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ぼっち・ざ・ろっく！外伝 廣井きくりの深酒日記 [Bocchi the Rock! Gaiden - Hiroi Kikuri no Fukazake Nikki] #1
Bocchi the Rock! Side Story: Kikuri Hiroi’s Heavy-Drinking Diary, Vol. 1
NO ALCOHOL, NO MUSIC!Kikuri Hiroi-genius bassist of Sick Hack, terror of concert venues, eternal deadbeat, and all-around poor role model-has always believed there’s no problem you can’t drink your way out of. The world might be dull and depressing, but whether it’s the failing economy, overdue rent, or just plain ol’ social anxiety, a quick trip around the spiral of happiness will help everything work itself out in the end, right? Surely her personal life isn’t a total disaster...right?! Find out in this freewheeling spin-off of Bocchi the Rock!
- GenresManga
Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 23, 2025
Hiroi is one of those characters who works for me in very small doses and I was very, very concerned about putting up with her drunken antics for a whole volume, let alone an entire side series.
Well, as usual, you can’t really read this if you don’t like the character and I do have a general issue with the way that Hiroi glorifies alcoholism (this is partly due to my day job, where I see a lot of destroyed livers, YMMV). But, it’s a story, so, you know, I let it slide a little. Fiction is fiction, but still.
What this does to distinguish itself from its parent manga is offer up actual regular-style manga with no 4-koma. Given how long it takes me to digest a volume of Bocchi this was a good pivot and it does make it feel different.
And, look, it works. It absolutely works. Ambling along like a far more inebriated Bugs Bunny, there’s no situation that Hiroi can’t get out of with some ingenuity or a carton of cheap hooch. Not necessarily in that order.
The chapter where she’s broke and hits the streets to scam both food AND drink is a particularly fun one, as she uses every scheme imaginable and all the talent at her disposal to come out ahead. For now.
I’ll single out a couple other good bits in here - Ohtsuki, the friendless tsundere prodigy of one of the other bands in the main series, Sideros, gets wind that Hiroi has a new prodigy she’s taking an interest in.
We see the flip side of the famous street concert from early in the main series, as Ohtsuki’s easily bruised and super jealous personality is slowly trampled on when she realizes just how much Bocchi has done with Hiroi compared to what little Ohtsuki has. It’s really amusing; Ohtsuki’s mental image of Bocchi has to be seen to be believed.
One of the weaker aspects of this, conversely, is how little extra effort it gives to fleshing out Hiroi’s put-upon bandmates. We have Shima, who basically tries to wrangle the tornado who is Hiroi, and Eliza, who’s the British/Japanese girl obsessed with anime.
That being said, Eliza tries to pull off a beach trip and swimsuit episode, which makes sense given her taste in media. That’s clever. When the trip goes completely sideways and never delivers on any of this, minus a slam on the very magazine that carries it? That’s VERY clever.
So, yes, it won me over. It’s a balancing act with the whole booze thing. I mean, Hiroi is definitely portrayed as a loser with a problem, but she comes out of pretty much every scenario smelling like roses (at least to the reader). I’ve enjoyed Fujisawa from El Hazard and laughed at Barney on The Simpsons too, but I can see it being annoying.
If you already love this character, however, this is an absolute no-brainer. It is going to give you exactly what you were looking for and it delivers on precisely what it’s going for in terms of tone and story. That’s pretty commendable.
4 stars - Admittedly very good and extremely readable, with some fun in-jokes for the regulars and yet still being quite accessible for the person coming in cold too. Round up to a full five if you love Hiroi; there’s nothing here you won’t like.
Well, as usual, you can’t really read this if you don’t like the character and I do have a general issue with the way that Hiroi glorifies alcoholism (this is partly due to my day job, where I see a lot of destroyed livers, YMMV). But, it’s a story, so, you know, I let it slide a little. Fiction is fiction, but still.
What this does to distinguish itself from its parent manga is offer up actual regular-style manga with no 4-koma. Given how long it takes me to digest a volume of Bocchi this was a good pivot and it does make it feel different.
And, look, it works. It absolutely works. Ambling along like a far more inebriated Bugs Bunny, there’s no situation that Hiroi can’t get out of with some ingenuity or a carton of cheap hooch. Not necessarily in that order.
The chapter where she’s broke and hits the streets to scam both food AND drink is a particularly fun one, as she uses every scheme imaginable and all the talent at her disposal to come out ahead. For now.
I’ll single out a couple other good bits in here - Ohtsuki, the friendless tsundere prodigy of one of the other bands in the main series, Sideros, gets wind that Hiroi has a new prodigy she’s taking an interest in.
We see the flip side of the famous street concert from early in the main series, as Ohtsuki’s easily bruised and super jealous personality is slowly trampled on when she realizes just how much Bocchi has done with Hiroi compared to what little Ohtsuki has. It’s really amusing; Ohtsuki’s mental image of Bocchi has to be seen to be believed.
One of the weaker aspects of this, conversely, is how little extra effort it gives to fleshing out Hiroi’s put-upon bandmates. We have Shima, who basically tries to wrangle the tornado who is Hiroi, and Eliza, who’s the British/Japanese girl obsessed with anime.
That being said, Eliza tries to pull off a beach trip and swimsuit episode, which makes sense given her taste in media. That’s clever. When the trip goes completely sideways and never delivers on any of this, minus a slam on the very magazine that carries it? That’s VERY clever.
So, yes, it won me over. It’s a balancing act with the whole booze thing. I mean, Hiroi is definitely portrayed as a loser with a problem, but she comes out of pretty much every scenario smelling like roses (at least to the reader). I’ve enjoyed Fujisawa from El Hazard and laughed at Barney on The Simpsons too, but I can see it being annoying.
If you already love this character, however, this is an absolute no-brainer. It is going to give you exactly what you were looking for and it delivers on precisely what it’s going for in terms of tone and story. That’s pretty commendable.
4 stars - Admittedly very good and extremely readable, with some fun in-jokes for the regulars and yet still being quite accessible for the person coming in cold too. Round up to a full five if you love Hiroi; there’s nothing here you won’t like.
October 12, 2025
This was actually pretty sad to read and I found myself getting irritated because there is no satisfactory direction this goes for me. Kikuri is a minimal character in the main series, and I didn't think much of her character, but I thought this was going to be a backstory that started further back in time. We cross over with the start of the Bocchi series early on in this volume.
Her alcoholism just isn't funny. I would be curious about it if the series delved deep into the reasons, and had some introspection, but it just plays it off for laughs. Though it's not as funny as the main series is. It is written and drawn by a different person after all, and told in a traditional manga format.
What I found sad is her damage to herself, sure. But also the people around her putting up with her. Shima even says “I’m in too deep to abandon ship now” in regards to being friends with Kikuri and picking up after her. I dunno how you lightheartedly continue the story after that. It's depressing and made me feel sad. I don't think that was the intent of the mangaka.
Her alcoholism just isn't funny. I would be curious about it if the series delved deep into the reasons, and had some introspection, but it just plays it off for laughs. Though it's not as funny as the main series is. It is written and drawn by a different person after all, and told in a traditional manga format.
What I found sad is her damage to herself, sure. But also the people around her putting up with her. Shima even says “I’m in too deep to abandon ship now” in regards to being friends with Kikuri and picking up after her. I dunno how you lightheartedly continue the story after that. It's depressing and made me feel sad. I don't think that was the intent of the mangaka.
March 4, 2026
I have not read a single volume of Bocchi the Rock!, Vol. 1 but you don't have to in order to enjoy this side story. Back in the day I was a big fan of K-On! This feels a bit like a more mature version of that, with the storyline following an all women band. This one has a serious tone underlying the comedic romps as our main character, Kikuri, deals with alcoholism. She is a bit of a deadbeat but endearing none the less.
Personally, I really enjoyed Kikuri. She feels real which is not an easy feat to accomplish in a single volume. She spirals into her drinking to feel joy and tries her best to enjoy life and not take things too seriously. Her bandmates are the grounded ones, and I would have liked to see more of their dynamics. This volume focused on Kikuru which helped to flesh out her character very well. I do hope to see more of her relationships with those around her in the next volume though.
This is one of those sleeper hits. This will resonate with people who feel unmoored or stagnate lately. I really enjoyed this volume, yet I think I would have enjoyed this better as an anime. An anime would scratch the itch I have to listen to the music that Sick Hack creates!
Personally, I really enjoyed Kikuri. She feels real which is not an easy feat to accomplish in a single volume. She spirals into her drinking to feel joy and tries her best to enjoy life and not take things too seriously. Her bandmates are the grounded ones, and I would have liked to see more of their dynamics. This volume focused on Kikuru which helped to flesh out her character very well. I do hope to see more of her relationships with those around her in the next volume though.
This is one of those sleeper hits. This will resonate with people who feel unmoored or stagnate lately. I really enjoyed this volume, yet I think I would have enjoyed this better as an anime. An anime would scratch the itch I have to listen to the music that Sick Hack creates!
May 24, 2025
So in this
Bocchi the Rock!, Vol. 1
spin off, we get a glimpse into Hiroi's life. In Bocchi, she's the comedic relief. She's drunk and crazy, outgoing and a cheerleader for Bocchi. So I was curious about this side story, and, honestly, I was skeptical about whether this would still be light-hearted and funny when it's the star of the show.
As you can tell by my rating, I was disappointed. When Hiroi's drinking is the main focus of the manga it's kind of sad. The alcoholism is a little on the nose in Bocchi but when we see the depth of it in this manga, it's not funny anymore. While this manga had its funny moments and I do like Hiroi as a character, it mainly just made me sad for her. I know she is mostly happy with her life but, much like the Ijichis, I feel like she's mostly just a mess.
I probably will read the second volume to see how things go because I do actually genuinely like Hiroi, but I couldn't really bring myself to love this one.
As you can tell by my rating, I was disappointed. When Hiroi's drinking is the main focus of the manga it's kind of sad. The alcoholism is a little on the nose in Bocchi but when we see the depth of it in this manga, it's not funny anymore. While this manga had its funny moments and I do like Hiroi as a character, it mainly just made me sad for her. I know she is mostly happy with her life but, much like the Ijichis, I feel like she's mostly just a mess.
I probably will read the second volume to see how things go because I do actually genuinely like Hiroi, but I couldn't really bring myself to love this one.
September 28, 2025
Interesting start to a side story. I enjoyed learning more about Kikuri Hiroi.
May 10, 2025
Hiroi is one of my favorite characters from the original series, but her role as a character is comic relief, primarily through being incredibly annoying to the other characters. So would a story centering her as the main character work? Well … mostly.
It’s definitely fun to see more of Hiroi outside of interacting with Kessoku Band, as well as get to know the Sick Hack band members a little better (and learn that Hiroi irritates them as much as she irritates everyone else).
The downside? Hiroi actually is pretty annoying after a while! A little goes a long way, and we get a lot here. Her antics and lifestyle also start getting concerning - in Bocchi the Rock, she’s “the funny drunk side character” Here, where her life is the whole story, she’s “the severely troubled main character who’s gonna die young at this rate”. I’m curious whether / how this will be addressed in future volumes.
Despite its flaws, I still found this entertaining, with engaging characters and writing. Whether I stick with the story long term depends on what direction it takes in the next couple volumes.
It’s definitely fun to see more of Hiroi outside of interacting with Kessoku Band, as well as get to know the Sick Hack band members a little better (and learn that Hiroi irritates them as much as she irritates everyone else).
The downside? Hiroi actually is pretty annoying after a while! A little goes a long way, and we get a lot here. Her antics and lifestyle also start getting concerning - in Bocchi the Rock, she’s “the funny drunk side character” Here, where her life is the whole story, she’s “the severely troubled main character who’s gonna die young at this rate”. I’m curious whether / how this will be addressed in future volumes.
Despite its flaws, I still found this entertaining, with engaging characters and writing. Whether I stick with the story long term depends on what direction it takes in the next couple volumes.
June 10, 2025
Honestly, I realize that this is a spin-off series so there are bound to be differences. The main problem I had with it is that I didn't find it as funny as the main series. Yes, there were parts that made me laugh and were genuinely good, but overall it failed to scratch my funny bone. However, some things that this volume does that the main series doesn't do that I like is that this series tells you how to pronounce the sound effects and what they mean (like sun sun (in English it sounds like soon soon) means sniffing). That is something that I also appreciate Dungeon Meshi doing. This other thing that I like is something the main series does to that I like. I really like it when manga has translation notes at the end.
The main problem I had with this side story/side series is that I didn't find it as funny. This volume had seven chapters, which is generally enough to decide whether you'll like a title or not. However, I might still read the next volume to see if it improves at all from this one.
The main problem I had with this side story/side series is that I didn't find it as funny. This volume had seven chapters, which is generally enough to decide whether you'll like a title or not. However, I might still read the next volume to see if it improves at all from this one.
December 30, 2025
Boring as the story focuses on the alcoholic Kikuri. Nothing is very fun story wise, the chapters feel all the same and the drunkness of it all just makes the manga so hard to wanna read. I pushed myself to finish this. Huge pass on this series. Only the artstyle is redeemable.
May 15, 2025
I love Kikuri so much I wish alcoholics were real..
August 5, 2025
A much more confident delivery of comic story than its parent-series Bocchi the Rock, thank you Kumichou. I really liked this, and look forward to following Kikuri's further spirals of happiness.
November 7, 2025
Pretty good. Being about an alcoholic; it balanced being depressing and being fun pretty well, though there's nothing super profound or super funny. I'd like to see more of the supporting characters.
November 10, 2025
Any fan of Bocchi The Rock! Should give this a read
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews