Wikipedia tells me the target demographic for Good Luck Girl! (Binbo-gami ga! Aka “This Damn God of Poverty!” in Japanese) is a Shonen. In other words; the intended audience is young men.
I suppose that makes sense. There are scenes when our busty college girl is in cosplay or just not wearing very much. She’s an odd character for a male audience, though, as I think we’re supposed to feel some jealousy and sympathy towards her.
The premise is this: Ichiko Sakura is a very lucky girl. She’s so lucky that she unconsciously absorbs luck from others. As Sakura is effectively a luck vampire she has a negative effect on everyone near her.
Throughout the show she won’t give up her good luck. Blink and you’ll miss her concession on trying to stop this luck-vampirism but it does happen. Already you can see how the jealousy/sympathy thing is trying to work. Is Sakura the hero? The baddie? Do you wish you could be her?
The powers at be notice Ichiko Sakura’s incredible luck. The poverty gods despatch Momiji to deal with her – this god of misfortune promptly finds herself in almost slapstick style hijinks as she attempts to wrestle this extra luck out of the college girl.
There’s assorted other characters; Bobby the perverted monk, for example, the butch Ranmaru Rindo who dresses like a boy and is a martial arts expert and even a masochistic dog god.
I wondered whether the show was really intended at a female audience. A liberal, self-confident, female audience who would appreciate the characters, the interactions between them and relate to how they develop.
I’m not quite in the intended audience; whoever that actually is. I couldn’t quite relate to the Good Luck Girl – finding myself routing for the Poverty God. Having said that; the show’s energy and relentless humour won me over. I watched the complete series. I went from scratching my head to sitting back on the sofa to watch just one more episode.
One of the comedic touches I did enjoy was how the show would channel other anime. References to Dragon Ball Z, Naruto and other big name titles are loaded in there.
Overall? A tricky one. I enjoyed Good Luck Girl! but wouldn’t watch it again. I think this is an anime that you watch with friends when you can’t quite decide what you’re in the mood for watching.
Good Luck Girl! was released in the UK on March 16th by Manga Entertainment.
