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My Top 5 Favorite Moments in Lucky Star By: PoisonRamune, the Apathetic Lizardman A couple months ago I wrote an article about why I like the anime series Lucky Star. While it mostly has to do with the fact that the characters are mostly under aged girls drawn to look very cute, I really do like the funny nerd and otaku references/jokes that they slip into the show. Unfortunately, at the time this article is being written, Lucky Star is no longer free to view on youtube (well, they have the non-dubbed versions, but that’s a bit annoying to watch if you’re not a fluent Japanese speaker). Despite the fact that the full episodes of Lucky Star have been removed from youtube, many of the clips showcasing single scenes from the various episodes still remain. If you didn’t get a chance to watch all 24 episodes before they were taken down, there’s really not much I can do for you there. However, I did decide on compiling a top 5 list of my favorite Lucky Star scenes, so you can see if this series is worth your time and money (especially since there are 6 DVDs in the series set each costing $20). 5) Konata and the 100 Meter Dash: Even though she’s know for being lazy and loving the indoors, Konata is actually one of the better athletes in her class. I really like this scene because it’s a total parody of Konami’s Track and Field, a game that has some sort of magnetic hold on Josh and me when we’re drunk (I remember pouring about $2 into that thing with him trying to beat each other in various events after drinking several beers). Also, the shot with the various ways to jam on the buttons faster is a cute throwback to the stuff that Ron and I used to do as kids when playing games. In fact, I think I caught him doing the old “wrap your finger in your T-shirt while sliding it across the buttons” trick when we were playing Legends of Wrestlemania not too long ago. 4) Konata and Aya Hirano/Haruhi Suzumiya: This is sort of a meta-nerd running gag throughout the entire series, so it may not make too much sense when I try to explain this. Through the entire series it’s shown that Konata is a huge fan of the anime series The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Her love for Haruhi is a bit obsessive as she dresses up as Haruhi at her job as a cosplay waitress and constantly tries to meet Haruhi Suzumiya’s voice actor, Aya Hirano at various conventions and concerts. While this alone is humorous satire of an otaku’s devotion, there’s also a very funny inside joke behind this. Both Konata and Haruhi are voiced by the same person in the Japanese version of each anime, so those in the know will find it funny that Konata is actually obsessed with meeting herself and that when she does her Haruhi impression at work she’s actually just talking like herself with more attitude. 3) The Initial-D Parody: This one should be pretty self explanatory, since Initial D is seemingly more popular than ever with the release of those stupid Initial-D racing games with RPG elements at the arcades. However, Initial-D started off as a manga that told the story of a tofu delivery boy’s introduction to togue (mountain pass) drift racing through the infamy of his father. The manga and anime both had a very distinct style, which the production team of Lucky Star emulates very well in the parody (right down to the “skid” onomatopoeia when Yui’s car hits the rail). The song in the clip, Gravity by MOEV is a parody of Initial-D in itself as the anime is known for its killer Eurobeat soundtrack and features a techno group called MOVE. Even Yui’s cup of water is a play on the Initial-D series, as the main character of Initial-D was told by his father to drive with a cup of water in his car and keep it from spilling to ensure that he didn’t damage the tofu he was delivering. 2) Sojiro’s Henshin: Out of all the staffers, I think Josh and I are the only who really get this joke. But that’s ok, since there are tons of people in this world that have an unhealthy obsession for tokusatsu (Japanese special effects shows). While Josh is more of a fan Super Sentai (the source material that the Power Rangers are derived from), I’m more of a fan of Kamen Rider (Big Bad Beatle Borgs and Masked Rider in the USA). However, they both have a heavily animated and effects driven transformation sequence known as henshin. I’m led to believe that Sojiro, Konata’s dad does a Kamen Rider type henshin based on the corny fanfare, the fact that his transformation powers come from his belt, and the way his surgical mask and goggles make him look like an insect. Perhaps I should stop while I’m somewhat ahead, since I’m becoming more of a pariah the more I explain this. 1) Konata vs Guile: I use this clip to try to convert those on the fence with Lucky Star and you can pretty much see why. I mean, this joke is pretty universal, I’m pretty sure even my ex-girlfriend would recognize what this is parodying. It just goes to show that Lucky Star is a sort of all encompassing conventional nerd type anime. I’ll admit I didn’t get the joke they made about the anime, Cat’s Eye; but that’s ok too, since there’s tons of jokes for everyone in there. Whether you’re a fan of anime, video games, or if you’re just some Wapanese that likes Japanese culture; you’ll find yourself at home. It’s really the “accessible” jokes like these and the fact that you can relate to the characters in the anime (especially if you’re a regular reader here) that gives this show such appeal.
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