Anime Characters Who Embody That “Rock” Spirit! Jirou Kyouka Takes 1st Place for the Second Year in a Row! Bocchi and Oogami Kouga Also in the Top Ranks!
June 9th is “Rock Day.”
This day was established based on the Japanese goroawase (wordplay) of “ro(6) cku(9).”
“Rock and roll” was born in the United States in the 1950s and expanded globally as “rock” in the 1960s. Eventually, rock transcended the boundaries of music to become a word representing a way of life and a set of beliefs itself.
In the world of anime, there are many characters who exude this kind of “rock” spirit, adding exciting energy to their stories.
In light of this, Anime! Anime! conducted a reader survey titled “Who comes to mind when you think of a ‘rock’ character?” for the second consecutive year. We received 183 responses during the survey period from May 28th to June 3rd.
Regarding gender, it was split roughly 45 percent male and 55 percent female, almost even. The age demographic was centered on younger readers, with approximately 19 percent being 45 or under and around 20 percent in their 20s.
■ Souls of Rock Resonate in Anime!
First Place
Coming in first place is Jirou Kyouka from Boku no Hero Academia. With approximately 17 percent support, she holds the top spot for the second year in a row.
“Speaking of rock, it has to be Jirou-san! She had so many instruments in her dorm room, and she was super active as the vocalist in the culture festival band. In the home visit episode, her parents also talked about music, giving off a real musical family vibe,” and “She’s a girl who naturally grew up close to music thanks to her parents’ influence. Taking on the role of band leader for the culture festival and having fun while working together with her companions was so cool. It felt like the essence of youth, and it warmed my heart just watching it.” This hero, full of musical talent and passion, takes the top spot again this year.
“Her ‘Quirk,’ Earphone Jack, is quite versatile – she can plug the jacks into her earlobes to stream loud heartbeats into her opponent, attack with sound waves, or detect enemy movements. I think it’s very useful in battles,” commented readers who also touched upon her活躍 in battle scenes.
Second Place
Taking second place is Gotou Hitori from Bocchi the Rock!. She remained in the same position as last year, with only one vote separating her from the top spot.
“She’s the guitarist for the four-member band Kessoku Band. She’s a yin-kyara (introvert) but the wild things she thinks inside her head are totally rock! During the culture festival live, she overcame a broken guitar string with a pro-level bottleneck technique,” and “She’s the one who supports the band with her incredible guitar technique. I even like how she’s a bit awkward.” Her gap between her everyday awkwardness and her stage presence is truly striking.
Additionally, guitarist and vocalist Kita Ikuyo ranked 5th, and veteran band member Hiroi Kikuri tied for 8th place. This year, with the announcement of a second season, the series is drawing significant attention, leading to their strong rankings.
Third Place
In third place is Oogami Kouga from Ensemble Stars!. With approximately 5 percent support, the top 3 characters remained the same as last year.
“He’s a rock-loving light music club member at Yumenosaki Gakuin. The songs by his unit, UNDEAD, are often rock-style and really cool,” and “His goal of being a solitary lone wolf is rock! Among the unique idols, I think he is by far the most rock-spirited presence,” were some of the comments received. This idol, who possesses various charms such as his wild appearance reminiscent of a wolf and his relationship with the leader Sakuma Rei, has maintained his third place ranking for three consecutive years.
■ Other Comments!
For Kurogane Otowa from Rock wa Shukujo no Tashinamideshite: “Normally, she’s a graceful young lady, but when she holds drumsticks, she starts drumming complex beats you wouldn’t expect from a high schooler, and her speech even gets rough! She’s a type of character we haven’t seen before in girls’ band anime.”
For KOOGY / Makaino Kouji from Bakuman.: “He’s a manga artist who is also active as a musician. I was surprised that HYDE-san himself appeared as his producer. The insert songs also sounded like they were conscious of HYDE-san’s singing style.”
For Lilia Vanrouge from Disney Twisted-Wonderland: “Among the light music club members, he’s overwhelmingly the most rock! I can’t wait to hear Lilia’s death growl and shouts in the anime!!”
For Iseri Nina from Girls Band Cry: “She’s the 17-year-old protagonist who dropped out of high school and came to Kawasaki from Kumamoto. Even though she didn’t know the meaning, giving a smile and a middle finger to a gyudon restaurant employee was a rock action and line that I looked forward to every week.” There were also votes for titles that have upcoming compilation movies.
In the 2025 edition, popular works showed their strength, while characters from newly aired titles also ranked. Another characteristic of the top 10 is that there are more female characters, confirming the momentum of girls’ bands.
Don’t miss the rankings up to the top 20 on the next page!
■ Ranking Top 10
[“Rock” Characters? 2025 Edition]
1st: Jirou Kyouka (Boku no Hero Academia)
2nd: Gotou Hitori (Bocchi the Rock!)
3rd: Oogami Kouga (Ensemble Stars!)
4th: Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs)
5th: Kita Ikuyo (Bocchi the Rock!)
6th: Kurosaki Ranmaru (Uta no☆Prince-sama♪)
7th: Suzunomiya Ririsa (Rock wa Shukujo no Tashinamideshite)
8th: Iseri Nina (Girls Band Cry)
8th: Hiroi Kikuri (Bocchi the Rock!)
8th: Nekki Basara (Macross 7)
(Survey Period: May 28, 2025 – June 3, 2025)
Next Page: Ranking up to 20th Place Revealed
- Other open survey themes are here! Tell us your thoughts.＞＞https://animeanime.jp/special/1898/recent/
※This survey is part of a consciousness survey regarding readers’ “current interest and attention towards anime works and characters.” The results are not intended to determine superiority or inferiority between any characters or works. We hope this article can serve as an opportunity to discover new works and characters, or deepen understanding and interest.
《Takahashi Katsunori》
