K-On!
K-On! is a Japanese four-panel manga series written and illustrated by Kakifly. It was serialized in Houbunsha's Manga Time Kirara magazine between the May 2007 and October 2010 issues, and also serialized in Houbunsha's Manga Time Kirara Carat magazine. The manga relaunched from April 2011 to June 2012 with two separate storylines published in Manga Time Kirara and Manga Time Kirara Carat. The manga is licensed in North America by Yen Press. A spin-off manga about a different band of high school girls, K-On! Shuffle, began serialization in July 2018. The main series focuses on four young Japanese high school girls who join their school's light music club to try to save it from being disbanded. However, they are the only four members of the club, one of which has little experience with guitar playing.
A 13-episode anime television series adaptation produced by Kyoto Animation aired in Japan between April and June 2009. An additional original video animation episode was released in January 2010. A 26-episode second season, titled K-On!!, aired in Japan between April and September 2010, with an OVA episode released in March 2011. An anime film adaptation was released in Japan in December 2011. Bandai Entertainment had licensed the first season until their closure in 2012. Sentai Filmworks has since re-licensed the first season, in addition to acquiring the rights to the second season and film. K-On! has achieved strong sales in Japan, and by 2011 gross revenues had reached over in merchandise sales.
Plot
In an unspecified part of Japan, four high school girls join the light music club of the all-girls private Sakuragaoka High School to try to save it from being disbanded. However, they are the only members of the club. At first, Yui Hirasawa has no experience playing musical instruments or reading sheet music, but she eventually becomes an excellent guitar player. From then on, Yui, along with bassist Mio Akiyama, drummer Ritsu Tainaka, and keyboardist Tsumugi Kotobuki spend their school days practicing, performing, and hanging out together. The club is overseen by music teacher Sawako Yamanaka who eventually becomes their homeroom teacher as well, during their final year of high school. In their second year, the club welcomes another guitarist, underclassman Azusa Nakano. After Azusa joins they gain more structure and begin to practice more.After their third year, Yui, Mio, Ritsu and Tsumugi graduate and enroll into a university. There they join its light music club alongside three other students: Akira Wada, Ayame Yoshida, and Sachi Hayashi. Meanwhile, Azusa continues to run the high school light music club alongside Yui's sister Ui, their classmate Jun Suzuki, and new members Sumire Saitō and Nao Okuda.
The spin-off manga K-On! Shuffle focuses on a new set of characters at a different school. After being inspired by the Sakuragaoka High School light music club, Yukari Sakuma and friend Kaede Shimizu seek to form their own club. Along with classmate Maho Sawabe, they discover the Light Music Appreciation Society, a club run by Riko Satou.
Characters
Main
;Yui Hirasawa;Mio Akiyama
;Ritsu Tainaka
;Tsumugi Kotobuki
;Azusa Nakano
Supporting
;Satoshi Tainaka''Shuffle'' characters
Media
Manga
K-On! began as a four-panel comic-strip manga written and illustrated by Kakifly. The manga was originally serialized in Houbunsha's Manga Time Kirara manga magazine between the May 2007 and October 2010 issues, ending on September 9, 2010. The manga also appeared as a guest bimonthly serialization in Manga Time Kiraras sister magazine Manga Time Kirara Carat starting with the October 2008 issue. The manga relaunched from April 2011 to June 2012 in two separate magazines. Chapters published in Manga Times Kirara, from the May 2011 issue released on April 8, 2011, to the July 2012 issue released on June 9, 2012, focus on the main cast as they attend college. Chapters published in Manga Time Kirara Carat, from the June 2011 issue released on April 28, 2011, to the August 2012 issue released on June 28, 2012, focus on Azusa, Ui, and Jun as they continue the light music club.Four tankōbon volumes were released between April 26, 2008, and September 27, 2010. The manga was licensed by Yen Press for English release, with the first volume released in North America on November 30, 2010. The college arc of the second manga run, titled K-On! College, was released on September 27, 2012, and the high school arc, titled K-On! Highschool, was released on October 27, 2012. Yen Press have also licensed these volumes in North America. In Indonesia, the series is licensed by Elex Media Komputindo. An anthology entitled Minna de Untan!, which features several guest strips from various artists, was released in September 2009. An official anthology series, K-On! Anthology Comic, began sale from November 27, 2009, with five volumes released as of October 12, 2011, and two "Story Anthology Comics" were released on November 26, 2011. An illustration book with official art and fan art from well known dōjin artists was released on January 27, 2010.
A spin-off manga by Kakifly, titled K-On! Shuffle, began serialization in Manga Time Kirara on July 9, 2018. At Anime Expo 2022, Yen Press announced that they licensed K-On! Shuffle for English publication.
Anime series
A 13-episode anime adaptation directed by Naoko Yamada, written by Reiko Yoshida, and produced by Kyoto Animation aired between April 3 and June 26, 2009, on TBS in Japan. The episodes began airing on subsequent networks at later dates which include BS-TBS, MBS, and CBC. The TBS airings are in 4:3 ratio, and the series began airing in widescreen on BS-TBS on April 25, 2009. Seven Blu-ray/DVD compilation volumes were released by Pony Canyon between July 29, 2009, and January 20, 2010. An additional original video animation episode was released with the final Blu-ray/DVD volumes on January 20, 2010. The Blu-ray/DVD volumes contained extra short anime titled Ura-On!.The series later began airing on Japan's Disney Channel from April 2011. Animax has aired the anime in Hong Kong, Thailand, and Taiwan. Both an English-subtitled and English-dubbed version by Red Angel Media began airing on March 16, 2010, on Animax Asia. At their industry panel at Anime Expo 2010, anime distributor Bandai Entertainment announced that they have acquired K-On! for a DVD and Blu-ray release, with Bang Zoom! Entertainment producing an English dub for the show. The series was released over four volumes in standard and limited editions for each format starting on April 26, 2011. Bandai released the full first season on DVD under their "Anime Legends" line on February 7, 2012. Manga Entertainment released the series in the UK in individual DVD volumes during 2011, and in a complete DVD of the first season on April 30, 2012. A planned Blu-ray box set release in 2012 was cancelled. Sentai Filmworks has licensed the first season and re-released the series on DVD on September 23, 2014. Sentai also re-released the series on Blu-ray on September 1, 2015.
It was displayed on screen at the Let's Go live concert in Yokohama, Japan on December 30, 2009, that a second season would be produced. The second season, titled K-On!!, aired with 26 episodes on TBS in Japan between April 7 and September 28, 2010. An additional OVA episode was released with the final Blu-ray/DVD volumes on March 16, 2011. As with the first season, the Blu-ray/DVD volumes contained extra short anime titled Ura-On!!. This season has also aired on Animax Asia starting October 20, 2010. Sentai Filmworks licensed the second season and released the series on DVD and Blu-ray in two boxsets released on June 19, 2012, and August 28, 2012, respectively. The original English dub cast reprised their roles for this season.
The anime was broadcast on ABC Me in Australia, with episodes being hosted on ABC iview.
Netflix licensed the series and movie in the United States and Canada between November 2019 and November 2021.
Film
A film adaptation of K-On! was released in Japan on December 3, 2011. It follows the girls as they travel to London to celebrate their graduation. Developed as an original story, it was produced by Kyoto Animation with Naoko Yamada as the director. The film features the two songs "Ichiban Ippai" and "Unmei wa Endless" by Aki Toyosaki. The ending theme is "Singing" by Yōko Hikasa. The film opened at #2 with a gross of ¥317,287,427 from 137 theaters, and has earned a total of ¥1,639,685,078 by the end of its run.The film features a London cafe inspired by the Troubadour Cafe in Earl's Court, and K-On! fans often visit the cafe. The film was released on Blu-ray and DVD on July 18, 2012. Sentai Filmworks released the film on Blu-ray/DVD in North America on May 21, 2013. Madman Entertainment released the film in Australia on Blu-ray/DVD.
Music
The first season anime's opening theme is "Cagayake! Girls" by the Sakura High School Light Music Club with Mio Akiyama, Ritsu Tainaka and Tsumuki Kotobuki, along with Azusa Nakano. The ending theme is "Don't Say 'Lazy'" by the Sakura High School Light Music Club with Hirasawa, Tainaka and Kotobuki ). The opening and ending theme singles were released on April 22, 2009. A single containing the insert song "Fuwa Fuwa Time" used in episode 6 was released on May 20, 2009. A series of character song singles have been released containing songs sung by the voice actresses of the five main characters. The singles for Hirasawa and Akiyama were released on June 17, 2009. The singles for Tainaka and Kotobuki were delayed, but later released together with the single for Nakano on August 26, 2009. The singles for Ui Hirasawa and Nodoka Manabe were released on October 21, 2009. The anime's original soundtrack, largely composed by Hajime Hyakkoku, was released on June 3, 2009. The four songs highlighted in episode eight of the anime were released on the mini album Ho-kago Tea Time on July 22, 2009. The single "Maddy Candy" by Sawako's band Death Devil was released on August 12, 2009.The second season's first opening theme is "Go! Go! Maniac" and the first ending theme is "Listen!!"; both songs are sung by After School Tea Time, Akiyama, Tainaka, Kotobuki, and Nakano ). The singles containing the songs were released on April 28, 2010. From episode 14 onwards, the respective opening and ending themes are "Utauyo!! Miracle" and "No Thank You", both by Ho-Kago Tea Time, Akiyama, Tainaka, Kotobuki, and Nakano ). The singles containing these songs were released on August 4, 2010. The single "Pure Pure Heart" also sung by After School Tea Time, Akiyama, Tainaka, Kotobuki, and Nakano ) was released on June 2, 2010. Another single, "Love", by Sawako's band Death Devil was released on June 23, 2010. A single sung by Toyosaki, "Gohan wa Okazu/U&I", was released on September 8, 2010. The composer Bice who wrote the song "Gohan wa Okazu" died on July 26, 2010, of a heart attack; the song was their final work. A second set of character song singles were released, starting with the singles for Yui and Mio on September 21, 2010. The show's second album, Ho-kago Tea Time II, was released on both normal double CD and limited edition that came with a cassette tape on October 27, 2010. The second set of singles for Tainaka, Kotobuki, and Nakano were released on November 17, 2010. The set of singles for Jun Suzuki, Hirasawa, and Mamabe were released on January 19, 2011. The singles and albums were released by Pony Canyon. A limited edition music box, K-ON! 7inch Vinyl "Donuts" BOX, was released at the Canime Summer Festival on August 11, 2012.