Retsgip’s Anime Blog

Darkshaunz is feelin’ Lucky.

Lucky Thoughts on: Episodes 1 and 2

I can’t hop from place to place these days, without bumping into KyoAni’s Lucky Star series. I know I receive the Slowpoke award for having a look into it only now when the series has already reached the halfway point of the season. Truth be told, the character designs were so alien (see: “WTF is this design!?” kind of alien) from what I was used to, I was put off just on the aesthetics. Rets managed to stomach it and finish it up to episode 13, so in true warrior spirit, I swallowed my doubts and tried my hand at the first two episodes. It’s no Azumanga Daioh, It’s no Genshiken, but Lucky Star puts a sometimes boring yet uniquely intriguing spin on the Slice O’ Life genre.

Lick it Kona-chan, Lick it…MmMmMmm

How to eat Food

Amazing work by Lucky Star. I really got to hand it to those girls, I had no idea how to consume food properly. Yeah, I mean if it weren’t for them, I might have just used my ass cheeks as chopsticks and ate through my ass or something. Its a miracle that I’ve managed to feed myself to the age of twenty without their help. Agonizingly, I trawled through the whole “Lets totally talk about eating shit” section with a hopeful heart that a Lucky Star will shine on the episode. Konata provided some laughs for me when she explains that doing a Blowjob action on an soft serve ice-cream allows for better consumption efficiency. The awesome part of this sequence is that all the girls have the foods with them to demonstrate to viewers on how really poorly our food-eating techniques are, I was wondering more along the lines of whether each girl brought a goddamn fridge with them to school or not. After an excrutiating 7 or so minutes of being taught on how to eat food, we finally get to more exciting stuff (hopefully). I’ve heard a lot about this “Kagami”, and I hope she can ease my pain.

Talk about food, be popular with the girls.

Lucky Star’s resident know-it-all.

Influenza, the hottest topic today

Yes, if today was the age of the Spanish Flu, that is. I am looking forward to learning all kinds of shit from Lucky Star, like how Colds are actually less dangerous than Influenza. What was I thinking, I was going out drinking and dipping myself in Ice during periods of Influenza and slamming heavy vitamin supplements to bombard my body during periods of having a cold. But thanks to my Lucky Star, I now know the error of my ways, and I am less likely to die from either ailment. I finally get to see Kagami in all glory, actually she has a fever and is breathing heavily, I guess I can see why this kind of “sickly” moe will appeal to people….but I’m going to need more love than that. She goes from sickly moe to the “I can summon sakura petals around me during a dream sequence” in a split second, which is kind of cool, I suspect she’s very much in love with Konata at this point. Miyuki then comes from a visit, (and she’s the saintly character of the pack) in order to cheer Kagami up. The rest of the influenza sequence is spent with Miyuki and Tsukasa talking about Tsukasa’s sleepiness and pyjamas. I know you guys are on the edges of your seats right now, but wait, there’s more.

Konata’s down with something much more serious than the Flu.

Everyone loves them some Kagami.

MMORPGs during Lunchtime

Just like real life high school girls, Konata talks to her comrades about her daily adventures on Lucky Star Online or World of Warcraft, or something. I guess this is part of what made Lucky Star popular, as Retsgip rightfully mentioned to me (he has bravely absorbed all 13 episodes so far), its somewhat relatable. Konata explains to Kagami that she has a Warrior friend who apparently sucks at the game so bad, he has been killing stuff in the sewers as opposed to surface monsters. I know this, because in some of the games I’ve played, the sewers are usually where newbies go to kill rats in order to suck less at the game (I’m a real MMORPG expert, you see). Then we are taken to a street fighter scene where Konata does Ryu’s hurricane kick on Guile (a.k.a “Foreigner”), you know, just like in real MMORPGs (lol). After a brief break from MMORPG talk, Konata expresses how much she fears the sports seasons as it may mess up anime screenings. Unfortunately, the conversation inevitably cycles itself back to Food again, this made me feel like shoving forks down my throat continuously. Here’s a newflash, eat it however you want to eat it, put the strawberry inside the freaking chocolate bun and stuff mayonnaise in it, I am sure High school girls, even in anime, have more exciting shit to talk about.

Then you should join another party for better XP.

Its Lucky Channel Time!!!

With your host, er “Navigator”, Akira. On first glance, I’d have to honestly say, she’s one fruity bitch. Tsuruya’s energy does not even register compared to this juiced-up crack peddling “Navigator” of the Lucky Channel. Why doesn’t she just call herself a “Host” or “Presenter”?, its a Television show, she’s not commandeering a fucking ship or anything (unless this is some bizzare show from outer space). Her co-host (co-navigator…who gives a shit), is Shiraisi, a guy who looks rightfull scared shitless of his colleague. Akira’s cute no doubt, what with the insane attitude and sleeves which can probrably house three families, I can see her appeal….and her terror all the same. Akira’s true nature is revealed when a viewer asks them a question about “Super Idol” payrates. Just a question, I know what a TV Idol is, but what is a Super Idol? Are these idols meant to fight off alien incursions and save falling babies from flaming homes? I’d like to know, it sounds Super-awesome. After one question, the Lucky Channel segment ends. That’s probrably as brief as a show gets, but I see that the Lucky Channel is being used as a source of separate comic relief, and I think its a nice break from slice of life conventions myself, I guess if it’s a bit longer it may be worthwhile. The episode ends with Konata and company in a Karaoke joint, with Konata singing some Super Robot Song.

So cute you feel like punching her in the face.

Revy-mode Akira is fucking win.

Study! Study! Study!

The next episode starts out much more interestingly, so I’m confident that if I stick with this, I may eventually get some enjoyment out of it. I’ve known better than to judge an anime by the first episode, and the whole contrasting between Tsukasa and Kagami was actually pretty interesting, and I am sure is relatable to a lot of people. Well, except for those of us here who can wake up late and still get shit done (People misunderstand us Procrastinators, we just start a teeny bit later than the rest). Come crunch time when vacation homework is due, only Kagami and Miyuki have their work done. Whilst Konata and Tsukasa join the Procrastinating team of wingers for the big test day. This obviously appeals to a lot of viewers in a sense that, we all procrastinate at some point, and if you are an Online gamer like me, you understand the pain of having a mere 7-day week. Hell, even if you aren’t an online gamer, you’d want an 8-day week. Konata probrably identifies closest to me, with her playing World of Warcraft for four days out of the five vacation days (except I mainly play Shootan games). Screw study, she has dungeons and instances to raid.

Kagami’s hair is probrably the cousin to Tsuruya’s hair.

Studying is for nerds. Its time to LEVEL UP my Sorcerer.

Arcades are for cool kids

Actually, when I say cool, I of course mean smoking jocks with leather jackets and holstered Gangsta’ 9mms. However, according to Lucky Star, High School girls go there to pass time, and that’s cool. Konata is obviously the character meant to identify with the viewer target base the most, but fails to be relatable to me, mainly because I suck at Arcade games. I’m the kind of gamer which can pull bullshit combos by mashing buttons on Street Fighter Alpha Three, but look like some dumbshit on the arcade machine joystick. Basically, I look at this stick and the six big red buttons and go, “How do I played Street Fighter?”. Also, I’ve tried UFO machines before, I couldn’t even get those toys even if you threw me inside the tank, but obviously Konata’s been training in Arcades longer than I’ve lived. Then we get to see Konata hand these two punks’ in Tekken or Virtua Fighter (whatever they were playing with in that sequence), If it were me playing, my guy would be jumping non stop as I wrestle with the joystick.

DDR has been replaced by Monkey Drums.

HADOKEN! HADOKEN! SHORYUUKENN!!! K-O!

Don’t Try this at home, kids.

All nighters and Testing blues, I remember those days. This was a relatively frequent topic brought up not only during my High schooling days, but also currently in my university study. Is overnight winging actually a sustainable form of studying over weekly revisions? Unfortunately not, I am guessing Konata’s just had a Lucky Star shine on her during test day (oh zing). If you’re a younger reader (Dear God, how did you end up here), don’t try to be a hero like Konata, because you’re stacking the odds against your favour. Believe me when I say, University will have your kick your ass hard if you try and pull a Konata on mid-semesters or finals (and kick it hard till you limp home). The gang chill out after exams and May sickness was on the topic of discussion this time, Miyuki provides the differential diagnosis for the less-informed among us. I just had to stop the anime to look at the title to make sure I was watching Lucky Star, not House M.D. The discussion inevitably shifts to dentistry and the horrors of fixing your teeth. Konata exclaims that its cool to visit the dentist because Drill Robot Battles are a “Man’s Romance”. Fellow guys, is this true? Do we really have a hard-on for Drill attacks on Dinosaurs? Well, you discover something new about yourself everyday. Thanks, Lucky Star.

Bullshit Luck, I wish I had some.

This week, on House.

Drill Robot Dentist WITH Dinosaurs anime, I’d watch it.

The Golden Nugget

The Lucky Star Gang are a tight group of comrades, they will readily lay down their stomachs to swipe your last nugget when your back is turned, what more can you ask for? Of course, bantering on who gets the nugget would be uncivilized for a trio of such charming high school girls. Such predicaments are solved utilizing mature and strategic methods. They achieve this by using a Staring Contest. Fast forward a bit and Konata exclaims to Tsukasa and Kagami that she’ll be unable to join them in their walk home, as she now has a job. Obviously, Kagami is extremely skeptical on how an obssessive gamer/otaku has actually managed to score a job and the pair spend the rest of the sequence imagining, of all things, their friend failing miserably at a wide variety of jobs (this is what you call faith and confidence). Turns out Konata’s working in a cosplay cafe, considering how short she is, what can she cosplay as? a Hobbit Waitress? a Halfling Rogue? I hope I find out one day. Audiences are then taken straight to the Lucky channel for more Akira-whipping funtimes, it seems that whatever drugs this bitch is on, it’ll probrably last for the whole season. I am beginning to suspect that Akira is on a coctail of depressants and anti-depressants, which may explain her sudden shift from HYPER HYPER KAWAII to Balalaika/Revy-GAR (which is definitely my favourite mode of Akira’s) in less than sixty seconds. After her regular grilling on Shiraisi, she then goes back HYPER HYPER KAWAII mode to end the segment, with no questions answered whatsoever. I want my money back.

Kagami and Tsukasa react when Konata tells them that Itsuki isn’t gay for Kyon

If that’s smiling, I’d hate to see her frown.

Slow on the Intake

There’s now 13 subbed episodes of Lucky Star, and I actually have 13 episodes laying idle on my hard drive at the moment. I think I can safely foresee that the anime kinda gets “better” as it goes along, better in what sense, well I don’t have any idea as of yet. Retsgip has actually caught up, and he will be the one giving his own version of the Lucky Star ho-down when the series is finished or whatever. I think I understand why LS is becoming this kind of cult hit series, its got something for everybody, in a way, it’s Haruhi with even more jacked up pop culture references. It’s got all the telltale signs of slice of life with a highly otaku slant to it, it’s KyoAni’s safe card for the season. Although episode one was a ridiculous snooze fest, episode two started to get into it’s groove of Lucky happenings. Despite it’s strange flavour and novelty, Lucky Star has me holding out for the newly announced Haruhi season two and the rumoured Full Metal Panic season four (please let there be some Chidori/Tessa/Mao goodness).

Akira wishes there was more excitement in Lucky Channel, hell, Lucky Star itself.

Remember when eating a Choco-bun, cut off the thin bit to eat the excess Chocolate. It may save your life one day.

Cheers,

Darkshaunz