K-ON! 12 final

The light music club is in trouble! With the school festival mere days away, Yui is bedridden with a cold, her fever even inducing psychedelic dreams about Tsumugi’s eyebrows.

Having taken care of her ill sister as best as she can, Ui laments how little she can do as she talks to Azusa about Yui’s cold.

Barging into the girls’ classroom, Ritsu and Mio inquire about Yui’s condition. Berating Yui for catching a cold at this crucial time, Ritsu is scolded by Mio who remarks it’s no doubt because of Ritsu passing her own cold onto Yui.

Ui then reveals it’s actually because her sister had spent the entire day in a yukata (浴衣) after she had worn one during club practice.

Thinking back, the girls remember how a few days ago, their advisor Sawako brought in a entire rack full of costumes for the girls to wear during their school festival performance.

With Tsumugi showcasing several costumes such as a cute waitress outfit, china dress and bunny girl suit, Mio looses it and joins in Sawako’s cosplay mania, much to Ritsu’s surprise who hadn’t imagined Mio would be so engrossed by it.

When Azusa dons a cute yukata with unorthodox wide fluffy bottom, the cosplay shenanigans erupt in their fullest. Yui also dons one and is excited at the prospect of performing in them, so much she wears one later at home, even though the weather is still too cold for it.

Not willing to take any chances, Mio tells Azusa she better practice the lead guitar part, just in case.

The next day the girls are both surprised and overjoyed to see Yui energetically enter the music club room.

Showing no trace of her cold, she joins her friends in practice but after they play a song, all the girls look at each other, wondering.
Trying to confirm if the marvellous piece they just performed was a fluke, they play the same song again, only to be struck by the same sensation, Yui’s guitar play is incredibly and uncharacteristically perfect!

Wondering why she’s suddenly playing so well, Mio and Ritsu interrogate Yui who seems rather panicked.
Sawako intervenes and tells Yui that she may able to fool the others but will not fool her eyes, and the teacher exposes Yui to be none other than Ui!
Even though Yui’s younger sister’s disguise is perfect, she cannot fool Sawako’s expert eyes who recognize it is Ui, due to her smaller breast size.

Busted, Ui apologizes to the keoin-bu girls and says she only wanted to fill in for her sister since she felt so sorry for everyone’s trouble with Yui being ill.

Asking when she learned to play guitar so well, the girls are struck with awe when Ui reveals she actually never played but just went through the instruction manual to explain to Yui how to use the Gibson Les Paul guitar when her sister had just bought it.

The light music club members are in for another surprise when the real Yui suddenly enters, saying she felt better and wanted to join everyone.
Loudly sneezing and soon collapsing under the weight of her guitar, it’s clear Yui is still quite ill and Mio declares Yui is to stay away from the club until she has fully recovered.

Feverish, Yui asks Azusa to take care of the lead guitar role but Azusa refuses, saying she’d rather not perform at all if Yui were to be absent the day of the festival.
Calming the feisty twin tailed guitar player, Mio says she should get ready to play lead guitar just in case, because it’s what Yui wishes for and as a club, they should all do their best together.

The day of the school festival has arrived, in the music room the girls anxiously watch the clock, for there is still no sign of Yui, even though she messaged them saying she would definitely be there.

When Nodoka enters to check if the girls are all assembled and ready to perform, she tells them a story from her childhood with Yui, how Yui had one day spent countless hours filling Nodoka’s bathtub with river crayfish, much to Nodoka’s horror.
Questioning the meaning of this story, the keion-bu girls hear from the bespectacled student council member than once Yui has set her mind on something, she’ll definitely pull through and do it.

Sawako appears to tell the girls she made some fantastic adjustments to their yukata outfits to protect them against the still chilly weather, she introduces Yui wearing the cute outfit, now adorned with a woolly collar.
Ecstatic to see Yui, Mio and Ritsu scold her for making them all worry, especially Azausa, who’s on the verge of tears.

Retreating to the back of the room, Azusa berates Yui for making her worry so much. Approaching the twin tailed girl, Yui tightly embraces Azusa and apologizes.
As Azusa rests in Yui’s heartfelt embrace, saying she’ll forgive Yui this time, she’s shocked to see Yui’s pursed lips trying to kiss her.
A swift slap later, Mio tells Yui how Azusa was really worried but now that’s she’s back, they should give it their all and make it their best performance ever.

Wondering where her guitar is, Yui realizes she forgot it at home and panic erupts, what will they do?
Wanting to help out her students, Sawako offers Yui to use her Gibson Flying V guitar, but Yui declines and rushes home to pick up her own guitar.

The auditorium is packed with students, among them Ui, as the stage curtains rise and she sees Sawako sensei on stage instead of her sister, she worries where Yui has gone off to.

Running back to school with her guitar, Yui reminisces how it all started two years ago when she similarly rushed on her first day of high school, how she could not have imagined back then that she would find the place where she belongs, the light music club.

As the keion-bu wraps up their first song, Yui barges into the auditorium and climbs on stage.
Thanking Sawako for her help, she apologizes to her friends for all the trouble she’s caused. Mio, Azusa, Tsumugi and Ritsu tell her she shouldn’t worry for she is their beloved friend, and to give it their all for the next song.

Playing ‘Fuwa fuwa time’, the light music club girls give an excellent performance, they even head into an encore, spurred on by Tsumugi.
Loving the energetic performance and infectious enthusiasm of the girls, the audience goes wild. おしまい…

A great closing episode, they concluded the series in typical “K-ON!” style, filled with heartfelt moments and tons of laughter.

Though most girls were featured in the episode, the main focus was on Yui, just like in the first episode and it was nice to see how they emphasized the journey Yui and all her friends went through, how the light music club became their home.

Of course, totally adored the lovely scene where Yui hugs and comforts Azusa. Many doujinshi and artworks are bound to spawn from this brilliant scene… the lilies finally bloom!

So how was “K-ON!” as a whole?

Undoubtedly, the series was hyped and cleverly commercialized, but that doesn’t change the fact this was a very cute, warm and heartfelt slice of life series with music as one of its prime themes.

Those looking for a music only oriented series like “Beck” most likely did not see “K-ON!” fulfill those expectations, while music was a part of the series, it wasn’t the main focus.
The main focus were the antics of all the girls that meet and have a fun time playing in their band through the light music club, “K-ON!” was definitely more a slice of life series with a lot of comedy and music.

For me, “K-ON!” was the anime series I enjoyed the most this season, it delivered everything I expected of it and as it turned out to be a heartwarming, fun slice of life show, fit right into my most preferred genre.

Do not let the hype deter you, this is a good series with plenty of merit, it’s cute, funny and has solid production values.
Far too often people sway to the other side of the spectrum, opposite blind fandomship, to end up condemning a series solely because of the hype, out of some misplaced sense of bourgeoisie, without even bothering to check the series.
While no one should blindly follow a hype for the sake of that hype itself, also do not let yourself be blinded by an advance judgment without bothering to sample what the hype is about.

Don’t let hype and commercialism be in your way of fun end enjoyment!

“K-ON!” was tons of fun, from the very first minute to the very last.

Featuring Kyoto Animation’s typical style and terrific animation (though some episodes did have quite uncharacteristic flaws, like this final one) and a great soundtrack filled with catchy tunes, “K-ON!” is a positive series, overflowing with life and enthusiasm.

And that’s something we should all let ourselves be exposed to, fun and relentless enthusiasm! Let yourself be overjoyed!

Although this is the end, “K-ON!” fans should not despair as next week we’ll get an extra episode! The story has more or less been wrapped up with this final episode, there will be an additional episode that takes place earlier on the timeline.

What about a season 2 some may ask? Who knows, the anime series pretty much caught up with the manga and will that manga be able to produce enough material to fill up an entire new season?
Knowing they technically only have one year left of the main four girl’s high school time and these twelve episode already covered two years…

Only time will tell and as far as I’m concerned, it was a great series with a nice ending that doesn’t absolutely need to have a sequel, even though I will miss the けいおん girls. ちょっと寂しいね。