"A Lonely Life in XX" is a four-panel manga currently being serialized in "Dengeki Comics NEXT." It's written by Katsuwo, known for "Mitsuboshi Colors." It's also set to be adapted into an anime with the same title in 2019, and is currently garnering a lot of attention. The protagonist, Ichiri Bocchi (Hitori Bocchi), is extremely shy and only made one friend in elementary school: Kai Yahara (Yawaraka Kai). Kai and I were separated after graduating from elementary school. So, he and Kai made a promise: "If I don't make friends with everyone in my class by the time we graduate from middle school, we'll break up." Will Bocchi be able to make friends in middle school? Today, we'd like to introduce the charms of Ichiri Bocchi, the protagonist of "A Lonely Life in XX."
① The Main Character! Ichiri Bocchi, a Middle Schooler
Source: A Lonely Life ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION
Ichiri Bocchi is the protagonist of "A Lonely Life" (Hitoribotti no XX Seikatsu). He has long, black hair. He tried to apply to the same private junior high school as Kai Yahara, his only friend from elementary school, but failed the interview. His favorite food is natto rice, but he prefers it crushed, and he's the type who saves mustard because he doesn't want to waste it. He seems to get cramps in his legs if he exerts too much force, and when he tried to talk to someone for the first time after entering school, his leg cramped up just before he could speak.
② Extremely Shy
Source: A Lonely Life ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION
Ichiri Bocchi is extremely shy and easily embarrassed. In elementary school, he only made one friend, Kai Yahara. When he entered junior high school and had his first self-introduction in class, he was so nervous that he threw up in the classroom. However, after making a promise with Kai that he would have to make friends with everyone in his class by the time he graduated from junior high school, he began to make an effort to interact with others.
③ Are you not good at the unexpected?
Source: A Lonely Life ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION
One day, something happened in the classroom. Wanting to ask Sunao Nako for her email address, Ichiri Bocchi appears to have written something on a cue card in his hand. Bocchi begins reading monotonously, "Nako-chan is always playing with her phone..." When Bocchi asks, "What are you... doing!?" Nako replies, "Games." Bocchi then searches for his cue card and impatiently asks, "G-games isn't an option, so can I skip that?" Bocchi then starts crying, saying, "I-I don't use my phone much because I...don't have any friends..." Nako, realizing that Bocchi wants to exchange email addresses, replies, "I'm your friend, right?" and prompts, "So?" But again, Bocchi says, "That's not an option, so you can skip it..." It seems that she tends to panic a little when something unexpected happens.
④ I get cocky in the middle of the night
Source: A Lonely Life ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION
It was a day shortly after Ichiri Bocchi became friends with his classmate, Sunao Nako, who sits across from him. Bocchi was engrossed in a book titled "How to Make Friends" in his room in the middle of the night. The note included things like, "If you share your worries, there's no way you can't become closer," and Bocchi smiled, "Now I can become even closer to Nako-chan!" Then, alone in her room, she appeared somewhat confident, saying, "Wait for me, Nako-chan. I... feel like I can do it." She seems to be the type to get cocky in the middle of the night. However, by the next morning, she was completely out of it, trembling with fear, unable to suddenly share her worries.
⑤ Are you good at playing the flute?
Source: A Lonely Life ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION
Noticing that Ichiri Bocchi was worried about something, Sunao Nako invited him to explore the school. Since they had only just started school, there were still many places they hadn't been to, so the two of them immediately set off to explore. However, for some reason, Bocchi was holding a flute. Bocchi said, "Exploring is all about the flute." When he finds a suspicious toilet, he heads towards it while blowing his whistle. Furthermore, Bocchi doesn't want Nanoko's fun time exploring to end, so when the school bell starts to ring, he uses his whistle to distract her. In a way, Bocchi seems to be good at whistling.
⑥Does he faint when he's too happy?!
Source: A Lonely Life ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION
Ichiri Bocchi only had one friend in elementary school. When something happy happens, like making a friend or exchanging email addresses, he often freezes up while savoring the joy. Furthermore, on the day that she was finally able to walk home with her second friend since entering middle school, Honjo Aru, she was so happy that she fainted after school.
⑦Is there something missing in your thought process?
Source: A Lonely Life ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION
I was walking home from school with my new friends, Sunao Nako and Honjo Aru, who I made after entering middle school. Nako, who usually carries candy with her, also seems to have enough candy for Ichiribotti. On the way home, Nako gives the candy to Bocchi, but as it is her first time going home with Al, she hasn't prepared any for him. When Al asks Nako, "What about mine?" she replies without any explanation, "I don't have any for you. I only brought two," to which Al replies angrily, "You were doing that on purpose. And don't call me you, you fake Yankee." Nako seems to retort, "You're just like you. What's with the fake Yankee thing?" Bocchi, who is watching the two of them interact, mistakes this for friendship and seems somewhat happy.
⑧Appears to have unique hobbies
Source: A Lonely Life ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION
The first time Ichiri Bocchi invited Sunao Nako to his house, Nako arrived at Bocchi's house and saw him in the entranceway wearing a tanuki costume resembling a belly warmer. Wondering whether it was loungewear or everyday wear, I entered the house and was given a pair of unique slippers that looked like a bear sticking out its tongue. When I went further into his room, I found a small old man-like figurine with the words "Ganbaru Fairy" written on it on display, and was given a strange cushion; it seems he has some unique hobbies. Incidentally, the costume Bocchi was wearing was apparently his uniform for competitions.
⑨Negative Thinking
Source: A Lonely Life ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION
One day, Ichiri Bocchi caught a cold and had to miss school. Bocchi went to bed in his room and cried, saying, "She'll forget me... If I don't get better soon, she'll forget me..." He seemed worried that Sunao Nako, a friend he made in middle school, would forget him. There was also a scene where he cried in his room, worrying about what he would do if Nako made new friends, even if she didn't forget him.
⑩ The voice actor for Ichiribotchi in the anime version is Chisaki Morishita.
Source: Hitoribotchi no XX Seikatsu ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION
"Hitoribotchi no XX Seikatsu" is scheduled to be adapted into an anime with the same title as the original manga starting in spring 2019. The voice actor for the main character, Ichiri Bocchi, is Chisaki Morishita. She previously provided the narration for "All I Need is a Little Sister."
A Summary of Ichiri Bocchi's Charms!
Source: A Lonely Life ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION
What did you think? This time, we introduced the charm of Ichiri Bocchi, the main character of "A Lonely Life in XX." Bocchi is extremely shy and has had a hard time making friends, but as he interacts with people, he seems to be making friends little by little. Since making friends, Bocchi's shyness seems to be gradually getting better. Will he ever achieve his goal of becoming friends with all of his classmates, a promise he made to his childhood friend, Yahara Kai? Be sure to keep an eye on Bocchi as he grows little by little. Thank you for reading to the end.
