is a Japanese four-panel comic strip manga series by Kagami Yoshimizu. It has been serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Comptiq magazine since December 2003. Cameo strips were published in other magazines such as Shōnen Ace and others. It has no ongoing plot and typically focuses on the daily lives of the characters.
An audio drama CD based on the series was released in August 2005, and the series spawned four video games released between 2005 and 2009. A 24-episode anime adaptation produced by Kyoto Animation aired between April 8 and September 16, 2007. The anime was licensed in North America by Kadokawa Pictures and distributed by Bandai Entertainment; six DVDs have been released between May 2008 and March 2009. An original video animation (OVA) episode was released on September 26, 2008 accompanied by a drama CD. Bandai Entertainment released the OVA in an English-sub only version on August 4, 2009. The anime is currently licensed by Crunchyroll, formerly known as Funimation. Viz Media acquired the rights to publish the manga digitally in 2014.
A spin-off manga, Miyakawa-ke no Kūfuku, began serialization in January 2008 in Kadokawa Shoten's Comp H's magazine. An anime adaptation by Ordet and Encourage Films began airing on Ustream in April 2013.
Synopsis
Lucky Stars story mainly portrays the lives of four girls attending a Japanese high school. The setting is mainly based on the city of Kuki in Saitama Prefecture. The main character is Konata Izumi, a lazy girl who constantly shirks her schoolwork and instead uses most of her time to watch anime, play video games, and read manga. Although she is lazy, she has also proven to be very intelligent and athletic.
The serialization began with the four main characters in their first year of high school: Konata Izumi, Kagami Hiiragi, Tsukasa Hiiragi, and Miyuki Takara. As the story progresses, they move on to their second and third years. However, the anime starts the story with them beginning their second year, and the other high school girls that are seen in the opening are only introduced halfway through the series. The storyline usually includes numerous references to popular past and present manga, anime, and tokusatsu series.
The spin-off manga, Miyakawa-ke no Kūfuku, focuses on the daily lives of two sisters, Hinata and Hikage Miyakawa, who live an impoverished life due to Hinata's wasteful habits.
Media
Manga
The four-panel comic strip manga version of Lucky Star started serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's magazine Comptiq's January 2004 issue sold on December 10, 2003. The first tankōbon volume of the manga was published on January 8, 2005, and as of October 26, 2013, ten volumes have been released. Besides Comptiq, the manga was also featured in other Kadokawa magazines including Shōnen Ace, Newtype, Comp Ace, Dragon Magazine, Mobile Newtype and Kadokawa Hotline for various lengths of time. The manga went on a lengthy hiatus beginning in 2014, later returning to regular serialization in Kadokawa's Mitaina! magazine on November 10, 2022. The manga was licensed by Bandai Entertainment for release in English in North America, and the first volume was released in June 2009. Following Bandai Entertainment's closure, the manga has been licensed by Viz Media.
A spin-off manga titled Lucky Star Pocket Travelers (らき☆すた ポケットとらべら〜ず, Raki☆Suta Poketto Toraberāzu), which has the four main characters waking up one morning to discover they have shrunken to doll size, was serialized in Comp Ace between the January and August 2008 issues. A single volume of Pocket Travelers was released on October 10, 2008.
Another spin-off manga, based on the Lucky Star Moe Drill video games and titled , began serialization in the January 2008 issue of Kadokawa Shoten's Comp H's magazine. The magazine transferred to Comp Ace with the June 2009 issue, and has also been featured in Comptiq. The first volume of Miyakawa-ke no Kūfuku was released on June 26, 2012.
An official parody manga titled by manga artist Eretto was serialized in Comp Ace between the July 2008 and December 2009 issues. A single volume of Boo Boo Kagaboo was released on March 18, 2010.
Another spin-off manga, based on the Miyakawa-ke no Kūfuku manga and titled by manga artist Tsubomi Hanabana and cuisine supervisor Etsuko Ichise was serialized in Comp Ace between the November 2013 and May 2014 issues. A single volume of Miyakawa-ke ga Mampuku!? was released on July 10, 2014.
In November 2022, shortly after returning from its 8 year hiatus, a new spin-off tentatively titled was announced. It is to be set 15 years after the original series.