THE ANIME MAN and Anxiety: A PRIVILEGED Opinion

[@muxedo]

If you liked the video, feel free to support the channel through my Ko-Fi!! Link to my Ko-Fi is in the description. Since there’s always a possibility of misunderstanding on the internet. I just want to explain a bit about the intent of this video. This is not a hit piece. I'm not trying to cancel Joey or anything. The point of this video is just to talk about a topic that I have a lot of interest in. Even if I was trying to, at this point the entire trash taste community has moved on from this whole incident so this video is very much stale news at this point (side effect of me being the sole editor for this channel. I don’t really have the ability to talk about things as they happen). The Trash Taste boys themselves joked about this whole incident on Twitter a week after it happened. So there really is no point in me trying to start a fight when everyone involved has pretty much moved on from it already. TL:DR: Everyone has already moved on from this. But I still wanted to talk about it. I’m not trying to be super critical of Joey and Trash Taste;If anything I implore you guys to not devolve the comments to pointless Joey/Trash Taste Bashing.

[@coffeebreak7668]

Handled with exactly the subtlety I wanted to see, well even though I've thought of this ordeal as a non issue from the beginning

[@pingpong5877]

Do you like Code Vein? I love Code Vein. It's what got me to play Souls and Souls-like games. I've played that game so much I'm on NG+ 307.

[@manhdepzai2k3]

bocchi anxious for no reason bro

[@ChimeraLotietheBunny]

Yess

[@Alkaizer87]

I still don't give a shit about Joey, the Downplaying, dismissing every other valid anxiety point in anime mother fucking bull shitter.

[@2BAMaster9]

Joey hates things that are popular. That’s all there is to it

[@Milo-it1tf]

But he likes attack on titan and evangelion, those are 2 popular anime

[@loco_logic]

​@@Milo-it1tf because those things came out (or already existed) back when he actually watched anime

[@michaelbooster2]

So basically, he's acting like a boomer, love the old stuff but hate the new & popular ones.

[@bachy4975]

@@Milo-it1tf Also eva is like 20 years old, it's popular but not trending much anymore. So Joey as a hipster likes it since it is not mainstream.

[@samuraitadpole5459]

​@@michaelbooster2 gotta get views, hot takes are an easy way to do so hence why trolls exist

[@pillowhead4456]

What i hate about Joey's takes is that he hates anything that's popular. Like when Jujutsu Kaisen first came out, he praised the show hard, but after the popularity it gets, he completely changed his opinion

[@sssspider]

I mean with JJK there is a genuine argument to be made that the quality got worse around the time it really blew up in popularity. I personally dropped it during the Culling Games, where I felt like everything I enjoyed up to that point was thrown out the window and it was just random stuff happening for the sake of it. The pre-Culling Games villains had a clear goal and ideology that fit well into the established world, the Culling Games villains are literally random sorcerers pulled from out of time whose only real motivation is to participate in the battle royale. I didn’t stop liking it because it got popular, I stopped liking it because it started sucking.

[@pillowhead4456]

@@sssspider Yeah but he hates anything that's remotely popular not just JJK or something. And i bet you he didn't even read it until the Culling Game arc so yeah

[@IvPunisherG]

Ehhh, not really. What else aside from JJK? He loves other ridiculously popular shows like DS.

[@TheUruse]

I mean he did a blog praising/liked SAO.

[@lovableairheadmile6809]

​@@IvPunisherGand that show is quite dogshit I meant world building wise and character wise it's bad

[@teroril]

I haven't watched Bocchi. But, there's a difference between how things are in real life and how they are represented in media. Media has to represent what it FEELS like to be in a situation. That is often done by exaggerating it a bit.

[@btchiaintkidding7837]

there are quite some animes that depict or try to depct social anxiety a d stuff but they kinda always fall flat and never feel visceral or relatable at all. But Bocchi nails it. It is still a comedy show and the creators said that they choose "comedy over cuteness" and i am guessing same goes for the social anxiety aspect as well, but it still feels right. and it is a great series as well.i'd recommend you to watch it, it is also made by the same director that director Frieren, so he is basically a rising star in terms of lead director in the industry so yeah watch his stuff, that director knows what he is cooking TLDR ;No one is as socially anxious as bocchi is just flat out wrong

[@maxmanchik]

​​@@btchiaintkidding7837Exactly. Perhaps nobody just starts convulsing on the floor because of their anxiety, but that is exactly how it feels in the moment when anxiety overtakes you. You can't think of anything to say or do, you just don't know what to do and it becomes easy to fall in panic if the situation escalates

[@TheSutanian]

Watch the show before i ever another comment from you

[@resumethyvideo7631]

@@TheSutanianI can tell you’re pissed you didn’t even spell that correctly, left out an entire word.

[@LanxPenzenpepper]

The internal monologue is accurate af tho 😂 As someone who has ADHD and social anxiety, I'd say it's even more noisier inside our brains 😂

[@micryt.]

The funniest thing is that Joey said in an episode with Emirichu that he watched half of Bocchi and it's better than he expected. I completely believe that he hates it now purely out of spite.

[@elchompo5678]

I mean the man loves to spite people, he has made it very clear that he is a contrarian and connor and garnt always make fun of him for it

[@CrimsonCharan]

@@elchompo5678 Joey's the contrarian, Conner's the clown, and Garnt's the cope addict.

[@newts.8634]

Was that the same episode where he was like... Weirdly dismissive about shoujo anime?

[@crypticallee]

He thought it would be a 1/10 but it turned out to be a 2/10

[@Arigatex]

There's several things going on here: - He doesn't like mainstream and new stuff - He heavily favors stuff back from when he actually watched anime - If you annoy him to change his mind he will double down instead - I can easily imagine some bocchi fans being extremely annoying Combine all these and you get what happened. I like to think that if bocchi was an obscure show no one watched he would have just said "It's alright but not for me" and that's it. The only thing I actually take offense with is saying the music is mid. MF must be deaf

[@samiulhasan1218]

It feels like he didn't finish bocchi and only watched 1 or 2 episodes. And he is notorious for giving a take on a show he hasn' t finished

[@expertarcher8542]

I also don’t think he has/had anxiety

[@HavelockVetinarii]

These dudes always have trash taste lol who cares what they like?

[@pablon333]

DUDE, I've been listening to the last kessoku band album, is so fire dude. Idk who composes that crap but keep him cooking

[@magosexploratoradeon6409]

Joey is more of a manga man than anime man nowadays. And that music bit is the confirmation because I do not believe he watched a single episode of that show.

[@nateroo1486]

I think what rubs me the wrong way about how Joey handled it is how he chose to insult the people who related to Bocchi. Whether you like the show or not, that doesn't matter, but he made it weirdly personal and heated, and that's where I think a lot of the anger comes from. At this point, I think Joey and the entirety of the Trash Taste crew, tbh are just not good at anime critique, which is ironic? Garnt is probably the best at it, his analysis videos when he's more scripted and introspective are genuinely pretty good, but they all don't really engage with the stuff they talk about (at least on the show) on its level. A lot of it is just hyperbolic rage bait hot takes, overly impassioned rants about how good or bad something is based on how fun it was for them to watch, or just echoed opinions from the wider community when not really engaging with the thing they're talking about beyond a surface level understanding of tone and themes. The one that got me on the "i can't take these guys seriously anymore" train was Joey talking about how much of a boring, uninteresting person Hayao Miyazaki is because "The Wind Rises" was the only one of his films Miyazaki cried to, and according to Joey "The Wind Rises" is the most mid Ghibli film he ever saw. Him later admitting he never saw it. Not only should you not make personal judgements on a person based on a piece of art they made that you haven't even seen, but there's a lot of reasons why "The Wind Rises" made Miyazaki cry. It was a tribute to his mom, he was about to retire, a coworker died and that sent him into a "it should have been me" depression, the Tohoku Earthquake just hit and one of the scenes in the film was of the Great Kanto Earthquake, he had to fight to keep production going through the quake, it goes on. And that combined with the films themes of loss, creativity, mortality, and love, connecting further with the obvious personal interest in planes when his father was a plane manufacturer and his mom died of TB and thats what killed the main love interest, of course the man's going to cry. There was no attempt to understand what the author was trying to say. He just wanted to dunk on the guy. And yeah, Miyazaki can be a bastard, but there's a thousand other ways to go about that discussion than making things up about a movie you haven't seen. And even if you did watch it and found the film boring, that's fine, but to go after the director because the film you don't like is his favorite, that's just uncalled for. Bocchi is a lot of the same, though he did actually watch it, which is a plus. He saw a dumb overexaggerated moe show about social anxiety, people hounded him to watch it and like it, and instead of just saying it wasn't for him he got annoyed, said it was unrealistic, and said people who relate to it need to touch grass. And when your fanbase is primarily socially awkward nerds, you're gonna get push back playing the "just be cool like me idiot" card. It's not about realism, that's not why people like it, and not understanding that people like how comfy the show makes them feel and how the it exaggerates relatable feelings for comedic effect, it's just confusing at best. Especially with how much he talks up shows like Nichijou. Either he doesn't understand why people like cartoony satire while claiming the character he's playing is satirical, or he's just being willfully ignorant to make people upset because he just doesn't personally like the show. You're allowed not to find it funny, hell you can think it's the worst show ever, that's your opinion and if that's your take then all power to you. But you can also understand why people find it good without defaulting to "they're just losers" and at least attempt an unbiased perspective. Especially considering that Aki Hamaji, the author of Bocchi, took a lot of inspiration from her own life and feelings as a teenager and has gone on record saying she relates to Bocchi the most, it just shows a lack of interest in understanding the art on Joey's part when he calls it inauthentic. Bocchi for what it is, it's a good, well animated comedy with some nice themes about overcoming your social anxiety. The humor may not be for everyone, and the moe stuff can be intrusive, but for what it is, it gets the job done. I also just don't buy the satire point anymore. He expressed an opinion in an exaggerated way, and when he got pushed back, he said, "I'm just kidding." I dunno if it's just the influencer thing to do to say inflammatory stuff and then backpedal if people don't agree with it and double down when they do, but your entire brand is your opinions and personality, not helped by the fact that you're a third of a podcast thats entire selling point is you giving your genuine unfiltered opinions no matter how "trash" they are. There's truth in there for what he really thinks and the whole "lul satire" excuse is just more or less a shield. Of course there's a lot you can't gather from a guy from a series of podcast episodes but, in general, don't be surprised when you get flack for poorly explaining your opinion on a show centered on your opinions. And most of all, don't cop out with the "that's not me" thing because it just hurts the validity of your show at that point. And just to say it, the whole "you don't piss yourself backstage and give a flawless performance" point, I actually related to it. I've been told I'm good at giving presentations, even getting a few awards for it, but before I give one, I'm always jittery and incredibly nervous to the point of nearly vomiting at times. But when you're up there, two things can happen; either you shut down or ride the wave. I'm one of those people who rides the wave and bullshits until my time's up. I just pretend to look at the crowd by looking at like a lamp or something, and I just enter this flow state. Then, when I'm done, I don't even want to take questions or talk with the crowd after it's over because I'm so shaky and uncomfortable. I just wanna curl up and turn to stone. It's not the same as a band. You have to be aware of your bandmates, and you're playing an instrument, but in principle, it's pretty similar. But yeah, idk. I basically wrote a whole ass script for a video so thanks for taking the time to read if you did lol. To be clear I don't hate Joey. I think he's a bit arrogant and out of touch at a lot of points, but my issues are with him as a media critic and internet personality rather than him as a person. I'm sure he's lovely, just in instances like this he does more damage than it's worth. TL;DR I think Joey is just a bad anime critic and misses the point a lot of the time and lets his interactions with his fanbase or the wider anime space color his feelings about a show too often. He also makes it way too personal for some reason, which I just think is a pretty shitty thing to do, especially if you're not giving the thing you're criticizing a fair assessment.

[@olivegarden3604]

Thank you! Couldn't have related more to your comment. 100% agree, not even an infinitesimal percentage less, full 100!

[@kurokun07]

this comment speaks so much facts it's scary...

[@G055V]

Relating so much to that presentation thing man. I had teammates or other people tell me I look so calm before going up to present, either a business pitch or a normal class presentation even though on the inside, my mind was racing 100 miles an hour. And especially if there's QnA after, I just let my team handle it because I physically could not think up of answers since my brain is just mush after pouring everything into the performance/presentation

[@XibaTen]

Everyone saying he watches so much more anime than a regular anime fan is kinda getting into his head i feel, he's way too pretentious about everything he talks about. Wether it be games, anime, manga, or music. I like what you said about the presentation thing cuz i never realized until now that I'm also the ride the wave kind of person, no matter how stress and anxious I am, I somehow manage to pull through

[@anyabunny157]

😂👏 Who ever wrote this comment was typing facts because I believe he gotten too over confident about his opinions and he seem harass. I can relate so much to having do presentations people say I look so chill but in reality I want run out the room and hope I don’t stop talking midway through it.

[@SwitchbackCh]

I read that several Hololive members are incredibly introverted and quiet in real life, despite their bubbly personas. One of them even wears a cap all the time outdoors so she doesn't have to make eye contact with people. These are online celebrities with millions of fans who might find trouble even buying stuff at a grocery store. Socially anxious people obviously don't explode or turn into blobs like Bocchi, but those exaggerations are all mirrors of how helpless and distressed she feels inside.

[@NekRulez]

AKA Aqua, Pekora, Ayame and a few more.

[@HudaefCares]

Heck look no further than in Hollywood, Adam Driver. He's an actor but can't stomach seeing himsef act. IIRC he actually walked out of an interview when the interviewer insisted on making him watch his own movies despite already telling him that he didn't want to.

[@LeHarmacist]

Yeah, this is especially prevalent in places where the nail that sticks out gets hammered. That type of culture is great as a group but bad as an individual. However, if you’re going for an individualism tech tree you get modern America(specifically L.A.)

[@ma.2089]

@@HudaefCares good. What a rude interviewer.

[@DiscordedHaru]

Gura is literally so introverted and shy even with people she does know that she is at risk of melting down on the mere act of *eating in their company*. So it's a very real thing.

[@FayN_]

joey opinion is basically "i don't experience it, therefore whatever ilness it is, is not exisr" whenever i see joey i just kinda feel uncomfortable because he might say something so insensitive casually

[@gama2064]

Yeah, he reminds me of a friend I had who never had depression and said he genuinely could not imagine or understand it. But my friend at least still somewhat tried to emphasise, whereas Joeys perspective is more like what you said. People that think like that scare me tbh, it’s so easy to do harm when you’re not capable of genuine empathy.

[@notdasco]

Im sorry but if you're at the point of acting like bochi in real life then you have serious issues you need to fix yourself, its not healthy or normal or something to be parading about. Bochi got big from the "shes so like me fr fr" attitude online, but people that actually act like bochi need to practice self confidence and get outside more instead of throwing themselves a pity party Call me an asshole all you want but this is the truth

[@JohnZ_GG]

Mental Illness is an overrated topic ngl Y’all need to get yourselves checked before endless venting “Bocchi is me”

[@FayN_]

@@JohnZ_GG what server are you on my guy?

[@davelamis9773]

Joey is a prick and a terrible friend/human. Let us not forget his scam that took money for the promise of helping the mentally ill

[@TokisakiKuurumi]

He can have his opinion, but I don’t like how Joey acts like his opinion is the only valid opinion, as if it were a ‘fact’. even if he doesn’t say it outright, he has such a passive aggressive way to talk to others, for example when Connor and Garnt said they liked the opening of Oshi no ko, Joey trashing on it not even letting them speak. As someone who has been diagnosed with and anxiety disorder and takes medication, what Joey said kinda hurt ngl. Cause mine was so bad, I couldn’t go back to school for a month. :// Anime/Cartoons exaggerate how a character reacts, some people don’t want a ‘realistic’ full on depiction, especially a full on serious one, because that will be hard to watch for some people. Just let people enjoy things, he seriously doesn’t have go about it passive aggressively, sometimes idk how Garnt and especially Connor deal with him, cause he straight up acts really rude with them. There’s a huge difference in how Connor goes about not liking something and how joey does it, something as simple as “it’s not for me” is enough, you don’t have to insult the audience and the media to ‘prove’ a point.

[@Ushiwakamaru_BAU_BAU]

That's why fiction is good for this, is a way to escape from the hardship of reality but briefly sometimes you want a more realistic approach to see how others tackle the matter and sometimes you just want exaggeration to laugh and feel better. I had severe social anxiety almost ten years ago when I was a shut in and tried to find work, and that episode of Bocchi's first job made me laugh a lot and made me like the show more along other situations, today I can laugh about it, I still struggle with my social anxiety but it's way better than 9 years ago.

[@annaairahala9462]

His opinion was just so dismissive of so many people's real experiences. Bocchi the Rock was written from the author's own personal experiences too. Joey basically just went "I don't believe you, you're faking it" to so many people

[@ryana5435]

Joey: “people always hate whatever they want. First Twitter, now KZbin? Internet lol”

[@pippip4911]

i understand you so much he is so dismissive of what other people feel... like if so many people say they relate to Bocchi, who are you to call everyone a liar? He just likes to be contrarian and then gets upset when people get angry and act like the "anime fans are crazy". Like of course people are gonna be upset when you purposley bash their experiences...

[@chstens]

I mean, he is right, about what his opinion is.

[@hybrid5860]

On the one hand, Joey is allowed to have opinions just like everyone else. But on the other hand, he words it in a way that makes it feel like he's "correct" instead of just having an opinion. At least Connor and Garnt are self aware enough to say if they have a bad take. I just wish he would actually keep it at "I hate Bocchi" and nothing more.

[@lina9183]

I was just about to say this.

[@cefrinaldi8060]

Yes, this is the reasons why i hate joey. He said he hate bocchi, thats fair, not all people like bocchi. But the way he just keep going and going and the way he said it is just wrong on so many level. Even grant and connor realize how f up joey comment became.

[@rogueleader7506]

Isn't the whole reason Connor doesn't like Bocchi the Rock because he relates to it too much?

[@megamage911]

​@@rogueleader7506 Yup, he said he used to have horrible anxiety too, but has overcome it now, and he doesn't want to watch something that'll remind him of that time, which, is honestly completely fair. I remember watching WataMote and also feeling a bit uncomfortable, because the MC reminded me way too much of my own younger self, so I can definitely relate to that. Even though I did still overall enjoy WataMote.

[@B.N_Chicken]

Yeah exactly, all he had to do was to just say "I hate Bocchi" and that's it. He don't need to do all that😭. Man's just be saying anything for no reason other than boredom.

[@justkats9371]

My personal gripe or whatever with Joey isn't about Bocchi, he can hate it, I don't care lol. But the way he talks about this subject (and similar) is just insulting and bad overall. You can say its "satire" or whatever all you want, but there comes a point when you're no different from people going "its just a prank bro". Also... kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIuakoqMmrKciMU This. What Bocchi the Rock portrays isn't what people actually do in various situations, but more so how it feels, what might go through our head, and what we may want to do in various situations. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to just jump into a closet or something just to get away from the current situation. Or how I always feel like I'm going to vomit or collapse, sure it doesn't happen, but it sure as hell feels like its going to, what might happen are panic attacks though, and at that point its flight mode only.

[@TheElectrikCow]

I developed really horrible anxiety in my teens, and it took quite a while for me to work on it to get to a point where I could interact with people more normally. I still have some bad days, and I still have my stutter that I developed from it from time to time. What I can say from personal experience is that A.) What you're saying is spot on, this show is a comedy for sure, but ultimately the show is characterizing feelings. It's not like most people will actually start spasming in the middle of the street over a minor inconvenience, but that might be how they are feeling. While I didn't care for the movie, Inside Out is a good example of this. Sure you the actual person aren't collapsing on the ground, floundering like a fish, but the little version of yourself in your head is. Also B.) I have definitely had panic attacks bad enough that made me vomit

[@iammaxis]

Those are really good points, his take about the subject is pretty bad, however, saying it is insulting and taking it to a personal level is a bit too much in my opinion. Some people just don't know and are pretty blind to the problems other people suffer from, due to every human being its own universe on its own. But, if we want more people to understand anxiety and how it makes people feel, it isn't the smartest decision to antagonize people, the problem here is his take, his uneducated or biases point of view, not him as a person, everyone can end up saying stupid things because of ignorance, hell, I remember saying stuff just to end up being corrected about it, and it's okay He would be the problem if the conversation revolved about Anxiety as a topic and him being explained how Bocchi is more of a metaphor or a description of anxiety as a feeling, and him dismissing it entirely... But in that podcast is just him and some friends jumping from topic to topic in an echo chamber... However, he's with friends and just fooling around, no one should feel like walking in eggshells when talking about different topics, because through mistakes one person can learn... And that's why the idea of "cancelling" people because of their opinions is very toxic, it would only work to polarize people

[@graycat7704]

Ya'll definitely wouldn't have liked him in his anime man days

[@justkats9371]

@@iammaxis He's done it multiple times, gotten flak for it multiple times, refuses to stop regardless. There's 3+ clips from Connor's streams of him "defending" Joey because of it lol.

[@justkats9371]

@@graycat7704 I started watching him many.... many years ago, long before he met Noble (Lost Pause) for some form of time frame. I stopped watching him because of various things he started saying. I don't hate the guy, some stuff he started saying just rubs me the wrong way.

[@slvyc]

The only reason why i was bothered by joeys take on social anxiety in bochhi was because he has influence on a fair amount of ppl, and some of them might potentially end up downplaying or just dismissing ppl in their life who suffer from major social anxiety issues because of joeys influence on them. And you can see that with some ppl who argue for him lol

[@justamoogle5268]

Let's be honest here, Joey is doing this kind of takes to be malicious, he doesn't gives the same vibes as Connor when his being the opposing voice He's pretty much the reason I don't watch Trashtaste anymore (also they invited members of the twitch clique, which I honestly don't like to watch)

[@yohanenightingale7615]

I agree, Connor I feel is very respectful of others he can be the opposing voice but he tries to understand both sides even when he doesn't agree with it like when they talk about serious stuff not the goofy food takes things etc xD tbh I have grown to respect Connor even more not only because of the charity stuff he has done but he just seems like a good person in general.

[@REChronic54]

I forgot where Connor says this but even he says that he plays it up in front of the cameras because it’s entertainment for the audience. To an extent all the boys do this. But with Joey, I find when he gets ticked off in the podcast during a debate, he seems genuinely annoyed.

[@kurokun07]

i like how this comment is just your opinion yet i can already see joey defenders saying the usual "it's not that deep" when what you said obviously valid since it's your own opinion

[@Mighty.Matcha.]

@@yohanenightingale7615for Conner i can tell he’s trying understand things and be mindful and respectful about ppl’s likes and wants. For Joey, he doesn’t bother to be considerate about his viewers, I feel bc he simply couldn’t be bothered anymore bc he’s at a point where he got everything he wanted and ppl are gonna still support him no matter what , that’s why he doesn’t bother to be nice about his feelings.conner does sort of sh*t on some anime stuff once in a while but I feel he is slightly better bc it doesn’t feel like he’s doing it on purpose ], Joey on the other just couldn’t be bothered with whether you like or not

[@Naxatthedoor]

@@yohanenightingale7615I think Connor just likes to play up the “I’m British, so I gotta complain about everything!” Stereotype, I don’t think he ever actually means the critiques he gives, some people have hazed him for his takes on the US, but considering every other video that features him takes place in the US he practically lives here at this point. That same sentiment can’t be said about Joey, dude just gives off the vibe that he has a massive hard on for Japan and Japanese culture 24/7, I’m from a minority group too and it’s annoying when people make their ethnicity their personality, to the point where they have to go out of their way to demean others and their respective cultures

[@seismicfart]

bro talks about realism in an art form like anime, an anime like Bocchi the rock at that, respectfully, Joe does not know what hes talking about.

[@MechaBorne]

Ah yes anime, the pinnacle of realism

[@HyattHyatt3179]

Idk you can absolutely bring up realistic portrayals of things in anime some anime are great at portraying realistic relationships, disorders, etc. But it depends on what the anime is trying to say and what it's about. Bocchi isn't about a realistic portrayal of anxiety from an outside perspective, it's about how the character feels which is why it's exaggerated, and whether or not it's a realistic portrayal of her feelings are really up to whether or not people with anxiety find her relatable. Which evidently a lot of people do.

[@seismicfart]

@@HyattHyatt3179 youre correct, my 1st point was a little unfounded lol

[@TheTickyTickyTicky]

for a man that reads and knows a lot, he sure understands little.

[@anyabunny157]

😂😂 dang that powerful quote , I’m steal that .

[@MollyHJohns]

Probably empathy and sensitivity isn't in his consciousness. He sees, hears and reads what he wants but he may not be able to relate to some stuff because he simply has no personal experience with them, therefore he can't relate, and become unapologetic to them when he has to state his opinions about them.

[@LauraVanessaEscobarSalazar]

@@MollyHJohnseven if you don’t relate you can still feel sorry for someone for going through a harsh time, that’s what empathy is after all (when you feel for others because they experience something similar or the same as you it’s sympathy) I honestly stopped watching Joey a long time ago because I got bored of him and his content and after his horrendous take on yuri on ice but this l never thought for someone to make videos about the mental health struggles of Japan he would be so ignorant and detached from actually getting mental heath issues

[@soapsatellite]

He always struck me as the least bright of the three

[@christopherpage2622]

True I saw 2 videos by him on 2 separate topics and both were incredibly surface level with barely any research while coming across as if he was knowledgeable about them and It really reduces my respect for him

[@Fozzy77]

I do love this video heaps. But one thing I have to point out; Using Garden of Words to show well-depicted anxiety over Bocci kind of insinuates that anxiety is only real and valid when there’s a real, objective reason for it. That’s not the case, anxiety can (and often is) over “nothing”, there’s a reason it’s such an issue in a lot of people, because anxiety is un needed most of the time. I don’t want to come across as rude or anything because I genuinely love your video, much love ❤️

[@mikehawk8984]

True. I have life crippling social anxiety and I've literally decided against leaving my house for days because I saw my neighbor outside (he's my friend, I've legitimately only ever had good interactions with him). Anxiety is a bastard, especially when it gets into being a legitimate disorder, and there's often no logical trigger for it at all. Not to say that it isn't my, or anyone else's problem at all, just that it *IS* realistic to have a panic attack over meaningless things and it isn't something that people without it can empathize with I suppose lol

[@PreciousIvy]

Exactly that! People with anxiety have to "validate" themselves if the cause of it is traumatic enough... This is not how we should perceive this condition, but rather understand the person who suffers from it and how it affects them making day-to-day decisions.

[@LongXue]

It's totally valid to not like Bocchi, it's not even a personal fav anime of mine but saying how her anxiety is fake is plain stupid argument. Even I can relate to it when I'm not even the biggest fan of the show.

[@LongXue]

what I notice is that Joey recently for the past few years, his argument mostly leans to 'this old anime is because yada yada im the anime man' and so on, is it hard to just think if its a good show and I like it then it's a good show?

[@jorgecabral4591]

Sorry for the long ass comment but this discussion is definitely worth it. Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about your comparisons with Garden of Words: Bocchi doesn't shy away from a more serious approach when it matters (aka the musical aspect); aside from their first "performance" in episode one, there's never a gag in any of the instances when they're on stage performing. In fact, most of the visual gags come from more casual daily life struggles. To put an example, the infamous glitching Bocchi scene is literally a gag about her unwillingness to open a social media account, it's not a big deal. All the scenes in which they're performing, are dramatized mostly through inner dialogue and non verbal character interactions so, Bocchi also features a bit of the "Show don't tell" that you praised in Garden of Words. Which, sidenote, I'm also a firm believer of Show Don't Tell doesn't always mean something is better. My argument? The Monogatari series exists lol. I don't think the gag humor takes away from the seriousness of the struggles because most of Bocchi's struggles don't require that level of seriousness (we really can't compare a drama about an adult getting harassed at work against a comedy about a girl who can't open a social media account). I also disagree with minimizing Bocchi's narrative with "it is ultimately a moe-CGDCT so it must hand the solution to the characters' struggles in a silver plate". You pointed out in this video that Joey IS privileged and fortunate to have had support from a close circle of friends. Well, it is stablished since the first episode that Bocchi also has that privilege herself with the members of her band who are constantly helping her out. It's not because it is a CGDCT, it is a stablished and valid aspect of the narrative of getting over social anxiety. The series is literally telling you that it is a struggle that you can (and should) share with others. The way I see it, I would compare this whole situation with something like SNAFU: This is just another case of people appreciating relatability from the media they consume vs people expecting validation from that same media. A ton of people dropped SNAFU on S1 because, while they could relate to Hachiman, they also felt that the series was unjustly validating his actions without accountability. While another group of people dropped it halfway through S2 because they actually enjoyed that validation of cynism that Hachiman's character provided through S1 and didn't like that there was actual character inner conflict from S2 onwards. I don't doubt that there's also a group of people that actually expects and feels that Bocchi validates their social anxiety even if the series never does so. The series clearly depicts social anxiety as a barrier that prevents you from obtaining what you want. It never glorifies it. But I feel like the series is actually so relatable on a fundamental level that it is easy for some people (like Joey) to get irritated by a misplaced idea that the series is actually actively validating what is ultimately a flaw. Also, somewhat unrelated but boy did I hate Joey's comment regarding stage fright. I'm a musician myself and I can't count how many times I've actually threw up literal minutes before a performance. Also, my most relatable Bocchi moment was when she waited 5-10-15 minutes before entering Starry by herself and she ultimately decided to wait for someone to go in with her. I've done that so many freaking times 😂😂

[@Mercure250]

"My argument? The Monogatari series exists" Argument accepted.

[@caBr010]

lol I agree and just a comment regarding Joey's take about stage fright, I studied music for a long time back in the day (about 10 years, from 6th grade until my first 2 years of College), I had very bad anxiety during that period, and stage fright was awful and I can remember very well the times I threw up before a performance lol, I related a lot with Bocchi. I gave up music bc shit happens in life, now I am a engineer, still anxious but thanks to being able to work and having money now I could pay therapy so I can manage lol Bocchi the Rock was the reason I started to play music again, I'm very rusty but forever thankful with the series. I get that some people might don't like the series or can't relate but for the love of god, people just need to just shut up, let the people that can relate enjoy things and don't be an asshole by disregarding other's experiences: Any type of art/media can change your life, you just have to find the right one, it doesn't matter if it is a silly show like BTR.

[@Tosu2357]

​@@Mercure250 The most ironic part about this is that Joey is a HUGE Monogatari fan 💀

[@leod5179]

Im sorry, joey is just an insufferable weirdo elitist hipster, thats all there is to it. Anything that passes 500 fans he can't enjoy. I was in a band for years as a vocalist and i still remember how much anxiety i had and how it would sometimes take the better of me, that didn't stop me to perform my heart out once i got in the zone.

[@Void-pkm]

to me he coms off as a mentaly stunted teenager who never grew up

[@gungnir5031]

Joey would like bochi if it was a niche unpopular anime.

[@wander7812]

2:31 "Why you're depressed? just don't." Ahh ppl

[@rajaryan-fe1oy]

The thing I dont understand is, why does it need to be realistic, stories are written alot of the times with exaggerated or made up psychology to convey a point and sometimes people should just learn to, go with the flow, if you want a realistic depiction of anxiety just look around you, or in the 5 millon other stories around, I like Bocchi not because it's realistic but because it's funny and cute and heartfelt, what more does it need to be

[@CodeTetsu]

Depends on the person. Someone may need a level of realism to take the circumstances or character struggles seriously. Being reminded that what you are watching isn’t real can at times be immersion breaking in its own way. The more realistic it is the easier it is to connect. If something is realistic in contrast to the other exaggerated parts of a story then it also sticks out due to contrast. Yeah I may like my ninjas summoning snakes and shooting fireballs, but to see a genuine panic attack and hyperventilating stands out as more realistic in a sea of fantasy. But also what we see as realistic depends on our experiences. Some people just don’t come across things which makes you not understand just how realistic some of this stuff is. That’s why discussion and understanding is so important.

[@rajaryan-fe1oy]

@@CodeTetsu yeah definitely, I think it really depends on the person and their preferences, I personally find it more intresting or enjoyable when character struggles are depicted through unconventional means, may that be exaggeration or anything else, for example in JJK Gojo's character is shown through heavy symbolism in his powers and dialogue, and I just find stuff like that more intresting, I think it's creative, but the main point I was trying to make was that even if stuff like that isn't for someone, they can just accept they don't like it and move on something they do instead of calling it bad or annoying like Joey did

[@CodeTetsu]

@@rajaryan-fe1oy What symbolism with Gojo? The thing with possibly using creativity is that it runs the risk of being up for interpretation. For example, I could very well think you’re just making stuff up or giving props where there is none for Gojo. I disagree with your last sentiment though. If it’s not for you, you can say it’s bad if you want. Criticism and opinions are not objective. It does not harm you if someone doesn’t like the material you like. If he found it annoying he can express his opinion just like anyone else. Sure you can disagree, but the only reason yall care in the first place is because he has a KZbin channel. For example, if someone didn’t like Violet Evergarden because they don’t like the arguable grooming and age gap, then that’s fine. They can say it’s terrible despite its themes, animation, and emotions because in their eyes it supports a dynamic they do not like. 🤷‍♂️

[@tsuki3752]

having some realism in fiction is good as it grounds the person experiencing it. but when it comes to things like personal experiences, it will never be relatable to all even if that person experiences similar things or things under the same label. like i can definitely see both sides but you have to know when you can critique things for being unrealistic and when you can't, especially if you have never experienced that thing personally.

[@spatulaex6017]

It's the same sentiment for video games, as "there is no fun in realism". The whole idea behind Bocchi is not to give an exact portrayal of social anxiety to begin with. There's a point to the exaggeration, which is to entertain as well as go emphasise on her growth to make it more drastic and obvious. In addition, its all what happens in her head, which is suppose to reflect what people do go through in theirs. There are other ways to depict social anxiety in a more 'realistic' and 'relatable' ways. But the way Bocchi does it is just different, and it does it amazingly well

[@chrissolace]

Exactly. Like the reference to A Garden of Words, while that was more “accurate”, Bocchi is hyperbolic and funny. It is accurate in showing what an extreme case of social awkwardness can be, but done in an amusing way, so people can relate and enjoy the show. But it also serves as a hopeful story cuz Bocchi slowly does improve-she regresses here and there, but she’s better off at the end of the show than at the start. And I think that resonates with people: from those that are the Bocchi at the start of the show, ready to start improving themselves, or the Bocchi at the end of the show, having already begun the story of self improvement, or the Bocchi she aspires to be, those who used to have social anxiety and was able to overcome it.

[@rumplstiltztinkerstein]

One of the rules of the internet is to not criticize an entire fan-base without giving a decent argument for it.

[@bens5093]

Imagine if whenever Shinji gets into the Eva, he functions at 100% and turns into the gigachad all his haters want him to be. Eva would feel really disingenuous. That's the vibe I get from Bocchi criticism. (I have no opinion myself - haven't watched it)

[@JCOdrjones]

We're really going back there the days of Bennett the Sage hating Eva, aren't we

[@Villagerwarrior]

Facts brother!! Even I haven't watched Bocchi too!!🗣️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥😭

[@tenaciousrodent6251]

What people always forget about Shinji is that his mother planned for him to become the person he is long before she even knew who his father was going to be. Unit one gets stronger the more angsty Shinji gets. It's all by design! By his own mother! Who deliberately died in front of him to traumatize him! And then she had herself turned into Unit one! And now Shinji must pilot her! And Rei is there too for seemingly realted reasons! WHAT?? Yeah, Shinji's mom is scary...

[@goldentiramisu7935]

people need to remember that whenever Bocchi performs she only look at her guitar or her bandmates

[@Bakasama04]

@@bens5093 please don't compare slop that glorifies anxiety as a quirky cute girl trope to Eva

[@ArahabakinoKami]

I don't care if he hates Bocchi, but SHE IS a good portrayal of anxiety. SHE IS relatable. We may not glitch on the outside, but inside it's even worse than that. And anxious people can transform in the stage, like myself. I remember loving to sing so much that I kinda forgot I was nervous. Actually, I'm trembling out of anxiety while I write this, but I felt that it was important to be written.

[@Sleepy0173]

Comparing them in the context of "bocchi is just a worse k-on" misinterprets bocchi and misunderstands k-on. The other day I bumped into that take through his ranking anime video and that's about the point I walked away from the video. The take to me is so bad that it devalued his judgment of anime by presenting such a needlessly adamant hate for it. Most people will not relate to the exact totality of Bocchi's antics, and some even might have done things differently in a similar scenario, but Bocchi's antics are absolutely real. I for instance experienced the "standing in front of the door for hours not bringing myself to open it" episode trying to job hunt back in high school. The people from the fan base that don't really believe in the authenticity of Bocchi's portrayal only need to look at the other half of the audience telling them about a life experience that heavily resembles it.

[@snicksss]

I grew up with a social anxiety disorder called selective mutism, which put simply, I struggled heavily with talking to people in situations I do not feel comfortable. I could not talk to fellow students. I could not talk to waiters at restaurants. I could not talk to teachers. I could not even talk to my own outer family. It took me a full 2 years in 3rd to 5th grade to be able to talk at a normal volume to the single friend I made that actually stuck with me. I also struggled for a time with eating in front of others and using the restroom at school (which both got better by highschool). When I saw Bocchi, I was literally amazed at how much I related to her. Me and my online friend literally joke that she's literally just me. Bocchi the Rock handled social anxiety with such intense perfection. Of course, not every single thing about her was completely "realistic," but the overthinking of things, the mental explosions, the dissociations, that is exactly how social anxiety do be sometimes. I've been waiting for an anime that I could actually feel like my struggles are represented, and BTR is the one. Komi-san was kind of relatable, but also she's incredibly popular and has like hundreds of students supporting her in her journey. Don't hate the anime, but it is quite the ideal of what I kind of wish happened to me while I was in school. But anyway, the line "I can actually talk to people." Thanks, I really needed to hear that. It took me an entire 17 years to finally be able to order my own food at a restaurant. I *finally* went through around 2-3 years of proper therapy towards the end of highschool. It took so much stress and effort to try and overturn those many years of difficulties in talking to people, and now I can just barely interact with people normally. When I told my teacher a simple "Thank you" on graduation when 4 years ago I thought I would never be able to say anything to her when she said she hoped to hear my voice, I started tearing up as I walked away because of how big that was for me (and she cried and hugged me as well xD). Every little word that I say to people, is a huge step forward to me, despite it being something so normal for others. For my entire life, my normal has been struggling alone, being unable to make true connections with friends because I couldn't talk to them, and overall just feeling a constant log in my throat preventing me from speaking up. That's also probably why I tend to ramble on a lot, because I never had anyone I could tell my daily grievances about. I have gotten significantly better, but so many of the effects still remain. Even with my current friends, I struggle with making the effort to hang out with them at times because I'm so used to my habits that I do when I'm alone. I don't know how to maintain relationships in the slightest. I struggle to be an adult. I never really had any respect for Trash Taste, because honestly, in my opinion, they have horrible and thoughtless opinions, but this one takes the cake. I don't care if he was even half right with what he said, nor if it wasn't malicious. The absolute dismissal of so many people with severe social anxiety, just becase he himself doesn't experience it as bad? Social anxiety is something that cannot be cured, it is something that can only really be managed. And some people cannot manage it well. My signs of this disorder showed up before I was in preschool. I have been dealing with it for a very long time. When I was 5, when I was 10, when I was 12, when I was 16, when I was 18, and I am still dealing with the aftereffects of it. If it was something I could just walk off, I probably wouldn't have contemplated offing myself in middle school.

[@antrite08]

Taking joey's opinion seriously is like taking the crunchyroll awards seriously i mean the shonen awards my problem with this dude is he comes off as an asshole just because he doesn't like a show.

[@Aman_Mondal]

Joey's issue is he makes it sound like his opinion is the correct and one and only opinion which is the god damn problem in the first place, his tastes are very elitist and he literally doesn't watch any anime anymore so yeah he really is the definition of a Karen 😂

[@ShadowOfMassDestruction]

​@@Aman_MondalThe thing is Joey openly harshly criticizes shows this way for the sake of entertaining and riling people up lol. I know some people don't like it but as a person who really doesn't care I just find it hilarious.

[@Aman_Mondal]

@@ShadowOfMassDestruction Since when did spreading misinformation and negativity regarding a show become entertainment?? 💀 Also I watch his stuff since 2012 so I know what kind of bullshit takes he has made throughout his content creator journey

[@ShadowOfMassDestruction]

@@Aman_Mondal I don't know that's his thing I guess. Connor does it a little bit too but Joey like makes that the ghost pepper spice of trash takes.

[@Aman_Mondal]

@@ShadowOfMassDestruction Nobody considers Connor's opinions as anything we all know Connor isn't that big of an Otaku so his takes regarding anything anime are never taken seriously meanwhile Joey who literally made his name as THE ANIME MAN has played visual novels, has read so much manga, has watched so many anime and yet gives the most elitist sounding bullshit takes mf still till this day hates on Fairy Tail and Mashima for the sake of drama, meanwhile Garnt just says whats on his mind but makes sure to not offend anyone but Joey on the other hand has a personal vendetta against so many shows and its annoying to be honest I mean this guy calls School Days a good show

[@TheFreckelz]

I suffer from social anxiety. I gradually improved up until graduating college, but then my mental health and anxiety plummeted to a new low after covid. Bocchi's comedic depiction of life-long social anxiety feels very authentic. I can say I have felt the exact same way as Bocchi in scenes, and have done the exact same thing as her (such as having a daydream of my future spiral downwards as I imagine the horrible things that will happen to me). Joey doesn't know what that's like. He also doesn't like anything popular and new, and doesn't even like animation as a medium all that much. He prefers manga to anime generally, and the Bocchi anime is superior to the manga for many reasons in my opinion. Your example from Garden of Words is not at all similar to what Bocchi's anxiety is like. Garden of Word's scene is more of a situational anxiety born from bullying. You're also comparing a comedy to a drama.

[@Eddyoshi]

Thanks for talking about Garden of Words. Always get kind of mad how it gets overlooked for Your Name, when Garden of Words is easily one of my fav movies ever.

[@HTMangaka]

Hear hear! ^^

[@Exciya]

I liked Your Name and I'm sad that more people have seen that movie over Garden of Words or Koe no Katachi (A Silent Voice).

[@petree]

​@Exciya your name is just a typical romance movie. It's not that good. It was just alright. A silent voice is a fucking banger

[@nikkifoster9943]

It romances a predatory relationship. It is the most unromantic anime as a whole. It's not even good.

[@HTMangaka]

@@nikkifoster9943 Wait, which one are you talking about? O_o

[@nadyanathania3847]

Dude went and said yuri on ice was shit representation and gave a show about, if i remember right, was abusive, was a better representation. Like. Okay. Elitists are annoying i dont care you finished galactic heroes bro

[@darkknight11311]

I like Trash Taste, but their delivery definitely gets to me. Like, I had to take some time away after they shared their takes on gacha games the first time. It felt like it came from such a point of privilege without considering the position of so many people. Gacha games are targeted to take advantage of people, and Joey's opinion was essentially, "Yeah, but it's their fault"

[@netlord7179]

And it is. As a former gaccha player, I can confirm.

[@FinalOneWay]

The gacha thing is MOST DEFINITELY your fault. You can't control your spending habits and insist on pulling to get the big tiddy woman? Yeah, you're just a gooner who willfully spends their money KNOWING 9 times out of 10 they won't pull the overtly-sexualized character. It is their fault, and they need to grow up.

[@CodeTetsu]

Is it not? Did you know it was a gacha beforehand? Did you not do research on the prices and the game? Did you not recognize your earnings and how you can or can’t afford things? People say gacha is addicting and bad all the time. It’s like yeah drugs are bad for you and addicting, but you went to school telling you not to do it. If you tried it and got hooked it is your fault. You made the decision. If you suspect there’s an issue tell people.

[@oomay1925]

@magmaspacer1967 I think the issue was they said gacha isn't gambling even though it is. If you want to play gacha, ya that is your choice, but you should be aware that it is essentially gambling and Garnt and Joey denied that. I think they eventually changed their opinions on that though.

[@oomay1925]

@darkknight11311 I think even more horrendous is when Connor and Joey said some kids deserve to get beat from their parents. Like you can be annoyed with misbehaving tiktok kids without condoning child abuse. It could be they were playing it up for content and laughs but the with Garnt genuinely arguing against physically abusing kids and the two kept doubling down, it was just the most uncomfortable debate that's been on the podcast imo. I at least feel like Garnt and Connor are more open to changing their opinion or admitting they were wrong later on. And the two are also more likely to have solid points to back up their good or bad takes for an interesting discussion. But Joey just comes off as a contrarian for the sake of it.

[@AJLaz000]

it doesn't matter if Joey was Right or Wrong about Bocchi what matters is that Connor was right about Deers being terrifying I mean One Piece fans can be delulu all they want about Luffy having Toon Force then here comes Nokotan casually bending reality just because she's a fken Deer

[@muxedo]

Nokotan Solos Luffy any day of the year

[@LonggoBonggo]

Joey does some hot takes and doesn't really try to analyze anime anymore, he gave his personal opinion and was not open for discussion and i think that was the problem with what he said. Dismissing social anxiety representation isn't something you want to hear, nor something that should be uttered by anyone who's dismissing people with any possibility of having that level of anxiety, regardless wether you think its realistic or not. People found comfort in the show to help them, and as long as its not bad representation, i think it should be welcomed. Everyone is struggling, why be an ass to them.

[@olivegarden3604]

I think your preference for The Garden of Words's representation of anxiety over Bocchi's is unfair, for the same reason I find the criticism of "over exaggeration" in Bocchi The Rock to be unfair: you're talking about a *comedy* (and comparing it to a drama). If you wanna say you prefer dramas to comedies, that's fine, but they're completely different genres so it's natural they'll have a different way of dealing with the characters' anxiety It's not because (not uniquely anyway) Bocchi is CGDCT show that Bocchi has the opportunity to shine in spite of her anxiety (while that doesn't happen in The Garden of Words), but because it's a comedy. If you reduce the shows to it's defining factors, it's the comedy that makes Bocchi's "plot structure", if you will, the way it is. The same way it's the drama aspect that makes The Garden of Words take a more serious, realistic and introspective approach to anxiety. It's just different mediums, one isn't lesser than another - that's necessarily a subjective inference otherwise Regarding the rest of the video... tbh I can't take Joey's opinions seriously anymore. I've been burned, so to say, too many times before. He's lost all credibility as a critic, if he ever was supposed to be one, a long time ago to me. From them Garnt seems the most reasonable critic

[@DanielSantosAnalysis]

Basically agreed, the comparison felt off in an otherwise decent video.

[@TheElectrikCow]

Yeah agreed. It's not fair to compare apples to oranges, this coming from someone who doesn't actually care for Bocchi the Rock much.

[@micu8942]

i think a more fair comparison is with Komi can't communicate, which actually treats anxiety as 'cute' and 'quirky' and more of a 'thing that makes her special' instead of something that she needs to overcome

[@ZealValdez]

So essentially your saying that because the show is a comedy its okay to over-exaggerate her anxiety? Then the whole premise of it falls flat and its disingenuous to say its an accurate depiction of anxiety. The whole show over-exaggerates her anxiety for laughs multiple times, her anxiety gets made into quirks and memes for the viewers to laugh at. This video was right about the fact that at the end of boochi it has to give you the dopamine of anime girls doing cute things.

[@olivegarden3604]

@@ZealValdez What the fuck are you talking about? Can't comedy be relatable, in spite of its exaggeration? I fail to see how relatability doesn't correlate with accuracy in a way Sure, since it's exaggerated it isn't accurate in the realistic sense of how people deal with it, sure (if you're searching for that in a comedy show, you're looking in the wrong place). But it sure is accurate in how it feels. You don't see people glitching on the ground for looking at an instagram page, that's ridiculous, which is what makes it funny (for those who find it funny anyway). But anxiety can totally feel like collapsing to the ground and glitching uncontrollably. That's what it gets accurate, and so it's relatable. Since when does something being a comedy makes something being inaccurate just because it's played for laughs? And yeah, the video is right about Bocchi needing to give you the dopamine hit, because it's a *comedy*! Tell me a comedy that ends badly or tragically (or whatever else that's essentially a negative ending) and that is a comedy by definition.

[@jasonjasso666]

These are the kinds of examples why having a personality like Joey, being against new concepts or ideas (in this case new shows) and even doubling down when people attempt to educate you, gets kinda dangerous. He has a huge platform in which he can say his opinions, and whether it’s fair or not he has a responsibility to at the very least not implicitly spread misinformation about how people with anxiety act just to prove a point or be a contrarian for content. I’m not faulting him for not understanding or lacking any experience with how bad it gets, that’s fine, but it’s his wording that no one who is actually serious with themselves suffers like that is what keeps it from being an understandable take. I’m not depressed and those who I do personally know that are don’t have it so so bad, but just because that’s my experience doesn’t change the fact depression is a spectrum from not so bad to absolute life altering. Same goes for anxiety, you can’t cast a definitive say that a portrayal was too over the top or unrealistic just because you personally don’t have it that bad or at all. The fact that people with anxiety saw themselves in Bocchi MEANS something. All I’m saying is yes, there are those that use their condition (and possibly this anime) as an excuse of why they can’t accomplish certain things, but the amount of people who DO suffer that badly and not because they’re not trying to help ease the symptoms DO exist, thus rendering any definitive claim that it doesn’t occur on that level to be obsolete. I’d even go as far to say Joey crossed the line into bigoted territory, because it wasn’t just one time but MANY times, sometimes even said in an accusatory manner where it’s just “You don’t experience your condition the way I think you do” to not an individual who he knows is full of shit, but to ALL with the condition.

[@slvyc]

The garden of words comparison is good in the sense of portraying anxiety it in a more mature way, but also unfair because both of them have anxiety for different reasons. Where in the case of garden of words, the anxiety she faced was more rational, compared to bochhis anxiety where it was irrational.

[@MtchndraLrd]

I’ve had severe debilitating social anxiety all my life and Bocchi the Rock perfectly encapsulates these struggles while also being a motivation and a message that I’m not alone and am worthwhile. I’m scratching my head how he can have such a visceral reaction towards something so heartfelt I could only dream to be that confident (without that lack of self awareness) lmao.

[@hitathighs]

Honestly, I have to hand it to TT, especially Joey. He successfully managed to kill my 4 year long para social relationship with their podcast with one take. That's something that will probably never happen again.

[@eastward98]

I think we all can forget that other people experience the world differently to us, i.e. As a person with excessive anxiety and a nervous system that gets triggered by a leaf blowing in the wind, it's hard for me to imagine there are people who have never felt afraid of asking a store worker for help or have paranoid thoughts that everyone actually secretly hates them. So to him, maybe he thinks anxiety is just a little bit of worry. Stage fright is just a little bit of stress. I'm not a fan of his, but I imagine a lot of people who actually like hearing his thoughts on anime aren't as outgoing or self-assured as he seems. To know someone you might look up to or feel affection for would look at how you feel and dismiss it as "exaggerated" or "fake" would feel like a betrayal of your expectations and faith in their character. We all make mistakes of course, but he's made his career off of otaku culture. The least you'd expect is some level of emotional intelligence, or empathy for those scared of others.

[@equinox3625]

well said

[@ElsePerson]

I mean there's a reason why he no longer goes by "The Anime Man", he just doesn't get it anymore.

[@KuroiPK]

I think Bosshi isn’t a realistic depiction but instead how it feels like and as such it’s a great depiction of anxiety

[@myne5689]

Joey has always been the most annoying plague on the anime community. As a 32 year old who helps run anime figure collecting communities I still remember when he lied about his collection and what it's worth, lol.

[@edwardweaver6869]

Eminem also has a song that fully encapsulates what Bocchi is experiencing. The fact that someone who Definitely grew up with Eminem and 8-mile cant comprehend Bocchi is mildly surprising to me.

[@andyberberian4886]

A someone with pretty severe Social Anxiety, I liked Bocchi because it showed me the how funny and silly my own meltdowns can be. How they can be dumb, and really its mostly in my head. I cant act the way Bocchi does, but boy does it feel like it sometimes. Is it unrealistic? Yes duh it is...but why would I want to want a series on a realistic scenario of social anxiety where the character feels like they are trapped and turn evil and mean at the thought of having to do what to most people is normal everyday things. Do I want to watch a series where the main character is so scared of social interactions that for weeks before a big event they swing from refusing to think about it, to hating the person or reason that they are forced to attend, to feeling like a depressed, miserable waste of a person for not being able to be a part of normal society? Nah man...I wanna watch a funny adaptation of a girl with anxiety succeed, I wanna feel like it relates and somehow lifts me up a bit.

[@fluv313]

I used to have severe anxiety in the past, I still do to an extent but not so much because my previous job required me to speak in front of very large groups of people. I remember when I had to do my first few presentations, Bocchi is the closest depiction of what I was feeling at that time. And in my second or third presentation guess what happened, I went in front of everyone, started my presentation, and my anxiety was gone so fast that even I was shocked. This sort of thing happened multiple times in my life so I don't see any issue with how Bocchi acts when she gets in the zone. Kinda weird that some people won't believe that Bocchi the Rock is a very accurate depiction of social anxiety even though so many people that have social anxiety say it is.

[@gaurav_W]

as someone who has had social anxiety. social anxiety is like adhd there is no one kind of adhd its different from person to person. i have met many people who are very anxious and i have also tackled in improving those peoples mindsets so i know how people get anxious and mostly they get anxious on small things rather then large things.

[@lethaldj13]

Joey certainly doesnt know how it is for musicians lol solo and alone in the bedroom u can be carlos santana good but soon as u are distressed u cant perform that way for bocchi the skill and talent is there, she just have to tap into this mode so whenever she goes into her inner monologues and suddenly performing well she is essentially just returning back to her bedroom alone

[@ziglaus]

Joey IS a musician. He certainly knows how it is

[@lethaldj13]

​@@ziglaus guess he just hates bocchi the rock then cuz no way in hell he dont understand someone can just turn into super saiyan in their instrument if the talent and skill is inherently there

[@SDGkarim]

​@@ziglausis he?

[@ziglaus]

@@SDGkarim I've heard that. never heard his songs though, but i've heard he produced an album

[@ziglaus]

@@lethaldj13 Yeah he hates Bocchi and he hates anxiety. He seems like he's dealing with his anxiety in a way that is not shown in Bocchi, and maybe that is what bothers him.

[@MrJerrytheSlime]

I just don’t like the people in Trash Taste. I get that their channel is literally called Trash Taste but I believe they use that channel to justify their dumb takes.

[@alonachiong666]

As a person with anxiety who has panic attacks for years. I can confidently say its differently for everyone. So if a person claims "oh this character is so relatable" You can't invalidate theirs claim because thats their experience. People who say "i have anxiety and its not that serious" is very toxic. I'm glad its easy for you, but you should have more compassion to those who are having a difficult time.

[@__mickeyyy__]

Joey’s takes like this are one of the main reasons I stopped watching the pod. When Garnt and Connor give opinions, you can tell that they don’t come from a place of superiority, but with Joey, it feels very pretentious and comes off in an "I'm right, you’re wrong" way. This is just my two cents on the matter.

[@ToMaSsS10]

Well he did use to know more than both of them combined. I dont know about now tho

[@pining_tree6788]

I definitely relate to Bocchi on the feeling of anxiety. I get if Joey doesn’t relate, but there is a degree of privilege with some of the talk And I do think part of the comedy of bocchi is the mix in of laughing at and with. That so many of Bocchi’s anxieties are relatable but still give second hand embarrassment on how she responds to them

[@dopey473]

4:07 clearly Joey never heard of Metallica's legendary 1989 Grammy performance. They were absolutely *shitting* themselves at the start but ended up kicking ass and giving one of the most badass metal performances the mainstream has seen up to that point. It very much is a thing.

[@cefrinaldi8060]

The real reasons why i dislike joey is not because he hate bocchi, but the comment after that, he invalidate our struggle and as someone that look up to joey, grant, connor and akidearest, its just very heartbreaking. Alot of people seems to agree with me, most comment i saw is about joey comment on people with social anxiety while he himself once already made video regarding that issue. Also i dont understand why you comparing comedy anime to drama anime. They are both completely different type of thing, its like if you comparing toy story to titanic. Seems weird.

[@Aogami20]

You know what the most realistic part of Bocchi is? A socially awkward, anxious introvert being made into the pet project of a group of more normal friends who help them function out in the world. For someone like that ... like me. It can take a long time to accept that other people want to be around you, that they value you as a person and see things in you that are worthwhile when you can't see them in yourself. I know Bocchi is anime, it's not meant to be a completely realistic depiction of social anxiety, but when it touches on just the right nerve in just the right way, it can be really meaningful in those moments to the right person.

[@nandoblando5960]

Joey wants to be DIFFERENT so bad lmao

[@HyattHyatt3179]

I think this is pretty much it. He's still stuck back when watching anime would get you bullied and hasn't gotten over that it's no longer a small weird thing that only some people like. I had a phase like that too, when I was like 15. It was really frustrating to see people openly enjoying the things I had been made fun of for enjoying. It felt like my "me-thing" was taken by someone else. But then I realized that defining myself on being bullied and watching an animated show was really weird and kinda diminished myself as a person. Sure I don't typically like the big shows but that's because I'm not really into shonen, but I absolutely love slice of life. Joey never had that growing up bit. He still seems upset that he's not the only source for western fans when it comes to otaku culture or Japan. He unironically comes of as a bigger western weeb stereotype than Connor does. Mostly because at least in my opinion he's pushing the "I'm Japanese.... In Japan this and this" so hard that it seems like he actually read in in a Wikipedia article and needs to repeat himself for it to become more true. It's a bit of a harsh take but he feels less like a genuine otaku and more like someone who just wanted to get into it to have a "thing". Typically I'd feel pretty bad for trashing on someone like this, but he had no problem diminishing and making things up about anxiety because he didn't like the way one anime handled it that I kinda don't care.

[@Aman_Mondal]

Joey is canonically the biggest Karen since like 2013 any of his old viewers know this fact, heck a person like me who watches Garnt since his Anime Zone days I literally know too much about these three 😂 Also Joey calls anything shit without actually watching it so there is that too not to mention Joey was one of the ring leaders of the Fairy Tail Haters union ALSO FACTS GARDEN OF WORDS IS PEAK I WISH PEOPLE WOULD TALK ABOUT THIS MOVIE MORE 11:04 No No let's not sugarcoat things here, Joey has been known to have the worst takes about many anime and it's always cuz he doesn't understand the perspective of the characters at all and that's the hard reality that his fanboys never accept, reality is Joey has a very pretencious side to him back when K On came out he was saying stuff like Beck and Nana are better on purpose to trigger the K On fans and now History is repeating itself again, Joey needs to be called out cuz because of his words multiple good shows have been ruined due to Misinformation spread by AniTubers and I done with that bullshit 😂 13:26 Also He should be crucified for this garbage KitKat opinion everyone splits their KitKats and that's a fact I have never seen someone biting into them when I first heard him say this I was like "Okay he need to go to a psychologist"

[@madness682]

There was a person who had difficulties to talk to people when ordering milk tea, nor interact with waitresses and had to ask his friends he was hanging out with, or parents to do it for him. That person was me. I don't know when or how but I developed social anxiety during late middleschool to all of highschool, and it sucked ass. I am a ambivert, which is a combination of both introvert and extrovert, but social anxiety just made me full anti social at some points of my life. Seeing Bocchi the rock really clicked for me. It was gradual, but I no longer get any anxiety from random social encounters. My face don't flush red, I wouldn't sweat cold, I don't think about how I would sound and look and freak out. I can order milk tea with no problem now, albeit my voice is naturally a little low so they don't hear me sometimes, but even that I don't get awkward about it. Watching Bocchi was like a pov of myself, made me see things more clearly and just deal with the problems slowly and became my old self again. The things you see in Bocchi is real, just a tad bit different. exaggerated enough to be entertaining. But the message is there, only the people who has experienced it can really feel how relatable she can be.

[@swordsman1_messer]

My issue isn’t so much that it was an opinion I didn’t like, but because it’s a grating opinion that is spoken with contempt of those that disagree. It’s the same reason why I don’t like it when he makes commentary on American politics when he grew up experience two other systems that are principally and fundamentally different; the tone he takes reads as “you are an idiot if you disagree otherwise”. Especially since it’s on a series that socially awkward individuals would associate with. Generally speaking, you don’t just kick these people until they start moving. There does need to be pushing, but if the individual in question developed a negative connotation with the support given, it just creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. Perspective is the eye of the beholder. If you aren’t taking a neutral approach, you’re going to risk misinterpretation that is going to make communication harder.

[@iasked9392]

if he had that kind of sentiment towards bocchi (WHICH IS AN ANIMATION) he, in the core, doesnt really understand animation at all. Movements are SUPPOSED to be exaggerated because its the medium that transcends the limit of live action. If its all about realistic stuff, is it even animation? I mean, a fully rotoscoped film is easily forgetable (and uncanny).

[@elucified]

5:00 I didn't know that about Freddy!! Also a semi-more current example is Bo Burnham who has expressed in his songs multiple times the panic attacks he gets before a performance, and also DURING a performance. You'd think that with a stand-up comedian, where the entire point of the job is to get up in front of people, that they wouldn't suffer from anxiety but they do. So many of them do. And many of them are open about it, admitting that they sometimes use unhealthy coping mechanisms (drugs and alcohol) to deal with those issues.

[@kaliquis01010]

I think the way he said it was kinda shitty, he said it with anger, people respond the same way

[@wahidpawana424]

As someone who somewhat dabbled into the entertainment industry, you'll be surprise that even a seasoned vocalist can be as anxious as Bocchi is even in a smaller gigs, even the more extroverted ones. Usually the best method to help them is to talk to them and not to lea e them alone too long in that headspace. The more self-aware ones usually approach just about any backstage crew to talk with just to distract themselves from overthinking during their pre-performance. My only criticism of the anime is that i am underwhelm with the soundtrack after the build-up to their performaces.

[@ezerutan-nx1bo]

Not surprising, Joey has always been the most insufferable out of all TT

[@aldrinmilespartosa1578]

We all know that Joey hated it simply because it a "K on clone".

[@azure928]

i still remember coming up on stage as a guitarist of a small band at a tiny event so confident of myself thinking it's no big deal. but when we actually start playing my fingers started shaking so bad and it got worse when one of our member made a mistake and forgot some of his part. nobody was booing but it still made me want to disappear immediately. watching bocchi kinda brings back some of those memories but in a good way no matter how exaggerated it is.

[@rain4825]

"It doesn't catter to me therefore it is wrong and shouldn't exist"

[@DoxChanMusic]

Like you said people deal with stage freight differently, just like with Social Anxiety/panic attacks it isn't a one-fits situation. If it doesn't happen to you doesn't mean it doesn't happen to others. Many people who have Social Anxiety/panic attacks show symptoms such as: Shaking or trembling Sweating Heart palpitations or a racing heartbeat Shortness of breath Dizziness or lightheadedness Chest pain or discomfort Nausea or abdominal distress Feelings of unreality or detachment

[@kaos1109]

I recall from the vlog of Numi (Akuma Nihmune) that she was precisely panicking back stage before going and singing live, even while wearing a face mask. I think that's definitely possible and not that unrealistic.

[@itssquishy3364]

The video got depressing Which is…fair enough honestly It is a slice of life so of course it will give a comforting feel, there’s a relatable character who’s experiencing life and we can watch it, it’s nice, it’s motivating I haven’t seen the garden of words but it’s a movie, it’s not for everyone to watch At least not yet, some people may be too young and not understand the scenarios and how meaningful they are Or they’re going through it themselves and don’t want to just see their life on the screen (Unless that makes them feel validated which I have felt before too)

[@Dragons-cove]

Joey has been garbage for years but people forgive him because he's conventional attractive

[@mei8511]

conventionally attractive? he's not bad looking by any means, but idk, i don't see it even when trying to look at it objectively lol

[@LapinVelours]

“A really good example of this is none other than Freddy..” FAZBEAR? 😟

[@Oboro86]

It didn't take very long to realize the whole operation is pretty abysmal. Three mediocre dudes who got lucky, found audiences, and failed to actually grow with said audiences. Connor doesn't actually care about new anime or new stories, he famously skips dialogue in his lets plays and forgets whatever he doesn't because being a conventionally attractive himbo is part of his brand- Garnt tries with his seasonal videos but he's never had a good feel for what will be popular he's just always been good at explaining why something is currently popular, and he never actually scratches the surface of a story beyond some vague chatter about his feelings- then there's fucking Joey, who is so chronically online he'll spitefully hate on things he's never heard of let alone watched then casually talk about how much he loves lolis and unironically suggest Redo of Healer to someone just getting into anime as "a guilty pleasure". It's not even a matter of trash taste it's a matter of trash media literacy and being out of touch with your audience because they don't actually engage with either anime or their fanbase anymore- ironically because they're always busy trying to find and make new content. Everything from biking across the country to learning how to drift, and all of it showcasing: how boring they actually are, how much they don't actually wanna be recording what they're doing but it's what pays for their lifestyles, and how little wit they actually possess (one of them will make a decent joke and then the rest of the video is everyone echoing it). They're chill guys, from what they show, the kind you'd chat about the daily grind with over a pint. But beyond that, they're not actually all that entertaining. Their success has more to do with their accents and the timing of anime becoming mainstream than it does with anything else.

[@yaelfeldman6965]

I got nervous when you started showing clips from wonderegg priority and then you instantly redeemed it

[@6knotty6thotty6]

At the end of the day folks need to understand that Joey is a grown man who was born and raised in Australia. It’s not a surprise that he doesn’t click with an anime whose primary demographic is teenage girls whose protagonist is a Japanese teenage girl. I don’t know if Joey has anxiety. If he doesn’t, then it’s especially no wonder he didn’t relate to the anime and was overly critical of it’s depiction of anxiety. If he does, then unfortunately, he’s fallen into the “that never happened to me, therefore it never happens to anyone, and anyone who claims they experienced it is either exaggerating or lying” mindset. It’s great that he was able to live a great life with anxiety, but he doesn’t understand that he’s in a position of privilege and has access to resources that the vast majority of disabled people will never have. Not to mention, anxiety manifests differently in everyone. There are people whose anxiety is so bad, they can’t even look at a person without having a panic attack. Joey needs to learn that his experience is not the universal experience.

[@lith...]

This is a giant nothingburger. Idk why people argue about it. He can hate shows even for no reason at all. People like different things. I also know the frustration of mainstream hype. People can get annoying and ruin your experience. It's normal, it's fine. He can control what/who ruins his opinion on things.

[@tenaciousrodent6251]

Yeah he doesn't get what it's like to ride trough life with square wheels and with the handbrake always on.

[@coffeebreak7668]

And should that be a slight on his character, should he have his ankles broken for the sin of good fortune? If this is all the more reason to disregard his opinion then isn't it so counter intuitive to make any deal of it in the first place?

[@ce461]

​@@coffeebreak7668that isn't what they said. They are saying hey he doesn't understand nor acknowledges it as a thing that could happen. Because joey does this a lot with the "this never happened to me so there is no way it happened to someone else".

[@tenaciousrodent6251]

@@coffeebreak7668 This reaction resembles Edward Elrick's reactions to anyone using the word "small". Please chill. It's all only mildly irritating.

[@coffeebreak7668]

@@ce461 So you might even say that he's stunted in that experience of the world, ignorant perhaps. I just see no need to create a big stink because some guy on the internet doesn't understand you. For the record I think a lot of his takes are dumb but I'd never think to crack my knuckles and "school him" on some internet forum.

[@coffeebreak7668]

@@tenaciousrodent6251 Well my apologies if that's how it came off, I'm largely "humoring you" for the sport of it though while perhaps not you let's not pretend there aren't plenty calling for Joey's burning at the stake over this matter

[@EyeOfKings]

nice video, you conveyed a very insightful sentiment to how he feels about Bocci and I think that is pretty interesting. I hope he sees what you had to say because some of the criticisms you made are definitely not wrong in my opinion. Maybe we'll see a comment of him addressing you one day lol.

[@toastedpina]

I stopped watching Joey years ago because he's so pretentious and just likes shitting on popular anime. It's annoying.

[@96tax]

getting nervous and having anxiety are 2 completely different things

[@irem7651]

honestly as a person with extreme anxiety myself, I just find it kind of funny and not taking it too seriously, but i totally understand why people would get mad

[@Extremezotako]

I really enjoyed your video, the way it is edited, and how funny the humor is. Keep up the good work 👍

[@Xx_-Lain-_xX]

I really love trash taste, and seeing joeys takes on bocchi and social anxiety kinda made me sad. I personally have quite heavy social anxiety, sometimes i feel so anxious my heart rate increases so much that i risk fainting (i also have low iron problems sadly), and i have found great comfort in watching bocchi the rock, she is just...so relatable, while watching it i just feel understood, which has been so hard for me in the past years, and i especially love her being able to actually have success in what she loves, it gives me so much hope that i just think "maybe i can do it too, maybe one day i will be able to succeed like her" (for the record i play bass and i have terrible stage fright, so my last band kicked me out because i couldn't even play with them during practice). Now i'm not saying that he has ruined the anime for me just because he hates it, everyone is obviously entitled to their opinions, but it's just how dismissive he was about social anxiety and bocchi the rock not being good representation that just didn't sit right with me. Oh well, i'm just a random trash taste fan, it's not like my opinion matters to them specifically lmao

[@The_BlOb]

Really cool and well made video essay. You deserve more recognition!!

[@smokeyskeet1694]

When I was younger and in all stars cheer I would be freaking out the whole time just waiting for our turn to go backstage. When we were backstage I’d nearly be crying, then when we go out I’d put on a straight face until everyone was set and I do a call out (they gave me that role despite my pleas against it) before we started the cheer then the dance. Once we got off stage I’d usually cry. I still loved to cheer though and I didn’t know why. Years later turns out I have GAD and agoraphobia (as described by my psychiatrist).

[@LauraVanessaEscobarSalazar]

Joey has always given pretty terrible takes, him along with aki, but it took me a while to realize that as a child until the whole crunchy roll awards drama and his godawful take on yuri on ice where he and aki said was an awful rep of gay romance and instead recommended works like gravity and Junjou romantic which is nothing but fetishization of gay men and nonconsensual relationships

[@LongXue]

That garden of words scene reminds me of that bedroom scene in re zero season 2... subaru watching the clock goes past the school first period time thinking if the clock past that hour, it's ok to give up because it's too late, and he has a reason for his anxiety.

[@Eroil]

I felt the same regarding this anime and kome san when watching clips from it, for a long time now I don't really have any problem with anyone who likes it but I do personally dislike the "oh social anxiety is so cute haha" thing that is often represented in these shows. Everyone likes and relates to the main character and they're not judged for having those reactions which unfortunately, is very far from reality. I think that anime movie you gave as an example just from that scene seems to represent the feeling of anxiety much better.

[@sagemaster1357]

I'd suggest watching Welcome to the NHK. Another show that has depicted social anxiety amazingly.

[@Eroil]

@@sagemaster1357 I think I have it in my list somewhere, isn't that Ludwig's favorite anime? May be confusing it with something else. Thought it was a slice of life which I'm usually not huge on but reading the mal synopsis made it seem pretty interesting

[@damashep]

"I am a huge fan of the trash taste podcast". And speed run to we're done here.....

[@sethwood1676]

I've stopped watching Joey because of his opinions sounding like fact just cause he reads more manga now. I used to watch him for the obscure anime he would bring to audiences. Still enjoy him on trash taste with the boys but, I don't go out of my way to watch him anymore.

[@AleksandarBell]

I’ve had social anxiety my entire life. Rocking on the floor and struggling to breathe has happened to me so many times. I struggle a lot with overthinking and anxiety. I’ve been under high stress environments my entire life because the people around me see me as intelligent therefore I’m held to a higher standard. And if I complain, I’m told that oh, school must be easy for me because I’m start, I’m not talking about anything that really affects me. I get stuck, wanting to quit, but not wanting to let go of my goals. Sometimes I just want someone to hold my hand and tell me it’s all going to be okay. But…that’s not how life works. I have to pick myself up. I vent to my friends. I don’t get any laurels to rest my head on. I specifically didn’t do honors classes because they would’ve stressed me out more. I hate the idea that my anxiety can’t be to an extreme degree. It is. It affects my entire life, day in and out. I get punched when I’m already down all the time.

[@aqualucasYT]

Great video, it always humors me when people completely meltdown over someone else's opinions of an anime, you see it here in this very comment section. Joey didn't like the show, and his opinion on it was informed by the circumstances and experiences he's had as a person. What I like about this video is that it actually examines why people were so angry over something as innocuous as an anime hot take, and how to build bridges of understanding from that.

[@Despotic_Waffle]

Yeah but je shat on it, so that invites others to shit on him. Imagine if he said 'anxious people don't make sense to me, just talk to people LOL'. What would your reaction be?

[@coffeebreak7668]

@@Despotic_Waffle If Joey were to say that then the my reaction and any logical persons reaction would be evaluating it on one's personal beliefs and then producing an answer of agreeance or disagreement. Note my use of such dry terms, the context here is a stranger's opinion on the internet (because that's what he is, a stranger on the internet with zero weight on your own life), to react in any more an extreme manner would be inappropriate. He could spout the worst take you've ever heard in your life but if you're the one with steam coming out your ears and a face full of red then that's a you problem and only a you problem, capiche?

[@mariaantonia-op8qc]

​@@coffeebreak7668I do agree with you, but I also feel that it's shitty to invalidate other experiences with something as real as social anxiety when you have a big reach on the internet like he does. Sure, it won't impact my personal life, I don't even watch trash taste and how I react and feel is dependent on me, but it will also surely influence a lot of the watcher's opinions on the matter and might cause a lot of them to belittle the stress and anxiety of people they know. When you have a big audience it's only fair to be more cautious with what you say, so I think it's valid to criticize the way he approached the topic.

[@coffeebreak7668]

@@mariaantonia-op8qc Absolutely, and I'm happy for such criticisms to exist and take the form of videos like this, it has subtlety and serves more to consolidate differing perspectives rather than stir up the stone throwing that's wholly unproductive.

[@mark-gj4mb]

Bocchi's genre has never really been my thing so I was never particularly attached to it, but I understand the thing about performing on stage. I've performed on stage plenty of times with brass bands and stuff like that, and I was always super nervous before the performance but when I'm up there I kinda lock in. I'm socially anxious most of the time and definitely incredibly anxious before performing too, so I don't think Bocchi locking in for the performance is unrealistic. It's not her overcoming her anxiety, it's her excelling in the face of it. To discredit that by saying she just wasn't trying hard enough and people who resonate with her aren't either is super weird. I understand his frustration of being half-Japanese and seeing social anxiety be such a massive issue in Japan, but I feel there are better, more positive ways of expressing that frustration

[@lusika]

also... no way k-on soundtrack better than bocchi 💀

[@jeppyjep]

I freaking love Bocchi, but K-On ED alone stomps Bocchi's entire soundtrack.

[@flutterin4595]

I think in some of theanimeman videos joey said that WataMote is cringe. So it makes sense why Bocchi was also cringe to him.

[@IkkiTousenFan28]

I haven't seen Bocchi the Rock but seen clips. But I have seen another anime about anxiety which is Watamote. And Watamote got so many hate as people called it cringe. I found myself related to the main character as I deal with some mental health including anxiety. But yet people love Bocchi the Rock while Watamote is called cringe. So, I can't get myself to watch the anime for that reason. However, I do want to watch Welcome to NHK even though it isn't a priority in my watch list.

[@clockworkchad]

god forbid a man have a different opinion about a show

[@andrecarrion7695]

3:58 Bruh you're literally agreeing with Joey. He said he doesn't believe the girl who was dying of shyness could magically come up with a solo and literally carry the band and wake up the extroverted and not socially awkward friends of her. That's not believable because, as you said, the ability to perform well without being afraid of the audience is something that develops over time and not something that magically disappears to make the mc look cool.

[@creativename2567]

The fear doesn't just disappear, but it's not that hard to concentrate and temporarily overcome the fear.

[@andrecarrion7695]

@@creativename2567 It's really hard when the fear and anxiety one has is so big it makes you unable to sustain a normal conversation and stutter half the time even with your friends, which is Bocchi's case.

[@creativename2567]

@@andrecarrion7695 This is also my case, and I spoke by my own experience.

[@andrecarrion7695]

​@@creativename2567 Have you ever performed in front of people in some way like Bocchi did?

[@creativename2567]

@andrecarrion7695 I had to sing (really badly) in church once, to an audience of more or less 100 ppl. I wasn't alone, which helped a lot, but bocchi also had her friends.