Well this show turned out to be an even closer twin to K-ON! than I was expecting. There’s still a focus on music and the cast carries an uncanny resemblance to our favorite Light Music Club from Autumn season.
OP: “Hikari no Senritsu” by Kalafina
The OP sounded familiar to me, and surprising enough it a Yuki Kajiura (of See-Saw and FictionJunction fame) composition. It’s not hard to identify her melodic style. Hikari no Senritsu” has already become one of my favorite themes of the season so far.
Meet Yui...err I mean Kanata, a clumsy, earnest girl who just explained her reason for joining the military (I guess they’re a bit short on music clubs).
Kanata looks so out of place initially, surrounded by a military full of able-bodied young men, and she’s this girl who looks like she’s barely just entered high school. However she does have carry similar traits to her K-ON counterpart Yui. She seems to have some natural talent in being able to discern notes by ear, while also have a true desire to learn the trumpet, just like Yui has the determination to learn guitar.
OMG It’s Rio!
Rio is ascetically similar to Mio, except one might consider Rio an older, more mature Mio (physically and emotionally). She’s still a serious, focused individual that is not prone to the daydreaming or spacing out of Kanata. At the same time there’s a bit of fun to her character, and she’s still made to do things outside her comfort zone (see the pulling papers in the OP, or how the captain rigged it so Rio would play the main role in the maiden festival). I can’t help but get the feeling there’s a hidden tragic past though.
Sawako? Mugi?
Although I initially saw Sawako here (must be the glasses), I can see how Captain Felicia is a Mugi clone. She exemplifies the same sort of laid-back, patient aura. She is also seems to be the motherly figure for the group.
I didn’t pay much attention to the rest of the group as of now. The loud girl has a familiar sounding voice I didn’t catch her character and the quiet girl reminds me of Yuki from Haruhi.
The first episode production values are top-notch. Art and backgrounds look beautiful, and the colors are bright. The palette just pops, conveying a cheery and lively environment for all of Kanata’s antics. Animation was average, and I didn’t see much of it. The side views of the characters head seem to be disfigured, like their chins stick out a bit too much. However this is a minor point.
This is a minor pet-peeve. It happened more than once.
Sora no Woto’s cast has caught my interest. The story is still a work in progress, but I would like to see how Rio got a hold of that bell from Kanata’s past. At this point it looks like the Kanata’s going to work on becoming a big time trumpet player!
ED: “Girls, Be Ambitious.” by Haruka Tomatsu
The ED was much less distinctive than the OP, but it’s still mildly enjoyable. I liked Haruka Tomatsu’s work on the OP of Kannagi, and while this isn’t the same, it certainly wasn’t terrible. It’s bubbly, upbeat, and a fit for the show.
With Mio Rio screen-time, Sora no Woto is definitely on my radar. It is aptly an appetizer for K-ON’s second season. Let the adventures of the Light Music Platoon begin!
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