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 Im 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 Triggers QA sessions Tattunhttps://anilist.co/staff/136901/TatsuruTatemotos posts on 4chan and every interesting trivia I could find on random blogs and forums and at this point I wasnt even thinking about my review yet. Once I decided to write about SPL I still spent a lot of time rereading 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 animes audio drama more on that later. There are still some parts I want to polish and Ill keep updating this when I can but after all this time Im 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. Intro Space Patrol Luluco is a short series 13 episodes each of them 7 minutes long made to celebrate Studio Triggers 5th anniversary. This show is not only a love letter to the studios history and projects but also a thank you to every fan of their anime. Ita story about first love what it means to be normal and anime itself with a bonus dose of JUSTICE that offers interesting insights into the staffs thoughts and philosophy with its unexpected yet heartfelt message. While I wanted to keep this review mostly spoilerfree that would make talking about the message of SPL impossible so if you dont want any previous knowledge about the show Id suggest to either read only this section the general thoughts and the TLDR at the end or simply go in blind and then come back. In fact as much as I love this show this isnt something that Id blindly recommend to everyone. Due to the huge amount of cameos and selfreferential humor one of the main points of criticism towards this short is that its 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 interviewhttps://www..com/watch?v=DUl2RwW9Iys with the creative director Hiromi Wakabayashihttps://anilist.co/staff/107673/HiromiWakabayashi director and studio founder Imaishihttps://anilist.co/staff/97349/HiroyukiImaishi wanted to do a comedic short anime with a scifi theme and a familyoriented 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 Cophttps://anilist.co/anime/16774/InfernoCop/ to the at the time airing Kiznavierhttps://anilist.co/anime/21421/Kiznaiver/ and everything in between even stuff like their shorts for Japan Animators Exhibitionhttps://anilist.co/anime/20947/JapanAnimatorsExhibition/ or the Trigger Girls announcementhttps://web.archive.org/web/20150709080718/http://www.sttrigger.co.jp:80/news/20150401.html later confirmed to be an april fools jokehttps://twitter.com/triggerinc/status/583587553145556993. Given how the studio was founded by exGainax employees there are also plenty of nods and subtle not really references to the older anime they worked on. Of course theres more to SPL than the sum of its references but again Ill talk about that later. To put it simply if you are already a fan of Triggers works you are part of the target audience and this is a must watch youll probably appreciate SPL too. However this also means that if you tried to get into their anime but ended up disliking them you probably wont like this either. And finally if youve never watched anything from Trigger this is probably not the best place to start since you wont be able to fully enjoy the various references and cameos and the reason for their inclusion. Heres a list of other animes referenced to various degree in SPL that I recognized some of which are plotrelevant: General thoughts This anime is divided into seasons made of 3 episodes each plus the finale you can think of them as miniarcs that lead into each other. I havent 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. Its genius and given how the studio seems to interact with its fandom I wouldnt be surprised if they knew about the joke and responded in this way. That said in this review Ill 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 PSG that often lends itself to exaggerated reactions or to be adapted to fit other styles to make a reference. 49https://i.pin.com/originals/59/dc/5e/59dc5ed4f246d9fee4bef03efd001059.gif 49https://i.kymcdn.com/photos/images/original/001/106/822/e21.gif 49https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExa3JjZ2ZieTlhbjFuOTBlMzV2cXlkbHBvN2c2Z2RzYWE2M3lyYTRoMyZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/3ohjUYqDF6LL2Lti2Q/giphy.gif 49https://64.media.tumblr.com/3b9a973809c2381d58b14edda5e0ed5e/tumblro7i2m6jbNU1s5f9ado1500.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. 66https://64.media.tumblr.com/af56b56fd9e77f84589a5f6fafb3ec01/5325971add3de3518d/s540x810/19c2e15734cebc9a15d94afbd045a417f789bde9.gif The OST may not be that memorable outside the anime but thats not really a flaw since its due to the animes short nature. The tracks themselves in fact are perfect fits for their respective characters and the scenes theyre in. For example Lulucos theme encapsulates her childlike innocence while Novas 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 DoHeijitsuhttps://www..com/watch?v=CXBF9cSnYT4 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. Its the kind of song that makes you want to scream it loud while you sing it as you can hear both herehttps://www..com/watch?v=3vspnSRGhA4 and especially herehttps://www..com/watch?v=XNwHpNABTg. Pipo Passwordhttps://www..com/watch?v=Oa0Jt1jh6I by Teddyloid and Bonjour Suzuki is the complete opposite being a calm and peaceful song that reflects the innocent and wonderful feelings of Lulucos crush for Nova. It also works as an amazing insert song for certain romantic scenes and the same can be said for its louder and hypeinducing Silent Planet remixhttps://www..com/watch?v=1r6segWaSk that plays in S4E3. First Season The anime starts with Luluco presenting herself to the audience: shes 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 fathers treatment and gives her a space patrol suit. 550https://64.media.tumblr.com/3dfb9129f27f1eadcdfae6942c29b42c/tumblrinlineo9udq1Lko41qeg9rt1280.jpg Best flaming skeleton guy after Inferno Cop. JUSTICE Its 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 shortlived ended by her automode suit starting a transformation sequence in the middle of her midterm exams. And if that wasnt enough The next two episodes complete the main cast by introducing two new members for the Ogikubo branch: A Nova a mysterious transfer student from space and Save the World Midori a classmate of Luluco who is secretly the boss of a spaceshoplifting gang. Nova quickly becomes Lulucos 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 doesnt 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: Second Season Once characters and setting are established we get the Ogikubo branchs first actual space mission. After some Armageddon references its time for the introduction of the antagonist of this new arc who sets things in motion for both the plot of the show and Lulucos character development: 225https://i.kymcdn.com/photos/images/original/001/109/415/de5.jpg Fun fact her cape is made out of life fibers. 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. 550https://i.ur.com/bWLRTcA.jpg?1 Domo hajimemashite Space Pirate Waifu desu. When the fight ends the Space Pirates are able to spaceshoplift the entire city of Ogikubo putting it on sale for some sort of spaceebay and proceed to also kidnap the still frozen Keiji since hes the only one who could stop their plan. Luluco intervenes 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. Third Season After the events of S2 the Space Patrol has to travel the universe in search of Ogikubo. And here comes the first big spoiler: This is the perfect setup for the comedy antics we see in these three episodes: The third season is definitely the densest and least subtle in terms of cameos and thus many argue it is also the weakest storywise. The references become a central point of this season and its 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 selfreferencial fanservice takes the place of the character arcs and themes of the anime. In fact while all of these references keep popping up Lulucos character arc continues to develop. In S3E1 Luluco completely ignores the villainofthedays monologue while she worries about who Nova could be seeing in his vision. Towards the end of the episode theres also another little scene between Nova and Luluco where he talks about how the villain mightve 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 wont spoil Luluco is still thinking about whats normal and so she asks Nova for an important favor that as we can see means the universe for her. However Nova still doesnt 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 CommanderinChief. 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? Fourth Season Now if this anime ended with the third season I would have probably rated it around an 8 out of 10 and moved on without thinking too much about it. A fun and absurd show with many references to other anime I love and that would be it. But in true Trigger fashion there needs to be a plot twist towards the end and Space Patrol Luluco keeps following this tradition. Heavy spoilers ahead again Id recommend watching the show without knowledge about these twists. 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. Now everything is set for S4E3s final confrontation confession. Final Season Final Episode Trigger isnt 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. 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. To be continued? The story of Space Patrol Luluco doesnt end with episode 13: theres an almost forgotten audiodramahttp://luluco.tv/archives/news/audiodrama included in the japanese BD release that contains four tracks: Season 0 Episode 0https://justiceisover.tumblr.com/post/151579532311/splulucominidramatranslation is a prequel about how Lulucos parents met and fell in love. Season 1.5 Episode EXTRA taking place between S1E3 and S2E1 Season 3 Episode 2.5https://twitter.com/shiimai/status/771382073743532038/photo/1 that takes place during S3E3 and is about Midoris past and her family revealing that her mother is a runaway princess from a planet of space ecoterrorists Final Season Episode is probably the most important one as it happens some time after the ending of the anime. It is about Then as a fun sidenote theres also the Inferno Cop clip from Anime Expo 2017https://www..com/watch?v=b09SuPOaCRY that happens right after that scene in S4E2: As far as proper sequels go in 2017 Wakabayashi released a PSG doujin for Comiket titled Cemetery Hills: Geekboy Homecominghttps://4archive.org/board/a/thread/151907843/pantystockingwithgarterbeltcemeteryhillgeekboy that not only acts as an unofficial PSG sequel but also as a SPL one due to Both Wakabayashi and Imaishi have also stated that they would like to make a sequel in multiple occasions with Wakabayashi adding that Imaishi and Amemiya were debating who should direct ithttps://www.animenewsnetwork.com/convention/2022/animeexpo/studiotriggerlivedrawingandqapanel/.187173gallerycwv11. Finally theres the official Art of TRIGGER Space Patrol Luluco artbookhttps://triggerglobal.ecq.sc/book/trgosaot001.html that can be seen herehttps://www..com/watch?v=Y05IFfmowc. 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 And despite the lack of SPLrelated news for Triggers 10th anniversary there are many cameos in later projects such as: Final Thoughts TLDR Space Patrol Luluco is a short celebration of Studio Triggers 5th anniversary made by ten people on lower budgethttps://www.crunchyroll.com/news/features/2019/6/3/theroadtopromaretriggerstaffdiscusstheanimestudioshistory 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 its 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 studios history and a relatable and genuine message that doubles down as the studios manifesto and that was all I needed to fall in love with this show. This is my first review and Im also a nonnative English speaker with no proofreader so please let me know if there are any grammar/formatting mistakes I mightve missed. As for the rating since I have to put one but AL doesnt accept JUSTICE as a valid score Ill have to opt for a more modest 100/100. https://desuusergeneratedcontent.xyz/a/image/1466/78/1466788245408.jpg