Lucky Star Kingdom (film)

"Based on a series of true events in the history of Drillimation..."

- Official attention grabber

Lucky Star Kingdom (らき☆すた王国) is a 2005 comedy-drama fantasy anime film directed by Susumu Takajima and distributed by Toho in Japan, with Disney distributing it internationally. The film was released in theaters on July 10, 2005, followed by a DVD release in November 2005.

The film follows the creation of the Lucky Star Kingdom and the life of the first monarch before their deaths in 1979. The film was initially successful, grossing more than $180 million worldwide, and was nominated for two Academy Awards.

Plot
The film begins with the kingdom's founder, Kenjirou Yamauchi, graduating from college. After graduation and during a graduation party, Yamauchi reunites his childhood friend from junior high and high school, Ayano Fuchigami, discussing their future. Fuchigami invites Yamauchi for a date to the Tokyo coast, where Fuchigami gets Yamauchi engaged to her.

While both Fuchigami and Yamauchi are gazing at the night sky, Yamauchi suggests where they should live, and Fuchigami suggests a kingdom in the ocean. Unaware of finding any islands, Fuchigami invites Yamauchi for a canoe ride using her newly designed Driller Engine machine into the Pacific Ocean. After Fuchigami uses the weight mechanic and submerging features to lower the canoe into the ocean, she pulls out a crystal ball and presents it to Yamauchi. Using the Growth Charm, she creates a large glass dome which both are concealed inside. Using the dome's open space, the Fastbuild Charm and the Regeneration Charms, they build a castle which would eventually become the signature icon of the kingdom. When suggesting on names, Fuchigami suggests calling it the "Lucky Star Kingdom" due to the fact she was called that when saving a friend of hers from peril and winning prom queen during high school.

After the news of a kingdom unexpectedly showing up in the Pacific Ocean was spread, many of Japan's citizens build a pathway for getting to and from the kingdom. As a result, around thousands of visitors come to the kingdom and begin making ema slabs for Fuchigami and Yamauchi. Trying to find a monarch for the kingdom, Yamauchi's engagement to Fuchigami eventually causes her to marry Yamauchi, resulting in a royal wedding and the two being coronated as the first king and queen, therefore becoming a monarch.

Shortly after their coronation, Fuchigami drops her maiden name and becomes Ayano Yamauchi. At one point when Yamauchi wanted to start a royal family, Yamauchi doesn't realize that Ayano is pregnant and that the tradition is starting. After nine months of tough work, their first son, Keishi Yamauchi, is born from an almost-failed process. Around six months after Keishi's birth, Ayano becomes pregnant again and gives birth to their second child and only daughter, Reina Yamauchi. As Keishi and Reina age, they begin to like each other. When Keishi is six and Reina are five, Ayano becomes pregnant once again. Unaware that Kenjirou does not have enough money to support three kids, Kenjirou has the kingdom host a ball once a month in order to raise money for the kingdom.

Shortly after the birth of the monarch's third child and their second son, Shinji Yamauchi, a group of two hackers break into the kingdom and begin protesting that the kingdom should shut down. The two hackers then introduce themselves as Team Ankoku. After Ayano hears about this, both hackers are expelled from Ayano's blast from a Patronus Charm. Days after the two hackers' expulsion, more Team Ankoku hackers appear and begin protesting about this. Many of the kingdom's inhabitants, including the monarch, begin using powerful spell cards to fend them off. As Keishi, Reina, and Shinji age, these battles continue and they join in after learning some spells at school.

When Keishi enters his freshman year of high school, the kingdom is given shocking news as doctors find a tumor in Ayano's reproduction systems. Undergoing a successful surgery, the tumor was removed but left her unable to have more children and that Shinji was the last child to be in the monarch's clan. A year later, in Keishi's sophomore year and Reina's freshman year, Ayano becomes ill once again and dozens of Team Ankoku hackers begin to invade the kingdom. Kenjirou leaves the kingdom to battle the hackers but dies during the battle. Already having Team Ankoku shattering the kingdom's king, and Ayano who is trying to stop the sickness from getting worse, she takes a few antibiotics to stop the sickness. The next day, when Ayano is trying to recover, she finds out the tumor has returned, and thanks Keishi, Reina, and Shinji for having her run a powerful kingdom, and dies peacefully with a smile on her face.

Shortly after Ayano's funeral, a young boy who is Reina's age, being Susumu Hori, comes in and takes over the kingdom as a prince, but not a king. As the credits roll, Keishi breaks the fourth wall by asking the audience/viewer to stay and see how the Drillimation anime started. In a post-credits scene, Susumu can be seen getting coronated as the prince to save the kingdom, setting up the events of the Star Trigon anime.

Reception
The film generally received mixed to positive reviews from critics, and the film holds a 78% based on 62 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. USAToday stated that it would be a story that would entertain kids, but not for an audience of serious Drillimation fans.