Music has consistently been a fundamental part of the anime industry, whether utilized in opening and closing songs, used in the background of certain scenes to increase the emotional power, or even as part of the anime’s plot. This has been a massive benefit to idol anime, which has a wide range and a big fanbase, with some of the most famous being Love Live and the more horror-themed Zombieland Saga. Male idol anime such as Idolish7 and Star-Myu have also accomplished a lot of success.
The idol genre has been very popular in the anime industry and community, yet music-based anime that leans towards the more instrumental and rock and roll side has not been able to match its success. While K-On! may seem like an exception due to the presence of instruments typically associated with rock bands, it actually puts more focus on pop music. Despite the availability of a few rock band anime, few have been able to gain mainstream success. This could be attributed to a number of factors.
Some Underappreciated Anime About Rock Bands
Dating back to the early 2000s, Nana is an anime series that follows two women of the same name, Nana Komatsu and Nana Osaki. While Komatsu desires a peaceful life, Osaki strives to make it big in the music industry with her band, Black Stones. But, the show is more about the drama between these two Nanas as they both become romantically involved with members of a rival rock band in Japan, instead of just Osaki’s music career.
In contrast to the recently aired and still ongoing Bocchi the Rock!, Hitori Goto – also known as Bocchi – has a dream of playing guitar in a rock band. Despite her shyness and difficulty making friends, she is presented with an incredible opportunity to join a band. Each episode of the series follows their journey as they strive to become renowned in the rock music industry. Despite being faithful to the genre and its industry, neither of the two series has achieved substantial mainstream success.
The international response to J-Rock has not been positive
A large proportion of people in Japan still enjoy the J-rock genre today. However, this music style tends to not have the same level of popularity in the United States. This could be attributed to the fact that J-rock artists tend to not include any English lyrics, which can be a challenge for Westerners to comprehend and enjoy. Furthermore, some J-rock acts are introduced to the West through the music used in anime openings and endings, limiting the recognition of these acts to only a few songs.
The anime industry appears to be favoring idol anime over rock music anime as it is likely to be more successful and reach a larger global audience. This could be due to the lower popularity of rock music anime internationally, which could lead to lower success is produced.
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