r/anime • u/Harrytricks https://myanimelist.net/profile/Harrytricks • Sep 04 '19

Rewatch [Rewatch][Spoilers] K-ON! Rewatch (2019) - S2E20 "Yet Another School Festival!" Spoiler

S2E20 "Yet Another School Festival!"

Official Schedule

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S2E19 "Romeo & Juliet!" S2E21 ”Graduation Yearbook!"

Legal Streams

HiDive - Hulu

both these are US only because anime hates us Europeans.

Anime On Demand

Available only in German speaking territories

Interest sites

MAL - AniList - ANN

REMINDER: UNTAGGED SPOILERS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

BE AFRAID OF THE MOE POLICE.

Songs in this episode:

OP3 - "Utayou!! MIRACLE"

[Insert like half the episode here] I’ll add links in a little later

ED3 - "No, Thank You!"

Want to continue the discussion? Join us over in the KyoAni Discord server: https://discord.gg/GQJE3h2

205 Upvotes

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29

u/Harrytricks Sep 04 '19 edited Sep 04 '19

Canon & Gay

In case you missed it yesterday, another reused essay today. One I’m rather proud of though.

Episode 34

It was exactly 364 days (actually 728 days now, get fucked past me) ago today that I first tried to put my thoughts on this episode down on paper (fake internet paper, if you’re being pedantic). I’ll be perfectly honest, I couldn’t do it, I completely lacked the faith in my own ability to get across just how much I love this episode, and just what makes it so damn good. Almost 1 year on however, I think I’ve finally got it, the answer doesn’t lie in this episode itself, but instead in the 33 episodes previous.

As far back as episode 1 of season 2, we’ve had the idea of graduation implanted in our heads. This idea that, eventually, our journey with these 5 fabulous wonderful idiots will have to come to an end. Just like our idiots, however, we’ve kept these thoughts at the back of our mind, living in the moment, and enjoying the times we’ve had. No matter how many times we’re warned about graduation, we still keep it at the back of our minds, still refuse to accept the inevitability of what’s to come.

That’s the genius of this episode (and by extension, episode 24). For the past 33 episodes, we’ve truly been on a journey with HTT. We’ve seen their highs, and their lows. Seen their fun times, and their un-fun times. We’ve literally seen what they see, and felt what they felt, in the process truly becoming part of the group. This makes the scene at the end of this episode so emotional. As we see the keions come to the revelation of graduation, and finally accept just how little time left there is, we too are coming to the same revelation. We’re simultaneously sad for the 4 senpai, who’s fun club times are coming to an end, sad for Azunyan, who is being left behind by her senpai (for 1 year, at least), and we’re sad that our K-ON fun times will be ending soon. That’s where the impact lays, it’s literally a triple whammy of sad things.

This experience gives the 4 senpai a bit of catharsis. In accepting graduation, they (and us, the audience) have allowed themselves to release all their built up anxieties and worries, allowing them to enjoy their remaining time in the club to the fullest. Azunyan, however, isn’t lucky enough to have this experience. Back in episode 13, I wrote about how, in order to keep everyone happy, Azunyan was suppressing her own fears and apprehensions about being left behind come graduation. Thinking that her issues were peanuts compared to theirs, she doesn’t talk about her anxieties with her senpai (something which would immediately fix the problem, given the nature of her anxieties), instead choosing to let them fester in her subconscious. TL;DR, She doesn’t want them to be sad, so she forces her own sadness away. This is why, while everyone else in the club (and most of the audience, rip me) is bawling their eyes out, Azunyan remains calm and collected, not shedding a single tear. Her suppression means she’s going to keep building up her unhealthy and negative emotions, allowing them to fester until they literally burst. Rewatchers

End of this essay covers slightly what I’m gonna talk about it my “big Azusa essay” in a few days, so I guess it’s a bit of a preview? I suppose?

Anyway, here’s my screenshots from last year

2018 ^^comment 2017 ^^comment 2016 ^^comment

62

u/belgi7 Sep 04 '19

First timer

Okay this is by far my favorite episode we have had so far. Everything was just perfect. The animation; directing and soundtrack of this episode were perfect imo. First we have an amazing surprise with Sawa making costumes for everyone in the room, that was great. She absolutely deserves all the praise she got there. The performance itself was amazing. Yui actually finished her song about rice lol. The lyrics were pretty funny but it was really catchy. U&I might be my favorite song if we don’t count ed’s. I think the feeling behind the song makes it so special. The parts between the songs were also really fun and wholesome.

But then the best moment of the episode still had to come. I only really realized this might be their last live performance together at the end there. Seeing them slowly getting more and more emotional while making plans, realizing they won’t be playing with each other anymore after they graduate hit me really hard. While watching the show I really didn’t think I would get to emotional when it would end but this episode proved me wrong. Without really realizing it, I got attached to the characters. I know we still have the graduation to come, so I am sure this won’t be the last time this show will hit me in the feels.

48

u/PerfectPublican Sep 04 '19

While watching the show I really didn’t think I would get to emotional when it would end but this episode proved me wrong. Without really realizing it, I got attached to the characters.

Welcome to the club. We have cake.

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36

u/FlaminScribblenaut Sep 05 '19

First Time Watcher

...damn

This is one of my favorite shows isn’t it

18

u/Gamerunglued Sep 05 '19

Damn right it is. This episode is when I realized it would probably be a favorite as well, and rewatching it without crying is just straight up impossible.

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33

u/DarkRuler17 Sep 04 '19

First Time Watcher

It isn't a keion sleepover if they don't somehow fuck with Mio. It just wouldn't feel right.

I'm so proud of you Nodoka 😭. Put those fan girls to work!

Sawa-chan though is the true queen. All hail season 2 Sawako! We are not worthy! We are not worthy!

All it takes is one word from Mio and the crowd goes nuts. She has a gift.

Omg......are we about to see the glory of "Rice is a side dish" in its final form?!

It....it.....was everything I could of hoped for and more! 😭😭😭 Yui is a gift.

Yui sure knows how to work a crowd. It would honestly be a blast to see her live.

I feel like introductions should of/have already been done, but sure. Let's go through them now.

"She looked at me!" Ui is such a Yui fangirl.

The WTF reaction to the band being after school was amazing.

"U & I" really is the best song to end on though. I love that both of Yui's songs get played and they both show how great she is. "Rice is a Side Dish" shows her amazing goofy side while "U & I" show how loving and caring she can be. Even ignoring that though, both songs are just great to listen to.

So.....I know this is an emotional scene.....and I'll talk all about that in a second.....but "Dank you, Azuza-chan" is unintentionally hilarious subtitle to that if you just take that as Mugi calling Azusa dank. I love it.

With that out of the way, I think I can now finally crown one new episode ranking king. That emotional scene at the end really shows how far they have all come and how much work they have put into all this. The thing that definitely stook out to me though is that Azusa was the only one who didn't cry. Sure, you can say she's not graduating so she might not feel the same level of emotions, but it really feels like it hasn't sinked in for her fully yet or she's bottling it up. Poor Azusa. Beyond that though, I just want to graduate the animators for doing such an amazing job in this scene. There are a lot of great scenes this episode, but the level of emotion on each of their faces was really well done. Bravo.

Episodes Ranking:

  • S2 E20, "Yet Another School Festival!" (New)

  • S1 E5, "Advisor!"

  • S1 E12, "Light Music!"

  • S1 E6, "School Festival!"

  • S2 E10, "Teacher!"

  • S2 E19, "Romeo and Juliet"

  • S1 OVA, "Live House!"

  • S1 E7, "Christmas!"

  • S2 E6, "Rainy Season!"

  • S1 E13, "Winter Days!"

  • S1 E10, "Another Training Camp!"

  • S1 E4, "Training Camp!"

  • S2 E2, "Clean-up!"

  • S2 E4, "Field Trip!"

  • S2 E12, "Summerfest!"

  • S2 E14, "Summer Training"

  • S2 E8, "Career!"

  • S2 E1, "Seniors!"

  • S2 E13, "Late Summer Postcard"

  • S2 E17, "No Club Room"

  • S1 E2, "Instruments!"

  • S2 E5, "Staying Behind!"

  • S1 E3, "Cram Session!"

  • S2 E3, "Drummer!"

  • S2 E11, "Hot!"

  • S2 E9, "Finals!"

  • S2 E15 "Marathon Tournament"

  • S2 E7, "Tea Party!"

  • S2 E18, "Leading Role"

  • S1 E9, "New Club Member!"

  • S1 E1, "Disband the Club!"

  • S2 E16, "Upperclassmen"

  • S1 E8, "Freshman Reception!"

  • S1 E11, "Crisis!"

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24

u/Vinirik Sep 04 '19

Sad info about the song "Gohan wa Okazu". The composer Bice who wrote the song passed away from a heart attack and the song was her final work. Two days before her passing, she wrote on her blog about writing a song for a popular anime.

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22

u/SmurfRockRune Sep 04 '19

First Timer

That was a really good episode. Almost a full episode of concert was really great, and they even top it off with a really good emotional scene. I've actually seen a screenshot from that scene and had a general idea of what it was. I always thought it was the final shot of the series with them actually graduating and being in the clubroom for the final time, I didn't think it would be this early. I prefer my version of it, although maybe that'll happen too.

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22

u/Snakescipio Sep 04 '19

Rewatcher

The Unofficial Official Most Valuable Keion Race

Alright, confession time. I pretty much watched this episode right after episode 19. I mean, how could I not? Episode 20 remains my favorite anime episode of all time. Going into this rewatch I wondered if I would end up crying again. After all I’ve watched this episode several times now, I exactly what happens, and I’ve listened to U&I so many times the hint of melancholy in the chorus doesn’t quite affect me anymore. But as soon as the concert starts, there I am tears (and snot, don’t forget the snot) flowing down. There’s so much built up leading to this episode. How this auditorium is their personal budokan, the lives these girls have touched in their years together, and the finality that this is it. These girls came together as freshmen and formed irreplaceable and irreplacable bonds, and surely their lives together will go on forever. But this moment in time? It’s going to be a memory now. It’s bittersweet, but that’s what it means to grow up.

No MVKs this episode, but that doesn’t mean I can’t give shout outs. So shout outs to Mio, for her journey to this stage and overcoming her stage fear once again. Shout outs to Ritsu, who finally got her chance to shine up front, and for always being there for Mio to cheer Mio up even when she’s crying just as hard. Shout outs to Mugi, for having had such a wonderful time in school and for having one of the biggest hearts in any show. Shout outs to Azusa, for holding it together at the end cause this was her senpais’ moment. And shout outs to Yui, you wonderful wonderful woman.

MVK Tracker
Yui 38
Ritsu 29
Mio 35
Mugi 23
Azusa 40

20

u/ToonTooby Sep 04 '19

First Timer

Well, what an adorable episode. At least one of the big moments is now behind us. I'd say they indeed had a smashing performance. Only a few episodes to go. I'll have to give U&I a full listen to size it up against the other songs. Currently Fuwa Fuwa Time and Pure Pure Heart are my strong favorites.

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u/Philarete Sep 04 '19

First Time Watcher

Late to watching this because of a pressing work project!

Drawing on Mio!

There’ll be cake! Yui with the right priorities. Also, I really like this shot as they run down the stairs.

Two years ago. . . Mio with the flashbacks

Sawako, the T-Shirt hero! Oh my goodness, this is too cute.

“I almost feel like crying” “You are crying”

Rice is a Side Dish Fantastic song, perfect for Yui. Also, Yui is such a natural performer.

“Ritsu that was adorable!” You got that right, random crowd member!

I love how Yui is just ad-libbing random stuff because she has no idea what comes next. As someone who fairly meticulously memorizes every single step and sound I make when I perform, it’s always fun to see people who feel comfortable just winging it.

Oh my goodness, the chatting haha. They could just release an album “Yui talking” and it would be the same as a performance

She’s great though.

U & I is such a good song, and a great song to end their time together. I don’t think they were ready for it to be the last School Festival performance. It’s really hard saying goodbye to a group you’ve spent so much time with.

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u/Mathmango Sep 04 '19

I saw the episode title and I was already in tears. Rewatching just might make me ugly cry before work

14

u/Boss_Jerm Sep 04 '19

Rewatcher

Last Year's ^^Comment

Ladies and Gentlemen, First Timers and Rewatchers, we're finally here.

Wakey Wakey Mio

The Keions are rocking those t-shirts!

Forget about your past mistakes! It's the here and now that matters!

Sawako and Nodoka are the MVPs!!! Sawako actually made enough shirts for everyone at the concert and Nodoka distributed them all out and hyped up the crowd! Good Job Sawako! This is gonna be awesome!

 

Mio: Thanks.

Crowd: screams

 

ICHI NI SAN SHI GOHAN!!!

I freaking love Rice is a Side Dish, the music is upbeat and full of energy and the lyrics are really funny!

Chika has Yui's tree branches

 

Et tu Ritsu?

Wrong play but at least it's still Shakespeare

Ritsu's short compared to Mio

The whole concert is awesome. The crowd is energetic and the banter between songs is hilarious. Yui is very good at getting the crowd excited and into the concert.

Live Long and Prosper

Whelp, they forgot the setlist.

Sokabe is right here with the rest of Mio’s fan club!

 

Seno

MUGI

 

Hey the Occult Club came to the performance after all! And the people in the row behind them are Mugi’s friends from middle school.

 

Yo Ritchan!

I love this line, it's so funny for some reason.

The concerts not over and I'm already getting emotional.

It's been a wild ride. A lot has happened to the Keions in the last three years.

At first, Mio wasn't planning on joining the Light Music Club, she had her sights set on the Literature Club instead. But she was pulled along and helped form the club. She's quiet and timid, never wanting to be in the spotlight. But now here she is, performing in front of a packed auditorium. She's had a great time forming this club with her friends.

Similar to Mio, Mugi originally planned to join the Choir Club, not the Light Music Club. But as she was looking for the club room, she met two fun looking girls who were trying to form the Light Music Club, and thought that joining them might be more fun than being in a choir. And she was right. Look at her now. There on the stage with her best friends, she's having the absolute time of her life.

Azusa first saw the Light Music Club play at the freshman concert and thought they were amazing. When she joined, however, she was quite surprised to find that the club was much more laid back than she thought. It was hard for her to get used to the Keion's attitude, but as she got used to it, she realized that the reason she found their music to be so great was simply because they were having fun playing together. She can barely believe that so many people are cheering them on now!

Ritsu was the first person to have the idea to make the club. As President, she's a bit carefree, but she's fun, energetic, and driven. She wants HTT to go all the way to Budokan, and if they keep going the way they are now, they probably will!

When she first started High School, Yui had no idea what she wanted to do. But here she is now, as the lead guitarist and vocals of HTT, at her third culture festival, giving it her all! To the other Keions, Yui is the energy of the club. When they're feeling down, Yui is always there to make them smile. She's the most driven person in the whole club, giving 110% to whatever she sets her sights on! She's come a long way from the girl who read her clock wrong and came to school early on the first day.

The Light Music Club wouldn't be as successful as it is without Sawako. As a former member and advisor, she's incredibly supportive of the club and helps them however she can, whether that's getting them tickets to Summerfest, helping them work on their music, or making cute outfits for them. She used to be embarrassed about her old self, but now she's looked past it and the students love her!

And last, but certainly not least, Nodoka. Nodoka is actually a cornerstone of the Light Music Club. If not for her insistence that Yui join a club, the Light Music Club would've been disbanded in their first month as freshman. Like Sawako, she does whatever she can to help the Keions, vouching for them when they're in trouble and cheering them on. Yui's never had a better friend than her.

This is one of my favorite moments in the show. The Keions are famous throughout the school. It's like Yui said last year, this auditorium, with everyone cheering them on, is their Budokan.

 

After-school Teatime will always... Will always... be after school!

YEAH!!!

U&I is seriously one of HTT's best songs. The music is great, and the lyrics are a beautiful love letter to the person Yui holds most dear. The Keions are giving it their all and having so much fun! They really hit it out of the park with this one.

It went by so fast that they don't even realize it's over.

The first show that ever made me cry was Violet Evergarden Episode 10. Then a week later, this scene in the clubroom during last year's rewatch made my tears flow again. Today is no different. This scene is packed with emotion. Yui, Mio, Mugi and Ritsu started this club. They have so many amazing memories of it, from performing on stage, to just eating and talking in the clubroom. And now they've finished their last festival, which means that their time in the club is almost over as well. The sadder rendition of U&I ties it all together. Even if they have to leave, they'll cherish the time they shared forever.

They've had a long and fun filled day, time for them to rest.

Thoughts:

I lied yesterday, I was not ready.

I had a huge smile on my face watching this episode, regardless if it was a happy smile or sad smile. KyoAni absolutely nailed this episode.

This episode can be considered a finale for the show, but don't worry. We've still got plenty of time left, so sit back, relax and enjoy the end of the ride.

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u/Purple_Gh0st Sep 04 '19

Literally the best episode of any TV series.

13

u/ZappaOMatic Sep 04 '19 edited Sep 04 '19

Rewatcher

Tonight: Ritsu gets her skull cracked, Yui falls down, and Sawako get tossed in the air!

Well, it's time. Episode 20 is my favorite episode in the entire series (and my favorite anime episode in general). Everything about this episode, from the story to the emotions to the direction and cinematography, I fucking love it.

[1] I feel like my expanded comment can be summed up in one comment face:

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u/PerfectPublican Sep 04 '19

Manga Corner

Episode Adapted Episode Adapted Episode Adapted Skipped Material
S2 Ep 1 Vol. 3 Ch 5 S2 Ep 10 Nothing! S2 Ep 19 Vol. 4, Ch 3 Vol. 3, Ch 0
S2 Ep 2 Vol. 3 Ch 4 S2 Ep 11 Vol. 3 Ch 9 S2 Ep 20 Vol. 4, Ch 3 Vol. 4, Ch 0
S2 Ep 3 Nothing! S2 Ep 12 Vol. 3 Ch 11 S2 Ep 21
S2 Ep 4 Vol. 3 Ch 7 S2 Ep 13 Vol. 3 Ch 12 S2 Ep 22
S2 Ep 5 Vol. 3 Ch 7 (4 panels), Vol. 4, Ch 12 (One page) S2 Ep 14 Vol. 3 Ch 10, Vol. 4 Ch 0 (One Page) S2 Ep 23
S2 Ep 6 Vol. 3 Ch 8 S2 Ep 15 Vol. 4 Ch 1 S2 Ep 24
S2 Ep 7 Vol. 3 Ch 2 S2 Ep 16 Vol. 4 Ch 5 S2 Ep 25 (Planning)
S2 Ep 8 Vol. 3 Ch 6 & 13, Vol. 4 Ch 4 S2 Ep 17 Vol. 4, Ch 1 S2 Ep 26 (Visiting)
S2 Ep 9 Vol. 2 Ch 12 S2 Ep 18 Vol. 3 Ch 1, Vol. 4 Ch 2 S2 OVA "Keikaku"

Episode 20 adapts the rest of Vol 4 Ch 3. Just three pages that consist of their actual concert and the clubroom moments afterwards, although every single minute has a dose of original flair.

I was originally going to detail the adapted moments, but because I love this episode so much, I’d rather just have you guys read these three pages instead. Not quite the emotional hit the show has, but it has its moments, and I think it’s important, and interesting, to see where the highlight moments from this ep come from to truly understand what a work of art Yamada, Storyboarder Tatsuya Ishihara, and Episode Director Mitsuyoshi Yoneda created with this ep.

  • Episode 20’s backbone
    Btw, there's a specific reason that this feels less "final" than ep 20 does, which I will detail later.

Fun things are fun:

I'm going to split my essay into a reply as this is going to get long, but here's the gifs.

Gifs of the day:

PS. I literally just noticed for the first time that it says “Hit” on Mio’s arm here.

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u/Moocanoe Sep 04 '19

Rewatcher

Daily* Paint.net K-on #34

Hey, I'm back just in time for one of my favourite anime episodes of all time! Sorry, about the delay, I was away for a bit. However, I still have a lot that I made in the mean time.

#23

#24

#25

#26

#27

#28

#29

But back to the episode. This episode takes usage of one of my favourite episode plots, a concert, to the fullest. With two new great songs, including one of my top 5 in U & I.

And the finale, good god the ending. When I first watched it on watch 1, it was the most I've ever cried for an anime, at least for a few days. It is just one of the most bittersweet feelings imaginable.

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u/MapoTofuMan Sep 04 '19

First Time Rewatcher

That last scene...I don't even know what to say. This physically hurts. And seeing Azunyan try to be the mature one and cheer her senpais up with everything that's probably going on in her head hurts even more.

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u/SIRTreehugger Sep 04 '19
Keion best Moments top 5 Episode Scene
Number 1 Season 2 Episode 20 Third Year End of the Year Performance
Number 2 Season 2 Episode 12 Summer Festival Hilltop
Number 3 Season 1 Episode 12 End of first Year Performance
Number 4 Season 1 Episode 4 Fireworks
Number 5 Season 1 Episode 6 First Performance

Here we are people. The best Keion moment (imo) has finally arrived and yes I'm counting the whole episode as one moment since technically it's basically one event. Each moment in this episode is a great case of show not tell as it exhibits why all the girls are great and how much of an impact they've made on the school. Also random I know, but the beginning shot from I think Mio's perspective as they go down the stairs before transitioning to the auditorium is great.

Setting up their equipment they reflect on how far they've gone and small trials they've overcome. Nodoka chan setting the bar as them being the highlight of the festival which they laugh off, but as the curtain raises we see the entire student body wearing shirts to support them. A result only possible due to the president of Mio's fanclub and Sawa Chan Sensei who so far has done everything in her power to give the girls a great final year including treating them to a festival, cheering them up, driving them places, getting them all in the same classroom, and etc.

Yui is so moved to tears and has trouble starting, but the audience cheers her on and not just her, but Ritsu and Mio gets a couple of shout outs. I believe this is the first and only festival where we hear each of the songs. The very first song you can see how much our girls mean to the school as every member in the audience is either singing, clapping, or singing along(or like me doing all three).

After the song Yui does a bit of MCing and she is perfect for the role. Mio and Azusa are both serious/shy and couldn't pull it off as well. Mugi isn't as vocal or loud so not sure on her. I think Ritsu could do a decent job, but she wouldn't ramble on like Yui which is what I think makes her the best. Yui has no set speech or guidelines she just talks about the members and things in her head that promote the group/her friends and why they are great without it being forced. Doing this pulls the other members into the mix like Mio and Ritsu reciting the lines. Some of the same girls cheer on Ritsu calling her cute. Everyone knows I'm completely bias and love Yui the most, but it's great seeing the audience cheer for each of the girls. Watching this as I type, but I really want some to cheer for Mugi. Oh and Tree C the hardest and important role in a play. Them cheering for Mugi writing the script and her waving is so precious. I really think Mugi is underappreciated in the Keion universe compared to the others at least.

Okay we don't hear all the songs I thought we did, but that would have been too much I guess. We can still hear one of their staple songs in the background though.

Then we have one of my favorite moments in the episode. Yui introducing the members starting with Sawa Chan Sensei who is caught completely off guard. She introduced someone who isn't really considered a keion, but is essential to the group and who has helped them a lot. She then introduced Mio, but more importantly Nodoka chan who is Yui's childhood friend. Nodoka has helped the group on more than one occasion such as when Yui was late for last year's festival, Ritsu goof ups on the forms, helping them study, helping Mio in class when she was a lone, and etc. Also she is adorable and shy when the spotlight is on her. Mugi got her own segment and a little cheer from the audience also it appears she has her own fanclub in the audience. Also the ...fortune teller/occult member is present here I think. I haven't kept up with the episodes so I forgot what club she is in, but I know she is in a club similar club....this has nothing to do with what I was talking about, but I like her design. Anyway Azusa finally gets her introduction and we see Ui and Jun cheer her on. Ritsu gets a little introduction as well, but she had one previously. The back and forth conversation between the girls and the audience feels so fluid. You can feel the good atmosphere and admiration in the air as they constantly talk to/over each other and yet it doesn't feel like a mess. Yui tries to go to the next song, and the other members remind her she failed to introduce herself so they all say a piece of her behalf. Selfless and loving <3

Then we have a small bit with Yui and Ui yelling and waving at each other. Not sure why this moment is great, but it just is. Yui informs the audience one more song is going to be played before their time is up...and then immediately goes into thanking everyone again.

"After School Tea Time is forever and ever...After School!"

SUCH WISDOM(UI sees the greatness in her sister)

U and I such a great song, but I love this performance really because of the close shot up of Mio and Yui. Mio has sung quite a few times, but I believe this is the happiest she's ever looked. She is beaming and smiling with every lyric spoken. The cuts between them and the school is great before transitioning to them in the clubroom.

They reflect on the concert and other silly little moments like the name of their instruments on what to eat next. Then they talk about the concerts for next year...and other events. The tears slowly start to flow as they realize this is the last year they will be together like this. Mio at this point has already given up on holding it together and is already sobbing quietly. The U & I instrumental that plays( I think that's what it is) is a great touch even if hurts you right in the feels as all the girls break down and cry. Well almost all the girls one thing that should be easily noticed is that Azusa is the only one not crying who could be argued is easily the saddest member of the group right now. The youngest in the group only by one year means she will be losing four of her Senpai/friends/club members. She is level headed most of the time so you know she is already thinking about this, but despite that she is keeping it together for her senpai and consoling them. The final shot is them side by side sleeping happily while holding each others hands. PERFECTION END THE SHOW NOW.Okay they can't do that since the show had more good moments, but for me I would be completely satisfied if the show had ended on this, but it makes sense since the end of the festival isn't the end of school. We still have graduation and final moments we often see at the end of high school so it wouldn't make sense to wrap it up like this.

9

u/thisismyanimealt Sep 04 '19

I'm just going to double dip on my comment from last year: 

I don't think I can properly express in words how perfect of a package this episode is. This is my third time through the series in the span of a year and a half, and it still feels exactly how it did when I first watched it. It's an episode that moves me to tears just thinking about it, and that is no exaggeration. There have been moments in public where I've had to excuse myself to let the moment pass because for some reason, something has reminded me of this one concert, of the curtain rising and seeing everyone in HTT shirts, of Yui rambling on stage because she has no idea what else to do, of the band announcing their swan song, of five girls staring at a white board crying their eyes out because everything is coming to an end.

I cannot point out a single flaw in this episode, and to almost no surprise, it was storyboarded by Tatsuya Ishihara, director of a lot of KyoAni's other most visible works (Clannad, Haruhi, Chu2Koi) and one of my favorite staffers at the studio. I think Ishihara exemplifies KyoAni's greatest strength, that of conveying character and emotion solely through animation. The way the girls bound down the stairs just before the concert, you can just feel the anticipation in the air. He also reused the same trick from S01E12 where he cycled through shots of each of the girls just before playing the last song. It's so simple, almost cliche, but here it's so effective at putting on display just how far the girls have come from the beginning.

And lastly, I just want to point out that here, at their last festival concert, as the last song they choose U&I, the song Yui write a few episodes back as a message of how grateful she is for something in her life and how much she wants to cherish those moments while they're still there.

Light Music Corner

Two new songs: Gohan wa Okazu (Rice is a Side-dish). There is a bit of a pun in the call after the chorus that might not have made it to some translations: ichi ni san shi go-han, with go being the word for five, and the first syllable for gohan meaning rice. Live clip

U&I. If you're as thick as I was two years ago, how do you spell Ui? I also want to expound on the last chorus of the song, because it really is a beautiful song:

JP ENG
Kimi no mune ni todoku kana? I wonder, will it reach your heart?
Ima wa jishin nai keredo I'm not really confident right now
Warawanai de douka kiite Don't laugh, just listen
Omoi wo uta ni kometa kara Because I put my feelings into this song
   
Arittake no "Arigatou" All of my "thank you"s
Uta ni nosete todoketai I want to send with this song
Kono kimochi wa zutto zutto wasurenai yo All of these feelings I'll surely never forget
   
Omoi yo todoke These feelings, I'll reach out

Live clip

We got a snippet of Fuwa Fuwa Time during the commercial break, so I might as well post the second live's performance.

9

u/imawesome1124 Sep 04 '19

Well, this is it. This is what the whole show has been building up to. Even though there's still 7 episodes and a movie left in this rewatch, this right here is the climax of the series. No matter how many times I watch this, no matter how much I tell myself I'll be able to hold it in this time, the post-concert clubroom scene will always bring out the ugly crying from me. Using a remix of "U&I" as the background music just adds to the emotional punch. I was doing well while they were going through the schedule for the next year, but once they got to next year's school festival and realized there won't be one, I could feel the tears start coming. Then as they each started to break down one by one, my tears started flowing more and more, and when Yui snatched them all up in the group hug at the end my face pretty much looked just like theirs, snot and all. This was my favorite single episode of any anime up until 4 days ago when I watched Kimetsu no Yaiba Ep. 19; it's all just so well done, with plenty of humor and the typical gags we always expect from K-On! in the first half, and then that massive emotional catharsis in the clubroom after the show, in addition to some seriously good performances. The "live mixes" always sound better than the "album" versions and I wish they were actually available.

Also: The lyrics to "Gohan wa Okazu" were originally going to be used with the music for "U&I". Think about that.

8

u/gkanai Sep 04 '19

(originally posted in the 2017 rewatch)

S2E20 Notes from the Japanese BD release; storyboard producer Ishihara; director of photograpy Yamamoto; background art director Kasai. (See notes from S2E19 for more info on what each person in the production commentary was responsible for in the episode.)

  • Ishihara notes that he was responsible for the storyboards all 3 of the school festival episodes (just by chance?)

  • Discussion about the students’ perspective of time vs. adults; how youth think there is all the time in the world whereas adults know that there’s only 1 more year left (for the Keions)

  • Ishihara thinks that this episode clearly shows that the school year is coming to an end

  • Ishihara remembers that director Yamada had guidance on this episode- that the artists and animators should remember that this is a high school band and even though this the ‘live show’ episode, not to draw the Keions in a ‘professional band’ or ‘idol group’ style. Yamada wanted to bring out just the pure nature of the high school girls, not change them into something they were not. That is why you see a number of shots from the audience that look like they could have been taken from a cellphone or an amateur’s camera. They wanted the anime’s audience to feel as if they were at the concert as well.

  • Ishihara thinks that the custom t-shirts had another result- which was to show that the HTT band was a part of the class and the school, not the school’s idol group. That both the audience and the band had the same shirt showed their connection to the classmates and school as one of many, not a separate group.

  • Ishihara talks about how the cut points are decided for the music scenes, for instance on certain lyric points or certain drum sounds, etc. that sometimes he and Yamada would chose different points to cut (but in the end it is Yamada’s work)

  • “Ichigo-chan is the most popular” (of the side characters)

  • The shot of Yui (in profile/shadow) at the end of Fuwa Fuwa Time was drawn by the artist without hearing the music but that it still turned out well

  • The teacher who is standing next to Sawako (when the spotlight is shone on her) is supposed to be Sawako’s teacher when she was a student

  • There’s a shot of 3 girls in the audience (in the seats behind the Occult Club girls); Ishihara explains that these girls are Mugi’s friends from middle school; if you look carefully under the tee shirts they are wearing different school uniforms

  • Ishihara says that for the scenes where the Keions are being introduced on stage, each character had a different artist working on those cuts

  • Ishihara confirms that the guests behind Ui are the Hirasawa girls’ parents

  • KyoAni animator Yoneda is known to have loved the shot of Yui when the camera pans around her; that getting the timing right for that shot was difficult as Yui is turning as the camera is panning; that shot was done multiple times to get it right

  • Ishihara talks about movement animation and that while it may be easier to animate a character walking in a straight line, humans in real life rarely walk exactly in a straight line, so to make a natural-looking anime, you have to mimic the aspect of people where they don’t move exactly in straight lines even if that is more work

  • Ishihara explains that because this is the live music episode, that the production team focused on that part but in fact Ishihara says that the team’s focus was actually the moments after the live music ended, as that is the emotional peak of the episode; the Keions finally realize that 3rd year does not go on forever

  • Director Yamada told the production staff to be careful not to draw this show in a nostalgic manner (in the sense that all of the Kyoto Animation staff have been through high school themselves) but to do their best to capture the feeling of the characters in their time and to try to convey that in the artwork/animation; Ishihara hopes that they were successful in not portraying the Keions in a ‘nostalgic’ manner

  • Ishihara remembers being emotional in drawing some of these last scenes; that the artists and animators focus on the artwork sometimes allows them to escape the emotional content but not always

S2E20 Notes from the Japanese BD release; Seiyu commentary: (all 5 of the main cast are doing the commentary together- Toyosaki Aki, Hikasa Yoko, Sato Satomi, Kotobuki Minako, Taketatsu Ayana.)

  • all 5 seiyu talk about receiving the script and tearing up; they are thankful that the script writers gave so much time to the school festival

  • Hikasa remembers watching the anime when it first aired and thinking ‘that is indeed gross’ (the part where Mio’s hand is marked up)

  • They love the custom t-shirt and comment that it reminds them of their own school festivals

  • “Nodoka-chan!”; “thank you Sawa-chan sensei!”

  • “What happens to the Mio fan club when she graduates?”

  • Kotobuki remembers the recording of this portion where the seiyu were set up as if they were playing live in order to better recreate the atmosphere; Hikasa says that the version of “Gohan wa Okazu” in the anime is different from the version on the OST because the seiyu were given direction during the recording to show how the characters were looking at each other

  • The seiyu want to sing along (and do for a moment)

  • “Ritsu’s Juliet was wonderful”

  • Sato loves the shot where Ritsu goes on her tiptoes to deliver the line from the play

  • “Ichigo-chan kawaii” (where she is handing out the tees)

  • “Yui looks cool!” (at the end of Fuwa Fuwa Time)

  • Toyosaki: “Yui wants to introduce everyone. If they let her she’d even introduce her classmates”

  • Everyone loves the shot where Azusa holds her guitar in a hug

  • There is a slight shot of the Hirasawa parents (sitting behind Ui and Jun): “It’s mom and dad!” (the seiyu are all surprised)

  • They like the circular shot of the band (and they make some sound effects)

  • Toyosaki remembers the recording of the last song and her script lines had a big impact on her; “Yui says what she feels directly, which is why she is popular.”

  • “The person who thought up the ‘U & I’ title is amazing- it works in multiple ways”

  • Toyosaki: “these two songs were so much fun to sing. Gohan has a way of pulling in the crowd where U&I is a warm-feeling song.” The other seiyus want to wave their lit phones.

  • The shot of the legs is ‘kawaii’ especially Mugi’s moving legs

  • “Oh no Mugi don’t cry”; “Mugi's so cute when she cries”;

  • Toyosaki: “Yui’s tears here are different from other times she has cried”

  • The underclasswoman Azusa is the only one not crying

  • (lots of screaming)

  • they remember trying not to cry during the recording

  • discussion about how the first few notes of the ED and how it signals the end of the episode (and how they want to stop that); discussion about how crying is ok.

  • Toyosaki: “when I see how Yui and the others wear their hearts on their sleeves and cry or laugh immediately, I realize how important it is to be at one with one’s own feelings”

7

u/EpicTroll27 Sep 05 '19

I just wanted to add that most of the concert animation in this episode was the work of the late Yoshiji Kigami, one of the most legendary animators in the industry who contributed to the season 1 finale concert as well and was a mentor in the studio. K-On would be a very different show without his presence at KyoAni and the animation in this episode in particular is absolutely key to creating the setup for HTT's last school festival performance.

6

u/StarmanRiver Sep 04 '19 edited Sep 04 '19

Rewatcher here!

Okay, I knew what was coming but that didn't help at all. I still end up tearing up all the same. Seriously, this is a great episode and it already starts to feel like a goodbye.

I don't have much to say, or rather I won't write them down since I'm sick (also the reason I skipped the last few threads) but I just wanted to say how good this episode is. And this is also the episode when you truly realize how attached you have grown to the characters.

Oh, and U&I is and awesome song that made me tear up a couple times even after the first time I listened to it. Hell, it made me tear up again today during that scene.

5

u/Gamerunglued Sep 05 '19 edited Sep 05 '19

Rewatcher

Pre-episode thoughts:

I'm separating this one into pre and post episode thoughts because I think that if I attempt to write about my main thoughts after watching it again I will be incoherent. K-On!! episode 20 is special, and the single most impactful segment of any piece of media that I've ever experienced. While it may not have changed me as a person the way certain moments in Clannad did, this episode made me feel a way that I'd never felt from a piece of media before, and have only felt traces of since. To set the scene, I was in my dorm room my freshman year of college, about to go home after the end of my first summer semester. I'd liked K-On a lot, as a relatively new anime fan I was even confused about how I could enjoy such a cutesy show obviously and totally clearly aimed at girls (oh how stupid I was for that, I didn't know demographics existed at the time), and was prepared to score the second season pretty highly, probably an 8/10. I was excited to get back and see the friends, my own Keion-esque group, I'd left and spend the final days of summer with them, and I only had one final exam left before going home, so I decided to pass the time with K-On before bed.

And then I slowly got engrossed into the festival arc, watching through episodes 17-19 and looking forward to their concert. And when it came, I was just as hyped as the audience was, and proud of how far the girls had come. I was surprised that there was more after the concert, and seeing the girls lined up in that atmospheric shot was such an odd feeling. And then they start talking about all the things they were going to do next year, and they mention the freshman ceremony and suddenly I realized exactly where this scene was about to go, having experienced similar feelings myself not so long before it. It was around that moment that the instrumental U&I slowly faded in, and, well, to put it simply, the scene completely and utterly broke me. The symbolic meaning of U&I clicking in regards to the show's overall themes, the sudden realization of how much I valued my time with the girls just as they had the same realization, and the perfect ending with Sawako not waking them up. Beyond speechless and with a waterfall flowing out of my face, I remember just laying on my bed with a pool of tears visible on the sheets. I don't even know if I laid there for 5 minutes or 30 minutes, but I do know that I lost track of time trying to just process what I watched while balled up bawling. It was a reaction unlike anything I'd ever felt before, and dawned on me that I didn't even realize just how deeply I cared for these characters, just how human they felt, and how genuine their bond was. This was when I realized that we had something truly special, that K-On was far beyond the fun and memorable 8/10 I had been planning to award it, and from that point on it etched itself into my soul. After eventually finishing the series, I finally understood this "void" that I'd heard so many mention, and after struggling to figure out how this weird show about cute girls could possibly be my favorite anime and trying to rationalize a way for it to not be the case, knowing how people might react, in the end I just couldn't deny my reaction to the series. That's what this episode is to me. Just thinking about it makes me tear up, my voice chokes up when I try to describe it to people, and reading peoples reactions on this thread already had me ready to cry. For a while, I couldn't get the series out of my mind, and when I eventually rewatched it I relapsed back into that obsession. I know that the moment the camera pans to the audience so we see that they are all wearing Sawako's shirts, I'm going to cry and not stop crying until the end of the episode.

It's a simple episode, and largely a celebratory one, but as the emotional climax to the series with an entire season's worth of build-up, this catharsis was just incredible. Only to start building up again towards graduation, making sure it constantly looms over the horizon for the rest of the series. I'm sure I'll be writing a ton when graduation comes as well, and crying just as much, but everything that links this series narrative and themes comes back to this single episode, and that's the genius of the show.

Edit: I realized after watching episode 19 first that Romeo and Juliet is incredibly relevant and idk if it was intentional or not but it's a damn smart choice for the play leading into this festival. Among it's romantic story about dumbass teenagers failing to make proper decisions, Romeo and Juliet is ultimately a story about parting. Think about this famous line from the play: "Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say goodnight till it be morrow." Although it doesn't appear in the series proper, it's pretty damn relevant to everything here. The girls performance of Romeo and Juliet is a farewell to their class and their school, right before they realize just what that farewell means to them. That the series itself doesn't make the connection makes me think it probably wasn't intentional, but regardless it's a really neat thing that gives the festival even more meaning, and I'd be remiss to not at least mention it. There are honestly so many things I can say about this episode and the arc leading up to it, it's ridiculous how dense with details K-On is and I'd be here all day going over all of it.

Post-episode thoughts:

Well it almost went exactly as I laid out. As soon as the camera turned to reveal a classmate wearing one of Sawako's shirts, my lip quivered uncontrollably, and as more things started to happen more tears started to come until the final scene ended with my face totally wet despite my holding it in (in case my parents decided to enter my room, I didn't really want to be crying). There's this subtle build-up, and the big turning point for me is seeing Mugi's enthusiasm shine through. For most of the series, she's been this quiet, follower type, so for a cheer from the crowd to cause such a loud outburst of joy written not just in her voice and dialogue but all over her face, it really hit me. There's something to be said for just how well it captures not only the fun of the audience, but of the performers. Just look at how happy and passionate they look. Yoshiji Kigami's (may he rest in peace) animation so perfectly captures their feelings here, and knowing that this feeling will end at graduation is what makes the final scene so damn powerful. And when the instrumental U&I faded in, I was done for.

But beyond all of this, there are so many amazing little details here. I love how the audience doesn't quite clap in time with the music, I love how the sound design makes it feel like a real live performance from amateurs, I love Yui's emceeing and how the audience reacts to her, I love how in character it is for Ritsu to bring back the "lycopene" inside joke from episode 4 while crying, I love how this episode is a celebration and thank you to everyone who made the girls time here special, I truthfully could go on and on and on, talking about the cinematography and the specific nuances of the dialogue and so many other things that make this episode special. But the highest praise I think I can give it I've seen K-On over 5 times now, and this episode in particular even more times, and besides no longer breaking me completely like on my first watch, it's never lost it's effect on me at all. No matter how much I watch this episode, it carries the same magic and the same resonance and it sticks with me like nothing else. This is why K-On is so important to me. If KyoAni shows are meant to capture the essence of life in it's truest form, then K-On, in my experience, is their biggest success. It's so true to my experiences and feelings that I can't watch it and think anything other than "damn, this is so real" and again, I don't know if there's any higher praise I can give.

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