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K-On!

K-On! is a Japanese four-panel manga series written and illustrated by Kakifly.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 27, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

K-On! is a Japanese four-panel manga series written and illustrated by Kakifly. The story follows a group of high school girls who join their school's light music club. The manga was adapted into an anime television series by Kyoto Animation, with two seasons and a feature film. The manga was licensed in North America by Yen Press, making it available to Canadian readers.

Premise

K-On! follows four high school girls who join the light music club at their school. The club serves as the setting for a comedy-focused slice-of-life story about friendship, music, and everyday school life.

Manga publication

The series is a four-panel manga written and illustrated by Kakifly. It first ran from 2007 to 2010, then relaunched in 2011 and continued until 2012 across Houbunsha's Manga Time Kirara and Manga Time Kirara Carat magazines.

Anime adaptation

Kyoto Animation produced the anime adaptation of K-On!. The first season, consisting of 13 episodes, aired in 2009, followed by an OVA in January 2010. The second season, K-On!!, aired in 2010 and ran for 26 episodes, with an OVA released in 2011.

The franchise expanded beyond the main manga and anime with a feature film and the spin-off manga K-On! Shuffle. The spin-off began serialization in July 2018 and features a different band of high school girls.

Key facts

  • The original manga was serialized from 2007 to 2012 in Houbunsha's Manga Time Kirara magazines.
  • The story centers on four high school girls who join the light music club to prevent it from being disbanded.
  • The anime adaptation by Kyoto Animation includes a 13-episode first season and a 26-episode second season, plus OVAs.
  • A spin-off manga, K-On! Shuffle, began serialization in 2018 and follows a different band of girls.
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Canadian context

K-On! was licensed in North America by Yen Press, making the manga available to Canadian readers through the English-language market.[1]

Frequently asked questions

What is K-On!?
K-On! is a Japanese four-panel manga by Kakifly about high school girls in a light music club.
Who created K-On!?
K-On! was written and illustrated by Kakifly.
When did the manga run?
The manga originally ran from 2007 to 2010, then relaunched from 2011 to 2012.
Was K-On! adapted into an anime?
Yes. Kyoto Animation produced a 13-episode first season in 2009 and a 26-episode second season, K-On!!, in 2010.
What is K-On! about?
It follows four girls who join their school's light music club to help keep it from being shut down.
Is there a spin-off?
Yes. K-On! Shuffle began serialization in 2018 and follows a different band of high school girls.

References

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-On!
    Supports: Manga creator, publication history, premise, North American license, and spin-off manga.
  2. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-On!!
    Supports: Second anime season details, production studio, episode count, and airing dates.