K-ON!

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To me, it would be alien to watch K'On! Regardless, I decided to watch it all in one day at a whim. That's because despite that I know nothing about it or it's genre, many of my favorite anime analysis content creators, such as the menace from MAL and the former human content machine, always hold it to high regard. Considering my favorites and how they are the likes of Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Texhnolyze, several Gundam series, and Ashita no Joe, it would seem as something that wouldn't quite fit in with my preferences. Regardless of that, I try to be open minded to a good series of any genre as long as it isn't something degenerate I wouldn't want to get near. I gave K'On! a chance and it managed to mean something to me as a turning point towards new genres I never knew before. I know that the Legend of the Galactic Heroes viewers fight with the K'On! viewers over what is better. Still, I found I can enjoy both.

This series is more than what I had heard that it's just cute girls doing cute things. It's an intensively uplifting story overflowing with positive energy. It brings out the best of the cast and the viewers. 5 characters rich in character and with a dynamic as fun as the duo from Dirty Pair. It represents the purest of friendships where no one should be left behind. They find a passion they grow to love and try in an effort to help each other make it happen regardless of the set backs.

Where can I stop the praise of this series? There is great music in every scene as well as well done band performances from the cast. I thought maybe this series would be too positive but it has a balance of drama. Kyoto Animation brings a passion project behind lots of staff members that helped write every episode strong. For a 13 episode series, there is a lot of character development and events that take place that never made me feel as if the story got stuck and went nowhere. It continues to build the bonds and ever-growing musical skills of the cast consistently. The animation, though I had to get used to some faces in the first episode, was wonderful throughout with detail of how characters should express and move, when it's not being goofy, of course. And yet, that's fine too, since it can be really goofy with comedic scenes that constantly made me burst out laughing. Speaking of animation, the background art and setting are extraordinary in how detailed and realistic they look. If I remember correctly, the setting is based several times on real life settings.

I don't really need to talk about the cast because the series goes out of its way to really dig their personalities into you where I wouldn't be saying anything new. As for a standout character, Yui's progression felt inspiring to me partly because I also grew up with music and struggling in a band as a guitarist and vocalist. Me and her share this struggle and I was really able to connect with her as a result. Though clumsy and sometimes out of focus, she gets credit in that she'll go forward and still try to when she can't. And yet, that's what their friendships are there for: to help balance each other out even if there are disagreements and differences.

As the series progressed and continued to get better, it featured a climax at the end that brought a tear to my eye and moved me unlike anything else because of how unique the experience was for me. I've seen lots of great character development, and with episode 12, Yui shows some of the best in the medium because it's a strong resolve coming from the most unlikely of characters. Her voice from the future talks about finding the love someone finds for a passion that brings them a sense of meaning and belonging. It may not be the political theory I am used to in anime but I can't deny it inspired me and made me think about why I do anime analysis. Maybe I am an amateur starting out like she is. I know I still have a long way to go. Regardless, I try to put a part of me on here that no one else can and even if it is bad and has mistakes it means something to me. K'On! made me realize that it's more about being sincere than the best; Not about trying to worry so much about the flaws but that you love what you do and tried to bring something new with meaning to someone. And even if you think this spoils anything about the first season, it doesn't, because K'On! isn't about any specific scene but the whole journey. For these reasons, Yui became a quick favorite character of mine.

Honestly, I had been disappointed by previous slice of lice anime because it didn't come close. This is it. This is the golden standard of its genre as a 10/10 for me, and it may have ruined the rest for me as it isn't easy to invest as much as was for this, though there are fortunately more entries to watch for K'On! as this is only the beginning of the journey.