Love Lucky is an ecchi romance manga written and illustrated by Katsu Aki, the author of Futari Ecchi. The manga ran in Weekly Young Magazine from 2003 to 2006.
Salaryman Fuuta Kinashi has always had terrible luck with women. Most of his relationships end up with him getting beaten up by angry boyfriends he previously knew nothing about, extorted for money, or both. The only thing that keeps him from succumbing to loneliness and despair is his love for the well-known Idol Singer Kirari, whose songs make him feel hope that even he can one day find true happiness.
His fate begins to change when he arrives at a meeting set up by a match-making service, only to find that his date is wearing a mask that completely covers her face, nearly totally hiding her appearance. Accepting her explanation that she's painfully shy, Fuuta decides to go through with the date as planned. Slowly he finds himself falling for this mystery girl's sweet and shy demeanor, despite the fact that she insists on wearing a different disguise each time they meet. Ultimately deciding that her looks don't matter, the two of them get married.
When the newlyweds arrive at Fuuta's apartment on the night of their wedding, the nervous young bride finally decides to remove her mask... revealing to the shocked young man that she is actually Kirari, the pop star he's been head-over-heels in love with for years. She explains to Fuuta that she had been hiding her face in hopes that she could find someone who loved her for who she truly was instead of for her fame and fortune.
The dumbstruck Fuuta is unable to believe his luck, until Kirari informs that in order for her record company to accept their marriage, they must keep it a secret from the world for one full year... and if anyone discovers their relationship before then, they will be forced to get a divorce. Suddenly thrust into a life of overbearing managers, fan-hating pop stars, and unrelenting entertainment reporters, Fuuta decides that no price is too high to pay for true love. Thus, the newlyweds swear that they will do whatever it takes to stay together, so that together they can finally become "Love Lucky".
Love Lucky provides examples of the following:
- Almost Kiss: Once an Episode for the first few chapters.
- Baby Trap:Deconstructed. Aika comes back into Fuuta’s life because she claims that the reason she dumped him at the wedding from those three years ago is because he knocked her up. She later insists that they get married and receive child support from him. When Fuuta meets the kid, he’s unsure if he’s the father, but Aika insists that he is and says he’s only three years old. But then Kirari comes in and reveals that the kid’s real age is four, because moments ago she gave an autograph to that same kid who told her that he’s four years old. In short, Kirari saved Fuuta from getting swindled again by his ex-fiancé.
- Barbie Doll Anatomy: Nipples is as far as it goes.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Kirari is as sweet as can be but make no mistake that she will retaliate if you come between her and Fuuta. Aika learned this the hard way when Kirari discovered she tried to swindle Fuuta again after running out on their wedding, but with a Baby Trap of sorts this time, and gives her a slap across the face for her troubles.
- Big Fancy House: Fuuta and Kirari move into one in the last chapter.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Several women Fuuta encounters before he settles with Kirari comes across this way, including his ex-fiancee who nearly baited him twice.
- Bitch Slap: When it’s revealed that Aika, Fuuta’s ex-fiancé, has been caught lying about Fuuta impregnated her and attempted to swindle him into giving her child support, Kirari gives Aika a well-deserved slap in the face.
- Blaming the Victim: So Fuuta’s ex-fiancé swindled him and ran out on him at their wedding, how do his family react? By call him a disgrace to the family and an embarrassment. His own mother even tells him to his face that she didn’t even want him to come back, even though she called him over to visit his sick father. She even talks about how embarrassing it is to her of how Fuuta is always deceived and played like a fool by women. While Fuuta’s brother enjoys berating him over how “pathetic” he is and bewildered that he could ever get married. Both firmly believe that something must be wrong with his new wife to have chosen Fuuta of all people.
- Until they meet Kirari herself do they get even more shocked. But what finally breaks the camel’s back on Kirari is that Fuuta’s mother outright calls her own son a pathetic excuse of a man and worthless; Kirara actually calls them out on this, declaring that Fuuta is not worthless and points out that the blame lies solely on his exes who tricked him in the first place.Kirari: The ones who are worthless are the ones who were deceiving him! All I did was believe him… and yet you’re saying such terrible things about Fuuta-san. This is…
- Until they meet Kirari herself do they get even more shocked. But what finally breaks the camel’s back on Kirari is that Fuuta’s mother outright calls her own son a pathetic excuse of a man and worthless; Kirara actually calls them out on this, declaring that Fuuta is not worthless and points out that the blame lies solely on his exes who tricked him in the first place.
- Blind Date:
- Taken to a whole new level, since not only were the pair set up on a blind date by a match-making service, but afterwards Kirari hides her appearance from Fuuta during all of their dates. The first time she reveals her face is at their wedding night.
- Played straight later when the "single" Fuuta is set up on at least one omiai (matchmaking) date by well-meaning coworkers.
- Also receives a Call-Back at their wedding banquet with a bit of visual Meaningful Echo: the first time they got married, she was wearing the ski mask. The second time, he is.
- The Cameo: In chapter 56, Yura and Makoto of Futari Ecchi have a walk on cameo as they pass by Kirari, who jealously contemplates how much she wants to be a "normal happy couple" like they are.
- Boyfriend-Blocking Dad: Fuuta is scared shitless when he runs into Kirari’s dad, who doesn’t recognize who he is but made it clear he’s coming over to move in and force his daughter to get a divorce. It definitely doesn’t help that he’s a former boxer with a very frightening appearance. Kirari’s dad eventually cools down and gives his blessings.
- Contractual Purity: In-Universe example. The reason why Kirari has to keep her marriage with Fuuta a secret (and why Fuuta is so hesitant to consummate their marriage) is because it would destroy the pure image she projects as an Idol Singer.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Despite having their marriage to be kept secret, Kirari can't help but to be jealous when other women are aound him.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: Fuuta has his moments when men around him are over Kiriari as well. Especially when Kirari is supposed to do a kissing scene with a fellow actor.
- Cursed with Awesome: As much as Fuuta hates his seemingly bad luck with women, he is actually quite lucky in this regard. If women weren't using him, he would have never met Kirari. One chapter, he receives chocolate from his co-worker and a woman he met at the omiai, only for them to be dropped in the river on accident. But he eventually recieves chocolate from Kirari herself.
- Distant Finale: After Fuuta and Kirari no longer had to keep their marriage a secret, Fuuta became a House Husband. It then skips one year and we get to see how they were living. They live at a Big Fancy House, Kirari's father moved in and demands Fuuta to make his tea.
- Expy: Tsunami-san is in an incredibly popular Visual Kei band (whose first singer was replaced by Erika-san) and is considered "the man you'd most want to be hugged by" in the press. Naah, probably just a coincidence.
- Fan Hater: An in-universe example with Erika, the female lead singer of the rock band "M.I.T.", is a self-professed hater of "normal people", which arose from the way she was treated by the band's fans after she replaced the previous lead.
- First Girl Wins: Averted when Kirari manages to interfere Aika's plan to marry Fuuta by baiting with a child he didn't think he had (which was a ruse). Cue her reaction when she finds out Kirari and Fuuta are married. Then again, since Fuuta's been pining for Kirari for sometime, she may be the first girl.
- Given Name Reveal: The trope is semi-averted in that there is no importance to Kirari's real name, other than the mystery of her real name itself. She says it in the first chapter, but it is not given a second thought, as she is intended to be Fuuta's mystery dating partner. It isn't until Fuuta runs into Kirari's infamous hot-headed former-boxer father that her true name is confirmed: Hikaru Watanabe
- House Husband: Fuuta might as well become one. Kirari even suggested he could quit his job since she had enough money for the two of them to live without his income. (He was shocked when she showed him the digits) However, he refused because he felt he'd be her gigolo if he agreed. Considering she only wanted him to quit so she could enjoy her days off in a more lustful way... As he left for work, she decided to use her day off to do housework only to find out everything was already done. She then felt like a failure as a wife. Fuuta felt he was too rude with his words and told her he wouldn't quit so she'd see him as a reliable adult.
- In the end, after they no longer had to keep their marriage a secret, they realized they'd still have no much time together while the both of them had jobs. Since there were things Kirari still wanted to do as an idol, Fuuta ended up becoming a House Husband.
- Idol Singer: Kirari. The main challenge the couple faces throughout the series is in balancing their private married life with the life of her pop idol persona.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: President Sakurazawa. He has a realistic idea of how Kirari might accidentally sabotage her career, now that she's found something she values more than it, and takes pre-emptive (if drastic) steps to stop it. There's also a sort of paternal twist on the old "I Want My Beloved to Be Happy" thing; he explicitly isn't trying to get in the way of true love, and relents with good grace when they last out the year.
- Much of the same mechanic is duplicated when Kirari's father comes to visit, with the exception that he used to be a boxer. His responses tend to be more thuggish.
- Kick the Dog:
- Kirari’s mother told her to wait alone in the middle of a department store for a little bit until she finished her errands. Except she never came back. Ever.
- A childhood friend of Kirari’s feels pissed when she couldn’t get an autograph from her favorite actor, so she accuses Hikari of being “full of herself” just cause she’s famous, and only stayed as friends just to use her connections. Kirari explained that couldn’t get the autograph because the actor was her co-star and believed it was too rude to ask upfront, but her so called friend wasn’t having any of it. This in turns leads to Hikari’s bullying and isolation from the rest of her classmates.
- Kids Are Cruel: When she was in elementary school, a former friend of Kirari led the other kids to isolate and bully her because Kirari didn’t get her an autograph from her favorite actor she worked with.
- Macho Camp: Mameda-san is big and imposing but in private is a big softie with a liking for great big hugs and Say It with Hearts.
- Mean Character, Nice Actor: Kirari-chan's manager, Mameda-san, is willing to punch out anyone harassing his ward, but underneath he's a big softie, especially for Fuuta-kun.
- Missing Mom: Kirari's mother abandoned her. She went as low as to leave Kirari in the middle of a department store by herself while she “promised” to come back in a little bit. She’s never seen again and it’s never clarified over why Kirari’s mother abandoned her.
- Mistaken for Gay: When Kirari visits Fuuta's family, her manager rushes inside first and hugs him, making Fuuta's family think he married the manager. Kirari clears the misunderstanding soon after.
- Moment Killer: Also Once an Episode for quite a while. Often something from Kirari's career, underlying the conflict between their professional and private lives.
- Pet the Dog: Kirari, Maneda, and to extent, Sakurazawa, are the one of the few people that are actually nice to Fuuta outside his workplace
- Rags to Riches: Fuuta goes from living in a small room paid for with his modest wages to Ippongi Hills, the most high-class, glamorous set of apartments in Tokyo, so that he and Kirari can have easier access to each other in her off time. Too bad he has a deathly fear of heights.
- Serendipity Shock: Fuuta undergoes this when Kirari unmasks (already in the nude, no less!) for him the first time she visits his home.
- Sex Is Evil: Discussed. Fuuta hesitates at asserting his marital rights because Kirari's childlike purity is part of her appeal, and her career might suffer if they get it on. (Keep in mind that the "Ethical Slut" trope does not seem to exist in Japanese culture.)
- Their First Time: zig-zagged. The aforementioned Moment Killers keep interfering when Fuuta and Kirari try to get it on. Finally, after a fair amount of drinking, they start down the path, but Fuuta has a crisis of conscience (see "Sex Is Evil" above) and then finds himself saddled with other problems. Even better, Kirari was so drunk that she doesn't remember anything of what happened: she later mentions that they haven't done it for two months since "that first night," clearly unaware that they didn't do it that first night. Eventually resolved in Ch.29.
- Tsundere: Erika towards Tsunami. They are officially dating in the final chapter.
- Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Fuuta is, at best, average. Kirari is one of the country's top idols.
- Unexpected Art Upgrade Moment: Happens when Kirari (in-disguise) and Fuuta return to his home to acquaint further, after getting married on-paper.note Fuuta wants her to "show him" [her face]. She misinterprets this, not knowing how to approach their new life, so she completely stripsnote , sans her mask. When Fuuta gets flustered and clarifies, she finally takes off her disguise, revealing in a fully-detailed one-page image that she is the very same person that he's a super-fan of, and he's seeing her full uncovered body right in front of himself.
- Unlucky Everydude: Fuuta in spades. He has whole a string of failed relationships behind him, including a Runaway Bride, though none of it seems to be his fault. Said bride comes back, claiming she left because he knocked her up. Even better, it's a lie.
- Visual Kei: The band M.I.T.
- What Does She See in Him?: What everyone else (except Mameda-san) initially thinks of Kirari and Fuuta.
