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Apr 25 2009

Categories: episodic review, k-on
Tagged: k-on

28 Comments »

Gentlemen, we can rebuild her. We have the technology. Better than she was before. Better, cuter, moe-er.

Beach episode? Mio in a black bikini? Uh, let me grab my notebook. Let’s do this episode in style. And, again, why isn’t this airing in at least widescreen high definition? Why hasn’t there been rioting in Akihabara already over this? Has the target audience of K-On! in Japan been killed by Eden of the East‘s Taki already?

(Juiz… need widescreen K-On! ASAP!)

It’s like watching Fuko A and Fuko B. Or maybe Fuko and Ayu. Irregardless, it’s a character type that Kyoto has some experience in. Sad thing is out of these four characters, Ritsu, Yui, Fuko, and Ayu, I still think Ushio is the most intelligent.

“No, no, no!”

Yui looks more and more like a chipmunk to me. It also doesn’t help that the synth’ed vocals in Cagayake! GIRLS sounds like something from Alvin and the Chipmunks.

The most hilarious thing that Mio could have found in the K-On box:

A. The Krauser II body armor.
B. Shana-tan.
C. Ichigo Feast.
D. Barnacles.
E. Fake breasts and Yui’s hair clip.

“We’re aiming for Koshien!”

(Speedlines only add to Mio’s moe.)

“Let’s do a meido cafe!”

Sigh. Ritsu, you’re sadly mistaken. That’s just a horrible, horrible idea. You’re part of the light music club. As much as I love meido cafes, it just doesn’t fit what the light music club should be doing. A meido cafe would just be totally wrong. Now, I have a suggestion that’s totally right: a live concert with everyone wearing meido uniforms. For example, Ritsu, you could dress up as a Victorian meido. Mugi could wear something more Japanese traditional. Yui could be wearing the meido bonnet and apron over a school swimsuit (Junichi would be all over this). And, of course, Mio would be doing the French meido cosplay. While performing a song on stage.

See, you wouldn’t have been bonked by Mio if you had brought up a meido live concert. Now apologize.

(Cue all the “I want to be bonked by Mio” comments.)

“It’s my dream to have a stay over with all of you.”

Similar to my dream, only mine involves more meido outfits, camcorders, Jello, and whipped cream.

(Gawddamn, I sorta remember the line, “Dreams have sure gotten cheap these days” or something like that for a movie or anime that I watched not too long ago. Damn, I wish I had Taki’s amazing mental IMDB database.)

Reliable imouto alarm clock 4tw! Though is Yui going super saiyan on us so early in the morning?

“Jello is nice…”

Mugi is fearsome. She obviously can read my mind… and she likes it.

(I like their pronunciation of “Gal-lo”.)

I was hoping for Yui and/or Ritsu to tumble out of the window. Dang.

I wouldn’t be against a Melancholy of Mio-chan DVD special. The way Mugi looked at Mio with Mio’s hair blowing in the wind, it reminded me of how Itsuki looked at Kyon while Kyon’s hair was blowing in the wind on the boat to the murderous island.

Mugi has three bags. I’m assuming the one around her arm is her purse, the black one is her keyboard, and her clothes are in the wheeled luggage. Ritsu seems to only carry a small bag. Yui has clothes in the pink luggage and a guitar. Mio has a duffel and her bass. Mugi is the only one wearing a skirt (and only one with jewelry), Ritsu has on clamming pants, and Yui is wearing shorts. Mio is wearing normal pants. What does this all mean? I think it means Cavs over Lakers in 6.

Mugi is fearsome. Her family’s loaded. The rose pedals on the bed is nice enough, but the marbled Kobe beef in the fridge is really what service is about.

Seeing Mio so enthusiastic about an amp gives more credence to Shakudo’s bass paizuri theory. This should definitely be a storyline explored in Melancholy of Mio-chan.

Old thyme cassette radio! Feeling nostalgic already… though it’s really, really out-of-date. Where’s the iPods and Sirius receivers?

(If God Knows came out of that boom box, it would have been the greatest self-referential moment in anime history. Well, second greatest behind the time when Setsuna accidentally called Marina “Relena.”)

Their wiggling asses reminded me of Space Invaders. The BGM that Kyoto used didn’t help.

Kyoto got lazy for a second! They just reran Mio tossing crap out of her bag, but it’s the same cloth-looking thingamagig and the same bottle. Tsk tsk tsk.

(But I think maybe too many people were too focused on borderline sobbing Mio to notice.)

Reminds me of Uninhabited Planet Survive… not sure if that’s a good thing or bad thing. And I just noticed Yui went double ponytail. Fabulous!

Kyoto bothered to draw a line for Yui’s cleavage, but nothing for Ritsu. Maybe it’s the goggles, but Ritsu is reminding me of an even flatter Rin Rin from Sister Princess.

(And, no, forehead is not a moe mode. LOL FANG-TAN is not moe because of her forehead. LOL FANG-TAN is moe despite her forehead.)

From K-On! 3: (Her “hat” is too big in that image. We need a size ruling for Mio. She’s all over the place.)

I’m so disappointed in my readers. Everyone who responded to that line in my prior post all talked about the actual hat. But I’m glad we have an actual ruling now– the great national nightmare is over– hopes and dreams for all.

(Best cleavage screenshot since Shizu?)

And just for good measure, we get the boing-boing-boing sound effects, which were heard exactly zero times during Lucky Star. I think Kyoto needs to play this sound effect every time All-Woman Mikuru is on screen. She’s the evolutionary Jessica Rabbit.

(Though I can’t wait for my readers to redeem themselves and analyze this scene like the Zapruder film: “Wait, Mio’s assisting them by using her arms as support! Mugi might still be superior!”)

K-On! vs. Minami-ke in vollyball. Much better sports anime idea than Megas XLR playing “basketball.”

Mio has a black camera compared to Ritsu’s pink one. If it’s the same on they show in the OP, it’s not a digital camera– straight 35mm. The photog in me thinks girls who shoot in 35mm are moe. He’s a twit. He should be thinking of the best lighting conditions to shoot a Mio swimsuit calender.

(Mio has both an old thyme cassette deck and a 35mm camera… does having antiquated gadgets make her more moe? I’d say yes. It’s the opposite in concept of Tsukasa befuddled by a cell phone, but just as effective. Wondering how many of my readers are having the same “OMFG, if she pulls out a turntable…” thought right now.)

Pony pony pony! And Yamada drums…

(I’d say there’s no meaning in choosing “P” instead of “S” except Kyoto has already made an anime about a criminal with criminal tastes in ponytails. And they made that other anime about the girl who looks criminally good in ponytails. I wonder if Tatsuya Ishihara has a thing for ponytails… mmm… needless to say, if I were a hotshot director working for a world-class anime studio, I’d suggest the following for my projects: remake of Hanaukyo Meido, re-imagining of Nanoha where she and Fate are magical meido girls, and Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya.)

(Oh, who am I kidding? In that scenario, I’ll probably be directing more Maria+Holic or Oto x Maho. OTL. OTL. OTL.)

Mugi is fearsome. She’s the Yuki Nagato of K-On!.

The worst thing about K-On! (besides the lack of 16:9, the lack of Aya Hirano, the lack of awesome Kogarashi moments, the lack of Throne Gundams, the lack of Kyou-class gym short scenes, the lack of Pizza Hut, the lack of 100mph fastballs, the lack of Oyashiro-sama, the lack of traps, the lack of Bible Black faces, and the lack of Obama) is that it lacks the classic mischievous character (think Haruhi, Mariya, Kana) who is more than willing to rip a few tops off, cause some wardrobe malfunctions, or perform some costume rapes. I have no clue why I suddenly brought this up.

Should have been Ritsu’s job… should have been Ritsu’s job…

(Barnacles! Who knew? Mio has no idea what Comiket 76 has in store for her.)

Notice how well-drawn Mugi is. Detailed, nicely proportioned, and she definitely qualifies for the boing-boing-boing sound effects. Now look at Yui. What the heck? Doesn’t look as detailed, and her boobs look asymmetrical. Someone at Kyoto must hate Yui the same way someone at Asread hates Haruka.

And now look how well-drawn Mio is. The shading, the colors, the melons…

(4:3 is looking like a worse decision than Al and Ed trying to resurrect their mom.)

We’re like thirteen hundred words into this post, and I still haven’t talked about “plot” or “story” yet. I’m going to set a record for this… most words to uselessly describe an anime episode about nothing.

I can’t tell if this is K-On! or Today in Class 5-2.

(Yui swapped into pants while Ritsu went with shorts. You know what this means– Apple is going to release a new version of the iPhone soon.)

They needed to show Mio with a Haruhi-class evil grin. That’s the right thing to do.

Just like an authentic Grateful Dead concert!

I kid, I kid. More like a 2009 Britney Spears concert.

“By the way, Ritsu, have you gotten fatter?”

What if Mio were the crazy costume raping mastermind of K-On!? My gosh– what a delicious twist.

(I did like how Ritsu suddenly channeled Camus for a second.)

Mio looks pretty good in that red/white longsleeve and jeans. Really fits her style. Needless to say, my thin slicing item for K-On! is dead on.

(Grats to Yui and Ritsu for forming the Fuko Alliance. Their rolling around on the dirty floor makes me wonder if that’s a compliment rather than an insult.)

“There isn’t anyone more suited to wearing a meido outfit than Mio.”

(Uh… please tell… with visual aids.)

“Black stockings!”

(More!)

“White apron!”

(MORE!!!)

“Meido bonnet!”

(YES PLEASE MORE!!!)

“Moe!”

(GIMME MORE!!!)

“Moe!”

(KEEP GOING WITH MORE!!!)

“Kyun!”

(EPIC AMOUNTS OF MORE!!!)

This scene is just a wonderful barbiturate. Especially if put in an infinite loop… Mio Mio Mio Mio Mio Mio Mio Mio Mio Mio Mio Mio Mio Mio Mio Mio Mio Mio Mio Mio Mio Mio Mio Mio

I was a bit too, uh, preoccupied by Meido Mio that I didn’t realize it was Yui walking up to stage. Shades of being too preoccupied by Mikuru and LOL FANG-TAN and not noticing the bunny girl on stage (for a millisecond at least).

Fantastic.

If only this were in high def.

Rocking Yui interspersed with blushing Mio and full-blown fireworks… I’d say that this scene is highly enjoyable. I really hope Mio becomes Yui’s biggest groupie.

Only thing I didn’t like was the slow piano music going on… didn’t really fit the imagery of Yui rocking out. Though I kinda understand what Kyoto was trying to do in contrast, I still would have preferred Yui rocking out to some Don’t say “lazy”… or at least Satsugai.

I was really, really hoping for Satsugai. Or maybe Koi no Minoru Densetsu.

(Sadly, I’m disappointed that the BGM music isn’t better for K-On! at this point. Maybe that’s a plot point, but there really isn’t a plot to have points for. And, oh, BGM and inserts really have nothing to do with the OP and ED. Just because Falling Down is the OP, doesn’t excuse Eden of the East for crapping the bed with its BGM choices. Yoko Kanno should have been involved [and even Megumi Nakajima for Saki] in Eden of the East much like how Aya Hirano needed to be involved in K-On!. They both could have lifted up both shows by a solid half-grade.)

“Honto?”

Yui is an idiot savant? She’s the Nodame of guitar? My gosh, I expect nothing less from K-On! than an epic final performance. It needs to rival God Knows. The bar is set. Between Yui’s idiot savant guitar and Mio’s moe, they have the tools necessary for this task now.

I like the way Kyoto has been animating the instrument playing– much better than what JC Staff did with Nodame.

Barnacles 4tw! I’d say more, but this post is already approaching the 60 screenshot mark… and not enough of Meido Mio!

A hot springs topper for a fanservice episode. Nice. Except for the lack of more fanservice. And the lack of 1080i.

(Disappointment over the lack of fanservice antics in said hot springs scene. Come on– even Yui and Mio were holding hands– at least give us a bit more…)

There’s no underwear… oh wait, am I thinking out loud again? Dammit.

Damn, could have sworn that this was some sort of self-referential image… like Nayuki or Mikuru were somehow involved. But, unfortunately, 2,000+ words and 60+ screenshots of K-On! has officially melted my brain.

(Mio isn’t wearing pants… much better look than Kanako’s frumpy pajamas that cover way too much.)

(Damn lucky cushion.)

What better way to end an episode of a low calorie cutesy slice-of-life show than with some vicious bodily harem. Err. Harm.

Cue Don’t say “lazy”… and… we’re out! Lates.