Kara Dennison
October 15, 2020 
Maesetsu! Opening Act is one of the latest anime series about teenage girls aiming for their dream. The dream this time? Performing their comedy routines at Nanba Grand Kagetsu Hall. It’ll take hard work, determination, and (most importantly) humor to get what they want.
With character designs by Lucky Star creator Kagami Yoshimizu, Maesetsu! will be a warm dose of familiarity for anime fans. But that’s not the only way this sweet new series evokes its 2007 predecessor. Dip into this joke-laced slice-of-life show, and expect to see these (and more) nods to Lucky Star:
Familiar Chill Tunes
Anyone who’s seen Lucky Star will remember the show’s distinctive soundtrack… and no, I’m not talking about Konata’s enthusiastic renditions of tokusatsu themes. The cheerful, laid-back BGM was composed by Satoru Kousaki of Monaca. And if you remember that, you’ll definitely hear something familiar in the background of Maesetsu!
Kousaki is back for this series as well, adding a chill tone to the slice-of-life series. If you’ve heard his music, you’ll know it in an instant. And if you don’t, you’ll get an ear for it in no time.
Lucky Star Exists in the World of Maesetsu!
The first episode of Maesetsu! gives a surprising amount of time to protagonist Mafuyu’s pet gag: an impression of an anime character impersonating another anime character impersonating a train conductor. It goes over about as well as you’d expect.
Specifically, we’re listening to Mafuyu impersonate Kona (of Lucky Star), impersonating Shin Nohara (of Crayon Shin-chan). To a group of high schoolers. In the year 2020. It goes over exactly as well as you think. Even so, and even being reminded how poorly it goes over, Mafuyu never gives up.
This means exactly what you think it means: Lucky Star, already a meta series itself, exists in the world of Maesetsu! And there’s one more layer to add on top of that.
Their Teacher Sure Looks Familiar
If you pay close attention in the first episode of Maesetsu!, you’ll note that the girls’ previous homeroom teacher was Ms. Hirano. And if that name sounds familiar, there’s a good reason: Aya Hirano was the voice of the aforementioned Kona in Lucky Star. The show had a lot of meta fun with the fact that Hirano played Haruhi Suzumiya prior to this, but we can go deeper.
Because that actually is the real Ms. Hirano. The character sports the star’s appearance, down to the mole under her left eye. And, as Aya Hirano herself confirmed on Twitter, she pops in to lend her voice to the character. Maybe that’s the real reason their teacher is the only one who laughs at the Kona impression…
We didn’t know we needed it, but it’s good to have a dose of Lucky Star nostalgia this season!
