Quick answer: Bocchi the Rock! the Movie: Hoshi no Ashiato (Footprints of the Stars) is a prequel film about Nijika Ijichi and her older sister Seika, set before Kessoku Band formed. It opens in Japan in 2027. No exact date or international release has been announced. Current as of Nov 1, 2026.
Bocchi the Rock! is heading back to theaters, and this time it is not a recap. The official anime account and website announced on Sunday, Nov 1, that a new prequel film, Eiga Bocchi the Rock! Hoshi no Ashiato, opens in Japan in 2027. A teaser trailer and teaser visual dropped with the news, and the announcement post passed 4 million views on X within hours.
What is Hoshi no Ashiato about?
The official tagline calls it a story set before Kessoku Band, about “the sisters’ dream” that begins with “a parting.” The film adapts the special story at the end of the fifth manga volume, which focuses on Nijika and her older sister Seika, the owner of the STARRY live house. Creator Aki Hamaji said the movie fills in the sisters’ past that the TV anime hinted at in the final moments of episode 8, and follows the road to Seika opening STARRY. Japanese outlet Mantan Web reports the story starts about 10 years before the main series.
Staff and cast
- Director: Shin Wakabayashi (Wonder Egg Priority)
- Screenplay: Erika Yoshida, returning from the TV anime
- Character design: Yukiko Horiguchi (K-ON!, Tamako Market)
- Animation: CloverWorks
- Seika Ijichi: Maaya Uchida
- Nijika Ijichi: Sayumi Suzushiro
Horiguchi’s involvement is the eye catcher for longtime fans. Her soft, watercolor style is all over the teaser visual, which shows a teenage Seika and a young Nijika in the back seat of a car with a guitar case between them.
Is Bocchi the Rock! season 2 still happening?
Yes. The official team says season 2 is in full production, and season 2 director Yusuke Yamamoto sent a signed comment board to mark the day. The film is a separate project, so it should not delay the new season.
Kessoku Band also announced its first Asia tour, “To Asia.”, with shows in Osaka on March 13 and 14, 2027, Seoul on May 8, and Hong Kong on May 22.
Our take
Building a whole movie around Seika is a smart move. She is one of the series’ most loved side characters, and the episode 8 reveal about her past is one of the show’s best scenes. Pairing that story with a K-ON! character designer feels like CloverWorks aiming for an emotional, standalone film, not fan service.
Season 1 streams on Crunchyroll. For more anime news, see our look at the Death Stranding Isolations anime and the Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War finale.
Sources: official film site, @BTR_anime on X, Crunchyroll News, Anime News Network, Mantan Web. Featured image: Hoshi no Ashiato teaser visual, © Aki Hamaji/Houbunsha, Aniplex.
