First Impressions / K-ON!

「梅雨！」 (Tsuyu!)
“Rainy Season!”

It’s rainy season and there’s a fear of mold growing on everyone’s instruments, but what really caught my attention was the amount of lines their classmates had. It’s just too bad they only had two seiyuus, Nakamura Tomoko and Fujita Mami, playing three of them (unless one of the regulars was doubling up). I get the feeling that once they have a regular seiyuu, officially attaching a name to each of them would be the next step. Before long, we’ll probably have a K-ON spin-off to milk them for all they’re worth. I say that jokingly, but I can picture it happening at the same time. After all, if there’s one studio that can create hype out of nothing, it’s Kyoto Animation.

Anyway, with the way things were focused on Yui and her undying love for her guitar this week — so much that it prompted boyfriend remarks from the aforementioned cute classmates — I’ll be the first to admit that she deserved the serial cold shower treatment. I always find the most amusing Yui to watch is a victimized Yui, like when Sawa-chan tried to strip her of her sweatpants. Unfortunately, I can never see Yui as anything more than a little kid, given how she can ruin the image of a school girl taking off a drenched uniform by making it so unsexy. If only it was Mio who got soaked or Mugi with her pristine sparkling blond hair. We’d definitely be in business if that were the case, but at least everyone was out of their dull-looking blazers for a change.

Other than that, I find it rather amusing that Sawa-chan’s trying to be all teacher-like and scolding Yui for coming to class with a maid uniform that she herself made. In reality, we all know she’s obsessed with dressing up the K-ON members for their performances, so she was undoubtedly denying her inner pleasure. Azusa on the other hand has proven to not only have a thing for impulse shopping online, but also a secret love interest in Yui’s guitar. While the latter was obviously just some teasing from her seniors, I’m not opposed to hearing a “love triangle” themed song down the road. Hopefully, they’ll be talking about some boys instead of instruments though, despite how unlikely that is. With names attached to their however, namely Mio’s “Elizabeth”, Mugi might want to take notice of the way Mio swings. I kid, but it’s definitely not as manly as Azusa’s “Mustang”, even when it’s shortened to “Muttan”.

Next time, a tea party! I can’t say I feel it’s necessary to have an episode dedicated to that when it’s an ongoing thing in this series, but maybe there’s a bit more to it than just a bunch of people sitting around eating cake and sipping on tea in their fancy cups. Highly doubtful but I can always hope.

 

Preview

61 Comments

  5. k-on!! felt slow this season. i mean, comparing their progress to angel beats! who’s already released a couple of GirlDeMo performances, k-on!! has yet to show off their musical prowess. iirc, fuwa fuwa time was released around the 5th or 6th episode back in s1. they sure are taking their sweet time this season >_<

    baka~
    Reply

    1. K-ON’s focus was never on the music alone, more on the slice of life.

      Another reason why there’s still no new songs yet (if you exclude the folk songs and classical oldies sung so far) is that this season is gonna last for 2 cours. It would be too asking to require composers to come up with a new song once every 3 weeks for 8 times, you might as well ask Kyo-Ani to hire Lennon/McCartney to work on their songs. 🙂

      I think Kyo-Ani will go for quality rather than quantity when it comes to the songs, so I’ll be looking forward to it when the songs finally do come out.

      To compensate for the slow progress of music production, the writers have beefed up the comedy and character development side of things compared to last season. I find myself laughing and having a fun time watching every episode more than last season.

      Kinny Riddle
      Reply

      1. I know that the manga was never based around the music, but I thought the music added a lot to the show. I suppose that is just my opinion though. It’s still fun to watch, but I guess I hoped for some more music. Ah well, can’t complain.

        LaN
        Reply

    2. The music just isn’t in the source material manga. I think what they will do is the same as in season 1 and release a bunch of extra music as an album later. I mean S1 only had 2-3 songs from the actual band? But they have 15-20 songs released from the series.

      Eaglestrike
      Reply

    3. The very concept of K-On! is not about music or live band but about ‘A bunch of high school girls, who own musical instruments, going to school and inhaling sucrose and f**king with money (not only Mugi, mind you).’

      Well it’s partially a joke but it’s true that the series never really had any focus on the process of making music and songs and playing it on stage. The original manga obviously had even less focus. I mean, you can’t listen to music on a paper.:)

      Anyway, given the series going for two cours (I wonder if there will be a sixth member around then the OP and ED change), I guess it wouldn’t hurt to go on a slower rate. And also since, if I remember correctly, the manga hasn’t progressed very far from the anime, which is all the more reason for the anime to go slowly.

      Starshade
      Reply

    4. to quote what you guys have said, while k-on!! reminds us that it is just a slice of life anime about ‘A bunch of high school girls, who own musical instruments, going to school and inhaling sucrose and f**king with money (not only Mugi, mind you).’ we cannot ignore the fact that music has been their selling point.

      i mean, on a personal opinion, if there’s one reason that made k-on stood out (on its own) when compared with haruhi or sora no woto, it’s definitely not the ‘uniqueness’ of its story or the ‘mix’ of its characters but rather, the potential shown by the voice actresses since k-on! and the catchy op/ed song that ‘like adding salt to injury’ was topped off with the AMV performance of fuwa fuwa time along with the season finale ‘yui reflection’ of fude pen. sure, it didn’t follow the original flow of the manga/4koma compilation but that’s what made it famous.

      and i’m not bashing the series mind you, i’m just concerned since the competition between angel beats! is starting to look one sided. i mean, angel beats! might symbolize ‘quantity over quality’ by hurling a bunch of songs that i doubt everyone likes but the way angel beats! used the songs to grab the audience’s attention, all the while narrating an interesting story of the after-life is enough to shake k-on!!

      baka~
      Reply

      1. Oh, oh, I’m not about to go against the fact that the selling point includes music. It’s the most successful virtual band, after all. (As far as I know, anyway. Correct me if I’m wrong.) I’m not bashing the series either. I love the series and watch every episode every day. (A slight exaggeration added though…. I do fast-forward on boring parts.)

        And though I said that the series is about‘A bunch of high school girls, who own musical instruments, going to school and inhaling sucrose and f**king with money,’ I actually love K-On! songs and enjoyed episode 14 (the OVA) the most because it had the most emphasis on songs. (I wish the HTT club had met more difficulties though.) And I do wish the staff (or the HTT club… whichever) spend more time on making, writing and playing the songs. Because though story-wise music is only the factor that keeps brought and keeps the members together, as I said it has little role in the story itself even if it was the selling point of the series.

        I’m not bashing or even criticizing the series because I don’t mind it this way but just noticing that, as per my personal preferences, I’d had loved it even more if there were more emphasis on music.

        Oh look at myself babbling to much on a serious note.:( Sorry.

        Starshade
        Reply

  6. Even though the episode was Yui centered Mio 10 seconds holding Elizabeth stole my heart (again)someone make a wallpaper of it!!!! She always try to act so adult and composed just to show her true scrary cat moe wonder. Also the flash back of the first scratch sweet.

    Island Esper
    Reply

  7. Lol @ Azusa’s impulse shopping. Yui makes me want to cut my guitar strings when they are still at full tension. She also uses D’Addario strings like I do, except I don’t use 4 packets.

    fall3nbs
    Reply

  9. Looking back at the manga looks like they’ll be doing more original stuffs here. I’m quite curious though since a certain side character wouldn’t show up since she already graduated.

    I think that side character will be a good build up on the graduation but that happened somewhere back in their 2nd year.

    For those who read the manga.
    Show Spoiler ▼

    On a side note I got a good laugh at some parts.

    -Drenching part was amusing
    -Ritsu with her shirt tucked in looked really weird that it made me laugh.
    -Yui’s reaction to sawa-chan tugging on her sweatpants was amusing
    -Totally caught off guard at Azusa’s change of topic.

    megalith
    Reply

  10. Compared to last season, the comedy seems to have gone up a gear this season. Perhaps it has something to do with this season being given 2 cours worth of episodes, the writers just had to go up a notch with the comedy in order not to bore the viewers if the music side is coming out slowly. I LOL’ed hard at Yui getting drenched again and again.

    Though there is still a song this week, albeit an oldie.

    Yui really loves her Gi-tah that poor Azu-nyan’s getting jealous. XD

    I see Yui’s choice of guitar strings is D’Addario Strings, which I also happen to use.
    http://www.daddariostrings.com/DaddarioHome.Page?ActiveID=1740

    Coincidentally, one of my guitar strings had to break today, meaning I spent ages trying to restring my guitar, so Yui has my sympathies in feeling knackered after getting Gi-tah changed.

    Though she was resistant to it at first, Mio eventually embraced her Eliza-bass, literally. XD (Bass is spelled the same way as “Beth” in Japanese, as they’ve got no “th”) Next week, looks like we’ll get to see more quality teasing of Mio by the other HTT members.

    Kinny Riddle
    Reply

  12. Gonna put this in a separate post to prevent various topics getting buried in walls of texts.

    “Unfortunately, I can never see Yui as anything more than a little kid, given how she can ruin the image of a school girl taking off a drenched uniform by making it so unsexy.”

    Now I object to that, Divine. Yui may be childlike for her age, but I’d take her as my girlfriend anytime should the chance comes (though I’d have to make sure Ui doesn’t kill me as well compete with Gi-tah for Yui’s attention). 🙂

    In fact, she’s probably a more realistic choice as a girlfriend than Mio’s moeness can ever provide. Her constantly ranking first in Newtype (or was it some other mag?) monthly character polls is a testament to that.

    If that’s still not enough, the ED provides a glimpse of how gorgeous she would look in a more mature makeup.

    Kinny Riddle
    Reply

    1. I think it still just personal preference, if they prefer the cute cuddly girl, the sexy demure girl, the cool goofy outgoing girl, or the ojou-sama girl. KyoAni are geniuses when it comes to covering a wide range of moe.

      Chen^2
      Reply

      2. Mugi is the most sexiest in the group IMO. But my personal preference goes to Azusa. 😀 I like cute, hardworking & serious kouhai type. Mugi used to be 2nd in my list but now she was overtaken by the ‘ugly, uninteresting & not so moe’ (lol) Jun. I guess I’ll add Ui in my list as well. So Azusa > Jun > Mugi > Ui.

        The others…not in my list. XD
        Heh heh, sorry Mio & Yui fans. ;P

        Name
        Reply

      1. Men have two brains but only enough blood for one. I would be down with a naked Yui, I wouldn’t complain either at that moment about how someone else would be better.

        But looking at this scene… can you imagine how much more fun it would have been with Mio drenched and Ritsu tormenting her?

        joshua
        Reply

      2. Kinny Riddle: “Fair enough. Sexy or not, would you say you would still not be turned on if a decently cute girl like Yui were to suddenly striptease in front of you?”

        If it’s me, there is no way that I’ll get excited nor turned on if Yui strip naked in front of me. I think that Yui is more like an adorable (yet annoying lol) daughter-type. Or maybe I would say that she’s the pet-type. lol XD

        Name
        Reply

  15. Yui has been upgraded from “Oh you’re so quirky” to “I sometimes worry about you…” after her scratching fit from missing Gitah. XD

    Also, OMGWTFLOLBBQ Girl sitting next to Yui got a line! And she’s got a strange yet awesome voice at that…

    yanipheonu
    Reply

  22. As much as I like the “Nyaa~!” shout outs/actor allusions by Ayana Taketatsu in Kiss x Sis and Mayoi Neko Overrun (which I’m planning to watch but haven’t had the time), original Azu-nyan is till the best. =^_^= And if there was a Maneki Neko (Beckoning Cat–basically a good luck charm) that resembles Azu-nyan, I’d definitely get one.

    Although I couldn’t help but remember the song “Oishii Two-Han Seikatsu” (Metal Gear Solid 4 reference) as soon as Azusa mentioned about buying her stuff online…

    The looks of the girls in the last frame are just priceless…but most especially Mio’s shocked face…

    And next week…an episode focusing on Mio’s fears? Can’t wait!

    @divine: You can cancel my previous posts with the links…I’m “tripping the minefield” again…sorry. -_-;

    Incognito
    Reply

  23. Woah, I couldn’t help but think that when Yui put her foot down wrong and fell, it was some kind of meta commentary on how girls always seem to have some contorted, unrealistic leg positioning in anime. It was surprising that there was so little focus on Mio this season but it looks like that is coming to end next week.

    Also, the scene where Yui is crossing the street in the rain reminded me of:
    http://i40.tinypic.com/352m1w1.jpg
    With that disturbing moment with Ui, the horrifying shots of both Ui and Sawa-chan’s eyes, the skulls referenced in the past two episodes, and this:
    https://randomc.net/image/K-ON/K-ON!!%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2021.jpg
    I think K-ON may be setting us up for a possible NICE CAEK ending.

    As for KyoAni, the two cours probably means they’ll lay off K-ON for a while, if they return to it at all. They are still expected to do a second season of Lucky Star and an actual second season of Haruhi. They could also easily get the rights for Tomoyo After, not the mention the other three or four Key novels. I’d say FMP sequel as well, but if it ever comes back, I have a feeling another studio will pick it up.

    Anyone more skilled then me, GIF please??:
    https://randomc.net/image/K-ON/K-ON!!%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2006.jpg

    AuroraFlame
    Reply

    2. “As for KyoAni, the two cours probably means they’ll lay off K-ON for a while, if they return to it at all.”

      I don’t see that happening… Though I’m all up for another key adaptation.

      Also Here’s the gif. Had to cut since this was the sub version. The Leopard-Raws version got screwed.

      megalith
      Reply

  24. This episode had less laughs than others but made up for it by having those laughs huge bangs. I cracked hard at the seniors making fun of Azusa as being jealous of Yui, Azusa thinking the name Mut-tan aloud and reacting to Mugi’s reaction, Yui asking Sawa-chan to “don’t mind me” and especially Mio secretly loving Elizabeth. I was just waiting for Ritsu to show up. The whole bunch did, instead.

    I was also expecting some frightened Mio moefulness this week (possibly a blackout, scary stories in a dark school, etc) but I guess it’s for next week. The preview (or at least a mention in the episode) said next week is still raining, right? I could still hope for that.

    Hmm, good to hear Tachibana (okay not a confirmed name but very high likelihood and it’s a pain to call her ‘girl_who_sits_next_to_yui_(k-on!)’ so there) and other girls speak. Tachibana sounded kinda different from what I was thinking, with a voice almost as low as Nodoka. Speaking of that, I really like Nodoka’s voice. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard a voice like that from an anime, let alone from an anime schoolgirl. Of course I love Mio’s voice far better though. Anyway, Since KyoAni has the entire class planned out with names, personalities and even who is friends with whom, I expect the gang to be introduced properly.

    Starshade
    Reply

    1. Watched the episode again. I cracked the hardest at Yui’s classmates disappointed because Yui was back in her uniforms because it got boring that way. Her classmates kinda rule.

      Starshade
      Reply

    3. Starshade: “Speaking of that, I really like Nodoka’s voice. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard a voice like that from an anime, let alone from an anime schoolgirl”

      Of all the girls, I love Nodoka’s voice the most in this series. She always sounds so calm & mature. It really reminds me of how I really love Mizubuchi’s voice from ‘GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class’ 😀

      Name
      Reply

  25. is it just me, or this is one of the more rarer moments when we can see Yui and Ui’s parent in the same frame with them (okay, that was only in a photo…but still…)

    info600
    Reply

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