| Konata Izumi (泉こなた) | |
|---|---|
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| Age | 18 |
| Birthday | May 28 |
| Favorite Food | Chocolate cornet bread, curry, noodles |
| Favorite Color | Red |
| Hair Color | Blue |
| Eye Color | Green |
Konata is one of the lead characters in Lucky Star, an anime featuring four high-school students who all have considerably different personalities. The series begins with Konata running a lap on her school’s track, giving us the impression that she is a cute jock type. This illusion is soon shattered as we find out within seconds just how wrong that image was. Konata’s friend Tsukasa tells her how good she is at sports, then asks her why she isn’t on any teams. Her answer to this is, “Because if I got on a team and started playing sports…I’d miss all my prime-time anime shows!” Now, we get a taste of who Konata truly is!
While the rest of her classmates can be found studying, doing homework or anything else one would consider responsible, Konata is often found with a game controller or the latest issue of a manga in her hand. Who needs sleep for school? Not this girl! She stays up half the night playing an MMO, a game her teacher also plays. Konata’s teacher spends part of her game time telling Konata to get her schoolwork done and to get some sleep. Konata, of course, does not get enough rest, and then falls asleep during class. Despite this, her grades are not too terrible, much to her friends’ disbelief.
Konata is an otaku at her very core. She will flake out on schoolwork and ultimately end up trying to talk one of her friends into giving her the answers; yet, she will get a job months in advance before any manga or video game event. This girl has her priorities in order, and I doubt anything will convince her to change her ways. Her buying prowess, addiction and personality are very well known, and not only to her friends. The workers at the events know Konata and spend as much time and energy as they can to entice her into buying their products.
One of the best things about Konata is that she never alters who she is. She never apologizes for being exactly who she is, and frankly, she couldn’t give a damn less what you or anyone else thinks of her. Sure, she is a bit sketchy, she never studies up front for a test and she would rather be playing a game than anything else, but that is who she is through and through. In the end, she is a loyal friend and a loving family member, even to her father, who has more otaku tendencies than she does, as well as some sketchy parts of his personality that would make most people cringe.
The smallest things can excite Konata and send her into a fit of emotion, and usually hyperactivity, as well. She is often thinking to herself the craziest things about her friends—how cute they are, how mean they can be and even how moe they are. While she may not be the perfect person, she is certainly entertaining and refreshing to watch. If I could learn anything from her, it would be one simple thing: to always embrace who you are, no matter what is going on in the world around you.
Lucky Star features the girls talking about anything and everything, from how to eat a certain dessert to why guys are not hitting on them when they go to the beach. As the series progresses, it becomes overwhelmingly clear that Lucky Star is full of powerful, smart, talented women. Each character brings something different to the table and offers a variety of strong traits, as well as an array of weaknesses, which make for an interesting blend that will keep you entertained. I love the series and re-watch it often. This is a lighthearted anime that offers viewers a funny escape from reality.
Lucky Star has something for everyone. Who will be your favorite character?
Lucky Star is streaming on Crunchyroll for both free and premium users.
