lucky ☆ star 8

“Girls must be elegant!”

Where’s the grape juice?!?

I’ve vacillated between calling Lucky Star the “otaku quiz game” and “otaku being otaku” formats. I’m leaning towards “otaku being otaku” as just the episodes are really difficult to penetrate if you’re not already a fanboy. Someone new to anime would have a hard time latching onto Lucky Star whereas, well, the craziest of the crazies are having a ball as evidenced by these Youtube clips. Also, a lot of the references in this episode probably escape the younger watchers, which only seems to further indicate what audience Kyoto is aiming for. I mean, the ED is just… honestly, did anyone younger than 35 get that one? And the Track and Field reference requires at least an age of 25 to properly appreciate.

But this episode, I think, was about inevitability. Like what Smith says to Neo, that is the sound of inevitability. It is interesting to see every character pretty much fulfill their destiny. For example, during the athletic fair, Tsukasa was overmatched by the hurdles, just like how she’s typically overmatched; Miyuki wins with her melonpan; Kagami rides into glory and failure at once; Konata wins using her latino/NES/nihongo/otaku/swede background. Then during the waiting in line for lunch scene, Miyuki gets into the wrong line and Tsukasa gets snubbed. The outcomes here seemed to be more predictable than the next AoMM post complaining about the lack of Maria fanservice.

(One last Youtube clip… not for the faint of heart.)

Shooting Stars

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Have to start with Akira’s epic emo facial distortion for this episode of Lucky Channel. Man, when bad news comes, it pours for her… I’m not sure what I enjoyed more, the fact Taniguchi could probably beat Akira in a popularity contest or Taniguchi’s remark about being too self-referential and too reliant on LOL FANG-TAN melonpan USO DA there’s no way there’s a penis on this twincest emo facial distortion haruhigasmic memes.

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“One time, at band camp…”

(Tsukasa’s the best. Between her mad flute skillz and her O_O expression, she deserves more screen time.)

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And, yes, her hurdles run was enjoyable as well. She’s the new Mikuru at least in the overmatched department.

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I used to play Track and Field for the NES all the time with my neighbor. Man, it was a fun game… my top NES sporting game achievements? Striking out 27 batters in a row in Baseball Simulator 1.000, winning the championship using the all skinny guy team in Ice Hockey, and holding Bo Jackson to a paltry 403 yards once in Tecmo Bowl.

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Konata’s father is legendary. Doesn’t he seem like an otaku who grew up, kinda out of his shell long enough to land a wife, then she dies so he went back to his old ways but can’t 100% since he has a little daughter now? He’s kinda like that.

(I’m just glad he’s not in jail being interviewed by Chris Hansen.)

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I rag a lot on the subpar photographers in anime, but he’s definitely a good one. Extended zoom Canon lenses? Check. Tripod with tripod collar? Check. Two camera bodies? Check. Plenty of pockets for CF memory cards, batteries, and other miscellaneous items? Check. Knowing when to take a picture (sports festival would be the ideal time for what he’s into)? Check. Persistence at getting that perfect shot? Check. Needless to say, I’m impressed that he knows his camera work and isn’t being interviewed by Chris Hansen.

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It’s not the fact that Konata picks out Shuffle (Haruhi whipped out Shuffle as well… some connection that I’m too lazy to look up?) but how she’s in the section populated with h-game girls on covers. Is this a hint at Konata’s preference?

(Tamaki-nee! We need Kyoto or any h-studio to get cracking on a remake of To Heart 2. Healthy girl deserves better.)

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Dude was like drooling for Miss :3. If I had to guess at what the scavenger hunt was for…

1. Homeless person.
2. Delicious flat chest.
3. Unlocked every ending for Tokimeki Memorial.
4. World of Warcraft gold farmer.
5. All of the above.

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LOL FANG-SENSEI need more screen time as well. She also need to be completely plastered during the sports festival muttering stuff like, “I bet that hussy Akira $20 on Konata.”

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If we’re going to compare sports festivals, Lucky Star‘s doesn’t even come close to School Rumble‘s. Now that was a sports festival. We didn’t even get the chicken fight animated here. *sniff*

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Ugh. Who reads Newtype anymore? The American version is junk, and the Japanese one doesn’t have the same amount of pretty pictures and pullouts that Megami and Animedia has. It’s only really good if you’re really, really into Sunrise and Bandai series I guess.

(I also think that Megami should start including pillow iron… wait… I gimme a sec, I need to patent that idea first…)

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Who put shouta in my Lucky Star? OH SHI-

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Lastly, Miyuki talking about the entomology of “dreadnought” in the next episode preview is in the running for Most Random Next Episode Preview of 2007. Miyuki’s just not funny or interesting, and her moe-ness isn’t put to great use. For oharuhi’s sake, she almost got overtaken by Cousin Yui on the poll. The problem, I think, is two fold. The first is that Lucky Star really appeals to a certain, let’s just say strawberry marshmellowish demographic with the way the girls are drawn. They’re not going to be as interested in someone with the firepower that Miyuki brings as say the typical audience for Girls Bravo. The second problem is that she’s so damn serious, even when the girls try to make fun of her, it’s not funny by the time she’s done with it. Maybe that’s the humor, but it’s as effective as a Dennis Miller stand up routine right now. I’m hoping that Kyoto brings Miyuki into relevance… maybe some Konata-induced costume rape?

(Miyuki did have a funny moment when Konata was pointing out why Miyuki couldn’t run the obstacle coarse. If you were Miyuki, would you even talk to Konata after she said that? Yet another way anime is different from real life, beyond the harems… giant robots… space cowboys…)

33 Responses to “lucky ☆ star 8”

  1. “One time, at band camp…”

    You just had to mention it, right? :)

    And maybe the scavenger hunt was for a short person (Yeah, right).

  2. I don’t think Akira’s facial distortion qualifies as emo, as it was Yakuza to the bone.

  3. One of the better episodes so far, and you’re right: Miyuki doesn’t bring much to the LS cast chemistry, except looking pretty and being the residential encyclopedia. She’s barely even bringing any fan-service’to the series, except being the typecast “cute but clumsy” character. But don’t we already have Tsukasa to fill that role?

    (Tsukasa is love. Watching her imagining being the prim and haughty older sister made me lulz)

    I still can’t figure out which camera Konata’s dad is using. I recognized the lens (Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM) but the camera looks a bit like some Nikon models. It’s most likely a discontinued Canon EOS model. Anyone got any leads?

  4. Konata’s dad’s defintely one of those rare “I wish he’s my dad” kind of characters… how many dad’s out there have conversation about H-games with their daughter while watching the news? Or admits that he’s fond of lolis AND regular girls?

    BTW, Konata’s mom looks EXACTLY like Konata- well, I think she’s a tad shorter than Konata…

  5. Aaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha omfg the last youtube clip had me splitting my sides for so long it freaking still hurts.

  6. Oh speaking of which, if this has been linked before, my apologies, but I HAD to share.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....&NR=1

  7. http://img529.imageshack.us/im.....ikipf5.jpg
    Miyuki is the human wikipedia at least thats the running joke over at niconico douga. But yea beyond that she doesn’t bring much to the table and how is it that she regularly runs into walls yet she can pull a Sakaki and bring the relay team back.

    Also any comments on LeBron’s performance against your Pistons and can you give us an anime analogy?

  8. it’s hard to say something about lucky star because i still don’t know if i want it to be more random or more serious.

  9. Oh and did anyone find the 5m Dash for Shiraishi hilarious?

  10. I think Tsukasa was playing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and “Joy to the World” on her flute. XP

  11. I wonder who else got the ‘elegance’ comment, I know I’m looking forward to Kidy Grade Series 2

  12. @Fat Cat Lim:

    According to a japanese blog, it looks like a Nikon D200.

  13. @Nemo_N:

    I knew it! I initially suspected the camera lens’ focus points looked suspiciously like a Nikon’s, since I often use one at work.

    Konata’s dad is some professional camera hacker – combining both Canon telephoto lens with a Nikon camera. ;)

  14. Sorry, but I think that no Luck Star vid is going to top this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bEl9GCPdFE
    (P.S.- Ready the eyebleach.)

  15. >>> Konata’s father is legendary. Doesn’t he seem like an otaku who grew up, kinda out of his shell long enough to land a wife, then she dies so he went back to his old ways but can’t 100% since he has a little daughter now? He’s kinda like that.

    i’d say he is 100% lol, since he bought all eroge kotana plays, and in the manga he is even more outrageous

  16. >>> how she’s in the section populated with h-game girls on covers. Is this a hint at Konata’s preference?

    she read shonen manga and play galgame, just like her father ^^;

  17. I don’t think the Monkey/Saiyuki theme song is really that obscure that you’d have to be that old to recognise it. I mean, it was in one of Nintendos Donkey Konga games IIRC, not to mention being in the recently released Ouendan 2 on the DS.

    Also, I’d have recognised it immediately if I actually followed the show, but then I love Monkey ^^;

  18. Just in case you haven’t heard about it yet, KyoAni actually did get fanart for Newtype published in Konata’s name:
    http://www.darkmirage.com/2007.....as-fanart/

    I was suprised Miyuki is scoring so low on the poll, as I’m rather partial to smart, healthy girls with glasses myself. Then again, I was one of the people who thought it was hilarious how a.f.k. translated her line about cake in episode 1 with the line “normal distribution”… I was just coming up on a stats final at the time.

  19. Ah, I shoulda known.. Kiddy Grade.. it makes perfect sense.
    I really hope they do more details and storyline on konatas’ family soon it looks like Konata and her dad have a comedic relationship.

  20. Xeifa might want to interview my daughter. I’d discuss eroge with her, except she’s more into art and bishies than gaming, so we discuss that instead. I have to admit, I’m not as cool as Kona-chichi, I use EOS-350 body…

  21. >> Dude was like drooling for Miss :3. If I had to guess at what the scavenger hunt was for…

    >> 1. Homeless person.
    >> 2. Delicious flat chest.
    >> 3. Unlocked every ending for Tokimeki Memorial.
    >> 4. World of Warcraft gold farmer.
    >> 5. All of the above.

    2b. 6th grader
    (when she stopped the grow)
    Oh so exploitable!

  22. >>>Ugh. Who reads Newtype anymore? The American version is junk, and the Japanese one doesn’t have the same amount of pretty pictures and pullouts that Megami and Animedia has. It’s only really good if you’re really, really into Sunrise and Bandai series I guess.

    Or you like bishonen pretty boys generally shirtless and gay for each other. I mean I expect Lacus to pose once in megami or Comp-H but her agents wont allow it.

  23. >>Kiddy Grade
    OH THE MEMORIES. Everything sucks about this show except for Lumiere. Yes, girls should be more elegant!

  24. I actually really enjoyed Kiddy Grade. I mean, scantily-clad girls, plus 64,000 kilometer transforming starship…

    I’ve always equated it to an updated version of Dirty Pair (Ignoring Dirty Pair Flash)

  25. I was watching the episode for the 7th time when I finally noticed that what Konata said in the scene Kagami haircut scene was “Tsundere must have twin-tails!”.
    I never quite noticed that line before because I think I didn’t know the proper pronounciation for the word “tsundere” (I always thought it’s pronounced “tsu-un-deer”).
    So just what IS the proper pronounciation for Tsundere?
    It kinda sounded like “tsun-de-rei”, but I’m not sure.

  26. I think the race with Miyuki was reffering to Nayukis race in Kanon. Looked similar to me.

  27. Yo, you forgot the great Gundam version of Lucky Star OP.
    Guess they did it again since it happened with Haruhi, but this is probably the best Lucky Star vid.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMWHnD_ND-0

  28. Xeifa, Japanese is pretty much pronounced as it’s spelled – tsundere is “tsun-de-reh”. No silent letters, so it’s not “tsundeer”.

  29. Waterbox (20:43:23, #151296) Quote : I think the race with Miyuki was reffering to Nayukis race in Kanon. Looked similar to me.

    Only in the ending. Compare it to Sakaki’s races in Azumanga Daioh, though…

  30. [quote comment=”151502″] Only in the ending. Compare it to Sakaki’s races in Azumanga Daioh, though…[/quote]

    I agree.. it had the whole coming back from behind thing with it..and IIRC, Sakaki won by her bust too, though she had a sizable lead anyway

    And as for the scavenger hunt criteria, I’m throwing in “Person most likely to get baited by some random giveaway newly-released MMORPG installer CD to come with you to a motel”… Man that was long

  31. Konata’s father is legendary. Doesn’t he seem like an otaku who grew up, kinda out of his shell long enough to land a wife, then she dies so he went back to his old ways but can’t 100% since he has a little daughter now? He’s kinda like that.

    It’s amazing how Konata has been “safe” all these years, I mean if I had a washboard chested little daughter like that with no mother, I’d… um nevermind. But at least it explains why she’s such an otaku herself.

  32. I guarantee everyone in Australia got the ED. The government funded tv channel, the ABC, used to run it all the time. One of my earliest memories is of Monkey yelling “Pussy! Poofter!” to some baddies in a cave. Good times, good times.

  33. Thanks to the comment answering the scavenger hunt thing, im watching it for the first time in 2022 and i love it.

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