Usually I like to include a one paragraph summary of why you should or shouldn't watch the show. I feel like I can't do that for this show. There is just so much I want to say about how amazing this show was to watch. This is all I can say: please do yourself and watch this show if you're on the fence about it. This show delivers such a satisfying emotional experience wrapped in a sweet layer of lighthearted humour. I can't recommend it enough. If you need an exhaustive elaboration on everything I love about this show, read ahead.
Story - 8/10
The main gripe I had with Season 1's storytelling was that it felt too restrictive - that is to say about 50% of the show took place in the club room. I can safely say that Season 2 hits the ball out of the park with its story. Hokago Tea Time (the name of the main casts' band) spend a lot more time away from the club room by going to concerts, festivals, and school trips. There's also a 2-episode arc near the end of Season 2 that is a total treat to watch! While K-On is meant to be a lighthearted show, it also deals with the topic of graduating and saying goodbye to some of your closest friends - which is something I definitely resonate with and have to give props to. The story is just done so much better and had me in both tears of sadness and joy.
Art - 9/10
As I've come to expect from Kyoto Animation, they really outdid themselves with some absolute visial spectacles throughout the show. Maybe it's because my eyes are not trained well enough, but I seriosuly thought this show was like three years old and was totally surprised to see it was made over a decade ago. Whenever the characters are outside or in a place where lighting is different from the indoor standard, it is just a spectacle to behold. The way the light bounces off of each character in different ways just adds breadth to the show and makes it, to put it simply, so nice to look at. But the show definitely looks its best when the cast are away from school. Whether its the bustling city of Kyoto that's only one screen away from realism, or the star-studded night sky of the concert festival - there's going to be something that sticks in your head. One more thing I absolutely love about the show's art is its ability (or should I say inclination) to swap art-styles so effortlessly just for a visual gag. I absolutely love that kind of comedy in anime and K-On delivers.
Sound - Answer's obvious (11/10)
I'm going to quickly mention the show's original soundtrack before getting into the audio heaven that is Hokage Tea Time's songs. The original soundtrack is nothing to cast aside - it holds itself well enough against HTT's songs so that you don't forgot it. There were three tracks in the original soundtrack that I enjoyed thoroughly. Now, onto Hokage Tea Time's original songs. GOD, were they good. Right after you hear HTT's first live performance (which I believe was Fuwa Fuwa Time?) to the final note of HTT's last song acting as a sincere farewell to the school and the memories they've made, you know you've just blessed your ears with something wholesome and unique. While I do agree that most of their lyrics aren't too meaningful and are perfectly comprehended at a surface level, I don't speak Japanese so it doesn't bother me too much. All their songs gladly wear their hearts on their sleeves and speak to your emotions so bluntly, that you can't help but have a silly grin on your face while reading the lyrics. In fact, the last song that HTT played together on the show hit me so hard in the feels I cried in front of my mom while watching the episode, and it gives me this sentimental feeling whenever I llisten to it. I recommend listening to the Hokage Tea Time mixtape on YouTube that includes all of the little comments and mistakes they make while recording. It's just so perfect.
Characters - 10/10
Season 2 did absolute wonders for every single character in terms of character development and likeability. While I was originally a Yui, Mugi, and Ritsu supremacist, Season 2 completely changed my perspective. Each character gets around two episodes around them that fleshes them out as greater and more interesting characters. I can't even say anymore that I have a favourite from HTT, becasue they're all just so lovable and a joy to watch. Even the side characters like their club supervisor Sawako and Azusa's friends Ui and Jun get their own episodes. You can't help but appreciate the detail they put into these characters, even if just a little, that make you enjoy the show even more.
Maybe it's just the killer tracks that I can't help but mumble along to since I can't speak Japanese. Maybe it's just the absurdly funny Yui and Ritsu combination that never fail at putting a smile on my face. Maybe it's just the totally lovable cast that is at times so annoying yet endearing. Maybe it's just the fact that this was the first anime that moved me to tears of joy and tears of sadness. Nevermind, it's all of those things. There is just so much to love about this show that I can't express in a single review.
I never thought a lighthearted and carefree comedy about five highschool girls who spend most of their time drinking tea would make me smile, laugh, worry, and cry all in one season. But I'm glad it did. If you do decide to watch this show, take your sweet time. Because you only get to watch this show for the first time once, and that is one of the most inexplicably greatest things I wish I could have back - just so I could watch it all over again for the first time.
