Friday, 3 June 2016

Space Patrol Luluco Episode 10 Review

The plot thickens
(This review contains spoilers!)

          I’d like to start off this review by bringing up the opening theme. I’ve said before that I’m not the hugest fan of it, but as we enter what I assume to be the final arc of this season, the vocals for the opening have changed. To be honest, I like this version a lot more. It isn’t as obnoxiously off-key as it’s been in the past, and it isn’t as loud either. It’s a clear improvement.

          As for the actual episode? While it’s a lot of exposition and plot twists, they’re all so brilliant and delivered so perfectly, I really don’t mind.

          As I suspected, the Space Patrol crew has been lured into a trap, as the headquarters has been taken over by a Blackholian. What is a Blackholian, you ask? Why, a person with a black hole for a head of course! The best part is that, with how good Luluco’s animators are, they somehow make it work. A character with a black circle for a face is just as expressive as any of the others. Now that I think about it, the Chief is the same way. He never moves his face at all, yet is as funny and emotive as, say, Luluco or Midori.

          The other big reveal is that Nova’s been playing them all for fools this whole time! Though, in retrospect, I probably should’ve seen it coming. He is actually a Nothingling, a being with absolutely no value whatsoever besides his pretty face. You know, with how much I’ve disliked how boring and plain Nova’s character is before now, this is a pretty good way of explaining it all. It’s the kind of twist that really makes me want to look back and rewatch the show with this in mind.

           Midori mostly took center stage this week, with her making several snide remarks towards the Blackholian. I really wish we’d gotten a bit more character development with her as we near the end, but she’s funny for what she is. I especially liked her banter with the Chief towards the end as they decide what to do with Luluco.

          Speaking of Luluco, things seem to be going awry for her. Remember that crystal heart that appears at the end of every episode? Apparently that was the manifestation of her middle-school love for Nova. As it’s now been broken, apparently she died. Something tells me that’s not going to last, but it’s a funny but surprisingly dark ending for the episode.

          Call me crazy, but I actually really would’ve liked the ending song to be changed, at least for this one episode. The song is still fantastic, but it seems kind of unfitting to be seeing Luluco chasing after Nova after the episode we just had. What if instead both characters were removed from the ending? Or maybe it starts the same, but Nova is missing at the end? It would’ve been a fitting final touch.     

          Anyways, this is one of the best episodes Luluco’s had to date. The setup for the ending is fantastic, and I can’t wait to see where they go with it.

FINAL SCORE
9/10

Amazing

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