Anime Review: K-ON!

Score: 8

    Disclaimer: This is a review of both seasons of K-ON!.

    Why did I decide to watch this series? Like many people who now either absolutely love or despise it, I watched out of curiosity. I wanted to see if a moe anime show like this could really sink its hooks into me. I can say now beyond a shadow of a doubt that the answer to that question is a resounding yet somewhat embarrassed yes. This show is a textbook definition of guilty pleasure- something that you derive great pleasure from despite knowing it is comprised of the most superfluous ingredients. In this case, I am discussing an anime series that is considered by some to embody many of the problems of the anime genre. The purpose of the show is undoubtedly watching cute girls hang out and get into funny situations. The appeal of the show is the girls. The show is discreetly targeted at obsessive "otaku" types who drool over their favorite anime girl, yet provides almost no moments of overt "fan-service", leading one to be able to view it with a complete sense of innocence. This is probably the reason why it is so popular: It seamlessly masks it's questionable purpose with sincere, heartfelt character interactions, loving attention to detail, and even gasp!… astonishing subtlety.
    Make no mistake, the overarching "plot" of K-ON! is paper thin. Basically, some high school girls decide to start a band in their after school music club. The show chronicles the various adventures and exploits of these five girls as they progress through high school and gain recognition for their music. However, more than anything, it is just them goofing off- they have an unbelievably bad work ethic but somehow (humorously) become virtuoso musicians very quickly. For a show that claims to be largely about music, this is somewhat of a misnomer. Sure, there are moments of the show that cleverly make nods to the music industry and to the rock and roll culture and artistic process, but these are far outweighed by the moments of idle chatting, having tea, laughing, and thinking about possibly practicing. As you might guess, this starts off being extremely boring. However, once you get past the first few episodes and ease into the flow of things, the show begins to reveal its true strengths- its characters and it's easy-going, amiable air.
    The series excels here because it's characters are so likable and the way that they interact is realistic, full of funny and heartfelt moments, and just plain amusing. Like any show with multidimensional characters, you don't really get the appeal right away. For me it took nearly 13 episodes. I only really started to realize I was having a great time once the first season was coming to a close. It was one of those moments where I realized I had a huge grin on my face whenever I was watching- which is a great compliment to any show. Despite the show being slow moving and low on actual substance, I found myself eager to return to the laid-back and sunny world of K-ON! to spend time with Yui, Mio, Ritsu, Mugi and Azusa. The subtle way in which they change from cookie cutter character archetypes to believable and lovable people is the single best thing about the show. By the end of it all, you will be truly sad to part with them.
    Another thing that really helps the show is that is is expertly crafted- with animation quality similar to The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and subtle differences in characters movements and facial expressions, the art is neat and consistent if not exactly astonishing. There are some very beautiful set piece moments, many of which are found in the afternoon-sun-drenched school halls. In fact, the school itself has an astonishing amount of atmosphere and believability, giving it a sort of character of it's own.
    Like I said, for a show centered around the idea of a school band, the music is not what you might expect. This is not a rock and roll soundtrack ala FLCL. The only times you ever really hear the band play is their big performances, which are few and far between. Their songs are good J-Pop style rockers but don't even appear in their full versions usually. In addition, there are the OP and ED themes, which are extremely catchy and spastic. The kind of things that literally will not leave your head. It was for this reason that I downloaded the soundtracks and came to realize that the music is actually quite good. Long story short, I'm a little confused on why all of these great rock songs were composed for the show and then used as minimally as possible, in favor of the generic sounding background music that accompanies most scenes. I realize that the non-intrusive music contributes to the relaxed drawl of the show but it just seems like untapped potential.
    Similarly, my single biggest gripe with K-ON! is that while the show is likable with its lack of urgency and tendency to play around, I wish there would have been more progression and emphasis on the group as a band. It would have been nice to see them actually write and compose the songs, practice and record together, see their live interplay, and witness all of the struggles and obstacles that musicians encounter. Instead, we get lots of tea parties, shopping, sleepovers, school activities and walking around chatting it up. I guess you could make the argument that the band is just a hobby to them and thus they do not dedicate much time to it but dammit, like Azusa, I wish they would!
    To conclude, K-ON! impressed and entertained me. I am legitimately psyched for the movie (which they better be f'ing making). In the end, the show is like the the cakes that the girls of the light music club enjoy so much- light and  sweet without much nutritional value, yet totally worth it. And for the record, this show does not represent anything wrong with the anime genre. These are not generic characters just acting out moe cliches. In fact, the show is relatively light of cliches compared to highly regarded shows such as say, Azumanga Daioh. So, call me part of the problem or whatever, but I found K-ON! to be good fun. Give it a try and you might just find it to be your cup of tea… sorry;)