Lucky Star (Generic Discussion thread)

[Nenkitsune]

I just realized something. This probably sounds random though.
The song they play during the "Next Episode" previews has always sounded familiar to me. I just now put my finger on it. It sounds like the next episode preview song for Chobits o_o I wonder why...

[Kaoru Chujo]

Endou Aya (Miyuki) has posted some up-close and personal pictures of choco-coronets (ep1) on her blog (http://blog.excite.co.jp/endo-aya/6187667/).

[VK-Pitt]

^Is it wrong that the only thing I find strange about that is that it is not on Konata's?

[Black_Rose]

Oh my god i love the opening theam song to this anime its sooo cute!The first time i saw it it had me cracking up because of there funny little dances!!!!

[Kaoru Chujo]

The VAs have finished recording the final episode of the show, Chihara Minori (Minami) and Hirano Aya (Konata) have both reported in their blogs (Minorin (http://minorhythm.jugem.jp/?eid=1043), Aaya (http://www.hiranoaya.com/cgi-bin/diary/sfs6_diary.cgi?action=day&year=2007&month=08&day=27)).

Minorin says that the atmosphere in the studio every week during the recording was "healing," and said that she was happy to have been given such a nice person to play. Aaya thanked everyone and said that despite "various things" happening (maybe a reference to the director change?) it was quite a time.

Aya posted a pic of her final script, signed by the other seiyuu:

http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/9915/11551wy5.th.jpg (http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/9915/11551wy5.jpg) http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/8632/lsseiyuusoa4.th.jpg (http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/8632/lsseiyuusoa4.jpg)

And Fukuhara Kaori has now posted a pic of the four main seiyuu, with the flowers they received at the end of the final recording session (r-l) Hirano Aya (Konata), Fukuhara Kaori (Tsukasa), Katou Emiri (Kagamin), Endou Aya (Miyuki).

[•••Shadow•••]

All you Konata x Kagami fans... I have good (I guess) news
Yesterday I was thinking about Konata-Kagami (again)...
Like... What if something bad will happen between them.. What if one of them die....
And stuff like that... And then (bad) idea went through my mind... "What if i try to do yuri fan-fic?"... Firstly, I said "no waaay".. I really suck at doing fan-fics you know...
But then I started really to think deeply about it...
And so it happened... I made it -_-' .. But for your own good, you should not read it.
Why you ask?
1. My english is not perfect
2. this is first time i made fan-fic
....
Still wanna read it?... Ok, but I warned you...
■ means picture is included - example Konata:■ (http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/3296/examplend5.jpg)
Oh and btw, I prefer not to read it as fast as you can.. You should imagine the situation after every sentence you read.
And btw, maybe I'll add some more pics later... I don't have those what I need now...
OK then.. Here you go:

Forever
Ch.1 Alone Together


<19:47>
TV: ...We interrupt this program for extreme weather news. We have just recieved message that there's going to be very strong
hurricane this night. We recommed to stay inside your house until tommorow and lock your doors and windows...
Kagami: *...*
Konata: Ah again? I hope electricity will be ok...
Kagami: ne~ Konata?
Konata: What?
Kagami: Can I sleep here today?
Konata: Yeah, sure...
Kagami: Ok. I call to my mom and as~~ °telephone ringing°.. Huh? Kagami speaking.
Kagami's mother (phone): Kagami-chan? Will you sleep at Konata's house today? There was news that there's going to be strong hurricane this night.
Kagami: I was just about to call you about same thing.
Kagami's mother (phone): Oh, you know already. That's my Kagami. Ok then bye. And don't forget to lock windows and doors.
Kagami: Yes, don't worry, bye... She said it's okay. By the way Konata.. Where did your father went?
Konata: Hm?.. Oh, he said he have something he needs to talk about with Yui-neesan.
Kagami: That means we are here alone right...?
Konata: DON'T WORRY KAGAMI! IF THERE'S GOING TO BE ANY GHOST I'LL PROTECT YOU NO MATTER WHAT! I WILL USE EVEN MY KONA-KONA FORM TO DEFEAT IT!!!
Kagami: You really play a lot of games...
Konata: *＝ω＝*

<22:57>
Kagami: Well then, I'm going to bath...
Konata: Ok.
Kagami: *...*... ne~ Konata. Will you go with me?...
Konata: Hmmm, Kagamin. I never thought you are such a pervert *＝ω＝*...
Kagami: I-I didn't meant that!! I heard that when there's blackout then water will stop wo flow... So we should go as soon as possible so we
can make it in time.. I mean.. there could be blackout because of hurricane..
Konata: Oh.. Ok then.

<23:15>
Konata: Kagami~~n. Will you wash my hair?
Kagami: Really, you're so lazy. Ok I'll do it.
Konata: Arigatoo~ *＝ω＝*
*---*
Kagami:■ (http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/3552/1178225706114ew4.jpg) *...* *Konata's naked body...*
Konata: Kagami, what's wrong?
Kagami: Huh? I, I, eer n-nothing. Here, I'm finished.
Konata: Arigato~~. Well then, I'll wash your back.
Kagami: Eh~? Oh, Allright...
*---*
Konata: Hmm, Kagami.
Kagami: What?
Konata: Aren't they bigger than before?
Kagami: Hm? What are you tal~~...
Konata: *＝ω＝*
Kagami: T-That's none of your buisness! Asking me something like that...
*---*
Konata: By the way Kagami, do you have any boyfriend already?
Kagami: *...Konata...*... No I don't...
Konata: Hmm.. I wonder why yo~~
Kagami: ne~ Konata.. Let's go out already...
Konata: Hm?.. Ok...

<01:49>
Kagami: ...Konata, I didn't know you also play yuri erogames...
Konata: But it's acutally pretty fun. Especially this one. You can customize your character's body. For example, there are 30 types of haircuts.
Kagami: Oh~. Technology sure is amazing these days. So and how does your character look like?
Konata: Take a look *＝ω＝*
Kagami: ...HUH? She look like me!
Konata: Guess what's her name *＝ω＝*
Kagami: *...* Don't tell me...
*/-/-/*
Konata: Blackout??
Kagami: I told you..
Konata: Damn hurricane... And I didn't even save it *T.T*... Where are those cand~. Ah, here they are.
Kagami: *...*...Well anyway, I'm going to bed already.
Konata: Me too.
Kagami: Damn.
Konata: What's wrong?
Kagami: I forgot that I don't have pyjamas...
Konata: Hmm.. I would borrow you mine but my size is too small for you.. Wait I think I have something for you. *---* Here.
Kagami: Thanks. Whose is it?
Konata: Yui-neesan's. She forgot to take it.
Kagami: Oh..
*---*
Kagami: By the way, how are we going to sleep?
Konata: Don't worry. I can make my bed larger. Look.
Kagami: *I.. I'm going to sleep with you?.. Konata...*
Konata: Kagami, what's wrong? You've been acting strangely today...
Kagami: Huh? Ahhh don't worry it's nothing. *...*..
Konata: °yawn°.. I'm always so sleepy when there's nothing to do =_=. Well then, good night.
Kagami: ..Good night....
*---*
Kagami: ne~ Konata...
Konata: Hm?
Kagami: Do you... Like me?
Konata: Huh? Why do you ask, all of a sudden?
Kagami: I just... Ah, forget it.... Good night.
Konata: *...?*

<02:32>
Kagami: °whisper° Konata, are you awake?
Konata: *...* *Hehe.. I bet she just want to scare me... Now just wait an~~*
Kagami: °hug°...
Konata: *K-KAGAMI?!..*
Kagami: °whisper° ...Konata.. Please forgive me... But this is the only way I can~... Be with you.. Like this...
Konata: *...What are you saying Kagami??... I thought~~*
Kagami: °whisper° Good night... Konata...
Konata: *...Kagami...*

I KNOW IT SUCKED! I WARNED YOU SO PLEASE, KEEP THOSE CUSSWORDS IN YOUR MIND AND DON'T SAY THEM LOUDLY! Thank you.
About the end... I was thinking about how it should end for a long time...
Firstly, I thought I should end it like Kagami will confess to her in bed etc etc... I wanted it to end like that because I'm not sure if I'm gonna continue.. As you can see, it sucked really hard (I'll tell it again - This is my fisrt fan-fic)
so that's why I don't really want to continue...
My imagination isn't that good... Well but after all, I decided to end it like this (I really don't know why)...
For those who acutally even liked it or something - corrections are welcome.
For example - I'm not sure if "Alone Together" or "Together Alone" is right.

[AVPlaya]

Today's the big day for L*S in Saimoe 2007... hope all those who can vote are voting for the Kagamin and Matsuri-ne-san!

[Calawain]

Heh I tried to vote but navigating to the candidate and voting threads became a bit too much of a challenge to me. Sometimes I wish I was in the Matrix so I can just press some buttons and learn Japanese....

[Claies]

All you Konata x Kagami fans... I have good (I guess) news
Yesterday I was thinking about Konata-Kagami (again)...
Like... What if something bad will happen between them.. What if one of them die....
And stuff like that... And then (bad) idea went through my mind... "What if i try to do yuri fan-fic?"... Firstly, I said "no waaay".. I really suck at doing fan-fics you know...
But then I started really to think deeply about it...
And so it happened... I made it -_-' .. But for your own good, you should not read it.
Why you ask?
1. My english is not perfect
2. this is first time i made fan-fic
....
Still wanna read it?... Ok, but I warned you...
■ means picture is included - example Konata:■ (http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/3296/examplend5.jpg)
Oh and btw, I prefer not to read it as fast as you can.. You should imagine the situation after every sentence you read.
And btw, maybe I'll add some more pics later... I don't have those what I need now...
OK then.. Here you go:

Forever
Ch.1 Alone Together


<19:47>
TV: ...We interrupt this program for extreme weather news. We have just recieved message that there's going to be very strong
hurricane this night. We recommed to stay inside your house until tommorow and lock your doors and windows...
Kagami: *...*
Konata: Ah again? I hope electricity will be ok...
Kagami: ne~ Konata?
Konata: What?
Kagami: Can I sleep here today?
Konata: Yeah, sure...
Kagami: Ok. I call to my mom and as~~ °telephone ringing°.. Huh? Kagami speaking.
Kagami's mother (phone): Kagami-chan? Will you sleep at Konata's house today? There was news that there's going to be strong hurricane this night.
Kagami: I was just about to call you about same thing.
Kagami's mother (phone): Oh, you know already. That's my Kagami. Ok then bye. And don't forget to lock windows and doors.
Kagami: Yes, don't worry, bye... She said it's okay. By the way Konata.. Where did your father went?
Konata: Hm?.. Oh, he said he have something he needs to talk about with Yui-neesan.
Kagami: That means we are here alone right...?
Konata: DON'T WORRY KAGAMI! IF THERE'S GOING TO BE ANY GHOST I'LL PROTECT YOU NO MATTER WHAT! I WILL USE EVEN MY KONA-KONA FORM TO DEFEAT IT!!!
Kagami: You really play a lot of games...
Konata: *＝ω＝*

<22:57>
Kagami: Well then, I'm going to bath...
Konata: Ok.
Kagami: *...*... ne~ Konata. Will you go with me?...
Konata: Hmmm, Kagamin. I never thought you are such a pervert *＝ω＝*...
Kagami: I-I didn't meant that!! I heard that when there's blackout then water will stop wo flow... So we should go as soon as possible so we
can make it in time.. I mean.. there could be blackout because of hurricane..
Konata: Oh.. Ok then.

<23:15>
Konata: Kagami~~n. Will you wash my hair?
Kagami: Really, you're so lazy. Ok I'll do it.
Konata: Arigatoo~ *＝ω＝*
*---*
Kagami:■ (http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/3552/1178225706114ew4.jpg) *...* *Konata's naked body...*
Konata: Kagami, what's wrong?
Kagami: Huh? I, I, eer n-nothing. Here, I'm finished.
Konata: Arigato~~. Well then, I'll wash your back.
Kagami: Eh~? Oh, Allright...
*---*
Konata: Hmm, Kagami.
Kagami: What?
Konata: Aren't they bigger than before?
Kagami: Hm? What are you tal~~...
Konata: *＝ω＝*
Kagami: T-That's none of your buisness! Asking me something like that...
*---*
Konata: By the way Kagami, do you have any boyfriend already?
Kagami: *...Konata...*... No I don't...
Konata: Hmm.. I wonder why yo~~
Kagami: ne~ Konata.. Let's go out already...
Konata: Hm?.. Ok...

<01:49>
Kagami: ...Konata, I didn't know you also play yuri erogames...
Konata: But it's acutally pretty fun. Especially this one. You can customize your character's body. For example, there are 30 types of haircuts.
Kagami: Oh~. Technology sure is amazing these days. So and how does your character look like?
Konata: Take a look *＝ω＝*
Kagami: ...HUH? She look like me!
Konata: Guess what's her name *＝ω＝*
Kagami: *...* Don't tell me...
*/-/-/*
Konata: Blackout??
Kagami: I told you..
Konata: Damn hurricane... And I didn't even save it *T.T*... Where are those cand~. Ah, here they are.
Kagami: *...*...Well anyway, I'm going to bed already.
Konata: Me too.
Kagami: Damn.
Konata: What's wrong?
Kagami: I forgot that I don't have pyjamas...
Konata: Hmm.. I would borrow you mine but my size is too small for you.. Wait I think I have something for you. *---* Here.
Kagami: Thanks. Whose is it?
Konata: Yui-neesan's. She forgot to take it.
Kagami: Oh..
*---*
Kagami: By the way, how are we going to sleep?
Konata: Don't worry. I can make my bed larger. Look.
Kagami: *I.. I'm going to sleep with you?.. Konata...*
Konata: Kagami, what's wrong? You've been acting strangely today...
Kagami: Huh? Ahhh don't worry it's nothing. *...*..
Konata: °yawn°.. I'm always so sleepy when there's nothing to do =_=. Well then, good night.
Kagami: ..Good night....
*---*
Kagami: ne~ Konata...
Konata: Hm?
Kagami: Do you... Like me?
Konata: Huh? Why do you ask, all of a sudden?
Kagami: I just... Ah, forget it.... Good night.
Konata: *...?*

<02:32>
Kagami: °whisper° Konata, are you awake?
Konata: *...* *Hehe.. I bet she just want to scare me... Now just wait an~~*
Kagami: °hug°...
Konata: *K-KAGAMI?!..*
Kagami: °whisper° ...Konata.. Please forgive me... But this is the only way I can~... Be with you.. Like this...
Konata: *...What are you saying Kagami??... I thought~~*
Kagami: °whisper° Good night... Konata...
Konata: *...Kagami...*

I KNOW IT SUCKED! I WARNED YOU SO PLEASE, KEEP THOSE CUSSWORDS IN YOUR MIND AND DON'T SAY THEM LOUDLY! Thank you.
About the end... I was thinking about how it should end for a long time...
Firstly, I thought I should end it like Kagami will confess to her in bed etc etc... I wanted it to end like that because I'm not sure if I'm gonna continue.. As you can see, it sucked really hard (I'll tell it again - This is my fisrt fan-fic)
so that's why I don't really want to continue...
My imagination isn't that good... Well but after all, I decided to end it like this (I really don't know why)...
For those who acutally even liked it or something - corrections are welcome.
For example - I'm not sure if "Alone Together" or "Together Alone" is right.

You have violated a big taboo of fanfiction: you wrote in performing dialogue. Don't do that. Fanfiction is about description and rendering the world that you have imagined so that the reader can understand it, and writing something in pure dialogue cheapens that ideal, because that mode of writing is supposed to have the reader (who is usually a director or actor) to add their own thoughts in. That's a no-no.

Shame, because unlike all the people who would violate this rule, you can spell. And you know grammar.

[•••Shadow•••]

You are the second person who is telling me exactly the same thing...
Yeah I already realized that this isn't fan-fic at all (acutally I even knew it, but I didn't know how should I call it so named it "fan-fic)...
And lol, don't worry.. I decided not to make anything like this again (I knew I shouldn't do that first too.. I decided to do it just because of my Konata-Kagami virus)

And sorry I didn't understand "because unlike all the people who would violate this rule, you can spell."

[Claies]

And sorry I didn't understand "because unlike all the people who would violate this rule, you can spell."

I said it's a shame, because most of the people who would dare to call pure dialogue "fanfiction" have other problems, such as inability to spell or write in general. You can spell and your grammar is decent, so...you can do much better than this. Maybe you're just not in the right mood.

[takumi2k4]

Ya know what?

These are what Minami needs!

F-Cup Tea (http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/tea/f-cup-tea-promises-that-their-herbs-will-go-straight-to-your-boobs-294500.php) and F-Cup Cookies (http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/f-cup-cookies-promise-that-their-fat-will-go-straight-to-your-boobs-286386.php).

[Risaa]

Ya know what?

These are what Minami needs!

F-Cup Tea (http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/tea/f-cup-tea-promises-that-their-herbs-will-go-straight-to-your-boobs-294500.php) and F-Cup Cookies (http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/f-cup-cookies-promise-that-their-fat-will-go-straight-to-your-boobs-286386.php).
Oh no, not those again! None of the girls need them! :(

...Actually, I'm curious as to how well those things sell in Japan.

[AVPlaya]

Some neta to revive this thread...

So we know Yui and Yutaka are Konata's cousins. The question is - what kind? On the mother's side or father's side?

We know that Konata's father is the second son by the nature of his name - Soujirou. Usually when a guy is named jirou there is usually an older brother named ichirou. So he most likely has an aniki. No mention of his other siblings are made. We know nothing of Kanata's sibling status. We know that Yui and Yutaka 's family name is Kobayakawa. This means that:

1. They are the children of Soujirou's sister, and Kobayakawa is her husband's name, or

2. They are the children of Katana's siblings.

3. They are distant relatives

Now theories.

A. Yui and Yutaka are related to them on Soujirou's side - reason being that in Japan father's family are consider closer to mother's family, and the they felt very close to both Soujirou and Konata. Yui-nee-chan seemed to be active in the Izumi house-hold for a long time. However, that would make more sense if they're the kids of his older brother, but their last name isn't Izumi.

B. Yui and Yutaka are related to the Izumi's on Katana's side - reason being that Yutaka is also a chibi'kko and perhaps chibi gene runs in Kanata's side. But as we know from the show, sisters can sometimes be opposites due to the magical "sucking" effect. The facial features of the Kobayakawas seemed more akin to Soujirou side of the family.

C. They're not really that closely related - but the closeness indicate otherwise.

If you're interested, please come up with some new evidence to support one theory or the other, or come up with a new theory yourself.

[Shiroi Hane]

I thought Yutaka was on Kanata's side since they are both small and sickly.

[Kinny Riddle]

Now theories.

A. Yui and Yutaka are related to them on Soujirou's side - reason being that in Japan father's family are consider closer to mother's family, and the they felt very close to both Soujirou and Konata. Yui-nee-chan seemed to be active in the Izumi house-hold for a long time. However, that would make more sense if they're the kids of his older brother, but their last name isn't Izumi.


As you've said, they could be the kids of Soujirou's sister who married someone called Kobayakawa. It doesn't necessarily have to be Soujirou's aniki.

[Kyuusai]

If you're interested, please come up with some new evidence to support one theory or the other, or come up with a new theory yourself.

I've pondered this a while, myself. I want to say that they're on Kanata's side, because that gives a much more pleasant image of lasting familial bond. I've come to think that they're on Soujirou's side, though. This has everything to do with the way they're depicted.

Clearly, hair shape and color doesn't tell us much. Eye shape and color does, though. They both share (or come close to) Soujirou's eye shape, and Yui's eye color is nearly (if not) the same. Also, Soujirou occasionally has an expression that's as close as it can be to the "cat mouth" of Konata and Yui without it being out of character.

Since they share that mild resemblance with him and have no resemblance to Kanata, I'd say they're on his side of the family.

[AVPlaya]

Since they share that mild resemblance with him and have no resemblance to Kanata, I'd say they're on his side of the family.

Yes, the resemblance between Yui and Soujirou is the main reason I'm leaning toward his side. Plus, the way he talks to Yui feels like they've really close, and it's a bit harder to be that close to kids on your wife's side of the family. I mean I think Yui's been spending time with ths Izumi's for a long time now, probably ever since she was in school (maybe she lived in their house when she was in HS as well, given that many students move to Greater Tokyo area for HS or College).

I think I've just figured out that the Kobayakawa girls MUST be from Soujirou's family - Why would you send your chibi-looking daughter to live with a out-of-the-cloest lolicon unless that guy is your own brother? I mean, I can just imagine what Kanata side of the family think of this otaku... I seriously doubt they would send ANOTHER one into his ... eh.. hands...

[AVPlaya]

Okay now more REAL neta for this thread - Let's talk about Second Season possibilities. No I have not watched 24 yet and I don't plan to unless I have to, but we can always add to the speculations before and after viewing the final show.

One thing is for sure though - they moved the show so fast that the girls has to graduate now. At least the 6 3rd grade girls... BUT... I don't think even Yoshimizu even said that Lucky Star must be all about Kona-chan, no?

Well, think about it. In a slice-of-life show time-line must keep moving in a real world way so that there are neta based on the events like Hanami, festivals, etc. Thus the girls will eventually have to graduate and move on. Unlike Azumanga Daioh, where the manga ended after the main characters graduated, there are MORE girls introduced in school for Lucky Star: the Fujoshi First Graders and their Yuri Mascots. The story AND the anime could continue with THESE girls as the main characters. Kona, Miyuki, and the Twins can still show up, but the main High School characters should be the First graders. Then even more girls can be added when they move to second grade!

I love this idea a lot... because I actually love the seiyuus for Hiroyi and Patti much more (too bad Misao is graduating too... ) Oh man, just think of the Yuri jokes during the obligatory Summer Beach Episode... They just need another Tsundere to make the show work (I personally think no anime is complete without a Tsundere).

As for what happened to the girls, well, I haven't read the manga yet so I might be wrong, so I'll speculate that Tsukasa and Kona both went to the same Short Term college (like Community college in the US), while Kagami and Miyuki goes on some prestigious public school. But given the miracle of anime, the girls should probaly ended up in the same college again, since they're not supposed to be all in Katsukabe KyoEi in the first place.

So please offer your speculation on what the second season is all about. No I don't want to hear no "there's no second season" crap. Faith, people! We need to have faith!

[Claymore_Obsessed]

I'd like Konata, Kagami, Tsukasa and Miyuki to be main characters once again, in college of course.

They could be in the same college, but different faculties...
I can imagine Kagamin and Miyuki in a really serious and competitive faculty while Kona-chan and Tsukasa would be in a more relaxed environment.

Of course there could be interaction with the high schoolers, for example Patty and Kona-chan share interests so they could likely meet outside of school/college.

[Vexx]

Aye... though that whole concept is anime-only, I would really like to see this gang carry on with more 'life's daily adventure into silly'.

[Shiroth]

Aye... though that whole concept is anime-only, I would really like to see this gang carry on with more 'life's daily adventure into silly'.
Indeed. If we were to see anything new, then OVA finishing of the school life would be interesting.

[Claies]

Okay now more REAL neta for this thread - Let's talk about Second Season possibilities. No I have not watched 24 yet and I don't plan to unless I have to, but we can always add to the speculations before and after viewing the final show.

One thing is for sure though - they moved the show so fast that the girls has to graduate now. At least the 6 3rd grade girls... BUT... I don't think even Yoshimizu even said that Lucky Star must be all about Kona-chan, no?

Well, think about it. In a slice-of-life show time-line must keep moving in a real world way so that there are neta based on the events like Hanami, festivals, etc. Thus the girls will eventually have to graduate and move on. Unlike Azumanga Daioh, where the manga ended after the main characters graduated, there are MORE girls introduced in school for Lucky Star: the Fujoshi First Graders and their Yuri Mascots. The story AND the anime could continue with THESE girls as the main characters. Kona, Miyuki, and the Twins can still show up, but the main High School characters should be the First graders. Then even more girls can be added when they move to second grade!

I love this idea a lot... because I actually love the seiyuus for Hiroyi and Patti much more (too bad Misao is graduating too... ) Oh man, just think of the Yuri jokes during the obligatory Summer Beach Episode... They just need another Tsundere to make the show work (I personally think no anime is complete without a Tsundere).

As for what happened to the girls, well, I haven't read the manga yet so I might be wrong, so I'll speculate that Tsukasa and Kona both went to the same Short Term college (like Community college in the US), while Kagami and Miyuki goes on some prestigious public school. But given the miracle of anime, the girls should probaly ended up in the same college again, since they're not supposed to be all in Katsukabe KyoEi in the first place.

So please offer your speculation on what the second season is all about. No I don't want to hear no "there's no second season" crap. Faith, people! We need to have faith!

I think I'll just add to how probable it is to have a second season (although I hope it'll be shorter and different) or an OVA.

First of all, Yoshimizu Kagami has not called it quits with the manga yet. In fact, as long as Comptiq exists, he'll probably get a lot of money keeping it up. (Although personally, I'd like the author to move on to normal manga formats like Azumanga Daioh to Yotsuba&.)

Second, Lucky*Star took over Akihabara. If I'm allowed to say this is in a brutal fashion, at some point it will make no sense not to keep earning money off of this. SHnY 2 is the shining example of that. All they have to do is let it all cool down and perhaps have the second season / OVA feature the series in a more creative direction, perhaps even with a storyline (because, really, with all the character development set out, it's such a fan work heaven that KyoAni can actually jump into this too).


So here's three outcomes that I'll be interested in seeing (and really nothing else):
1) KyoAni makes a second season of Lucky*Star in a drastically different creative direction. That means either give it a storyline or make it something else other than what we're seeing right now. If I'm going to get sick of a style I don't want it to be Lucky*Star's, and I don't want it to be slice-of-life in general.

2) Like Negima, another studio grabs it and makes an alternative series out of it. As long as it's in good humor and it's done right (SHAFT, don't make it another PPD), I don't mind who gets it.

3) An OVA, preferably about the light novel.

[AVPlaya]

Aye... though that whole concept is anime-only, I would really like to see this gang carry on with more 'life's daily adventure into silly'.

In college? But they would have to be in the same college for the adventure to continue with each other. I can see Miyuki being in a different school, but the KEY element of LS is Konata x Kagami... I just can't see them going to the same school, unless anime miracle happened or Soujirou promising Kona a PS3 if she gets into, say, Waseda. Or I guess we can have Kagami crumbling under the pressure and they all ended up in Kyoei Daigaku (http://www.kyoei.ac.jp/univ/index.htm) in Katsukabe together. Hey it could happen.

Vexx-dono, did the manga show them graduating yet?


So here's two outcomes that I'll be interested in seeing (and really nothing else):
1) KyoAni makes a second season of Lucky*Star in a drastically different creative direction. That means either give it a storyline or make it something else other than what we're seeing right now. If I'm going to get sick of a style I don't want it to be Lucky*Star's, and I don't want it to be slice-of-life in general.

2) Like Negima, another studio grabs it and makes an alternative series out of it. As long as it's in good humor and it's done right (SHAFT, don't make it another PPD), I don't mind who gets it.

I like your first idea. It seemed they were experimenting with the dramatic elements in LS; even made a tear-jerker. I'd like to see a more regular anime version of LS for the second season. It's not beyond KyoAni, as they're pushing the envelop all the time.

But your second idea me no likely. It HAS to be KyoAni and Yamakan.

I see you've just added a 3rd idea, and I just want to say that an L*S has gotten too big for an OVA. OVA is for smaller, niche series like Ichimashi, not mega-hits like L*S. Like you've said, it has taken over Akiba and may soon driven a CD of a little-known male seiyuu who can't sing to Oricon top 10. Nah, a full second TV season is a must for all the right reasons.

[GGP]

i think its likely for a second season

i think its a good thing that the ending of the show wasnt them graduating because they can still be in HS for a while longer.

and, they could also focus on konatas cousin and her friends

or, just life in general

[Shiroth]

Like Negima, another studio grabs it and makes an alternative series out of it. As long as it's in good humor and it's done right (SHAFT, don't make it another PPD), I don't mind who gets it.
Not once have i thought about Lucky Star once Shinbo gets his hands on it. There's a good reason for that --- would not work! :3

[relentlessflame]

I see you've just added a 3rd idea, and I just want to say that an L*S has gotten too big for an OVA. OVA is for smaller, niche series like Ichimashi, not mega-hits like L*S. Like you've said, it has taken over Akiba and may soon driven a CD of a little-known male seiyuu who can't sing to Oricon top 10. Nah, a full second TV season is a must for all the right reasons.Well, even mega-hit shows can have OVA releases, and in fact, from a marketing perspective, that's an even better time to do it. Not the "continuing a niche series" sort, though (Ichimashi, ToHeart 2, Marimite, etc.) -- either the "extra episode" type (Air, FMP:TSR, etc.), or the "prelude to the next season" type (Aria, School Rumble, etc.). That being said, I think the main reason we won't see anything Lucky Star for a while will simply be because Kadokawa won't want to cannibalize Haruhi season 2 sales, which I strongly suspect will air in April, with DVD 1 in June (the month after Lucky Star's final DVD 12). If there is another season of Lucky Star, I'd guess that you won't see it 'till sometime in 2009. We'll probably have a sense of what might be possible based on what we see in Comptiq over the next little while.

[Calawain]

I like your first idea. It seemed they were experimenting with the dramatic elements in LS; even made a tear-jerker. I'd like to see a more regular anime version of LS for the second season. It's not beyond KyoAni, as they're pushing the envelop all the time.

But your second idea me no likely. It HAS to be KyoAni and Yamakan.

I see you've just added a 3rd idea, and I just want to say that an L*S has gotten too big for an OVA. OVA is for smaller, niche series like Ichimashi, not mega-hits like L*S. Like you've said, it has taken over Akiba and may soon driven a CD of a little-known male seiyuu who can't sing to Oricon top 10. Nah, a full second TV season is a must for all the right reasons.

I think that first idea could be interesting, using the franchise to do a different type of show. With Kanon, KyoAni has proved that they can do an amazing job with tear-jerker that leaves a huge impact on people.

I don't think LS would be appropriate for an OVA either. OVAs seem like an afterthought most of the time. For example, if you look at the Mai-Otome OVA, it was pretty meh and just seemed like some random story thrown on at the end.

As for my predictions, I think it's certainly possible to continue with the show as it. I mean despite the feel of finality the last episode provided, they still haven't graduated yet, there are still a couple of months left. So technically they could do another 12-14 episode season with the cast as is and not have it seem too out of place. Either that or halfway through a 24-26 episode show they could have a graduation and continue with the younger group's last year, they are certainly fun to watch. However, as you said, Kona x Kagami is the key to the workings of the show, so who knows.

Either way, with a 26+ episode Clannad and another 14ish episode Haruhi coming up, another season will have to wait almost a year (or more if they decide to animate a 4th season of FMP). However, by then there will be plenty of extra manga material to work off of.

[AVPlaya]

I love the idea of a special season of L*S, based on events on the last 2 month of school. Maybe they can do half-and-half.. part A drama, part B 4-koma style jokes we're used to. A big Lucky Star adventure with some dramatic elements.. maybe it could be about how they got into college! That would be plenty of drama there... and believe me, it is some of the most dramatic part in a Japanese person's life, that big wait for the "list". Oh That would be SUPERB. Just keep throwing a few reference bone for me and I'll be a happy camper.

I'm okay with waiting for a year for it... people have been waiting for Haruhi for more than a year now, and it's still as popular as before.

[Kaoru Chujo]

1. Perhaps KyoAni is building itself up to the point it can actually have two shows running at the same time, which would allow a second LS to come before 2009 -- say next fall, so as not to "cannibalize" Haruhi2 sales.

2. relentlessflame's timeline for Haruhi2 looks right: broadcast next April, so that DVD1 comes out right after DVD12 of LS.

3. As usual, we are calculating based on known quantities. But perhaps KyoAni will come up with a new title for this mix.

4. I'm not hugely in favor of a second season, much as I'd enjoy more of this stuff. There's nowhere to go but down. But if there's money to be made, it's likely to happen.

5. I love Shinbou's work, but I'm not sure he has the depth for this. For some reason, this show felt emotionally deeper to me than PPD or Negima or Zetsubou. And so did SHnY. Maybe it's the material, maybe not.

[AVPlaya]

The last episode was more than great. The entire second season should be just like it. Please KyoAni/Kadokawa... just do it.. I promise to subscribe to Computiq, visit Animate/Gamers, watch and buy everything related to Harhuhi second season, including that Mikuru Tea thing, and buy every single kadokawa light novel/manga referenced. Just in fact I went out today and bought a copy of Mirai Nikki (Future Diary) manga #1!

Oh just to gloat a bit, our local Kinokuniya has a stack of the Computiq Lucky Star special issue, and I got a copy. Wohoo!

[Vexx]

Frankly, I'm not sure I want Shinbo touching anything I like anymore .... I will say he did an interesting job on Hidamari Sketch but the art basis of the show allowed for that. He used a light touch on Tsukuyomi (outside of the animation subcontract crisis stuff) and his style fit PPD. I don't think he'd handle L*S well. I'll keep saying it -- Lucky*Star is NOT about references, its a set of character studies.

If they can keep the 4-koma stuff coming, I think the interest will remain. Unlike manga that finish and fade away, this depends on the author finding a variety of things to comment on with his characters.

[Claies]

I like your first idea. It seemed they were experimenting with the dramatic elements in LS; even made a tear-jerker. I'd like to see a more regular anime version of LS for the second season. It's not beyond KyoAni, as they're pushing the envelop all the time.

But your second idea me no likely. It HAS to be KyoAni and Yamakan.

I see you've just added a 3rd idea, and I just want to say that an L*S has gotten too big for an OVA. OVA is for smaller, niche series like Ichimashi, not mega-hits like L*S. Like you've said, it has taken over Akiba and may soon driven a CD of a little-known male seiyuu who can't sing to Oricon top 10. Nah, a full second TV season is a must for all the right reasons.

I think I'll take my second idea back - I thought both adaptations of Negima were horrible. The first was painful (I want to rate it with Fruits Basket the anime), and the second was a good-natured experiment that fell flat in front of me. SHAFT just may be a bit too zany.

So yeah...I just want to see Lucky*Star shown in more dramatic fashion. You know...the usual school drama with friendship conflicts and whatnot. The thing about Lucky*Star is that it laid bare a whole slew of possibilities. We were also given the fully-developed characters and absolutely no idea how they became the way they are. I personally want to write a fanfic monopolizing the second year that the manga practically skipped completely, plus their childhood, which weren't really explored.

I mean of course, slice-of-life is slice-of-life and it's not supposed to be dramatic, but in retrospect, the characters seem so far too dynamic (they have long surpassed those of Ichigo Mashimaro and Azumanga Daioh) for normal people that it seemed too good to be true sometimes.

[Calawain]

The last episode was more than great. The entire second season should be just like it. Please KyoAni/Kadokawa... just do it.. I promise to subscribe to Computiq, visit Animate/Gamers, watch and buy everything related to Harhuhi second season, including that Mikuru Tea thing, and buy every single kadokawa light novel/manga referenced. Just in fact I went out today and bought a copy of Mirai Nikki (Future Diary) manga #1!

Oh just to gloat a bit, our local Kinokuniya has a stack of the Computiq Lucky Star special issue, and I got a copy. Wohoo!

Here's to hoping that they quickly license LS anime and manga as well as the associated figures and merchandise here in the states! I will buy some items at least to support the franchise and hopefully fuel the motivation for more anime.

I think that a 12-14 episode (1-coeur is the term, right?) season would be great, to finish off the last couple of months of the senior's year. With plenty of extra manga material to go off by the time they have an open slot for another show, they could do it well I think. I don't want this turning into some show that goes on forever though, as like Vexx, I enjoy shows that have some sort of ending and finality to them. It's one of the reasons the only long-term shounen type show I can tolerate is Bleach (which considering the manga has an end in sight).

[Kaioshin Sama]

Here's to hoping that they quickly license LS anime and manga as well as the associated figures and merchandise here in the states! I will buy some items at least to support the franchise and hopefully fuel the motivation for more anime.

The day that all those things happen is the same day we'll see Front Mission 5, Super Robot Wars Alpha 3 and Namco x Capcom released stateside.....which I hope would be soon, but I don't count on it for two reasons, one the cross licensing rights involved in getting all the rights to manufacture the products with all the proper and official content intact (we're almost talking Bandai or nobody here) and two the probability that licensing costs will exceed projected profits.

[relentlessflame]

The day that all those things happen is the same day we'll see Front Mission 5, Super Robot Wars Alpha 3 and Namco x Capcom released stateside.....which I hope would be soon, but I don't count on it for two reasons, one the cross licensing rights involved in getting all the rights to manufacture the products with all the proper and official content intact (we're almost talking Bandai or nobody here) and two the probability that licensing costs will exceed projected profits.Actually, neither of those should be that much of a problem for Lucky Star. Licensing costs will be non-existant, since Kadokawa can publish it in the U.S. themselves (though Kadokawa U.S.A.), leaving only production costs. That also helps address issues of cross-product licensing, since ultimately Kadokawa and Lantis hold most of the keys to the store, so to speak (as was the case with Haruhi, for example). I don't necessarily know about figures, but all the rest of the merchandise (anime, music, games, manga) wouldn't be a licensing problem if they figured the market demand was there. Ultimately, I think that's the bigger barrier here -- though I still expect the anime will be released at the very least, and the rest would be "we'll see how it goes".

[kenjiharima]

will Kodokawa US also publish the limited edition manga's in the US if ever? I really wanna read the light novel. Misao and Tsukasa are bloodied in the front cover. XD

[Slice of Life]

The impact Lucky Star had will remain a mystery for me. Judging from the avatars floating around in almost every thread it was the show of 2007 so far with no other even coming close.

I didn't hate this show. After all, I watched it till the end with already puts it on top of Gurren-Lagann, say, which I've dropped somewhere around ep 9 or School Days which I wouldn't touch with a pointy stick. But here, I at least think I understand why people can really, really love these show. I don't really understand the ardent fans of Lucky Star. Or does it all boil down to KyoAni or Hirano Aya?

I've seen worse charaterization but the characters were quite soulless Overperfected to fit into the market, I guess. The non-plot was sometimes funny but the multiple references to other anime were annoying. Anime references in anime are humorous when you don't expect them. Not when you are bombarded with them. Especially not when they are always either about Haruhi or about *BLEEP*. If you can't do it for copyright reasons then why are you trying?

I'm giving the show a 5-6 where 1-5 means "time more or less wasted" and 6-10 "time more or less well spent". In other words: I'm left with a quite neutral impression. Azumanga Daioh, for example, is a completely different league.

[Claies]

The impact Lucky Star had will remain a mystery for me. Judging from the avatars floating around in almost every thread it was the show of 2007 so far with no other even coming close.

I didn't hate this show. After all, I watched it till the end with already puts it on top of Gurren-Lagann, say, which I've dropped somewhere around ep 9 or School Days which I wouldn't touch with a pointy stick. But here, I at least think I understand why people can really, really love these show. I don't really understand the ardent fans of Lucky Star. Or does it all boil down to KyoAni or Hirano Aya?

I've seen worse charaterization but the characters were quite soulless Overperfected to fit into the market, I guess. The non-plot was sometimes funny but the multiple references to other anime were annoying. Anime references in anime are humorous when you don't expect them. Not when you are bombarded with them. Especially not when they are always either about Haruhi or about *BLEEP*. If you can't do it for copyright reasons then why are you trying?

I'm giving the show a 5-6 where 1-5 means "time more or less wasted" and 6-10 "time more or less well spent". In other words: I'm left with a quite neutral impression. Azumanga Daioh, for example, is a completely different league.

Judging by what you said, you probably felt bombarded with the easy ones and missed the hard ones. I caught a small amount of the latter but I'm still ignorant of most of them. The key thing about L*S is that a LOT of Japanese things, especially the most esoteric, you don't expect to be referenced in an anime ended up there.

L*S isn't your cup of tea, so meh. Most of us with L*S avatars here believe it's probably the most unique show for the past year, and it hit another hallmark for the slice-of-life high school genre. The thing about that genre is that it's relatively new to the past decade, and so far it leaves very little opportunity to be overdone, overlapped, or uncreative.

If there's anything to say against people who believe KyoAni can't invent: They did. Nobody has ever seen anything to the likes of SHnY or L*S. They practically invented a genre that supremely panders/parodies to otakus more than any other.

[Vexx]

I'm just a bit sorry that a manga I've come to enjoy got caught up in the "product references out the ass" syndrome. It means when I express my enjoyment of L*S that people will automatically assume I'm some KyoAni drooling fanboy or a Haruhi drooling fanboy when I'm not either. I have *liked* almost all of KyoAni's works but I can certainly find fault with them (as a brief scan of my posts throughout all their series will show). Big fan of L*S... but I'm also pretty unhappy with some aspects of the anime adaptation.

Its kind of like Shinbou .. I think he's done some brilliant things, but I also think he has royally clusterf**ked up some things. Azumanga Daioh is in my top tier of manga and anime choices... but hey, they had some boring episodes as well :) (and the adaptation putting a teacher's lechery in the first few episodes I've found very offputting to attracting people to the series and anime.... :( )

Worship just isn't my bag and I get a bit concerned when I see people fall into that non-thinking anime-equivalent of fundamental extremism.

[AVPlaya]

I'm a Japan-ota way before I started watching otaku anime, so this show is a hit for me in so many ways. I got most of the non-ota humor so that makes it special for me. I am never, ever going to find another show in this entire universe which will do a parody cover of I'm Proud while the original singer went missing and was fired by her agency. Never will another comedy show spoof both a Kimura dorama and Haruhi at the same time. But that is really unique to me.

I really don't expect L*S to get such a fanbase in the first place, so I'm totally okay with people not getting the show. I guess that's why I want people to understand it and enjoy it like I did. That being said, I'm more surprised at the huge popularity of L*S even among the casual anime watchers who barely knows Japanese.

I guess it's the wonderful characterization of all the characters, even the minor ones. They seemed REAL even though they're animated. The line between reality and anime/manga world is blurred every time you hear Shiraishi and Akira-sama argue - are they the character or are they the seiyuu? The speaking part of the CDs and the radio show just send a shiver up my spine every time; this show just felt more REAL to me than any other.

Lucky Star did a lot for me. I've made a lot of new friends, got in touch with a lot of part of J-culture I've never knew or have forgotten, and I don't think another show will do that to me again. That's why I have such a profound love for it, but I sure as hell did not expect anyone else to feel the same way. I've loved other anime or entertainment property before, but it's rare to have them done something for me other than brief outlets of relaxation. It has given me a lot, and I have tried to give it back. Now I can truly understand the passion of the otakus.

Before I take myself too seriously, I just want to say that the REAL reason was that I"m a tsundere-holic and Kagamin is one of the best ever. Sore dake. ^^;

[Kaioshin Sama]

It means when I express my enjoyment of L*S that people will automatically assume I'm some KyoAni drooling fanboy or a Haruhi drooling fanboy when I'm not either. I have *liked* almost all of KyoAni's works but I can certainly find fault with them (as a brief scan of my posts throughout all their series will show). Big fan of L*S... but I'm also pretty unhappy with some aspects of the anime adaptation.

That's the saddest part I think that by being associated with Lucky Star people are going to see you as some sort of fanboy. It's getting hard these days to differentiate between the people who truly like Lucky Star as a whole, and the people who are just caught up in the hype surrounding the production staff. I too can find a lot of problems with Lucky Star, but that doesn't mean I don't like it. When the time comes to rate it I'll probably be giving it a 6.5 in the end, which I take to mean above average.

So Vexx, "Clowns To The Left Of Me, Jokers To The Right, Here I Am, Stuck In The Middle With You" (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alan.stuart/music/lyrics/stuckint.html).:p

@Slice of Life: I try to deliberately keep my avatars and sigs unnassociated with any currently popular anime. I just follow whatever mood I feel I'm in, and choose an avatar/sig to match it. It's a way I can show that I'm following my inhibitions and not following any sort of trend. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but that's just how I like to do things personally.

@Claies: The 4Koma style of comedy has been around forever man, neither Yoshimizu nor Kyoto Animation invented it. Here (http://www.dra-mata.com/manga/4koma/) is another example of the style of comedy Lucky Star follows. It requires you to be a Gar/Mecha/Japanese otaku to "Get It" (Lucky Star in turn requires you to be a Haruhi/Moe/Japanese Otaku to "Get It") and it uses in-jokes that you need to pay close attention to (You need to be aware of many mecha shows and Japanese cultural and gaming oddities to understand them), some of which have strips that run into each other. So Lucky Star really isn't any sort of new genre, and even American Comics such as Peanuts (Vexx drew this comparison more times than I can count) have been doing this for years.

[Vexx]

genre: entertaining and quirky personalities getting through life and trying to figure it out, thereby providing commentary on the tragicomic human condition.

[Kaioshin Sama]

genre: entertaining and quirky personalities getting through life and trying to figure it out, thereby providing commentary on the tragicomic human condition.

Is that an actual definition?

[CrowKenobi]

genre: entertaining and quirky personalities getting through life and trying to figure it out, thereby providing commentary on the tragicomic human condition.

Is that an actual definition?An actual definition of Azumanga Daioh and Lucky Star's brand of slice of life. :p

Wiki's definition (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slice_of_life_story).

:cool:

[Kaioshin Sama]

An actual definition of Azumanga Daioh and Lucky Star's brand of slice of life. :p

Wiki's definition (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slice_of_life_story).

:cool:

Ah, like Ghost World or Ghost Dog in American films, or maybe even Tarantino.

[Vexx]

O.o Its an actual definition that I coalesced out of general literary-speak.

I was only defining the sub-genre that shows like AzuDa and L*S live in..... some of Shakespeare's plays live in that genre as well. Peanuts, Calvin&Hobbes, Mutts .... a long list of apparently random items that would fit there.

[Kyuusai]

Like AVPlaya said was the case for himself (and a few others, such as Vexx, for whom it is true, but haven't said it here), I come from the perspective of having had a passion/interest in Japanese culture before my interest in Japanese animation. That gave Lucky Star extra significance for me.

I think, before other things, Lucky Star tries to be relatable, and it's from there that it deveops its greatest draw. But the manga's humor being so very Japanese and the anime being as Japanese-culture-centric, not to mention Japanese-pop-culture-centric, one would think that its appeal would be limited outside of Japan. While I knew that the KyoAni Touch would mean it would have a significant following, I was constantly amazed that others found it as entertaining as I did. At other times, I was amazed that I found it as entertaining as I did.

It is often suggested that truly great works should never have ties to temporary concepts, but works such as Dr. Suess's editorial cartoons show us that at worst a truly great work is simply less timeless. I am somewhat concerned that the constant references make this a less timeless (I'm almost certain they do), but it still managed to be a wonderful production.

I guess it's the wonderful characterization of all the characters, even the minor ones. They seemed REAL even though they're animated. The line between reality and anime/manga world is blurred every time you hear Shiraishi and Akira-sama argue - are they the character or are they the seiyuu? The speaking part of the CDs and the radio show just send a shiver up my spine every time; this show just felt more REAL to me than any other.

I think this magical effect, as well as the show's general occasionally inexplicable appeal, is achieved by the same thing that makes programs such as the American productions of (to name three vastly different things) Scrubs, Heroes, or even Austin Powers so loved. Like those, Lucky Star shows clearly how much love and enjoyment the creators find in their work, both because of the quality of production and because the production is "transparent" enough for it to shine through. As grueling, depressing and draining as the every part of the creation process can be, they were clearly having FUN doing this. In every scene that jumps to mind when I remember Lucky Star, that element is obvious.

It rubbed off on the fans, too. I enjoy many series, and I enjoy discussing many series, but it's rare that I get almost as excited about "sharing in the fandom" as I do a series, itself. For many reasons (not the least of which being the reference-collection and the aforementioned "transparency"), this series has a hand in changing its following from "fandom" to "community".

[Vexx]

I also come from the perspective of having been interested in japanese culture since I was in junior high (check the age and subtract) and actually LOATHED japanese animation from afar til I started reading Megatokyo in the latter part of the year 2000. Fred kept talking about these anime that did something besides explode, shout, or involve tentacles.... so I went to look and found some pretty decent comedy and drama often heavily dunked in japanese social mores and culture.

As Kyuusai says, even when doing something nastily commercialized --- if the participants are having fun, that comes through more clearly than any "targeted analysis of what the demographic wants". A fair amount of L*S transmits that feeling quite nicely.

[723]

Lucky Star has meant a lot to me. I mean, I am relatively new to anime, and this was one of the first I have seen. I can clearly remember how I downloaded the frst episode because a lot of members of an Internet forum said it was the best 2007 anime.

And, how it dissapointed me... I was looking for taiko no tatsujin, tekken or street fighter that I had seen on the anime preview... And suddenly I was looking how a group of girls were talking about how they eat lots of food I have never heard of. But, I had nothing better to do, and lookes the second episode... and the third, and the fourth. And I loved the series more with each episode.

I have been always interested in the japaneses culture. I have always wanted to know something about the place where anime was created, popular for its great technology and sometimes treated as a place which could be seen as the world in the near future. And, I must add that I have always like references, even those which I do not understand, so that way I can learn more things.

You must have realized that I am defininf Lucky Star. If you add to this, that I like series without a complicated plot, like Keroro Gunsou (unless it has become worse and worse...), you have the result. Moe ( I didn't even know this word before L*S) characters, very well drawn their personalities, lots of references... you know, what the show is about.

And furthermore, thanks to all this foum I could understand better this show. Cultural references, seiyuus, and of course, theories, and various chatter... How to know if the girls were being chased by a certain boy? What do you think of Kagaminya being heart-broken? Do really Kagami and Konata want more than being friends (We love Kagam-e-i)?

It is a shame that L*S has ended... I truly wait for a second season. Or the mangas being licensed, or fansubbed, or whatever. I just want to be someone who can enjoy this a lttle more, know just a bit more, laugh on more time.

I will end this "long" post (maybe it is not very long, but it took me a while to write it xD) with my neverending sentence... What do you think??

[Kaioshin Sama]

I also come from the perspective of having been interested in japanese culture since I was in junior high (check the age and subtract) and actually LOATHED japanese animation from afar til I started reading Megatokyo in the latter part of the year 2000. Fred kept talking about these anime that did something besides explode, shout, or involve tentacles.... so I went to look and found some pretty decent comedy and drama often heavily dunked in japanese social mores and culture.

As Kyuusai says, even when doing something nastily commercialized --- if the participants are having fun, that comes through more clearly than any "targeted analysis of what the demographic wants". A fair amount of L*S transmits that feeling quite nicely.

I'm still not so sure about that. I always like to think that another persons enjoyment comes before one's own. Of course if all parties are enjoying something then it couldn't be more perfect, but I really didn't like the commercialism at all, and that brought Lucky Star down quite a bit for me.

[AVPlaya]

I'm still not so sure about that. I always like to think that another persons enjoyment comes before one's own. Of course if all parties are enjoying something then it couldn't be more perfect, but I really didn't like the commercialism at all, and that brought Lucky Star down quite a bit for me.

Japan simply does not have that sort of anti-commercialism. In fact, the first thing every single newly minted celebrity do is a commercial, which is a hallmark of success. People aren't against commercial if you're up front about it. In fact, many people in Japan likes commercials MORE than actual TV shows, and the CM have its own fanbase. For example, the Shiseido Tsubaki campaign has been hugely successful, it's CM being filmed by noted filmmakers, and the girls in them becomes models for young women. I personally watches Japanese CMs more than the show sometimes, since some of them are really well made. I seriously doubt many J-otaku would have similar kind of distaste with regulard to all the KyoAni/Kadokawa references.

Here's some eye candy Tsubaki CMs for fun... some of my favorite CMs ever. All of the women in it are celebrities, and they all feel privileged to be in a Tsubaki CM.

NFc6i3EwHJ0
gvRQ024ANeE
sZ0jt4Wk0II

[Calawain]

The day that all those things happen is the same day we'll see Front Mission 5, Super Robot Wars Alpha 3 and Namco x Capcom released stateside.....which I hope would be soon, but I don't count on it for two reasons, one the cross licensing rights involved in getting all the rights to manufacture the products with all the proper and official content intact (we're almost talking Bandai or nobody here) and two the probability that licensing costs will exceed projected profits.

I would disagree here. They have licensed Haruhi (which arguably is more popular than LS and should cost more in licensing fees) in anime format and plenty of associated figures and such. Just look at Rightstuf and you see figures, wall scrolls, and t-shirts. I expect it to be licensed in anime format with some associated merchandise at the least.

[Claies]

I would disagree here. They have licensed Haruhi (which arguably is more popular than LS and should cost more in licensing fees) in anime format and plenty of associated figures and such. Just look at Rightstuf and you see figures, wall scrolls, and t-shirts. I expect it to be licensed in anime format with some associated merchandise at the least.

But Haruhi wasn't clogged with references. Lucky*Star, on the other hand, is.

I have no doubt that L*S would in fact be licensed, but I have even less doubt that it will be inevitably screwed up. First of all, pulling off an English voice acting (and script, nonetheless) for Konata is simply ridiculous. Hirano Aya pulling that off is a miracle in itself, and the anime localization industry so far really lacked such miracles.

The only American release I'll respect for L*S would be entirely subbed, with a Japanese culture guide at least as thick as AVPlaya's attached.

[relentlessflame]

I have no doubt that L*S would in fact be referenced, but I have even less doubt that it will be inevitably screwed up. First of all, pulling off an English voice acting (and script, nonetheless) for Konata is simply ridiculous. Hirano Aya pulling that off is a miracle in itself, and the anime localization industry so far really lacked such miracles.

The only American release I'll respect for L*S would be entirely subbed, with a Japanese culture guide at least as thick as AVPlaya's attached.Well, it's not as if this would be the first time someone localized a "reference-clogged" anime; Lucky Star is definitely a unique show, but it's not so unique in that sense. And the nice thing about dubs is that you can always turn them off (back to Japanese audio) if they suck. :p So I guess I'm not so worried -- whoever Kadokawa works with to release this show will definitely do a good job.

(And well... I think it's perfectly fine to watch this show without a "thick culutre guide". I'm still waiting to get mine to appreciate the fansubs, in any case...)

[Calawain]

But Haruhi wasn't clogged with references. Lucky*Star, on the other hand, is.

I have no doubt that L*S would in fact be referenced, but I have even less doubt that it will be inevitably screwed up. First of all, pulling off an English voice acting (and script, nonetheless) for Konata is simply ridiculous. Hirano Aya pulling that off is a miracle in itself, and the anime localization industry so far really lacked such miracles.

The only American release I'll respect for L*S would be entirely subbed, with a Japanese culture guide at least as thick as AVPlaya's attached.

I have the Excel Saga DVDs, and the references it makes are even more obscure then LS and the dub was fine. And the great thing about the Excel Saga DVDs is they have a feature that turns on reference notes that pop up on the screen in little bubbles explaining references and the millions of Excel's puns. Anything is possible if it will sell enough copies ;x Plus the fact that it's hard to dub won't stop them if there is enough money to be made, people will just watch it subbed.

[Vexx]

Paniponi Dash is another example of "blackhole dense" references, they used a similar method of letting the viewer "choose their level of footnote pain".

[game2007]

Um, I'm not sure where to post this, but it's a fandub created by some people and sure looks really real and convincing. The voices are pretty much how I expect them to be, so it's very good.

Sorry if it should be in another topic instead.:(

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU82PR2xlYc&mode=related&search=

[Vexx]

Typically, you put these things in the "video" thread (even though it isn't musical), but it's not entirely off-topic here. This is just the garbage bin "first thread" that is usually created for every show before the mods decide whether or not it generates enough traffic to have its own forum.

edit: there's something horribly wrong with capitalism when a *FAN* effort beats the crap out of a commercial effort from "professionals". They should hire these girls to do the R1 release.

Very nice find.

[darkchibi07]

Hmmmm, I'll take their tone quality, but the overall acting quality is....well, what I expected from a "fandub" (or to a certain extent, the usual quality from Blue Water Studios in Calgary). :heh:

The one who did Tsukasa seemed to try a bit too hard to sound cute. The one who did Kagami certainly has potential. I'm ambient on Konota's voice though I have to say the guys sounded pretty awful.

[Ascaloth]

What I think of their voices:

Konata: Not quirky enough.
Kagami: Not sarcastic enough.
Tsukasa: Generic.
Miyuki: Hardly stood out.

It's probably better than most commerical works, but it's not perfect yet.

[Boukenblue]

Who are these girls?

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/7806/quien02ec7.jpg

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/5403/quienbk9.jpg

They apear in the episode 16 and 24.

why?

they are the protagonists of the some new Anime?

or it is a possible signal of the second season of Lucky Star?

[Teiran]

Who are these girls?

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/7806/quien02ec7.jpg

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/5403/quienbk9.jpg
Those are the Miyakawa sisters, Hikage (younger, blue hair) and Hinata (elder, pink hair) respectively. They're characters from the Lucky Star games on the DS.

Apart from their appearances in the two episodes you mentioned, the Miyakawas can also be found in episode 12 by those with eagle eyes. :)

[Boukenblue]

Thank you very much.

now I can sleep. :P

[tyciol]

I am inclined to begin watching this series. Guerrand seems to have done all the recent ones, but they started at 17.

I am wondering for those who perhaps have observed multiple instances of translation what your personal recommendation for the group to go to would be.

[Vexx]

No one has done a complete series yet. Guerrand stepped in when the other groups got blindsided by RL for a few weeks.

Which group to prefer kind of depends on your tastes.
A.F.K. does really professional typesetting and karaoke, until last month they were really "on time every time". Their font is easy to read but the color choice blends into the background and their dialog placement sometimes interferes with the action because of Lucky*Star's penchant for putting talking heads in the bottom of the screen. Their translation style is to equivalence what a japanese might say with an equivalent american character might say. So some of the japanese wordplay is lost or converted... this makes it sound more "local" for american viewers but on occasion may introduce a joke or catchphrase that simply wasn't originally there.
Guerrand is more strict on the translation but they jumped when the other groups took a breather. They've also chosen not to do the karaoke. So far they're the only ones to have done the latter part of the series. Their font style is a bit perfunctory but that goes with speed subbing, though for speed subbing it is actually a very good job.
EnA (caveat: my personal favorite) strikes a good balance in their translation, I like the color coded subtitles, and I find their font the easiest to read. However, they've been MIA on the series since late summer.
Wind was the subber of choice for the "footnotes galore" paniponidash viewer, but they went MIA on the series after only a few episodes.

No one has actually announced they're dropping L*S that I know of.
So, at the moment, I have some EnA, some a.f.k. and some Guerrand.

[Lucky_Day]

The fan dub looks fairly good. I had forgotten about this series, but Anime Weekend Atlanta 13 was this weekend. I came back to the series and was pleased with the ending. They showed a few episodes of Lucky Star along with a number of other anime shows. On Saturday, I was one of a group of people who did the Lucky Star dance while waiting for the judges to pick a winner in an anime video contest.

The anime makes good use of color. Except for the twins, each character in the opening dance has a different hair color.

On a personal note, my mother was named Patricia. Her hair was red, like mine. She died of breast cancer in 1994.

[CrowKenobi]

I also posted this in the episode 24 thread:
Lucky Star is not yet licensed for R1 (US/Canada). No company has announced it yet though it would seem likely it might follow the Suzumiya licensing route.

Funny you should mention that... :D

I've checked the whois on the Network Solutions website and just today (9/30) luckystaranime.com was registered... to some company in Malaysia I think, but that could easily be a front.

Make that what you will. :D

:cool:

EDIT: and it's registered for one year... :hmm:

[Vexx]

I hate to make sweeping... but 'malaysia' , regged for one year , ..... sounds fishy.

[kenjiharima]

someone is in chahoots with someone...i can smell it...

I'll wait for the licensed formally in an anime news network or company. btw genon has stopped licensing anime? One 'cause? Maybe...

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-09-26/geneon-usa-to-cancel-dvd-sales-distribution-by-friday

[Nuke Mayhem]

Here's an idea I got for a Lucky Star/Sgt. Frog crossover movie:
The 4 LS girls head to a book store in a near by mall for a manga singing staring the staff behind popular Sgt. Frog manga, including Aki Hinata(the mom from the Sgt. Frog anime). What no one knows is that the real Keroro Platoon lives in her house. Aki's kids were there to help as well as Momoka Nishizawa and her butler Paul Moriyama (and the Keroro Platoon using their invisible barrier).
Momoka (with Tamama pretending to be a plush toy) runs into Tsukasa Hiiragi at the food court and become fast friends. Just as Momoka was letting Tsukasa hold Tamama(still acting like a plush toy), some goofy kidnappers(hired by an evil rival buisnessman of Momoka's father, looking to force the father to step down for the life of hos daughter) come by trying to figure out which of the two girls is Momoka. They don't know what she exactly looks like, all they were told was that she had short purple hair, is very shy, and usually holding this blue frog toy. The kidnappers end up kidnapping Tsukasa and Tamama by mistake and a silly but epic rescue mission begins.

The rest rights itself:
*Izumi nearly has a joy-induced seizure when she finds out the Keroro Platoon's real, temperately takes Tamama's place on the squad, and has a tearful moment with the platoon when it was time to go back to normal life (which turns into a I-don't-want-to-go fit).
*Kagami and Natsumi have a fight over what happend but become friends from their shared annoyance over the little green frog.
*Keroro figures out a way to use this kidnapping to further their invasion of earth and/or get him more gundam models(with Izumi eager to help), but the plan blows up in his face.
*Tsukasa learns to have courage from Tamama and Momoka and develops her own version of Momoka's alter ego, and both Tsukasa and Momoka's alter-egos kicks the main bad guy's ass.

What ya think?

[Vexx]

There's another couple of threads on the Geneon disaster in the General Anime section.
Its still not entirely clear whether ongoing productions will be completed.

[kenjiharima]

I'd rather have a hot blooded anime like Anime Tenchou!

[mimi_girl]

Maybe this was discussed before, but did you guys know about the new Lucky Star single yet coming out on November 21? If so, I can't wait XD.

[Lucky_Day]

I had not heard about that.

[Vexx]

Lucky Star single ... what?? ??
OVA? CD?

There were several character CDs released on 9/26 (of which I ordered Patty, Minami, and Yutaka)

On 10/31, we get Misao+Ayano's character CD (pre-ordered)
On 11/21, we get Nanako's character CD (pre-ordered)
...
maybe that's the "single" you're thinking of?

[mimi_girl]

^Well that sounds right. I don't know because another person had a list of people who will be releasing a single on that day. Like Ai Otsuka TOKIO, EXLE, Momusu, and thats it. But the big compition is the Ai Otsuka and Morning Musume, so I can't wait :D. But I think it is a little early for a setlist oO.

[Nuke Mayhem]

Yay! A.f.k. finally put up his torrent for LS ep 21. I consider his subtitling of the series the best. :D

[VK-Pitt]

^Thats good. I like having all my subs from the same place.

[HashiriyaR32]

WARNING: UN-EXPLODED MUNITIONS

L☆S just got TMA'd!! (http://zepy.momotato.com/2007/08/31/kira%E2%98%86star/)

[Nuke Mayhem]

WARNING: UN-EXPLODED MUNITIONS

L☆S just got TMA'd!! (http://zepy.momotato.com/2007/08/31/kira%E2%98%86star/)

I live action LS? ....Make sense since it doesn't require a huge budget or CGI to make it.

[Vexx]

Um..... NOPE.. sorry --- that link is to a *porn* production that parodies Lucky*Star.
Kind of like Flesh Gordon versus Flash Gordon. One of our local posters, AVPlaya, has some comments about it on that Canned Dogs link.

It *would* be interesting to see a live action Lucky Star since it is mostly verbal humor and character study.... but this isn't that puppy. Not that this puppy won't have entertainment value, of course. It'll just be the kind that makes Kagami panic and blush. The adult video industry in Japan has a long tradition of this kind of parody/homage.

[HashiriyaR32]

TMA is the VERY reason I put up the live munitions warning. Didn't want you to be blown to smithereens.

[~ Lawliet ~]

I had started when it had been up to episode 4 and but of course, fell in love. An amazing anime it is indeed.

[Ultima_Rasengan05]

Its been a while since Lucky*Star has ended, but I think an OVA would be good to show the girl's graduation ceremony and such.
I've recently just finished watching Azumanga Daioh, which some have compared that show to Lucky*Star to almost being similar, but different in their own way. They showed the graduation ceremony for the characters in that show, which made the show feel more complete and such.
An OVA would be good though, but I'm not saying that the last episode of Lucky*Star wasn't bad. It just felt kinda "incomplete" without a scene where the girls had their graduation.

[espeon]

Thanks to A.F.K for finishing the series, I do wish there was more cause i felt that the last epi was a little to quick to end but oh well , Hope to see it licensed some day!

[Anachronism]

Yeah, the ending wasn't very satisfying. I would also like to see a OVA about their graduation or even better a whole season about the characters going to college.

[bschultz]

I'll ask this here since I cant seem to start a new thread.

Did anyone notice that at the beginning of a lot of scenes they were always talking about how something smelled bad, or that a person smelled bad?

Just wondering if anyone had any input about that.

[Lucky_Day]

Some of the writing courses I've taken had me practice writing descriptions using the five senses: see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. Talking about smell might be the most noticable because it is the least talked about. People talk about seeing and hearing things all the time. When someone is eating something, taste is talked about frequently too. Our culture seems to give the sense of touch an almost mystical quality, the one sense remaining when all other senses fail. It seems the sense of smell is only talked about is if something smells really good or really bad.

[Claies]

I'll ask this here since I cant seem to start a new thread.

Did anyone notice that at the beginning of a lot of scenes they were always talking about how something smelled bad, or that a person smelled bad?

Just wondering if anyone had any input about that.

It's a running gag. They could have meant anything or anyone, but the show always makes sure we know nothing more than that it smells. End of story.

---

This might appear to you as racist, simply-not-true, or stereotypical. That's fine. Those are my ramblings about social issues and how they connect to anime, and you can take it however you want.

After mentioning Lucky*Star to most of my real life otaku friends, I have come to the realization that KyoAni has done a very good job in keeping a show widely popular only in a small variety of people and even only in Asia, because...so far only Asians I asked of this have loved the show. Everyone else just balked the moment I named it and flatly refused to watch it, citing reviews from probably just Westerners. While I know perfectly that there are Westerners on this forum, I'm pretty sure that in real life you guys are vastly outnumbered.

So I sat down and ground my mind thinking how they did it. Personally, I think the show is perfect. It even reminded me of my days as a kid, watching those old animes, some of them for children. That could be why, because mainstream anime culture tends towards action, suspense, comedy and adventure, and as I perceive it couldn't tolerate anything calm, quiet, cute, or a combination of them. Mainstream is all about entertainment without much intelligence required to the average viewer, because most people like to be entertained without effort. Western anime culture has yet to reach beyond the mainstream, because everyone I asked likes and continually watches one mainstream show or another while I usually just shrug, and I don't think it's likely to get beyond that point, because publishing companies act as such an effective popularity filter.

That, and I think Lucky*Star paints itself as a very Asian series. If you don't understand Asia, you won't get the jokes and you won't like this show, and vice-versa. One of my friends simply answered, "the less I know about Japan, the better because I'm not a weeaboo" when I commented that it's a very Japanese show. From there, I think I see mild, natural xenophobia at work, that people like to make sure they're still connected with their home culture.

Should this show be called Asian Pride, or what? And why the hell did KyoAni think of making something like this?

[Anachronism]

[A lot of stuff I cleared out of here to save space.]

I'm completely white. My ethnic background is entirely white European. I was born and raised in the United States and the only other country I've ever visited is Mexico. Yet, I like Lucky Star and find it hilarious. I'm far from being an expert on Japanese culture but I still seem able to find the show funny.

Although I do know what you mean about most anime viewers in Western society only being able to watch action oriented anime. I have friends that watch shows like Cowboy Bebop and Trigun but call me "wapanese" for watching a show like Lucky Star. I tried to introduce one friend who watches Bleach to The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and his only criticism of the show was that, "it's too Japanese."

I think you're onto something with the xenophobia but I don't think a person has to be Asian to enjoy Lucky Star or even know a lot about Japanese culture. They just need an open mind. There are a lot of Americans who react the same way to British shows as they do Japanese shows and our cultures are fairly similar, we look the same, and we have the same language. It's not that they need to be British to watch those shows or Asian to enjoy anime, they just need to be willing to try something different.

[relentlessflame]

Claies... as a Lucky Star fan and "Westerner", I don't know how I should take that. My gut instinct is to be a bit offended. We're all -- "Westerners" and "Asians" alike -- vastly outnumbered simply by virtue of being an anime fan. Some shows are more popular in Asia, and others are more popular in the "Western World", but you know what? Who cares? I'm not in any way Asian, and I like whole lot of anime that don't stand a chance at being licensed due to a lack of local popularity. Does that make me a "weeaboo"? No! It just means I have different tastes than most of the people around me -- and there's nothing wrong or abnormal with that. What's different is that I've accepted my uniqueness and am not afraid to seek out the things I like, even though society around me doesn't understand it.

I agree with Anachronism -- most of the Westerners you spoke too seem way too close-minded. If they were less judgmental, they might actually find themselves quite interested in these sorts of shows. I don't think there's really all that much "Asian" about it, despite there being cultural things they may have to (*shock*) research to fully understand (because it'd be way too much work to try to actually, you know, learn about foreign cultures -- they'd be weeaboos before they know it! Oh no!).

All in all, whenever someone calls something "too Asian", or says "you'd have to be Asian to understand", it really ticks me off. Society's spent so much time trying to break down racist and cultural barriers, but then people go and purposefully put them up again saying "oh, you just wouldn't understand". Isn't it more like you don't want me to understand? So much about being a human being is universal, but some parts are distinct and unique. If we just accept what's common, and learn about what's different, then we can all understand each other. We won't need antiquated circumstantial barriers like race or region, location or language. Anime has the potential of being one of the vehicles that's used to help bridge those gaps, so long as we don't hamper it by labelling and pre-judging those who watch it.

Lucky Star isn't "more Asian". There just happen to be more people in Asia who share my tastes.

[Claies]

Please understand that I'm not supporting there being cultural barriers. I obviously want people to enjoy this show of Asian-specific references by the bucketloads, as it is indeed worth at least a chuckle from the charm the characters give off even if people don't get it. What I really want to know is what KyoAni had in mind when they built this, because I have never seen such polarizing reactions towards an anime before, and I often wonder if this series intended to expose all those subtle social mindsets around animes.

Also note that I love this show to death and I'm just trying to grasp the difference between the set of people who like it and the set who don't, because there are a lot of things that don't add up. I've heard of many anime fans who love Azumanga Daioh but pay far less heed to Lucky*Star, and coincidentally they also like a lot of mainstream shows.

Right now I'm thinking that this stems from extreme lovers and haters throwing dirt at each other. All those who care a bit less got hit badly in the crossfire, while those who care even less just backed away from the drama and with that the series altogether. All that "weeaboo", "only for old men", "too Asian" comments are byproducts of that little conflict.

[Anachronism]

Lucky Star isn't "more Asian". There just happen to be more people in Asia who share my tastes.

That's a contributing factor but there's also the fact that the show has only aired in Japan. The only "Westerners" that know Lucky Star even exists let alone have actually watched it are people who are a very small niche group of people. We really won't know how many "Westerners" as a whole enjoy Lucky Star until it gets licensed and released to the masses.

[Vexx]

All I can offer is that the "Westerners" (aka non-anime fans) that I've shown it to compared it to Peanuts tossed with bits of Monty Python and Seinfeld. Some of the references are opaque to many.. but then how many people get all the references in a typical 1950s Bugs Bunny cartoon ---- very few unless they know their 1940s/50s pop culture --- yet it remains funny.

Despite claims of "only japanese or asians could understand this" from some posters and reviewers, there isn't a thing in this show that hasn't got some connections to Western humor (vaudeville, comedy duos, slapstick, parody, jokes about obsessive fans)... frankly, anyone who thinks it is unapproachable, I have to wonder about their awareness of their own comedy culture.

As far as culture-specific jokes or situations.... L*S is no more prone to it than any other anime set in similar environs.

These are the rational reasons I've encountered for not liking the series:
1) This type of humor just doesn't appeal to them (human condition or character-driven humor)
2) They've seen it done better (personal opinion but subjectively valid)
3) This type of genre doesn't appeal to them (cute girls doing funny things)
4) They liked the manga but were antagonized by all the anime-only injections (anime tenchou, L*C, intrusive Haruhism, etc) to the point of distraction.

Absurd hating seemed to come in some interconnected flavors:
1) Its popular therefore we hates it.
2) I loathe KyoAni fanbois therefore we hates it.
3) I loathe AIR/Kanon/Clannad -- Kyoani and so we hates it.
4) Its only popular because of the Haruhists whom we hate so we hates it.
5) .... in other words, mostly things unrelated to the actual Lucky*Star itself.

And finally, I'll point out that those using the word "weeaboo" should watch over their shoulder.... after all, saying the word should get the user chained to a pipe and paddled.

[JustInn14]

1) Its popular therefore we hates it.

That's a dumb reason to hate a show. :/

[VK-Pitt]

That's a dumb reason to hate a show. :/

And yet a suprisingly common one.

[JustInn14]

And yet a suprisingly common one.

Really?! Well, that's pretty stupid. Jut because an anime's popular doesn't mean it's crap! Besides, this show's fun to watch! :)

[Anachronism]

Really?! Well, that's pretty stupid. Jut because an anime's popular doesn't mean it's crap! Besides, this show's fun to watch! :)

Some people prefer keeping a false "underground cred" to simply enjoying a show if it's good. People do the same thing with music. There are people that will claim to be a band's biggest fan in the world but as soon as they get signed to a decent sized record label or have a song play on any radio station they immediately get cast off as sell outs who only cater to mainstream "posers" by these people.

[~ Lawliet ~]

I can't stand how it is people can hate such things for such reasons.

[Minorou]

I agree with Anachronism -- most of the Westerners you spoke too seem way too close-minded. If they were less judgmental, they might actually find themselves quite interested in these sorts of shows. I don't think there's really all that much "Asian" about it, despite there being cultural things they may have to (*shock*) research to fully understand (because it'd be way too much work to try to actually, you know, learn about foreign cultures -- they'd be weeaboos before they know it! Oh no!).
I couldn't agree more. I'm Caucasian, only just recently got into anime, and know next to nothing about Japanese culture. Yet I love Lucky*Star just as much as, if not more than, I enjoy other mainstream anime. Sure, I didn't understand every joke heard, but the humor was still there. In fact, I was actually inspired to do some research and learn more about how life is in Japan, so I've gotten quite a bit of educational value out of L*S. Everyone I've known to hate it either fell into the "hate it because it's popular" or "I don't understand it; too asian" crowd. Some people really need to learn to be less close-minded.

[JustInn14]

I couldn't agree more. I'm Caucasian, only just recently got into anime, and know next to nothing about Japanese culture. Yet I love Lucky*Star just as much as, if not more than, I enjoy other mainstream anime. Sure, I didn't understand every joke heard, but the humor was still there. In fact, I was actually inspired to do some research and learn more about how life is in Japan, so I've gotten quite a bit of educational value out of L*S. Everyone I've known to hate it either fell into the "hate it because it's popular" or "I don't understand it; too asian" crowd. Some people really need to learn to be less close-minded.

I'm European, and I still like watching this show, too. :) I must say, I've learned more about Japanese culture, too. Also, where did this whole "Hate it because it's popular" thing start? Besides, the character designs' look cute (to me) :p.

[darkadherent]

http://kadokawapicturesusa.com/animation/index.php

its been licensed under "Laki Suta"

orz

[Risaa]

http://kadokawapicturesusa.com/animation/index.php

its been licensed under "Laki Suta"

orz
In response (stealing posts that aren't even mine :p ):
Actually, if you browse around, those are just all their titles. If you'll notice they also list Karin (being handled by Geneon) and SHnY (being handled by Bandai). Lucky Star is *available* for a partnered license distribution from Kadokawa USA.

Karin is recently in limbo due to Geneon's collapse but they implied they were negotiating a hand-off of titles in progress for completion.

Lucky Star is not licensed. That site just lists what's in Kadokawa Pictures USA's portfolio... notice that Haruhi, Karin, FMP-TSR and The Third are listed there as well.
orz desu

[tetra26]

I couldn't even watch the entire series -- it was that boring. I think I dropped it around episode 5. First of all, I tend to avoid that kind of art anyhow, but since I heard it was a comedy series I decided to give it a shot. Did nothing for me -- the only time I laughed was at the karaoke scene at the end of the first show. My mind is boggled on how it's so popular -- but to each his/her own. I love Mystery anime involving Detective work (Detective Conan, Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo, Monster), while mostly everyone I know thinks it's boring.

[Vexx]

And that's a perfectly legitimate (though it makes me sad) reason for not liking L*S.

Cross-example: I'm an ardent Python fan, many people just stare at MPFC and say, "what?"
On the other hand, many people just die laughing at "Two and Half Men" (US sitcom). My wife and I just stare and say, "what? why is the audience laughing now?"

Tastes in humor differ.

[Jehuty77]

It's a running gag. They could have meant anything or anyone, but the show always makes sure we know nothing more than that it smells. End of story.

---

This might appear to you as racist, simply-not-true, or stereotypical. That's fine. Those are my ramblings about social issues and how they connect to anime, and you can take it however you want.

After mentioning Lucky*Star to most of my real life otaku friends, I have come to the realization that KyoAni has done a very good job in keeping a show widely popular only in a small variety of people and even only in Asia, because...so far only Asians I asked of this have loved the show. Everyone else just balked the moment I named it and flatly refused to watch it, citing reviews from probably just Westerners. While I know perfectly that there are Westerners on this forum, I'm pretty sure that in real life you guys are vastly outnumbered.

So I sat down and ground my mind thinking how they did it. Personally, I think the show is perfect. It even reminded me of my days as a kid, watching those old animes, some of them for children. That could be why, because mainstream anime culture tends towards action, suspense, comedy and adventure, and as I perceive it couldn't tolerate anything calm, quiet, cute, or a combination of them. Mainstream is all about entertainment without much intelligence required to the average viewer, because most people like to be entertained without effort. Western anime culture has yet to reach beyond the mainstream, because everyone I asked likes and continually watches one mainstream show or another while I usually just shrug, and I don't think it's likely to get beyond that point, because publishing companies act as such an effective popularity filter.

That, and I think Lucky*Star paints itself as a very Asian series. If you don't understand Asia, you won't get the jokes and you won't like this show, and vice-versa. One of my friends simply answered, "the less I know about Japan, the better because I'm not a weeaboo" when I commented that it's a very Japanese show. From there, I think I see mild, natural xenophobia at work, that people like to make sure they're still connected with their home culture.

Should this show be called Asian Pride, or what? And why the hell did KyoAni think of making something like this?

Hey There

I do agree with you that Lucky*Star is a very Asian anime. Lots of references that the average "Westerner" wouldnt pickup and without getting any of the references the anime could seem dull.

Most people who are into anime such as myself get 90% of the references. I'm not Asian, I'm Canadian but I do have a respect for the Asian culture and hope to one day visit Japan.

Too be honest I dont think this anime will get picked up for an English dub because so many of the references in the Anime are related to Japan that the average North American wouldnt "Get it" to put it simply. I do hope it gets picked up and if it does I hope its done right. Still I dont think anyone could do the voices as perfect as the Japanese voice actors did it.

I thought this one here was one of the better English "Fan Dubs"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU82PR2xlYc

To comment on those fans who jump ship just because an anime gets popular... these people are retarded. I knew a guy who was in love with Naruto, soon as it came to North America he suddenly started saying he hated it. Same with Bleach. Its completly rediculess, these people arnt anime fans because they like the anime. Their fans because it makes them diferent because they like somehting everyone doesnt know aobut.

[Claies]

To comment on those fans who jump ship just because an anime gets popular... these people are retarded. I knew a guy who was in love with Naruto, soon as it came to North America he suddenly started saying he hated it. Same with Bleach. Its completly rediculess, these people arnt anime fans because they like the anime. Their fans because it makes them diferent because they like somehting everyone doesnt know aobut.

I have a feeling that those "jump-ship fans" don't hate it because it's different but because they just don't like the general Western anime fandom. When everyone starts slobbering all over this awesome cool anime for reasons supposedly lesser than the reasons of those supposedly more serious people who make long discussions over it, you can see why some of them feel intruded and their serious discussions polluted with old news and fan squeals. From that point on, it's all about personal tolerance. Some people will just ignore or try to entertain the newbies while others would completely jump ship as you mentioned.

I for one don't like Naruto simply because it's long and I fail to find reason to marathon catch-up with 200+ episodes.

[Risaa]

To comment on those fans who jump ship just because an anime gets popular... these people are retarded. I knew a guy who was in love with Naruto, soon as it came to North America he suddenly started saying he hated it. Same with Bleach. Its completly rediculess, these people arnt anime fans because they like the anime. Their fans because it makes them diferent because they like somehting everyone doesnt know aobut.
It wasn't until this year that I began understanding what may be a little part of this -- having your favorite anime quickly become popular may mean that you're probably being overexposed to it. I like Haruhi, don't get me wrong. But everytime I think about getting some Haruhi bag or keychain, it occurs to me that there's going to be people commenting on it all the time! (I still bought the keychains BTW... they're too cute. :p ) It gets annoying when all fellow anime fans want to talk about is Haruhi. (Same with Eva, actually. I have an Asuka keychain, and that gets all the stares while I have a huge bundle of other anime accessories hanging off of my cellphone.. a huge bundle that weighs more than the actual phone... :uhoh: )

However, I agree that it's a lame reason to start hating your favorite series. I still like Haruhi (it's not my favorite though :p ).

OK, now I'm just rambling. Carry on. :)

[MaxwellDemon]

It wasn't until this year that I began understanding what may be a little part of this -- having your favorite anime quickly become popular may mean that you're probably being overexposed to it. I like Haruhi, don't get me wrong. But everytime I think about getting some Haruhi bag or keychain, it occurs to me that there's going to be people comminging on it all the time! (I still bought the keychains BTW... they're too cute. :p ) It gets annoying when all fellow anime fans want to talk about is Haruhi. (Same with Eva, actually. I have an Asuka keychain, and that gets all the stares while I have a huge bundle of other anime accessories hanging off of my cellphone.. a huge bundle that weighs more than the actual phone... :uhoh: )

However, I agree that it's a lame reason to start hating your favorite series. I still like Haruhi (it's not my favorite though :p ).

OK, now I'm just rambling. Carry on. :)

I actually didn't thought of it that way... but then, I am rarely overexposed to my favorite anime. :uhoh:...

As I am the only anime obsessive freak (not enough to be an otaku) in my school... and the only person that knows a good deal of anime is my brother... which really doesn't create any sort of overexposure. :heh:

[tetra26]

And that's a perfectly legitimate (though it makes me sad) reason for not liking L*S.

Cross-example: I'm an ardent Python fan, many people just stare at MPFC and say, "what?"
On the other hand, many people just die laughing at "Two and Half Men" (US sitcom). My wife and I just stare and say, "what? why is the audience laughing now?"

Tastes in humor differ.

I feel you on that.

Comic Book Geek Example: I love All Star Batman & Robin -- and if you've heard of that book you've heard of the controversy surrounding it. Most Batman fans call it absolute trash, but to me it's so bad, it's GOOD. :heh:

I did love Lovely Complex though (that was my very first time watching a shoujo series), so I'm on the lookout for more comedy anime -- but as you said, tastes in humor differ.

[Risaa]

Wow. EnA came out of nowhere and released a batch of L*S, episodes 17 through 21.

[Vexx]

One of my friends simply answered, "the less I know about Japan, the better because I'm not a weeaboo" when I commented that it's a very Japanese show. From there, I think I see mild, natural xenophobia at work, that people like to make sure they're still connected with their home culture.

Personally, I think the hijacked use of the 'unspeakable word' weeab** to denigrate anyone who "knows something about Japan" shows a lot more xenophobia than animation companies of a country making cartoons that espouse domestic values, references, and gags.

American cartoons espouse american 'values' and american references. Japanese anime espouses japanese values and references. Mexican/French/Canadian cartoons espouse .... where is a problem?

If one is going to watch products of another country, one should not expect them to puree, modify, or spoonfeed it if one is not going to take a few minutes and get some idea of the culture that generated it. To expect THAT is provincialism in the extreme.

[Claies]

Personally, I think the hijacked use of the 'unspeakable word' weeab** to denigrate anyone who "knows something about Japan" shows a lot more xenophobia than animation companies of a country making cartoons that espouse domestic values, references, and gags.

American cartoons espouse american 'values' and american references. Japanese anime espouses japanese values and references. Mexican/French/Canadian cartoons espouse .... where is a problem?

If one is going to watch products of another country, one should not expect them to puree, modify, or spoonfeed it if one is not going to take a few minutes and get some idea of the culture that generated it. To expect THAT is provincialism in the extreme.

There is no problem. That's why I felt kind of...hurt when I hear said friend and many others flatly say that watching Lucky*Star would make them a "weeab**". The ironic thing is most of them despise anime Americanization and rent anime DVDs only to watch them in subs.

It's not like "not getting the jokes" would really make you hate the show - the character interactions establish themselves as a complete piece of humor, but you probably just won't like it as much if you don't have the cultural information to be nostalgic about. Still, I think I at least doubled my knowledge on Japanese culture just from watching Lucky*Star.

[Risaa]

Still, I think I at least doubled my knowledge on Japanese culture just from watching Lucky*Star.
If anything, I think I at least doubled the amount of references I make to anime from watching L*S. :heh: I went and did karaoke for 3 hours tonight... you can guess how that went. It all started with my saying "test, test, test" into the microphone exactly the same way Kona does. :uhoh:

[Jehuty77]

It wasn't until this year that I began understanding what may be a little part of this -- having your favorite anime quickly become popular may mean that you're probably being overexposed to it. I like Haruhi, don't get me wrong. But everytime I think about getting some Haruhi bag or keychain, it occurs to me that there's going to be people commenting on it all the time! (I still bought the keychains BTW... they're too cute. :p ) It gets annoying when all fellow anime fans want to talk about is Haruhi. (Same with Eva, actually. I have an Asuka keychain, and that gets all the stares while I have a huge bundle of other anime accessories hanging off of my cellphone.. a huge bundle that weighs more than the actual phone... :uhoh: )

However, I agree that it's a lame reason to start hating your favorite series. I still like Haruhi (it's not my favorite though :p ).

OK, now I'm just rambling. Carry on. :)


The part I do understand about those people jumping ship is that when an Anime makes it big, alot of people start liking the anime not because of its art form, story or quality but simply because other people like it. They act like they are so into the anime when they dont really know about it at all and as soon as something new is popular they leave the previous anime behind. Now that... is just lame.

People like that frustrate the true fans of the series who appreciate it for more then just the fact that its popular.

I'm a huge fan of Full Metal Panic and Lucky Star. I liked haruhi but once I watched Lucky*Star I felt it was much more entertaining then Haruhi (I still like Haruhi tho). Something about Lucky*Star just made me smile when I watched it and remember alot of my good times at highschool.

Other animes I like are Deathnote(Until the end of the frist story arc that is) and GTO.

[Vexx]

If anything, I think I at least doubled the amount of references I make to anime from watching L*S. :heh: I went and did karaoke for 3 hours tonight... you can guess how that went. It all started with my saying "test, test, test" into the microphone exactly the same way Kona does. :uhoh:

So did you select the same tracks and "Kona-fy" them? :) :) :)

[Risaa]

So did you select the same tracks and "Kona-fy" them? :) :) :)
You know it. :p Ah, and I made sure to sing loads of anime songs by artists none of the rest of my party had ever heard of before. :)

[FatPianoBoy]

If there was any 'Head Cha-La' happening, there'd better be an mp3 somewhere.

[JustInn14]

There is no problem. That's why I felt kind of...hurt when I hear said friend and many others flatly say that watching Lucky*Star would make them a "weeab**". The ironic thing is most of them despise anime Americanization and rent anime DVDs only to watch them in subs.

They are usually emo retards that need a life... badly.

[Claies]

They are usually emo retards that need a life... badly.

...doubt that. He's not retarded, he's not emo, he's just not too open-minded.

For your future popularity, please ditch that stereotype.

[relentlessflame]

...doubt that. He's not retarded, he's not emo, he's just not too open-minded.

For your future popularity, please ditch that stereotype....Because being close-minded is less damning than the two suggested alternatives?

Just a thought...

[Claies]

...Because being close-minded is less damning than the two suggested alternatives?

Just a thought...

I'm saying that they aren't related. Closed-minded is bad, but that doesn't necessarily bring about the other two.

I apologize for how off-topic this got, so lets raise a glass to Tsukasa beating Suiseiseki in Saimoe 2007.

[Ascaloth]

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LuminescentBlush

LOL.

[Spitze]

In the sponsor message for the ed and intro, there's this dog that's featured. What's its breed?

[CrowKenobi]

Interesting article on animenewsnetwork.com: (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-11-21/lucky-star-cast-fans-to-visit-real-life-shrine)

Lucky Star Cast, Fans to Visit Real-Life Shrine
posted on 2007-11-21 16:33 EST
Event to include brunch, manga creator appearance, shrine goods
Don't you wish you were there? :p

:cool:

[Marina]

Interesting article on animenewsnetwork.com: (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-11-21/lucky-star-cast-fans-to-visit-real-life-shrine)

Don't you wish you were there? :p

:cool:

Uhhhh, yes....yes I do! I really like those phone straps too...

[mikoo]

Lucky*Star PS2 is out, and you can see the ad on the above ad banner ;)

the game play as follow:

http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-2c-74-ikb6-49-en-29-text-44-co.html
http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-43-49-en-70-26lx.html


And this is her bio:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2d/NagamoriYamato.jpg
Yamato Nagamori (永森 やまと, Nagamori Yamato)

* Birthday: November 26
* Height: 168 cm
* Strong Subject: Sports, Music
* Handedness: Left-handed
* Blood Type: A

Voiced by: Shion Hirota (PS2 Video Game)
Yamato only appears in Lucky Star: Ryoou Gakuen Ouousai, the PlayStation 2 game of Lucky Star. She is a transfer student from Hijiri Fiorina All-Girls High School, and was in class 2-3 before she transfered. She normally acts cool, but gets emotional when she has a problem she cannot solve. Like Kagami, she is a tsundere. She was Kō's friend when she was still a junior-high-schooler, but gets into fights often. Her hobby is karaoke and cycling. She likes soft azuki bean jelly, Yukimi Daifuku, and summer. She dislikes shellfish, and winter.

These are is also PS2 only new characters:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2f/Yasakakou.JPG
* Birthday: February 3
* Height: 168 cm (5' 6")
* Strong Subject: Japanese
* Weak Subject: English
* Handedness: Left-handed
* Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
* Blood Type: B
* Residence: Tokyo Metropolis

Voiced by: Rika Morinaga (PS2 Video Game)
Kou is the president of the Animation Research Club, and is also the treasurer of the Student Council. She is called Kō-senpai by her juniors, including Hiyori, who is a member of the Animation Research Club. She is studying at Ryoou High School in class 2-F and is the only second year among the Lucky Star girls at the time of her only appearance in the sixth volume of the manga. She enjoys playing anime-themed fighting games, and also likes to check on new and trendy things, never failing to miss one. She has played fighting games with Konata before, and does not notice that Konata is her senior. She has tanned skin, likes doujinshi, manga, observing people, chatting, and gambling.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f0/AmaharaFuyuki2.jpg
Fuyuki Amahara (天原 ふゆき, Amahara Fuyuki)

* Birthday: September 17
* Height: 164 cm
* Handedness: Left-handed
* Blood Type: A
* Residence: Kanagawa Prefecture
* Strong subjects: Japanese, English

Voiced by: Kumi Sakuma (PS2 Video Game)
Fuyuki is the school nurse of Ryoou High School, and the advisor of the Tea Ceremony club. She first appeared in the omake part of volume four of the manga, but later appears regularly starting from volume five. Hikaru is her childhood friend and her guardian. She has a high popularity with the male students. Her hobbies are jogging and reading. She likes black tea, antique art, the occult, and horror, but dislikes riding on boats and cannot swim. She, Yamato Nagamori and Kou Yasaka, are the only characters who never made appearances in the anime, though the nurse's office is frequently referenced.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Lucky_Star_characters#Main_characters

[Ronin Aquila]

The Hiiragi parents are obviously doing their job well, considering that their daughters are normal and down to earth indivuduals with not too detrimental quirks.

However, two parental figures in Lucky Star are worrying.

1) Izumi Sou, who as his daughter calls him, is an open "Lolicon Otaku Ero-Oyaji", a Perfect Blue just BEGGING to happen.

2) Takara Yukari, who in spite of being painfully cute is lazy, stupid and and does nothing whatsoever.

This is a recent conversation I have had with other Animesukiboarders offline, and they both came to the concensus that the above two individuals are in fact good parents because their children grew up to be happy and well adjusted individuals.

What do you fellas think?

[FatPianoBoy]

So, having a fetihs means you can't possibly be a good parent? :eyebrow:
Apparently Yukari has a husband... somewhere... but kids who turn out smart like Miyuki have typically raised themselves.

[Vexx]

Yukari dad hasn't been mentioned as far as I know in manga or anime. But given the class/status of their living conditions --- he probably works 80hrs/wk making a ton of money that he never gets to enjoy (standard japanese upper-level executive or something).

Izumi may be a "Lolicon Otaku Ero-Oyaji" but he's basically the harmless kind (and I get the feeling his daughter ensures he *stays* harmless) but what he really misses is his departed wife. Don't forget the strong bonded relationship he had with her. He obviously deeply loved her.

[Dee Eon]

Izumi may be a "Lolicon Otaku Ero-Oyaji" but he's basically the harmless kind (and I get the feeling his daughter ensures he *stays* harmless) but what he really misses is his departed wife. Don't forget the strong bonded relationship he had with her. He obviously deeply loved her.


Good summation, though I shudder to think his creepy ilk solely had a hand in raising a kid. I mean, I don't think Konata ever grew up "innocent" much less had any normal childhood. Like my community would've had a Megan alert on his tail soon as he landed here. In a crazy way, maybe their both being so hyper into video games was a merciful distraction (his) from Konata...

Dee

[Dee Eon]

Hey There

I do agree with you that Lucky*Star is a very Asian anime. Lots of references that the average "Westerner" wouldnt pickup and without getting any of the references the anime could seem dull.


I truly believe anime cultural gaps can be bridged by a good subbing team. My cousin plugged me in Ranma 1/2 with some video tapes from a real nice fan-sub (Ranma had dozens of different groups!!) group who not only did great translations but took the time to quote explanations of cultural and in-side joke and religious mentions along the way that would've gone over your head or been messed entirely by most non-Japanese. Really made me appreciate and enjoy Ranma so much better. Unfortunately(?) I think only deep-fandom outfits will be so caring as to take the trouble, unlike the "official" sub-titled versions. I hope the same happens with Lucky Star's obscure mentions (like with smells, shrine maidens, Iris in the train station, "the cute round froggie -- depleted uranium thing"??...etc)

Dee

[FatPianoBoy]

Good summation, though I shudder to think his creepy ilk solely had a hand in raising a kid. I mean, I don't think Konata ever grew up "innocent" much less had any normal childhood. Like my community would've had a Megan alert on his tail soon as he landed here. In a crazy way, maybe their both being so hyper into video games was a merciful distraction (his) from Konata...

Dee
... Ugh, are you kidding me? "Special interests," as Konata puts it, do not a criminal make.
He dotes on Konata because she reminds him of his late wife. If he were actually psychotic then this probably would have made for some really creepy developments, but there's none of that.

[Jintor]

I truly believe anime cultural gaps can be bridged by a good subbing team. My cousin plugged me in Ranma 1/2 with some video tapes from a real nice fan-sub (Ranma had dozens of different groups!!) group who not only did great translations but took the time to quote explanations of cultural and in-side joke and religious mentions along the way that would've gone over your head or been messed entirely by most non-Japanese. Really made me appreciate and enjoy Ranma so much better. Unfortunately(?) I think only deep-fandom outfits will be so caring as to take the trouble, unlike the "official" sub-titled versions. I hope the same happens with Lucky Star's obscure mentions (like with smells, shrine maidens, Iris in the train station, "the cute round froggie -- depleted uranium thing"??...etc)

Dee

My reading and watching of Genshiken was greatly improved due to translators notes. Although I understood most of the puns and cultural things anyway, it was the anime references that threw me off.

[Ronin Aquila]

... Ugh, are you kidding me? "Special interests," as Konata puts it, do not a criminal make.
He dotes on Konata because she reminds him of his late wife. If he were actually psychotic then this probably would have made for some really creepy developments, but there's none of that.

Good relief, cos an unfortunately high percentage of Doujinshis in Akihabara is based on such subject matters.... :upset:

....and another high percentage speculates that since she more often than not embodies male roles in her sexual fantasies (courtesy of, once again, her father's lef-over video games), she would more than likely grow up to be a lesbian, with poor Kagamin as the "girl" of the relationship. ;)

But back on the "parent" matter.

Miyuki has grown up to be emotionally well adjusted, smart and kind, but does the fact that Yukari STILL stupid and lazy in her roles as a mom (however sweet, cute and knd she may be) make her a bad parent?

Just wondering what everyone else thinks...

[Dee Eon]

Miyuki has grown up to be emotionally well adjusted, smart and kind, but does the fact that Yukari STILL stupid and lazy in her roles as a mom (however sweet, cute and knd she may be) make her a bad parent?

How best to say this -- it's the _result_ of parenting that determines a good parent, not the type of parent you are (technically it ought be the same thing I suppose). I don't think of Yukari as stupid or lazy tho', in light of how well Miyuki came out (tho' it'd be interesting why she has no sibs then). Rather I think of Yukari's outward appearance as being innocently deceptive, kind of like stumbling and fumbling and clueless-seeming detective Columbo in those old Columbo re-runs.

Good relief, cos an unfortunately high percentage of Doujinshis in Akihabara is based on such subject matters....

....and another high percentage speculates that since she more often than not embodies male roles in her sexual fantasies (courtesy of, once again, her father's lef-over video games), she would more than likely grow up to be a lesbian, with poor Kagamin as the "girl" of the relationship.

Without sounding a shock-jock just throwing 'round that idea for fun, by the way Konata shamelessly carries on and talks ("only an old man would say that!!"), it's almost a given she's at least latently bisexual, which would perfectly understandable if she was weaned on all the weird diversity found in dating-sims and vid games ever since a toddler on Soun's knee. Kagami is harder to figure. She's smart, pretty, yet not even a casual boyfriend. Either she puts them off or isn't turned on (maybe that's the definition of a Lucky Star girl). I'm relatively new to anime and haven't seen more than 17 LS eps and never the manga so I don't know what Kagami's middle school boy situation was, but either way it seems once she meets Konata her eyes for guys seem shut. So what keeps her bouncing back to Konata who really abuses her so? How long would you stick with someone ALWAYS copying your homework and makes some pretty cruel cracks about you in public? Is she just a glutton for punishment -- or is there more? Now if Kagami is actually boy-shy, then Konata is her "perfect boyfriend"; super-athetletic, equivalently intelligent (capable of cramming weeks of work in one nite and still make good exam grades), and aggressive. We know Kagami cares a lot about Konata because she's always on her case and from that tender concert seat swap. I think if Konata did a serious hit on Kagami (and I think she toys with that idea a lot), Kagami would tip over once all her sputtering denial got vented. I can also see Kagami, once over that hump, trying to refine Konata to her classy level -- she'd like that since it doesn't work with Tsukasa. I can't second-guess the writers, but I've a sneaky suspicion they planted this subtle insinuation.

Dee

http://luckystarfans.com/

[Ronin Aquila]

How best to say this -- it's the _result_ of parenting that determines a good parent, not the type of parent you are (technically it ought be the same thing I suppose).

Dear Sir.

Though I agree with the rest of the post, this part I'm still kinda ambiguous about.

If this logic is followed, one can argue that a neglectful and selfish piece-of-shit like Homer Simpson is a good parent because Lisa Simpson somehow miraculously turned out to be a smart, caring and decent human being...

Though admittedly Yukari is still a far better human-being than the evil Simpson patriarch...

[Avatar_notADV]

Unfortunately(?) I think only deep-fandom outfits will be so caring as to take the trouble, unlike the "official" sub-titled versions. I hope the same happens with Lucky Star's obscure mentions (like with smells, shrine maidens, Iris in the train station, "the cute round froggie -- depleted uranium thing"??...etc)

Fortunately, the official subtitled version is being made by deep fandom. ;p

I gotta compliment the other folks working on this show. I haven't seen as comprehensive an effort to sort through obscure references since Excel Saga. I'm learning more about obscure 70s comedians and sentai shows than I ever really wanted to know. I don't know how all of this is being presented to the fans, ultimately, but it's not being missed in production. (I can rule out pop-up notes in the subtitle stream, though!)

Like I'd miss Iris in the train station... I subtitled the Gamera movies! ;p

[Dee Eon]

Dear Sir.

LOL!!! Please! You got my b-friend looking funny at me now!!

Though I agree with the rest of the post, this part I'm still kinda ambiguous about.

If this logic is followed, one can argue that a neglectful and selfish piece-of-shit like Homer Simpson is a good parent because Lisa Simpson somehow miraculously turned out to be a smart, caring and decent human being...

Though admittedly Yukari is still a far better human-being than the evil Simpson patriarch...

Yea, but then we KNOW what kind of AWOL dad Homer's like, right? :/ We aren't given a peek of Yukari's mothering except we get a good idea from her reading to Miyuki in bed so frequently that she nearly goes blind, so Yukari's more of a demand and INPUTTING parent than she lets on. Yukari-Miyuki kinda remind me of being Japanese "Gilmore Girls". Now I'm no sage, but one's parenting also can be contributed to not just by one's own bio parents but by helpful sibs, neighbors, friends, etc. On occasion you can find a peach growing in a turnip patch, sure, but its nurturing had to come from somewhere in spite of the (poor) parents, right? When it rarely comes totally from self-inititive, well, then you've got a TV movie! ;) But in general, you reap what you sow.

Dee

http://luckystarfans.com/

[Dee Eon]

Fortunately, the official subtitled version is being made by deep fandom. ;p

I gotta compliment the other folks working on this show. I haven't seen as comprehensive an effort to sort through obscure references since Excel Saga. I'm learning more about obscure 70s comedians and sentai shows than I ever really wanted to know. I don't know how all of this is being presented to the fans, ultimately, but it's not being missed in production. (I can rule out pop-up notes in the subtitle stream, though!)

Like I'd miss Iris in the train station... I subtitled the Gamera movies! ;p

Awesome!!! So you're in the biz? I'm fascinated! I'm totally clueless about Gamera, but I'm fascinated by what you do in subbing!! Kinda jealous!!

Dee

[LuckyStarFan]

:)an amazing anime , i am on ep 13 and love it
i advise everyone to watch it!!

[Lucky_Day]

Compared to US shows, anime shows tend to be slow getting started. They tend to go for long term effects and have well developed characters by the end of the season. By the end I feel to more than covers the price of the slow start.

[Lucky_Day]

The segment below is one I thought was interesting. Those who know me would be better able to get the joke.

Lucky Star - What animal are you? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPbA6JuKBTs

[Dee Eon]

The segment below is one I thought was interesting. Those who know me would be better able to get the joke.

Lucky Star - What animal are you? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPbA6JuKBTs

Maybe this joke should go down as another obscure Cultural Reference! :)

Dee

[Dee Eon]

Hi All!

While skimming the web to wear out my iPhone's warranty, I'm wondering why is it that LS cosplayers like on http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=46168&page=170 haven't -- what all the vid cell phones and cameras all over the place -- thought of acting out fave LS episodes for YouTube too? Like there's been WAY more silly/sicker stuff on YouTube, and it'd give cosplayers (or anyone) a chance to get their worth out of those $$ costumes and some fun 'tween conventions! It'd be so cool seeing live characters doing the anime's moves! Maybe it's partly because high schools and train stations rather not let "that type" do any vidding on location? (sigh). :(

Dee

[Dee Eon]

Hi All!

I'm on my way killing travel time 'tween school and work by drafting up the lines on my iPhone for a minimum fifty panel online manga for LS sites like this one to freely feature. The whole Godzilla's being done by and for -- like Kona-chan said -- "for Love!" with zero penny or yen in the way. I really want a hi-quality read here, with an ambience more like a sassier "Pocket Travelers" than the more "PC" Lucky Star manga and Satsujin Jiken, and to give you an idea where it's at, the working title is "Kona In Tronland"...

Yea, break out all 'em rusty VCRs if you can find the video!!

Anyway, after some really talented gallery art guys here and on other LS forums answered my request, I've one committed gent on DWind who did me one awesome slam bang sketch of Kona-Tron and believes he could shoehorn time to put script to panels tentative to August (but his feet aren't in concrete and his feelings won't be hurt if someone could leapfrog him on this). Sticker: He'd rather finish the whole thing THEN upload it to sites in one take, though I'd prefer releasing strips in installments over months, but we'll see.

So much for the art side, but I'm also seeking not just a dialogue critiquer but someone Jap/anime knowledgeable to help plant obscure cultural/amine references into the lines and storyboard (bound to be fun messing with reader heads like that!) . So anyone who thinks they're able to swing it just post me your interest here or zap me at dee_eon@mac.com!

Thanks!

Dee
Authoress of "Kanata: Totally Dead??" and "Kanata's Dream"

[Lucky_Day]

The poem below is about an important event in my life that I feel goes with Lucky Star, particularly the link below.

Lucky Star - Tsukasa & The Sea (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgKoKLcBW1k)

ODE TO LAURA
By ... S. W. Lucky

I am far from an expert on love and romance.
You were the exception.
Someone called you on the phone
Pretending to be an eleven year old girl named Lisa
With the same cheerleading coach you once had.
This person invited you to my house
And you came not thinking anything unusual about it.
What in the world compelled you to listen to me?
Deception on a grand scale
Came from an unlikely sixteen year old boy.
Your old cheerleader coach was my stepmother
So I had an abundance of inside information.
My "brilliant plan" had a major flaw.
Geniune feelings you had for Lisa,
The girl who never was.
I attempted to cover it up,
But you knew better and were determined to find out.
Finally I whispered, "Maybe she used an allias."
You cried.
The reason may not have been what I thought it was.
Even so, you cried.
Short sighted vision allowed me to see
Only the ways in which you wronged me.
I had let you down.
During one of my most troublesome moments
You were there for me.
More was going on than could be seen at first glance,
For both of us.
Placing my hand on your back, we stood in silence.
Redemtion came while I was still sixteen.

[Dee Eon]

Hi All!

Just a minor Lucky Star party trivia question for anyone in the know; Who has the shortest and longest times hosting the "Next Episode" previews at the end of each ep?

Thanks!

Dee
Authoress of "Kanata: Totally Dead??" and "Kanata's Dream"

[Boukenblue]

how many of the presents has read Pocket Travelers?

http://www.onemanga.com/Lucky_Star_Pocket_Travelers/

[Dee Eon]

how many of the presents has read Pocket Travelers?

http://www.onemanga.com/Lucky_Star_Pocket_Travelers/

Hi!

Outside of some quirky logic and artwork, it's generally a good read. There's much more about it in the Manga Discussion thread. C'ya! :)

Dee
Authoress of "Kanata: Totally Dead??", "Kanata's Dream", "Kanata Thawed", "Miyuki's Spaced-Out Secret", and PPGZ's "Blueberry" and "Bunny Z"

[game2007]

Dunno if this should belong here, but I'd like to share some Thai fandubs I found. I live in Thailand and have seen official Thai dubs of various animes, and I tell you that even though this is fandub, this is pretty much what the official dub would sound like. Not too bad!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmOVvFm_s04

[Dee Eon]

Hi Everyone!

To commemorate this first birthday of Lucky☆Star the Anime, I've decided to jump the gun and release a draft of a true online light novel http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4184788/1/Mi...Out_Secret (totally composed on iPhone while commuting!) for LS fans to beta--read, nit-pick, constructively comment and flame (I can take the heat! Just leave your remarks both at fanfiction.net and here please!). Inspired by this charitably retouched unsigned artwork by Flaming Penguin http://fc08.deviantart.com/fs27/f/2008/0...ee_Eon.jpg ” it's writ in the off-the-wall spirit of Lucky☆Star Murder Case and Pocket Travelers, being super non-canon but remaining faithful to the characters. Well, not all of them...

Happy Reading!

Dee
Authoress of "Kanata: Totally Dead?", "Kanata's Dream", "Kanata Thawed", and PPGZ's "Blueberry" and "Bunny Z"

[Avatar_notADV]

Just knocked out volume 2. Hoo, work marathon...

[Dee Eon]

Just knocked out volume 2. Hoo, work marathon...

Hi!

For some reason I was unable to post this on The Ego's Nest, as though it doesn't seem to like Safari because only the preview showed, so I'll give it a shot here!


I was originally going to ask you how would one go about turning a fanfic into a radio play and whether any groups do such, but I read this April 8th article and it grabbed me. I have zero experience with your profession much less was really all that aware it existed till recently but now truly appreciate all the labor you do!

> Ordinarily I wouldn't do that. For one thing, it's a pain in the butt on my end to
> process. ;p Also, though, there's the problem of eye attention - if you're busy trying to
> find where the subtitle is on the screen, you're neither reading the subtitle nor
> enjoying the visuals, and it takes a bit for you to light on the correct spot... and with
> the speed of one of these episodes, you don't always have that much time to start
> with.

Just an off-the-wall suggestion that might help. Anyone familiar with old movies has occasionally seen a tiny "blip" or "bug" pop up in the screen's corner just before a change of scenes, and I understand this was used as a cue alert for a movie projectionist to change film reels on time and apparently it worked well. So, maybe you can use that technique to partly solve the eye attention problem by flashing a "blip-bug" a second or so in the area of the screen before you're going to flash the dialogue line there to momentarily draw an eye's attention to that very spot kind to read the follow-up dialogue like a "head's-up." Just a crazy notion.

> But the visual problem is real, too. In a show where a lot of the appeal is watching
> the cute moe characters and their reactions, not being able to see those reactions is
> a pretty big problem.

For myself, I like (bright but thinly!) outlined dialogue characters which has minimal affect on the images. My second runner-up are semi-transparent characters.

Please continue the great job!

Dee
Authoress of "Kanata: Totally Dead?", "Kanata's Dream", "Kanata Thawed", "Miyuki's Spaced-Out Secret," and PPGZ's "Blueberry" and "Bunny Z"

[Avatar_notADV]

Well, of course you'd prefer characters which have a minimal effect on the dialogue. That's, like... normal.

The problem with a blip is that you run into the same eye-attention problem, except now you're actually pulling the eye away from "interesting parts of the show" and towards... nothin', yet. Even more attention ping-pongin', which is worse than not doing anything. (Not to mention the rather scary-large technical hurdles...)

I think it should be fine, though. Not that the first volume wasn't fine, but it was done pretty conventionally. Honestly, the real problem was concentrated in those areas where you had two different conversations, each with a two-line subtitle, blocking a good bit more of the screen; usually one of those conversations is interesting in a "oh so that's what the TV is saying" sense but not something you're really paying attention to, either. By moving one of them to the top of the screen, not only does it make it easier to keep them separated in the ol' mind, but it also frees up the center of the screen so you can see what's going on.

Still have half the series to time, still really happy with all the feedback I'm getting from the client. People don't usually care this much, heh. ;p

Couldn't tell you about the radio play stuff. Absolutely not in my area of expertise. Or rather, I don't think it's been -done-, at least not by an English-language author. Usually, the advice for people in the US who have a story and want to take it to the Japanese is "give up now"... it's just not possible to break into that business with that method.

[Pride]

What are the chances of a second season for LS?
None?

[TehSanity]

Some, but on the side of unlikey. There isn't additional material like another light novel or manga to create another season like KyoAni usually do. KyoAni is unlikely to create totally original material for another season. Also, if there's a new season, it's near impossible for the new season to be a direct continuation of the first. The girls in college seems very unlikely.

However... we can still keep our hopes high. Because of this,
http://www.onemanga.com/Lucky_Star_Pocket_Travelers/

[Lucky_Day]

Thanks for showing that to us. It seems further removed from reality than the Lucky Star anime, so connecting them together would be difficult. The plot, where the regulars are dependent on Yutaka-chan of all people, is one of interest to me.

On a personal note, I will be promoting my poetry books on a local radio station in the near future. No exact date has been set yet, but the advertizing deal has already been paid for. I hope I will be able to draw a crowd the way Yutaka did.

[Dee Eon]

Couldn't tell you about the radio play stuff... method.

Uh, maybe it'd been better had I explained I meant fans doing a kind of 'fan-dub' reading of fanfics as a You-Tube or an audio-clip "radio play" type of thing, nothing as pro or sophisticated as the anime fan-dub groups you've probably met.


Lucky Day, good luck with your poetry! Can you fanfic.net a sample??

Dee

[Lucky_Day]

Currently all the poems can be seen at http://www.angelfire.com/ga2/swlucky/ and on my website. If sales pick up, I might move them to a more discreet location. In addition, the poem Ode To Laura can be seen on the previous page. The "Lisa" story as I call it turned out to be an event far more important than it seemed. Besides the obvious similarity at the end, I relate it to the way Tsukasa listens to the shell. She feels so good listening to the sounds of the ocean, then a bug crawls out of its shell and she runs away. It also reminds me of the man who secretly bought the doll from Kagami because he was too embarased to purchase it himself.

[Dee Eon]

Hi All!

Well, here's my second shameless bid at self-promotion I hope you'd pardon me for, but the beta doujinshi chapter two of "Miyuki's Spaced-Out Secret" is up at fanfiction.net
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4184788/1/Miyukis_SpacedOut_Secret .

I truly appreciate all feedback and flames as reviews at the site.

Thanks All!
Dee

[Dee Eon]

Currently all the poems can be seen at http://www.angelfire.com/ga2/swlucky/ and on my website. If sales pick up, I might move them to a more discreet location. In addition, the poem Ode To Laura can be seen on the previous page. The "Lisa" story as I call it turned out to be an event far more important than it seemed. Besides the obvious similarity at the end, I relate it to the way Tsukasa listens to the shell. She feels so good listening to the sounds of the ocean, then a bug crawls out of its shell and she runs away. It also reminds me of the man who secretly bought the doll from Kagami because he was too embarased to purchase it himself.


Lucky Day, why is that page showing "Error 404" all the time? Do you have another site to take a look-see at your stuff?

Dee

[aorta]

Some, but on the side of unlikey. There isn't additional material like another light novel or manga to create another season like KyoAni usually do. KyoAni is unlikely to create totally original material for another season. Also, if there's a new season, it's near impossible for the new season to be a direct continuation of the first. The girls in college seems very unlikely.

However... we can still keep our hopes high. Because of this,
http://www.onemanga.com/Lucky_Star_Pocket_Travelers/

There is a light novel for Lucky Star. Maybe they could animate that.

[Lucky_Day]

It worked fine for me. My main website is http://www.swlucky.net. Perhaps that will work. This is one of those weeks where I am doing many things at once and feel like I am accomplishing nothing.

[Dee Eon]

Hi All!

Well, here's my third shameless bid at self-promotion for the beta doujinshi chapter three of "Miyuki's Spaced-Out Secret" at fanfiction.net
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4184788/1/Miyukis_SpacedOut_Secret now serving at FF.net.

Like Chapter 2, it contains hidden Japan treasure (or more like pop Jap site/feature) hunt clues beneath the story which will keep building with each chapter.

I truly appreciate any and all feedback and flames as reviews at the FF.net site well as here.

Please! :)

Thanks All!
Dee

[TehSanity]

There is a light novel for Lucky Star. Maybe they could animate that.

Hopefully they would, I hope Kagami (the author, not the tsundere) finishes that or at least gets working on it soon. Hopefully after Vanishment of Haruhi and Clannad- After Story we get something L*S related come up announced.

[Lucky_Day]

For those of you who are interested, my radio interview has been scheduled for Thursday around 2 pm EDT. It will be done over the phone, recorded, and played on a number of radio stations. (No list available.) This will be my first interview of this type. Somehow I will find a way to keep you informed and keep this on topic. With my radio interview I guess I could be considered a "Lucky" Star, but I can do better than that. I wonder what gaming pro Konata would do if she had to muti-task like I am doing. To make it more of a challenge, I am also starting a new job with an insurance company.

[Japanophile_Nerd]

I never watch the show... Just like the way they look (I cant watch the show because if anyone of my friends found out I watch Anime stuff i'd be a social outcast!!!... You try explaning the ingenious storyline of this wonderfull J-Anime to a football jockie... or 6... :uhoh:)

[Vexx]

Maybe you have the wrong friends? :) ... or perhaps you're misusing the word "friends" when you really mean "acquaintenances" or "schoolmates".

[Lucky_Day]

I don't know what it is like not to be a social outcast. For me, it seems I am either dominant or an outcast. Perhaps one day I will find a middle ground.

[Dee Eon]

Hi All!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e291/FlamingPenguins/lockedincombat.jpg

Chapter Four of "Miyuki's Spaced-Out Secret" ( http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4184788/1/Miyukis_SpacedOut_Secret ) is now up, based on this retouched uncredited pix by Flaming Penguin after a rough week, after a rough week which I hope doesn't show in the writing. Granted, it's no "Pocket Travelers," but I hope to extend your entertainment of the series behind its broadcast end. It's been my fun and pleasure! I truly appreciate any and all feedback and flames as (vital!) reviews at the FF.net site well as here.

Thanks and take care!

Dee

[Lucky_Day]

I posted information about my radio interview in the General Chat section. Lucky Star and anime in general were not mentioned but there were a few sentences about Hollywood being corrupt.

Responding to my earlier post, if Konata were in this situation, I think she would do all these things while trying to set a new record on a Multi-Member Online Role Playing Game. Although she would fail miserably on most of the tasks, she would succeed in setting a new record.

[Kaioshin Sama]

It's interesting to just pop back into this sub-forum on a whim and see just how more subdued the responses are of people watching Lucky Star after it's initial airing and hype are over, most consisting if "It was satisfying" or "Hit and Miss" compared to the "This is greatest thing I've ever seen in my life" that I used to remember arguing with people over.

It's a whole different experience when you aren't right in the thick of one of the biggest popularity booms of a studio and franchise in recent history to be sure. :heh:

[Vexx]

I figured people would be more excited over the R1 release. Its actually got a pretty good dub ... and I hate dubs.

As I watch the first volume --- my initial thought that Lucky*Star is, at heart a sort-of Japanese Peanuts holds up quite well (it really did not *need* all that anime-only injection, thank god whoever thought that up wasn't involved in ARIA or AzuDa....).

[Kaioshin Sama]

I figured people would be more excited over the R1 release. Its actually got a pretty good dub ... and I hate dubs.

As I watch the first volume --- my initial thought that Lucky*Star is, at heart a sort-of Japanese Peanuts holds up quite well (it really did not *need* all that anime-only injection, thank god whoever thought that up wasn't involved in ARIA or AzuDa....).

That would probably be Kadokawa themselves as I've speculated.

[Rembr]

I wouldn't expect the hype to survive over here except in the niche crowd.

[Lucky_Day]

I seem to be posting much more now that there are fewer people to read my posts. This is partially due to people in general posting less making a greater percentage of the remaining posts mine. I do expect a surge in posts once the dub is released but I have no idea how big a surge or how long it will last. I plan to buy the Lucky Star DVDs eventually but I see no reason to rush into things.

[Dee Eon]

I seem to be posting much more now that there are fewer people to read my posts. This is partially due to people in general posting less making a greater percentage of the remaining posts mine. I do expect a surge in posts once the dub is released but I have no idea how big a surge or how long it will last. I plan to buy the Lucky Star DVDs eventually but I see no reason to rush into things.

Is there any way you can put a sound clip of your radio interview on YouTube??

Dee

[Lucky_Day]

YouTube may be difficult without any audio. Below is a link to where it can be found in the archives.

Radio Interview (http://archives.warpradio.com/btr/EquityStrategies/050321.MP3), my segment is from 36:00 to 43:45, 7 minutes 45 seconds in all.

[margafred]

Its finally here

Lucky Star OVA (http://www.moetron.com/2008/05/05/lucky%e2%98%86star-ova/#more-1012)

http://moetron.com/newfiles/20080505_star.jpg

[archanfels]

Its finally here

Lucky Star OVA (http://www.moetron.com/2008/05/05/lucky%e2%98%86star-ova/#more-1012)

http://moetron.com/newfiles/20080505_star.jpg

*Sniff

There IS a God...

[kenjiharima]

Its finally here

Lucky Star OVA (http://www.moetron.com/2008/05/05/lucky%e2%98%86star-ova/#more-1012)

http://moetron.com/newfiles/20080505_star.jpg


YES!!!!

Finally I will see Kona-chan again! Maybe this time Kanata will be more involved! :love:

[Tabris]

I thought I'd ask here, but is Lucky Star worth watching?

Everytime I hear a mention of Lucky Star on other places, the reactions are mixed and usually negative, and I don't quite understand why. So, I'm about to cave in and watch it (I know it's licensed), but I'd at least like to know what makes it so popular?

[Rembr]

I thought I'd ask here, but is Lucky Star worth watching?

Everytime I hear a mention of Lucky Star on other places, the reactions are mixed and usually negative, and I don't quite understand why. So, I'm about to cave in and watch it (I know it's licensed), but I'd at least like to know what makes it so popular?It's mostly the moeblob factor that people rave and hate about. And the fact that the show's contents can be hard to catch a lot of the time.

[Lucky_Day]

Lucky Star is definitely not for everyone, but it seems to have a loyal fanbase among those who do like it. Unlike ratings, selling DVDs depends more on a loyal fanbase than appeal to a general audience.

[Tabris]

I'll give it a go anyhow :)

[Vexx]

I often compare it to Peanuts --- (the original Peanuts, the way it used to be - irreverent, philosophical, daily life). Modern examples might be the comics like Zits or Bucky. Focusing on the moeblob, to me, means the ranter just took a shallow scoop and missed the meat.

There are a fair amount of "inside obscure joke" references --- but in almost every case, it doesn't matter if you "got the reference" or not because all you really needed to know was that Konata associates everything with some cultural/anime/manga reference. Most of the base humor is "daily life humor" and the "obscure gags" are anime-only inserts.

I always tell people who hear mixed reviews: look at who is MAKING the review. Liking or hating a show like Lucky*Star (or AzuDa or ARIA or...) often tells me more about the reviewer than the series.

[Kaioshin Sama]

It's mostly the moeblob factor that people rave and hate about. And the fact that the show's contents can be hard to catch a lot of the time.

No no, it's the otaku pandering aspect that many including me were turned off by part way through the series run. That and the tendency of Kadokawa to constantly inject references to their manga licenses into the show at every possible turn, but to no real benefit. It was just like:

Oh here's a Full Metal Panic Yaoi manga, remember Full Metal Panic?

Me: "Yes......Oh that's it.......that's the joke? Really"

Occasionally you'd still get some decent character moments after the 1/3 way point, but once Konata and to some extent Kagami actually started to advocate for Kadokawa the love was lost more or less from my stand point. I just saw her more as a mascot then a real character at that point. That's not a good thing.

[Vexx]

Strangely enough, I completely see and understand Kaioshin_Sama's remarks as well.
The series executes on a number of frequencies - whether you can tune out the ones that annoy you will determine any enjoyability. :)

Though the FMP yaoi "gag" (at least in my view) was more "Kagami loved some manga series... at the con she picks up a book that has her favorite characters on the cover.... a few pages in she becomes distraught at the realization that the story has her favorite characters doing Very Explicit Things she never would have thought of them doing."
Whether it was FMP or not was completely irrelevant -- in fact the strip it is based on just has her picking up an unnamed unidentifiable doujin of a series that we know she likes. However, many of the what I'll call "fad fans" focused completely on the added references rather than any plot within a sketch segment.

[Tabris]

hating a show like ...( ARIA or...)
UNPOSSIBLE.

And to be on topic, I started watching Lucky Star, it isn't too bad so far :)

[Rembr]

No no, it's the otaku pandering aspect that many including me were turned off by part way through the series run. That and the tendency of Kadokawa to constantly inject references to their manga licenses into the show at every possible turn, but to no real benefit. It was just like:

Oh here's a Full Metal Panic Yaoi manga, remember Full Metal Panic?

Me: "Yes......Oh that's it.......that's the joke? Really"

Occasionally you'd still get some decent character moments after the 1/3 way point, but once Konata and to some extent Kagami actually started to advocate for Kadokawa the love was lost more or less from my stand point. I just saw her more as a mascot then a real character at that point. That's not a good thing.However, many of the what I'll call "fad fans" focused completely on the added references rather than any plot within a sketch segment.So he's a fad fan, except he hates instead of appreciates.

But that's fine, a lot of the contents are hard to catch for folks over here.

[Vexx]

No, not really --- KS just had trouble tuning out the "extra contaminants" so it ruined the enjoyability of the core show for him. For him, its just like someone took your Favorite Show and inserted product placement (always hold the can so the audience can see the label) and character's saying crap like "Mmmmmm, don't you just love McDonalds and their McPseudoChickenNuggets(tm)?"

Myself, I just spent more time grinding my teeth when they'd veer off. I don't mind anime-only storylines, but when they involve anime-only characters I just see time budget frittering (anime-tenchou...). I initially liked the L*C segment but after about 7 or 8 episodes it became more of a chore to watch than a joy and I saw it as simply "more L*S strips we won't see animated". On the other hand, I don't mind something like the "Initial D" moment in an early ep simply because they're demonstrating something taken from the comic (she drives like a maniac) and icing it with a reference. Konata is an otaku --- so she's going to be surrounding herself with otaku fad items. A person can completely not notice the references because they don't have to --- they just see that she's into "a bunch of otaku stuff". Many of those are more like "easter eggs" rather than distracting.

[Kaioshin Sama]

So he's a fad fan, except he hates instead of appreciates.

But that's fine, a lot of the contents are hard to catch for folks over here.

Actually Lucky Star had a pretty good run with me until they eventually just seemed to give up on the social commentary side of things and just went with whatever they knew Otaku wanted to see. This is one of the only series I've ever seen where one episode would earn my respect with a 9/10 and follow it up with an episode that I received very poorly and gave a 2/10 too. Hit and Miss didn't really even begin to describe the show for me.

[Rembr]

No, not really --- KS just had trouble tuning out the "extra contaminants" so it ruined the enjoyability of the core show for him. For him, its just like someone took your Favorite Show and inserted product placement (always hold the can so the audience can see the label) and character's saying crap like "Mmmmmm, don't you just love McDonalds and their McPseudoChickenNuggets(tm)?"

Myself, I just spent more time grinding my teeth when they'd veer off. I don't mind anime-only storylines, but when they involve anime-only characters I just see time budget frittering (anime-tenchou...). I initially liked the L*C segment but after about 7 or 8 episodes it became more of a chore to watch than a joy and I saw it as simply "more L*S strips we won't see animated". On the other hand, I don't mind something like the "Initial D" moment in an early ep simply because they're demonstrating something taken from the comic (she drives like a maniac) and icing it with a reference. Konata is an otaku --- so she's going to be surrounding herself with otaku fad items. A person can completely not notice the references because they don't have to --- they just see that she's into "a bunch of otaku stuff". Many of those are more like "easter eggs" rather than distracting.Konata liking Haruhi or even having a character like tenchou within an anime like Lucky Star seems a lot more natural than an ancient-race green-haired girl with a funny name that has a fetish for Pizza Hut.

Would they have been more successful sales-wise without them?

[DJ_RockmanX]

Konata liking Haruhi or even having a character like tenchou within an anime like Lucky Star seems a lot more natural than an ancient-race green-haired girl with a funny name that has a fetish for Pizza Hut.

You can't compare apples and carrots much more than you can apples and oranges.

Would they have been more successful sales-wise without them?

Likely not.

[Rembr]

You can't compare apples and carrots much more than you can apples and oranges.I'm just saying, the apple looks a lot redder than the orange.

[DJ_RockmanX]

I'm just saying, the apple looks a lot redder than the orange.

Not if we started comparing Granny Smiths to blood oranges. :heh:

Anyway, enough of that.

[Kaioshin Sama]

Konata liking Haruhi or even having a character like tenchou within an anime like Lucky Star seems a lot more natural than an ancient-race green-haired girl with a funny name that has a fetish for Pizza Hut.

Would they have been more successful sales-wise without them?

Interestingly enough it's the exact same concern behind both of those placements. Think about that one for a second.

Also do I detect a hint of hatred instead of appreciation for another Kadokawa sponsored series?

[AVPlaya]

Perhaps not many of you would care, but I'm back on the forums. I used to post these random posts about each Lucky Star episode, but due to dramatic circumstances beyond my control, I have to drop everything for a while. So I had to stop all my work writing strange posts about random Japanese trivial relating to Lucky Star... to anyone who were reading them, 申し訳ございませんでした！

Hopefully one day in this life time I'll finish them.... or at least before Season II begins, then all that Tsundere love come rushing back and my nose start bleeding again.

[DJ_RockmanX]

久し振り, AVPlaya.

And although there's no season 2, I'm certain you'd be interested in the upcoming OVA.

[Kinny Riddle]

OMFG! :twitch:

AVPlaya ｷﾀ━━━━(ﾟ∀ﾟ)

It is my utmost pleasure to welcome you back, sir. Now that you seem to have things sorted out your end. Now sit back and relax and await for Kagami-sama to return to melt our brains once again. :D

[TinyRedLeaf]

Perhaps not many of you would care, but I'm back on the forums. I used to post these random posts about each Lucky Star episode, but due to dramatic circumstances beyond my control, I have to drop everything for a while. So I had to stop all my work writing strange posts about random Japanese trivial relating to Lucky Star... to anyone who were reading them, 申し訳ございませんでした！

Hopefully one day in this life time I'll finish them.... or at least before Season II begins, then all that Tsundere love come rushing back and my nose start bleeding again.

Welcome back. You've been missed. :)

[723]

I don't lie if a say that you are the main reason why I started to post in this thread ad quit posting when you did, AVPlaya...

[Rembr]

Interestingly enough it's the exact same concern behind both of those placements. Think about that one for a second.

Also do I detect a hint of hatred instead of appreciation for another Kadokawa sponsored series?I actually didn't mind either of the shows. In fact I appreciated them much more so than most shows without such sponsorship and/or deviation from the core story. And I am looking forward to the OVA.

Rather, I'm curious of people who hates those shows because of those aspects, to the point where they feel the need to explicitly or passive-aggressively show their disdain for those shows as if productive discussions can come out of it.

[Kaioshin Sama]

I actually didn't mind either of the shows. In fact I appreciated them much more so than most shows without such sponsorship and/or deviation from the core story. And I am looking forward to the OVA.

Rather, I'm curious of people who hates those shows because of those aspects, to the point where they feel the need to explicitly or passive-aggressively show their disdain for those shows as if productive discussions can come out of it.

That's a good question and I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you. I guess some people just have to.

[Tabris]

Urk, I had an exam yesterday and instead of preparing for it properly, I ended up watching Lucky Star the entire night and morning before the exam.

You'd have thought all the talk about homework and revision would have made me think, oh yeah, I've got to do that too.

[Lucky_Day]

Sadly, I have a number of procrastination rituals. If it wasn't World of Warcraft, or anime, or surfing the internet, it would just be something else. The 24 spoof in Lucky Star comes to mind.

[Tabris]

Yeah, I know what you mean, it's really bad. But it can't be helped, it's so deeply rooted into myself :(

Sorry for the double post too, my internet was dying at the time it was posted and well, I didn't even know the post ever made it through once, nevermind twice D:

I've also gone to the point where I just ignore the Lucky Channel parts of the show now. They may be good, but I really can't be bothered with them and am perfectly content with the actual main portion of each episode :)

[Dee Eon]

Hi All!

What do you think Konata would be like? Probably more serious and less of an otaku, but she'd still be her father's daughter. Maybe it'd be confined to fighting games and RPG rather than ero-games, though...

I think her mother would have encouraged her to play sports, even if the sports in question are martial arts. Maybe especially so. So she'd still be friends with Tsukasa and Kagami...

If her mother was successful in making her care about grades, she'd probably be even better than Kagami.

In lieu a "Character Topic" or anything more suitable I'm planting this here if it's alright.

Well, to imagine what a Kanata-raised Konata would've been like, it helps to understand her mom. Of course, it'd all be speculation since we know zit about Kanata's background and family, but borrowing from my feelings, family, friends, school, community service experiences and drawing from environmental hints from the series and Kanata;s own words and her mood uttering them, I think my summations wouldn't be too off base. These are my off-the-cuff assumptions and assessments (not fact!) not set in stone or certified. The fun's seeing how close you can get! I eat the flames!! :)

First, it will sound ironic, but Kanata (before Miyuki) is my fave Lucky Star character because she's a quaint and indelibly innocent but tragic figure and a kind of throwback to when Japanese women were expected to have an almost totally subservient and obliging attitude towards men. In a sense, she would've made a perfect geisha wife in another age, but it's not all bad marks against her. There a gentleness and polite tolerance to the faults and flaws of others in her that's sadly missing in today's world. I can't imagine her laughing at anyone's misfortune or passing up a beggar on the street. She seemed the type who sips life, not throws it down, and was very trusting of people - which might've been her greatest flaw.

By her demeanor, expression and dress, I imagine Kanata was mostly likely raised in a very traditional family in the country. I have the feeling she's been sheltered and never harshly challenged by city life. Her voice and words are so docile and forgiving that it makes Miyuki sound like Rosie O'Donnell. I'd hate to say Kanata was "weak willed" or cluelesly stupid, but rather raised extremely modest and naive to a fault in her pre-marrage years. Doubtlessly a lot of that would've come not only from her conservative ("pampered by sickness"?) upbringing but greatly from her frailty and stunted growth (apparently a hereditary defect); it would've been rough dating during high school if at all and I can imagine the peer teasing she got. That's two knocks against building self-esteem during the most critical years, so I'll sum that as a recipe for becoming withdrawn, which means you scarcely get a chance to hone your street-smarts and temper your spine. In that, I'll throw in that she had few if any friends in high school; if there were she would've been warned by their keener senses about Sōjirō or even put out of his target altogether by other boyfriends. That she likely had none to hide behind from Sōjirō's open season scope is kind of telling. Not to be stereotypical, but I think of Kanata as a naive farm girl who's been wooed by a silver-tongued city slicker with pedophile fantasies/designs.

I can't think of Kanata as being anything more than a high school grad shopgirl (not an office worker or co-ed) when Sōjirō spotted her (I also dispute his age when he first laid eyes on her; I think he was WAY older than the unconfirmed numbers Wiki gives us. Besides you can be someone's childhood friend without being a child yourself, right?). You really wouldn't want to associate yourself with a Sōjirō in real life. A lot of people minimize Sōjiro's loli inclinations, but I can tell you that there are jobs where just the notion of it can get you fired and you'd be persona non-grata at schools and churches and political meetings. Would you want one as the next door neighbor to your four to ten-year-olds? Even if all he does is peep it's creepy enough! If a daughter's dad caught her boyfriend (much less fiance!) ogling deep underage schoolgirls on the street like Sōjirō does in the OP, well, her butt's like beam me up Scotty as far as most dads goes. It seems Kanata's parents are either dead or AWOL during her engagement with Sōjirō because I'm sure they would've had a thing to say about that, so it suggests she was living alone at the time, making the bunny even more vulnerable to the wolf. What's worst is it seems she eventually senses Sōjirō's flakiness long before the first ring day, yet she's either too cow-eyed by being "respectfully" wooed by a guy or simply too timid to dump him. Or maybe love's not just blind but stone deaf too. She seems to go along with most anything Sōjirō asks of her (he even admits "dragging her around" somewhere) as though she's that proverbial ultra obliging girl who doesn't say "no" all the way up to the altar. You can sense in Kanata's voice in her hospital bed when she was holding Konata that she felt the end was coming and very overtly rued of Konata picking up Sōjirō traits like an omen. I sense she was in the midst of really wisening-up to what the implications of his idiosyncrasies meant for their child when she wouldn't be around to check him. (remember, we don't know the extent to which their "courtship" went, but I find it hard to believe Sōjirō long kept his pre-nupital paws off her). I think she would've been a little happier had Konata been a boy. Even her spiritual visitation in 22 isn't all that thrilled over the way Konata turned out - or Sōjirō's moves. Outside severe wife beating, I doubt Kanata would've summoned enough spine to go for a divorce, even if she had bad vibes of what might happen to Konata.

So what would Konata been like raised by Kanata had she made a "miraculous" recovery? Without any fan favoritism or any axe to grind, my gut feeling is that escaping death would've tempered Kanata some, made her more firm and "relatively" more assertive. Prompted by her dying frets of the effects of Sōjirō's unseemly proclivities on their child, I can see Kanata becoming even more protective - almost passionately so - of seeing that Konata doesn't end up as Sōjirō junior. Kanata will want to mold Konata more in her image but more worldly so as to avoid the grief her innocence received. It will be easier to do this in Japan than the U.S. because of the parental sex-role model expectancy is deeper there, so it'd be easier to keep Sōjirō at bay from her upbringing. I think we would see a crash self-education on Kanata's part to help advance Konata's intellect to make up for her height and self-esteem and play the same excessive mentor role Yukari had with Miyuki. I think Kanata will try to kill off as much Sōjirō-appearing "tomboy"traits in Konata as possible (why I nix even judo, hard video games and manga - as loathingly hinted in Kanata's Next Episode announcement in Ep 22) and cultivate her femininity by her doing civic services a'la Girl Scouts and such and even ending up in a “ladies’ school.” Yea, I know it sounds wild and very unKonata, but it's not Konata running the show here; it's Kanata, and she's going pump up as many of her virtues in Konata and prune Sōjirō's vices from affecting her as she can. Also, the late eighties of Konata's early youth was the time when human growth hormone became available to (U.S.) doctors and requested by parents, so it's not at all inconceivable Kanata would've given Konata this therapy (she's as bitter about her height as she was dismayed by Sōjirō's traits as she voiced in the hospital room). In fact, my gut says it's a slam dunk she would've requested it - not just to pump Konata's height and self-esteem and given her a more normal social life, but to also derail Sōjirō's pedophile fantasies or more.

So, when I imagine the Konata of a Kanata-reared universe, I think of a mixture of Miyuki and Kagami; as brainy, polite, refined (and willowy?) as Miyuki but without whose klutz and bad eyes and teeth, and as assertive and worldly as Kagami but more temper toned-down and athletic. (Actually, this wouldn't be such a bad character to create!)

Anyway IMHO! It was a fun away to burn a cab. Take care all!

Dee
"Kanata" Totally Dead??", "Kanata's Dream", "Kanata Thawed", "Miyuki's Spaced-Out Secret"

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[Anh_Minh]

I... don't have the same vision of her relationship with Soujirou as you do.

For one thing, I don't think an otaku like him would use the term "childhood friends" if they weren't childhood friends. They probably grew up together, so they're either both from the country, or both from the city.

I also think Soujirou's more outrageous hobbies (like photographing real little girls) came after his wife's death.

The visit made it look, to me, like she did have a soft spot for Soujirou. She was touched by his love for her, and was glad that he and Konata got along and played together (even as she was alarmed by what they were playing...) And the her comment after Konata's birth, as well, as Soujirou's tactic of "I became like that because you won't go out with me" make me think she never had a problem criticizing his otaku ways, but forgave him anyway.

All in all, I think that, as much as she couldn't say "no" to his pushiness, he couldn't say "no" to her either. It's not like he was totally dominating her.


I don't think Konata's tomboyishness would have bothered her. She wanted Konata to grow up strong and healthy, so sports would have been been great for that. Martial arts would have meant that as short as she was, Konata wouldn't lose to even tall men. I think Kanata'd be damn proud of Konata's taking down a full grown foreigner. Or at least, that she was able to do so. The fact it arose from a misunderstanding and Konata's impulsiveness would have been less thrilling.

But Kanata looked more serious than Soujirou, so she'd have been a lot more likely to put her foot down at Konata's laziness. So Konata's grades would be a lot better...

[The Real Nemo]

So... Why is it that Kagami looks like a younger version of Asuna from Negima when she's actually older than her? Gah, it doesn't make any sense! :upset:

[Vexx]

What? Actually you don't make much sense. You're comparing different art styles. If you look at the manga, L*S is drawn in a sort of Peanuts style (large cute heads and small bodies). L*S characters are somewhat like caricatures (like a portrait you might get from some artists at festivals). Its not meant to be realistic looking. Negima is drawn in a more "realist" but Marvel Comic over-the-top kind of way. You're comparing apples and rocks.

Some fan artists have taken decent stabs at portraying the L*S characters "realistically" with good results.

[The Real Nemo]

What? Actually you don't make much sense. You're comparing different art styles. If you look at the manga, L*S is drawn in a sort of Peanuts style (large cute heads and small bodies). L*S characters are somewhat like caricatures (like a portrait you might get from some artists at festivals). Its not meant to be realistic looking. Negima is drawn in a more "realist" but Marvel Comic over-the-top kind of way. You're comparing apples and rocks.

Some fan artists have taken decent stabs at portraying the L*S characters "realistically" with good results.
Heh, maybe I came off a bit too serious there... :o Sorry, but thanks for the answer anyway... :heh:

[Dee Eon]

Hi All!

While amused by how shrines are cashing in on Lucky*Star, I'm wondering since the show aired whether there's been a rise of popularity in becoming shrine maidens and among what ages, the resume required and whether such have established a miko association of sorts in Japan (or worldwide? Are there any in the U.S.A.?). It's useless for me to Google for this because I can't read Japanese websites or newspaper sites. Also, if anyone has any pixs relating to this please flash them!

Thanks!

Dee
"Miyuki's Spaced-Out Secret", "Kanata: Totally Dead??", "Kanata's Dream", and soon "The Yamato Effect" sneak preview on ff.net
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[Vexx]

There is only one Shinto shrine in the US (at least registered) and it is located in Washington state NE of Seattle. They don't have any regular miko; the daughters of members take the role during the appropriate holiday. http://www.tsubakishrine.org/

As far as I know, only the shrine used as the sister's shrine in L*S has done anything to "cash in" on the L*S connection.
Being a miko in Japan is an old tradition and at least, outside of Tokyo, still quite common -- I've not heard of any "increase in applications" because of L*S.

I always like it when an anime at least *reminds* the viewers of their Shinto heritage and how important that is culturally. Of course, the folk (non-state) versions of Shinto remain one of my favorite interpretations of nature.

[Dee Eon]

Being a miko in Japan is an old tradition and at least, outside of Tokyo, still quite common -- I've not heard of any "increase in applications" because of L*S.

Some from MangaShare have leads of this happening somewhat. I'll keep you abreast.

I always like it when an anime at least *reminds* the viewers of their Shinto heritage and how important that is culturally. Of course, the folk (non-state) versions of Shinto remain one of my favorite interpretations of nature.

That's so beautiful, and I wish more anime heroes portrayed the tenets embodied in such a natural religion instead of being converted into superhero icons! Thanks for that Tsubaki shrine heads-up! It's unreal that there's only one such shrine here! I mean Boulder/Denver/Colo Springs have HUGE Asian bedroom communities, not to talk about those in far larger cities! It's a real mystery to me!

Thanks!

Dee
"Miyuki's Spaced-Out Secret", "Kanata: Totally Dead??", "Kanata's Dream" and soon "The Yamato Effect" sneak preview on ff.net
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[Dee Eon]

For one thing, I don't think an otaku like him would use the term "childhood friends" if they weren't childhood friends.

Been told most lolicons DO see themselves like that (like that killer pedophile in Florida) - almost like some warped legalese/moral escape hatch. Again, a childhood friend is someone who you knew as a friend during your childhood - child or adult. Your teacher or grandfather could be your childhood friend.

I also think Soujirou's more outrageous hobbies (like photographing real little girls) came after his wife's death.

I severely doubt this. Like police long know, ogling and passionately photographing little girls go hand in hand early on. After all what drew Soujirou to Kanata in the first place was because she looked kiddie. If I visited the house of a friend of a friend and found his bedroom walls plastered with pixs of little girls, I'd hardly think of that person as merely "outrageous."

The visit made it look, to me, like she did have a soft spot for Soujirou. She was touched by his love for her, and was glad that he and Konata got along and played together (even as she was alarmed by what they were playing...)

I sense this was a concilitory resignation on her part that the relationship could've been 'worst' than Konata just psychologically losing her innocence by second grade. Kanata really wasn't all that elated how things turned out (even a bug of guilt entered Soujirou's seedy brain about that, saying something like "I know Konata didn'r turn out like you'd wished..")

And the her comment after Konata's birth, as well, as Soujirou's tactic of "I became like that because you won't go out with me" make me think she never had a problem criticizing his otaku ways, but forgave him anyway.

BTW, I can't believe there are twits who'd fall for that line - yet there are!! :( No wonder wife beatings are up! (funny how even Kagami was concerned of that issue in some ep).

All in all, I think that, as much as she couldn't say "no" to his pushiness, he couldn't say "no" to her either. It's not like he was totally dominating her.

Naw, the sly weasel was doing that from the get-go! :) After all he did describe her as the trophy bishōjo mate, didn't he? Outside of voicing some disfavors (like end of 22) I kinda doubt she challenged him all that much. (What ep? : "I'd drag Kanata around all the time...") Stand by your (creepy) man while he drools over lilicon manga and sim games and ogles lil' girls passing by? I don't think so!

I don't think Konata's tomboyishness would have bothered her. She wanted Konata to grow up strong and healthy, so sports would have been been great for that. Martial arts would have meant that as short as she was, Konata wouldn't lose to even tall men. I think Kanata'd be damn proud of Konata's taking down a full grown foreigner. Or at least, that she was able to do so. The fact it arose from a misunderstanding and Konata's impulsiveness would have been less thrilling.

I'm not knocking martial arts at all! In fact I think it's very positive and healthy excercise, however there is an undertone of violence in it that turns off many ultra-pacifists (I was surprised by how few martial arts centers were in NYC's huge Greenwich Village /Soho/ Tribecka peace/love mecca neighborhoods.) My read of Kanata is she's very much a demure ultra-pacifist type and so would undoubtly be a "V-Chip" soccer/lacross mom and the only chops Konata would've been dishing out were pork. But I'm glad you mentioned Konata's slam-bang blooper with that poor tourist! (Note, no remorse from the hare-lipped one!) Shucks, you mean Soujirou wasn't slammed with a lawsuit?? :)

But Kanata looked more serious than Soujirou, so she'd have been a lot more likely to put her foot down at Konata's laziness. So Konata's grades would be a lot better...

Heck, it'd never even gotten that far to start with! Kanata would've nipped any lazy dazy attitude in the cradle and sat on Konata's butt every school night since kindergarten to keep her away from any manga and anime to shave any chance of Soujirou's traits in her. In Boulder, the ultra-admirable Asian communities are renown for getting their kids to buckle down and book up and so scoring the top scholastic percentiles in the area (there's no basketball or bikes in the streets after school in those communities) so I can see Kanata giving Konata the same treatment.

Thanks for giving me issues to spout in the morn! :)

Dee
"Miyuki's Spaced-Out Secret", "Kanata: Totally Dead??", "Kanata's Dream" and soon "The Yamato Effect" sneak preview on ff.net
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[Anh_Minh]

Been told most lolicons DO see themselves like that (like that killer pedophile in Florida) - almost like some warped legalese/moral escape hatch. Again, a childhood friend is someone who you knew as a friend during your childhood - child or adult. Your teacher or grandfather could be your childhood friend.
Yes, but he wouldn't call her a "childhood friend" if he'd met her while she was in high school. If you go by anime stereotypes - which Soujirou most certainly does - even middle school is kinda late to meet a childhood friend. And the age difference must not be bigger than one or two years.


I severely doubt this. Like police long know, ogling and passionately photographing little girls go hand in hand early on. After all what drew Soujirou to Kanata in the first place was because she looked kiddie.
It's actually unclear whether he liked her because she was "kiddie", or if he turned into a lolicon because he fell in love with Kanata.

If I visited the house of a friend of a friend and found his bedroom walls plastered with pixs of little girls, I'd hardly think of that person as merely "outrageous."
I still think Kanata largely filled that place in his life.


I sense this was a concilitory resignation on her part that the relationship could've been 'worst' than Konata just psychologically losing her innocence by second grade. Kanata really wasn't all that elated how things turned out (even a bug of guilt entered Soujirou's seedy brain about that, saying something like "I know Konata didn'r turn out like you'd wished..")
I think she was just happy that the two people she loved the most were happy. And no, Konata didn't turn out like she'd wished, but children seldom do. Sure, it'd have been nice if she'd been like Miyuki - tall, full figured, excellent grades - but that concern is way, way below her health and happiness.


BTW, I can't believe there are twits who'd fall for that line - yet there are!! :( No wonder wife beatings are up! (funny how even Kagami was concerned of that issue in some ep).
I don't think she fell for the line itself. I think she really did like him.


Naw, the sly weasel was doing that from the get-go! :) After all he did describe her as the trophy bishōjo mate, didn't he?
Of course he would. This is Soujirou we're talking about. He sees everything through anime-colored glasses, like Konata. Putting on protective gear or getting shocked by static electricity is being Kamen Rider, dining with high school girls is being a harem lead.


Outside of voicing some disfavors (like end of 22) I kinda doubt she challenged him all that much. (What ep? : "I'd drag Kanata around all the time...")
She looked pretty serious. Not the kind to go out and have fun of her own initiative (especially with her weak health). That's why Soujirou had to "drag her".

Stand by your (creepy) man while he drools over lilicon manga and sim games and ogles lil' girls passing by? I don't think so!
She was just tolerant of his childish side.

I'm not knocking martial arts at all! In fact I think it's very positive and healthy excercise, however there is an undertone of violence in it that turns off many ultra-pacifists (I was surprised by how few martial arts centers were in NYC's huge Greenwich Village /Soho/ Tribecka peace/love mecca neighborhoods.) My read of Kanata is she's very much a demure ultra-pacifist type and so would undoubtly be a "V-Chip" soccer/lacross mom and the only chops Konata would've been dishing out were pork. But I'm glad you mentioned Konata's slam-bang blooper with that poor tourist! (Note, no remorse from the hare-lipped one!) Shucks, you mean Soujirou wasn't slammed with a lawsuit?? :)

I see no reason to think she was an ultra-pacifist. And as I said, I think that martial arts, more than any other sports, would have been a good salve for all the frustrations Kanata had with her own body. Unless there's a sport that makes you grow taller, of course.

Heck, it'd never even gotten that far to start with! Kanata would've nipped any lazy dazy attitude in the cradle and sat on Konata's butt every school night since kindergarten to keep her away from any manga and anime to shave any chance of Soujirou's traits in her. In Boulder, the ultra-admirable Asian communities are renown for getting their kids to buckle down and book up and so scoring the top scholastic percentiles in the area (there's no basketball or bikes in the streets after school in those communities) so I can see Kanata giving Konata the same treatment.
I don't think Kanata would have had it in her to be a tyrant. Sure, she'd have given Konata more balance, and would have insisted more strongly for her to be serious, but she'd still have left some place for fun, too.

[Dee Eon]

Hi!

Just jumping in a mo' with a question on something some here say has never happened: Are there any examples of the names of anime characters being changed for foreign viewers for various/sensitive reasons?

And to follow that up, what English names would you feel (even if you don't believe in the idea - for fun you know??) would most fit a Lucky Star character??

Dee
"Miyuki's Spaced-Out Secret", "Kanata: Totally Dead??", "Kanata's Dream" and soon "The Yamato Effect" sneak preview on ff.net
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[Claies]

Hi!

Just jumping in a mo' with a question on something some here say has never happened: Are there any examples of the names of anime characters being changed for foreign viewers for various/sensitive reasons?

And to follow that up, what English names would you feel (even if you don't believe in the idea - for fun you know??) would most fit a Lucky Star character??

Dee
"Miyuki's Spaced-Out Secret", "Kanata: Totally Dead??", "Kanata's Dream" and soon "The Yamato Effect" sneak preview on ff.net
.

I haven't heard of names changing for whatever sensitive reasons there are, but this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardcaptors) is a classic example of a highly involved adaptation for younger audiences.

I can't bear to change the current characters' names. :p

[Dee Eon]

I haven't heard of names changing for whatever sensitive reasons there are, but this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardcaptors) is a classic example of a highly involved adaptation for younger audiences.

I can't bear to change the current characters' names. :p

Thanks for this head's up! Some from MangaShare say that name changing occasionally happened in the very early Anime-in-America days, so that's something I'll try to Wiki later. Be interesting to see whether things like Tsikasa's "chichi" mention makes it on the English DVDs too!

Dee
"Miyuki's Spaced-Out Secret", "Kanata: Totally Dead??", "Kanata's Dream" and soon sneak preview of "The Yamato Effect" on ff.net

[brocko]

I know in Slam Dunk Mitsui was given a nickname of 'Mitch', i don't know how often it was used though as I've only had about 5 mins of exposure to the official English manga this one time at Borders. But considering it's not a total name-change it's not that bad of a thing, in fact i actually found it to be quite a positive addition to the manga to be honest.

In Initial D (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initial_d#American_licensing_and_alterations) however they changed almost every single characters name along with various other stuff in an attempt to 'Americanize' it to their wanted 'Fast and Furious' image that they were aiming for.

Another name-change i can think of would be Dragonball Z. Satan > Hercules for obvious reasons of course lol :heh:

If Lucky Star were to ever have name-changes, I'd much prefer if it be something like the Dragonball Z and Slam Dunk ones unlike the butchery that went on in Initial D.

[Shiroi Hane]

Names are always changed in Digimon - although not always americanized (e.g. Makino Ruki -> Rika Nonaka)
Some believe that the surname Yagami was changed to Kamiya because it reads "Im a gay" backwards.

[Rembr]

I know in Slam Dunk Mitsui was given a nickname of 'Mitch', i don't know how often it was used though as I've only had about 5 mins of exposure to the official English manga this one time at Borders. But considering it's not a total name-change it's not that bad of a thing, in fact i actually found it to be quite a positive addition to the manga to be honest.

In Initial D (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initial_d#American_licensing_and_alterations) however they changed almost every single characters name along with various other stuff in an attempt to 'Americanize' it to their wanted 'Fast and Furious' image that they were aiming for.

Another name-change i can think of would be Dragonball Z. Satan > Hercules for obvious reasons of course lol :heh:

If Lucky Star were to ever have name-changes, I'd much prefer if it be something like the Dragonball Z and Slam Dunk ones unlike the butchery that went on in Initial D.Mitsui was actually referred to as Mitchie by his buddies in the Japanese version. Maybe that's the part they changed, to avoid it sounding feminine.

[Dee Eon]

Hi All!

In the wake of The Hare-Lipped One's birthday (one more till the big 2-0 right?), I'd like to ask anyone with the manga just what presents did she receive from the girls and maybe dad? My imagination's flushed out! (or grossed out when it comes to Soujirou!)

Dee
"Miyuki's Spaced-Out Secret", "Kanata: Totally Dead??", "Kanata's Dream" and "The Yamato Effect" sneak preview on fanfiction.net this weekend.
.

[Dee Eon]

Hi All!

"Miyuki's Spaced-Out Secret" Chapter Five is in, of this light novel pre-doujinshi in the off-the-wall spirit of Lucky*Star Murder Case and Pocket Travelers at:

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4184788/1/Miyukis_SpacedOut_Secret

along with a bonus addendum to the beta chapter of "The Yamato Effect" at

http://luckystarforum.com/Dee/The_Yamato_Effect.pdf (ideal perferred)

http://luckystarforum.com/Dee/Yamato.html

Happy reading and critiquing! Bash me!

Dee

[Dee Eon]

...If Lucky Star were to ever have name-changes, I'd much prefer if it be something like the Dragonball Z and Slam Dunk ones unlike the butchery that went on in Initial D.

Hi!

Well, to follow that up as a lark, I'd really like to see just how creative and inventive people here are and hatch some English-equivalent names for the quad. Like, I've checked out Japanese names dictionaries for "Miyuki" which roughly translates to "joyful beauty" but I'm having a devil of a time coming up with the right combinations or rehash of English names to match that. (And forget trying Yamato!) So if anyone can whip up some head-on Jap-equivalent English names for the gang I'd love to hear them!

Take care!

Dee

[AVPlaya]

Man I just picked up Manga vol. #5 the other day... I'm gonna get sucked into the moe-ness again... Lucky Star is like crack...

[Claies]

Man I just picked up Manga vol. #5 the other day... I'm gonna get sucked into the moe-ness again... Lucky Star is like crack...

Hell yes? *snorts on vol. 3*

I never got a good look on vol. 5. Just how many new things (i.e. charas, tendencies, etc.) were there?

[CrowKenobi]

I can't believe that no one has mentioned this:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAGAMI AND TSUKASA!!!

May Konata give you more "interesting" presents than she did in episode 4! :D

:cool:

[Dee Eon]

(Well, here's hoping I don't get snagged for double-posting this again, but-)

Happy Birthday Tweedle Smart and Tweedle -- oh, er I mean Kagami & Tsukasa, perpetually 17 again! :)

May Kaggie renew her miko vows of chastity before Konata and not get caught slipping Finals crib notes to Tsukasa (who's still wondering who REALLY came out first)...

Dee

[Vexx]

Tanabata Star Festival time..... very auspicious day to have a birthday, especially twins.

[Popsicle]

A late "Happy Birthday!" to Kagami and Tsukasa! =P

[Dee Eon]

Happy B-Day Misao!!

Happy Birthday to one weird bohemian background character whose stars are as mismatched as her wardrobe!

Dee

What's more enchanting than two young girls chatting about depleted uranium?

[Kagami~n]

It's hard to keep track of all the birthdays... happy belated, Misao. :B

Exactly how is she bohemian, though? And I always thought that her wardrobe matched pretty nicely when she wasn't in uniform.

[Vexx]

Aye.. this is some strange use of the word "bohemian" to describe dingy, simple, and loopy crazy.

courtesy Merriam-Webster:
bohemian
2often not capitalized a: vagabond (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vagabond), wanderer (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wanderer); especially : gypsy (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gypsy) b: a person (as a writer or an artist) living an unconventional life usually in a colony with others

[Kagami~n]

Aye.. this is some strange use of the word "bohemian" to describe dingy, simple, and loopy crazy.

courtesy Merriam-Webster:
bohemian
2often not capitalized a: vagabond (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vagabond), wanderer (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wanderer); especially : gypsy (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gypsy) b: a person (as a writer or an artist) living an unconventional life usually in a colony with others

That's what I thought it meant. An artist living unconventionally. I think Hiyori is the best fit for that description, if anyone...though her lifestyle still appears conventional for the most part.

[JoieKawaiiDesu]

How do you find out those birthdays?
and how do you remember them?

[Dee Eon]

Aye.. this is some strange use of the word "bohemian" to describe dingy, simple, and loopy crazy.

Gee, Vexx! That's exactly the description I was looking for! What word is it?? ;)

Dee

[Kagami~n]

How do you find out those birthdays?
and how do you remember them?


Have you met my good friend Wikipedia? :)

I'm really not good at remembering them, actually. I just have Konata and the twins memorized. I know Miyuki is somewhere in October.

[Vexx]

I think the best word for Misao is nyan-simple. She likes to eat, she takes a lot of naps, she misses most of the intent of whats being said, she's happy, bright shiny things grab her attention.

[JoieKawaiiDesu]

Have you met my good friend Wikipedia? :)

I'm really not good at remembering them, actually. I just have Konata and the twins memorized. I know Miyuki is somewhere in October.


hehe, yes i have met your good friend Wikipedia!!
Thanks :)

[Dee Eon]

Greetings:

Can anyone recommend the addresses of Lucky Star fanfiction / doujinshi sites in Japan which I can run through Google's Translation Tools service for translation and reads?

Thanks and stay safe!

Dee
"Miyuki's Spaced-Out Secret" (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4184788/1/Miyukis_SpacedOut_Secret) and "The Yamato Effect" (http://luckystarforum.com/Dee/The_Yamato_Effect.pdf)

[Claies]

Greetings:

Can anyone recommend the addresses of Lucky Star fanfiction / doujinshi sites in Japan which I can run through Google's Translation Tools service for translation and reads?

Thanks and stay safe!

Dee
"Miyuki's Spaced-Out Secret" (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4184788/1/Miyukis_SpacedOut_Secret) and "The Yamato Effect" (http://luckystarforum.com/Dee/The_Yamato_Effect.pdf)

As far as I know, there is no such central effort as fanfiction.net in Japan. Web hosting is easy and dirt cheap there as it is, so many authors host their own sites for their fanwork. I know obscure series with over a hundred such sites, so I dare to estimate thousands of them for Lucky*Star, none of them particularly linked together.

The best I can do is tell you is not to go to this:
http://www34.atwiki.jp/konataowata/

Some otakus are extreme in their feelings, including hatred for Konata. The above site contains suicide/death fiction around her, some of the accompanying images are pretty extreme. You've been warned.

[Dee Eon]

As far as I know, there is no such central effort as fanfiction.net in Japan. Web hosting is easy and dirt cheap there as it is, so many authors host their own sites for their fanwork. I know obscure series with over a hundred such sites, so I dare to estimate thousands of them for Lucky*Star, none of them particularly linked together.
The best I can do is tell you is not to go to this:
http://www34.atwiki.jp/konataowata/
Some otakus are extreme in their feelings, including hatred for Konata. The above site contains suicide/death fiction around her, some of the accompanying images are pretty extreme. You've been warned.

This is fascinating! (like why web hosting's so cheap over there too!)

With everyone acting apart so, how does news about anything get around fast the way it does there, or how does an author get their site out? How on earth do they coordinate showing up en masse at events like shrine pilgrimages and such? You'd think there'd at least be some main directory or clearinghouse of anime sites over there! No wonder it's next to impossible to mail praise to any of those artists at Raki-Suta! Anyway, thanks for that site address even though I boldly crossed the forbidden line but didn't get far seeing anything past that pix of Konata being a swinger at a necktie party, since I couldn't even read the menus to take a tour! :(
But I wonder what their beef with Kona is! Her quirkiness gives otakus a bad name or what? Like my western sins can see it with Patty :) , but Konata?? She must represent one really awful anathema to them!

Thanks for the input!

Dee

[Kagami~n]

Some otakus NEED HELP.

I never understood wasting your energy on directing such negativity toward a fictional person. Whatever their reasons are, that they would go to the trouble of writing death/suicide stories or pictures that coordinate to that indicates to me that they need some serious help. At least those otaku who dress up and go to the shrine are directing positive energy towards something.

Thanks for the warning though, some jerk posted that link on luckystarfans.com's forums as some sort of justification for writing an extremely offensive and sexist analysis of the Lucky*Star cast on a thread. Now I'm glad I didn't click it.

[Vexx]

Some of the many examples of a small set of "fans" that literally have no existence outside of their hobby and channel their darkness into it. More examples of the emotional sewer overflows can be found on some the *chan sites. Yes, many of them actually need psychiatric help. The japanese are rather behind the curve from the US on recognizing and treating mental illness because of cultural attitudes toward mental illness (though they have a better healthcare system for it, go fig.).

To answer some of Dee's queries:
1) cellphones and texting play a much bigger "networking" role in Japan than in the US. Spontaneous gatherings for street dance and the like are cellphone coordinated.
2) All Internet costs are much cheaper in Japan, please thank your US telecommunications giants and large ISPs for not updating our networks or providing reasoned price points on packages despite taking in huge profits and tax breaks through their regional monopolies. The US is Third World when it comes to the Internet these days.
3) Animation companies never provide the linkage to their individual artists -- I call it a cultural thing (everything is team-oriented). However, most all the voice artists maintain their own websites to connect with their fans. Manga artists tend to be reclusive (often their sex isn't even known) though a few blog (like Yotsubato's mangaka).
4) Some otaku have decided the Konata character MAKES FUN OF their lifestyle. As they have no sense of humor on the subject - they hate her. The rest of us understand that self-deprecating humor can be healthy. Since Lucky*Star is all about the self-deprecating humor ... ya gotta wonder just how clueless these dilweeds are. :)

[Kagami~n]

Well God forbid anyone should ever make fun of us dorks. :P Konata seems like a lovable, fairly intelligent character. At least they over in Japan aren't represented by a flake like Patty. Personally though, I chose not to be offended by Patty, since there is a lot of truth to the stereotype she portrays and she's pretty likable in her own right.

Konata's also fairly glorified, and is only ever shown in a bad light when she's getting chewed out by Kagami. In fact, I've found her behavior to be far less offensive than a lot of what I've heard of other Japanese otaku. Case in point. You'd think that to be a mangaka, or to work in an animation studio, you'd have to have a certain level of otaku about you anyway. It kinda seems like they chose to interpret it as being mocked.

But yeah, seek help plz. It's interesting to know that they have better care for mental illnesses over there. What exactly is their view on mental illness, that it would keep them from seeking treatment or recognizing it?

[Claies]

This is fascinating! (like why web hosting's so cheap over there too!)

With everyone acting apart so, how does news about anything get around fast the way it does there, or how does an author get their site out? How on earth do they coordinate showing up en masse at events like shrine pilgrimages and such? You'd think there'd at least be some main directory or clearinghouse of anime sites over there! No wonder it's next to impossible to mail praise to any of those artists at Raki-Suta! Anyway, thanks for that site address even though I boldly crossed the forbidden line but didn't get far seeing anything past that pix of Konata being a swinger at a necktie party, since I couldn't even read the menus to take a tour! :(
But I wonder what their beef with Kona is! Her quirkiness gives otakus a bad name or what? Like my western sins can see it with Patty :) , but Konata?? She must represent one really awful anathema to them!

Thanks for the input!

Dee

2channel, its clones (that collapse back into 2channel sooner or later anyway), cell phones, and massive amounts of word of mouth.

2channel does have fanfiction, but it's a nightmare to sort. I didn't even try. Even if you're reasonably fluent in Japanese it'd probably take an entire night or two to step in the fray to figure out where everything is, and then start over because things may have changed by then. Nobody really knows the entire site (no, not even Konata). The only way to really sort the fanwork out is to have community-run wikis archive the flow, the link I told you not to click on is one of them. I haven't bumped into others.

If you've ever seen 4chan (if you didn't, stay that way), the phrase "hate machine" that popular media attaches to it has a grain of truth. 2channel is what 4chan was derived from, and there are over 600 boards of every damn topic imaginable. With that level of diversity, it's inevitable that the more emotional types there will hate each other. In particular, a section of people within anime and video game boards (~30 boards) hate each other for personal tastes. Lucky*Star was practically built to attract all this. For any character in any series, you can expect a fan topic and a consequential hate topic, it goes on and on.

So if you can't take criticism, don't go there.

Also, 2channel likewise would hurt your eyes if you blindly click on links. One can tell that Konata is a reasonably "experienced" netizen, in more ways than one.