First Impressions / Lucky Star


Episode Two: “Effort and Results”

Scene 1: A Day in the Life of the Hiiragi Sisters

Goes something like this (Tsukasa / Kagami):

sleeping / sleeping
sleeping / wakes up & eats breakfast
sleeping / does her homework
woken up by mom / eats lunch
goes to café / goes to café
eats dinner / eats dinner
does homework / does homework
goes to sleep / does homework
sleeping / talks to Miyuki about homework
sleeping / talks to Konata about homework

Scene 2: Similarly, here’s a look at Konata / Tsukasa during their break

Day 1: playing MMO / planning her schedule
Day 2: playing MMO / reading manga, worries about hmk
Day 3: playing MMO / watching tv, worries about hmk
Day 4: playing MMO / eating snacks, worries about hmk

Scene 3: Arcade Showdown

Keroro Gunsou Crane Game
Konata: 1 for 1
Kagami: 0 for Bankruptcy

Hare Hare Yukai Taiko Drum Master
Konata: S-rank
Tsukasa: D-minus

Virtua Fighter 5 KyoAni version
Konata: Sweep
Random hoodlums: Swept

Scene 4: School Showdown

Midterm Test
Kagami: 89 w/ hours of studying
Tsukasa: At least she tried
Konata: 86 w/ hours of gaming

Scene 5: Konata gets a job, but what could it be?

Hypothesis: Bookstore clerk
Refute: Too busy reading her own manga to attend to customers

Hypothesis: Convenience store clerk
Refute: I can’t tell what she’s saying (maybe that’s the point)

Hypothesis: Fast food cashier, waitress, video rental clerk, pizza delivery, cram school tutor, etc
Refute: Screw it, let’s just ask her tomorrow…

Answer: …Cosplay café

Scene 6: Lucky Channel Episode 2

Akira shows off more of her split personality talents:
– Akira does the “pachi pachi”
– Akira flicks some ear wax
– Akira plays director, actor
– Akira has an aneurysm
– Akira says goodbye

Ending Scene: Akumaizer 3

If the first episode was a “heh,” this one is probably closer to a “hah.” Chock-full of the cultural references we’ve come to love and expect from KyoAni, this episode prominently featured things such as Keroro Gunsou, Taiko Drum Master, Galaxy Angel, Shuffle, among others. There was more dialoguing between characters about those ever-present “questions of life” like whether reading a manga counts as reading a book (if the “picture is worth a thousand words” thing is true, we’re doing Tolstoy every chapter of manga…). Furthermore, much to my delight, it looks like the ED every episode will be a different karaoke song (remember they said in episode 1 they had a whole 2 hours – thats plenty for 24 songs!) I had a blast watching this ep – and I think those who were hesitant about the first episode may find themselves enjoying this one a lot more.

-jaalin

59 Comments

  1. Is this series ever gunna have an ending?… Or is it just me? Animation is still the same ne.. I want better animation. From te screencap this ep seems better than the 1rst ep.. that’s for sure

    Mao
    Reply

  3. There is nothing wrong with the animation. The colors and lines are crisp and the movements are fluid and smooth. This isnt TMoSH or FMP so it doesnt require the fancy animation that they received.

    Fuhrer
    Reply

  10. totally agree with this episode being a “hah!” im still shocked a commentor is complaining at the anime quality of this =.= this isn’t a flashy, action oriented shounen piece, you know~ (and at least the characters are drawn consistently, no?)

    loved the pop-culture references. esp. when konata complains how fantasy novels such as harry potter counts as a “book” while manga/picture books/light novels usually do not. the hare hare yukai insert was fun, altho i was surprised it came out on the taiko master game ^^;

    i really like konata. xD and kagami is really really reminding me of tohsaka rin more and more >.>;

    mewmew
    Reply

  14. Well I’m sorry for listing my own opinions about this series. I really do like this series very much but i’m one of those that really like bright animation like in Haruhi suzumiya and Byousoku 5 centimere series/movie. I just felt that i’d be very hyped up with the animation was something like Kyoani’s previous works. You know how it is when your expectations are brought up to high right? I mean i’m one that watched Kanon, haruhi suzumiya and Code geass already. I’m also a huge animation person. I’m one that doesn’t watch a series that’s been made before 2002. I’m sorry if i may seem shallow I know it’s a 4koma and it doesn’t need flashy animation, but i just personally feel that the Lucky star animation isn’t very strong compared to shows like AzuDiaoh and stuff if you are talking abou thte entire 4-koma genre
    Once again i’m sorry for listing my own opinion. I’ll never do it again -_-.

    Mao
    Reply

  16. Okay, I enjoy the first episode and laugh a bit. I like the humor in Lucky Star a lot…it’s different, but seems fun. Favorite characters would have to be Konata and Kagami- so far. Looking forward to watch episode two very much.

    sento
    Reply

  17. Hmm… I liked this one better than the last one, that’s for sure. At this rate, I have a feeling there will be some very interesting content in the middle. I guess it does take a few episodes to warm up to this kind of anime…

    cbhl
    Reply

  20. @mao.

    its ok. all of us have a standard when it comes to anime. although i think lucky star is doing pretty well in terms of animation. its just very simple and white-washed (and its still better looking than some of the shows being aired this season, i mean it~ D:)

    im still wondering if the “engrish” in this episode-“CASHER” was intentional or an actual mistake…hmm…

    mewmew
    Reply

  22. GETTEEERRRRR!!

    This was definitely funnier than last week’s episode. I smiled at the barrage of blatant references. Let’s see if they can compete with Hayate no Gotoku in this category. 😀

    Rasmiel
    Reply

  23. //I think those who were hesitant about the first episode may find themselves enjoying this one a lot more//

    Fat Chance, it’s cool to rage on KyoAni now a days, whether or not the episode is any good

    mikemil828
    Reply

  27. Just a heads up for those who want to see another comedy this season (one that I think is actually laugh out loud funny instead of “heh”), give ‘Oh! Edo Rocket’ a try. Fun dialogues, great animation and well timed comedy with a story to boot!

    Ouroboros
    Reply

  32. The anime adaptation is doing *exactly* what it needs to in adapting this work. No complaints at all here, but it is interesting watching the “doesn’t get it” group thrash around.

    Animation and art is just right, voicing is droll, and of course, the OP is hypnotic. I could listen to “Konata-chan” screech-karaoke for a long time .. she can slay unicorns at 30 meters … I keep waiting for her to slip in a couple of Haruhi tunes (its the same voice actress who did Haruhi).

    Vexx
    Reply

  33. Ouroboros:
    This IS laugh-out-loud funny, at least for me.

    Especially Konata. But then, maybe thats because I often went to school completely KO because just I had to finish that visual novel and(or watch that episodes before I going to sleep and everytime go “Hey, THAT could happen to me… no, wait”. *lol*

    Gloranor
    Reply

  34. Gloranor:
    Then I guess we have different views on this show at least. Nonetheless give the other series a try as well, if you’re into funny series. Maybe it’s right up your alley as well.

    I’m just mentioning it, since there’s next to no buzz around it, as opposed to Lucky Star, which got plenty of up-front coverage, since it’s from KyoAni. If I look around the net then LS’s first episode got a lot of lukewarm first reactions (additionally to positive ones), but at least people know about it and will even give it another try or two on the studio’s merrits.

    OTOH a show that at least I found very good in almost all aspects right from the start is more or less in stealth mode as far as the blogging community is concerned. This is not a “woe is me, noone likes the stuff I do” kind of post, but a heads up for a series that I think deserves to be seen by more people.

    Ouroboros
    Reply

  36. i found the first one funny. i dare say i’ll find this one funny too.

    to me it seems like peanuts, where you giggle a bit and keep watching.
    cept’ Konata is alot of people i know all rolled into one, including myself.
    i’m not a lolicon fan, as a girl, i can’t get moe over it (not like i could Ouran for instance…) but they’re all VERY cute, and the intro is possibly the best ones i’ve ever watched.

    bagsybabe
    Reply

  38. this series is totally nice.it’s like melancholy of suzumiya haruhi except more younger characters and a lot of more characters.

    totally a good satisfying anime this spring 2007

    anim3guy
    Reply

  39. reference ,reference ,reference… question? i really would like to know whats the demograpic that this type of show caters to. i mean ,i know the shows origins are from an asian country :thus most of the references in that anime sub culture: but who exactly is this supposed to appeal to. “NO I’M NOT KNOCKING THE SHOW” i’m just curiose. is it for little kids?, older adults? who is the target audience. is this ultra subtle comedy aimed at a specific type of person… please someone respond, BECAUSE TO ME THE PEOPLE AND THEIR REASONS FOR LIKEING CERTAIN ANIME ARE MORE INTERESTING THEN THE ANIME ITSELF.

    brooklyn otaku
    Reply

  42. @brooklyn_otaku: if you remember Animaniacs the cartoon series… it was ostensibly aimed at kids but was packed with cultural references, sexual innuendo, and homages to everything from ancient vaudeville, to the Marx Brothers, and kitchen sinks. (paniponidash comes to mind).

    In the case of Lucky*Star, we get a subset of that which targets people who are into hobbies or know about hobbies — gaming, anime, fandom, moe, slice-of-life, and self-referentially mocks those same arenas. It reminds me a bit of Peanuts in its slice-of-life and philosophical tweaks… a bit of Bloom County topicality… and a half dozen other things.

    Vexx
    Reply

  43. Episode 2 definite set this series up to be my No.1, especially when the Taiko no Tatsujin (my fav game) scene showed up.

    *Not to mention that Konata does indeed reminds me of myself during my schooldays, lol*

    Guara
    Reply

  45. anim3guy: If you take a direct ratio, in a way, Haruhi is/was a first year student, but it seems like Lucky Star characters are second years.

    Anyhow, thinking that Konata used the :3 face would have been more convincing if it didn’t look like you could see the mouth. Well, this is entertaining as it is.

    Amoirsp
    Reply

  46. During episode 1, many people were somewhat turned off by the whole “slice-of-life” genre as they were expecting some “comedy”. Personally, I liked episode 1 of this show. I hated the op, I hate Hirano Aya’s voice, yet, for the sake of the show content and what I’ve read of the 4koma, I can get past both.

    Then we get to episode 2, and people on the internets are writing that episode 2 is “funnier” because they incorporate more references and quit talking about food. Then we’ve got jaalin writing, “Chock-full of the cultural references we’ve come to love and expect from KyoAni”. Because, as we all know, cultural references *define* an anime and its values, and define KyoAni’s abilities. [psyduck expression goes here]

    If you like the references, then you really don’t like the actual material. If you want to go watch throwaway cultural referencing jokes, then quit watching anime and go watch Family Guy.

    kodachrome
    Reply

  48. I love the ideas, and angles they have with this second episode: especially the first split screen with the sisters, and the fact that there were different angles even when they were talking to each other. Smart. Good stuff. + I respect Konata more.

    =]

    Allie_=]
    Reply

  51. koda lol, you’re quite a selective reader, aren’t you? perhaps read my thoughts on the first episode before you quote me out of context.

    you’re completely entitled to your own opinion, but to tell others how they’re supposed to enjoy a show is straight bigotry. if you want people to take you seriously, consider that before you make another comment here.

    jaalin
    Reply

  56. I laughed my ass off when I saw the Gunbuster/Top wo Nerae opening parody, and when they were playing hare hare yukai on Taiko Drum Master 7 (I actually have that game)

    I can tell this is going to be a great series. Keep up those parodies/references.

    W-General
    Reply

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