K-On!
NOTE: This page is dedicates to Kyoto Animation, who lost 36 employees in their arson attack on July 18 2019. May all those employees rest in peace.
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K-On! is a Japanese musical comedy anime created by Reiko Yoshida in 2009, the anime is based on the manga of the same name.
Plot
In an unspecified part of Japan, four high school girls join the light music club of the all-girls private Sakuragaoka High School to try to save it from being disbanded. However, they are the only members of the club. At first, Yui Hirasawa has no experience playing musical instruments or reading sheet music, but she eventually becomes an excellent guitar player. From then on, Yui, along with bassist Mio Akiyama, drummer Ritsu Tainaka, and keyboardist Tsumugi Kotobuki spend their school days practicing, performing, and hanging out together. The club is overseen by music teacher Sawako Yamanaka who eventually becomes their homeroom teacher as well during their final year of high school. In their second year, the club welcomes another guitarist, underclassman Azusa Nakano. After Azusa joins they gain more structure and begin to practice more.
Good Qualities
- It's a slice of life anime with a plot that's really enjoyable and heartwarming, the characters feel real as well.
- It manages to be better than the manga, where the manga mostly focused on comedy.
- Amazing and catchy songs like "Cagayake! Girls", "Don't Say Lazy", "Fuwa Fuwa Time", "Pure Pure Heart", "No Thank You", "U & I" etc.
- The main cast is extremely likable and as mentioned in WTR#1 feel like real life people. Said characters being Yui Hirasawa, Ritsu Tainaka, Mio Akiyama, Tsumugi Kotobuki, and Azusa Nakano (Introduced later in Season 1).
- The side characters are also fun and enjoyable such as Ui, Jun and Nodoka.
- Outstanding animation and art styles that aged well from 2009.
- It won anime of the decade in the 2010s decade, proving it had an everlasting effect on it's popularity.
- It broke CD records with it's songs, proving how popular the show truly is and a success for Kyoto Animation.
- It spawned a movie, "Eiga K-On!", which was a perfect way to send off the series. It also spawned "Ura-On!" which were shorts that were decent.
- There is even a video game, “K-On Houkago Live” for the PSP and PS3. Sadly it was released only in Japan.
- Amazing song sequences and fun interactions for a show about girls who goof off and drink tea rather than practice their instruments in a light music club.
- This scene.
- Cute character designs especially for Yui.
- Even the side characters for the show are memorable and fun to watch like Yui's sister Ui, Yui's childhood friend Nodoka, and the lazy club advisor Ms. Yamanaka to name a few.
- Unlike many characters that are added later on for ratings like Sparky and Chloe from The Fairly OddParents, Azusa, a character added later on in Season 1 as mentioned in WTR#4, is extremely likable and does not feel out of place.
- The voice acting is good for both the English dub and the original Japanese version, with the voices matching their characters perfectly.
- Many funny moments you are sure to laugh at during the show.
- The scene where Azusa cries because her friends are graduating without her is truly emotional and heartbreaking to watch, both in the final episode and the movie.
- The success of the franchise inspired other anime such as Girls und Panzer, Love Live!, BanG Dream!, and so forth.
Bad Qualities
- Season 1, while not bad, wasn't as well received as Season 2.
- Despite being PG, it has some swear words and adult jokes kids really shouldn't hear.
- Ms. Yamanaka can be a bit unlikable at times, especially in Season 2.
- The Animax Dub isn’t that good and makes most of the characters sound too mature.