Alternative TitlesSynonyms: Keion Japanese: けいおん!
Information
Type: TV
Episodes: 13
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Apr 2, 2009 to Jun 25, 2009
Duration:
24 min. per episode Rating:
PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
L represents licensing company
StatisticsScore: 8.181 (scored by 21169 users)
Ranked: #2232
Popularity: #53
Members: 33,066
Favorites: 1,353 1 indicates a weighted score
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SynopsisThe carefree Hirasawa Yui is finally attending high school. Yui feels she needs to do something now that she is in high school. She decides to join the light music club with three other girls to save the light music club from suspension. The only problem is, Yui has never played the guitar and does not know how to read sheet music. |
Related AnimeAdaptation: K-ON!
Side story: K-ON! OVA, K-ON! Specials
Characters & Voice Actors
Staff
Reviews
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tehnominator
169 of 217 people found this review helpful
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13 of 13 episodes seen
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| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Character |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
The first time you pick up an instrument, you can feel the giddiness, feel the excitement, feel something click right inside of you that makes you think, "Yeah. I want to do this."
Setting aside her weapon of choice (castanets, hilariously enough), Hirasawa Yui decides to join her school's light music club and become a guitarist. There, she quickly befriends three other students who all have mostly come together to form a band, play music, and have afternoon tea. The chronicling of this venture results in an extremely cute, very fun and enjoyable anime.
Know this before you even attempt to watch this anime. This is not Beck. This is not Nodame Cantabile. This is not NANA. Hell, this isn't Detroit Metal City.
K-ON! is not an anime about the wonders of music or the gruelling realities of being in a band; this is an anime about cute girls who just so happen to be musicians and eventually come together for lots of light and fluffy times. It mixes in genres of comedy, slice of life and music into it. The result might not be everyone's Chex Mix. Those wanting more comedy would be put off by the slice of life elements, those wanting slice of life would probably be irked by how much attention is paid to the music aspect, and those looking for a music anime would no doubt be in outrage over this anime's prioritisation of the comic appeal and the detailed inane activities.
Time jumps from episode to episode, so if you're looking for continuous flow or you want to witness growth of the story, then be in for a disappointment. While it may seem that Yui goes from being an amateur to basically becoming the guitar hero in like five episodes, keep in mind that the anime has these large unspoken time leaps. In fact, an entire year passes in the span of a handful of episodes.
The main problem to be had with the story and plot is that there are overt moments where the anime devolves into a "moe moe" mess and completely compromises the overall delivery of the storyline. It becomes a little frustrating that development is hindered simply for fanservice of this type. Just how many times is Mio going to cry out of embarrassment/fear/shame for this anime? It does pay a lot of attention to running gags though whether they be overt such as Yui's, er, "quirky" outlook on life and group cosplay or the gags can be subtler, such as the defacement and decoration of the school's statue as seen in little interludes throughout the series.
The art is of high quality, if you consider the detail put into the props, setting, and scenery. While the character animation may be inconsistent from time to time, Kyoto Animation really did their research for the instruments in the anime and it seems most attention went into that. Down to the most minute details of on Yui's Gibson Les Paul are coloured, for example. The characters are undeniably cute, and the girls have a rather soft touch to their design. It may actually look like they are gloopy, if anything, but the effect of using the softer tones and less rigid lines is rather appealing. Some great work is done for the animation, and we get details of hands working their way maniacally across keys on a keyboard, or fingers plucking coolly at the strings on a bass, or a drummer's frenetic energy and control keeping tempo (arguably, the best animation for the entire series is seen in the OP and ED).
K-ON! however is most notable for giving the viewers a just small treats of excellent animation when the girls are playing; the majority of the time they perform or practise with their instruments, the camera cuts away to random scenes, different perspectives or the characters' faces. While some may see this as KyoAni "being cheap", it actually contributes to the anime than takes away. Ingenuity is often best exhibited when working with given resources. The result of focussing on the characters rather than their instruments during practice adds a certain quality to their characterisation. Yui for example, benefits the most from this, since rather than seeing her fingers and hands make music, we see her facial expressions, her looks of nervousness, concentration, disappointment and elation while she herself is making music.
Speaking of the music, it is pretty hit or miss. If you hate poppy rock, then you are going to hate the OP, ED, and all INS songs for this anime. The background music is light and comical for the most part though mostly it is so underwhelming that it borders unnoticeable. But the anime has a strong OP and an even stronger ED theme song. "Don't Say Lazy" is actually a surprisingly rougher song than you'd expect from this anime, given it's hard guitar riffs and pounding bassline, solid drumming and intense keyboarding. You get that, and then there are songs like "My Love is a Stapler" which is gooey pop. The band's trademark "Fuwa Fuwa Time" (performed interchangeably by Mio and Yui) is actually pretty awesome.
The voice casting is near perfect. All the seiyuu are newbies and they all give a life to their characters that even the most professional veteran can sometimes miss. Toyosaki Aki does absolutely astounding work as Yui, sounding cute, sounding scary and hoarse, singing and being just utterly charming in a sweet yet doofy way. Hikasa Youko has undoubtedly landed her defining role with Mio.
It's hard to take two steps into the world of K-ON! without stepping in a steaming pile of moe (you can interchange this with another adjective, depending on how much you dislike the traditional archetypes) characterisations. The cast is by no means ingenious. None of them are even unique in the anime universe. There is the resident ditsy, spacey girl (Yui), the competent, shy tsundere-tsukommi character with ridiculous phobias (Mio), totally moronic troublemaker (Ritsu), and the refined, polite, soft-spoken rich girl (Tsumugi). In fact, they are pretty much ripped right out of the Four Temperaments: Yui being sanguine, Mio being melancholic, Ritsu being choleric, and Tsumugi being phlegmatic.
Despite being generic, they manage to also be extremely charming characters who will undoubtedly entertain and are rather easy to like. Yui, the moronic prodigy in her all-round incompetent way, is extremely cute; Mio is causing legions of people to fall in love with her and it's surprisingly understandable with her dry sense of humour, sensibility and poor naming skills; Ritsu is the clown and the joker, providing lots of gags and pranks; and Tsumugi is good-natured and utterly adorable as she tries to fit in despite being ridiculously wealthy and more priveleged than her peers.
There are some great supporting characters as well, including Sawako, a teacher who is not at all what she seems, Nodoka (Yui's childhood friend who is possibly the only "normal" and sensible person in the bunch), Ui who is Yui's extremely responsible younger sister, and a certain guitar-playing girl known fondly for her saying "nya~". And that's pretty much the entire cast for the whole series. The character development is pretty non-existent for this anime. The only growth they experience is as a band; they become more coordinated, more in tune with their band-mates and with their instruments.
The series has a rare moment or two where it seems it may be trying to be a little more serious. There's the inspirational scene for Mio after seeing Yui perform a guitar solo for the first time; she gets swept up in the girl's energy and performance. Then there are some minor character conflicts when the relationship between Mio and Ritsu becomes strained. The last episode, for example, will make you wonder if this is the same silly K-ON! you had been watching for the previous twelve episodes since it gets surprisingly serious. Well, as serious as this anime can get (chocolate curry, now?) anyway.
K-ON! is moe in motion. Nothing more, nothing less. If you dislike moe or want an anime more focussed on serious music-making, then this is not it. If you are looking for a light-hearted, mindlessly fun, sugary sweet anime, then this is exactly what you want to watch.
In the end, you might just end up loving that light music club just as much as Yui does. read more
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Dorcas_Aurelia
54 of 74 people found this review helpful
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13 of 13 episodes seen
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| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
6 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Character |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
K-ON! is inconsequential fluff. One might compare it to popcorn or cotton candy: a tasty treat, but if you're looking for a meal, it will leave you looking for something more substantial after it's done.
K-ON! follows the tried and true formula of cute girls doing cute things. Based on a 4-koma comic, the series is about several high school girls who form (technically join, but all the previous members graduated) a light music club and follows their activities. The music itself often takes a back seat to the antics of the girls, and audiophiles may find themselves somewhat disappointed if they go in expecting detailed attention to techniques or references to real life bands (there are a couple, but few and far between). There are two concerts in the thirteen episode series, but neither is as impressive as the one from the Live A Live episode of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (one of Kyoto Animation's earlier shows), but still very enjoyable. The most common scene in the series features the main girls sitting in the club room snacking on tea and cakes while discussing various mundane events, particularly with the more dedicated girls trying to get the rest to practice.
The girls all have their own distinct personality. Yui, the main character, is the some clumsy and adorable airhead. She joined the club hoping to play an easy instrument like the castanets but ends up playing guitar because the club needed a guitarist. Ritsu is the energetic idiot of the show, drummer, and club president because she was the one who dragged everyone else into the club. Mio is Ritsu's long time friend, and the sensible, serious one of the group. She writes the groups songs, and plays the bass. She is also the most moe character, being the prettiest, easily embarrassed, and terrified of ghosts and yucky things. Mugi is the pianist. She comes from a wealthy family, and thus is a source of amusement by displaying the difference in wealth between rich people and normal people. She is also the provider of the tea and sweets that are regularly consumed at the club meetings.
There are a few regular minor characters, too. Ui is Yui's younger, but more mature and reliable sister. Yui has a friend named Nodoka who joins the student council, which means her role is essentially to let everyone know that Ritsu has forgotten something regarding paperwork for the club. Sawako is a music teacher who is recruited as the club adviser in one of the more memorable scenes of the series. Also, a late addition to the cast is Azusa, an underclassman who is much like a miniature version of Mio.
Character designs are generally cute, with the kind of big round faces typical of most Kyoto Animation works. Background art is consistently good, as is the animation, which should come as no surprise. When characters are shown playing their instruments, there is generally more attention to detail than seen in anime to the point where the sound properly matches the characters actions. The singing at the concert features the same style animation as Live A Live, where you can just about lip read the lyrics (if you know Japanese, of course).
The music used in the series can generally be described as light and fluffy, both the background music and the couple of songs the girls play at their concerts, with the exception of the closer, which rocks a little bit harder than rest. The voice acting fits well all around, with Yui being notable for regularly coming off as someone who isn't all there, fitting her character well.
I don't want to close saying this show is like Azumanga Daioh with a music club, but that's about the easiest comparison I can make, and not too far off a description. read more
Recommendations
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K-ON! is Lucky Star with just as much emphasis on moé-moé slice-of-life humor, more emphasis on music and some semblance of a PLOT.
K-ON! and Lucky Star are both easy-going, slice-of-life anime that have practically matching character personalities. K-ON has a hint of a story-line, but ends up with the pointless and random almost every episode, just like Lucky Star. If you loved one, there is no way you'll not love the other.
It's humorous, sweet and beautiful look, as Lucky Star.
Both made by KyoAni, both deal w/ 4 girls, both are moe shows
Both animes follow four average girls on their "journey" through high school. both sets of girls look rather young for high schoolers, but face similar struggles as those that real high schoolers face. Also, while K-ON! has more to do with music, both have great songs! These comedies are both so great and if u like one of them you'll definitely like the other!!! hope this helps!!!
K-ON and Lucky Star are very similar in many ways.
Firstly: the characters are similar. Examples: Mugi and Miyuki are similar because both are rich; Konata and Ritsu are similar because both are crazy; Kagami and Mio are somewhat similar because they try to control the crazy ones; Yui and Tsukasa are similar because they both forget things, sometimes important things.
Secondly: In both anime, The story is revolved around 4 girls. In Lucky Star: Konata, Miyuki, Tsukasa, and Kagami. In K-ON: Mio, Mugi, Yui, and Ritsu. There are also teachers involved and other girls.
Thirdly: In both anime, the theme is comedy and school, however K-ON is music and Lucky Star is slice of life.
That concludes my recommendation.
Lucky Star and K-ON! Has Similar characters, not by looks but by attitudes as well. It doesn't have the same storylines. But if you watch Lucky Star or the latter, you will feel the same atmosphere in both animes. They are produced by Kyoto Animation as well, giving you the same amount of humor, Lucky Star brought us.
Both made by Kyoto Animation, graphic styles are similiar
both tells a story about four girls, both are school comedies
K-ON is pretty much Lucky Star with musical instruments. Both are made by the same company. If you liked Lucky star you will like K-ON also. (Judging by the 1st 3 episodes only)
Both of these Animes share a good amount of comedy as well as being slice-of-life shows.
Not only that but all four of the main girls from each series have a similar personality. Like...
-Konata=Ritsu, both of them seem to have a hyperactive attitude and act not as normal as others. -Kagami=Mio, both share a good study habits and are really smart. Plus they can act really strict .
-Tsukasa=Yui, both of them don't really like to study that much and they really like to eat sweets.
-Miyuki=Tsumugi, they both come form wealthy families and they also have a sweet personality.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if the charcters from lucky star all of a sudden created a rock band? well here you go. you can even see the characteristics of each of the characters being almost he same. The seiyu are different and not as well know but they are all rising starts in the anime business.
The story centers around four high-school girls who go about their daily lives, with various themes at the center. K-ON! is very similar to Lucky Star, but replace the 2ch references and otaku culture with music.
Same studio, similar narration and humor.
Made by the same studio, both have very similar type of humor, both are about a group of girls in high school and both are moe
carefree girls with slice of life/school life.
both animes are about skool girls
and they are both really funni
K-ON and Lucky Star are both slice of life moe comedies that mainly take place in school. The characters are extremely similar, for example:
Konata-Ritsu
Tsukasa-Yui
Kagami-Mio
Miyuki-Tsumugi
Moe and funny what more do you need in any show. Both shows are lighthearted and fun to watch.
Lucky Star and K-ON focused more on the drama/slice of life and comedy.
So, if you found Lucky star worth watching, then so is K-ON.
There are also character that act for the "moe", the serious one, etc.
They're both a slice of life anime with 4 cute girls and are made by Kyoto Animation.
If you liked Lucky Star, you'll definitely love K-On!
The characters are all loveable, and its comedic aspects and slice of life genre will definitely appeal to all viewers :)
This is very similar because both animes have four main charaters and slowly start to gain more charaters toward the end. They both express chibi scenes to make childish comedy which i could help but laugh at. The only differnce is that K-on is based around learning music and Lucky star tries to referance anything they can while at school.
K-on! is just like Lucky Star in so many ways. Even though the plots are different, the main characters have a lot of the same personalities and traits and it centers around their school life. It is also just as funny as Lucky Star =P.
both are EXTREMELY hilarious!!! just girls hanging out, talkin about stuff and doing things that makes you laugh!! the characters are very similar...
Yui- Tsukasa
Mio- Kagami
Ritsu- Konata
Tsumugi- Miyuki
the teachers who hangs around with them have the same personality as well, the 4 main characters treats them as if they're the same age....
Sawako- Nanako (they're also teachers who doesn't have any boyfriend so they have nothing else to do xD)
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an anime about a band. what can be better?
Both animes have some similar histories about music, a lot of musical references and of course a little band wanting to get bigger. There some other references but if i say it could be a spoiler so, watch it and make your conclusion. ^^
they are similar in terms of music
Both about soon-to-be musicians, Beck is a more serious take on it, while k-on is more comical about it.
School life and music of a band.
If you want a more serious anime than K-ON, Beck is definitely worth checking out if you haven't done so already.
It's about a music band but they do more serious music than K-ON's, with inspiration from the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix.
Their soundtrack is also awesome which is also worth checking out.
At 26 episodes, Beck is something everyone must look at one time or another.
Both of these series focus around a band struggling to 'make it big'. BECK is the more mature of the two animes, while K-ON has all the comedy.
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Opening Theme"Cagayake! GIRLS" by Aki Toyosaki, Yoko Hisaka, Satomi Satou and Minako Kotobuki
Ending Theme"Don't say 'lazy'" by Aki Toyosaki, Yoko Hisaka, Satomi Satou and Minako Kotobuki
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