Glad to see some students taking other transportation! All I see in animes are people walking!
Wanna read more?!
Lucky Star's plot is...everyday life. A lot of animes have that kind of plot too, but not as literal as Lucky Star. The storyline wraps around 4 girls and how they spend their school day and down time. A lot of the storyline also revolves around the "main" character Konata being an "otaku" and she occasional drags her friends, Kagami, Tsukasa, and Miyuhi, around to do her hobby and she often makes obscure anime references. Sometimes all they do is sit around and do homework..or copy homework from the one person who did it. Sometimes they sit around with their families and talk on the phone while other times they go on trips and visit temples. About halfway through the series, Konata's cousin younger cousin comes to live with her family and some of the plot forces on her life and her friends in school. At the end of every episode, there is a special segment called Lucky Channel. Lucky Channel is about two working kids in the "pop" industry, Akira and Minoru. Minoru is actually one of Konata's classmates and gets minor speaking rolls and Akira is jealous of the fact that despite being the bigger star, all she gets to do is host this crappy show....that is about Lucky Star.
After all the hype I read about and all the other people singing Lucky Star's praises, I was disappointed in the first episode to say the least. It felt boring and a waste a time. I almost did not want to watch the next episode, but that is never a wise thing to do in anime. You always have to give a series at least two or three episodes before you throw in the towel, because the first episode might be weird or a little fast with all the information being thrown at you. So, despite my initial BORED reaction to the first episode, I hunted down where I could acquire the rest of the series and decided to give it another chance.
The pace may feel that slow at times!
24 episodes later and I still feel parts of Lucky Star were boring. But the other half of the time I was laughing out of my seat! Lucky Star was not a fantasy anime where magical things that only exist on tv happened. Or a "normal" high school anime where the main character suddenly has 5 suitors after them. Lucky Star is an actual representation of a high schoolers life in Japan (as much reality as an anime show can get). Sometimes in high school, kids go on weird trips and really WEIRD things happen to them and it is bizarre. But sometimes, life can be boring or normal. Sometimes we all sit around and talk about mundane things with our friends. Life can't be all fun and games and that is what Lucky Star is all about. It makes us think...yep, I did something similar with my friends or wow, I thought we were the only ones that have weird conversations like that! Another great thing about this show is that you can miss a few episodes and still understand the basic plot. There is little ongoing material you need to know and it is great to have self-contained episodes.
Just a good time with friends :)
One of the best parts of the show of course are the parts where Konata is otakuing it up (so much more enjoyable than Haruka in Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu). This girl is DEDICATED to her cause and really does not care what other people think of her (there are also not any rude remarks or fear of being stabbed in an alley for the love of anime). It seems to consume her life to the point this smart girl is pulling all nighters just to pass her classes. She is a true collect (three of one item for maximum protection), maps out Comkiet weeks in advance, and even WORKS at a cosplay café just so she can pay for her hobby. Konata often tries to make jokes with old anime references and they are mostly unsuccessful except with Kagami, who while is exasperated at the comments, usually knows what she is talking about. She even plays an online game with her teacher, yet is chastised for falling asleep in class. Anime fans see Konata as someone like themselves, a person whose hobby is a little ‘weird” but she is still a happy person and does not care what other people think. It is fun watching Konata take her “normal” friends out to the places she likes to go and introduce them to the world of anime and manga, even if sometimes it freaks them out.
And just might this be?!
Another thing I like about this show is it does not only focus on the four main characters. Kagami is in a different class then her twin sister Tsukasa, Konata, and Miyuki. She is often very sad that every year she is placed in a different class than these three, but she does have friends in the classroom she is in. Kagami is sometimes seen with Ayano, Misao, and another girl from a different class Kō. It is refreshing to see that yes, just because they are main characters it does not mean they only hang out with the other main characters. It is a realistic view of how high school is, having different groups of friends. The main cast gets even less air time when Konata’s little cousin Yutaka, enters high school and makes her own respective friends Minami, Patricia, and Hiyori. A lot of the characters actually like anime and manga to a degree, so it is fun to see them interact with Konata and them realizing…she is way beyond anything they are.
Other characters simply hanging out and finding out their friend draws them in yuri situations...
Something that I found funny about the series was its constant reminder that you can love a hobby, but you should not let it rule your life. Konata is constantly forgetting or putting her homework off until the last minute, causing her to pull serious all nighters (that is, if you can pry her away from the computer) or to copy other people’s work, never learning for herself. The audience gets a sense that life cannot last like this forever for Konata and while they laugh at her antics, they know that this is something they should not take part in themselves.
Anime imitating anime imitating life.
As I have already mentioned, Lucky Star is an anime that plays up a lot of anime jokes or T.V. show references. The most prominent and obvious one is The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya was produced by the same company that produced Lucky Star and some feel as if Konata was to be the Haruhi of the year 2007. That could explain the numerous connections and the fact that Konata has the same voice actress as Haruhi. I believe that Lucky Star added in the MOHS connection not because they do not think that Lucky Star was not strong on its own, but perhaps it was poking fun of its own popularity and the connection would ADD to the humor of the show. It was amusing to watch Konata cosplay as Haruhi at her job and do the dreaded…err beloved Hare Hare Yukai dance. Her rings tones sound very familiar to even a casual viewer of MOHS. There were also subtle touches taken from MOHS, such as the ponytail conversation and quick glances at posters/books scattered about. The crazy vendors that appear throughout the series are often trying to push MOSH merchandise onto people. Overall I enjoy the presence of MOHS in Lucky Star. We were even given another fad dance in this anime, which is just as popular as the Hare Hare Yukai. :O So many shows with specific dances now!
Let's all practice this dance too.
The relationships in Lucky Star seem very realistic to me. Sometimes in anime, characters get along splendidly until one matter threatens to tear them apart! They fight for a few episodes, then (usually) become best friends and everything is smooth for the rest of the series. In Lucky Star, there are no knock out fights like that. They instead show how friends can do little things to irate you, but you just roll your eyes and tend to let it go. Konata and Kagami are constantly doing that to the other. You never get the sense they really mean to hurt the other. You see them teasing each other and making fun of the other’s habits, but you still get the feeling they are very close friends. Kagami and Tsukasa are twins, but do have the stereotypical anime relationship of either doing everything together and loving each other so much that a moment apart would kill them OR the relationship that has them as long term rivals that are plotting to kill the other. They do enjoy spending time together, but it is not a constant thing. Sometimes Tsukasa does her thing and Kagami does her. Both girls are very different in terms of personality and it is nice to see twins not being cookie cutter images of each other.
Can't you feel the love!?
Lucky Channel was a great source of crack for the show. Many of the references were lost on me they were based on the voice actors having a connection on another show or some other reference to Japanese culture. Akira constantly goes into insane mode as she realizes she is not very popular at all on this show and it is not all about her. Minoru often has to suffer at the end of Akira’s manic behavior. This part of the show you actually have to pay attention to, as there are a few things you have to remember, as it adds to the plot. Lucky Channel is nearly destroyed when Akira sends Minoru to Mt. Fuji to get water from a stream (which takes several episodes). Minoru finally returns and crazy Akira screams at him for giving her warm water. Minoru then boils over with anger and destroys the set. Both Minoru and Akira are forced to work together again at the last episode where Akira FINALLY makes her debut on the show. Their segment of the show is totally pointless and sometimes is the best part of the show.
I feel as if i have seen the cashier somewhere before...
This scene feels...familiar :O
Who is that we spy :O
It is the what kind of animal you remind me of conversation.
Sorry, i think all of the pictures are too cute to pass up!
I hope they make figurines of these...or have they already?!
It is a toss up between Konata and Miyuhi for the cutest one...
Comiket crowds are dangerous!
Konata maps out the game plan.
Kagami is SHOCKED by the yaoi....
but she can't put it down!
Thanks for stopping by!
Personally i think that is the bottom :O
Now, to be perfectly honest...Lucky Star has the most boring first episode out of every other anime I have ever seen? I know, that is harsh but it is very true. Almost the entire episode was centered on a chocolate cornet and the correct way to eat the cream inside. Okay, I lied...an entire anime episode cannot center on eating a single item. The episode was ALSO about how Konata, Tsukasa, and Miyuhi ate various other items and the other girls weighed in if that was how THEY are those items. For a view moments, the girls visited Kagami who was sick in bed, but the plot still looped back around to the chocolate cornet. The Lucky Channel was the funniest thing about this episode with the introduction of Akira and Minoru and the audience finding out that Akira is a crazy psychopath with a split personality.
After all the hype I read about and all the other people singing Lucky Star's praises, I was disappointed in the first episode to say the least. It felt boring and a waste a time. I almost did not want to watch the next episode, but that is never a wise thing to do in anime. You always have to give a series at least two or three episodes before you throw in the towel, because the first episode might be weird or a little fast with all the information being thrown at you. So, despite my initial BORED reaction to the first episode, I hunted down where I could acquire the rest of the series and decided to give it another chance.
The pace may feel that slow at times!
24 episodes later and I still feel parts of Lucky Star were boring. But the other half of the time I was laughing out of my seat! Lucky Star was not a fantasy anime where magical things that only exist on tv happened. Or a "normal" high school anime where the main character suddenly has 5 suitors after them. Lucky Star is an actual representation of a high schoolers life in Japan (as much reality as an anime show can get). Sometimes in high school, kids go on weird trips and really WEIRD things happen to them and it is bizarre. But sometimes, life can be boring or normal. Sometimes we all sit around and talk about mundane things with our friends. Life can't be all fun and games and that is what Lucky Star is all about. It makes us think...yep, I did something similar with my friends or wow, I thought we were the only ones that have weird conversations like that! Another great thing about this show is that you can miss a few episodes and still understand the basic plot. There is little ongoing material you need to know and it is great to have self-contained episodes.
Just a good time with friends :)
One of the best parts of the show of course are the parts where Konata is otakuing it up (so much more enjoyable than Haruka in Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu). This girl is DEDICATED to her cause and really does not care what other people think of her (there are also not any rude remarks or fear of being stabbed in an alley for the love of anime). It seems to consume her life to the point this smart girl is pulling all nighters just to pass her classes. She is a true collect (three of one item for maximum protection), maps out Comkiet weeks in advance, and even WORKS at a cosplay café just so she can pay for her hobby. Konata often tries to make jokes with old anime references and they are mostly unsuccessful except with Kagami, who while is exasperated at the comments, usually knows what she is talking about. She even plays an online game with her teacher, yet is chastised for falling asleep in class. Anime fans see Konata as someone like themselves, a person whose hobby is a little ‘weird” but she is still a happy person and does not care what other people think. It is fun watching Konata take her “normal” friends out to the places she likes to go and introduce them to the world of anime and manga, even if sometimes it freaks them out.
And just might this be?!
Another thing I like about this show is it does not only focus on the four main characters. Kagami is in a different class then her twin sister Tsukasa, Konata, and Miyuki. She is often very sad that every year she is placed in a different class than these three, but she does have friends in the classroom she is in. Kagami is sometimes seen with Ayano, Misao, and another girl from a different class Kō. It is refreshing to see that yes, just because they are main characters it does not mean they only hang out with the other main characters. It is a realistic view of how high school is, having different groups of friends. The main cast gets even less air time when Konata’s little cousin Yutaka, enters high school and makes her own respective friends Minami, Patricia, and Hiyori. A lot of the characters actually like anime and manga to a degree, so it is fun to see them interact with Konata and them realizing…she is way beyond anything they are.
Other characters simply hanging out and finding out their friend draws them in yuri situations...
Something that I found funny about the series was its constant reminder that you can love a hobby, but you should not let it rule your life. Konata is constantly forgetting or putting her homework off until the last minute, causing her to pull serious all nighters (that is, if you can pry her away from the computer) or to copy other people’s work, never learning for herself. The audience gets a sense that life cannot last like this forever for Konata and while they laugh at her antics, they know that this is something they should not take part in themselves.
Anime imitating anime imitating life.
Let's all practice this dance too.
The relationships in Lucky Star seem very realistic to me. Sometimes in anime, characters get along splendidly until one matter threatens to tear them apart! They fight for a few episodes, then (usually) become best friends and everything is smooth for the rest of the series. In Lucky Star, there are no knock out fights like that. They instead show how friends can do little things to irate you, but you just roll your eyes and tend to let it go. Konata and Kagami are constantly doing that to the other. You never get the sense they really mean to hurt the other. You see them teasing each other and making fun of the other’s habits, but you still get the feeling they are very close friends. Kagami and Tsukasa are twins, but do have the stereotypical anime relationship of either doing everything together and loving each other so much that a moment apart would kill them OR the relationship that has them as long term rivals that are plotting to kill the other. They do enjoy spending time together, but it is not a constant thing. Sometimes Tsukasa does her thing and Kagami does her. Both girls are very different in terms of personality and it is nice to see twins not being cookie cutter images of each other.
Can't you feel the love!?
Lucky Channel was a great source of crack for the show. Many of the references were lost on me they were based on the voice actors having a connection on another show or some other reference to Japanese culture. Akira constantly goes into insane mode as she realizes she is not very popular at all on this show and it is not all about her. Minoru often has to suffer at the end of Akira’s manic behavior. This part of the show you actually have to pay attention to, as there are a few things you have to remember, as it adds to the plot. Lucky Channel is nearly destroyed when Akira sends Minoru to Mt. Fuji to get water from a stream (which takes several episodes). Minoru finally returns and crazy Akira screams at him for giving her warm water. Minoru then boils over with anger and destroys the set. Both Minoru and Akira are forced to work together again at the last episode where Akira FINALLY makes her debut on the show. Their segment of the show is totally pointless and sometimes is the best part of the show.
She has a wonderful personality :O
A negative factor about this show is the obscure references at times. Some of them you will not get unless you read the additional subtitles on the show. Of course, since you are already reading what they are saying, you have to stop and pause the screen to catch what is being explained at the top. That tends to get a little annoying and ruins the flow of the show. Some people watch the series the first time just to enjoy the show, then watch it a second time to catch the things they missed.
Say what? 0_O
It is hard making a review up for this show because there is no way to cover all of it. Each episode has its own little plot and silly conversations. Something I forgot to mention was the closing songs for every episode. :P There is just too to say about this show! The best way to understand this show is to watch it for yourself. Hopefully I have said enough positive things that make you want to pick up this series. It is a slice of life anime that many relate to their own lives in some way. Please don’t give up on the boring moments, as there are more interesting ones to come. :) Also, I heard there is supposed to be an OVA coming out for Lucky Star soon. They just need to make up their minds when. I will be on standby waiting for it!
I feel as if i have seen the cashier somewhere before...
This scene feels...familiar :O
Who is that we spy :O
It is the what kind of animal you remind me of conversation.
Sorry, i think all of the pictures are too cute to pass up!
I hope they make figurines of these...or have they already?!
It is a toss up between Konata and Miyuhi for the cutest one...
Comiket crowds are dangerous!
Konata maps out the game plan.
Kagami is SHOCKED by the yaoi....
but she can't put it down!
Thanks for stopping by!
2 comments:
Oooh. It sounds very interesting! is it better than Ouran High School Host Club? :o
Ouran Host Club has a lot more laughs than this show. Lucky Star is more like a realistic view of high school life than the riches at Ouran. They are both a good watch. :)
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