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Feb 7, 2021
K-ON! is one of those shows I just can't get out my head, no matter how hard I try. It strikes the perfect balance between fun dialogue, catchy songs, and just a dash of teenage angst. If you have yet to watch this series, and you enjoy slice-of-life comedies (such as Lucky Star, Non Non Biyori, and Yuru Camp), then this is the show for you.
Here's my breakdown:
***mild spoilers***
Story: 7/10
When I first watched K-ON!, I actually rated it only an overall 7. I was annoyed by the lack of music and band practice that is in the show, especially in the first season. But when
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I later rewatched the series, I was thankful that we don't hear the girls rehearsing the same 3-4 songs for all 13 episodes, only to hear them *again* at their concert. I left that experience to Hibike! Euphonium. And, I embraced the true nature of the slice-of-life genre and looked at the show at face value: it's about cute girls doing cute things, and there's nothing wrong with that. That said, I have seen slice-of-life shows with slightly stronger plot, so that's why it only gets a 7/10 in this category. I find it very relaxing; it's the perfect thing to just sit back, watch, and laugh at.
Basically, I'm saying to give it a chance.
Art: 10/10
If you look at my anime list, you clearly see that I am a nut for KyoAni shows. I just love their clean, dynamic animation and art style. This is no different for K-ON! Even when I first watched the show and didn't love it I thought, "well, the story's kind of lame, but the art it stunning." I love the faithfulness from the studio to the original manga, cleaning up the original art just enough to make it even cuter. The instruments look photo-realistic; you can almost feel the weight of Yui's Les Paul.
Sound: 10/10
KyoAni knows how to produce some catchy music. Just check out the music from Nichijou and the OP/ED from Chuunibyou. Now, I can still complain about how the band is too good for, 1) being a bunch of high school girls that don't really know how to play (especially Mio and Yui, like goddamn); and 2) for never practicing. That said, the songs they write are bangers, and you *will* catch yourself singing "Fuwa Fuwa Time".
Characters: 8/10
I give the characters only an 8/10 because, like many other reviewers will tell you, they are generic. That does not stop them from being charming and cute, however. Each character plays a typical anime character trope: Yui is the baka, sweet but dumb; Ritsu is the genki, energetic and silly; Mio is the shy one, easily embarrassed and a scaredy cat; Mugi is an ojou-sama, refined and generous; and Azusa is the tsundere, cold at first but then kind. The exchanges the characters have and the scenarios they get into are what transform them from stereotypes to memorable characters.
Enjoyment: 10/10
K-ON! is a show that is pure, harmless fun. It has gotten a lot of criticism from the anime community for being a "moe blob", but I disagree with that. Yes, there are some cheesy, hyper-cute moments, but if you really pay attention to the context of those moments, they're so ridiculous, it's almost satirical. K-ON! is not as self-aware as some other anime series, but when Mio goes "Moe-moe-kyun!!!" it's pretty hard not to chuckle at the exaggeratedness.
Overall: 10/10
As I mentioned, I did not love this show on my first viewing. I thought it took too long for Yui to learn guitar, and that they didn't play enough music. Which is an opinion shared by many people that dislike the show. However, like I said at the beginning of this review, I just couldn't stop thinking about it after I finished it. So I watched again a few months later, and it just clicked for me. The silly manzai-style comedy setups-and-punchlines between Ritsu and Mio were funnier the second time. The tea and cake Mugi served looked more delicious. Azusa's seriousness became a charm point instead of just being annoying. Overall, I think the show is great.
Thanks for reading my review, and I hope you find it comprehensive and helpful!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jun 15, 2020
I picked up this manga because I saw Komi in a few memes online and thought the art style was cool.
I dropped it because the story was going absolutely nowhere.
Overall Impressions:
ART: 7/10
I like the art style for this manga because it's a nice combination between a "normal" style and a "chibi" style. Plus this mangaka can draw some hilarious expressions.
STORY: 5/10
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Like I said, it takes too long to go anywhere. The story has a good premise, which I talk about more below, but its development is very shallow where the series currently stands.
CHARACTERS: 7/10
I must give the author credit here. They come up with a wide variety of characters that are all pretty much likeable, save for a few. Najimi is probably my favourite because of their ability to absolutely ruin any situation and put Komi under enormous pressure. Also, cute non-binary person. I also have to credit the author for the immensely clever naming of Nakanaka, who is a delusional character (think Rikka from Chuunibyo). Her name is read in Japanese 中中 (naka naka), but that kanji can also be pronounced "chuu". There are two of them, and 'two' is pronounced like "knee", which makes a visual pun out of her name, relating to the term "chuunibyo". Sorry for nerding-out there, that just tickled me when I saw her name.
OVERALL: 6/10
This is not a *bad* manga. I think the authors use of the text boxes with arrows that often explain Komi's internal dialogues are clever and appealing as a reader, and they were one of my favourite things about the series. I thought it was overall quite funny and I rather enjoyed reading it, but I didn't want to continue reading it as the story was not advancing at the rate I would have preferred.
Read my whole review below (SOME SPOILERS):
I understand that this manga is extremely in the comedy/slice-of-life genre, but the premise that is set up in the beginning of the series is taking WAY too long to get anywhere.
To give any prospective readers an introduction, here it is: Shouko Komi is a high-schooler that is socially awkward and very shy, so she has a hard time speaking to people. This is not helped by her classmates unanimous decision to practically deify her due to her overwhelming beauty and her cool demeanour (which actually comes from her social anxiety). At the same time, a high-school boy named Hitohito Tadano who is as plain-as-they-come and really doesn't want to stand out in his new high school class. No problem, except that he suddenly and unexpectedly befriends Komi after school one day when she explains her social anxiety to him by writing on the chalkboard. She shares her desire to overcome her anxiety by forcing herself to make 100 friends (which is insane). Tadano then decides that he'll help Komi reach her goal, aw how nice!
The two embark on their adventure to make 100 friends for Komi, with a little help (and sometimes annoyance) Tadano's own friend Najimi. I would say these three are the main cast of the series; the other characters that are added as Komi's friends become more-and-more irrelevant as the series moves on.
So we have this premise. It's a fine premise, and we have a bit of an implied possible-romance between Komi and Tadano.
The series takes off from here at a steady pace; Komi makes several friends by the end of the first volume, a few more in the second, but then the pace slows down significantly. This is due to lots of filler from the mangaka, especially in the school sports festival arc. There is very little character development throughout all these chapters, and Komi still can't even say "ohayou." This is why I dropped it after the 5th volume. I actually didn't even get to the love triangle with Manbagi, and I honestly don't care, because I also know from reddit memes from the current chapters, that nothing comes of it. Komi and Tadano don't get any closer to being a couple, and the romance has taken the backseat.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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