A friend showed me the first episode of Lucky Star, and I was laughing at all the little jokes and puns that I had to be told that their opening conversation on how to eat various foods had already lasted 6 minutes. I didn't even notice.
After watching the entire series and the OVA, I have to say that this show has minimal continuity, stock characters, more otaku references than you can spot on your first time through, and Seinfeldian conversations. And that's just fine. This anime had me laughing out loud many times due to the sometimes predictable, sometimes hilariously surprising punchlines and jokes, the reference and deconstruction of many a trope, and the shout-outs. But despite being a light-hearted slice of life show that comes close to deconstructing itself, there are also many heartwarming scenes and moments.
The second season adds 6 more characters, and from there the hijinks really pick up. There is more material to play jokes on, more people there to display and contrast the characters' personalities and relationships, and more funnies in general. It not only prevented the series from becoming stale, but also added a lot more energy to it.
The series also plays with whatever it can get its hands on, be it the references, the art style, or even the background music, which frequently stops abruptly or dies away slowly depending on the joke in progress. I sometimes re-watch moments just for the music.
Due to the rather intimate look we get into the characters' lives, they grew on me, aided by those moments when the jokes took a back seat and their relationships were played up to create a nice balance. One of the sweeter ones includes Tsukasa's and Kagami's relationship. It's a show where I could relate to the characters and their experiences, and the every-day things one tends to go through in life. This all culminates in a very touching and almost bittersweet finale.
To recap, yes, the show is built around non-sequiturs, but not on utter randomness. The jokes come from friendly teasing, shout-outs, and seeing the world through the eyes of an otaku. (Or perhaps a troper as well?) It's funny not because the humor is way out there, but picked up from things that happen every day. All in all, a good look at a group of average high-school girls living their daily lives, with all the fun and jokes that arise from life itself.
The Jokes are Just the Start
A friend showed me the first episode of Lucky Star, and I was laughing at all the little jokes and puns that I had to be told that their opening conversation on how to eat various foods had already lasted 6 minutes. I didn't even notice.
After watching the entire series and the OVA, I have to say that this show has minimal continuity, stock characters, more otaku references than you can spot on your first time through, and Seinfeldian conversations. And that's just fine. This anime had me laughing out loud many times due to the sometimes predictable, sometimes hilariously surprising punchlines and jokes, the reference and deconstruction of many a trope, and the shout-outs. But despite being a light-hearted slice of life show that comes close to deconstructing itself, there are also many heartwarming scenes and moments.
The second season adds 6 more characters, and from there the hijinks really pick up. There is more material to play jokes on, more people there to display and contrast the characters' personalities and relationships, and more funnies in general. It not only prevented the series from becoming stale, but also added a lot more energy to it.
The series also plays with whatever it can get its hands on, be it the references, the art style, or even the background music, which frequently stops abruptly or dies away slowly depending on the joke in progress. I sometimes re-watch moments just for the music.
Due to the rather intimate look we get into the characters' lives, they grew on me, aided by those moments when the jokes took a back seat and their relationships were played up to create a nice balance. One of the sweeter ones includes Tsukasa's and Kagami's relationship. It's a show where I could relate to the characters and their experiences, and the every-day things one tends to go through in life. This all culminates in a very touching and almost bittersweet finale.
To recap, yes, the show is built around non-sequiturs, but not on utter randomness. The jokes come from friendly teasing, shout-outs, and seeing the world through the eyes of an otaku. (Or perhaps a troper as well?) It's funny not because the humor is way out there, but picked up from things that happen every day. All in all, a good look at a group of average high-school girls living their daily lives, with all the fun and jokes that arise from life itself.