Until recently, I'd fallen out of love with anime. By the recommendation of a friend, I dug up the first few episodes of "Keion!", and was hooked immediately.
It may seem a little odd from an outsider perspective, but the first thing I said to the friend who recommended it to me was "Finally, a decent anime that isn't all about sex!" We both had a good laugh, but it was the truth. There seem to be far too many out there that grab the attention of male viewers purely through a generous helping of T&A and a mild smattering of girls in bunny-suits to seal the deal. "Keion!" does it with well-timed humor and fantastic character and story development. I'm a sucker for both; so, on this level, "Keion!" truly earns its place. There are, of course, the blatantly silly moments in which slapstick is the driving force; but there are some truly moving moments as well. I'm not embarrassed to say that there were tears. The characters become so real and tangible that one cannot help but feel for them through both happy and emotionally moving moments. By the time I'd reached episode 24 of season two, 'Graduation Ceremony!', I was truly sad knowing that the end of the series was very close at hand.
The story revolves around four, and later five, main characters. All are members of the Light Music Club and a band named Hokago Teatime (Eng: After School Tea Time.) They are: Hirasawa Yui, the klutzy, forgetful, kawaii lead guitarist and vocalist of Hokago Teatime; Tainaka Ritsu (Ricchan), their somewhat masculine drummer; shy, studious, but talented bassist and sometimes lead + backup singer Akiyama Mio; Kotobuki Tsumugi (Mugi), their easily impressed, and seemingly very wealthy keyboardist; and second guitarist Nakano Azusa (Azu-nyan!), who joins the Light Music Club after being awestruck by a performance at the freshman welcoming. Secondary characters include Yui's sister Ui; their teacher and club supervisor, Yamanaka Sawako sensei (Sawa-chan!); and Manabe Nodoka, a close childhood friend of Yui as well as the student council president. As it happens, on numerous occasions; Nodoka serves as benefactor (or sometimes savior) of the Light Music Club in matters ranging from stage time to club registration, which otherwise would result in disaster. Sawako, a former member of the Light Music Club herself, plays several roles throughout the show's progression. Most of the time, she is simply their teacher and club supervisor. Other times, she is a personal tailor to the band, whether they want it or not; creating clothing of rather questionable style, or appropriateness. Still, other times, she serves as the band's ambassador to the music world; supporting their ambitions and even taking them to a summer musical festival. Not to be forgotten is Yui's younger sibling, Ui; the more responsible, sensible and down-to-earth of the Hirasawa sisters.
The animation style is, as stated in the summary of this review, beautiful. I'm one of those people who will look at a show and, regardless of the depth of story, potentially discard it simply based on appearances. This holds true for animated, live action, and CG alike. To quantify this; I'm sure most will agree that Dreamworks will never measure up to Pixar in the CG department. I feel the same way about anime. From the obviously well crafted background painting to something as simple as transitions between expressions, Kyoto Studios seem to have outdone themselves.
Sound is a big thing for me as well. This isn't limited to just music. I find that a lot of animated shows leave me wanting for depth, but it's notoriously hard to place. Sometimes all you need to make a dialogue feel a little more natural is to have some ambient background noise; whether it's the rustling of clothing or a busy city street. Again, "Keion!" hits that mark for me. The obvious entry for this segment, however, should be the rather extensive and somewhat intimidating soundtrack procured for the series. Spanning several released albums, including individual character releases and instrumental versions of some of the show's more popular tracks, "Keion!'s" music collection is something every fan of the show should listen to. Not only does it serve as background for certain scenes, but the performances of the After School Tea Time band really caught my attention. Notable tracks from the show would be Fuwafuwa Time, Fudepen - Ballpen, and my personal favorite Watashi no Koi ha Hocchikisu (Eng: My Love is a Stapler). Lesser acknowledged, of course, will be the supporting soundtrack which serves very well to accentuate the wide range of emotions in the series.
Some critics and self-proclaimed 'anime-purists' may cite the series as being to slowly paced, predictable, and having little plot or purpose, but I think that's what gives the series its charm. It follows five girls through their career in high school as they make friends and memories they will take with them for the rest of their lives. There's something special to be said about a series that can grab your attention and hold it for 40 episodes, banking only on the viewer's attachment to 5 fictional girls' very realistic personalities and adventures.
To quote the friend who introduced me to this wonderful show; "It's sometimes the shortest series that are the best." Shows like Dragonball (Z & GT), Bleach, Naruto, and Inuyasha are extremely lengthy and have MASSIVE fanbases; yet I feel no passion for them. They seem overdrawn, oversaturated, and overrated. The plot gets lost in the almost endless fighting scenes or massive (and sometimes painful) spaces between story arcs. The other extreme, I would say, are shows in the vein of Tenchi Muyo which make up for what they lack in length by retelling the exact same story whilst modifying the backdrop a bit.
It's said that it's the brightest star that shines only half as long; that's how I feel about "Keion!".
