Kyoto Animation has at least two recognizable anime series. After Lucky Star and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya we have K-on. This time we don’t have loli student who talks about food or girl who search for aliens. This time the pretext is… a music band. Yes, Kyoto Animation knows how to attract millions of otaku. For K-on has so much fans as adventures of Haruhi or Konata and the amount of bayed guitars during emission has increased markedly. We have another phenomenon.
Yui Hirasawa is a very lazy and irresolute person. She would like to join same club but she doesn’t have any interests or talents. She arrived to the light music club by accident. The activities of this club fits Yui , who don’t like to overwork herself. She meets tree other girls, who also arrived to the club by coincident. Four of them tries to improve their play on the instruments, but after a moment of practice they sit by the table with cakes and tea. Even when a new member appears it don’t change anything.
There are five members in the music band. First guitar is owned by Yui, a sweet and drowsy but cheerful girl. On second guitar plays Azusa, band’s mascot with large avidness and graceful appearance. The bassist is Mio, a quiet a and shy girl, who get scared vary easily. Percussionist Ritsu is a person with thousand ideas and energetic personality. The last member Mugi, who plays the keyboard is the sponsor of all cookies and tea. We also have four tangential heroines. There are non male characters.
Every character movement or sentence fits the fans exceptions. Girls have very cute lifestyle and are very adorable. Yui sleeps in weird places, eating lots of sweets and acting lazy. Azusa as the youngest member have role of bands mascot, obviously with cats ears. Mio blasts everyone with her shyness and scariness. Ritsu capers around all the time. Mugi is a motherly type from rich family.
Persons who want to watch K-on because of music will be disappointed. The club activities are constricted to eating cakes and drinking tea, rather than practicing on instruments. They won’t write many songs or perform concerts every evening. Don’t expect any masterpiece lyrics either. The band plays very light music with trivial contents, singing about rice for example. It can be classified as sweet pop-rock.
All music theme is contained in short conversations about this subject. Problem with hurting fingertips, controlling instrument or catching the right rhythm are one of those enjoyable additions. That can encourage many people to try some instrument practicing. Besides the portrayal of instruments is incredible. The guitars looks so much genuinely that we can recognize their analogue in real life. The character movement while playing and the instruments images from different angles are also fantastic. Though the concert scenes are limited because of time accomplishment.
What else can attract to K-on besides tons of moe? Namely positive energy which bright up this title. Smile don’t disappear even for a moment. Carefree life of our heroines and the atmosphere will build up everyone’s mood. Days in the club are passing slowly, which is very relaxing. K-on don’t kill with laugh. You can find more funny titles. The humor is light and accommodate in characters of club members. We don’t have stupid gags or punching in the head.
Graphics are done very well, as like as the instruments that I previously mentioned. Colors are lively and apparently sloppy drawn outlines are adding some dynamism in the animation. The facial expressions of characters are also very positive. Even though the club members are in high school they look very young, but it can’t be sead that is a typical loli look.
The background music is very positive and don’t disturb on with any frustrating themes. The opening song is characterized by excessive cuteness and portraits perfectly what K-on is. Quick guitar sounds and squeaky voices can get your mind mixed up. Songs that girls are playing in the anime can be counted on one hand. If sweet pop-rock songs happens to fit someone’s taste there are many albums that contains band’s music not featured in anime.
Someone that don’t want to watch anything with moe will doubtlessly avoid this anime. If it doesn’t bother, many spectators will fall in love with the characters and bias positively with this mellowed title. Regardless, I wouldn’t categorize K-on as a music title this much. The designation that fits it more is “About girls who spend their free time in a funny and enjoyable way”.
