The popularity of “Bocchi the Rock!”a franchise that has won the hearts of many thanks to its recent anime adaptation of CloverWorks, keeps growing. The story follows Hitori Gotou, a lonely and socially anxious girl who wants to make friends and play in a band. Despite her exceptional guitar skills, her anxiety prevents her from demonstrating her talent in public. The series follows as Bocchi, along with his bandmates Nijika Ijichi, Ikuyo Kita, and Ryou Yamada, strive to improve as musicians and enjoy their high school days.

Recently, a Twitter user offered an in-depth analysis of the possible causes of Bocchi's social anxiety. The user suggested that Hitori's withdrawn personality may have started in her childhood, possibly due to her early entry into kindergarten.. In his words:

• «It's not known exactly when Hitori Gotou's withdrawn personality began to form, but I wonder if it all started when she entered kindergarten in the middle of the year, being born in February.».

The fact that Hitori was born in February is relevant because in Japan the school year starts in April. If she entered kindergarten in the middle of the school year, she might be younger than her peers, which could influence her social development. Being at a disadvantage in terms of age and development compared to other children may have contributed to their feelings of insecurity and isolation.

• «In the anime version, it appears that his house is in an urban development area. I assume the family moved due to the birth of the younger sister and the graduation of the older sister from elementary school, which led her to enter a public school where she didn't know anyone, increasing her loneliness.».

Living in an urban development area is also significant. Urban development areas are often new communities where social and community networks are not well established.This means that when his family moved, Bocchi didn’t have the opportunity to form strong social connections like he would have in a more established community. The combination of moving to a new home, starting a new school, and not having close friends may have intensified his feelings of loneliness and anxiety.

• «Of course, the most accepted theory is that her negative tendency is an inheritance from her grandmother, passed down through generations. (according to the back cover of volume 5 of the manga), but the trigger for its manifestation must be in your childhood environment. Since this will almost certainly not be revealed in the original work, there is nothing left to do but speculate.».

The combination of these factors could explain Hitori Gotou's complex personality and her struggle with social anxiety. As the series continues to gain popularity, fans continue to explore and discuss the depths of their favorite characters, demonstrating the lasting impact and relevance of “Bocchi the Rock!” in the anime community.

• «A few months difference in infancy may seem like a big difference, so this may be true.».
• «The disadvantage of being born at the beginning of the year».
• «It's a character, so it doesn't matter, but I would be really upset if someone analyzed me to my face and said 'You were shy because…'».
• «Your social relationships may have been redefined by changing school districts from kindergarten to middle school and high school.».
• «There was hardly anyone from my elementary school in my high school, so the groups were already formed.».
• «I have a feeling it all started from the moment she was given the name 'Hitori' (which means 'alone')».
• «This happened to me too, haha. I have the same birthday as Bocchi and I moved in the middle of the year, but instead of kindergarten it was daycare. Well, I think my tendency to be withdrawn is more of an innate characteristic.».
• «At first, it is assumed that she is withdrawn and lonely, but Hitori, who can interact with people through her band activities, does not feel lonely at all. Furthermore, through her videos, she has high self-esteem and can perform on the school festival stage, so I don't think she will be withdrawn.».
• «I think it's possible. I had a similar environment, and being born at the beginning of the year and entering in the middle of the semester, I discovered that communities were already formed. Without having had the opportunity to interact with other children my age, it was difficult for me to integrate. In addition, because I was physically smaller, I was more likely to be bullied.».

Source: Otakomu