Recently, Fans in Japan have sparked a debate over the growing prominence of Ikuyo Kita in the “Bocchi the Rock!” franchise and the main band, Kessoku Band. This debate arises from the official illustrations and covers of the most recent albums, where Kita appears in the foreground, while Hitori Gotou, the protagonist of the story, is relegated to the background.

Hitori Gotou, known to many as “Bocchi,” is a lonely first-year student with social anxiety. She describes herself as an introverted girl who prefers to stay at home. Despite her shyness, she dreams of joining a band and becoming popular, which leads her to learn to play the guitar. Bocchi is an incredibly talented guitarist, but due to her nervousness, she has difficulty showcasing her skills in public and in the band.

In contrast, Ikuyo Kita is a bright and popular girl, also in her first year of high school. She is the guitarist and vocalist of the Kessoku Band, known for her cheerful and outgoing personality. Kita enjoys interacting with other people and always smiles at everyone, even when meeting them for the first time. Furthermore, she has a very strong admiration for Ryo, another member of the band, which sometimes leads her to behave in an exaggerated manner.

The fact that Kita is taking on a more prominent role in the band's visual representations has generated mixed opinions among fans. Some consider it logical that, as vocalist and central figure in the shows, Kita is the one who appears on the front of the album covers and other official illustrations. They argue that this reflects the real structure and dynamics of a band, where the vocalist is often the visible face of the group.

Others, however, are not so in agreement with this change. Some fans feel that, while it is understandable that Kita has a prominent role in the band, Hitori Gotou is still the central protagonist of the story, and therefore should have a more prominent presence in the visual representations.

• «She's actually the lead singer, so in a way she's the protagonist.».
• «Since Kita-chan is the vocalist, the visible leader, and an extrovert, it's only natural that she's in the front row on Kessoku Band's album covers (which is why Bocchi, who is an introvert, is in the back row). In fact, the first covers in which Bocchi was in the lead were unusual for a group like Kessoku Band, although they fit the theme of the anime.».
• «If you ask who is the protagonist of Kessoku Band, the answer has to be the vocalist, Ikuyo Kita».
• «Kita-chan is the online public relations minister for Kessoku Band, so she is in charge of the photos.».
• «Since it's a picture of 'Kessoku Band' and not 'Bocchi the Rock!', it's no surprise that Kita-chan, as the vocalist, is in the center. Bocchi is still the protagonist of 'Bocchi the Rock!', but this is something different».
• «The leader of the real-life band that Kessoku Band is based on is someone named Kensuke Kita. The front man, Gotoh, has always said that he is not the leader, so the character distribution follows this detail faithfully, as well as their personalities.».
• «Even when I listen to the songs, I feel like Kita-chan has been taking a leading role in a positive way lately. At first, I felt like I was singing instead of Bocchi, but now I really feel like it's 'Kita-chan's song'».
• «Can you believe that this little character in a pink tracksuit is the protagonist? Sounds incredible, right?».

Source: Otakomu