Spotlight Character: Azusa Nakano (K-ON!) MAL Character Information Page: Azusa "Azu-nyan" Nakano MAL Favorites: 2408 For the next week I would like to have everyone familiar with this character discuss what they think makes it an exceptional character. What attributes make it stand out in the ocean of interesting characters that exist in the realms of anime and manga. Unlike the other two subjects I will not force this conversation to fall into any set structure. Characters that are nominated typically get here because they are adept at breaking the existing character moulds and defying definition. Because of this freedom I encourage everyone to do their very best to stay on topic and keep any and all debate civil. Have fun and I look forward to seeing what everyone has to say about this character. RESULTS OF THE YOU DECIDE POLL Azusa Nakano was NOT inducted into the club Character list: 14 Yes - 23.3% 46 No - 76.6% 27 Don't know this character - 28.1% of the total number polled 9 Abstained - 9.3% of the total number polled |
santetjanMar 1, 2013 4:28 AM
| You do not beg the sun for mercy. |
| lol oh god. Go on then. Let's see your arguments. |
edit: Oh, wrong character. Still relevant though. |
WilioFeb 8, 2013 10:25 PM
| -Fixing- |
| Can someone enlighten me on how Azusa stands out as a worthy character, besides the fact that she's cute and moe? |
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| She tried to make K-ON about music. 1/10 automatic no. |
 She managed to not feel the urge to kill a bit.... a girl like Yui. I'm sure I couldn't have achieved such an result in her place. Either way, still no. |
IllegalCyrus said: She tried to make K-ON about music. 1/10 automatic no. Well, I said I would do this, so... (paraphrased): "Azusa is a total buzzkill. When she appeared, they actually started playing music, drinking less tea and eating less cake." Yeah, Cyus' post seems silly, but it actually holds truth. Azusa is kind of like the catalyst for the original group of girls. With her appearance, they start taking their club activities more seriously... or something. She unites the girls in a way. I don't know. We're just waiting for Godot Veronin. |
| "I may be liberal arts to the core, but I am capable of thinking logically." |
| You all got fooled by her exterior characteristics. As expected of a great Machiavellian strategist Azusa von Oberstein, conquering the world by overloading it with cuteness has never been this effective. Also, she's the mastermind behind google, in case someone didn't know. opernlied said: "Azusa is a total buzzkill. When she appeared, they actually started playing music, drinking less tea and eating less cake." Which arises a bunch of questions about the moral stance of eating cakes during your club activities. Watching characters struggle with these issues of a grave concern is a groundbreaking experience in and of itself. So let's vote  |
| she was probably my fave character in the show though i havent seen s2 yet. honestly, i feel like i should be voting no because this club has a bias against her and everyone's like "lol is this a joke". i would say she is not a deep character, but i love watching her and she is hilarious. perhaps, had i watched s2, i would vote yes. i shall abstain |
| LOl I just nominated her because others did too. In truth she is another worthless character in the show whose sole purpose is to act the pet girl in the group. |
| It isn't funny. It makes the whole club and its existence NOT serious. That's not why I came here. I'll boycott THIS not serious voting. |
balaaz said: It isn't funny. It makes the whole club and its existence NOT serious. That's not why I came here. I'll boycott THIS not serious voting. lol pull your head out yo ass. azusa has as much right to be nominated as any other anime character. so long as someone thinks they can bring forth interesting points supporting a character's induction then why can they not be nominated? and while everyone in this thread so far is taking the piss, i know there's at least one person who would definitely have some interesting points to make. that overly superior attitude of yours is not why i came here. |
| Godspeed, Veronin. Godspeed. |
| "Hello, Mr. Wind up Bird." |
| This is a point that needs to be made very clear, so I will bold it: If you have not watched the entirety of the second season, you will not understand Azusa's character development. Now, I will fully admit that the first season had weak characterization. There is little to no depth in any of the characters as the story focuses primarily on the band itself and the comedy. Azusa does not even join the story until the 8th episode, and outside of the 9th and 13th episodes receives very little focus overall. By this alone it would be hard to think of her as more than merely a cute character, much less considered for induction in the Critics & Connoisseurs club. The second season is the game changer. The two seasons are on entirely different levels of quality, and while not necessarily related, the demographic is shifted to a wider, family-friendly audience in the sequel. This means a complete lack of fanservice. There is no "moe moe kyun~" and other silly moe traits used to define the characters. The characters become human in the second season - especially as regards to Azusa, with her development being focused on to the same extent as the approaching graduation. As the only underclassman and the last to join the club, Azusa's role at the start is as an outsider of sorts. She is essentially the viewer. Azusa provides an outside perspective on the club and is the anthesis of what it represents. Yui and the rest fool around and regard the music as inconsequential while Azusa puts all priority on practice and ambition. Yes, this contrast is used partly for comedic effect - but as the series progresses, this element develops her both as a character and as a person. It is subtle development, for the most part. It's easy to regard even the second season as little more than a silly slice of life if one only concerns themselves with the dialogue and the comedy. Take for example the first episode of the second season. In Azusa's conversation with Jun and Ui, the three discuss the reasons for why new students are hesitant to join the club: the closeness of the members and its peculiar nature. The dialogue reveals little to nothing - but when paying attention to Azusa's body language and movements, it becomes clear that she's genuinely happy about other people's perception of the light music club (something that she may not even realize herself). This moment lasts only a few fleeting seconds, but it is a clear and early example of how natural the character interaction is in the second season. There are still many more subtle moments like this which mark Azusa's characterization in the second season. Her growing attached to the club provides much substance and meaning beyond this as well, especially as her feelings conflict with the approaching graduation for the other club members. The latter half of the second season focuses heavily on Azusa's feelings towards the graduation, progressively building towards the climax in the 24th episode. It's emotional, sure, but more importantly it is executed efficiently. There is no melodrama used to manipulate the viewer. Azusa's feelings are developed through introspection and subtle reactions. Her anxiety and fears all flesh her out as a person and give her far more depth than one would normally expect from such a lighthearted show. As a result, the bittersweet finale carries much more meaning than it typically would. The movie does an exceptional job at this as it details the foundation for "Tenshi ni Fureta yo", the seniors' farewell song to Azusa, and their various insights to how much Azusa's presence has helped shape the club. Azusa's relationship with Yui is also quite special and integral to her characterization. The two often disagree and have troubles interacting with each other but evolve into best friends over the course of the series. Azusa's feelings towards the club are directly the result of her friendship with Yui. Often she does not say what she thinks, but by paying attention to subtle reactions, her feelings become clear to the viewer. The Valentine's episode is especially indicative of this. Furthermore, Azusa never stops being herself, even after all the change she experiences in the light music club. She is clearly against the club's frivolousness from beginning until end, even if she is shown at times to unwittingly partake in the shenanigans. She matures significantly as a person -- naturally and consistently, rather than having change forced in by a sudden 180-reversal. Often in anime characters are subjected to drastic change in order to contrive story elements and evoke an emotional response from the viewer, but this is not the case in K-ON. It is a natural result of Azusa's experiences with Yui and the light music club. Azusa is still Azusa at the end, albeit with a vastly different and more positive outlook on life. For further detail, I'd recommend rewatching the 16th episode. In contrast to the lighthearted nature of the show, there are often scenes when Azusa's personal flaws are highlighted. She is an idealized character, certainly, and does contain several moe traits, but the anime is not afraid to portray her as making mistakes and regretting what she has done. Her introductory episode is a prominent example of this, with her lashing out at the club for their behavior and immediately avoiding the club for days afterwards in regret. The movie also contains a scene where she pushes Yui away and hurts her as a result of a misunderstanding, immediately regretting her actions when she realizes her mistake. As a result, Azusa feels more human than she does character. Idealized and cute, yes, but 'moe' traits do not define her. Not past the first season, anyway. Considering the amount of focus on her throughout the second season (and especially the movie), she almost feels like more of a main character than Yui does. Not because of screentime, but because the story grows to revolve around Azusa by the end, without ever undermining Yui's own role either. And it is for the better too. Azusa is an excellent character. She is what makes the second season truly special, and I would not hesitate to say that she is one of the most exemplary characters in a slice of life anime. Her development is natural, her interaction subtle, and her personality marked by depth unprecedented in this style of anime. Azusa's role at the start may seem like little more than a superfluous one, but by the end is the catalyst for many of the important events and the emotional value of the series. K-ON would not be K-ON without her, and she is what turned a merely decent anime into my all-time favorite series. Ask yourself: do you dislike K-ON and its characters because the anime was poorly made, or because it was not what you personally wanted it to be? Execution and substance are probably not the issue here. Much of the complaints I find regarding the series (especially the derisive crap in this thread) is solely the result of the series' cuteness. There is not anything inherently wrong with lighthearted anime. If you wanted the anime to focus more on the music aspect and the girls as a band, or take a more serious direction -- that is fine, but please do not take it as a valid complaint against the series. It's rooted in subjectivity and personal bias, and I don't think it's fair to critique an anime by what you wanted it to be rather than what it actually is. I did not nominate Azusa, but as the person who perhaps feels more strongly for her than anybody else on the website, I will definitely be voting yes. I have given my reasons for why. She is not the best character I have seen from an anime -- not by any means, but she is certainly an exemplary character that deserves to be taken seriously. Put the preconceptions and bias aside. A neutral perspective will shine a lot more light on her character than you might think. I am prepared to be the only 'yes' vote when the poll comes around, but hopefully this post may help change the perception towards her. |
VeroninFeb 14, 2013 8:05 PM
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| I completely agree that the second season blows the first out of the water in terms of characterization. Not just Azusa, but most of the cast had a chance to step outside of their moe archetypes. She's also the character I sympathized with the most. I'm not sure this is enough to vote 'yes' though. It's been too long since I've seen it, so I think I'll have to abstain. |
| “Money can't buy dere” |
balaaz said: It isn't funny. It makes the whole club and its existence NOT serious. That's not why I came here. I'll boycott THIS not serious voting.  |
| While I agree to some extent with what Veronin has said, I tend to feel that a lot of his comments would be better applied to the second season of K-ON and its movie as opposed to just Azusa. Although she definitely had her moments where she grew as a character, it was mostly through her interactions with the other members of HTT that brought out her human characteristics and consequently lead to her development. The problem is that this doesn't exactly speak wonders to the value of her character, but rather the fact that she changed as a result of her environment. Since this would be the expected result in most cases, it's difficult to really praise Azusa as a standalone character. Likewise, I tend to feel that HTT's group dynamics were a much better illustration of the show's "natural" depiction of a close circle of friends as opposed to just Azusa herself. If MAL had a single character entry for HTT, I would perhaps be more on the fence with my vote. Unfortunately, that isn't the case here so I'll be voting "no" for Azu-cat. |
 |
It seems Azusa will forever play second fiddle, regardless if she's in this club or not... |
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| At least until the Neptunia anime comes out, Noire will have a chance. |
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