Line #50 YMMV/KOn - TV Tropes


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2	* AdaptationDisplacement: The manga the anime is based on isn't as popular as the anime. Being a Naoko Yamada directed show by Creator/KyotoAnimation, a lot of [[AdaptationExpansion extra scenes and expanded characterization]] were added to the anime to make it more memorable than the original manga. %%WebVideo/BeatriceTheGoldenWitch does a good job of explaining why the anime overshadows the manga.
3	* {{Adorkable}}: This series is called a {{moe}} series because the Light Music club is full of adorable girls who each have some odd or quirky trait that makes them endearing.
4	* AmericansHateTingle: In Japan, the anime is ''very'' popular, having generated 15 billion yen worth of merchandising and breaking chart records at the height of its popularity. In the West, while still very much popular, it is also ''much'' more divisive for its {{Moe}} artstyle, only becoming a beloved classic in the eyes of most western anime fans [[VindicatedByHistory long after it ended]].
5	* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: When checking out the other clubs, the girls visit the Occult Club, which consists of a big, blinking UFO sitting in the middle of the club room. They consequently close the door and never talk about it again.
6	* CargoShip:
7	** The first thing Yui did after buying "Giita" was taking it to bed "as if they were married", as [[LampshadeHanging her sister put it]].
8	** [[spoiler:Mio]] is also very concerned about her [[spoiler:bass guitar]] and starts to treat it like Yui (using the name Yui gave it, [[spoiler:Elizabass]]) does her "Giita" .
9	* CommonKnowledge: The show is about girls who slack off and drink tea instead of playing music while [=KyoAni=] avoids animating instruments as much as possible. Actually, the first season crammed two years of high school into fourteen episodes, including four separate concerts, with reasonably-detailed animation of the performances, and every episode save the Christmas one revolved in some way around practicing or playing music. "Let's drink tea instead of practicing" was a single-episode gag to provoke tension with newcomer Azusa. The popular conception of the show came into effect with season 2, after it became a CashCowFranchise that had to fill double the runtime of season one with only one year of chronological time passing.
10	* CoveredUp: This doesn't apply to ''any'' Japanese person since it's a classic pop standard and children's song, but face it--the only reason ''you'' know about "''Tsubasa o Kudasai''" is either because of this show, ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion'', ''Manga/{{Nichijou}}'', or ''Anime/DanganRonpa3''. The dub replaces it with "Love Me Tender".[[note]]This is still in keeping with CoveredUp, since the tune of "Love Me Tender" was based on a Civil War-era song called "Aura Lea", but the Elvis version is much more famous.[[/note]]
11	* EnsembleDarkhorse:
12	** Along the same lines as [[Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheFellowshipOfTheRing Figwit]], an unnamed background character in season 2 has caught the audience's eyes, and was dubbed Himeko Tachibana.
13	** It's not just the aforementioned girl (who has also been dubbed [[FanNickname "Girl who sits next to Yui"]]), many nameless background girls are [[http://danbooru.donmai.us/post/show/657065/ garnering]] [[http://danbooru.donmai.us/pool/show/2128 attention]].
14	** There's Ichigo in Episode 18 who, despite appearing in only a few shots in the season, is gaining fan art.
15	** ''K-On!'' is one of the only, if not the only, anime whose entire 38-student HS homeroom class has been fleshed out, with names and [[CastOfSnowflakes full character designs]]. Some of the classmates: right of Yui is of course Tachibana Himeko, and in front of Mio is Wakaouji Ichigo, but behind Mio is Nakajima Nobuyo, to the right of Mio is Miyamoto Akiyo, to the left of Mio is Takahashi Fuuko. Behind Ritsu is Endou Michiko, to her right is Wajima Maki, to her left Chikada Haruko. In front of Mugi is Sano Keiko, behind is Kinoshita Shizuka, to the right is Sunahara Yoshimi, to the left is Taki Eri. ALL of them have names, designs, and for several, even several lines of dialogue.
16	* EvenBetterSequel: The second season of the anime is often considered this due to CharacterDevelopment, the episodes being more eventful and of course the emotional catharsis of the ending. Having twice as many episodes to cover a shorter timeframe (''K-On!'' covered the first two years of the girls' high school life across 14 episodes while ''K-On!!'' only covered the final year in 27 episodes) certainly helps. In hindsight, had the studio known how big the series was going to be, they probably would have done a season for each year.
17	* FandomRivalry:
18	** Around the time that both ''Manga/KOn'' and ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya'' were airing, it was a bad idea to mention both of them in one sentence at websites where fans of those shows were. The odd thing is: While the creators for the manga/light novels are different, they were both adapted into an anime by the same company, Kyoto Animation. The rivalry stemmed mainly from the fact that both ''K-On!'' and the second season of ''Haruhi'' were produced around the same time, and both (supposedly) suffered for it in terms of quality storytelling. Plus, there were moments in ''Haruhi'' where the characters resembled ''K-On!'''s characters. This rivalry has cooled down over time however, as fans of Kyoto Animation as a whole usually enjoy both for different reasons nowadays.
19	** Fans of {{Mecha}} anime loathe ''K-On!''. They blame it for starting a {{Moe}} boom which saturated the anime industry and also criticize the show's lack of plot and art style. While fans of ''K-On!'' tend to ignore mecha fans, they do contest that ''K-On!'' benefitted the anime market and that mecha fans are merely [[NostalgiaFilter blinded by nostalgia]].
20	** A small one between it and fans of ''Manga/{{BECK\|1999}}''. Both are music anime that follow the exploits of bands formed by teenagers but fans of ''Beck'' tend to dislike ''K-On!'' for not focusing on the music. Fans of ''K-On!'' don't necessarily dislike ''Beck'' but do point out that the detractors miss the point of the show when complaining about the lack of music.
21	* IAmNotShazam: "K-On" is a contraction of the Japanese word for "light music" (''keiongaku''). So while the girls are introduced as part of the "K-On" club, it's not the name of their band. That's "Houkago[[note]]After school[[/note]] Tea Time", though that name only becomes official in episode 12.
22	* IKnewIt: Because the final bonus episode had the girls getting their passport pictures taken, fans predicted that the film would be about the girls going on a trip to another country. ...''guess what!''
23	* MemeticBadass: Mugi-chan. Since she has shown to be very strong for a teenage girl, it brought upon the idea of Mugi being someone who could smack anyone up (which she actually ''did'' with Akira).
24	* MemeticMolester: The store clerk at the beginning of season 2 episode 19, due to his strange behavior, which many people seemed to misunderstand.
25	* MemeticMutation:
26	** Mugi holding a sign became an universal reaction macro, with literally ''whatever'' being put on the sign.
27	** Smugi[[labelnote:Explanation]]As part of "smug anime girl" reaction macros, this one has Mugi with a particularly smug grin[[/labelnote]]
28	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXKJa-NQsUU Un-tan! Un-tan! Un-tan!]]
29	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP-3YaGuv6A Moe Moe~ Kyun!]][[labelnote:Explanation]]"Moe Moe Kyun" actually predates the series, as it's a common phrase said by waitresses at [[CosplayCafe maid cafes]] as a "magic spell" to make the food more delicious for the customers. However, its use in ''K-On!'' made the phrase memetic, especially to anime fans outside Japan who had never heard it before.[[/labelnote]]
30	** [[https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/649/459/a41 Moefist!]][[labelnote:Explanation]]The permeation to Yui's "brofist" in the attached image was predictable.[[/labelnote]]
31	** "Sup, Mugi."
32	** [[ImageMacro GITAH?]]
33	** Mugi's eyebrows and Ritsu's forehead are practically characters of their own right now.
34	** Joint meme with Manga/LuckyStar: "Asobitai!"
35	** "[[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Fun things are fun!]]"
36	*** "Will I become an adult when I grow up?"
37	** A scene from episode 2 of season 2 where Ritsu showcases a huge amount of money to Azusa has become widely popular in the anime community.
38	** X is canon[[labelnote:Explanation]]Thanks to the very LesYay-happy nature of the series, any moment or interaction between two characters (mainly [[TomboyAndGirlyGirl Mio]]/[[ChildhoodFriendRomance Ritsu]] and [[MentorShip Yui/Azusa]]) automatically makes a ship "canon" in the fanon's eyes.[[/labelnote]]
39	** MY MIND IS FULL OF FUCK [[labelnote:Explanation]]An image macro of Ritsu that is used as a popular response for mind-blowing-related content.[[/labelnote]]
40	** A [[https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/14587633 fanart]] of Ui punching the wall while browsing on a computer has become a reaction image.
41	** [[https://imgur.com/a/a7JyX3q Borgar]] [[labelnote:Explanation]]A ''very'' brief still taken from the anime of Yui eating a hamburger with a deformed expression.[[/labelnote]]
42	** Mugi's act of cruelty [[labelnote:Explanation]] A scene where Mugi steals Mio's strawberry off her cake slice, leading to her breaking down in tears. Many fans treated this as if Mugi crossed the MoralEventHorizon. [[/labelnote]]
43	** [[https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/903915-yuri-goggles Mugi's Yuri Goggles]] [[labelnote:Explanation]]In episode five of the first season, resident YuriFan Mugi is seen looking at Ritsu and the teacher through two rolled up magazines like binoculars, and blushing. The fandom immediately assumed she thought yuri was afoot[[/labelnote]]
44	** Racist ''K-On!'' fans [[labelnote:explanation]]There are disturbingly numerous instances of people with ''K-On!!'' profile pictures spouting racist, antisemitic, and homophobic rants on social media. Due to this, people have semi-ironically started a generalization that all ''K-On!'' fans are racist, ranging from the fandom functioning as a hate group to the Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan losing the "most racist person" award to a ''K-On!'' fan.[[/labelnote]]
45	** Rice Bowl [[labelnote:Explanation]]In Episode 6 of Season 1, Mio trips on stage after a performance which lets the whole audience [[PantyShot see her panties]], but the actual scene [[RelaxOVision cuts to a]] [[GagCensor rice bowl]] that has the same striped pattern as her panties. Naturally, any mention of "rice bowls" among the K-On fandom brings to mind this scene.[[/labelnote]]
46	*** There are several Chinese variants such as Blue-White Bowl (referring to the stripes) and [[Anime/SchoolDays Nice Bowl!]].
47	** Due to both of them having blonde hair and prominent eyebrows, it has become popular for fans to compare Mugi to Erwin Smith from ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', with some even joking that Mugi is either Erwin's daughter or [[spoiler:his reincarnation after his death]].
48	** Brazil mentioned[[labelnote:Explanation]]An image macro depicting Yui with a liquor glass, a bottle of beer, a Brazil-themed hoodie, and a "Please Be Patient I Have Autism" cap celebrating atop a stock image of a group of urban teens in Brazil. While the image was initially created as a way of mocking Brazilian people as {{Attention Whore}}s, it was embraced by actual Brazilians as a way of expressing tongue-in-cheek gratitude towards their country being acknowledged. This resulted in Latine netizens from other parts of Latin America creating similar photoshops themed around their own countries.[[/labelnote]]
49	** COCK[[labelnote:Explanation]]In Episode 9 of Season 2, Ritsu wears a hat with the word "rock" on it. It was edited to say "cock" and quickly spread outside of the ''K-ON'' fandom.[[/labelnote]]
50	** Azunyan going to buy soy sauce[[labelnote:Explanation (Warning: NSFW)]]An UnusualEuphemism that references Azus@ttack, an infamous series of NSFW doujins that opens with Azusa accidentally hitting Satoshi with her bike while on the way to buy some soy sauce. The euphemism is more popular in the Chinese-speaking fandom, and can also refer to her performance in the Saimoe Tournaments (participating but missing out on the Emerald Necklace for several consecutive years).[[/labelnote]]
51	* {{Moe}}: ''All'' of Houkago Tea Time's members. Yui's sister Ui qualifies too. Mio, however, deserves special mention for her {{Moe}}-ness being over-the-top even by the standards of this show, spawning a RunningGag. When Azusa arrives, the show causes a huge moe explosion that obliterates everything within a 100-mile radius.
52	* NeverLiveItDown:
53	** Nobody will ''ever'' let Mio forget the time she [[spoiler: tripped on the stage during the light music club's first festival performance and exposed her panties to the whole audience, even spawning a fanclub.]]
54	** To regulars on [[Website/{{Reddit}} r/anime]], Mugi will always be remembered for that one time [[spoiler: she stole Mio's strawberry.]]
55	* NightmareFuel:
56	** During the sequence in the first episode of the anime, when Yui is walking down a hall with the "paranormal" clubs, a very dark and sinister-looking girl (looking similar to Enma Ai from ''Anime/HellGirl'') pokes her head out of a door on the left.
57	** In Season 2, Episode 13, one of Azusa's dreams features Mio with BlankWhiteEyes while watching a horror movie.
58	* SugarWiki/NoProblemWithLicensedGames: ''K-On! Houkago Live!!'' for PSP and remastered [=PS3=] version.
59	* OlderThanTheyThink: After the ImagineSpot of Mio wearing a maid outfit and saying "Moe Moe Kyun!" became memetic, most fans outside of Japan tend to associate that phrase with the series, with some even believing ''K-On!'' invented it. The phrase actually originated in [[CosplayCafe maid cafes]] some time before the anime came out; it's supposed to be a "magic spell" said by waitresses at these cafes to make food and/or drinks more delicious for the customers.
60	* TheProducerThinksOfEverything:
61	** In episode 12 season 1, when [[spoiler:Ui dressed as]] Yui enters the club room, there is a brief moment where you can see that [[spoiler:her UsefulNotes/InsideShoes are red, not blue]].
62	** And in episode 21 season 2, Ui can be briefly seen wearing her sister's hairpins when greeting Azusa, paving the way for the [[TwinSwitch very next scene]].
63	** In one of the final episodes the band decides to record a cassette of their songs for posterity. The mix is included with the second album, and it includes everything that was shown to be recorded in the episode, including Ritsu talking about "rock spirit", Azusa yelling, and Tsumugi sneezing.
64	* SignatureLine:
65	** "Fun things are fun."
66	** "Un-tan! Un-tan!"
67	* SoBadItsGood: Depending on the person, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFKJsOZTgRA the]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT0CamiajsE&feature=relmfu Animax]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAZUhThzXrI&feature=related dub]] is this.
68	* SuspiciouslySimilarSong:
69	** The BGM tracks "Virtual Love" and "Pinch Daisuki!" sound suspiciously similar to "Das Model" by Music/{{Kraftwerk}} and "Popcorn" by Hot Butter respectively. Not that that's a ''bad'' thing, mind.
70	** Some parts of the music in ''K-On!'' are not too dissimilar to those in certain Music/{{Metallica}} songs. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEUILRi_jLk For example, the solo in "Fuel" and Yui's solo in "Fuwa Fuwa Time", amongst others.]]
71	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6icpkcgfVs The opening riff in "Cagayake GIRLS!"]] sounds oddly similar to the melody that occurs 20 seconds into [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clcirPeGqMs&t=21s a piece]] of music from the unreleased UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis version of the game ''Time Trax''.
72	** Azusa's guitar solo in "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGKClJtHHJs Don't Say "Lazy" (5 People Ver.)]]" starts very similarly to the main riff of "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1D3a5eDJIs Runnin' Down A Dream]]" by Music/TomPetty.
73	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter:
74	** Nodoka Manabe. She's Yui's childhood friend, [[SatelliteCharacter and...um...]] While she would likely have not moved past supporting character even if her role was expanded, there were quite a few possibilities to use her to show how the club gets along with the student body and the other clubs (in a throwaway line in season 2, she mentions that she had become the StudentCouncilPresident, which would normally be a ''big freakin' deal''). Instead, she doesn't get much relevance apart from always being there when the girls need [[LivingProp an extra body]] for many of the SliceOfLife elements. It's even more noticeable when she's compared to Ui, who has quite a bit more to her character than just being Azusa's Designated Outside-the-Club Friend.
75	** And then there's Jun, who somehow gets ''even less'' character development than Nodoka, even though she's promoted to a main character in one of the two reboot manga.
76	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Despite how clear the show is about putting the comedic slice of life elements at the forefront, the most frequent criticism of the anime is that [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything it doesn't focus enough on Houkago Tea Time's musical progress or their music in general]]. Only four songs are introduced in the body of the show, and the band doesn't get popular beyond their own school. This is ultimately an effect of the original manga, which only introduced these same four songs, of which only "Fuwa Fuwa Time" and "U&I" had lyrics.
77	* UnintentionallySympathetic: Mio in episode 11 of season one. She's called out by her friends and Sawako for causing Ritsu to catch a fever right before the school festival, never mind the fact that [[TheBully Ritsu's treatment of Mio]] was probably at its worst earlier in the episode and that Mio was just trying to hang out with Nodoka.
78	* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForLittleGirls: It's a very light, comedic slice-of-life series focused on a group of high school girls who [[KiddieKid tend to act more like preteens]], but it's actually aimed at adult men, since the manga ran in the {{seinen}} magazine ''Magazine/MangaTimeKirara''. That said, the anime [[TamerAndChaster tones down the more risque aspects of the original manga]] (including Mio's infamous PantyShot), and it even aired on the Japanese Disney Channel with some minor censorship, which [[PeripheryDemographic led to preteen and teenage girls enjoying it as well]].
79	* TheWoobie:
80	** You really can't help but feel bad for Mio, what with her [[ShrinkingViolet extreme shyness]], her painfully adorable crying moments, and the fact that Sawako and Ritsu often make her do embarrassing things. The poor girl really needs a hug sometimes.
81	** Azusa, especially in season 2. She's at first weirded out by the members of the Light Music Club, which causes her to have doubts about pursuing music during high school. After becoming friends with them, she's confronted with the fact that they're all leaving for college a year before she does, which causes a lot of TearJerker moments when their graduation finally arrives.
82	* {{Woolseyism}}:
83	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAFcox4tvy4#t=1m42s How the French dubbed "Un-tan! Un-tan!"]] (Hint: Instead of going for cute noises like the other dubs, they took a glance at the animation and ran with it.)
84	** For the "moe moe kyun" mantra, the English dub avoids Japanese sounds and instead goes for a spoof from ''Film/TheExorcist'', of all things: "The adorable power of Cute compels you!"

Context YMMV / KOn