K-On! Season 1 Notes

See a list of resources at the bottom of the page.

#1

The series' first episode starts out as light & fluffy as the show's name suggests, but it's thanks to Yamada and Yoshida Reiko's meticulous & deliberate series composition that each episode, including the ostensibly lightest ones like these, feels substantial and communicative.

Horiguchi's animation supervision is filled to the brim with bits of animation that communicate so much about these characters: from Yui's energetic run to school compounded with shots of her getting distracted, to her anxious walk to the clubroom.

This episode frankly does a stellar job of introducing the characters and goals of the series. The episode pokes fun at the viewer's expectations going into this show while immediately making it clear what kind of show it really is—with Ritsu's completely false emotional flashback playing over tacky over-the-top BGM promptly getting shut down by Mio with the real flashback, an indubitably less sentimental memory, but one that shows a dynamic between Mio & Ritsu that charms Mugi nevertheless. There's no particular reason why Ritsu's trying so hard to form this band, other than that it sounded fun. And for Mugi, as someone who's so sheltered that even the experience of going out to a fast food restaurant is something new & interesting to her (the scene depicting this being completely anime-original ofc, this will be a recurring theme), she didn't need much convincing to join that dynamic; Yui, on the other hand, took a lot more convincing. Yamada does a great job of showing Yui merely drifting through her early high-school days, only choosing the Light Music Club because it sounded easy. Yui's lazy streak draws a parallel between itself and Ritsu's purposelessness in trying so hard to form the band before bringing the two together in the last scene where they perform to Yui. The performance plays over beautiful shots of a quiet, regular school day. The performance they give isn't anything all that special, and that's okay; Yui doesn't know how to play the guitar, but that's okay; their band isn't ever going out on that huge stadium stage that Mio and Ritsu watched on TV, and that's okay. Everyone is here just to have fun, and dedicating her high school days to this club for that reason and that reason alone, is enough for Yui to feel proud of. All of that is portrayed through subtle implications in that oh-so KyoAni/Yamada way (notice the tortoise & hare statues separating as they walk up the stairs, establishing the clubroom as the domain of the tortoise; we'll be seeing this theme recurring throughout the show), and despite it being a laid-back, fluffy time that you can perfectly enjoy without playing close attention to any of this, their shows are always ones that reward you for picking up on these details.

#2

Nishiya's contribution as AD absolutely MADE this episode. Which is something that feels even more noticeable in this first season in particular—the change in visuals from S1 to S2 is undoubtedly an improvement, but what this season has in roughness, it more than makes up for with the sheer variety of styles that you don't normally get in KyoAni shows. And as a massive fan of Yamasusu's visual variety, where the lack of consistency is very much a deliberate choice that makes each episode feel fresh and unique, this is very much something I'm open to, as rough as it is for KyoAni's standards. Yamasusu was able to pull that off because of the star talent they were able to pull in for nearly every episode, and likewise, you can bet that the industry-defying high standards of KyoAni have done the same and more with this season.

Before this rewatch, I went on a deep-dive researching the wonderful world of K-On's official art, and so many of them, including the later ones have much of the same appeal as this first season. Unbeholden to a TV anime production, the artists were able to go all-out with these illustrations without worry of burdening the AD/CAD with more work. Because they only needed to produce one drawing as opposed to the many they'd have to draw in animation, they had the time and lax-enough guidelines to be able to showcase their own personal styles in what is, imo, their most ideal form (at least, when it comes to their work on K-On specifically).

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Nishiya only drew these two illustrations for K-On as far as I'm aware, and the resemblances to this, once again rough, but unique-looking episode are impossible not to notice once you become aware of them.

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The round cheeks, but pointy chins strike a balance between youthful charm and feminine maturity (look at that Mio up there! god, she is so well-drawn. the hair staying inside her hood there was actually Yamada's idea)

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But when the detail dials up (especially in the close-ups!), it's really taken a level beyond. The messy, yet meticulous different layers of hair lends a tangible sense of form to the figure, and the facial features in these complicated angles in the profile shots are perfectly placed, and drawn with perspective in mind. And my GOD, when that hair moves, it's truly a sight to behold.

Anyways, writing-wise, this is yet another great episode, more bonding between the whole band, but in such an early episode you can still feel the unfamiliarity Yui has with everyone. When Ritsu proposes they all get part-time jobs for Yui's sake, it's surprisingly Yui who's the first, and only one against the idea, not wanting to burden the others with a time-consuming job all for her sake—even if that hesitance disappears seconds later, lol. Especially with the context of what Yui turns into later in the show, this early Yui with all these doubts & reservations, and being afraid of inconveniencing the others is inconceivable. So when Yui later experiences the job, now seeing how much fun they all had from the experience, she realizes that they offered to help because they wanted to, because they genuinely want to help Yui and play music together. And the moment when she realizes that, and turns back to express her gratitude for them with one of the most precious smiles in all of animation history...

And ofc, it wouldn't be a KyoAni show, nor the peak kirara show that it is, if all the other characters didn't do anything interesting either.

Mio takes the first steps of her development, where she noticed and related with how much Yui wanted that guitar. And even when the prospect of part-time jobs scared her, it was for Yui's sake that she finally pushed herself to take that first, bold step (and Ritsu at the end recognizing & appreciating that change in Mio GODDDD

Mugi also had some great moments: she could've immediately used her influence to get Yui the guitar the first time they visited the store, but chose not to in favor of getting the job with the others. It's thanks to the others that she's able to experience these things for herself, outside of her sheltered upbringing, so ofc she's not just gonna completely skip out on this experience. Even when she eventually has to use her influence to discount the guitar, the bit earlier in the episode of her being fascinated by the concept of bartering made this a new experience for her as well.

All these things, both subtle and obvious (even if I have the benefit of seeing the ep in retrospect), really add up to make such a delightful, wholesome episode. idk how anyone could ever not love them after just these two eps alone...

#4

🥺🥺🥹😭😭😭😭♥️♥️♥️♥️

#5

Takao's first ep, and Ueno's first AD ep! Being Sawako's introductory episode, Yamada noted how this episode had a distinctly non-youth-like edge to it. Especially with the faux-drama style being used quite often, as well as the plot actually moving kinda quick in this episode, Sawako actually served as a proto-Azu-nyan in how she had to be the adult in the situation and actually got the club in order. And even with that adult edge, there's a sneaking sense of nostalgia that makes its way into this episode, the flashback (as played off for laughs as it is) ending on a setting like this, and Sawako not being able to stop herself from going back into that persona once she touches Yui's guitar. We see a lot of forward progress this ep, but Sawako's presence nostalgically (and shamefully, lol) looking back at her high school days serves as a reminder (even if only implicitly for now) of where these girls are headed... They were a very different Light Music Club than the one we know now, but even they had to grow up, and through that time underwent the massive changes that Sawako did.

You can tell how much fun Takao had with this ep both as the SB and the ED, able to near limitlessly play with the colors and layouts, and each and every one created solely to communicate with the audience. It doesn't have to be complicated, most of the things that are communicated here are purely goofy and lighthearted, but the best parts of this episode are purely conveyed through its visual storytelling. There's honestly so many examples to list here, like Sawako's crush gradually standing further back in the audience as she falls further and further into her persona, the back-and-forth here as Ritsu tries ignoring Yui, or the club suddenly appearing out of nowhere here (lol), or the shifting between styles here (something that's used very often in this episode, lol). Pair all this with Ueno's blobby cheeks and scruffly(? idk what other word to use to describe it) style, the fun animation, posing, boarding, compositing and episode direction all coalesce into a very fun episode that leaves me all the more excited for what's to come in the next episode.

Sawako's desk being organized, even down to the flower neatly decorating her desk, all to portray this new persona and how high her guard is these days.

The atmosphere up this point has been (largely) par for the course for K-On, and especially with the details like her desk above portraying Sawako as the gentle feminine type, this scene was supposed to be as much of a shift in tone as possible to convey that personality gap

#6

The festival episode! With this being their first real performance, the stakes are raised just the tiniest bit and the club is forced to get serious for once. Although... I say the stakes are raised, but this is K-On, so ofc those stakes were still nonexistent, lol. Even when Mio falls on stage and messes up, even if Yui wasn't able to sing like she was supposed to, the concert still went exceptionally well, both for Mio getting a fan club (even if she herself is mortified by that fact), and for the band being able to charm a sneaky Azu-nyan in the audience to score a new member next year. So yeah, there was no real pressure, but that didn't really matter to the shy Mio, who still felt the pressure, and seeing both Yui and Ritsu try to make things easier for her, and in-turn Mio wanting to try her best in response to their help—that's really what the heart of this season is.

The performance was a ton of fun, but my favorite scene has gotta be the one in the clubroom. The early ep was spent with Mio worrying alone, trying to get everyone to practice with her despite everyone being busy with the festival. Thanks to the support of their classmates, they were able to free up some time for practice and got together with Mio. Not only did that fact immediately dispel any worries that anything could go wrong, but moments like this, where Ritsu also couldn't help but think about drumming despite being busy—they all care about the band, even if they don't always show it. Yui's efforts in offering to sing was obvious (in the adorable, dumb Yui way that I love so so so much 😭), but the way Ritsu offered her help in her own way as well by going into shenanigan mode, hoping to at least provide a distraction for Mio. Unlike Yui, she doesn't need to outright state these things because they're childhood friends and she just knows her that well. Just from the tone afforded to the scene by these gentle smiles that you don't normally see from the eternally bombastic Ritsu, you can tell how much she cares for Mio...

All culminating in the performance scene.

Ofc what I want to highlight is the moment right before it (that totally didn't make me cry), where Mio's nerves are coming to a high and the band calls out to her. In that moment, the applause goes silent—the only thing that matters is the connection between Mio and the girls. Yui was right, if she hadn't thrown out her voice, Mio wouldn't have to worry this much, but even so, this whole time, she was always being closely watched by the others, always ready to offer their support whenever she needed it. Thanks to that love and support, in that moment, the audience didn't matter to her; all she wanted was to answer back to that love in the best way she could. That aspect to their performance—the audience seemingly disappearing in that moment of connection between the girls... Even though they're performing in a very public setting, it's those moments of intimacy between them on stage that truly makes these performances stick with me. To them, their performances aren't for the audience, they're only the most pure and raw expressions of the connections between each other—it's a feeling that's hard to put into words, one that Azu-nyan fell in love with, compelling her to join the band even if she didn't really understand why at the time. She's only able to understand it after multiple eps of spending time with them and making those connections herself. But I'm getting too far in the weeds lol, I'll talk more about Azu-nyan once she gets introduced. Wonderful episode!

(EDIT: nvm i forgot that there's another performance before Azu-nyan sees them lol. my point still stands, but still. can you tell I haven't seen this show for years?)

#7

Just pure, good vibes... can't say anything more than that. It's the YuiUi episode to make that side of U&I that much more tearjerking, but other than that... it's just, y'know...

Narratively it's sandwiched in between two performance episodes, everything stays pretty much stationary this episode, and yet... It's one of the few episodes horihori AD'd herself. That alone should tell you that it is by no means less important than any of the other ones. Every moment is just pure, unadulterated precious fluff and fun—moments that seem abundant now, but are passing by with every second, never to be returned to except for in their memories. Even these moments, when viewed in the context of the ending, are more poignant than anything you could get out of this medium. The fact that so much care was put into this episode, this episode in particular, from the most expressive down to the smallest of movements, all to immerse you fully in these ordinary moments and make them truly unforgettable... it's been years since I've seen this episode, and I can't tell you the bittersweet delight I felt that I remembered so many of these moments down to every exact line, every movement...it's impossible to watch this show for the first time again.

I could talk about these moments specifically, but what's important here in the context of the show is how each and every one of them makes you love these characters more and more and more... and ofc, the more you love these characters, the harder it will be to eventually have to say goodbye to them... BUT, that's for season 2, that's wayyyy down the line; despite all of these bittersweet mono no aware concepts that permeate it when viewing it from an entire series composition perspective, the characters aren't thinking about how all of this will eventually come to an end, so we as the viewers shouldn't either. As a standalone episode, it's pure and utter joy and that's all it needs to make it an absolute masterpiece of animation...

#8

azu-nyan's intro episode!!!! lots of great stuff as always, but i only have the time (aka motivation) to talk about the best bits...

・azu-nyan only coming into the auditorium once Yui begins her MC. she goes into her spiel about her own expectations going into the light music club, thinking that it would be the "light music" of its namesake... she began that as if she was gonna say "oh, but we're actually serious about the music," but ofc...she does nothing of the sort, lol. everything non-music related leading up to this seemed to make it clear to azusa exactly what kind of group this was, a no-good, do-nothing club. and that's not wrong exactly, but that doesn't tell the full story... it's only when the music starts does azusa get a peek of what's truly important here...

・i already talked about the big concept behind this on episode 6, so I'm not gonna retread old ground...just know that Yui's slip-up at the beginning definitely seemed like an intentional call-back to Yui's mess-up at their last concert, down to the exact same outcome of Mio being forced to cover for her. It came way easier to Mio this time (even if it was just in the spur of the moment), but having Mio do that for Yui again, immediately makes it clear that this performance is playing off the same ideas as episode 6. 　—It was such a brief moment, but it really speaks volumes about them... From Mio noticing Yui playing the opening riffs perfectly, she knows Yui well enough now to know that she isn't the best at playing and singing at the same time...meaning she knew that, if Yui was this good at playing now, she probably wasn't fully focused on the singing she was gonna have to do. For Mio to realize that, all without words, all in the few short seconds that they had—it's a testament to how close they've grown by this point, and once again, that's the true core of what drew Azusa in to the band.

・speaking of ep 6, they're actually showing the performance this time! probably because last time, there wasn't really anyone in the audience important to the characters that were listening to it, so the performance was very focused on the internal feelings of the band at that moment. this time however, we're seeing the performance from Azusa's perspective, so everything, from the visuals, to the reverb and low-pass on the audio to perfectly emulate the raw atmosphere of a concert, is on full display here.

・I think it's pretty well-known that Azusa is kind of meant to be a stand-in for us, the viewers, at least in these early stages, in much the same way Yui was in episode 1. But to stop interpreting her character even further from there would be doing a disservice to her—because while there's definitely elements to that, there's some big elements that differ between us and her... Because while Azusa's a complete outsider to the band, we've already spent seven whole episodes following them. Granted, that's seven episodes compared to the entire year that the band has spent together, so it's still definitely not the same.* But, still, the big difference here, is that we understand the inner workings behind what makes these characters—and as a result, their music—so compelling, while Azusa (at this point) doesn't. Or well, maybe this is only something I can say on a rewatch, already knowing and loving everything else that comes after; I highly doubt I was thinking any of this on my first watch lol.

does that make sense? is this just an incoherent, rambling mess? probably... tbf, this does seem to be the same way Yamada feels when she tries explaining her works. It's not easy to put it into words, literally the only way for her to express it is through, what else?, her art itself. but once again, no work of art can actually convey the level of intimacy that these characters feel for each other. even with Yamada's work being the most intimate, most immersive looks into a character's psyche one can possibly make, it's still not enough. it's that indescribable quality that makes her work so compelling, but also kinda frustrating to write about.

#9

"You asked me earlier why I don't play in bands outside the club, remember? I think it's because I love being in a band with these members. I bet the others feel the same. I think that's why we play so well together."
"I bet there will be times when we'll slack off and drink tea or whatever, but I think that time is crucial for us."

Mio noticing Azusa in the background and being that gentle accepting presence in the group to contrast against everyone else being energetic & forward about accepting her... it always got me, and it still does...

#10

don't have much to say about this one, this is the ep when tips azu-nyan over the edge and makes her completely used to the band's antics, and at the end she sees a new side to yui that works hard in her own way. in fact, she's the one that played around the most out of all of them (she even admitted that herself!)

#11

finally continuing my k-on rewatch, and it's a good one.....takao/ueno's #11.

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im still on the A part, but you can already distinguish everything that makes ueno's k-on work unique, from the facial proportions to the hair shapes (particularly in the first one with the gaps)

takao's direction takes a particular step up here. her ep 5 was great in its own way, but the dynamic between mio & ritsu here undergoes subtle changes that require a visionary director like takao to convey nonverbally. they're always bickering, but takao has the task of showing, without the use of words might i add, to show that what's happening here is somehow... different. you hear the guitar in the background as things seem normal, but it changes to the piano once ritsu starts pulling her and things start going wrong. it switches back to the guitar as ritsu tries to keep things going as normal, before the music cuts off entirely as we're left to stew in this new, awkward tension between them. all of this, without either of them saying anything about it outright

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ritsu's uneasy & jealous gaze towards mio,,,, 😭😭😭

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some of the show's most expressive faces so far, and that's saying something.

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rising tensions, an conspicuous absence, and a long, awkward silence left in its wake

and finally, a resolution. by the end of it, i love how there wasnt a clear answer of what they were even fighting about, because honestly, i don't think they really knew either. all that was clear was that whatever they were fighting about, isn't worth tearing the band apart for

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there was silence in the clubroom, but there's an even lonelier silence in ritsu's dark bedroom 😭😭 a more sincere side of ritsu we haven't seen before when she isn't keeping the band glued together with her silliness 😭😭😭

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😭😭😭😭

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mio facing away because it's embarrassing to be this honest...most of the time they dont have to be said, they both know it implicitly. they're childhood friends after all. but it's in times like these when they know they should express their sincere love for one another 😭😭😭

holding her hand to sleep 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

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Yamada (from S1's guidebook):

Someone once told me that "Ritsu really came alive as a character here" when they watched this episode. The emotions that Ritsu showed to Mio here are befitting of a normal girl. Of course she struggles when she catches a cold, but a part of her came out that's different from her usual energetic & cheery self. Characters end up feeling hollow if they're too perfect, so I wanted to show some of Ritsu's own weaknesses. I'm glad I was able to get this episode in the anime. The way Ritsu interacted with Mio felt true-to-life, and every progression until their resolution is something every childhood friend has gone through. To me, it's an episode that makes you think: "These two must have had something like this happen in the past, haven't they?"

#12

it's been years since i've seen this episode, and i still remember every shot, every line word-for-word...it's honestly kind of disappointing bc i oversaturated myself with rewatching it over & over again that i can't have the same big reaction that i had when i first saw it

that doesn't change the fact that it's still top yamada kyoani Cinema though, with all the intricate details that i dont have the time nor energy to dive into...

my favorite still being the cut-aways to the clubroom, particularly their schoolbags....still makes me feel that swell of emotion every time i see it

as well as the encore, with them all playing facing each other...they may be playing for the school in the most surface-level sense, but in reality, what made yui so determined was her friends--a drastic change from the beginning of the season that's so gradual that it's impossible to pinpoint a single point in time where she "switched" from her aimless former self into someone who so desperately wanted to perform with this band in particular. these changes, when shown in tandem with azu-nyan's own changes and how she displayed them this episode--it's just such a beautiful way series composition-wise to bring these two main progressions of the show together into this thesis for this first season, and a grand statement going forward into season 2 that leaves you yearning for more

the extra episode is next, and it's there where we get the first taste of the more refined and subtle tones season two will be delving into. i am not ready.........

#13 (Extra Episode)

This episode, SB'd by Yamada herself, sees our characters each trying something new, independent from the others. All throughout the season, we saw the ways their relationships with one another shaped each of their identities, but this episode opts to show us each of these characters as individuals, growing up and changing in their own ways, on their own time.

Ritsu is the most interesting in this episode—seeing the walls she puts up around herself when she steps outside of the genki girl persona she's built up for herself. That's not to say that she's faking it when she's around the others, but it's hard for anyone to be constantly that high-octane, a member of the band instrumental in keeping the energy of the band going. It makes moments like the one in the clubroom, where they're expecting Ritsu to make some quip before seeing her spaced-out. We feel that quiet moment, and it's never explained to the other characters, leaving it, along with the scene in Ritsu's bedroom, a deeply intimate and private moment that only Ritsu herself is privy to—as well as us as the audience, getting a glimpse into that moment, Yamada's specialty.

The only one suspiciously missing from the quiet melancholy of the episode is Yui. The contrast between Yui's parts and the rest of them, while subtle, is felt strongly in an episode like this, felt even stronger when they all come together at the end of the episode. It's even explicitly highlighted at the very start of the A-part, where the four of them are listlessly and silently sitting at the tea table before Yui bursts into the room, bringing in the group's usual energy in with her. The careful balance between the melancholy of a cold, winter day and the ordinary mundanity of these characters' lives is still something that sticks with me, and it's only able to be as effective as it is thanks to the meticulous visual direction of Yamada's boards (along with Kitanohara's ED work and horihori's AD role as well!).

Resources

FULL CREDITS

Colorful Memories Artbook (with artist credits)

a (nearly) comprehensive collection of official K-On art. Most of them have been tagged with the artist names, so I highly recommend checking it out.

Official Resources

Season 1

Guidebook stuff

• Yamada & Yoshida crosstalk
  • (JP)
• Producer Yoshihisa Nakayama interview
• Yamada's comments in the S1 guidebook about specific characters and episodes
• SBs

Staff comments

Season 2

Guidebook stuff

• Yamada & Yoshida interview (EN TL)
• Producer Yoshihisa Nakayama interview (EN TL)
• Yukiko Horiguchi Interview (JP)
• Yamada & Horiguchi character comments (JP)
• Yamada & scriptwriter episode comments (JP)
• SBs

Staff comments

Movie

Production-wise, the movie is split into 4 parts:
A: Ends right after they ask for their parents' permission.
B: Yui/Nodoka scene - right after they meet up with Love Crysis outside the restaurant
C: First hotel room scene - leaving London & returning home
D: Back home - end

Storyboards
A, B, D: Naoko Yamada
C: Tatsuya Ishihara

Animation Direction
A, D: Yukiko Horiguchi
B: Miku Kadowaki
C: Kazumi Ikeda
Horiguchi & Yamada assigned Kadowaki as the first half of the London part, as she draws the characters more similarly to the TV series, while Ikeda draws more dense, yet delicate drawings, to reflect the progression of the characters' moods.

All of these are from the guidebook.

• Yoshida + Yamada comments
• SBs: WIP
• Interviews. 1) Director Naoko Yamada, 2) Scriptwriter Reiko Yoshida, 3) C-Part SB/Director Tatsuya Yoshihara 4) B-Part Director Hiroko Utsumi, 5) CD/CAD Yukiko Horiguchi, 6) C-Part AD Kazumi Ikeda, 7) B-Part AD Miku Kadowaki, 8) Producer Yoshihisa Nakayama - Posted in order, so go to the next interview at the bottom of the page. Same Yamada/Yoshida interview on Sakugablog (posted later, so presumably improved translation)

Fan Articles

• Article on Yamada
• The influence of Yamada, Horiguchi & K-On is fully delved into in the first part of this article
• "Why K-On! Deserved its Second Chance"
• Someone made a deep dive on the amount of anime original content in the show
• tamerlane post

More on Naoko Yamada:

• Naoko Yamada — At The Entrance To The Universe (a nice introduction to what makes Naoko Yamada great)
• "How Moe is SAVING ANIME" (Or, a better less clickbaity title: A rundown of Naoko Yamada’s achievements and the respect she receives in Japan)
• "The Influences of Naoko Yamada"

More on the show:

• https://youtu.be/GmgtRFTmZV8