K-ON!! 21

With the school yearbook photo shoot only a few days away, Yui stares at her reflection in the mirror while playing with her hair, all in search of a style fitting her taste. Not pleased with what she sees, she soon enlists Ui’s aid.

Arriving in school after having helped her sister, Ui sees Azusa let her hair loose, the guitar player soon admits having forgotten to tie it up for she lacks any motivation now that the school festival has ended.

Helping Azusa fix her hair, Ui says she feels like changing her own hairstyle and startles Azusa by mimicking Yui’s hairstyle, right down to the hairpins. Hugging the guitar player like her older sister usually does, Ui even surprises Jun with the uncanny resemblance.

Without her hairpins Yui feels awkward, alas Tsumugi’s attempt to help by tying her hair in a ponytail meets the guitar player’s vehement rejection. Mio and Ritsu join the fray, but a twin side bun look for Yui doesn’t do well either.

Most clubs seem deserted after school due to the third year students being busy studying. Wondering if she’ll find her upperclassmen gone, Azusa rushes into the music room. Relieved to see her fellow club members all there, the twin tailed girl nonetheless brushes it off when Yui and Ritsu tease her about being worried.

Revealing they decided to study for exams in the music room, Mio reassures Azusa though the mood turns solemn again when Sawako inquires after Yui and Ritsu’s future questionnaire and the recommendation papers Mio is supposed to turn in.

Sidetracked by Yui’s sudden hairstyle obsession due to the upcoming yearbook photos, the girls decide to have some styling and photo tryouts. Once they’re in front of the camera Ritsu surprisingly looks perfect, Mio nervously looks away, Tsumugi acts silly and Yui looks quite distinguished.

Unhappy with the result, Yui takes the rash decision to cut her bangs shorter, against the advice of her friends who watch on in horror as Yui suddenly sneezes and cuts off most of her bangs. Seeing Yui lament her last yearbook photo is now ruined, the girls do their best to cheer her up.

Nervous about the photo shoot now that she cut her bangs too short, Yui is encouraged by her friends who manage to cheer her up and get her through.
When Mio gets called to the teacher’s lounge for a talk with Sawako after the yearbook photos are done, the girls wonder what might be amiss.

Knowing her friend, Ritsu surmises Mio turned down the school’s recommendation and the shy bass player admits she hopes to attend the same university the others would go to. Not having considered that idea before, Yui and Ritsu soon turn in their questionnaires with Mio, all marking the same university.

Thoughts on this episode~

A nice episode that used more lighthearted and casual minor plots like the yearbook photos to not only show us the girls’ usual shenanigans but illustrate what a tightly knit group of friends they are.

Was glad to see they put in nice details of added character realism by having Azusa be absentminded and unenergetic. Showing that while the guitar player kept her composure when her upperclassmen broke down in tears after the school festival, she too feels burdened by the ominous approach of the dreaded graduation day, when the others will leave her behind.

The girls’ care in comforting Azusa later seamlessly extended into doing all they could for Yui when she clumsily cut her bangs too short. Silly Yui! Luckily she has such great friends to support her.

While nothing really major happened in this episode save for the girls deciding to aim for the same university, it was nonetheless a good episode and a prime example how “K-ON!!” excels as a slice-of-life series showing us these girls’ friendship and high school days.