K-ON! The Movie

Foreword: “But, O, how bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man’s eyes!” – Shakespeare, As You Like It Dear Reader, By the end of this humble review, the case may be that I will find myself skewered by countless pitchforks and torched at the stake by those who bear disdain towards K-ON! for forging what is igniting the burning passion in my heart for all to see. In spite of this inevitable dreary destiny, I shall boldly write on and write on I shall ‘till kingdom come for friend or foe to witness. So without further ado, before I enrage the angry mobwhich desires my public evisceration and execution to the point where they can no longer withhold their murderous intent, I shall grace your eyes with the weaving of this golden yarn of mine. Infamous for its intricate, innovative and inspiring PLOT, or rather a lack thereof, K-ON! has garnered a reputation for being an inane and unproductive moefest after two seasons of moe madness featuring the endless antics of the musical moeblob members of the Houkago Tea Time Club. But that is what it is. And it will stay true to itself regardless of how irrational it may be. Because the story of the hectic daily lives of these high school girls aiming for the Budokan, and their various shenanigans along the way, is the quintessence of why we love them, or hate them, depending on which side of the spectrum that you may be. This iconic image remains unaltered in its motion picture premiere. Indeed, there is never a dull moment in the world of K-ON! as it flawlessly maintains its ditsy eccentricity from Japan to England and back. That’s right. In this chapter of their high school adventures, the K-ON! girls travel to London, the birthplace of many talented musical prodigies, for their much awaited graduation trip. As with each episode of K-ON!, one cannot help but imagine in anticipation and in expectation of what lies in each installment, however it is usually the case that we are often wrong in our predictions of the coalescence of the events. The same concept is applicable to the movie, which welcomes its audience with an explosive heavy metal opening that stands in stark contrast to the light and fluffy music that we are accustomed to. However, after a period of violent and erratic headbanging, I came to revisit the overwhelmingly nostalgic innocent and happy-go-lucky atmosphere which characteristically defines K-ON! We are immediately reminded that this chapter in the K-ON! girls’ lives takes place in the period before their graduation, after the senior girls receive confirmation of their acceptance into university. As such, they are presented with the dilemmas of how to celebrate their graduating year and final high school days as well as what will pose as the more uncertain and difficult challenge of expressing their gratitude to Azusa. With these elements of PLOT presented, KyoAni does a splendid job of executing this duality by not only making the graduation trip an exciting and memorable experience for both the K-ON! girls and their spectators, but also succeeds in weaving the narrative fabric to incorporate the latter aspect throughout the film. And thus, we are once again thrust into the wild wacky absurdity of K-ON! From silliness on the airport conveyor belts which are undoubtedly amusing to tread on, to getting lost in a foreign land resulting in an unintended musical performance via a case of mistaken identity and Engrish gibberish, K-ON! and their fans embark on a misadventure with more destinations than what was planned on the trip itinerary. All of which was expertly animated by the talent at the KyoAni Studio, which never fails to dish out perfection with a side dish of K-ON! The addition of CGI that complimented the meticulously drawn conventional animation was a great welcome and generated eyegasms aplenty. The movie also serves as a fast-track tourist trip to London city as we travel with the K-ON! girls to famous landmarks such as the London Underground, the Borough Market and the banks of the River Thames where the Tower Bridge, the London Eye and the Elizabeth Tower containing Big Ben all lie in their gloriously animated state. For those who have been to the massive metropolitan city, it is a refreshing sight to view its beautiful landscape in animated form. By the same token, it stirs a desire to retrace the steps of the K-ON! girls in those who have yet to travel to the hallmark destination. Moving on, the audience is once again graced with the excitement that a typical K-ON! musical gig provides. KyoAni doesn’t disappoint its fans with the animation of the gigs, which leave me jumping and pumping my fist in the air in tandem with the song. I’m just kidding, I don’t do that. As we approach the film’s conclusion, we re-experience the nostalgic bliss of the end of the senior girls’ high school days and their final gift of gratitude to Azusa that they worked so hard throughout the movie to have come to fruition, which takes form in the performance that is depicted in Episode 24 of the second season. Witnessing the penultimate events which led to the pinnacle of that emotional scene was the most masterfully executed moment of heartfelt nostalgia that I had the privilege of experiencing and I felt the full brunt of the bittersweet joy that I basked in once before. One would like to believe that after three years have passed since the debut of their high school years, the K-ON! girls would experience some sort of progressive change as they nurtured each other’s growth. However, that is far from the case as the only thing that has probably altered is the fact that they have become complacent to each other’s idiocy, and therefore have become increasingly idiotic. Hirasawa Yui returns as your friendly neighborhood airhead guitarist and stars in all of the crazy acts of hilarity which we all know and love. Tainaka Ritsu’s erratic hard-headed large-forheaded rash irrationality compliments Yui and completes their comedic duo in their plethora of stunts. Akiyama Mio. Ahem. Wait a moment please, I must compose myself. So Mio flawlessly and triumphantly makes her stunning comeback as our adorable and lovable cute and pure maiden. Bubbly Kotobuki Tsumugi and her eyebrows of awesome return to be Mugi and bubbly. Nakano Azusa, also affectionately known as Azunyan, becomes translated into Engrish as Azu-Cat and remains the most sane and levelheaded member of K-ON! Even side-characters make their respective cameos to remind the viewers of all of the individuals with which the K-ON! girls have met in their high school journey. Oh and Sawa-chan looks damn delectably delicious in black. In essence, KyoAni manages to preserve the iconic identities of all of their characters and work their magic by making the vast array of personalities interact and mingle in new ways. Now how could I possibly forget about the musical score of a series centered around a group of girls who are characterized by their identity as band members? The soundtrack recycles some of the K-ON! series background music pieces to retain its iconic happy-go-lucky feel, but we are introduced to new music as we enter the realm of the English homeland K-ON! style. This is welcomed with open arms as it adds to consolidate the foreign setting of the film. In addition, the OP songs “Unmei wa Endless!” and “Ichiban Ippai” are sure to satisfy the listeners who are yearning for more K-ON! fluff. On the other hand, ED song “Singing” which bears the angelic –singing- voice of Hikasa Youko emanates the same feel as her previous K-ON!! ED piece, “NO, Thank You!” However, the film returns to showcase hallmark tracks which have defined its musical prowess such as “Fuwa Fuwa Time,” “U&I,” “Gohan wa Okazu,” and “Tenshi ni Fureta Yo.” All in all, the film’s soundtrack features some new spectacular tracks and reintroduces their predecessors to keep K-ON! music and nostalgia fresh. Watching the K-ON! Movie has been the most exhilarating anime entertainment experience that I have witnessed and I am eternally grateful for seeing this legendary series meet its conclusion with such sparkling splendor. Bravo KyoAni for creating a beautiful masterpiece. And in the end, Yui still got to go to Europe. Now if you’ll excuse me, I am being carried against my will by this legion of pissed off K-ON! haters to be burned at the stake. I guess I have to visit the hospital after to treat this multitude of pitchfork punctures too. Well don’t worry, it’s just a flesh wound.

K-ON may be a controversial series, and some may think anything to do with K-ON is nothing but overrated. Subjectively, I love the series. The daily school lives of the light music club and the live gigs, are never tiring to watch. Throughout season one and two, the series had shown us a simple, fun, relaxing and heart-warming ambiance through and through. As soon as the movie’s subs was out, it doesn’t take long for me to pop up my video player, and enjoy another near two hours of cuteness and fluffiness. The school year is drawing to a close at Sakuragaoka Girls' High School, andwith it will come the graduation of four of the five girls in the school's light music club. The girls have already spent plenty of time together during and after school having fun, making music, and drinking tea, but what better way to cap it all off than with a graduation trip? After some serious deliberation and a little outside help, the five girls decide to go to London, guitars and bass in tow. Between visiting Abbey Road, seeing palace guards, drinking afternoon tea, and more, they've got plenty to do on their schedules, but how much of the trip will go as planned? While these sorts of questions have a tendency to sort themselves out, one more question is weighing heavily on the minds of the four seniors, Yui's in particular: what kind of song will the four write as their goodbye to Azusa, the one junior they'll be leaving behind? Fans may insist that it is impossible to grasp all the qualities of K-ON! without being intimately familiar with the franchise, and to a degree, they would not be wrong in saying this. However, the film still succeeds in its attempt to please fans across the spectrum, drawing even the most unfamiliar viewers into its world through its minutely detailed characters and fun, thoughtful story while also providing more than enough to keep hardcore fans happy. Our heroines do arrive in the promised land, but much of the stereotypical sightseeing the girls do is summarized fairly quickly in a montage of short moments at famous locations. The speed at which this all goes by may be a let down to some, but on the converse, this approach does an excellent job of capturing how a highly-planned overseas vacation in an unfamiliar land might feel, as rather than actively engaging in their sightseeing, the girls' experience seems to passively happen to them as they whisk themselves off from one spot to the next. While the film's first two acts are well-paced and easy to follow, the third and final act may prove to be the most divisive between hardcore fans of the K-ON! franchise and those who aren't. Not only have the girls returned from a lengthy and conclusive trip by this point, but viewers will also have grown accustomed to the film's technical aspects, meaning that the significantly lengthy end segment hinges around the emotional drama between the girls as all but one of them spends their final days in high school. The production quality for the movie is insanely high. I love KyoAni’s realistic rendition of the city of London, which looks exotically breathtaking. The detailed and vibrant background is noteworthy, and it exactly highlights London’s busy streets and beautiful scenery. The animations and some of the carefully chosen angles make them as comparable as most of K-ON’s high-quality ending sequences. Also, the several number of food scenes expressed and reinforced the cultural opposites of the girls’ usual obsessions; teas and cakes, which was pretty refreshing. As for the music in the film, all of the girls' catchy, fluffy power-pop songs heard in the various performance scenes will be familiar to those who have seen the television series, as the three new songs by the K-ON! girls are used are all heard outside of the context of the story. While this probably goes without saying, you're looking for a theatrical anime experience that will blow you out of your seat, K-ON! is probably not the movie for you. What it is, however, is a very well-crafted and whimsical look into the lives of the movie's five heroines, with each of its constituent parts supporting and creating a polished final product. Its story might just be about a group of girls who go on a school trip, but they're are quickly made into characters who you develop emotional connections with and naturally want to watch as they go about their lives. While it may seem like a light message delivered in a sugar-coated package, K-ON! does a brilliant job of reminding us that sometimes who you choose to spend your time with is more important than what you do with that time. All in all, the movie shows us the five good friends doing what they do best; messing and playing around, relaxing, trying to come up with new songs and procrastinating; all the way in London.

Among Kyoto Animation's many shows, K-On seems to be one of the most divisive. The first Season was a fun but ultimately very empty and unrewarding experience which led to the attracting a lot of hate. Those who stuck by it, however, where treated with a wonderful coming of age story and a bittersweet conclusion in the Second Season. Although Season 2 was a huge improvement it was not without its flaws. For a slice of life show, some thought thought that 26 episodes was too much. But for the fans, its long length was able to satisfy their craving for more K-On. Butthis movie is where they finally perfect the formula. The movie is still plotless but it still tells a story. The coming of age themes from season 2 are in and are more prevalent than ever. It's done in such a way that a younger person can understand while an older person would be able to get deeper meaning out of it. Kind of like a Disney movie. The movie hypes that it's set in London but that's actually only the middle third of the movie. The first third is the preparations for the trip and plays out like an extended episode of the show. This is probably the funniest part of the movie but people who don't like the style of humour present in K-On may not enjoy this part. Stick with it though as the next third is the actual trip. This is the most creative part of the trip as well as the best looking part. The movie does a really good job of showing you what London is like from their perspective. The final third is a retelling of the final few episodes of Season 2. This may sound like just a rehash but it's anything but that. Everything in this part is new material. I think that this was the most emotionally powerful part of the movie and concludes the series just as well if not better than season 2. So the first third is the funniest, the second third is the most creative and the final third is the most powerful The art is a step up from the TV show but not as big a step up in visual quality as The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya was to The Melancholy. The first part of the movie doesn't really take advantage of the high budget but once they're in London everything looks a lot better. The backdrop of London is superbly drawn and very faithful to the actual city. The concert performances make really good use of camera techniques that really adds to the experience. I really like how they designed the people of London. People sometimes complain that anime characters look to white but this movie does a really good job of differentiating them. As it turns out, British people aren't allowed to be moe. Everyone's eyes are small and their features are realistic. They also happen to all be way taller than the girls. I also like how they don't resort to stereotypes when they go to London. If anything they discriminating against Japanese people. The girls display a lot of stereotypical Japanese school girl traits but the English people don't display any stereotypical behaviours. The sound is really well done. While the girls are in London, the OST becomes very Beatles esque. The opening theme 'Ichiban Ippai' sounds almost exactly like Penny Lane. You can definitely see their influence in the movie's soundtrack. But it's very subtle so only Beatlemaniacs such as myself will probably spot some of them. The songs the band perform are re recorded in order to achieve a very realistic 'live performance' sound. They sound a lot more like a live performance than anything in the show. Hardcore K-On! fans will be happy to see them perform a few album exclusive songs such as 'Curry Nochi Rice' and 'Samidare 20 Love'. The movie is packed with live performances and often finds excuses just so the girls can rock their hearts out. Which is a bit odd considering that in the show they constantly tried to find excuses so they don't perform. I was just so wrapped up in how great the concerts were that I couldn't care less that the circumstances that led to it are completely unrealistic. One of the greatest things about K-On! is it's character interactions and this movie certainly does not disappoint. Seeing how each of the characters deal with all of the cultural differences is very amusing to watch but the movie doesn't rely on that alone. After watching this movie I actually liked Yui a lot more than I did before. Sure I liked her before because her stupidity was amusing to watch but I actually realised after watching this movie that there's more to her than meets the eye. She's not an idiot, it's just that her way of thinking is different to most people. She's actually a kind and sweet girl who cares for her friends. In fact after watching this movie I'm thinking that Yui might actually be a genius. She always knows what the right thing to do in any given situation. It's not that she's stupid, it's just that her innocence gets in the way of what's rational. If you're a Yui fan than this movie is definitely for you. The final third is told from the perspective of Yui rather than Azusa. And it's good because you learn more about Yui in the process.Other than that all the characters are the same characters than you know and love (or loathe). It's not that they don't get enough exposure, it's just that the focus is on Yui for the majority of the movie. But the one thing that this movie relies on more than anything else is the enjoyment factor. The movie wants you to sit back and enjoy and is constantly trying to please you. And you know what? It works. Even the harshest of critics can't fault that this movie is an enjoyable, fun filled rollercoaster ride of enjoyment. It was so good that I was smiling for the entire movie. There was always something happening that made me smile. The comic timing is absolutely perfect, the music is unbelievably catchy, the camera work was really well done and it just felt happy. It's hard to describe but if you watch the movie you'll see what I mean. I have not enjoyed anything more than this movie. It's the quintessence of enjoy-ability. It's enjoyable to the point that it actually becomes genuinely better than a lot of things. Overall, this movie is magnificent. Everything is just so well executed that you probably won't even care about that lack of plot. It doesn't have plot but it has substance in the form of likeability. I've never seen anything like this before and I probably never will. It's not as good as The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya but they probably shouldn't even be compared in the first place. Both movies are wonderful but they're good for completely different reasons. If this is goodbye to the girls of K-On, then this was a more than fitting way of saying it. I know that it continues in the manga but that's mostly just to exploit the popularity of the show. I love this movie but Season 3 will just not work at all. If they keep going they'll just write themselves into a corner and screw it all up. Whatever the case I consider this movie to be the conclusion of K-On. I couldn't think up of a better way to end it if I tried. So goodbye Ritsu, Mugi, Mio, Yui and Azusa. Goodbye Nodoka, Ui and Jun. Goodbye Miss Yamanaka. You gave us some of the best moments in anime history and you will not be forgotten.

K-On! was my first anime since pandemics ecloded and also marks my return to anime world after some years on hiatus. And... omg, there's so much I want to say about this masterpiece!! I don't even know where to begin. But I'll try... First of all... we must go back to April 2012. I was a only-action shounen fan. In my class, a girl said to me: "you need to watch K-On!, is so cute!" and I said no. Because I liked action, I liked blood. Years passed by and I lost contact before high school begins. And now I... I want to apologize so bad.I want to hug her and say I'm sorry, say we had to talk more... I don't know where she is right now... but I hope my feelings touches her -- and whenever I cry listening to Tenshi ni Fureta Yo as well, hope she hears it with me. Ok. Anyways... This show is about true frendship. The moments we share with our friends, the brief moments of joy that lasts forever in our rememberings, in our songs, in our smiles. It's notable when we see the relationship between the girls, specially them with Azusa. Every song, even with the cute and sometimes nonsense lyrics, has meanings. Meanings of love, meanings of friendship, meanings of happy moments. It's impossible to hear Tenshi ni Fureta Yo or U&I without crying reading the lyrics. I became a huge fan of slice of life anime. And this is what I like the most on: cute stories full of meaning, even though some SoL are just for fun. There's a little drama in K-On plot, so strange for SoL and moe but very well used in this case. Because the truly meaning behind K-On!, as I said, is friendship. To share happy moments. Cute laughters, peaceful joy... and some cup of teas as well! There's only a few shows you can say "I can't believe it has ended", and K-On with this movie is one of them. I don't feel myself empty, but... completed, somehow. Anime always were my friends during a lifetime of loneliness and anxiety. So many years has passed since I stopped watching anime for lack of interest (~2016 till 2019, I think), and when I finished this... I realized I should come back to this world. Moreover, never left this world. Somehow I'm in debt with myself. K-On! is one of my favorite anime of all time. 10/10.