“And that’s how I met my lifelong partner, Otoha Kurogane.”

Wow. This one is a wild ride. Rock is a Lady’s Modesty is a show that is as subtle as a Les Paul to the face. Strictly speaking, I’m usually not a fan of this tone in my hobby or sports anime. You know how I know this? I’ve seen this show before, but executed less competently and with a different subject matter. I’ll get to that in a bit.

I’m still reeling from the amount of fun that I had with this premiere, even if some of its narrative elements rub me the wrong way. It’s been a long time since I watched an anime where rock music was central to the narrative. I suppose this is partially my fault, because while I can’t be blamed for the annoying delay that occurred in bringing Girls Band Cry over to the west last year, I certainly could be condemned for my failure to check out Bocchi the Rock!. Regardless, if, like me, you’ve been jonesing for a good rock music anime, all signs point to Rock is a Lady’s Modesty being a delight.

When I say I’ve seen this show before… you might understand what I mean. This is a story about a young blonde teenager named Lilisa Suzunomiya, who encounters a prim and mysterious black haired girl named Otoha Kurogane who, despite appearances, is a capable drummer. An encounter between the two of them sparks a passion and rivalry Lilisa didn’t realize she was still capable of. Despite seemingly different backgrounds and temperaments, a deep connection is forged and… This is Birdie Wing with guitars! You see it now, don’t you? It’s not one-to-one, but there are a lot of commonalities. A blonde commoner with a chip on her shoulder, a pleasant black-haired elite with immense talent, some clear yuri-baiting, the list goes on.

My one problem with Rock is a Lady’s Modesty is the same one I had with Birdie Wing. The setting and characters are outlandish, and it makes it harder to become immersed in the narrative. Lilisa has recently become the stepdaughter of an influential real estate mogul. As part of this new life, she has transferred into Oushin Girl’s Academy, a school where girls are effectively encouraged to sit still, look pretty, and produce the next generation for whatever other elite family they ultimately wed into. I’m exaggerating very slightly, but that’s the tone conveyed throughout the episode. Both Lilisa and the visuals themselves equate the school to a birdcage, but the outlandish qualities of the dialogue and characters make it feel divorced from reality. 

Rock is a Lady’s Modesty is being produced by Bandai Namco Pictures, a studio I haven’t encountered since… I couldn’t have planned this better if I tried. I swear, I didn’t realize this until just now, but I have watched only one show produced by Bandai Namco Pictures… And that was the first season of Birdie Wing: Golf Girls’ Story. That’s hilarious, even if the connection is surface level. At a glance, I couldn’t pick out any overlapping staff, so I think I highlighted that show merely due to the narrative parallels.

Overall, I’d say Bandai did a decent job on this first episode. It isn’t anything to write home about, but considering this is the studio that breathed death into Cestvs: The Roman Fighter a few years ago, I think it’s a solid showing. There is a moderate amount of CG modeling in this episode, but it strikes the balance of being noticeable, but not distracting. They mainly employ CG for dynamic movement with instruments and rapid movement in closeups. As such, they regularly avoid showing the characters’ faces during those moments, as that’s usually where 3D models struggle to integrate into the animation. The exceptions are the more significant shots that are framed well to allow the faces to fit with the model. We don’t have an OP or ED in this premiere, though the episode does feature a musical set piece towards the end which is well presented. The band Band-Maid does the motion capture and performances, and while I enjoyed the song at the end, it was an instrumental and didn’t really stick with me.

Before I wrap up, a few Notes and Nitpicks:

• I was interested in checking out Girls Band Cry last year, but it took about a month and a half for it to be released in the US, which is rather bizarre in this day and age. This season’s Your Forma is almost as bad, as it’s been released on Samsung TV Plus, which I do have access to, but don’t know how to navigate due to its terrible interface.
• I don’t listen to much J-Rock, but I’ve definitely heard Band-Maid before. They performed the OP for last season’s Zenshu after all. Honestly, my biggest exposure to J-Rock is Baby Metal, which, outside of their collaboration with Electric Callboy on “Ratatata,” have never really clicked with me.
• Bandai’s track record in decent years hasn’t been great. Birdie Wing was a production nightmare from what I understand, and Cestvs is infamous for its awful CG animation. One bright spot I noticed in their filmography is Wistoria: Wand and Sword, which I believe Birdy enjoyed.
• They really did steer into the yuri elements this episode, didn’t they? Between the quote I put at the top of the review, to the clip illustrating Otoha dominating Lilisa with her music, it’s definitely something the anime is highlighting, though I don’t know if they’re actually going anywhere with this. I don’t mind if they do or don’t. I just hope the narrative makes a decision and doesn’t pull a Jellyfish Can’t Swim at Night and sprinkle romantic hints throughout the season that ultimately go nowhere.
• In between starting this review and finishing it, I watched the first episode of Bocchi the Rock! at Caveman’s place, and yeah, that one speaks to me on a deep introverted level. I can see why it was popular.

Rock is a Lady’s Modesty arguably has a few red flags planted around it, with an iffy production company and an amped-up narrative and execution that don’t usually click with me. Despite these elements, this first episode is fun, and I recommend you check it out if you have some free time on your schedule. Here’s hoping the remainder of the show can match the showing of this initial entry.

Score: 4/5