The characters in K-On! all stand by themselves as concrete and likable. I wouldn’t doubt anyone would kill so see an entire series dedicated to their favorite character. Personally, this is the first series I’ve seen where I can’t pinpoint a ‘favorite’ character. I can think of multiple reasons as to why four of the five characters would be my favorite (I was not too fond of the Azusa). However, what makes K-On! transcend other similar anime is not how awesome the characters are, but the way they interact with one another. All of the girls in K-On! grow individually, as well-written characters should, but they very visually also grow as a group. They naturally influence each other and the people around them in a manner that is rarely accurately depicted in fiction. This type of character development is sometimes pointed out by Azusa, which is probably why I didn’t like her. And, even though there is an entire arc dedicated to this idea, I believe it’s more effectively done throughout the series as a whole. “The power of friendship,” is usually brought up upon in reviews with a negative connotation, but in this case, and perhaps solely this case, it’s an amazing thing. The way in which the girls change each other truly does show the power of friendship. All of the girls overcome some part of themselves, brilliantly, subtly so, through the influence of the other girls. I would argue that the main theme of the anime is exactly that, though the ‘coming of age’ part of it is also done well.
If I were to give a rating solely on how much I loved this anime and its characters, I would give it a 10; however, I simply can’t say it’s as “good” as the animes I would consider to be 9s or 10s. I would still give it my highest recommendation for anyone that wants to witness what character animation and subtle character development should ideally be, as well as to anyone that wants to see a fun, lighthearted anime.
