It is the new year, which means that the senior members of the Light Music Club are now third-years, with Azusa Nakano being the only second-year. The seniors soon realize that Azusa will be the only member left once they graduate and decide to recruit new members. Despite trying many methods of attracting underclassmen—handing out fliers, bringing people into the clubroom, and performing at the welcoming ceremony—there are no signs of anyone that plans to join.
While heading to the clubroom, Azusa overhears Yui Hirasawa say that the club is fine with only five people and that they can do many fun things together. Changing her mind, she decides that they do not need to recruit any members for the time being.
K-On!! revolves around the members of the Light Music Club as they experience their daily high school life. From rehearsing for concerts to just messing around, they are ready to make their last year together an exciting one!
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Ryhzuo
Over the few years or so, it’s been increasingly apparent that watching anything associated with moe is to be treated with the same sort of caution as doing yoga, or making origami. Generally you’d do all three in the privacy of your own room, preferably with the lights dimed down and curtains tightly shut. (I am speaking of course, mainly for guys). Yes there is much shame to be had in admitting you enjoy watching K-On!!, because who in their right mind would enjoy a plotless moeblob slice-of-life show over say… the testosterone filled battle epic TTGL? Certainly no one would admit to such an atrociousact to their friends face to face, (or anything less than a distance of 100 miles and 2 computer screens for that matter). Hence it becomes extremely hard to be objective when posed with the question, ‘Is K-On!! a good anime?’, because all of our social preservation instincts scream “run away!”, while somewhere deep in the soft side of our hearts, something keeps us rooted to our chair and our eyes on our displays.
(Unless you factor in the anonymity of the internet of course, in which case, proudly declaring that K-On!! is awesome and giving it a 9/10 is A-O-K.)
Jokes aside though, in recent times I feel that too much anime are being categorized based on if they have any moe elements in them. While there’s nothing wrong with giving labeling an anime as containing moe, it unfairly depicts certain anime as catering towards the niche otaku audience and suggests it’s lack of depth and unoriginality, which in many cases simply isn’t true. Take Lucky Star for example. Who’s to say that it was just a mindless moeblob?
Anyway I had a review here somewhere… I would go as far as to say that I love the slice-of-life genre. Honey & Clover (which I maintain is more slice-of-life than romance) and Aria remain firmly at my number 1 and 2 spot. For a great slice-of-life, there are a number of criteria that one needs to fill, but the simplest and most important is that every episode should end with you feeling relaxed and contented with a smile on your face. Does K-On!! achieve this? Yes, absolutely 100% yes.
K-On!! follows a relatively frugal format in terms of storyline. You wouldn’t go into each episode expecting anything dramatic or exhilarating, and for some this may be what they like to call boring. But then again, you wouldn’t open a bag of chips expecting M&Ms and chocolate fudge, so why you go into K-On!! expecting anything even resembling a continuous plot? K-On!!’s style single episodic scenarios work greatly in it’s favor, viewers are never startled with annoying cliffhangers or feel an obligation to keep up with it in fear of missing out on some important plot element. If watching K-On!! becomes a chore (I’m looking at you Bleach manga), then it’s missed the point completely, and in this regard, I give K-On!!’s ‘plot’ two thumbs up.
Despite this though, K-On!! deals with some surprisingly deep themes that would go right over the heads of most casual viewers. One definite improvement from it’s first season is the branching out of the limited focus of club practice (eating cake) to wider array of activities. Granted, most of them are still obvious and predictable, the sort of been-there done-that stories we’ve all seen before, but the shift allowed K-On!! to focus on many different aspects and resort less to what I like to call ‘moe-moments’ in order to fill up the 24 minutes. Lets face it, how many different ways can you eat, drink and procrastinate before it starts getting old? Instead though, from the summer trips to school plays to the air conditioning campaigns, K-On!! moves away from the same-ness of cake/tea/practice/more cake in the first season and closer to true slice-of-life.
K-On!!’s real brilliance shines in the final 6-7 episodes or so, as the girls neared the finale of their school life, the realization that their after school tea times can’t last forever hits them quietly and their are faced with the challenges of change and the future. Though not exactly compelling and dramatic, it nevertheless teaches us that our beloved peaceful times cannot always last forever, which only makes them more precious, not unlike Aria the Origination, but on a smaller scale. K-On!’s main idea was a carefree life of daily cake, tea and music with not a worry in the world, but K-On!!’s step away from that ultimately paid off and turned what would have been just a mediocre moeblob into a great slice-of-life.
I supposed I’d better tackle the moe problem, as it seems to be the main issue dragging K-On!! down. Yes, there is a lot of it. Yes, it gets annoying. Yes, it is overused and detracts from the overall effect. Would K-On!! be better without it? Probably. But then it wouldn’t be K-On!!. Yes you can all come and egg my house afterwards for using such a cliche argument, but there is some wisdom in my words, ladies and gentlemen. As much as we all hate to admit it, moe has become an integral part of the characterization of the K-On!! girls. Yui simply wouldn’t believe the same if she didn’t drool over Azu-nyan or cake, Azu-nyan wouldn’t be the same if she didn’t get embarrassed over every little thing and Mugi simply can’t exist without her air-headed-ness and cheerfulness. Sure, they could do without it, but then they’d be different characters completely. Big Macs would probably taste better with tomato sauce instead of mayo, but then they wouldn’t be Big Macs anymore, if you get what I mean. Even though I make better tasting burgers myself, I wouldn’t want to have Big Macs any other way.
And to be fair, a lot of the moe-hate stem from people who watch 3-4 episodes, drop it, and then go complain about it on forums. As I followed K-On!! throughout it’s season, I was quietly surprised as the moe-moments gradually thinned out little by little. It was as if as the girls grew older, the show slowly matured along with them. Don’t believe me? Well, don’t my word for it, see for yourself. Right now. Open up say episode 2 or 3, count how many moe-moments there are, and then compare them to a later episode, say, 21 or something. Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere so take your time… Ok… done? See? Good. Anyway as I was saying, the gradual fade of moe was was subtle and barely noticeable, but for those paying attention it was a nice touch, and went along well with the tone of bittersweetness of the end of their high school lives.
I guess it’ll be wrong to not comment on the music of K-On!! seeing as how that was kinda the whole theme that they were going for. Honestly speaking, it really isn’t half bad. Toyosaki Aki (Yui)’s cute but horrendous out of tune vocals aside, the OP, ED and insert songs generally maintain the high standard of the first season. They’re catchy, and well… very K-On!!-ish. What caught me out though was the meaning they seem to embody. Rather than the lyrics simply being a spontaneous creation (I mean Curry Nochi Rice, what was that all about) they represented something, like Yui’s realization of all the things she took for granted in portrayed in U&I and the girl’s close friendship exemplified through their song for Azusa. In short, K-On!!’s music is great, and that’s all there really is to say about that. (Unless you hate poppy rock, in which case allow me to direct you to the mute button. Seriously, no one’s making you listen to this, get over yourself.)
Guess I better get on to the boring stuff now.
Animation: Nothing to write home about, but the smoothness and crispness is certainly pleasing and relaxing to look at, a very good style for a slice-of-life. Animation during the live performances have definitely improved since the first season, which is a definite plus.
Sound: Insert songs aside, more often than not there’s always some cutesy background music playing to accompany the scene. While this can easily backfire, KyoAni does a very good job of timing, and fitting the mood with the right music, so this section is also a plus.
Voice Acting: I was surprised in the first season how such a amateurish band of seiyuu could bring the characters to life. Another season’s gone by and I’m pleased that the quality of VA as remained consistent. Toyosaki Aki’s performance as Yui deserves a special mention, with interchanging voices between cutesy and hoarse, and the constant (if a bit too frequent) “ehhh?”s, it was really a joy to listen to. I still maintain that she needs singing lessons though.
So ultimately, is K-On!! a good anime? Well let me be perfectly honest. I actually wrote this review as a bet against a friend who maintained that it was impossible to write a review for, and I quote, “a cliched intangible blob of moe”. Now to be fair, he may have been right. Maybe I would have found it much easier to just simply cast K-On!! aside as a generic moe-cash in by KyoAni with half decent characterization, no good plot and overall mediocre anime. But as I instead set out to do the impossible task, I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that it was not as impossible as I originally thought. K-On!! is good. Heck, it’s great. It knew exactly what it wanted to be, and set out to achieve it brilliantly (which is more than I can say for Angel Beats). I’d probably go as far as to say it is the best slice-of-life/moe anime of the year. Sure, it probably couldn’t hold a candle to say… Durarara or FMA:Brotherhood, but you wouldn’t compare K-On!! to those anime for the same reason you wouldn’t ride a goat to an equestrian event or wear a miniskirt to a basketball game. Is K-On!! a good slice-of-life/moe? Yes. Then… did I enjoy K-On!!? Yes, immensely. Then… Is K-On!! a good anime? Obvious answer is obvious. So much for generic and mediocrity huh?
I will conclude with this afterthought. I could probably very easily write a long rant about the negatives of vanilla ice cream. I could talk about how bad it is for your health, how expensive and nutrition lacking ice-cream is, or how it is an overrated flavor and too many people eat just because they don’t have the guts to try new and better flavors, or how the ice-cream companies continue to make vanilla ice-cream to cater for those idiotic people, cashing in instead of nobly taking the first step in revolutionizing ice cream flavors. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t change the fact that I like vanilla ice-cream, and that I enjoy having it every Friday night after dinner as I tune in to watch the weekly action flick on television. If I didn’t enjoy vanilla ice-cream, would that change the fact that it’s a good ice-cream? Of course not. You’d be a magnificent retard for declaring vanilla ice-cream is bad just because you don’t like it, so why do some people do it so much for anime like K-On!!? Vanilla ice-cream exists for people who like vanilla ice-cream, just like K-On!! exists for people who like a good slice-of-life with a bit of (or quite a bit of, whatever floats your boat) moe. If there are people who enjoy it, then that should be all that matters, and I think sometimes we’re too easily forgetful of that fact.
Thanks for reading this wall of text.
Veronin
Things are sometimes more than they seem. For any individual, there always are surprises to be found in the long walk of life. Things that initially appear flavorless and dull, but reveal themselves to be something much more colorful. These are the kinds of experiences that impact a person and make them feel something of significance. They may make them laugh or cry, but in the end these are the kinds of stories that hold a special place in one's heart. The second season of K-ON is, for me (and for many), this very experience. K-ON has always been a very polarizing series, one which hasa dedicated fanbase and a vocal group of people staunchly asserting their hatred of the anime. Regardless of any personal feelings one might hold towards the massive franchise, it's impossible to deny the influence that it's enjoyed these past few years. But unlike so many titles that are successful simply by chance or for manipulating its viewers, KyoAni has painstakingly focused on quality to ensure that K-ON deserves every bit of its fame.
Clearly, this is not a complex story.
This will not challenge your beliefs or ideals, nor give you something to analyze and mull over. It's first and foremost a character-based slice of life revolving around five young girls and their daily lives within their highschool music club. Though reluctant fans and critics of the genre may find themselves irritated by the idealized and cute nature of the series, there is much more value to be found than a cursory glance at the artwork or synopsis might suggest. K-ON is an anime which all groups of people can enjoy- provided that the notion of 'cute girls drinking tea' doesn't make you want to go outside and blow stuff up.
While comedy plays the most extensive role in the entertainment of this series, a good portion of the fun comes from the characters and their basic interaction with each other. There's a very interesting dynamic between the main cast and they contrast and play off each other in both comedic and dramatic scenes. The most noteworthy example of this is the relationship between Yui and Azusa: a lazy, ditzy girl alongside her extremely hardworking and strict junior. While there isn't anything especially unique or complex to be found at first, it's a relationship that eventually develops into one that feels genuinely endearing. There are no melodramatic arguments between the two, nor is there only a single moment where their feelings come to light.
Surprisingly, the resulting character development does not subvert this dynamic but instead expands upon it. Azusa still finds herself feeling out-of-place and anxious in regards to the silly behavior of her seniors, while Yui also struggles to take her musicianship more seriously and come across as a figure that Azusa can rely on. A heavy contrast between the two exists as a result, which allows them to gain insight and grow from each other in a way that feels meaningful, while still retaining the inherent nature of their personalities. It's a dynamic that the series focuses on and highlights, and thankfully this aspect is treated with the care that it truly deserves.
Of course, K-ON focuses heavily on the other members of the club as well – five girls of very different lifestyles and backgrounds coming together and becoming close and inseparable friends. Unlike many slice of life series, this isn't an immediate growth between the cast (sans the long friendship between Ritsu and Mio), but rather a gradual one that builds from each episode. Rather than focus on one specific character each episode, the series is often focused more on their time together as a group. The girls all feel like human beings with personality and purpose, rather than the faceless archetypes that have become a staple of many anime titles. As a result, it becomes very easy to grow attached to the characters and feel like you're along with them for the ride, rather than simply being a mere spectator.
For an anime to immerse its viewers to such a level – to allow them to feel like they are there with the cast, is a very special thing. It serves not only to make each moment more meaningful, but to make the experience feel very personal as well. When the tale of the five girls is over, you may find yourself feeling like something important inside of you is now missing. If all the tea and cake leaves you in doubt, this will be the sign of something more.
The most prevalent theme within the series is that of growing up. They change, they adapt, and they learn to accept their new situation. As graduation draws closer for four of the five girls they deal with the complications of college entrance exams, career choices, and leaving their highschool life behind. Surprisingly, this has the biggest impact not on these characters themselves, but on their junior, Azusa, who feels discontent and uneasy about her friends moving on before her. She struggles with the prospect of managing the club by herself and recruiting new members for after the other girls graduate, an issue that is touched upon many times and eventually resolved towards the end of the series.
It's this theme which leads to a wide variety of emotional and heartwarming moments in the story. Two preeminent examples include the girls performing in front of the school for a final time and having a tearful realization after, and a final scene where the four girls graduate and play a bittersweet farewell song in the club room for a crying Azusa. I am not ashamed to admit that these two scenes made me tear up.
Which brings up an interesting point, because if the series were so focused on the girls eating cake and doing nothing each episode, would these kinds of scenes exist in the first place? No. It almost feels like a direct contradiction to the claims of the anime being focused on nothing more than the cuteness of the characters, and while it's impossible to deny its presence in the story, it's quite clear that this is not what the anime is defined by. This is what sets K-ON apart from many of its competitors: being an anime that is not only cute and entertaining, but one that carries emotional impact as well.
It should also be noted that while the manga is not by any means bad, KyoAni took Kakifly’s very simplistic 4-koma and added an enormous amount of detail to it, taking important plot elements that only existed in a passing line or panel from the manga. The vast majority of the character development and emotional scenes are the work of KyoAni and the talented staff behind the anime, and for taking liberties and improving upon the manga in so many ways they deserve to be applauded and commended. There's an adage about how adaptations are always inferior to the source material, but this is one example that proves it's not always so.
But then, where would the series be without the stunning production values that KyoAni is so well known for?
This is luckily an aspect that is not glanced over or given second thought, and the visuals in K-ON are something that stand out as being absolutely stellar as a result. Almost everything about the characters is fluid and detailed, with movements looking and feeling very much lifelike. Not only do the mouth and limbs move like in most anime, but the hair will move along with the body, the clothes will furrow and crease realistically to the character’s movements, and their eyebrows and facial shape will accentuate their expression. While the girls seldom practice or play music, the scenes where they do play are beautifully animated and show detail that musicians and general viewers will appreciate. It’s a gorgeous anime to look at and it really reflects the effort that KyoAni put into the series.
Music itself is much more varied than in the first season, with several times more unique songs that the girls perform together as a band and during the opening and ending sequences. These songs are all performed by the actors behind each character, and, while they certainly aren't amazing pieces of music, they fit perfectly with the tone of the anime and with the musical talent of the girls. They are not professional musicians but rather highschool girls that play and practice for fun, which makes the silly songs that they perform seem all the more realistic and fitting. Of further note is the background music, which is simplistic and sets the atmosphere for each scene very well.
The second season is a bit of a departure from its predecessor, though, in the sense that the music is not highlighted or given nearly as much focus as it had before. This isn't an anime about music but an anime about a group of friends that happen to play music. They practice and play, discuss musical terminology, and shop for new gear, but this serves more as an aspect of their daily lives rather than something they are invariably focusing on and thinking about. There's definitely enough here to satisfy accomplished and aspiring musicians alike, but it is not the focal point. However, when the series does focus on its musical performances it does a fantastic job, hitting on both the entertainment and emotional level. "U & I" is a great example of this, a song written by Yui to show thanks for her sister in a way that she could never express without music.
In the end, K-ON is not some form of "masterpiece" or its synonyms. It would be very difficult to find any anime that can genuinely meet that criteria. Rather, K-ON is an exemplary title that showcases what the best of anime really has to offer, both within its genre and universally. It's a title which shows us that a complex plot and deep themes are not required for an anime to truly resonate.
K-ON may not be everybody's cup of tea, but for the girls of Sakuragaoka High School, it is their tea party.
Katsuro-chan
Well, what else can I really say about this anime, other than calling it a seed of potential that blossomed into a beautiful anime that made me emotionally attached to the story itself as well as connect to my life? Such gems are rare, and im glad i gave this anime a chance to make me laugh, smile and cry without overdoing the "moe moe kyun" factor. So where do i start? K-On, initially a, as many people call it, "fluffy slice of life" depiction turned from that into what I would personally call a coming of age story, one in which each character is thoroughlyexplored and developed well, and one in which you see them mature since the end of Season 1. But the key here is that kyo-ani didn't overdo it either. So here is my breakdown:
Story (8/10): To be fair, people will dispute me, but in K-On!!, the story is something we all live through in our own realities. When watching this Anime, it reminded me of my days in High School, a place where you not only experienced new opportunities, but grew in maturity, and most importantly, developed memories and friendships that would transcend the years themselves. At first, the tone was lulled, but Im not afraid to say that by the end, the way the story developed made me reminisce my final days, and I too got caught in the emotional moments before the end of the Season. I didn't want it to end, but sometimes, thats what makes the best endings, because you know it ended so wonderfully, and that emotionally you were satisfied. Clannad (After-Story), Kanon, Air, Angel Beats! and now K-On!...Kyo-Ani, you have successfully reeled me in again.
Art (10/10): Has K-On!! improved since the first season? All you need to do is look at the opening theme songs and compare the artwork. Brighter, crisper, smoother, and especially with the live-action scenes, more atmospheric, my eyes were bedazzled by what Kyo-Ani had done, and one can tell they knew how to get their moneys worth from the animation software. Especially with a certain scene in Episode 10 (I think), It was beautiful.
Sound (10/10): Absolutely astounding, thats all I can say. Every time a new song played, whether it was the first few minutes of Episode 1, the new Op of GO! GO! Maniac or Utauyo! Miracle or even something as beautiful as U&I or Tenshi ni Fureta yo, nothing disappointed me, I even laughed a little at the lyrics. I remember disliking Yuis voice initially as well, but oh damn, has it grown on me as time gone on, and even Death Devils songs have revived my love for Japanese speed metal. Either way, the songs make up just another reason why I didn't want this season to end, it reminded me of my days on a Fender Bass or my Grand Piano, the two instruments I consider my life and soul.
Character Development (9.5/10): The fact that I almost cried at the end of the final few episodes are enough to justify my personal score, because it felt like losing something special to me when i realised the anime was ending so soon, and the manga as well (New manga apparently announced...
paraze
"Fun things are fun" – Hirasawa Yui. Disclaimer: this is a review of the entire K-On franchise, minor spoilers ahead. Almost everybody, including myself at one time, is so narrow-minded when it comes to cute girls doing cute things in cute ways anime, whether we enjoy them or not, that we don't expect anything else than moe, comedy and fan service. In a result, we don't really pay attention to the real quality of this kind of show. At first, I saw Keion as an extremely entertaining moeblob series, without being able to explain why. In retrospect, I thought that it started out being a decent one, thatbecame fairly good and even somewhat believable in the late second season. After quite a lot of research and thinking, in addition to a rewatch, I realized that Keion actually has a solid narrative, that characterization and character development are more than satisfying, and that the amount of effort put into details is insane. Don't get me wrong, this isn't Disappearance, it's still a fun series with a high iyashikei potential.
Dropping this anime after a couple of episodes, simply because you can't see past the moe and think it's going to be another generic school life for male otakus, is a shame. That was to be expected, though, since KyoAni is well-known for animating stuff like Lucky☆Star and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Additionally, the original manga was aimed at the type of person mocked by Welcome to the NHK. Moreover and more importantly, the narrative and character development are pretty subtle: you will miss it if you're not attentive, along with tons of cool details, and think that nothing happened.
As Digibro said, "this is a story of how each of these girls finds their place in the Light Music Club". This is the story of their relationship, and ultimately an innocent, adorable and universal story of friendship. Bonus: the second season takes it to a whole new level, but more about that later, I didn't even introduce the characters yet.
The first episode opens with Yui, a lazy, carefree, and airheaded girl entering high school. Yui, who literally did nothing in her life, struggles to search for a club to join. This brings us to the energetic and careless drummer of the series: Ritsu, who desires to form a band with her childhood friend Mio, a beautiful, shy, reserved and mature bassist. Tsumugi, a gentle and sweet pianist who comes from a rich background and has always dreamed of experiencing a normal rose-colored school life, quickly decides to join their band: the Light Music Club. Later on in the series, the serious guitarist Asuza is struck by the performance of these girls at freshman welcoming ceremony, but doesn't understand their appeal, and ultimately joins it as well.
I'll say it again, dropping this anime after a couple of episodes is a shame. At the end of the first one, it's perfectly understandable if you're skeptical about this show and don't know why you should stick with K-On!, neither Yui knows what to do. She doesn't know what the Light Music Club, "K-On" in Japanese, really is about, nor whether she should join it either. While not being astonishing, the beginning makes sense in term of narrative, and Yui could be considered at some level as a metaphor of the viewer, which is pretty nice.
There is no such thing as cheap and easy way to portray inner thoughts, dilemmas, and emotions in this series. For instance, Yui won't say out of nowhere "Damn, I just realized that I was being egoist and didn't take guitar seriously, I feel bad for other members." with a melodramatic song. It was never stated by any characters: it's up to the audience to understand it. To be honest with you, getting a glimpse of her feelings through her reactions, tones, body language, etc. isn't hard... as long as you're paying attention. I love how this anime is full of this kind of details and subtleties that nobody in the show points out.
If you have already watched the first season and think badly of it, you might be wondering "what are you talking about, characters are generic and not developed at all, plus Yui is autistic". Then as you have already guessed, I'll tell you that you missed lots of meaningful details and subtleties... even though that you aren't completely wrong. This season mostly sets up the characters, their club, and the world they live in. In short, you get the basis of what Keion is. And sadly enough, it's rushed as hell.
In point of fact, K-On! focuses way more on establishing the setting and on the comedy, than on this franchise's biggest asset: the characters. Their characterization is pretty weak and they hardly ever feel human. At the end of the 13rd episode, while they definitely have changed a little, you won't notice huge differences in their simplistic and moe personality. It's easy yet important to understand how much they love each other and feel comfortable in the Light Music Club, though. The humor is another problem, by frequently feeling cheap and forced ("Moe Moe Kyun~"). As for Yui being an airhead autistic savant, it's notably used to show us how incredibly she can get serious for her friends, and of course as a joke.
The second season improves upon like, everything. From characterization to lighting to animation to direction to comedy to activities. The animation is more lifelike and detailed than ever, colors feel more natural and refined, backgrounds are more realistic, and on and on. While the first season covered two years in only 13 episodes, the second, completed by an OVA plus a movie, benefits from 26 episodes to follow the senior year of Yui, Ritsu, Mio, and Tsumugi. This slow, realistic pace allows to characters way more time to interact naturally with each other, and grow up as people. That's considerable, since while the setting set by the first season was perfectly believable, thanks to the amazing work of Kyoto Animation, characters weren't yet.
Visuals put aside, what really struck me in at the beginning of K-On!! were the changes in nature of humor. This season isn't entertaining solely because of the moe anymore (even though its predecessor had its moments as well), it's amusing because the comedy which involves and relies on cute girls, with their colorful and distinct personality, is genuinely funny. Moe definitely has become an integral part of their characterization, but at the same time, jokes are more mature and sophisticated. For instance, Yui wouldn't have commented on Sawa-chan's love life with a mean undertone in K-On!. It might sound silly, but I think that lots of comedy scenes could only work in this series with these particular characters.
If I had to describe K-On!! in one word, other than "fun", it would be "healing" (then "immersive", and last but not least "creative"). The comedy in Keion has never intended to be over-the-top, nor it should have. Indeed, quite a lot of moments don't aim at making you laugh, KyoAni doesn't force the girls to go out of their personality to make hilarious things happen. While being both, seeing these friends interact with each others and react with various believable situations is often more heartwarming than amusing. You're more likely to find you smiling during the span of an episode and have a good laugh now and then, than dying laughing every minute. Some could argue that Non Non Biyori is better as a relaxing anime, but that would be overlooking the fact that iyashikei is just a part of what makes K-On!! stand out from other moeblob anime.
While Asuza could almost be merely defined by "moe" at the end of the first season, which left little to no room for character development, she becomes much more human and is given more depth in the second one, at the same time as Yui and the others. The episode where she wonders to what extent her friends influence her, and whether she's still herself, is especially interesting, her relationship with Yui being the key of her development. Being the only underclassman of the Light Music Club, Asuza is going to be left alone by the time the seniors graduate. For the viewers, this season may be all about the dynamic between the characters, but for our lovely girls, this is all about accepting reality and growing up.
During the first half of K-On!!, they're too busy to enjoy themselves and making the most of their youth to be concerned about this fact, though. As mentioned before, this season focuses heavily on these five girls interacting with each others. Everyone has experienced a couple of things of what the characters live in the show, from sleeping with friends to studying to graduation. By portraying it in such a realistic yet slightly romanticized and funny way, Keion speaks directly to the heart of viewers. All of these natural interactions and subtle reactions create a deep sense of immersion and ultimately lead to their development.
In real life, people rarely do a 180° in personality from one day to another. They gradually change, grow, evolve. Do not expect a character development like Simon's from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, but rather few subtle, believable and logical changes in their personality all along the show. Being the pivot in the dramatic progression, Azusa's development is quite special, her attachment to the club and especially toward its members continually growing as graduation is approaching.
Speaking of, even though the story ends up mainly resolving around Azusa, the other keion girls have lots of opportunities to grow out of their moe archetypes as well. In a result of being a part of the Light Music Club, even the character with the weakest and most overlooked development, Tsumugi, gradually becomes much more proactive and involved in the life of the club than before. Azusa's personality, development, and conflicted feelings are explored through her interactions with her friends, as well as the other girls, together with few sweet scenes of introspection. All of that naturally leads us to the episode twenty, both climax and payoff of season 2. This episode shows us their last school festival performance, then finally the girls intimately realizing how much they loved their time together, and about graduation.
The more you connect and become attached to the characters, the more the episode twenty will resonate with you and might become one of your favorite episode of all time (alongside the last battle of Gurren Lagann and the end of The Tatamy Galaxy for my part). Even if you don't care much about these characters, you can still enjoy this episode from a narrative standpoint and for its masterful execution. Along with a stunning animation and great accurate playing, you get a near-to-perfect artistic direction, an amazing sound design, and awesome insert songs. The best part is how Kyoto Animation utilized all of these elements in harmony to create some of the most powerful, emotional, heartbreaking and beautiful scenes I have ever seen, across all mediums. Though a little personal bias might have affected my judgment. I'll say no more but one word about this episode: "lycopene~".
Episode 24, the last one chronologically, and the second climax of the series, made me tear up as well. But again, it is not forced and tearjerking like Jun Maeda's shows (e.g. "please cry now it's supposed to be a sad scene" with overblown sad piano and sad violin). These two episodes couldn't have had such an impact on me if this franchise wasn't as I described above. The final arc, with its melancholic atmosphere and tone, is the most logical way to conclude the story given what came before, and thus is the ultimate proof that Keion's narrative makes sense and follows a logical progression.
It's really important to understand that these episodes don't come out of nowhere. They're so great because of the solid and believable foregoing. To speak only of the graduation, lots of shows make clear of their characters' emotions prematurely ("oh my god it's our last year together I'll miss you so much... is that sad piano am I hearing? Let's cry!"). In real life, just like in Keion, people tend to put off this kind of problem and emotions until they no longer can. Not to mention they don't randomly force themselves to talk about it for the pure sake of drama.
Something Keion does better than most of the shows I've seen, is creating a believable world, a world that feels alive, a world that works on its own. I won't put it on the same level as Cowboy Bebop's world building, but it's still nice to Yui's classmates acting like real people for example. It might feel a little contrived how much everyone cheer for the Light Music Club, though. It's worth mentioning that some recurring side characters, like Yui's sister, Azusa's friend Jun, or Sawa-chan-sensei, are given quite a lot of screentime and a proper treatment. KyoAni's attention to such details helps to build the consistent world I love.
Additionally, in a result of depicting the daily life of the keion girls with Naoko Yamada's style, this anime is extremely immersive and atmospheric. The complete lack of fanservice contributes significantly to maintaining the suspension of disbelief. While both seasons indeed have scenes with the girls in cute bikini and having reflexions about Mio's or Azusa's chest, they don't exist solely to please the male audience, they're genuinely immersive. You could totally imagine real teenagers wearing this kind of swimsuit and making such friendly mean comments (the few ones in the second season aren't even necessarily explicit, you know, just like in real life). Characters are not sexualized in the least, and the only things that could be considered as cheap fanservice, in its wider meaning, are silly "moe moe kyun" jokes from the first season, and Sawa-chan's passion for cute outfits. It's actually quite funny to see the girls' skirts to systematically fall between their legs when they sit down. This is moe at its purest form. That's just how much KyoAni's staff love their work and respect its characters.
One doesn't have to be an anime veteran to understand the complaints about the lack of creativity of studios when it comes to moe. While Keion doesn't stand out that much in this area, we still should give KyoAni some credit, which definitely get out of their comfort zone in the second season, by not always following the same recipe and trying to keep renewing themselves. Regarding openings, even though I tend to prefer Go! Go! Maniac! to Utauyo!! MIRACLE musically speaking, the last one is really emblematic of what the show has to offer in term of fun and creativity. The latter adjective applies to the legitimately awesome endings as well: Don't say "lazy" (the most memorable), Listen! (my favorite), No, Thank You! (the best).
Don't forget Keion is, for the most part, a show about cute girls doing dumb stuff. I am obviously not saying crap like "at the end it's still just a moeblob anime, it cannot possibly be good". My aim here is simply to bring to light what this series intended to do and how great the execution is. Being bored by all of these silly characters and lazy afternoons is perfectly understandable, and not the end of the world. Keion may simply not be for you, but hey, there are tons of great shows out of here, just try to keep an open mind.
Just a few words about both OVAs and movie, even though the latter definitely deserves a review on its own. The first OVA takes place after the events of the first season, on the New Year's Eve, and could belong to the second one, with the girls stepping outside of their club and the fun mainly coming from their natural interactions. The second mostly prepares the ground for the movie. Despite being a great condensed version of the second season with truly excelling production values, K-On! Movie is still slightly inferior to the series, in my opinion, the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.
Things are sometimes more than they seem, but at the end, fun things are fun.
Edueuller
About: K-on is an anime that had its debut in 2009 with the genre of Comedy, Musical and Slice of Life, it is also considered by many to be the source of the MOES anime. Even if you don't know much about animes, you may have seen some things about it, you probably have seen some K-ON photo or video, as it is a very popular anime. First impressions: The first impression of K-on is that it will be a tedious anime, after all besides being a slice of life with cute girls,the anime doesn’t have such a colorful colorpalette, it has firmer colors, the school’s brown and white and the girls’s blue uniform.
I was surprised that K-on!, although it has a musical theme, has almost no music; The songs are only shown when there is a rehearsal or school performance.
Characters:
In the music club all five members: (Mugi, Yui, Ritsu, Mio and Azusa) are very charismatic and friendly characters, the anime manages to pass in a great way the true friendship that they have even with the very different personalities that they have:
- Yui is a guitarist in the band, she is clumsy, carefree and always has help from her younger sister for various things.
- Ritsu is the drummer and president of the club, she is very playful, and always tells horror stories to Mio in order to scare her.
- Mio is the bassist and is a very beautiful, intelligent and fearful girl, she is so popular in high school that she even has a fan club just for her.
- Mugi is at the keyboard and is a very beautiful and calm girl, loves to prepare tea and snacks so that everyone at the club can eat.
- Azusa is also a guitarist and Kohai of all the other four, being the strictest of the club in terms of musical rehearsals, but it doesn't always happen as she wants.
Even with such different personalities, each manages to be cute in his own way. An interesting fact is that the band's name: "Ho-kago Tea Time" (Tea time after school) comes from the fact that what they do most at the club is tea time.
Music and Soundtrack:
The openings and endings are sung by the voice actors of the protagonists, giving more life to the anime, as the songs are considered by the band "Ho-kago Tea Time" showing that they really know how to play and that they are a great band.
In addition to the openings and endings being very good, the anime's soundtracks are excellent and incredibly engaging, I particularly couldn't stop singing the rhythm of the soundtracks, even after days I saw the anime they still resonated in my head so good that are .
OSTs (Original SoundTracks) I liked:
- Have some tea?
- Morning dew
- Kawaii Inbow
- Cotton Candy
- Virtual Love
- Happy languidness
and many others...
Conclusion:
K-on is a masterpiece of the Slice of life MOE, with very cute and fun scenes, an excellent soundtrack and incredible characters. K-on knows how to show the true meaning of friendship and shows that the best moments in life are the simple moments you spend with the people you care about.
In that second season there was a scene that filled my eyes with tears, but I will not comment so as not to spoil the experience for those who will be watching. I think it's really worth watching.
Finishing:
And I proudly dedicated K-on with the first review I did in my life, but even with this review I still feel that I couldn't fully express everything I felt when I watched this anime, but just remembering that this was a personal review, so no it means that you will feel the same as you did when you saw it, after all tastes and opinions are different.
bunnyofthesea
You know, I was hoping that a show about 5 girls in a band would feature a little more, I don't know, MUSIC? All these little fuckers do is sit around, eat cake and faff around with the pet turtle. I get that most people's enjoyments comes from these light-hearted interactions but did we really need 39 episodes of this? In those 40 episodes these girls can manage to come up with about 4 different songs over 3 years of being a band. Though you wouldn't know this considering they play the same fucking song any time that god forbid somebody bothers the music clubto play some actual fucking music! I liked the characters at first but when six episodes in they decided to just redo those same episodes again but with the loli cat girl, I had given up all hopes of this having any interesting development.
idcshowmewaifus
A decade after its release, I finally got to experience the animated wonder that is K-On!! I'm not the first to admit this by any means, but originally I thought this show would be nothing more than a chick-flick that I'd find my 12 year old cousin watching. But if you cast those aspersions aside and give K-On a shot - you'll find a joyous tale of high schoolers than handle themselves so haphazardly you can't help but smile, laugh, and cry tears of joy along with them. Usually I like to include a one paragraph summary of why you should or shouldn't watch the show.I feel like I can't do that for this show. There is just so much I want to say about how amazing this show was to watch. This is all I can say: please do yourself and watch this show if you're on the fence about it. This show delivers such a satisfying emotional experience wrapped in a sweet layer of lighthearted humour. I can't recommend it enough. If you need an exhaustive elaboration on everything I love about this show, read ahead.
Story - 8/10
The main gripe I had with Season 1's storytelling was that it felt too restrictive - that is to say about 50% of the show took place in the club room. I can safely say that Season 2 hits the ball out of the park with its story. Hokago Tea Time (the name of the main casts' band) spend a lot more time away from the club room by going to concerts, festivals, and school trips. There's also a 2-episode arc near the end of Season 2 that is a total treat to watch! While K-On is meant to be a lighthearted show, it also deals with the topic of graduating and saying goodbye to some of your closest friends - which is something I definitely resonate with and have to give props to. The story is just done so much better and had me in both tears of sadness and joy.
Art - 9/10
As I've come to expect from Kyoto Animation, they really outdid themselves with some absolute visial spectacles throughout the show. Maybe it's because my eyes are not trained well enough, but I seriosuly thought this show was like three years old and was totally surprised to see it was made over a decade ago. Whenever the characters are outside or in a place where lighting is different from the indoor standard, it is just a spectacle to behold. The way the light bounces off of each character in different ways just adds breadth to the show and makes it, to put it simply, so nice to look at. But the show definitely looks its best when the cast are away from school. Whether its the bustling city of Kyoto that's only one screen away from realism, or the star-studded night sky of the concert festival - there's going to be something that sticks in your head. One more thing I absolutely love about the show's art is its ability (or should I say inclination) to swap art-styles so effortlessly just for a visual gag. I absolutely love that kind of comedy in anime and K-On delivers.
Sound - Answer's obvious (11/10)
I'm going to quickly mention the show's original soundtrack before getting into the audio heaven that is Hokage Tea Time's songs. The original soundtrack is nothing to cast aside - it holds itself well enough against HTT's songs so that you don't forgot it. There were three tracks in the original soundtrack that I enjoyed thoroughly. Now, onto Hokage Tea Time's original songs. GOD, were they good. Right after you hear HTT's first live performance (which I believe was Fuwa Fuwa Time?) to the final note of HTT's last song acting as a sincere farewell to the school and the memories they've made, you know you've just blessed your ears with something wholesome and unique. While I do agree that most of their lyrics aren't too meaningful and are perfectly comprehended at a surface level, I don't speak Japanese so it doesn't bother me too much. All their songs gladly wear their hearts on their sleeves and speak to your emotions so bluntly, that you can't help but have a silly grin on your face while reading the lyrics. In fact, the last song that HTT played together on the show hit me so hard in the feels I cried in front of my mom while watching the episode, and it gives me this sentimental feeling whenever I llisten to it. I recommend listening to the Hokage Tea Time mixtape on YouTube that includes all of the little comments and mistakes they make while recording. It's just so perfect.
Characters - 10/10
Season 2 did absolute wonders for every single character in terms of character development and likeability. While I was originally a Yui, Mugi, and Ritsu supremacist, Season 2 completely changed my perspective. Each character gets around two episodes around them that fleshes them out as greater and more interesting characters. I can't even say anymore that I have a favourite from HTT, becasue they're all just so lovable and a joy to watch. Even the side characters like their club supervisor Sawako and Azusa's friends Ui and Jun get their own episodes. You can't help but appreciate the detail they put into these characters, even if just a little, that make you enjoy the show even more.
Maybe it's just the killer tracks that I can't help but mumble along to since I can't speak Japanese. Maybe it's just the absurdly funny Yui and Ritsu combination that never fail at putting a smile on my face. Maybe it's just the totally lovable cast that is at times so annoying yet endearing. Maybe it's just the fact that this was the first anime that moved me to tears of joy and tears of sadness. Nevermind, it's all of those things. There is just so much to love about this show that I can't express in a single review.
I never thought a lighthearted and carefree comedy about five highschool girls who spend most of their time drinking tea would make me smile, laugh, worry, and cry all in one season. But I'm glad it did. If you do decide to watch this show, take your sweet time. Because you only get to watch this show for the first time once, and that is one of the most inexplicably greatest things I wish I could have back - just so I could watch it all over again for the first time.
helpfulcitizen
Despite the first season being a lot more light-hearted, I still found comfort watching the same five members of the Light Music club. Kyoto Animation, along with the VAs, truly captured the cuteness of every character. Plot/Story: 9/10 As for the plot, there really isn't any. Then again, being a CGDCT anime, I never expected too much of a plot anyway. One could even argue the fact we saw their graduation actually happen is more progress than most slice of life shows. Toward the end, there seemed to be the "dropped" plot point of the club trying to find members after the senior's graduation. I don'tthink this really affected my enjoyment of show, nor do I believe this really should have been expanded on. Introducing new members last second would seem rushed, especially since we won't see much of them.
Art: 10/10
There isn't much to comment on the animation. It's what you'd expect from Kyoto Animation - smooth, consistent, and cute. What I have noticed, although this might just be me, is that the color palette used in most scenes is rather dark compared to other SoL/moe anime.
Character: 10/10
Each character was fairly believable, and they really worked well together. The relationships formed were also heartwarming to see. To see them separate as the seniors head for college was sad but at the same time compelling, seeing how each character handles the experience.
Overall: 10/10
To reiterate, K-on is a must watch anime for fans of the SoL/CGDCT anime. If I had to complain about one thing, it is how every girl was able to attend the same college. It seemed unrealistic and quite frankly took away some emotional value the ending had. I felt worse for Sawako, Azusa and Ui more than the main four knowing they would continue their friendship in college.
wachow
There's a strange aura that haunts the slice of life genre. "It's a bunch of nothing." What could you possibly get from a show like K-on? There are countless lessons to learn throughout a lifetime, and I think one that many should obtain is the know-how to appreciate greatness in anything. A show doesn't have to tell a story the way Serial Experiments Lain does to be considered a "masterpiece." I'm not too fond of the word as it has become notably diluted, but I'd like to use it here to describe K-on to help share my foundation of what makes an anime such. Amasterpiece is: "a work of outstanding artistry, skill, or workmanship." defined by Oxford. While K-on may appear a run-of-the-mill slice of life, its production is top-notch, and its story is compelling to form what I would most definitely consider an anime masterpiece.
K-On is the cardinal, "cute girls doing cute things" type of show, with it being one of the certain pillars and concurred ancestors of the subgenre. The thing is, though many copies arose, many fail to capture the charm of K-on. It is a cute girls doing cute things type of show but, it's not only that. There is still nuance, and there is still an essence. "Good artists copy; great artists steal." -(most likely) Pablo Picasso. What the said good artist would copy from K-on is the cutesy, light-hearted comedy. The great artist would instead steal its narrative direction. K-on is highly regarded as a show because it still had an excellent story. It's easy to dismiss the story's depth because its production through KyoAni was so sharp, blending the cutesy stuff with the story impeccably. It's nothing profound or life-changing in the slightest, but it's touching and heartwarming.
The story is a perfect example of simplicity becoming sophistication. It rides of the fast pace of s1 to slow things down. The early years went quick as the girls frolicked around, but it's the senior year now. There's limited time, and their band isn't anywhere near what they've dreamed it to be. K-on takes this slow pacing to deliver and reflect a simple yet wondrous lesson, to enjoy every moment you have. They know their dreams of grandeur won't come true, but they know if they keep working and have fun along the way, the experience is worth more than enough. The small goals each girl wanted to accomplish slowly become checked off, and they can all end with a smile on their face. Mio has improved her confidence massively. Yui has been able to become the older sister she's always wanted to be. Ritsu becomes the strong club president she would always claim herself to be. Mugi has gained the experiences of a "normal girl," as she's a rich, prestigious girl. Azusa has learned to relax, not be so stiff, and to have fun. K-on tells nothing new and nothing original, but in no way is it a bad show. It's a coming-of-age without the crazy. Sometimes, a character doesn't have to save their parents being held hostage in a burning building for them to mature. These girls lived a modest life and learned their lessons. I think this modesty is why I could connect so well to the show. The glory of many action shows often has me admiring rather than relating. I'm cheering for the guy, but in no way am I seeing myself in his shoes. K-on's composure as something plain was able to speak remarkably to someone like me. After all, here I am writing about how it did.
The show knows what it wants and executes it perfectly. The gradual culmination of the girls' emotions as they reach the inevitable end of their highschool life couldn't have been better. They talk like it's ages away yet arrive in no time. The cutesy stuff intertwined beautifully with the thematic side to mask the passing of time. One day, it's the beginning, you watch them do some silly stuff, and then, it's over. The impact of the girls' time realization hit just as hard to me as it did to them. They perform at their annual school concert, say, "Wow, I'm so excited to do it next year!" and realize there won't be another year. When one of the girls remembers, they all do, and the direction here is ideal. It pours emotion. S2 has slowly built this bond, this experience, and now, it all explodes out in a warm, affection-filled scene. The build-up of their innocent blindness strikes them all at an instant, causing these amazing detailed animations to take the stage and a not-so-pretty look to bear my face. The shimmer of their tears, the glow of the environment, the look on their faces, it was flawless to elicit the emotional climax of K-on's story.
It's not a story of accomplishing your dream but fulfilling your life. They're okay with not becoming big. They instead learned how to appreciate their time. Every day you feel like you've wasted a part of it, and while you certainly may have done so, learning to embrace whatever goodness might've come from it is a much better outlook on life. K-on is essentially supposed to make you feel better, and a lesson like this applies completely. So what if they ate cake and drank tea most of their practice time? The charm that resulted from their antics bled through their performances to entrance both the audience in the anime along with us, the viewer. The band has never been something of talent or skill, with Yui and Azusa initially describing them as "not very good," yet they find great success within the community. The best quote from K-on is "Fun things are fun!" by Yui. It's stupid but speaks to her character, along with the viewer. K-on is telling you to have fun, to enjoy life because the same way time sped by these girls, it will do to you. The band found success because their passion and easy-going energy touched the community, not because they were virtuosos.
The quality and effort put through the songs speak vastly of KyoAni's passion. They had the voice actors learn their instruments and had them perform some of the songs. As a guitarist, watching Yui and Azusa play was stunning. The chords matched up, and while my attention to the lead guitar stuff was little, it seemed to be close, with definite hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides clearly animated. The song U&I was already enough to bring forth many emotions but that song for Azusa, whew, almost cried again.
I really enjoyed K-on, if you couldn't tell. 10/10 in pure entertainment. The chibi forms that often appeared were really cute and funny, especially when Mio would "explode." The stupid things they'd do to procrastinate practicing never failed to make me laugh. The character interactions, while based on the manga's four-panel comedy, never felt forced. If you haven't read the K-on manga, don't bother. It's nowhere near as good, with most of s1 and all of season 2 and the movie being completely anime original. KyoAni really poured their heart into K-on, and you can feel it. "Sad" anime often disappoints me because of the poor writing that follows most of them. Never would I expect to feel so much from what I thought was only a cutesy comedy for me to relax.
Viewing K-on is all about perception. Requiring the maturity to understand that a show like K-on can be something worthy of a title such as "masterpiece." If you didn't like it, that's all good, but please don't undermine its quality. There's a reason why K-on remains accepted as one of the best of its kind over a decade later.
So what really makes an anime "masterpiece?" That is a very subjective matter, but for the ones I bestow that title upon, they are works of quality and personal resonance/relatability, nothing to do with perfection or complexity or "deep" -ness. KyoAni's passion brought forth that said level of quality, and with it, a story I could look at and learn from to really stick in my mind. K-on didn't change my life, but it did my outlook on anime. So before I end up too far off, thank Japan for K-on! and thank you too!
Ibelucas
If I were to come up to you and ask if you would watch a show about 5 high school girls drinking tea and having fun, chances are you'd back away slowly and begin to either call the police or whip out the pepper spray or taser. Where's the action, the romance, the suspense? Is there even a storyline? A plot? A movie critic would probably burst into tears at the anti-Hollywood-like characteristics of this horrendous "TV show?" Well I have braved the troubled waters of slice-of-life to come before this golden nugget among others: K-On! To dispense some of the hate and malice, letme assure you, I had almost no hopes for this show at all. When introduced to season 1, I was skeptical and a little paranoid. My thought process was: this is going to be one big suck. Of terribleness. Of all time. There was nothing more that I wanted to do than watch 4 or 5 high school girls sip tea and experience the trivialities of life. Especially when I'm inundated with school work and up to my chest in thing-to-do. (Can you taste the sarcasm?). But this show blew me far away into the zone of no return.
I loved this show. Regardless of its pointless plot, useless storyline, girly characters and circular reasonings, I managed to come out laughing and even sharing this little anime. Though the title implies music, maybe 3 or 4 episodes ever had any musical playing in it. That didn't matter! K-On sucked you into the useless plot faster than you could struggle away. It's like quicksand, I tell you!
Though there is lots of skepticism and controversy regarding the show's enjoyment, let me introduce you to one of the biggest critics out there: me. I thought nothing wasted more time than watching garbage like this. I adamantly refused to observe material of this quality; I felt like this was a waste of time. But lo and behold, the characters sort of stick to you, more than the mochi they frequently talked about. No, what kept me rigged with attention were the characters and situations themselves.
The tone remained static almost the entire time; the last episode, however, became oddly serious and really sad. Actually, the last couple of episodes clamped down, as if the director and producer had a meeting and wanted to go out with a bang. And a bang they did. You become so emotionally attached to the each character's traits and personality, the last episode feels like a bittersweet moment: happy for the girls, yet sad to see them move on with their artificial and fantasy life.
The characters themselves remained lovable and enjoyable. They were intimate, yet had almost no arguments. They had an everlasting friendship bond, yet seemed never to be angry; they joked often and never were reprimanded. The most trouble any of the girls got into was when one of them made a bad joke. But of course, each character had their own traits.
Ritsu, the leader and drummer of the group, was brash, bold and brave, often going out of her way to annoy or pester Mio. She is a rough-and-tumble sort of girl, taking life as it comes, often forgetting her responsibilities (such as renting the auditorium for them to perform!) and leading the group from place to place. She plays the drums, wears a headband and is proud of her salient forehead Mio was the quiet, shy girl, with moe characteristics, insecurities, clumsiness, easily terrified sort of way, yet mild-headed to all except Ritsu, her close childhood friend whom Mio often hits in retaliation to Ritsu's teasing. She plays the bass, that she named Elizabeth, has long black hair and is heavily self-conscious about her looks. Mugi is a rich, loyal, fun-loving sort of person, who seems never to enjoy the small things in life, like an arcade. She plays the piano, and makes the tea and brings the food for their daily afternoon tea time. Yui is an airhead, but a lovable one nonetheless. She enjoyed food much more than the others, picks up music really fast, and is easily distracted. She plays the guitar (she named Gitah), has short brown hair, and the story usually revolves around her. Asuza (Azu-Nyan, as they tend to call her) is a small girl, one year younger, with long black hair who plays the guitar. She is quick-witted, often tries to get practice together but fails frequently.
Ui, Yui's sister, is the antithesis of Yui. She is responsible, loving in a parent sort of way, and cares for Yui often throughout the series. Jun is a friend of Ui and Asuza, but she seems more selfish and is jealous of the light music club.
The art work is stunning. The attention to detail is enormous - if you pause at any scene, try to look for hidden detail: the chips and holes in the desk, the way the guitar pegs are drawn, the way light bounces of key parts of their instruments, the way they play their instruments is all drawn to the exact detail. I do play both the guitar and piano, and I could actually follow along with Yui and Mugi's parts when their fingers were shown. I was very impressed by the detail.
The sound is also similarly impressive. The songs were kind and carefree, not too serious, yet had difficult parts for all the instruments. Though they did play relatively few songs, not to mention very few new ones, they had an aura of happiness that makes one want to spring up and dance for no particular reason. The OP and ED are fantastic and well-made - I never skipped them, even though I'm pressed for time sometimes. The OP was always upbeat and led you wanting more - the ED was much more serious and carried more weight, as if to tell you that K-ON was done for the day.
The story. Oh, how the story is the center of all this controversy! Alas, how little it is understood! If you were tasked to make this anime, what would you do different? Would you instead have the girls be in class all day, then perhaps play their instruments and go home? NO!! The viewers would swoon from boredom and tedium. Though many argue that the story is not a story, but pointless little synopsis's of their daily routine, I say, well, of COURSE IT IS. School is boring! What more to make it fun than to add a little twist - a comedic tone underlying small substories! Absolute genius. This was the heart and core of the anime; or as Yui says, the heart of the cake is the strawberry!
Overall, it was enjoyable to say the least. Though there were no serious performances, and probably none of this would ever happen in real life, I still loved every bit of this sweet and delicious cake, followed by some afternoon tea. Though it may not seem like much, by the end, you will almost miss their daily tea time; it becomes ingrained into your head. Parting with this anime was bittersweet: Houkago Tea Time, rock on! Remember: FUWA FUWA TIME!
Fernandinr
hmm, today and the 12 year old birthday of this anime called ... "k-on" I'm not only very good at reviewing things like that, if anime amuses me over eps su already consider it good. k-on the anime that I will summarize in a few words, Eat cake, Tea, eat cake, Tea. a part of the anime and like that, and impressive that this anime can do, a simple but very fun animal, an anime that serves to prurify the soul. The music of the anime is very striking, especially the fuwa fuwa time and the music of the last ep of the second season, the anime manages tomix music, slice of life, and simply eat cake and drink tea.
The characters, the secondary characters are very striking and cool, certainly some of the best parts and when you have the secondary characters.
The main ones, for me sometimes I think that there is no protagonist in this anime, the ritsu, mugi, mio, azu-nya and yui, for me all are protagonists and also the teacher who is one of the best characters in this anime.
the songs, I don’t think they have anything to say about it, they’re all good.
animation, I don't care much about this part but it worked well.
If you are looking for an anime of cute little girls or music or slice of life, this is one of the best choices.
this review is valid for the 2 seasons and the movie
du5k
K-ON!! is the epitome of "moe blob" anime; one which got so many other similar series to start, and is also the No.1 selling anime for a long time... While I agree that the colossal amount of "moe" based series is hurting the industry, I must say that K-ON!! represent one of the best in this saturated genre. It's a bit sad that the second season hardly touches on the music aspect of the series as compared to the first season, as I feel that it's one of the nicer part of the series, especially the live concerts and the original music the club had. Thisseason focuses almost entirely on the comedy, slice-of-life, and story parts of series, but I guess this is what the larger part of the market wants to see. It's sad that the series lost it's unique trait that allows me to call it a anime of music genre, somewhere along the line of BECK and Nodame.
What's good about this season however, is the HUGE improvements on the production quality of the show. Not that the first season is shabby, but it seems that they've managed to perfect every single part of the show. The difference in the directing of the series is so great I could taste the budget they've put into this franchise... Kyoani knows where to put their money where it's worth. It's not like there isn't any boring parts of the series, after all they had to put one year of the story's timeline into 26 episodes, where else they had put two years into the first season's 13 episodes... I suppose they wanna milk it for all it's worth... so there's a side effect of some parts being particularly boring, but it's not like there's any unenjoyable episodes. K-ON!! always managed to put a stupid grin on my face everytime I watch it.
I don't think I need to talk about the animation quality. Aki Toyosaki's two new OP's are a bit too cute for the general public, but I do find them very interesting. But they can't be compared to Youko Hisaka's two ED's, which are simply awesome.
Of course K-ON!! isn't for everyone, but it's definetely the best of it's genre. People who are looking for strong plot lines and twists, or strong character developments, K-ON!! isn't something they're looking for. Unless the "moe blob" genre turns your stomach, you must give this a try.
Plot/Concept: Awesome!
Story Style: Awesome!
Audio/Visual: Superb!
Value: 10
Joobie
I don't usually write reviews, as this will be my first one off the bat. I hope not to expose too much about the anime, as it would be a spoiler for those who would like to read the reviews before viewing the anime. I thought I should write one, since this is one of my favourites. Here we go.. enjoy :) Story: To shorten and sum things up, K-On is about four lovely girls who come together to form the, "Light Music Club." They would carry on throughout the episodes with Culture Festivities, as well as composing new songs and performing them on stage. WhatI liked about K-On is that the scenery portrayed throughout the series, such as: the school, the hallways, the classrooms, the auditorium, were depicted from the actual Sakuragaoka High School in Japan. This gave it a more realistic feeling towards the anime. Someday I wish I hope to visit that school one day to see the K-On displays held within that school . . T.T
Art: Not much to criticize about their artwork, as it was flawless. The characters were created perfectly, as in my opinion, no one looked deformed, their bodies did not look unproportional to their heads as well as the scenery of their depiction from the real Sakuragaoka High School was very accurate. I would like to give KyoAnimation a two-thumbs up to their Artwork. Well Done.
Sound: Noting that this anime was based on music, I thought I'd give it a try and the end result...... AMAZING. Trying a new genre of anime once in a while is not bad at all, and since I gave this a try, I loved it. The music composed throughout the episodes was conducted beautifully, as well as the voice-acting was spot on. Each character had a very unique tone of voice, which I found very interesting, and the sound of instruments and the vocals going off is just too beautiful to put into words throughout this anime.
Characters: The characters throughout this anime are lovable and very "moe" in each and every way. Let's start off by naming and describing each of my favorite girls: (Yui Hirasawa / Ritsu Tainaka / Tsumugi Kotobuki / Mio Akiyama / Azusa Nakano)
Yui Hirasawa: Yui :3 .. she can be an airhead sometimes, but that's makes us love her even more. Her behaviour may be compared to a childish person, but she is a very caring and sweet person overall. To add on another note, Yui is a very dedicated person. When she sets her mind on something, she puts her 200% effort into it into making the best out of it. Plus, she also adores cute things and loves to eat sweets. She is one of the lead vocalists and guitarists in the band. Also, her laziness side is very cute as she loves to sleep and roll around in her room in the summer times ^-^.
Ritsu Tainaka: what more can I say about Ritsu? With her short brown hair with a headband, she can be described as the tomboyish character out of the pack, as well as the president of the Light Music Club. She was the person along with Mio who came up with the Light Music Club in the beginning. As the main drummer in the band, Ritsu is very outgoing and loves to tease Mio by scaring her alot, which I found very funny although it's mean xD. She also likes to eat sweets alongside with Yui as well.
Tsumugi Kotobuki: mugi-chan.. our beloved blonde haired mistress. Her friends call her "Mugi", and "Daikon-Brows" (Japanese Radish) . She is known to be a wealthy person throughout the anime, as well as the lead pianist in the band. Throughout most of the episodes, Mugi-Chan is the one who provides and serves the tasty treats and tea with her fine expensive china. She seems to be a very humble person who also is subconscious about her weight.
Mio Akiyami: Mio Mio Mio. . . She may be the tallest girl in the group. Mio can be described as a very shy person, who is also the lead bassist in the band. She plays the bass left-handed and is one of the main vocalists. She is Ritsu's childhood friend, as they literally grew up together, as they would do homework together and whatnot. Also, she has a fear of disturbing topics such as blood, ghosts, haunted houses and other eerie stuff. She doesn't like to be in the spotlight much, but is usually forced to be in it most of the time throughout the episodes. She is also subconscious about her weight as well
Azusa Nakano: referred to as "Azu-Nyan," by her friends, Azusa is also one of the Lead Guitarists in the band. Azu-Nyan is a year younger than the rest in the band, as well as the last one to join the Light Music Club as she found an interest in it. Despite her very cute personality, she is very talented with her guitar skills as she helped teach Yui with the tabs and what not. She gets shy and embarassed just like mio, which makes it very cute as well.
Enjoyment: In my opinion of watching a Slice of Life, this is the best anime suited for that category, as I enjoyed every minute of what the episodes have to offer. From the funny moments to the sad moments made me recall the nostalgic moments that I had once back when I was a High Schooler. I'm not sure which target audience I'm targeting my review at (high schoolers or post-secondary graduates), but if there are high school graduates reading this review, I'm pretty sure that after they watch the whole series, they will feel the nostalgia hitting them back in the head, making them recall the best moments they had back in high school with their buds, seeing them every and doing all the crazy stuff together, making precious memories out of that you will carry on for the rest of your life.
Overall, I give this anime a 10/10. One of the best Slice of Life anime's I've ever seen. What more can I say? Four lovely girls who come together to form a band called, "Light Music Club," who make wonderful music together. To whomever is reading this who has not watched the anime, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU WATCH IT. (emphasis with caps hehehe.) : )
Peace out for now, who knows I might write another review for another favourite that I really enjoyed. I hope this review helped those who are looking for a great anime to watch.
Joobie ~
Hanburgeric
Under the glaring eyes of the public masses, the K-On series is predominantly a show about five moe girls who do nothing but drink tea and eat cakes. While this is certainly true, there's something profound that lies beyond the reach of naked eye. Please bear with me here as I explain why people view this show so negatively — I'll make it worth your while. Most people overlook K-On due to its lack of substance and proper character development. Unfortunately, this is true — the story contains little to no significant conflicts that lead to a noticeable change in most, if not any, of the characters.The characters also lack major inspiration and represent common archetypes in the slice of life/moe genre.
Another major point that people often bring up is the lack of music. Instead of conducting practices, looking for ways to improve, and holding amazing concerts with memorable music, the five members of the Light Music Club instead sit around drinking tea and eating confectioneries all day long. On the off chance that the club does decide to play music, the songs, while good, are not too different from common J-Pop songs and their chord progressions. No one particular song stands out as "amazing", and the lyrics are regrettably childish.
HOWEVER...what most people fail to realize is that it is because of this particular lack of complexity that K-On really shines.
The plot doesn't try to be a Steins;Gate. The drama doesn't try to be a CLANNAD ~AFTER STORY~. The music doesn't try to be a Beck. The list goes on and on, but the point is, relative to the epic nature that many shows (even slice of life shows such as Toradora!) try to achieve, K-On is quite normal.
The plot merely revolves around a group of five girls living a (relatively) normal and peaceful high school life. The Light Music Club was actually never about playing in Budokan or even playing good music at all. Music was simply a shared interest, a coincidence, even (considering how the characters all came to met in the first season) that brought about a pleasant bundle of memories and experiences that further consolidated their friendships with one another.
(S1 Mini-Spoiler) A scene during the first season that perfectly encapsulates this theme is when Azusa (the youngest of the club) first joins the club. She notes that while the Light Music Club plays lackluster music fraught with countless mistakes, there's something undeniably compelling about the way that they played that she couldn't pull herself away from.
Thus, the very selling point of K-On as an anime is its normality. Through its normality, K-On beautifully portrays the importance of friendship and its value over fame and/or materialistic gain. This theme becomes ever so evident as the idea of graduation draws nearer and nearer with each passing moment. Although this is something I'd like to discuss in greater detail, in fear of stepping on a spoiler landmine, I'll avoid doing so.
Now that that's all done and over with, let's discuss the more simple joys and fun to be had in the show.
As expected of KyoAni, the animation of the show is done very well. The characters achieve exactly what they are meant to achieve as a part of the moe genre — they're cute. Although this may turn some people off, there is no denying the fact that the show does exactly what it is called to do.
However, I found the finer points of the animation to be present in something else. All/most of the instruments shown throughout the series are based off of real life models (albeit not named for obvious reasons), and the animation within the music sequences are executed to a high degree of detail.
Additionally, real life references such as the Natsu-Fes allowed me to pick up more information about Japanese culture, something I take great joy in doing (similar to how Oreimo sheds some light on Comiket and the otaku culture). As a fellow musician, I greatly appreciated this high attention to detail and made the anime just that much more enjoyable to watch.
At this point in time, it may sound like I'm singing this show's praises, since there are quite a few to be had. Nevertheless, K-On is not without its flaws.
The plot, despite containing such a good theme, has slightly twisted pacing due to the existence of the first season. The first season rushes through the first two years of high school in a mere twelve episodes, while the second season expands the final year (Japan only has three) over a course of twenty-four episodes (and a few specials). Although this isn't a major problem, it would have been preferable to see more consistency to the pacing of the plot over the course of both seasons.
The comedic element in the show is also somewhat iffy. While it is good that the comedy is always placed at the appropriate time and with a good frequency (not overwhelming, not lacking), a small number of jokes became a little too repetitive for my own enjoyment.
CONCLUSION:
This review has sort of been all over the place, so I'll neatly bring my review to an end with the next few paragraphs. However, my following scores may surprise you, so I hope you're patient enough to read this until the very end.
STORY (10%) — 4.7/10
At this point, you'll be wondering why I touted the profundity of the themes present in the story and only gave it such a low score. This is because I believe that the discovery of themes is highly subjective and is all a part of your own PERSONAL enjoyment. The story of K-On is, in itself, quite bland. However, as I have said, it doesn't have to be, which is why it is only worth 10% of the overall score.
CHARACTERS (15%) — 4.9/10
The same reasoning for the story above applies here as well. The characters, by themselves, lack development (individually or collectively) and are typical tropes found within the slice of life/moe genre. That having been said, the characters are not the meat of the show and thus also are only worth 10% of the overall score. It receives a higher score than the story because despite being cliché, they are still respectable models of what moe characters should be like, and their interactions with one another are enjoyable to watch and well executed enough to consolidate the idea of friendship.
ANIMATION (20%) — 7.6/10
There's not much to be said here. Kyoto Animation matches and surpasses expectations. They not only succeeded in drawing cute/moe characters that fit their equally cute/moe personalities, but also paid great attention to detail when it came to instruments or music sequences, something that should appeal to other musicians.
SOUND (25%) — 7.7/10
The reasoning for STORY and CHARACTERS applies here for the final time, but not to the same extent. Not much of the BGM from the OST was memorable, and the insert songs performed by the main characters were infrequent and not too uncommon (in relation to J-Pop). The lyrics of such songs are also too outlandish for conventional enjoyment. The openings and endings are well animated sequences with music that very well fit the hyperactive tone of the show.
ENJOYMENT (30%) — 8.3/10
Now, to those who are still confused by rather contradictory grading style, let me explain it in full detail here. I believe that the art of reviewing is an unavoidably subjective attempt to objectify the subjective; in consequence, this means that my review is not the absolute truth out there. It is merely a personal attempt to express my opinions on a particular form of media.
Hence, even if I say that the plot only merits a 4.8/10, people can feel free to disagree with me, click the "Not Helpful" button, and merrily move on with their lives. I'm merely stating that in relation to other anime that I've seen, K-On does not have a compelling plot or enticing characters, but that I placed little emphasis on these two aspects while I was watching the show. If you are a person who is a heavily plot or character driven individual, then I'm merely trying to make clear that this may not be the show for you.
Now...with that out of the way...
Despite the flaws, I still enjoyed the hell out of this show. The themes that I perceived from the series seemed very profound, particularly because my graduation from high school was only two months ago. References to culture and music were admirable, the cute/rapid/erratic nature of the characters were thoroughly enjoyable, and the innocent performances were catchy, to say the very least.
OVERALL (100%) — 7.1/10
K-On is definitely not a show for everyone to enjoy, much like this review. Those who place significant emphasis on heavy plot, complex characters (and specifically their development), and deep music won't get as much out of the show as I did. The show's main appeal is its cute, wacky, sweet nature...and perhaps even its diversity of confectioneries.
So pour yourself a cup of tea and get ready for the relaxed, fluffy splendor that is K-On.
Kindle
When thinking of K-On! as a series, a few words may come to mind. Whether it be happy, cheery, moe, simple or maybe even mind-numbing, K-On!! will always be one of my favorites. K-On! itself is a slice of life show, there's no getting around that. The daily lives of the girls part of a music club in their High School. When labelled as a slice of life show, the stigma of a nonexistent or shoddy plot is almost always attributed with those shows. However K-On!'s plot over the course of two seasons may seem excessively simple at first, but as one begins to headinto the later portions of the second season and look back upon the journey, there are definitely lessons to be learned and messages to be discovered.
Story (8/10): The second season of K-On!! covers the final year of high school for the four founders of the Light Music club. If you count the first season, the story progression covers all the high school years of the club, and so coming into the final year, there is added weight to the thought that "this is it". It's the final year. The season takes advantage of that plot device and slowly but surely instills the premise of graduation and moving on. While graduation itself is not a very original concept, there was something very novel about watching the characters' deal with the concept of not having a next year to look forward to. There are a fair share of the moments that were cherished in season one filled with hilarity and light-heartedness, but towards the end there are sentimental and slightly sad feelings (although they're never really melodramatic or pushed upon you). This offered as a good balance to the very polarizingly happy-go-lucky style of show that season one was, and it was a great way to instill some great ideas that I'll go into later on in the review.
Art (8/10): Kyoto Animation is known for being slick in their animation and reliably creative in their character designs. That being said, K-On!! is visually appealing, as it relies on bright and warm colors and the animation never falls behind either. That being said, it's nothing mind blowing and that's perfectly acceptable for slice of life. Your eyes will be treated however, the a plethora of different cakes, teas and snacks. All in all, the art within K-On!! is suitable for the series and the characters, never hindering it but at the same time, not really boosting it to any higher than it needs to be. In other words, it's just right.
Sound (10/10): K-On!! is labelled as a music anime, and it contains the songs that are created and performed by Ritsu, Mugi, Mio, Yui and Azusa. The songs almost never disappoint, filled with guitar and drums and innocent lyrics that are oddly captivating. Although some may be disappointed by the lack of music in every episode, it still offers to be a pleasant treat whenever they do have a performance or whenever the audience is witness to a new song.
Character (9/10): Both seasons of K-On! rely heavily on the interactions and personalities of the characters as most slice of life shows generally do. The characters are generally simple, but they do come with their own unique attributes and enthusiasms as well as their "problems" that they have to deal with (note this is a very relaxed show so it's nothing jaw dropping in terms of problems). They do silly things all the time and if you enjoyed the first season there's no reason that you won't enjoy most of the second season. Later on when the mood shifts a bit, you see sides in the characters that you didn't really see too much previously. It was very interesting to see their development as their high school years came to an end, and some of the concepts they had to come to face with.
Effect *minor spoiler?* (9/10): In this section I will outline what I felt were some of the themes that I picked up on throughout the second season. Towards the end of the second half of the second season, the concept of graduation dawns upon the four girls who started up the club. With this concepts comes a few lessons to be learned. The coming of age idea has been used throughout anime and media for a very long time. Growing up and/or moving on to a different stage of your life is something very compelling and interesting. However many other shows seem to deal with this as a battle of conflicts, whether internal or external that break the characters and reforge them anew into their new developed status. K-On!! has it's share of low key "conflict" but it takes on a very different perspective on that idea of moving on. The show demonstrates what it means to have a fulfilling "childhood",in this case high school career. It shows the importance of making good memories and having a great time while you can so that however many years down the road you can look back and smile, knowing that you didn't regret anything and that you had a blast. It also covers something important as in the theme of passing the torch, and leaving a legacy. The girls who started the club quickly realize that their days are numbered in high school so they try their best to make sure that their work is not only remembered but continued. Moments such as taking the stage for the very last time carry special weight in the second season and you can feel it. Instead of creating turmoil and drama in the group, the writers decided to take the 4koma that K-On!! was and display a story of happiness, even if a big obstacle like moving on presented itself. It warms the heart from the core and shows the girls rejoicing and laughing till the very end knowing that they dreamed big (going for the Budokan) and at the very least if they fell short that they fell short laughing and daring greatly. And that through their actions, they inspired the ones before them as their legacy was cemented. As K-On!! concluded, it was a story of a group of girls who joined an outdated and unpopular club, with no real expectations and big dreams of reaching the Budokan. It was a story about how those girls had fulfilling and joyous moments throughout their journey, and it really didn't matter if they never achieved that dream because the memories they made along the way could never have a price put on them. It was a story of the four girls who walked off after graduating happy and content, being bid adieu by their fans and entrusting their legacy in the hands of those who would replace them. It was the story of the girls that never stopped laughing, eating cake and drinking tea because nothing could take them away from each other and their precious moments. It was the story that grabbed my heart and never let go, securing itself deep inside never to be forgotten.
Enjoyment (9/10): This is one of the shows that I can say I very thoroughly enjoyed. I came for the relaxed and joyous mood that the first season presented but I stayed for the lessons of the second season and the opportunity to look back in awe of their accomplishments. Not much about K-On!! is overly blown up or exaggerated, it's a very humble story of a school club band. But the feelings that it left behind surely were not to be underplayed or unrecognized. K-On!!'s unique and cheery take on moving on will surely never leave me, as I enjoyed it to the very end. It kept me interested, it made me laugh, it made me sad but most of all it made me happy that I stuck with it till the very sweet end. Their journey was worth all that cake, all that tea and all that effort. Hokago Tea Time may have never been the same after Ritsu, Mugi, Mio and Yui graduated, but you can still find them playing and singing joyously until they can't play or sing anymore; in the hearts of those who were touched by their legacy and the hearts of fans of the show across the world.
Overall (9/10): Not the most complicated show, but a heartwarming masterpiece.
LoveArrowShooto
You might think I may be biased on K-ON because of the perfect 10, but I would like to explain It a bit further why I gave It a perfect 10. Following up from my Review of the First Season, I did mention that they spend more time on Tea Time rather than practicing, which is still a common thing here on K-ON. I always thought the whole series would be all about Music, but turns out to be the average life of High School girls. Not that I hate It or anything, but I would have liked to see the series adapt to moremusic time because that is what K-ON was advertised or known for which is "MUSIC".
However, I did change my views on K-ON when I began with Season 2. I felt that Season 2 was better to enjoy because of the longer Episodes. I also find them to be enjoyable even without practice or music time. On top of that, Yui, Mugi, Ritsu, and Mio are all Seniors, they will be graduating while Azunyan will be stayed back, while the girls are off to College. It tells me that this Series seems to be more focused on friendship and High School life than Music, which isn't necessary a bad thing. If you were expecting tons of Music in this Anime, I'm sorry, but you will be disappointed.
Story [10/10]
K-ON! (both Seasons) do not follow a sequential plot like certain Animes do. Heck, you go right ahead and watch Season 2 WITHOUT Season 1 because there is nothing major that happens in the first Season. Unless you want to sit through 12 Episodes of Yui getting started on learning the Guitar as well as getting the Light Music Club together. But the choice is up to you, not mine. What Season 2 seems to be aiming for is graduation since the "Senpais" are Seniors now. That's pretty much sums up of what your going to expect in Season 2.
Art [10/10]
I was very impressed on how well the characters are designed as well as the environments. In my opinion, I found that Season 2 felt a lot smoother in terms of animations. I was disappointed by the last Episode of Season 1 because of the bad frame rates of their concert. I'm glad to see KyoAni improving the animations in this Season. Very impressed on how well everything is synchronized from vocals to the instruments.
Sound [10/10]
I loved all the Music in K-ON, they were all easy to listen to and has that "Happy" feeling to It, which makes me like It even further. However, this may vary by your taste of music so I can't really judge If the music is good or not since Its entirely your opinion. I guess If you like music with a full band, I'm sure your going to like It.
Character [10/10]
All Characters are perfectly well done, nothing much to complain here. I find them amusing at times and overall seeing them having a good time together.
Overall, K-ON is one of the most nicest Anime I've ever watched so far (followed by Clannad). Mainly because of graduation, which I'm sure 100% of us will or have faced in life. I'll be honest here, I was crying towards the end because I didn't want to see them all go, I was completely attached to these characters. Like I said above, K-ON seems to be aimed towards Friendship & High School life rather than music.
TDDoHLaL
It is, without a doubt, the aim of every good show to create not only good relationships between the characters of a show, but also to to create a good relationship between the viewer and the characters of the show itself. This way, the viewers can easily empathize with the characters while getting attached to them, thus also feeling connected to the show and being easily able to like it. You want to see a good example of this phenomenon? Take a look at K-On!!, and you may find the answer. I can say for sure that there hasn't been many shows over the pastdecade that caused as much conflicts among its viewers as K-On!! did. With K-On!! being prescribed as being a simple moeblob show without any depth or whatsoever, the show naturally haven't had only fans. Lots of haters are still around when it comes to K-On!!, but, still, the show also has got its own fanbase, which is, in addition, quite huge. For me, it has been a real pleasure to watch K-On!!, given that it does bring out the little silly fangirl in me, which is quite unusual, since I'm a 17 year-old guy.
tl;dr:
Story: 6/10
Art: 9/10
Sound: 9.5/10
Character: 10/10
Enjoyment: 9.9/10
Overall: 9/10
Story: 6/10
It isn't a real secret that the story isn't necessarily one of the strong points of K-On!! Besides, it should be an obvious, given fact that you can't expect a great and thrilling story by a simple slice of life series, which is, in addition, set in High School. That's pretty much the epitome of ac
stereotypical series if it wasn't for the musical aspect. In comparison to other series that are set in High School, the musical aspect brings a lot of fresh air to the rather ordinary setting, along with the challenges that are faced by the five girls.
Still, you shouldn't expect any tremendous plot twists, which is, in fact, a really positive aspect! After all, this series is meant to be calming and reassuring, thus a lot of plot twists would rather ruin the atmosphere than helping to create it. Some points of the plot still don't seem realistic as they are supposed to be in this SoL-series, but this is an excusable fact. Because of all the points I've just mentioned, the story may seem a little repetitive after a certain point, but, given that you should know by now that the main concept of this series is 'cute girls doing cute things', the story won't get extremely boring as long as you can enjoy this particular point of the story.
Art: 9/10
I think that I can surely say that the art style is one of the most arguable points of the whole show. Why, you ask? Of course I'm talking about the really arguable character designs, which are considered extremely 'moe' by a lot of people. After all, this is one of the points why K-On!! is rather well-known among people who watch anime.
I'm not going to rant about the character designs for a long time (simply because this is something everyone needs to decide for himself, though you should also consider that the show was produced – more or less – during the peek of the 'moe' hype). But I'd still like to express my own personal view about the character design, which is, as you might have expected from my rating, quite positive. After all, the rather 'moe-ish' style of the characters perfectly fits the general cozy, comfy atmosphere of K-On!! This sort of character design may not fit other shows, but it is, without a doubt, the best thing that could happen to K-On!!. If the characters were designed in another way, the show would've lost a lot of its cozy appeal. Still, it is quite understandable if you dislike the character design, but keep in mind that it is the perfect fit for a show that is as cozy as a fire in a chimney on a cold winter day.
Aside from that, the animation quality is simply flawless, just as expected from Kyoto Animation. There weren't many animation errors (I noticed one error, as far as I remember) and the backgrounds are obviously really well-drawn. But who did actually expect a different, worse result?
Sound: 9.5/10
Before you attack me with swords for this rating, I'd like to explain my opinion.
After all, K-On!! is – more or less – a music anime, hence it should be natural natural to expect a lot of good soundtracks. And K-On!! did deliver. While the music surely doesn't fit everyone's tastes (simply because the OSTs as well as the EDs and the OPs are as overly cute as the characters are), it does indeed fit my personal taste. Very positively outstanding is the fact that all the soundtracks also contribute a lot to the general comfy atmosphere of the series, with the great interaction of all the instruments and the undeniably cute lyrics, which are – at least to me – sometimes scarily prepossessing. In contrast, other songs do seem rather weird (in particular the lyrics of some songs), though they do still serve their purpose: after all, this is is a SoL, thus the lyrics of a song can also describe things taken straight from life!
One of the rather negative points is the fact that we, as the viewers, can't hear music performed by Hokago Tea Time each episode, though this may also be a good thing, given that the music would eventually sound recycled if we got to hear full performances from HTT each episode.
Character: 10/10
The character section is – without a doubt – one of the strong points of the show and surely one of the reasons for the popularity of K-On!!
If you watched at least 5 shows in your entire life, you should probably be aware of the fact that people usually enjoy a series more if they are attached to the characters, their emotions, and all the problems they have to face, no matter how small they may seem. This is surely one of the stronger points of K-On!!, at least in my case. I am aware of the fact that some people may dislike all the characters, but I got attached to the characters during this second season, which is the main reason for my high rating.
Yet another reason for my rather high rating is the - in comparison to the first season – visibly growth of the characters, even Yui gets at least a little more mature during her third year in High School. The character development surely isn't as great and meaningful as it is in other series, but it is there, which I consider a significant improvement in comparison to the first season. (n comparison to other series, it is very nice to see almost every single of our main characters getting a similar treatment (in terms of character development), not a single character gets 'left behind' (well, beside Mugi). This sort of character development also causes the great in-between character interaction with thoroughly changing and developing relationships that become more and more meaningful with each episode.
Obviously K-On!! doesn't follow the typical 'protagonist/antagonist' scheme, which is a fact you should know just b looking at the artstyle. Instead of characters being shown only in a negative or in a positive way to the viewer, you get to see them doing both silly and thoughtful things, more or less meaningful ones, and interesting and rather boring things. Overall I am positively surprised by the fact that a great diversity of different sides of the characters is shown.
Summed up, the characters may not be very different at all, but the way K-On!! portrays its characters is more than enough to make you attached to them (at least in my case).
Enjoyment: 9.9/10
This section of my review is a very special one for K-On!!, given that the enjoyment manifests itself in a completely different way than it does in other shows.
Usually you watch a show knowing that you can expect either a good story, or lots of action or other extremely interesting and unique things. Based on this fact you create yourself an image of the show, expecting what you might enjoy and what you rather won't enjoy. But K-On!! is different: The enjoyment doesn't come from huge fights or a great story. It is the bare fact that you can simply lean back, relax and enjoy to see 'cute girls doing cute things' that makes the show enjoyable, as long as you are able to enjoy this sort of show. Really, you should know that you can't expect more than that if you plan to watch K-On!! Oddly enough, this is literally everything this show needs, at least for me, given that this is everything I expected. This sort of enjoyment also combines (PASST ZU) very well with the overly cute art style and the overly cute music style of HTT. K-On!! makes you feel at least a little reassured, which provides – at least for me – a lot of enjoyment. Besides, you may as well be able to enjoy each character for their own weaknesses and strengths: No matter whether it is Yui's incomprehensible laziness, Mio's seemingly boundless shyness or even Mugi's great tea: every single character contributes its own part for creating the whole story that it is (mainly) filled by positive emotions.
Still, this show also makes you reminisce a little bit about your own life. How so? Obviously it doesn't emphasize on saving the world or achieving something extremely meaningful, but it does emphasize on something even more important: The value of friendship!
Yeah, I know that this sounded really cheesy, so what? K-On!! makes you value friendship a lot more, since it does show what every single group of good friends is capable of doing. Not in the stereotypical 'the power of friendship'-way, but rather just by showing how much fun you can have in your everyday life with your friends and how they're able to support you, no matter what happens. And isn't this why you need friends?
Yet another lesson given by the show is the knowledge how great it is to give others inspiration. After all, you do feel better if you know that you'll be remembered by others.
tl;dr: The characters and the atmosphere they create make the show enjoyable, not the storyline, so if you don't enjoy the characters, I highly recommend you to watch something else.
Overall: 9/10
It is undeniable that K-On!! has caused and will cause lots of controversial discussions among all anime fans. The character design alone provides enough for weekly discussions, let alone the storyline. Still: K-On!! provided me with lots of fun, laughter, and even lots and lots of emotions towards the end (simply because I felt connected to the characters and their problems). The series may not fit everyone's tastes, but it still provides lots of fun for these who get easily attached to the characters while being able to ignore the rather weak storyline.
And always remember: “Fun things are fun!” (Yui Hirasawa)
Nateal
K-on!! Is somewhat hard to review, so this will probably a short one. Story: The very first thing that you will notice about K-on!! Is its lack of a story. There is plot for every episode, but most of the time it’s just a comedic skit which shows the daily life of the members of the light music club. There really isn’t much to talk about in terms of the story, which is really surprising considering the popularity of the series. I would give it a 6/10 because it just lacks a solid plot. Art: The art is great, as expected of KyoAni. The animation wassuperb, the art was solid and pretty much everything is perfect. One thing I would like to mention is the moe-ness(is this even a word?) of the anime, which is one of the main selling points of the anime. If you’re a fan of moe animes, you will most certainly love this. I gave it a 9/10 for being well-animated, but that is to be expected considering that they also animated clannad, The melancholy of haruhi suzumiya and other great animes.
Sound: Considering that this is an anime that focuses on a music club, it is quite obvious that the sounds are very good. The voice acting was done well, the background music was perfect but the thing i liked the most are the songs, which is another one of its main selling points. They are light and have a certain charm, very different from most of the crap we hear today and for that I would give it a 10/10. FuwaFuwa all the way!
Characters: The characters are all loveable and have certain unique qualities that separate them from other characters. But because K-on!! doesn’t have much of a story, there isn’t much character development either. The only character with much character development is Azunyan, who from a somewhat serious character turns into a more laid back and cheerful girl. But even if there isn’t any character development, it can also be said that there isn’t any need for development, since the characters are already perfect and for that, I would give it an 8/10.
Enjoyment: The thing that makes K-on!! an amazing anime is that even with a lack of a story, it still manages to entertain its viewers, and pretty well on that matter. Its light-hearted theme and original jokes make people come back for more. It’s the kind of anime that relies purely on entertaining its viewers to keep them watching, and they have succeeded on that matter. I really have no idea on how they kept it fresh; it could be the comedy, the cuteness, or the music but either way, they really did a good job on entertaining me and i’m sure that it will entertain you to. For that I give it a 10/10.
Overall I give it an 8/10 because even though it is entertaining, it lacks something that makes animes exciting: a story. Though it kept me watching, it loses some of its charm after a while but it is still one of the best animes out there.
Remember when i said this would be a short review? Well I lied :p If you have read through the entire review then i would like to thank you :)) if there are any mistakes in my grammar then srry because English is not my first language.
Astoria2110
Okay so K-on is basically the best anime ever, when God created perfection he took K-on as an example. Firsst of all, the characters are literally goddesses, You have Yui who is the cutest anime girl ever, everytime i see yui i have a heart attack. Then there´s Mugi, one of the most powerful and strongest villians ever! She killed the Dead Sea so you can have an idea of her power. Ritsu is the best bucho in Japan, Mio is the 8 wonder of the world and finally you have Azu-nya, who is the strongest tsundere-loli of the century. The story is about howthey created the universe via music, a very fresh concept.
In season two, they become even more powerful and using the fantastic music they create, HTT ends up rulling the multiverse.
So yeah, K-on is a 100/10 so you bet watch it!
