#lupin ugmf

[orange-cheetah]

so. that new poster huh

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

Erik and Arsène Lupin *

* There was a scavenger hunt sponsored by Crunchyroll a few days ago and these wallpapers are the ones that you’re getting. I tried several combinations to be able to get through these “prizes” tucked in Imgur platform.

[badlydrawnarsenelupin]

soooooooooo-

there’s this new anime called Undead Girl Murder Farce and this silly French thief is in it. Plus, he stole a guy as well as a ruby saying "they should both belong to him". I’m not sure if you’ve heard of it but it’s pretty good!

// Oh yes I've seen it! I've tweeted about all the ugmf Lupin moments on my (less and less active) xitter account when it first came out actually haha.

His hair is so silly silly.... But definitely recommend for all Lupin fans! I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that it's probably one of the most accurate characterization of Lupin that's not a direct adaptation.

But hey, speaking of niche Lupin series, there's also Lupin Étude! A manga series by Yoko Iwasaki, who did these cool autographed editions of their Lupin series a few months back!

[leblancsvoleur]

Anime fans: Lupin is a twiggy twink.

Maurice Leblanc: I heard that Arsène Lupin has an eight-pack, that Arsène Lupin is shredded. He has broad shoulders, with bulging muscles. He can break handcuffs in two. He's an MMA fighter. He can twirl his boyfriend through the air like a fruit platter.

[loser-man-central]

That's gay as shit Lupin wtf

[rakugoni]

you can really feel the phantom thief favoritism from this pop-up shop merchandizing them and nobody else outside of the main cast.

[luckysheikah]

THE GIRLS ARE FIGHTING

[dagmartoons]

me watching UGMF episode 5: wow i sure am getting hardcore lupin iii vibes from this! i wonder what'll happen next! UGMF:

[livelaughloveanimemen]

My Roman empire is Eric x Lupin from UGMF

like

Their so silly

Their so in love

Like their even right beside each other

They're so in love

I mean come on they're so official

[crehador]

brother crab’s 2023 seasonals in review: summer

surprisingly easy to rank season for me, so i'll get right to it

anime of the season + runner-up for summer goes to...

undead girl murder farce and zom 100: zombie ni naru made ni shitai 100 no koto! nothing else even came close

i'm giving ugmf anime of the season because i personally vibed with it a lot (murder mysteries with a rakugo flair + arsene lupin trying to fuck the phantom of the opera in the background you really cannot go wrong) and also because zom100 has yet to release its last few episodes

zom100 is such a consistently solid show, though, that even without seeing the full cour i'm prepared to give it runner-up of the season. and it's honestly a strong contender for anime of the year. the first episode especially... i would rank it even higher than the first ep of oshi no ko tbh

lots of sequels this season as well!

horimiya, bleach, jjk, and bsd. some new snv came out this season as well but since i binged all that at once it doesn't really feel like a sequel to me

anyway easily sequel of the season goes to bleach, largely because of nostalgia won't deny that but also because it's just that fucking good

horimiya however was also an immense delight! gonna miss these wacky kids :')

quickfire thoughts on everything else:

watashi no shiawase na kekkon is the shoujo of the year, there's been a lot of cute stuff lately but nothing comes close to watakon

vending machine isekai was fine and occasionally funny, but kinda shocked it got a sequel announced already. worldbuilding was definitely the most interesting part and i hope we see more of it in s2

dekiru n eko way kyou mo yuuutsu was absolutely perfect, very fun and cute and soothing

okashi na tensei had a promising premise which it failed to lean into, there was little to no BAKING in this BAKING anime jfc

lv1 maou to one room yuusha seemed like your run of the mill shitty ecchi but actually it's NONBINARY OLD MAN YAOI?! and was kinda good. dumb, but fun

ai no idenshi was... well it was episodic which i like, generally, but it really. was not consistent. some good pieces, some not so good. some interesting, some not so interesting. main failing is it really did not imo balance its 'main' plot with its mini-stories well at all

ayaka was fun! it doesn't really hold a candle to k project like at all but at least it was not as bad as praeter lmao

synduality noir (first cour) was alright. nothing to write home about but a decent enough mecha. as far as anime that are game ads go... i'd say it's okay. a little more interesting than takt op to me, though not as visually stunning. and not as compelling as god eater

hyakushou kizoku was a tv short adapting arakawa hiromu's autobiographical farming manga and it was such a delight lol, especially fun if you're a fan of fma or silver spoon. explains so much about ed tbh

hi no tori: eden no sora was a 4-ep ona that i quite liked overall... ending was just so-so to me i guess

dark gathering isn't quite over still but it's fine as a horror that's heavy on the gore (gorror? is that a thing) actually. probably better than fine, it's just not my genre. some of the stories are definitely more gripping than others, but yeah solid horror overall and really good cast (yandere hanakana what could be better)

helck is also still going but has been really solid, way more enjoyable than i'd imagined. it has an 80s feel to it that i love

and last but certainly not least shuumatsu no valkyrie ii part 2 gives us GYARU FUCKBOI BUDDHA once again. what could be better lmao

MOVING ON

op of the season goes to zom100's song of the dead by kana-boon! the song itself is a banger and the way the op changes from episode to episode makes it even better

HOWEVER this was not an easy choice lol bleach and even jjk both came in with strong contenders as well

ed of the season goes to heclk's statice by saji! it just. ough. right in the feels

this was not a very blorbo or ship heavy season for me but i have to just repeat ARSENE LUPIN. AND THE PHANTOM. OF THE OPERA. one day i will circle back to this lol

[orange-cheetah]

is this anything

[orange-cheetah]

The Thief and the Phantom's First Meeting

Undead Girl Murder Farce: Volume 2, Chapter 0

[Disclaimer: Translated from Chinese text. Some lines taken from the subtitles of the anime.]

"Good morning, Erik."

Upon waking up, he hears a friendly voice calling him.

The man groans, getting up awkwardly. Both of his hands are tied behind him.

He is in an unfamiliar, strange room. The walls and ceiling are bare stone, though a lavish dining table laden with desserts or fruit trays sits in the middle of the room. He can hear faint sounds of water.

On the chair before him sits a young man with his legs crossed.

"Your face without the mask is unexpectedly quite handsome, you know."

The man realizes that the mask he likes using has been taken away, to be put on the table. Hurriedly lowering his head, he tries to cover his face with his white hair. The young man smiles and says: "Don't be so shy."

The young man is about twenty-five or -six years of age. Beautiful golden hair and a fierce[1] gaze leave a deep impression; a tuxedo hugs his slender body, draped in a black cloak. The buttons on his jacket are probably real emeralds. His expression, dress and attitude overflow with considerable confidence; instead of a king, he gives one the sense that his style is more of a prince's. And a capricious, playboy prince at that. The man instinctively feels that this person is of the sort completely opposite to himself.

"Right, how do you feel, Erik? Because you've been unconscious for about half the day. Want to drink anything?"

"How do you know my real name?"

"Investigating in advance is the basics of the work. Oh, I know lots of things. You're from Persia. You were born with your white hair and disfigured face. Your singing voice is an unparalleled tenor. You live 23 floors beneath the Paris Opera. You've evaded capture for the past 20 years, elusive as though a specter; the nickname you were given was 'the Phantom of the Opera.' Am I right, our shy gentleman."

While listing out all sorts of information unceasingly, the young man plays with a large ruby with one gloved hand.

Right, he's beginning to recallーーit was a splendid night like any other. As it was the closing night of Don Carlos[2], the opera house had been very lively; the man was watching the opera from Box 5 of the second floor. But something strange had happened while Act 3 was in progress: this phantom thief had descended from the skies, stealing the ruby worn by the female vocalist. As it was the singer he adores, he had gone after the thief. After pursuing him to the top level of seats he had been hit by a counterattack from the enemy, and thenーーwhen he woke up he was already here.

"What is this place?"

"L'Aiguille Creuse[3]," the young man replies with a phrase he's never heard before. "Though I'm still working on it. It's a tad uncomfortable to stay in for the moment."

"Why did you kidnap me?"

"I stole you." Immediately corrected. "Along with this ruby. Things should be organized and collected to one place. I can't bear to see this passionate jewel never be more than some stage prop, and it's no fun to have a true phantom living in obscurity beneath an opera house. They should both belong to me; it feels more coordinated this way."

"Enough chatter. What are you after?"

The young man shrugs. "There's a job I'd like to do in London, but my subordinates have all ran off, so I'm a little short-staffed at the moment."

So he wants to find someone to help with this job? What an unorthodox way of recruitment. The man carefully asks: "What are you planning on stealing?"

"'The Penultimate Night.'"

"...Phileas Fogg's?"

"That's right."

"Are you mad?" No wonder all his subordinates ran. "I have heard of the jewel of the Fogg mansion, but it's impossible to obtain. That mansion's security is impregnable. And in London, there's Sherlock Holmes."

"Here, there's Arsène Lupin."

The young man touches the ruby to his chest.

If heard only from the sidelines, it would feel nothing more than a very arrogant statement. But behind the tone, one can feel an inexplicable majesty that is different from the common bluffing or exaggerated fantasies of fools. As though certain of the future.

The man senses the abnormality.

What His Royal Highness exudes is not confidence.

It's conviction.

Breaking through the mansion security that others would quail before, prevailing over the famous detective coined 'the best in the world'; these are all established matters in his mind and are to be expected. The plan is already perfect and flawless, all hypotheticals accounted for, leaving no rate of failure to speak of ー where would one even spare the time to be arrogant. It may well be madness talking, yetーー

Meeting Lupin's gaze once more. Golden eyes as though the sun.

"Any chance of winning?"

"I wouldn't have invited you here if there weren't."

Stepping into the Phantom's heart as though heat waves of summer. The life spent hiding under the opera house until now, the self-isolation imprisoned by the ugly right face; all of this is easily melted by the sun. Guided by that light, a foolish feeling surges up. As though wanting to cause a scene on the stage of a farce, a young and energetic impulse.

After a while, he stands up. At the same moment, the ropes that had been tying his hands together fall to the ground.

"You have other special skills besides singing?" Lupin says. "When did you undo them?"

"Around the time you said 'unexpectedly quite handsome'. I've always been good at handling ropes."

"I admire you even more now. So, what are you going to do? Go home?"

"I was stolen, wasn't I? I'll follow my owner's orders."

Strictly speaking, it's his loss this time. Even if he's unwilling to, he could only agree to a contract.

The Phantom approaches the table to pick up his mask, putting it on the right side of his face, experiencing the sense of coordination that had been mentioned in their conversation just now.

Bowing respectfully to his owner, he recites a line from an opera: "La Juive[4], Act 2. 'But come! Be it heaven or earth, the self-same fate and destiny awaits the two of us.'" [5]

"Though you've done well to quote these lines." Lupin surveys the surroundings of the hideout with an expression as though suppressing laughter. "I'm afraid, Erik, we are at sea."

Footnotes:

强悍 (qiáng hàn): strong, powerful

Based on conflicts in the life of Carlos, Prince of Asturias (1545–1568). Though he was betrothed to Elisabeth of Valois, part of the peace treaty ending the Italian War of 1551–59 between the Houses of Habsburg and Valois demanded that she be married instead to his father Philip II of Spain. It was commissioned and produced by the Théâtre Impérial de l'Opéra (Paris Opera) and given its premiere at the Salle Le Peletier on 11 March 1867. (wikipedia)

The Hollow Needle.

The Jewess. Tells of an impossible love between a Christian man and a Jewish woman. (wikipedia)

Act 2, Scene IV. Presumably taken from two separate sections, and I couldn't find any mention of 'heaven or earth'. You can read it here (pp. 19)

LEOPOLD. I know! But come! Let thine heart be mine, Let love enchain us, and Jew or Christian, Thy lot is mine. Let heaven's wrath o'erwhelm me. Thy love wants mine, The rest is nothing, I regret not.

RACHEL AND LEOPOLD. Let thine heart be mine, Let love enchain us and, Jew or Gentile, Thy love is mine. For us the self-same fate and destiny

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

Yuma Yamaguchi, UGMF composer: This animation takes place between the late 19th and early 20th century. If the story was something like realistic fiction, I might have considered making the music more fitting to that time period. However, when I read the plot the first time, I felt it’s more like fantasy and has a bit of everything; action, mystery, adventure and also some historical flavor. So in the end, I went with a more modern sound.

This is the 30th track off the soundtrack. What stands out is the piano and the percussion department. Every time it plays in the background you can feel the intensity of the action scenes.

You can watch Yuma’s musical processes for the series here.

[loser-man-central]

Now that Undead Girl Murder Farce season 1 is over (Season 2 is hopefully coming but there's only a couple volumes of the novel out so maybe it won't work for a couple years)

Now time for my expert review

First Arc the Vampire one was great. Showed us who the trio is and their personalities. It established that Tsugaru is willing to kill anyone if Aya says I mean we already knew he would kill people but we didn't know he'd kill a child and then tell the father a JOKE about it. Without this arc we would probably be lead to believe Aya didn't really care for Tsugaru's jokes but she actually loves them, and it established Shizuku hating Tsugaru but we didn't know for sure why till later. And the mystery here is the only one I was close to solving I thought it was the girl maid and Raoul not realizing that he could cut off his fingers

It's a solid 8/10

The second arc is my favorite. Lupin and Erik's relationship is so interesting and one of my favorites in the show. I didn't care for Sherlock and Watson i'd like them more if they had epic mind battles with Aya but they are fine. They're just my least favorite in the show. But the real stars of the show were the Banquet. Carmilla and Allister had interesting fights with Shizuku and Sherlock. Shizuku and Carmilla fight here sets up their rematch in the Werewolf village and Allister is just cool! He's a completely normal human hanging out with a Vampire, Frankenstein's Monster, and Jack. Speaking of Jack his fight with Tsugaru is so interesting it alone made me love Jack so much! It added a sort of tragedy to Tsugaru who is usually so comedic and I loved it I feel like there is more to both of them we don't know! I love this Arc so much there isn't much mystery here since we know that culprit but we don't know how Lupin and his gay crush Erik would steal it since it seems so impossible and they did successfully steal the sliver box. I wonder what their gonna do with that in season 2 besides have it look pretty.

9.5/10

And the final arc the Werewolf one

I liked this one also It is what made me like Shizuku and Jutte is so great I hope we see her again some time. I knew some sort of fuckery was happening in the villages but I excepted it to be the Doctor but it seems he feels bad questioning what they have done when raiding the werewolf village. The mystery in this arc is my favorite so intriguing and I'm glad some of the Werewolf girls are safe now. Something I didn't expect was Aya to get the deduction wrong and Tsugaru to be that silly. I expected him to be silly but not "Be a furry" silly

And the finale

I felt like the art direction in the final season wasn't as grand as the others and then that fight with Jutte happened I loved that the finale is my favorite epsoide for sure

9/10

[loser-man-central]

What if I told you guys for like a month I've had the idea of a Role Swap Au where Tsugaru stayed with Moraity and Jack was like "You know this sucks

Bye"

And Shizuku is the vampire lesbian and Carmilla....is still a Vampire lesbian because she deserves that

I'm not swapping anyone else though I could swap Lupin and Sherlock and Phantom and Watson but I don't wanna they deserve their villainisms

[orange-cheetah]

"I'm fine," Erik says stubbornly, though he makes no move to remove the jacket. "This is nothing."

"The Doubledarts girl used those to make a hole in the vault wall, so I doubt it," Lupin scoffs, hefting the safe slung over his shoulder. "Besides, having a crossbow bolt sticking out of you doesn't exactly make you inconspicuous, you know—hey! Don't pull it out now!?"

Or: The thief and the phantom make their escape from the Fogg mansion.