Bocchi the Rock! gets new movie in 2027 starring Seika, Nijika's sister

A new Bocchi the Rock! movie has just been announced. It will be titled Bocchi the Rock! Star Footprints and will hit Japanese theaters in 2027 with distribution by ANIMEC.

The protagonist will be Seika Ijichi, Nijika's older sister. The story will take us back ten years, to the moment Seika founded the venue STARRY, the same place where Kessoku Band plays in the anime. It's a prequel that explores the beginnings of that space so important to all of them.

The main staff returns from the series. Erika Yoshida writes the script, Keiichiro Saito returns as director, and Kerorira as character designer. Animation is handled by CloverWorks.

The movie also has its first visual. Kerorira drew a young Seika with an illustration that uses the same style as the manga, and the teaser became a LINE sticker.

Seika's past, finally on screen

The news comes just as season 2 of the anime is still in production. About that sequel, director Keiichiro Saito said the team is working to make it live up to expectations. There is no release date yet.

Aki Hamazi, author of the original manga, explained that this story came from an idea she had been sitting on since the after-record of the first anime. Episode 8 showed a glimpse of Seika's past, and the author always wanted to complete that story. The movie will cover Seika's path to founding STARRY, something the manga has only touched on in fragments.

The voice cast also returns to bring the Ijichi sisters to life. Sayumi Suzushiro plays Nijika and Moeka Koizumi plays Seika. Koizumi said she read the script and felt a huge connection with her character: she can finally understand the weight of the words Seika said to Nijika in the first season.

For those unfamiliar with the series, Bocchi the Rock! follows Hitori Gotou, a girl with extreme social anxiety who dreams of playing in a band. Everything changes when Nijika drags her into Kessoku Band. The anime aired in 2022 and became a phenomenon: Kessoku Band's album was the best-selling digital album on Oricon in 2023. In 2024, two compilation movies were released.

Music stays at the center

The series' band, Kessoku Band, has also confirmed its ASIA TOUR 2027 "To Asia." It will stop in Taipei on March 13 and 14, in Seoul on May 8, and in Hong Kong on May 22.

The original manga is still running in Houbunsha's Manga Time Kirara MAX. The movie premieres in 2027, but there is no concrete date yet, and nothing has been said about a Latin American release.