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Play anime bingo and get an exclusive Tamon's B-side badge for your profile! Black★Rock Shooter (TV)
Black Rock Shooter
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/ 8
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Alternative Titles
Synonyms: BRS (TV) Japanese: ブラック★ロックシューター English: Black Rock Shooter German: Black Rock Shooter French: Black Rock Shooter More titles
Information
Type: TV Episodes: 8 Status: Finished Airing Aired: Feb 3, 2012 to Mar 23, 2012 Premiered: Winter 2012 Broadcast: Fridays at 00:45 (JST) Producers: Aniplex, Dentsu, Fuji TV, TOHO, Ultra Super Pictures, Sony Music Entertainment, Fujipacific Music, MAGES., Good Smile Company Licensors: Discotek Media Studios: Ordet, SANZIGEN Source: Other Genres:ActionAction, DramaDrama, FantasyFantasy Theme:SchoolSchool Duration: 23 min. per ep. Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
Statistics
Score:6.791 (scored by 181411181,411 users) 1 indicates a weighted score. Ranked: #56592 2 based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded. Popularity: #737 Members: 367,723 Favorites: 2,341
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Top > Anime > Black★Rock Shooter (TV)
6.79Ranked #5659Popularity #737Members 367,723Winter 2012TVOrdet, SANZIGENAdd to My ListWatchingCompletedPlan to WatchSelect(10) Masterpiece(9) Great(8) Very Good(7) Good(6) Fine(5) Average(4) Bad(3) Very Bad(2) Horrible(1) Appalling Episodes: /8PV 1playMore videos Edit
Synopsis
On the first day of junior high school, Mato Kuroi happens to run into Yomi Takanashi, a shy, withdrawn girl whom she immediately takes an interest in. Mato tries her best to make conversation with Yomi, wanting to befriend her. At first, she is avoided, but the ice breaks when Yomi happens to notice a decorative blue bird attached to Mato's phone, which is from the book "Li'l Birds At Play." Discovering they have a common interest, the two form a strong friendship. In an alternate universe, the young girls exist as parallel beings, Mato as Black★Rock Shooter, and Yomi as Dead Master. Somehow, what happens in one world seems to have an effect on the other, and unaware of this fact, the girls unknowingly become entangled by the threads of fate. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Background
Black★Rock Shooter is based on characters illustrated by huke. The illustrations caught the eye of music producer Ryo who then created a song based from these illustrations with his collaborative Supercell. This song's title would then become the inspiration for the anime, Black★Rock Shooter. The anime was awarded the Technical Achievement in Broadcast Animation at the 65th Motion Picture and Television Engineering Society of Japan Awards in 2012. It also received a video game adaptation for the Playstation Portable, as well as a few browser games and guest appearances in other popular video game franchises.
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Related Entries
Prequel (Music) Black★Rock Shooter
Alternative Version:
Black★Rock Shooter (OVA) (OVA)
Other:
Black★★Rock Shooter: Dawn Fall (TV)
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More characters
Characters & Voice Actors
Black★Rock Shooter
Main
Hanazawa, Kana Japanese
Dead Master
Main
Sawashiro, Miyuki Japanese
Kuroi, Mato
Main
Hanazawa, Kana Japanese
Strength
Main
Asumi, Kana Japanese
Black★Gold Saw
Main
Noto, Mamiko Japanese
Takanashi, Yomi
Main
Sawashiro, Miyuki Japanese
Izuriha, Kagari
Supporting
Kitamura, Eri Japanese
Chariot
Supporting
Kitamura, Eri Japanese
Koutari, Yuu
Supporting
Asumi, Kana Japanese
Irino, Saya
Supporting
Noto, Mamiko Japanese
More staff
Staff
Katsumata, Hideo Producer
Matsuura, Hiroaki Producer
Nakamura, Hiroshi Producer
Mori, Akitoshi Assistant Producer
Edit
Opening Theme
Preview
Spotify
Apple Music
Amazon Music
Youtube Music
"Black★Rock Shooter (ブラック★ロックシューター)" by supercell feat. Hatsune Miku
Edit
Ending Theme
"Bokura no Ashiato (僕らのあしあと)" by supercell
Reviews
Write review 80 Recommended 25 Mixed Feelings 18 Not Recommended All reviews (123) Jan 6, 2026 maya_kotori Recommended This is such a beautifully crafted anime, especially when it comes to portraying friendship. I really enjoyed it (more than I expected) and there were moments that genuinely brought tears to my eyes. It has that rare mix of emotional depth and visual intensity that stays with you long after you finish it. This version is newer, of course, even though the original concept is older and there’s also a movie. A lot of people recommend watching the series first because it’s easier to understand, and honestly, I get why. The story hits harder when you have time to connect with the characters and their ...struggles. I’ve been planning to watch it for such a long time, so I’m really glad I finally did. It was absolutely worth it, powerful, emotional, and definitely something I’d pass on to others. The only downside for me is the length. With just 8 episodes and an OVA, it feels incredibly short. It’s a shame, because the world and characters have so much potential. But at the same time, maybe it’s better this way, short, focused, and impactful, instead of dragging things out and losing the emotional punch. Overall, it’s a small but unforgettable experience. Reviewer’s Rating: 8 What did you think of this review? Nice 0 Love it 0 Funny 0 Confusing 0 Informative 0 Well-written 0 Creative 0More reviews by maya_kotori (113) Show allRead moreShow lessOpen Gift Report Aug 29, 2025 Babineaux Mixed Feelings Black Rock Shooter ended up being a lot better than I thought it would be. It had something to say. And that thing wasn't wrong. > The first episode blew me away with its excellent direction, spectacle and artistic vision. There was intrigue, there was action, there was an interesting scenario to explore... > However, the second episode made me concerned that I'd already figured out the show's gimmick and was afraid that it didn't mesh well. > By the fourth episode, it had allayed my fears somewhat, and by episodes 6-8 I was on board for the message it was trying to impart. So: it has a ...lot of pretty lights and sounds, the characters are reasonably likeable, the pacing is snappy and they string you along with enticing cliffhangers to keep you engaged. The premises for the characters, and the story, is good and seems to make sense. And perhaps most importantly, the message it wishes to impart to the audience, that the whole show is built around, is true. But that begs the question: why am I not gushing over this like it's a really great show you should 100% watch? Why do I have mixed feelings? Well, that's because I think it's probably an acquired taste. -- I suspect that the complaints surrounding this show are with regards to the rather loose plot and relatively simple characters surrounding the core idea that the show wishes to communicate. Let me explain: Some people watch shows for the voyeur experience. In this mindset, shows allow you a window into another life, where you can get to know new friends and watch them overcome the various obstacles in their path. There's a "basic problem solving" itch that gets scratched with that, as well as a sense of familiarity and belonging. This show doesn't do that very well, because it doesn't "fill you up" in that regard. It feels shallow, even when it's actually doing a lot of stuff right. It feels rushed, because it burns through its ideas too quickly. It would have been nice to have at least 3 extra episodes, with an extra layer of interconnectedness and complexity to the story, to make it feel like we'd gotten comfortable and properly explored everything. Instead of pottering around seeing the sights, we're rushed through everything at breakneck speed and are left struggling to keep up, and while the plot keeps moving and there's no filler, it honestly felt like we needed to slow down a bit and smell the roses. It also doesn't tend to juggle A plots and B plots, it's quite linear usually with only "one thing happening per episode" - probably because we already cut between the "SLICE OF LIFE REAL WORLD" and the "ALTERNATE REALITY BATTLE WORLD", so the author decided to "keep it simple, stupid" and not juggle too many plates. But this means we aren't able to get comfortable, mull things over, and watch things gradually unfold. -- IN CONCLUSION: It's sort of like watching an arthouse film, with big ideas and impressive visuals, but most of the regular audiences either wouldn't really get it, or else would just shrug it off as a "one and done thing" that "killed a few hours of your time in the afternoon" before forgetting about it. There's nothing particularly wrong with it per se, it just doesn't end up being fleshed out enough to make you fully invested in it, like you'll find with some fandoms. IF IT WAS A MEAL, it'd have a lot of green vegetables that you understand on an intellectual level are very good for you, and some of them even don't taste half bad. The drink accompanying the meal is top notch, and there is even a (somewhat small) portion of meat on the side. But there is not quite enough meat for you to feel happy, and there are no potatoes at all, no "filler" to round out the meal and leave you feeling completely satisfied. Oh, and to cap it off, you also had to eat it in a hurry, because the chef wanted to close the restaurant early. This leaves you with a slight bit of indigestion, and you still ultimately feel a little bit hungry by the end, but not necessarily for more leafy greens... Reviewer’s Rating: 7 What did you think of this review? Nice 0 Love it 0 Funny 0 Confusing 0 Informative 0 Well-written 0 Creative 0More reviews by Babineaux (10) Show allRead moreShow lessOpen Gift Report Aug 30, 2023 ThatAnimeSnobRE Not Recommended Informative Black Rock Shooter began as a Vocaloid song, where Miku’s uniform was inspired by some illustrations made by a guy named Huke. An OVA was created in 2010 based on that song/illustration combo, which received a ridiculously huge hype by all the Vocaloid fans. Not a surprise since it was after all a fan catering title. Two years later (2012) NoitanimA decided to take this title in its timeslot and to expand it further, thus creating the current version. Despite being only 8 episodes, it still feels longer than it needs to be. The plot is very simple; it is just about a bunch of schoolgirls ...going through an emotional maelstrom, caused by jealousy. The heroine Mato is looking for friends in her new school and befriends another girl named Yomi. This causes the other girls who were friends with to feel betrayed for loosing her full attention. While we watch the simple everyday lives of some normal girls, the plot will be going back and forth to an alternative reality, where we see them dressed in weird gothic clothes and fighting each other with fantasy-themed weapons. The themes don’t need more than a few episodes to be explored. The alternative world where the action takes place in is a hellish place which represents their mentality. Them fighting is supposed to symbolize their emotions and their friendship being challenged because of jealousy. These parts are practically non-stop action with all sorts of over-the-top weapons and it looks like a fantasy videogame. It is very eye-catchy thanks to its weird imagery and fast paced action, and a contrast to the rest of the normal scenes. That is basically the main attraction and lure of this show. Watching some girls having an allegorical emotional conflict, made to seem in their minds like an all-out war in that other world. Unfortunately there is nothing more beyond that, since there is no mystery or numerous characters going through similar situations. In this regard the show falls flat before Madoka Magica or the Persona series. It remains a shallow fan catering work, a simplistic concept presented in an extravagant way, that promotes the song/illustrations and intends to sell a lot to the Vocaloid fans, or anyone else who is into fighting lolis. Make that naked pseudo-lesbian lolis who have to embrace pain and keep going or some nonsense. When did we even see the girls trying to run away from the pain and thus excusing all this mess? Oh, right, we didn’t, the show didn’t bother to build up the conflict. That’s how much effort was placed on this anime. Reviewer’s Rating: 5 What did you think of this review? Nice 0 Love it 0 Funny 0 Confusing 0 Informative 0 Well-written 0 Creative 0More reviews by ThatAnimeSnobRE (188) Show allRead moreShow lessOpen Gift Report More stacks
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Prequel (Music) Black★Rock Shooter 
Send us your hidden manga gems of 2025! 
Watch "ConBiz!" ー a new Japanese business entertainment program 
Anime Art Academy: Learn how to draw anime & manga from Japanese pros🎨 
Jan 6, 2026 maya_kotori Recommended This is such a beautifully crafted anime, especially when it comes to portraying friendship. I really enjoyed it (more than I expected) and there were moments that genuinely brought tears to my eyes. It has that rare mix of emotional depth and visual intensity that stays with you long after you finish it. This version is newer, of course, even though the original concept is older and there’s also a movie. A lot of people recommend watching the series first because it’s easier to understand, and honestly, I get why. The story hits harder when you have time to connect with the characters and their 
Aug 29, 2025 Babineaux Mixed Feelings Black Rock Shooter ended up being a lot better than I thought it would be. It had something to say. And that thing wasn't wrong. > The first episode blew me away with its excellent direction, spectacle and artistic vision. There was intrigue, there was action, there was an interesting scenario to explore... > However, the second episode made me concerned that I'd already figured out the show's gimmick and was afraid that it didn't mesh well. > By the fourth episode, it had allayed my fears somewhat, and by episodes 6-8 I was on board for the message it was trying to impart. So: it has a 
Aug 30, 2023 ThatAnimeSnobRE Not Recommended Informative
Less Than 12 Episodes 
Vocaloid & Utaite 
magical girls 
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