An optical sheet for a liquid crystal display device has functions of condensing rays of light with respect to a specific direction in a plane of the optical sheet, and diffusing rays of light with respect to a direction perpendicular to the specific direction. A backlight unit for a liquid crystal display device includes: a light guide film for guiding rays of light incident on an end face of the light guide film toward a front face side; at least one LED light source disposed along the end face of the light guide film; the optical sheet disposed on the front face side; and a prism sheet disposed on a front face of the optical sheet, with the specific direction being parallel to a direction of rays of light emitted by the at least one LED light source and perpendicular to a direction of prism rows of the prism sheet.