[Ascaloth] K-ON!, Episode 9 at Riuva : Research Institute for Unicultural Visual Arts

[Ascaloth] K-ON!, Episode 9

(3 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)

Loading ...

Popularity: 9% [?] Published by Ascaloth May 30th, 2009 in Ascaloth, Anime

With the arrival of the newly-admitted first-year Nakano Azusa into the Light Music Club, four has become five as the girls move onto the next step in their journey towards their dreams. However, with the injection of a new dynamic in the form of the newcomer, how will the current dynamics of the lackadaisical Club we’ve grown used to change because of it? How will Azusa deal with the fact that the Light Music Club she was so impressed with at the freshmen reception isn’t quite as awesome as she initially thought they were? How would she change the Light Music Club….or rather, how will the Light Music Club change her?

K-ON!, Episode 9.

For the designated loli of the series, Azusa sure acts a lot more demure and reserved than I expected her to. In fact, the way she was hesitating through the interview seems almost a textbook example of how to act during a proper Japanese job interview; present yourself humbly, downplay your own ability, and try to present yourself as the junior who knows his or her place in the prospective organization.

On another note, I’m wondering why Azusa isn’t wondering about how on earth did her Yui-sempai get her paws on a Gibson Les Paul.

However, despite her humility, she soon proves herself to be able to play like J-J-J-Jimmy Page, far outdoing the trial-and-error play-by-ear Yui.

In Singapore, there is a local slang term for what Yui is doing here. It’s called chao keng.

"What should I do?"
"Go practice!"

Though Yui certainly had been a disgrace back there, it’s not like you two are in any position to speak. Though come to think of it, given that Yui had demonstrated that she could pose a risk to the very existence of the Light Music Club by way of subpar academic results, I wonder if she’s realized that she’s now expendable if need be with the inclusion of Azusa to make up the numbers?

This reminds me of my time in the military, when I would wonder whether such-and-such should be done, only for my seniors in the platoon to go "it’s fine, as long as you don’t get caught".

So, apart from doubling as the Teatime Club and the Cosplay Club, a side effect of the Light Music Club doubling as a Teatime Club is that it even triples as a Gossip Club. Considering the all-girl makeup, I probably should have seen this coming. On another note, this is just the first of many times we catch Mio reading something all episode; just what is she so engrossed in?

Featured Instrument: Fender Mustang

The Fender Mustang is an electric guitar by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, introduced in 1964 as the basis of a major redesign of Fender’s student models then consisting of the Musicmaster and Duo-Sonic. It was produced until 1982 and reissued in 1990.

All three Mustang-bodied models (Mustang, Musicmaster II and Duo-Sonic II) were offered with optionally the 21 fret 22.5-inch (or 3/4 scale) neck, or a 22 fret 24-inch neck, but the 24-inch was overwhelmingly more popular and 3/4 scale examples are rare. 24 inches is still relatively short, the same as the Fender Jaguar but a full inch and a half shorter than the Stratocaster and three-quarters of an inch shorter than the Gibson Les Paul. The short scale neck makes this guitar perfect for people with small hands, and also enhances the ability to use the tremolo arm for upbends.

This short scale, combined with a unique and extremely direct tremolo arm would make the Mustang a cult guitar in the 1990s. Before that, its relatively low cost and marketing as a student guitar made it an obvious candidate for aftermarket upgrades, particularly pickup changes and also amateur finishes. Its wiring with the original pickups also led itself to custom modifications.

She being the only one who doesn’t know, I wonder what Azusa would think if she discovered Sawa-chan’s demonic past. Well, not like she won’t have legitimate reasons to fear her either way, soon enough.

Cute + Cute + Head-patting = Awwwww

Azusa: WTF I thought I was joining BECK 性転換!

Azusa: I didn’t come here to ~~listen to airport music~~ eat cake!

Time to pull off the next achievement on the way to Azusa Master. Let’s see if I can make her drink through her nose.

Come to think of it, Mio has been fairly ineffectual as the "voice of reason" within the band; she may have the good intentions, but she just doesn’t have the force of personality to see things through like Kagami does. I bet she’s relieved that she has at least one ally now for her intentions of getting the other girls to shape up.

In any case, Azusa has pretty much become the in-universe manifestation of the critics who have griped about K-ON not being as focused on the music as they expected. Which is not without merit, really; the girls are simply too (don’t say lazy) relaxed to do much of anything meaningful, and Mio didn’t have what it takes to give them the boot in the rear they so desperately needed.

Like so.

The Temptation of Nakano Azusa

Taking Azusa as the independent variable, and using cake as the dependent variable, the experiment was conducted as follows; cake was brought into closer proximity to Azusa in the first phase, and cake was removed from close proximity to Azusa in the second phase. The results are as follows: Azusa radiated an increasing amount of shiawase in the first phase, while radiating an increasing amount of zetsubou in the second phase. The conclusion of the experiment is that the amount of shiawase and zetsubou radiated by the independent variable Azusa is directly correlated with the proximity of the dependent variable cake. The weakness of this experiment is in the absence of a control factor; future experiments might consider the usage of different types of dependent variables.

Apparently, in her quest to become "wilder" and "wilder", Sawa-chan has somehow mastered the art of the Satsui no Hadou, and particularly the Shun Goku Satsu.

Moé moé kyun nyaa~!

Of course, Mio ain’t surrendering the throne of moé without a fight. Nyaa~!

….although retaining said throne may just prove a little harder than expected. Not if the continuing efforts of her fellow band members to ‘tame’ the latest addition to their group is anything to go by. Poor Azusa is definitely being progressively broken by the depredations of the girls.

Where did Ritsu get that drawing of her from?

Uguu~

Sometimes, you just get these kind of characters who’s apparently able to play almost wholly by ear, despite having no formal training or even any ability to read musical notation, let alone recognize them. And yet, they can play a whole lot better than many people so formally-trained; they exist even in real life, I should know. It’s pretty clear that what Yui has is perfect pitch; what I would do to have that kind of ability.

Mio: Azusa, you once asked me why I stuck with this band, right?
Azusa: Yes, I did….

Mio: You saw that we’re not all that serious about this. That we spend more time fooling around than doing any actual practice. And it’s true. And that’s why you’re so upset, isn’t it? You couldn’t understand.

Mio: But you see….it’s because it’s fun to play with them.
Azusa: ….fun?

Mio: Yep. Be it practising or just doing stuff, we may not be serious about it, but I can’t deny it’s been fun.
Mio: And it’ll continue to be fun as long as it lasts. And that one day, we’ll wish that this can last forever.

Mio: That’s why when we’re together, when we’re practising or just fooling around, they’re all memories we treasure.
Mio: Our feelings for each other may have been light at the beginning, but it’s moments like this that’s the reason why our passion grows. Staplers aren’t enough to keep our passion for these moments together anymore.

Mio: That is why, Azusa. Even though we slack off a little at times….

Mio: …..okay, a little too much at times…..

Mio: ….still, it’s been all worth it, and it’ll only get better from here.
Mio: So come, Azusa! Come and make more memories with us, together!

I couldn’t have said it better. Indeed, there’s more and only better to come, so let’s continue to make more memories with these girls, memories we’ll treasure. Ascaloth, out.

Popularity: 9% [?]

7 Responses to “[Ascaloth] K-ON!, Episode 9”

Feed for this Entry Trackback Address

1 Hypernova 22 comments May 30th, 2009 at 2:45 am

Umm, anyone notice that they did not only add Azusa in the video, but also audio in the op as well? There is clearly one more guitar sound. The easiest place to notice is when the scene change from Yui to Ritsu focus sequence. Or am I wrong?

You forgot to mention in the experiment that it’s repeatable, another important fact

Somehow, the transition to the last “serious” part of this episode remind me of the Kanata moment in Lucky*Star 22, though I feel it’s not as smooth.
2 Sniperk 9 comments May 30th, 2009 at 5:18 am

It is just me or did KyoAni got “lazy” on the op. Azusa feels completely “pasted” on the screen, and every time she appears playing she has the same four body movements.
3 DuskL 1 comment May 30th, 2009 at 11:32 am

@Hypernova:

There definitely does seem to be an extra guitar part at around 50 seconds in to the song. As for the serious part of the episode, I was unable to feel anything. Not that it wasn’t touching but because I was expecting some kind of funny thing to happen that would completely ruin the moment that tends to happen in these types of anime.

@Sniperk:

I agree. I wanted her to be shown in the other scenes as well but it seems like kyoani didn’t think it was worth the trouble. Oh well, at least they included a little of her and her playing into it instead of just leaving the opening as it was.
4 Tremere 28 comments May 30th, 2009 at 11:40 am

Perhaps its a placeholder for a real change in the OP and ED? She wasn’t in “Don’t say lazy”.
5 OnyxSyaoran 19 comments May 30th, 2009 at 12:04 pm

Yeah tremere is right i was expecting her to appear there but the Neko-mimi scene was just like the manga =D but still i dont feel that the are portraying Asu-nyan as she was in the manga she is lacking something :/
6 Kherubim 32 comments May 30th, 2009 at 4:50 pm

Azu-nyan is so glompable…. Omochikaeri!!!
7 AK 31 comments Jun 13th, 2009 at 12:42 am

Needs .gif image of the yui toss. TT_TT I am lacking in moesome humour.

Do not use any < and > for your own sake. It will end the comment there and then. Also, there is an automatic IQ filter which weeds out comments made by those who accidentally got transported from the stone age.

Search

Featured Feeds

dannychoo.com - dannychoo.com - Your portal to Japan

HappySoda

Ramblings of DarkMirage

Sankaku Complex

THAT Animeblog

The FØØL's Progress

Latest

Related Entries

Counter

17 currently online

88 maximum concurrent

4227725 total visitors

Riuva : Research Institute for Unicultural Visual Arts