lucky ☆ star 24

Ninety-nine “A Tsukasa is fine” moments, Twenty-four episodes, twenty-two Akira breakdowns, seven memorable Taniguchi songs, four high school friends, three centimeters of fabric, two symmetrically dockable twins, and one more Kyoto Animation series is blogged by AoMM.

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After 24 episodes, we are done with Lucky Star. While the series was not in any way groundbreaking or even exceptional, it was above average and salvaged greatly by Kyoto’s production qualities and the unique moe traits of the cast. It’s the Hometown Buffet of DFC. Most of the series problems, I’d level on the source material. 4koma just isn’t great source material, and the series felt too shattershot at times. There wasn’t a lot of coherent plot, and most of the comedy is spoken (aside from Tsukasa being thrown down by some reindeer).

The big draw of this episode is that it is one of the few episodes where we get a coherent plot line from the beginning to the end. Well, that and the big Motteke! Sailor Fuku dance number at the end. I think Kyoto should just give in and have a big dance number for all of their series. I think we need one for Kanon, and we definitely need one for Full Metal Panic featuring dancing mecha. Mao would approve!

Well, it’s goodbye to Lucky Star. Man, 24 episodes did fly by, even if they weren’t about anything (at least Azumanga advanced through high school). My parting thoughts… LOL FANG-SENSEI? Nyoro~! Miyuki? Say hi to your mom for me. Kagami and Tsukasa? Work on your symmetrical docking technique. Konata? Life is more than anime, manga, MMORPGs, and h-games. Wait, nevermind.

Shooting Stars

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An ~Uguu~ Patty is fine too. I think for March Madness next year (assuming I do it), it’ll just be a big ~uguu~ contest. Ayu would get 2:1 odds, but I think Patty would be a great dark horse.

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Konata’s too short to use the top hand holders. This is the type of insightful analysis that AoMM brings to the table.

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Patty looks pretty fine this episode. In a totally unrelated topic, I’m hungry and could go for a juicy patty melt about now.

(The way she blackmails Konata? Genius. A sense great potential in this one.)

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But the best part of Patty’s scheme has to be Konata’s reaction. I’m not sure what’s more rakisutatastic: the way Konata is going on and on about Aya as if she were going to kidnap her, the “Aya in the flesh” comment, or Konata’s very suggestive hand gesturing. We have developed words like “selfcest” to describe Mikuru x Future Mikuru as well as Alita x Milano, but what about an anime character voiced by the person that anime character is trying to… my gosh… seiyuu paradox!

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“Arigatou boin…” Konata’s acting like her old man. High five!

(When I say it’s the opposite moe lineup of Zero no Tsukaima, just like how Miyuki’s the “token” well-endowed one, Louise is the “token” DFC. They’re not the only ones, but they are the ones most referenced and most surrounded by the polar opposite type.)

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“Hard to make it feel like Hare Hare…” Haruhi is lightening in the bottle. Kyoto tried hard to get back to that level, but I think most studios, after having that big, defining hit, try too hard to re-follow the formula to make another hit, but the quality declines… and declines… and declines… mostly because the original greatness has now been beaten into the ground. Yes, I’m looking at you Mai HimeOtomeOtome ZweiXenoglossia

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The tigress bears her fangs! Loved Kagami in ‘zerk mode. Not sure who would scarier: Kagami in her ‘zerk mode or Yoko in hers (during the hot springs episode with the Gainax rejects). Mmm… I’d say Yoko just because Kagami gets worn out here, and Yoko only gets stopped because she loses her top.

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A Shape-Reading Tsukasa is fine too. Yeah, I think “Best DFC for 2007” is going to be this year’s most competitive category. Tsukasa and Nia are definitely the prime frontrunners.

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I can see it now… “Bring It On 4: Tokyo Steps. After winning the Southern Region finals against Dillon High, the Briscoe County High cheer team enters its first international competition for the World Cheer Cup, this year held in Tokyo, Japan. They receive stiff competition from the local home team and their technologically savvy scouting methods.”

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Gotta love how Konata’s dad whips out the SLR once “cheerleaders” and “high school” are mentioned. Let’s just hope Chris Hansen doesn’t go international as well.

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All discussion is closed. It is done. Miyuki’s mom >>>>>> Miyuki.

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Wait, where’s the sniper rifle? Raki Suta Yuko Goto could pass for a previous incarnation of Yoko.

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I don’t know what these Zuka Cafes are, but the world would be a much better place if there were a few more of those and a lot less of Starbucks.

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Akira and Taniguchi remind me of divorced parents meeting up to drop off the kid for the time custody changes. They want to rip each other’s throats out, but they have to be somewhat civil because of the kids, but they can’t help but inject tons and tons of bile and loathing into that “civility.” Lucky Channel! It’s faaaaaaaantastic!

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Hey! Their heights kinda look like a sine wave or some sort of amplitude modulated signal! Mmm… you could even argue that there’s phase information encoded in the signal as well, because in addition to the heights changing, so are the bust sizes.

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Kinda of anticlimactic since we’ve seen this dance 23 times already. Oh, well, cheerleaders are always a good way to taper off a series.

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Eh, just not the same tier as Haruhi 12 or Kanon 12 and definitely won’t be replacing Hare Hare Yukai anytime soon as “Most Parodied Anime Dance on YouTube.”

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I wonder if Kyoto went out and filmed a bunch of high school girls doing cheer numbers to get ideas and inspiration for the dance. “No, officer, the reason we have so many hi def cameras here to film the girls is because we’re making an anime.” No, not creepy at all.

(Andohbytheway, the exact cultural/situational opposite of the Motteke! Sailor Fuku? The Detroit Piston’s dance team. Not for the feint of heart. I swear they’re going to drive me to become a Clipper’s fan… at least they hire adult video starlets for cheerleaders.)

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And Taniguchi fittingly closes out the series. The last couple of weeks have been weak, but I figure they just ran out of ideas. Here’s to hoping he returns for Clannad.

27 Responses to “lucky ☆ star 24”

  1. It really is quite sad when the episode with the best plotline is also the episode not based on the source material…

    I can’t say that Lucky Star is the show I looked forward to every weekend, but I did enjoyed it. And I always feel a bit depressed when a slice-of-life I enjoyed is over because it’s like the character’s lives are over.

    But then, with this show out of the way, Kyoto is one step closer to move on to THE project we’re looking forward to.

  2. FMP did have a mecha dance scene. I forget which ep though. I think they were on vacation?

  3. [quote post=”1163″] don’t know what these Zuka Cafes are[/quote]
    zuka stands for Takarazuka
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takarazuka_Revue
    pretty much all simoun casts were ex-zuka

  4. [quote post=”1163″]FMP did have a mecha dance scene. I forget which ep though. I think they were on vacation?[/quote]
    Tessa OVA

  5. It wasn’t a “blackmail”, it was a “bribe”.

    And no mention of the cellphone joke either?

    Are you going to do a proper summary, or you are aiming to parody the series structure and its very finale in the resulting bloggage?

  6. [quote post=”1163″]we definitely need one for Full Metal Panic featuring dancing mecha. [/quote]

    If they ever dance Hare Hare Yukai or Motteke Sailor Fuku, I know one who will totally go berserk.

    You can wait for Shana 2 and consider if you would blog it or not.

  7. I was tickled to see that the Miyakawa sisters from the Lucky Star games managed to sneak in another cameo before the series ended. Too bad their original VAs couldn’t be squeezed in as well.

  8. Ah well – it was a good way to close out the show, especially since everyone got a turn in the spotlight; except Kanata, but she got her episode two shows back. I think my personal favorite part, outside of the Moetteke Sailor Fuku part was when Akira and Taniguchi met on-set… and he got to yell back at her, even as they pretended to be civil and not to know one another while hating each others’ guts. Especially after Sakuraba-sensei came back in to remidn them to stay in character.

  9. [quote post=”1163″]“Arigatou boin…” Konata’s acting like her old man. High five![/quote]
    Sorry, but if she were really taking after the old man in this situation, the arrow would be pointing the other way. I think it’s pretty well established that when it comes to breast meat, his favorite restaurant is DFC, if you know what I mean…
    Still, I definitely support her effort.
    [quote comment=”153351″]Are you going to do a proper summary, or you are aiming to parody the series structure and its very finale in the resulting bloggage?[/quote]
    This is your first time here, isn’t it?

  10. Ah Man I miss this series already, my sundays will never be the same.
    Oh well I got Shana 2 and Genshiken 2 to make up for it.. I guess, Miyuki why did U leave me?
    Also shana movie = wtf, they took how long to make this?

  11. I DON’T UNDERSTAND THESE HARD NIPPON WORDS

  12. I’m going to miss this series, although i’m quite sure shana2 should be able to distract me for a while.
    I still have this sneaking suspicion that the whole “Lucky Star” thing was a sort of “working vacation” for KyoAni while they gear up for Clannad and Haruhi II.

  13. [quote post=”1163″] still have this sneaking suspicion that the whole “Lucky Star” thing was a sort of “working vacation” for KyoAni while they gear up for Clannad and Haruhi II.[/quote]
    that’s my point all along… and crazed kyoani fans are like customer who can’t stop bugging their time on the beach (see taniguchi DVD specials)

    [quote post=”1163″]Also shana movie = wtf, they took how long to make this?[/quote]
    it is just a refresher before shana2 ne way, so i will take whatever they have

  14. Clannad is waiting for us on the next corner…
    They did their best with a 4-Koma, so I don’t feel so dissapointed with KyoAni work with Lucky Star. You got to love them if you are their followers. For now they’re doing an excellent job, do you hear me SUNRISE, GONZO?

    No more unintentional yuri, no more tenchou antics, no more twins, no more Raki Suta… I want to cry…

    Until next month… Shana-tan returns.

  15. Patty looks pretty fine this episode. In a totally unrelated topic, I’m hungry and could go for a juicy patty melt about now.

    “Flat…buns…I like flat buns!”

    I don’t know what these Zuka Cafes are, but the world would be a much better place if there were a few more of those and a lot less of Starbucks.

    I, for one, welcome our new Zuka Cafe franchising overlords. I would be there every single frickin’ day. Hail KyoAni!

    Hey! Their heights kinda look like a sine wave or some sort of amplitude modulated signal! Mmm… you could even argue that there’s phase information encoded in the signal as well, because in addition to the heights changing, so are the bust sizes.

    And in other news, some very odd results begin showing up at the top of engineering related Google searches.
    .
    Hmm…now we just need to invent a receiving unit that can appropriately…measure…that encoded information. :P

    I wonder if Kyoto went out and filmed a bunch of high school girls doing cheer numbers to get ideas and inspiration for the dance. “No, officer, the reason we have so many hi def cameras here to film the girls is because we’re making an anime.” No, not creepy at all.

    They’re mostly ripped-off moves from popular parapara dances, with a few originals thrown in here and there.
    .
    Also lawl. I like how you think. ;)

  16. I’ve never heard of a Zuka cafe, but seeing that Takarazuka Revue poster everytime you ride the train really depresses me.

  17. It sucks. It’s only good for being pure YouTube fodder.

    The show takes too long to introduce the rest of the girls. “Lucky Channel” was a waste of time and schizo-idol should’ve never been included.

    You take out Akira, “Lucky Channel,” the viral marketing viral marketing, and the Haruhi bootlicking; you’d probably have 11 episodes worth of Lucky Star.

  18. I was disappointed that we never gt to see another appearance by Meito Anizawa and the rest of the Animate Tenchou gang.

    Ah, well. It was fun.

  19. >Xenoglossia
    But I like this series! For once recently, Sunrise doesn’t suck at writing character-based drama for the second half of the story. (Okay, the first half sucked, but it was quite entertaining.) (Also, episode 23 contained one of the BEST CONFESSION SCENES EVER.)

    Lucky Star needed more Misao.

  20. Woohoo! I’m still waiting for [afk] subs of last four episodes however, so I can’t comment, much less read, about anything you write on these.

  21. @Northernshadows

    Wow, you really like to live dangerously, don’t you? :P

  22. btw, rereading the post of kanon12 is a enjoyment. Kagami is fine, but Mai is the best. ahaha.

  23. Dear Jason,

    Meido Taxi

  24. Anyone grab that Shiraishi Minoru soundtrack off Tokyo Toshokan? It’s some real good stuff.

  25. Especially the full version of Koi No Minorun Densetsu… I can’t believe he acually made that song sound GAR

  26. Episode 24 was okay, but it was like a closing ceremony. 23 was the last of the real good jokes. My favorite episodes are 6, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16 18, 19, 21, and 23. One of the problems with the series is that a lot of the jokes were just the author holding up a character mask and saying I have a problem with this and this. My favorite episodes went beyond that and went into the antics of the characters. In episode 6, Kagami sees what kind of swimsuit Konata has and then she sees the 6-3 tag Those are the jokes that work.

    Haruhi season two is now obligated to have Lucky Star references. At least one shot of Haruhi at the computer with Konata’s smirk. Definetly one crack at Nagato fretting over her flat chest.

  27. Someone had shared some HQ Lucky Star Wallpapers with me, so seeing how quite a few of you here watch Lucky Star, I thought maybe some of you may be interested:

    http://rapidshare.com/files/62.....0x1200.zip
    http://rapidshare.com/files/62.....0x1200.zip

    enjoy!

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