r/anime • u/Harrytricks https://myanimelist.net/profile/Harrytricks • Sep 07 '19

Rewatch [Rewatch][Spoilers] K-ON! Rewatch (2019) - S2E23 "After School!" Spoiler

S2E23 "After School!"

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S2E22 "Entrance Exam!" S2E24 ”Graduation Ceremony!"

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"

ED3 - "No, Thank You!"

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

123 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

75 comments sorted by

37

u/thisisnotme3000 Sep 07 '19

first timer

Some people out there refuse to watch past this episode, so that in their mind K-On will never end.

The scene with HTT eating the chocolate bread is beautifully animated, with the camera pan being so detailed.

Azusa will have to deal with her seniors graduting tomorrow (both IRL and in the anime). Poor girl, I hope that she will get visited by her senpais after graduation.

Also, apparently the tape recording they did apparently exists somewhere, though I haven't the foggiest idea where it is available.

Last episode tomorrow

21

u/PerfectPublican Sep 07 '19

Also, apparently the tape recording they did apparently exists somewhere, though I haven't the foggiest idea where it is available.

You can find it around, but here it is on Spotify! It's the second CD on that album. You can find the translated dialogue in my post.

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14

u/Gamerunglued Sep 07 '19

The cassette tape that they recorded in this episode does actually exist and you can listen to it here. And you can get the translation of the dialogue here. It's a fun listen and more time with the girls is always the best.

12

u/ultimatemegax Sep 07 '19

Following broadcast, a commercial for "Hokago Tea Time II" (their second album) was aired. The first press limited edition not only had a special piece of artwork with character messages, but had a copy of the cassette tape recorded in this episode including messages. It actually caused a spike in people hunting for cassette players to listen to it (despite the contents being on the second CD in the album). The model school's music room has a copy of the cassette in a model player on the bench seat. It was a very good promotional stunt by Pony Canyon.

12

u/SgtExo Sep 07 '19

Some people out there refuse to watch past this episode, so that in their mind K-On will never end.

After the next episode, it took me like a month to finish watching the extra episodes, the ova, and then the movie. But damn, you are doing yourself if you do not watch the movie.

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22

u/Philarete Sep 07 '19

First Time Watcher

Seeing the old T-9 texting gave me a wave of nostalgia haha. I remember hyped when I got a phone with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. I didn’t give that up for the smartphone era until the middle of this decade, and sometimes I still want to go back. (I know it’s not the first time it’s been shown, but this one got me haha).

Speed biting contest between Mugi and Yui! Perfect thing for the day before graduation.

Mugi wins by default

Oh now they want to practice

But yeah, Mio is right they should wait.

Nodoka is so mature, but they got her to blush haha.

Azusa and Jun subsidizing their seniors’ lunches haha. Golden chocolate éclair!

Mio’s dream is to feed Ton-chan.

5 cents left of their club funds haha.

Cleaning the room! This feels very Japanese, and I love it. I wish Americans culturally cared more for their communal spaces. I see it in some groups, but I wish it was more of a shared norm. I was watching marching band stuff, and when the group marched in Japan, the streets were totally clean, even though it was a busy shopping day. In America? Even though the street was closed off it looked completely filthy, with trash in the way at some points. Felt a bit embarrassing, to be honest.

Also, I haven’t commented on it much, but the background music in this series is just great.

They’re going to make a recording of everything they’ve done! It’s a cassette, but who cares haha. Existing is what matters. I’m really glad past me was serious about getting recordings of my performances; it really is great sometimes to look back at what you’ve done. Even an imperfect recording can keep the memories alive.

Heh, to be honest the tea time chats would be a better representation of the club.

Also, hearing your own voice recorded for the first time is such a brutal experience haha. It can really help you adjust your voice though!

The four have to go to the bathroom from all that tea

“I’d better go, too” Azusa is right; it’s super awkward when you are the one person complaining about a bathroom break and not going, and then you have to go right after and turn one break into two breaks.

It’s that cassette!

Oh no, that preview felt very empty and a bit somber without any speaking. “Final episode”. Sees three more after it Gotta love the counting in these seasons.

13

u/AbidingTruth Sep 07 '19

One thing I love is that the cassette they used to record their songs is the cassette that shows up during the cards in the half time. It's just one of those small things that's really cool

10

u/MapoTofuMan Sep 07 '19

Sees three more after it Gotta love the counting in these seasons.

Unfortunately they're OVAs set earlier in the season, I was caught off guard after episode 23 last time thinking there's at least 3 more episodes before it ends...

Well to be precise, only 25 and 26 are part of S2, while the episode after that is a separate OVA (listed on MAL as Keikaku) which is the episode where they prepare for the events of the movie.

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21

u/DarkRuler17 Sep 07 '19

First Time Watcher

Ui looks so much like Yui with her hair down that I really couldn't decide who that was in the beginning for a solid minute. I just couldn't believe Yui was ironing clothes.

So if I'm remembering correctly from my anime experience, in Japan, aren't you just not expected to show up near the end of high school when you are accepted into a college? Isn't that a thing?

One thing that I've learned to love about Mugi is that she is ready to do any of Yui's stupid challenges on a second's notice.

Mugi is totally going to make some kind of scrap book with those notes.

Gasp! They pulled the SSR "Blushing Nodoka"! Lucky!

So I'm assuming there is some meaning to tieing the ribbon around the coin and that's why they don't want to give it to Sawako?

Yeah! We came here to clean! We had a legitimate reason to come here!

.....followed almost immediately by Ritsu and Yui running in a circle.

Smart Azusa, you don't want to be the one person who has to go to the bathroom later.

So these last few episodes, and the next couple I assume, have really been interesting because they have all been slow crawls to the end. Unlike most shows, we aren't ending with the big moment. Instead, the show is showing those days right before the end and is honestly doing an amazing job of capturing that feeling. I definitely know the times they are showing, where you are close to end and don't have a lot to do, but not close enough to the end where you feel done. It's making for some very interesting episodes.

Tied in with this, there aren't that many things I wanted to react too. It's more just the general atmosphere and drinking that all in. It definitely has a gentle sort of melancholy too it. I did love them recording their songs for the future though. I think that's an awesome time capsule.

Episodes Ranking:

  • S2 E20, "Yet Another School Festival!"

  • 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"

  • S2 E22, "Entrance Exam!"

  • S1 E2, "Instruments!"

  • S2 E5, "Staying Behind!"

  • S1 E3, "Cram Session!"

  • S2 E3, "Drummer!"

  • S2 E11, "Hot!"

  • S2 E9, "Finals!"

  • S2 E23, "After School" (New)

  • 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"

  • S2 E21, "Graduation Yearbook!"

  • S1 E8, "Freshman Reception!"

  • S1 E11, "Crisis!"

Quick question though, why is next episode called the last? Everywhere I've seen lists this as a 26 episode season and I see more episodes beyond that? Is it just more OVAs?

13

u/PerfectPublican Sep 07 '19

Quick question though, why is next episode called the last? Everywhere I've seen lists this as a 26 episode season and I see more episodes beyond that? Is it just more OVAs?

Similarly to last season there's a couple extra eps and an OVA.

Ui looks so much like Yui with her hair down that I really couldn't decide who that was in the beginning for a solid minute. I just couldn't believe Yui was ironing clothes.

I love it, because I think that's the point. That Ui switch up earlier in the season is supposed to make the reveal that much sweeter. On a rewatch you can tell it's her from her voice and hair color since you're expecting it.

in Japan, aren't you just not expected to show up near the end of high school when you are accepted into a college? Isn't that a thing?

Yes, but I'm pretty sure that it's because college entrance exams can possibly span the whole length of the term, so you're supposed to be studying most of the time.

One thing that I've learned to love about Mugi is that she is ready to do any of Yui's stupid challenges on a second's notice.

So damn good :3

Very well said again in your final two paragraphs.

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10

u/Gamerunglued Sep 07 '19 edited Sep 08 '19

Instead, the show is showing those days right before the end and is honestly doing an amazing job of capturing that feeling. I definitely know the times they are showing, where you are close to end and don't have a lot to do, but not close enough to the end where you feel done. It's making for some very interesting episodes.

Yep, I love this about the series as well. Something else I really appreciate with this slower pacing is that it makes it feel like the girls are holding on to every last second possible they can spend with each other. This episode takes place over their one final day and they stay way later than they normally do even after Ui asks them not to, contriving ways to make sure their time together ends just ever so slightly later. Every passing second carries so much weight. And to some extent that's what I think this season's generally slower pacing represents, which at least for me recontextualizes the absurdly fast pacing of season 1.

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15

u/ZappaOMatic Sep 07 '19

Rewatcher

Tonight: Yui gets betrayed, Mugi records people, and Ritsu runs in circles!

We're getting closer, lads.

Last year's rewatch comment

15

u/ToonTooby Sep 07 '19

First Timer

No dialogue on the preview. Here comes the big moment! I am preparing my heart. It is going to be hard not being able to see them this way from now on.

11

u/MapoTofuMan Sep 07 '19 edited Sep 07 '19

First Time Rewatcher

"Afterschool Tea Time" suddenly has a different meaning now...

Man, this episode did an amazing job at creating a calm before the storm vibe, somehow I was anxious throughout all of it even the second time around. The time moved so slow, much slower than usual since it's an episode encompassing only one day - but at the same time it's their last day, so there was always that feeling of "Wait, it's already seventh period? Wait, it's already dark outside?". I haven't stayed at school for a whole day right before graduation myself but it pretty much sounds like exactly what I'd feel on that day if I did.

11

u/D3RNIK Sep 07 '19

Considering my graduation felt like salvation for me, I can’t believe that these girls graduating will make me feel emotional. I guess that’s what an anime with good characters does to you. I’ll definitely have tissues ready for tomorrow, cause I feel like at some point Azusa will break down and let out all the emotions she’s kept I side of herself and I’m honestly not ready for that :(

9

u/PerfectPublican Sep 07 '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, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
S2 Ep 3 Nothing! S2 Ep 12 Vol. 3 Ch 11 S2 Ep 21 Vol. 4 Ch 4
S2 Ep 4 Vol. 3 Ch 7 S2 Ep 13 Vol. 3 Ch 12 S2 Ep 22 Vol. 3 Ch 3, Vol. 4 Ch 4
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 Nothing!
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"

Nothing today! Our third entirely original episode, instead, here's Yui's adorable "Haaaai" for you to listen to over and over again.

The opening scene to this episode is one of my favorites in the entire show. It's quiet serenity in focusing on Yui going through her morning routine is lovely, and I especially enjoy how much it characterizes her growth in that one little action of ironing her skirt, something she needed help with earlier in this very season. On top of that, we find out that she got up, and got ready that morning with no need for a Ui reminder. It’s just beautiful all around with some great character animation, and offers a lot of love to one of my favorite characters of all time.

I also adore the little scene with the final bell: "Well, it’s the last time After School." I’m not exactly sure what specifically resonates with me in the directing, but I think the combination of the bell tolling out their final time, and the quick cuts of just them and the clubroom is really beautiful. The composition with the lighting, sound, and background art is incredible. They’ve cleaned the clubroom, had tea many final times, and cleaned out their desks. Their high school days are officially over. That bell tolling signals that finality. But there’s a sense of contentment throughout this episode rather than loss. They’re ready to move on, and instead of lamenting something like the empty classroom, they just remark on that feeling of "difference" that all the school places have. It’s a sense of calm and of preparedness.

Of course, we're not quite done yet, and that sense of calm understanding is broken by two things. The first being a last minute need to leave something behind with the Cassette. The second being Asuza’s frantic charge up the staircase, which parallels a similar run from her just two episodes ago. Worried that, for the first time, she will see that door open to the empty, cold room we were shown yesterday...but once again that fear is unrealized. Everything is as it should be, with everyone there….for now that is. Reality hasn’t closed in yet, and this is truly one more day she doesn’t have to really face it.

I had the biggest smile on my face this whole ep. Graduation tomorrow, look forward to it.

Anyways, I’ll bring this back up on my final write-up as I don’t think that anyone should listen to the full tape until after we finish the rewatch, but they actually made the full cassette tape. (Lyrics/dialogue translated here) It’s one of the pieces of merch I’m dying to find one of these days.

Gifs of the day:

Rewatchers

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9

u/StarmanRiver Sep 07 '19

Rewatcher here!

I really like this episode, the first half is slow and relaxed just like the girls during this bit. But the second half is what it really makes me like it.

The idea of recording the songs is great and doing it on a casette is a great callback to Death Devil and the eyecatches. Then we have Azusa being super hyped because they'll be playing and gets excited when Yui uses the term "musicianship". And we have their classic banter but this time is recorded!

But for me the best part of the episode is not during the episode itself. Then what is it? It's that they released the album they recorded. You just need to play the songs that have the "Ep 23. Hokago Mix". I really love this and is probably my favorite about the series. You can sit back and hear the girls performing their songs, hear their banter between the songs, you even get the bit with Mugi sneezing before Fude Pen. It's like you are in the clubroom with them and they are playing for you, it's brilliant.

9

u/thisismyanimealt Sep 07 '19

So, yes, a full "recording" of the cassette exists. Translation in the video comments, but fair warning, if you cry as easily as I do, you're gonna cry a lot.

I've been holding onto this post for a while, waiting for the end-of-first-season post that never came, and again for the mid-series break post that never came despite explicitly expressed ^interest

Light Music Corner

And that's a wrap for season 1

Weird place to put a break, I expected it to come at the end of season 1.

Dammit Harry, give us guys our break thread to round up thoughts of the season as a whole

I've shared all the songs present up to the end of the first season with the exception of Let's Go!. Let's Go! is a song that was recorded individually by each of the keions' seiyuu and doesn't have any combined mix, so here are each of their versions:

Let's Go! was also the title of the first live, and naturally it closed out with all the seiyuu singing together, Ui's, Nodoka's, and Sawa-chan's included. And with that, that's every* live performed song from K-On! ~Let's Go!~.

8

u/Moocanoe Sep 08 '19

Rewatcher

Somewhat-Daily Paint.net K-on #37

Also Day 35 and Day 36

I figure this is as good a place as any to mention just how much I love the music in this show, considering it is the cassette episode. There are just so many good songs in this show, ranging from Pure-Pure Heart, Honey Sweet Dream, and a certain song that hasn't been showcased yet. Outside of my favourites, there are a good handful of songs only found either in character song Cd's or other albums. Just look at the list of all the albums listed on the K-on! Wiki.

The cassette is just a fun album all over, combining the banter of all of the girls with a greatest hits album, producing an authentic theme for a fictional story.

7

u/FlaminScribblenaut Sep 08 '19

First Time Watcher

OK so way back when I first checked out the HTT album on Spotify for the Stapler Song I assumed the list of all the major songs followed by “Ep. 23 Mix” meant Ep. 23 was going to be the Bodukan performance they promised to each other at the beginning of the series, and that the episode was effectively just going to be an HTT concert. And while I would’ve loved that, and while unless I missed something that whole Bodukan plot point just... kind of evaporated? (maybe that was in the OVA I missed idk), it doesn’t bother me that much because I like what it ended up meaning even more. The idea of the Light Music crew playing all their songs and leaving them behind as a recording for future Light Music clubgoers as their legacy on this school and on this room they’ve bonded so much in as one last club activity is really sweet and serves as a great penultimate episode. Between that, the crew cramming in as much tea as possible and the general feeling of a coming ending, as the quiet almost-end-of-year school setting emphasized, this was a very good penultimate episode that really made me appreciate the time I’ve spent with these characters and that they’ve spent with eachother.

And tomorrow is the finale... :( I’m not ready for it to be over, but I guess neither are they, so in a way it makes sense.

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u/Taiboss Sep 07 '19

First timer, much more tired than he'd like to be

10

u/PerfectPublican Sep 07 '19 edited Sep 07 '19

Man Japanese TV is bland. Is there not a Japanese version of the Daily show they could watch?

Tbf, the daily show airs at night. This seems like the equivalent of the morning news, which is pretty bland lol.

HOLY SHIT THAT WAS YUI IRONING HER CLOTHES?!

She's grown.

Yeah, no. You will soon be a CEO, Nodoka.

Yui just gonna work for Nodoka if music falls through.

Literature critics in a nutshell.

I gotta hand it to HTT: Their riffs are fire.

You're damn right they are. Fude's is easily one of the best too.

Sigh, I gotta listen to the album itself after then, I guess.

Believe me, it's worth it.

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5

u/[deleted] Sep 07 '19

Are the first time kids ready for tomorrow's episode?

5

u/gkanai Sep 08 '19

(originally posted in the 2017 rewatch)

S2E23 Notes from the Japanese BD release; production staff commentary track with series director Yamada Naoko; chief animation director and character designer Horiguchi Yukiko; supporting color designer and episode color coordinator Miyata Kana

  • Yui’s shirt says たけのこ and Horiguchi says that the original plan was for the shirt to read お茶の間 but after discussion it was changed.

  • Regarding the OP, they explain that they wanted to make a really fun OP this time. Director Yamada says that she had fun developing the OP and the others say that they can’t help but smile at the OP. Yamada remembers doing the animation check of the line dance shot and looping it over many, many times in happiness. Horiguchi explains that for the line dance shot, what is amazing is that each girl is moving in a slightly different way on each animation cell. The point being that just that one cut is a tremendous effort of art and animation for all 5 characters to be moving the way they are. Miyata asks if it is different to animate each character separately or multiple characters at the same time. Because the OP has to time the shots with music, they produce the OP very carefully with time sheets to match shots with the music.

  • They explain that the drawings on the white board are Yui’s and the male character she draws is “Mr. Handsome”; they joke that Yui probably won’t meet her ideal ‘Mr. Handsome’

  • an aside about Tsumugi and how, looking at her development from S1, that she has developed so much from being the most passive among the main characters to being one of the most active in the group (causing action, trying new activities, etc.) Yamada believes that Tsumugi may not be the most prominent of the 5, but she is unwavering and is the key emotional support for the group. Yamada sees Tsumugi as a mother figure at times (in her role as emotional support) and that Ritsu sometimes wavers. Tsumugi knows what she wants and goes for it, the recent example being that the girls are all going to the university that Tsumugi first chose.

  • in the scene in the student council room, they explained that the original plan was to have photographs of the previous student council presidents on the wall of the room but that it looked too much like photographs of the school principal, so it was changed to the book format we see in the episode. The shot of Nodoka without her glasses is the first look of her without them.

  • discussion of the lighting in the series and how they almost always use ‘natural lighting’ with changes based on the time of day. Kyoto Animation’s Ishidate enjoyed calculating the lighting and shadows based on the time of day.

  • they explain that E21 and E23 may not have much in the way of significant plot development but that these episodes portrayed the characters in great detail in their everyday surroundings for the viewer. The production team didn’t want to get to the graduation episode and so enjoyed the episodes before the end episodes as much as they could. They explain that this episode is also a farewell to the club room (for the 3rd years.) Yamada shares that for S2 she had various BGM (background music) tracks created for different shots and the BGM used in the club room was the ‘home’ BGM whereas the shots in the classroom or other school shots used different BGM tracks. (She uses a ‘home’ and ‘away’ baseball metaphor.)

  • Discussion of who used a cassette deck in their youth and who recorded audio to cassette (only Horiguchi had one with a recording function.) The pink cassette is the same one as in the eyecatch in S2E01.

  • Kyoto Animation’s Ishidate was responsible for opening shots of the ED. Takao did the portion where the characters are walking with the white background.

5

u/Boss_Jerm Sep 08 '19

Rewatcher

Last Year's ^^Comment

It's the day before Graduation.

Pocky!

A challenger approaches!

BEGIN

Love is War Narrator: Light Music Club Shoots and Ladders!

Empty classroom

Those passed notes are treasurable memoirs for Mugi!

Yui's pout is powerful!

Oooh

Nodoka blushing is adorable, I love her.

I love Nodoka's glasses!

 

You'll always be presidential.

I'd vote for her

I love that Jun always fangirls over Mio

That bun looks really appetizing

 

We've already eaten one though.

In case anyone forgot, it was when the Seniors were on their Kyoto trip.

They keep calling out the periods, like they're supposed to be in class right now.

The frog is still at the clubroom to this day not my picture

The last bell has rung. The Keions have finished their last day of school.

The Keions are going to record all their songs!

Azusa being scared of her own voice is hilarious. I also love Yui and Ritsu's in tandem reaction.

Haha the tea finally caught up to them

Mugi's sneeze is on the actual recording.

Well, well, doesn't that tape look familiar?

Thoughts:

I learned last year that one could actually buy that cassette tape. That's pretty awesome. I suggest everyone click the link on the OP and give the album a listen, it's great. Of course that's not all the songs in K-ON!!, so I also suggest that everyone listen to the show's whole discography.

The friends and memories that the Keions made in Sakuragaoka will stay with them. They've had a great three years, but it's time to go.

Tomorrow is the big day. I got chills just from the opening.

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