And then there's Lucky Channel. Shown at the end of every episode before the ending theme, it's a mini-segment that stars washed-up idol Akira Kogami and her assistant, Minoru Shirashi, voiced and modeled after his actor. Their main goal is to talk about the series, including its cast, at first, but eventually it turns into a look into Akira's unhappy career and her wanting to be in the main series, as well as focusing on her less-than-stellar relationship with Minoru. Unlike the rest of the series, the Lucky Channel segment does have a (loose) plot of sorts, so if you plan to skim around the series, make sure you avoid these segments lest you get confused. That's not a spoiler, right? God I suck at these reviews. that's right i said i suck at it thus compliment me on how great I am at life. No one cares? Well let's get on with the review.
Konata Izumi, the main protagonist, has a fetish for chocolate cornets, as well as a number of anime and manga shows that are also popular. Not surprisingly, she is an avid follower of Haruhi Suzumiya (the seiyuu of both characters is Aya Hirano), and you also have plenty of other anime and manga references. And in spite all her bubblyness, and the catlike smile she loves to sport, she has skeletons in the closet, too: her mother died when she was young. She is a "Jill of all trades," the renaissance girl, and the otaku, all in one.
Kagami Hiiragi is the tsundere-type of girl in this series, and a popular girl in her class. Aesthetically, she is an interesting person to pay attention to, more so than her sister Tsukasa, although there are attributes that make her unique. Miyuki Takara is your meganekko in the show, and after Konata talks with her about what her weaknesses are, she sees her in the moekko mold. The supporting characters have their unique quirks: Yui Narumi, Konata's cousin, and her teacher, Nanako Kuroi, are akin to Yukari Tanizaki and Minamo Kurosawa in AzuDai.
Some other well known characters outside of Lucky Star even cameo in the series, like Sergeant Frog. I feel it may take away from the story, but these guest stars add another dimension to this sitcom of a series. Lucky Star can also be thought of as a sitcom in a way, a situational comedy with punchlines at every twist and turn.
The story plot, which is weak, is strengthened with the characters, who reflect different personalities and persuasions. It's a pretty decent balance.
So we talked about the characters in the series for quite a while. How are the actual jokes in this series, you might wonder? Well, due to the series' long length, there are just as many hits as misses, if not more so the latter. Many of Lucky Star's jokes fall into two realms: everyday Japanese life, and media references. I counted at least three jokes that had to do with Aya Hirano herself.These jokes wouldn't be too bad in small doses, or if they were consistent, but often you have a typical, reference-free episode and then are suddenly hit with a bunch of them. You can still enjoy the series well enough without getting them all, but you'll lose a part of the reason to watch the series if you do. I'm not familiar with the manga, so I'm not sure if they name-drop references as often as the anime, but if they do I doubt it's as hard.
The situational music is perhaps the down side because it isn't even necessary for most scenarios. I personally believe that it doesn't need it. The background music from other series in Lucky Star, such as "Hare Hare Yukai" when Konata plays on a taiko simulator, or Aya Hirano's "God knows..." during a concert that the girls watch, is acceptable, but the original situational music could be best dealt without.
There is good stuff in Lucky Star, but it’s overwhelmed by so much mediocrity. There was a section towards the end of the series where I hadn't laughed for several consecutive episodes, and was ready to write this off as another “overstayed its welcome” comedy, but the last two episodes were among the most entertaining of the series. Everyone is going to react slightly differently to this series, as evidenced by the wide range of responses to it.
So re you an otaku who wants to have a perfect otaku girlfriend? I PRESENT Izumi Konata. But since I'm a NonOtaku I'll just walk away. Alone. Sadlife .
