Lucky Star 06

The references & random of L☆S Episode 6

Thanks for JEEB for this :D

First Part Of The Episode

• The Cicada (”Higurashi”) in the beginning
  In Japan, the cries of Cicada are considered as a kind of a sign of summer, especially the end of it (as the time when Tanna japonensis is active is summer). Here it can be understood as the beginning of summer, maybe even as a reference towards Higurashi no Naku Koro ni.
• The Subaru Vivio RX-R
  Yui-neesan’s (Konata’s older cousin) car is a real existing one (propably a 1997 model), although I have not seen any pointings towards Kuroi-sensei’s car (by the looks of it it’s a standard family van, looks a bit like Honda Mobilio circa 2002-2003 [before it got the ‘Spike’- look]).
• Initial D
  Somehow I sense that the majority got this reference. Yui-neesan steps on the pedal and the whole anime gets a completely new look. Beautiful 3D CG shots, furious drifting and the “What’s with this Chome-Chome D- like driving?!” comment at the end combined with some characteristic looks of Initial D- drawing style make this reference easy to spot. If you know about Initial D, that is. Although there’s just one thing… They were driving from Saitama to the sea, why are they racing on a touge? (If Yui-neesan followed that car onto another roads, it’s understandable, though…)
• The school swimsuit (sukumizu) ハァ～、ハァ～・・・ｗ
  Of Konata, our idol of lolicon! The fact that she can still wear her ‘6-3′ swimsuit (sixth grade of elementary school, third class) means that she hasn’t grown at all during that time. I can hear some people drooling behind me already… But, anyways, sukumizu are no longer as popular as they were in junior high or senior high schools, although you can spot them, albeit very rarely, at some elementary / junior high schools.
• Full Metal Panic! Fumoffu
  At the beach Konata comments about watermelons getting completely destroyed if they’d be hit with guns (in reality suika wari is done with a bokken or something like it [a wooden sword or a real sword]). This is a reference to Sagara Sousuke from Full Metal Panic, who, in Full Metal Panic Fumoffu goes for the gun in suika wari.
• “When you take someone’s glasses off, their eyes become (з.з)”
  A common joke in anime and manga, where a character becomes completely shocked and unable to do anything without his or her glasses. A reference to Nobi Nobita (Doraemon) and many more.
• ‘Nanpa’
  Means ‘to pick up’ a girl you don’t know, for example on a street (starting, for example, with the question ‘Could you tell me what is the time right now?’ and with a blitzkrieg- like speed continuing to the date check or something like ‘Would you go to the movies with me?’). The word in itself has no sexual context in itself, and only describes the type of meeting another person, the girls just refer to a romance with a stranger.
• The ‘Right there-shouichi’tto’
  A popular phrase from the 1970’s Japan (”Yokkoishouichi”), derived as a parody from the name of the soldier Yokoi Shouichi, found from the Guam Island in 1972, who had been hiding from the American forces all the way from 1945. Has the same meaning as “Dokkoisho”, which has many meanings, here translated as “Right here”.
• Umi no Ie (”Sea house”)
  In Japan there are usually such places near beaches. You can change clothes, wash yourself in them… or at least have a drink or something to eat. Usually quite heavy-priced and nothing really gourmet, but better than to sit under the burning hot sun in Japan.
• Drinking a la Misato Katsuragi
  No comments here, if you still don’t get it, please, watch Shin Seiki Evangerion (Neon Genesis Evangelion).
• “Konata’s touched!”
  A possible reference to the “Hideki Kangeki”- pachinko slot machine, done over the first Japanese version of YMCA, sung by Saijou Hideki.
• Konata’s “sumoist’s apron”- thing
  A reference to an earlier Japanese food making- manga/ anime “Mister Ajikko” (a bit like “Yakitate! Japan”, but ran from 1987 to 1989), episode 44. I haven’t seen it myself, but I think it’s the overreactions after tasting something that the makers were pointing to. As for what is a Fundoshi, look here.
• The AIR- typish scene-making by the sea(?)
  This could be a reference to the game AIR, made by KEY and it’s anime adaptation made by Kyoto Animation (they’re making Lucky☆Star, too). AIR is centered around a story that happens in a village near sea and many scenes happen near it.

Second Part Of The Episode

• “The Melody We Know”
  This is pretty surely “Motteke! Seeraa- fuku” being hummed in here by Tsukasa.
• “Timotei, Timotei, Timoteeei!”
  Timotei is a shampoo brand, sold in many countries. Check the CM that she is referring to here.
• Putting the hand on your chin and saying “Mm… Mandom.”
  A reference to the old, old commercials from Gatsby- Mandom, that were famous at their time (link). Mandom is a mens’ healthcare brand, nowadays more mentioned as Gatsby.
• The gyaruge- reference
  When it looks like there might be a chance for a special event, which can be invoked by choosing the right action alternatives, it is called “Having a flag standing”. It also means that usually almost all gyaruge- players save there, thus the “Save frequently” -comment (everyone saves there in order to see both ways and to get all the special event pictures / CG).
• Final Fantasy Tactics, the Japanese version
  The “Save Frequently” and “Are you throwing rocks?” are both from the online help of Final Fantasy Tactics (”Seebu wa komame ni ne” and “Ishi nageteru kaai?”)
• Konata’s spooky stories
  The song “DANZEN! Futari wa purikyua” is the opening song for “Futari wa Purikyua” (”Futari wa Pretty Cure”), a Magical Girl anime series. Also a joke on 2ch.net?
• Konata’s white mask
  A reference to the remake of the film on the novel “Inugamike no Ichizoku” (犬神家の一族, “The family of the Inugamis’”), which is a detective drama in the Kindaichi Kousuke- series. The character Inugami Sukekiyo wears such a mask in it.
• Konata “legs out”
  Another reference to “Inugamike no Ichizoku”, this time to a certain corpse, that is upside down. Konata actually says “The Inugami family” when performing the act to make it more understandable
• “Hiroshi desu”
  When Tsukasa picks up the shell and starts to listen to its sound, she uses a “to desu”- ending and says her name twice. This is a reference to a Japanese comedian Hiroshi, who was popular in Japan from about 2005 to 2006.
• Comptiq
  Also called Comp, a computer game magazine. Lucky☆Star first appeared on its pages and here it is, in the anime. Again.
• “I really asked about it.”
  A phrase that is heard on the TV Tsukasa and Kagami are watching, always said in the TV programme “Toribia no Izumi” (トリビアの泉, “The fountain of trivia”).
• Shiraishi’s “Maicchinguu~!”
  Although can be understood as “My jingles!” by the way Akira-sama did the movement, this is also a reference to a 1981-1983 anime “Maicchingu Machiko-sensei” (まいっちんぐマチコ先生), which is now being used in many different study books for high-schoolers, for example.
• “House” and “A Dog of Flanders”
  Not the doctor, but a foodstuff company. Was one of the sponsors for the TV anime series “Furandaazu no inu” (フランダースの犬, “A Dog of Flanders”). This anime is very popular and well-known in Japan, and if I can say that I found House foodstuff with Flanders’ images on them in a regular family, I could say that in a way Shiraishi is right about otaku…
• “At that time, the thing that was seen by the correspondent!”
  A reference to a variety programme “Toukou! Tokuhou Oukoku” (投稿!特ホウ王国, “Submitted! The Newsflash Kingdom”), that was running 1994-1997 on the Nippon Television Network Corporation (日本テレビ).
• “Valentine Kiss”
  The ending of Episode 6 is Kokushou Sayuri’s (国生さゆり; not ‘Kuninama’ - as Konata said) debut solo song, which was released in 1986. The ‘member number’ Konata mentions is the member number in the group Onyanko Club (おニャン子クラブ), in which Kokushou Sayuri was still in when she released the song. Her member number was ‘8′.