtue of existing. It’s mostly in her head of course but this anime is basically Bocchi going through everyday life with her crippling anxiety and the cute, comedic insanity that ensues from it.

You have “cute” and “crippling anxiety” in the same sentence? I can’t help but think that’s a problem. You’d think so, but despite Bocchi’s various issues in dealing with other people this anime not only represents them as absurd and comedic but also relatable and endearing. It’s a deft juggling act that only really shows itself as thus after a closer examination at just how flawlessly this episode works at conveying both tone and sensibility.

Kudos to the translation team/person responsible for translating *all* of this! A+

Uh-huh, go on… And that’s where I’m kind of at a loss for words. I mean, quite personally this show is amazing but at the same time it’s really hard to convey its good points into a scholarly review–you know with words and whatnot. And that goes for a lot of comedic and slice of life series’ especially in the case where half the appeal is in the delivery of lines and the pacing of jokes. Also (and this might come as some surprise) but I’ve actually got a lot in common with Bocchi in that both of us overthink things, both of us have literally zero friends and both of us think everyday life would be simpler without having to interact with any other people.

That… that doesn’t surprise me at all, you’re like the epitome of a recluse… Shuddup!

Ugh, okay fine but at least give me some more information to go on about this show. Will ya? Spoilers for the first episode but Bocchi eventually–by the end of the episode–makes friends with a “thug-ish” girl named Nako Sunao and boy do I have a crush on this anime girl already or what? Not only is she tough and standoffish to strangers but she’s got an adorable and caring side to her and oompf!

“Oompf”? Better you don’t ask…

O-kay, then… This review is rapidly deteriorating into nonsensical banter, please wrap it up. ‘Hitoribocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu’ or “Bocchi” as i’ll be referring to it hence forth is a masterful piece of slice of life comedy while simultaneously being awkward and adorable and weird and familial. It’s kind of like the ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ of anime–except instead of a balding, ageing white man as its protagonist it has an adorable Japanese girl struggling to even partake in the most basic of human interactions. I love this show, I love Hitori Bocchi and I want a million more episodes. I don’t care how unprofessional this review turns out, I’m just being the best ‘me’ I can be!

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Tag: 一里ぼっち

Friend Panic – ‘Hitori Bocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu’ Episode 2 Review

Curb Your Anxiety – ‘Hitori Bocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu’ Episode 1 Review