Lucky Star OVA (English)

April 1st, 2010

Well, this was it. This was the big moment I had been waiting for – the moment when it would *all* be revealed and I too would see the thing that was so obvious to everyone (except myself and everyone I respect). I was all primed to see some really tight connection between Kagami and Konata – that tension between two women that says, “I’ve got my eyes on you – I think about you – I want you.”

In Lucky Star OVA, the audience is once again told flat out by Konata (the character that the audience is supposed to identify with) that Kagami is tsundere. Because fans are apparently highly suggestable and are often inclined to see relationships between characters based on the fanfic, fanart, promotional art, etc and their own desire, only a little direction is needed. The statement that Kagami is passive-agressive and her wink, wink, nudge, nudge response of “I am not!” just about proves the fact.

Except…it doesn’t. I mean, if you just look carefully, I mean REALLY look and listen to every word Kagami says – you might have to watch frame by frame to see her true expressions – she really isn’t tsundere. She’s just tsun at Konata. Kagami – with whom I completely identify, so of course I understand her better than the creators themselves – is affectionate towards her sister, feels half frustration at and half admiration for Miyuki and is wholly and completely irked by Konata’s inability/lack of desire to rise above her obsessions. Kagami, who tries so hard, works constantly, strives to be the best she can be, only to be outdone in everything by Konata who does NOTHING to make herself better…it’s maddening.

Kagami wants to like her childhood friend, but cannot.

And that, my dear readers is the true story behind Lucky Star. A tragedy of friendship that cannot be fulfilled and feelings that cannot be expressed for fear of being labeled incorrectly…and therefore misinterpreted.

Just like this review.

Overall – 5

Many, many thanks to Okazu Superhero Dan P. for providing me with today’s momentary pleasure, by sponsoring something from the Yuri Wish List! :-)

9 Responses

  1. Mara says:

    “…completely irked by Konata’s inability/lack of desire to rise above her obsessions.”

    Maybe I’m being silly but isn’t that the whole point of their dynamic? Konata irritates Kagami, Kagami jabs back at Konata, it is mistakenly packaged as a joke, end.

    I still have not ever met any of these people who mistakenly believe lucky star is a Yuri product. Thus I still do not understand how this is a topic of discussion rather than, for example, lucky star’s very profitable merchandising campaign, that at least exists so it can actually be examined.

  2. @Mara – Look at the comments to Sean’s review of the anime and you will see. Then come back and re-read todays review and you will understand. :-)

  3. Serge says:

    “I mean, if you just look carefully, I mean REALLY look and listen to every word Kagami says – you might have to watch frame by frame to see her true expressions – she really isn’t tsundere”

    ROFLMAO!

  4. Sean Gaffney says:

    If you carefully watch this OAV while standing on your head and chanting in Tibetan, it becomes ABSOLUTELY CLEAR that Tsukasa is a potato.

  5. Chi says:

    HAHAHAHA

    I happen to love Lucky Star but I’d say your observations are spot on…not to mention much of this OVA makes completely no sense, but I think all of us expected that.

    There was one part I loved, though, and that was the online MMPOPRG scenes. Nothing like stating out all the obvious pet peeves of players everywhere.

  6. Daniel says:

    I noticed you have not yet commented on the movie of Maria Sama has no expectations about it?

    Site: http://www.mariasama-movie.jp/index.html

  7. @Daniel – I’ll comment on Saturday, when it goes on the news report.

  8. narovlansky says:

    I have a feeling your interpretation is no less biased than “you can’t censor their love” one. Dumping all your hatred of otaku on Konata might be convenient, but accurate analysis it doesn’t make.
    I admit not reading a page of manga, so I have to base my impressions on anime, and I absolutely fail to see how “Kagami wants to like her childhood friend, but cannot.” (since when they are childhood friends anyway?)
    My own eyes and ears tell me that she does, in fact, like Konata, as a closest friend outside her family. She enjoys spending time together, they often talk on the phone, and their quite different interests are not making a wall between them.
    Going back, Konata/Kagami relationship is way lighter on irritation than Mui/Chika one. Yet such different reviews. I really hope this one was filled with sarcasm or something, not dislike.

  9. Lisa says:

    And lets not forget what Kagami really wats to go with Konata xD *absolutly loves what Kagami says*

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