UPDATE: A slightly improved mirror of this is also available here!
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As of me publishing this, it has been exactly 8 years since the release of Space Patrol Luluco, on April 1st 2016, and at least 2 and a half years since I started writing my first draft of this review. Despite the date, I’m not joking when I say that this is my favorite anime.
To put in perspective how much it stuck with me, I had a lot of fun by searching and reading as much as I could find about the anime: episode discussions on different platforms; interviews with the staff, from almost a decade ago to this day; Trigger’s Q&A sessions, Tattun’s posts on 4chan; and every interesting trivia I could find on random blogs and forums, and at this point I wasn’t even thinking about my review yet. Once I decided to write about SPL, I still spent a lot of time (re)reading everything, not just to take notes, but also because I was still having fun with my “research”.
Due to some recent happenings irl I rediscovered my old drafts, so I went back to this review that I still had as private since November 1st, 2021. This time I tried my best to rewrite and reorganize my thoughts, while also including more info I found recently (like a summary of the anime’s audio drama, more on that later). There are still some parts I want to polish, and I’ll keep updating this when I can, but after all this time I’m mostly fine with what I wrote. Let me warn you though, rather than an objective and proper review, this is the story of my own search for my Ogikubo, an attempt to understand and explain why I love this short anime so much.
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While I wanted to keep this review mostly spoiler-free, that would make talking about the message of SPL impossible, so if you don't want any previous knowledge about the show I'd suggest to either read only this section, the general thoughts and the TL;DR at the end, or simply go in blind and then come back.
In fact, as much as I love this show, this isn't something that I'd blindly recommend to everyone.
Due to the huge amount of cameos and self-referential humor, one of the main points of criticism towards this short is that it's essentially a glorified Trigger advertisement. While I understand where this comes from, I have to disagree for a few reasons:
First, according to both the Trigger panel at Anime Expo 2016 and a short Crunchyroll interview with the creative director Hiromi Wakabayashi, director and studio founder Imaishi wanted to do a "comedic short anime with a sci-fi theme and a family-oriented story" even before Kill la Kill, and so when the studio had the chance to make a short anime, he insisted on doing Luluco (to the point of “throwing a tantrum”). This means that at least to some degree the core idea for Luluco was already there, while the cameos were thought of and added in a later moment, and I also believe their inclusion fits perfectly with one of the main themes of this short (but more on that later).
Second, Space Patrol Luluco is not meant as an introduction to studio Trigger, but as a celebration of all their previous works, from their first one ~~that saved anime~~ Inferno Cop to the at the time airing Kiznavier, and everything in between, even stuff like their shorts for Japan Anima(tor)’s Exhibition or the Trigger Girls announcement later confirmed to be an april fools joke. Given how the studio was founded by ex-Gainax employees, there are also plenty of nods and subtle (not really) references to the older anime they worked on.
Of course, there's more to SPL than the sum of its references, but again, I'll talk about that later.
To put it simply, if you are already a fan of Trigger's works, you are part of the target audience, and ~~this is a must watch~~ you'll probably appreciate SPL too.
However, this also means that if you tried to get into their anime but ended up disliking them, you (probably) won't like this either.
And finally, if you've never watched anything from Trigger, this is probably not the best place to start, since you won't be able to fully enjoy the various references and cameos and the reason for their inclusion.
Here's a list of other animes referenced to various degree in SPL that I recognized, some of which are plot-relevant:
Spoiler, click to view
Previous Gainax works like Gurren Lagann, Gunbuster and its sequel Diebuster, FLCL, Panty and Stocking (mainly for the artstyle, but also for a sequel(?), more on that in the last section) and Evangelion;Previous Trigger works, including KLK, Inferno Cop, LWA, Sex and Violence with Machspeed, Ninja Slayer from Animation and Kiznavier.
There are probably other references that I missed, if you know some please tell me and I'll add them.
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Kor - Space Patrol Luluco is literally perfect, and here's why
> Luluco is a gem, and precious, and I love her, she's the best...
And Luluco the series is a gem, and precious, and I love it, and it's the best.
This anime is divided into “seasons” made of 3 episodes each plus the finale, you can think of them as mini-arcs that lead into each other.
I haven’t been able to find a reason for this split, except for a fan theory that I really love and will accept as real: both Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill had some noticeable animation problems during their 4th episode, and after initial complaints it became sort of a meme to joke about for fans of the shows. So, how does SPL avoid repeating this? By getting rid of its 4th episode.
It's genius, and given how the studio seems to interact with its fandom, I wouldn’t be surprised if they knew about the joke and responded in this way.
That said, in this review I'll follow the different seasons, briefly talking about the elements introduced by each of them, without focusing too much on the actual plot of the show for the first half. Major spoilers are tagged (mostly stuff from S3 onwards), but there are minor spoilers all over the place.
Talking briefly about the visuals, the anime has a simple yet colorful cartoony artstyle, similar to P&SG, that often lends itself to exaggerated reactions, or to be adapted to fit other styles to make a reference.
img49%(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/59/dc/5e/59dc5ed4f246d9fee4bef03efd001059.gif) img49%(https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/106/822/e21.gif)
img49%(https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExa3JjZ2ZieTlhbjFuOTBlMzV2cXlkbHBvN2c2Z2RzYWE2M3lyYTRoMyZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/3ohjUYqDF6LL2Lti2Q/giphy.gif) img49%(https://64.media.tumblr.com/3b9a973809c2381d58b14edda5e0ed5e/tumblr_o7i2m6jbNU1s5f9ado1_500.gif)
The animation is somehow both limited and frenetic, working perfectly to enhance the various jokes and visual gags. And while the fast and chaotic pacing of the anime is one of its biggest strengths, allowing it to fit a surprising amount of information in every episode despite their short length; SPL knows when to slow down too, giving the characters and their interactions the time they need. Of course, there are also genuinely well animated cuts everywhere, like transformations and explosions, or the more important scenes towards the end.
The OST may not be that memorable outside the anime, but that’s not really a flaw since it’s due to the anime’s short nature. The tracks themselves, in fact, are perfect fits for their respective characters and the scenes they’re in. For example, Luluco's theme encapsulates her childlike innocence, while Nova's theme represents his alien and mysterious nature.
The OP and ED songs deserve a special mention, because they are perfect for this show: CRY MAX Do-Heijitsu by Fujirokyu is fun, wacky and energetic, and the use of different parts of the song for the different seasons adds both a sense of progression and another level of chaos. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to scream it loud while you sing it, as you can hear both here and especially here.
The anime starts with Luluco presenting herself to the audience: she's an average, ordinary middle school girl who simply wants to enjoy a normal life. However, this is harder than it seems, because she lives in Ogikubo, a city that Japan had to sell to help its debt and thus became a space immigration zone, where humans and all kinds of aliens live together.
Her father Keiji is a talented officer of the Space Patrol, a police force who fights every form of space crime. He really cares about Luluco and does his best to ensure she lives a normal life, despite their abnormal circumstances.
After something happens to her father, Luluco panics and brings him to the Space Patrol office, both to report for work and to ask them for help. We then meet ~~Tengen Toppa Inferno Cop~~ Chief Over Justice, the commander of the Ogikubo Space Patrol branch, and his (silent) secretary.
After a fun exchange between Luluco and Chief Over Justice, he asks her to work for the Space Police to pay for her father's treatment and gives her a space patrol suit.
Best flaming skeleton guy after Inferno Cop. JUSTICE!
It's already evident how much Luluco cares for following the rules and not standing out. As she says, "normal is best". Of course, her wish for normalcy is short-lived, ended by her auto-mode suit starting a transformation sequence in the middle of her midterm exams. And if that wasn't enough,
Spoiler, click to view
her suit forces her to undergo a new embarrassing yet hilarious transformation, the Judgement Gun Morphing, in order to stop a fellow classmate who's space-cheating the exam. The consequent explosion destroys both her classroom and her normal life, and then the episode ends.The next two episodes complete the main cast by introducing two new members for the Ogikubo branch: AΩ Nova, a mysterious transfer student from space; and “Save the World” Midori, a classmate of Luluco who is secretly the boss of a space-shoplifting gang.
Nova quickly becomes Luluco’s first crush, due to his pretty looks and his mature and competent behavior.
Midori is more of a supporting character, with her being smug, selfish and always ready for a snarky remark.
Another small yet fun bit of characterization comes from their transformations: Nova smiles calmly during his cool sequence, having the situation under control in a complete contrast with Luluco; while Midori transforms in a simple and lazy way, as she doesn’t really care about the space police stuff, but she still keeps her trademark smug smile.
And going back to Luluco, these episodes give us two important pieces of information:
Spoiler, click to view
First, she is the one who wants to be normal. Aside from her father, there’s no external pressure for her to be normal, and even he is never portrayed as strict and/or overbearing towards her, despite him being overprotective. This self-inflicted problem is the center of Luluco’s character, as from the first episode alone we see that she can’t handle abnormal situations: she either panics and makes things worse (breaking her father when he gets frozen) or tries to ignore the problem, which can also backfire (bringing her frozen dad to report for work first, or going to school after enrolling in the Space Patrol). Of course, this also reflects on her first crush on Nova and how it develops, with Luluco often failing to act on her feelings throughout the show. Second, despite her obsession with being normal, Luluco is actually fine in the abnormal Ogikubo. Not only is she friends with her alien classmates, but as we see from her walk in town with Nova in S1E2, she doesn’t find the town strange, nor the fact that humans and aliens are living together. She even admits she can’t tell who’s an alien and who isn’t, which Nova finds amusing.- - -
Once characters and setting are established, we get the Ogikubo branch’s first actual space mission. After some Armageddon references, it’s time for the introduction of the antagonist of this new arc, who sets things in motion for both the plot of the show and Luluco's character development:
Spoiler, click to view
Luluco's mother, the Space Pirate Lalaco Godspeed.
Fun fact, her cape is made out of life fibers.
Her arrival is soon followed by a flashback sequence in S2E2, that explains why Luluco is so "obsessed" by the idea of being normal:
Spoiler, click to view
when she was younger, her parents often got into fights, until Lalaco left her and Keiji after a shootout. We never get the full context, as we can't hear what Lalaco was saying before leaving, but it's clear that Luluco's wish for normalcy comes as a result of her family's situation and her mother's refusal to "talk things normally".Now, if only there were some additional material about Lalaco's past... oh well, more on that later, as the flashback is to be continued!
In her obsession for freedom and complete disregard for laws, rules, and JUSTICE!, she represents the exact opposite of the normalcy Luluco desires. This is the first time someone directly confronts and rejects her wish, and said confrontation quickly turns physical, as the Space Pirates attack.
We then get one of the most hilarious fights ever, with references to Kill la Kill, Inferno Cop, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann and Ninja Slayer from Animation all condensed in a minute and half of awesome absurdity.
Domo hajimemashite, Space Pirate Waifu desu.
When the fight ends
Spoiler, click to view
in a drawLuluco intervenes,
Spoiler, click to view
trying to save her father and stop her mother, but Lalaco is disappointed by her getting in her way and desiring to stay normal. She tries to attack her, but Nova blocks her punch, which in turn makes Luluco’s crush even bigger.In the next episode, the Space Patrol manages to partially awaken Keiji, and with his help they are able to reach the pirates ship. In the consequent fight for Ogikubo, however, space itself gets distorted, sending them to some random point in the universe.
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After the events of S2, the Space Patrol has to travel the universe in search of Ogikubo. And here comes the first big spoiler:
Spoiler, click to view
As the Ogikubo branch visits various planets based on Trigger’s previous works, it is confirmed that all of their original anime share the same universe.This is the perfect setup for the comedy antics we see in these three episodes:
Spoiler, click to view
We have the Thread-Ball planet KLK-X in the first episode, which is completely made out of life fibers. The entire episode perfectly adopts the KLK style, from the huge, red text walls that appear in front of the characters, to the glorious [Don't Lose Your Way]() that starts playing as the cast defeats the villain.Then we have Magic Planet LWA-∞, which is the setting of the Little Witch Academia anime (it's worth noting that when SPL came out, there were only LWA's pilot episode and the movie). Here Luluco and Nova have a fun (and dangerous) encounter with Sucy.
At last, we have Badger Planet SVM-Z, which is based on Sex and Violence with Machspeed, a stand-alone episode made for Japan Anima(tor)’s Exhibition, which makes it one of the most unknown Trigger works.
The third season is definitely the densest and least subtle in terms of cameos, and thus many argue it is also the weakest story-wise. The references become a central point of this season, and it’s understandable that it can be too much for some of the viewers. However, this does not mean that there is no substance to this small arc, nor that the self-referencial fanservice takes the place of the character arcs and themes of the anime.
In fact, while all of these references keep popping up, Luluco's character arc continues to develop.
In S3E1, Luluco completely ignores the villain-of-the-day's monologue while she worries about who Nova could be seeing in his vision. Towards the end of the episode there's also another little scene between Nova and Luluco, where he talks about how the villain might've been motivated by loneliness, and how "the hunger in his heart could only be satisfied by love" (foreshadowing?).
The next episode starts off with Luluco trying her best to strike a conversation with Nova and then worrying about what could happen if Nova was found by some other girl during this mission. After a certain misunderstanding I won't spoil, Luluco is still thinking about what's "normal", and so she asks Nova for an important favor, that as we can see means the universe for her. However, Nova still "doesn't mind either way", and even if he complies with her wish, he brushes her off afterwards.
In S3E3, Luluco goes on a mission on her own and, after asking about Ogikubo, she openly talks about her love troubles and asks for help despite her embarrassment, which is very different from her attitude at the start of the series. After a big incident happens Nova comes to save Luluco again, and this makes her fall in love even more.
The last episode of the season also seemingly brings to an end the search for Ogikubo, as while Luluco was on her mission the others were able to locate the city, which somehow ended up at the Space Patrol Galaxy Command HeadQuarters.
Once they arrive, they are surprised to find a huge amount of personal Ogikubos, but there is no time to question it, as they are approached by the Space Patrol Commander-in-Chief. He congratulates everyone for their effort to protect the city, and gives a reward to each one of them.
The season then ends on a happy note, with a group photo of the Ogikubo branch celebrating and Luluco hoping to finally go back to normal... Right?
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Spoiler, click to view
You know, Lalaco is right.After their arrival at the Space Patrol HeadQuarters, the main cast gets rewarded for their efforts, with Luluco getting Ogikubo back. However, instead of this being the happy ending, it is revealed that a Blackholeian took control of the HQ, and that Nova is directly under his command.
Nova steals Luluco's Aflutter Gem, the heart-shaped jewel seen throughout the show and in the ED, that is now revealed to be an actual, physical object. Nova offers it to the Blackholeian, who then explains his plan to both the characters and the audience.
And this is the moment SPL addresses one of its main themes, Luluco’s crush on Nova, only to sucker-punch her and the audience via the Blackholian’s monologue.
After having stolen everything valuable in the universe, including Ogikubo(s) which is the most precious, he tries to find the most worthless object to steal, and it can only be created in the same valuable Ogikubo by an emotion just as worthless: the superficial and empty first love of a middle-school girl.
He then reveals that Nova is a Nothingling, an alien race incapable of having emotions, and that he put the boy in the Ogikubo branch to make Luluco fall in love with him, thus creating the Aflutter Gem.
Then, he concludes his monologue by shattering the love gem, while Luluco dies from the shock of Nova's betrayal.
SPL takes the theme it was building up since the very start and turns it into its most relevant plot point by shattering it in the face of its characters and its audience, revealing this was the intention all along. And with this tone shift in S4E1 we go into the next episode, where even the OP lacks most of its colors.
Spoiler, click to view
After the OP sequence without Luluco, S4E2 starts with her in hell, thinking about her (short) life, her friends and family, until she remembers Nova's betrayal and notices the gap in her heart. And while she wanders through hell (and reaches Trigger’s real studio in Ogikubo), she happens to meet a certain someone.
Trigger saving anime againThis starts one of the best moments in the anime: a surprisingly normal conversation between Luluco and Inferno Cop.
The dialog starts off fun, and we learn Inferno Cop used to be a member of the Space Patrol under Chief Over Justice, but it’s a calm and slow scene. It’s not quick-paced like the earlier episodes, nor loud and nonsensical as the Inferno Cop anime. There’s no space for the usual reactions, and despite the relatively light-hearted start, the heartbroken Luluco cuts the conversation short, telling Inferno Cop she has just died.
During this pause, it’s easily noticeable how there’s no soundtrack: the only thing we can hear beside the characters is the flame Inferno Cop is cooking on, that keeps on burning in the background.
After Luluco points out her recent death, she then reflects on her last moments and blames herself for trusting Nova, thinking that it’s all over.
Inferno Cop, however, denies that.
~~After all, he died a bunch of times and came back to life every single one.~~
Inferno Cop senpai, the protagonist of Trigger's first and most absurd anime, fully takes the role of a mentor and motivates Luluco to go back, essentially addressing the second main theme of SPL: what is the meaning of “normal”.
First, he answers her question about JUSTICE!, by telling her that normally justice never dies. And after a small cut dedicated to the everburning flame of JUSTICE! rising higher, he continues by explaining that “normal” is something we decide for ourselves. His advice is to neither obsess about standards and expectation, nor to embrace the chaos by completely disregarding any rule; it’s about accepting that both Luluco and the world around her are more abnormal than she initially thought, and rather than following the idea of what should be normal, she has to decide it for herself.
Then, when Inferno Cop asks her about Nova’s lies, Luluco realizes that he actually never lied to her. Nova wasn’t the person Luluco thought he was, she assumed Nova was on her side, but she never asked him how he truly feels.
And yet, all of this does not make her first crush any less valuable. Her love may not be deep nor mature enough, but it is still precious and powerful.
The realization makes her feelings burst again, the color comes back, the hole in her heart full again.
Inferno Cop then points her to Hell’s exit stairway, reminding her that conveying her feelings is the most important part, everything that comes after is a bonus.
Now everything is set for S4E3's final ~~confrontation~~ confession.
Spoiler, click to view
In what can only be described as a miracle of JUSTICE!, Luluco bursts back from her grave, and is ready to go find Nova. Lalaco arrives on the scene, having noticed her death in the previous episodes, but is pleasantly surprised to see her back to life. She is even more surprised by Luluco’s growth and newfound determination, and happily accepts to help her confess by lending the Space Pirates ship.
Look everyone, she did the thing!Luluco then locates Nova and interrupts his monologue to put him under arrest and finally confess her feelings, but she also gets interrupted by the Blackholian.
He tries to steal her Aflutter Gem and break it again, but Luluco just creates another one.
And another one, and so on, every gem bigger and stronger than the previous, while the Blackholian gets increasingly more pissed.
The power and sincerity of her love makes Nova gain a heart, and with the Big Bang of his newly born feelings mirroring Luluco’s, he accepts her confession.
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Trigger isn’t exactly known for its subtlety, but here? It gets ~~thrown~~ blown out of the window. We got another twist at the end of S4, but there is still time for a couple more. In a single 7 minute episode credits included, by the way.
Spoiler, click to view
Due to the Blackholian’s contingency plan, Nova gets incapacitated, forcing Luluco to fight on her own. In a surge of emotion, Luluco snaps and undergoes another transformation. She absorbs the entirety of her and Nova’s “pink lovey-dovey aura”, getting a slight variation of Nono’s ahoge in the process. As Lalaco put it, she has finally pulled the trigger.She is now able to manifest her feelings as a weapon and fight almost on par with the fully transformed Blackholian, but he still gets the upper hand and manages to corner her.
In an attempt to save Luluco, Nova offers himself as a bullet, with his micro blackhole reacting to the Blackholian so that they you-know-what each other, distorting space and sending both of them in another dimension. He also reassures Luluco, promising her that they will meet again, and knowing that Nova would never lie to her, she pulls the trigger.
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Sasuga Trigger, subtle as always
In the aftermath, Keiji goes to reassure Luluco, telling her to keep chasing Nova and arrest him again, as normally she’s supposed to introduce her boyfriend to her father.
So, in the very last scene before the end credits, Luluco goes off into space to search for Nova, embracing her new normal… and her new role as Trigger-chan.
Yes, the official studio Trigger mascot. The one character that existed since the studio’s foundation. The same one from the Trigger Girls april fools I mentioned more than 10 google doc pages ago. The girl who pulled the same trigger as the studio’s logo, whose ahoge resembles a trigger after her transformation, who travels across space and dimensions on a gun-shaped motorcycle and sits where the trigger should be.
Luluco IS Trigger.
This is not just another reference like the others, but a much bigger deal that allows us viewers to add a new layer of interpretation to this anime and understand better the vision of the people who worked on it.
Spoiler, click to view
There is an interesting article/analysis here that goes a lot deeper in this direction, but to summarize: - Luluco being Trigger implies that her father Keiji represents Gainax, with both its important legacy and its broken state; - Nova represents the “boyish projects” the staff at Trigger loves, or if you prefer food metaphors, the “decent burger” that they’re confident in making (and it’s bad for you), according to a 2022 interview with Wakabayashi and Shigeto Koyama; - Lalaco is the idea of classic anime, like what the people at Gainax loved and grew up with, the influence of which carried over at Trigger; - the Blackholian is the kind of person who not only regards modern anime as worthless, but in his arrogance and cynicism ends up denying everything as shallow and pointless.This also fits perfectly with the planets visited in S3 being from their previous anime: the description of all the personal Ogikubos and their presence at the HQ implies that they have been space-shoplifted because of their value (or lack thereof, according to the Blackholian). Those “planets” are Trigger’s Ogikubos, they are the “places” where the studio comes from and where they belong, thus they are valuable and precious.
Nilkad Naquada - You're WRONG About Space Patrol Luluco
> The last 4 episodes of the series are the animation equivalent of Hiroyuki Imaishi standing up on a table and screaming at the audience about his worldview; it's loud, it's bombastic, it's not remotely subtle, and somehow everyone seemed to miss it.
And as much as I agree with the quote above, it's important to add that it's not just about Imaishi: as Wakabayashi states in the 2018 reddit AMA,
Spoiler, click to view
he was the one to propose the idea of Luluco being/becoming Trigger-chan.We can safely interpret the ending as the entire studio defining their normal, proudly celebrating their short yet rich history; their love for their past work and prior influences; and finally space-driving into the distance, towards the next fun adventure.
And speaking of the future...
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The story of Space Patrol Luluco doesn’t end with episode 13: there’s an almost forgotten audiodrama included in the japanese BD release that contains four tracks:
- Season 0 Episode 0, the only one with a full translation, is a fun prequel about how Luluco’s parents met and fell in love, expanding on
Spoiler, click to view
the brief flashback from S2E2 and adding more context behind Lalaco's actions and her relationship with Keiji; - Season 1.5 Episode EXTRA, taking place between S1E3 and S2E1;
- Season 3 Episode 2.5, that takes place during S3E3 and is about Midori’s past and her family, revealing that her mother is a runaway princess from a planet of space eco-terrorists;
- Final Season Episode ∞ is probably the most important one, as it happens some time after the ending of the anime. It is about
Spoiler, click to view
Nova and the Blackholian, trapped in space(?) after the you-know-what. In this summary we get some info on the Blackholian’s past and motives, while in a 4chan thread with a now defunct link to the raws, a post adds more information on Nova, who apparently managed to escape in another dimension to search for Luluco. (As much as I'd want to leave the link here, the infamous hacker's peculiar choice of words in said post would violate AniList Guidelines.) - - -
UPDATE 2: I tried my best to translate the audiodrama, check them here!
- - -
Then, as a fun side-note there’s also the Inferno Cop clip from Anime Expo 2017 that happens right after that scene in S4E2:
Spoiler, click to view
Luluco escapes hell, and we see Inferno Cop’s thoughts about what just happened.Then he gets out of hell to go party in New Jersey, loses a fight against Donald Trump, and sings the american anthem (not really) with him and Lotte, all in about three minutes.
Trigger saving anime (and the USA)As far as proper sequels go, in 2017 Wakabayashi released a P&SG doujin for Comiket titled Cemetery Hills: Geekboy Homecoming, translated on 4chan (again, cannot leave the link here), that not only acts as an unofficial P&SG sequel, but also as a SPL one, due to
Spoiler, click to view
the arrival of Nova on the scene. We don’t know exactly how much has passed since the SPL ending and the audiodrama, but in one of the Gainax endings© of all time, it is now revealed that for some unknown reason Nova lost his memories.Both Wakabayashi and Imaishi have also stated that they would like to make a sequel
Spoiler, click to view
and/or an anime about the other Trigger GirlsHowever, during one of their twitch stream from last year, Wakabayashi admits that, despite them always wanting to do a sequel, there is sadly not much demand for a continuation, so unless there is "some visual cue or some sign from God" the studio will likely focus on more important projects (at 01:30:24). Later in the same stream (at 02:47:10), Imaishi confirms again that he wanted to do a (proper) S2 for Luluco, but he has to agree with the previous answer.
For now at least there’s the official Art of TRIGGER Space Patrol Luluco artbook, that can be seen here. Not only it contains info about the initial proposal, character drafts, and staff commentary; but also an illustration from Imaishi set 4 years after the end of the anime
Spoiler, click to view
that gives Luluco and Nova a well deserved happy ending:
And despite the lack of SPL-related news for Trigger's 10th anniversary, there are still many cameos in later projects, such as:
Spoiler, click to view
Luluco and Nova appearing together in the background of Kiznavier's last episode, which was confirmed to happen off-screen during the 3rd season; the real Akane being a Trigger fan with a Midori plush in her room (this also gives new context to the many other references in SSSS.GRIDMAN); Tetsu Inada saying that Alexis Kerib is actually Chief Over Justice gone evil after thousands of years of multiverse journeying, which fits with Shigeto Koyama being credited for Justice design and Alexis design; a Midori illustration from Imaishi in which her 25yo version looks similar to Rikka’s mother, who also has an earring similar to Midori’s 3rd eye and shares her VA; and Lucia chatting with the Ogikubo branch in Promare, which many have interpreted as a tease for Lucia being Spring (she doesn’t have a character page on AL, so here’s some cool art).While there is no cameo in the GRIDMAN UNIVERSE movie, it still shares with SPL the theme of embracing the importance of stories and escapism, and how valuable their positive influence can be. And with Trigger getting the rights to TTGL and especially P&SG, there is at least a non-zero chance for a reference to Cemetery Hills in the upcoming second season. Overall, given the studio's interest for a SPL sequel, a Spring/Muzzle series, or an entirely new project, there's still a lot of space for a Triggerverse anime, and I'd love to see it.
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Space Patrol Luluco is a short celebration of Studio Trigger's 5th anniversary, created by ten people on lower budget while most of the attention was on Kiznaiver, which was airing in the same season, and on the Little Witch Academia TV anime, announced right at the end of SPL.
However, this short perfectly accomplishes what it's supposed to do: tell a simple and fun story with the crazy and energetic style Trigger is known for, with plenty of heartfelt references to the previous works in the studio's history and a relatable and genuine message that doubles down as the studio’s manifesto; and that was all I needed to fall in love with this show.
This is my first review, and I'm also a non-native English speaker with no proofreader, so please let me know if there are any grammar/formatting mistakes I might've missed. As for the rating, since I have to put one but AL doesn't accept JUSTICE! as a valid score, I'll have to opt for a more modest 100/100.
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