Following the explosive success of the cult classic Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya which spawned the “Haruhism” movement, as well as that of the emotional filled Clannad, Kyoto Animation was propelled into stardom among anime studios. From fluid animation to expressive facial movements, KyoAni shows were some of the most attentive to detail and passionate works of animation at that time which cemented their status as a one in a million studios.
K-On! was the polar opposite of the mainstream action heavy shows that its moeness was considered by most fans to be the end of anime and, in a way, it was. It popularized the cute culture and normalized expressing one’s love for adorableness through its relatable and more realistic depiction of high-school students. During its 13 episode run, the show is not afraid to approach into every corner of the slice of life/CGDCT genre from beach episodes to school festivals and part time jobs it has them all. Despite that it manages to seamlessly make them important for the advancement of the story and character progression while also making room for comedy. And there’s a lot of that. The jokes themselves, while not the most amusing on their own, are elevated by the brilliant comedic timing and the ever changing facial expressions in order to hit the mark. From Yui slipping and falling bum first on the ground to that scene during the school festival concert, you’re bound to have a smile on your face throughout it.
While some would criticize the show for what seems to be at first glance a set of episodic adventures which speedily cover an entire school year, K-On! delivers constant story progression through every episode. The show’s fast pace skips over tedious daily commodities focusing on the most important aspects of the girls’ journey through high-school. After all, it’s not every day something marvelous happens to us. It also reflects adolescence itself and the feeling that everything happens in a blink of an eye which can be found in the lyrics of the opening: “Our pounding hearts won’t slow down, our brains race at full throttle”. This emotion is something that most teenagers face when entering high-school which gives a significant note of relatability for the viewers which, for the most part, are around the same age as the cast. The transition from middle school to high-school coupled with the new faces as well as the exams are the challenges of a fleeting youth heading into maturity which is perfectly showcased through Yui’s clumsiness at the beginning of the first episode.
Another point in favor of this show is how seamlessly it understands its characters and their emotions allowing for tremendous development to all four main girls. For example, there is an episode in which two girls have a misunderstanding, however, instead of falling into the same trap that so many other shows do, K-On! acknowledges its characters as actual persons with needs. This means that after the two of them take some time to reflect on what went wrong the situation gets fixed after a heart to heart talk in the same episode instead of lingering on for the rest of the season. This demonstrates how carefully the show understands and knows how to deal with teenagers. On the same leaf, the school festival concert further drives this home by having the visuals during the song be reminiscing of the story of Thelma & Louise. The movie depicts two girl friends who are fed up with their old lives and decide to go on a wild adventure throughout America which by the end of the movie has the two face off against the world. This applies to K-On! in that this is the group’s first ever performance in front of a huge crowd and this fright is enough to make them feel backed against a corner threatened by the entire world which takes the form of their high-school colleagues. The dread is especially amplified for Mio who is supposed to be the lead singer of the group, however her shy nature and introverted personality make this task take on gargantuan proportions. Despite that, she overcomes her fears at the sight of Yui’s struggle and starts singing signaling the message that whatever they are doing there is bigger than themselves.
One important detail to note is Naoko Yamada and her directorial debut. Before leading K-On! she worked on previous Key shows directing some of the more teary episodes of the Clannad series or doing animation for Air, however her passion for detail and careful portrayal of adolescence would have enough room to blossom alongside her trademark directorial style: expressing emotions through leg movements. While some directors prefer a close-up of the eyes to showcase what feelings their characters are undergoing, Yamada opts for a more unconventional style focusing on legs and defining them as a second window for feelings. She would go on to master this skill further down her career in Tamako Love Story and the international movie hit A Silent Voice which would end up placing her name as one of the most talented up-and-coming directors of the 2010s.
Whether it is the cute girls doing cute things, the immersive feeling coming from Naoko Yamada’s directing or the stellar animation, outstanding music and sound design, K-On! stands as one of the most influential anime to come out in 2009 being an essential must-watch for any anime fan. At the end of the day, even if this kind of show is not your cup of tea it is at the very least worth watching for the fascinating and relatable coming of age story it unfolds.
