Please consider this thread a "catch all" for all posts having to do with this subject and this is the leading page seed. Thanks for your consideration!
Topic: "Lucky Star: The Sappho Factor(?)"
Hi All!!
I was enjoying the catchy tune of "100% Nai Nai Nai" sung by Kagami (awesome! Get it!) and after glancing at the lyrics and -- well, I guess you really can't escape one of the most popular draws Lucky Star has and that's the shoujo-ai angle, regardless your feelings on the subject. So I guess we might as well explore it.
Of course there's the Minami-Yutaka thing, but personally I think that's really a red herring tease putting us on the same fantasy ride as Hyouri because I just don't see any real moves going on here. Konata and Kagami are different animals because you can see sprinkled around the series coy hints (in Konata's case sometimes not so coy) of some wild wishful feelings going on planted by Kyotoanimation's honchos. It's fun being teased like this, and for me Kagami is a schizoid case of wanting and denial. I mean the way Kagami's wailing and whining to God in "100% Nai Nai Nai" for having separate classes from Konata is both funny and a little heart-wrenching in a way. Kaggie's protesting way too much and deep for a simple brief separation of close friends. I mean this poor girl's seriously HURTIN' for clingy, and where there's smoke there's fire. And I think Konata's all too willing to blaze!
So why don't they "catch"?
Well, I guess outside it not being a "after prime-time" show, I'd like to think there's a kind of unspoken "chicken" game going on between these two. Kagami's a real puzzle because she's smart, pretty, outgoing, yet there's 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?). Kagami sees herself as a (somewhat snooty) upright example of proper feminine behavior and sensibilities, yet her mindless libido's being tickled by a lazy midget weirdo geek who she regards as below her level. That Kagami even bothers giving Konata the time of day much less spending quality time with her so is crazy and telling. Like 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 pig for punishment -- or is there more? We know Kagami cares a lot about Konata because she's always on her case and from that tender concert seat swap. Could Kagami actually envy Konata? Konata is super-athetletic, equivalently intelligent or maybe even more (capable of cramming weeks of work in one nite and still make good exam grades), and unabashedly aggressive. Konata lucks out in the manners department -- but that can be adjusted with a little "love". Now if Kagami is actually boy-shy, then Konata is a perfect substitute "boyfriend" for her to imagine hanging around with.
As for Konata (chuckle), Konata, in my opinion is amoral to indifference on this front; Soujuion's adult games and casual attitudes have early corrupted her mind to at the least find boys her age immature and boring. This might cause a bizzare side of effect that if it weren't for her early rapt interest in games she'd been hopping more beds than hop-scotching by middle school. Konata kinda reminds me of a cat toying with a mouse, and that mouse is Kagami which keeps popping out of its mouse hole to get whacked by the cat again and again, and I think the mouse senses the cat's 'interested' in playing more dangerous games and anxiously (and hypocritically) dodges it each time. I think what's notable is there're very few scenes where Konata and Kagami are truly alone in a situation where no one could walk in on them to fan up their simmering fires. I think Kagami would start feeling awkward pretty quick "trapped" with Konata so. A very dangerous scene could've been them being all alone in that summer bath house scene at the beach with Konata pushing her mock-coquette teases on a blushing flustered Kagami. It would be interesting who's left standing on a desert island!
While Kagami's eggshell pride's pretty much all that's keeping her from getting all gushy in front of Konata, I don't see any inhibitions on Konata's side at all in a yuri relationship; maybe she's just bidding her time or is too involved in games to crack the ice or is just to plain lazy to right now. But I think if Konata did a serious hit on Kagami (and 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.
Sadly tho', I think it'd be a rather brief shallow relationship since Kagami might well wish a deeper more serious relationship while Konata might likely take it as new kind of game/sport. Konata just doesn't come across to me as being emotionally developed or deep enough to appreciate the finer details of sharing one's innermost feelings (her dad's fault). I think at best it'd be a "yuri fling" which Kagami would quickly get over with passions and curiosity sated, and returning to see Konata the same old way.
Anyway that's my rambling take on the issue guys. I'm wearing my asbestos jumpsuit! Thanks for letting me push my iPhone's warranty!
Dee