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"Leading Role!"
Leading Role!
主役!
Shuyaku!
Season 2
Episode 18
Japanese air date August 3, 2010
Previous No Club Room!
Next Romeo and Juliet!


K-ON!! Season 2 episode #18

Summary

Mio Akiyama and Ritsu Tainaka are nominated for the leading roles in their class' play Romeo and Juliet.

Plot

Mio Ritsu lead roles

With Sawako designing costumes, the two lead actresses fear for their lives.

For the school festival, Class 3-2 is organizing a production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and has just voted for Mio to play Romeo. Naturally, Mio is absolutely mortified by the idea of having to take on the leading male role and tries to object, but without any other volunteers, she can't escape it. Desperately, Mio tries to volunteer Ritsu for the role, who she thinks would suit it better. Ritsu deflects by mercilessly teasing Mio about having the lead role, and how she'll put scary makeup on Mio and film her entire performance. Ritsu then gets a massive shock when Nodoka informs her that she'll be playing Juliet, to which she too instantly objects, but is also unable to get anyone else to take the role. The class agrees that it's only natural for Ritsu to be Juliet if Mio is Romeo. As for other roles, Tsumugi is in charge of editing the script and also takes directorial duties, Sawako Yamanaka aptly volunteers to do the costumes, and Yui will be playing part of the set as Tree G.
Mugi the stage director

Tsumugi directing rehearsals.

In the clubroom, Mio and Ritsu are still shaken by their new roles, and Azusa can't help but laugh at their predicament. Mio can't seem to calm down, and gets even more anxious when Azusa tries to cheer her up by saying that she's looking forward to it. Mio desperately attempts to deny ever having the role, wanting to change schools, and then 'realizing' she was dreaming all along and that she doesn't have the role. Meanwhile, Yui's been getting into her role, practicing by standing perfectly still as any good tree would.

Ritsu does not like Shakespeare

Ritsu can't stand how cheesy the play is.

Class 3-2 jumps straight into the production, with lines being rehearsed, sets being built, and costumes being measured. Ritsu and Mio bring up Mio's stage fright to Nodoka, who actually manages to convince her to stick to the role for just a while, seeing as the class did vote her in for the role and they're all excited to see her performance as Romeo, though Ritsu suspects she was voted in just to be teased. Though Ritsu and Mio try to rehearse their lines, Ritsu can't get into the role and Mio is too nervous to recite her lines even in front of her classmates. When they try to redo the scene, Ritsu snaps, irritated with how cheesy the script is.

Mio needs to act boyish

Mio needs to act and dress boyishly.

At tea time in the clubroom, the two girls are exhausted. Yui suggests that Ritsu try to act more feminine and Mio try to be more masculine, at least until the production is over. Ritsu can't handle all the changes -- speaking like a lady, holding a tea cup properly, and worst of all tucking in her shirt. Likewise, Mio feels just as uncomfortable dressed in an unkempt manner. Mio thinks that it's best to just let the class know they can't take the role, but Ritsu, now extremely fed up with her classmates for teasing the two of them like this, drags Mio home to try another round of practice.

Ritsu's impersonation

Ritsu, pretending to be Mio, does a flawless impression of Juliet.

At her house, Ritsu tells her brother Satoshi Tainaka to keep away from her room since they're going to be rehearsing. He can't quite stay away, not after finding out that his sister is playing Juliet. Ritsu and Mio get straight to rehearsal, but both think that other just isn't getting the delivery of the lines right. They do, however, manage to memorize all of their lines. They make a breakthrough when they start to impersonate each other. As convoluted as it sounds, Ritsu starts to play Juliet as she believes Mio would, and Mio does the same, mimicking how she thinks Ritsu would play Romeo. Back at school, Ritsu pulls off her new rendition of Juliet well enough, but Mio is still riddled with nerves and can't act with the same strength or confidence she had the night before. Fortunately, Tsumugi has an idea to end Mio's stage fright - a special training session at a café.

Mio's first order

Mio fumbles her first order.

The entire Light Music Club also comes along to the café, which is owned by a friend of Tsumugi's family. As it's a very high class establishment, their uniform for the day is a maid's outfit. As they get ready, Tsumugi reveals that most of the expensive afternoon teas she brings are actually gifts from this very café. Mio is still anxious about having to serve complete strangers, but she tries to do her best since all of her friends came here to help her train specifically. While serving, Mio fuddles her words, creates awkward silences, and panics when she can't find a pen with which to write orders. After only her first order she's burned out and ready to quit.

Mio perfect smile

The pressure forces Mio into a perfect smile.

The other girls notice that even though Mio completely buckles when the spotlight is on her, she manages to play bass and even sing for the band's performances. They think that perhaps it's because there's no escape and she has no choice but to take the spotlight that she's able to handle band performances. To test this theory, they all take a break, leaving Mio as the sole waitress. It works just as expected - the pressure flips Mio into the ideal maid, complete with a perfect smile and shimmering confidence.

This confidence seems to last all the way to the next school day, though Mio insists that even though she's able to be waitress, she still has no chance of being able to act properly on stage. Despite her insistence that she can't do it, Mio and Ritsu double their rehearsal hours to make sure they get it perfect for the school festival. Meanwhile, Azusa grows concerned that, with everyone rehearsing for the play, their live performance will be jeopardized.

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