While my feelings are a tad mixed about the change of the voice cast, something just popped up in my mind:

I just found it amusing, that's all.

It's official! KyoAni is throwing in Haruhi Suzumiya in-jokes in the series! :heh:

Sakaki + Chiyo desu!

Hopefully that really was just a joke. Yuki is part of a long line of stoic characters and simply being quiet and apparently emotionless doesn't really qualify as an "injoke" (particularly when the character herself is that way in the manga). I've seen enough of the manga now to know this series *could* be part of the family that includes such classics as Ichigo Masimaru and Azumanga Daioh. The girls are "stereotypical" but with enough of their own quirks that people who call them cardboard cutouts are simply illuminating their own observational skills.... poorly. :)

Like many posters here, I am quite surprised by the wholesale change of the seiyuu cast. More Hirano Aya and Minori Chihara is good, but when you think about it, you lose people like Mai Nakahara, Ai Shimizu, Ami Koshimizu, Masumi Asano, Yukino Satsuki, Mamiko Noto and Yukari Tamura. That list reads like a who's who of female anime seiyuus.

It is good that KyoAni is giving newer seiyuus a break, but IMO it would be better to keep a couple of big names around, and keep Hirano Aya and Minori Chihara at the same time.

Even then, I have faith in KyoAni, so lets see how it turns out.

Oh, and what illness was Hirano Aya suffering from? Overwork and stress?

Hirano Aya is suffering from both.

I think that She'll only have a hiatus on live performances and not on her seiyuu career(based on what i read at the suzumiya forum).

Perusing my way through the 3rd volume now.... just a quirky little series, lots of minor smiles and chuckles.... Looking forward to the animated version now.

For those Konata fans, you can download the Comptiq 23rd anniversary wallpaper here: http://www.comptiq.com/event/23anniversary/index.html

From MOON PHASE:

Anime character design was revealed on Newtype:
http://img488.imageshack.us/img488/4...070106dqn7.jpg

It's not all that bad, besides Konata's hair color. :heh:

Not bad at the anime art, though I expected more in Konata's hair XD

Manage to flip through the manga. To me, this is a step down moe version of Azumanga.

Now I'm just waiting to see if KyoAni can make gold out of this.

there's probably things i should anticipate more.... but i'm excited about this for some reason.

And here's an HR scan of that previously posted image:
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/9...x260bv8.th.jpg

I don't know if this is already a known fact, but MOON PHASE linked this news today, announcing a late friday night radio show Lucky☆Channel (らっきー☆ちゃんねる) which is going to be held before the actual spring airing of Lucky☆Star TV anime series on Radio Kansai's Anitama every friday from 24:30 to 25:00. It's probably going to run until the anime starts. The radio show is taking mail letters on which they'll respond.

EDIT:

http://lantis-net.com/rakisuta/

Here's the first episode of it.

I realize I'm late to the party here, but that seems like a big change to me, too. Koshimizu Ami, Nakahara Mai, Shimizu Ai, Asano Masumi, Matsuki Miyu, Noto Mamiko, Tamura Yukari, Saitou Chiwa. I've read that big names don't cost any more than small ones, but that sounds like an expensive line-up to me. (As well as being close to my dream team.) Scheduling names like that could be a problem, too, of course.

But a big yes to Hirano Aya, and also to Sasaki Nozomi. If you haven't seen Bokura ga Ita, you're in for a big surprise. Nozomi-chan has a voice as unique and wonderful as Saitou Chiwa's, though with less training. The most moe voice I know.

From the activity she portrays on her blog, it doesn't sound as if Hirano Aya is much weakened. As far as I can tell, she is cutting back drastically on public appearances, but going ahead full-bore with anime roles. And going to university at the same time. I've seen no info anywhere about what her trouble was. I expect just exhaustion, but she said it was something that needed treatment and that she will have to keep taking care of. Not to start a rumor, but an eating disorder could fit that bill.

The person adapting the comic is Machida Doko, who was also lead writer on Muteki Kanban Musume, and earlier scripted a number of episodes of Onegai My MNelody and one of Wolf's Rain. The director, Yamamoto Yutaka, directed episodes of AIR, FMP, SHnY, and Kanon, and did script work on SHnY, but this appears to be his first time in overall charge.

As for 4-koma-based anime, Hidamari Sketch is Shinbou doing it again.

As Kanon gets closer to finishing I can't but help looking forward to this.

I was looking at this today. I couldn't help but think that the guy,Tatsuya Ishihara, who directed Kanon, Haruhi, and Air is busy working on Haruhi season 2.

So its starting in April :) I can't wait to see the possibly first highest quality anime based on a 4-panel manga >.<

Just the thought is making my brain twitch.... 4 panel.... KyoAni effects.... good grief...

Lol, 3 months without posting/looking in this thread.

Seems like someone forgot about this show for a little while. :innocent:

Still looking forward to this. :D :D

As I postulated earlier in this thread, Lucky Star may be KyoAni's way of taking a break. ;)

Cheers.