I loved the ending, to k-on. I remember when it was coming out and I would troll coalguys...ahhhh good times lol

No that was just them being funny, you know who you were a kid and you would just laugh everytime someone says a random word that makes no sence what-so-ever. Or your having a sleep over and your friend is making weird sounds/or saying werid things and you can fall asleep lol

As for the romeo and juliet scene I thought it was great. They picked it because that is the most well known play and most high schools do that play alot cuz its easy. I can remember doing the play in my junior high. It was hilarious seing mio-tan and ritchan in those roles. I didn't see any implyed yuri cuz k-on is not that and never will be that. It will always be moe. XD

The part I loved the most is the music. I just LOVED every ounce of music that came from k-on. I stayed up late sometimes refreshing nipponsei waiting for the release of the singles. Especally, no, thank you and gohan wa okazu singles. I listen to the songs repeatedly on my ipod and they have the highest play number in my itunes. "no, thank you" is number one on the list lol I really liked their cd they made from episode 23. I just got it and it is just awesome. I have every single song from the series even the character singles and the soundtrack lol The music is why this series in in my top 5 and just mio's extreme moe cuteness. Something cool I found out in the beginning of s2. A guy wrote k-on and it was intended for guys (even the anime was directed by a guy), that's why its a seinin manga XD it may seem like its for girls but its actually was aimed for guys. Only a guy can make someone as cute, perfect and hot as mio.

Last Words: I cannot wait for the movie, it is going to be awesome XD go kakifly, you have greatest a masterpiece that I will remember forever!

RP and zansabar, great points! I love discussions like these...

zansabar, one point I gotta disagree with you on, is the direction of the anime... Yamada Naoko is the female director of both seasons of K-ON!, and while I agree with most of your other points (this is by *no* means a heckle of any kind), it's the female touch I see that most attracts me to K-ON...

The first thing I noticed outside the superficials (Mio's hime looks and moe cues, Mugi's ojou-chan cuteness and somewhat Takara-Miyuki-moe, Yui's tennen-ness... all of which lasted about four or five episodes)... was the kind of subtle cues that only women would choose a certain char to act or respond with... as if it was directed to look and feel that way, because the series director and animation directors were all girls themselves at one time. Very subtle... but it's definitely noticable.

If you look at the staff roster for K-ON... it's *packed* with women, in key positions, not just minor ones. As before, Yamada Naoko is the series director; Yoshida Reiko composed the flow of the series translation from the manga; Horiguchi Yukiko designed the anime versions of HTT; and four of the seven animation directors are women, including Kadowaki Miku, who penned many of the famous album and poster art for the series. With that level of influence, esp with the main decision-maker/risk-taker in the top seat female, it can't help but feel more female... and surprisingly, bucking the trend towards male-dominated cheesecake soft-porn, resulted in massive response, not only from hardcore otaku (who, if unsatiated, would make their own hentai doujinshi anyway), but from the general public. Making the characters act and look more like real girls, and not Nami from One-Piece, definitely resonated with me. Not only *like* real girls, but built from the very experiences that only female staff could draw from (not to forget the seiyuu and their contributions), very different from a guy who *thinks* that's what they're like -- they become real girls, and felt that way to me. Thus, it felt even more like I was actually going through their slices of life with them. Of course, there's the comedy and the moe sight gags I loved, with lots of Kansai and manzai touches... it's not a bland documentary. But the balance of things is nearly ideal -- and it shows. (^- ^ )

Now to what I *do* agree with from zansabar -- yes, no idea why R&J is a standard, staple device with slice-of-life... noticed that as well. And YES, the music, holy moly. How many artists get to have Oricon songs top the charts? Now take away all but female artists? Now take away all but *anime* female artists? Then, seiyuu?!? The influence and cultural phenomenon of this series is amazing. The seiyuu all learned to play a somewhat difficult pop song in less than a year, with a full schedule of appearances, commercial plugs, fan events and then other anime to voice, make this some effort on the HTT five, and esp Aki and Hiyocchi. The amount of people playing along to K-ON songs on YT is amazing... Kawaguchi Senri (the real Ritsu), a great example. Yamaha, Korg, Gibson and Fender must be swimming in cash from this anime's tsunami of popularity.

To sum up and address RP's thoughts as well, I think the movie at the very least will explain one point from EP26 -- why Sawa-chan said the keionbu won't perish. That's pretty much summed up in seeing and hearing Ui, Jun, and Azunyan practicing an HTT song for their own gakuensai, but the movie I think will start there, and develop what happens. Rather than 25 mins, they may have 2 hrs to explain and tell the story of their post-HS lives, but who knows? Honestly, I want to be surprised. I've conspiracy-theoried my way out of enjoying a film before, so nowadays, esp with this team at the helm... I just have faith that they'll make me smile and make me miss my HTT even more. (^- ^ )

Please rebut as passionately as you like; I won't take it personally. Anime fans should be passionate, and as long as things are civil, go for it. d-('- ' ) ooo!

Sorry, wanted to add my fave parts in a separate post. Too long! (^= ^ )\

EP01 of S2, is one of the best episodes in the season. It looks like they had to satisfy high expectations, and in many cases, they did and more. Yui's riffing Koi Wa Hotchkiss at the beginning was great, as well as the EP showcasing one of my three favorite K-ON songs -- the Sakuragaoka HS alma mater... beautiful, delicate, innocent, authentically Japanese. The animation is some of the best, cleanest in the series, as this EP's animation was directed by Horiguchi Yukiko, who also directed 16 and 24, other high points. Details are plentiful and skillfully done. The series of gags sitting at the keionbu tables for teatime, along with the kigurumi flier sequence, was killer. This was also a great Azunyan EP. (^= ^ )

EP04 cannot be left off a Best-Of list -- the field trip was full of awesome moments, including the two inn-room-with-Sawa-chan comic gags, which are among my faves in the entire series.

EP07 is a Mio-lover's EP, and also has Pure Pure Heart, a really cool song from the series. We also get to see a lot of the K-ON Mob (3-2 classmates) in this EP.

EP10, the Death Devil EP, is mostly comedy, which is a nice temporary break from the constant pressure of deciding the course for their lives in their last year in public school. Animation is not all that good, but the story and the way it develops is awesome. We also get to meet the DD onesan-tachi, as well (Norimi-san is hot!)

EP14, Mugi's EP. One of Kadowaki Miku's, and it shows -- Mugi is at her ultimate, face-melting cuteness here. I love how generous and compassionate Ritsu is in helping Mugi get hit, and actually getting hit by her at the end.

EP20, the gakuensai. Mostly due to Gohan Wa Okazu debuting in the series, and the heartbreaking story behind it. Another Kadowaki Miku EP.

EP24, Azunyan's breakdown EP. I am a total Azunyan fan, and our sensitive kouhai who tries to be reliable, is at her most vulnerable... and adorable. We also get to see 3-2 thank Sawa-chan, and all the very real gravity of their pending entry into the real world -- something most of us adults have all felt... as well as like Azunyan, seeing your senior friends leave before you. Both culminate in the final scenes, serenading Azunyan with Tenshi Ga Fureta Yo!... and wrapping up threads begun in EP01 of both series -- the HTT's freshman picture, take in S1, and the sakura blossom, pressed in Yui's notebook since S2-EP01, as gifts to her. That was heavy. p(T- Tq)...

EP26, Sawa-chan's Omimai. Lots of comedy, but not too outlandish, befitting the mood. Finally seeing the last of the classrooms, the last of the keionbushitsu, and Azunyan and HTT2 accepting what they have to do. To be continued... in the movie. d-(^- ^ )

Wow...*didn't understand many of the Japanese terms kinakomochi used in her post so she looked them up* Need to expand my experience with talking about anime to learn these new terms.

There's going to be a movie? WOOT! When's it coming out, and Yui, Mio, Ritsu, Mugi are going to be in it a lot too right? Not just Ui, Azusa, Jun ya?

Also, zansabar that comment was not cool at all and actually kind of offensive. A woman could draw Mio just as cute as a man could. Women can also draw any other character for any other anime extremely good as well. Men aren't the only ones that are talented at drawing.

As a woman I too agree their experiences are quite authentic together, maybe that's why I identified so much with them. I'm pretty much Ritsu and Yui's personality put together heheh.

You've got a point with the Romeo and Juliet familiarity, but seriously Midsummer Night's Dream is also quite popularly known and performed in high schools. And I've read it quite recently and even if you haven't read it, anyone could easily pick up on its basic plot.

The whole time with that episode too I was like uh why isn't Ritsu Romeo and Mio Juliet? The other way around I can see how it would create humor, but it just took so long for them to figure it out it had the opposite effect. Plus Juliet doesn't always need interpreted as a lovely feminine maiden, I saw a production of that play last summer that had the Juliet be more assertive/modern jeans/shirt and it was a very good interpretation on the character too.

As far as their songs go, some are good, but some I'm like eh they're ok. I liked pretty much all of season 1's except for ballpoint pen, and I liked the 2nd season's opening songs, other than that the lyrics are just too weird for me to like.

The episode Azusa was dreaming most of the way through kind of threw me for a loop a bit. Sometimes her dreams seemed like that was actually happening. I remember one of her dreams she had white skin not tanned so I knew she was dreaming then.

And that part where Ritsu finally ended up smacking Mugi was awesome I'm glad she totally pulled it off in the end, except wow just like Ritsu I was sort of floored and wasn't sure what to think by what Mugi said to deserve the smack.

And actually, season 2 disappointed me a bit. It wasn't as funny as season 1, and some episodes felt sort of bland and pointless. Like of course it's just messing around, but I think it lacked a purpose. I was wondering why they weren't aiming to play at Budokan anymore. I was thinking about what I thought was lacking today and I figured out it was trials. It would have been nice if not all the girls got along just fine, maybe some were jealous of K-ON and caused trouble for it. Or maybe some family crisis, or just some sort of development like that. Like what I mean is in season 1 there's an episode where Ritsu gets totally possessive and jealous over Mio spending lots of time with Nokoda. That really developed their relationship and character for me. Or how Azusa struggled to get integrated with the group in season 1, the kinds of things we learned about her in those events too.

That said there was always something to enjoy in every episode and I love them all over-all. But no anime has perfect parts all the time you know?

Absolutely... here's point-by-point:

-- Sorry, I'm a JA, so tend to (erroneously) think that people are familiar with what I am. I'll ramp down the Japanese terms (some of which are defined in the Quiz). (^- ^ )

-- Gosh RP, wish I knew more about the movie! Right now I kinda feel bummed I don't even know when the projected debut is (need to dig around some)... it is coming, my guess is 2011, but it could be this year by Xmas? Remember the Let's Go! Live concert was real late 2009, 12/30...

-- That's cool about you identifying with Ritsu/Yui... you're pretty positive then! I *really* ID with Mio/Azunyan... tend to be more introspective than is helpful most of the time, and freak out over like, really specific things, but be fine, even nonchalant, with others. But when time comes to do things, I (usually) pull through. (^_ ^ )\

-- My feeling is that the fact that they were all working towards their career paths and lives in the big bad world, was something specific to Japanese audiences that Western audiences won't really 'get'... in the Japanese education system, there are varied schools and teaching curriculum but for the most part, all Japanese have basically the same experience -- something I in Hawaii or you in UT just can't comprehend, even within the same town. But they take their 'shinro chousa' (career survey) very seriously, as well as exams which'll be the first volley at the strata of society they'll be able to enter (caste may be subdued in the West, but very real in Japan, esp for females, which is deeply disgusting, but their reality). I think this weight is what is assumed as the glue that binds at least the four HTT seniors together and drives the story. In the first season, they were still frosh and juniors, so life wasn't as serious yet (hence there was room for Ritsu's falling out with Mio). But 3rd year, they know they have to stick together plus be more serious... as at first anyway, they thought this was their last year together. After the EP21 (where they decided to go to the same college), though... there was even more bonding. ('- ' )

It's pretty cool to notice something, though -- as someone who internalizes Ritsu/Yui, of course the lighter, more rambunctious Season 1 would appeal more to you, and the more introspective, less humorous and more serious S2 would appeal more to someone like me, who's MioAzu. (^= ^ )\ But then, S2 is just my speed when it comes to my fave anime as a whole (Planetes, Fruits Basket, for example).

My take on the Budoukan thing... is that they were different people when choosing to make that their goal, not knowing the reality yet of what it really meant (summed up in the OAV14 of S1, the Live House). So while they might still shoot for it, it's now at least in the context of more mature experience and realizations, of how lofty and far away that goal really is.

I think of all the chars, Mugi and Azunyan developed the most, Yui a close second, in S2. Mugi was always actively trying new things, but Azunyan struck a real chord in me... because at that age, I felt I had a real firm grasp on what was what, as she does... and like her, I really had no idea of how I felt about certain things, even with the best of intent and lots of thought, things still overwhelmed me. To see that she did pretty much the same inside work as me to get through them, was heart-warming. ('- ' )

K-ON is definitely not perfect, and it will never be perfect, as it's one thing and its viewer's views are countless. But I think it's a brilliant jewel of an anime, and would love to hear other's views on it as well -- the more facets on a jewel, the prettier and more profound it becomes. ('- ' )

Oh that's totally fine, I can look them up too, I saw you describe one of them in the personality pick (tennen I think)

So gunna be a while for the movie huh? Bummer...oh well.

Well I wouldn't say I'm a very positive person, but I am quite a tomboy (like Ritsu) and I'm also very lazy/love food (although I wish I were more like Yui in that she eats whatever she wants and never gets fat >_>). I also put off studying to the last minute, but I do get better grades (thank goodness). I do try my best to be positive and outgoing though I don't always succeed. Also when Ritsu got totally jealous over Mio, I've definitely been like that with a friend before, hopefully not as awkwardly though. And I agree with Yui on the very important issue of sharing cake: taking a strawberry or other similar adornment is just weird and wrong. Plus if you're trying a cake, you don't take a strawberry, you know what those taste like. Also I always sympathize with smaller boob sized anime girls...it's not fair! >_< Oh and I also heart cats ;).

Also like Ritsu and Yui I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life in High School (still kind of don't and I'm 21), so based on your description I wouldn't survive in Japan @_@. Yeah I bet I probably would find the content more relatable/meaningful if I was Japanese and went to High School in Japan. Someone I know was saying that their education system is different, rather than learn how to do something they memorize the answers for it. Is that true? Seems to be based on their pencil decides the answer trick (a pretty interesting idea I've never seen before).

It would be good to be like those 2 characters: responsible, looked up to. Well Mio is anyway, having her own (although unwanted) fan club. Oh I love how Ritsu would always try to blackmail Mio with pictures in season 1 XD. Panty flash will probably always haunt her. I love how Sawako shows the footage of that to Azusa, and she's like "we'll start with the best part first" while Mio is being dragged away XD. And you live in Hawaii? I bet you tan really well like Azusa then :).

Good point about both seasons appealing to 2 different personalities :). And I agree I love discussing shows/plots you always learn a lot. Oh I was looking for a place I could download that OVA I haven't seen it yet. And well I mean at least Budokan seemed to give them a reason to get better, and it seemed like in the second season they didn't need to get any better they were rock stars already. I liked it when they even had the goal of being as good as Sawako's K-ON club someday. And if they did make it that good, I would've liked some mention/confirmation of it somehow.

Also all throughout the series I was like man, I wish my younger sister was like Ui XD. Our relationship is similar in that my sister's more responsible with cleaning and school. Oh yeah that reminds me too, remember on the field trip they were using like "yo" and "dude"? I'm confused as to what brought that on all of a sudden, it sounded so weird for them too.

I think esp in junior high, we tend to panic with friend situations that threaten our somewhat fragile sense of security -- it's kinda the cusp between being kids and proto-adult HS-ers, so things start to get complicated... you have to rely a lot on things that aren't always that well-formed yet -- and if you don't have it, you gotta build it. Usually exposes what our weaknesses are, and that (at least for me) was super-uncomfortable, and awkward to the max... (^- ^ )\

Man, I'd be tweaked if someone took my strawberry off my cake! (>, < ) Nodoka, though... I think it's a part of her personality to be somewhat blind to certain things, as she is definitely driven to succeed as a student, and just triages certain efforts over others. As a born leader and decision-maker, I think her sense of right-and-wrong and Yui's are exactly opposite... and that's why they're strangely connected.

Yep, the Japanese school system stresses memorization over everything, and is pretty rigidly set up to value sameness over innovation (only in metropolises like Tokyo do more progressive schools get any footing with the MoE). So as a result, you get HS graduates who sound just like the candy wrappers and such in famous Engrish -- they only know what they know in a vacuum, and doing it that way for years, find it hard to unlearn not-so-useful habits, even if completely wrong. The memorization part does help later on, as when you come up eating, drinking, sleeping mnemonics to help remember countless lists of things all your life... you apply it in just about any situation. I was always fascinated with how easily my cousins seemed to remember things and rattle them off when visiting them. Here, we're more attuned to what makes sense to us (that light bulb going off), so things have to make sense before we retain them... thus good teachers here tend to be more charismatic (at least in my eyes; had a few teacher crushes (^, ^#)\). Good and bad sides to both systems, for sure. The Japanese do take their education a lot more seriously though... partly because of the sense of solidarity they're programmed with as a much more homogenous society.

Oh, Ritsu uses the pencil trick to decide her answers, just like we would, gaming the odds on multiple choice (a quality I purposely factored into my quiz questions here)...

Mio represents the ideal girl to her Japanese audience -- someone who definitely has the looks to be a potentially less-likeable person, but stays decent and focused, however with some endearing character flaws that keep her from being put on a pedestal (despite that, fans do anyway). She even looks like an ancient Japanese female ideal, 'Yamato Nadeshiko', who in legend represents the cultural traditions of Japan. For that audience, these overtly and subliminally invoke pretty strong associations. While quaint to modern Japanese, it's still there enough to provoke moe... which probably gave you an 'aha' moment just now. (^= ^ )\

HTT, to me, represents more than just personalities... I feel the five represent different eras of Japan, just hear me out...

Mio, is the pre/post-war ideal, fresh and starting anew and earnestly, with poise and focus but flaws that don't fit well into modern international society; Ritsu is the scrappy '60s - '70s Japan that could do anything with willpower and humor, albeit often somewhat wastefully and irresponsibly; Mugi is the affluent '80s Japan that was secure in itself to a fault, when Japan was at its strongest and most generous (and most vulnerable, as it was so self-assured it ignored signs that its affluence was fragile, like the way Mugi assumes her attempts to be more normal have no effect on her wealthy society roots); Azunyan is '90s Japan, the 'lost decade', where one had to forge ahead despite the complete collapse of the economy, introspection and existentialist feelings (of centerlessness, esp) experienced as a nation; Yui and Ui are Y2K Japan, an era of rampant technological advances resulting in a lack of personal development (Yui)... and those who do recognize this and act accordingly, do what they have to, but feel uneasy for the future (Ui). In a way, I think Kakifly mined this fertile ground on purpose -- there aren't a lot of Japanese that wouldn't pick up on these similarities. Try watching their interactions in the anime, with that on your mind about the characters, and see how it affects your impression of what they do and say... to me at least, there's some correlation. Maybe a little far-fetched? But it's pretty neat how they line up at certain points in the series. ('- ' )

I'm fifth-generation Hawaii JA, so my tan is kinda baked in, a permanent 'koge', or toasty-brown. I looked just like sunburnt Azunyan growing up *pouts* (^= ^ )\ Here in Seattle, despite the 9-mos of overcast, I'm still a bit darker than other Asians, though been here for years. Comes from generations of peeps up to their knees in red mud and centipedes, laboring in the old sugar cane fields... besides my dad's side being all farmers in the south of Japan. ('- ' )

The 'yo' & 'dude' was Kansai-ben, or a dominant Japanese dialect in the Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, and Hyougo prefectures (the Kansai region). The way Mugi spoke at Kinkaku-ji (the golden temple), was this dialect, spoken by the merchant class in ancient and Edo-era Japan. Much rougher sounding, like thick deep Southern accents are to normal American English... but as far as social strata, more akin to Jewish, German, and Dutch merchants in American history. Mugi spoke such good Kansai-ben, because her seiyuu, Kotobuki Minako, grew up in Hyougo -- she had to learn proper Tokyo dialect (Kanto-ben) in order to integrate with staff there when hired on the production (she was actually in HS still when they hired her!), so really, she was just speaking more naturally. 'Yo' and 'dude' aren't good translations, so that may be a fault of the subbers not taking into account some of it cultural background.

Kansai-ben has roots in Japanese entertainment, because some of the biggest names in show business and esp comedy all hail from the Kansai region -- manzai comedians like Downtown, 99, Fujiwara, Jichou-Kachou... most of the famous ones come from there. A lot of the comedy in K-ON (esp the timing), comes from the production being based out of Kyoto (KyoAni), mining a lot of that for regional pride, as well knowing people love all over Japan love it and are familiar with it. Mio/Ritsu can be argued to be a manzai-like comedy duo, in the way they constantly 'tsukkomi'(straight man) and 'boke'(fool) each other. YuiAzu as well (wuv those two together). (^- ^ )