k-on!! episode twenty

Finally! Our long awaited episode containing a performance and – and – and – MUSIC!

So… would it be bad to complain about the music we did get to hear?

I was pretty sure we’d hear “U & I”, which turned out to be a pretty good song, but “Rice is a Dish” was… okay. Cute, I suppose; and fun. But still… Maybe because I so badly wanted to see and hear “Honey Sweet Tea Time” my level of enthusiasm for this song was low. “Rice is a Dish” did give Mio a bit of a bass solo though, and by solo, I mean she rocked one (or two) bars at best before Yui opened her mouth to sing again.

And boy did Yui have her mouth open a lot.

I can accept that Yui’s the lead singer for the band (even if Mio is better – and thank goodness Mio sings all the ending songs and videos) but did she have to be the one to do introductions? Couldn’t someone else have done the majority of the talking – like Ritsu? She’s the president, after all. Or Azusa, who’s the face of the future Light Music Club? Maybe even Mugi because… well because I heart her. The thing that bothered me was when Yui said that, yes, they’d like to play more, but their time was up soon; well if you hadn’t spent fifteen minutes jabbering, you could have played more songs.

I now understand and accept why the costumes Sawako had created were simple t-shirts, and it was a nice touch to see everyone in the audience wearing them (free t-shirt!) while cheering our girls on. However, I still want to see them in something better come our next performance – which at this rate, may or may not ever happen. After getting two songs this episode, I think I’m not going to hold my breath for anymore music for the rest of the season. And while I’m still disappointed with the snubbing of “Honey Sweet Tea Time”, I’ll be satisfied to see this series wrap up nicely.

Negativity aside, this was a fantastic episode – particularly the second half (including “U & I” in which Azusa had the opening guitar solo). The realization that Afternoon Tea Time had just played their last School Festival was really touching. Yes they still have half the year or more ahead of them with many more opportunities to play together, but this was the very last School Festival, and experiencing a passing milestone like that is something most people can relate to. The initial excitement the girls felt after their successful performance was well deserved as it probably was the best performance they’d given thus far (or at least at a School Festival), and after realizing it was indeed their last, it was sweet to see their emotions simmer down to a tearful, bittersweet moment. Watching the girls cry together was a sign of true friendship, and it was a scene that emphasized that the core of the show is the bond the girls share with each other, solidified by music.