#see this is one of the things i like about twcfm!lupin

[ctrl-lupin]

Scary monkey man

[looptroupe]

HI GORGEOUS!!!!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR WIPS AND AUS IM REALLY INTERESTED 🙏🙏🙏

Foams at the mouth

I’m in the middle of writing up a whole HC post for someone asking about a highschool AU but I’m gonna take this opportunity to sidetrack the conversation towards something I’d love to genuinely see from the series… a HEAVY (film) noir lean. Think: Bogart, Framed, Gilda, Vertigo… probably pushing the era back 40’s, 50’s way (Maybe even some 30’s lean in there, if I could get away with it) instead of the general 60’s vibe Lupin has going for it.

I think there’s a TON of potential there. I mean, I’m aware something like this was pitched (and never picked up, sigh…) so there IS sentiment there, and the idea has been thought about, but instead of TWCFM’s ‘serious Lupin’ I’d love to see a true noir ‘serious Lupin’. I think you can put these characters into a serious setting without making them straight up evil, and I’ll be honest, I think it would be way more appealing than the stuff they’ve been releasing lately (besides Zero. I have to admit that I loved Zero).

I’d want the gang to actually feel like criminals, though. Cutting shady deals in illegal bars, Lupin running his mouth to big players about whatever new heist he has up his sleeve. I’d take them back to being Miyazaki-esque ‘living paycheck-to-paycheck’ rather than ‘insta-rich Lupin funding his hedonistic spirit’ because I think that would work better in this universe: Lupin is constantly getting them in hot shit with the big leagues because he can’t keep his mouth shut. Jigen has shot ten guys this week who have come knocking at their hideout’s door looking for trouble. Goemon’s sick of digging graves and is antsy to finally be who he dreams of being. Fujiko’s got her eyes on a bigger prize, like always.

Zenigata’s an underpaid beat-cop-turned-inspector who has been trying to climb the ranks for a long while. He’s ambitious, but a little too soft for his own good: he’s hopeful in a way that most of the guys in his squad aren’t, and that makes him the perfect candidate for when the commissioner has to shill a shitty 9-5 case on an unsuspecting worker. A file lands on his desk, and he flips through it with this eager fire, like he’s just been asked to take on the world, and Lupin and his gang smile up at him from the pages.

Lupin is a crook, he learns. Part-time petty thief, full-time smooth-talker: a man with a legacy to live up to and not a whole lot to show for it besides a reputation as a lady-killer and a particularly long unpaid tab at the seediest bar in town. His sticky fingers have landed him in more trouble than they’ve gotten him out of, and recent reports say that he’s managed to get under the skin of the most notorious once-criminal-now-film-director in town… the very criminal that underhandedly paid Zenigata’s boss to start an official investigation in the first place.

Jigen is a gun-for-hire. Babysitter, bodyguard, hitman… whatever you need, he’ll do, however begrudgingly. He’s not a guy you mess with: and his reputation is actually pretty good in criminal circles. He’s well-respected and well-liked. Or, he was, until the monkey-faced man at the bar implicated him in a crime he didn’t commit. Now, he’s babysitting without pay, and he’s starting to get a little sick of having to put bullets into the faces of old friends who decide his bounty is worth more than his loyalty. Figures.

Goemon’s a man slightly-less-out-of-time. A famous Japanese-American film star, he’s known world-over for starring in Samurai flicks alongside his leading lady, Fujiko Mine. The thing is, Goemon is classically trained in swordslinging, and when Lupin offers him an opportunity to be the very person he’s been portraying on screen, he’s more than happy to throw his reputation away. He never cared much for fame, anyway. There’s just this one little hitch: he’s enamoured with the sword he last used on set, and he won’t take no for an answer when he asks Lupin to retrieve it for him.

Fujiko has her eyes on a prize a little more exciting than Zantetsuken: the film empire she’s helped build herself. The tabloids can’t get enough of her, and she knows that a marriage to the most famous director the world has ever seen might just secure her a place in history. The thing is, the man she’s trying her best to seduce has stopped paying her attention since his beloved priceless-antique-turned-prop-sword went missing, and she’s determined to get it back for him. Because what would make him fall quicker? Ah, there’s just one catch: Lupin is kind of charming, and the life he’s living is… exciting. Tempting. Fujiko likes playing with fire, but she’s starting to get a little too close to this one particular flame. The heat has her cheeks burning… Or maybe that’s Goemon’s doing.

They’re a strange little bunch, the Lupin Gang. But man, do people have a habit of underestimating them. Zenigata included. Because what he thinks to be a simple case of theft soon turns into something more sinister as the layers of movie-magic veneer begin to peel away. Maybe Lupin was onto something, targeting this guy, and maybe this hotshot director isn’t quite as reformed as he says he is.

He went to court recently, after all. Say, how much did he pay the judge to overturn that guilty verdict? Zenigata would like that sum as a pay rise once this has all blown over. That, and some fresh smokes.

((Mmm someone should hop on board and help me develop this I think. Could be a fun little exercise on the side… if it’s up anyone’s alley >:) ))

[thecommunalfoolboy]

What your favorite Lupin The Third Character says about you

When people make these they always just say nice things and traits of the character and it’s dumb so here’s me being right

Anyway my reputation for misogyny is legendary

Ok this largely depends on if you like edgy Jigen or goofy ah Jigen but

You desperately need to stop getting into arguments online, both in general and on whether Jigen is deep and emo or a silly guy

Gay Gay homosexual gay 🫵

You took one look at him and Lupin and said “Damn these bitches gay!” In a half joking way but the show itself proved you right in 10 seconds

Lol emo

Ok but actually seek psychiatric care

You either write porn about him in your head or you’re extremely asexual

There’s something weird going on with your gender but that’s kinda true if you watch this show in general

You’re too broke to get that next piercing don’t do it

You’re either as devastated about them whitewashing our boy as I am or you should be

Hey remember they whitewashed Goemon too you should be equally as mad about that

You head canon he speaks Spanish

Go to bed

He’s a nice man

Seek help brother

You play with jpegs like dolls

Beneath your eyes is a deep dark hole of information on this show’s lore

You also hate him so much and you want to see him die painfully <3

You want that twink OBLITERATED

You should really raise the price on your art it is so much better than you think it is

Some of you have only seen the first and it shows

“Brother,,,,, help me,,,,,,”

“Long live the king……”

Lol you thought I’m not letting you off that easy you’re deeply traumatized You’ve never felt safe in your life and the most inner hurt part of you desperately needed an adult to help you at a time in your life when you should’ve been worried about learning your times tables not whether you’d survive another day and one of the reasons you’re drawn to characters like this and collect fictional fathers is because you see a glowing smile and an infallible hero who could’ve saved you when you needed it the most

Or you’re Japanese native but like

Autism 👿

Woah dude are you like… autistic???

Stop looking at his tits

A small but significant subsection of you people are just racist and cannot be normal about Japan

If someone asked your thoughts on him you’d just be like :)))) the silly

You have way too many screenshots of him looking weird in the background

You def hate part 5 and twcfm

Whenever tms forgets he exists for a while you still watch it but you look like a wet kitten

You’re def short

You need to stop coping and accept it he looked fully insane in part 3 the hair is so so bad

You’re probably transmasc

I just wanna say I’m so sorry

She’s an ugly bitch there I said it

STROP BEING HORNY

You’re probably a girl

And definitely bi

Y’all probably know the least about the show as a whole

Good for you!! You actually touch grass

Or again you’re in the racist subgroup

The titles for each character confuse you but you only realized this one’s Fujiko because either I just said it or you saw the “stop being horny” and knew

You probably have insanely hot takes on the show

They did your girl dirty im so sorry

You’d die on the hill of whichever of her hair colors you think is best but at least you’re dead

I’m scared of you

Hey you should watch the first if you haven’t already

Zemigamna 🥺

You cry every time someone says Yata was boring and didn’t need to be in the show

Miyazaki studio gibli ass 🫵

Please you still have time left you can get out before you become obsessed you’re not in too deep yet RUN RUN SAVE YOURSEL

Or this show is all you have left and it’s infinitely too late for you no in between

Again probably a girl

You’re definitely not normal about fujiko either

You hate that one movie where he’s a dick with a burning passion and you would write 20 page essays on it

If you’re obsessed with him you probably have a chronic illness (same bestie) or major physical disability

Anyway if I fully clocked you let me know I think it’s funny to see you guys suffer

[thelavendercatalogue]

LJS Important Canon events: Train Accident and the aftermath: Jigens Timeline

It should come as no surprise to anyone at this point that I am absolutely in love with the Koike Films and The Woman Called Fujiko Mine.As someone who enjoys a more "adult" tone to certain media's once in a while, the Koike films and TV show just hit a little different to me when it comes to the Lupin series, edging towards the more dark tone of the manga, without ever actually pushing completely into territory that made the first editions of the Manga so infamous.

As a result of my love for the series as a whole, it should also come as no surprise that me being me would find some way to combine certain Lupin media into my own "timeline" to work off.

Enter my favorite and most greatest achievement in the fandom thus far:

me somehow merging the Lupin Zero's timeline with the TWCFM's timeline.

Now granted it wasn't easy. But one of the things I truly appreciate about this fandom, besides the fun characters, is that it helps with it being nearly 60 years old at this point, with it having a lot of focal points to jump off at.

For me the timeline starts not with Lupin Zero itself, but what comes after. But instead basing it off of what came before Zero.

The Train accident is one of the most “legendary” albeit-not-really-explained-or-even-mentioned-much-if-not-at-all-idea, to come out of the Lupin fandom next to the Is Lupin even human idea. This incident is the one that famously yet “supposedly” scarred up Lupin’s face and ultimately killed his dad.

We often get "hints" of this incident but never fully do we ever get concrete evidence of it. Not even the infamous "Mask Scene" of Pt5 seems to directly hint to it.

In my AU however, this is actually a really important event. Basically the highlight of the entire AU so to speak. With this incident, a lot of important events transpire that open up to other media forms canon to the AU. The most important one being TWCFM, as well as the Tomoe Arc.

How? Well, you see, despite Lupin’s attempts at acting like everything is OK shortly after the train accident, both Issei, but now also Jigen as this idea incorporates Lupin Zero, begin to notice that the boy isn’t as “ok” as he lets on.

A while after he heals, he begins to show the classic symptoms of severe depression: he’s often times lethargic, sleeping all day, he’s losing weight to a point where it becomes noticeable, is often times irritable, but one of the major things that entails the possibility of something being severely wrong is that he begins to lose interest or at least the pleasure in engaging in certain activities.

He no longer comes up with wild hair brain schemes, he no longer builds fancy gadgets, he no longer does anything that he is known for. And while Jigen likes the slow pace in the beginning, as it goes on for longer then he anticipates, he ends up bringing up his concerns with Lupin’s grandpa who also notes the same changes in his grandson that Jigen has noticed as well.

As the days go on and Lupin gets worse and worse to the point he’s practically a shell of his former self, Issei ultimately makes a choice. Something has to be done before he loses his grandson to his spiraling.

But what?

In the end we all know what happens. 

With no other options that have worked including therapy and worried deeply for the safety of his grandson’s mental and physical health, Issei brings little Lupin to meet a lady who teaches not far from where they live in Japan, who has agreed halfheartedly to help bring the boy some peace.

This woman is named Tomoe. 

Well. . .we all know what happened with that.

Following Lupin's disappearance and supposed death, Jigen and him are separated for many years.

Which opens up to Jigens TWCFM Arc.

While I don't know what precisely goes on with Lupin during the time-frame of their separation, Jigens timeline merges both manga and show elements as well as Koike Elements.

Some time after returning home following the loss of his friend, as he is unable to cope without him, Jigen returns to the old bump-grind life he had before he met Lupin. He goes back to work for the mafia and his father as a mercenary once again, rising up in the ranks as a remarkable hitman. But it’s a large tragic occurrence, with every bad thing that can happen to him happening to him, his life falling apart without Lupin to be by his side.

Some of the major turning points include:

The kidnapping of his youngest sister, and the death of his brother in the same event when he was in his late teens. Following the death of Joey Dunn, Jigen is pushed harder by his father to "carry on the family business. However this is a tumultuous event as it leads him to proceed with an attempt at a full mercenary career. Because of his background, he becomes a mercenary who went to South America and befriended Gallanco, whom he admired. They both went to Dolminea to fight in a war; the image of Gallanco becoming a hero left a deep impression on Jigen. At some point, he returned home, but due to events unknown to outsiders, he ends up relocating to Europe and joined the Italian mob; although the reason is unknown, it is thought to be at the behest of his father, who still attempts at using his only living son as a way to carry on with the name and all that, thoroughly abandoning the thought of his youngest being at any means useful thus casting her aside.

The Death of his Father can't come quickly enough. But when it does, it throws Jigen for a loop. He fully expects with his fathers death to leave the mafia for good and go home. But with the life now embedded deep in his bones no thanks to his old man, he finds himself unable to do so. Believing himself to be no good at anything else other than mafia/mercenary life, he lives in self-exile from the family, cutting off contact with his mother and sister for a few years.

However, this turns out to be a terrible idea, as while in the Italian mob, he grows close to his boss's wife Cicciolina. His boss eventually catches wind of this, and tries to kill Jigen, but is accidentally killed by Cicciolina instead when she tries to stop him. Following a series of event's later, including his first interaction with one, Fujiko Mine, Jigen becomes a unwilling participant of Cicciolina assisted suicide. Fed up with everything, he decides once more to become a thief for all times sake.

Which leads to the most important part of Jigens TWCFM arc: The Reunion between him and Lupin.

The reunion between Jigen and Lupin happens in Episode 05 of The Woman Called Fujiko Mine: Blood-Soaked Triangle. Following the same premise of the original episode: Fujiko and Lupin, and later Jigen, go in search of a jewel peacock at the bottom of a booby-trapped pyramid in Egypt. In LJS, Jigen, with his life going absolutely nowhere fast, decides to attempt a life once again of thieving, desperate to find some direction or traction in his life. Halfway through traversing this gruesome pit of horrors, he comes across a familiar sight.

Now up until this point, Lupin spent much of his time actually trying to track Jigen down. But because of his change in lifestyle, Jigen basically dropped off the grid. So when Lupin is discovered to still be alive some many years later, Issei sadly had no way of telling him about the potential whereabouts of his childhood friend. It would only be by chance that he would run into his old friend nearly a hundred plus more feet underground.

After playing a few Lupin tricks on his buddy, as he’s always gotta play some game with people Especially when he notices it’s his best friend who he hasn’t seen in a long while:

Lupin eventually reveals himself to Jigen However, Jigen, whose sanity up until this point had been holding on by a measly thread, assumed that Lupin was an illusion, more so a ghost. And because Jigen is scared of Ghosts, his first instinct when scared was shoot. However in typical Lupin fashion, Jigen missed and Lupin is more insulted then appalled.

"Why'd you shoot at me?!" "Cos' you scared the shit outta me! I thought you were a friggin' ghost, man!" "YOU CAN'T EVEN SHOOT GHOSTS!! The bullets would go right through!!" "Oh, yeah."

Upon realizing just who exactly he is talking too, the pair embrace like old friends. And in typical Lupin Media fashion, there is nothing like a classic, ridiculous, goofy-ass tomb-robbing scenario to jump start reigniting your relationship.

Especially when you guys nearly kill each other the first time.

Following the events in the Pyramid, Jigen attempts not to leave his old friends' side, fully intent on figuring out just Where in the hell Lupin had been this whole damn time. It's around this point however, that Jigen begins to notice that despite his wacky goofy nature still going strong, that Lupin does not appear to be himself anymore. He's more tight, serious, an odd personality he doesn't remember his old friend ever having.

As the day's go on, Jigen begins to also realize that while life doesn’t go back to the way it was when the boys were younger, and that it never would probably.

It does get somewhat better

In the beginning, things do end up being weird between the both of them because it had been so long and both of them don’t know how to talk or interact with each other cause both still don’t know how this could be happening after so many years.

However after small heists together, things begin to fall into place. Before the dramatic climax of TWCFM's final episodes, Lupin attempts to ease Jigen back into the partnership with small heists. The most important being when Lupin asks for Jigens help on a project, because it’s a big big job and he’s still hard of seeing because he has no sight in his one eye, which by now he basically gotten rid of and replaced with a glass eye, and his other eye is only as good as his contact lens. He needs Jigens help and it ends up being their first true series of heists the pair do together.

Jigen soon finds out that this project is a new, functioning prosthetic eye, that Lupin has built with the tools and items Jigen has helped him pilfer over the last few weeks. It’s top notch, highly sophisticated and it fits perfectly in Lupin’s eye socket.

Following the end of TWCFM's storyline, the pair are not far from each others side.

Then Gravestone happens. Gravestone is canon in my Ljs series because it's premise is suppose to stick as the final trust exercise between Jigen and Lupin after their reunion in the Pyramid to cement their partnership to the highest form it could be. The final nail in the coffin so to speak, solidifying their old and new partnership so to speak. Putting each others life and trust in one another where uncertainty grows.

The rest was simply history

[tsukumo-nya]

TWCFM Episode 1 Thoughts

First off I should start this off by saying that I wasn't sure if I was going to like this one at first, but fortunately I did!

So I saw the first episode of "The Woman Called Fujiko Mine" yesterday, and it starts off with some weird monologue that I'm not fully sure if it was the intro, or just something for that exact episode.

I tried to understand what it was trying to say, like maybe it's describing her, but I didn't get it, so I went over it again and... It literally doesn't mean anything, it was just saying stuff to try to sound profound. 😂

Fujiko was barely disguised when she showed up for a round 2 against the bad guy of this episode, but I do admit... I think I like this twin tail look on her better then her usual hair style... and yes, even more so then the bob.

I find it funny how Lupin is just kicking back watching Fujiko running around just doing random stuff trying to find the "treasure". Like for instance she was fighting several people at once who were armed with machine guns, while she was only using a pistol and dressed in a thong and bikini top, and Lupin is just like...

Lupin: What the f**k is she even doing? Also why would she even want this treasure?"

And after watching her run around for a while, he comes to the conclusion...

Lupin: "Oh, I get it now... she must be a masochist!"

The worst part is, she did all of that and didn't really know what it was that she was trying to steal. The treasure was a giant 50 foot several ton statue made out of drugs, she couldn't even take that if she wanted too.

Like, I'm pretty sure she isn't a masochist, but considering she's did all that work for something that in the end she wouldn't even want, I can see why he'd think that. Especially since he assumed she knew what it was that she was trying to steal like he did🤣

As for why Lupin was after the statue, he was literally just bored, and thought it was a way to kill time. *facepalm* 🤣

Ultimately the episode ended with no one getting the statue, Lupin who was super bored before is bored no longer and is happy that he has a new rival and friend (one sided friendship), and a possible future girlfriend because he thought she was hot.

And Lupin pulled a somewhat similar move that his dad did to propose to his mom, as well as something similar to what Lupin himself said to Jigen in Lupin Zero... Lupin left Fujiko a note written on her leg stating that he's going to steal her heart.

Welp, at least that family is consistent when it comes to their confessions.

I like how Koike tried to do the art style of the original manga in this series, and it also marks the return of Fujiko being a redhead again like she was originally before Part 2!

the only thing I don't like about the look of this show is how dull the colors are, everything has like a gray or dark purple cast to it unlike the Koike Lupin movies, and it makes stuff look dull and drab.

Over all, it was a fun episode, it still had the Goofyness of the main series, mixed with a noir tone.

I mean the episode literally ends with Lupin failing to steal the statue after trying to attach rockets to it and fly it over the ocean while he air surfs on it, then everyone gets high while partying in the ocean and the cops are just like "meh, what can you do". 🤣

It's both the most Lupin'ish ending possible, as well as the most 60's way to end an episode.

Edit: if you want to see my review of episode 2, you can read it here!

[vaguely-concerned]

and then they work together to get out of the death trap without having to say a word instead of turning on each other like fujiko planned for them to :')

I cannot get over how in this version Lupin essentially tells Jigen to live for the lols if nothing else, and not only does it work, Jigen clearly identifies Lupin as the greatest clown he'll ever meet and falls in love with him instantly. of course he'll go on to dedicate the rest of his life to him. who else but you can make all my dreams come true etc. etc.

a) Jigen's sullen little squat in this scene fkasdh b) I am genuinely emotional over how much their relationship is grounded in a mutual shared sense of joy. They have the solid foundations of stability beneath that, but most of all they have so much fun together. The sentiment of 'stick around, pal, the world is funny sometimes and I'd like to laugh at it along with you' somehow gets to me haha

Jigen is just sticking around for the show at this point and no one puts on a show quite like Lupin, front row seats babey

it's a bit hard to see because of the shading style, but the first time he openly grins in this whole show ❤️ (and it's also in a much more cartoony style of doing his grin that harkens back to the older days of the franchise, so paradoxically it feels nostalgic even if in-story they've literally only just met!)

[jigensass]

Where the fuck do I begin with this

Okay I know

Jesus Christ this episode hit in places only the fans knew where to hit. I just -it’s beautiful from beginning to end and provoked so much emotion, especially if you’re a Jigen fan like me.

I will mostly show from the video I posted because afterwards the story takes a complete hairpin of trigger warning I don’t wanna get yelled at for.

I’ll start off by mentioning that the way Lupin was integrated as working behind the scenes and not giving Jigen the full truth about the situation was very nice. It kept him tethered to the plot without screwing it up.

But this is THE Jigen episode. Last Bullet was the appetizer leading up to this. It’s probably the best Jigen episode out of all the Jigen episodes because it seems to tie them all together by adding the most depth to his character. Which if I say, I sadly relate to the lone gunman a little too much.

As ironic as it is to say this when I posted about the whole Beauty and the Beast comment Epcar threw into Part 1, episode 18, Jigen is actually the Beast in a way of sorts.

He’s covered in scars, has a black and white sense of judgement, and racked up a death count that I have a feeling the series is not going to be afraid to make even bigger now that the audience knows he will not hesitate. It was a bit ambiguous in episode 7 in the sewer because of the lighting and in past parts (excluding the fight with the Benz at the end of Part 5) his kills have been…questionable, probably because of the tv rating(This is in the main canon, I consider TWcFM a spin off). But the band-aid was ripped off with that flashback and the mission.

We first see Jigen, probably at a time before meeting Lupin, being gunned down in an alleyway by three men in black suits. He successfully shot them all down, but suffered a fatal wound in the process.

And what is the first thing we see him do? Smile at Death. And later he even SAYS he wanted to die in that alley with his Magnum. Who we know at this point, Jigen is hiding behind a rouge to say he’s in a relationship with it (really surprised he hasn’t given the Magnum an official name at this point, but if he has, he mainly calls them ‘partner’). Because of his failure of not completing the job in one piece, he thought he deserved to be in a coffin.

How is this so? Well he was given (or he gave himself) a choice to either end his life as an assassin and become the doctor’s husband or pick the magnum up again and continue his job. He chose the latter and as he told the doctor’s soon to be husband, ‘you may stagger and hesitate but there is no turning back’. I think he also still has feelings for the doctor, but they have been hardened away by his rouge.

And this ties back to The Jigen episodes from Part 2 and 3. He probably truly did have feelings for those women (most certainly with Barbara. Like I can’t stress this enough, if you like Jigen and his character you NEED to watch the Star of Alaska two parter from Part 3), but in those moments where he could have run off with them, he gave himself a choice: go live the good life or abandon the gang.

And nearly every time to show he wanted that fleeting romance to live only as a memory and not something he could attach himself to, he did this as means to forget it more by destroying a physical object that tethered the memory or removing it from his possession as a means where he could not get it back.

He did the same thing at the end of the episode by tossing the gem into the water. AND when he was given the choice between the gun and the doctor at the beginning of the episode we see him throw the Lily of the Valley flower left on the notepad out into the Bitter Rain.

But there was something very different about this episode that has never been touched upon before, but fans of the series know the implied lore well.

It’s the kindness in Jigen’s eyes. And how under this rouge of gruffness, misogyny, and murder that he does want the best for others around him because in his mind, no matter what he tries to better himself, that blood-soaked ledger is going to haunt him for the rest of his days if he goes straight (being a normal civilian with a normal life kind of straight).

I don’t think he’s not so much a beast as he is as Lupin said, “a fuzzy angel”. He’s like Lupin in the sense he wants to hold a certain demeanor so people push him away and don’t get heavily attached, but there are a handful of people who can see through his facade.

This obviously counteracts my whole Fujiko and Jigen relationship even igniting because Episode 0 answered it for me. Jigen refused her offer and more than likely he is not going to go back on his decision because of his way of thinking.

BUT, because Fujiko kind of thinks in that same manner of ‘do or do not, there is no try’, I do agree, especially NOW in Part 6 where Fujiko is a lot smarter and Jigen has set aside his qualms with Fujiko, they should team up. It would be a heist for the ages. I would want it to be the opposite of what happened in Part 1 Episode 19 where Fujiko and Jigen have to save Lupin because he made a stupid, oversight decision.

What’s funny about all this is when Jigen does have a preference to women, he does like them when they are independent and honest so if Fujiko could be transparent with him and as kind as the doctor was, he definitely would trip a bit.

But what does this mean for Jigen’s sexuality? Well this morning Burrito you were saying he’s gay, possibly bisexual now we have all this give us a direct answer.

I can’t do that , because I have said before that my opinion on his sexuality changes like the phases of the moon, but they all fall under one term.

Jigen, at the bottom line, is queer and not heterosexual.

[jaqfrost]

can we talk about the woman called fujiko mine and the way it is a subversive masterpiece please … most underrated piece of media out there

I’ll be honest; I don’t know what kind of answer to give. As much as I enjoy TWCFM, I don’t consider it a masterpiece, though I do think it’s currently the best story-driven lupin series. and tbh I don’t consider it underrated either. it’s niche, even within the franchise, but it gets enough attention imo. If anything, this ask gave me a reason to do a proper rewatch (which was fun) and give some assorted thoughts.

(im sorry this got long 😭; I tried my best to keep it as straightforward as possible)

As I’ve mentioned, this was my gateway series into Lupin. Going in, I knew nothing about the franchise or its characters so each time one of the main guys showed up after their 1st appearance, I was like ‘Really?? Him again???” (which is what Fujiko probably thought too). Anyways I watched it all in one night and immediately wanted more. Especially if it involved Fujiko (and thankfully she’s present in 99% of lupin media even if writing may vary :/).

I forget my exact feelings on the ending, but it was nothing overly positive or negative. It took a rewatch (after I watched more lupin stuff) and reading some reviews before I ‘got’ it on some level. And as I became more familiar with the characters, rewatching continued to be an interesting experience (like my view on TWCFM Jigen has truly Evolved.)

Still, there’s things I question about the series.

For starters, I think ppl sometimes slap the subversive+feminist label onto the series without any nuance or caveat. does it subvert expectations irt Fujiko’s character? sure, but it’s also a series with an episode where Fujiko acts as a teacher at Catholic school and up to a certain point, the viewer thinks she’s seducing a high school student 😕. it’s also a narrative that’s built on the story of a horrifically abused child who dies as Fujiko becomes free of the girl’s story. I think a better line would be there’s a lot to discuss from a feminist perspective. at times, the story itself feels more of a commentary on female characters and tropes in fiction/abstract than like, actual women. it is a story about stories after all.

I’m not going to spend too much on this point, but Oscar. I’ve read different takes on him and I’m not going to say on whether or not he’s a good/well-written character; I can see his purpose in the series (I question the choice of it tho), but I also see how his character can give credence to transphobia and homophobia (his unhealthy love for Zenigata, cross-dressing, the straw misogyny, etc). I can’t tell for sure what points writers trying to make with the character and the ending is still a head scratcher for me tbh; I hope he got help I guess?? The theory that he was one of Aisha’s Ifs that got away is interesting…

And Aisha’s story is something I go back and forth on. On one hand, there is something invigorating about seeing Fujiko overcome and affirm herself as herself, but it does leave a bad taste in my mouth when the person she’s affirming herself to is a young woman who had her childhood ripped apart by horrific abuse. She doesn’t get to just shake it all off like Fujiko does. While I understand the intent behind her final scene (as she lives through projecting herself onto others), having her die while watching Fujiko happily splash around at the beach is a little weird (though one could argue that Fujiko’s saying I’m free for both of them since Aisha is unable to speak).

The story does at least highlight the fault is more on Aisha’s mother. Rather than try to guide her daughter in freedom after Almeida’s death (be a mother), she kept her daughter trapped in the same bubble while extending the same trauma on countless others in attempt to give her some semblance of a life and make up for her previous inability to protect her from Almeida. While it gave Aisha short-satisfaction, it did nothing to help her well-being, especially if she was obsessed with implanting the same experience into others, a process her mother facilitated.

Last one and I’m not too bothered by this complaint, but it still comes to mind when I think about this series’ intentions. While Fujiko is the center of the story, most of the time she’s not really proactive in it? After all it’s Lupin who investigates and figures out the mystery behind Fujiko’s ‘memories’ while Fujiko’s left grappling with the implanted memories and nearly loses herself in them. Like maybe Lupin was given too much focus in this series? Fujiko does get the final word at least.

Anyways I’d love to see them do more experimental series in the future (the Koike movies just aren’t the same, no matter how cool the style is). if only TMS weren’t cowards and took advantage of no concrete continuity rather than just arbitrarily keeping status quo. and I’d definitely love to see more Fujiko-centric stuff (part 6 was very eh, but it did give us a few Fujiko led episodes so maybe).

Like I said, I don’t consider TWCFM a masterpiece, but I can’t deny how much it fascinated me when I first watched it (I was still pretty new to anime at the time). Moreover, it made me think about the stories I wanted to tell with my own art, with both its strengths and flaws in mind. Almost eight years later and I'm still going back to it.

[dying-suffering-french-stalkers]

Finally watching Goodbye Partner!  I’m watching the dub, but I have the subs on so I can read the date/location popups and signs, so I’m getting a bit of dialogue comparison.  I’ll probably go back and watch a few scenes with the original audio as well (Kiyoshi Kobayashi my beloved).

Here begins the liveblog, but all in one post and under a cut so it’s not as insufferable:

Starting strong with a heist escape sequence as per usual!  As far as openings go, it’s hard to go wrong with that.

Oh, hello, literal actual Chopin courtesy of a timeskip/flashback.

What are these RWBY-ass CGI piano hands??  Y’all warned me and you were not kidding.  Traditional rotoscoping would never hurt me in this way.

CUSTODY_OF_CHILD.JPG

Lupin playing in those see-through inflatable “hamster” balls skdfjskjdflsl

Intricate Rituals.  Jiglup gunplay confirmed

Epcar’s delivery here was so much more aggressive than Kobayashi’s.

“Area 61, Colorado” just say Cheyenne Mountain

EDWARD ZNOWDEN

Fujiko really is terrible with kids

Listen, I love a good Dutch angle, but I’m starting to feel like I should set up a CinemaSins counter at this point.  I’m glad to have some shot variety but there are other compositions, you know.

Motorcycle Jigen returns!!

Loving this little Morricone shoutout, which I unfortunately cannot seem to find on YouTube.

[strangled Goemon voice] “MISTAKE.”

God. GOD. Tony Oliver’s delivery in the betrayal scene is so good.  Lupin is clearly not buying it at all and is quite willing to play along with whatever the hell this is - until Jigen shoots him right in the heart.  That’s going to hurt a lot more than literally when he wakes up, though 1) given that the movie’s barely begun, I’m guessing he’s still not completely buying it (rightfully so) and is gonna look into this and 2) unfortunately this franchise isn’t known for actually digging into all the delicious angst and implications it likes to sling around.  Cowards.

Also, I like that Lupin seems to be wearing a navy shirt and pink tie like he had in early Part 2 instead of the blue shirt/yellow tie he has in the other Red Jacket movies.  Not sure why that’s what they went with but I’m down.

Okay, I went back and watched the betrayal scene in Japanese and OOF, it hits DIFFERENT to hear Kiyoshi Kobayashi deliver those lines.  He’s so utterly casual about it and it’s all the more angsty since he’s, y’know, a million years old, so here his Jigen sounds much more tired/resigned compared to Epcar’s brasher gunman.

The way that the shots focus on not only Jigen, but also Fujiko when the boss asks about the betrayal...nice.  Fujiko doesn’t know for sure if Jigen killed Lupin, but I imagine such a possibility would shake her at least a little - not just because she cares for that silly monkey man, but because that partnership has been a surprising constant in her life.  If even that could finally crumble, her natural cynicism is about to get a whole lot deeper.  Morbidly, she wants to know if Jigen had the balls to do it.  It’d be a hell of a lot more kindred spirit between them than she ever expected if so.  It’s a shame this plot wasn’t used in a Koike movie; it would’ve been great to see the deliberate parallel/foil from TWCFM continue.

“Why don’t we talk about your future?” the boss says as Jigen’s whole demeanor screams What future?  Even though Lupin isn’t dead and Jigen has his reasons for why he did this, Jigen hardly expects forgiveness after all this.  Lupin may be alive but Jigen has just killed the best thing he ever had and he can never get that back (except he can, because movie and long-running franchise, but y’know, Watsonian vs. Doylist).

The Dark Crystal (1982)

HATSUNE MIKU???  ACTUAL HATSUNE MIKU????? (just her voice but aksdjfkajsdkfjaklsjdfljasjdflajsdf)

Ohhhh, the Lupin & Clarisse / Jigen & the kid’s mom (still haven’t heard her name lmao) parallel was just uncalled for, my heart

Let Jigen wear burgundy more often

...Mr. Epcar, I love and respect you, but is it too much to ask that you vary your inflection a little more?  Where’s the PATHOS?

Slightly cried instantly, “The Wendy lady lives.”  Then Peter knelt beside her and found his button.  You remember she had put it on a chain that she wore round her neck.  “See,” he said, “the arrow struck against this. It is the kiss I gave her.  It has saved her life.”

BLACK JACKET

Burgundy suit + round glasses Goemon!!!

There’s no way Pops is getting his job back after this one

Goemon: [turns his usual hot girl swordsmanship up to 11]

Lupin: Well mark me down as scared AND horny! dot jpeg

Again with the CGI hand crimes.

Wow he straight-up said Jigen was cheating on him

Ah, see, that “waste of oxygen”/“huge mistake” bit of dialogue is the kind of inflection I like to hear.

WarGames (1983)

It took me entirely too long to realize the president was supposed to look like H.illary.

Goemon: [slices open a door for Fujiko]

Fujiko: “Oh, you.” <3

This is all very action-heavy and surprisingly decent for a Lupin film so far, but uh. why is Jigen once again a side character in his own movie?

Ayyyy, nice reference to Zantetsuken’s composition from Part 1.  Still insane that they melted down three awesome swords to make a different sword though.

Goemon snarks back to robots confirmed.  Not that Lupin would ever be stupid enough to buy an Al3xa/etc. but can you IMAGINE

JAZZ PIANIST FUJIKO!  Fujiko having actual interests and hobbies!!!

Comrade Emilka

TRIPLE PARALLEL WITH JIGEN & ALISA NOW

They just?? left Jigen in the middle of the desert after the absolute minimum discussion of All That????  That’s...on-brand actually but give me the angst this plot device deserved >:(

Michelle Ruff I would die for you

This variation on the main theme is my favorite.  I’ve probably listened to it about a thousand times at this point but I finally got to hear it in context.

Welp, that was one of the better Lupin movies I’ve seen, but I do wish they’d done more with the whole Jigen betrayal thing that ended up being more of a subplot.  Thank goodness for fics that do the work.

Edit: “There are about four different plots going on at once in this movie, and they forgot to focus on the one that’s in the actual title.” - @theimpossiblescheme

[bananapajama87]

What are your thoughts on TWCFM? I've watched it so many times, and I feel like I can never form a coherent opinion about it beyond "It has a lot of stuff I like and some stuff I don't like", so it's so interesting to hear what other people have to say about it!

(Oh boy... Shouldn't have asked me about twcfm, essay incoming)

Yeah! TWCFM is a puzzler of a show cuz by all rights I shouldn't like it at all. But I do.

I'm not a huge fan of the artstyle, I don't like nudity, not the biggest Fujiko fan, and the things that happen in it (all of Zenigata, all of Oscar, the school episode, the ending? The flashbacks, the drugs) are pretty gross and I hate to see em.

YET! I love twcfm :) I sing it's praises to people and get them to watch it for themselves, and I think it has to do with the character exploration. Twcfm lets itself dig into the sadder or just more psychological sides of the characters and I think it does it very successfully!

I could (and did) talk for hours about Jigen in this show and how they looked explicitly at how lost he feels in the world. And how he moors himself so completely to anyone he thinks is a kindred spirit and who he might protect, but ends up getting hurt.

This show has one of the sweetest Goemons despite him looking like an agent of death and his interactions with Fujiko show how he idealizes people in his head and that his heart is not really one for the assassin life (like the manga said). He's almost an innocent despite all his crimes.

Lupin... I was so surprised when he pulled his first goofy face in the show. The style made me think he might just be serious and mean. But he's funny! And his dynamic with Jigen and Fujiko is sooooo good. This show really helped my understanding of his and Fujiko's relationship.

FUJIKO! Wow they did so right by her here. Before I knew who had directed it, I had to think a woman had some significant hand in this show because though the nudity is gratuitous, it's powerful and it's in Fujiko's control. She's never bashful or ashamed, she's comfortable at all times and uses that comfort as a weapon against those who are trying to objectify her. Plus, we get the introduction of her character thesis (for Koike but I like to carry it over) which I really like: forget the past, who you are is based on your choices in the present. For a character whose look and identity are so amorphous across the series and in her line of work, I liked that her power came from fundamentally being herself.

Plus! She's so capable and has such an interesting relationship with each of the gang members. I loved seeing her battle wits with Lupin and keep up/get the upper hand! I've always thought that her betrayals and the fujilup dynamic would be much more sympathetic for Fujiko if we saw it from her pov. And it's true. They're having fun. I just wish more episodes from her pov existed so we could really appreciate her. Plus, even though it's artificial, it's good to see her with some internal conflict. Hehe I'm terrible and am always a sucker for some self-loathing and Fujiko gets that here.

Overall for the ending, I'm glad we didn't actually learn her backstory. Initially, I felt cheated but now I think she's the kind who works better without some sob story or any canon background at all tbh, and it works so wonderfully with the show's forget your past thesis. She is herself and that's inherent. For all this show's gritty look and content, it's actually quite soft I think.

Good thing there are only four main characters in the show! Can you imagine if they had tried to make a gritty Zenigata? Yikes, that could have been a disaster :)

[fashionablefujiko]

miss fujiko for the character asks maybe 🥺

AAAAAAAAAA THANK YOU!!

1. How I feel about this character

So obviously I love her, but as well as her being #girlboss and fashionable and a queen, I mainly love her because she’s a woman who’s allowed to show traditionally ‘unfeminine’ traits like selfishness and ambition without being villainised or demonised - she’s Lupin’s equal!!

2. All the people I ship romantically with this character

I kinda ship her with Lupin, Rebecca, Ginko, Judy and Goemon - I’m not too big on ships but I think they’re really cute!!

3. My non-romantic OTP for this character

I think Fujiko and Jigen are great friends when they want to be!! They have sibling energy and should work together more often because they’re chaotic!!

4. My unpopular opinion about this character

As much as I like TWCFM, I’d much prefer her to have a backstory that’s just normal - she’s how she is because that’s her personality, not because she was abused or went through horrible things. I think it’d be refreshing to see a female character who is unapologetically selfish without having to suffer for it. This probably comes from my own experiences but you don’t need abuse or pain to make you strong and independent.

5. One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I think it’d be really fun for her hobbies and other skills to be shown!! She’s mentioned in canon that she’s done professional acting and I think it’d be cool to explore her character through her playing femme fatales throughout theatrical history, like Lady Macbeth for example.

Thank you sm for asking!!! 🥺🥺

[zacscandura]

Lupin the Third (the best and most influential thing you’ve never heard of)

So, it’s the last week, and I decided to throw myself a bone and just nerd out about something I like a lot (but nobody talks about).

So you all like Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli right? How about Persona 5? Metal Gear? Batman the Animated Series? Jet Set Radio? Indiana Jones? How about Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo? Well, all of those people and properties were heavily inspired by (or in Miyazaki’s case got their start on) Lupin III.

Lupin the Third (pronounced Loop-an because french) is an anime series/manga that has lasted over 50 years (throughout which has inspired countless pieces of media). It stars... Well, Lupin the Third. A gentlemen thief who can steal anything if he puts his mind to it. He’s the grandson of the original Arsene Lupin (which is a series of 19th century French novels by Maurice Leblanc, since apparently copyright didn’t exist in late 1960s Japan).

The series is about Lupin and his partners stealing things while being chased by the detective Inspector Zenigata and... Yeah, that’s it. You’d think something like this would get repetitive over the years, but the series has always been able to find new ways to both experiment (be it different tones, plot structures, and art-styles throughout the 6 shows).

The series is so much fun to watch, and it’s kind of hard to explain why. It’s just fun seeing a gentlemen thief steal stuff and always have some sort of insane trick or gadget up his sleeve, with memorable characters that have clearly stood the test of time. It’s also hard to explain due to how all 6 shows are pretty distinct. No matter what though, you can always rely on the characters to be fun, you will never be able to predict what Lupin has up his sleeve, and again, it’s just such a fun series. I’m not doing a great job at explaining why I love it so much, but it’s whatever. Each part (besides 4 and 5) have their own jacket color as well to match the tone of the series. I’ll get into it.

Part 1/Green Jacket (1971-1972) - It’s the shortest of the series and has a somewhat more serious tone with much darker elements than usual. It’s aged a lot visually, but it’s still incredibly well written. Side note, Hayao Miyazaki (the dude who made Totoro and Spirited Away)’s directorial debute was with this first part of Lupin. He also directed the second part as well.

Part 2/Red Jacket (1977-1980) - By far the longest and most iconic part in the series. It’s much more light hearted and has a more comedic tone than usual. There are a lot of fantastic episodes in it, and some of the Miyazaki episodes look straight out of a Ghibli film.

Part 3/Pink Jacket (1984-1985) - This series is a lot more comedic and absurd. This is probably also the most “childish” Lupin has ever been, compared to the more adult themes presented in the previous parts and manga. It’s still good though.

The Woman Called Fujiko Mine (2012) - This is where I’d recommend you start. It’s basically an origin story, and the first “serialized” Lupin show. This is by far the darkest and most serious Lupin show, but OH MY GOD IS IT GOOD. The animation is so stylized and beautiful, and there’s just so much cool crap in it. This is also the shortest part (being only 13 episodes).

Part 4/Blue Jacket 1 (2015) - This is much more of a modern take on Lupin. It’s tone falls between parts 1 and 2. A little serious, but not too much. The series takes place in Italy, and has a lot of great moments. I definitely wouldn’t say it’s my favorite, but there’s still a lot of fun to be had.

Part 5/Blue Jacket 2 (2018) - This follows the trend of Part 4 and is also more story driven. However, I like this part a LOT more. It deals with technology and social media, something Lupin usually doesn’t cover. However, this is probably tied with TWCFM for being my favorite part. It feels like a celebration of all things that came before and deals with a more introspective look on all of the characters and their relationships with one another.

All you need to know about Lupin before jumping into any episode are the characters. Lupin is a genius gentlemen thief, Jigen is his a marksman and partner who keeps him in line (and does some of the coolest crap I have ever seen be done with a gun in any piece of fiction), Goemon is another member of the gang samurai who is usually pretty serious, Fujiko is Lupin’s on and off love interest who loves treasure as much as she does manipulating Lupin into getting what she wants, and Inspector Zenigata is an officer of the law who’s life goal is to capture Lupin and bring him to justice (but he has a heart of gold and refuses corruption or the death penalty).

You could really just jump into any episode of any series if you really wanna get into the series (besides maybe TWCFM, and parts 4 and 5 which, again, are more serialized). However, if you want me to recommend some episodes, I’d say the first episode of The Woman Called Fujiko Mine and Season 4 Episode 42 of Part 2 (directed by Miyazaki) are my favorite episodes of Lupin (besides the later episodes of part 5 where the greatest plot twist I have ever experienced happens).

If you want to watch a movie instead, I’d recommend the movie The Castle of Cagliostro. It’s available on most streaming websites (just don’t watch the English dub because it’s really poorly translated due to the initial copyright issues with Lupin when being localized). ALSO Castle of Calgiostro was the first ever Miyazaki movie. It has the charm any Ghibli Film would have, but it’s also just a really fun movie. There’s also the recent Lupin movie called “Lupin III: The First” and it’s not nearly as good of a movie, but the animation is some of the best I have ever seen. It’s the first 3d animated Lupin movie and it looks better than Pixar. It’s so freaking gorgeous.

Anyways, I just wanted an excuse to talk about Lupin. It’s not my favorite anime/manga thing ever (that will likely always be One Piece), but it’s something I can always rely on to be fun.

[demonfox38]

Fujiko Mine's silent hill damage?

So, here's the interesting thing. Silent Hill seems to have a minimal impact on those who are perceived to be guiltless. Like, for all the troubles and annoyances Laura causes, she escapes "Silent Hill 2" fearless and unscathed. Members of The Order seem to be pretty well off too, but that may be more them being chill with monsters than them generally being unaffected by supernatural specters judging them. Given Fujiko's rather shameless nature, she might actually be 100% okay in Silent Hill! About the only one I could see having problems would be the TWCFM interpretation of her character, and that may have more to do with psychedelic drugs and experiments getting her than any personal reflection.

Oddly enough, Fujiko herself could be a Silent Hill manifestation.

From what I understand about the original "Lupin the Third" manga, Fujiko was originally more of catch-all name for several women that Lupin encountered, rather than a single entity. How much you want to take that into account, well, that's solely up to you. Getting into that canon's a bit like jamming your arm in a backed-up toilet. But, it does give me ammo for the supposition that Fujiko, much like Mary/Maria, could be a construct made by Silent Hill to hound Lupin. In this case, she'd be more of a Legion or a multi-soul existing in one ever-changing form, rather than the fulfillment of a wish.

There's an argument that's half forming in my brain for why Jigen would then be justified in being put off by her, as well as some curiosity on why she's effective on Goemon if she's meant to be more of a tormentor for Lupin. I just can't quite shape it.

[ladylooter]

ladylooter’s guide to watching Lupin III

I was inspired by @despairfiles​‘ guide to watching the Fate series as well as mutuals who have expressed interest in interacting with my Fujiko muse but were either completely unfamiliar with the Lupin III franchise or hadn’t seen any of the shows/movies/OVAs/TV specials in awhile. So I’m going to use this post to share my recommendations of where Lupin fans (and soon-to-be fans!) can start with the franchise. I’ll make a note first: these opinions are my own and there’s no ‘correct’ way to watch the various anime offerings. Some Lupin fans may disagree with me, and that’s great! Personally, I think there’s something in the Lupin fandom for every fan to enjoy, depending on your tastes. This is just my personal recommendation, based on the vast (seriously, a lot) of Lupin I’ve watched over the years.

But first, the basics:

Lupin the Third (often stylized as Lupin III) began as a manga in the 1960s by creator Monkey Punch. It spawned a media franchise featuring the manga, two pilot films, six television series, countless movies/OVAs/TV specials, video games, live action movies, a CG movie, and more. It stars Arsene Lupin III, the grandson of the original Arsene Lupin, who is considered the world’s greatest thief. He often teams up with the likes of Daisuke Jigen (expert marksman), Goemon Ishikawa XIII (expert swordsman), and on occasion, Fujiko Mine (expert seductress and betrayer). The four (though mostly Lupin), are constantly pursued by Inspector Zenigata of Interpol, who will stop at nothing to apprehend Lupin III.

A note about this guide: While the thoughts are my own, none of the images are. I tried to pull photos that represent the various recommendations I give here.

Where to watch: I’ll always advise to find legal copies of Lupin III shows and films. With so much content, there’s a variety of ways to watch. If you’re in the United States or have access to US-based streaming services, I’d recommend checking Hulu (Lupin III Part II is on there still, I believe) and Crunchyroll (Lupin III Parts I, II, III, IV and V are there). Movies and The Woman Called Fujiko Mine are a little more difficult to find nowadays, but you can often find out of print Funimation discs on secondhand sites as well as a variety of licensed Lupin movies from Discotek. But if you have your own means to track down content, I’m not going to judge you. 

Onto the guide!

Part I - I’m completely new to Lupin III…

...And I only want to watch one movie to see if I like it!

If you only want to commit to one movie, I’d recommend choosing Lupin III Episode 0: The First Contact. Lupin as a franchise has negative continuity, so there’s multiple ways the cast meets and interacts with one another. First Contact does this in a very succinct fashion while not losing a lot of the more traditional, common Lupin tropes. You’ll be introduced to the main five characters, see some heists, and get an idea of what the franchise is (mostly) about. 

In short, the plot revolves around a story Daisuke Jigen retells to a reporter about how Lupin and the gang first met. The main five members of the cast are also supplemented by interesting side characters (who aren’t just there to be plot devices. This happens a lot in the Lupin franchise unfortunately). 

I really liked this! What do I watch next? Almost any of the movies/OVAs/TV specials you want, as well as Part II or Part IV. If you don’t mind a darker take on Lupin or with more questionable plots, then Part I or The Woman Called Fujiko Mine could be for you. But I’d suggest Parts II or IV if you want to watch a TV series.

...And I want to watch a few episodes! I love humor, wacky hijinks, and don’t mind older animation.

Look no further than Lupin III Part II! This Lupin series is what you may remember being broadcast on Adult Swim in the early 2000s. It consists of 155 episodes and aired between 1977-1980. But don’t worry, you do not need to watch all of them, or even watch them in order! Most plotlines are contained to one episode, so you can skip around and watch what you’d like. The content is light, most everything is focused around crime capers, and there’s a lot of humor and pop culture references (well, pop culture for the late 70s). Episodes 145 and 155 are particularly highly regarded as they were directed by pre-Studio Ghibli Hayao Miyazaki. 

In short, the best way to figure out which episodes to watch are to read the titles or see thumbnails and see if it interests you. Or you can watch from the beginning, but that’s a lot of anime to go through!

I really liked this! What do I watch next? I’d recommend the two following movies: The Mystery of Mamo and The Castle of Cagliostro. Mamo was Lupin III’s first feature film and is a bit darker and mature in tone than Lupin III Part II (as well as some rough animation), but the plot is fantastic. Cagliostro is a classic, and Hayao Miyazaki’s first feature film. It’s just a great movie in general and has one of the best car chases in cinematic history. My only advice for Cagliostro? Know that the Lupin gang (especially Lupin and Fujiko) are far nicer and altruistic than their portrayals in other Lupin media. Watch it with the mindset of it being a Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli take on Lupin and being very family-friendly.

...And I want to watch a few episodes! I love heists and capers, but I prefer more contemporary animation.

You can’t go wrong with Lupin III Part IV! Also known as “The Italian Adventure,” this series takes place mostly in Italy and San Marino. It opens with Lupin’s marriage (yes, marriage) to Rebecca Rossellini, a wealthy heiress who has way more fun being a thief. It aired in 2015 in Japan and 2017 on Adult Swim’s Toonami block in the United States. 

It has plenty lighthearted moments similar to Part II, but unlike Part II it does need to be watched in full. Some episodes are self-contained capers but there is an overarching story that spans the entire season. Luckily, it’s only 26 episodes. The animation is stunning, the main cast is very much reminiscent of the gang Lupin fans know and love, and Part IV also has the addition of a more consistent female member of the cast other than Fujiko in Rebecca (and the two play off each other rather hilariously!). 

I really liked this! What do I watch next? You could watch the TV special Lupin III: The Italian Game, but a good amount of the film will rehash content from Part IV. Instead, I’d recommend watching Lupin III Part V. Taking place mostly in France, it’s the natural successor to Part IV. While you don’t see much of Rebecca, you do get another female member of the main cast named Ami. Part V also recently aired on Adult Swim’s Toonami block in 2019.

...And I want to watch a few episodes! I want to start at the very beginning to see how the characters have evolved and changed over time (and I don’t mind older animation).

Then you should start with Lupin III Part I.  Originally broadcast in 1971-1972, it’s one of the interpretations that’s closer to the original manga. It was the first anime series in Japan with a mature feel and aimed at an adult audience, so don’t be surprised if there’s a bit more lewd humor and violence. There’s a lot more sinister organizations for the gang to rob and far less of an emphasis on the happy, upbeat Lupin portrayal that’s found in later installments.

I really liked this! What should I watch next? Lupin III: The Fuma Conspiracy. It still features green jacket (Part I, when it was released) Lupin and is overall a good movie. The Japanese dub of this will be a little jarring if you’ve watched other subtitled Lupin: the entire voice cast was changed for this specific movie only. Otherwise, I’d recommend checking out Lupin III Part II or The Woman Called Fujiko Mine.  

Part II - I’m a returning fan to Lupin III...

...And I want to see a darker, grittier Lupin gang.

The Woman Called Fujiko Mine. You will not get a darker, gritter take on the Lupin franchise in anime than The Woman Called Fujiko Mine. Tone and design are very close to the original manga and it’s the only series that has Fujiko as the main character (I’m also a bit biased: this is one of my favorite contributions to the franchise). The 13 episode series details how Fujiko met Lupin, Jigen, Goemon, and Zenigata (gotta love the Negative Continuity!), and the various missions she undertakes while she tries to outrun her past. 

You’ll get some very different characterizations for some of the main cast (especially Zenigata) and as the series is much more dark and adult in nature, it has copious amounts of nudity (mostly for Fujiko. She’s completely naked for the entire opening credits), drugs, alcohol, smoking, and implied sex (among other things that would be considered spoilers). 

Literally. I cannot stress the nudity, drugs, and sex aspects enough for this show. It’s also the only entry into the Lupin III franchise to be directed by a woman. I’d say that if you’re a fan of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, you’ll likely enjoy this addition to the franchise.

I really liked this! What do I watch next? You’ll want to watch the trio of films meant to follow TWCFM and have a similar art style: Jigen’s Gravestone, Goemon’s Blood Spray, and Fujiko’s Lie. None of them necessarily reference the series, but they have similar tone and design and are meant as spinoffs/continuations. They’re all relatively short films (an hour or less). If you’re already pretty familiar with Lupin, don’t miss the shoutout to The Mystery of Mamo in Jigen’s Gravestone. 

...And I want to see some great heists and overall fun that reminds me of Lupin III Part II!

Scroll up and see everything I wrote for Lupin III Part IV: The Italian Adventure. :) If you haven’t watched Lupin in awhile but love the red jacket era Lupin, you’ll want to start on Part IV. It has nicer animation with a similar feel. 

...And I want to watch some movies/OVAs/Specials! What do you recommend?

Beyond everything already recommended on this list? There’s a lot of movies out there, but here are some of my favorites:

Generally good story/art contributions to the Lupin III franchise:

Tokyo Crisis

Dead or Alive (This was directed by Monkey Punch himself!)

Voyage to Danger

Island of Assassins

Alcatraz Connection

Green vs. Red (this one is good for fans who’ve seen quite a bit of the franchise already. It was made to celebrate Lupin’s 40th anniversary)

The Travels of Marco Polo ~Another Page~

Lupin III: The First (The newest addition and the first CGI Lupin III movie! It’s coming to theaters in the USA shortly and will arrive on blu-ray in January 2021)

So bad they’re good at times:

Farewell to Nostradamus (I’m biased towards this one for a reason. Also, the opening sequence is great)

The Columbus Files: Fujiko’s Unlucky Days (Look I’m here for amnesiac Fujiko and I admit it)

Dragon of Doom (Great if you like Goemon, a little basic otherwise)

So there you have it. I hope you enjoy getting into Lupin III!

[gaarfielf]

k im gonna throw in my hot take on part 5 now i think the time has come where i’ve watched enough of the damn series i can make a coherent essay on whats what on what (putting it under a read more bc this shit is gonna be long and i dont want my followers to suffer too much)

I’ll do this character by character starting with the new ones

Ami: I’m having a hard time deciphering whether she’s being underutilized or over utilized because number 1) her character isn’t interesting enough to have her keep coming around, especially when her only connection to the group is Lupin. She hasn’t had any interaction with Goemon or Jigen that i know of and she hates Fujiko for ??? reasons. That being said, I would’ve preferred if she was fleshed out more because 2) literally having her be the distant girl that is quiet and doesn’t understand social norms is..... really boring. It’s almost as boring as having a female character whose only there as a set of boobs... (coughs). She isn’t interesting because they didn’t make her interesting, yeah? It’s hard to hate a character based on the fact alone they were clearly written by a man but I mean it very literally when I say she could’ve been something great. Having her confess her love to Lupin was straight up disgusting and I really expected more from tms in that vein. Putting romance where romance doesn’t need to be is bad enough let alone when you jack knife it in between a child and an adult. And for those of you saying ‘Oh hhhh she’s like nineteen’....look into your heart. Even if she is 1) she sure as hell doesn’t look it and 2) Lupin is like 40-50. In the wise words of me, children loving adults was a myth made up by pedophiles in support of the devil. Npot to mention pitting her against Fujiko because they both like Lupin?? I ain’t even gotta explain why that’s a pathetic excuse at writing. But I will. Fujiko is a grown ass woman so why the fuck would she care and Ami is a child who shouldn’t be in love with him anyway. She has truly been nothing in the series except a tool and even at that not a likable one.

Yata: Do I even have to say that I can’t write anything about a man who hasn’t had more than 4 minutes of screen time in the last 24 episodes? He was hyped up before the series started and he’s done nothing but be Zenigata’s personality in the place of Zenigata y’know. Actually speaking and having one for himself BUT WE’LL GET TO THAT LATER. He’s done nothing but yell and cry over literally nothing? Like he fights Zeni’s fights because for some reason Zenigata got super lazy this season (again, we’ll get into that later) and he’s just a pointless character.

Albert: Gay rep for life haha just kidding he was bad at that too. I think they literally introduced him as faux-gay rep because they know the fans wanted more sensitive interactions from their already existing male cast members and they were like ‘well that’s gay so we’ll give them this guy’. And speaking on behalf of myself - ‘I don’t want these’. So Albert shows up, supposedly having a HUGE connection to Lupin’s past and then............we never see him again. And they literally tell us nothing about him except he’s gay and works in the government. Apparently when we say ‘we want gay rep’ they hear ‘very minor gay character??’ and didn’t hear us say ‘no’ back. And every time I hear anyone say 1) ‘well, his connection to Lupin is supposed to be a mystery!’ I can feel hives growing on my skin because i’m allergic to bullshit like if they weren’t gonna tell us the connection, and whatever the connection is didn’t reveal anything new about the character outside of ‘Lupin knew somebody that wasn’t Jigen when he was younger’ then why?? mention it?? why make an entire arc dedicated to not telling us something if the end result was ‘it doesn’t matter who he is’? 2) ‘well they’re obviously cousins’ except they obviously aren’t. if they obviously were, they’d say that they were cousins. like if y’all are digging up bits of the manga from 40 years ago to say ‘there was a character who had the same last name’ but are also out here saying ‘Jigen doesnt have a sister bc they said that over 40 yers ago and haven’t mentioned it since’ then I ain’t got nothing to say to y’all, you’re just dodgy and ain’t worth the stress of talking to. 3) ‘they’re maybe gay’ well the cool thing about gay rep is that we don’t give honourary mentions out for series that were too cowardly to actually come right out and say it. So in conclusion, Albert was written by cowards who couldn’t decide what to do with him.

Enzo: Boring. That’s literally all I have to say. Trying to give him depth by making Ami his daughter was predictable and not at all interesting. To be honest I completely forgot she was looking for her dad anyway because she didn’t seem to care that much about finding him either (or seem to care about anythign really). He’s a shitty villain and every time he speaks I got my finger on the right-key because I don’t care what he has to say and so far I haven’t missed anything good so yeah. Just disappointing.

I think that’s it??? For new characters?? So I’ll move onto the main cast

Jigen: I 👏 WANT 👏 JIGEN 👏 TO 👏 DO 👏 SOMETHING like good fucking God the man hasn’t done anything this whole series up until 24 where he got  5 minute scene dedicated to him killin’ cops (direct action) but like?? As a character he hasn’t progressed he has BARELY spoken and we’ve learned one new thing about him the whole series in the episode where he meets the daughter of a woman he used to work with. And that one thing that we learned was: he used to work with the mother of this girl. That’s it. Episode 24 he got a little bit of dialog with Lupin that I guess was supposed to be like character development but it was so weird because it was kind of directed at the audience?? So it’s like is he talking to me or to Jigen because if I was Jigen I would not have one goddamn clue what he was talking about. Also, he’s so depressing this season?? Right up until now we’ve seen very little personality from him aside from Angry and Complains a Lot. He smiles sometimes sure but like he doesn’t exactly have a lot to smile about this season considering he’s not really in the limelight anymore and is only brought back to foreshadow how much he hates technology and wants to retire. Personally, Jigen is one of my favourite characters and the fact he hasn’t achieved much this series is a big let-down

Goemon: I can’t even imagine how let down Goemon fans feel because again, up until Episode 23 he did nothing. He had an episode where he fell in love?? With a girl?? Disguised as a woman?? For some reason?? It was in one of the throwbacks and I’ll admit that maybe the episode made sense and I probably missed something but to me I had no clue what was going on. ANYWAY like his big scene in the spotlight is 3 episodes before the end of the series (its not like he’s a main character or anything) and he cuts Lupin. Because he thinks that he isn’t really his friend. That’s it that’s the only reason he almost murders his friend. Just kidding the other reason was that it was a half ass attempt at shock value to make sure the audience was still paying attention. They can’t seem to decide this season whether they want Goemon to be edgy or stupid but I think we’ve gotten a greta big helping of both so thanks tms /sarcasm/. They’ve really just dragged his character through the mud this season because he used to be stoic, mysterious, traditionalist but lowkey clumsy guy and then now he’s. I don’t even know how to describe it he’s just become so cutesy and edgy at the same time so we get him cutting Lupin in half right in front of UwU i eat my fish skin first ! I’m quirky ! like what am I supposed to feel about this grown man? He’s really too back-and-forth for me this season

Fujiko: I’M GONNA GET HEATED ABOUT THIS ONE SO BUCKLE UP I’ve never seen Fujiko written this poorly since TWCFM (yes i’m outting that as a bad series too so don’t @ me about that lil tidbit). She’s there as a piece of eyecandy bUT SHE IS SO POORLY DRAWN IT MAKES ME WONDER IF ANYBODY AT TMS HAS EVER SEEN A WOMAN IN THEIR LIFE TIME. Seriously her proportions are so off and outwardly repulsive looking it makes it hard not to skip anything she says in the series on account of how half-ass her character looks. Not limiting herself to being visually repulsive, she also has a half-ass personality. Suddenly Fujiko isn’t the come-and-go as she pleases, mysterious woman that gives Lupin intel on very high security operations she’s just. There. At some point in the series she said ‘a woman’s body is just a tool to get something she needs’ and I wanted to puke this is NOT Fujiko’s character at all and I’m disgusted that they’re brushing her off as a pair of walking talking boobs. Also her absolute lack of empathy is just mind numbing because they’re somehow trying to convince the audience that Lupin broke her heart due to wedding related reasons that still haunt her but? Seeing him cut almost in half does nothing for her? And then she deadpan ‘This is just how it is’ like this is just putting her in such an evil light that I hate because I love Fujiko! In every other season she’s fighty and sarcastic and witty AND NOT JUST THERE FOR EYE CANDY. And going back to the wedding thing, why is this being made into such a big deal? There’s literal episodes in other seasons called ‘Fujiko Doesn’t Look Right in a Wedding Dress’ ‘Fujiko Doesn’t Want to Be Married’ ‘A Ring Is Like a Trap’ like she 👏 don’t 👏 want 👏 to 👏 be 👏 married 👏. And the preview for the next ep shows her in a wedding dress so I’m ultimately preparing myself for the big season finale being them getting married.

hurray.

Final thought on Fujiko being, the episode where she picks up Lupin to save him from succumbing to his crossbow wound (easily the funniest thing thats happened all season) I mean. Yeah it’s kinda cool. I don’t really have any strong feelings about that like I’m not about to praise them for something like that when it was immediately followed by her and Ami slap fighting over him again.

Lupin: In my days of watching Lupin movies/specials my slogan was ‘if the ratio of screen time in the movie between characters is 10:0 in Lupin’s favour then it ain’t a good movie’ and it’s ringing true to this season where it’s all about Lupin. I understand obviously it’s a series called Lupin III like I’m not stupid but the amount of ass kissing to his character is something else like they’re putting him on this huge pedestal like he’s a do-no-wrong kind of guy to the point where he’s boring because he’s done nothing wrong. Ever. He doesn’t argue with anybody he doesn’t have any strong emotions really (outside of that episode where Zenigata loses his memory we see him outwardly angry for a minute). It just makes him such a dry character when they try to mold him into being absolutely flawless and admirable. Also the amount of faking his own death and ‘oh no is he gonna die’ moments are just not entertaining. Like I said earlier when he got shot with the crossbow that was the hardest I’ve laughed in a long long time. It played like an SNL skit (you know what one). And again we aren’t learning anything new. Whose Albert to him!? We never got to know, What’s his relationship to Fujiko!? We’re probably gonna find out they’re getting married last episode after all the touching moments they had together this season like.... like uh.... when they uh... oh right they’ve barely spoken to each other all season. And when they did they were arguing. Love is in the air huh?

Zenigata: AI’ll try to keep this brief but Yata’s taken over his character this season. He’s barely spoken, he has like, NO energy or determination. After the episode where Lupin faked his death (the first time, not the proceeding 90 times) Zenigata just stopped appearing and stopped doing anything productive. If anything his character became an excuse for an info dump. Like oh we see a war torn area whats going on? Zenigata is conveniently nearby to say ‘these people are at war!’ and then outside character will tell a 18 paragraph history on him of whose at war and their history and then Zenigata says ‘okay’ and doesn’t appear again for the next 2 episodes.

Now for the closing thoughts I guess

i don’t know why they’re looking at Lupin having plot as separate from Lupin being episodic. Like they’ve separated him from adventure so he’s just doing the same things over and over again. Not to mention like I said earlier, the fans wanted to see more sensitive interactions between the already existing characters, and if anything, they’re farther apart and just really confusing and contradictory. It’s hard to get through an episode when every week its another ‘great time for another plot arc they’re never gonna finish’. When I watched episodes of Part 1 and 2 and 4 (not so much 3 because i can’t find anywhere to watch it lol) I’m pretty attentive all the way through because the series drops tidbits of information about the characters and they make the episode enjoyable to watch. This season is so dreary and dry I can’t find anything to enjoy about it because it’s just one disappointment after another. I’m trying to to sound bitchy as I type all this out but I mean I’m speaking as a fan who is just really disappointed. I know I’ve said ‘disappointed’ a lot in this whole thing but there isn’t another word to describe it because that’s really the way that I feel about part 5. Seeing my favourite characters on screen is supposed to make me feel happy and excited to see where they’re gonna go and what they’re gonna do not make me think “I hope they don’t ruin this character for me’ in every. single. episode. This season has been underwhelming, unenjoyable, inconsistent and just really exhausting to me overall.

i gotta go eat now so peace out and if you read to the end of all this then hopefully i’m not the only one in this boat but if you don’t agree with me then i guess thats just how it is yeah?

EDIT: I forgot to mention that the callbacks were cool at first but now I just find they’re baiting me into thinking i’ll enjoy the episode because i’ll find something I liked from one of the better seasons in it. They’re just really overused at this point because these callbacks aren’t being used for anything. like ‘lupin is making his plan at the cagliostro castle!’ like. why. ‘detective melon is also angry at lupin!’ but if she isn’t like teaming up with zenigata or actually doing anything to find him why should i care. 

[fashionablefujiko]

Zenigata, Jigen and Fujiko

So sorry this is late!!! Timezones suck 😔

Zenigata

favorite thing about them

- I think its inspiring that he never gives up and is always making the most out of a situation

least favorite thing about them

- hes a cop

favorite line

brOTP

- Part 5 was awful and I refuse to watch it but he's basically Yata's dad

OTP

- I dont really have one? I dont tend to ship him romantically with anyone

nOTP

- That weird shit in twcfm w him and Fujiko like........no

random headcanon

- He has dad vibes so I feel like he watches a lot of game and quiz shows and yells at the tv

unpopular opinion

- Hes a cop so he deserves no rights

song i associate with them

- I can only associate him with unironically liking bubblegum pop and girl bands because like they slap so weirdly enough Wannabe by the Spice Girls??

favorite picture of them

- The octopus 🥺

Jigen

favorite thing about them

- He doesnt hold back from roasting anyone into obliteration

least favorite thing about them

- mate stop being mean to Fujiko

favorite line

- 'That coochie's a blood-sucking bitch'

brOTP

- him and Fujiko because I want them to be friends. Like imagine the chaos

OTP

- I have a soft spot from him and Lupin like come on theyre basically married

nOTP

- him and Fujiko please do not do that.

random headcanon

- hes a conspiracy theorist but not as far to wear a tinfoil hat but Lupin did make one once to put on top of his regular hat

unpopular opinion

- can the writers stop using him as a mouthpiece for their misogyny lmao

song i associate with them

- ......Old Town Road by Lil Nas X

favorite picture of them

- 'What is this? I dont get it' aka gays cant do maths

Fujiko

favorite thing about them

- everything. Every fuckin thing

least favorite thing about them

- I appreciate that sometimes she needs to date guys to get to what she wants but please have some standards at least come on Fuji

favorite line

- 'Sure I can!'

brOTP

- Again her and Jigen I think theyre great frenemies and agents of chaos

OTP

- Its between her and Rebecca and her and Ginko (the aquamarine-haired lady she teams up with)

nOTP

- Again her snd Jigen

random headcanon

- shes mentioned to be really into acting so she spent a lot of her younger years in acting schools and still has a soft spot for theatre and plays. Like Fujiko playing Lady Macbeth?? Sign me up

unpopular opinion

- I like that shes sometimes selfish and 'mean' because its the opposite of what women are supposed to be and its refreshing to see a self serving woman whos actions and motivations mostly arent to do with men

song i associate with them

- I have a whole Fujiko playlist ahdhfh so Ill give my top 3: Woman by Kesha, Venus by Shocking Blue and Sex Yeah by Marina

favorite picture of them

- its what she deserves