Aria the Origination, K-On!! Recommendations
They are both comedy. Both are story about friendship and happiness. They also have the same clumsy main character. Well, if you like K-On!! you'll surely love this.
Despite how different they may look on the surface, Aria and K-On (as complete stories with all seasons) have essentially the exact same themes, and the exact same strengths.
- Both are ultimately coming-of-age stories about a group of close friends who realize that they will not be able to stay inseparable as they move towards the next stages of their lives (graduation and college in K-On and becoming Prima's in Aria). Both leave with the message that "though things may never be the same, you will always treasure the old days, and the here-and-now is fun as well." They both speak of cherishing every
moment of life while it lasts, both happy and sad.
- Both have slow pacing and take their time introducing us to, and getting us familiar with and attached to the world and characters, but will eventually culminate in an impactful, rewarding payoff later on. Both show's characters are multi-faceted and incredibly lovable, and are characterized via strong visual storytelling rather than exposition. Both have characters whose past experience parallels what the main characters are going through and who use that experience to mentor and guide the main characters while reminiscing about how much that time meant to them (Sawako-sensei in K-On and Alicia, Akira, and Athena in Aria).
- Both employ subtle character development and detailed world-building to make their settings and characters feel alive, impactful, and special. Both rely on familiar places and events to instill a sense of nostalgia and show how characters are now compared to in the past, and they use it to employ an emotional undercurrent in many places. Both put the passage of time and the changing of seasons at a forefront (they employ Mono no Aware to be deeply resonant).
- Both series have writing by Yoshida Reiko, who employs dialogue that sounds natural and which is still entertaining, funny, and/or impactful. Both have moments of pure bliss, and both have made me cry on more than one occasion as the characters grow, realize what growing-up means, and move on.
- Both have practically no fanservice at all, and treat their characters with respect even the opportunity to be sexual arises.
- Both have some of the best insert songs ever, many of which are used during the best and most moving scenes of each series.
- Both are essentially tied for my favorite anime of all time, and both are masterpieces in my eyes which I'd recommend to everyone who can appreciate Slice of Life and doesn't mind slow pacing if it leads to a powerful long-term payoff.
- The differences are that Aria has an inherently more interesting setting with uniquely specific details and which gets more focus, is more soothing and relaxing as opposed to funny (though it is funny when it wants to be), has fantasy and sci-fi elements. K-On's school feels more detailed thanks to a consistent layout with connected locations which change appropriately as time passes, despite the fact that the school isn't focused on as much as Neo-Venezia in Aria. K-On is more funny, bombastic, and light-hearted as opposed to relaxing and contemplative (though it is those things when it wants to be), and is more grounded and realistic.
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