K-On!

[Alhuin]

This episode made me like Yui even more than before. Like Shinta, I laughed out loud at her money-slapping fantasy. Here's Mio, Ritsu, and Azunyan thinking of buying new equipment for the band, and Yui's just like "Yeah, I just want to be slapped around with it". Epic Win.

Mio's fascination at the hardware store didn't surprise... Yui X Ritsu moments were typical (and as always, hilarious)... Mio didn't shine much yet again... But I am starting to appreciate Azunyan a little bit more. I'm sure the thought of her being alone next year is a rather depressing one, considering we've only seen her really talk to and hang around with the seniors, and Ui (and that one girl that is Ui's friend). Animus mentioned it at the top of the page, but I seriously hope the club gets a new member before the end of the series. Or at least, make it big enough to stay together as a band after the seniors graduate (and have Sawako pull strings to let them come to the music room still).

[Kraco]

The music room still:

Episode 3 - CoalGuys

[Archangel]

Wait for frostii you fools!

[Ryllharu]

It wasn't nearly as apparent last season or the first two episodes of this season, but this episode made it almost painfully obvious that K-ON is a 4-koma series. The Sawa-chan and Ritsu storylines did not mix well at all. It felt like the flow of this episode was constantly being broken.

That aside, a Ritsu episode is always nice. She's not my favorite, but her inspiring Mugi enough that she got all sparkily was worth it.

Mio...failed to stand out again. I suppose her getting all embarrassed about being so possessive of her role in the band and how she is super shy is a huge moe draw for some, but in my opinion, she has been constantly outshined by the others time and time again this season.

So to return to the per-episode rankings we used last season:

Mugi >>> Ritsu > Yui > Sawa > Azu-yan > Mio

[Buffalobiian]

Mio's been losing out since Azy-nyan joined. I don't know if it's because of Azu-nyan's joining, or if her appeal just happened to burn out at that point. She's still appealing, but it's not what it used to be.

[shinta|hikari]

I think it is because Mio was never that deep of a character to begin with (granted, none of them are), and most of the embarrassment gags have been done in the first series.

I think it is more of a burn-out thing. The other characters are managing to play into their eccentricities to pull out laughs, while Mio has been, well, Mio, which was good enough before but not when everyone else has stepped up their game.

However, we must not neglect that Mio is still fulfilling her role in the series, or to be more accurate, she is finally able to get the role that she wants, which is to support the others without standing out. If we remove her and Azu-nyan's straight man comments, K-ON would indeed be pure moe without the comedy, something I would not waste time on. The rest of the main cast are boke after all.

Because of this and her still awesome character design (Yomi fan here), I cannot rate her any less than the rest of the cast, so:

Mio=Ritsu>Yui>Mugi>Azusa

I just think Azusa is too Mio-like, which is fine if the character didn't already exist in the same series. Eyebrows pull Mugi lower than what she actually deserves as a character. Ritsu made a comeback for me in season 2, proving to be a lot crazier and more interesting than I ever thought she could be.

[Ryllharu]

Because of this and her still awesome character design (Yomi fan here)
...
Eyebrows pull Mugi lower than what she actually deserves as a character.

You're looking at them too superficially, and projecting a character from another series with a full personality and complex motivations (Assuming you mean Isayama Yomi of Ga-Rei) onto Mio.

If you look past the eyebrows, you see a typically soft-voiced, light-hearted, extremely privileged girl who is desperately struggling to fit in with her school peers by pretending that she isn't anywhere nearly as well off as she is. One might even take it further by noting that she is going to a decidedly average girl's school (Yui got in afterall...) despite her upbringing. If Mugi choose to go there, that would mean that she went out of her way, even before she met Ritsu, Mio and Yui, to find a place where she could interact casually with girls her age. In many ways, she is the most naive of the five. She's led a very insular life, set apart by the privileges she enjoyed. That's why she was so weak at the hardware store, buying all manner of inexpensive gimmick gadgets (which she very much enjoyed anyway).

Move past the eyebrows and see her for who she is, a girl who has finally made some true friends and goes out of her way to make others comfortable and not feel out of place around her...and has occasional mild lesbian tendencies.


Mio isn't Yomi, she just looks like her. As you said, Mio is the counterpoint to the more eccentric personalities of Yui, Ritsu and Mugi. She has none of the complicated character development that the similarly designed character has. Don't graft the personality and history of a more interesting character onto one fully intended to be the "normal" one.

[shinta|hikari]

I have always judged anime characters based on both their appearance and personality. They aren't my friends, or family, where character is key. I watch them for entertainment, and if they are designed well, it pleases my eyes and are thus entertaining.

I even admitted that past the eyebrows, Mugi deserves a better spot, so you are preaching to the choir on that one. I know full well her good qualities, but there are some deal breakers when it comes to aesthetics with me, and her eyebrows are one of them.

Also, I didn't (or will ever) graft the personality or history of one character to another. Mio has no complexity, I said so in my earlier post (in the first sentence, no less). But I like her character design, and I decided to shorten my elaboration about that by saying I am a Yomi fan, who has a very similar character design. That's it, no more no less.

EDIT: BTW, I like Yomi significantly more than Mio despite their similar appearances, precisely because of her complexity as a character.

[Kraco]

This second season has yet to impress me. It has seemed a lot more random, or 4-koma like to quote Ryll, and lacking the clear development and an overall plot the first season seemed to possess despite everything. For some reason I was expecting this season to start with the girls graduating and thus facing big problems concerning their band and music. I guess that was just speculation or much farther down the manga line. Now this season feels like nothing but a series of ovas meant to merely extend the first season.

I'm not saying there haven't been any good scenes, though. I liked the hardware store earlier and in this episode for example Ritsu climbing out of the slump and finding the drums again only to be told to stop making noises by her bro.

[Archangel]

Moeblob analysis 101

[Archangel]

Frostii ep 03

"Guitah is cheating on me!"

I quite literally loled, people around me thought i was an insane weirdo. Damn Yui and her adorable ways

[Marik]

[Nipponsei] K-ON!! OP Single - GO! GO! MANIAC [Various].zip
[Nipponsei] K-ON!! ED Single - Listen!! [Various].zip

[LonE] K-ON!! OP Single - GO! GO! Maniac [Various].rar
[LonE] K-ON!! ED Single - Listen!! [Various].rar

---

Go! Go! Railgun

[Buffalobiian]

Coalguys - S2 Episode 04



--------------------------

Mugi!!! (was awesome).

More or less, everybody got their bit in the spotlight this time round. Mugi starred in the first half, Mio in the second, while Yui/Ritsu combo was present throughout. I liked how Mio's "gags" were more tame this time, and much of the enjoyment was derived from seeing her finally loosen up and enjoyed the trip compared to how bogged down she was to begin with.

Ritsu made a comeback for me in season 2, proving to be a lot crazier and more interesting than I ever thought she could be.
__________________

The beginning visuals of the OP really make a difference huh?

[Ryllharu]

More or less, everybody got their bit in the spotlight this time round. Mugi starred in the first half, Mio in the second, while Yui/Ritsu combo was present throughout. I liked how Mio's "gags" were more tame this time, and much of the enjoyment was derived from seeing her finally loosen up and enjoyed the trip compared to how bogged down she was to begin with.

I second this statement. Mugi carefully planning how she'd start a pillow fight was very delightful. Mio too, finally moved out of the background and settled into her role as chaperon to the others (mostly Yui and Ritsu).

But overall I felt that Ritsu and Yui were slightly above the other two. Ritsu trying to speak Kansai-ben and so excited when she declares that woman "understood her!" as if it was a completely foreign language. Her struggling and forcing it most of the time was a huge highlight. Yui was off the wall as usual, passing out from sugar rushes and pretending to act all refined while drinking tea (so as not to lose to Mugi's refinement).

Even though it was just a little thing, I really liked Sawa getting all frustrated that her gentle and beautiful teacher image got shattered by the Keionbu girls constantly calling her Sawa-chan. Now all the girls in the class call her that too.

Yui and Ritsu's rampage through Kyoto while Mio and Sawa-chan fruitlessly tried to hold them in check was the overall highlight for me.

Ritsu = Yui >= Mio = Mugi > Sawa
(Azusa exempt)

[David75]

the Ui/Yui confusion at the very start of the ep was mean. At least to a non hardcore otaku that would have remarked instantly that it would not be possible for Yui to prepare her things for the school trip.

I had some good laughs, loved how Mugi started the pillow fight, Sawa-chan was a bonus, loved how Mio finally is more and more into it.
I missed Azunyan, but I admitt that the alchemy of the group was a lot better without her for some reason.

[Buffalobiian]

It's a lot easier for the group to go wild without Azunyan.

Yui and Ritsu always want to do something crazy, Mio vainly tries to stop them, while Mugi often just tips the favour towards Yui/Ritsu, to Mio's surprise.

When you mix Azunyan into it, the whole "junior telling off seniors" thing gives the impression that our group is being rather irresponsible, and takes out the fun.

[Buffalobiian]

Coalguys - S2 Episode 05

[Alhuin]

Seeing Bill's post made me realize Frostii's ep. 04 hadn't been posted, in case anyone is archiving them.

Frostii - Episode 04

[Ryllharu]

I found the problem with Ui is that she's so perfect and good natured that everything she does ends up being completely predictable. It really detracts from her character, because you're never surprised with her. This stems entirely from last season when she was able to impersonate Yui and play the guitar better than her with considerably less practical experience. She is like a certain other sister from a certain other series that shall remain unnamed. From the amount of food she cooks to the home run, nothing is surprising. In fact, the most surprising thing was that she played the organ in their "jam session" rather than a second guitar. I guess that means should could replace Mugi with little difficultly too!

Azusa definitely stole the moe fest this time, though their friend Jun was pretty good too, like a calmer, lazier Ritsu.

Thus:
Azusa >> Jun >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ui

[Kraco]

Azusa moe was the best part of this episode. Like Ryll said, Ui is deadly boring and the other girl had little character so this episode wasn't really that good.

At least we got a bit of Azusa with her hair completely down.