Why I’m Dropping K-On!

While K-On! have seemingly won over the much of the blogosphere with its characters gushing with overwhelming moe, it is this very same cuteness overload, among other things, that has turned me off this series.

K-On! attracted a lot of buzz before it aired. Any anime that was produced by Kyoto Animation before the advent of the second Haruhi series was bound to get a lot of attention. The third episode just aired and the consensus opinion by most, but not all, of those who are covering this series is that it’s a winner. It’s become a popular series for many anime bloggers who have enthusiastically gushed about the cuteness of the characters and the show’s production quality.

While I admit that show is very cute. It’s almost too cute. The show takes almost every opportunity to showcase the watery eyes of the characters or else show them blushing coquettishly. This is clearly by design, and I can’t help but think it panders this to an unbearable degree.

It’s pretty evident to me that plot development and pacing both take a back seat to opportunities of showing the girls in as many cute poses as possible. The very opening sequence of the first episode should have clued me into this. In the sequence, Yui, the main character, stereotypically oversleeps, stereotypically trips in the cutest way possible and runs out the door stereotypically with a piece of bread in her mouth. It’s all very cute, but it’s also derivative, overdone and, in a way, overwhelming.

Episodes 2 and 3 has loads more of this type of content and I can cite plenty of examples of where the pacing of the show bogged down miserably as we watch the main characters essentially do nothing but act cute.  I know I’m missing the point. K-On! is the moe equivalent of Ikki Tousen. The whole point of that show was to watch girls getting their clothes blown off during the fights while the point of K-On! is clearly to showcase the girls’ cute qualities at the expense of anything else.

From a business perspective, the show will do brilliantly. There’s no doubt in my mind that sales of K-On! related merchandise and goods will prove to be hot sellers. Why shouldn’t it? The show gives many maniacal fans of cuteness exactly what they want, and they will vote with their wallets.

I had hoped that this show was the second coming of Minabi Straight!, another show that had loads of cuteness in it. However, what elevates Minabi Straight! from K-On! was not only the adherence to an engaging plot but the fact that it even managed to be deep, showcasing themes about friendship, dreams and overcoming adversity.

I have no issue with people who enjoy K-On! for what it is. I admit I enjoy a lot of fare, such as Ikki Tousen, that’s vapid and is the anime equivalent of fast food, fattening but with little nutritional value. It would be hypocritical of me to deny others their own guilty pleasures. As for me, I think I’ll dust off my copy of Minabi Straight! and watch that instead.

Related posts:

1. Current anime season weak Over the last couple of years I watched a...
2. Toradora Episode 24 What the heck happened to this series? As you’ve...
3. Girl Friends: yuri for adults? Yuri, or girl’s love manga, is generally considered a...
4. Jin’s anime sequel wish list Everyone has at least a few anime series that...
5. Maria sama 4th, episode 6 Episode 6 of the 4th season of Maria-sama ga...