K-On! The Movie Anime Review
A sweet surprise for a special underclassman...
PRODUCTION INFO
K-On! started off as a manga in 2007, written and illustrated by Kakifly, who is a mangaka/guitar collector. Kyoto Animation (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Clannad, Lucky Star) adapted the title into a 13-episode anime series in 2009, which later got a second season of 26 episodes in 2010, and the movie I am reviewing now. This movie was directed by Naoko Yamada and released December 3, 2011.
SUMMARY
The K-On! movie concludes the famous slice-of-life series with a bang. Yui, Ritsu, Mio, and Mugi are graduating, but they don't want to leave their special underclassman friend and club member Azusa without making sure she has an everlasting impression of their band, After-School Tea Time. The four girls decide to go on a short trip to London, the home of many famous musicians they all look up to; especially Mio. After the voyage has been planned and set, they realise that the best impression they could leave on Azusa is a song dedicated to her. During their hectic stay in London, the girls attempt to write a cute song to express their love for Azusa, but time is running out and it's hard to hide such a big project from someone who's always among them. The four girls push themselves for Azusa's special surprise, but can they really make such a short deadline in less than a week when they are so busy in the big city?
WHAT TO EXPECT
With plenty of laughs, emotion, and
adorable moe elements, you're faced with four girls in a problematic situation, though they mean well. Poor Azusa doesn't understand what's going on, and she wants to know what is being hidden from her, so it can get a little bit dramatic at times. Admittedly, this is not a very intense story, and there is little plot to it, but somehow KyoAni was able to execute it really well. Age-wise, K-On! was aimed at an older male audience, but there is nothing in the anime that I can imagine would be seen as objectionable for kids.
CHARACTERS
Yui is the main focus of K-On!, being the girl we first see in both the movie as well as the series. For a little backtracking to the series, it is Yui who we first follow to the light music club, which only contained Mugi, Ritsu, and Mio at the time. Yui is more than a bit of an airhead, creating many amusing scenes, but at other times she is dumb enough to annoy you. For example, when the girls decide they will go to London, Yui is upset that they aren't going to Europe. She is a singer/guitarist and she even named her own guitar Geeta after going through a lot of trouble to raise money for it. She's very attached to it. Ritsu is the drummer and president of After-School Tea Time as well as the light music club. She's full of silly jokes and sarcasm, and she carries a lot of energy as well, but she's also very forgetful.
Mio is an extremely shy member of the group,
who barely pushes herself to sing in the first season. Despite having a beautiful voice, she is very modest and a scaredy cat. It goes without saying that she suffers from stage fright. She is a singer and the group's bassist.
Mugi is a rich girl who often supplies the club with fancy treats. She's envied by the other girls due to her family's luxury, but they all get along. Mugi plays the keyboard.
OPINIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
It's been awhile since I watched the K-On! series, but my first impression was that it was okay. The plot is nothing special, but the execution of the show is really good. Because of those past feelings on the anime, I walked into the movie thinking that it would be a bit bland, with its main purpose to milk the popularity of the franchise. I was surprised that it was actually very enjoyable! The comedy was great; not stale or groansome, the artwork and the animation were beautiful and heart-meltingly cute as always, but what really gave it flavour was its ability to portray emotion subtly, yet enough to feel and understand the characters. Undoubtedly, K-On! is strictly a slice-of-life genre anime, and it's true about the plot being simplistic... But somehow, this title pushes beyond the typical slice-of-life, and manages to put the viewer on a personal level with the characters. We don't see only funny mishaps, but realistic heartwarming moments, including dreams being fulfilled.
For other funny slice-of-life anime featuring girls, I suggest Yuyushiki, YuruYuri, and Lucky Star. For a male version of a slice-of-life focusing on goals and school clubs, I recommend Free!, which was animated by the same studio as K-On!; Kyoto Animation.
RATING
★8/10★
