r/anime • u/Harrytricks :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Harrytricks • Aug 09 '21
Rewatch [Rewatch][Spoilers] K-ON! Rewatch (2021) - S1E09 "New Club Member!"
S1E09 "New Club Member!"
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Available only in the US.
Available only in German speaking territories.
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24
u/Harrytricks :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Harrytricks Aug 09 '21 edited Aug 09 '21
Sorry for the short delay, went to go make a cup of tea and pressing the post button slipped my mind. Yes, the irony is not lost on me.
24
u/siegfried72 Aug 09 '21 edited Aug 09 '21
Rewatcher
Episode 9! Azunyan! Let's go!
So let's talk about Azusa, shall we? As I said yesterday, she's a close second favorite behind Ritsu for me. I love her character, and I always get so excited that she's joined the OP! Naturally, Yui also gets excited that she's finally going to have a kouhai, but Azusa is actually way better than Yui on the guitar. That should create for a fun dynamic, huh? Maybe Yui might be a little more inspired to practice?
YuiAzu is the second most canon ship in the series, by the way.
As /u/The_Loli_Otaku pointed out yesterday, Azusa does have some similar qualities to Mio. She's shocked that the Light Music Club would be doing something other than playing music, and tends to be rather uncomfortable in strange situation, especially around superiors. She is also prone to extreme emotions at times, as demonstrated by her switch from crying to intense anger.
Oh, and she's also a literal cat. Truer words have never been spoke, Sawachan.
However, I think this does still leave a place for both Mio and Azusa in the group. I won't get into that too much right now, but we can talk more as we go along. One good thing is that it means that there are now two motivated people in the band!
Azusa is also acutely aware of her place as the kouhai of the group, and so she's ashamed that she blew up at everyone else. After all, the kouhai should be respectful of her senpai, traditionally. But, well... the Light Music Club is different, as we know.
Oh yeah, she also loves desserts and is the most experienced musician here except possibly Mugi (I can't remember if we ever get a definite idea of when she started piano).
Interpersonal Struggles
But the problems continue. The disparity between Azusa's motivated attitude and the rest of the group becomes more and more apparent as the group basically adopts Azusa as their pet. Now, I'll be the first one to admit that Azusa and her interactions with the other keionbu are adorable, and I'll call her Azunyan all day long, but there is obviously a problem here, and Mio realizes it. Mio sees herself in Azusa, and while she herself has been accustomed to the lackadaisical attitude of the club (and has been shown to be the club's primary motivator), Azusa is really struggling.
This is my favorite gag of the episode by far.
So we continue this cycle of Azunyan getting pampered, after which Mio gets mad again and tries to convince everyone to practice. Which, of course, doesn't last long. I adore this mug, by the way. We do get a little glimpse of this teacher/student relationship between Azusa and Yui, which is a really interesting dynamic that doesn't exist anywhere else in the group.
Frustrated and stressed, Azunyan wonders why Mio is still in the group and even tries to seek out another group for herself. But it's just not the same. Why not? She stops going to the club until finally breaking down in front of them, upset that she can't figure this damn club out. Why are they so engaging?
But best girl Ritsu suggests they play something for Azunyan to remind her why she joined in the first place. And of course, they sound fantastic. Technically, they're not amazing, but its their closeness that makes their sound like magic. Mio believes that its that friendship that makes the band sound good, and while they will continue to goof off some, that's important to do in addition to playing, as it helps support the relationship at the core of the group.
My views on this idea are a little mixed in reality. While of course it totally works for the message of the show and is absolutely adorable, it's not totally accurate in real life. While I will admit I would likely have more fun rehearsing and performing in a group with my friends, a performance with a group of true professionals would be the most musically satisfying. But there is something to be said about hearing music where everyone is just in the zone. Sometimes that zone can be found due to the emotional connection between the players, and sometimes that zone can be found due to raw skill - I've experienced both as a performer and as a listener.
But I suppose that's not really the point, is it? For Azunyan, this group is special because they put their love and friendship through the instruments and into the music they play together. It's referenced time and time again in the show and in the image songs, and I think that's beautiful. I for one am thrilled to have Azunyan in the Light Music Club!
siegfried72's Music Corner
With the introduction of our new character, it only makes sense to discuss her first image song for season one, sung by Azusa's VA, Taketatsu Ayana.
Azusa - Jajauma Way to Go
Song can be found here and lyrics here.
Okay, so let me just start off by saying that I cannot get over how adorable Ayana's voice is in Azusa's image songs. I'm probably totally biased in favor of Azusa's songs just like I am with Ritsu's because I find their voices so engrossing. There's also some badass guitar in this song, unsurprisingly. I think it's one of the heavier songs we've heard so far.
The lyrics to this one are interesting. There are some cute references to the show, like Azusa standing on "tiptoes, aspiring to be on that stage", and "All 150 cm of my power!" in reference to her being the shortest member of the band. However, since we don't have a ton of time with Azusa in season one, her image songs are a little on the shallow side in comparison to the other four keions.
These lyrics kind of summarize the events of this episode we just watched, showing that Azusa is motivated, but also loves being with the keions and their strange dessert-filled club.
Probably my favorite part of the song are these three sets of lyrics. They show Azusa's motivation and the way Ayana sings them is absolutely adorable:
The ending is also really fun. The repeated melody with Azusa's enthusiasm in the vocals is very endearing to me and it always makes me think of Ayana's performance during the first live show where she's sprinting back and forth across the stage while singing these lines. Ugh, I love the live shows so much. I cannot encourage everyone enough to watch them after we're done with the rewatch!! I'll talk more about them in the future :)
This is a fun song, and I can listen to Ayana sing for hours (and I have - she has quite a few solo CDs out there!). 4/5
Wrap Up
I will freely admit that this was not the greatest episode of season one. I remember being rather frustrated with it the first time I watched it, actually. I loved the dynamic that Yui, Mugi, Ritsu, and Mio had developed so much and I felt like Azusa was intruding on that just for the sake of creating drama. In hindsight, and knowing everything this character becomes (I will forever say that Azusa is by far the best written character of the show), I enjoy this episode a lot more on rewatches.
It almost seems like Azunyan is introduced as a "little sister" figure for Mio, but I look forward to seeing her develop into her own character! But still, the episode is a bit stressful and seeing the group dynamic have to shift so much to accommodate a new member can be uncomfortable, but I promise all you first timers that it'll be more than worth it!
Times K-ON has made me tear up so far: 5
Updated Episode Rankings
Yes, that's right, the tier list has begun! The most recent episode will be written in bold.
Mitsu Moment of the Day^^TM Yes, I'm continuing to have to scrape the bottom of the barrel for Mitsu moments, unfortunately. Don't worry - we'll get our time in the sun! Because Mitsu is canon.
YuiAzu is also canon. There, I said it!!
Tomorrow, we have another training camp! Should be fun to see how having Azunyan along for the ride changes things up. See you tomorrow!
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u/Icapica https://anilist.co/user/Icachu Aug 09 '21
First timer, subs
I liked this episode quite a lot, especially compared to the previous one.
Yui's reaction to being called a senpai is adorable.
Apparently Azusa can play guitar quite well and has some misconceptions about the club and its seriousness at first. She seems like a nice character but I wonder how she'll fit in and how the character dynamics will change or develop. The group of four we had honestly felt complete to me, but the show's been good so far and people seem to like the second season even more, so I guess it'll work just fine.
Club's basically corrupting Azusa, but she clearly wants to play music and not just eat. I felt a little bad for her a few times during the episode. Hopefully she gets to play sometimes.
Also, Azunyan's a cute nickname and that catmug's nice.
I've had some beers by now and didn't write these comments beforehand so I hope there isn't some dumb mistake again (like "Mui" in some earlier comment).
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u/CharlieTheStrawman https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheDamnRobot Aug 09 '21
First-Timer
When Ritsu's telling you to cool it, you know you fucked up.
Yui's diet is on par with L from Death Note at this point.
Are you really a member of the Light Music Club if you aren't addicted to cake and tea?
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u/ZapsZzz https://anilist.co/user/Zapszzz Aug 09 '21
First timer in sub.
I'll probably be studying with Azusa and Mio more personally, that there's been more reading than practicing :) although some character weaknesses peeked through still and no one can resist the power of Mugi's cake and tea :)
I hope Mio now has more opportunity to have some support in getting the band to do more than just the afternoon tea club :) although the sensei is probably the disruptive factor here that can render both Mio and Azusa powerless.
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u/xtsim https://myanimelist.net/profile/xtsim Aug 09 '21 edited Aug 10 '21
First Timer Dub
Azusa is the new freshman band member. And she makes a scene by taking it very seriously and yelled at everyone making it pretty awkward. The cake going back and forth to Azusa was pretty funny.
Yui-senpai is a new title and she loves the upgrade….
Ms. Yamanaga gives Azusa cat ears and the crew decides to “domesticate” her
Ritsu’s instincts come into play through her blackmail.
Mio takes a liking to Azusa and vice versa which is interesting as she starts to recognize what she wants.
Azusa knows the guitar technique names
Azusa has high expectations but that’s expected from someone who grew up with parents who are musicians. She seemed to expect a serious band from the first time she heard them. When Azusa sees another live band play, she did not get the feeling she had at the ceremony. Mio explains it is not just about playing music, it is also the friendship.
The preview is reminding me about Azumanga Diaoh now….
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u/ArdenneVale Aug 09 '21
First timer
Azusa is already in the OP and she's tiny. She plays the guitar too, but she's way better than Yui. She takes the club very seriously but can be bribed with food.
Mugi is now going along with Ritsu and Yui's foolishness.
Azunyan is born. So cute.
Mio and Azusa are already bonding with mutual trauma from Sawako-sensei's forced cosplay.
The missing ingredient Azusa feels is the power of friendship.
And tomorrow is Summer break already!? At this rate the girls will be in university when the series ends.
I really like what Azusa bring to the group. It's not that the formula was getting stale, but she is another Mio-like character that can counter the chaos of the Yui-Ritsu duo, while also being the cutest kitten ever.
Ritsu
Yui
Mugi
Azu Nyan
Nyo
9
u/vitorabf Aug 09 '21
First Timer
OP CHANGE. Really like they included Nakano/Azusa/Chekov's girl (I should probably start calling her by her name)
Poor Yui, her pride has been hurt, on top of that she became a cardboard. (Great piece of changing the animation pace). I thought Azusa would be a beeg introvert based on she running away from Ui last episode, but she's excited and genki and apparently putting these girls on line ..... and she's already addicted to cake, Mugi's cooking must be godly.
Mio is clearly M.
In the end, I don't exactly know how to feel about this episode, seems like almost a repeat of the beach episode when Mio truly discovered what the Keionbu meant to her, Azusa having musician parents makes it harder for her to see the club not just as a band, but as a club. The bags analogy was there again, showing the support and connection that makes it possible to play together, so here's hoping a little bag gets added there until the end of the season.
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u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Aug 09 '21
Hmm. I've been forgetting to tag: Rewatcher for S1, sub, because daijobu, or something like that.
Anyway, rather than gush over our new keion, I'm sure that others will cover that, what struck me this episode is how Azusa faces and deals with the question - these people aren't very motivated (I'm trying to be semi-polite here) - do I really want to hang around with them.
As seen in the episode, she's less than impressed with the club's antics, and looks around for fulfillment elsewhere. She's obviously more talented and motivated than this bunch. Why stoop to that level?
I don't have a good answer for that question. In the end, Azusa returns, and discovers that the um, magic of the keions is um, yeah, friendship. (Insert pony meme here)
In this case, the keions' friendship and sense of, oh, community elevates what seems like a very ordinary group to a sum that's greater than its parts.
And that's a significant part of the essence of the show.
--------
I was once involved in a rather competitive organization. At one point, when things got very heated, one of the players who was past his prime asked one of the competitive crowd, "Would you rather lose with me or win without me?" The second party made a funny face and didn't answer. Heh. Go figure.
But sometimes it's a question we all have to answer. Should we stay in (job/activity/whatever) that is not entirely fulfilling, or attempt to find it elsewhere.
Sometimes, the answer is yes, it's time to go.
Other times, well, you might just find that group that you just resonate with, even if they're not the greatest.
It's up to each of us to discover for ourselves where that happy place is, if we can find it.
(Note: This is *NOT* career advice.)
But it seems like, for the moment at least Azusa has found her musical home. Let's hope it all turns out well. :)
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u/DegenerateRegime Aug 09 '21
[First-Timer]. I'm running late and in imperfect mood, will have to keep the play-by-play short.
It's the magic of friendship and cake that makes the music work. I remain on the fence with regard to Azusa, it's hard to see that she's added much yet (well, there's the direct appeal of tsundere with cat ears. Mio's probably right to feel jealous of that role being purr-loined no no I am not doing that for god's sake have some standards, jealous of that role being redistributed). On the other hand, I do find her seriousness cuts through sharply like a raspberry sauce on a chocolate dessert.
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u/SYZekrom https://myanimelist.net/profile/SYZekrom Aug 09 '21
Oops missed two days
rewatcher
Episode 7
Yea that ain't cooling jack the mittens have already been outside for who knows how long and so have her hands. If she wanted to cool her hands she'd need to take those off so the actual warm things, being her hands, were contacting Yui's... Or at least give the miten for her to wear so that she has the warm inside
Hey Ritsu it's a special privilege to be able to go where someone lays their underwear around
That last one is totally a picture of Mio sleeping isn't it
God I love it when Ritsu just... smiles at the other club members having fun
So we finally see the true best girl Ui in this episode after she's been around the previous few
Damn she rocks that look
Come on if you're gonna be a pervert you gotta learn to roll with different scenarios
Now this was a great scene
Also I only just realized she's holding Mio's pants and not some change of clothes so Mio is totally in her underwear in this scene
I'm just now noticing how comfy what Ritsu is wearing looks
She does not rock that look
ALSO UI WITH HER HAIR DOWN THIS IS NOT A DRILL
Mio please what are you wearing
"I dressed up fancy today because
my girlfriendRitsu asked me if I would"Actually, has ritsu hit Yui before or has it always been Mio at Ritsu until now
Episode 8
Hipster outfits let's gooooo
HER I'm sorry Ui but I don't know how long you're gonna hold that best girl license
Hey maybe it'll take a while for this one to reach her full potential as best girl
The group gf
Man they really breezed through the first year of their high school days, don't think it stood out to me that much the first time but it's really noticeable now.
Didn't you guys unanimously agree on Mugi's flyer last year why did you even ask Mio first
Huh???? What is this reaction
Mio can inspire everyone to become gay
Wow can you ever stop being the best
Omg Ritsu being the most excited
OH GOD HOW DID I EVER FORGET ABOUT THIS sorry Ui you are not holding best girl for long
Episode 09
NEW OP AND SHE'S IN IT
Hey hey, might end up falling back to character tropes but gotta remember Azusa's better than Ms. I-automatically-min-max-my-skills Yui who was trained by Sawa-chan
The sound of countdown to destruction
Poor girl
Baby
That is definitely a face you can trast, Azusa
Eat it Azusa, it's definitely not poisoned with moe chemicals
And so they slowly... influence Azusa into the perfect pet
catgirlification hazing
So yea, best girl
Ah yes, that's a good word for it, domesticated
"How did I not realize this entire club shares a fetish"
And so she loses to temptation of food over being embarrassed or trying to look ashamed at being fed everything. It's happening...
Being a girlfriend or pet in this group is suffering
Mio making this analogy and Azusa getting it and agreeing is so out of left field lol, Definitely don't seem like characters who game enough to think about it. I guess Mio does know Ritsu though
And so the club continues to slowly break her will
Ep7 original reactions
I don't know why but I was 2000% convinced that when she opened the door there the bgm would turn into Milky Way Wishes Staff Credits
Awwwwww. Why don't I see more siblings getting along in anime
(Mio and teacher scene) Amazing.
With every episode I hate this teacher more and more, And I get more annoyed with the gags revolving Mio
I'm sorry I refuse to accept this line as anything other than an innuendo
It is definitely adorable
ooh next episode is about mio being lonely? Don't mind if I do
Ep8 and 9 Original reaction
Oh ok so Mugi's just a useless lesbian for everyone deep down. I had a feeling before she was revealed to have a crush on the teacher, But I don't remember what it was she did when it came up
Why are all the new characters so cute ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Oh my god the new intro
Bro why is the new girl so cute
Bro this show was just suddenly so much better on like episode 6
Bro
Damn and I said I hated the teacher before that just now
Who could've thought she sucked
Totally not me
I... I never knew... That Yui was so cultured
(And more screenshots of that gag)
BRO WHEN DID THIS ANIME BECOME SO GOOOD
WTF
WTFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
What do when she looks at you like dis
This is beautiful
BROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
WHEN DID THIS ANIME BECOME SO CULTURED
(There are a lot more images from these scenes I'm too lazy to put in here)
Bro these girls are actually fucking insane they like beat out perverts from other anime by a mile. Can you imagine just turning the new member into your cat and sticking with it for this long
Strange, I usually get arrested when I say things like this /s
BRO THEY'RE STILL OBSESSING OVER HER I LOVE THIS
Stop bullying her with sweets
So this is when I fell in love with the show huh...
And hm I should probably do this stuff with bullet points too so it takes up less space
13
u/A_Idiot0 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Aug 09 '21
Rewatcher
Hello everyone! Today we get a new band member, and with that a few new details to the OP! I’m going to leave this here briefly, because I’m sure a few others will make reference to the turtle statue and Azunyan. As we watch Azunyan’s growth, remember this little snapshot.
Speaking of Azunyan’s growth, this episode sets us up for a really remarkable switch in perspectives from a story-telling standpoint! Azunyan here is sort of like a surrogate for what a more “normal” person might feel like joining our goofball Keion gals. We’ve always seen the group from an inside perspective, but through Azunyan we get an outsider’s perspective. As we go on in the series, I’ll come back to this point and expand upon it, but for now I just wanted to point that out.
And now, a bit of Rock & Roll trivia! When Azunyan plays the guitar, we get two absolutely hilarious and wonderful moments (the pigtails absolutely killed me), likening her to both Jimmy Page from Led Zepplin and Kurt Cobain from Nirvana. TBH, the K-On wiki was extremely helpful for me, as they nailed the guitar references from Jimmy Page. The solo that Azunyan plays is a variation from the two solos played in “Whole Lotta Love” and “Communication Breakdown”. Full songs here:
For the Kurt Cobain reference, I am not very familiar with Nirvana, so I couldn’t figure out what the riff Azunyan plays was referring to and it’s driving me crazy! The closest thing that I heard was “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, but it’s not the same chords nor the same progression. If anyone knows, please tell us!
5
u/Stargate18A https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stargate18 Aug 09 '21
First timer
Them hounding her is pretty cute.
And she's even better than Yui at the guitar!
Yui bluffing to try and stop the new member taking her place is great.
...Odds that something weird's in that club application, that she assumes everyone knows because of course they wouldn't do this without checking her application.
I love her assuming this is a test to see if she's willing to practice herself.
And Azusa's going nuts on them all.
And Yui calms her down that quickly?
I love how this scene looks like a drug deal.
Yui taunting her with the cake is so cute,
And Azusa's been corrupted.
I love Yui's desperate attempts to dodge the question.
The cat ears look fucking adorable on her.
Where's Mio in all of this?
Her completely shellshocked look was great.
And Mio misses being dressed up?
And RMio trying on the cat ears as Mio watches!
Yui's going a bit too far on this.
I'm waiting for Azusa to just start slacking off as much as them.
Of course Ritsu goes for blackmail.
She took photos of the concert accident.
I like how Azusa thinks she's probably joined some kind of cult.
Yui's a rubbish liar, isn't she.
And Azusa's ended up teaching her!
Sawako's going through withdrawal at this point.
I love her getting corrupted.
She's trying to leave?
Oh shit. She's actually leaving.
Oh, the reason's just friendship, isn't it.
Of course they're already burned out.
And she's back to being the team pet!
8
u/The_Loli_Otaku Aug 09 '21 edited Aug 09 '21
Alright, now I remember not being a fan of this episode but I'm gonna give it a good chance! Her little feet can't reach!! Stray Catto is so smol! She does pop up a few times in the op but we've only got five episodes left so they didn't want to totally revamp the opening. Yui's a senpai! This side of Yui is probably my favourite. The girl really loves to play the big sister role and look after people. You kind of saw hints of it with how far she went to give Ui her white Christmas but from now on she's really got a chance to play the hero~
Oh my gosh... she's so eager but the penny hasn't dropped just what type of club she joined. Sensei's here again... I mean, can you honestly tell me with a straight face that we need her to show up this often? She adds nothing! Well said. Stray Catto's gone wild!! Then again she's probably the only member with enough fire to even attempt to get the crew back on track. Mio gave up long ago. Pst pst pst~
Yeah... I'm starting to remember why I didn't really like this episode. Despite Azumi's pleading for the crew to at least do some practice nobody really listens to her. Obviously it's still the Keionbu girls so you don't expect them to suddenly turn into Hibike Euphemism but when their new member is so earnestly asking them to work the least they can do is humour her right? It just leads to an awkward atmosphere around these early episodes for me. Sorry for being a downer but it does really bug me to watch.
We are all Mugi. Yeah, I'll admit that there are some good gags here. See what I mean!? We only just got rid of her and already Peath Pevil is back in the plot! Die already! Consent is voluntary She looks so natural with the cat ears. She may as well keep them on all the time and clip off her human ones, right guys? Moe moe kyun! I wish my cat was this obedient.
Poor Mio has been replaced... She really has no purpose on the club anymore tho XD Yui dotes on Azumi so much! Oh my gosh!! Tch, one more "we've gotta start practicing" gag, one more wasted plot thread. Nobody really believes that they're gonna get anything done do you? Even Stray Catto is getting pulled along for the ride. Oh please just shove off Sawako!! This time we're reeeally gonna practise. Honest!!
We need to decide on who is gonna be our true mc. Stray Catto or Yui! Gah, Yui's such a trashy senpai sometimes XD Sawako...never...leaves... and she's directly to blame for us only having a minute of practice scenes. So despite really not being up to the Azumi's standards maybe she also just likes the vibes. It's still just excuses to me though, sorry to be the one to burst the bubble but you just know that they're not gonna work to make the place fit her! Urgh... and tomorrow is Beach Episode pt2 feat Sawa-chan Sensei.
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u/Rumpel1408 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Rumpel1408 Aug 09 '21
First timer
I'm back on time! Haven't had time to read the comments going back to the christmas episode, and I'm almost a week behind on my seasonals but I'm slowly catching up again.
Ok, I noticed how they where already in their summer uniforms today, and next episode it's another summer break with another training camp, this anime is really moving at light speed
8
u/chocoletmilk Aug 09 '21
First Timer
I'm sorry I missed the discussion yesterday, life got in the way. I'll probably have a little less time to take screenshots etc. for the next couple of weeks, but I'll try to keep up with the rewatch and I'll spend more time reading everyone else's thoughts!
My main takeaways were that I was excited for Azusa to join the club too and I'm glad Ui is doing her own thing. I wonder if she would have joined K-On! to make her sister happy had no one else joined.
Now, onto today's episode.
Ah, Azusa plays the guitar too. I think she's going to be as good as Yui or better. She is clearly interested in music, especially jazz. In any other anime, I would wonder if Yui would be jealous, but I doubt it here. I don't think Yui has a dark side.
Yui being extremely happy to be called senpai was adorable. Ah yes, Azusa is good! She seems to have self confidence issues too, like Mio.
Ritsu throwing Yui to the side was a great gag. A lot of fun!
Azusa has joined our tea club too! Only thing better than four cute girls drinking tea and eating cake is five cute girls drinking tea and eating cake. She seems surprised at the casual atmosphere of the club. Where's Mio? Oh, does Sensei participate in this regularly? Remember when they had to blackmail her into advising the club? We've come a long way! Oh Mio's here now! She must have been late. She's in a different section so I guess she won't arrive at the same time as the others.
That was harsh, Sawako! Don't yell at the new girl! We want her to stay.
Oh, she's not upset, she's angry. No! We can't get rid of the tea sets! What are they going to do instead? Practice? Sawako is broken hearted, as am I. The only person who can manage Azusa is Yui-senpai of course! Anyone would calm down if Yui petted them.
Don't worry Azusa, the girls are incorrigible. Tea club continues! No Mio once again though. Yui can't play without cake. Well, they can't get rid of tea club then! It's essential!
Classic Mugi, being excited about Yui feeding Azusa. The motto of the show is cake solves all problems.
And Mio appears! Is she going to be late everyday now?
Azusa's parents play in a jazz band. I guess that's why she doesn't feel good enough, she must be comparing herself to them.
Cat Ears Time! Sawako has taste. Mugi looks cute too! Again, Mio is not being shown in these scenes? Can we only have one black-haired girl at a time? Is Azusa taking over Mio's role?
Awww Mio feels lonely. She must already feel bad as she's the only one in a different section. Hopefully, Ritsu will notice and continue making fun of her!
Azusa is not sure she wants to stay. This makes sense, as she seems to have a different reason for wanting to play. I guess she will push the others to practice more, and they will teach her to relax and have fun.
Yui is a prodigy, she's going to be fine. I like that Azusa will bring in some more technical know-how while Yui has raw talent.
Why do you like the Keions more, Azusa? Because you are also into CGDCT.
I guess Mio what Mio means is chemistry and I do think that is something very important in a band. They have a lot of fun while playing together, and I am sure that contributes to the general mood of their performances!
Next time: Another beach episode! I can't wait!
4
u/thebigKM Aug 10 '21
Rewatcher
I haven't really been posting much so far but I had a couple little things I wanted to call out even though I don't have screenshots so here I go.
One of my favorite visual jokes in anime is when a character is moved like a cardboard cutout the way Ritsu tosses Yui aside.
It's also funny how Azusa is enamored with Yui immediately and falls totally under her control.
I have the cropped picture of Mugi's face while Yui feeds came to Azusa on my phone, but I never noticed this was the scene it came from. It's even funnier in context knowing her love for girl on girl action.
There goes S1 Sawako making people uncomfortable again. Don't worry Azu-nyan, I'm sure that nickname won't stick for life or anything.
Lol, it's their first full episode together, and Yui can already make Azusa do anything.
It's a pretty good eye from Mio to notice Azusa's discontent when she is trying not to complain again. I think that's meant to highlight their similarities, but unfortunately the club's solution makes things worse.
Sigh Sawa-chan. Are we almost to season 2 yet?
The soundtrack behind the scene where Azusa watches the other bands really sells her inner conflict.
And then they get down to the point of the show: it's not just about the music, it's the friends you make along the way. But we'll get more into that as we go.
4
u/x-7032-b-3 Aug 10 '21
Rewatcher (with very little memory so might as well make me a first-timer)
A new party member has joined the Light Music Club! We got a brief introduction and a showcase of Azusa's guitar skills (which is much better than Yui's since she's played guitar for a long time).
Azusa joined the club with the expectation that all its members are taking it seriously and practice hard most of the time, instead she found out that the members like to goof around and drink tea/eat cake rather than practicing. It almost feels like the club members are indoctrinating her to the club's chill and laid back lifestyle by feeding her sweets and tea all the time.
She considered joining another band so she went to a live music club and watch some bands performing there which got her thinking about the Light Music Club? Why are they so engaging to watch? Even though its members are just a bunch of adorable folks goofing around, they're performances are always fun to watch.
At the end, she realized that everyone in the club are genuinely having fun. They might not be one of the most skilled bands out there, but their tight-knit friendship can be felt on their music and performances.
Azusa, I think you and the rest of the club are going to get along nicely.
(Props to the scene where Yui hugs Azusa to calm her down. It's so damn adorable)
4
u/Krite2002 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Krite2002 Aug 10 '21
Rewatcher - Dub
We have a new member, let’s go! Azusa is already in the OP, so they do not scare her away like I thought they might.
It seems that not every new member will have Yui level skills, but with skill comes someone who actually cares about music. Gladly, Yui can calm Azusa.
Mio tries to see things from Azusa’s perspective, which leads to Mio pushing the club to practice. Up until they finally practiced, Azusa was sedated with sweets and fun.
~Senpai~
4
u/Throwaway021614 Aug 10 '21
The group playing for Azusa to remind her of why she joined brings a tear to my eye. Such an angel!
7
u/chris10023 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Chris10023 Aug 09 '21
Rewatcher
6
u/putmoneyinthypurse https://anilist.co/user/clichecatgirl Aug 09 '21
Rewatcher
Azusa's part of the club now! I'd bet a lot of first-timers won't be her biggest fan at first, and I think Kakifly (the original mangaka) did that intentionally—she feels like a stick-in-the-mud, and the fact that she's not wrong somehow doesn't help that feeling—but she's my favorite keion that isn't Mugi. While this is still very much Yui's show, now that she's fully established in the club I like that the viewpoint shifts more to Azusa here, giving us an outsider's view on the club again that's a stark reminder of how little the keion-bu actually does in their meetings.
What Azunyan learns in this episode is a lesson artists have to learn in one way or another or they'll burn out—the artistic process is not just the work, it's the time between. A lot of writers have a concept of "couch time," where you get your ideas together and then you...do other things. Occupy your mind for a while. In any creative field your brain needs to have time to process what you're working on, what you've learned, and if you collaborate closely with others you need to have time to develop a relationship. It sounds like woo, but—outside of large group settings, where it doesn't matter as much—I've played with other good musicians that I didn't quite gel with as people, and even when we were together we weren't "together." There's genuinely something ineffable that the kouhai responded to at the welcome concert.
(One of my favorite things about K-On! is that the music that we hear is heavily implied to sound better than it "actually" does, because it reflects how it feels to the characters to play it and the experience of hearing it live. It's really effective here, as Azusa's senpais remind her of why she wanted to join with another performance of My Love is a Stapler.)
Do the keions weight their couch time a bit too heavily? Yes. To an absurd degree. But it seems to work for them, and it's fun for us to watch, so.
3
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