I couldn't find any other translation of the information from the Lucky Star 10th Anniversary
Fanbook, so that means I have to make one myself. It's possible to simply enjoy the pretty art in the book but I want
people to be able to enjoy the interviews and other articles - so look forward to translations of
all of that here. There are bigger versions of most of these images - just click on each one to
see it in full size. I compress them a lot, so if you want full quality versions, buy the book.
If all the images didn't load the first time, hit the reload button. Even though this has a lot of
images, it will load quickly on your terminal.
Again, if you're a fan, know that this annotated translation is meant to be used with a copy of
the Lucky Star 10th Anniversary Fanbook. Please support the industry by buying your own
copy, which you can do here via amazon.co.jp: here.
If you don't want to buy it from amazon.co.jp, use the ISBN on the back of the book
to get a copy from another source.
This translation is copyright 2014 by Heavens-Feel.com - feel free to link to it on your blog or
site, but please don't host it there. If you like it, please consider
making a donation to help the site continue running.
============================================
INDEX
============================================
[p.5]
002 Introduction
006 Progression of Lucky Star over 10 Years
010 Collaboration Illustration Gallery
022 Assemble! Lucky All Stars
070 Looking Back at Lucky Star Supplementary Goods
086 Looking Back at Lucky Star's Media Mix
- The Anime -
110 Legend of the Legendary Commerce and Industry
122 Konata's Home! Memories of a Lucky Soldier
125 The Starting Point for Lucky Star
132 These 10 Years for Yoshimizu Kagami
142 How to Draw Color Pictures like Yoshimizu Kagami's
148 Yoshimizu Kagami's Rough Picture Theatre
GUEST GALLERY
066 Itou Noichi
067 Muririn
068 Bekkanko
068 Suzuhira Hiro
099 Takemoto Yasuhiro
100 Horiguchi Yukiko
154 Yoshizaki Mine
156 Akitaka Mika
157 Higa Yukari
158 KEI
160 Contribution Story / Matsuda Doko / Tsukigami Luna
171 Contribution Manga Hanabana Tsubomi
179 Contribution Manga Sakezuki Homare
189 The Writer in Charge of this Article:
Behind the Stage of Lucky Star
190 Conclusion
========================================================================================
[p.006]
Progression of Lucky Star over 10 Years
TL Note: To make this easier to follow, I will seperate this according to
real world history and Lucky Star historical continuity. Time is listed
in a month/year format. If the time is listed as (number)XX it means the fourth
wall has been broken somewhat (kind of like the ??? parties in Umineko.)
Real World History
10/2003: Yoshimizu Kagami-sensei receives a request. He begins plotting out
the framework.
12/2003: It begins running in Comptic, starting with their 01/2004 issue.
8/2004: Comptic publishes Konata's postcard in their 09/2004 issue.
9/2004: More material is published. Various developments begin to unfold.
12/2004: Lucky Star is featured in a big poster in JR Akihabara station.
1/2005: The first tankobon for Lucky Star is printed.
4/2005: [Lucky Channel] appears on Comptic's fan page.
5/2005: The game adaptation is announced.
8/2005: The second tankobon for Lucky Star is printed. Lucky Star is adapted
into a Drama CD.
10/2005: The Chiba Mariners rise to the no. 1 spot in Japan.
12/2005: [Lucky Star Moe Drill] is released for Nintendo DS.
Comptic's fan page, [Lucky Channel], is renewed as
[Lucky Paradise].
4/2007: Broadcast of the Lucky Star tv anime begins. The fourth tankobon for
the manga is released. Irregular publication of of Akira no Tengoku begins in
vol. 14 of CompAce.
07/2007: Sites in Saitamaken used as backgrounds in Lucky Star become
holy places for fans. Pilgrimages to see the sites begin.
08/2007: The Lucky Star Official Guidebook
Ryou Gakuen Admittance Manual is published.
09/2007: The fifth tankobon is released. The Lucky Star Okiraku Box's Izumi Konata
version is released. The final episode of the Lucky Star anime is broadcast on TV.
11/2007: CompH begins serialization of Miyakawake no Kufuku.
12/2007: First special event at Washinomiya Jinjya in Saitamaken.
01/2008: Lucky Star Ryougakuen Outousai is released for PS2.
04/2008: Hiiragi Tsukasa and Hiiragi Kagami are officially recognized as
citizens of Washinomiya in Saitama prefecture.
09/2008: A Lucky Star mikoshi is used in Washinomiya hajisai festival.
The sixth tankobon is released. The Lucky Star OVA is released.
01/2009: The Lucky Star x Suzumiya Haruhichan no Yutsuu Big Fun
book is released. Satte city recognizes the Izumi family as official
citizens.
03/2009: A live event, Lucky Star in Budokan: Anata no Tame ni Dakara,
is held.
10/2009: The seventh tankobon for Lucky Star is released.
12/2009: Lucky Star's Okiraku Official Guidebook - Konata is my
Bride! is released. The PSP game Lucky Star Net Idolmeister is
released.
10/2010: Lucky Star's eighth tankobon is released.
12/2010: The Lucky Star Okiraku Kaiun and Yuro to Kigan set goes
on sale.
05/2011: The Lucky Star tv anime blu-ray box is released.
12/2011: The ninth tankobon for Lucky Star is released.
06/2012: Miyakawake no Kufuku's first tankobon is released.
Saitama Seibu Lions have a special collaboration event with Lucky Star.
09/2012: Lucky Star is adapted as a musical, [Lucky Star On Stage].
04/2013: Miyakawake no Kufuku gets an anime adaptation.
11/2013: The 10th tankobon for Lucky Star is released.
12/2013: The 10th anniversary for Lucky Star since it began serialization.
Miyakawake no Kufuku's anime adaptation is released on blu-ray.
02/2014: The Lucky Star Fanbook is released.
03/2014: It is expected that Yoshimizu Kagami will reelase a new
Lucky Star portfolio.
Lucky Star historical continuity
The Main Four's 1st Year in High School
10/2003: Konata, Tsukasa, Miyuki, and Kagami become acquainted.
(from the Meeting volume)
12/2003: Konata and Tsukasa appear.
01/2004: Kagami, Tadao, and Nanako appear.
The Main Four's 2nd Year in High School
05/2004: Konata and her friends move on to the next grade.
06/2004: Kobayakawa Yui and Narumi Kiyotaka get married. They mail
postcards reporting the good news.
08/2004: Narumi Yui appears in the work.
09/2004: Takara Yukari appears in the work. Nanako and Yui give the
main cast a ride to the beach and end up staying overnight at a ryokan.
11/2004: Kagami and Tsukasa go to the Izumi residence for the first time.
Soujiro appears in the work. Kanata appears in the work (via photograph).
12/2004: Misao and Aya appear in the work (in the background).
03/2005: Yutaka and Minami appear in the work.
The Main Four's 3rd Year in High School
04/2005: Yutaka enrolls in Ryoo High School. To make commuting easier,
she moves in with the Izumi family.
(04)XX/2005 : Kogami Akira appears on the fan page and works to explain
the world of Lucky Star to fans.
05/2005: Konata and her friends move on to the next grade.
07/2005: Hiyori appears in the work.
(08)XX/2005: In the omake for the second volume, Hinata and Hikage appear.
In a Drama CD, Patty appears.
08/2005: Miki, Inori, and Matsuri appear.
(10)XX/2005: Nanako attracts attention as a Mariners fan.
11/2005: Yutaka and Minami change their way of addressing each other.
Hereafter, they use the [Yutaka, Minami-chan] patterns.
(12)XX/2005: Hinata and Hikage appear in the game scenario. They are
also introduced in the attached book.
12(XX)/2005: Sakuraba Hikaru makes an appearance on the fan page.
03/2006: Cherry appears in the work.
04/2006: Honoka appears in the work.
(10)XX/2006: Short manga such as [Yukidoke no Hana] and [Koko ni Aru
Kanata] are published.
12/2006: It is proven that Ayano has a boyfriend.
03/2007: Konata, Tsukasa, and Miyuki meet Misao and Ayano.
Yasaka Kou appears.
05/2007: Fuyuki appears in the work. Hikaru appears in the main work for
the first time.
(08)XX/2007: Details for guest characters and their profiles are provided,
answering questions and clearing up mysteries. The Meeting volume is
drawn.
01/2008: Yamato appears in the game scenario.
08/2008: Kou acknowledges Konata as her sempai. Konata and the main
four graduate from Ryoo High School.
01/2009: Patty begins her homestay in the Izumi household. She formally
appears in the work.
The Main Four's 1st Year in College
03/2009: Tsukasa, Kagami, Konata, and Miyuki begin college.
04/2009: Yutaka moves on to the next grade. She is now a second year.
Busujima Miku and Yamanobe Tamaki appear in the work.
05/2009: Kou and Konata meet up. Izumi appears in the work.
07/2009: Izumi goes to an event and encounters Hiyori there.
08/2009: Yutaka, Minami, and Hiyori deepen their friendship.
This happens in the short manga [Hyori, Minami ni Arite Yutaka Ni].
10/2009: Konata and Miyuki drive to the ocean to play.
(12)XX/2009: The college volume is out. New characters are
introduced. What Tsukasa did before beginning college is made
clear. Yamato's first appearance in a four panel comic.
01/2010: Minami calls Miyuki "oneechan".
07/2010: Tsukasa gets her driver's license.
10/2010: Hiyori and Izumi deepen their friendship
(in vol. 8)
12/2012: Misao and Ayano's meeting is explained in a
short comic [Minna Shitteiru Ayano no Hen, Misao Hen]
03/2014: Konata and her friends continue to enjoy laid-back,
liesurely lives!
[p.022]
Assemble! Lucky All Stars
It's impossible for us to be missing people from the 10 year party.
We're going to explain all about them over the next 42 pages.
We'll look back over the progress these seeds have made over
ten years.
Izumi Konata
"You won't fall ill. There's still a demand for it."
Statistics:
[TL Note: The ratings indicate current levels and maximums.
They could be of use to those who want to stat the characters
for use in a TRPG. Domestics represents the skill to manage
a household - cleaning, balancing the budget, etc.]
Academic Ability 2 out of 3
Athletics 4 out of 5
Otaku Lore 4 out of 5
Domestics 3 out of 4
Breasts 1
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Saitama Pref. (Japan)
Birthday: 05/28
Blood Type: A
Height: 142cm (4'7")
Dominant Hand: Ambidextrous
Interests: Anime, Videogames, Reading Manga
Favorite Things: Choco coronets, Moe
Disliked Things: mozuku, sports relay events
Favorite Colors: Red, Black
Best School Subject: Phys. Ed (though she doesn't like it)
Worst School Subject: Anything Science-Related
Family Structure: Father - Izumi Sojirou, Mother - Izumi Kanata (deceased)
Other Notes: Possesses a Driver's License (no special req.)
Keeping Track of Konata:
First Appearance - Comptic 2004 Jan. issue,
Tankobon vol 1 page 3
Promotion to Senior Year in High School:
Shounen Ace 2005 June Issue
Tankobon vol 2 page 72
Graduation from Ryoo Gakuen
Comptic 2008 August issue,
Tankobon vol 6
Well known as Lucky Star's female high school otaku, she's now a female
otaku college student. Her easy, laid-back otaku life has not changed and
she is enjoying it.
General Notes:
She's very easygoing about most things and takes them as they are.
She was greatly influenced by her father and, like him, became interested
in otaku culture. Sports with relay events often result in extended
broadcasts, which causes her frustration due to her anime programs getting
reshuffled or delayed. She has strongly complained about this.
She usually acts disinterested towards anything outside of her area of
interest, but has a very friendly relationship with her father. She has
pride in her reflexes and athleticism, but lately has commented on how
they are starting to decline. She started off looking rather cool, and because
she's easygoing, she's easily used in collaboration illustrations done
with different companies.
Hiiragi Tsukasa
If I can make everyone happy by feeding them tasty food,
I get happy.
Statistics:
Academic Ability 2 out of 3
Athletics 2 out of 3
Otaku Lore 1 out of 2
Domestics 4 out of 5
Breasts 2
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Saitama Pref. (Japan)
Blood Type: B
Height: 158cm (5'2")
Birthday: 07/07
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Cooking/Domestics
Favorite Things: Sweet Food (especially things with melon
or fruit flavors) and new things
Disliked Things: Piano, Ocarina, Horror
Favorite Color: White
Strongest Subject: Home Economics
Weakest Subject: Physical Education
Family Structure: Father (Hiiragi Tadao), Mother (Hiiragi Miki)
Older Sisters - Hiiragi Inori, Hiiragi Matsuri
Fraternal Twin - Hiiragi Kagami
Other Notes: Possesses a Driver's License (no special req.)
Keeping Track of Tsukasa:
First Appearance - Comptic's January 2004 issue,
Tankobon vol. 1 page 3
Acquisition of Driver's License -Comptic's August 2010 issue,
Tankobon vol. 8 page 66
The Part in the Book Where She Discussed Moving on in
School - Comptic's December 2010 issue,
Tankobon vol. 9 page 11
General Notes:
Her path became clear in the fanbook. It was very late
when it arrived in the main work. Now that she has a driver's
license there's more that she can do, but it seems like she's
being asked less often!?
She's a Little Clumsy, but is a Gentle-Hearted Girl
Fundamentally speaking, she's someone who accepts things
as they are. She has a timid character. Even so, she's very
friendly. She's had the opportunity to build strong friendships
with Konata, Kagami, and Miyuki. She is not especially sensitive
when it comes to other people, and you can see some episodes
in the main story where she is a little loose. Surprisingly, at her
core she's quite strong. She loves food and cooking, and is
majoring in cooking and food science.
Looking at Tsukasa through Illustrations
The ribbon's clearly her trademark. There are some scenes in
the main work where she doesn't wear it, but in all the important
illustrations she has it on and in plain sight.
Hiiragi Kagami
"Again? You're so hopeless."
Statistics:
Academic Ability 4 out of 5
Athletic Ability 4
Otaku Lore 2 out of 3
Domestics 2
Breasts 3
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Saitama Pref. (Japan)
Blood Type: B
Height: 159cm (5'2")
Birthday: 07/07
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Games, Reading
Favorite Things: Sweets (especially loves chocolate)
Disliked Things: Shellfish, Weight Scales
Favorite Colors: Violet, Black
Strongest Subject: English
Weakest Subject: Home Economics
Family Structure: Father (Hiiragi Tadao), Mother (Hiiragi Miki)
Older Sisters - Hiiragi Inori, Hiiragi Matsuri
Fraternal Twin - Hiiragi Tsukasa
Other Comments: Nothing in Particular
Keeping Track of Kagami:
First Appearance - Comptic's February 2004 issue,
Tankobon vol. 1 page 07
Confirmation of Tsundere Treatment - Comptic's March 2005 issue,
Tankobon vol. 2 page 36
When She Learned of Ayano and Misao's Secret -
Comptic's January 2013 issue,
Tankobon vol. 10 page 108
General Notes:
After Konata understood Kagami's character, Konata began calling
her a tsundere. Recently she's begun to find out things about Ayano
and Misao's past, and gradually that connection has become clearer.
The One with the Strongest Will? The Powerful Tsukkomi's Room
She is Tsukasa's fraternal twin sister. She's the elder sister who
tries very hard to look after Tsukasa and is very serious. At times she
can be very shy about expressing her feelings and normally doesn't
let them rise to the surface. Her way of thinking corresponds to "common
sense". Among her friends, she naturally gravitated to the tsukkomi
position. She's currently in college studying to become a laywer.
Watching the gaps between her public appearance and the times when
she falls behind or shows a bit of weakness is quite charming.
Looking at Kagami through Illustrations
She often has her hands paired or on her hips. She's someone who
projects strength. Did the early illustrations focus a lot of attention
on her girlishness?
Takara Miyuki
"I'll look it up and will tell you next time."
Statistics:
Academic Ability 5 out of 5
Athletic Ability 4
Otaku Lore 0 (Empty)
Domestics 3 out of 4
Breasts 5
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Tokyo (Japan)
Blood Type: 0
Height: 166cm (5'4")
Birthday: 10/25
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Reading, Simple Games that Challenge the Mind
Favorite Things: Savory Egg Custard, Japanese Confectionaries, Studying (to Expand Her Knowledge)
Disliked Things: Living Fish, Doctors (particulary Dentists)
Favorite Color: Orange
Strongest Subject: Nothing in Particular
Weakest Subject: Nothing in Particular
Family Structure: Father (Hasn't Appeared), Mother (Takara Yukari)
Other Comments: Possesses a Driver's License (no special req.)
Keeping Track of Miyuki:
First Appearance - Comptic's January 2004 issue,
Tankobon Vol 1 page 005
Hopes to Change Her Image - Comp Ace's January 2009 issue,
Tankobon vol 7 page 091
Called 'Oneechan' by Minami - Comptic's February 2010 issue,
Tankobon vol 8 page 030
General Notes: Because she already looks like an adult, she's worried about
aging. She's been very influenced by Konata and is trying out many
different things. Because she is that kind of woman, she is happy
to see the changes in Minami.
Her Attributes are Such that She is a Perfect Space Case
With a beautiful appearance, moral conduct, and mastery of
literary and military arts, a natural airhead with large breasts
and glasses, she was called a 'perfect superwoman' by Konata.
She is clearly the mistress of many attributes. Miyuki has
accumulated a store of knowledge that she uses to advise
Konata and her other friends. She and Tsukasa both have a
tendency to be distracted or dragged along by others, but she
tries to keep things under control and does to a certain degree.
However, she is soon distracted by something else. That quality
is quintessentially Miyuki!
Looking at Miyuki Through Illustrations
Miyuki's got long wavy hair that makes you get a sense of
'fluffiness' when you look at her. She also gives off a strong
'ojousama' impression.
Kasukabe Misao
"People like myself are background characters."
Statistics:
Academic Ability 2
Athletic Ability 4
Otaku Lore 1 out of 2
Domestics 2
Breasts 3
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Saitama Pref. (Japan)
Blood Type: B
Height: 162cm (5'3")
Birthday: 7/20
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Sports as a whole
Favorite Things: Handbags, Meatballs, the Sun
Disliked Things: Konyaku, Vegetables, Rain
Favorite Color: Yellow
Strongest Subject: Phys. Ed
Weakest Subject: World History, Mathematics
Family Structure: Father, Mother, Grandmother (Have not
Appeared in the Work), Brother (Ayano's Boyfriend, Has not
Appeared in the Work)
Other Comments: Track and Field Club Member
Keeping Track of Misao:
First Appearance - Shounen Ace's January 2005 issue,
Tankobon vol. 1 page 140
Establishment of the Background Combo - Shounen Ace's June 2005 issue,
Tankobon vol. 2 page 073
Entering the same college as Konata - Comptic's December 2008 issue,
Tankobon vol. 7 page 016
After becoming part of the Background Combo, their appearances in the
manga began to increase. She calls Konata "Chibiko" and her friend
"Misakichi". Many scenes appeared with them playing together.
A girl who Loves Exercise! A Vigorous Dim Character
People often say that she's innocent and naive, but to say it in a bad
way, she's very childish. She says many foolish things but always
thinks (in her way) before acting. However, she is the type to act before
thinking things through, so she has a tendency to be reckless. Fortunately
her childhood friend Ayano is there to follow for her. They're a good
combination. She's been Kagami's classmate since middle school, so there's
always a bit of tension over whether she or Konata get along better with
Kagami.
Looking at Misao Through Illustrations
You get a sense of who she is throught he poses she makes or how
she moves her body. However, when I draw her in plain clothes, I think
I have a tendency to focus attention on her girlish cuteness.
Minegishi Ayako
"I said I liked about this much."
Statistics:
Academic Ability 4
Athletic Ability 3
Otaku Lore 1
Domestics 4 out of 5
Breasts 3 out of 4
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Saitama Pref. (Japan)
Blood Type: AB
Height: 160cm (5'1")
Birthday: 11/4
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Window Shopping, Walks, Making Sweets
Favorite Things: Tofu, Gyoza
Disliked Things: Spicy Things, Tobacco Smoke
Favorite Color: Olive Green
Strongest Subject: Japanese Language
Weakest Subject: Math
Family Structure: Father, Mother, Sister (Have not
Appeared in the Work)
Other Comments: Formerly in the Tea Ceremony Club,
Possesses a Driver's License (no special req.)
Keeping Track of Ayano:
First Appearance - Shounen Ace January 2007 issue,
Tankobon Vol. 1 page 140
It Became Known She Had a Boyfriend - Comptic January 2007 issue,
Tankobon Vol. 4 page 82
She Began Using a Nickname to Refer to Tsukasa -
Comptic January 2009 issue,
Tankobon Vol. 7 page 029
She, like Misao,gradually came to appear more often in the work.
Currently she commutes to a college near Konata's. As they both
enjoy cooking, she came to refer to Tsukasa as Hi-chan.
She looks after Misao! A kind-hearted Yamato Nadeshiko
Minegishi Ayako was Misao's friend from childhood. She has a quiet
and restrained character. She often follows Misao around, trying to
contain the damage caused by her excitable, eccentric behavior.
However, this does not mean she is all sweetness and light. Misao
has observed that she is "scary when she's angry".
Misao keeps this in mind to avoid releasing the dragon. Minegishi
is often alone in her group and sometimes goes on dates. Her dating
partner is Misao's brother, whom she calles Shuu-chan.
Looking at Ayano Through Illustrations
Is she showing off her forehead for her boyfriend? In some of the releases
from Vol. 5 and others, her forehead is covered. Her fans still support
her.
Kobayakawa Yutaka
"If the situation's like this, I'll look like an elementary school student that skipped
grades!"
Statistics:
Academic Ability 4
Athletic Ability 1 out of 2
Otaku Lore 1
Domestics 3
Breasts 1
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Saitama Pref. (Japan)
Blood Type: A
Height: 138cm (4'5")
Birthday: 12/20
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: the Internet
Favorite Things: Warm Things (Udon, etc.), Animals
Disliked Things: Milk, Her Own Weak Constitution,
Combative People
Favorite Color: Pink
Strongest Subject: Japanese Language
Weakest Subject: Phys. Ed
Family Structure: Sister (Narumi Yui, formerly Kobayakawa Yui),
Mother (Yuki), Father (Has Not Appeared in the Work)
Other Comments: Lives as a Parasite with her Extended Family
Keeping Track of Yutaka:
First Appearance - Comptic's January 2005 issue,
Tankobon volume 2 page 008
When She Called Iwasaki by the name Minami - Shonen Ace's December 2005 issue,
Tankobon volume 3 page 047
From the time she met Minami at the examination, their friendship has deepened.
Her friend Tamura has put her own spin on their relationship in her
doujinshi.
Although she's a shrimp and has a frail constitution, she can triumph using the
power of friendship!
Konata's subordinate, and the "little sister" character in her house. As she has a
weak constitution, she moved to a house closer to Ryoo academy after being admitted
to the school, and is living as a parasite there. She has a proper lifestyle, which means
she uses keigo when meeting people for the first time. Although she has a complex about
her poor health and her height, her sister Yui and cousin Konata, along with the other
friends at Ryoo Academy, helped her triumph over them. She even stayed the course
during her school's long distance running event.
Looking at Yutaka Through Illustrations:
When we first see her, she's wearing the blazer uniform set she wore during her
middle school days. In order to show off her shyness, she was often drawn looking
embarrassed.
Iwasaki Minami
"Friends aren't something you make, instead they're something you become."
Statistics:
Academic Ability 4 out of 5
Athletic Ability 4 out of 5
Otaku Lore 1
Domestics 3 out of 4
Breasts --
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Tokyo (Japan)
Blood Type: A
Height: 163cm (5'3")
Birthday: 9/12
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Reading, the Keyboard
Favorite Things: Buckwheat, Quiet Places
Disliked Things: Fizzy Drinks, Her Own Physique
Favorite Color: Pink
Strongest Subject: Phys. Ed
Weakest Subject: Nothing in Particular
Family Structure: Mother (Honoka), Pet (Cherry the Dog),
Father (Has Not Yet Appeared in the Work)
Other Comments: On the health committee
First Appearance - Comp Ace's April 2005 issue,
Tankobon Vol 2 page 48
When She Called Yutaka By Her First Name - Shonen Ace December 2005 issue,
Tankobon Vol 3 page 047
When She Called Miyuki "Oneechan" - Comptic's February 2010 issue,
Tankobon Vol 8 page 30
In the course of being friends with Tamura Hiyori and Yutaka, she gradually stopped
being so docile and became better able to express herself. Her old friend Miyuki
noticed this and was very pleased.
A Cool and Reticent Maiden. She Matures (except for her chest) through
Friendship.
She doesn't show her emotions to other people. This is one part of her that's
easily misunderstood by others. In truth she's really kind and considerate, and
tends to keep to herself. She's an all-rounder who is good at studies, athletics,
and art, but in her profile you'll see that "she dislikes her build" is written in.
She's very dissatisfied with her bust, and has tried various measures to increase
it without success. As she has been doing on her dog a lot recently, more of her
cuteness is becoming visible.
Looking At Minami Through Illustrations
If you look at her pictures, you notice that most of her expressions are very thin.
You'll also see that her bust is sadly not increasing at all.
Tamura Hiyori
"This could be useful material for a manga. Maybe it's okay."
Statistics
Academic Ability 4
Athletic Ability 2 out of 3
Otaku Lore 4 out of 5
Domestics 3
Breasts 2
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Saitama Pref. (Japan)
Blood Type: O
Height: 152cm (4'9")
Birthday: 5/24
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Doujinshi, Reading (Manga and Light Novels), Her Delusions
Favorite Things: Cake, Milk, Drawing Materials and Tools
Disliked Things: Wasabi, Moisture and Dampness
Favorite Color: Pink
Strongest Subject: Art
Weakest Subject: Phys. Ed
Family Structure: Father, Mother, Older Brother,
Younger Brother (have not appeared in the work)
Other Comments: Animation Research Club Member
First Appearance - Comptic's August 2005 issue,
Tankobon vol. 2 page 115
She Was Proven to Create Doujin Works - Shonen Ace April 2006 issue,
Tankobon vol. 3 page 098
Her Friendship with Izumi Deepened - Tankobon vol. 8 page 90
She appeared as one of Yutaka-chan and company's classmates. Otaku references
pop up as a result of her drawing doujinshi, which provides an in-universe justification
for introducing them. Izumi shares much of her otaku tastes, and so recently Tamura
has been deepening her friendship with Izumi.
A Girl Whose Delusions Won't Go Away!
A Bespectacled Fujoshi
A bright girl who looks ahead with a sociable character. While Konata is a passive otaku,
she's the type to get up and participate actively. In fact, she's so well known that
she operates her own doujinshi cricle. She is friends with Minami and Yutaka and likes to
stare at them because of the unusual aura their relationship has. Tamura is active with the
anime research club at their school. She looks after Yasaka Kou-sempai and is a
reliable and dependable kouhai.
Looking at Tamura Through Illustrations
You get a sense of her friendliness and how wide it is, and of her personality as well.
You also can see her cuteness and what parts of her correspond to anime themes and
motifs. She doesn't mess around with her hairstyle much.
Patricia Martin
"I really love Japan's manga and anime."
Statistics
Academic Ability 3
Athletic Ability 3 out of 4
Otaku Lore 4 out of 5
Domestics 2
Breasts 4 out of 5
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: United States of America
Blood Type: O
Height: 168cm (4'9")
Birthday: 4/16
Dominant Hand: Right
Interests: Anime, Reading (Manga)
Favorite Things: Mustard, Moe
Disliked Things: Dried Fish, People who aren't Straightforward
Favorite Color: Red
Strongest Subject: English
Weakest Subject: Japanese National Language
Family Structure: Grandmother, FAther, Mother, Sister (Have not
Yet Appeared in the Work)
Other Comments: An Exchange Student, Currently Homestaying
with the Izumi household
First Appearance - Tankobon vol. 2 page 146
She Made Her Debut on a Drama CD - Drama CD Lucky Star
date of release 8/24/2005
First Appearance in the Work For Real - Comptic February 2009 issue,
Tankobon vol 7 page 36
She was an original character created for the Drama CD. She appeared to
review the anime adaptation and in one of the back sections of the main
volumes. She's become a solid character within House Izumi.
The Dark Foreign Ship of Lucky Star! She Turns Around Powerfully
She has a powerful love of manga and anime. This American Otaku thought of
Japan's manga and anime as "culture" and so came to Japan to study them.
Though her Japanese is spotty, she's competent enough to carry on a
conversation. As she learned the language mostly through anime, her usage
can at times be very strange. She's a bright, energetic person who cheerfully
follows her own path. However, because of that she's an open book, and she
has difficulty reading the atmosphere.
Looking at Patty through Illustrations
Because she's an open book, you usually see her making dramatic poses and freely
expressing emotions in the drawings. Recently she's become a little more subdued.
Wakase Izumi
"During that moment, I was sure they'd figure it out."
Statistics
Academic Ability 3
Athletic Ability 3 out of 4
Otaku Lore 4
Domestics 3 out of 4
Breasts 3
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Tokyo (Japan)
Blood Type: B
Height: 164cm (5'3")
Birthday: 1/3
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Anime, Manga, and Games. A wide range with
a shallow level of understanding.
Favorite Things: Cute Animals, Candy, Gum, and other things
she can keep in her mouth for a while. Coffee Milk
Disliked Things: Food Made From Liver, Black Coffee
Favorite Colors: Black, White
Strongest Subject: Domestic Science (Home Ec.)
Weakest Subject: Art
Family Structure: Mother, Father, Pet Dog (Name Unrevealed),
Brother (Have not Appeared in the Work)
Other Comments: Class Iinchou
First Appearance - Comptic's June 2009 issue,
Tankobon vol. 7 page 60
The Time Hiyori Revealed the Secret - Comptic's September 2009 issue,
Tankobon vol 7 page 73
The Time Hiyori's Words Left an Impression -
Tankobon vol 8 page 90
Although she was "outed" as an otaku by Hiyori, it allowed her to
become friends with Yutaka and her friends. Hiyori and Patty have similar
otaku sensibilities and have become friends that can offer advice to her.
Class 2-B's new Iinchou is a Breath of Fresh Air!
Iinchou for Yutaka's class. She's someone who looks after others, and other
people look up to her. But she's also an otaku, and exists in that society as
an [otaku in hiding]. However, there were some "tells" and eventually the
secret got out. She was very worried about the prejudice this would attract.
There are times when reality doesn't match your impression of her, and when
she makes mistakes she feels let down.
Looking at Wakase through Illustrations
She seems immature based on the art of her and although there aren't that many
drawings of her, the sense of her cuteness comes to the front right away.
Yasaka Kou
"Don't go for something realistic. Have it be some kind of manga punchline."
Statistics
Academic Ability 4
Athletic Ability 3 out of 4
Otaku Lore 3 out of 4
Domestics 3
Breasts 4
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Tokyo (Japan)
Blood Type: B
Height: 168cm (5'5")
Birthday: 2/3
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Doujinshi, Reading (Manga), Observing People,
Talking, Betting
Favorite Things: Curry, Sweet Things
Disliked Things: Nothing Special
Favorite Color: Yellow
Strongest Subject: National Language (Japanese)
Weakest Subject: English
Family Structure: Father, Mother, Older Brother,
Younger Brother (Have not Yet Appeared in the Work)
Other Comments: Animation Research Club (Club Leader),
Student Council Member (Accountant)
First Appearance - Comptic March 2007 issue,
Tankobon vol. 4 page 109
The Time She Recognized that Konata Was Going to Graduate -
Comptic August 2008 Issue,
Tankobon vol. 6 page 81
Confrontation with Konata -
Comptic's June 2009 issue,
Tankobon vol. 7 page 63
She encountered Konata at an arcade because they both enjoy
the same kinds of games. A one-sided rivalry ensued but eventually
calmed down after it was revealed they both were students in the same
school. Later on she met Hiyori. As a result, Kou has yet to enact
her revenge.
The Leader of the Animation Research Club who
Dotes on Hiyori!
She is someone stuck between Yutaka and Konata's generations,
and is Hiyori's sempai. She manages both the room for the Animation
Research Club and oversees production. She gives Hiyori advice
and scolds her if she falls behind schedule. She has a simple and
direct personality, and calls things like she sees them. She also hates
to lose. Some other classmates (Miku, Yamanobe) are also members
of the Animation Research Club and have lunch with Yasaka in the same room.
Nagamori Yamato
"What? Friendship? Gross."
Statistics
Academic Ability 4
Athletic Ability 3 out of 4
Otaku Lore 1 out of 2
Domestics 3 out of 4
Breasts 3
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Saitama Pref. (Japan)
Blood Type: A
Height: 164cm (5'3")
Birthday: 11/26
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Karaoke, Cycling
Favorite Things: Soft and Sweetened Bean Paste, Yukimi Daifuku,
Summer
Disliked Things: Winter (Weak Vs. Cold), Shellfish
Favorite Color: Nothing In Particular
Strongest Subject: Phys. Ed, Music
Weakest Subject: English
Family Structure: Unknown
Other Comments: Attends St. Florina Girls' High School,
member of the swimming club, Health committee member
When She Made Her Debut as an Original Character for a Game -
PS2's Lucky Star: Ryoo Gakuen Outousai in January of 2008
When She Appeared on the Back Cover -
Tankobon vol. 6
When She Made Her First Appearance in the Main Work -
Konata Wa Ore no Yome!! (back cover),
Tankobon vol. 10 page 34
She Attends a Different School. A Cool Tsundere?
She's been best friends with Kou since middle school. Her otaku
nature has manifested as a reuslt of being dragged to on location
events. To put it simply, she has a very cold attitude most of the time,
but is really very lonely, and is the type to quietly be kind to people.
She's appeared in many things only one time, but appeared once in
the back page of a fanbook. When will it be time for the hidden feelings
within her to become drawn on paper?
Yamanobe Tamaki
"But perhaps we are overthinking this."
Academic Ability 4 out of 5
Athletic Ability 3
Otaku Lore 3 out of 4
Domestics 2 out of 3
Breasts 3
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Saitama Pref. (Japan)
Blood Type: A
Height: 164cm (5'3")
Birthday: 4/22
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Reading Something, Looking at Something
Favorite Things: Cup Ramen, Fancy Drinks
Disliked Things: Her Unruly Hair
Favorite Color: Gray
Strongest Subject: Home Ec.
Weakest Subject: Nothing in Particular
Family Structure: Father, Mother, Older Brother,
Younger Brother (Have not Appeared in the Work)
Other Comments: Member of the Animation Research Club
First Appearance -
Comptic May 2009 issue,
Tankobon vol. 7 page 56
The Reason Why She Keeps Her Face Hidden -
Comptic November 2009 issue,
Tankobon vol. 7 page 119
The Time it was Suggested that She Is a Beauty -
Comptic November 2010 issue,
Tankobon vol. 9 page 6
A Hidden Beauty who Lives Life at Her Own Pace
She has always been part of a comedy duo with Miku, who
is her friend from childhood. There's a sense of various
personality complexes about here. She's been able to
join in on anime club conversations, but soon they might
end up graduating. What a waste.
There are times when she can't read the atmosphere well,
but that doesn't seem to bother her. Although she's beautiful,
her beauty causes her a lot of problems so she chooses to hide
her face to avoid all the fuss. She has quite a few personality
complexes and sometimes they manifest. Though she doesn't
have any hobbies of her own, she does enjoy heated arguments
over pairings for doujinshi with Tamura. That's the degree of
otaku knowledge that she has.
Busujima Miku
"I have the same name as a cute girl."
Academic Ability 3 out of 4
Athletic Ability 3 out of 4
Otaku Lore 3 out of 4
Domestics 4
Breasts 3
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Saitama Pref. (Japan)
Blood Type: O
Height: 164cm (5'3")
Birthday: 11/10
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Nothing in Particular
Favorite Things: okonomiyaki, taiyaki, cute things
Disliked Things: Meat, Powder
Favorite Color: Gold
Strongest Subject: Japanese National Language
Weakest Subject: English
Family Structure: Grandfather, Grandmother, Father,
Mother (Has not appeared in the work)
Other Comments: Member of the Animation Research Club,
Third Year Class C's Class Comittee Member
First Appearance -
Comptic's May 2009 issue,
Tankobon vol. 7 page 56
The Complex Was Revealed -
Comptic's May 2010 issue,
Tankobon vol. 8 page 54
When She Admonished Hiyori -
Comptic's November 2010 issue,
Tankobon vol. 9 page 06
During her first appearance, she and Tamaki seemed like
a combo of background characters in the anime research club.
Over time their personalities gradually emerged into view.
She has a lot of worries about herself, and she shows her importance
as a sempai by answering Tamura's concerns.
Talented at Looking after Others, Full of Good Sense
A childhood friend of Tamaki who is in the anime club. She has a complex
about the difference between her appearance and the cute name she has.
The circle of friends around her has also dared to shorten her name to
"busu". She originally had a cool and quiet personality, but it was revealed
to be an affectation! That sunk the mood quite a bit. She has brothers so
she's good at looking after other people, and she helps out her sempai
when asked.
Some of the Other People [1] - Student Edition
Lots of students appeared in the school as supporting characters. However,
there were some who appeared often and left a big impact! Let's introduce
them.
Izumi's Friend - Long Hair
A girl who often played with Izumi. She does not know Izumi is an otaku,
and the two have casually hung out, it seems. She also seems to like
lirattanu.
Izumi's Friend - Short Hair
Another girl that Izumi often played with. It seems that there are more girls
with long hair than not. By the way, the girls speaking here include Busujima-san
and Izumi Wakase-san.
Young Man A
This fellow is on the class commitee for Konata's class. He has many strong
thoughts for Miyuki, but when graduation day finally came, he couldn't confess
to her and tell her how he felt.
Young Man B
A classmate of Konata's. He was in one of the manga panels on graduation
day. It seems that he has many fans who recall his sorrowful expression!
Kuroi Nanako
"I carefully choose who to hit. In many different ways."
Academic Ability 4
Athletic Ability 4
Otaku Lore 3
Domestics 2
Breasts 4
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Kanagawa Pref. (Japan)
Blood Type: O
Height: 171cm (5'6")
Birthday: 2/8
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Drinking Beer and Watching Sports on TV,
Video Games
Favorite Things: Edamame, The Marlins
Disliked Things: Shiitake Mushrooms, Things Going into
Overtime, Things Being Suspended for Maintenance (TL
Note: like Servers for Games)
Favorite Colors: Blue (like Water), White
Strongest Subject: History (teaches it)
Weakest Subject: English
Family Structure: Father, Mother (have not appeared in
the work)
Other Comments: 2-B's homeroom teacher
First Appearance -
Comptic's February 2004 issue,
Tankobon vol. 1 page 09
Crying at her Students' Graduation -
Comptic's September 2008 issue,
Tankobon vol. 6 page 83
She Became Yutaka's Homeroom Teacher -
Comptic's May 2009 issue,
Tankobon vol. 7 page 54
The Teacher with a Fist of Love! Her Kansaiben Japanese
is Affected!
She's currently working as Yutaka's teacher at Ryou Gakuen.
She's got a very sociable and open-hearted character, and is
friendly to her students. That said, stay on her good side or else
she will administer a fist of punishment. She loves baseball, and
is a passionate fan of the Marlins. How she feels everyday is
affected by the win/loss statistics of her teams. When her team
does well, she's overjoyed. She appears often on twitter and
on merchandise such as ema.
Sakuraba Hikaru
"Teachers have it good."
Academic Ability 4 out of 5
Athletic Ability 2 out of 3
Otaku Lore 2 out of 3
Domestics 1 out of 2
Breasts 1
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Saitama Pref. (Japan)
Blood Type: O
Height: 143cm (4'6")
Birthday: 1/25
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Not Smoking (Can't Quit More than Three Days),
Messing Around With Plastic Models
Favorite Things: CalorieMate, Sleeping
Disliked Things: Vegetables, People Who Misunderstand Things
Favorite Colors: Violet
Strongest Subject: Biology (Teaches It)
Weakest Subject: Home Ec.
Family Structure: Father, Mother (Have Not Appeared in the Work)
Other Comments: Homeroom Teacher for the First Years,
Supervisor for the Animation Research and Biology Clubs
The Time She Made Her Debut on the Fan Page -
Article Page
Comptic's January 2006 issue
The Time She Made Her First Appearance in a 4 Panel Comic -
Back Pages
Tankobon vol. 3 page 148
She Appeared in the Main Work
Comptic's June 2007 issue,
Tankobon vol 5 page 25
She was created to be in charge of the fanpage after Akira.
However, she was created as a teacher, and she ended up
"graduating" from the fanpage and appearin in the actual work. These
days she mostly appears in the nurse's office as well as the
Anime Research Club's room.
Curt and Brusque, But Surprisingly Thoughtful when it comes to the Students!
The runt teacher of Ryou Academy. Her way of speaking is very rough but
students feel a strong sense of friendship from her. However, it is her
policy not to get too relaxed with them and always clearly delineate between
black and white. While she's an excellent teacher, she's a slob in her hours
away from the job. As a result, her friend Fuyuki often looked after her.
Amahara Fuyuki
"It's nice to have moments when you can relax."
Academic Ability 4
Athletic Ability 2 out of 3
Otaku Lore 2
Domestics 4
Breasts 3 out of 4
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Kanagawa Pref. (Japan)
Blood Type: A
Height: 164cm (5'3")
Birthday: 9/17
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Going for Walks, Reading
Favorite Things: Black Tea, Old Museums, Horror, the Occult
Disliked Things: Boats (Because She Can't Swim)
Favorite Colors: White
Strongest Subjects: English, Japanese National Language
Weakest Subject: Nothing in Particular
Family Structure: Father, Mother (Deceased) (Have not Appeared in
the Main Work)
Other Comments: Works in the Nurse's Office at Ryou Gakuen,
Komon (Faculty Advisor) for the Tea Ceremony Club
First Appearance -
Back Pages of Tankobon vol. 4, page 145
First Time She Appeared in the Main Work -
Comptic's June 2007 issue,
Tankobon vol. 5 page 31
Confirmed as Hikaru's Bride!? -
Comptic's August 2011 issue,
Tankobon vol. 9 page 63
A Lovely Flower in the Nurse's Office!
She was originally created along with Patty as a new character for
the Drama CD. Maybe her appearance in that before the main work
was another prank of fate. She's often depicted as being close to
Hikaru, and the students have come to think of her as Hikaru's
"bride."
She's another teacher at the nurse's office. She's got a deep
friendship with Yutaka and Minami. She's got a kind and gentle
character, and is beautiful on top of that. She's popular with both the
students and the other teachers. She is very helpful and ready to talk
with the students, but wants people to respect her privacy. She was
born into a rich family and has a butler and maid. Maybe that's how
she has come to be a little strange.
Narumi Yui
"Oh, you look embarrassed."
Academic Ability 2 out of 3
Athletic Ability 3 out of 4
Otaku Lore 3
Domestics 3 out of 4
Breasts 4
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Saitama Pref. (Japan)
Blood Type: A
Height: 166cm (5'4")
Birthday: 10/7
Dominant Hand: Right
Interests: Driving
Favorite Things: Senbei crackers, Stir-Fry With Vegetables,
Retrogames, Her Husband
Disliked Things: Sliced Vegetables (Especially Tomatoes)*
Being in Charge of Things By Herself
Favorite Colors: Blue
Strongest Subject: Ethics
Weakest Subject: Mathematics
Family Structure: Husband - Masaoka (Has not Been Revealed in the Main
Work), Father, Mother - Yuki (Has not Been Revealed in the Main Work),
Sister - Kobayakawa Yutaka
Other Comments: Policewoman working in Traffic Safety
* TL Note: Yes, I know tomatoes are fruit but I'm translating what the book
says.
First Appearance -
Comptic's September 2004 issue,
Tankobon vol. 1 page 73
The Time She got a Handmade Picture Book from Yutaka -
Okiraku Carnival,
Tankobon vol 4 page 121
When we first saw her, she was on duty but we often see her goofing off and
doing things such as participating in a shooting gallery game or driving her
car recklessly. With that aside, there was also a reference to how she was
training her body. She strongly cares about her sister and has been
drawn as a bright, happy woman.
She is Konata's cousin and Yutaka's sister. Yui has tons of energy and is always
enthusiastic. Although she is married, her husband is often away on work and thus
she often stops by the Izumi house to play. She's also a little worried about
Yutaka's plans after graduating from high school. She also worries about Konata,
who lost her mother. In other words, she's a very kind older relative.
Some of the Other People [2] - Family Edition
Their names have appeared, and they've been fairly active. They're building up a
strong "feeling of existence". Let's introduce some family members of the characters!
Masaoki Yotaka
It's shown that he understands his wife's feelings and thoughts well, but because of
work he can't often come home to be with her. Konata calls him Ki-oniisan.
Izumi's Playmate
A person with some of the same interests. It seems he often played with her,
and his mother appeared in the work as well.
Speaking of Rumors
Kobayakawa Yuki
Yui and Yutaka's mother, Sojirou's younger sister. She sent her sickly daughter to
stay with the Izumi household, and it seems that she trusts her older brother.
She's frightening if angered.
Hiyori's Brother(s)
She has two brothers, and like Hiyori, both work on creating their own original content.
You definitely sense them having hte same roots as Hiyori.
[Other Works]
Nyamo
This being is an avatar that expresses the works of Yoshimizu Kagami, the author of
Lucky Star. This mysterious lifeform is roughly in the shape of a cat. In some way it
is the protector of all the characters. As for why it is a cat . . . well, because.
Here it is in one of the back pages. For some reason it always seems like it's under a
lot of pressure. Or is that my imagination?
Izumi Sojirou
"Raising a girl who loves her dad."
Academic Ability 5
Athletic Ability 5
Otaku Lore 5
Domestics 5
Breasts --
Gender: Male
Place of Origin: Ishigawa Pref. (Japan)
Blood Type: A
Height: 181cm (5'9")
Dominant Hand: Ambidextrous
Interests: Games, Anime, Reading
Favorite Things: Sushi, Moe
Disliked Things: Deadlines, Pushing Back the Date Something
Goes On Sale
Favorite Colors: Blue, White
Strongest Subject: Nothing in Particular
Weakest Subject: Nothing in Particular
Family Structure: Daughter - Izumi Konata, Wife - Izumi Kanata (Deceased),
Sister - Yuki (Has Not Appeared in the Main Work)
Other Comments: Novelist
First Appearance -
Comptic's December 2004 issue,
Tankobon vol. 1 page 135
It Was Revealed that He Has the Most Love in the World -
Okiraku Carnival,
Tankobon vol. 5 page 121
It Was Revealed that He is Proficient with English -
Comptic's February 2009 issue,
Tankobon vol. 7 page 36
Indulging in his hobbies with full force, Sojirou was loyal to his otaku
heart and told the Kagami daughters that he had heard they were
miko when he first met them. He's been shown to love his family and
has also added in more everyday material as references in the manga.
Recently the revelation of his competency with English conversation has
expanded the storytelling potential - but in immeasurable ways that
are not yet known.
In Many Ways, He is a Super Dad
This man raised Konata on his own. He doted on her. He is a man of great
talent and education. As a consequence of this, Konata has been raised to
be an incredible otaku. It is known that he is a novelist, but it has not been
revealed what genre he writes. He seems like he has picked up many kinds
of knowledge from many sources. However, he doesn't seem like a reliable
source, so he is not treated as such by most people. That said, Konata has
some respect for him.
Izumi Kanata
"From now on, I'll protect and look after you from the sky."
Academic Ability 4
Athletic Ability --
Otaku Lore 1
Domestics 4
Breasts 1 out of 2
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Ishigawa Pref. (Japan)
Blood Type: O
Height: 143cm (4'6")
Birthday: 8/20
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Cooking, Painting, a Family Vegetable Garden
Favorite Things: Fruit, People
Disliked Things: Tobacco Smoke, Thunder
Favorite Color : White
Strongest Subject: Nothing in Particular
Weakest Subject: Nothing in Particular
Family Structure: Daughter - Konata, Husband - Sojirou
Other Comments: Passed Away when Konata was Very Young
First Appearance -
Comptic's December 2004 issue,
Tankobon vol. 1 page 135
A Lolita!? -
Comptic's November 2005 issue,
Tankobon vol. 3 page 37
Returned to the Izumi Household!? -
Okiraku Carnival,
Tankobon vol. 5 page 121
Many have wondered why she married Sojirou, who is so
devoted to his unusual hobbies. It is clear that Sojirou loved
her both on the outside and inside, and there's clear evidence
she felt the same way.
An Angel Who Looks After a House!
Konata's mother and Sojirou's wife. She was a child friend of Sojirou.
She was always frail and weak, and passed away after giving
birth to Konata. Her build is like Konata's but she lacks her daughter's
ahoge, eyes, and mole. Her personality is also very different, and
she likes to look after people. She's very good at understanding people,
so she understood Sojirou's true nature when she first saw him.
Takara Yukari
"Oh! It was a joke!"
Academic Ability 2 out of 3
Athletic Ability 2 out of 3
Otaku Lore 2
Domestics 2 out of 3
Breasts 4
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Tokyo
Blood Type: O
Height: 164cm (5'3")
Birthday: 3/6
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Shopping, Talking
Favorite Things: Boiled Bean Curds, Curry
Disliked Things: Dark Colored Vegetables, Natto
Favorite Color: Sakura Pink
Strongest Subject: Nothing in Particular
Weakest Subject: Many
Family Structure: Daughter - Miyuki,
Husband (Has not Appeared in the Work)
Other Comments: Nothing in Particular
First Appearance -
Comptic's October 2004 issue,
Tankobon vol. 1 page 97
She Doted on Minami -
CompAce vol. 6,
Tankobon vol. 4 page 125
When She Did Better than Her Daughter -
Comptic's August 2013 issue,
Tankobon vol. 10 page 64
There are many times when she was at Miyuki and Minami's
mercy. However, from a certain point of view she knows her
daughters well and is trying to break through their shells. Or
maybe she's not doing that and is just having fun.
A Devilish Mama who loves Playing Jokes
She is Miyuki's mother. One of her common traits is
spacing out, and she's very happy when a cup of tea is
resting on a coaster in front of her. She loves teasing and playing
jokes, and having a go at sensitive people. Minami and Miyuki
are both viable targets. She's very carefree even though she has
times when her mood alternates between intense and cool.
The other side of the coin is that she's been a great
negative example for her daughter.
Iwasaki Honoka
Academic Ability 3 out of 4
Athletic Ability 2 out of 3
Otaku Lore 1
Domestics 4 out of 5
Breasts 1
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Tokyo (Japan)
Blood Type: A
Height: 161cm (5'2")
Birthday: 5/9
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Patchwork, Kitchen Gardens
Favorite Things: Food Made With Eggs, Flowing and Fleecy Things
Disliked Things: Fizzy Drinks, Spicy Things
Favorite Color: Olive Green
Strongest Subject: Japanese National Language
Weakest Subject: Nothing in Particular
A Wise Mother who Protects House Iwasaki
The mother of Minami. In contrast to her daughter's cool disposition, she's
got more of a mild feeling about her. However, there's more to her than
sweetness. She alwways scolds Cherry and Minami when they need her to.
She worries about being skinny and is a mysterious woman.
Cherry
Academic Ability 0
Athletic Ability 4
Otaku Lore --
Domestics --
Ability to Heal Others' Wounded Hearts 5
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Chiba Pref. (Japan)
Blood Type: --
Height: --
Birthday: 10/20
Dominant Hand: --
Interests: Hiding Interesting Things By Burying Them
Favorite Things: Meat, Apple Peels
Disliked Things: Dry Food, Medicine, Lightning
Favorite Colors: White
Strongest Subject: Athletics (Although Cherry Doesn't Like It)
Weakest Subject: Anything Scientific
Family Structure: Owner - Honoka, Owner - Minami,
Owner - Minami's Father (Has Not Appeared in the Work)
Other Comments: Nothing In Particular
A Whimsical Pooch that Lives With the Iwasakis
Minami referred to this dog as an extremely bright canine.
The dog is free to roam the premises, walking and sleeping as
she sees fit. Minami loves to dote on the dog, although the
animal can be very blunt. However, the dog does not dislike her.
Cherry just keeps a lot of her emotions inside.
Hiiragi Tadao
Academic Ability 3 out 4
Athletic Ability 3
Otaku Lore 0
Domestics 3
Breasts --
Gender: Male
Place of Origin: Saitama Pref. (Japan)
Blood Type: O
Height: 168cm (5'5")
Birthday: 3/20
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Travelling
Favorite Things: Tamagoyaki, His Family
Disliked Things: Cup Yakisoba
Favorite Color: Orange
Strongest Subject: Japanese History
Weakest Subject: Nothing in Particular
Family Structure: Wife - Miki, Oldest Daughter - Inori,
Second Oldest Daughter - Matsuri, Third Daughter - Kagami,
Fourth Daughter - Tsukasa
Other Comments: Kannushi at Takanomiya Jinjya
The Always Even-Tempered Boss of House Hiiragi
The father of Tsukasa and her sisters. He is a member of the
Shinto priesthood. He has a very mild disposition and is cautious
in expressing himself, so he doesn't get mad. He gets along well
with his wife, and the two go out on dates or on trips. He is glad
to have been able to raise his children to be good people.
Hiiragi Miki
Academic Ability 3
Athletic Ability 3
Otaku Lore 0
Domestics 4 out of 5
Breasts 3 out of 4
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Saitama Pref. (Japan)
Blood Type: B
Height: 162cm
Birthday: 6/12
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Travelling, Handcrafts
Favorite Things: Potatoes, Boiled Food, Her Family
Disliked Things: Rainy Weather
Favorite Color: Blue
Strongest Subject: Japanese History
Weakest Subject: Art
Family Structure: Husband - Hiiragi Tadao, Oldest Daughter - Inori,
Second Oldest Daughter - Matsuri, Third Daughter - Kagami,
Fourth Daughter - Tsukasa
Other Comments: Nothing in Particular
A lovely mother who keeps her daughters in proper condition
A gentle woman who has the admiration of her four daughters.
She understands the importance of proper time, place, and occasions
for things, and gets angry when she needs to and is happy when she is
supposed to be. She's got a friendly character and gives her children good advice.
And in the manga, she has said that she is 17 (TL Note: she's not.)
Hiiragi Inori
Academic Ability 3 out of 4
Athletic Ability 3
Otaku Lore 1
Domestics 2 out of 3
Breasts 2 out of 3
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Saitama Pref. (Japan)
Blood Type: B
Height: 166cm (5'4")
Birthday: 8/24
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Music, Fashion
Favorite Things: Green Tea-Flavored Foods, Gumi Candy
Disliked Things: Spicy Food (Esp. Anything with Capsicum Annuum),
Scales
Favorite Color: Purple
Strongest Subject: Mathematics
Weakest Subject: English
Family Structure: Father - Hiiragi Tadao, Mother - Hiiragi Miki
Next Oldest Sister - Matsuri, Younger Sister - Kagami,
Youngest Sister - Tsukasa
Other Comments: Nothing in Particular
A Cheeky Girl Who is the Leader of the Sisters
The eldest daughter of House Hiiragi. An open-hearted girl who makes
people feel at ease. When she needs to, she insists upon her feelings and
beliefs. However, she is also relatively calculating. She provides the leadership
to keep the other daughters in line, but is bad at keeping things tidy, and
though she looks like she's doing everything she should, she really isn't.
Hiiragi Matsuri
Academic Ability 2 out of 3
Athletic Ability 4
Otaku Lore 1
Domestics 2
Breasts 3
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Saitama Prefecture
Blood Type: B
Height: 162cm (5'3")
Birthday: 3/2
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Tennis
Favorite Things: Sports Drinks
Disliked Things: Food Made With Crab Entrails,
Stuff with a Serious Atmosphere
Favorite Color: Yellow
Strongest Subject: Nothing In Particular
Weakest Subject: Mathematics
Family Structure: Father - Hiiragi Tadao,
Mother - Hiiragi Miki, Older Sister - Inori,
Younger Sister - Kagami, Youngest Sister - Tsukasa
An Open Person Who is the Mood-Maker of the Girls
The second oldest daughter of House Hiiragi. She likes taking it
easy, but when she has to work hard she tends to complain a lot.
So even though she's capable, she doesn't do much. Although
she clashes with Kagami, they're sisters, so they fundamentally
get along with each other.
Miyakawa Hinata
"Luxury is in the eye of the beholder."
Academic Ability 3
Athletic Ability 3 out of 4
Otaku Lore 4 out of 5
Domestics 3 out of 4
Breasts 4
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Saitama Pref. (Japan)
Blood Type: O
Height: 166cm (5'4")
Birthday: 6/15
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Games, Manga, Reading Manga, Cosplay
Favorite Things: Steak, Akihabara's Atmosphere
Disliked Things: Soy Milk, Complaints
Favorite Colors: Red
Strongest Subject: Nothing in Particular
Weakest Subject: Nothing in Particular
Family Structure: Sister - Higake
Other Comments: Works Part-Time at a Moe-themed Shop
First Appearance in the Main Work -
The Back Pages
Tankobon vol. 2 page 147
She Made Her Debut in a Game -
Lucky Star Moe Drill 12/2005
She Got Her Own Independent Spin-Off -
Comp H's Vol. 7
Miyakwake no Kufuku vol. 1 page 6
Although she's an original character for the game, she apeared in
the manga before the game came out. After that she became part of
a spinoff, and in that story her kindness has shown more than her
negative traits.
A Woman Who Uses Her Part-Time Job to Look After Her Younger
Sister!
She lives with her sister and provides the income to support their
household. She is a mighty part-time worker whose job brings her
both joy and profit, but more of the former than the latter. She's
big-hearted. However, she's a bit of an airhead, and at times she's
not very sensible. She has a habit of wasting money on her hobbies,
and so the two of them live a very frugal lifestyle. That said, she always
manages to cover Hikage's school-related expenses. Fundamentally
she's a hard-working sister that looks after Hikage.
Miyakawa Hikage
"Sometimes I want to eat meat!"
Academic Ability 3 out of 4
Athletic Ability 3
Otaku Lore 1 out of 2
Domestics 3 out of 4
Breasts 0
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Saitama Pref. (Japan)
Blood Type: A
Height: 134cm (4'3")
Birthday: 9/6
Dominant Hand: Left
Interests: Prizes, Window Shopping,
Going on Trips (though She's Very Careful about
the Cost of Them)
Favorite Things: Curry, Red Meat, Bargain Sales
Disliked Things: Fish, People Who Are Extreme Fans
Favorite Colors: White
Strongest Subjects: Arithmetic, Music, Japanese National Language,
Weakest Subject: Drawing and Manual Arts
Other Comments: A fourth grader at Sakura-en Elementary School
First Appearance -
Back Pages
Tankobon vol. 2 page 147
She Made Her Debut in a Game -
Lucky Star Moe Drill 12/2005
She Encountered Konata and Her Pals -
Comp Ace's July 2012 issue,
Miyakawake no Kufuku vol. 1 page 101
She, like her sister, was an original charater created for the game, but
has since risen to the position of a main character in the spinoff. She's
an elementary student. As her story takes place in the same world as
Lucky Star, she has met Konata and her friends.
A Loveable Elementary School Student Supporting a Family in Poverty
Hinata's little sister. Although her sister's spending irritates her, she
manages to economize and help them through the rough spots. Though
There are gaps caused by their poverty, but she acts like an adult to help
the two get through, and scolds her sister when she needs to. She's an
obedient child who follows the rules. It's always easy to tell what she's
feeling. She shows off her true power to the boys at her school.
Kogami Akira
Academic Ability 3
Athletic Ability 3 out of 4
Otaku Lore 3
Domestics 2
Breasts 2
Gender: Female
Place of Origin: Tokyo
Blood Type: O
Height: 150cm (4'9")
Birthday: 2/14
Dominant Hand: Right
Interests: Games
Favorite Things: Liver Sashimi
Disliked Things: Nothing in Particular
Favorite Colors: Blue
Strongest Subject: Nothing in Particular
Weakest Subject: Nothing in Particular
Family Structure: Father, Mother,
Sister (Have not Appeared in the Work)
Other Comments: Active as a Super Idol,
In her third year at Shiritsu Mashiro Gakuen.
She Made Her Debut on the Fan Page -
Article Page,
Comptic's May 2005 issue
She Made an Appearance in a 4Koma Manga -
Comptic's August 2005 issue,
Tankobon vol. 2 page 112
She Had a Proper Appearance in the Main Work -
CompAce July 2009
Tankobon vol. 7 page 106
She originally appeared as a navigator for the f
fanpage. Then she began to be drawin in spinoff-like
gaiden works, and she began to dig down into the internals
of the main body. There's been some interest on when she'll
meet Konata and get into Ryou.
"I'm an idol who makes all the fans happy, right!?"
She's an active idol in the world of Lucky Star and appears
on television commercials, and sometimes reports on the news.
She's also recognizable from the CDs she's released and the
events she has where people line up to get them signed.
While she's normally docile, there have been times when something
has triggered her rage. She joined the entertainment industry at a
very young age, and her time there has colored her perceptions
and behavior. Her rise to fame has also given her some insight into
dark and bitter parts of reality that others may not see.
Akira no Kuni ~ Kingdoms~
This is a gaiden section focusing on Akira. They are her close
friends.
Ohara Madoka
A girl with hikkomori tendencies. She's the one of the group
with the most common sense. You'd think from her glasses
that she'd be focused on intellectual things and studying, but
she likes sports.
Nakatani Akuru
She's a quick thinker, and tries to lead Akira down dark paths.
While she normally has a cool expression, she can make
an extraordinary smiling face.
Otonashi Rinko
She's always bright and cheerful, and shapes the mood of the others.
She can be rather careless, and sometimes invites trouble.
[p.70]
Looking Back on Lucky Star Supplemental Goods
In addition to comics, there have been many supplemental goods that
have widened. In fact, about a countless amount have appeared . . .
Let's take a look at some goods with a lot of personality.
Included Goods - Comptic
The Konata version of a Strike Witch, created to commemorate a
collaboration illustration on page 11. It was included with the June issue
in 2012.
One of Kayonodo's goods. A representation of the choco coronet for which
Konata is so famous. It came out in April of 2009.
A Konata mascot figure included in Comp Ace Comp H's volume 3,
included in October of 2007
A very distinctive key cover with Konata's "mu" expression. If you put this
on, you won't lose your key. Came in February of 2008.
[p.71]
The first supplentary goods item was the Okiraku Calendar. Afterward,
"okiraku" became a Lucky Star keyword. This became available in May of
2005.
A clear pen case with a omijuiji mechanical pencil. Included in Comp Ace's August
2009 issue.
May 2009's issue offered this. The base form was of course the sukumizu.
This is suprisingly fun.
A keitai strap included with a screen cleaner. There were three different sets with
different characters. This came out in July of 2007.
A fortunetelling pencil included with omikuji. It has encouraging messages from the
characters and is targeted towards students getting ready to take entrance exams.
The super bad luck character is Akira. This went on sale in March of 2009.
This was included in the difficult entrance exam for Ryoo Gakuen. The answer
sheets were collected. The rankings for 100 people were
published. This went on sale in April of 2006.
t
[p.102-103]
Looking Back at the Main Cast of Lucky Star
We'll look back at the memories and actions of the people who directed and
performed in Lucky Star. We'll hear their reflections on those times. Have all of
them gone on to be big figures in the literary world?
====================================
Nyamo's Questions and Answers
There was a lot of give and take between me, the director, and the cast.
The same company that created the Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu anime was working with
us, but the staff said there was nothing in my work that created the feel of Haruhi.
The audio-visual staff picked the same person who played Haruhi, but the voice for
Izumi Konata sounded like it was done by a different person. This is something many
people have told me. Saying the lines requires delivering from the throat with light
inflection. We talked a lot while we were adjusting the performance.
We discussed her ego and strong self-confidence, and the character has many
lines that leave a strong impression after scenes are over. The actress ad-libbed a lot
during the performance, which helped the production.
In the fourth episode, Hirano Aya (Konata's voice actress) had to imitate Crayon Shin-chan.
I was very worried about how that was going to work, but the take she gave was perfect.
I liked it very much. This kind of mimicry is stuff I did as a child, but to take that idea and
run wih it as if it were nothing really impressed me. Off the record, I said she handled
that like a pro. We used that in the final cut. Remembering it sends shivers down my
spine. The reviews were also favorable too (smiles).
When we were halfway through the recording, she asked me if the character she was playing
was exactly the way I imagined it. My answer was no, but she was definitely Konata.
Hirano Aya: A lady who has gone through many challenges, and completely revised
my image of Konata's character.
When were in the middle of determining how she'd perform during the role, we established
Konata as a very friendly character and a person who could not exist in real life. As a result,
the unreality of the character bled through into the performance.
However, in real life Sasaki Nozomi-san became good friends with her, and threw a party
for Hirano. Afterward her father (Soujiro-san) probably worried about whether she was
an impossible existence (laughs).
Konata's voice puts a big burden on the throat to do. As a result, it's very tiring on the
performer to produce over and over. Yet in one day she performed all of the songs that
we recorded for the episode karaoke ending CDs. That's one of the reasons why she's so
impressive. After finishing playing the part of Konata, she went on to perform a wide range
of characters, including ones that aren't human, even a mascot. She is someone who
confronts challenges and has changed my image of Konata.
Hirano Aya. Born Oct. 8. From Aichi Prefecture. Represented by Grick.
Examples of work include Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu, Kiddy Grade, Galaxy
Angel, Zettai Karen Children, etc.
Q: To you, what kind of work is Lucky Star?
A: It was a big project that allowed me to give myself another challenge. I have
many experiences and great memories I've gained through working on Lucky Star.
It really is a great, youthful story.
Lucky Star has continued for over ten years and has about ten collected volumes. Would you
send a message to Yoshimizu Kagami-sensei and the fans?
A: Sure. Yoshimizu Kagami-sensei, congratulations on your ten years of work. I would also like
to thank the kind fans that have supported it over this long time. I am extremely pleased to be
attached to a work that has been greatly loved for such a wide expanse of time. I'll keep on
carving out new works with full force, so please continue to regard me favorably.
====================================
[p. 104-105]
Nyamo's Questions and Answers
We struggled to find just the right person to voice Hiragii Kagami. There were some points we
couldn't compromise on. We hope that you'll listen to our tale.
The way that Kagami shows her affection and concern for her friends as a tsukkomi was
extremely important. Deep within my heart, I think of her as a [TSUKKOMI] and a [TSUNDERE]!
During the recording, we thought that the performance for Kagami was particularly excellent.
The performance was so good that it leaves a huge impression. The ad libbing
was done particularly well. I encourage you to listen to it.
During one scene in the first episode, Konata pays a visit to Kagami while she is sick, onstensibly
to pay her respects, but really to copy her homework and tease Kagami. They had to record many
takes of "Go home!", which Kagami says to Konata when Konata begins teasing her and asking to
copy her homework. One of my favorite scenes from the show was the one in episode 13 where
Konata imagines Kagami giving chocolate to a boy on Valentine's Day.
When the recording was halfway done, if it had been cancelled, would you
you have wanted to portray the character this way?
Yoshimizu: No Matter How Much I think About It, Kagami Is No. 1!
Yoshimizu: Inside Lucky Star, there are characters that you'd like to be friends with in
real life if they existed, but there are also characters who wouldn't fit our real world.
I want you to listen to why this setup exists in the work.
[TL Note: A pic of Kagami getting irritated]
A picture of Kagami warmly listening as a friend to Konata's story about getting excited
playing a game on the net. She's not an impossible girl, is she?
I've been soaked with feeling from Lucky Star due to my direct involvement with it.
Let me share my impressions of it and share the untold story.
Whether it's performing live events at Budokan, or recording solo character songs,
Katou Emiri has long been associated with the Lucky Star project. The work contains many
parodic references to other things, and Katou-san has had many chances to talk to fans
at various events. I'm very happy we were able to assemble this team of actresses.
Katou Emiri. Born 11/26, from Tokyoto. She works for 81 Produce. Standout roles of hers
include the insidious and inhumane incubus Kyubey from Mahou Shoujo Madoka, Kagami
Hiiragi from Lucky Star, and Pretty Rhythm Rainbow Live's Ayase Naru.
Q: To you, what kind of work is Lucky Star?
A: It's a very important project that gave me a lot of vital experiences. After my contribution
to Lucky Star, I was able to work on many different projects.
Q: The Lucky Star manga has gone on for 10 volumes, and Lucky Star has continued for more
that ten years. How about a message for all of the fans and Kagami-sensei?
To Kagami-sensei! Congratulations on 10 awesome years of Lucky Star! And a
warm thank you to all the wonderful fans that have loved Lucky Star all this time!
I'm so happy it's been able to continue this way.
====================================
[p. 106-108]
Nyamo's Questions and Answers
This was another character that needed delicate handling, and there were things we
could not compromise on. Please listen to our discussion of how we handled
the situation.
We told the person in charge to think of Tsukasa as someone who would always
be your friend. She isn't someone who would ever emit negative ions, and she was
also a ditz. We worked hard to ensure she's a character that would be loved by
everyone.
There were quite a few scenes that left an impression and some great ad-libs. Please
give those a listen.
There are so many scenes that left an impression that I can't choose just one.
Wait, that's not true, there is one I want to mention. I really loved the volleyball
scene in the OVA. However, for the fans, it'd probably be that part about the
balsamic vinegar. I never
knew that one was going to be such a hit.
If you were in the middle of recording, and the entire thing got cancelled, which
character would you have wanted to finish the same way?
I haven't really thought about it, but the answer would probably be Tsukasa.
"I worked hard to make Tsukasa a character that would be loved by everyone!"
Amongst the characters that you'd want to become friends with if they were
real, there were also characters that would be impossible to be friends with
if they existed. We listened to understand why that was the case.
Among the lot, the ones people wanted to be friends with in real life were
Ayu and Kagami. Those two were comparitively normal.
For those of us directly linked to the work of Lucky Star, listen to the story
of our impressions and feelings.
She's the one amongst the main four who is the best cook. She's also the
one who has the hardest time matching up her schedule to everyone else's,
making it hard for her to join them. By this time all of them are adults, so
someday at an alumni meeting it'd be fun for them to meet up and reminisce
about the good old days.
Kagami Tsukasa played by Fukuhara Kaori
Born on 8/11, from Chiba. Associated with Aplex Planning and Development.
Representative works include Sora no Otoshimono's Astraea and A-Channel's
Momoki Run.
Q: To you, what kind of work is Lucky Star?
A: A once-in-a-lifetime masterpiece. I wouldn't be the voice actress that I am
today if I hadn't come into contact with this work. The character song I made
for this listed on the Oricon Charts, and we sang at Budokan. Normally I'd never
have a chance to enjoy these kinds of experiences. I am thankful from the bottom
of my heart.
Q: Lucky Star has continued for 10 years. Please, a message to the fans of Lucky Star
and to Yoshimizu Kagami-sensei.
A: The work has continued for 10 years and been loved by many people. I'm very
happy for that. Yoshimizu-sensei, congratulations on these 10 wonderful years.
I myself have continued as a fan all this time. To all the other Lucky Star fans,
please continue to regard us favorably!
====================================
[p.108-109]
Nyamo's Questions and Answers
We had things we couldn't compromise on, and this was still another character
that needed great care. Please listen to our story.
Miyuki-san is the most well-read of the characters and has some grownup traits.
We told the actress working on her not to make her too much like a reliable
oneesan nor to make her too cute. Finding a good balance between the two was
very important. Looking back on it, there may have been times when Endo-san
wanted to try too hard while playing the character. There's the image of her
walking at half-speed behind others which I try to avoid.
If there are scenes, lines, or ad-libs that left an impression, let's hear about them.
We were careful not to add in improvised dialogue. However, in one cafe scene,
when she was ordering a drink, she said onegai shimasu with a non-native
accent. Now what episode was that? Have fun looking for it. (lol)
When the recording was halfway done, if it had been cancelled, which character
would you have wanted to portray this way?
Each character leaves a strong impression on me, but there are no others I'd want
to try to realize.
There are characters that'd be easy to be friends with in real life, but there are also
ones that'd be impossible to be friends with in real life. Let's hear more about that
and the reasons why each is each.
We had off the record discussions concerning this. Miyuki is always gentle and careful
around others.It'd be easy to be friends with her.
Let's hear some anecdotes, impressions, and memories associated with Lucky Star.
Recording the opening song was really hard! There were a lot of lines that got cut
in or cut off! After all, it was snippets of conversation from four different people.
I told them to make it as random as possible, even though that wasn't in the
original work. I told her to open with a description of how glucosamine works
in the body. In any case, it worked as part of an exciting way to begin Lucky Star!
Takara Miyuki played by Endo Aya
Born on 2/17. From Yamagata prefecture. Represented by Office PAC. Signature roles
include Murasame Reine from Date a Live and Ohtani Momoko from Photo Kano.
Q: What is Lucky Star to you?
A: In addition to the main work, I remember singing the opening with everybody and
covering anisongs for the closing credits. It's had even more of an impact than I
could have imagined. I have a lot of wonderful memories of working on the project,
and even today I have people who fondly remember my work on Lucky Star.
Q: Lucky Star recently released its 10th volume. Please give a message to the fans and
Yoshimizu Kagami-sensei.
A: Congratulations on releasing the 10th volume and 10 wonderful long years with
Lucky Star. Even though the anime is over, I'm very glad to see the characters are still
alive and well. Sensei, please take care of yourself and continue to draw cute Lucky
Star characters. To all the fans, thank you so much for your support over these years.
As part of the Big Four, I will continue supporting the franchise together with all of
you.
[p.110] 
Explaning the Meeting
Subtitle Let's start this discussion by killing time! Do you have any
trauma from meeting Kadokawa?
Interviewer: Do you have any memories of how you felt when they began to
broadcast the anime?
Sakata: Not really, but when I was talking to other city committee members
over the phone, I heard about a lot of references to Washinomiya in a show.
So I decided to see what this was all about, and the opening to the show
came on the TV. I watched it and realized something. I knew that jinjya (Shinto shrine)
in the opening very well. What the heck is this? And that was how it should have ended,
right?
Interviewer: But that's not how it ended.
Sakata: After the broadcast of the show had ended, there was an inquiry in the
jinjya's bulletin. It seems that the fans of the show decided to visit their jinjya in
person - for them it really was the holy land. I hadn't realized how big this thing
was going to get. I told them I didn't know about that.
Interviewer: But that was just the spark that would turn into a roaring bonfire.
Sakata: True. We went to Ootori tea house and the crowd inside was full of Lucky Star fans.
We knew it was a great anime, but then waves and waves of people kept coming. We
were grateful.
Interviewer: Any shocking moments from the time you met with Kadokawa Shoten?
Sakata: It was a while after the show had been on TV . . . maybe about nine months.
The chamber of commerce was really quiet, so I thought it would be good for us to
give Kadokawa Shoten a call, but trying to find their phone number was a real nightmare!
After the call began, talks with the guy in charge of copyright management began. The
situation was explained, which is to say that we wanted to make goods associated with the
Lucky Star IP. They said no, we want to see your project outline first. The chamber of
commerce was glad - although we had to make a project outline, we still got permission.
Interviewer: (laughs)
Sakata: And then we had to think of everything to put in the project outline - carefully,
and at length. After it was ready, we sent it to them.
Interviewer: Can you think of an example in terms of the goods you described?
Sakata: Sausage.
Interviewer: I'm sorry, I don't get it. Why sausage?
Matsumoto: Because Kagami and Tsukasa are twins. They're ‘o¶Ž™y‚»‚¤‚¹‚¢‚¶z(souseiji)
- twins.
Interviewer: But that's just a pun.
Sakata: At the time we didn't understand the characters yet. We didn't really have something
that you could call a project outline. They asked us to come to their headquarters, and at the
time I didn't really understand Kadokawa Shoten either - they sell books, so would their HQ
be like a bookstore?
Interviewer: Is that how it would look to an ordinary person?
Matsumoto: And when we arrived, we went into a meeting. The person in charge of copyright
management, the one handling the original work, and the people connected to the anime were
all there. Wow, that was a lot of people. I remember thinking [The anime broadcast ended! Can
there really be that much burning passion for this even now?] The anime producer was the one
who spoke the most. He bounced tons of ideas off of us. The producer was also full of ideas.
I remember thinking we were on this stage with so many department heads - and they were
very cooperative and helpful.
Sakata: I searched for a while - here's the original project outline.
Matsumoto: Good work. I'm kind of surprised that was still here.
Sakata: Hiiragi sausage - right here. We didn't know much about the character back then.
Matsumoto: You shouldn't call that a project outline.
Sakata: And that sausage is at the beginning. This thing is written like a high-class document.
But now, looking at it, it's embarrassing. (laughs)
Matsumoto: Yes, it's embarrassing.
Sakata: After that was the omamori project.
Sakamoto: And begoma (Japanese traditional spinning tops). This is connected with
traditional Japanese crafts. It's embarrassing to look at now.
Interviewer: It seems a little aimless, like people were stumbling in the dark.
Matsumoto: We wanted to do a collaboration, but we were really lost.
Interviewer: Was there a positive reaction to the project?
Sakata: That's a delicate point. There were all kinds of things we wanted to do -
stone monuments, radio broadcasts, etc.
Interviewer: Speaking of which, that stone monument is on the side of Ootori
tea house
photo credit: Wikipedia
Sakata: Setting that aside for a moment, we started off selling phone straps.
[Your Personal Favorite Lucky Star Characters]
Interviewer: Tell us who you like the most in Lucky Star.
Matsumoto: Let's see, it was the mother in the Hiiragi house.
Hiiragi Miki.
If she never existed, Tsukasa and Kagami would never have been. Among the
sisters themselves, it'd definitely be Tsukasa.
Sakata: For me, I'd have to say Kagami. So we each like one of the two sisters.
Interviewer: That's a clean split.
Matsumoto: I like fluffy, cute characters. Unfortunately there aren't many in
real life - just straight-talkers who tell you what they think.
Sakata: I like crisp, straight-talkers with an unflinching attitude. Fluffy characters
have something about them that you can't touch or approach.
Interviewer: The trade association was full of straight-talking, direct women.
Matsumoto: Yes, it sure was. Well, they had interviews with Sakata. Maybe
there was some influence there.
Interviewer: Maybe you have to become an expert in these human matters.
Matsumoto: I'll try.
[An Expanding Ring of Visitors]
Matsumoto: We went to the stores in the town and prepared scratch cards for
them. Spending more than 500 yen at a store got you a scratch card.
A winning card got you a cash prize, but if you got a losing card there was a
losing character illustraton. Surprisingly, we were flooded with people who
wanted losing cards with the losing character illustration. That was one of
the times we realized how intense the fandom was. One operator of a sushi
shop participated and offered a 10,000 yen set of sushi as a prize. That was
pretty impressive.
Interviewer: And that was a usual shop setting the price according to their own
conscience.
Matsumoto: It was an ordinary, local sushi place. Normally they don't sell sets like
that. But what about the other places in the area? They imported special items from
Hokkaido instead of using their local suppliers. Or getting box tissues all the way
from Shiga. But this is what we wanted.
Interviewer: That's very impressive. So how many scratch cards did you print up?
Matsumoto: We kept running out of them, so we had to subsitute lucky cards from
the trade industry. And we ran out of those too - I have no examples left to show you.
Other trade associations were coming to our place to see what we were doing. There was
also a train full of people who came to our town and then left on bicycles they bought
and rode back on.
Interviewer: So how long did the scratch card giveaway promotion last?
Matsumoto: It started in December of 2007. The anime broadcast finished around that
same time, and the scratch card craze was fierce. The cards and phone straps were going for
twice their list price in auctions. From that time until September of 2008 was the busiest
time of the craze. Lots of young people came to the town.
Interviewer: What was that like?
Matsumoto: So many of them came that it was difficult to regulate the auctions. There were
so many that mail order proved impossible. The local merchants were overjoyed to be so busy,
but everyone was afraid of the auctions. Those were insane.
Sakata: Without revealing anything, Kadokawa often came as well.
[Making Lucky Star characters Official Residents of the Town]
Interviewer: How did you decide on the town resident identification cards
the Lucky Star characters would get? It was you, Sakata-san, that made the design, right?
Sakata: That's right. We were receiving guidance from Kasukabe.
They put a lot of pressure on us to do that.
Interviewer: That's treating the issuance of those cards a little lightly.
Matsumoto: The first cards are issued in April. The government decides when to issue
those things and budgets for it. If they haven't done the accounting to provide for them
the previous year, it's a no-go. Of course this hadn't been set up in the budget, so
the mayor of the town repeatedly demanded that they be made - and finally they were.
The official ceremony was nice though. They even swapped out the lights on the street
lamps with the money that brought in. I'm glad that everything worked out.
Interviewer: What a nice story!
Matsumoto: And after it was all done, we were wondering what we could do next.
That incredible year went by so quickly. After the Hajisai festival ended,
it felt like New Year's day.
Sakata Atsushi. Works at the Kuki City Commerce and Trade Association's branch office.
Provides management and guidance. A man whose job became linked to Lucky Star.
Was fate playing a whimsical joke on him? Normally he possesses a mild disposition
and speaks softly, but he is scary when angered.
Matsumoto Shinji. Works at the Kuki City Commerce and Trade Association's branch office.
Provides management and guidance. At events, he hides his face and participates in cosplay.
The captain who undercuts the trade office. He managed the talk sections of the radio show
and approved light barricades to guide people during events. And he is also single.
[p.114] 
[Book of the Town]
Stamp rally special goods, more involvement from ordinary people, and a movement to make
a Lucky Star banner to greet visitors to the town!
[Watch Out for Overeating - Memories of the Stamp Rally]
Interviewer: So you did the stamp rally.
Matsumoto: Just to keep things straight, you're talking about the first stamp rally
that we distributed to the people in the town, right?
Sakata: Visitors had to follow the path from the train station over to Washinomiya Jinjya.
However, they got disoriented and ended up looking about.
Matsumoto: That's right, they did. They also became confused and entered the trade association
building. A battalion of people was looking in on us. What an amazing sight that was.
Interviewer: Who thought up that project?
Matsumoto: That would be Sakata.
Sakata: No, not really. That's an overstatement.
Interviewer: So was it something that you both came up with together?
Because if it was, it's quite amazing. Stamp rallies normally don't have that kind of effect.
Matsumoto: What a strange set of affairs. So many people came that it sometimes caused
the townspeople trouble.
Interviewer: When we were covering that, we had visitors visiting more than five places
in the same day to eat.
Matsumoto: That's absurd. The shopkeepers and staff were struggling to keep up with the
ridiculous demand - and I heard [Enough already!] vocalized more than once. However, the
visitors were very polite, and drank the leftover sauce from their ramen down to the last drop
before leaving. The people of the town had to up their game, as the folks visiting were here
to see and do everything.
Interviewer: How was the response from the shops?
Matsumoto: To put it simply, they were shocked. This was bizarre. The strap sets we were
making already had a huge response. Around this time the coffeeshop and restaurant owners
were discussing making their own 'Lucky Star' themed menu items, and about ten places did.
They were making custom bags, new chopsticks, free prizes, etc. Once that started up, waves
of fans came pouring in.
Interviewer: Yes, but lots of people were also going to the trade association building back then,
right?
Matsumoto: That's where you exchanged the cards from the stamp rally for the free prize, so
scores of fans were coming. We thought it was strange. After they cleared the rally three times
successfully, we thought we should offer a different prize. The steady stomp of feet and the
chatter of fans coming to claim their reward. That was the most amount of people who came to
a trade office anywhere in Japan. The townsfolk were also cooperating and trying to make the fan
visitors feel very welcome, and listening to whatever they said, talking with them, etc.
Interviewer: What about problems caused by the fans?
Matsumoto: I typically have good stories about them, but maybe I can think of one or two anecdotes -
okay, there was one time when a customer was asking for coffee after being served a meal, and there
was another fan that wanted a home delivery service truck to take him around from tourist spot to
tourist spot. He really wanted to do everything possible on the tour, you see.
[At Hajisai, the Lucky Star Mikoshi idea was Proposed by a Man in his Sixties]
Interviewer: Tell us some things about the story of the Lucky Star mikoshi.
Matsumoto: This was around the time of the stamp rally. People were going around from store to store to
complete everything on the cards. I was friends with the manager of a clothing store called 'Narita'. He regularly
participated in the town's matsuri, and suggested that we make a Lucky Star mikoshi for people to carry around.
I said that'd be great if it happened, but I was really afraid of what sorts of people might end up carrying it around.
I thought the idea would get booed if I brought it up. There were also lots of things I'd have to do to get permission
for it to happen. After many twists and turns, we brought the matter to Shanghai. By that time we were trying to
figure out what kind of artwork would work for it.
Sakata: Again, at the beginning we hadn't intended to make this mikoshi. We were thinking about how to deck out
the existing one at Washinomiya Jinjya. However, we soon realized that wouldn't work, and that we were thinking on
a small scale. Then we decided to make our own mikoshi. How would we be able to do this? And what about the issue
of weight? We didn't think that the otaku volunteer staff would be able to carry the thing - they wouldn't be strong enough
to bear the weight. As a result, we decided to make a mikoshi that was lightweight and easy to carry.
Interviewer: If you don't mind my saying so, it sounds like a lot of negotiations happened behind closed doors.
Matsumoto: True. But are there any other mikoshi connected to anime? I haven't ever heard of any others. We talked
to an elderly man in his seventies who made them and got many good ideas from him. The proposal was a success,
and people in the town became enthusiastic supporters. It turned out that the people in charge of this were surprisingly
flexible.
Interviewer: Oh good!
Matsumoto: We tried to attract recruits for the event itself but were overloaded with volunteers. We've been holding the
event for a while - this is the seventh time we've repeated it.
Interviewer: The people who are fans of the mikoshi are really into it. Media coverage has focused on supporters, who are friendly
and cosplaying while they help out at the event. This really is something unusual - something that doesn't seem real when you
look at it.
Matsumoto: The fans were so eager to help that a kind of fusion occured (TL Note: between their dreams/desires and reality).
At first there was some talk of separating the festival, but that's gone now. It's a real miracle.
Interviewer: It's like looking at a different world.
Matsumoto: I was a little taken aback, but the fans carrying it worked extremely hard to move it around. It was like a sports day
that focused on coming together to spread moe. They worked as hard as
they could. I've come to appreciate how some otaku are in good shape as a result of this.
Interviewer: In addition to the mikoshi, recently there's been some expansion - into a parade.
Matsumoto: Ah, the Otaku Nikaru Parade, right? That started back in 2012. We had put on the Hajisai matsuri for the 30th time,
and the Lucky Star matsuri for the fifth time, and were wondering what to do next. We decided to put on a parade to mark
the occasion, like an anniversary party.
Interviewer: So what kind of reputation does it have?
Matsumoto: Well, it's more like "What!?" (laughs) But making the mikoshi was like turning day into night. We were changing a
period for rest and relaxtion into something that would be fun for everyone. Please understand - this was a lot of work.
(continuing) We had to gradually adjust and refine the theme of what we were doing, and figure out what things were going
to cost, call in favors, etc. Moving everything around, including that parade float, was also tough. We were fortunate in that
Kadokawa was willing to help out a great deal. And we also had to secure the characters that would appear on it.
Sakata: Oh yes, the scheduling for that was tough.
Interviewer: Wouldn't it be better to recruit them in the future? You might be able to get characters that'll be famous in the
future.
Matsumoto: Right, gotta make a site for that.
Interviewer: Recruitment!
[Toward the New Legend:
Four trade offices combined to make this, but from now on their stance won't change!]
Sakata: Using the place for a cosplay meet, the parade, the matsuri - we talked about all of this and hashed out how to do it.
Matsumoto: Our Sakata is amazing. He also asked them to bring dolls for a hina matsuri.
[Sakata was told by a fan, 'we're so lucky that you're here']
Sakata: It was fun picking out photos from the groups' sets. (laughs)
Matsumoto: I remembered something: at first cosplay wasn't allowed in the town.
Interviewer: When did they lift the ban?
Sakata: When Hajisai started up, a lot of cosplayers showed up, especially men dressed up as women. That was showy,
and it got the okay. According to people who know about that, there aren't many places very open to that.
[Otaku coming From Other Countries]
Matsumoto: There was a 17 year old woman from France who visited, wasn't there?
Interviewer: This is a worldwide phenomenon. She was an otaku too, wasn't she?
Matsumoto: She left behind a drawing of Konata at Ootori Tea House.
Interviewer: Whe the anime was airing, big crowds of various types of fans came, didn't they?
Matsumoto: There's no question that they had strong personalities. But the one that left the strongest impression
was the fan who confessed to Sakata that they were so lucky that he was there.
Interviwer: That was like a love confession.
Sakata: But it was from a man.
Matsumoto: It's a nice story. It's nice meeting and talking to fans. (laughs)
[Has something good settled down in Washimiya?]
Sakata: A friend of mine has a son who is a hikkikomori. However, he is part of the Lucky Star community
site, and he came outside to carry the mikoshi and participate in the festival.
Interviewer: That's a really sweet story.
Sakata: It's one that's spread around the net in various conversation threads. The place is special, a
holy site for anime threads, so it's a way for anime fans to have off kai - meetups that happen
in real life. This is a very sweet story.
Interviewer: It sounds like you'll have to put on a lot more events.
Sakata: It sure does.
[Collaborating with A Certain Convenience Store (Lawson)]
Sakata: We tried to set up a collaboration with Lawson to sell karaage
in Lucky Star packages, but that proved to be more difficult than we anticipated. First off, designing
the packaging was just not possible, so we compromised by setting up Lucky Star certificates that would
be included with the packages before they were handed to customers.
Interviewer: I bet people were happier that way. The Lucky Star art wouldn't be ruined by the oil.
Matsumoto: They were, although the karaage was expensive. One piece was fifty yen.
Interviewer: That seems profitable for the store.
Sakata: The price for the extra stuff needed to be considered. As it was we were almost
breaking even on the manufacturing costs, and we needed for people buying the karaage to be happy with
what they got. We were trying to build a win-win relationship with our customers.
Matsumoto: I've learned a lot about how serious the food business is. I think I still have a mountain of pamphlets
from the company that handled the packaging. The safety of Japan's food supply is assured this way.
[Size on a Galactic Scale!? The Tale of the Mega-Coronet]
Matsumoto: Was there something else?
Sakata: Oh yes indeed. It's time to tell them about the Mega-Coronet.
Interviewer: Oh dear.
Sakata: We wanted a bakery to make a gigantic chocolate coronet for us. One baker contacted
us and told us that he'd do it if we'd clear some space for him and help him construct a gigantic
tube to cook the thing inside. We got in touch with a shop that sells sheet metal. Building the cone
shape of the item was going to be the hardest thing to do. After we met them in person,
we ended up going to the most famous metalworking place in Japan to see about doing this. Naturally
they didn't know anything about making chocolate coronets.
Matsumoto: This is a regular company that you can see on tv commercials.
Interviewer: You haven't put on the Mega-Coronet event recently.
Sakata: The baker unfortunately passed away.
Matsumoto: Someone came from Kansai to get the tube. Maybe someday we'll be able to make another
tube and have a real revival for the event.
[The Future of the Trade Association]
Interviewer: One last question. Can you tell us your thoughts about these ten years of
working on these unusual projects?
Sakata: I feel very grateful to have been part of this. Not in the sense of doing this, but being able to
use Lucky Star contents to accomplish this great work.
Matsumoto: I feel the same way, although maybe our account is not interesting enough for inclusion
in a magazine article.
Sataka: Maybe we can say that working together to grow Lucky Star has been a lot of fun for us.
Matsumoto: I agree. That's the main thing.
Interviewer: Until the very end, these two have worked with the idea of making sure people had fun.
Since the merger with Kasukabe, the Trade Association has changed, but that can only mean that
something bigger and better is in store!
[p.132] These 10 Years for Yoshimizu Kagami - A Long Interview
Subtitle - Yoshimizu Kagami has continued to develop the world of Lucky Star for ten years
in support of his readers. Let's see how he's doing and check on his frame of mind at this
turning point. Let's also hear about the future of this work!
[Looking Back on These 10 Years - Which Now Seem Short]
Interviewer: So what's it like at this point for you? Have these ten years seemed long or short?
Yoshimizu: It's really a mysterious feeling. Now that you ask, it feels rather short, but upon
looking back over them, I feel that they were a long ten years. It's a unique sensation. (laughs)
Every month I had deadlines to deal with, and because of that, I think the months went by
in a hurry. 'Have six years really passed since the conclusion of the anime?' Thoughts like
these make me think the time passed in a blink. Then there's how long it took to write and
draw one volume of Lucky Star, which makes me think the ten years took a long, long time.
Then there's what those ten years did to my body - I can really feel the weight of them. (laughs)
Perhaps it's not the passage of time that feels heavy, it's my own body weight. (laughs)
Interviewer: In those ten years you've developed the world of Lucky Star to an amazing extent.
What are your thoughts as you look back on the evolution of LS over this past decade?
Yoshimizu: Honestly speaking, there's not so much of 'we got here' as much as
'I was able to continue doing this', in terms of impressions. There are certain people who have
asked me if it was about time to pack it in, but I received many survey postcards from fans
who encouraged me and asked me to keep going. And in the process of continuing,
I caused a lot of trouble for the people compiling my work. There's that feeling, but
even stronger was my desire to keep continuing this work.
Interviewer: So there's not much of a turning point after these ten years?
Yoshimizu: Not really - there's not much of a sensation that I've been doing this for ten years.
In fact, there's a part of me that doesn't even feel that ten years have passed - only a very
vague sense of it, but there's not much in the way of thoughts about what meaning
these ten years ought to have. In some of my conversations with people on the phone,
some of them said they couldn't imagine this continuing for ten years. I even agreed
with them back then. (laughs) And there's a part of me that isn't sure if the next thing
I work on can last for ten years. Things worked out really well for me, I think. It'd be good
for me to give my profound thanks and appreciation to the fans, staff, and editors who
worked together with me on this.
Interviewer: It's been said that you've been blessed with meeting a lot of people
during interviews.
Yoshimizu: Yes, that's true. I do remember some of those However, I'm a poor talker who
can't really describe some of the stranger things that have occurred. (grim smile)
Interviewer: You may have been asked this before, but what was the biggest pinch (moment of
crisis) for you during these 10 years?
Yoshimizu: This doesn't really count as a pinch for the work, but after the anime had ended
I put out volume five. I wondered if this wasn't a good thing back then. That feeling of anxiety
I had might have been the greatest pinch. You see, the tankobon was really late. I was afraid
that because of me, the book might never be released. I became wrapped up in thoughts like
those.
Interviewer: Would you say things reached a crisis point? The Crisis of Lucky Star?
Yoshimizu: Recently I've started to feel that way. Will it be like this every time?
I worry that I'm running out of good references to throw into the work. Recycling the same
themes, the same jokes, and not enough references to other things. I now think the newer
ones aren't jammed full of references to other things. Of course, at the end of the process
a book pops out at the end, but now putting one together has become very difficult. I'm
sure this is troublesome for my publisher as well (in terms of the publishing schedule).
'Will we be okay this month?' That's been a kind of pinch that's continued for a while
now (laughs grimly). But yes, I was in one pinch, and it was a blow to my spirit. You
see, my dog unfortunately passed away. When that happened, I couldn't tell any funny
stories or make any jokes for a while.
Interviewer: I see. When Cherry died in the story, was that your way of referencing that
real-life event?
Yoshimizu: Yes, it was. All of my readers experienced that. The dog I was keeping was
a larger dog who had turned 13, so the dog was near the end of its life. We really notice
now how the dog isn't around during family meetings.
Interviewer: Doing the work causes some problems, but have you ever gotten tired of
drawing the same world and the same characters?
Yoshimizu: Never. I don't get tired of drawing them. However, drawing the same character
for a really long time and then feeling like I still can't draw her well can be irksome.
I begin to flounder and look for different tools. 'This character looks odd!'
'This wasn't drawn well!' 'She's not cute!' Having thoughts like that makes
me feel irritated (laughs). 'Why can't I draw this character and make her cute?'
are questions I've asked myself (laughs).
Interviewer: Do you ever feel if you did nothing but practice drawing the same character
over and over again, you'd be able to draw the character more cuter than ever?
Yoshimizu: That's happened. I wonder why even though it's been ten years, the movements
still don't come as smoothly as I want.
______________________________________________________________
[Memories of Cherry-chan]
The Yoshimizu family was keeping a dog named Cherry-chan. The
dog the Minami family was keeping in Lucky Star was named after
Cherry-chan. Because the dog has been in the manga, events, and other
things related to the Lucky Star publication, the fans have grown
to love Cherry-chan as well. Cherry-chan unfortunately passed away in 2008.
Old age had caught up to her, and her heart had grown weak.
Her many years began to fight her using guerilla tactics and
Cherry-chan tried valiantly to battle them. Even though Cherry-chan
passed away, the dog described in the book lives on in the imaginations
of the readers of Lucky Star. She was a sweet, cute dog who lived life
at her own pace, and together with the Minami's dog, survives in
the memories of Lucky Star's readers.
After some time had passed, Yoshimizu-san prepared a note in
Lucky Star announcing the loss of his pet and made a memorial
image. In the 10th volume of Lucky Star, he mentioned that he
had acquired a new dog. Some of the fans asked what happened
to Cherry-chan, so the note was finally published. The people
compiling the tankobon also paid their respects.
A dog that was greatly loved by fans. She became famous because of
her apearance in Lucky Star and her photograph was published in a
gallery. She was quite famous.
______________________________________________________________
[Continuing the Interview]
Interviewer: Speaking of drawing, apparently there are people who can
put together an illustration in about two minutes.
Yoshimizu: Yes. I was really surprised when I heard that. 'Really?'
That makes me feel bad. I guess that's what you call the fruits of talent.
(laughs)
Interviewer: When you're signing autographs, do individual characters
seem to jump out as if they're alive?
Yoshimizu: Yes, that happens. And some strange quote appears in my head
too. 'I've got to put this in here for the punchline to work'. I don't just
slam out the work like bam, bam, bam! I have to carefully set up everything
in place. Make the story more interesting or funny, fine tune the language,
and work on the conversations. It takes time to do it right.
Interviewer: With all of that, I bet it takes a long time to decide on a name
for a character.
Yoshimizu: And it's been ten years. Can't I speed up my process? I want to
be able to slam out a drawing like a machine. I've gotten a little faster through
experience, but without stretching out my answer for too long, I don't think
I've gotten much faster. And I'm slower in some ways now. (pained laughter)
I guess I can't move forward as well as I'd like.
Interviewer: When you talk about moving forward and progressing, what
precisely do you have in mind?
Yoshimizu: I've gotten more efficient compared to the old days. I've become
more certain with my tools - e.g., layers in 'shop work this way so I can line
them up like this and work. Now that I know more about it and how it works,
'shop's much easier for me to use, and I can use it quickly. I still have a
tendency to overthink and worry too much about what I do. I'm not satisfied.
I have to get better.
[The Accumulation of 10 Years' Work! Details Concerning Yoshimizu's 4Koma
Style]
Interviewer: When you're drawing a 4koma manga strip, which is more important
to you, drawing cute characters or fitting in an otaku culture-themed reference?
Yoshimizu: I give the reference the priority in that situation. Now the person
drawing 'Charming Sesame Seeds' focuses on cuteness, but I've carved out a
place for Lucky Star by working in those references. I don't build the visuals
around the references. Instead, I focus on their cuteness, their conversations,
and their natures.
Interviewer: Since you started Lucky Star, you've created many characters to fill
out its world. How do you keep all of them separate? Are there any points you
use to keep everything consistent?
Yoshimizu: Sometimes there are characters with similar purposes, designs, or
roles, but that's not a major concern for me. Always having a stock design for
characters can get boring fast, so I labor to ensure that each one has a specific
purpose. For example, Kagami is the tsukkomi character, but she has a lot of
hidden otaku qualities that the audience will pick up on and warm up to.
Konata and Hiyori both have that otaku nature and share many of the same
interests, but one is more active in otaku circles and the other is a passionate
otaku customer. I think that these differences help to sell the idea that each of
these is a unique character, and I keep this in mind when writing and drawing.
Interviewer: When you're making the characters, do ways of drawing in references
to other things creep into your thoughts?
Yoshimizu: Not when I'm first drawing the character. As I talk to people, or watch TV,
or play games, something will appear that I think is interesting and funny, and I write
that down for inclusion later. That's how the characters evolve. I was worried that
this method wouldn't be interesting, but it is in fact how I've fit in the references.
Interviewer: The designs seen in Lucky Star appeared when you were playing TRPGs.
Were you thinking of classes or roles when you created them?
Yoshimizu: A little of both. I'd discuss things with the other players while drawing
characters for them, and we'd determine the personality of the character before
establishing the class or occupation for that character - and make the design fit
the character the player wanted to portray. Even if I wanted to change the design,
once the character has been determined, I can't do anything to alter the outcome
of the drawing (laughs).
Interviewer: Among the many designs of the characters in Lucky Star, did you follow
this pattern of determining the role for the character before drawing him or her?
Yoshimizu: For the Big Four, absolutely. You've got the bokke, the tsukkomi, and
the following characters. That was the natural composition that I mixed some references
into. After that, the others were determined in much the way the TRPG characters
were. But in terms of repurposing designs, Konata was originally the design I used
for a soldier-class character, which is pretty different from how she is. Now that I think
about it, there were some traces of that in my earlier drawings of Konata, which I
call the 'Cool Konata' phase.
Interviewer: Do you still use this method for character building?
Yoshimizu: Yes. That part hasn't changed. And I've made so many characters for the
world that I think it's a little tangled. Let me give you an example: when I was making
Izumi, I determined that she wasn't going to be a hidden otaku, and I wondered if a
hidden one (a person who is otaku but denies it) was going to pop up. That concept
ended up fusing the basic design for the tsukkomi character. And then with the passion
of a man who will cause his own ruination, the flood of characters poured forth from
me.
Interviewer: Do you try hard not to overthink the design of the characters you make?
Yoshimizu: Yes, but there are some points I can use that help out. What sort of
personality the character has is reflected in the eye design. The hairstyle worn by the
character also has a way of making the character stand out. I conceived the image of
Izumi rushing towards her hobbies and interests. But because all of the big four were
designs from TRPGs, I guess you could say that all of them were flavored with the
taste of a hobby! (laughs) Think of it how a lump of carbon forms a diamond.
Twintails, megane, long black hair, breast size,etc. - all of these are
symbols that get thrown in, part of the crystals I throw into the mix to make the
synthetic diamonds.
Interviewer: But speaking of characters, you've created something that has a lot of
variation.
Yoshimizu: I have! And with it, I have expanded my defensive line! (laughs) A long
time ago that wouldn't have worked, but as I have gotten older, my strike zone
has widened.
Interviewer: Lucky Star has brought us a lot. Setting aside dramatic events at the
school, you've calmly drawn out the everyday lives of the characters. Have you ever
worried this relaxed style of storytelling would leave you unable to get the audiences
pumped over dramatic events?
Yoshimizu: I had a lot of helpers assisting me with the bunkasai or taiikusai events, so
I didn't need to worry much about those. Those turned out to be very exciting. [cont.]
______________________________________________________________
Was Miyuki discovered in a previous world?
Here's a rough design Yoshimizu created while playing
a TRPG. From this design, the character concept solidified.
______________________________________________________________
[cont. from earlier] In fact, because those things were present, people became very pumped
and drawn into the story. That's a big part of how Lucky Star became the way it is.
To maintain Lucky Star's mood, it's important that I don't try to cram in too much stuff.
When I was outlining the concept for Lucky Star, it was a vision of casual events in an
everyday setting that gradually start to pick up. That's part of the reason why I thought
I ought to feature events like those in the work.
Interviewer: In addition to those, Lucky Star features the passing of time, which allows
you to fit in cultural events and references to special features of the seasons.
Yoshimizu: You get the bunkasai and Christmas right off the bat - both of those are full
of things you can mine for story ideas. In fact, maybe I'll hit those for raw materials
next year! (laughs) The manga draws on our memories of those things, and in the
case of the bunkasai or taiikusai, the reader remembers them (Oh yeah, we had something
like that!) and that makes the story easy for him to relate to.
Interviewer: While you purposefully didn't create evil, malicious things in the world of
Lucky Star, do you think you're controlling the amount of dark references?
Yoshimizu: Oh yes. This is a little different from making the story exciting, but
we might feature a person whose darkness is referenced, and then a solution is
presented. In some ways Lucky Star asks about that resolution. Is it okay?
There's also a set of stories that won't be used.
Interviewer: So are you focused on making relaxing, fun stories?
Yoshimizu: Yes. There might be something that's a little dark in the work but a
serious social ill like bullying, for example, is right out.
Interviewer: Your work is frequently listed as a healing-type 4koma manga. Were
you trying to make one when you made Lucky Star?
Yoshimizu: No, not really. If I can speak frankly, I hadn't imagined it as a
healing-type manga (laughs). To put it simply, I was going to make something
that was relaxed and fun to read. It was my readers and editors that began to
use those descriptors. Even now I feel it's not the right way to describe Lucky Star.
(laughs)
[Things that Changed and Things that haven't Changed]
Interviewer: How has your feeling towards the work changed from the beginning?
Yoshimizu: I don't really have any intention for it to change inside myself.
As far as building the structure and other conceptual things, some parts of those
change inside me but I don't really intend for them to.
Interviewer: What do you think has changed the most, in terms of the work?
Yoshimizu: That's difficult to answer even though it's a simple
pattern for a question! (laughs) I can't put it into words. Maybe there is something
inside me that changed. Maybe it's the way I get references or make the story
for the 4koma manga, although I can't say exactly how that's different. Maybe
the mood or the number of references is different. If I pick up volume one and
read it now, I want to tell the author (me) not to use those lines of dialogue
or those punchlines. That's the voice of experience, the experience of making
all those 4koma, talking there.
Interviewer: The impression the art gives off has changed since the first
volume. You've drawn a lot since then.
Yoshimizu: I think that was the atmosphere changing without my being aware of it.
Or the feeling of the language. At first Konata felt like 'mystery girl', but then she
became the perfect otaku. In fact, a defiant otaku. So make no mistake, the one who
changed the most was Konata. Tsukasa's always had the same direction and no
matter how many times I draw her, her personality and way of talking have become
solidified, if I may carelessly express this idea. (Looks through the first volume)
There's not quite a feeling of them being great friends here. (laughs) It wasn't until
the third or fourth volume that their jabs softened and became friendly. The first
ones I drew were Konata and Tsukasa, and I was really floundering about back then.
Interviewer: Tsukasa rarely says "Ohhh!" now.
Yoshimizu: True. She never says it anymore. (laughs)
Interviewer: And at the beginning, Konata didn't close her eyes nearly as much as she
does now.
Yoshimizu: Oh my goodness, you're right. That has truly become the almighty, all purpose
face for Konata. I try to make small variations on it to express a nuanced feeling, but it
is something I used often for her expression. Whether she's lobbing a jab, being provoked,
or just being herself, there are many tiny variations. Although it's a weird face for her to have
all the time, it creates a feeling of Konata-ness, and it's become a standard expression for
her (laughs). I guess if you opened up this book and turned it to a random page, you'd think
the manga was strange. I don't just mean Konata- some of the other characters have odd
traits. For example, Tsukasa and Yukata both have eyes that turn into solid white dots
in a black circle . . . I used to draw that way a long time ago, but at first when I was drawing
the manga I didn't want to use that technique.
Interviewer: There were even fine details like that which you considered carefully.
Yoshimizu: I guess it's lively, but it also eats up a lot of time. (laughs) There are definitely
two sides to it.
Interviewer: Can you tell me about anything else that has changed?
Yoshimizu: My endurance - and not for the better! (laughs) It's not just that I've put on weight,
but I never used to be weak. I used to be able to do about 10 chinups. Now I can't do
even one. Or a push-up. I set up a fitness app on my phone in hopes of keeping track of
my abdominal exercises, but my body wouldn't cooperate. I was very surprised. I'd
intended to do 30, but it was very difficult. I thought that it was very bad.
Interviewer: How about some internal changes?
Yoshimizu: I fear I'm losing my ability to concentrate. (laughs)
Interviewer: There's been a lot of talk about growing older (laughs).
TL Note: The original 4koma is included, which showed Konata blasting past other racers
on the track field. Tsukasa was impressed, and asked her why she didn't join any sports
clubs. Konata answered that she would not because she would end up missing anime
shown during Golden Time (the 19:00 - 22:00 timeslot).
Interviewer: How about your drawing ability? How do you think that's changed?
Yoshimizu: Recently a lot of tools for visualizing images have been produced. I respect
the people who developed them. If I had some of their talent, my manga might be
more interesting. There are still a lot of things I'd like to try out, but now it's harder for
me to find material to mine for references and ideas. What a dilemma!
Interviewer: What about changes in the way you produce your work?
Yoshimizu: Oh yes. If I had my druthers, I would go totally digital. However, if I do that,
I start to fixate on very fine details. With a computer, I can make totally straight lines and
correct every little imperfection, which ends up taking me three times as long. I asked a
friend and he said that it'd take about two to three weeks to get used to this production
method. In terms of how much concentration it'd take - well, I just can't do it.
If I could use digital production tools, I'd be saved all the time I devote to erasing stuff.
I'd be able to instantly show a picture to someone. It's something I'd like to do. It'd be
a nice challenge to overcome.
Interviewer: You've had a chance to draw many things over these years. Can you look back
at it with a strong sense of satisfaction?
Yoshimizu: Recently there have been some drawings - the World Stamp for the Stamp Rally,
Comptic's January Issue's oversized poster, or the cover to Hitome Konata, a novel. I thought
those turned out to be very cute.
Chief Editor: So are you saying that the newest stuff looks the best?
Yoshimizu: Well, yes. I guess you could say that.
Interviewer: What about failures or disappointments?
Yoshimizu: Recently the design for the uniform didn't turn out right (laughs).
This line isn't good, this color was wrong, that kind of thing. No major examples. Well, there
is one. The story of Miyuki's older brother.
The setting had already been well established by that time, and it wasn't a good idea to make
a major change to it like that.
Interviewer: Have you worked hard to solidify the background to avoid mistakes like that
in the future?
Yoshimizu: No, not really (laughs). But I will be more careful. Miyuki's design came from a TRPG
and I started thinking about that character's background instead of Miyuki's. That is something I will
work hard to keep separate in the future. That's my big mistake (pained laugh).
Interviewer: What about the details and data of the setting? Do you establish that ahead of time?
Yoshimizu: I build up the names of people in characters' families. That works out well.
There are exceptions. Yukari came into existence not because I was thinking of Miyuki's mother,
but because I wanted a new character in the manga. I decided on her name right then, when I was
thinking of how to introduce her. That was when I found that she worked well in the spot she was
in and I didn't need to introduce her as a wholly seperate character (laughs).
______________________________________________________________
A design that Yoshimizu liked. This was used as a special reward for finishing the Stamp Rally.
The editor also liked it and attached 10 of these to his door.
______________________________________________________________
[Searching for Things to Refrerence comes Naturally? The Recent
Kagamin]
Interviewer: What games and anime occupy your time these days?
Yoshimizu: Kingdom. I've been burning through pages of it in Jump. (laughs) I pick up
the newest release and read it all in one shot. It's a really exciting and passionate story,
so I can't put it down. I've also been reading High Score Girl. I really liked the atmosphere
of that one. I started going to arcades when I was a high school student, so I'm very impressed
with how this captured the delicate details of that world. I've come to understand it more
from reading this, and a big wave of nostalgia hits me as I read the work. It's a good feeling.
Shingeki no Kyoujin is also keeping my attention. It's made a big impact. Rather than lure you
in with a cool design, the look of the Titans is so outre that the book holds your focus. I
bought all of the volumes in one go.
Interviewer: What other anime are you watching?
Yoshimizu: I'm not glued to any recent series, but I've been enjoying the recent broadcast
of Golgo 13. He's quite astringent. I don't get to watch it every week, but if I'm home when
it's on, I watch it. My friend sometimes teases me about missing episodes. Hajime no Ippou
and Grappler Baki were also things we talked about back in the day. Surprisingly, I'm not
watching the latest hot things in the moe genres. I guess that means I haven't been watching
the latest anime (laughs).
Interviewer: What about games?
Yoshimizu: Dragon's Crown, and I've been playing some of the top-heavy ladies. I also really
like the elf's legs. Well, I really love how it captures the feel of a TRPG. I also have some stacks
of games I've bought but haven't played yet. I thought it'd be fun to play a lot of them, but it
can be difficult to get started.
Interviewer: Do you look for ones based on reputation and assemble stacks of those titles?
Yoshimizu: Unfortunately my gaming antenna is not that sensitive. I hear about good titles
from friends, news on the net, or the title appearing as a buzzword. Based on those factors,
I come to know of a game and become interested in acquiring it.
Interviewer: How much of that information has reappeared in Lucky Star?
Yoshimizu: Not that much (laughs). If I don't know the material in detail, even if I make a reference
to it in Lucky Star, the fans won't recognize it. If I haven't done enough research, I won't feel
natural packing it in with the rest of the story. As a result, fitting in a reference to something in
a scene is a tricky matter. There's also the problem of trying to fit the reference into the normal
flow of conversation and having it appear as something the characters would naturally say.
Interviewer: When you're working on a collaboration with another circle, do you spend a lot of
time researching their characters and setting before making an illustration?
Yoshimizu: If I get a request like that . . . well, let's say for example that a game maker wants
to do a collaboration work with me. I will play that group's game a bit and get my feet wet.
After that, I feel ready to make a drawing for them. I want to make stuff that won't offend their
fans or let them down.
Interviewer: You bought all of Kingdom in one shot. Did you want to include references to it
in your work?
Yoshimizu: Not really. The genre is so different that it'd be hard to fit it into Lucky Star! (laughs)
I also have to make sure that I get permission from the IP holder. I have to think about all of
those things. Oh, and that reminds me of something that happened recently. Ninja Slayer began
serialization and I found a way to slip in a congratulatory note as a punchline in some of my
dialogue. That's how I include the references in the flow of the manga, although doing it naturally
can be difficult. If I fit in a reference through brute force, it feels hollow. I have to think about
what genre Lucky Star is and keep that in mind.
Interviewer: It sounds like what you do is to try to find a way to do everything naturally.
Yoshimizu: Correct. I like works of good quality, and so I am trying to make them myself,
even if it is hard (laughs)
[The Future for Yoshimizu Kagami, and What is Lucky Star?]
Interviewer: When you were creating Lucky Star, was there something lucky that happened
while you were in the middle of making it?
Yoshimizu: I think humans are blessed with luck. Because it's strong, Miyakawake no
Kufuku was turned into an anime, but I think that has a different nuance than lucky.
I think having the director and cast that we did was a lucky thing, so I would like
to tell all of them how thankful I am for their work. Thank you all. And without leaving
anything out, I think it's lucky if I buy a lottery ticket and it wins. (laughs)
Interviewer: For the average person, there's a strong image of Lucky Star as a hit.
How is it for you? Do you think of it as a hit, or do you feel the same way about it that you
did before?
Yoshimizu: A mix of both, I think. Even if I have money, I don't see a lot of things that
I want to buy with it. With me being how I am, there's nothing to be gained if I suddenly
sport a lot of brand goods (laughs). Besides, I don't know about that stuff to begin with.
I make a fine point out of not buying what I don't need. I have to be thankful for my family.
Interviewer: Lucky Star isn't just a manga, it's also an anime, games, puzzles, etc. - there's
an entire media mix. Which one of these has left the strongest impression on you?
Yoshimizu: All of them have left an impression. The first thing was the Drama CD, which
by the nature of it coming first impressed me. Then there was the game. I had wondered how
the world of Lucky Star would convert to a game, so that had an impact as well.
The anime was amazing. As someone who drew and wrote the manga, to have that adapted
into an anime made me extremely happy. It was the result of all that work. The live events
and musicals also affected me. So I don't think of it all as just my work, but rather something
I've carried that's become all these events! All of these things have left a strong impression.
Interviewer: There are live events at Washinomiya's sacred grounds. Live events are the most
exciting, don't you think?
Yoshimizu: Absolutely. Having the fans express their warm feelings directly is wonderful.
Before the events started, I was a little afraid. I wondered if anyone was going to come (laughs).
That fear faded as the event began, and by the end I was swelling with emotion.
______________________________________________________________
Nyamo changed too? The one on the top is the original Nyamo, and the on on
the bottom is a recently drawn version of Nyamo. It kind of looks like a stuffed rice cake.
Is this a reflection of reality in some way?
______________________________________________________________
Interviewer: Having seen how the real life locations from the manga have been affected
(swelling crowds, people getting excited to see them), has it changed your view of the
manga?
Yoshimizu: Speaking honestly, my view on the entire project hasn't changed.
I've gone on for 10 years doing this without changing. I don't know how long I'll be
able to continue. I don't know if I'll change. I don't know if it'll suddenly change, or
if it'll continue as it always has. But I don't think it'll change. From my own personal
perspective, I don't think I will continue this for another 10 years. Without changing
direction, a new thing will absorb my focus. Let's reflect on Lucky Star. Some aspects of
life in Lucky Star are a product of a specific time period. Reading them in Lucky Star makes
nostalgia wash over me - it really strikes a chord. I think this quality is why it's been
successful as a manga.
Interviewer: Other than more Lucky Star, is there another thing you'd like to do?
Yoshimizu: Hmm. Well, I want to be better at using digital tools. That's a personal goal
I've set for myself. I feel there are some skills which I am lacking in, and there is new art
I want to be able to create. I also want to use my time more efficently, travel to different
places, play a lot, catch a lot of new information . . . hmm, I want to do a lot (laughs)
Interviewer: Do you have a message for your readers, who have cheered you on for these
past ten years?
Yoshimizu: Since it's not over yet, it's harder for me to make a message. What I've felt,
what I've come to feel, the experiences I've gained through being alive - these are
things I've expressed through my characters. 'A manga where I've told how I lived,
such as it is'. If there's a part where it transforms into something comical, that's fine,
and I've also packed some of that in there. However, don't think Lucky Star is a direct
representation of me (laughs).
Interviewer: Thank you very much for your time. We are all looking forward to your next
work.
Yoshimizu: You are welcome. I'll keep working hard!
______________________________________________________________
[Energy from the New Doggy]
A new character that was introduced in the 10th volume's omake section. Will this
child breathe new life into the work?
Dialogue: A new dog has come into our house.
She was born in April. Her name is Miu! She's got too much energy but is very cute!
______________________________________________________________
[p.161] Contribution Story
On that day Konata Izumi casually walked into the shop. [Welcome!]
said the manager, who spoke with an uncomfortably intense voice that somehow also
made people relax and feel at ease. If you were standing nearby, you'd hear
the manager and his staff make comments about [Legendary Shoujo A] and that
[Today would be the day!]. What kind of window shopping would she do today?
she wondered as she looked around. [Hmm?] As she looked over the shelves, her
gaze alighted on a retro game which prominently featured a gorilla. While her nonchalance
did not change, she could not help but take it into her hands.
™ ™ ™
Something rose within Konata's mind - one memory of a day in Spring. This was of
a time fifteen years ago. On that day, Soujiro suddenly said something.
[Why don't we go to to a zoo?] [A zoo?] asked a much younger Konata, trying to grip
a famicom controller in her tiny hands. [It's really fun] said Soujiro, trying to get her
excited about the idea. Sojirou lived on his own terms, and he was raising Konata by
himself. He tried to make sure she wasn't lonely. In fact, this latest endeavor was
another attempt from him to ensure that. When he asked Yui for advice, the zoo was
the first thing she said.
[And after the zoo, a bento lunch.] he mused aloud. How very much like a man to
start with food. Konata, running around his feet, was particularly excited by this idea.
The sad thng was that his household had lost Konata - the chief cook of the house,
and his culinary skills were insufficient - he couldn't even mold onigiri the right way.
Worse still, his attempt to make octopus weiners also resulted in tragedy - a blackened,
ulcerated thing looking like some terrible Cthulhu Mythos alien.
[Did you make it?] [Konata, I worked hard . . . in any case, they're ready.]
Maintaining a serious face, Soujiro packed away their bento boxes in a bag for their
trip. Their special trip had gotten off to a bad start, but Soujiro didn't want to throw
in the towel. Let's go! The two headed towards their destination.
Eventually they got to where they needed to be. Soujiro gently roused her from her
sleep on the train. [Konata, we're here.] [Hmmmnnn.] In high spirits, Soujiro
began walking. Other worries disappeared in a whirpool of fancy and delusion.
Konata seemed happy to see the various animals. [They're cute! This is very fun,
Otou-san.] For Konata, seeing this many small squirrels and rabbits reminded her
of something from a dream. Her dad was happy too, and pointed out one that
was sleeping while standing up.
To show her all of the place, they got on a train inside the zoo and rode around
the circuit of the tracks, noting animals as they passed by them. Soujiro pointed
them out and did his best to remember relevant details while talking to Konata.
[Konata, alpacas aren't just warm and fluffy. They are quick on their feet.
They can run about 40 kmh - the same speed as our car. Oh, and when they're
really young, they don't have teeth.]
[They're not very cute.]
[Hmm? Oh, yes. Here's the next one. Meerkats. They are very conscious of their
groups. Some super-families have about forty of them together. It's like a fleet.
Oh, look at that one. He's standing on his hind legs. That's how they bask in
sunlight every morning. Think of it like the radio taiso you see old folks doing.
. . . Konata. Konata, are you awake?]
[ . . . y-yes.]
[N-not interested? There are some lions over there! The king of beasts!
But since they look are part of the cat family, there's a gap where you
feel moe for them.]
[Gap? Moe?]
[The males in the group don't hunt. The females do all the hunting. The
males are there to protect the families. They make a sound like . . .
how do I put that into words? Anyway, the other side of that is that they
stink like sloths.]
[They're just sleeping.]
[ . . . That's true.]
For some reason, none of the animals caught her interest. Maybe his
explanations were too difficult for a five year old to follow. Thinking that
they both needed to eat, after the ride was over, he found a shady
spot and spread out a blanket before laying out their lunches,
with the badly formed onigiri and the Cthulhoid weiners. As
they ate, Soujiro engaged her in conversation.
[Konata, are there any animals you really want to see?] he asked.
[A gorilla.]
[Oh. A gorilla.]
Konata imitated a gorilla huffing and beating his chest. Soujiro
silently thanked Yui from the bottom of his heart.
[All right. Finish up your lunch and we'll see the gorillas.]
Unfortunately, at this zoo, no gorillas were kept in captivity.
[There aren't any gorillas, father?]
[That's right. There aren't any here.]
After looking around one more time, the two left the zoo. However,
Soujiro didn't want to go home just yet. They went in the opposite
direction to Omiya and went to a certain shop in Omiya.
[The Beginning of Legendary Shoujo A]
As Soujirou looked about the shop, he felt Konata tug at his trousers.
[Father, there's a gorilla here.]
He turned to see what she was pointing at and smiled. There was a
large drawing of a gorilla on a certain game.
[Ah. I have the game that gorilla appears in.]
LATER THAT EVENING . . .
[Father! A barrel! A barrel!]
[Hmmmrrrrnnnn!]
Soujiro, gripping the controller in his hands, was being cheered on
by his audience. The two stayed up until late that night with their
attention focused on the game. At that moment in time, links in the
chains of destiny were being forged. In time, Konata would be known
for her great talent when it came to indoor activities, and Soujiro
would be known for lazing about the house in everyday clothing.
PRESENT DAY, PRESENT TIME
[It's been a long time. I think I'll have Dad play this and watch the
gorilla act violently.] When she took the ancient cartridge in her
hands, the manager rejoiced. As he let out war cries, Konata
headed towards the register.
END OF THE STORY.
[p.171]
[p.189] The Writer in Charge of this Article: Behind the Stage of Lucky Star
"Do you know Lucky Star?" "Yes, fairly well."
October of 2006. The origin of everything happened becauseof a back and forth
between the compiler and the artist.
Of course I'd start off with a joke like that. I'm D. I write the articles on Lucky Star for
Comptic magazine. This time Lucky Star sees its tenth anniversary, and I'm responsible
for writing an article about that. But I couldn't write a long one (painful laugh). I'll write a
digest to talk about what happened backstage.
About the People Involved With Lucky Star
First, there's the Rabbit Person, K-san, all the fans, and Katou Go from Kadokawa. At the
time Go was arranging the articles. Of course, arranging all of this may lead to an anime
adaptation. I remember being asked to back up the pages of the magazines even though
they were good. When the first volume was printed, I thought they very sociable and
friendly. And then as it continued, so did their friendly mood. When I first met Kagami-sensei,
he bowed very respectfully to me. I remember him being very gracious.
Because of that, even after these seven years, I still feel very calm. He's a very modest
person. But even so, he was great at working for a gag magazine, to the point where my
careless talk can't express it. He is a gentleman. Someday I'll read about him renouncing
all worldly desires.
In any case, all the locations from Lucky Star had an "at home" feeling to them, which
them easy to work on. That might make it sound too loose, but Kagami-sensei was able to
manage the staff. That may be the main reason why (we succeeded). Now I look back at
the live events, the performances, projects, and so on.
In Regard to the Lucky Star Articles
When I was put in charge of the Comptic articles, the fanpage had Kogami Akira. Go decided that Akira would report the new information. If I could,
I'd get the pages from Akira and then publish them. And in principle that's how it continued
until now, but lately Akira-sama has gotten a lot busier. She's had fewer chances to
appear. It also seems that someone else is handling the job for the readers. That's how
I started writing Lucky Star material for Comptic. The thing I remember most strongly was
the Ryoo Academy Matriculation Document. We worked together with the magazine staff
on that. I thought that Go-san might trust me since I was entrusted with a bit of the content.
And at the end of that there was supposed to be the anime announcement. I was afraid I'd
be ordered to stop work on the fanbook. I choked on the info. I decided to make the book
something really special. Special panels or checks for things in the comics. I made a lot of
difficult requests to the staff. As a result, the book became rather thick! Yoshimizu-sensei
produced a lot of illustrations and data for it, and even though he was busy he went along
with the requests for interviews. Even though we were just acquaintances he invited me to
his house and talked for a really long time. When it came out it got favorable reviews.
I didn't begrudge doing all the hard work because it led to such a great result. Then we
had to follow that with a new project and put in a ton of work on the festival. Although
now I'm digressing . . . (lol)
In Regard to the Holy Sites
From the beginning, we hadn't planned to deeply cover Satte and
Washimiya in Comptic's compilation. We knew that fans were visiting them.
But soon on the net news of "pilgrimages" appeared with some negative remarks.
We had a kind of passive attitude about it back then, but Lucky Star is a flagship
title. We had to be careful because of that. When a certain spot was designated as
a "Holy Site", I thought "How dare you!?" It turned out the fears were groundless,
Comptic released an article and organized an official visit at the area. Of course
I'm talking about Washimiya. I'm thankful for the understanding of Satte's Chamber
of Commerce and because of their cooperation, the coverage worked out really
well.
The fans also became really excited because of it. In fact, we could sense their
furious engagement with it. In fact, their energy gave the staff a lot of power. These
days if I recognize a face from the coverage of those days, it makes me feel happy/relieved.
I might wander around absurdly at the next event, so please pardon me if I do.
Finally
Looking back, it's been seven years already. As it's my job, I've tried to point out important
spots while providing information and I've done the same for the 10 year anniversary.
Thank you for looking through these precious pages. But hasn't this become an excellent
stage? What about "I couldn't get to the location Info" or "this info wasn't recorded"?
If I have the chance, I'll tell you about it. Shall we meet again in the 20th Anniversary book?
[p.190] Afterword
Good afternoon. This is Yoshimizu. Looking back, it seems this has gone on for a long time.
The time flew by for me. There has been some stumbling along the way, but there's a
strong, sincere desire to continue. Going along with this spread, I've tried to be consistent.
Over these ten years, a lot of things have changed as I've created Lucky Star. I began Lucky
Star as an immature creator but the fundamental basis of it has not changed.
To be honest, speaking personally, I don't think these ten years are special. I feel the
same "not done yet" sensation I did while working really hard at the beginning. I don't feel
it's done yet.
Reality and ideals are different. The results didn't always match what I wanted, and I
caused a lot of trouble for people. I'd like to use this opportunity to show my gratitude.
Thank you so much to the fans who have supported me all this time. by Yoshimizu Kagami
=================================================================================================
=================================================================================================
=================================================================================================
Support Heavens Feel!
Your contributions will pay for web hosting fees, additional books
to translate, and so on. Help us keep translating!
|
 |
 Donate via Paypal
|
_______________________________________________________________
Lastly, if you'd like to leave a comment, you can
respond in this page's soapbox section. Or you can
go back to the
translations main section.
|
Lucky Star, 10th anniversary fanbook, translation, japanese to english,
