Lucky Star - Episode 12 Discussion / Poll

[Kaioshin Sama]

Originally Posted by Vexx

I enjoy mainstream jpop about as much as I like "mainstream US pop" (the corporate machine variety ala "Z100" radio or the equivalent).

That is to say, I'd have to be heavily drugged so I couldn't get away. Sometimes I'll hear mainstream jpop and it feels like one is stuck in a bad imitation of a Perry Como variety hour, or perhaps Tony Orlando and Dawn, or ..... that part of the music culture that pretended Beatles never went "wierd" and burrowed its way into the Disco part of the 70s whilst the rest of us ran for FM radio.
Now I've stopped making sense to most of the audience.

(checks the torrents again for ep 12....) tonight I'll watch EnA's version of ep 9 and 10 and see if I thumbs up their version of reality.

Are you talking John Lennon and Number Nine weird, or Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds weird?

My policy on J-POP seems to be I like it when it's male artists (sometimes), but I often find myself scrambling for the x button or skipping openings when its a female singer unless the backup part is really good. I don't know why that is, but I think it comes down to not liking their voices. I'm the kind of guy that likes straight up singing as if the singer can feel the music flowing through them and I think female J-POP artists all to often are putting on a voice so to speak, which combined with the statuesque style of live performance involving hand gestures and smiling makes it seem too produced rather than from the soul.

I mean I'm not asking for AC/DC or Freddie Mercury style showboating, but just a little more feeling like I see in J-ROCK acts such as the JAM Project.

[AVPlaya]

It's okay not liking mainstream JPOP... especially the male singers. I only like a few and Moriyama just happen to be one of them. Mainstream JPOP has been the domain of girlish looking idol for way too long. There used to be really cool bands like Mr.Children and Spitz, but now days it's mostly just psudo hip hop. The pop scene is pretty much dominated by female tastes, and the J-gals like their guy thin, pale, and hairless with feminine facial features. If you ask most Japanese guys they hate their mainstream music scene with a passion; but there's a stong underground movement as you guys might have known. I just use JPOP to irk ppl mostly; I love the shows and movies attached to the tunes much more. Japan has the best variety and reality TV shows, but too bad not many people knows this.

[MakubeX2]

With the discussion proceeding thus far, nobody notice that Seki Tomakazu and Sugita Tomakazu are actually doing adversting for themselves in the showdown sequence ?

[Nightengale]

Originally Posted by MakubeX2

With the discussion proceeding thus far, nobody notice that Seki Tomakazu and Sugita Tomakazu are actually doing adversting for themselves in the showdown sequence ?

You mean when they pulled out their cards for their respective roles in FMP and Haruhi? How could anyone had missed that?

[MakubeX2]

Originally Posted by Kinny Riddle

And Seki Tomokazu + Sugita Tomokazu parodying their roles = pure win FTW.

くそ！

I must have skipped the posts and miss reading some parts.

[Cloudkiller1]

Wah.. all this talking about AX07 makes me want to go..

From what you guys said so far, this is definately an episode to look foward to. :3

[Skane]

About cosplaying as Kagami, it is not necessary to fully mimic her appearances. Otherwise, you would need to go for plastic surgery as well to imitate her eyes, amongst other drastic measures.

What looks good in an animation may not look good in real life, garish even. The opposite holds true as well. All you need to do is to capture the ESSENCE of the character and let people recognise immediately who you are trying to cosplay as.

In the case of the hair, do consider the option of having purple highlights instead of a totally purple wig.

Cheers.

[Ultima_Rasengan05]

wait, Kyon's VA makes an appearance in this episode??
if so, then I must watch this episode!

[Daniel E.]

Originally Posted by Skane

What looks good in an animation may not look good in real life, garish even. The opposite holds true as well. All you need to do is to capture the ESSENCE of the character and let people recognise immediately who you are trying to cosplay as.

Say, has Kipi done anything related to Lucky Star yet?

I think a Tsukasa by her would be an instant win.

[Crisu]

[ My browser ate my last post in episode 10, so I've been upset and also busy and have lurked since. x.x But I've still been watching. ]

Watched the raw -- it was truly EPIC .. for many of the reasons listed already.

Spoiler for Ep12 stuff just in case:

Blushing Kagami melts my heart.

And it seems the Hiiragi household has central heating while the Izumi household does not. Konata and co. are all with the heavy coats/robes and those awesome table warmers. But Kagami, seen on the phone with Konata, is dressed just normally.

Poor Akira-sama gets only one word in the whole episode .. and it gets cut off, too. Was she saying "Fumoffu"?

Sebastian (I will just call him that now) as the paperboy?

Konata's military briefing (that's what it looked like) of the con with Kagami and Tsukasa was hilarious. Didn't understand a word she said >.> but just the mood of it. And that music! Very Final-Fantasy-pre-epic-battle-like. Konata wants pre-emptive strikes and perfection.

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by Daniel E.

Say, has Kipi done anything related to Lucky Star yet?

I think a Tsukasa by her would be an instant win.

I don't think Kipa-san is the type of cosplayer to do anyone from Lucky Star. I think this by looking at her past track record. I don't think she'd go well with the different hair colors that the characters have.

[chc]

Originally Posted by Kaioshin_Sama

Lows:
-Every single person seems to have the exact same voice that sounds like Freeza from Dragon Ball Z and its really unnerving and unnatural

Originally Posted by kj1980

They are all voiced by Kujira (American anime fans would understand as "the voice of Orochimaru in NARUTO"). Why? Because it's cheaper to have one veteran voice actor/actress do all the background characters than hiring a different person each and everytime. The other voice actor who does background male character is Tachiki Fumihiko.

I'd have to concur with Hahiru and Kaioshin_Sama.
I was aware that Kujira and Tachiki Fumihiko voice background characters (hard to miss them on the credits/cast listing *smirk*), but unlike in all previous episodes this fact did not manifest itself in such in obvious and utterly annoying manner.
(Lots of background characters spoke in a short time span during comike part.)

Makes me wonder whether Lucky Star is run on such a low budget they can't afford an other seiyuu than Kujira, who is able to do a wider spectrum of voices. Kujira seems to be trying to use a different voice... but to me, they all sound too similar to create the illusion of a different person...
And her voice really doesn't suit some of the background characters persons at comike (read: young females), as Hahiru pointed out.
Either way, it heavily dented my impression of this otherwise excellent episode for me.

Originally Posted by dahl_moon

After rewatching the episode (yeah, I don't feel like working), I really like this episode's Karaoke session. Seems really natural, with everyone (is it everyone?) joining in. Konata jumping in too early is also something that's commonly seen. I wonder if that was Hirano Aya's actual mistake, since the laughs from the others seem so natural. (wooo... has a sudden urge to go back to Seoul:-( )

I tend to think the karaoke sessions are scripted, but the seiyuu's are allowed to ad-lib to some extent. Or simply they're done in one go, without re-takes.
Incidentally, take another peek at the very end of episode 10's karaoke session, where Kagami (Katō Emiri) sings Kahala Tomomi's 'I'm proud'.
The laughter in that episode also sounds sincere/not acted and unfiltered.

The karaoke sessions always have been a special part of the show, for me
*dreams* I hope they'll release a CD of all karaoke sessions *dreams*.

[Kaoru Chujo]

My favorite part of this wonderful ep was near the beginning when Kagami came in and pushed down on Konata's head. This was a real Kagami episode, for me. She was at her cutest.

I found myself admiring the animation several times. Like the scene where Kona-chan gets tea for her father. The movements were so good. (As well, Kona-chan's motivations in that whole sequence seemed like a real slice of hidden Japanese culture -- which is to say all human culture, lol.) By the way, I do watch the OP every time, and was really admiring the movement there, again, as well.

I find the same-deep-voiced secondary women characters pretty bizarre, but I've come to enjoy it: it's another bit of self-referential humor. But I like anything that artfully saves money, thereby making more anime possible.

I actually listen to more classical music than anything, but I enjoy some bubble-gum j-pop, when it has a melody or a hook, and when it is sung by idols who can hit the notes. J-pop that imitates western rock tends (over-generalization) to be gutless but manic, to my ear. But I do know some great Japanese pop singers, who are at another level from idols: Onitsuka Chihiro (my favorite singer in the world) and Suga Shikao come to mind, and I like KOKIA, too.

It gives me a weird thrill to see kj1980 enjoying this show so much, and giving out some 10s. Not jaded, after all these years.

By the way, I note on Sanpei Yuuko's blog that she will be doing an event for a big karaoke chain, produced by Koshimizu Ami, that involves the "nostalgia" of songs from older anime. Has Lucky Star started something?

[Willen]

Damn, I needed to hear more of the ED song. Where are my ZARD CDs?

This episode easily ranks a 9/10 (not that I ever vote).

Spoiler for the Comike segment:

I wonder how accurately this episode portrayed this past Comike, where I assume the Haruhi DVD marketing frenzy was in full swing? Remember, the SHnY DVD vol. 6 (containing ep. 12 Live A Live and ep.13) released just a week prior to when this episode takes place. See the truck with the SHnY concert image driving by? Of course, the references to other anime/manga series is greatly welcomed too. Amongst the cosplayers in the background behind a lost and flustered Tsukasa I spotted an Al from Fullmetal Alchemist, a Keroro Gunso, a Haruhi and bunny-girl Mikuru (possibly a maid Mikuru, but it may not be), and (I think) Robin from One Piece.

Plus, the Tomokazu vs. Tomokazu scene was awesome.

I echo chc's sentiments on the karaoke ending scenes. I look forward to them every week for the interplay between the characters and the actresses that voice them. The lines between the character and the seiyuu seem to blur in the segment. Not to mention the surprise of, "what song this week?" and the nostalgia factor of hearing old favorite songs.

[Daniel E.]

Originally Posted by Shiroth

I don't think Kipa-san is the type of cosplayer to do anyone from Lucky Star. I think this by looking at her past track record. I don't think she'd go well with the different hair colors that the characters have.

I have seen pics of her doing characters with blonde, white and purple hair (all wigs of course). So the hair color is hardly an obstacle for her.

She already did Akari from To Heart; So doing a Tsukasa sounds quite possible........... at least to me.

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by Daniel E.

I have seen pics of her doing characters with blonde, white and purple hair (all wigs of course). So the hair color is hardly an obstacle for her.

Ah yes i remember now --- i've been to focused on her Misa-Misa work that i didn't remember. ^^;;

Originally Posted by Daniel E.

She already did Akari from To Heart; So doing a Tsukasa sounds quite possible, at least to me.

Gawd thats a good Akari, how i remember this.

So yeah, Lucky Star cosplay please. :3

[Vexx]

In my opinion, the secondary character voice sameness serves two purposes:
1) budget: leaves more money for foreground activities (audio version of "blob people"
2) art: people in the background of life all sound alike unless they're about to step forward to stage center area

I'd say its a lot of both. L*S isn't a "Low budget" production. Please reserve that for things like "cabbage love" or even some favorites of mine (Petopetosan, Lamune). L*S is a *lower* budget production than something like Kanon or Clannad, I'll surmise. But then, the art style of the comic permits that anyway (this isn't hyper-realistic style L*S, eh?).

They save their money shots for specific moments and it shows what they might have done with an infinite budget.

[nanafan]

unfortunately i haven't seen ep 12 yet....makes me sad..

[Kouvley]

Personally I find Kujira voicing all the background females quite funny because of how utterly wrong it sounds.

Hopefully that was the intention behind using her(while also saving budget of course).

[Huntz]

I think the reason that Kyoani use Kujira and Tachiki Fumihiko to voicing all the background characters are a joke on purpose to make Lucky Star look like a low budget project make by some low-profit animation studio and can't afford to hire more voice actors.

And how can that be possible? No way that Lucky Star are low budget anime as your can see the top notch quality in the series (Yeah expect the voice for background character ) and all other series made by Kyoani in the past they really done well in every part like Kanon2k6,AIR,Haruhi. All of these lead me to think that the only reason why Kyoani use 2-3 voice actors to voicing all the background character aren't for saving budget at all but it's all for humor. But In my opinion changing the voice for background female character would be great too
I really can't stand Kujira voice it's too bizarre for a girl to have voice like that ^^;;

I was spot these gag since episode 8 because there a long list of background character who's voiced by Kujira and Tachiki at the ending credits and then I realized that it's make me laugh a lots