Music has always been a core element of the anime industry, whether it’s used in opening or closing songs, inserted in the background during certain scenes to heighten the dramatic impact or even as part of the anime’s storyline itself. The latter has contributed a great deal to idol anime, which has a large variety and following in the industry, with some of the most popular being Love Live and the more horror-like Zombieland Saga. Even male idol anime such as Idolish7 and Star-Myu have received their fair share of success.
Although the idol genre has soared high in the anime industry and community, the same cannot be said for music-based anime that leans toward the more instrumental and rock and roll side of things. While one might think that K-On! is an exception given the fact that the girls use instruments typically seen in a rock band, the anime actually puts a lot more focus on pop music. Despite there being a fairly decent pool of rock band anime to draw from, few of them have managed to reach mainstream success. Here’s why that may be.
A Few Underrated Rock-Based Anime
Dating back to the early 2000s, the anime series Nana focuses on two young women of the same titular first name who live together in an apartment. While Nana Komatsu wants to have a peaceful life, Nana Osaki wishes to succeed in the music industry along with her band known as Black Stones. However, while there are plenty of moments revolving around Osaki’s dream to become a successful rock musician, Nana is more involved in the drama that occurs between her and Komatsu as they each pursue relationships with members of a rival rock band in Japan.
On the other hand, the much more recently-aired and ongoing Bocchi the Rock! centers on a young girl named Hitori Goto, also known as Bocchi, who aspires to play guitar in a rock band. Although she is very nervous and often finds herself at a dead end when it comes to making friends, her life is suddenly turned around when she is offered a position in someone else’s band. While Bocchi the Rock! may have had a short run, each episode focuses on the band’s ups and downs as well as their music as they strive toward fame and success. Unfortunately, while both of the aforementioned series can be said to have been faithful to rock music and what can occur in the music industry, neither has managed to gain a significant mainstream following.
J-Rock Has Not Been Received Well Internationally
It has been noted that a wide majority of Japan enjoys listening to the J-rock genre to this day. However, although rock music in general is well-loved by people in the United States, J-rock specifically has been known to not perform as well in the West. This may be due to the fact that performers of the J-rock genre typically do not insert any English lyrics, making it more difficult for Westerners to comprehend and enjoy. In addition, several J-rock artists are discovered via the music that may be used in the opening or ending of an anime, making them only known in the West for just a couple of songs.
Due to this lack of popularity, it may well be possible that not much music-based anime about rock bands is produced because it might not achieve the same success internationally. With idol anime seeming to fare far better overseas, especially in the United States, the anime industry may be prioritizing it over rock-centric music anime, seeing that it will be received much better and reach a wider audience.
