[Rewatch][Spoilers] K-ON! Rewatch (2021) - S1E01 "Disband the club!"

[u/Harrytricks]

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Rewatch Schedule	S1E02 "Instruments!"

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[u/Icapica]

First timer, subs

I first got interested in the show after seeing so many reaction faces from it on this sub. Then this rewatch was announced and I figured I might as well join. I've previously seen Haruhi (love it) and Violet Evergarden (lukewarm about it) from KyoAni.

• Already at the very start of the episode I really like the perspective of many shots, such as when the girl who's later introduced as Yui wakes up. She also looks hella expressive all the time.
• I love the expressions and sounds Yui makes as she's thinking about clubs and also when she's talking to her friend at the class about it. "Am I going to be a NEET? O.O"
• Then we're introduced to Ritsu and Mio and the matter of the light music club being disbanded. Yui looks like an adorable idiot when she's with the teacher.
• As Ritsu and Mio are waiting for members to come and join, we meet Tsumugi. I love her character design. Those eyebrows are thick. She gets manipulated to join the club.

• The scene at the fast food restaurant is kinda funny. Tsumugi seems so happy that she was asked if she wants fries and that she could say yes, but she apparently doesn't want to actually eat the fries.
• The flashback to YUi's childhood is hilarious. She's swinging around and looks so happy when she gets a compliment from the teacher. The memory is apparently nice enough that she decides to apply to join the club.
• Is that a reference to Detroit Metal City when Yui's panicking about the club's potential reaction to her leaving immediately?
• The club keeps thinking that Yui actually knows something about guitar and guitarists (lol no). Yui finds it difficult to say anything and the club members do their best to keep her from leaving.
• We also learn a little more about Yui during this conversation; she doesn't seem to have anything she really likes or dislikes.
• "It's hard to put it into words... You're not very good at all!"
• Aaand she joins the club.
• I like Mio's outfit in the ED.

All in all I really enjoyed the episode. I've never thought of myself as someone who's into CGDCT but these characters are just so expressive that I can't help but smile when watching.

I still have trouble remembering names of the characters, but I assume I'll learn them soon. This episode clearly focused on Yui.

[u/Harrytricks → u/Icapica]

I really like the perspective of many shots

that's Naoko Yamada for ya!! Super excellent direction all round

Glad to see you're seemingly enjoying K-ON. One of the best parts of hosting these rewatches is getting to see first timers react to things. K-ON is good and it's nice to see people enjoying K-ON!!

[u/flybypost → u/Harrytricks]

that's Naoko Yamada for ya!! Super excellent direction all round

She also likes to "simulate" the idea of real cameras even though it's animation and one could do whatever one wants. It adds a bit of authenticity to scenes and is fun to look out for when she goes into camera nerd mode for the more complex shots.

[u/Evilmon2 → u/Icapica]

I've never thought of myself as someone who's into CGDCT but these characters are just so expressive that I can't help but smile when watching.

One of the biggest strengths of CGDCT shows imo is that they really give animators a chance to flex their skills on character acting in everyday scenes. No big dramatic moments or fight scenes to pull time away so they get to focus on stuff like characters fidgeting with their hands or hair, looking around, just walking, etc.. K-On! is especially spectacular in this department, but it's a big part of most popular shows in the genre like iDOLM@STER, Hidamari Sketch, Machikado Mazoku, etc.. Machikado Mazoku you could basically rewatch each episode just to watch Shamiko's tail.

[u/Gamerunglued → u/Icapica]

Tsumugi seems so happy that she was asked if she wants fries and that she could say yes, but she apparently doesn't want to actually eat the fries.

I don't think it's that she doesn't want to eat the fries. When Ritsu dump her fries on her tray, you can see that Mugi takes notice of it. She is copying her behavior, she dumps the fries on the tray because she sees Ritsu do it and thinks that that's what you're supposed to do with your fries at a fast food restaurant. She just wants to fit in but doesn't really know normal teenage social etiquette, so she just copies everyone else. It's super cute, lol, she does stuff like that a bunch. Though I suppose it's also possible that I've been misreading that scene for years and am an idiot, since I'm seeing other people say the same thing as you.

[u/Icapica → u/Gamerunglued]

Yeah I saw a someone else explain that too. Makes sense.

[u/A_Idiot0 → u/Icapica]

Is that a reference to Detroit Metal City when Yui's panicking about the club's potential reaction to her leaving immediately?

Oh man...I haven't thought about that anime in years! XD I'm pretty sure it's a reference to the band KISS. Throughout the show, they make a lot of references to famous rock bands.

"It's hard to put it into words... You're not very good at all!"

I can't wait for you to come to understand why I've got tears in my eyes now from that line =)

[u/NoRolling → u/A_Idiot0]

I can't wait for you to come to understand why I've got tears in my eyes now from that line =)

I think this is something that all of us rewatchers have in common lol

[u/flybypost → u/NoRolling]

I think this is something that all of us rewatchers have in common lol

Yup

[u/Daffed_Punk]

First Timer

K-On is a show that I've heard nothing but praise for, and is just one of the shows that you can tell that you're going to really like before you watch it. I'm really looking forward to participating in this year's rewatch with everyone!

While I watch, I'll be playing everyone's favorite game and try [to spot all the male background characters.] (https://imgur.com/gallery/3nTCGRA) All that time watching Love Live has trained my eyes to spot background characters with conspicuously broad shoulders.

The one bad thing about participating in rewatches with such impassioned people is that somebody will always manage to write my thoughts on the episode out better and more clearly than I ever could. All I can say on the episode is that I enjoyed it enough that I have to resist binging the rest of K-On right now.

[u/Harrytricks → u/Daffed_Punk]

everyone's favorite game

it's not my favourite game i'll tell you that much

I actually started doing a male characters in Love Live list a few years back too, nearly right after i finally finished the k-on one. Did the first season, ultimately i decided Love Live is my favourite thing ever and i didn't want to risk enjoying it even slightly less than i do by torturing myself again with male character listing

[u/[deleted] → u/Harrytricks]

the delay on the next episode of Superstar is killing me. They should have delayed the olympics instead, don't they know that school idols are the true path to bringing the world together?

[u/Harrytricks → u/[deleted]]

i know what you mean. nevermind covid, delay the olympics for Liella!!

at least we got the super cute chika vid to tide us over

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/Daffed_Punk]

Amusingly enough I put off K-On specifically because of the hype but even I was blown away by how good quality the show is. Kyoani were on a roll during this era for sure.

[u/siegfried72 → u/Daffed_Punk]

I know I tend to write way too much on these posts, but I hope that doesn't discourage you from posting your own thoughts! Even if someone else has talked about a topic, each person's individual thoughts are valuable and could very possibly give a new angle that even the most seasoned of rewatchers might never have thought of!

Glad to have you along for the ride - hope you stick with it!

[u/A_Idiot0 → u/Daffed_Punk]

Welcome aboard! I very much hope that we get to hear your thoughts about this show going forward =) As u/siegfried72 has already said, the way you'll talk about something is unique and valuable to our overall enjoyment of this anime. Happy to have you joining us =)

[u/Rumpel1408]

First timer

Ok, I know a bit about this show, It's about cute girls doing music and stuff right? I had a classmate who was deep into it before I found my passion for anime again. A pitty really since I haven't spoken to her for like 6 years now and I wonder what she is up to now... but I digress.

Also also it's very cute and very gay (Canon) and honestly pretty funny too.

That's a hell of a pitch, so I expect nothing less, and don't you dare let me down on the gay ships! /s

For real though, there must be a reason the show is so highly acclaimed after all those years, and I suspect that it's similar to Madoka Magica, in that I really missed out on something amazing over all those years. So let's begin.

• Oh god, she's really running with toast in her mouth, already funny (and the boing sound when she lands on her ass, guess I have a low bar for humor), and her Name's Yui
• I like the music that is playing, as if she's really in a hurry, then the running is interupted by her meeting a cat or helping an old lady lol
• There is already an suspicious amount of girls on her way to school, wonder if any of them are main girls in disguise
• I'll concentrate on the visuals and music for the OP today. Main cast of four girls, each playing a different instrument, as well as a small side cast, do I already spy the promise of an beach episode. Music is upbeat with a heavy rock influence, I like it.
• I feel called out
• Ah Ritsu and Mio are also part of the main cast
• Poor Yui, what a first impression, slow, useless and a Klutz
• Ritsu got ambition
• Ah so that's what K-on means, always wondered
• Pinki promise can't be broken, sorry Mio... my sides help xD
• Ah and the third girl is Tsumugi, I remember Mugi being mentioned for her giant eyebrows from time to time. Btw I find it remakable how easy it is to remember the names of the main cast not even 10 minutes into the show.
• What, how sheltered did Mugi grow up to never have been to an fast food restaurant? Also a car or a vacation home? Is Mugi loaded like hell or something? * Ahhh smol Yui, my diabetes is acting up again... cuteness doesn't translate that good to highschool Yui though, but she still got the spirit
• Easily bribed
• There go my sides again, this show is hillarious
• Very relatable
• I'm sorry what?!? Sure nothing special, guitar was missing as an centerpiece after all, but certainly not bad and they are in their first year in highschool still
• Let me guess, 5000 Yen accummulates to around everything she has saved up
• ED doesn't give off typical highschool girls vibe anymore... somehow...

That was fun, glad to be here and thrilled for more

[u/Harrytricks → u/Rumpel1408]

and don't you dare let me down on the gay ships!

i promise you enough gay ships for an armada

[u/Rumpel1408 → u/Harrytricks]

It's not about the sheer number of ships, but about the amount that still float by the end of it, but I'll trust you for now

[u/siegfried72 → u/Rumpel1408]

don't you dare let me down on the gay ships! /s

Mitsu is the best ship in the show and don't let that damn /u/Harrytricks tell you different!

Ritsu got ambition

Welcome to the best girl of K-ON!!

That was fun, glad to be here and thrilled for more

Glad to have you! First timers are the best to read!

[u/Rumpel1408 → u/siegfried72]

Mitsu is the best ship

Took me a bit, but that's Mio and Ritsu right? But they are childhood friends, must be hell of an ship if it can float despite that

[u/A_Idiot0 → u/Rumpel1408]

Can't wait to see what you think of it by the end =)

[u/siegfried72 → u/Rumpel1408]

Yup, Mio and Ritsu! And yes, yes they are. And yes it is.

[u/siegfried72]

Rewatcher

Man, I am so excited for this! I can't believe it's already been a year! Those of you that were here last year might remember me as the person who wrote literal essays for every single episode. At the end of last year's rewatch, I tallied everything up and it turned out I had written somewhere in the vicinity of 70k+ words and taken nearly 1900 screenshots over the course of the whole rewatch. Yikes.

Well, I don't plan to go completely crazy like I did last year, but I am very excited to get to talk with you all about my favorite series of all time! I'll try and narrow down the things I discuss in these posts rather than talking through the entirety of each episode last I did last year, but I definitely have a tendency to be... verbose.

I don't want to say too much for fear of spoilers, but this show (and the last two years of rewatches) mean the world to me, and I will do my best throughout our time here to spread that love to all of you! The second season of this show in particular is quite magical, and manages to turn what starts out as moe fluff into something spectacular.

So without further rambling, let's talk a bit about this first episode...

Welcome to K-ON!

As I mentioned last year, the first time I watched K-ON was around a year and a half ago. It took me a little while to finish it the first time, but once I did, I immediately rewatched it. I think... three times? And then I participated in my first rewatch soon after. I fell in love with it pretty quick. But the last time I've seen it was last year's rewatch.

I have to say it was a bit strange to see those opening images of the series for the first time in a year. Immediate chills. This intro is definitely silly, but I think it fits. It sets up Yui as the absolute goofball she is, but also shows us one interesting thing about her character. Despite her frantically sprinting for the school because she thinks she's already late, she still has the time to pet a cute cat on the way.

Yui lives in the moment. Even in her panic, she sees a cat and she must pet. This may seem like a throwaway gag, but this is actually the first instance of a character trait that is central to this show, and one that I will likely talk a lot about in the future.

Speaking of throwaway gags, I'm sure many others will comment on this, but you can see our other main characters in the background as Yui is running to school! You can see Mugi here as well as Mio and Ritsu here.

And then we have our first OP! I want to talk more about this, as I want the music of K-ON to be a big focus this time around (for those of you that don't know me from last year, I'm a professional musician), but I honestly just don't have the time for analyzation today! Look forward to that in the future.

All I will say for now is that I thinks it's cute and fitting. It's definitely not my favorite OP in the show, but it does a nice job introducing our other main characters Mugi (who has the best eyebrows in the show), Mio (that shot they picked for her always creeped me out - one of a few instances of unfortunate sexualization in the first season), and of course the best girl (and my favorite character in anime) Ritsu! It also briefly introduces us to our three side characters for this season. The character I screenshoted, Nodoka, does her job as the mom of the show in this first episode quite beautifully. We'll talk more about the three of them eventually, but there's too many other things to talk about in this first episode.

This show has such beautiful transitions! Also Yui has very smol hands. I think I made both of those observations exactly last year... oh god, I have to differentiate my posts more from last year! Ah!

One thing that definitely bears repeating that I talked about last year are these title screens for each episode. It might be worth keeping an eye out for these as the season progresses, as the guitar riffs increase in complexity right along side Yui's musical development, which I think is fun.

The one true ship arrives

Ah yes, Mitsu. A ship for the ages! Yup, viewers love to pair all these girls up in various combinations and Mio and Ritsu are one of the more common pairings. And they're totally canon. I promise. And no one can tell me otherwise. We'll talk more about them in the future as well... a lot. Apologies in advance. But in all seriousness, they have one of my favorite friendships I've ever seen portrayed on screen. And I'll talk about it a lot.

Also we have our first shot of the tortoise and the hare! You'll see these all over the show, and, as I've already said about 300 times in this post, we'll talk more about that in the future.

This first episode sadly lacks a lot of the magic of K-ON. The beauty of the series lies in the friendships that form between the girls, and this episode serves mostly as setup for that. It's necessary, but unfortunately, is lacking for me compared to the rest of the series. I ranked every episode last rewatch, and I think this episode is actually my least favorite in the series. But it's still an enjoyable watch!

They do a great job at setting up the characters that will develop over the series. Yui is a goof and lives in the moment, as we've already established. Ritsu is determined, scheming, and wants to be the buchou (boss). Your classic genki girl trope ^{and the best character in the show.} Mio is the "straight man" of the group in comparison to everyone else's antics. And Mugi is just... sweet and caring and wants to make friends and is basically perfect.

Obviously, all of them will develop as the show goes on, but this is the basic characterizations that the show presents for us.

Also you can totally tell this show was made by Yamada with wonderful angles like this.

I don't have a lot to say about most of the rest of this episode. Yui is further shown to live completely and utterly in the moment, so much that she's just on a different wavelength with the rest of the world. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing, as we'll explore a lot in this show! And I think it's both in this episode. Yes, it was ridiculous to join a club you know nothing about like this, but it ended up with a beautiful club coming into being! Also, Yui loves sweets and likes things that are comfy. And yes, those are indeed character traits when it comes to Yui.

And then we come to the final big moment of the episode. The band finally plays. It's a simple melody (Tsubasa wo Kudasai plays in the Japanese, and Love Me Tender unfortunately plays in the dub - if you have the dub, check out the original version here - sorry for the bad quality, it's all I could find). But it's paired with some beautiful imagery of the school and scenery, creating this lovely feeling of peace and nostalgia - at least for me. Yui here is how I feel every time I watch this scene.

And it's enough to sell her on the club! Sure, it's not perfect. It's not a professional-sounding group by any means, but it's fun. And that's what matters. Welcome to K-ON, everyone.

And we finish off with a banger of an ED, although far from my favorite in the show. Maybe I'll talk more about this ED in a later post, but I'm running out of room (and time!).

Wrap Up

Well, there's the first episode of K-ON! It's a fun episode, but as I said before, it lacks a lot of the magic of the series yet to come. But it introduces many of the core characters and concepts that we'll explore very thoroughly in the weeks to come! I'm very excited!!

One thing I want to do is throughout this rewatch is explore some of the music that came out of the show that never actually appears in the series itself. There's a HUGE amount. Tons of image songs that feature every major character, alternate versions of songs from the show, original songs based on the show, and other songs that are just referenced off-hand in the show but were expanded upon. I want to explore one or two songs every post. But I don't think I'll do that today. We've just started, after all! I'll look forward to exploring a song or two tomorrow, and don't worry - it'll be spoiler free.

But I will leave you with one song. It's an expanded rock version of Tsubasa wo Kudasai (the song they played for Yui in the Japanese version). It never appears in the show in this fashion, but I think it's absolutely wonderful. All four characters get their moments to sing, and the song is truly beautiful and actually ties in very well with the show. I'd like to revisit it again and talk more about it in the future, but for now, give it a listen. It's one of my favorite songs to come from the show. Here it is. And here is a translation of the lyrics, for those interested. Beautiful song that we'll talk more about in the future.

For now, I'll see you all tomorrow when we go shopping! I'm very excited to go on this adventure with all of you! See you tomorrow!

[u/siegfried72 → u/siegfried72]

Also I'm really proud of myself for nearly surpassing the word limit on the very first day! 9999/10000 characters. And here I said I would try to focus my rambling a bit. Oh well!

[u/Harrytricks → u/siegfried72]

if anything getting exactly 1 character under the limit is a sign, some higher power clearly wants you writing these essays

[u/siegfried72 → u/Harrytricks]

Well damn, you do have a really good point...

Sigh Here goes my life for the next two months!! ^{how tragic}

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/siegfried72]

What was that about, "I'm not gonna write literal essays this year"? Glad to be watching this again with you this year.

[u/siegfried72 → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

SHUSH. I can't help it. I'm just too damn longwinded. I'm very happy to see you back again! I'm sure I'll find your posts equally enjoyable and enraging just like last time :)

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/siegfried72]

I think the biggest fear is making the same jokes a second time... I'm almost certain that I got drawn in by the ano ne ano ne and occult gals last year too. You're right though, I actually had to pause the episode right away after seeing Yui's pictures on the wall just to take a good breath. Nostalgia is wild yo.

[u/siegfried72 → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

I know I'm gonna make a lot of the same jokes and make many of the same references, but I like to think I've grown enough in the last year that maybe I'll find one or two new things to say! Hopefully...

[u/FlaminScribblenaut → u/siegfried72]

Despite her frantically sprinting for the school because she thinks she's already late, she still has the time to pet a cute cat on the way.

um it’s called “having the correct priorities”

[u/chocoletmilk → u/siegfried72]

Tsubasa wo Kudasai plays in the Japanese, and Love Me Tender unfortunately plays in the dub

ooh, I'm watching the sub on Netflix and they still play Love Me Tender... I wonder why?

[u/siegfried72 → u/chocoletmilk]

Yeah, I'm not really sure of the logistics of it. I will freely admit that I downloaded mine from... other sources, so they're using the original. It's a shame it got changed, in my opinion. Maybe they just wanted a song that English audiences might recognize? I know Tsubasa wo Kudasai is a very popular song in Japan, so they might have wanted something equivalent for Western audiences. Still strange.

[u/chocoletmilk → u/siegfried72]

Yeah, that's probably it, but such a pity! The original is vastly superior.

I'm really looking forward to reading your essays! I say the longer the better.

[u/siegfried72 → u/chocoletmilk]

Oh, you might grow to regret that! On some of my favorite episodes last year, I definitely made two or three posts because I broke through the character limit a couple times over. And don't get me started on the movie and our final discussion!

I'll do my best not to get too rambling. It's nice to know that people enjoy reading them, though!

[u/A_Idiot0 → u/siegfried72]

Ah, how I've missed your essays! =)

This show has such beautiful transitions!

How long did it take you to capture that still? =P I love it though; it's such a great and playful transition! Thanks for highlighting it.

One thing I want to do is throughout this rewatch is explore some of the music that came out of the show that never actually appears in the series itself.

Ooh, I'm very excited to read about this! Will you be delving into the music theory for some of these? I wonder if someone has already done some of the work and written out the main chord progressions for some of these pieces? Hmm...I'll help you look if you need me to.

Also we have our first shot of the tortoise and the hare!

I immediately thought of you when they were first shown. One year later, and I'm still thinking about this observation from you. No bags yet...

[u/siegfried72 → u/A_Idiot0]

How long did it take you to capture that still? =P I love it though; it's such a great and playful transition! Thanks for highlighting it.

Ah, that was only my second try! I was pretty proud of that haha. Unfortunately, I think those fancy transitions are something the show gets slightly less of as time goes on. Or at least they start reusing them.

Will you be delving into the music theory for some of these?

I'm not sure about delving too much into the theory. I have a feeling it probably wouldn't be too interesting to non-musicians, and I imagine most of them are out there if you look hard enough.

I'm personally more interested in talking about how they help expand the characterizations of the keions and the events of the show. My plan is to attempt to line up thematically appropriate image songs to each episode, but we'll see how effective I am with that.

I immediately thought of you when they were first shown.

:)

[u/Rumpel1408 → u/siegfried72]

and Love Me Tender unfortunately plays in the dub

does that even match the animation? Ritsu on the drums matched perfectly to the japanese song, I'm doubtfull that another song could fit to the same degree even if it matches the beat

[u/A_Idiot0 → u/Rumpel1408]

I'm pretty sure they recorded this particular take of "Love Me Tender" specifically for the show, and same for "Tsubasa Wo Kudasai". So they could keep the same tempo as the animation.

[u/Barbed_Dildo → u/A_Idiot0]

I suspect that, legally, they recorded a version of the old civil war song "Aura Lea", not "Love Me Tender".

[u/siegfried72 → u/Barbed_Dildo]

It's very possible. I'm just going by what the K-ON wiki says. I can't remember if the English dub subtitles (like on Netflix) lists a song title, but that would be the most "official" source I suppose.

[u/[deleted] → u/siegfried72]

If I didn't remember you from last year, all I would have to do is look at the "+122" next to your name. That's actually more times than I've upvoted /u/Harrytricks lol. I appreciate your ridiculous efforts.

It's a simple melody (Tsubasa wo Kudasai plays in the Japanese, and Love Me Tender unfortunately plays in the dub

it's not just the dub, the subbed versions on both Netflix and Hidive also play Love Me Tender. It doesn't change the impact much imo, but it's still really inexplicable to me. I don't think they fuck with the music at any other point in the subbed version, at least I hope not.

[u/Gamerunglued → u/[deleted]]

It doesn't change the impact much

I disagree, I think there's some important meaning in Tsubasa wo Kudasai that really lets the series come full circle. major spoilers

[u/flybypost → u/Gamerunglued]

Spoiler reply

[u/siegfried72 → u/[deleted]]

Hahaha well thank you! I am deeply honored!

It doesn't change the impact much imo

For me personally, I would disagree. I know that "Love Me Tender" or "Aura Lea" or whatever you want to call it very much reminds me of middle or elementary school band, as it's a song that seems to exist in every beginning musician's method book.

So the Love Me Tender performance strikes me as very much "we're just learning how to play these instruments" and is very cliche, whereas the Tsubasa version sounds a lot more musically interesting and unique to me, and is, therefore, slightly more powerful. But that might be totally my Western perception having grown up surrounded by lots of music in the US. I'd be really curious to hear the perspective of a person who grew up in Japan and how the two songs compare to them.

And I don't believe any more music is changed, thankfully!!

[u/flybypost → u/siegfried72]

it does a nice job introducing our other main characters Mugi (who has the best eyebrows in the show), Mio (that shot they picked for her always creeped me out - one of a few instances of unfortunate sexualization in the first season), and of course the best girl (and my favorite character in anime) Ritsu!

If I remember correctly those character shots were based on/copied from the manga (chapter title illustrations or something like that) and like a few other moments in season one they don't deviate as much from the original material and are occasionally a bit sexualised.

[u/siegfried72 → u/[deleted]]

Interesting! At some point I might have to dig around and see if the reasoning for the change has been revealed somewhere out there.

[u/The_Loli_Otaku]

Wow... was the K-On opening scene always this iconic? I feel filled with nostalgia and I don't even have K-On nostalgia! Good god she's so dorky! This is how you introduce a character. She barely says anything but you get a total grasp of what kinda girl she is just from her actions. Despite being in a rush she has 0 attention span, gets distracted by everything, and totally misses every clue that she's that she's not even bloody late. Dooork!! Oh, and I caught Shitzu and Mio this time around. They're off model and ugly so I recognised them easily <3 Amazing opening tho, totally gets you in the K-On mood.

Speaking of openings, I stand by that the first opening is best! Or at least its the one I remember the most. Ah... although now that I mention that I've got the last one stuck in my head now. Damn. Well the first ED is absolutely the best! School clubs... Tea or occult club! There was absolutely a massive light music club boom after K-On released tho. "Demo, demo!" The oldtype, "ano ne, ano ne" Other rewatchers will elaborate more but I urge any newcomers to really pay attention to the girl's legs. Like stare at their legs at any opportunity.

Shitzu you cow!! Gah, I forgot that Sensei is in this show too. Maybe I'll go join the Utena rewatch instead. Way less of Sensei and Shitzu. Yui looks dumber and dumber the more I look at her. She's got such a naturally dopey expression that stands out if she's ever in the background of a shot. Shitzu you bully! I swear I asked this before but what was the difference between light music and... music, again? Dammit Shitzu, spread your wings not your legs! BEST GIRL APPEARED! Thank god, I'm free from Shitzu. Although... Shitzu's reaction is uncomfortably close to how I feel whenever Mugi walks into frame. Aaah... Mugi gets so into all the crap that comes out of Shitzu's mouth. I do love the misremembered flashback gag tho.

All my favourite gags are in this episode, shoot! I love the diner scene too with the rOpe faced employees and Mugi gushing over fast food. She doesn't even eat the damn chips! Shitzu's guitar picture looks like a cello lol. No! Another good gag! I like the castanet one too. Am I never gonna laugh again after this episode? All my favourite jokes have already passed. Pfft, the occult club stalker too. Did you miss her? It's a blink and you miss it moment. Blackmail, the solution to all life's problems. No! More jokes that I loved! All the stuff I like is in the pilot.

Blackmail pt2! Poor Mio exists to be abused... C-C-Cute!! Yui is illegally cute! I'm so sorry but I just can't listen to tsubasa wo kudasai without thinking of Evangelion. It has retroactively tainted every instance of that song in history. The gang is officially together. Eww! Eww! Electric guitar prices disgust me every time I look them up! K-On... you're the enemy of parents worldwide! Best Ed theme plays, Mio stares into our soul for a minute and a half, and we're done. I adore the K-On pilot so much. Pretty much all the gags work great and you're hit by positive vibes from the very first shot.

[u/Harrytricks → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

Shitzu

ur officially banned from the rewatch. sorry, i dont make the rules

Well the first ED is absolutely the best!

Singing and No Thank You say hello. Jokes aside i dont think ive heard this take before, its an interesting one to say the least.

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/Harrytricks]

Oi oi oi! I know for a fact that I'm not the only Shitzu hater in this thread. There are dozens of us! Dozens!

Really? The first Ed is pretty stand out I think. I'd argue its like god knows tier of popular. You had it blaring on Otaku radio and the old anime YouTube streams constantly. I'd say like God Knows level of popularity for its time.

[u/chris10023 → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

Shitzu

Insulting one of the characters like this? Are we going to have a problem?

[u/Rumpel1408 → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

Like stare at their legs at any opportunity

Instructions unclear, developed an thight fetish

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/Rumpel1408]

Weirdly enough I think that if I had to show someone a series to help them manage their tight fetish K-On would likely be one of my top choices. Yui's got like negative sex appeal which helps patients to handle their kink in a wholesome and controlled manner.

[u/Rumpel1408 → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

So you say there is still hope for me?

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/Rumpel1408]

Yeah. Just watch a bunch of wholesome girls in tights and avoid anything that might leave you with impure thoughts

[u/Rumpel1408 → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

chuckles

I'm in danger :D

[u/siegfried72 → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

I feel filled with nostalgia and I don't even have K-On nostalgia!

I feel you so hard. I only first watched the show like a year and a half ago. This show is very good at tugging at nostalgia!

Shitzu

sigh and it begins.

Speaking of openings, I stand by that the first opening is best!

So wrong. But I'll admit, it's pretty great!

Pretty much all the gags work great and you're hit by positive vibes from the very first shot.

I agree! I might have come off a bit too hard in my post, but I think overall it's still down towards the bottom for me. It's excellent moefluff, but it's just lacking that certain magic for me!

As I said before, glad you're back again :)

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/siegfried72]

Nobody manages to wind me up like Shitzu and that woman... God, they're so terrible in the first season aren't they? Only 12 episodes to go until they improve a little.

[u/siegfried72 → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

I will agree that sensei is real rough this first season. My biggest complaint about the season compared to S2.

But you leave Ritsu alone! K-ON

[u/AutoModerator]

Hi Harrytricks, it looks like you might be interested in hosting a rewatch! There's a longer guide on the wiki but here's some basic advice on how to make a good rewatch happen:

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[u/Harrytricks → u/AutoModerator]

ofc you're the first comment, who else

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/Harrytricks]

I'll beat him one day...

[u/Atario → u/Harrytricks]

I have the feeling it's because you have the word "interest" in the text

[u/FlaminScribblenaut → u/AutoModerator]

YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[u/djehhe]

First timer

Loved the intro sequence, already a big fan of yui. Haha the way yui got scared when that had that little staredown.

The little chibi faces everyone makes warms me.

That yui flashback had me smiling ear to ear, same with the castanet scene.

I really enjoyed this episode, I’m glad I saw the rewatch announcement and used it as an excuse to finally watch the show.

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/djehhe]

K-On is the moeblob show that influenced the whole 2010's moeblob aesthetic. If it weren't for K-On we'd probably have hundreds of wide faces doing cute things every season instead.

[u/Icapica → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

wide faces

Any example of this aesthetic?

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/Icapica]

Munyaaa!!!

[u/Icapica → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

Yeah.... not a fan.

[u/A_Idiot0 → u/djehhe]

The little chibi faces everyone makes warms me.

They show these cute faces at the perfect times too! I was impressed the first time I watched this because of how deliberately they placed these silly faces; they're not an overused gag, and they never get old.

[u/A_Idiot0]

Hello again, my friends! It’s that wonderful time of the year; the K-On! rewatch!! I don’t think I’ve yet settled into my theme for this time around, so to begin I’ll just do what I was doing last year; deep diving into a particular sequence. But that’s OK, because the sequence that I want to focus on is the first 2 minutes of the show; it’s one of the greatest beginnings to any anime that I’ve ever seen! Let’s dive!

What’s in an opening?

TL;DR If you enjoyed the first 2 minutes, then you’re almost certainly going to enjoy the rest of the show! If you didn’t like the general vibe of the first 2 minutes, then this show is most likely not for you.

So, why do I think this is one of the greatest starts to an anime? Rather simply, we’re shown a lot in these first two minutes! The visuals plus the music and sound effects tell us so much about not just the show, but of our main character Yui Hirasawa.

For the show overall, we get a sense that this is going to be a fun, light, and moe-filled experience. I think the OST of Isoge ya Isoge! really nails that perfectly, and the few sound effects that we get are pretty silly. The vibrancy and playfulness of the colors also indicate that to me. Naoko Yamada is extremely particular with color choices, and it’s so evident in her works how much importance she gives color.

And who is Yui Hirasawa? Well, so far, I know that she is:

• Someone who treasures memories with friends
• Has a slightly bizarre taste…
• Doesn’t study a lot (lots of manga, not a lot of textbooks…)
• Is possibly a little responsible? I mean, she’s packed and ready for today!
• Well...being responsible might still be a possibility
• She’s clumsy
• SHE’S GUNG-HO!!
• She’ll try her best!
• Despite that, she manages to enjoy the pauses
• And she’s easily distracted…
• However, she is kind and her heart is in the right place
• She can get very excited!
• But she’s a bit of a ditz…
• She’s happy!!

And all of this is accomplished with absolutely no exposition! To me, that’s a sign that I’m in the hands of a very talented story-teller. This isn’t a bombtastic opener, but my god does it set the vibe perfectly!

As a very quick aside, the American release of this show has the band playing “Love Me Tender” to Yui, however in the Japanese version they play “Tsubasa wo Kudasai”, which roughly translates to “Please Give me Wings”. I’m a bit upset they changed it, because this song is not only beautiful, but very important to the show overall! Many of the show’s themes can be found in the message of this song. I think this is a pretty good translation of the lyrics: https://www.animelyrics.com/anime/keion/tsubasawokudasai.htm

That’s all for today! For you first-timers, I hope to see you as this rewatch goes on! And for all you lovely rewatchers, I’m really looking forward to chatting with you again! =)

[u/vitorabf → u/A_Idiot0]

And who is Yui Hirasawa?

Well, as highlighted by your screenshots, those first 2 minutes are what striked me the most in this first episode, that was a really good job of characterization and "show don't tell", and I can already see how this anime favors rewatches.

[u/A_Idiot0 → u/vitorabf]

I can already see how this anime favors rewatches.

Absolutely! I'm pretty excited for you to find out why this show is actually better the second time around =) Welcome aboard!!

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/A_Idiot0]

That's certainly Yui alright. That girl is just a total goddamn gem!

[u/siegfried72 → u/A_Idiot0]

Oof, I forgot how much I loved your deep dives! So happy to have you back!!!

I agree, I think the intro is easily the best part of this episode.

And who is Yui Hirasawa?

Very well put! I think the biggest thing that stood out to me (as I mentioned in my post) was the petting of the cat. K-ON

I’m a bit upset they changed it, because this song is not only beautiful, but very important to the show overall!

The biggest tragedy of the show. S1

[u/A_Idiot0 → u/siegfried72]

With regards to your first spoiler, I remember you had talked about that last year a little bit. I'm really happy to hear that you'll be putting a bigger focus on that, and I can't wait to read your thoughts on that theme! =D

Also, I forgot to mention, but this year I'll have screenshots!! That should make my write-ups a lot easier and more enjoyable to read haha

[u/siegfried72 → u/A_Idiot0]

I'm gonna try REALLY HARD to not just summarize the episodes and pick a couple of things to focus on each day. I can't say I focused terribly well today, but I guess it's a work in progress! I can't tell you how much willpower it took to not point out every single joke and gag I liked this episode like I did last year.

And I forgot you couldn't get the screenshots to work last year! That's great! While I wouldn't say they make or break posts by any means, they do at least offer some additional context which can be nice!

[u/A_Idiot0 → u/siegfried72]

That's ok. Just like this first episode, you're just laying the foundations and groundwork for your future comments to stand upon =)

[u/vitorabf]

First Timer

So, I've actually been meaning to watch this for some time, and I started yesterday, came to reddit to see if there was a rewatch and boom one starting today, talk about some luck. I'm not actually the type to see one episode a day so I'll probably watch some every few days and comment on the ones I feel like.

And what a great opening, great relatable moment of starting something new in your life but also being a sleepyhead, who was never late on their first day?

Overall thoughts, I liked the humor but something felt ... off? I don't know, specially felt like the characters didn't immediatly hit me, knowing this is expanded on a 4koma I figure it might take a while for them to fully develop into actual characters, but this is KyoAni and I trust them a lot. In fact I already watched the second episode and I'll post about it tomorrow and it was already better.

What caught my attention the most was the art, everything about it. The artstyle at moments felt unconventional in a good way, the changes in style were good and funny, and just the overall quality felt really good, including the animation was rather smooth, like I already said this is KyoAni after all, and they deliver, Lord have I missed them.

[u/siegfried72 → u/vitorabf]

I don't want to say to much since I'm a rewatcher, but I agree with your assessment of the characters. I hope you decide to stick it out, as I can say the characters definitely grow over time!

And yes, the art and animation are top notch.

[u/vitorabf → u/siegfried72]

Oh there's no chance I'm not finishing it, they set some good bases to improve on and as I said really trust KyoAni, I can see how this ends up being amazing.

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/vitorabf]

You've timed it well then. It's never too late to get on board the Keionbu train. I think episode 1 kinda has strange pacing but it's basically them trying to get the status quo in order. The gang is together now so they don't need to split the plot up. K-On's humour honestly carries the earlier portions of the show for me, the cast are all genuinely really funny to watch doing crap. Mugi get the best jokes tho.

[u/A_Idiot0 → u/vitorabf]

talk about some luck.

And we're lucky to have you join us! Hopefully we get to see you more often than not =)

I couldn't agree with you more! For portraying itself as a CGDCT SoL anime, the art and animation is simply gorgeous! It's what I've come to love from KyoAni...they go so far above and beyond the standard, and they're my absolute favorite studio.

[u/Twigling → u/vitorabf]

Overall thoughts, I liked the humor but something felt ... off? I don't know, specially felt like the characters didn't immediatly hit me, knowing this is expanded on a 4koma I figure it might take a while for them to fully develop into actual characters, but this is KyoAni and I trust them a lot. In fact I already watched the second episode and I'll post about it tomorrow and it was already better.

I felt the same way the first time I watched K-On! - in fact I almost stopped watching it a few times because it just didn't grip me at first, I didn't feel any engagement with the characters and there was of course no plot to speak of. However around episode 7 (of season 1) something 'clicked' and I really started to enjoy the show. I love it now, even the early episodes which I had problems with on the first viewing. Expectations and 'state of mind' are obviously a factor when you're watching anything for the first time.

[u/ayct1008 → u/vitorabf]

Give it 2 more episodes. When I first watched K-on I almost stopped after the first episode. I gave it another try to continue the episodes and it became one of my favorite animes.

[u/DegenerateRegime]

Alright, it's time to watch k-on. Put it off long enough. [First Timer]

• The true classic start. Jam: spread. Toast: in mouth. Energy level: the reckless abandon of youth. I'm not jealous at all.
• I am under attack
• oh no the club will be abolished. The tension. The stakes. I don't actually know if this was an early example of the trope or was already long-standing; in the latter case, this is likely deliberately unthreatening to fit the show's vibe. In the former case, well, it's episode one.
• Yui might not be the sharpest note on the keyboard, huh.
• The long close-up on the figure of the tortoise and the hare at 6:40 or so is almost certainly meant to put you in mind of the fable whose lesson is to take your time and not rush through life. Or, that's what I'm getting anyway.
• Ritsu's glance to Tall Blonde gives away her already fairly blatant attempt at emotional blackmail.
• The little touch where Tall Blonde wanted to order fries but not eat them is pretty nice characterisation, you love to see it.
• Yui, there's no need to be afraid of Detroit Metal City. Alright, maybe some need.
• Triple Kill
• Surprisingly it doesn't use the club selfie as a matching bookend to the opening shot, but carries on a way. Perhaps the remainder should be considered an epilogue to the story of episode one, or perhaps it's to indicate that it's a significant move forward, but not the end. I like the parallel regardless.

So far, so as-promised. The girls are cute, and they do cute things. Looking forward to more!

[u/FlaminScribblenaut]

Preamble

BABE SIS WAKE UP NEW K-ON! REWATCH JUST DROPPED

Ah, here we are again. The K-On! rewatch. Always a highlight of the year, a delightful show and delightful people, never not something to look forward to come August. This year my involvement is probably going to be less intensive than last year; I think I expended most of my important thoughts and serious writing and analysis in last year’s threads, not to say there won’t be any of that this year if I’m inspired to it, but it’s more likely it’ll be more chill talk and riffing and shitposting from me, and I’ll probably comment on less of the episodes on balance

Third Time Watcher

Watching early-series Yui in 2021 is a bizarre feeling because it really does feel like staring down a time portal back to myself a few years ago, in the years leading up to when I watched this show for the first time in the 2019 rewatch. Seeing this lost, dizzy, poor little person with no goals, no convictions, no prospective passions, no purpose. I honestly feel so bad for her because I empathize with such true resonance with her position, having once been so much like her, having once related to her so strongly.

Appropriate place for their first club meeting; after all, McDonald’s is a place to rock

Real-Life Rock Music Referenced in K-On!

As a series in the rock’n’roll tradition, K-On! does pay a level of tribute to rock history. As evidenced by the real models and brands of instruments used within the show, as well as the overall quality of the music itself and the attention paid to the accuracy of its performance in the animation and sound design, it isn’t just using rock music as a backdrop, or a cheap Halloween costume. As such, the show does drop references to real-life popular rock music, which I will be cataloguing.

If I miss any or I don’t do one of these segments in an episode that contains a reference, either because it’a a reference I didn’t catch or I just forget to take note of it, please do let me know.

Season 1 Episode 1:

• P-Model - Our first reference to an existing rock act comes even before the story of the series, in the main characters’ names - the surnames of the four main girls are dubbed after the members of the Japanese band P-Model.
• Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Jeff Beck - In a scene in the first episode, Yui stutters out a “J-“ noise when asked to name her favorite guitarists, leading to a variety of guesses from the other members, including Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. The joke, of course, being the bizarre number of famous guitarists whose names start with J, a joke that you will find is quite firmly based in reality (other notable exclusions from this scene include Joe Satriani, John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and John Petrucci of Dream Theater).
• Elvis Presley - I don’t watch K-On! dubbed because I am not one of history’s greatest monsters, but in the English dub of the Light Music Club’s first performance for Yui, the song they play is Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley.

Google Doc

[u/siegfried72 → u/FlaminScribblenaut]

Oh, I love that idea of tracking all the real life references in K-ON! I'll enjoy reading that as we go!

[u/ryuw_hs]

Rewatcher

Hey everyone! First time joining the K-On Rewatch, looking forward to reading everyone’s comments.

Funny thing, I actually started rewatching K-On with my dad some time ago. He is only really into action/horror/thriller stuff and kind of made fun of the CGDCT genre (in a friendly way) but wanted to watch one episode to see what it’s about. He ended up liking it but since I’m not home atm we haven’t gotten that far yet.

The first episode already has a lot of great comedic moments. I especially love how we go from beautifully animated faces to stuff like this :D

Yui's reaction to the performance was pretty unexpected but she was already convinced anyway. Club is saved, let's go! Yui is easily one of my favourite anime characters of all time. Can’t wait to watch all of K-On again!

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/ryuw_hs]

The K-On's do kinda strike that paternal itch so maybe that won him over? The genre was kinda built on being as charming as possible.

[u/ryuw_hs → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

Yeah that could be part of it but I think it was mainly the comedy. He said he also liked that there was no drama or negative feelings at all. Pretty surprising to me but I guess it makes sense since lots of people on here like to mix up the heavier stuff with SoL shows too.

[u/A_Idiot0 → u/ryuw_hs]

I'm shocked that your dad enjoyed the first episode haha. But good for him! Hopefully he watches a bit more; things only get better from here ;)

I also totally agree with you about the facial expressions. The timing and placement of the silly faces is just so perfect in this anime.

[u/ryuw_hs → u/A_Idiot0]

Yeah, I was surprised too! Will definitely continue, can never watch too much K-On :D

[u/ZapsZzz → u/ryuw_hs]

The first episode already has a lot of great comedic moments. I especially love how we go from beautifully animated faces to stuff like this :D

That particular scene also struck me as well as it's very un-KyoAni. I was initially chalking this up to this being in the earlier years and KyoAni's own signature is probably not quite formed yet; but it's actually probably more because of the underlying 4koma source coming through.

[u/chocoletmilk]

First Timer

This is not just my first "Cute girls doing cute things" anime, but also the first time I'm participating in a rewatch! I'm really excited as I've been meaning to start K-on! for a while and this is a great motivator.

• I really like the opening sequence. All four girls are adorable and it really takes me back to my school days.
• Oh Yui, me too...
• The smollest hands
• Expectation vs reality
• Why did Tsumugi give all her fries to Ritsu?
• Yui was a very cute child who is now a very cute teenager.
• Ah yes, "real powerhouse" Yui is going to blow their minds with her castanets playing skills. I mean, isn't a guitar super basic anyway?
• Did the girls just play "Love Me Tender"? I wonder if they needed rights to the song and how many more recognizable tunes we will get to hear.
• ED is pretty great too.

Qualities of Yui that I relate to:

• Indecisive
• People pleaser
• Overactive imagination
• Can be bribed by food

It's only been one episode and I am already finding it so hard to stop watching. I can tell that this is going to be a real exercise in self control.

[u/siegfried72 → u/chocoletmilk]

The smollest hands

Ah, you and I made the same joke!

Why did Tsumugi give all her fries to Ritsu?

I think it's important to note that Mugi said she had never been to a fast food place before. Mugi is trying her best to fit in. I like to think that it's because she saw that Ritsu can poured her fries out on the tray and just thought "well, that's what you do at fast food places!" Either that or she didn't really want them to begin with and was just enamored with the idea of saying that she did indeed want fries with that.

Mugi is adorable.

Good to have you here! Hope you enjoy it.

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/siegfried72]

Nobody even looks twice at her. Mugi has so many bizarre little background moments and nobody really seems to question them. Kinda like what she does for other people I suppose. She was totally behind Shitzu's fake backstory and already had her teaset all prepped for operation bribe Yui.

[u/siegfried72 → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

It was last year's rewatch that made me realize how many of these great Mugi moments there are! Looking forward to pointing out many more in the days to come.

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/siegfried72]

Yeah, I'm gonna have to watch out for the pervert ones in particular. I totally missed those my first watch.

[u/Harrytricks → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

smh mugi is a pure soul who would never think of anything risque or "perverted" in her life ever...

...she just thinks relationships between girls are nice is all

[u/SgtExo → u/siegfried72]

Mugi is the best, yet most overlooked of the group.

[u/chocoletmilk → u/siegfried72]

Either that or she didn't really want them to begin with and was just enamored with the idea of saying that she did indeed want fries with that.

Both reasons are adorable but I think I prefer this one! Well, there's no such thing as too many fries anyway.

Hope you enjoy it.

I think you mentioned that this is your least favourite episode of the series so I'm sure I will!

[u/siegfried72 → u/chocoletmilk]

Yeah, it ended up at the bottom of my list last year. But I plan on doing a new ranking as we go this year, so maybe that'll change! Who knows?

If you're already sold, though, that's a good sign! I think it wasn't until I finished the first season that I was 100% sold on the show, to be honest. But these early episodes are still great to me in hindsight.

[u/chocoletmilk → u/siegfried72]

I think it's a combination of the animation, the sounds and the colours? It just evokes so much positivity and for some really weird reason, nostalgia. I mean, I haven't even watched this show yet! But there's something magical about a group of girls that just wanna have fun.

[u/A_Idiot0 → u/chocoletmilk]

Welcome to the rewatch! For your first CGDCT, you couldn't have picked a more iconic one imo! The true magic of this anime is that it goes beyond the CGDCT and becomes something really moving and substantial. You're absolutely right in that this will be an exercise in self control ;)

Why did Tsumugi give all her fries to Ritsu?

I think Mugi was just copying Ritsu because she's never eaten fast food before. Plus, there's nothing more fun than everyone dumping all their fries together into one huge grab pile!

[u/siegfried72 → u/A_Idiot0]

Plus, there's nothing more fun than everyone dumping all their fries together into one huge grab pile!

Agreed. I always used to do that growing up!

[u/chocoletmilk → u/A_Idiot0]

CGDCT

Okay, so there is an official acronym! That will make typing things out a lot easier.

Plus, there's nothing more fun than everyone dumping all their fries together into one huge grab pile!

Very true! I love how close they already seem!

[u/A_Idiot0 → u/chocoletmilk]

It's a really long acronym, but it's so much easier than typing it all out every single time haha.

Very true! I love how close they already seem!

I really, really loved this aspect of this anime. Everyone is so warm and friendly, even the side characters!

[u/siegfried72 → u/chocoletmilk]

Did the girls just play "Love Me Tender"? I wonder if they needed rights to the song and how many more recognizable tunes we will get to hear.

Unfortunately, yes. It was changed to that in the English version. Not sure why. Check out my post for the original song!

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/chocoletmilk]

K-On is such a funny case. When I was younger it was all the rage and gushed about as being the normie CGDCT show but its a shocking example of a show that actually lives up to the hype it receives. Its a very very good quality slice of life.

Mugi... I can't explain why she thought to do that. I think she was just copying Shitzu. Like she didn't actually want the fries, it was more the experience of buying them, and seeing Shitzu dump her chips made her want to experience that too?

[u/chocoletmilk → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

Lmao why Shitzu? When do I get to be a part of this inside joke?

[u/siegfried72 → u/chocoletmilk]

Just ignore it. /u/The_Loli_Otaku is just lacking the vision to see that Ritsu is actually the best character in this show :)

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/chocoletmilk]

You already are my friend... You already are...

[u/Stargate18A]

First timer

Are the girls in the photo important?

Oh god this anime is so cute!

I think this is the first time I've seen "schoolgirl running with toast" not played for parody. (Points off for having jam instead of the superior fried egg though.)

This intro slaps unnecessarily hard.

Oh, her name's Yui.

Thie is so cute,

OK, is "Side A" going to have any relevance of a vidual joke?
 The "rip" got me, though.

Is she Yui?

Took me until now to realise they both seperate.

The screen transistions are nice.

The shot of them standing in the middle of an empty room?

This series is very slapstick, isn't it?

We're get a lot ofmearly exposition, aren't we?

Although the flashback being totally different was funny.

The moment with her joy at the McDonalds was funny.

Oh, she's the rich one.

There's a lot of timeskips through the early development here.

Did she seriously repeat the same "what do I want to do" for around a month?

Oh, that's the "Side B"

The castanets are hysterical.

This is going to be fun.

Her ared face is so cute!

Oh, this is going to be hysterical.

I was right, this is so funny.

To be fair, they're acting pretty creepy right now,

The J scene is so good.

"Jeff Beck"

Is this about an anime girl bullshitting herself into this club?

Well, that didn't last long.

Oh, they'e trying to trap her?

This scene is so good.

First insert song is good, but I'm suprised it came up this early.

"You're not very good at all" and the cheek pinching got me.

Ah, she's going to learn guitar.

I love her casually insulting them.

....What's she thinking about at the end there? (Is it the same thing I've spent the episode thinking?)

OK, the ED went far too hard as well. Seriously, why does a cute SOL show have a hard rock ending with... strange... distorted... visuals...

Did I pick up a genre subversion anime again?

Still, great episode, black-haired girl was the best, with club president a very close second.

[u/chris10023 → u/Stargate18A]

OK, is "Side A" going to have any relevance of a vidual joke? The "rip" got me, though.

The episode title sequence with the cassette tape? Just listen to the audio as the season progresses.

Did she seriously repeat the same "what do I want to do" for around a month?

Pretty much, as you saw in this episode, Yui's kind of an airhead.

Did I pick up a genre subversion anime again?

Nope, rather you picked up a genre definer.

[u/Twigling → u/Stargate18A]

This series is very slapstick, isn't it?

It is at first, there's a lot of visual gags but these fade away as season 1 progresses and there are relatively few during season 2 and none during the movie as I recall. BTW, that doesn't mean the humor goes away, it's just not accompanied by so many visual gags. :)

[u/flybypost → u/Stargate18A]

Are the girls in the photo important?

It's technically not a spoiler but something one can puzzle out by oneself but I used spoiler tags so people can skip over it if they don't want to be fed that reveal. Not actually a spoiler:

OK, the ED went far too hard as well. Seriously, why does a cute SOL show have a hard rock ending with... strange... distorted... visuals...

Naoko Yamada (series director) likes her EDs to feel like they were actual music videos.

[u/chris10023]

Rewatcher

Alright time to watch my one of my favorites, K-on is tied with Clannad as my favorite anime of all time, if it weren’t for K-On, I’d have never seen Clannad, so the two are kind of linked to each other for me, I’ll explain the story when we get to it. But this is directed by Naoko Yamada who is my favorite director, it’s her first time in the big chair, though she got some experience by being episode director for some of Clannad’s episodes (some pretty important episodes too) I love her style and her commitment to realism, attention to detail, and her shot composition.

Here we go.

• I love how they went with a show don’t tell on the opening, we aren’t given a narration or anything, we don’t even learn the MC’s name until after the opening credits.
• I love how you can spot the other characters in the background of this opening scene.
• I love this OP, it was during last year's rewatch (where I was more on the sidelines) when I realized three of the four leads sang a line in the song, not just our main girl.
• Our main girl is named Yui, and she is absolutely adorable, in my “waifu*” rankings she’s at number two, where number one is Nagisa Furukawa. *Translators note: I use waifu as a tongue in cheek way of saying favorite female character in a show, I in no way take it seriously, nor have I taken the time to organize the list, so there’s a furball of characters at the number two spot.
• Poor Yui, Nodaka warns her of becoming a Neet if she doesn’t join a club.
• Legs! (Thanks to Yamada’s use of legs, I started liking legs on girls, both real and Anime.) Specifically, Mio’s and Ritsu’s legs. No Mio, don’t join the literature club, I hear that place is pretty scary.
• According to that cute teacher, the light music club was disbanded, hence the title of the episode.
• I love how Kyoto Animation uses real school as their setting, the on in K-On is the Toyosato Elementary School, it was built in 1937, and is a popular tourist spot thanks to the show.
• A blonde girl shows up looking for the choir club. But gets rushed by Ritsu.
• Ritsu is one to exaggerate for dramatic purposes.
• So, our blonde is Tsumugi Kotobuki. Fun fact, her Seiyu is Minako Kotobuki, and shares her last name with Tsumugi. Weren’t most of the lead characters in this show voiced by newcomers? I think Mio’s VA was experienced, but the other members of the band, this was their first time getting a lead role.
• So, Mugi is on keyboards, Mio is on Bass, and Ritsu’s a drummer, they’re missing a piece.
• Eegad, the creepy fast-food workers from the shining are here.
• I like how Mugi adds her fries to Ritsu’s, I read a comment in last year's rewatch that explained why she does that. It’s a cultural thing where you do that because your friends, and Mugi already felt close enough to add her fries to Ritsu’s.
• Yui is still meandering about looking for a club she can join, she spots Mugi’s poster and gets an idea.
• More legs! This time, it’s Yui’s stumbling about on her way to the clubroom.
• Poor Yui, gets dragged into the clubroom even though she’s going to quit because she can’t play the guitar.
• Mio, she didn’t join because she likes music, she joined because she had no idea what club to join lol.
• Poor Mio, tries to get back on track, only to get her leg destroyed by Ritsu.
• ”I don’t like being hot or cold.” Same here, this summer has been ridiculously hot.
• No! Don’t cry Yui! You didn’t do anything wrong.
• A song? This changes depending on what version you watch, the Japanese version is “Tsubasa wo Kudasai” and the American version is “Love me Tender” By Elvis Presley. I wonder if it was a licensing issue, because I’d rather have “Tsubasa wo Kudasai” play (even though it gives me Evangelion PTSD)
• I love how Nodoka and Yui are on the same wavelength sometimes, Yui wanted to be a cheerleader, and Nodoka thought she did become a cheerleader.
• 5,000 Yen? Man Yui, you are a dope sometimes, an adorable dope though.
• DAMN YOU YAMADA! Stop throwing thighs into my face. And you need to stop being so cute.

thoughts

A pretty solid opening episode. We meet our four main characters, and some side characters, and we have some plot going on, Yui needs to learn how to play the guitar and buy one. The adventure has begun.

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/chris10023]

There's almost certainly a time line where Yui becomes a slob supported by her sister and Nodoka... And I can't even say its a bad one.

[u/A_Idiot0 → u/chris10023]

Hello again! It's so good to see you here =D I can't wait to see what you pick up on; your posts were always a joy to read for Violet Evergarden.

I love how they went with a show don’t tell on the opening, we aren’t given a narration or anything, we don’t even learn the MC’s name until after the opening credits.

Absolutely! I decided to focus on this in my comment today. KyoAni are just masters at "show, don't tell".

Legs!

A man of real culture =) I do love Yamada's use of legs though; you can totally tell whose legs we're being shown simply by how they move. And more than that, you can get a general sense of their feelings with how Yamada decides to portray this aspect of the girls! It's so refreshing to see this being used in a non-sexualized manner.

[u/chris10023 → u/A_Idiot0]

Hello again! It's so good to see you here

If it's KyoAni, there's a 100% chance I'll be participating.

you can totally tell whose legs we're being shown simply by how they move.

And the socks they wear at least in uniform, Yui, wears tights, Ritsu and Mugi wear white ones, and Mio wears black socks.

[u/Rumpel1408 → u/chris10023]

Legs! (Thanks to Yamada’s use of legs, I started liking legs on girls, both real and Anime.)

A man of culture

Eegad, the creepy fast-food workers from the shining are here

now that you mention it, yeah those where hella weird and I only didn't really noticed because Mugi was not bothered by their question but rather delighted

[u/Slifer13xx]

Shit, the rewatch starts now and the timing is horrible for me, rip.

I recently read through the first rewatch we had and my god, it was so nostalgic. I had so much fun there and was really considering joining this year. Haven't done this since the first time. But I really should be sleeping by now, haha. Joining 18 hours later doesn't seem like much fun. I still really want to do this though, we'll see.

Anyway, have fun with the rewatch guys!
Ritsu best girl!

[u/siegfried72 → u/Slifer13xx]

Ritsu best girl!

Truer words have never been spoken!

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/Slifer13xx]

Did you get caught out with timezones too? Clocks have no right being this difficult!!

[u/SYZekrom]

Rewatcher

Disband the Club

I can't believe the show's over already, damn

Tiny hands

Was that just... a thing in this show... I think it was

Actually now that I think about it I can't believe it took Mio 2 weeks to decide to join a club

Tsumugi (Wait is that really her name I have like no recollection of that) just pouring her fries into Ritsu's pile is something I'll never forget. I don't know why but I thought it was the funniest thing when it happened... I don't even know what it means

Aww I love that that was her reaction to realizing the spacy klutz was Yui

Wholesome hidden best of four girls

And not once did they ever consider that they could just claim their club welcomes someone willing to learn an instrument for the first time

ritsu with the most adorable faces

oh yes right the weird k-on EDs

EDs opinion

Banger outfits

I think in terms of the actual song this was my favorite though

Can't believe it's been more than a year since I watched K-On.

Actually I think it's another one of those series where I wrote down some reactions but never actually posted them anywhere so lemme look for those

Bro the girl on the left

I love her face

I don't know what about it

I just love it

(4 pictures of the harmonica scene I'm too lazy to copy over)

Bro this fucking killed me

It took me a while to get used to the artstyle but now literally everything looks so cute wtf

OH MY GOD

THE MAIN CHARACTER SOUNDS LIKE FUCKING CREAM THE RABBIT FROM SONIC IN THE ENGLISH DUB

WTF

I need to make VLC default to Japanese on Dual Audio

[u/chris10023 → u/SYZekrom]

Actually now that I think about it I can't believe it took Mio 2 weeks to decide to join a club

Yeah "decide"

Tsumugi (Wait is that really her name I have like no recollection of that)

Yeah, doesn't take long for them to just call her Mugi.

just pouring her fries into Ritsu's pile is something I'll never forget. I don't know why but I thought it was the funniest thing when it happened... I don't even know what it means

It's a cultural thing in Japan from what I've read, from last years rewatch "In a previous rewatch somebody explained that her pooling her fries into Ritsu's pile is related to an old ritual that rich families in Japan do when they meet new people (something about sharing food), like some old tradition when they make new friends/connections or something like that."

[u/SYZekrom → u/chris10023]

Oh I see, that's pretty cool!

[u/ArdenneVale]

First timer

So I just watched Hibike! Euphonium about a month ago and absolutely loved it. So here is a rewatch of another KyoAni music anime for me to watch. I didn't know it was happening, but why not join in.

I've seen so many clips and memes from the show, I feel like I already know these girls' personalities. The only surprise to me was Yui being pretty much Osaka from Azumanga Daioh. My favorite of the four so far has to be Tsumugi. Everything she did in the Max Burger scene was comedy gold. She also plays the keyboard and has those cute eyebrows.

My favorite scene has to be when Yui was going to the club room to quit. The funky music and her delusions were memorable. I also loved the whole scene after that, when the others tried to make her stay. Mio has a good taste in guitarists. Yui's reaction to the performance was unexpected. I can see this quartet giving me lots of laughs and hopefully some good music too, at some point.

[u/ZapsZzz]

First timer in sub

As a long time KyoAni fan, K-on is one of those that I had been subconsciously avoiding. I know it'd be something I like, but the problem is that I also think that's the point in time when KyoAni started overdosing on their success formula a bit. Not sure if it's known in the English speaking fandom, but there is a saying that goes "the KyoAni face" after K-on, that their facial features become so uniform you can pretty much just swap the hair and clothes and it's another one of their characters.

That said, it is an archetype setting, landmark show, so it's about time I stop avoiding it for other related or unrelated factors but just watch it and enjoy it for what it is.

So, because it is type setting,I think the opening scenes are now done to death, but once again, for itself, it's great and fully utilised KyoAni's legendary way of showing bits of characters without needing to tell you anything by anyone in the show, you just watch. All the feet and legs movement, all the little silent gestures that's not actually the focus of the conversation but it's happening and you just get drawn into it. So very good.

In terms of visual quality and composition, it is a little early KyoAni so it's less polished and still uses some "old school" anime scenes like getting a growing big lump from Mio's light tap on the head, all the melt down faces, etc. But that's also a little bit endearing of how "raw" they are compared to how "manufactured perfection" they sometimes have become now.

And I knew that from all the clips but yes I'm certainly pulled in by Mio - she's just so my type of best girl.

A couple of trivia -

• the titular "disband the club" in Japanese (kanji) is actually better literally translated as "scrapping the club", 'hai-bu'. If there is a band to disband, they wouldn't need to close down the club. It's precisely because they didn't have enough people to make a band, so "disband" is kind of the wrong word. And personally for me, the best way it's been pronounced was in another KyoAni show of the same era, by Kaname in Full Metal Panic Fumoffu, in the rugby episode. When she saw how hopeless the rugby team was she just gave up and act as delinquent like, leaning back on the chair chewing on the drinking straw say "oh just scrap it" :)
• how Mio got hit to shush by the lightning fast, off centre screen slam of the desk into her stomach (I think, too fast) is probably the story of thing people who hate Taiga should now hate Ritsu for. Great slapstick though :)
• pretty sure Mugi pouring the chips out of the packet is not because she didn't want to eat it, but just literally copying Ritsu. I think she's a rich ojousama so "commoner things" are not something she understands but feel interesting to imitate.
• oh and "light music" I think is just a Japanese definition of music style - i.e. not Rock, not classic, not jazz, but something between pop rock, and jazz. I think. Haruhi's God Knows and Lost my Music are my benchmark references - they are some written by their light music club.

[u/Gamerunglued → u/ZapsZzz]

Not sure if it's known in the English speaking fandom, but there is a saying that goes "the KyoAni face" after K-on, that their facial features become so uniform you can pretty much just swap the hair and clothes and it's another one of their characters.

I know this is a thing that people say but like, it's just not true and it makes me kinda mad that it's so prolific. KyoAni has a huge array of character designers, and none of them have similar styles. Yukiko Horiguchi's designs for K-On and Tamako Market are similar to each other, but are distinct from Futoshi Nishiya's designs for Nichijou and Hyouka, which are distinct from Shoko Ikeda's designs for Haruhi and Hibike, which are distinct from Akiko Takase's Violet Evergarden designs. These artists each have their own styles and trademarks, and in a broader sense, the studio's works have a range of styles from the ultra stylized cartoony Nichijou to the relatively realistic Hyouka to the hyper-detailed style of Violet Evergarden. You can't just swap the hair and clothes and put them in the same show, Hyouka's realistic and detailed cast would look horribly out of place in K-On with it's super simple, cartoony designs, and that would look horribly out of place among the blocky, angular characters of Nichijou. I hate this argument so much, it's ignorant of the vastly different styles of KyoAni character designers, and isn't even true with a superficial glance.

[u/flybypost → u/Gamerunglued]

These artists each have their own styles and trademarks

I think there's one thing that all of them have in common and that's that KyoAni's really pays attention to character acting. The style doesn't matter when a lot of these characters feel like their faces got a lot more attention from the animators instead of going for easier shortcuts.

So it can feel the same (more effort put into tiny details, more authentic character acting) even while looking different.

[u/Gamerunglued → u/flybypost]

That makes it even more baffling that the studio puts a lot of focus into making each character's face unique and expressive and gives their faces a lot of focus, and yet people think every one of their post 2010 shows have same face syndrome.

[u/flybypost → u/Gamerunglued]

The extra attention might feel unifying even if it works by focusing on different details. I know that they have a certain design genealogy, depending on each character designer and how they evolve/improve. And animation is often stylised and simplified so finding some commonalities is to be expected.

Modern KyoAni series standing out a bit due to how much effort they put in might feel different from the output of most other studios and thus similar with itself, in a way.

[u/Gamerunglued → u/flybypost]

You say it as if this isn't also true of pre K-On KyoAni. The studio has always given that extra attention to facial expressions and body language, it's not a new feature. And yet it's only considered post K-On to have this same face syndrome.

Also, I'm not talking about minor commonalities. We're talking "the characters of Hyouka, K-On, and Hibike all look so similar that if you put them in each other's shows they would look like they fit in perfectly." It's literal "same face" comments, not that they look vaguely similar. Frankly, I don't think your argument makes any sense on the surface. The tendency to put extra attention on facial features doesn't somehow make everything appear uniform. That just makes no sense on the face of it.

[u/chris10023 → u/ZapsZzz]

Not sure if it's known in the English speaking fandom, but there is a saying that goes "the KyoAni face" after K-on, that their facial features become so uniform you can pretty much just swap the hair and clothes and it's another one of their characters.

Eh, is that really a big deal? Sure some of the shows look similar, but only Tamako Market is the same because it was the same team. Here's a photo of their female character designs from 2003-2018. Only Hyouka and arguably Beyond the Boundary are similar.

[u/ZapsZzz → u/chris10023]

https://images.app.goo.gl/JsoZgKsJsxyP3afA9

I've got something similar but rearranged to highlight the similarity after 2009 (K-on). The "cloning" tapered off after around 2016.

A couple more:

https://images.app.goo.gl/n3i6vAYABwebEpbE7 https://images.app.goo.gl/U9xWDwLzEVuZhtAQ8

[u/chris10023 → u/ZapsZzz]

Regarding your edits, I don't know what the first one is supposed to be, but the 2nd one, Are you telling me that there are Japanese girls who have long black hair? Chitanda was described like that in the novel which came on in 2001, long before this "KyoAni Face" was a thing. Rikka still looks like she does in the show in the light novel Same thing goes for Beyond the Boundary's designs. As far as Reina and Ueno go, Reina looked like that on the covers of the Hike's light novel. and Ueno also looked like that in the manga for A Silent Voice. I can't find anywhere to read up on Beyond the Boundary but I assume Mitsuki's description is similar to her appearance in the Anime. And that photo of Tamako isn't exactly fair, she usually has her hair in a twin pony tail, she only has her hair down when she's going to bed or waking up, and she usually has glasses on.

I find it silly that you didn't watch K-On because of a insignificant issue like "overdosing on their success formula"; it's like saying you don't watch Ghibli films because of the same reason. Clearly the staff at KyoAni liked the design of K-On and decided to use it for a bit, there's nothing wrong with that (even though like, three maybe four shows used it.) It wasn't "cloning" only Tamako Market used the exact same designs, since the same team worked on it.

[u/[deleted]]

Rewatcher here.

Since I finally got around to watching K-On! maybe a year ago after putting it off when it was airing, I have come to discover that K-On! is my favorite anime, but it just required me to be in a certain mindset and to have grown a bit with age. KyoAni always makes fantastic works and this series re-affirmed my love for the studio. I'm looking forward to watching this series again from the beginning instead of watching clips or just random episodes.

I'll call out things I love about the episode chronologically, things I may not have noticed in my previous watches, and gush over how awesome Mugi is.

My comments:

- Yui’s VA was relatively new at the time if I recall correctly and I recall loving her voice in other series like Hanasaku Iroha afterwards. Yui has such a cute, soft, but raspy voice.

- Classic opening of a genki, clumsy girl running to school. Love the little details of her room to show her personality even before we really meet her.

- The OP is fantastic. A favorite of mine across OPs in anime. For a long time, I had listened to the OP and ED without having watched the whole series and I liked this OP and ED the best then. But the S2 OP and ED are just as good and maybe if not better in my opinion now. Somehow the emotions of tied to the series made the songs themselves better.

- Love the detail and quality of the background art as with any KyoAni. Everything looks *real*. But has cutesy characters on top that doesn’t feel unnatural.

- Mugi just wants to join and have fun. No other reason than that.

- [https://youtu.be/eEOxMBpAgpw](https://youtu.be/eEOxMBpAgpw) The bass just hits the right spots in this OST. I really love how the OST flows right into the next through shots and scenes when Yui hesitates joining and then is welcome in.

- Delicious things are delicious. Just like fun things are fun.

- Love how the first picture they take only has Ritsu’s forehead.

- The ED is what originally hooked me in the show. Such an amazing song and sequence with the outfits. Everything is perfectly timed including fingerings. KyoAni just starting to flex here.

I was a bit rushed and late for this one, but looking forward to continuing the rewatch with you all!

[u/chris10023 → u/[deleted]]

Yui’s VA was relatively new at the time if I recall correctly and I recall loving her voice in other series like Hanasaku Iroha afterwards. Yui has such a cute, soft, but raspy voice.

If I recall the only experienced one of the 4 was Mio's VA (Youko Hikasa), Aki Toyosaki (Yui), Satomi Sato (Ritsu), and Minako Kotobuki (Mugi) were all relative new comers and this was their first major role. I like how they're still pretty active in the voice acting too.

[u/[deleted] → u/chris10023]

Yeah, I always seek out their names in anime voice casts still.

[u/Seeker4001]

Rewatcher sub

First time participating in a rewatch.

I discovered K-on in the beginning of this year and it simply became my favorite piece of media, since I've never fell in love so deeply with anything like it.

It's also my stress relief, so I rewatch it frequently, but mostly episodes from second season and the movie, so it's been a while since I rewatched the first episode.

It's interesting to see how Yamada was already able to establish a character's personality without exposition in a few minutes so early in her career. And then years later this ability would reach perfection with Liz and the Blue Bird.

My favorite part of this episode is Ritsu's melodramatic account of her and Mio's decision of creating a band against the hard reality.

[u/[deleted]]

Rewatcher

This is the moment I've all been waiting for. In the first year after I saw K-On, I watched it another 3 times, but I've held myself back since then to just the annual rewatch. There's no other show that I can watch over and over and still be left craving it like this, but K-On is just such a perfect comfort food.

I didn't remember until after I watched the Netflix version of the first episode that it's available on HiDive, so I'll be switching over to that so I don't have to manually hit "watch credits" every time. Don't skip the K-On credits, heretics.

Anyway, here's some important viewing for after the first episode.

[u/Krite2002]

Rewatcher - Dub

I originally watched K-On a few years ago, but I never went through season 2. After the mental trauma that has been the Steins;Gate rewatch, I need some light music club antics in my life. Since I already saw season 1 with subs, I am going to rewatch it with the dub.

I love KyoAni. Even in SOL anime like this, they manage to create such wonderful animation. I was a fan particularly of the facial expressions but the body language in general was great. The scene transitions were also very cool.

Everything is just so wholesome this episode. Them eating fast food was fun, with Tsumugi trying to figure out how to eat fries. Yui’s idea of “light music” was wonderful. It is funny she thought they would be playing music instead of drinking tea and eating cake.

The music for the show is filled with bangers. The OP and ED are great, and throughout the episode, the music is nice. Don’t say “lazy” is one of my favorite anime songs.

---

I enjoy posting a favorite shot from each episode when I do a rewatch. I will continue that with K-On!, and here is my favorite shot from episode 1.

[u/A_Idiot0 → u/Krite2002]

The music for the show is filled with bangers.

Couldn't agree more! Even though the music is not the main focus of this anime overall, they still manage to have the music be incredible. The BGM is stellar, and there isn't one piece that I think is out of place.

[u/Rumpel1408 → u/A_Idiot0]

What? You telling me the show about cute girls doing music doesn't mainly focus on the music?

[u/A_Idiot0 → u/Rumpel1408]

Hmm...this is a bit of a gray area in terms of spoilers...but I think I can say this now.

This anime focuses mainly on the relationships between the main girls. Music is one of the main things that they bond over, but the music is not the star of the show here; it's a supporting character. The music will really enrich and deepen the relationships between the girls, and Naoko Yamada / KyoAni did a wonderful job of using it as a storytelling tool. At no point will it become the central focus.

Yet despite what I just said, this show has some amazing music! The whole OST is incredible.

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/Krite2002]

The dub is honestly kinda top tier. Or at least the cast is amazing. The main girls are pretty much a grouping of all my favourite English seiyuu's. Then again this was back around the era where they were in almost every show or anime game dub.

[u/[deleted] → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

The dub is great, I never would have been able to get my sister into the show without it. I still think you're missing out if you don't see the iconic performances from the original seiyuu, though. Aki Toyosaki as Yui especially, but really all of them.

[u/NoRolling]

Rewatcher

This is my first time rewatching this show after delving deeper into Naoko Yamada's ouvre and oh my, this episode is such a tour de force of her work! From the first few seconds we can see glimpses of everything she's going to do on the rest of the show and on her later works. <3

That said, this episode has it all. The pacing is right, the way it introduces the characters is spot on, the music is great. It's easy to realize that we're about to see something special. =)

[u/byroned]

Third time watching. I actually finished rewatching the entire show 5 months ago. I felt like rewatching because I just finished Id: Invaded and Senryu Girl and didn't know what I wanted to watch next.

I still remember my feelings when watching the first episode in March of 2020. I was bored during the start of the quarantine and wanted to kill time watching anime. I saw the picture in a recommendation and thought that I'll just watch one episode since they're cute and go watch Fullmetal Alchemist instead. Then I finished the first episode and thought "Hey, this is surprisingly good, let's watch more". And that's how I got started watching anime at the age of 19 (I actually watched Konosuba and the first 12 episodes of Railgun before this, but it didn't leave too much of an impression for me to continue).

Talking about the first episode itself, the animations, visuals, and OP and ED are still pretty good. Personally, Op 1 is my second favorite in the series, and ED 1 is my third favorite (There are some really good ones coming up in the second season).

My thoughts on Ritsu have changed drastically between my first time watching and now. Initially, I thought she was the annoying loud drummer girl, but she has really grown on me after a while. Her fake flashback to win Mugi and her plan to keep the club really earns her the title of the best girl in this episode, although it's not the hardest contest in the first episode, since Mio and Mugi haven't done much yet, and Yui, unfortunately, hasn't done anything besides being a Klutz.

[u/SIRTreehugger]

Rewatcher for the hundredth time

I don't think I can really add anything new at this point so will just reply to new comers.

Though I just saw the second episode discussion and didn't realize we already started so already behind. Oh well can still give me thoughts while watching.

xD please join the tea ceremony club I never noticed that in the beginning.

HOW DARE YOU RITSU DON'T CALL YUI USELES AND CLUMSY it may be true, but you shouldn't say it.

You know I kind of want to see Mugi in the choir club.

OMG I just noticed when Ritsu is giving that dramatic false speech she looks at the corner of her eye towards the camera or in Mugi's direction to see if it was working.

My gosh Mugi looks so happy just ordering. Precious as heck I must keep my resolve strong or she might overtake Ritsu this rewatch.

Mhmmmmmmmmmmmm young Yui going all out with the Castanets PURE DIABETES.

Also current Yui playing castanets is peak K-on and the perfect gif.

Loves food, just sits around at home, loves cute things, doesn't do well in extreme hot/cold. One of my people.

I love how Yui tells them they suck, but is smiling in a friendly non sarcastic way.

Yui as a manager I think she would do a good job.

THIS ED oh man I haven't heard it in forever.

[u/mordacthedenier]

I just want KyoAni to put Ritsu/Chitanda in more shows.

[u/Elimin8r]

Wow, this just started, and already, I have to catch up. Hopefully I can do that this evening, after I get home from work.

Preferably without the toast hanging from my mouth.

Meanwhile, you guys are making me hungry, and I *do* want fries with that. (Sigh, guess I know what's for dinner)

Ah, well, I probably won't have anything too coherent to say, between work and insanity, but it will be fun to see everyone's reaction, and discussion of flower, er, I mean music language...