Flightless Fish

"**Flightless Fish**" (飛べない魚, *Tobenai Sakana*) is the fifth episode of the anime series, *Bocchi the Rock!*. It premiered on November 6, 2022.

## Synopsis

The original song was also completed, and the four people were enthusiastic about the live performance. She asked Seika to let her perform, but she turned her down, telling her to audition first. Looking back on the recent turbulent days, Hitori decided to participate in the audition.

## Plot

The manager tells them about the long-awaited payday. They are cheering for our payday, Bocchi pulls out the money to receive 10,000 yen and will be spent the money sometimes. Nijika will collect the money for the concert, and Bocchi listens to them to our song called "A Farewell to Yukichi". Nijika apologizes to Bocchi and Kita, and Ryo points to Bocchi's cheek using a drumstick.

Kita would think Nijika that making an album will be costly, Nijika would like to have them to sell at our concerts and shoot a music video and stuff. Kita might have to get a second job during summer vacation, and Nijika perhaps could work at a beach house. Bocchi is shocked and found our website Ushiushi Finance (うしうしファイナンス) and scrolls up to read more, Ryo talks to her, but Bocchi lends her guitar to Ryo without getting work. Ryo wrote the song and after listening to them, Nijika and Kita are positive about our song. Ryo pats Bocchi's chin for our good lyrics, Kita should try it out for working hard.

Nijika will ask her sister to hold our concert next month. The manager rejects our concert, but Nijika already finished our song. The manager can't have repeated that awful performance last May, Nijika gets angry over her sister and left the live house. Ryo shows that picture to her while she is sleeping with stuffed animals. Kita and Ryo need to follow Nijika without getting in trouble. The manager talks to Bocchi for a moment.

At a food truck, Nijika bought juice, and Kita asks her what happened last time. After Bocchi arrives at the place, she becomes tired and Nijika talks her to breathe first. Bocchi already asked the manager if Nijika wants to perform, then audition first. At the live house, she is acting like a dog, and then Seika takes a picture of her. Kita has the means to audition when Ryo asks, Nijika is being jealous of her sister like that. Kita and Bocchi are sucked if the passion will come, Bocchi goes inside the pipe and talks alone. Kita thinks of her when she heard her at school before. They will return to the live house, except Bocchi will be going back to the prefecture.

At Shuka High School, Kita is playing the guitar while practicing with Bocchi. Kita is Bocchi is not playing in a classroom, she's been thinking about the need to show it and stick with her until the day of the audition.

At the live house, Bocchi, Ryo, and Kita are visually displaying our growth as bandsmen, Kita takes our picture and says "mop-top". Ryo asks Nijika should be displayed as a bandsman, but Nijika refuses. Nijika will practice for them and get changed already. Kita cuts her finger while playing the guitar, and Bocchi is playing the guitar at her home. She already served the drink to the customer and becomes tired. Ryo squeezes Kita's finger and Kita whines it, Nijika is playing the drum while cooking at her home. At night, the practice ended today, and get ready for the audition tomorrow.

At the vending machine, Nijika calls Bocchi to forget to startle her and she decided to get a cola. She forced her to go along while walking, she remembered her for wanting to be part of a band and getting lemonade juice. She remembers her now for our video site and can get a little fired up without realizing it. Bocchi refused to drag from her, she has a reason for her to get famous and perform at the Budokan. Nijika's real dream is a little past but can tell her yet.

The next day of the audition, Kessoku Band fulfills it, and Nijika introduces themselves. She will be ready to perform our song called "Guitar, Solitude, and the Blue Planet". Bocchi thinks herself do still want to become popular, then be ready to play the guitar. The manager and PA-san are watching their performance, Bocchi thinks again for wants to stay with her band, she makes Nijika's actual dream come true, and does not want to end the band.

After performing, the manager thinks Kessoku Band is good for our performance, but the drummer is too tense, the guitars are looking down too much, and the bass is too holed up. Nijika reacts to the feedback, PA-san thinks the manager that the band will be passed. They are shocked and Nijika reacts her to misleading, Kita hugs Bocchi for passing the audition. Bocchi will almost vomit on her and the scene is edited to the four dams. Kita asks Bocchi needs a glass of water, Ryo has even thought up our next song.

Kita will take a picture of them, but Bocchi needs to clean the floor first. The manager thinking her that will be good, Bocchi fills the water bucket, and the manager stares at her. Bocchi carries the bucket and the manager sees her. Kita asks her to take a picture of our band member, Bocchi already cleaned the floor. PA-san admits the manager when she liked them from the start. The manager wasn't teasing them, while Kita takes our picture with our band members. PA-san tells her they called a sister complex and the manager will almost fire her.

Nijika and her bandmates get work even harder to level up to the concert. Ryo is looking forward to her for the new lyrics, and Bocchi is not over it at all. Nijika sold 15 ticket quotas, but it remains only five tickets left to sell, Bocchi thinks for only five tickets to sell, possibly her father, her mother, her sister, and the dog will give the ticket. She is crying when this time is over.

## Characters

List of characters in order of appearance:

* Nijika Ijichi
* Ikuyo Kita
* Ryo Yamada
* Hitori Gotoh
* Seika Ijichi
* PA-san
* Naoki Gotoh (fantasy)
* Michiyo Gotoh (fantasy)
* Futari Gotoh (fantasy)
* Jimihen (fantasy)

## Cast

* **Hitori Gotoh**: Yoshino Aoyama
* **Nijika Ijichi**: Sayumi Suzushiro
* **Ryo Yamada**: Saku Mizuno
* **Ikuyo Kita**: Ikumi Hasegawa

* **Seika Ijichi**: Maaya Uchida
* **PA-san / Jimihen**: Kotori Koiwai
* **Naoki Gotoh**: Junji Majima
* **Michiyo Gotoh**: Rie Suegara
* **Futari Gotoh**: Misaki Watada

## Gallery

### Videos

TVアニメ「ぼっち・ざ・ろっく！」第5話「飛べない魚」WEB予告Web preview for episode 5ぼっち・ざ・とーく！-5-TVアニメ「ぼっち・ざ・ろっく！」毎週土曜24時より放送中！Bocchi the Talk! - 05
## Trivia

* Title card color: Orange
* Ending quote was said by Seika.
* Title of the episode shares the same song title of the same name.
* *Kirakira Books Meisouchu!* is a parody of Hamazi's previous manga work *Kirari Books Meisouchu!*.
* *Solitary Rock* is a parody of the manga series *Bocchi the Rock!* for the first four volumes respectively.
* Fuyu Hamazi (はまじ ふゆ, *Hamaji Fuyu*) is a parody of the manga artist Aki Hamazi.
* A screenshot from the episode was posted earlier on the official Twitter account on November 1, 2022, at 04:23 PM, and later was deleted after that.

### Adaptation notes

* The anime adds the following:
	+ Ryo is showing the picture to the manager when she is sleeping with stuffed animals.
	+ Bocchi is doing as a dog at the live house.
	+ Bocchi, Ryo, and Kita are visibly displaying our growth as bandsmen at the live house.
	+ Kita cuts her finger and Ryo squeezes Kita's finger.
	+ Nijika is playing drums while cooking at home.
	+ Bocchi and Nijika are in the vending machine at night.
	+ Kessoku Band is taking a picture after the audition passed.
* The manager's age is not revealed in the anime, but unlike in the manga.
* Bocchi, Ryo, and Kita use her wig in the manga, but it is cut in the anime.
* Kessoku Band performs our next song "That Band" in the manga, but it is not presented in the anime.

## References

1. ↑ Translated from the official website.