My Thoughts on K-ON
Man... I never thought I'd make a review about K-ON. It's really hard for me to try and compose like a five sentence paragraph for something that I love the most. I can do it for Konosuba and the Monogatari Series, but with something like K-ON? Idk, I try to make it as simple as possible, but it's really hard to understand it. I guess the hard way will do.
*NOTE: This covers for both seasons and the movie, and it will be the same like with what I did with my SAO review. But this also uses the same style that I used with my recent reviews.
Season 1: Overview
This talks about 4 (later 5) high school girls and tea. That's it.
(Lol, ok that's not really it, but I'll give a good explanation on full details.)
Yui is a newly first year High School student, in the process of thinking of what school club she should join since she wants to try something new for a change instead of bumming around and staring at the sky. While in another section, Ritsu wants to start forming a band by joining the Light Music Club, also wanting to have Mio in the club as well (Although she wasn't keen of doing so and instead wanted to join the Literature Club, but luckily she was saved from disaster.) When they heard the news about the club being abolished, Ritsu insisted to save the club by gathering new members. This is where they encounter Tsumugi, who is also a first year student. Eventually they'd form the club and would later have Yui join the club as well. Seeing as how fun they were having when playing a song for Yui, she decided to stick with the Light Music Club, and thus, the Club was saved from abolishment and their days in the club begins.
The 1st season had the girls at their 1st and 2nd years, and then later, Azusa would join the club when she heard them playing at the freshmen concert.
How Season 1 started was indeed something nice and genuine. I personally thought it was relatively nice and comfy to see how the club members would start to come together and start off their journey in their club.
Season 2: Overview
While Season 1 had the girls start their tracks as the Light Music Club, the Second Season had the girls near the end of their tracks, not as the club, but as friends as a whole. See, Yui, Mio, Ritsu, and Mugi are at their 3rd year, and Azusa is at her 2nd year. If the 3rd years were to be gone and go to college, that would leave Azusa left out for when she's gonna be at her 3rd year. They would try to recruit some new freshmen, and eventually play another concert for them as well, but no one came (No, this is not Undertale and I don't mean it like how Flowey the Flower would say it). Yui came to a conclusion that it's better off as the five of them, they don't need anyone new, as long as they keep playing like they always have.
While season 1 starts as a gathering, season 2 starts as more of an understand as to how they bond together in the club, and there's nothing else that is nice and sweet as them bonding together.
Both the overviews that I give are much more of an explanation of the 1st episodes of both seasons. How they start and how they end are both genuine and the most wholesome thing I've seen in such an anime. You often would see that in such other Slice of Life anime, but this is where I would consider as the starting block of it all.
Movie: Overview
This takes place during the girls last days being together at school. They want to do something as seniors, so they insisted on going on a trip, and by vote, they went to London. Since they'll also have to bid farewell to Azusa until next year, they also want to do something for her. They came across writing a song for her. Now, how will this trip pan out?
London is a perfect place for them since it has plenty of tea and music from there as well, so it's be a perfect match for them. Oh boy, I should wait until we reach the visual section for the movie.
Story
Now, I know what your thinking, "Isn't K-ON a slice of life? Doesn't Slice of Life have nothing happening in it?" That's where I come in and say, you are most definitely wrong. Slice of Life anime do have something going on. When taking a look at a slice of life, there's always nothing bad happening. Is that a bad thing? Is it bad that nothing happens? No, it's an anime still, of course there'd be some kind of story or moral for the anime. In this case, it's an every day life of school girls wanting to hang out and also play music together, while in the process, bonding together. It's genuine, nice and sweet.
I've said this a whole lot in forums, but allow me to say it again. It's as simple as I put it. A comfort anime. Aside from K-ON being just a simple CGDCT kind of anime, this anime portrays something well, and that something is friendship. Friendship is an important key word that K-ON uses. You can see, aside from them having tea, sweets, and practice, they are bonding together as the Light Music Club. That's what I love about K-ON.
Characters
Now if you simply think that this whole cute aspect is the ONLY thing that these characters have, mind if I ask... is that really it? Cause there's a whole lot more to these characters than you think.
Yui: As much of an airhead she is, she is a caring and nice person and is willing to stick with something new and learn everything about it. She shows the definition of how anything can be fun. "Fun things are fun" as she puts it.
Ritsu: The buchou of the club, also an energetic one at it. Although sometimes forgetful, she does show some leadership as the president and definitely has pride.
Mio: The shy yet cool kind of person. She doesn't have much of confidence being up on stage, but when it comes to singing and pulling off a performance, she's willing to have confidence and pull it off. Especially when her friends are around her. She's one who is willing to try her best for the sake of it.
Mugi: Kindhearted like a princess, Mugi is definitely a kindhearted person. All of the club funds, tea, and training camps are all thanks to her. She's basically the provider of the club and also the melodist. (One who gives the melody to the song) Although she's one that provides anything, she also wants to learn what she's been missing out on if she were a normal school girl. Thanks to her joining the Light Music Club, she was able to learn a lot of things.
Azusa: The hardworking one. She's also the most developed character in the anime. You can say that Azusa is like us, once annoyed by the fact that the club hasn't done much of practice, but once you stick with them for a long time, then you'll come to an understanding as to why they're able to make the songs they make as of current and as to how they can pull it off by making it sound good. Basically, the viewer perspective.
Each and every single one of these girls has some specialty to them, and one of them can be one that you like. Maybe for some, not really, but for people that have watched it, there should at least be one. Try to drive away from the cute factor and discover their traits that they have.
Visuals
Here we go again with my Kyoto Animation fanboying here as it is a KyoAni work. But I'll be damned, does this look damn good for something that came from 2009. This is one of my favorite art styles out there from an anime. But wait, it's gets better once you see the movie. The production quality is something that should not by judged or toyed with when it comes with Kyoto Animation films. I'm a sucker when it comes to the visuals that KyoAni can pull off, as some can be absolutely beautiful, and definitely something memorable. See, you have to admit, KyoAni does the absolute best when it comes to visuals. They're definitely up there with other studios like MadHouse, CoMix, or Bones.
Music
This is actually rare for me to talk about, since I never really talk about the OST's in my reviews. This one is special since there are musical numbers in this anime. And they definitely are some of the best I've heard in an anime. If you want to hear one from yourself, you can. Allow me to share to you some of my favorite songs from the anime. Although, I also think it's best if you hear them from the anime first before in general.
U&I
Tenshi ni Freta Yo
Pure Pure Heart
My Love is a Stapler
Ichiban Ippai
Utauyo Miracle
Overall Statement
This has, and forever has, made my anime experience a lot memorable. If I had not watched this, it wouldn't be at where it stands for me as my favorite anime of all time. Now, would I recommend it? Sure. If you want to watch a slice of life anime if you haven't watched one in your life, then this is a good start for you. You may not see the same perspective that I had with watching this anime, but if you find something good about it, then I hope it made it at least a tad bit better for you.
10/10
WOW... this was a long review. Not generally of me trying to type it, but me thinking about what I should say.. Like I said, it's hard for me to try and compose a 5 sentence paragraph for something that I love the most. I spent like... 3 hours of making this review. You understand now? Making reviews require a whole lot of experience from watching it, and when trying to think of what to say in said review, it's hard to put it into words... well. At least for me. Hope you like this review, as it's possibly one of my best ones that I have written. Maybe the next review I write will have a score of 89 or lower, cuz you're seeing a lot of high scores from me when making these reviews. Who knows? Maybe it'll happen eventually.
And now I end off with an original quote that I said 5 months ago:
Don't think that K-On is just about music, or school life, or "Cute girls doing cute things." Think of K-On as something that we can relate to in our everyday lives when we approach high school. School is limited, but friendship is forever.