2016/06/22

Luluco and OGIKUBO - Uchu Patororu Ruruko (Space Patrol Luluco)

"Space Patrol Luluco" is anime series by Hiroyuki Imaishi and TRIGGER. I love this short anime series and have a lot of things I want to talk about, but, as you can find its plot, characters and related animes in the official website, Wikipedia etc., I am just going to talk about Ogikubo which is the main scene of this anime.

Ogikubo is an area of Tokyo in Suginami ward. Main train station is "Ogikubo" which is 10 minutes from Shinjuku station by JR train. Suginami ward is one of the major areas of the anime industry. There are about 70 anime studios in Suginami ward including A-1 Pictures, Ordet, SATELIGHT, khara, GONZO, SUNRISE, SHAFT, BONES, and TRIGGER which is the production of Space Patrol Luluco. The main scene of "Accel World," "Hachimitsu to Kuroba(Honey and Clover)" and "Sorega Seiyu!(Seiyu's Life!)" is also Ogikubo.

Let's visit Ogikubo(or OGIKUBO in the Luluco anime) along the episodes.

In the 1st episode(SEASON 1, EP.1), we see future Ogikubo city. Several of the scenes are based on the real images of Ogikubo today. Firstly we see Ome Kaido (a major street running from Shinjuku) over-passing JR Chuo Line near Ogikubo station. The place is close to the place where TRIGGER's office is located. The office is in the building called "INTEGRAL TOWER" which was an office of Hewlett-Packard Japan in the past. This is a model of The building named "INTEGRO HELL TOWER" in episode 11(SEASON 4, EP2) where Luluco and Inferno Cop had a deep conversation.

(INTEGRAL TOWER: May 21, 2016)












 






Luluco also introduces a place in front of Ogikubo station.

(Bus terminal of Ogikubo Station: May 21, 2016)























Luluco runs along Ome Kaido near Ogikubo station with her frozen father ... 

(Ome Kaido near Ogikubo station: July 9, 2016)





















(ditto: Google Map)
infrontofstation 


... and she arrives at Space Patrol office in front of Amanuma bus stop along Ome Kaido. It is actually a little bit far from Ogikubo station.


(Amanuma bus stop: July 9, 2016)



 












 




















Several of the ending scenes are Kyokai Dori ("Church Street" - the name is from Seventh-Day Adventist Amanuma Church in the Tokyo Adventist Hospital) near Ogikubo station ...

(Power pole beside Kyokai Dori: July 9, 2016) 




















(ditto: Google Map)
denshinbashira 

(Kyokai Dori: July 9, 2016)
















 




(ditto: Google Map)
denshinbashira 

  ... and a traffic light in front of INTEGRAL TOWER.

(July 9, 2016)








 














The last scene of the ending is a view from an overpass near Nakano station of JR Chuo Line (between Ogikubo and Shinjuku). Sun goes down in Ogikubo.


(Jul7 9, 2016)
 







 










In episode 2(SEASON 1, EP.2), we also see the Ome Kaido near Ogikubo station. Are your aware of the sign "TOWN HEAVEN" along the street? In real Ogikubo, it is "Town Seven," a major shopping center in front of Ogikubo station.

(Town Seven: July 9, 2016)




















 

(Near INTEGRAL TOWER: July 9, 2016)





















In episode 5(SEASON 2, EP.2), Lalaco, Luluco' mother, shoplifted ("manbiki") OGIKUBO. Actually, as long as we see the scene of the anime, it is not only Ogikubo but entire Suginami ward. And, the tall tower which Lalaco's space ship grabbed is not located at Ogikubo. It is, if we assume from the scene of the anime, constructed in the playground of Toyotama High School:) By the way, Hayao Miyazaki graduated this high school, which is unrelated(maybe) to Luluco or TRIGGER...

=> the shape of Suginami ward: Suginami park map

Ogikubo is also famous for its ramen restaurants. A few of them are introduced (names have been changed a little bit) in episode 7(SEASON 3, EP.1).



(Temomi Ramen 18-ban: July 9, 2016)

























(Haruki-ya: July 9, 2016 - under renovation)



















(Tabibito no Ki: July 9, 2016)



















(Marunaga Chuka Soba-ten: July 9, 2016)



















(Ramen Jiro: July 9, 2016)



 


















In episode 11(SEASON 4, EP2), Luluco and Inferno Cop have a deep conversation in front of "INTEGRO HELL TOWER."

(Entrance of INTEGRAL TOWER: July 9, 2016)




















We see the entrance/exit of HELL, which is actually the one of bicycle-parking area.

(July 9, 2016)



 

































By the way, Ogikubo is also a station of the Marunouchi Subway Line, and the Marunouchi Line's old type of train can be seen in "Kiznaiver," the other anime TRIGGER has created in this season.  
I hope you enjoy Ogikubo if you have a chance to visit there:)


(Updated on Dec. 4, 2016: added photos, corrected explanation of entrance/exit of HELL)

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