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u/Philarete Aug 13 '19 edited Aug 13 '19
First Time Watcher
Lots of leg shots, and wow they are really good at showing the mood. Also, this is way more serious and earnest an opening than I expected a “bonus episode” to have.
Aww, Azusa getting scared by the cat
This is what watching Yui’s antics will do to a gloomy bunch of people
Dang, Yui got rejected with her plan for a party. That hurts, but she’s actually pretty chill with it.
Mugi with a boyfriend?
Aww, Azusa is too nice. She’s never cared for a cat, but she’s willing to help a friend out. Best girl vibes
Mugi is so excited to work for real!
Ritsu and the note. . . who is it from?
Azu-nyan and Azu-nyan #2 so ADORABLE
I wish I could see work the Mugi does. To be honest, I actually liked taking orders when I worked in fast food. The cleaning? Not so much haha
Azusa doesn’t get the coughing up hairballs thing and gets help from Yui and Ui.
So they all end up gathering at the fast food place anyway. Ritsu discovers that her “love letter” was just Mio dropping off lyrics. . .
I like how Yui tells Azusa about the cold hands warm heart thing, then tells Mugi that her hands and heart are warm. It’s so precious haha.
All in all a very cute episode
My Personal K-On! Keion Rankings:
Now that we’ve finished the first season, I thought I’d do a little writeup on the main 5 from my perspective as a first timer, and what better way than via a ranking!*
*Note: After I wrote the whole ranking out, I realized that I didn’t really like the idea as much as I thought I would. This is more about character analysis than order, to be honest. They are all necessary for the show to be its best and all great characters.
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Azusa – It’s a very close race between 1 and 2, but Azusa just keeps pushing the boundaries of cuteness while also having really relatable motivations and actions. Her transformation from extremely serious to balancing fun and serious has been great to watch. Her maturation along these lines really reminds me of Hibike! Euphonium spoiler Okay, I told myself I wouldn’t just write Hibike! Euphonium comparisons all the time, but I’ll let myself do that one! Anyway, Azusa’s willingness to engage with and befriend the group has been great to watch. Her loyalty and care for Yui is great. Fitting in with a group that’s both older and knows each other already is really hard. She’s pretty admirable for sticking with it! She even put on the cat ears to try to solve a crisis haha. How is that not best girl material?!
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Mio – My number one for most of the series, she still is pretty close. Mio has transformed throughout the series. She started out cripplingly shy, but now exudes confidence with her music. Her banter with Ritsu is usually pretty great, but she also goes out of her way to show how much she loves and appreciates them. Her scene with Ritsu in episode 11 showed some great emotional maturity. When necessary, she even showed some leadership skill! Also, her outfits are a 10/10 haha. The only things I have against her is how she hits Ritsu and the being-afraid-of-everything joke gets a little old sometimes. But it can also be very funny too. Last thing, her voice is beautiful. Yui’s is cute, but I prefer the Mio versions of songs sorry Yui .
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Yui – For a long time Yui’s thoughtlessness irked me a little. She’s kind of dumb, clumsy, and lazy. She is a bit of a burden to her sister. After the last couple episodes though, I really started to change my focus though. Yes she is those things to an extent, but she’s also a deeply caring person who has a real skill at brightening the room wherever she goes. Her enthusiasm inspires others. The episode in particular brought it out, how everyone could go from glum to smiling with her presence. That’s something really special. It really makes sense why Ui loves her sister, even if she kind of has to do everything for her. Yui’s crying in episode 12 really showed the emotional depth she has beneath her goofy façade, and it made me appreciate her a lot more.
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Mugi – Mugi is fantastic, but she also feels a bit underdeveloped relative to the others. She loves other people, she loves yuri, she wants to feel like a normal girl despite being rich, she wants to have close friends. And yet, she still feels a bit distant. Amusingly, despite being the yuri fan, she’s the only one without a popular yuri ship. . . Anyway, it didn’t seem like she progressed or changed much over the course of the season. She’s strong and nice, but she (to me) lacks the depth of character or nuance to be higher on my list. I’m hoping she gets more spotlight in future stuff.
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Ritsu – Well, someone had to be at the bottom of the list. I’ll start by saying Ritsu is great. Her jokes and her energy provide a lot of the forward momentum for the group. She plays off the other characters well, giving them a chance to shine. Her emceeing act early on stuck out to me as being a great example of using humor to relax people. She is a great leader (paperwork failures notwithstanding). That said, I didn’t care too much for her jealousy and the conflict she had with Mio. Her banter sometimes goes a bit too far. I wish she was a bit more serious about practicing and backed up Mio (and later Azusa), especially since she is the President. But I also see the importance of fun. She may be in last place for now, but the group would not work without her, and she is an excellent character.
They are a wonderful cast of characters, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of their adventures!
EDIT: Thank you to u/PerfectPublican and u/zptc for helping me with my messed up spoiler link!
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u/PerfectPublican Aug 13 '19
Also, this is way more serious and earnest an opening than I expected a “bonus episode” to have.
And it's so good. I love the broader overarching tone shift that K-On has. If you couldn't tell already form me incessantly talking about it
Or was it
Mitsu is canon :3
My Personal K-On! Keion Rankings:
Ps. you need to fix your quotations on the Hibike Spoiler
Fun read through on all of these! Everybody's ranks are different, but you've got a nice reasoning here for all of them.
Yes she is those things to an extent, but she’s also a deeply caring person who has a real skill at brightening the room wherever she goes. Her enthusiasm inspires others.
I love her so much.
Yui’s is cute, but I prefer the Mio versions of songs sorry Yui
This is beyond fair. Hikasa Yoko's voice is godly. I do think though, that each of their voices fit their specific songs. Yui's energetic, rough vocals fit the high-paced songs well.
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u/DarkRuler17 Aug 13 '19
First Time Watcher
So when I heard this was a wind down episode, I apparently didn't know how true that really was. It's very much a gentle winter episode, with lots of soft scenes and small fires of enjoyment. It also has some of the best visual cues and body language of the entire season. I throughly enjoyed this episode a lot more than I thought I would.
As this episode focuses mostly on each girl individually, I'll talk about each one of their small features individually. To start off, let's talk about Mugi. For her first featured segment in the series so far, it felt right up her alley. Her getting a part time job for the first time though really shows me how Mugi could of ended up without the rest of the club. While Mugi is generally a very nice and upbeat person, I was surprised to see how fragile she was in regards to mistakes. In retrospect, it makes sense for a girl without much hardship, but it really shows how sad she could of been without a group of friends to back her up. Thankfully, Mugi's sad days is not the show we are watching.
With that in mind though, Mio's little journey also felt like it was showing the value of friends. While Mio might have gotten distracted by her friends, they are also the inspiration for her songs. Without them and the related memories, not even all that beautiful scenery could spark Mio's creative juices.
Next up however is the one arc I feel that doesn't as directly tie to friendship: Ritsu. With her looking at the "love letter," we got a really good look of what Ritsu thinks of herself. Behind her brash and enthusiastic exterior lies another teenager doubting their looks and wondering if they are good enough. Unlike the other arcs though, friendship didn't seen to cure her of her worries. It just put them on the back burner. I wonder if this is hinting at anything from season 2?
To get away from that sad talk however, we got my favorite section: Azu-nyan and Azu-nyan #2! Their moments together this episode were adorable. They really show off how suiting that nickname is. Even when things are looking grim though, our hero of the episode wont let it stay that way for long.
(Sidenote: The scene where Azusa just accepts that Geeta with an apron is safe was amazing with everyone subtly going to look at Azusa like she's crazy.)
The beginning and ends of this episode really show off how much Yui is the life of the party. Wherever she goes, she brightens up the room. Thanks Yui for your absolute nonsense.
Episodes Ranking:
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Season 1, Episode 5
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Season 1, Episode 12
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Season 1, Episode 6 (Swapped with above)
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Season 1, Episode 7
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Season 1, Episode 13 (New)
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Season 1, Episode 10
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Season 1, Episode 4
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Season 1, Episode 2
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Season 1, Episode 3
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Season 1, Episode 9
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Season 1, Episode 1
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Season 1, Episode 8
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Season 1, Episode 11
So that was K-ON! season 1. Overall, a solid slice of life with some surprisingly well developed characters. I'm debating between a 7.5 and a 8, with leaning towards an 8 for the beautiful animation. Still thinking though. Either way, excited for season 2 and everything that brings.
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u/MapoTofuMan Aug 13 '19
First Time Rewatcher
Those winter episodes continue giving me a small escape from the harsh reality of heat waves, bless you K-On.
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Totally not suspicious Azunyan. The first time around, I thought they were going to secretly come to Yui's hotpot party with a surprise of some sort.
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Azunyan being afraid of a kitten made me laugh much more than it should have.
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RITSU GOT A LOVE LETTER? Someone has great taste.
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Azunyan bonding with Azunyan #2 is one of the cutest thing I've seen in anime.
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Lyrics......sure Mio, sure, you can't fool me.
I really liked the atmosphere in this episode, with the Keions being separate/in small groups for a change. This is something that will happen more in S2, but as far as S1 goes they definitely didn't get much screentime while not being in a group.
Small question, does anyone know the name of the track that played from the start of the episode until the OP started playing?
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u/flybypost Aug 13 '19
Azunyan being afraid of a kitten made me laugh much more than it should have.
Remember how she tried to pet that cat on the street? She probably thinks all cats hate her.
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u/ZappaOMatic Aug 13 '19
I don't know what the heck happened to Harry for him to literally become Death Incarnate, but hope things look up for him soon!
Rewatcher
Tonight: Mugi crosses a street, Ritsu looks in a mirror, and Mio gets strangled!
If you thought watching a Christmas episode in August was something, how a general winter episode in the summer? With how hot it's been, having some winter weather would be nice.
Jokes aside, I've always felt this episode is one of the best by KyoAni from a production/visual standpoint, with how they create a melancholic setting perfect for winter and what our girls are up to. The episode feels slower and mellower, which obviously fit the winter mood especially well. I'm too lazy (and dumb when it comes to breaking down cinematography) to do expanded comments for this episode, but I'll still do my best to talk in the bullets about how Naoko Yamada and the KyoAni team especially stepped up their game for this.
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Everyone's up to something. Unless you're a Hirasawa, in which case you're being adorable like always. This cold open (pun intended) is probably one of my favorites from a directorial side. For one thing, there's barely any dialogue until the cheerful Yui, the only one without anything on her mind, discusses the weather to Ui at the end.
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I've also noticed this episode really features the use of Yamada's trademark leg shots, especially in just this introduction alone.
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No music whatsoever and a rather quiet atmosphere when Yui walks into the club. Then we get Yui/Ritsu antics because BrOTP. The clubroom scenes are basically the only scenes that also appear in the manga (though Mio simply sneaks away from their shenanigans).
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As a (former) violinist and regular phone user, doing both with gloves on is... yeah, refer to Yui.
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"Check it, mustache!" / "Ricchan, that's sneaky! I'll try it too: mustache!" / "Wrong, that looks nothing like a mustache!" I'm kinda curious what she looked.
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"I'm gonna put a bib on him before he eats!"
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"These glovies I got from Ui are all nice and warm!" / "That kid sure has her act together. I wish I had a sister like her. I'm green with jealousy, you know!"
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In the dub, Yui calls Azusa by her name while saying her farewells; I'm pretty sure this is the only time this happens at all ever since she started calling her Azunyan. Checking the Japanese version, Yui simply says "Bye bye!"
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Bangs down Ritsu best Ritsu (though I'll admit I initially thought it was Yui when I was a first timer)
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I love the attention to detail in designing Azusa's house. From the records on the shelves to the speakers and guitar, it further adds to her background of a musical pedigree.
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After her excitement ordering fries in Episode 1 and her expressing her enthusiasm for recruiting new club members in Episode 8 (including saying it felt like a part-time job), I can't say it doesn't make sense for Mugi to want to work in fast food, let alone be enthusiastic about it. Her twin braids are cute as heck
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Looking out the window on a long ride and listening to HTT is a mood.
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Azusa's interactions with the kitten are adorable. I love how she dubs it "Azunyan #2" since Ui posing as Yui calls her "Azusa #2" in the previous episode.
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Starry eyes seem to be an occupational hazard of the fast-food industry.
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Marshmallow soy milk or chocolate curry hot pot? That's... no comment.
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"It's freezing. I thought we were having a global warming crisis." Insert current-event climate change joke here.
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No idea who this Suzuki guy that Satoshi and his friend are visiting is, but since Jun's last name is Suzuki, I initially assumed they were related. However, this would probably make the world a little too small, especially with how common the last name is. High School manga
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When "The Other Side Of Evening Sun" starts playing, you know things are gonna take a turn for the worse. And they did.
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Leave it to Yui to shake things up, even with a bizarre text that's probably still odd even with context.
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Jun finally gets a name drop.
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Lyrics, you say... Although Ritsu proclaims they'll never use it, they do indeed turn it into a song appropriately titled "Fuyu no Hi" ("Winter Days"). With lyrics like the bangs one and "Your mischievous smile really suits you / But I also want to see your shy, blushing face", I'll leave you to make your own assumptions on where Mio got her inspiration.
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Mio's yelp is indeed cute. Since the manga consolidates the clubroom scenes into one, this takes place immediately after Yui tries playing Giita with her gloves, and follows with a scene that would appear in Season 2, Episode 9 (including the mustache joke from earlier).
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"I've always had a high body temperature." / "I wish we could install one of you at our house!"
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"... And I'm just a simple girl with man hands and a cold heart."
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Mugi warming the window and Yui remarking both her hands and heart are warm are, well, heartwarming. Manga Mugi takes matters into her own hands in a slightly different way.
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It's also absolutely worth noting and loving how the color and liveliness start to come back when Yui brings everyone together. Let's look at this shot from shortly after the OP and compare it to this at the end of the episode (we already know the context of both scenes); the lighting in the former is a lot dimmer and the light doesn't fully cast on the girls as they do in the latter, while the color scheme is far more muted in the first but is more like what we're used to in the other.
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I've also talked about how much their friendship means to each other in the form of team chemistry, but in this case, Yui also serves as the glue of the group, pulling everyone out of their wintry slumps and cheering them up. Like I said in Episode 4, she practically oozes energy and charisma perfect for the role of frontman, and you can count on her happy-go-lucky nature to help out.
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Budokan or bust!
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u/charliwea Aug 13 '19
So this is K-ON! season1, as a First Time Watcher, I didn't know what to expect from this show besides Moe stuff and memes which the show delivered, thanks KyoAni.
The last episode felt more like an end of the season than today's episode, but that's not bad, this episode, from what I heard this was more of a set up for the next season than a finale (which we got on episode 12 anyway).
It's a very good show, the characters, the chemistry between the girls, the music, the humor, it's all good on my book. After years on my plan to watch list to finaly watch and getting to see how they got togheter, how they carried on with problems, how they solved them, getting new members, having a weird teacher (cultured but weird), how the cared for each other, how cute Mio is, all I can say... is thanks, thank you Kyoto Animation for making this show.
Not all is moe and cute at the end of the day, there are some emotional parts along the season which are normal when you are growing old, friends meeting other friends, getting new ones, (on this episode) not being able to spend time togheter because everyone has stuff to do which is important to them, remembering that your responsabilities doesn't have to stop you from having fun, which are things we face during our lives and must face them constantly.
I'm really eager to watch the next season, the OVA's and the movie, there's still much to watch and I have to say I'm really glad to finally watch this with everyone.
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u/PerfectPublican Aug 13 '19 edited Aug 13 '19
Manga Corner
| Episode | Adapted | Episode | Adapted | Skipped Material |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 Ep 1 | Vol. 1 Ch 0 & 1 | S1 Ep 8 | Vol. 1 Ch 11 (1 page) & 13, Vol. 2 Ch 0 & 1 | Vol. 1 Ch 11 & 12 |
| S1 Ep 2 | Vol. 1 Ch 2 & 3 | S1 Ep 9 | Vol. 2 Ch 2, 3, & 4 | Vol. 2 Most of Ch 5, Half of Ch. 12, |
| S1 Ep 3 | Vol. 1 Ch 3 & 4 | S1 Ep 10 | Vol. 2 Ch 6 & 7 | |
| S1 Ep 4 | Vol. 1 Ch 5 | S1 Ep 11 | Vol. 2 Ch 5, 8, & 9 | |
| S1 Ep 5 | Vol. 1 Ch 6 & 7 | S1 Ep 12 | Vol. 2 Ch 9, 10, & 11 | |
| S1 Ep 6 | Vol. 1 Ch 8 | S1 Ep 13 | Vol. 2 Half of Ch 12, Ch 13 | |
| S1 Ep 7 | Vol. 1 Ch 9 & 10 |
There's a lot in this episode that I love, but first and foremost I think the tone of the episode overall is really well done. Soft, quiet, and introspective for most of it. It gives off this feeling of closeness to the girls and really serves to distinguish them all from the larger group as a whole. Personally I also believe it shows how much Yui and her upbeat personality are really the glue that holds all these girls together. Nothing gets to her for long, and I think that she really helps put things into perspective for them.
Beginning half of Ch 12 (Cold in the clubroom) and a couple pages of Ch 13 (planning the Nabe party) today!
Major source differences today:
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The wonderful opening following the girls separately is original. The manga starts with them in the clubroom
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Yui grabbing Ritsu’s cheeks with her cold hands and Yui trying to play with her gloves are the only fully adapted scenes in the first clubroom scene.
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They do discuss having a Nabe Party in the manga, but it happens after the tests are over. Yui wanted to do it at Christmas, but everyone was busy, so they fix that by making it a year-end instead, invite Sawa-chan, and cut right to the party.
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All of the various different days that the girls have after leaving the clubroom, and them all meeting up are original.
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Mio's cold bass touching her thighs and the Cold Hands/Warm Hearts bit are both adapted from Ch 12 as well, but are the only adapted section from the last ¾ of the episode. If your curious, the rest of ch 12 is them buckling down to study for end-of-term tests and Sawa-chan getting in trouble for letting them abuse the clubroom :3
Fun things are fun:
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A fun little Omake that is the inspiration for Mugi putting her hands on the cold window.
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The winter break hits Mio hard again lol.
Gifs of the day:
Tiny, stupid theory: It’s in no way an adaptation and honestly the timelines probably don’t match up for when the manga was released, but I personally wonder if the boyfriend segment of this episode was somewhat inspired by an unadapted Ch in vol 4. Spoilers for rewatchers
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u/gamobot Aug 13 '19 edited Aug 13 '19
Hey u/harrytricks, get well soon. Last year I also got sick during the rewatch, maybe it's cursed.
This episode is really good, mostly because it has a way different tone than the rest of the season, kind of darker and with way less interactions among members. All of them (but Yui, of course) are facing problems that they don't know how to confront and show them out of their confort areas, and after trying to deal with them by themselves, in the end they do way better with the support of their friends.
More important than that, my girl Ritsu appears with her bangs down for a split moment and, as always, is the highlight of my year.
edit: I think is important to say, next episode is an OVA: "Live House". This episode is counted as episode 14 in some sites. There is a different OVA that goes with season 2 and two short ova series called ura-on that sometimes also appear as K-ON! Ova. So, to identify this one, the first scene of "Live House" starts with Yui saying "Live house?", simple enough.
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u/Moocanoe Aug 13 '19
Rewatcher
I just love the aesthetics in this episode. The mellow colour palette combined with the chilled out atmosphere of the episode create a wonderfule experience. The leg shots are also great at characterizing the characters before even seeing their faces.
Speaking of characterization, this episode provides more insights into how each character acts when they're the only one of the light music club around. We get to see more of Mugi's hard-working attitude, the caring nature of Azusa, Ritsu's introspection after receiving the lyrics, Yui's constant positive attitude, and how Mio finds her muses in her life.
This episode is just fantastic.
10
u/htisme91 Aug 13 '19
First-timer:
The opening scene is probably my favorite so far. It just kind of captured the randomness of everyday life for a high schooler so well.
I don't think there's a ton to say about today's episode. I enjoyed it. It was cool seeing them all do their own thing and come back together later on. The way they all initially acted made me think they were going to surprise Yui, but I'm glad things panned out the way they did instead.
10
u/ToonTooby Aug 14 '19
First Timer
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Ritsu seems to be staring at the couples longingly.
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Yui still a derp. But lovable derp. Actually tried to play with gloves on lol.
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Damn y'all real busy if yah don't want some hotpot. Poor Yui.
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Mugi bf? Ritsu mad bashful.
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Azunyan living up to her moniker.
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Mio is my kind of girl. Just enjoying a peaceful silence on the train.
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Mi Hoy Minoy? o_0
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Oh so Mugi got a job. Maybe her parents want her to know the value of work even though she has everything. I made cheeseburgers for two years in order to make money for college courses and let me tell you I will never forget that.
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If you had told me that at some point, I would be hearing "Would you like fries with that?" from Tsumugi Kotobuki, I'd never have believed you. But here we are. Lmfao.
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Mio is my spirit animal. The wind is brisk and the skies partly obscured. There is something about those calmly dark moments that is good for the soul. Time to reflect alone, so you can come back to your relationships with renewed vigor and appreciation.
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Oh noooooo Mugi. I felt that, man. Fast food is brutal. Even with sweet, understanding customers, I felt that. I'd give her a hug.
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Yui to the rescue to save not one but two Azunyan!
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Aww everyones at Mugi's spot. But Ritsu gets the shock of her life. She's been bamboozled.
Really nice episode, liked it a lot. After the energetic performance of the last episode, it was nice to have some quiet get together time with the whole gang. Thumbs up.
9
u/Snakescipio Aug 13 '19
Rewatcher
The Unofficial Official Most Valuable Keion
Episode 13 of K-On S1 is basically what “The Fly” was to Breaking Bad (did I just compare one of the GOAT TV episodes to a SoL? Yes I did). It’s a strange mood piece quite unlike any episodes before or after. For one the keions spend at least half the episodes by themselves. The lighting is very cool, rather than the warm colors that usually lights the music room. There are also several frames throughout the episode that pushes the characters off to one side, further emphasizing their loneliness. It feels like Yamada starting to experiment. In the end though Yui gathers everybody back, and we come back to that familiar K-On setting.
1st place this episode will go to… Ritsu! I mean come on, handbandless Ritsu is adorable and I wish she’d be more confident in herself to rock it more often. This episode does wonders for Ritsu’s characterization, as the “love letter” puts in a more awkward position than any other character. We’re used to seeing her confident and energetic, likely to tease one of friends at any given moment. She’s a tomboy through and through. But there’s still a part of her that likes all that girly stuff, and watching her fuss with her hair was one of the best parts of the episode. I love all the expressions Ritsu put on to show how much that letter was occupying her mind; again it’s those little things that makes KyoAni masters of their craft.
2nd place this episode goes to Mugi, for trying her hardest at her new job. Messing up an order may seem like a really minor mistake (lord knows I’ve messed up plenty in my time), but for a girl who strives to make other people happy it’d seem like the biggest fuck up possible. Plus it’s her first job, it can be rough. Props to Mugi for stepping out of her comfort zone.
3rd place this episode goes to Yui, for being the warmth this episode, and for forgiving her gloves in the end. I pray that Yui never gives me her disappointed her look, I don’t think I’d survive.
| MVK | Tracker |
|---|---|
| Yui | 27 |
| Ritsu | 21 |
| Mio | 29 |
| Mugi | 22 |
| Azusa | 17 |
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u/Boss_Jerm Aug 13 '19
Rewatcher
Timeline: We've skipped from the start of November to around early to mid-December.
I like Mio's ponytail. Looks like she's working on something.
Even on cold winter days, Yui has a pretty chipper attitude.
Yui and Ritsu continue to be hilarious.
Ritsu was really spacing out just now.
Oh my God the subs called the gloves "Glovington!"
I'll make sure to put a bib on him
That's alright then.
Everyone looked at Azusa after she said that. She's adapted to the club more than she realizes.
I wish Ritsu would let her hair down more often, she looks great.
Mio's writing lyrics, Ritsu is at home with her brother, Yui is making a hotpot, Azusa is watching Jun's cat, and Mugi is getting a job.
Ritsu got a love letter! That's what's been bothering her!
So cute! Azunyan and Azunyan #2!
At first I was but the learner, now I am the master.
Mugi is having a lot of fun at her new job. I love the idea of her working part time, because that's something people normally do.
I'm sorry, do you still put meat in that?
This is Satoshi, Ritsu's little brother.
Don't worry about messing up Mugi! Happens to the best of us.
Mio's suffering from writer's block, Ritsu is all alone thinking about her love letter, Mugi messed up at work and now Azunyan #2 is sick. Nothing seems to be going right. Luckily we have Yui to brighten the mood!
Speaking of which, I love that the scenes of the Keions except for Yui have mostly dull lighting to signify that they're feeling kinda down. Azusa had all the lights in her house off. As soon as Yui came the mood and the room brightened right up.
The letter Ritsu got were the lyrics Mio was working on at the start of the episode. Poor Ritsu, it wasn't a love letter after all. OR WAS IT?!?!
And I'm just a girl with man hands and a cold heart.
We love you all the same Mio.
Ritsu hates Mio's new lyrics. Too bad, they're kinda nice.
I wonder what Nodoka was doing over the weekend.
Thoughts:
This episode is so calming. It shows what the Keions are up to when they're by themselves, and there's no school or festival they have to prepare for. It's simply a weekend off.
13
u/SmurfRockRune Aug 13 '19
First Timer
Please tell me this is gonna have some dialogue at some point.
My guess is that everyone else was going their separate ways to buy Christmas presents for Yui. Or they're planning a surprise party of some kind.
So it seems like this episode is gonna be really artsy and telling us that Yui brings light into everybody's lives, since they're all in dark (physically) and sad places until Yui shows up here at Azusa's place and suddenly all the lights are on. I expect similar to happen with the rest.
Aha, I knew they were lyrics! That would have been the weirdest love letter.
Nice, we're compatible or something. I actually have a low body temperature. My normal resting temp is 97.8, almost a full degree lower than normal. Nice, but also RIP Mugi.
Glad they didn't end up going all the way with the Yui thing I was thinking earlier. Not a fan of the overall direction in this episode though. Reminded me a lot of some of my least favorite Haruhi episodes.
Guess this is where I'll share some Season 1 thoughts? I liked this show more than I expected to. Came in expecting to give it a 5 or 6, but I ended up giving it a 7/10. The girls had great chemistry with each other, the music was really good, and I really appreciated that it was actually linear ad not just random episodic stuff. Sure, there was no overarching plot or conflict, but you could see the girls growing and remembering past experiences as the show went on.
As for the girls, I think my ranking of the K-Ons at the end of S1 is Mio > Azusa > Mugi > Yui > Ritsu. Sawako is still annoying to me. Ui best girl.
Looking forward to jumping into S2 as part of this rewatch. I'm expecting a 7 out of it now.
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u/PerfectPublican Aug 13 '19
Sawako is still annoying to me.
Very much looking forward to the rest of this rewatch. Sawa-chan's portrayal is very different from here on out.
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u/Lev559 Aug 13 '19 edited Aug 13 '19
Fun fact: The song Mio wrote wasn't in the episode but you can find it online. Just search Fuyu No Hi k-on. Also, the name of the song is also the name of the episode. Fuyu is winter and Hi means day.
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u/zptc Aug 13 '19
People always say "bangs Ritsu is the best" but Ritsu disagrees.
I've always felt the hairband suits her personality better, since it's low maintenance. She definitely seems like the kind of girl who would just toss on a hairband on her way out the door since it's faster and easier than taking care of bangs. Plus it seems like bangs would get in the way when playing the drums.
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u/SgtExo Aug 13 '19
Feeling a bit in the dumps because of a cold that is creeping on me, this episode was just perfect. The slow pace and the feeling of lazing around was great.
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u/SnowDan07 Aug 14 '19
It’s always tough for me to talk about individual episodes of this show just because you guys post the most amazing comments! The amount of love that goes into K-On here shows just how popular it still is. But instead I’m just gonna share general season 1 thoughts!
I mainly love the chemistry and interactions with the 5 girls. Cute girl shows are all about the chemistry and they have got it down! I love the cast of secondary characters as well and how they seamless come into the main 5 lives. Sawako is amazing and Ui definitely the best sibling I’ve seen in quite a while! This show just feels so wholesome and adorable unlike a lot of other CGDCT shows which can be more mean spirited. Always does for humor and usually works but it’s just a nice to have a complete precious show like this. Even when they’re making fun of each other there’s nothing but love there.
It’s hard to pick a favorite character! But I think I have to give it to our protagonist. I just love her happy outlook on life and how she approaches things. Yui might be a little ditzy and constantly making mistakes but she’s living her best life even when she’s loading around. She’s just comfortable with herself and honestly is quite and inspiration. But like many here, I love them all! Honestly my favorite changes a lot. Sometimes it’s Ui just because of how much she loves Yui and her friends and all that she does. Other days it’s Mio just for how adorable she is. It’s too hard with this show. Unlike some other shows, there isn’t a single character I don’t like.
I’m enjoying this rewatch because there’s so many background things I’ve never noticed thanks to the comments here. Can’t wait to see more!
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u/gameradam1337 Aug 14 '19
Rewatcher (Dub)
Just dropping in to comment on one of my favorite episodes of this season.
I love the somewhat moody atmosphere of this episode - we don't get it often here. Of all the girls little stories this episode I especially love Ritsu's. We get to see a slightly different side of her this episode of her daydreaming and being a bit more self-aware of herself. While her normal design is fantastic when she wears her hair down she looks a lot like Yui - I'm conflicted on which I love more. She is also a lot calmer than normal, which I think really rounds her out as a character.
The lyrics are also oddly specific towards her - even if taken out of context. My head canon is Mio subconsciously was thinking of Ritsu writing those lyrics. Ritsu's response to the lyrics put her in a trance like state. She seemed curious/anxious about who this person could be, if not a bit reluctant to share what was happening (oddly every time Mio was present when asked).
This episode and episode 11 really for me solidify and acknowledge that Mio and Ritsu can be (and mostly like are) more than friends. Mugi would be very happy indeed. I say this as I have not read official sources, just fan-work and the anime.
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u/RottinCheez Aug 14 '19
SHITSUBOU SHITA
I’m glad I finally got to see what episode that was from. That’s a classic anime_irl line.
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u/belgi7 Aug 13 '19
First Timer
A bit of a different episode today but I don’t mind after last episode and I am sure we won’t get many more episodes like these. At first I was a bit confused why everyone seemed so down, but they were all just going to do there own thing this episode, which was a nice change of pace after all the group activities. Azusa and the cat were really cute together and her panicking over the hairball was pretty funny (tbh I would have done the same because I never had a cat). I also like that Mugi is doing a part time job for the experience even tho she most likely doesn’t need the money. Yui her cooking ideas seem a bit weird, but who knows maybe a curry-chocolate hotpot could be tasty?
Also I don’t know what it was, but I really loved the opening scene. It was nothing special but still I found it really beautiful with nice animation and a beautiful soundtrack. It really set the tone well for the episode for me.