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"New Club Member!"
New Club Member!
新入部員!
Shinnyuu Buin!
Season 1
Episode 9
Japanese air date May 21, 2009
Previous Freshman Reception!
Next Another Training Camp!


K-ON! episode #9

Summary

Azusa Nakano joins the Light Music Club but feels that the group is too laid back and relaxed, so her continued membership of the club is at risk.

Plot

Azusa new in the club

Azusa's first time in the club

Azusa Nakano joins the Light Music Club and is gladly welcomed. Yui Hirasawa, Ritsu Tainaka and Tsumugi Kotobuki are very happy about her admission, and they hassle her with many questions at once, forcing Mio Akiyama to stop them.

Azusas talent

The club being overwhelmed by Azusa's talent

After her official introduction, Azusa asks Yui to look after her as her senior, calling her "Yui-senpai", much to Yui's delight. When the group asks Azusa to show her skills at playing the guitar, it is revealed that she is on a completely different level from Yui. Unwilling to destroy her image as the more talented senior, Yui tries to remain unimpressed by Azusa's performance, in contrast to the open admiration and astonishment of the other three members. As Azusa asks Yui to play for her, she avoids it by faking a back injury, leading Ritsu to throw her out of the way, bugged by her behaviour. Azusa gives the official club application to Ritsu, which Ritsu accepts immediately. As Azusa leaves the room, Yui worriedly asks what she's going to do and Ritsu and Mio tell her to start practicing.

Azusa snaps

Azusa snaps.

The next day, Azusa enters the clubroom looking forward to playing music with the others. Upon seeing the others enjoying tea and chatting, she is surprised and concerned by the lax atmosphere of the club. As the teacher Sawako Yamanaka shows up, Azusa feels that they have been caught red-handed and tries to apologize to her. Sawako, however, naturally approves of the tea break, stunning Azusa. As no member shows any intention of playing music, Azusa misunderstands it as a test of her self-initiative. She tries to play her guitar, but Sawako brutally silences her because she wanted to drink her tea in peace. Ritsu scolds Sawako and Mio apologises to Azusa, but she snaps and berates the club furiously for their lethargy until Yui calms her down by petting her. Mio tells the others to take Azusa's complaints seriously and start practicing the next time.

Sawako accepts death

Sawako's blessedness

As Azusa enters the room again the next day, she catches Yui, Mugi and Ritsu doing nothing again, and they nervously correct themslves. Though they attempt to practice, it's quickly made apparent that Yui is too tired to play her guitar until Tsumugi feeds her cake. Yui makes Azusa eat some too and they discover that Azusa actually loves eating sweets as much as the rest of the band does. Meanwhile, Sawako laments over no longer being able to drink tea in the clubroom anymore as she makes her way there, and is both angry and happy upon learning that the club did not get rid of their tea set.

Azu-nyan debut

Azusa gets her nickname.

After Azusa reveals a bit more about herself, Sawako gives her cat ears as a present. At first, she struggles to avoid wearing them, but the club finally convinces her. With the exception of Mio, the other members think the ears suit Azusa fantastically and Yui gives Azusa her new nickname, "Azu-nyan".

Party for azusa

Azusa's welcoming party

Mio notices that the longer Azusa stays in the club, the more she starts to be treated like the club's new pet rather than a new member. Mio brings the topic up in front of the other original members, and warns them of the possibility of Azusa leaving the club. To prevent this, Ritsu decides to throw a welcoming party for Azusa, but everybody quickly starts to treat her the same way again, ruining the point of the party. Finally having had enough, Mio scolds the entire club in front of Azusa for their behavior.

Yui defeated

Yui begs Azusa for help.

The next day, the club decides to finally start being serious about practice. Because of this, Yui can't hold her image as a skilled guitar player any longer, so she accepts defeat and begs Azusa to teach her how to play guitar. After a short, unsuccessful practice, the good will fades and Azusa decides that she does not fit in and cannot stay in the club.

Azusa searching for other bands

Azusa in search of other bands to join

Over the next few weeks, Azusa searches for other bands to join, but no band has what she is searching for, no matter how talented they are. The more time passes, the more desperate and confounded she becomes over not being able to find a band that captures her attention the way the Light Music Club did.

The LMC's secret

Friendship is the secret behind the club's music.

Some time later, the original Light Music Club members reflect on Azusa's recent lack of attendance and worry that she may never come back. Azusa chooses this time to return to the club, fighting tears and asking them what the secret is that caused their music to sound good enough to enthrall her despite the club members being lazy and not very talented. As an answer, Ritsu proposes playing for Azusa to show her the secret. After their impromptu and imperfect performance, Mio explains the answer to her in detail. Impressive skills or talents are not necessary to enjoy their time in their band; The fact that all of the band members are such good friends is what makes them sound good together. Azusa, amazed by that explanation, joins the club permanently.

Trivia

  • Azusa's solo at the beginning of the episode cuts to an illustrated version of an image of Jimmy Page and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin playing at Earl's Court in London on May 24, 1975. This is because her solo is based on two Zeppelin songs, "Whole Lotta Love" and "Communication Breakdown".
  • Differences from the Manga:
    • In this episode, Azusa is asked a lot of questions by Yui, Tsumugi and Ritsu. In the manga, only Yui and Ritsu were the ones asking her questions.
    • In the manga, when coming back to the club room and being shown the cat ears, Azusa and the rest of the club were wearing their school sweaters. In this episode, they were only wearing their regular school uniforms.

BGM

  1. Genki! - Intro
  2. 15-sai No March - Azusa officially joins
  3. Happy Languidness - Tea instead of practice
  4. Jajauma 3-nin Musume - Azusa loses it
  5. The Other Side Of Evening Sun - Azusa is worried because she got mad
  6. Kawaii Inbou - Azusa and the cake
  7. Cotton Candy - More snacks
  8. Pinch Daisuki! - The cat ears
  9. My Hometown Where It Snows - Mio is jealous of Azusa, according to her inner Ritsu voice
  10. Crêpe Wa Ikaga? - Ice cream
  11. Doki Doki Friday Night - Picnic
  12. Reason That Doesn't Develop - Band meeting
  13. Patrol Of Stroll - No practice after all
  14. Hesitation - Azusa goes to a show, and considers quitting the club

Extra

  1. Azusa no Udemae Hirou 1 - Azusa showcases her skills to the club members (in universe)
  2. Azusa no Udemae Hirou 2 - Azusa plays to see who plays lead guitar (in universe)

Gallery


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