K-On! Volume 2 follows on where the previous volume left off with Yui, Ritsu, Mio and Mugi practising hard for their first concert. The girls are working towards their first performance at the annual school festival and request help from their teacher Ms. Yamanaka when they discover that she was once a previous member of the school’s Light Music Club. However, the girls get more than they bargain for as they reveal a side to Ms. Yamanaka that they never knew existed!

K-On! Volume 2 re-confirms everything that Volume 1 made you suspect; this is an adorable series with endearing and loveable characters that has real crossover appeal despite its rather cutesy and girly appearance.

While the first volume laid the foundation that the series is built on, this volume really makes sure you’re staying for the long run. The plot develops magnificently and each character is drawn upon to great effect. More is revealed about each character and they’re all made incredibly believable and more importantly, relatable.

Yui finally begins to develop as a guitarist and allows the band to actually enjoy their first performance. This is the real highlight of the volume and the execution is brilliantly stylish. As the band begins to play, the scene cuts to Mio’s imagination. The song they perform is then displayed as a music video displaying the band as accomplished musicians with their own outfits. It’s a wonderfully dreamy sequence that stands out as a great visual metaphor for the band’s achievements thus far.

Animation is suitably top notch throughout this volume and continues the trend of fluid, almost rotoscoped animation for the more realistic and down-to-Earth moments in the series. This is juxtaposed with wacky, cartoony animation in the more light-hearted scenes such as when Mio gets unnecessarily scared over the most insignificant things. This works well with the series’ more family orientated tone and plays directly into its strengths.

Audio greatly improves over the first volume as well. While the incidental music is still minimalist and somewhat childish, this actually helps put emphasis on the band’s big performance and makes the song they play really stand out. K-On! does so much to make its characters’ achievements special for the viewer. The performance genuinely gives you an emotional connection with the band as all their hard work pays off.

The English dub is very consistent and well acted. In the first volume, Yui’s voice felt a little forced and ‘too cute’. Stephanie Sheh actually does a considerably better job of making Yui sound more like a child and less like an adult doing a child’s voice in this series and it makes the character much more believable. In fact, all the voice actors are on top form in regards to this volume and generally make the entire experience feel completely natural to watch.

K-On! has definitely hit its stride in this second volume. The series may put off viewers looking for something more adult, but you’d be doing yourself a massive disservice. K-On! is a series for all the family to enjoy, especially anyone who has ever had any experience in a band or generally playing an instrument.

Label: Manga Entertainment
Release date: 14th November 2011
Release type: DVD
Certificate: PG
Price: £17.99