I've gotta hand it to you Lucky Star haters, you cease to amaze me. No, I'm not some illogical retard who loves Twilight or crap like that, I'm pretty much one who has logic, in all seriousness I love logic. When you see me posting illogical stuff and me not admitting it, then I was either a) trolling or b) being drunk (I tend to lose myself when it's really late or really early in the morning but not drink beer drunk). I wanted to write this review because I was just overwhelmed seeing people who hate Lucky Star just because of their whorish fans. Iknow some of your friends keep bitching to you how epic win Lucky Star is and that you MUST, NO MATTER WHAT MUST like Lucky Star but hey I won't force you, I'm just here to tell you,"NOT ALL LUCKY STAR FANS ARE RETARDS, HENCE STOP STEREOTYPING US." That's all.
Now I won't go in the real scoring method (other than for the review itself) of discussing stuff one-by-one but rather, I'll try to argue with the haters' views, call this review some kind of liaison for those of you haven't watched and those who have, loving it or hating it, I assure you I won't get biased.
Now let's get to the most criticized part that I think is getting RIDICULOUS amounts of criticism: THE PLOT. Alright, how many slice-of-life anime shows have no plot? Seriously, a criticism you come up with IT HAS NO STORY LAWL! I'm not trying to offend you, not at all (and I swear I'm not being sarcastic) but that's ridiculous. I've seen lots of anime shows with no plot and I still liked it. Plot or no plot, it's EXECUTION that matters. A game with excellent plot but poor gameplay would probably result in the gamer only finishing it once and not ever again just because of the plot (considering that the gamer likes storylines that is) but a game with poor plot but excellent gameplay would be re-played numerous times like what I do with Devil May Cry 3.
Honestly, if this were not a haters-vs-lovers review I'm making, I would rate the plot as -/10 because it's almost non-existent (aside from daily lives) and usually I won't even judge the plot of animes which don't have any solid plot in the first place. What the hell is useful in judging something that's not there? Shows can concentrate on many points: some concentrate on action (hence, art and maybe storyline), some can go on plot stuff (hence, THE PLOT) and some can go for humour (hence, execution) or even slice of life (which is usually based on how well you can relate to it). If you fail to get the premise of my words in this paragraph, you fail it and I'll say to you,"Go away, you're not worth reading this thing."
It's simple logic really. But to be fair, since these types of Anime (about daily lives of people) are usually just that (aside from some Animes like Honey & Clover which explores far deeper into their lives, making even more sub-plots) I'll give it a 6.5/10 in the review, rounded off to 7. They should have some kind of decimal rating stuff here =_=
Also, since it's similar to a sitcom where you start off here and end at the same place you started, some may dislike it but I don't really mind. I just feel that instant liking to the characters.
Then the art, yeah people have different opinions. I can't say much. It's really love-it-or-hate-it kind of thing so I won't criticize either side for their respective views on this, although I realize that it's purposely acting cute and aiming to be highly-loli-like for teh lulz, some people just won't take this crap >_>
I like the moe and cute art so I give it an 8 here. Yeah call me biased and loli, I won't care when illogical people call on me for no reason at all.
The sounds, ALSO love-it-or-hate-it. I actually liked the OP song and ED stuff that were sing by Minoru Shiraishi (especially ep 13, 17 and 22) and the soundtrack sounds quite nice. It fits in with the flow and the atmosphere, which is hands-down relaxing. It's a no-brainer that there won't be any epic soundtracks coming from here. I also like the soft OP that was transitioned into an instrumental at Ep 24. If you'd like to compare this anime's OST to, say.. being fair in the slice-of-life genre, Honey & Clover, after some consideration, is comparing a more variety-rich soundtrack in melancholy and whacky pieces (H&C) with a more cheerful and light-toned soundtrack suited for a happy life (LS). I give it an 8. It's excellent at its very best which I more or less expected with its soothing soft music and some great ones. I'd actually recommend you getting this if it weren't for those 10+ BGM CD's that you'd have to get to get them all. Troublesome really, most soundtracks are in 1 CD but this is different =_= feels like they're cashing in or something. With Minoru Shiraishi and the different Character songs, I give this probably 8.4 after more exploration. I couldn't give this an 8.5 or else I'll be rounding off to a 9.
I recommend the whole BGM soundtrack to be honest and maybe 100% nai nai nai on Kagami's Character song. Maybe it's just my taste but I honestly think it's one of the better than most other songs there. Again, people's tastes differ in art so nothing to talk abou here.
The seiyuu wasn't all that bad but with so many people having lots of different preferences I can't criticize this point much. Like people say, different people have different opinions, or as one of the anime title say,"10 people, 10 colours" which means different people, different minds. I'd like to give the seiyuu a 8 though, seems like the main cast's voice fits too perfects and I feel I sense laziness from some departments but then it's not really annoying or really for the comedy (e.g, most of the extras sound exactly the same).
Onto the characters, I can see how people can dislike Tsukasa, Miyuki and the other side characters but it kinda strikes me how people seem to think that we love Konata simply because she's loli + otaku thus loli otaku thus INSTA-WIN! Or some sort. I, for one, simply love Konata because I actually am like her. I love to procrastinate (but it's slowly going away :D), I love games to death (up to the point that I don't sleep for 31 hours), I love anime too. The similarities make me relate to her in so many ways and being a younger brother, it was interesting to see how she felt being like an older sister, maybe I've never really seen that in my brother before.
Not sure how people hate Konata. Probably they hate her just because other Lucky Star fans who are whores (there are people like these the same way there are Twitards [Twilight Retards]) keep persisting and bitching that she's the best character in the world. Whatever, if you're a hater, here's an advice: they're idiots, don't listen to them. AT ALL.
Kagami is your typical tsundere but less of the slapstick tsuntsun or stuff like Louise or Taiga who are world-famous tsundere champs. Honestly I find her character great. She's the responsible type, hell if I will, she's Tohsaka Rin a la Lucky Star. She just socializes more with these friends than Tohsaka Rin from FSN does and honestly Kagami teases people less than what Tohsaka does and is more open than she is (sadly, if you don't know her, then you could ask around, she's like a common house-hold name in Anime these days >_>). One of her main attractive features is probably her looks, her hairstyle and her behaviour + chemistry with Konata.
Tsukasa, Kagami's younger sister is your typical moe, shy, cutesy-cute character who's the pinnacle of air-heads in Lucky Star. Yeah I can still see how people hate her. Air-heads like these are sometimes boring characters and honestly, I never truly loved her the way I loved Kagami and Konata so yeah.
Miyuki though, I can get why people dislike her, again. She's the glasses girl - silent, not too out-going, caring, helpful, wears glasses, is clumsy - and the usual smart type. Over-used stereotype, I know so I won't be bashing either side for loving or hating it although so far I think I've only criticized a hater. Tell me where I'm wrong and I'd love to ask you some stuff and for you to ask me some stuff so I can see why people hate this so much.
I believe people hated ep 1 - 4 because their director was changed after ep 4 and it got a whole lot better in my opinion so I invite everyone who's just started on the series or have not started the series to watch till like episode 6 to 8 and after that episode I won't force you to watch anymore if you still dislike it since it's either a) it's not your thing or b) it's not your thing. I'm not some whore who won't take the fact that people can dislike what I love.
Then the conversations, although shallow, I can relate too. I've wondered about many things that even this anime has covered and I love this feeling. I've also talked with some people about stuff Konata and co. have too. Also different situations like opening a bag of chips for someone, blocking the straw opening so that the water sticks there and acting all immature and pointing to how cool it is (actually I went as far as going to my science teacher to ask about this, but that was lots of years ago), how I pull an all-nighter right before a test, etc and etc.
The humour is also dependent on how your humour goes. If you're into the references and the soft humour stuff then Lucky Star is great but honestly, I find this series as a whole not that incredibly funny or Hayate no Gotoku!-like in anyway. It's pretty unfair comparing them in my opinion but hey it's MY opinion so who gives a shit right? It isn't YOURS so I'm not bashing YOUR opinion unless you have a crooked and baseless opinion which I've seen from the Anti-Lucky Star club who I'd love to discuss with why they hate the series WITHOUT flaming or anything of the sort. I've seen in their thread, some people posting that the show has no plot (explained), sucky art, sound and characters (explained) and their friends keep whoring on them and say it's the best show and if you don't like it = u fail. Well I'm here to tell you, just like a motivator like Adam Khoo or Tucker Max or some sort of motivator guy, say "NO U!" to THEM!
I've got a friend who doesn't like the types of genre I like but I don't go around her and keep choking her to death yelling,"WATCH THIS OR I'LL KILL YOUR KITTENS AND HAUNT UR CHILDREN!!!!!" or shit like that, honestly, if you have friends like that, then you should consider first, if your friends are SMART people or IDIOTS, which I think majority are. If they can't even get people have different opinions (autism aside), then they are complete fuck-ups, idiots, failure to logic, immature, etc etc etc etc etc.
Never listen to what other people like those say. Honestly, I actually follow some hypes (e.g Shakugan no Shana, Lucky Star, Zero no Tsukaima) my friends give me but after that I rely on MY OWN opinion, not theirs and my opinions are made from a base and that base is solid. Rarely is the base of my opinions a crooked one and if it is I'll freely admit it or if I'm feeling like an asshole, I'll change ID and register a new user (heheh :P that was like years ago though).
Overall, I really enjoyed the series and I don't care what YOU think. If you find this review helpful, then thank you very much, if you don't, then I don't blame you and I won't be cursing your name a million times, it's up to you. God I don't get why people care so much what other people think sometimes. You've got opinions, I've got mine and sometimes people just have crooked opinions and that's why I wrote this.
I really don't find the point in criticizing an Anime that has no plot as a shallow anime that has no plot as if pointing out that those white lab rats don't have tails compared to normal rats which have tails thus the lab rat is a bad rat and thus we must burn in into the haet-oven.
So, whatever the hype, don't trust it for this anime or you may get utterly disappointed. I followed the hype and I got what I wanted (well after ep 1 I was disappointed but things got better afterwards). If you hate it and you don't want to be convinced, then I don't care. If you hate it and want some discussions on why it's so damn popular, please do talk with me on the forums or any other place. If you love it, then so do I! Yeah all in all I give this anime a 9/10 for me but in general, for all of you, it's probably a 7.8 on average
Although in my opinion Honey & Clover runs deeper, into the more confused melancholy adolescent and that people may call 'pathetic' and 'emo' and 'self-loathing' (irks me that they never ever felt down THAT much before in their lives, guess people have it luckier) and maybe even philosophical stuff, Lucky Star does not go that far and does not fail to deliver simple everyday things or zanier things but still make it interesting.
To haters: simply put, any slice-of-life anime does not depend on plot. They depend on their characters and how much you can relate to them. OP does not matter, ED does not matter, what matters is how much you can relate to them and don't let any fangirls get the better of you and make you hate it. I've always been trolled with Naruto by my friends but I shrug it off, who cares really? Honestly, my point is if you can't relate to it, then you won't like it. That's my view of what slice-of-life animes really should be like. Why do I love t? I truly love the Konata and Kagami's personalitie and chemistry. I can relate to Konata and Kagami the most too. I don't express myself that well and yet I'm very much a Konata without the-- oh wait maybe I do act lazy. Really, to be honest, if you watch it from episode 6 and skip 1 - 5 you probably won't be lost anyway. P.S I AM NO LOLICON - I don't love them for their loliness thank you very much. Who ever said we love loli anyway >_>
Side note: I love Shiraishi Medley and Orewa suremono :D