Final Impressions / First Impressions / K-ON!

「卒業式！」 (Sotsugyou Shiki!)
“Graduation Ceremony!”

The budget is blown! This finale looked amazing every step of the way and didn’t disappoint in tugging on the emotional strings. Azusa is brought to tears like I’ve been waiting for all this time and receives a surprise performance of “Touched By An Angel” from her seniors. Amazingly, I managed to keep myself together through the entire thing, even though the bitter sweetness of their graduation was so close to opening the flood gates. In addition to Azusa finally admitting that she doesn’t want Yui and the others to graduate and leave her behind, the sight of Ui nearly overwhelmed by those same emotions with her sister in mind almost did it for me. Had Azusa not grabbed Ui’s hands and reiterated that they should be happy for Yui and the others, I’m pretty sure she was going to break down and cry right there and then. It’s probably safe to say Azusa reached out for her sake just as much as Ui’s, because her tears probably would have set off a contagious chain reaction. It was no secret that school life without them was the only thing on Azusa’s mind and that she was probably trying her best not to think too deeply about it. Of all things, it was the sight of their graduation diplomas that finally got through to her though.

Subsequently, what got me pretty choked up and on the verge of tears myself was Yui’s unbelievably sweet gesture of giving Azusa their commemorative first-year club photo with a cut out of her added to it and a five-petal flower to signify the five of them. She didn’t simply hug her like I thought she would when Azusa was crying in her arms and instead reached out with a smile on her face. For that, I have to agree with Ritsu on Yui taking the spotlight as the cool senior of the group, as she really did come off that way to me as well. Even Mugi didn’t get a chance to add some words thanks to Yui being on top of everything, but we did get to see Ritsu rubbing her cheek against Mio, who wasn’t going to get upset this time and ruin the touching mood. The surprise song they had written and prepared just for Azusa marks the first time we’ve heard all four girls singing together in the series and only went on to reaffirm the idea that Ritsu and Mugi should have sang songs long ago. The lyrics themselves are undoubtedly the most touching aspect of the song, because they convey everyone’s feelings on how much they cherish their relationship with Azusa, reaffirm to her that they will be friends forever, and most importantly stress that their graduation doesn’t mean that anything’s ending. How can Azusa not tear up more after suddenly learning that everyone’s been thinking of her even when they’ve been busy with entrance exams? Simple answer. She can’t. See below.

INS4: 「天使にふれたよ！」 (Tenshi ni Fureta yo!) by 放課後ティータイム (Houkago Tea Time)
Watch the 4th INS (with lyrics): Streaming ▼

After seeing how Sawa-chan managed to keep her composure in front of her first graduating class of students — even after they surprised her with a collection of yearbook-type messages — it was nice to see that she was moved just as much as she seemed to be. All it took was an empty classroom with a blackboard full of more loving messages to get through to her and make her shed a few tears in private. More so than her tears, it was her feeling that she could never erase those messages that really spoke volumes to me about how touched she was. She sure hid it well when she accepted her gift by busting out her Catherine alter ego and screaming that she’ll be waiting for everyone to visit her though. As such, it’s good to know she had an opportunity to listen to the surprise performance for Azusa and take in every last minute of the light music club she’s watched over for the past three years. In retrospect, the first half of this episode and its more lighthearted endeavors was probably a very unassuming way of getting the viewer to let their “emotional guard” down. With Azusa spacing out and walking into a wall, Yui keeping the class’ surprise gift throughout the entire ceremony, Sawa-chan suspecting that something’s up, and Ritsu screwing up the telephone game-like message from Mio, nothing felt terribly out of the ordinary. Quite honestly, it’s a recipe that generally gets the best of me emotionally, so I’m a bit surprised that I didn’t find myself teary-eyed. It must have been all that hardened practice I had covering Angel Beats last season.

In any case, the graduation is complete as is the main K-ON story, which means it’s bonus episode time for the next two weeks. Judging from the preview, it looks like the first one will focus on the future of the light music club and emphasize that Yui and the others are gone by giving them little to no screen time. Now I could be getting ahead of myself, but it almost seems like Ui and Jun are set on joining like a lot of people were hoping (myself included). As for promoting the club, I think they just need to advertise it as THE Keion-Bu. No one can say no to that right?

* Final impressions will be saved for the very end of the series, even though this is technically the end of the core part of the story.

 

Preview

170 Comments

      6. Key and Kyo Ani? After the Angel Beats versus K-ON incident? Doubtful.
        FMP3 is very likely on the way. The original novel series has just come to an end, and the author has very strong connection with Kyo Ani.
        Lucky Star franchise really went south. At least the original Manga series did. I would say I see no anime sequel project on the table.
        Haruhi? No idea. Go ask the novel author and Kadokawa(the publisher).

        As for K-ON, if Kakifly does have its manga sequel, another anime adoption is pretty assured to follow.
        Hey, among all anime series aired in this year’s spring and summer seasons, K-ON!! is probably only one series which is gonna be mentioned in anime history. This franchise is that big and you cannot ignore that.

        U Doh
        Reply

    2. NO! it was about time this crap to end, how many time we’ve seen this same type of anime? Lots and lots of times, we need more story and comedy than just Moe-Moe ’cause there was barely a story in this thing.

      Arthur
      Reply

      4. You haters are really sad, just when everyone thought you were so busy hating K-ON you couldn’t be bother coming in to comment, you all come in and vent your bile and venom in the last episode.

        Well, it won’t be just you that’ll be relieved that K-ON’s finally over, because it will mean the rest of us (not just the rabid K-ON-tards, but the majority here who see K-ON as the good entertainment that it was) no longer have to put up with your spiteful bullshit.

        Kinny Riddle
        Reply

      5. kinny, not everyone who doesn’t want to see a k-on sequel is a hater… for me k-on just wore out its welcome. i loved the first season but there really was no point to this season. it dragged on for too long and lost its appeal. i’d rather see something new and original than another season of k-on.

        diet otaku
        Reply

      6. diet otaku, I agree with what you say about not everyone who’s not fond of K-ON is necessarily a hater, just as not everyone who’s fond of it is a Narutard/Haruhi-ist-like fanatic, and I too agree that K-ON needs to end on a high note lest it gets dragged into soap-opera oblivion.

        What I take issue with though are the offensive and condescending tone of some of the comments, if they aren’t haters, then they’ve not conveyed it well enough. I mean just look at the use of euphemisms of the word “excrement” above.

        Kinny Riddle
        Reply

      7. Stupid haters. Why can’t people enjoy light-hearted animes once in a while? All this “hurr durr fucking moe-blobs” is just stupid–I bet these people never even watched the series, quickly passing judgment just to sound cool and intellectual.

        TRBNGR
        Reply

    3. As divinelight said, we need Little Busters, and there’s definitely no need to explain how awesome a KyoAni + Key combo could get, ganna’ miss K-ON though..been a good watch over the years..

      PhantomPhreek
      Reply

    4. Whoah.. Suddenly this got swarmed…

      Add one for the horde.

      When S2 was announced it was a dilemma for me. I was glad there was more of this but I wanted another KeyAni collaboration.

      Sucks really when the rumors teased me so bad about the Planetarian OVA adaption. I was totally anticipating it. Picked up this rumor somewhere near the end of After Story. Then K-ON! arrived.

      S1 for me pretty much had up and downs. Like I stated back then I almost dropped S1 if it weren’t for the 2nd performance. S2 on the other hand was completely entertaining for me.

      Strange though.. Lucky Star never clicked to me.. Dropped somewhere in ep 5. Was thinking of picking it up again as I saw some humorous clips. This on the other hand survived and even earned a place as one of my favorite shows.

      Anyway I want this to end with a high note and also be blessed with the Budokan episode.

      megalith
      Reply

    5. Going back on topic, no, I believe K-ON needs to end in a high note, lest it gives the haters more reason to bash it.

      Kyo-Ani may perhaps now concentrate on going back to collaborating with Key, like Little Busters, or maybe another Key original like Angel Beats (provided Maeda Jun wants to come back to working with Kyo-Ani).

      And then there’s FMP3, whose poor fans have been turned into fossils due to excessive waiting. 🙂

      Kinny Riddle
      Reply

      1. “And then there’s FMP3, whose poor fans have been turned into fossils due to excessive waiting. :)”

        Oh God.. They need a messiah to bring them for the promised land. Well there is still a chance that KyoAni might do it. IIRC they released a bluray version of Second Raid.

        No idea if it sold decent, but if it did then there’s a glimmer of hope left. 😀

        megalith
        Reply

    8. I actually don’t want another FMP, Lucky Star or Key adaptation, as I would like them to do something different technically. They’ve done mecha, music, romance, slice of life, etc. Maybe they should animate a sports anime.

      Reading off 2ch, it seems like after the Nichijou anime(unknown whether its a series or just an OVA) Kyoani are actually going back to do FMP, if a recent picture of FMP’s author, director, and Kadokawa executive together is any indication.

      dis=k
      Reply

  2. I met a girl who sang the blues
    And I asked her for some happy news,
    But she just smiled and turned away.
    I went down to the sacred store
    Where I’d heard the music years before,
    But the man there said the music wouldn’t play.

    And in the streets: the children screamed,
    The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed.
    But not a word was spoken;
    The church bells all were broken.
    And the three men I admire most:
    The father, son, and the holy ghost,
    They caught the last train for the coast
    The day the music died.

    Kei
    Reply

  3. bye K-ON! always in our heart and thanks for givng us such a wonder time and memmoies wif us

    T = Tainaka Ritsu
    H = Hirasawa Yui
    A = Akiyama Mio
    K = Kotobuki Tsumugi
    S = Sawako Yamanaka

    =D

    Autohost
    Reply

  7. So it finally ends…

    Everything was in place.. That song really wow’d when on the live streaming. I can’t believe how that song was in place with that scene. To top it off the lyrics was touching.

    Great ending.. KyoAni really nailed it. I’m glad they didn’t go the same way as EP20 did. This was a light and warm farewell

    Honestly first time I watched I didn’t feel the impact since I was so stunned by the song. When I rewatched it got a bit tear eyed… KyoAni… Masters of setting the mood.

    10/5!!!

    megalith
    Reply

    1. Somehow the world felt like it lost it’s balance when I read this article.

      At the last part:

      Update: Tuesday’s airing of the final episode in the main K-ON!! storyline prompted musician T.M. Revolution (Gundam Seed, Rurouni Kenshin, Sengoku Basara Two) to post on Twitter, “Azu-nyaaaaaaaaaan! .. (´口’*) Uwaaaa~n.” [Via Gadget News]

      Ok… Interesting….

      *imagine him singing howling when ep 24 finished airing*

      Double interesting….

      megalith
      Reply

      1. i saw this earlier and i was like “LOL..who would’ve thought?” i can’t believe how influential k-0n is.. but we’re still yet to see its staying-power factor now that it’s almost over!=D

        keiOnDaisuki
        Reply

  8. Just finished watching this.

    Jesus I can’t believe how much I was tear-jerked by this series, was I the only one that bawled my eyes out?

    Hope to see something like a season’s end live performance, or a continuation of the sort.

    This is also one of the more ‘innocent’ anime out there (which is very unique nowadays) and its epic.

    Fate
    Reply

  9. The ending of this K-ON!! episode was perfect and to hear Ritsu and Mugi sing was a unexpected gift.

    I can’t watch the clip of the song without welling up in tears, just a amazing scene that rivals some of the best endings in anime.

    The more I think about it, this anime will be so empty without the older girls and I’d think that they shouldn’t try and stretch it out with the younger girls.

    kyonkun
    Reply

  20. man, i havent seen it but im already starting to tear up coz i really do love this show. no matter how many haters are out there, i really hope they have a university set continuation. or at least a live performance again like when the first season ended

    Sid
    Reply

    1. Here’s my quick and literal translation:

      Hey, if we give a name to preserve these memories,
      “treasure” would be perfect.
      Yeah, my heart’s capacity is at its limit,
      of those dazzling days.
      The uniforms and indoor shoes we’ve grown accustomed to,
      the scribblings on the white board,
      Do we really have to leave them behind for tomorrow?
      But we met her, a beautiful angel.
      Graduation isn’t the end,
      because we’re friends from now on.
      The picture we’re all in and the matching keychains
      are always shining brightly.
      Thank you for always smiling.
      At our home train station, on the path by the riverside,
      we see the same sky above even when we’re separated.
      Let’s sing in unison~
      But we met her, a beautiful angel.
      Graduation isn’t the end,
      because we’re friends from now on.
      If we say we love her, she replies with she really loves us.
      We’re not forgetting anything right?
      We’ll always be together.

      Divine
      Reply

  30. kyoani did great with clannad and k-on~ I want season 3 for both. clannad isn’t going to happen unless they make a “different dimension” Although K-on manga has ended, season 3 featuring Azusa may be possible. (manga was putting out a mere 8 pages a month (vs 64pages a month for a normal manga) and it already caught up to the end so) kyoani is great with details. they change characters clothe, background and everything, especially this show, where you can tell its high budget. Unlike other shows I was expecting this year (mainly Mayoi Neko Overrun) in which even the last episode, I still don’t know whats what. and I don’t want to here Naruto,bleach,one piece or simular (fans) dissing this show. “Oh great, episode 486 of Naruto just aired, lets go watch it!!” all shows gets boring and old when too many are made. Then again, everybody has their own opinion. I would give this serie 9.5/10 while some would give .5/10. that is ok, justifiable….but then again…why are you coming to this page nyways?

    superanu
    Reply

    1. There can be a third season to Clannad if we ask for it, for there is a second game out there by Visual Arts/Key… Tomoyo After. It’s a full game based on Sakagami Tomoyo and her relationship with Tomoya after Clannad. Those of us who have read the story want it animated and we believe it would be a good third season even though it’s a drastic change from the Clannad everyone knows.

      TehJawknee
      Reply

      1. tomoyo after can’t qualify as a sequel (you’ve established the true route in the end… you’d need to change parameters to reset).

        it’s more of a spinoff (like the OVAs from S1 and AS). although it would be nice to see the Show Spoiler ▼

        in full glory.

        Kakashi_Crusade
        Reply

  31. HTT WILL ALWAYS BE FIVE PEOPLE!

    A good sending off of the series (at least for the main storyline). They pulled everything off perfectly, emphasizing the normalcy of last week and first half of this episode, and then have it all dawn on us “that is all folks” to ram up the tear-jerking factor.

    A very good song to convey the mood that this farewell will not be the end of their friendship. And Azusa’s comment that the song wasn’t “particularly well sung” mirrored Yui’s comment on the original members’ performance when she first joined back in the very first episode, thus nicely bringing things to a full circle.

    Kinny Riddle
    Reply

  32. I felt happy and sad. Azusa is very special in this episode. With the beautiful song you can see how Yui, Ritsu, Mio and Mugi love her very much. This is not really goodbye, but just the beginning. And we can just imagine, the five of them continuing their band in the future carrying the name Hokago Tea Time.

    Hey, following the timeline Azusa will be a senior next year. On to budokan!

    Yuhsaku
    Reply

  34. I’m in agreement with the people who
    are against another season.

    First and foremost, I haven’t sat down
    and watched this final episode…yet,
    however, from what little of Divine’s
    blog entry I’ve skimmed it sounds like
    it ended on a strong emotional note.

    That’s said, again, I’m in agreement that
    we don’t really need anymore K-ON!

    Conversely, I’m not saying it because I
    hate(d) the show, I’m saying it because
    I love it.

    Let’s be honest a lot of things tend to
    go downhill in quality after so much that
    it hardly feels like the same show.

    I’d really rather not see K-ON! go down
    that path, like so many shows before it
    on both sides of the Pacific AND while
    we’re at it like so many movie franchises.

    In short, it’s been a good, no, A GREAT RUN
    but it’s time to move on and let it be
    immortalized in it’s glory.

    I’d accept a follow-up animated movie sequel
    at the most showing a bit of Mio, Yui, Tsumugi,
    and Ritsu’s college lives but of course not
    excluding Azusa… but that’s about it.

    On a side note: You gotta admit that these last
    few episodes really did take you back to your
    final days in high school…=)

    Disillusion
    Reply

  35. Just looking at this makes me sad. Lovin screencaps 09 and 44. It’s also neat how they showed Ritsu singing while playing drums. This episode really brought my back to my last days of school…Q_Q

    No season 3 please! As much as I love this series, it’s good to end where it’s at. Although, an OVA showing how the seniors lives after high school would be nice.

    fall3nbs
    Reply

  36. I don’t understand some of the people in here.

    K-ON! was great and you know it. Sure we have plenty of these slice of life high school animes but nothing that has been animated and done as well as K-ON! (well there are plenty of other high school animes that are good).

    I’m glad theyre gonna have these bonus eps because even though the main K-ON members story has ended, it still didn’t exactly finish the actual K-ON club, since Azusa still has the job of gathering members.

    K-ON will never end. That’s all I can say.

    ROFLWAFFLELAWL
    Reply

  37. Sob sob sad it finally come to an end but like many have said is a good thing for now, so K-on can be remembered as the great anime series they are, I wouldn’t mind an ova or two to tell us what happen to the group in future but definitely not another season, I honestly don’t want K-on to turn into the crap that we see today as naruto, bleach, one piece with 300+ episode and no sign of an ending in sight, I am not saying they are crap because I don’t like them or not, thats my opinion that I will keep by myself for now. But I am saying they are crap because the number of episodes they have, I just wanna go up to their studio and say god you ppl got to end this crap already, continue milking it just make it so annoying.

    mike
    Reply

    1. lol imagine how much profit they would lose if they end pokemon xDDD
      some shows theses days they just can’t afford to end. especially the way internet distributes shows theses days. THey are losing money. that is why I think even though K-on manga has ended, they might just make a original anime based on azusa (well at least ova episodes, Im more then confident that they will make at least one ova episode to go with blu-ray disk 9 released in march) and what ever news they got for us we should know by then~. third times always the charm aite~~

      superanu
      Reply

      1. Given K-ON made 1.8 billion yen (USD 20 million) in 1 quarter (3 months) and the mangaka is still the IP holder, its very unlikely he’s anywhere near poor or could be forced to end the manga. More likely would be the magazine/TBS execs begging him to continue but he has other plans/philosophies/reasons.

        And that doesn’t even count the DVDs/Blurays

        http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-08-05/k-on-t-shirts-tie-in-goods-bring-in-1.8-billion-yen

        Zaku Fan
        Reply

  41. if you hate the frigging anime then don’t frigging comment. and pls, this anime is not crap, do you wanna know the crap anime i have seen, i have many, one is called narutoshitpudden, now that, that needs to end and if bleach keep pulling shitty fillers it got to end too.

    riddle
    Reply

  42. This has been amazing, and I’m sad to see it end. I would be surprised if a sequel was made. The story just feels complete to me, and while I love the character interactions I had this feeling throughout wondering what was going to happen when they graduated. A continuation would lessen the feeling I got when it ended, but that’s just me. As always, thanks for the great write-up Divine.

    LaN
    Reply

    1. Good luck finding an alternative.
      As of now, when I try to watch other animes, I find myself comparing what I feel towards K-On and what I feel towards other animes, and man, nothing can be a match with what I feel for K-On, right now.

      Mickey
      Reply

      1. ditto this.

        i need a long period of time to get over k-on..w/c sucks bec. i won’t be watching any new anime then..and i’ll just end up watching the series all over againw and again, and again..until i find myself failing to forget about k-on.. *gets depressed*

        keiOnDaisuki
        Reply

      3. Maybe the new season of To Aru Majutsu no Index should help in the rehab…

        Even better if Hayate no Gotoku season 3 finally rolls around… Though I hope I won’t be a fossil once that happens…like the ones waiting for Full Metal Panic season 3.

        Incognito
        Reply

      4. Maybe I need a rehab.
        I am so hooked.
        But I kinda wanna stay hooked actually.
        This is really is one of the anime series I get to really love…
        I was hooked from start to end to the coming extras and still hoping for a new season.

        Mickey
        Reply

      5. i’ll TRY to avert my attention away from k-on as much as i can. bec. the depression is terribly killing me.and this is my FIRST TIME feeling so sullen over an anime (maybe i’d cry w/ the END of 0NE PIECE though)

        keiOnDaisuki
        Reply

  45. aww… so sad to see the girls go. poor azusa 🙁 i’d be bawling my eyes out too if i were her.

    im glad to hear mugi and ritsu singing as well. mugi at least should have done a song in ep 20.

    *sigh* im definitely gonna make a shirt with that teacup on yui’s palm as a design.

    k-on daisuki!

    kc
    Reply

    1. btw, i thought that music that started playing when they were about to get their diplomas sounded familiar. i think it’s the intro to vitamin c’s graduation. i may be wrong, but it does sound so much like it and it’s fitting too for the ep.

      kc
      Reply

  46. We thought tears would flow here and they certainly did. It was a beautiful ending and we don’t regret following both K-On seasons. I think the series touched us in little and random ways (sometimes without realizing it). That is the beauty of a beloved series, no matter which one it may be.
    We both are K-0n fans (not K-on-tards) and we took the series for the entertainment they provided. With that in mind, I do agree I wouldn’t want K-On to end in a multi-stretched out and never ending way. Some may not have appreciated the fun moments and others, like us, have loved it…Like any series, there will always be haters and lovers.
    It was a lot of fun and man, that last song was simply perfect for its message.
    K-on daisuki!

    Shinjiro
    Reply

    1. if i remember correctly, the mangaka based it on a band called “P-Model”. Zone’s reshuffling of their members points to some infighting which in K-On’s idealistic world won’t happen

      Zaku Fan
      Reply

  50. All good things come to an end. I wouldn’t wish another season, but specials are indeed welcomed.

    A combination of these voice actresses in a whole other world wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

    Amen to K-ON and all that it’s brought to the world. Hoping for more animes in the future with the potential to blossom into something as heartwarming as our little afterschool tea time.

    Btw, Sawako’s breakdown got me. D:

    MeranoMel
    Reply

  52. I’ve been saving a longer post for the “end” of this season, so it seems fitting to do it now.

    For this episode, let me just say that I was blown away. I really wasn’t expecting the comedy to be as funny as it was, like Sawa-chan-sensei’s Catherine persona appearing, or the group trying to hide the teacher appreciation gift behind their backs, or Ritsu’s disastrous telephone game. This was spliced so nicely with the more sad aspects that you get from graduation that it really felt so bittersweet. I loved Yui and Nodoka’s hand signs and the MITSU HUG (lol, had to do it), which show that bittersweetness. And of course, KyoAni gave us the royal treatment with a new song, but I suppose that’s really Kakifly’s doing since he wrote it first.

    But this obviously isn’t just another episode, it’s the end of the main K-ON! story. And at least for me, it’s a sad parting.

    K-ON! has been such a joyous ride, despite all minor faults it may have and all the changes it’s undergone. It has been one of the shows I come back to again and again to and feel incomplete if I miss. It is hilarious and heartwarming, and there’s so much more to this show than simply the “moe factor,” whatever that REALLY is. People keep talking about a “replacement” to K-ON!, well there is none.

    As for a season 3, well, that certainly depends on wether or not Kakifly continues, and the way the manga ends, there’s certainly that possibility. But I myself would be very happy with an OVA, or perhaps one of the bonus episodes, showing the girls in college life. For now though, I’d like to see KyoAni apply its efforts to a new show (I’m very curious about Little Busters!) or an older project like *cough cough* FMP! Season 3, which is just so desperately needed.

    I remember, way back when, how excited I was when I saw the first teaser trailer for K-ON! It had the instrumental of Cagayake Girls and the original character sketches, all filmed from a handheld camera off a screen at a Japanese Anime Festival. I remember thinking “this is going to be a ride.”

    And it was.

    Thanks for all the fun and memories! Now I’ve go to go and emotionally prepare myself for my graduation later this year… DX Can’t wait to see the extra episodes.

    innerchihiro out.

    innerchihiro
    Reply

    1. 「I remember, way back when, how excited I was when I saw the first teaser trailer for K-ON! It had the instrumental of Cagayake Girls and the original character sketches, all filmed from a handheld camera off a screen at a Japanese Anime Festival.」

      I want to see this.
      Does this vid exist in Youtube?

      Mickey
      Reply

      1. I saw that on YouTube a few months prior to K-ON being shown. I think it was either Comiket75 (Dec 2008) or WonFes, I can’t remember exactly which.

        When I first saw it, I thought, “Wow, cute highschool girls with electric guitars (and being proficient at it as well) = Pure win” 🙂

        Kinny Riddle
        Reply

    2. Nicely said, innerchihiro. =)
      I can honestly said I wasn’t too interested when I’ve read the previews for K-On! A bunch of school girls forming a band. Playing the guitar at that point was filled with bittersweet memories and a series reminding me of possible moments didn’t trigger any good emotions. Then, my girlfriend asked me to watch the first episode and I couldn’t help but chuckle at Yui’s goofiness and Ritsu’s funny moments with Mio. As the series went along, I found myself watching each episode and taking the guitar to play along at the OP and ED times. Slowly enough, my past musical moments had been replaced with me wanting to play more guitar.
      For me that was K-On! magic. Sure, there could have been something else that would have make me take the guitar again. Maybe, I wouldn’t have but all in all, I was thankful for the girls and their performance really pulled a string with me. That’s what I was referring to in a previous note down below. It may be minor or random things but it still helped me find a way back to a previous love.
      K-On! deserves my gratitude just for that.

      Shinjiro
      Reply

      1. gods,yeah. that’s so true..i was like ‘0mg! w/c 0NE?!’..so damn hard to decide! tsk! azusa HAD the potential to win in an0ther bracket if she wasn’t just put against mio! so we’d still have a better chance for any of the K-ON girls to win at the last round.

        keiOnDaisuki
        Reply

  54. gods.. what an EXCELLENT end for k-on!! i got all teary-eyed with a number of scenes..
    azusa finally breaking down was so touching..as well as how yui comforted her– yui had a mature side after all..but i didn’t see them hug for the last time =( the picture was moving to see..and heck! sawako– i didn’t expect for myself to be emotional with her moment..she was good at holding back with her class around

    my favorite, of course, although i’ve been expecting for a song with the ep., was the “TENSHI NI FURETA YO!” scene..*chokes tears* ABSOLUTELY MOVING LYRICS!!

    NOW, same with the rest of the peepz here, inspite of my OVERFLOWING LOVE for K-ON, i do not wish for a season 3 to happen..mainly because i’m afraid that having a long run might create a downfall for our dear k-on like what most had happened to other series..

    but who knows?? MAYBE K-ON ISN’T LIKE THOSE OTHER SERIES,EH??

    ALL HAIL KEION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    keiOnDaisuki
    Reply

    1. I’m all for Season 3.
      Season 4 or Season 5 maybe a no-no for me, since that would more likely be dragging the series. But with a third season, there’s still more they could put in there that would be interesting but won’t feel draggy or senselessly prolonged.
      In season, they established a Budoukan goal, right?
      In season two, they talked about making it pro and be like those musicians they saw on that summer fest camp concert.
      Kyoani could wrap that all up in a 3rd Season.
      The girls making it big in the music scene or see how they struggle to make it to the pros…
      I would love to see that.

      Mickey
      Reply

  55. MITSU FANS, CHECK THIS OUT!!!!!

    [http://mangajet.com/2010/09/k-on-has-played-the-new-song-tenshi-ni-furetayo-in-the-finale-episode-their-full-album-ho-kago-tea-time-ii-will-be-released/]

    did you see FUYU NO HI on the song list?? MY GOODNESS!! IT’S THAT ‘LOVE LETTER’ FROM MIO TO RITSU!!!! AHHHHH!!!! I’M SO EXCITED TO HEAR THE REST OF ITS LYRICS!! KYAAAAAA~!!!!!!

    keiOnDaisuki
    Reply

  57. I really really hate people who go off ranting about K-ON’s moe-ness when they do not understand the real meaning it’s trying to get through to the audience. True, it’s moe, so what? There’s something more to it, and that’s friendship. Don’t you people get it? That’s what all the touching episodes are for. Get this into your minds before you go ranting about K-ON being a moe anime, it’s useless, stupid, crap.

    Leira
    Reply

    1. haters are gonna hate..i just don’t know why they still tend to comment here if they don’t care about k-on..or they’re just TOO DESPERATE to be heard since, NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO, THEY CAN’T TAKE AWAY THE FACT THAT K-ON IS ONE HELL OF A POPULAR ANIME!!

      anyway, FREEDOM OF SPEECH EH??

      keiOnDaisuki
      Reply

  59. Ha, just remembered pressing my own leaves and flowers in a book as a hobby when i was a kid. I don’t know if kids do that nowadays but Yui definitely presses the nostalgia button.

    Definitely Yui’s the best character in this episode IMO.

    I think “moe”ness is not the real reason for people disliking K-ON. Moe is just a techinque for generating closeness quickly for between a viewer and a character. You can see the same technique in other manga that can be hardly considered moe. Rukia is moe, is Bleach a moe anime?

    The problem of some people accepting K-ON is that its idealistic. People who can’t accept that idealism has its place in life just as realism does, won’t be able to accept K-ON. Over idealism leads to naviety but over realism leads to grouchiness and apathy

    Then there’s another group who cannot see a goal and thus put the story as plotless. There is the idea of experiencing the journey being much more than the goal that is pretty true. If we were always going from A to Z at max speed, we would be looking at a coffin wondering what life was about.

    Zaku Fan
    Reply

    1. If you were referring to the end episode in Clannad, there was no reason to be really sad. Tears of relief and happiness, probably so. In case you were talking about the last snow scene between Tomoya and his daughter, Ushio…Then I’m not sure how K-on’s ending could even compare to that gripping moment. Clannad remains a gem as far as an emotional roller coaster ride can go.

      Shinjiro
      Reply

    2. I’m not there to tell you how to perceive things. If my post was read that way, I do apologize for since it wasn’t my intention. I was referring to my own thoughts and emotions these two series pulled.
      Think of the scene you were mentioning in Clannad as more of both a relief (emotionally) and a reunion. The characters who were ripped apart from each other finally had the lives I hoped they would live.
      This K-On!! episode was reinforcing, imho, the bonds the girls made over the past two years. It’s sad in a way to see Azusa (Ui, Nodoka (not sure if she decided to go to the same school) and Sawachan) watching her friends/senpai leaving. The main difference, since the bonds made in Clannad were surely as strong, comes with the dramatic events that unfolded through the series. Events which keeps on adding to the emotional toll to culminate into that winter scene I talked about in my original post.

      Shinjiro
      Reply

  65. Certainly a sad ending, but I was more teary-eyed over episode 20. I don’t know whether or not it was the accompanying background music that set the mood better in ep 20 than it did in this episode, but it didn’t have quite the same impact.

    This second series started off pretty mediocre I thought, where I was in the same boat as the people asking “why is this show even popular?”, but it went through the levels as it reached it’s finale and I have to say it’s been a fun ride.

    duh
    Reply

  66. Does anyone know whatever happened to Mugi’s “Honey Sweet Tea Time”? Guess it never got off the ground. Anyway (and finally), here’s my proper review of the series. Tell me what you think, guys. I may decide to post this somewhere in my blog.

    Show Spoiler ▼

    Razgriz
    Reply

    1. honey sweet tea time was never sung in the anime.but along with many of those songs kyoani had teased us about but we never got to hear, they are included at the HTT 2nd album’s song list w/c will be released on 0ct. 27 =3

      keiOnDaisuki
      Reply

  68. This episode was so touching. ;_; I started losing it when Sawako and Azusa cried, as well as when they performed that song.

    I don’t get why people like to hate on K-ON! so much. It’s simply a music-themed slice of life series with cute characters, and that’s what it excels at. Are people calling it a moeblob anime because they expect it to be something else?

    akani
    Reply

  70. First things first… SUBS. WERE. SLOW! Argh, way to prolong the pain of the “last” episode for the sub watchers…

    Now with that out of the way…

    Turns out that despite having a similar scene after the girls’ final school festival concert, I still wasn’t ready for the raw moe appeal of a crying Azu-nyan. Not to mention my emotional heartstrings suffering terrible, terrible damage from those scenes!

    StarCraft II in-joke and meme aside, the Tear Jerker and Crowning Moment of Heartwarming quotients in this episode was just…wow. It helps that the strong bonds of friendship formed by the girls throughout the two seasons made those moments effective. T_T

    Guess I’ll and try and get myself a Nendoroid Mio (along with the upcoming Nendoroid Hinagiku) to ease the pain a little…

    Speaking of Hina and Hayate no Gotoku, I can’t help but remember what Linn Regiostar (the ghost priest) said in page 10 of chapter 287…

    “Don’t you just want to die when an anime you love ends?”

    Okay, I know he’s already dead and the scene is played for laughs, but it doesn’t help that he’s holding what appears to be a Nendoroid version of Nodoka! If that’s not a shout out or salute to the successful end of K-On!, then I don’t know what it is.

    So an unbelievable sleeper hit has ended…for now. But K-On! will always be remembered in the discussions, annals and archives of moe anime.

    And for those who say they want a new season, no thank you. The ending was beautiful enough as it is and turning it into a franchise zombie will just make me rage. We all need to move on, just like those girls.

    *Goes off to make replies to other comments for this episode*

    Incognito
    Reply

  72. I thought it was a very nice way to end the series, It did tug the emotional strings, because as much as I wanted k-on to end I realized I spent 24 episodes with this happy go lucky group and felt fortunate to enjoy it Moe-ness to the very end. It will leave a void in my anime lineup but I guess there’s always a slight hope for a season 2. O god I can’t believe I said that.

    exia
    Reply

    1. lol you just finished watching season “2” xD
      no worries, there will be at least one more episode. an OVA episode to go with march release of the 9th disk of k-on. has to be since amazon has pre-order prices up and they are all the same at 6160yen each. now they will/might lower price on one of them if one disk end up having 2 episodes instead of 3. but I don’t see any reason for them NOT to make another episode as profitable as it is. If they are smart, they’ll milk the serie for as much as they can. just like they did with the super popular k-on figures and merchandises, re-release on about all the products. My favorite is Azu-nyan but without the 4 of them. Mugi’s cake,Ritsu’s “leadership”, Yui’s whateverness, and Mio’s moeness. Theres not much left to watch. I do love k-on thou and do support more and more episodes 😛

      superanu
      Reply

  74. Everything ends eventually, and yet at the same time nothing really ever ends. There will be new generation of K-ON, and the girls in the university will probably still play music together. But the saga that we were watching is over.
    As much as I liked K-ON, I would sell my imouto (the smart, devious one who would easily escape from being sold) to have another season of Full Metal Panic animated.

    ewok40k
    Reply

  75. SPOILER ALERT! do not read below unless you already read the last chapter of the manga
    Show Spoiler ▼

    * Edited with spoiler tags. Please use them in the future. -Divine”

    superanu
    Reply

  78. You know, when I first saw this pic, I thought Sawa-chan was like..smitten by the guy next to her… lol maybe It’s just me… XD
    randomc.net/image/K-ON/K-ON!!%20-%2024%20-%20Large%2014.jpg

    Koosha
    Reply

  80. Fuuko talks.. for the second time. Heaven YEAH~!! That HTT bespectacled fan looks cute as well, no wonder she watched their performance with full attention (while holding the same camera) in episode 20.

    Anyway…, so where’s Mugi’s song they promised us since episode 03..? Did they forgot it or they actually ditch poor Mugi and let Yui sing it instead?

    Main Event Jobber
    Reply

    1. She does look graceful. Wouldn’t mind getting to know more of her.

      I assume Mugi’s song will be on another CD. I imagine it’s the same case as George Harrison writing for the Beatles! lol

      starss
      Reply

  83. OMG I finally watched it. I couldnt beforeeeee.
    but hey, I cried A LOT AAA LOOT.

    when the class gave that to Sawa chan, when she cried, when azusa cried, THE SONG, THE BEST TOUCHING SONG IN K-ON, well i believe that there are only 2 touching songs? but this song is so perfect awwwww u.u

    OMG theres 2 eps more, but im already missing them u.u

    lol
    Reply

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