k-On! is one of those anime that combines all feel-good factors. Produced by KyoAni, K-On! tells the tale of three high schoolers, Ritsu, Mio, and Tsumugi reviving the glory of their school's Light Music Club. They will do absolutely anything in their might to achieve their goal, including hire a rookie to play the guitar! As diabolic as that sounds, once Hirasawa Yui is taken in, she does a bloody good job out of it.
The four girls work day in and out, battling issues at school to get their club started. Each of the girls has a peculiarity, which makes her different. When they work as one, you can't help but root for them.
K-On! is a musical comedy that puts you in a great mood. There are similar anime from 'slice of life', a musical genre that will put you in a good mood. Here is our compilation of the best ten.
10 A-CHANNEL (2011)
A-Channel is the tale of Tooru and Run who have been friends since the very beginning. Although the plot doesn't break new ground with an overused girl-gang setting. But atleast, slice of life, Seinen and comedy factors warm your heart like K-On! does. Run is a ditzy character at most, overprotective of her best friend Tooru. Joining the girl gang, are the two characters Yuki and Nagi also centered around Tooru. A-Channel finds a place on the list because just like K-On! it is an easy watch.
9 SOUND OF THE SKY (2010)
Don't let the military visuals deter you from watching Sound of the Sky, for it is more than that. Besides the sci-fi and military genre, it is about music and slice of life, too. A solider in the Helvetia army camp, Kanata Sorami, wants to learn the bugle. Sergeant Major Rio Kazumiya mentors her. In the process, it's truly magical to see a bugle club emerge in the army. Other soldiers unfettered by the ill effects of war are Noël, and Kureha. All three are led by their musical mentors Major Rio and Captain Felicia. Before you know it, heavenly sounds start coming out of base camp.
Sound of the Sky deserves all praise for the portrayal of the human side of the army. The sound and the art style in particular, will take you back to K-On!
8 YURU YURI (2011)
A thoroughly eccentric comedy, Yuru Yuri is the tale of school kids, with the club-revival theme, of course. It begins as Akari Akaza meets middle-school girls, Yui, and Kyouko who have set up an amusement club. From there on, it is about a couple of schoolgirls who fawn over tea and have fun. Do not look for more than the plot claims. You can watch Yuru Yuri for heartwarming moments, comedy and amusement.
7 TARI TARI (2012)
Another music, slice of life and comedy anime, Tari Tari is quite similar to K-On! For starters, it tells the tale of Konatsu Miyamoto, a high schooler who wants nothing next to singing in her high school club. But that sadly can't happen since she's barred by her vice principal due to a previous year's mishap.
Konatsu in her stead takes a u-turn, she forms her own singing club to vent out. Set on a difficult path, Konatsu is joined by Wakana Sakai in her endeavor. A standard coming of age musical anime, Tari Tari is an easy choice.
6 HIBIKE! EUPHONIUM!/SOUND EUPHONIUM, (2015)
Kumiko Oumae, now a high schooler has given up on her euphonium passion due to a mishap in middle school. Years later, she finds herself surrounded by people with a passion for brass band. Together they start the Kitauji High School band. With tubist Hazuki, contrabassist Kawashima, euphonist Asuka, trombonist Tsukamoto, and trumpeter Kousaka, the band must figure a way to win the national Kansai Band Competition.
Music, drama, and school; these three elements in Hibike reckon with K-On!
5 THE MELANCHOLY OF HARUHI SUZUMIYA (2006)
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is about a slightly different high school club: supernatural. Belonging to comedy, mystery, slice of life and sci-fi genre, this anime originally aired in a nonlinear fashion. But once you get hold of the chronological order, it makes for a pretty decent watch.
It tells the tale of Haruhi Suzumiya who possesses reality-altering powers. Her main interests lay in meeting aliens and time travelers, so she ends up forming the SOS Brigade. She's joined by fellows Kyon, Yuki, Itsuki and Mikuru in her outlandish adventures.
4 AMAGI BRILLIANT PARK (2014)
Amagi Brilliant Park just like K-On! is KyoAni's brainchild. The anime is centered around outlandish creatures who have set up an amusement park on Earth. Just when things are going good, the team realizes they don't meet sufficient grounds to break even with the owner of the theme park.
Enter: Kanie Seiya who is thoroughly impressed by theme park and it's Maple Landers. She decides to save the park from being permanently shut down. Truly heartwarming like K-On!, it's worth a watch.
3 LOVE LIVE! SCHOOL IDOL PROJECT (2013)
Consider Love Live! School Idol Project and K-On! two sides to the same coin. Love Live! offers the same slice of life, music and school genres, albeit in a different setting. It tells the tale of Otonokizaka High School that is about to be shut down due to a lack of applicants. Determined to change her school's status, Kousaka Honoka decides to form an idol group. Her plan is to lure more students into joining the club by means of the idol group. The girl-gang of nine doesn't give up in the face of adversities, especially student council president Eri Ayase.
Watch this idol anime for its outstanding artwork and peppy characters.
2 CLANNAD (2007-2008)
Clannad belongs to all genres. It is a slice of life, comedy, drama, romance anime. It tells the tale of Tomoya Okazaki and someone he just met, Furukawa Nagisa. It may not be a musical anime, but the battle is quite similar; to restart Tomoyo's school drama club.
A loner and an underperformer, Tomoya is a couldn't care any less about his school life. Until one day, he meets Furukawa who turns his life upside down. Furukawa wants to revive the Theatre Club at school more than she wants to live. Next, you know, Tomoya has joined her cause.
Despite the unrealistic characters, the redeeming quality lies in Clannad's emotional plot.
1 FREE! IWATOBI SWIM CLUB (2013)
Free! Iwatobi Swim Club is a slice of life anime with the old-friendship-gone-wrong theme. It tells the tale of four elementary schoolers; Haruka, Rin, Nagisa, and Makoto who compete and triumph at a relay race. Soon after, they separate ways, Rin goes to a middle school in Australia, others stay back and the group is disbanded.
Until one day, Haruka, Makoto, and Nagisa cross paths again (bit tropey) and decide to revive the Iwatobi Swim Club. They are joined in the adventure by Rei, another swimmer feller. And then, Rin enters the scene. Turns out, he isn't over the cliquey crap, still. The swim club treads on an arduous journey to battle against Rin.