2012 was a different year for the anime industry. At that time, experimental stories like BTOOOM!, Sword Art Online, Psycho-Pass, and the reboot of JoJo's Bizzare Adventure are a few to name. With the large mix of genres, some stuck more with audiences than others. But even the best of anime can be swept under the rug at times.
Good Luck Girl is one of them; a story about an insanely rich girl, Ichiko Sakura, who has all the fortune she could ever want: a good figure, popularity, money, a nice house, good grades, the list goes on. But such an imbalance is brought to the gods' attention, who send another god, Momiji down to extract Ichiko's excess fortune to bring balance to the human world. Too bad she's the goddess of misfortune.
What Is "Fortune"?
The challenges that we face in our lives make us who we are. When a bodybuilder lifts weights, small amounts of muscle fibers are torn and then rebuilt into something stronger. Without that damage, there's no progress. Sure, getting what you want immediately saves you the trouble of working, but is really that simple? By struggling, we develop empathy, and that allows us to understand and help others. But Ichiko never had that development, and thus, she only helps others if it benefits her. But money and wealth can only get you so far in life.
Ichiko displays a haughty and confident persona on the outside, but in reality, she's extremely lonely. Having absent parents with only a butler that she can rely on, her personal life is far from truly "rich". This doesn't stop at home, however. Envy and jealousy are natural parts of the human experience, but some take it to the next level. As a child, Ichiko made a "friend" who took advantage of her wealth, and ultimately turned her back on her, once she got what she wanted. We've all been used at one point, and the first thing we do whenever that happens is confiding in someone about our pain. Ichiko has none of that. And so we're left to ask ourselves, "Can money truly solve everything?"
Rich is Not "Rich", Poor is Not "Poor"
We come to learn that Ichiko's excess luck is from those around her; meaning that she subconsciously sucks up the fortune from others - and Momiji's job is to redistribute it. But after her personal butler develops health issues and is put in the hospital, she ultimately decides to share her luck and create a miracle, so he's saved. With this decision, she fires him and sends him away, ensuring that he never loses his fortune again.
But this is only a small part of picking the ice block, as there's yet another person she meets, this time, a handsome boy named Keita. He's everything she isn't, however: poor, humble, a big family, and works multiple jobs. But when Ichiko spends dinner at his house, she realizes what a fulfilling and happy life he has. Plus he embraces his struggles. Ichiko in her ignorance, insults the family and offers money in the form of a "donation", which Keita refuses to accept. However, their relationship is rekindled when she once again uses her luck to save one of his younger siblings. And it's at this time, when she expands her friend group - people that actually love and care for her, and eventually a romantic relationship with Keita.
A Good Mix of Humor
Let's not forget that Good Luck Girl is a comedy. Each episode, a new "villain" of the week is introduced to help Momiji take Ichiko's fortune. And of course, it always ends in failure. But her obscure methods only make the scenarios funnier. There's an "almighty feared powerful" dog spirit that Momiji summons to help her take Ichiko's fortune, but he's a Chihuahua. Her companion, Kumagi is a hideous looking teddy bear that barely helps. To add on to all the funny, the story incorporates references to other anime directly in the plot.
Such as when Ichiko has a bad run-in with Ranmaru, a transfer student. To avoid being confronted a second time, Ichiko "transforms" into a Fist of the North Star version of herself, before her other classmates start doing the same, thinking it's a trend. No explanation as to how she managed to do this is given, but then again, if we were provided one, it wouldn't be as funny, would it? After all, they say a joke isn't funny if you have to explain it.
A Lucky Soundtrack
Good Luck Girl has one of the best soundtracks that anime has to offer. It's upbeat, positive, and incorporates sound affects for every silly moment it has. The OP especially, Make My Day by Piko is a fun song about positivity, and going forward. The visuals of Ichiko and Momiji fighting, along with showing their everyday lives lets the viewer further understand the characters, which not a lot of anime openings do.
Currently, there are no plans for a season 2, though there was a teaser for one at the end of the last episode. But there's always a possibility Good Luck Girl could be picked up again later in the future, as many niche anime have been making comebacks in recent years. 10 years later, Good Luck Girl's message still stands true. It shows us the importance of giving, not just receiving. Life is a two-way street.