Bocchi the Rock! director

Bocchi the Rock! Director Speaks Out on Season 2 Exit

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The hit 2022 musical comedy Bocchi the Rock! has officially been greenlit for a second season by Aniplex and CloverWorks. During the “Kessoku Band Tour” on Saturday, the producers announced the anime’s renewal—along with a surprising change in director for Season 2.  

In the teaser video released by Aniplex, the production staff for the new season was revealed. As confirmed, Bocchi the Rock! Season 2 will see Yusuke Yamamoto replacing Keiichiro Saito as director at CloverWorks. Meanwhile, Keimon Oda will join Kerorira in character design.

Shortly after, Aniplex posted another video on their YouTube channel in the form of a radio interview, where Season 1 director Keiichiro Saito explained why he won’t be returning for Bocchi the Rock! Season 2.  

“For me, the first season was the end of it. I had no desire to do a second season. It was exhausting having people around me constantly pushing for it. CloverWorks was always complaining, so I passed the baton to the assistant director,” Saito stated.  

“To be more specific, if they were to do a second season, they would need to allocate more resources to it as a musical piece. It would be really tough. I can’t be the captain. So from now on, I’ll be playing an assistant role. I’m looking forward to it as a viewer,” he added.

Reports suggest that Saito faced challenges after the success of Season 1, with both Aniplex and fans pressuring him for a sequel, ultimately leading him to step down. As a result, Yamamoto was appointed as the new director after a series of negative responses from Saito.

Another possible reason for Saito’s departure is his involvement in Madhouse’s Frieren, where he is in charge. Since the popular fantasy drama has also been renewed for a second season, it is speculated that Saito prefers working on Frieren, as it aligns better with his artistic style.

However, Saito denied these claims, stating that his decision wasn’t influenced by Frieren. Instead, he apologized for overworking the staff during the first season and explained that since Bocchi the Rock! Season 2 will feature more band performances, animating them would be challenging, and he wouldn’t be able to put in the same level of effort as before.

“I don’t want to become an obstacle in the making of Season 2. It would be awful if they failed,” he said. Despite stepping down as director, Saito will still be actively involved in production, working alongside Yusuke Yamamoto.

Furthermore, Yamamoto brings prior experience in musical anime, having worked as an episode director on Bocchi the Rock! Season 1 and contributing to the storyboard for Love Live!. Fans can rest assured that their favorite series remains in capable hands—for now.

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