Series planned for digital and home video distribution

Sentai Filmworks announced on Tuesday that it has licensed the first season of the K-ON! television anime series. The company plans to release the series digitally and on home video.

The series was previously licensed by Bandai Entertainment in North America before it stopped releasing new titles in January 2012. Sentai Filmworks released K-ON! Season 2 and the film.

Sentai Filmworks describes the story:

Being late on the first day is exactly what you'd expect from Yui Hirasawa in her freshman year at Sakuragoaka Girl's High School. The number of clubs fighting over her to join up is decidedly unexpected, and Yui has no clue which club to join: she's not very athletic and knows next to nothing about the liberal arts, but she's determined to do SOMETHING this year. As luck would have it she discovers a flyer for the Light Music Club, and what she thinks will be a carefree ride down easy street suddenly gets turned up to 11 when she finds out that in order to join, she needs to actually learn to play an instrument! With the energetic drummer Ritsu, extra shy bassist Mio, and piano prodigy Tsumugi, it'll be easy to bring her skills up to speed before the Light Music Club gets the axe, but it may take a few licks to get these four new friends in sync and ready to rock!

The anime series based on kakifly's four-panel comedy manga premiered in 2009.

Update: Sentai Filmworks will release the season on DVD on September 23 for US$49.98. The DVD will include both Japanese and English audio.