K-On! - Character Discussion - Mio

[keroro gunsou]

Originally Posted by WBoon

Sorry to double-post, but I just have to post this (and considering how the thread is a tad inactive recently):

http://www.internationalsaimoe.com/c...me=akiyama_mio

Yeah, might be just propaganda, but that biography there might as well have been written by me. It says everything I felt about Mio. :3

Hi !!! My faverite character is Ritsu. Ritsu already has winned the first match in SAIMOE(最萌トーナメント）.

9/10 is Mio's first match. Maybe she will win!!! Because she seemed very popular.
I want that the final of SAIMOE (最萌トーナメント）2010 will be Ritsu VS Mio.
So, go Mio!!! You are good Mio fan, so I will cheer Mio

[Lord of Fire]

Originally Posted by keroro gunsou

Hi !!! My faverite character is Ritsu. Ritsu already has winned the first match in SAIMOE(最萌トーナメント）.

9/10 is Mio's first match. Maybe she will win!!! Because she seemed very popular.
I want that the final of SAIMOE (最萌トーナメント）2010 will be Ritsu VS Mio.
So, go Mio!!! You are good Mio fan, so I will cheer Mio

Unless you're talking about a different Saimoe League, Mio already won her first match (against Yui). And Ritsu didn't make it past the Preliminaries.

[CrowKenobi]

He's probably talking about Japan's Anime Saimoe Tournament.

Anyway, any more saimoe talk is off-topic and should be directed to the appropriate threads:

Anime Saimoe Tournament 2010 (Japan)
2010 Best Moe Tournament
International Saimoe League 2010

[bloppyblue]

I wonder if Mio has any experience with guitar... She mightve played guitar before and switched over to bass (since guitar is too embarrassing for her). She seems to know all her guitar chords pretty well (well enough to quiz and Yui when Yui was learning).

[WBoon]

Rather than that, I wonder what Mio's true interest would be in the first place if Ritsu had not introduced her to music. We know she writes well, and she's too fluffy to actually love accounting and business-study, so we might have seen a hopeless romance novelist in the making instead, shyly indulging her secret desires to be hopelessly in love through her published stories.

This is from the pov of a Mio fan not showing interest in Yuri whatsoever - of course.

[Lord of Fire]

Originally Posted by WBoon

Rather than that, I wonder what Mio's true interest would be in the first place if Ritsu had not introduced her to music. We know she writes well, and she's too fluffy to actually love accounting and business-study, so we might have seen a hopeless romance novelist in the making instead, shyly indulging her secret desires to be hopelessly in love through her published stories.

This is from the pov of a Mio fan not showing interest in Yuri whatsoever - of course.

I think that's a real possibility. I take it that's why she wanted to join the Literary Club before Ritsu forced her into the Light Music Club.

And I wonder if she would have ever picked up playing the bass guitar (or any musical instrument) at all if she hadn't met Ritsu.

[keroro gunsou]

Originally Posted by WBoon

Rather than that, I wonder what Mio's true interest would be in the first place if Ritsu had not introduced her to music. We know she writes well, and she's too fluffy to actually love accounting and business-study, so we might have seen a hopeless romance novelist in the making instead, shyly indulging her secret desires to be hopelessly in love through her published stories.

This is from the pov of a Mio fan not showing interest in Yuri whatsoever - of course.

Mio wrote many romantic lyrics!!! so I agree. She is good at making poem about love. Maybe she can make very poetical words about love.

[WBoon]

Guy dropped K-On. Twice.
This guy has obviously not watched the second season. Even though it doesn't make any improvements on Mio, either, I'll have to admit that S2 is less of a moe-blob compared to S1.

Oh, sorry, why I'm posting this here instead of K-On generic discussion or whatever? Because it reminds people how Mio actually looks like in the anime instead of how raving fans want her to look like. Crazy perverts.

[Lord of Fire]

Originally Posted by WBoon

Guy dropped K-On. Twice.
This guy has obviously not watched the second season. Even though it doesn't make any improvements on Mio, either, I'll have to admit that S2 is less of a moe-blob compared to S1.

Oh, sorry, why I'm posting this here instead of K-On generic discussion or whatever? Because it reminds people how Mio actually looks like in the anime instead of how raving fans want her to look like. Crazy perverts.

I take it that you agree with his take on how fans see her then?

[WBoon]

Originally Posted by Lord of Fire

I take it that you agree with his take on how fans see her then?

Yeah. I felt the fan art depiction is indeed a little bit exaggerated, even when not considering the H-art. But, of course, what is often put on the canvas is the surface of what Mio apparently looks like (a moe character with an inferiority complex, for starters). Even though with a character like Mio, there isn't really much personality to ponder on, I find that the limited ends of the canon stuff could be greatly extended to show what little hidden beauty there is within the universe. Like emphasizing on Tsumugi's eccentricity, or the sisterhood between Ui and Yui, for example. Improvements without breaking the boundaries of canon (though my fan fiction is a whole different story).

tl;dr: I would love to see non-conformism in Mio fan art. C'mon, there's got to be a part of the surface you fans haven't scratched upon.

Oh, by the way, for Mio/Ritsu fans out there.:

Originally Posted by the answerer chosen by voters

though I will say that the most important relationship in most rock music is the relationship between the drums and the bass.

In a way, you could see it as Ritsu and Mio's roles in the band being the most important, what with Ritsu pushing them from behind with force and impulsiveness, while Mio amplifies the others' voices and making them shine (I don't know music, but it's kinda like how the bass increases the volume of the music?).

There are lots of these little hidden symbolic connections between the characters' instruments and their personalities, and I, naturally, love how the bass beautifies the music (or at least, occurs to me as so), just like how Mio beautifies the band. Corny, I know, but there you go.

[DasDingus]

Originally Posted by WBoon

it reminds people how Mio actually looks like in the anime instead of how raving fans want her to look like. Crazy perverts.

I don't get why people try to make Mio into something she isn't. I like her character because of her timid nature and understated appearance and find fan art depicting her as a flamboyant rock star to be unappealing. But I guess that doesn't work for some people.

[Recette]

Originally Posted by WBoon

In a way, you could see it as Ritsu and Mio's roles in the band being the most important, what with Ritsu pushing them from behind with force and impulsiveness, while Mio amplifies the others' voices and making them shine (I don't know music, but it's kinda like how the bass increases the volume of the music?).

There are lots of these little hidden symbolic connections between the characters' instruments and their personalities, and I, naturally, love how the bass beautifies the music (or at least, occurs to me as so), just like how Mio beautifies the band. Corny, I know, but there you go.

It's more like how a lot of people say that bass is the link between drums and guitar, or the bridge between rhythm and lead. They're often though of as a solid foundation, and they can change the mood of the song almost instantly. Especially in improv situations, bassist and drummer have to read each other for MAXIMUM GROOVE.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by WBoon

In music, they are called rhythm checks; they are the instruments in a band that keep the tempo of the song in check.

[bloppyblue]

Originally Posted by Recette

It's more like how a lot of people say that bass is the link between drums and guitar, or the bridge between rhythm and lead. They're often though of as a solid foundation, and they can change the mood of the song almost instantly. Especially in improv situations, bassist and drummer have to read each other for MAXIMUM GROOVE.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

In music, they are called rhythm checks; they are the instruments in a band that keep the tempo of the song in check.

That sounds SO COOL. Makes me glad I picked up the drums. Now I just need some wicked bassist to help me keep my tempo in check lol.

[WBoon]

Originally Posted by DasDingus

I don't get why people try to make Mio into something she isn't.

What she isn't in the second season, need I remind you. Comparing the Mio of the first season to the second one is simply absurd.

Edit:

Spoiler for I guess you would find this more appealing, Mr. Dingus:

[bloppyblue]

Originally Posted by WBoon

What she isn't in the second season, need I remind you. Comparing the Mio of the first season to the second one is simply absurd.

Edit:

Spoiler for I guess you would find this more appealing, Mr. Dingus:

How would you compare the character differences between S1 Mio and S2 Mio?

[WBoon]

Originally Posted by bloppyblue

How would you compare the character differences between S1 Mio and S2 Mio?

Ah, boy. Here we go again. I really wanted to leave K-On behind me, but fine. lol Just remember that these are just my sole opinions.

Mio is, without a doubt, moe. But at least in Season One, it was done within reason. Yes, in the moe-blob obsessed Season One, the moe is ironically more rational. But you have to remember that Mio's personality was heavily moe-fied in Season Two. (Oh, and I think the reason many people consider S1 to be sillier than S2 is because Yui and the others are lazier, taking breaks every five minutes during practice. But this really forces Mio to show her decisive side, which is good. I digress.)

1. She was more significant as a character in Season One.

In Season One, albeit being a Shrinking Violet, you could really see Mio being in control of the whole operation in the background. She's not a character to stand out in the spotlight, like most voices of reason (and she would had been better off not being as popular as she is today). Like a Bassist. Like a shield enwrapping round a group of warriors. You get the point. She reminds Ritsu to fill in the application forms on time, assures Azusa that it was okay to have a little fun, and she even showed understanding in Yui's character to ward Azusa off when she was being too serious with Yui."Calm down, Azusa! Yui can't comprehend all that yet!" (Episode 11, Pinch!) You could easily see why I consider her 'motherly.' She cleans up the shit for the girls, relatively speaking.

"You do have a point, though (Azusa). We should be working harder, Got that?"
"I don't think it's good to be slacking off with a new member around. Azusa might quit if we go on like this!"

That said, I still consider Ritsu a very practical person that is the gut feeling pushing Mio's overly composed voice of reason. You can't rely on logic all the time, after all. And Yui has obvious good points, too, being able to stand out on her own with a little push. I digress.

All that significance was abandoned in Season Two, but one could argue it is because the other characters have grown by then, and has no need for the 'voice of reason' to remind them to practice, hence rendering Mio... well, kinda useless, to tell you the truth. Another argument is that S2 focuses more on having fun/slice-of-life than serious practicing for Budokan. Thus, a 'serious' character would just act as a third wheel. Since the rational side of her personality is no longer in need, KyoAni makes the best use of what's left of her undeveloped personality and emphasizes on her moe side. It's alright to see her being more in touch with her moe side, being feminine and all, but the point being, her significance as a character is greatly downgraded in S2, hence the lack of screentime.

2. She was moe, not a wet-rag.

Seriously, even after many times of convincing myself otherwise, I still say that the portrayal of her moeness in S2 couldn't be more ridiculous. I see myself relating more to Mio as a voice of reason to my zany friends than I could relate to her in S2 (so that at least makes her that much more realistic as a character at one point). Up till episode 4 of Season Two, Mio's moeness was more balanced out with her sense of responsibility, so you know that she at least wants to overcome her delicate side for the sake of her friends (singing on behalf of Yui - twice - in Episode 6 and 12, not to mention Episode 8 for a little while), and not a complete "I want to run away forever and abandon my friends" yellow weasel in S2.

Being moe is fine, nothing wrong with that, but there is still a point where there's too much moe it's suffocating (and utterly annoying). Imagine a real girl, a real female person who's squealing and squirming all the time at the sight of the most harmless things. She would be too scared to care about anything and, more to the point, anyone, including her friends. Hence, acedia/indifference. That's not what S1 Mio is. S1 Mio was very caring.

3. She's closer with Azusa back then, and vice versa.

Why tear away the good relationship of Azuio/Miosa and replace it with the yuri Mitsu... I seriously don't want to think about it. Yes, there's still a hint of admiration for Mio in S2 from Azusa, but the problem is, the reason for her admiration in the first place is gone. As explained above, the focus was more on a carefree life in S2, making a role model redundant for Azusa. However, I would have loved to see their relationship developed further. Mio and Azusa being together is, I'll admit, really adorable.

On an unrelated note, the difference between Mio and Azusa is that Mio voices reason for the sake of her friends. Azusa was initially just another stranger, and was more like, "Why should I help you crazy bunch of people out?"

4. Sense of Initiative/Acedia

Lord of Fire once argued that Mio was just putting up an act of maturity to hide her true moeish side. I say this is both true and untrue. I tried acting mature on behalf of my slacking friends back in Secondary School, but one part of me also wanted to join their zaniness because it looks fun. That's the accurate part of LoF's statement. The untrue part is his implication of Mio being as childish as the rest of them, possibly even more so. Again, take a look at S1 Mio here. If she's really childish in the first place, she would had not take the initiative to act mature on her own. Contrary to what Ritsu presumed, she was not acting calmly because of the pressure, she was acting calmly, saving Yui's ass twice because she knew better. Nobody forced her to sing on behalf of Yui in both Episode 8 and 12. Yes, you could argue that the lack of a vocalist in Episode 12's Culture Festival pressurizes Mio to sing, but do remember who was the one who constantly prepared the band to perform without Yui.

Regarding the acedia in Mio, this is just my gut feeling, as I noticed a 'couldn't-care-less' change of attitude in Mio in S2. She took no initiative in any kind of action at all, always doing stuff only after Yui and Ritsu request her to do so. She was just, there. And when she does something, it's to show how moe she is. Again, this might be just due to S2 not requiring a voice of reason, leaving Mio with so little to do she practically looks indifferent to her friends.

So, you know, there's such a rapid change of personality between S1 Mio and S2 Mio, you can't really put them together. It's like comparing Mary Jane of the Steve Ditko era and the one of the post-Ditko era. It's amazing, though, how little changes in Mio's personality in S2 could leave such a significant effect.

[WBoon]

In reply to bloopyblue and Ryonea's posts in the "K-On!! Season Two Favorite Character" thread:

Originally Posted by bloppyblue

Sure about that? :P

Yes - I'm quite sure... within the fallibility of a human being. I've went through Season Two quite several times, even more so for the Mio episodes in that season, and I don't see an inch of the decisiveness Ryonea was referring to.

Originally Posted by bloppyblue

You seem too convinced that Mio is just an absolutely ridiculous character in S2

Could you blame me? For abandoning her future for her friends (who couldn't care less about Mio going to a better school), for being jittery even towards her academics (the one thing she was really composed about, really, in S1) (seriously, no matter how cowardly she is, her reaction towards the unknown exam results are way overdramatic), and for selfishly not wanting to get last in the marathon so that she wouldn't appear in an embarrassing photograph.

Honestly, my evidences were given out so many times they are depleting on my end.

Originally Posted by bloppyblue

that no matter what evidence is brought up, you'll stick to your guns.

Uh... what evidence? No offense, but most of your 'evidence' are expressions of your feelings rather than logical arguments. And everytime we have a debate, we'd always end up with the other end using the lame old excuse of "Okay, you have your opinions, I have mine" instead of proving my reasoning to be so inaccurate it would leave my jaws hinging (or my butt hurting; like that debate between me and Lord of Fire about Yui's character a few weeks back, my initially rational posts ending up as senseless flame-bait was probably the clearest sign of my defeat and inaccuracy).

Originally Posted by Ryonea

Well, if that's your view, then so be it. People are free to have their own opinion, right?

You see? No offense, Ryonea.

Originally Posted by Ryonea

But I just want you to know that I don't hate Mio nor I look down on her, okay?

Oh, I don't hate Mio. I hate KyoAni for ruining her.

[Ryonea]

Originally Posted by WBoon

You see? No offense, Ryonea.

Don't worry about it XD

Originally Posted by WBoon

Oh, I don't hate Mio. I hate KyoAni for ruining her.

Haha, I know how you feel ^^; I also generally don't like how they changed Mugi in the anime.

After reading your post, I agree with you with the Mio-Azusa part. IMO they're a nice pair. In the manga, Azusa looks up to Mio the most, even scolding Yui when she attempts to give Mio the valentine gift. (Sorry for my frequent manga-anime comparison). In the anime, Azusa is a lot more pushed to Yui, though.

But for this one...

Originally Posted by WBoon

Regarding the acedia in Mio, this is just my gut feeling, as I noticed a 'couldn't-care-less' change of attitude in Mio in S2. She took no initiative in any kind of action at all, always doing stuff only after Yui and Ritsu request her to do so. She was just, there. And when she does something, it's to show how moe she is. Again, this might be just due to S2 not requiring a voice of reason, leaving Mio with so little to do she practically looks indifferent to her friends.

Based on my quick look through 8 episodes of s2. She had several initiatives:
- Ep1: She and Mugi went to hand over the flyers while Yui and friends are spying other clubs. Well, it's not clear whether it is her initiative or not, but she did the right thing, didn't she?
-Ep2: She's the one who suggests to clean the club room, and to buy a new shelf for their club.
- Ep4: Suggested the group to sleep early
- Ep7: She prepared a poem for her fanclub. This can be seen as a moe side, though. But I see it as a maturity since she feels grateful to her fans.

And if memory serves me well...
- Ep24: Mio's the first one to notice that Sawako is worrying about Yui and she started the whispers.
-Ep26: Mio reminded her group to not bother Sawako's privacy, and she also prevents Ritsu from running away after she rang the wrong room. In fact, in this episode I feel that she's the lead character.

Those might won't suffice to you, but I want to point out that she still has some initiatives in s2.

Well, that's some of the initiatives I found through my quick look. Don't forget about her mouthing to Ritsu and Yui. They maybe small and insignificant, talk only and less action, or whatever. But I think those things shows her seriousness. Maybe it's her approach that becomes different, I don't know. It feels like she did a lot of "don't do that" to Yui and Ritsu but let them did it anyway, but in the end she'll say "I told ya" to them.

[WBoon]

Originally Posted by Ryonea

In the manga, Azusa looks up to Mio the most, even scolding Yui when she attempts to give Mio the valentine gift.

Haha, no way. That is so cute. :3 I'd love to see that being brought out at least a little bit (maybe having Azusa showing a hint of jealousy when Yui tries and give something to Mio; I don't know).

Originally Posted by Ryonea

Based on my quick look through 8 episodes of s2. She had several initiatives:

You see, bloopyblue? These are evidence, and I actually quite agree with them. lol But okay, you were right'bout one thing - I've sure missed some of these things until Ryonea pointed them out.

But well, as you can see from the post preceding my last one in this thread,

Originally Posted by Me

Up till episode 4 of Season Two, Mio's moeness was more balanced out with her sense of responsibility,

Yeah, I'm not that short-sighted/biased not to see some signs of maturity in Mio throughout the earlier episodes (it was the reason I was not irked by her personality in S2 till the middle of the season). However, I'd admit that I did not take the "handing out of flyers" and "suggesting to clean the club room" scenes very seriously, probably because of their subtlety.

Originally Posted by Ryonea

- Ep1: She and Mugi went to hand over the flyers while Yui and friends are spying other clubs. Well, it's not clear whether it is her initiative or not, but she did the right thing, didn't she?

I've deleted the entire season two of K-On by now, so I can't check up on your claims. But as for the handling out of flyers... Wait, didja mean she handed out those flyers with Tsumugi and Tsumugi herself only? Ritsu and the others didn't come? If so, then yes, there is a possibility that Mio might have suggested something like handing out flyers to Tsumugi. God, I would've loved to see an interaction scene like that between her and Tsumugi. Yes, it would be just a short, pointless 15 seconds scene - but it would say so much (more).

If Ritsu did follow, however... Well then, it means Mio only handed them out only because Ritsu was. Peer pressure. See, the annoying personality change in episode four that shows her hiding her cute, playful self behind the mature facade implicates that all her previous 'mature' actions were done out of the intention of being accepted in the society ('coz maturity is the way to go with normal people), or because her peers were already mature enough to do those mature things (handing out flyers), and Mio just 'goes along with it'. Hence, it makes her maturity not genuine, but a false mask she put on for her own selfish sake, not for her friends.

Take a look at Episode Four Season Two, for example. She suggested for them to take things seriously, only to be childishly fooling around the most during that concert festival thingy. This is different from her actions in Episode Four of Season One, however, because she later takes responsibility for her childish actions (forgetting about practice) and stays up to practice with the others (despite the fact that she might be as tired as Ritsu implied she was, as well). That's why her passion in being mature in S1 seem more genuine, because she did not halfheartedly do those mature things (even going to the point of suggesting for Yui to rest at home while she takes Yui's place in Episode 12).

On the other hand, however, it's dialogues like "Let's clean up the club room" or "It's late, time to sleep" or "Sawako is worried about Yui" said on her own initiative (even after Episode Four/S2) that confirms with us that Mio's maturity was still genuine in S2. These little hints of responsibility performed on her own will are especially important. She could had just leave the messy club room be, or let them play longer through the night (I really like the part where she got up and turn off the light - twice - for the others). So, you know, it really keeps things controversial, keeping us in a neverending debate (especially when there's also the episode when she reprimanded Ritsu for not taking her on her hang-out with Tsumugi, in the episode when Mugi wanted to get whacked, making Mio, again, look insincere). But that just makes her character that much more interesting than the haters would claim.

I actually have to thank you, Ryonea, though, for bringing those examples up. Guess I kinda forgot about those little hints.

Originally Posted by Ryonea

- Ep7: She prepared a poem for her fanclub. This can be seen as a moe side, though. But I see it as a maturity since she feels grateful to her fans.

I know. But the problem is, there's no meaning to her fans' adulation, so it's hard for me to believe that Mio has any reason to feel grateful to her fans. Well, maybe it's just because she appreciate that they like her so much because her insecure self would have her disliking herself. Hence the fans giving her the idea that she's actually worth liking might make her feel grateful. Still, the fans coulda' state some sort of reason why they like her. Otherwise, it just makes it look like they like her for her panties. Ahem.

Originally Posted by Ryonea

-Ep26: Mio reminded her group to not bother Sawako's privacy, and she also prevents Ritsu from running away after she rang the wrong room. In fact, in this episode I feel that she's the lead character.

Surprise, surprise. Mio's overly moeness in Episode 25 was the reason I dropped K-On, so I didn't get to go to 26. Guess I'll have to catch this episode myself.

Originally Posted by Ryonea

Don't forget about her mouthing to Ritsu and Yui. They maybe small and insignificant, talk only and less action, or whatever. But I think those things shows her seriousness. Maybe it's her approach that becomes different, I don't know. It feels like she did a lot of "don't do that" to Yui and Ritsu but let them did it anyway, but in the end she'll say "I told ya" to them.

Heh heh, reminds me a lot of me back in Secondary School. Even now, I'm still sorta like that. Sort of. Keeping my zany friends in check when they are too silly/lazy, I mean. Heh.

Yeah, I see a lot of Mio in myself. :3