Demon Slayer has set some incredible box office records in Japan, but there’s one the franchise missed out on, thanks to none other than Bocchi the Rock.
Among these plaudits, Bocchi the Rock has managed to sneak in to achieve something Demon Slayer overlooked. Thenew movie, starring the adolescent rock group Kessoku Band, went straight to the top of Japan’s box officethis weekend, making it the first production with absolutely zero fresh footage to do so.
The movie itself isn’t anything unusual. Anime regularly does recaps in movies and TV — My Hero Academia Season 7 had a four-episode recap before premiering — and sometimes they get limited theatrical runs.
It’s the timing here that’s caused such an odd stir. Demon Slayer, for instance, always releases compilations before new seasons arrive. To The Hashira Training contained new scenes since Season 4 hadn’t started yet, and going to cinemas let fans get a preview before the season arrived properly.
Bocchi the Rock! has done the opposite, recapping the first season after it’s over, with no teases on Season 2. A second film, appropriately titled Bocchi the Rock! Re:Re: is coming on August 9, so the future of the show could be teased there.
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Or Bocchi the Rock! will beat its own record, and Demon Slayer,Jujutsu Kaisen, andSolo Levelingwill all join in, opening the floodgates on theatrical recaps. Keep an eye on ourupcoming animelist for actual new releases worth looking out for.
Anthony McGlynn is a Senior Anime Writer on Dexerto’s UK team. An expert on animes like Demon Slayer, Solo Leveling and My Hero Academia, he also has over 10 years experience covering games and pop culture for outlets such as Variety, IGN, Den of Geek, PCGamesN, PCGamer, The Digital Fix, and many more. You can contact him at: anthony.mcglynn@dexerto.com
