News
Bocchi the Rock! Prequel Film Announced for 2027, Starring Seika Ijichi
A Bocchi the Rock! prequel film is coming to Japanese theaters in 2027. The anime’s official X account announced the movie on November 1, 2026, with a teaser video and key visual. Titled Eiga Bocchi the Rock! Hoshi no Ashiato, and rendered in English by Crunchyroll as Bocchi the Rock! the Movie: Starry Footprints, it follows Seika Ijichi, Nijika’s older sister, rather than Bocchi herself.
No exact release date has been announced.
A Story About the Ijichi Sisters
The film is set before Kessoku Band formed. According to the official description, it’s a story of the sisters’ dreams that begins with a separation ten years earlier. It adapts “Hoshi ni Tamukeru Ai no Hana,” the special story at the end of the manga’s fifth volume, which follows Seika as the manager of the live house STARRY.
That means it covers a single chapter instead of a full arc, leaving most of Aki Hamazi’s ongoing manga untouched. The teaser visual shows the siblings in the back of a car, with Nijika glancing sideways at her sister.
Staff and Cast
Shin Wakabayashi, known for Wonder Egg Priority, directs the film at CloverWorks. Erika Yoshida, who handled series composition on the TV anime, writes the script, and Yukiko Horiguchi, whose credits include K-On!, designs the characters. Maaya Uchida and Sayumi Suzushiro are listed in the cast as the Ijichi sisters, with Suzushiro returning as Nijika. The rest of the cast hasn’t been announced.
How It Fits With Season 2
The prequel is separate from the second TV season, which was announced in February 2025 at Kessoku Band’s “We Will B” live event and is still in production. Neither project has a date beyond 2027, so which arrives first is unsettled.
The franchise has already proved it can draw audiences to theaters. The first season ran 12 episodes from October to December 2022, and a two-part compilation film followed in 2024. Hamazi’s manga began in Houbunsha’s Manga Time Kirara Max in December 2017 and is still running.
No international release plans have been announced for the prequel.
FAQ
When does the Bocchi the Rock! prequel film come out?
It’s scheduled to open in Japan in 2027. No exact date has been announced.
What is the Bocchi the Rock! prequel film about?
It follows Seika Ijichi and her younger sister Nijika before Kessoku Band formed, starting with their separation ten years earlier.
Who is directing the Bocchi the Rock! prequel film?
Shin Wakabayashi directs at CloverWorks, with Erika Yoshida writing the script and Yukiko Horiguchi designing the characters.
Is the prequel film the same as Bocchi the Rock! Season 2?
No. It’s a separate project. Season 2 was announced in February 2025 and is still in production.
Which manga story does the film adapt?
It adapts the special story “Hoshi ni Tamukeru Ai no Hana” from the end of the manga’s fifth volume.
