The TV anime series ended in 2010, but even after the broadcast ended, "K-ON!" continued to have an impact, with films being made, and various events and collaborations being planned.
It has teamed up with many companies, regions, and products, and has constantly inspired "K-ON!" fans, so it's no exaggeration to say that it has had a major impact on society as well.
We'll be introducing the many collaborations that "K-ON!" has undertaken so far, so be sure to read to the end.
It has collaborated with Lawson three times!
Source: K-ON! © Kakifly, Houbunsha / Sakura High School Light Music Club
K-ON! has held three collaboration events with the nationwide convenience store chain Lawson in the past, selling original merchandise and distributing limited edition goods.
One of the most notable collaborations was the "K-ON!" event at Lawson and HMV. One of the most notable features was that when you purchased the Blu-ray and DVD series of "K-ON!", you would receive a special standing POP as an original merchandise.
In addition, original pedometers featuring designs of Hirasawa Yui and other characters were sold on a made-to-order basis, and there was also a great campaign where you could receive an original clear file with the purchase of designated products.
In addition, a "K-ON!" lottery was sold exclusively at Lawson, and many fans frequented their local Lawson.
Collaboration with the popular "Karaage-kun" product ♪
Source: K-ON! © Kakifly, Houbunsha/Sakura High School Light Music Club
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Lawson's popular product "Karaage-kun," a collaboration with "K-ON!" In collaboration with "K-ON!", they prepared five flavors that best fit the image of After School Tea Time and held a vote. The flavor with the most votes would be sold as a limited-time product.
The proposed flavors were "Curry," "Barbecue," "Yuzu Pepper," "Black Pepper," and "Consommé."
The "Curry" flavor was ultimately selected by vote, and "Karaage-kun Curry Flavor" was sold at Lawson convenience stores nationwide as a limited-time product.
Collaborations with Restaurants and Drinks!
As "K-ON!" has grown in popularity, it has collaborated not only with companies but also with products, driving many fans wild.
K-ON! has collaborated with restaurants and drinks in the past, but what kind of projects have they implemented?
At one point, it was so popular that every store ran out of stock, so try this out to get a sense of the impact it had.
Jurokucha
Source: K-ON! © Kakifly, Houbunsha / Sakura High School Light Music Club
Asahi Soft Drinks' "Jurokucha" and "K-ON!" collaboration campaign included a character strap with every product purchase.
There were five types of straps available: Hirasawa Yui, Akiyama Mio, Tainaka Ritsu, Kotobuki Tsumugi, and Nakano Azusa, and they were designed so that the character inside could be seen, but in some stores, the Jurokuchas disappeared from the shelves as soon as they were put on display.
The character straps feature a deformed, two-headed design of each character, and it's still fresh in our memory that many fans collected all of them and attached them to their bags.
The campaign was held at many convenience stores, including Lawson and 7-Eleven, so it's likely that most "K-ON!" fans were able to get their hands on some limited edition merchandise.
Denny's
Source: K-ON! © Kakifly, Houbunsha / Sakura High School Light Music Club
The family restaurant "Denny's" has collaborated with "K-ON!" to offer a collaborative dessert using seasonal fruits.
Specifically, the menu included a "Peach Mille-feuille Pie" and a "Fresh Peach and Milk Pudding Soup," which was surely a must-try for peach lovers.
These items were prominently displayed not only on each table in the store, but also on promotional posters in front of the entrance, so fans who happened to be passing by were sure to stop by without even thinking about it.
Tokai Pickles
Source: K-ON! © Kakifry, Houbunsha/Sakura High School Light Music Club
Tokai Pickles, known for their "Kyu-chan Cucumber" snacks, has collaborated with "K-ON!" to sell pickled radishes.
The reason why pickled radish was sold as a collaboration product was because "K-ON!" features a joke about Tsumugi Kotobuki's eyebrows resembling pickled radishes, leading to the product being sold under the product name "Mugi-chan's Eyebrow Pickled Radish."
It was a shocking collaboration, but the collaboration product has been sold in supermarkets nationwide, and its special packaging makes it even more visually impactful.
Yui Hirasawa and Ritsu Tainaka, even in their dreams, tasted Tsumugi Kotobuki's eyebrows and exclaimed, "Delicious!" But what's the reality?
Some people may have been intimidated by "Mugi-chan's eyebrows..." and couldn't bring themselves to eat them.
Collaboration with a Railway Company!
"K-ON!" has a history of collaborations with transportation companies, including decorated trains and the sale of commemorative tickets, which have attracted many fans as part of their pilgrimages to popular locations.
Let's take a look at what kind of collaboration project was actually taking place.
Pilgrimages to "K-ON!" locations are still popular, and you can stop by here as part of that journey, so be sure to check it out.
Omi Electric Railway
Omi Electric Railway is home to Toyosato Station, the closest station to Toyosato Elementary School, the model for Sakuragaoka High School, where the members of After School Tea Time attend. Many fans use the station on weekends and holidays for pilgrimages to the anime's holy land.
In 2011, station signs featuring K-ON! characters were produced, a full-scale collaboration project was held, and commemorative tickets were also sold.
When you get off at Toyosato Station, you'll see the exact same scenery as the school route that Hirasawa Yui and her friends walked, giving you the illusion of having wandered into the world of K-ON!.
Eizan Electric Railway
Source: K-ON! © Kakifly, Houbunsha / Sakura High School Light Music Club
Eizan Electric Railway participated in the promotional efforts for the "K-ON! The Movie," and the interior of an Eizan Electric Railway train is depicted in the film.
Furthermore, prior to the film's release, commemorative tickets featuring characters were sold, and specially wrapped trains decorated with "K-ON! the Movie" designs were also in operation.
This collaboration has also led to further collaborations with other works from the "Manga Time Kirara" series, in which "K-ON!" was serialized.
Keihan Electric Railway
Source: K-ON! © Kakifly, Houbunsha / Sakura High School Light Music Club
Keihan Electric Railway was one of the most ambitious train collaboration projects.
The exterior was fully wrapped in "K-ON!" Not only do the characters from the series feature large designs, but the interior of the train is also decorated to resemble the interior of Sakuragaoka High School, with scenes and lines from the anime sprinkled throughout.
K-ON!-wrapped trains will run on the Keihan Electric Railway Otsu Line, and commemorative tickets will be sold during the event, making this a collaboration not to be missed by K-ON! fans.
Collaboration with a Popular Smartphone Game Even After the Broadcast Ends!
K-ON! was undoubtedly a hugely popular anime series at the time, with the TV anime series ending in 2010 and a movie version released in December 2011.
Despite the end of the broadcast and the end of the manga serialization, K-ON!'s popularity remains undiminished, leading to collaboration events with the smartphone game.
Let's take a look at the smartphone game that collaborated with the captivating K-ON!
My Princess is the Cutest
Source: K-ON! © Kakifly, Houbunsha / Sakura High School Light Music Club
CyberAgent's smartphone game "My Princess is the Cutest" features characters from "K-ON!" An event was held in which all players who logged into the game were given the gift of Hirasawa Yui and Nakano Azusa from "K-ON!".
In addition, a special quest was available for a limited time during the collaboration, and completing it would grant players an additional Hirasawa Yui.
Of course, "K-ON!" also appeared in the limited-time gacha event, where a total of eight characters, including the members of After School Tea Time, Hirasawa Ui, Manabe Nodoka, and Yamanaka Sawako, were available to obtain as princesses.
Divine Gate Zero
Source: K-ON! © Kakifly, Houbunsha / Sakura High School Light Music Club
GungHo's smartphone game "Divine Gate Zero" held a collaboration event where players could obtain limited-edition units featuring members of After School Tea Time.
Since this event allowed players to obtain members in both uniforms and furisode kimonos, K-ON! fans who play Divine Gate were likely engrossed in the action.
Additionally, clearing the collaboration quest also gave players the opportunity to receive an event-exclusive unit featuring Nakano Azusa, which was great news for first-time players.
Maybe the K-ON! collaboration will continue in the future?
Source: K-ON! © Kakifly, Houbunsha/Sakura High School Light Music Club
Even after the anime ended, K-ON! has continued to engage in various tie-ups and collaborations. Even in 2017, a tie-up with a smartphone game proved that its popularity is still going strong.
There's a good chance that various collaboration projects will continue to be carried out in the future, so it's probably best to keep an eye on developments with K-ON! for now.
While it's no longer possible to experience past collaborations, you can get a feel for the excitement surrounding K-ON! at the time from the projects that were carried out, and prepare for the next event.
