K-On! - Episode 9 Discussion / Poll

[Karlson]

Originally Posted by ReddyRedWolf

Why I do see a drug addict going through withdrawal in this scene and having the innocent young one a taste of her addiction.

Does this mean Mugi is Cake Dealer given the effects on Yui and Sawa-chan?

LOL looking at that pic I kinda get that vibe now too.

Cake seems to be playing the role of drugs addiction here.

[Tatiana Razajev]

Originally Posted by Karlson

Cake seems to be playing the role of drugs addiction here.

And with that, my ability to consider the cake related scenes innocent has been shattered.

[Tamad]

Once again, I know I'm expecting too much from this series, but that doesn't stop me from pointing out what I believe are faults.

I'm just a little overwhelmed considering an episode as frustrating as this arrived right after one of the best episodes this series has showed us so far. Last episode, they felt like they really cared about their band, and I suppose that's what Asuza saw as well. This episode however, I question why they even want new members if they don't plan to do anything anyways? They pretty much forgot that they were a Light Music club (all but one, at least), and you can't blame Asuza for breaking down. I haven't had the same situation with a music club, but I have been in clubs and groups that don't even seem to care about the purpose of their club, and it really frustrating when you stick out like a sore thumb for the right reasons.

And about the second half of the episode. Was it unnecessary? Yes. Should they have not added that in? No. In my opinion, it was a nice change in pace, and in honestly was just what I needed to make me feel like they care about their band to some extent. There was growth in both terms of character and respect (for select characters, anyways), and I was hoping for a little drama before the series was over anyways.

Karlson brings up a good point though, and in the end nothing really came out of any of the characters with the way they were acting in the end. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt though, as Mio ans Asuza growth is good enough for me for the time being.

Originally Posted by fish eric

I don't think anyone made her cry. She made herself cry. And then when Mio tried to consul her she yelled at everybody. and then yui gave her a hug to make her feel better. Yea... They should really feel awful. Someone throws a tempertantrum and instead of kicking her out they give her hugs. How do they sleep at night? Oh, and then they threw her a party. You can't expect someone to join a club who has no seniority to expect everyone else to bend to their whim. If she doesn't like the club she doesn't have to be in it. It wouldn't be fair to expect 5 people to adjust their behavior to please one person.

Asuza may be partially at fault for her own tears, but the others aren't don't exactly have clean hands either. She eventually broke down and cried because she was confused, frustrated, and angry at the sad truth of the Light Music club. Like I've said before, she joined because she was moved by their stellar performance; however, once she did, she questioned how they even managed to pull something like that off with the way they act in the club. Yeah, it unreasonable for four upperclassmen and a teacher to grovel at an underclassmen's feet. It's pretty unreasonable for a Light Music club to not care about music and sit around eating cake and drinking tea all day, so I can't really say I blame her for snapping. Yes they threw a party for her, but so what? That still doesn't change anything.

Originally Posted by fish eric

We must be watching different shows. Sawako's been making them outfits the entire time. And she will continue to.

Actually, it did come out of nowhere. When she was properly introduced during episode 5, I was totally digging her crazy death metal persona. I was fully expecting Sawako to be one of my favorite characters, because she was so over the top, and she seemed like the perfect character to get the Light Music club on their feet and get them somewhere as their advisor. Every single episode afterwards however? She suddenly turns into a cosplay freak, and she's even lazier towards the club than all four of the members combined. I ask you then, what was the point?

I just don't understand. The show proves that it can use music in its humour and make it interesting, unique, and funny with episodes like five and eight... so why continue to dabble in generic mediocrity?

[ReddyRedWolf]

I question why they even want new members

In the manga due to lack of activities, they haven't have any visible ones since the school festival, and no new members Nodoka said the K-On club may be close down.

Thus they start to get new members.

Azuza's perrsonality is different in the manga as she was a bit of a eager beaver.

[Miraluka]

6 because of Yomi/Mio and Chiaki/Azusa in the first half

[Ithekro]

Sort of gives a new meaning to the term "Delicious cake, you must eat it"

However it does also give a counter to another term "the cake is a lie"

"No...Mugi brought it...you must eat it"

[Lostdreams]

Somehow, bringing Azusa into the pic killed the mood. Now the club doesn't seem to be as weeeeeeeeeh!!! fun!!! cakie and tea!!! anymore. It's all like we have to practice, we have to be good, blah blah blah.

[yezhanquan]

@Tamad: In the manga, Sawa-chan's cosplay stuff first appeared in chapter 8, the chapter of the first concert. In a way, I guess KyoAni worked themselves into a corner without knowing it. According to the translation I read, she actually suggested that Mio wear her old clothes after Mio rejected the ones she made. Now, in the manga, Sawa-chan didn't have that angsty "becoming wild for the sake of a boy" subplot. So, over there, she's probably more goth/punk than death metal, although there is that line that she could "dress Mio up until Mio becomes unrecognisable".

@Lostdreams: That has actually got me worried as to how KyoAni wants to take the series forward. The mood in the anime at this point is now very different from its equivalent in the manga.

[orion]

Originally Posted by Lostdreams

Somehow, bringing Azusa into the pic killed the mood. Now the club doesn't seem to be as weeeeeeeeeh!!! fun!!! cakie and tea!!! anymore. It's all like we have to practice, we have to be good, blah blah blah.

Well you can't play around forever if you have to prep for live performances.

[yezhanquan]

Now, the issue is that the club doesn't perform "live" very often. Over 2 years, they have 3 "live" concerts, two of which are already shown in the anime. The club remains that: a club. There is certainly no hard-core practising.

[00Coyote]

This was a fun episode to watch, the interaction between Yui and Azusa really took the cake. But this episode brought one of my longstanding questions to the forefront.

We know Yui can play that guitar (when not distracted), Ritsu can play the drums, Azusa has shown she can play the guitar very well and Mio can play the bass and gutar. Which leaves Mugi....

Just how good is Mugi? She has been playing since she was 4, won various competitions etc. She is obviously in the club for the female bonding, to offload her excess cake and sweets, and for the rare animals. But how good is her piano playing?

Does she bust out with Rachmaninoff when she gets bored?
Is she using K-on as a refuge from her musical obligations at home?
Is she just average, and only preforms for family?

[yezhanquan]

Her keyboard skills are so-so, I believe, while her piano ones are good.

I believe her parents leave her to her own devices, seeing as how she conducts herself with respect. In other, more serious series, I would have expected her to kick some butts in the way of driving hard bargains.

[Bikerider]

Mio == Highly Strung
Yui == Loosely Strung
Ritzu == Wildly Strung
Mugi == Unstrung
Azu == totally confused !!!

[VEE]

Posted by lostdreams

Somehow, bringing Azusa into the pic killed the mood. Now the club doesn't seem to be as weeeeeeeeeh!!! fun!!! cakie and tea!!! anymore. It's all like we have to practice, we have to be good, blah blah blah.

AGREED! Azusa kinda spoil the show, she's rather boring. Mio is being neglected.
And ritsu don't really tease her that much....buu

[Kaioshin Sama]

You know if all you are looking for in an anime is to slobber over some moe antics and to echo the sentiments of a crowd therein in a kind of "I was there for it" moment then I guess K-On is an alright show, but if not it still continues to be just so thoroughly mundane as this episode was. Can't say I really expected Azusa to change much of what amounts to the dynamics of this series though. Given the choice between her providing a bit of an interesting contrast to the club like the last episode almost hinted at or her just turning into another exploitable moeblob like she was in this episode I would have bet with the odds on the latter any day of the week. Well.....3-4 episodes to the finish. This has been an interesting experiment with a couple of surprises such as the last episode which is currently looking like it's going to be what amounts to a high watermark for this Keionbu anime.

Is it really a crime to have expected a little more out of this show by this point though?

[yezhanquan]

Well, she doesn't really get exploited. But yeah, no one really expects the club to change much.

[Kaioshin Sama]

Originally Posted by yezhanquan

Well, she doesn't really get exploited. But yeah, no one really expects the club to change much.

Well then do you think in the final 3 episodes they could....I don't know, have content wherein the vast majority isn't just them eating cake, drinking tea and playing dress up. I mean at this point it seems like that's all this show has going on and I actually find myself longing for the beach trips and instrument searching of the early episodes. Never mind them playing instruments or whatever, just do something, ANYTHING new. Ever since Sawako become a major character this show has just fallen into the same old tired routines instead of building on or working out new gags. I refuse to believe this is all that the premise of a K-On club could afford. I mean I'm still watching it to the end, but it's still feeling very uninspired just the same. Even the episode titles seem to not even care about offering up anything new.

Episode 8: New Member
Episode 9: Newly-entered Member!

Episode 4: Rooming Together
Episode 10: Rooming Together Again ( )

Okay so maybe I am growing a little frustrated, but it's moreso from the feeling that there's a total lack of effort being put into just about any aspect of what could be a far more interesting show and premise and that it doesn't need to be this way.

[CaptGloval]

Originally Posted by Karlson

LOL looking at that pic I kinda get that vibe now too.

Cake seems to be playing the role of drugs addiction here.

I get it now! To appeal to a wider (otaku) audience, you can't exactly depict sex, drugs and rock-n-roll in a behind-the-scenes story of a band, so instead we get moe, cake and rock-n-roll. Now I understand that I have to make the necessary substitutions.

[yezhanquan]

Originally Posted by Kaioshin Sama

Well then do you think in the final 3 episodes they could....I don't know, have content wherein the vast majority isn't just them eating cake, drinking tea and playing dress up. I mean at this point it seems like that's all this show has going on and I actually find myself longing for the beach trips and instrument searching of the early episodes. Never mind them playing instruments or whatever, just do something, ANYTHING new. Ever since Sawako become a major character this show has just fallen into the same old tired routines instead of building on or working out new gags. I refuse to believe this is all that the premise of a K-On club could afford. I mean I'm still watching it to the end, but it's still feeling very uninspired just the same. Even the episode titles seem to not even care about offering up anything new.

Episode 8: New Member
Episode 9: Newly-entered Member!

Episode 4: Rooming Together
Episode 10: Rooming Together Again ( )

Okay so maybe I am growing a little frustrated, but it's moreso from the feeling that there's a total lack of effort being put into just about any aspect of what could be a far more interesting show and premise and that it doesn't need to be this way.

I'm afraid that your fears are true. There will be another training camp. However, on ep. 9, KyoAni's tinkering with Azusa has left me with a bad taste in my mouth. How DARE they make her cry like that?

Taking a yonkoma series to anime is always a challenge, and KyoAni had to pick up the series where there's only 2 tankubons worth of material. They have so little to work with, the additions can fall flat. I also cringed when I saw the Christmas/New Year episode. They cut out the funnier gags in favour of sisterly bonding. For a comedy series, it's not very smart.

[Karlson]

Originally Posted by Kaioshin Sama

You know if all you are looking for in an anime is to slobber over some moe antics and to echo the sentiments of a crowd therein in a kind of "I was there for it" moment then I guess K-On is an alright show, but if not it still continues to be just so thoroughly mundane as this episode was. Can't say I really expected Azusa to change much of what amounts to the dynamics of this series though. Given the choice between her providing a bit of an interesting contrast to the club like the last episode almost hinted at or her just turning into another exploitable moeblob like she was in this episode I would have bet with the odds on the latter any day of the week. Well.....3-4 episodes to the finish. This has been an interesting experiment with a couple of surprises such as the last episode which is currently looking like it's going to be what amounts to a high watermark for this Keionbu anime.

Is it really a crime to have expected a little more out of this show by this point though?

No unless of course you were following the manga before you started watching this

Originally Posted by CaptGloval

I get it now! To appeal to a wider (otaku) audience, you can't exactly depict sex, drugs and rock-n-roll in a behind-the-scenes story of a band, so instead we get moe, cake and rock-n-roll. Now I understand that I have to make the necessary substitutions.

The effects of drugs vary from individual to individual. Some perform better under the influence of them Take Yui for example she needs that cake just to get into the groove of playing as we so evidently saw. It all make sense now...