While the show’s first season may be over, the Bocchi fandom is still quite active, especially in Japan. Recently though, fans have been asked to stop visiting the Bocchi the Rock! locations in groups, specifically the real-life Starry live house.
During the show’s run, many fans began going on pilgrimages to the locations depicted in the anime. Though this has sadly resulted in disruptions to the operations of some establishments.
Bocchi the Rock!’s Real-Life Locations
Bocchi the Rock! is set primarily in Shimokitazawa (or Shimokita for short), a trendy neighborhood in Tokyo that’s best known for its vintage clothing shops, cafés, and live music venues.
Even before the show's premiere, Shimokita was already known as a hotspot for trendy folks.
Because of Bocchi’s popularity explosion, the area has seen even more visitors recently. But this time, it’s anime fans that have flocked to the area.
While the show was airing, many fans shared their pilgrimage to Shimokita to check out the locations that were featured in the anime.
For instance, the wall where the Kessoku Band held their photoshoot is based on a real-life mural that’s next to a park.
The main street that leads to the Starry live house was also visited by many fans. And of course, Shimokitazawa Station is another location that many fans visited.
Aside from being shown in the anime, it’s the main gateway to the neighborhood.
Though perhaps the most-visited location is Shelter live house which serves as the basis for Starry in the anime.
Despite the different name, Shelter looks almost exactly like Starry, from the stairs that lead down to the interior itself.
ALSO READ: Where to Start Reading Bocchi the Rock! After the Anime
Bocchi Fans Asked to Refrain From Visiting Live House
As Shelter is not a big live music venue, it’s not built to accommodate Bocchi the Rock! pilgrims. Because of this, their operations have seemingly been disrupted by eager fans who want to see one of the anime’s signature locations.
In response, Bocchi the Rock!’s official Twitter account released a statement that asks fans to refrain from disrupting the venue’s operations.
Specifically, the statement asks fans to refrain from visiting in groups, blocking the way, or making noise.
Fans are also asked to not cause any inconvenience to the live music clubs and other establishments in the area.
Finally, fans are asked to purchase tickets to the live houses so they can experience live performances instead of simply treating the area as a tourist attraction.
With this, here's hoping Bocchi fans who go on these pilgrimages will behave so that they don't get banned entirely from visiting.
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