#young jigen is adorable

[savaralyn2]

Lupin Zero - Trailer

[nanowired-lover]

LUPIN III's Pokemon Teams

Okay, I'm having thoughts about Lupin III and Pokémon, so I tried to make some Pokémon teams / lore with my sweet Pokémon nerd girlfriend.

There are probably a few Pokémon lore mistakes bc I tried to synthesize and my gf knows more than me, plus probably a few mistranslations since I mostly know Pokémon in french, but bear with me !

Aipom : It's just. It's just Lupin. There are a LOT MORE monkey Pokémons than I thought, but Aipom matches the most. It's his best friend. He probably got him a matching suit because it's cute and fun and Aipom loves this.

Even if Gholdengo has been here the longest time because he inherited it, Aipom was his first real pokemon. He just found it as a kid and they became friends because they “recognized” each other, to his father dismay.

Klefti : The whole escape thing. I hesitated to give it to Zenigata, bc of the whole prison cell vibes, but I loved the more whimsical idea of Lupin having the key to every door : his Klefti.

He got it during his heists ! The lil thing probably followed him around after an adventure because it helped Lupin escapes, and Arsène just took it in since he got attached. (I also just really like that pokemon)

Gholdengo : It's a treasure pokemon really. It's made of gold and it looks silly. Fujiko probably tried to steal it from him sometimes until at one point where Lupin got genuinely upset about it, much to her surprise, and she stopped. She still makes jokes about it, but Lupin knows it's jokes. It was there before Aipom, so it's more like an old friend.

Lupin probably inherited from his grandpa of Gimmighoul and got attached to it, and later in life, as he started to travel, tried to find others to have a Gholdengo. And he did it :) He was so happy when it was finally evolving, because it meant that his friend grew up with him, and he did better with it than his grandpa.

NOT PICTURED HERE : Lupin is linked to Ho oh. He's a lucky bastard and the main character. Ho oh probably saved him in situation where Lupin's intelligence and talent couldn't save him anymore (think the scene at the end of Lupin III : The First where he could've died in the Eclipse explosion). There's a strong mutual respect between them, but Lupin, being silly, want to pet the bird, which get him to get pecked in the hair for being annoying. Ho oh never stays but look after him.

(I have no/less lore for his team but anyway)

Clawitzer : AKA a shrimp with guns. Its name in French is literally Gamblast. It's the first pokemon that came in my mind when I was thinking guns. Probably his first pokemon he caught with Lupin. I just pictured young Lupin being like "CATCH IT. IT'S LIKE YOU FR" "BUT I DON'T HAVE A POKEMON" "OKAY I'LL FIGHT IT FOR U" "WHAT."

Honchkrow : Jigen Pokemon sona ? /j No but really, it's the hat and the chest looking like a beard and the color palette that made me think of Jigen. The thing is probably as grumpy as he is, but like Jigen, actually a fucking softy. Jigen passed out in its feathers multiple times because it's so good. Hug a big bird, I beg you, it's so warm.

Lycanroc : Listen. If you know me irl, you know that I'm insane about the allegories and metaphors about wolves / wild dogs. I love people writing Jigen like an old feral dog, so loyal and so angry, like. Gah. So of course I had to give him a wolf/dog pokemon. What's better than literally a Lycanroc. He probably met it when they were staying in Alola for a heist, a night he couldn't sleep and just. Stared at each other. A weird recognition happening.

Lupin probably found him multiple times, treating that edgy looking dog like a good lil doggy when none is looking, bc that's what both Jigen and Lycanroc deserve. He loves it and took pictures because it's adorable.

NOT PICTURED HERE : we had a thought with Micka (my gf) how he was linked to Raikou. It's mostly because Lupin is linked to Ho oh, and I'm sorry, but I don't know the lore enough to really explain it, I just believe my wife. But they probably don't really get along, in a funny way. We had a whole scene where they were yelling at each others, Raikou roaring and at one point Jigen roaring back, Lupin wanted to interrupt bc what the fuck Jigen, and Jigen just "roared" at him, making him jump LMFAO. Jigen then disappeared in his hat of shame because yes indeed, what the fuck Jigen. (Raikou was pleased)

(okay, not too much lore either, I think. But I wanted a team that was Combat and/or Dragon based for Goe)

Magikarp : *sigggggh* Listen… I was going to give him Gyarados, but I had a laughing fit about him finding a Magikarp and getting weirdly attached to it. It's the only pokemon he keeps in a pretty and high quality pokeball bc he wants to keep it safe. He loves his weird pathetic red fish but gets quickly flustered and embarrassed when someone noticed that it's his fav baby. He tries to train it to become a Gyarados, bc Magikarp wants to be a Gyarados (and make papa proud !) but... it sucks so much it's funny.

Greninja/Lucario/Sawk : he had them in his samurai training and adventures. Honestly, a lot of pokemons would have fit Goemon too but those 3 were the ones that stand out to me. There's a whole respectful dynamic between them, and they don't have any pokeballs, so they wander a lot. He rarely has the 3 of them together, most of the time he has one, but they will always come if he needs them.

(also Greninja is one of my favorite pokemon and starter and idk why I really like Sawk)

He can make his Lucario Mega Evolve, but he doesn't do it much out of respect and trust since it's always a mess. (also if Magikarp ever evolves… he would definitely be able to Mega Evolve it)

Drampa : it's an old Asian dragon, it fits him. Probably also a comfort pokemon since Drampa is very calm and placid, so it wraps around him to calm him down when he feels like exploding (think also about the autistic HC for Goemon and Drampa being a fucking. weighted blanket)

NOT PICTURED HERE : Goe is definitely linked to Rayquaza. The mental image is way too cool to let it pass. The first time Rayquaza appeared during a fight, Lupin (being Goemon biggest hypeman) cheered so loudly that Goemon was quickly red of embarrassment.

(I really don't have much for Fujiko my bad)

Nickit : okay, I haven't played to Pokemon SW/SH at ALL, so I don't know much about pokemons from Galar (except Runerigus being one of my favorite pokemon), but when I saw this fox ? I knew it was for Fujiko. It's a thief fox. She actually deserves all the foxes of the game, and I hesitated to give her Vulpix or Ninetales, but Vulpix is too… cute. And Ninetales is related to yokai and even if it's basically Fujiko as a yokai, I didn't want to go for this vibe. Also, I hesitated to give her Braixen/Delphox bc I called mine Fujiko as I restarted Pokemon X/Y, but. heh. It doesn't really match.

Cofagrigus : My gf told me to put this one to remind the fact that Fujiko loves gold and treasure… but she can be scary powerful sometimes. And she would love to have a partner that can remind people of that. A bit like when she grabs Goemon around to be her scary bodyguard.

She takes really good care of it, and it LOVES her so much. A bit too protective, and scary, but also very silly since it's following her like her shadow and obey her to the spot.

Mienshao : I want a ""lady"" pokemon since Fujiko's hyperfeminity is important to her character (even if it's been used grossly too many times. Fujiko sweetie i'm so sorry you've been written by a misogynistic man). But also one that fitted her fighting style and presence. She probably trains with it, not only for pokemon fights, but for actual martial combat technics !

NOT PICTURED HERE : As Jigen is being linked to Raikou because Lupin was chosen by Ho oh, Fujiko is linked to Suicune. And if you want to know where Entei is, it's linked to my gf's OC Zack who made his way into the polycule in the RP we're doing 😔

Stoutland : This is basically him a Pokemon. The police force insisted he take an Arcanine since it's basically the police's pokemon in the pokemon world, but Zenigata still felt icky about being associated with the police all the time (this is an ACAB blog. Zenigata is just fucking naive and old-fashioned and fixated on the Lupin's chase). But he still had to have a dog pokemon to work with him. So he just. Insisted on having his family dog.

The Stoutland is an old, silly, determined dog. A bit like Zenigata and very loyal to him BUUUUT can be bribed with good food and pets, much to Zenigata exasperation, because Lupin managed to befriend the doggy.

Honedge : LISTENNNNNN AEGISLASH IS MY FAVORITE POKEMON. AND I LOVE ALL OF HIS EVOLUTION CHAIN. But !! To me, he has an old Honedge who never got to evolve because his previous owners (Zeni's family) didn't take care of it and just. Exposed it as a trophy. Then when Zenigata got him, the poor thing was too tired and old to actually fight and gain experience. But it still wanted to go on an adventure with Zenigata !! And Zenigata did give him some fantastic adventures.

And it's an obvious reference to Zenigata's jutte, bc I really picture him holding Honedge like his jutte.

NOT PICTURED HERE : as the rest of the gang, Zenigata is linked to a legendary pokemon. And it's Lugia. Mostly because it's the complimentary legendary pokemon of Lupin's Ho oh ! When they found out, it was when Lugia saved Zenigata from drowning during a chase happening at sea. While he was in awe and being emotional about it, Lupin was VIBRATING with excitement when he saw that. Because !! Zenigata was right !!! It's fate that they are rivals !!! It's amazing !!!

Anyway, I could go into a bigger rant about it, but it's already very long !

[catchyhuh]

i bet you were insufferable as a child

and since we know this about lupin and jigen for a fact we’re actually just gonna focus on the other three for now! yippee!! the "tms forgot i exist" special lineup!

fujiko:

i know she was a weird girl. i KNOW this bitch had a gigantic bookshelf filled with all the standard cute, girly beginner chapter books, but also those big fucking scholastic book fair pretend spy kits and shit. i don’t think she was ever the “play in the dirt and come home covered in grass stains and mud” type of kid, mostly because it just felt gross to her, but i DO think she was completely unhinged in an indoors sense. the kind of child who just starts talking your ear off acting like they know everything there is to know about frogs because they read one book so OBVIOUSLY they know ALL about FROGS!! 

absolutely adored those cheap horrible nail polish sets where the brush is the size of a q-tip swab. she also chewed on her nails though, so imagine the standard tiny hand with thin, watery, glittery purple polish on just the roundest, bluntest nails possible. that same hand is also thinking really hard about how to best pocket your coin purse though so like,

i think she had siblings. she was in the perfect spot where she wasn’t in the league with the older, more achieved kids, but wasn’t young enough to be babied and spoiled like the little ones. which takes quite a strange toll on you growing up. it’s why her demeanor now tends to go between taking advantage of the fact a lot of people don’t expect anything from her, to “why are you ignoring me?! what’s that about!!”

fujiko def developed her evil selfgaining tendencies before she even left the fifth grade. if you think she’s difficult to bargain with NOW, imagine what she was like in middle school when [pogs/pokemon cards/silly bandz/insert era appropriate cafeteria currency here] was big. she went through the school system curating personal black markets. it would be impressive if she wasn’t so terrifyingly cutthroat about it

in the nicest way possible, if the stars had aligned, and by some miracle all five of them were the same exact age and met in kindergarten, she… would not have been friends with any of them. well, partially. there’s a very sharp gender divide when you’re first starting school, so i think she kind of “made friends” with nice enough girls, but she absolutely thought lupin was obnoxious, she thought goemon didn’t like her because he rarely spoke to her, jigen thought it was hilarious to antagonize her, and zenigata was just kind of whatever, like he wasn’t a jerk, but he wasn’t exceedingly nice. like he gave her a colored pencil to borrow and that was the extent of that. at best, if goemon was forced to really socialize, she and goemon would get along well enough, but that’s also because she’s bossy as HELL and goemon just goes along with whatever, even now, so ESPECIALLY back when he was an impressionable child!

goemon:

god. you know the kid that sits on the edge of the playground that the teachers all go “aw, bless his heart. just a little old soul.” poor baby goemon

i don’t really think there was as much pressure on goemon to live up to his legacy the way there was for lupin. i’ve mentioned it before, but goemon’s relationship with the original goemon is very different from lup’s relationship with his grandpa, or even dad, and it’s not just because of the time gap. goemon CHOSE to emulate his nakesake’s abilities and talents, where lupin kind of had no choice. and because of this, goemon’s transition into his current lifestyle was much more gradual. i’d say he probably only started making an effort to BE “goemonlike” when he reached his mid-to-late teens. i know hes like 17 in the og manga so if any of this contradicts that Shh no it doesn’t

his quietness wasn’t entirely the result of being shy either. he just didn’t really know what to say at most points? he was (and still is) pretty blunt, and realized pretty quickly and very naturally that people outside of his immediate family didn’t know what to make of him when he answered rhetorical questions completely honestly and sincerely. so he kinda just. retreated inward a bit. he started to get a bit more talkative as he grew, but then he committed to his training and learned the importance of “meaning every word you say” so then he started getting quiet AGAIN

you would think he would be the easiest kid to look after. uh no. even in a pre-slashy slashy era he’s very naturally destructive, which is insane given how tenderly he treats certain stuff within the house. you go “ok goemon this is my dog’s favorite food bowl. it belonged to HER mom so that’s very old for dogs.” and he gives you this exceedingly serious nod and uses both hands to slowly set it down on the ground for the dog to eat out of. but then you go “goemon is that your great great great grandfather’s handmade teapot?” and he goes “is it?” and just in the process of him setting it on the counter it has shattered in two. little man is devastated but hey nobody was drinking out of that thing anyway so just krazy glue that fucker and the tears will subside

zenigata:

is there anything at all funnier than an angry 6yo. yeah. an angry 2yo. and even funnier than that, an angry infant. he didn’t even have anything to actually be pissed about, that’s just naturally how his eyebrows sit and HAVE been his entire life. i would give up my pinky just to see even a glimpse of the absolute comedy jackpot known as his baby pictures

not a revolutionary take by any means but he was definitely the “YOU CAN’T DO THAT WE’RE GONNA GET IN TROUBLE!!” kid. however he was absolutely not even REMOTELY the “didn’t we have homework?” kid because you know damn well he never remembered to do that shit. unless he knew a kid he didn’t like ALSO didn’t do the homework, then yeah, he’d absolutely go down with the ship just to get back at the little bastard. 

in that same vein he would absolutely be the easiest to babysit. “but his demeanor--” shh you are thinking too far ahead. this guy has no obligations. this guy has personal beef with like two random kids in his neighborhood. he has yet to grow a taste for calling superiors idiots who don’t know what they’re talking about. so as long as you actually tell him in plain terms “please do x” or “don’t do y because z” he’ll be fine. you tell this kid to set the table and he’s tripping over his feet putting the spoons and forks in the wrong places. also you’re just having chicken nuggets so i don’t even know why he did that. he didn’t grab plates.

do not mistake the above for him being a “good” kid because this just means he was unfortunately one of those horrible kids who are very polite in front of certain people and absolute monsters in front of those he doesn’t like. does that sound contradictory to the above bullet points? that’s just how children are. he was not a bully at any point in his life but he was so extreme with his ANTI bullying shit that he ended up in the principal’s office just as much, covered in bruises and star wars bandaids. all throughout his school years. he was still doing this shit in high school he’d overhear somebody being a douchebag and just push them off the bleachers. let ‘em fall 10 feet it builds character.

[fizzingwizard]

Unexpectedly had a chance to catch up on Lupin zero! spoilers!

For fairness I watched episode one again. Overall my opinion didn't change. It's still a lot of fun, good characterization, so-so animation, and too fast-paced. I did enjoy it more this time though, having a better idea of what to expect. The lowest point for me is definitely the sudden bout of openness and emotion between Lupin and Jigen in the gun fight. It's not that I don't like their conversation, it just doesn't feel justified yet. But it's there to frame the short series.

Episode two was also fun and not quite as fast-moving. It put a bit of distance between Lupin and Jigen which I definitely think was needed. Then, when they had become better friends by the end of the episode, it felt earned. And it was just quite a fun train episode. Nothing earth-shaking, but Lupin-like fun. Like episode one, when it came to the climax a lot of things just kind of happened or were explained rather too easily, but hey, now I'm just nitpicking.

Episode three was my favorite so far. Which is a surprise because through it I kept thinking "this reminds me of Other Anime which did the same thing but better." XD But the reason is just that I was really, REALLY happy to see "how did lupin iii become lupin iii?" come into play. Everything in this show is hinging on how they handle that question. This was great because we got to see a little bit of how Lupin thinks of his grandpa (sleazeball), and we got a better idea of how skilled Lupin himself currently is. I admit, when he's walking backwards up the stairs monologuing to trick the other contestants, I initially was happy when one of the others seemed to get the drop on him - I thought, finally, we're getting a reason for making Lupin so young! He's not as skilled yet! But then, of course, he did actually anticipate that and came out on top anyway. Sooo nevermind :P But it didn't actually bug me at all because the whole episode gave us such a great view of Lupin and his grandfather's relationship. Lupin being able to beat his challenge was a part of that. As was his dad showing up - I'm sure Lupin's feelings about him are even more complicated so I'm looking forward to that. Right now I think he's going to be a complex character, but not a bad guy... We'll see.

(Can't not mention the weirdness of looking up your own dad's skirt when he's in disguise as a woman and you don't know it's him... x'D)

So yeah, episode three finally gave me some things I really needed to see more solidly, and I'm so happy about that. Also the appearance of what appears to be Albert?? was so unexpected! I didn't think this show was connected to any other Lupin canon (a term I use very loosely lol). So that's kind of cool? I can only assume we'll see Albert again, but I won't share any theories since I'm too likely to be wrong haha.

I still don't reeeeeally know why Lupin and Jigen needed to be THAT young to do this series. I expected it would mean 1) they're less experienced, and/or 2) they goof off more. But I think it's gotta be difficult when you're de-aging an adult character who is also a genius. They don't want to commit to making him too child-like, but in the end, he does just feel more or less the same as adult Lupin. Jigen too obvs. But, once again, nitpicking. They look adorable. That's the important part inn'it? lol

One more thing: I was curious in episode two when Jigen says he can't quite understand what's going on in Lupin's head. Because that's what I think too. It's hard to tell when he's genuine and when he's acting. Which is pretty in character, so that's cool. I wonder if it's something which will come up again though. Right now we've got a Lupin who really hasn't done all the much thief-like... he's much more the superhero. But if he's too good, it makes what's going on in his head less interesting, so I'm wondering/hoping they'll do something to make him more chaotic neutral, I guess. Well, that's up to people's taste, I like him that way but I'm sure others prefer chaotic good. He's often written that way as well. The point is he can do anything he wants, he doesn't have to be a thief all the time if he'd rather rescue a damsel in distress. But let's just see him being a thief as well as rescuing damsels, you know, for balance ^^ It seems like maybe next episode might show us his more conniving side...

[lasclstreams]

Boruto x naruto x sasuke

Boruto x naruto x sasuke code#

Boruto x naruto x sasuke code#

It's clear throughout the exchange that Code is way out of Boruto's league until the villain is able to coax the young shinobi into releasing the true essence of Karma's power, which involves drawing out the accumulated experience of the Ōtsutsuki Clan over millennia. But because Boruto has come to view Kawaki as a brother, the son of the Hokage follows after his rogue friend and soon stumbles upon him and Code, quickly coming to blows with the villain in chapter 63. Kawaki has finally escaped and confronts the villain Code with the hope that his sacrifice will save everyone, including Naruto. Related: Boruto Villain Ada Flips How Naruto Mishandled Sakura The boy comes to love the village as his new home, and because of that, Kawaki feels he needed to leave because he believes his presence there is putting everyone he cares about in danger. Kawaki was originally meant to serve as Jigen's vessel but defected to the Hidden Leaf Village over how badly the organization known as Kara mistreated him. In fact, Kawaki's adoration of Naruto and the Hidden Leaf Village after the Hokage took him in is the reason why the two boys are in this current mess. As of now, Kawaki has yet to turn on Boruto. In the latest chapter of Boruto, Naruto has inadvertently thrust his son and this manga's version of Sasuke, Kawaki, into the dangerous arms of the villain Code, a follower of the late Jigen who wants revenge for his master's death.īoruto immediately set up Kawaki to serve as the series' rendition of the ever-popular Sasuke by presenting him as a former friend of Boruto who somehow became his enemy. This would explain the scientist's strange behavior, why Kawaki goes bad, and how Konoha was destroyed in the flashforward in Boruto.Warning! Spoilers ahead for Boruto: Naruto Next Generations chapter 63! By scheming to align with Naruto, Amado got his wish, and is now able to infect Kawaki with his own artificial Karma, using Kawaki as a puppet that can even become more powerful than an Otsutsuki. However, Chapter 69: Captive didn't reveal any details that support this theory.Īccording to another theory, Amado needed to remove Isshiki's existing Karma mark on Kawaki and have someone kill Isshiki before it could be replanted. There is also a new theory that claims that the clairvoyant cyborg Eida, who's currently aiding Code, was the true daughter of Amado, and the cliffhanger ending of Chapter 68 incredibly comes close to confirming this theory. While there's no evidence to support this theory, further discussion has generated an entirely new train of thought.īy fusing his daughter's DNA with Isshiki's latent power in the White Karma, it's possible to transform Kawaki into a vessel for his child while also ensuring that he gets the power level of an Otsutsuki. The manga already revealed that Amado had a daughter who died twelve years prior to Isshiki's assault on Konoha, but before that was even confirmed, there were theories that claim that Delta, one of the many cyborgs Amado created for Kara, was designed after his dead daughter. However, why is Kawaki important for Amado? After all, he experimented on various children in order to find the most suitable vessel for Isshiki.Īccording to the speculation, Amado waited for Kawaki to mature then used Naruto and Sasuke to kill the one that would have otherwise possess the vessel (Isshiki). From what we've seen so far, it wouldn't be surprising to see him to this far. The former Kara scientist spent years working under Isshiki, someone he hated, only to gain the opportunity to take him down. There is a theory that claims that Amado wants to revive his daughter, who died twelve years before the reign of the Seventh Hokage. The scientist swears his intentions was only ever to protect the world from Isshiki, and he had no choice but to play along as a faithful Kara member until the time to attack arrived, but there are various clues that suggest that Amado has a hidden agenda.

[morporkian-cryptid]

❤ for JigLup?

Reacting to the other crying

I! WILL NOT! RISE TO THE ANGST BAIT!

To the anon who asked about kid LoopGang…

///

The day… could have gone better. If it hadn’t been for that fight with the Kenton Road teens, which they’d lost. Followed by his gang taking a beating, Jigen’s harsher than anyone else’s. Kenton didn’t like Jigen’s aim with a slingshot. Oh, and talking about slingshots, they had broken his. They’d have kicked his teeth in if he hadn’t managed to scamper while they were busy hitting his mates. The day could have also gone a lot better if his dad hadn’t found him, clothes all torn up and body covered in bruises, and decided to add a few of his own “to teach him a lesson”. Then “confiscated” (and probably drank) what little cash Jigen had managed to salvage from the raid on the neighbouring pawn shop.

Jigen had ended up barricading himself in his bedroom to lick his wounds in peace. He knew his father would not bother him for the rest of the evening, busy as he was downing the cheap booze he had just bought, and his mother had better things to do than waste her time over a good-for-nothing delinquent like him. He just wished he could see a friendly f-

A knock came on the window, startling him. He was on the fourth floor. There was only one moron he knew who would scale an apartment building in the middle of the night. Jigen repressed a smile and stood up, moving quickly to the window and opening it as quietly as he could.

Outside, the bright smile and twinkling eyes of his partner in crime greeted him. Lupin the Third had his short-cropped hair awkwardly slicked back, and was wearing a dark purple suit jacket more fitted for a date than for night-time ninja impersonation.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Jigen whispered. “If my dad finds you, I’m dead!”

“I’m in the States for a week, I thought I should come visit you!” came the candid response. “Are you gonna let me in? My arm’s getting kind of sore.”

Lupin was holding on to the windowsill with one hand, Jigen noticed, the other was hidden behind his back. The young mobster moved out of the way, letting his friend sneak into the room, silently closing the window behind him.

“You really climbed all the way here just to see my stupid face?”

The thief threw him his most charming smile, and Jigen’s heart started beating a little faster. Damn, he had missed that idiot.

“Actually, I climbed all the way here to give your stupid face this.”

The hand that was behind his back suddenly came into view, revealing a small but respectably-sized bouquet of…

Were those red roses???

Jigen felt a hot blush start to creep up his cheeks, as Lupin gave a small curtsy and presented him with the flowers. That goddamn idiot saw him once a year, twice at best, and every single time he managed to make Jigen fall a little more in l-

Lupin perked up his head in surprise when he heard a sniffle coming from the other side of the bouquet. His partner was angrily wiping his eyes, trying his very best not to look at him. Lupin wasn’t certain what to choose between endearment and panic, so he settled for a quizzing “Daisuke… are you okay?”

Jigen abruptly took the flowers from his hand and gave him a shy peck on the lips, immediately sending the thief’s heart racing, all the while avoiding eye contact.

“I’m allergic to pollen, moron.”

Lupin’s smile grew even wider, if that was possible; and there was definitely something in his eyes as he watched his adorably flustered partner clumsily set the flowers down on his bed.

“Yeah,” he replied, “me too.”

[eriks-magnificentcape]

Jigen for the "give me a character" thing?

1. How I feel about this character

I LOVE HIM SO MUCH! (If that wasn’t clear from my blog hahaha). Well from superficial things like his fashion style, his beard, his voice, his humour, the fact he’s a quick draw gunman and knows what he’s doing, his character itself is amazing. He cares about his friends and can form positive relationships with anyone he meets. While Lupin and Goemon can become too focused in their tasks, Jigen can stay aware of the surroundings. He has attention to details. He has a general calm attitude and doesn’t lash out often. He’s a romantic (and gets his heart broken many times). He’s scared of ghost (isn’t that adorable). Even his athletes foot and tooth cavity don’t sound so bad at all if it was him…. (I still think he needs to take care of his health more. He’s the one getting the most non-fight injuries/illness). I have more but I’ll shut up now 😅

2. All the people I ship romantically with this character

My OTP Goemon of course! I love how they have different dynamics in each series, but in every series, Jigen is so supportive of Goemon. He’s always checking up on him whether he’s doing ok, asking what’s wrong, and trying to make him happy. He definitely coddles him too. Apart from Goemon, I like one sided pining from Jigen to Lupin. I also enjoy all his romantic partners in season 2 (even the one he gets betrayed). I just enjoy watching Jigen becoming a helpless romantic and trying to act cool ok.

3. My non-romantic OTP for this character

Fujiko. I can’t really see them being romantic. Fujiko enjoys all the praises and being doted on. Jigen is definitely not that type. I also don’t think Jigen can take betrays after betrayals from same woman, even if the reasonings behind could be understandable (and Fujiko is not going to stop betraying). They definitely have grudging respect for each other though. I also think they could have sexual moments (like anger induced one) but I don’t see them having any romantic relationship.

4. My unpopular opinion about this character

Hmmm I don’t know if any of my opinions are particularly unpopular? I guess he’s quite self destructive and has the attitude of why do you care? It’s my own body, leave me alone kind. He’ll dress up and takes care of his clothes and gun but his actual health? Nah. I guess he has suicidal streak in himself and if he doesn’t have anyone to live for/with, he’ll end up dying in some alleyway. He’s a social creature who finds his purpose of living in other people.

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

Ohhhh I don’t know. I’d love to see his background like when he was young, but then again, I like to have freedom of imagining different back stories for him! This is difficult haha I want to see a full episode on his backstory; his family, his childhood, his young teen self and starting out as a gun shooter.

[m0th-rambles]

Hc time with Moth? Heck yeah B)

Lupin

-Definitely the chaotic duo and everyone knows

-You want stuff done? Well too bad! In reality though, he and Moth can easily clean up a jewelry shop in record time!

-Not only can they get stuff done, they easily play around while doing so and they haven't been caught...yet

-It took a while, but Lupin then admitted that he was impressed with Moth's sleight of hand tricks

-Because of it he wanted to teach them his tricks!

(Moth picked that up quickly and boy was he proud)

-He was also happy to present them to Zenigata for the first time, though he had to explain a lot about a very young thief tagging along lol

Jigen

-Was the first to suggest to teach Moth a way to defend themselves in case the gang splits up during a heist

-Is the one to tease Moth the most but it's all in good fun!

-Moth gets Hat Privileges

-While everyone in the gang takes turns cooking (Lupin cheats by buying takeout), usually Jigen and Moth make breakfast for everyone

-Both Jigen and Moth can be found rambling into way past midnight--mostly about Jigen's knowledge about firearms but also Moth shares their favorite moments of the adventures so far

-Whenever Moth wears a hat/hoodie that happens to cover their eyes, Jigen jokes that they're becoming a mini version of him--though it's only funny when he mentions it, it gets annoying when Lupin decides to tease

Goemon

-Whenever Goemon hangs around with the gang, you can usually find Moth tagging along

-Maybe it's because Goemon's the calmer one of the three, not because the samurai wants to make sure if Moth is in one piece still--he trusts the guys but he also just wants to make sure lol

-However it's the same way during heists, the two are a unit until Moth reaches their designated spot and then Goemon goes to his

-Goemon finds it genuinely amusing to hang out around Moth

-Though he held a professional relationship with Lupin and Jigen when they first met, he was quick to see Moth as a friendly companion when they first joined

-Goemon will ask Moth if they would like to join him on walks whenever the hideout is in a place mostly surrounded by nature, he finds the scenery calming and enjoys that he has someone to share it with

(Sorry it's long and wasn't sure whether to send it as a submission or not lol)

Not me not being able to post this cause i was looking at it so long but ohhhhhh my god thinking tonight. I am thinking so fucking hard oh my god!!

I like this idea of lupin having to explain moth to zenigata like.

“Why do you have a ///missing/// child with you?”

“Uh...*books it”

Jigen and moth cooking!!! Jigen and moth cooking ohhhh!!!! Also the thing with when their eyes are covered is cute as hell and i could see that happening

And oh my god fuckin!!! Moth tagging along with goemon during heists 🥺!!!

The last one with goemon ive actually thought abt cause i got a legit ape brain and i remember seeimb a post from someone talking abt when they were a kid and their adhd was acting up their mom would have them do shit in the woods to calm down and god yeah that with goe and moth gr!!!

Tldr: I love the boys and blue i adore you thank you sm...

[lokomotives]

more Lupin III vs Inspector Gadget headcanons

MAD started targeting the Lupin gang after Dr Claw called them up to steal a priceless artifact - only for Lupin to go "Hmm, I'm keeping it!" And the gang squirreled away before Dr Claw could vaporize them.

Gadget was already on the case when his lead suddenly dropped off the radar, and got concerned. What thief was skillful (or lucky) enough to allude both MAD and HQ/WOMP? Lupin and Jigen then burst in the door; soaking wet from the rain.

Lupin: "Hey there sport! Long time no see!"

Gadget: "Oh god..."

Jigen: "Lupin, why are we crashing with a cop?"

Lupin: "He's not a COP, Jigen. He's FAMILY."

Gadget: “Uncle, please tell me you didn’t get in trouble with the law again...”

Jigen: "Lupin said you’d let us crash here until the heat dies down."

Gadget: *sigh* "Guest room is upstairs."

Lupin: "I knew you'd look after family!”

Penny (waking up): “Uncle, who are these guys?”

Gadget: “Ah! Penny! These people are-”

Lupin: “OH MY GOD I’M A GRUNKLE!!”

Penny: “I have a great-uncle?”

Lupin: “She’s adorable! Jean, why didn’t you tell me your sister had a kid?!”

Gadget: “It wasn’t the top of my priorities at the time.”

Jigen: “Hey, a kid could spell trouble Lup. I don’t think we can stay-.”

Brain (walks into room): “Boof?”

Jigen: “...Oh my god, he has a dog.” *pets Brain* “I will protect this pup with my life.”

Lupin legit mistook the Gadgetinis for normal kids. Jigen had to point out that the pair were in fact; made of metal.

Lupin: "GRAND NEPHEWS TOO?!"

Digit: “Robots don’t have uncles.”

Jigen: "I think they're robots Lup."

Lupin: "But they're so cute! They totally get that from me!"

Fidget: “I love you Uncle Lupin!”

Lupin: "Aww~! See? That’s total Lupin charm!"

Jigen & Digit: -_-

With his uncle and his uncle’s extended crime family staying at the house; Gadget still goes to work, only to be greeted that morning at HQ/WOMP by Zenigata.

Zenigata: “I’m Inspector Zenigata from Interpol. I will be your partner in this case surrounding the disappearance of that would-be MAD thief.”

Gadget: “Ah, that’s good. But why would Interpol be directly involved in a MAD case?”

Zenigata: “Because I have the intel that points that MAD double-crosser as being the infamous Arsène Lupin III - my arch-rival!”

Gadget: *screaming internally*

Hours later;

Gadget: "UNCLE! Please don't tell me you STOLE from Dr CLAW!"

Lupin: "I didn't steal it from him! We just didn't give it to him!"

Penny: *already taking out her computer book* “Why can’t we have a normal family reunion for once?”

Once it becomes clear to WOMP that Lupin has no interest in giving the artifact to Dr Claw - they work out a deal; the Lupin Gang, Zenigata, and Gadget to work in tandem to retrieve the remaining pieces of the artifact whilst also apprehending members of MAD. None of them are happy with the arrangement; especially the rest of their respective gangs.

Fujiko is found as the new main squeeze of a MAD higher-up, and immediately endears herself to Gadget (Jigen is appalled that being a love-struck idiot is also genetic). She eventually gives up the act however, once she meets Penny - she does have a soft spot for little kids after all, and doesn’t want her to get hurt by any of the espionage.

Penny: “Why do you play with my Uncle’s feelings?”

Fujiko: “It’s how I get along in this dangerous world. I’m sure your Uncle Gadget will forget about me soon enough.”

Penny: “No, I mean Uncle Lupin.”

Fujiko (realizing): “Uncle... Lupin?”

Penny: “It’s really not nice to hurt him like that. He really does have feelings for you at times, no matter if you double-cross him. You should really apologize one of these days”

Fujiko: “... You’re a good kid Penny. How you’re related to that monkey-face idiot I’ll never know.”

Zenigata and Quimby are good friends from their young cowboy cop years. They met as the result of an early MAD plot that reached Japan. Neither could speak each other's first language, but they still managed to crack the case and stayed pals ever since. However as Quimby slowed down and became an Intelligence Officer, Zenigata never stopped. Zenigata REFUSES to believe that time is catching up to him.

Gadget is appalled by Zenigata’s diet of only Instant Ramen. Has to wrestle the other inspector into a dining chair and make him an actual home-cooked meal.

Lupin's sister (Annie Gadget nee Lupin) used to drag him into babysitting his fresh Nephew and Niece (Gadget and his sister Dr Gadget) back in the day - which culminated in the pre-teen Lupin using the little ragamuffins to get away with crime. Both Gadgets gained a healthy respect for authority after dealing with their dumbass Uncle.

Goemon and Nozzaire get along oddly enough. When Goemon showed up unannounced at WOMP waiting for Lupin; Nozzaire leaped forward with his Legionnaire sword and the two did battle - they’ve been friends ever since. Since they both have a strong sense of honor, and have a chaotic dumbass in their lives - they like to share how annoying Lupin & Gadget are.

Nozzaire: “Has he ever nearly killed you, even unintentionally?”

Goemon: “Many times. I stopped counting after the fifth.”

Nozzaire: “It must be genetic!”

Dr Claw has no idea who Lupin is. Who is this guy? Why does he look like Gadget? Why has that Fujiko woman stolen MadCat?!

Penny walks in at one point, only to see a tiny six year old in the sitting room, reading the crime reports. She has many questions;

Penny: “Umm, Who are you and why are you in my house?”

Conan: “I’m Conan. Papa Jigen let me in to help with the case.”

Penny: “All right then.”

It’s a very fun crossover/au to think about, especially if you know the history tying the franchises together.

[letterboxd]

Drawing Closer.

Animation lovers: watchlists at the ready. From action capers to Irish folk tales, in 3DCG or the humble pencil, by manga legends and raucous newcomers, Letterboxd’s animation correspondent Kambole Campbell picks ten new feature films we’re excited to see.

When the gears of the live-action film industry ground to a near-halt earlier this year, animators were still at work. As a medium that, at its most fundamental level, is controlled fully by the imaginations of its creators, this might be the one element of the screen industry that has some kind of ability to operate throughout the pandemic.

Based on previews from this year’s online edition of the annual Annecy International Animation Film Festival, there’s a lot to look forward to that’s still in the works, even now. With everything from blockbuster capers and fantastical alternate histories, explorations of folklore and real human stories alike, we can expect a spoil of boundless and endlessly creative films limited only by the imaginations of those drawing them.

Here are ten animated features I’m specifically excited for, in no particular order (except for the first—fight me if you like, Masaaki Yuasa will always win).

Inu-Oh Directed by Masaaki Yuasa / Due to release in 2021

If there’s one new animated film to watch in the next year, make it Inu-Oh (but also, don’t limit yourself to one). Masaaki Yuasa has proven himself time and again to be one of the most exciting and versatile animation directors alive, as well as potentially the busiest. With his studio, Science Saru, this year alone he directed two television series—the fantastic ode to animators, Keep Your Hands off Eizouken!!, and the intense Netflix disaster series Japan Sinks: 2020—as well as the melancholy, romantic feature film Ride Your Wave.

Inu-Oh looks to be just as imaginative and wild as anything else Yuasa-san has made, based on the work-in-progress glimpse at Annecy. Set in fourteenth-century Japan, the film is based on Hideo Furukama’s novel about the legendary masked Noh theater performer Inu-Oh, born with “unique characteristics”, which lead them to cover their entire body. Both novel and film focus on their close friendship with the blind biwa hōshi (lute priest) Tomona, and the success they find together.

“We often think of history as moving in one straight line, but it actually branches off, and people and events in those branches have been forgotten or disappeared,” Yuasa-san said during the Annecy preview. Inu-Oh explores those hidden branches through an anachronistic reimagining of the roots of traditional Japanese entertainment. The main idea: what if the performers of Noh theater were treated like Japan’s pop idols of today? Yuasa-san described the main characters as “kind of like The Beatles” of 1300s Japan.

On credits alone there’s a lot of promise, with the legendary Taiyō Matsumoto— the mangaka who created Tekkonkinkreet and Ping Pong (and collaborated with Yuasa-san on the latter’s fantastic anime adaptation)—lending his eccentric yet elegant designs to the film. The preview opened with minute movements comprised of rough, wide almost painterly brushstrokes, an art style almost completely unlike anything Yuasa-san has done previously.

As it turns out, this is but one way of representing the world of Inu-Oh, through the perspective of Tomona, a Notes on Blindness-esque way of representing how Tomona perceives things. From those small glimpses, Inu-Oh looks to be a beautiful, anthropological piece built with both the same free-form style that characterizes the rest of his work, and perhaps something more classical as well.

Wolfwalkers Directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart / Coming to theaters and Apple TV+ in late 2020 after a September 12 premiere at TIFF

Made and set in Kilkenny, home to the acclaimed animation studio Cartoon Saloon, the much-anticipated Wolfwalkers is inspired by animation’s past, Celtic legend, and the local area’s history. Set in 1650, Wolfwalkers takes place amidst attempts by the English (Cromwell, specifically) to pacify and tame Ireland. Representative of those wild elements the English are seeking to eradicate are the ‘wolfwalkers’—people blessed by Saint Patrick with the power to leave their bodies at night and become wolves during their sleep (Irish werewolves, essentially). The story follows an English girl, Robyn Goodfellowe (Honor Kneafsey), who moves to Ireland with her father Bill (Sean Bean), to help carry out Cromwell’s plan to kill the wolves.

Like his previous film, Song of the Sea (2014), co-director Tomm Moore says this new film is based upon a childhood story common amongst those living in Kilkenny. And like his previous films (including 2009’s The Secret of Kells), it looks to be a visual feast, with a mixture of dynamic camera styles, pre-viz work and hand-drawn animation for moments like its ‘wolf-vision’. Moore draws the ideological divide between the English and the Irish into every scratch of pencil, the occupied cities comprised of rigid lines and angular designs, while the forest and its inhabitants are more free-flowing and unkempt.

Moore cited the rough charcoal lines of Isao Takahata’s The Tale of the Princess Kaguya as one influence on the Cartoon Saloon animators’ approach; the way that Robin is drawn gradually changing along with her worldview. Cartoon Saloon is yet to make a bad film, and Wolfwalkers looks like it might be the company’s most beautiful myth yet.

Stay tuned to The Letterboxd Show for an interview with Tomm Moore.

Over The Moon Directed by Glen Keane / Due on Netflix, late 2020

The feature directorial debut of animation legend Glen Keane, early glimpses of Over The Moon look utterly bonkers. A long-time character animator for Disney, having worked on almost all of the studio’s animation output since Pete’s Dragon in 1977, Keane looks to be bringing his vast array of talents to his first feature film. The trailer alone shows off a vast blend of styles, from the 3DCG (three-dimensional computer graphics) and more realistic lighting that we’ve come to expect from Disney animation, as well as the more textured, hand-drawn work the director cut his teeth on.

The story itself sounds wild, though it starts out simple enough: Fei Fei (Cathy Ang) is enraptured by her parents’ stories of a goddess living on the moon. After her mother passes away, Fei Fei begins to believe the story is true, and decides to build a rocket to get there. There’s also a hint of something living there. Whatever the answer is, I’m curious to see it, and with a star-studded cast that includes the likes of John Cho and Sandra Oh, how could I turn it down?

Lupin III: The First Directed by Takashi Yamazaki / Released in select territories; wider release due late 2020

Takashi Yamazaki’s Lupin III: The First, the first 3DCG-animated Lupin III feature film, looks rather incredible. It’s the latest in a vast, 50-year history of anime based on the manga from the late Kazuhiko Katō (known by the pen name Monkey Punch). Despite that long history, the Lupin III franchise has always managed to resist being made obsolete; part of its ongoing appeal is its ability to continuously adapt to new contexts and styles while retaining its simple charms, and The First is no different.

The film announces itself in the same way as ever, the iconic ‘Lupin III’ theme blaring over a flashy title sequence that builds off familiar iconography, as well as moments from the franchise’s history. It revels in the style of old-school caper the show continues to embrace, taking delight in the exploits of a modern-day gentleman thief who announces his robberies with calling cards.

Even with the new and unfamiliar animation style, Lupin III: The First feels like a classic Lupin III tale, taking the story back to the 1960s (the decade during which the character was created), and even putting its main character back in his classic red suit. Each character design translates surprisingly well to this mode of animation—Lupin’s gangly frame, as well as the unique appearances of his compatriots Goemon, Fujiko, Zenigata and Jigen (who looks bizarrely attractive in this—although, to be fair, “everyone in this movie is f—king sexy” according to Letterboxd member London. Accurate).

Yamazaki does well to avoid the often sterile feeling of 3DCG animation by having these characters all move like the cartoons they’re based on (for starters, a long-running visual gag of Lupin leaping straight out of his clothes). It might take some adjustment (which for me, only really lasted up to the opening credits) before it becomes fully dazzling. Lupin III: The First might be the most exciting action caper of 2020, in any medium.

The Legend of Hei Directed by Mtjj / Released in China late 2019; international release TBA

Rivalling Lupin III: The First for most flamboyant animation on show at Annecy was The Legend of Hei, a feature-length prequel to the Flash web cartoon The Legend of Luo Xiaohei by Chinese artist Mtjj (real name Zhang Ping).

The series tells the story of the spirit Luo Xiaohei, who takes the appearance of a small black cat before being adopted by a young girl. The film’s story focuses more squarely on the cat, Xiaohei, who transforms into a man and goes on to live in the forest, his carefree existence soon interrupted by the discovery that humans are beginning to encroach on that territory as their cities expand, and technological progress puts the two worlds increasingly at odds.

As the film explores more of Xiaohei’s origins, the thick, clean line-work and cute art style disguises a much grander, epic conflict at play, realized in some wildly animated fight scenes. (“Starts off small and adorable, then expands into an epic conflict on an Akira scale,” writes Tasha Robinson.) The 2D-animated film allegedly took five years to produce, Mtjj saying in an interview that the complete film, at 100 minutes, required more than 70,000 drawings—or around twelve per second.

With its gentle score and clash of the spiritual world with the modern, the environmentally conscious work of Studio Ghibli comes to mind, as does the Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender (perhaps the most popular consideration of East Asian spirituality in the West, especially with its resurgence of popularity thanks to Netflix). The Legend of Hei enjoyed an extremely lucrative run in China in late 2019 thanks to the original cartoon’s sizeable fanbase at home. No news yet on who will pick the film up in the West.

ON-GAKU: Our Sound Directed by Kenji Iwaisawa / Expected to release late 2020

Rotoscoped by hand over a period of seven years, the independently produced anime ON-GAKU: Our Sound has a rather appropriate match of creator and subject: a film about amateur musicians made by amateur animators.

Director Kenji Iwaisawa adapted the film from Hiroyuki Ohashi’s cult manga, and there’s a charm to the rudimentary style of its art, the plain faces of its characters resembling the designs of something like ONE’s Mob Psycho 100, while also matching that show’s deadpan, oddball sense of humor. The laid-back voice acting only adds to that effect, as main character Kenji and his cohort’s obvious excitement flattened into a consistently amusing monotone.

It’s not quite a classic tale of underdog artistry, as the group never really gets better, but the film embraces the primordial noise that emerges whenever they pick up an instrument. Iwaisawa takes the characters seriously, showing their raucous and unconventional performances with complete sincerity. “Loved the deadpan humor and appreciated the message about how art can act as an impetus for positive change in our lives,” writes Dan.

Passion, companionship and collaboration is what’s most important to Our Sound. It’s a deeply weird film, but one filled with great ambition and visual wonder, increasing in boldness as it goes. The different styles of coloring and expression that emerge beyond its initial palettes are radical enough to catch anyone off guard.

Connected Directed by Michael Rianda / Releasing in most territories in October 2020 (October 23 in the US)

Connected is the next step for Sony Animation as it moves in an exciting new direction (the studio recently stated that it would be green-lighting more animation aimed at adults). Produced by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, off the back of their immensely popular film Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, Connected is imbued with the same kind of idiosyncrasy and innovation that made Spider-Verse a mega-hit.

From first-time feature director Michael Rianda, best known for his work on TV’s Gravity Falls, Connected is a family-road-trip-AI-apocalypse movie, based on the bizarre chemistry of Rianda’s own family. Formerly known as The Mitchells vs The Machines, the film looks at the push and pull between technology and human relationships, and how different generations respond to the ongoing changes in how we interact online and personally.

While this isn’t animated “on twos” (where each frame of character animation holds for two frames of background movement) as Spider-Verse often was, Connected also attempts to maintain a ‘drawn’ quality in its art. Characters move fluidly, but with clear outlines drawn from simple shapes. There’s also a strong contrast between the lived-in detail of human habitats versus the stark minimalism of the domain of the robots.

Thankfully the clips from the film don’t look nearly as finger-wavy and luddite as the trailers might suggest. (They appear to take the Boomer point of view that technology unequivocally ruins everything, but we know it’s more complicated than “screens bad”). In any case, it looks like the beginning of an interesting run for Sony Animation, and I’m keen to see how it turns out.

The Summit of the Gods (Le Sommet des Dieux) Directed by Patrick Imbert / Due to release 2021

Le Sommet des Dieux distinguishes itself in this list by being the one most firmly grounded in reality, but it’s by no means less wondrous. Based on Jirô Taniguchi’s five-volume manga Le Sommet des Dieux—itself based on the 1998 novel by Baku Yumemakura—the story starts with the question of whether George Mallory died going up or coming down the summit of Mount Everest on June 8, 1924. 70 years later, Fukamachi, a young Japanese reporter, stumbles across a camera potentially belonging to Mallory, and embarks on an adventure of his own with his friend Hasu Joji.

In close collaboration with the mangaka Taniguchi-san, who passed away during development, director Patrick Imbert seeks to replicate his art style, which was more aligned with that of European comics than traditional manga, with less exaggerated and highly detailed line-work. The team also looked outward from Taniguchi-san’s art, to the character designs of works such as Hiroyuki Okiura’s Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, as well as his 2011 film A Letter To Momo, and the films of the late, great Satoshi Kon.

From what I saw at Annecy, there’s something of a mix between what Imbert calls the “documented detail” of Taniguchi-san’s work and simpler design for the larger urban spaces. To accomplish this, the studio draws its traditional 2D using modern techniques, such as “movie-style” framing—locations and interiors created in 3D software and then overpainted for detail, identity and authenticity.

The Summit of the Gods also seeks to recapture the detailed and subtle realism of Yumemakura-san’s depiction of George Mallory, with low-key voice performances conducted in shared sessions; recording movements and hiring a boom operator to make the sound more akin to live action, perhaps even more natural. Though production has already been long, the studio had thankfully pre-empted the long delays of Covid-19, so let’s hope we get to see the film with our own eyes, soon.

Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Winds Directed by Benoît Chieux / Scheduled for 2022

An original fable from animation director Benoît Chieux, Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Winds is still very much in the midst of production, with an expected release in 2022. It looks captivating; a surreal tale set in an imaginary kingdom with delicate and clearly defined artwork, about a being named Sirocco, a despised figure with the power to control the wind, who is forced into solitude by the denizens of this world.

The dream kingdom resembles a Spirited Away-esque land, with its own hierarchy and bizarre set of rules, mundanity mixed in with visual wonder. Flying crocodiles, living houses and strange humanoids populate it, and the main characters, a pair of girls named Carmen and Juliette, turn into cats themselves. All are drawn with wavy lines, soft colours and fluid movement, the surreal presented with an inviting rather than foreboding air.

Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 Directed by Hideaki Anno and others / 2020 release delayed; keep an eye on the official Twitter account for a new date

Hideaki Anno is set to bring his earth-shaking Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise to a close, again, with the fourth instalment of his ‘Rebuild’ series of films, Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0. Delayed for almost a decade now (the previous instalment came out in 2012!), and delayed again by Covid-19, the film looks to close out a grand rewriting of the original series that shot Anno-san and former studio Gainax to fame—“Bye Bye, All of Evangelion” the tagline reads. But we’re gonna have to wait a while longer to bid this final farewell.

Made with co-director Kazuya Tsurumaki (who has served as director with Anno-san since the original series), the first ‘Rebuild’ film, Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, seemed to be a fairly conventional remake, updating the visuals and score with more modern techniques. The story starts the same: the isolated, depressed and self-loathing teenager Shinji Ikari is forced by his absentee father to help fight the mysterious, giant, alien ‘Angels’ by getting in an equally mysterious big robot called an Evangelion (“Eva” for short). He finds no self-fulfilment in this, and if anything, the close contact with other people only seems to push him further into himself. So far, so familiar.

However, the second film, Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, veered completely off the rails in the best way possible, destroying audience preconceptions. The line between sequel and remake was fascinatingly blurred, and only continued to get weirder with Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo, as the story landed in completely unfamiliar territory, altering its characters beyond recognition while adding entirely new characters in the process. It’s now almost impossible to predict what 3.0 + 1.0 will be. The only footage available so far was a wild ten-minute clip in which the Eiffel Tower is wielded as a weapon by an Eva. We were this close.

Ayumu Watanabe’s ‘Children of the Sea’ (2019).

There are almost too many gifts, even just from Annecy alone, to describe at length. A couple more worth mentioning: Anja Daiman’s musical comedy The Island looks fascinating for its reclamation of the colonialist story of Robinson Crusoe; and Yuta Murano’s first anime feature Our Seven-Day War promises plenty of plot twists amidst the actions of rebellious youth. A range of beguiling short films were also on display—a selection helpfully compiled here by Letterboxd member Iknow.

Outside of Annecy, other films are finally arriving, virtually or otherwise—such as Gints Zilbalodis’s peculiar and quiet Away, and Ayumu Watanabe’s beautiful and surreal Children of the Sea (with music from none other than Joe Hisaishi!). Though not all animation is comfort food by default—it is simply a medium, after all—it’s reassuring knowing that animated films are able to continue, in some form, through the pandemic.

Related content

Maxine the Movie Person’s excellent animation list

The 100 Highest Rated Animated Films of the 2010s according to our members

Revchu’s lists of the Top 100 Japanese Animated Films on Letterboxd, and the Top 100 Best-Rated Japanese Animated Films from the Anime News Network

Kambole’s selections in a Letterboxd list

Follow Kambole on Letterboxd

[stealinghero]

For a prompt, hows about I'm a rookie cop on Zenigata's task force and the Lupin gang (+Fujiko) need to jump and replace me and a few colleagues for our uniforms to flip the script on a sting operation? Bonus points for some Lupin and Zenigata flirting!

I concentrated a bit more on the flirting because I really love to write Lupin and Zenigata in their “work relationship”.

Your first mission! And it already promised to be the best of your life! Just a few weeks ago your boss had given you permission to join the task force around the famous Inspector Zenigata and here you were, ready to arrest Lupin the third.

The team consisted of 4 specialists plus Zenigata’s assistant and the Inspector himself. You were “just” a technician but your boss had to admit you were the best in your branch of work. That’s why he had let you go to Interpol to help the colleagues there. A sniper, one medic and a close combat specialist completed your small team. You had trained with them and would know if anyone should pose as them, as Lupin often did. This time he wouldn’t stand a chance with his schemes and dirty tricks. You would arrest him!!

Outside everyone was ready to go and you checked the equipment for the last time before you would hand everyone their headsets and tell them what frequency you would use. This wasn’t the time for any mistakes, you knew.

“You really know your stuff.”

You looked up and grinned as you watched Zenigata look at all the cables and microphones with a confused gaze.

“Sure, Sir. This time, we will have a real chance,” you answered and got up to take a cable from him and give him his part of the equipment.

“Your team is pretty good, I heard,” he tried to begin a conversation.

You hummed as an answer, helping him with the headset and the cables of it.

“No chance to replace just one of them.”

You looked at him. Something was off.

Zenigata smiled at you and took your hand into his. His grip was strong, but weak around the fingers.

“I heard you are immune to many poisons.”

Your fist shot up, but the man seemed to have superhuman reflexes, grabbing your fist and yanking it down quite hard, making you furious.

A kick to his shin landed and he grunted in pain, grabbing you with both hands and pushing you against a wall.

“One more move and I’ll scream,” you threatened and massaged your hurting wrist.

The Inspector held up his hands and grinned.

“I would love to hear you scream my name. But now is hardly the time, right? It was a pain in the ass to actually find a good anaesthetic that would work with you.”

You nodded. That was one of the reasons the police had been so interested in…. you shook your head. Something wasn’t right. Why were there two of Zenigata?!

“Sleep tight, cutie.”

You wanted to shout a warning into the headset to your team members but your muscles didn’t work anymore. When had he drugged you?!

“Aaaah, you are quite the curious one, aren’t you?” The Inspector held you upright and held out his hand close to your face. You could make out a small needle implanted in the thumb.

“It’s hard not to inject it in yourself if you need to make a fist. I went through all this just for you.”

You wanted to scream. How could he… your thoughts finally collapsed like your body, leaving you in a blank state. You could feel how he undressed you with gentle movements, laid you on the floor, rolled you under the command console and threw something soft on you. How could he dare?! The last thing your brain registered was something being placed on your head.

 ~~~~~

“Are we ready?”

The rookie nodded and gave the Inspector a small smile.

“Ready when you are, Sir!”

Zenigata had to smile back at them. Still so young and motivated. It must be a great feeling to be promoted to serve under him in the most important mission of the century. Today would be Lupin’s last day in freedom and by the end of the night they would have him caught and properly arrested.

“Everyone in position!” he ordered and stopped the rookie with a gesture.

“You stay here. I can’t have you hurt on your first real mission, right?”

They were cute when they blushed… he shook his head. How could he think that?! Now?! About a colleague?!

“Thank you for protecting me, Sir,” they told him in a small shy voice.

How could someone be so cute?! He cleared his throat and nodded.

“Not a problem. No need to be anxious. We will go according to plan and everything will work out,” he said, posing a bit for them. This rookie seemed to look at him like a courageous protector and he would not disappoint them.

“I won’t. I promise. With the Inspector by my side, nothing can go wrong.”

He had to bite his tongue in order not to grin. All he had to do was to wait for Lupin to show up and not get too distracted by this cute rookie adoring him.

 ~~~~

“Sniper One, status?”

“In position, clear sight on target. No movement up here.”

“Medic?”

“In position, injections to put Lupin to sleep are ready!”

The rookie grinned at Zenigata and watched the plan more closely.

“Hunter?”

“In position. No movements in the hallways.”

“Yata?”

“I’m here. Uhm… In position! No movements here.”

“Where are you, Yata?”

The Inspector leaned down over the rookie and pointed on the plan to show them Yata’s designated position out side the museum.

“Uhm… at the fir trees on the north side.”

“You should be at the west entrance.”

The assistant seemed unsure how to answer and Zenigata grinned and patted the rookie on the head. Everything went smoothly and they seemed to have their team fully under control. As for Yata? Well, he was Yata.

 ~~~~

“I will go for a round.”

The rookie looked up.

“Don’t leave me!” they pleaded and blushed before holding their hands in front  of their mouth, blinking at the Inspector.

Zenigata laughed and held out a hand to them.

“Join me, then,” he offered and let out a short breath of happiness when they took his hand with a smile.

Together they began walking around the museum and the most possible ways of Lupin to enter in order to steal the diamond.

“I really admire you, Inspector. My boss always calls you stupid and stubborn, but you really are handsome and hardworking.”

He grinned at this compliment.

“Well, thank you.”

The rookie took his arm and cuddled closer to him as a sound was heard. Their headsets came to live.

“Sniper One here, it was a bird. A fuckin’ bird just flew against the window up here.”

The two of them had to laugh until the Inspector frowned.

“Sniper One, repeat that,” he ordered, a strange feeling in his guts.

“It was a bird, Sir.”

His face grew stony. Something wasn’t right. He looked to the rookie.

“Didn’t he have an accent right now?”

The rookie smiled and shook their head.

“No, Sir. I haven’t heard an accent. But the sound really scared me,” they admitted with a blushed face and sheepish smile.

“You really should learn to live with surprises,” he advised them wisely.

“Surprise?” The rookie came closer.

“Yes…” he didn’t came far in his explanation as they ad grabbed his collar and pulled him in for a kiss.

His eyes closed as his lips touched theirs. He would lie if he said he didn’t want it.

“We should…,” he began, and the rookie nodded.

“We shouldn’t do it here,” they added and pulled him into a broom closet, kissing him again.

Their lips were soft on his. Their hands on his body were gentle and a bit more daring than he was.

Handcuffs clicked.

“Really? They are….” The rookie looked a their badge and frowned. “Pops, this officer could be your kid.”

He let out a huff. He wouldn’t get loud. He wouldn’t scream at Lupin who was tearing off his mask. He would free himself in a calm manner and kill this stupid thief with his bare hands.

“Ah, and your team? Mine.” Lupin tapped the headset.

“Ready, guys?”

Zenigata could hear their confirmations over the headset and looked at Lupin. He still had a trump card up his sleeve.

“Why the kiss?” he asked.

A blush appeared and vanished in a span of a few seconds on Lupin’s face.

“To distract you.”

“With tongue?”

The younger man huffed and began to laugh. “To keep the façade,” he told Zenigata.

“And the boner?” The pants of the rookie were too big on the thin Lupin but Zenigata had felt it more than clearly.

“A flash light!”

“Show me.”

Instead of a flash light, Lupin showed him the middle finger and sticked out his tongue before he closed the door and locked it.

“You know that your headset is still sending?”

“Shut up, Jigen.”

“You really have the hots for him?”

“Shut up!”

“A true man should stand to his feelings. I won’t look at you different because you like a man.”

“What about me, Lupin?! Don’t you love me?!”

Someone laughed. Zenigata could still hear the conversation through their headsets.

 ~~~~

You opened your eyes as someone shook your shoulders.

“Wake up.”

At first you saw shoes and knees, then a face. When you wanted to get up, you hit your head on the console you were laying under.

“What happened?” you asked, still feeling the drugs in your system.

“This.”

You crawled from under the console and sat down with a throbbing head before you reached for the card your colleague was holding out for you.

 I will steal your loved one. Lupin the 3rd

 You blushed a bit, realizing what he could have meant. Your colleague shook his head.

“We all got the same message.”

Did you hallucinate or did he really blush? You knew he liked men. And you knew you two had one time discussed the honour and “other” positive things about working together with Zenigata.

“Rumor has it he kissed the Inspector.”

You laughed and shook your head before thinking about the situation. He had used your clothes. YOUR IDENTITY!!

“This could’ve been your chance, Rookie.” Your colleague patted your head, leaving you with spare clothes he had brought you.

You blushed from embarrassment but also made up your mind. You would arrest Lupin one day! He would pay for stealing a kiss from your… no! No, you wouldn’t admit you liked your superior. There was nothing between you but professionalism. Nothing!! You could feel the heat in the tips of your ears as you shook your head. One day he would pay!

[charlietheepicwriter7]

Shinichi Lupin by allietheepic7

Kidnapped, hurt, and missing all of his memories, young Shinichi only knew two things: his name and that this stranger did not mean him any harm.

Language: English Words: 6,798 Chapters: 10/10

Fandoms: Lupin III, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: Gen

Relationships: Arsène Lupin III/Mine Fujiko

Characters: Arsène Lupin III, Jigen Daisuke, Ishikawa Goemon XIII, Mine Fujiko, Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dysfunctional Family, Family, Adoption, Lupin Has A Good Heart, Papa Jigen, Shinichi Is Adorable, Smol Shinichi, Domestic Fluff, Kidnapping, Child Abandonment, Kinda, Fujiko Is A Good Auntie, Stealing, Stealing a Child, Amnesia, Jigen PoV

Read here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7114618

[somer-joure]

That New DuckTales Episode

Some thoughts, because I am an old woman (in her late twenties) who refuses to learn that cartoons are for kids: 1. I love the style for this show so much. 2. That seagull looked so happy and cute up there on the mast(?) before the shouting started. 3. Donald Duck is basically an over-protective single dad to his nephews and it's precious. 4. Huey, Dewey, and Louie manage to have more character in a minute than they did in one-hundred episodes of the original show. 5. Vulture capitalists oh my gosh. 6. David Tennant isn't Alan Young, but he's perfect for this version of Scrooge. 7. Launchpad's introduction as Scrooge's chauffeur is great and also HELLO THERE, JIGEN, WHAT ARE YOU AND LUPIN DOING HERE? 8. The gag with Huey messing with the radio to play dramatic music while he and the boys talk Scrooge up was actually pretty funny. 9. Donald is one-million percent done with his uncle, as he should be. 10. "Are you still a trillionaire?" *cue peacock* 11. Having Donald and Scrooge shout at each other all the way through their first meeting was great, even if I had to turn the subtitles on to catch a couple of Donald's lines. 12. "Do children still like marbles?" Aha yes I see what you did there. 13. "HOW OLD ARE YOU?" 14. No, seriously. How old is Scrooge supposed to be in this version? If this series takes place in the 2010's and they're still going to dive into his backstory and have him live through the Klondike Gold Rush, as seems to be the case, then that makes him ancient by any standards. 15. There's some nice, classic Donald Duck physical comedy. 16. And so many call backs to classic Disney shorts, Ducks comics, and the original show that manage to be there but not in an obnoxious fan-servicey way. 17. No Duckworth so far, but Beakley seems to be doing his job. I am okay with this. 18. I, for one, welcome the new Webby. 19. No, I really like the new Webby. I've seen a lot of people comparing her to Mabel from Gravity Falls, but apart from the voice and the grappling hook, they're not really all that similar. In fact, if there's any Gravity Falls character Webby is like given her social awkwardness, desparation for friends, obsessiveness, nerdiness, and interest in strange artifacts of mysterious origin, it's Dipper, or maybe a nine-year old Ford. 20. Jumping off of that last point, this show does give off a little bit of a Gravity Falls vibe. But, to be fair, the old show does, too. No, really. About a year ago I watched a good chunk of the original DuckTales (It's pretty good! Just know that it's obviously written for kids and there are more than a few, well, offensive ethnic stereotypes.) and started to have a bit of an out of body experience when Gravity Falls-like things started happening in the first five episodes. ("We missed ya, Uncle Scrooge!" "Missed me? What did ya throw at me?") This new series also gives off a strong Indiana Jones vibe. But, given that Indiana Jones was partially influenced by the old Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge comics, that's more than welcome. 21. I maaay have paused the episode to stare at Webby's giant McDuck Conspiracy Board. 22. Matilda and Hortense exist! 23. Scrooge is more badass and more of a jerk than he was in the original show. I am more than okay with both of these facts. 24. Everyone's reaction to the headless man-horse. Oh gosh. 25. Scrooge's reaction when Dewey called him out on the "family is nothing but trouble" line was...interesting. Also slightly scary. I sense some feels around the corner. 26. "TO YOUR ROOOOMS!!" 27. Launchpad is, in fact, a pilot. 28. Someone please get Webby a hamburger. 29. Huey's so adorable with his travel bingo and his sea shanty playlist. 30. "I'm wearing a kilt, Mcduck! A KKIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLTTT!!!!" 31. Crack theory about Glomgold: He's not actually Scottish. He's just taking the idea of the Scottish billionaire from Scrooge and making it cheaper and more showy. 32. Good thing Donald was there to save Dewey from the flame throwers since Dewey DIDN'T EVEN TRY TO AVOID THOSE LASERS. 33. Shandra Jimenez is now a duck. Listen to the green duck reporter at the end. It's got to be the same voice actress. 34. Scrooge and Donald bonding. Good. 35. "Mom?" 36. DDDDEEELLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAA!!?? 37. Spear of Selene? Where's Della? Is she dead? Is she on the moon? Is her absence related to the Spear of Selene or not? What did Scrooge and Donald do to each other that they're so angry? Where's Matilda? Where's Webby's parents? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS oh no I'm INVESTED. 38. Also, the kids' reaction when they found out Scrooge is their great-uncle. That was good.

[fizzingwizard]

An unfiltered reaction to Jigen Daisuke the live action movie, which I call Jigen Daisuke, A Very Nice Man Who Kills People And Cries A Lot

I didn't read any other reviews/reactions yet because I want this to be PURE. lol. Also only watched once and I often change my mind on some points when I rewatch

Not sure whether I like this movie. I enjoyed it! But did I enjoy it as a movie, or as a Lupin fan?

It's not a movie that can stand alone outside the Lupin fandom. Like, if this was some random gunslinger movie, I would not have watched it in the first place. That would mean it loses points, except this is Lupin III, everyone knows it is, and it's openly relying on that clout. In this case, it's probably silly to consider it as a "movie" rather than a "Lupin movie." So that doesn't bother me.

On the flip side... the movie has nothing to do with Lupin III, so it could be about some rando and nothing would have to change. At all. That bugs me because if you're gonna give Jigen his own live action and not include the rest of the gang in any way (except for a three second appearance of the Fiat and Lupin's red jacket through the windshield), then you've got to go to lengths to make me believe it is in fact Jigen. I don't mean I want a "Meet Jigen Daisuke" montage - we're working under the assumption that most everyone watching already knows his character bio. In the script and acting, I need something that means he couldn't be switched out with any other Cool Guy (TM) character and read exactly the same way.

Nice things:

I like Tamayama's Jigen. He's cool but subdued, although you do get hints that he's not always so mellow, which I really appreciated. Like when he almost shouts at Oto and then purposefully lowers his voice. "Oh, I'm not yelling at Lupin, this is an actual child," lol. One of my favorite scenes was when he reads Oto's tragic backstory in the notebook, and wants to hide that he's tearing up, so he desperately fumbles for a cigarette, only to be thwarted haha. That, and him telling spectators "Don't look," seemed really Jigen to me.

A fun cast of original characters. I enjoyed Chiharu a lot. I think it's rather funny that Tamayama is playing the Cool Guy Main Character, who spends almost all of his on screen time talking to an elderly woman lol. But she was tough and kind and honestly I'm just glad she wasn't a sexy young lady lol. The people in her town, the florist, the guy who was kicked out of the Go club for gambling - all a lot of fun too.

Special mention: Ruri! I adored her the minute she appeared and I really expected she'd have more of a role than she did. I was back and forth whether she'd be a help or a hindrance, especially after it turned out she was Shadow Guy's (forgot his name sorry) lover. Usually I don't like the Love Interest Who Appears For One Movie Then Never Again, but in this case I was actually cheering fo Jigen/Ruri. Of course, the one time I like a ship, the rug is immediately pulled out from under me hahaha.

Found family dynamic I mean what can I say, you hit my weak point. Grandma Chiharu (the gun forger), her nephew Jigen (the hired gun), and his daughter Oto (the tortured child). Checks out. Also Jigen's desperation to make Oto happy was adorable.

Really cool disabled villain?! Adele's opening scene was awesome. Honestly, when I saw she was in a wheel chair and had a fancy prosthetic leg, all I was expecting was that she'd open her knee cap and surprise! there'd be a gun inside. But not only did she get to pop some wheelies, she also took advantage of her lower vantage point to maneuver the gunmen into shooting each other. It was a strong opener and, personally, my favorite action sequence in the movie.

The lighting and atmosphere were pretty great throughout. I especially enjoyed Shadow Guy's uhh shadowy-ess. (Not so much his questionable CG faces.) The use of colored lighting, the showdown between Jigen and Shadow Guy that was all in blue etc, gave the film an artistic tone which kinda helped cover up stuff that was otherwise rather bland.

The concept of "drugs made from children" - at first I was just laughing, like what the heck? I thought they meant smuggling drugs inside the children's bodies or something. But I changed my mind. However sci-fi it is, I think it's kind of neat that they basically taught the audience the effect of constant stress on a young child's psyche, and how it keeps them in a constant state of fight or flight. Yeah, all the details were super iffy (why would drinking their blood send any of that to the recipient, and why would it result in eternal young? lol), but hey, it's Lupin *shrug* At the time, I was hoping there would be further messages about ways adults, even those who are well-meaning, overlook the impact our actions have on children, or ignore their feelings. Because Oto's feelings were very much ignored before Jigen. The movie seemed to be going out of its way to show us how much Jigen was trying to get Oto to speak for herself, even through writing, and have an opinion of her own. So I was intrigued, but it didn't really go anywhere. It's nice that Jigen's goal was Oto learning to laugh, but since Oto is pretty much just a victim after getting kidnapped again, we lose touch with her character and it doesn't hit the same for me. Which leads me to...

Meh things:

The first half of the movie is kinda low energy. While I wasn't exactly expecting typical Lupin shenanigans, so much of the first half is just Jigen talking to people without learning much. I like Chiharu, sure, but she's not like a scintillating conversationalist. (Although she is better than Jigen lol)

And while as expected the energy picked up with the action scenes in the second half, they were almost without speech - which is a point for realism, but minus a point for Entertaining Fizz *shrug* If only Lupin were there to provide a partner for some witty banter. I'm kinda joking, with Jigen alone the silence is fitting and supports the clean and speedy way he shoots. But it just went on so long. And you know there's not much very Lupin-y about this movie, except the ridiculous stunts and sheer number of people Jigen defeats all by his lonesome self... so that's a thing.

The whole "your gun talks to you" thing gets a big What from me. If was Goemon I'd understand, at least in the sense that it would be Goemon and I don't understand him anyway. :P Jigen's relationship with his gun is weirdly intimate true. And I really enjoyed Chiharu pointing out that considering how many parts he's had to replace over the years, no part of his magnum is actually the same one he started out with. When Jigen got a present of magnum bullets from the florist, I knew he'd get his revolver back soon (I mean we all would have known it anyway, it's Jigen), and the moment he ran out of bullets for his replacement gun, I was like, shit Chiharu's coming NOW?? And not only does she come, she careens into the hyper security building in a big ol' bus. Which... is a good choice I guess, good protection. But the timing, THE TIMING. There are some coincidences I can forgive and some I can't lol. All I'll say saves this scene is that Chiharu doesn't die in it.

Re: the talking gun: for this movie to impress me, it needed to tell me something about Jigen. It didn't need to earth-shattering news. I wasn't hoping for a bunch of flashbacks about his youth on the streets or anything. Just something about his heart, his values, his weaknesses... Anything. What we get is obvious: The first scene is Jigen shooting a man in a gun fight. A child is there, although they're taken away before it starts, so I guess the man is the kid's father. Then the movie itself is about protecting a child's happiness. I suppose there's a message there. Still I don't think, in the end, we learned anything about Jigen at all. He's cool. He's brusque. He likes to say he doesn't like things he does in fact like very much. He's sentimental. I guess we learned Jigen cries easily because he was like crying aaaaall the time. Okay okay, that's exaggerating. But still. The cigarette cry was a good cry. Loved the acting. But when he tears up around Chiharu later, it was too much for me. Like he's trying to convince her that she shouldn't rely on the police, she should rely on him instead, because he'll definitely be able to shoot straight through those tears. *shrug*

Another complaint about Jigen: is he a guy who's worked as a bodyguard, a merc, a hired gun? Because ya definitely don't see it in this movie! He's pretty much a superhero. Rescuing Oto, protecting Chiharu, fighting through his own injuries, defeating legions of enemies, and keeping the moral high ground. As much as I don't think a Jigen movie has any need to explain it's a Jigen movie, it's weird to me that he's so much a good guy in it - yeah, I know a lot of Lupin movies are like that, so this kind of a pointless complaint... But it still bugs me.

Back to the OCs. Adele, who was so awesome at first, is totally uninteresting the rest of the time. I expected some commentary on her using a mechanical voice while Oto tries to recover her real one. It's probably good they didn't do that, because it's pretty insensitive to real people with vocal problems. But because they still gave Adele that voice and made it part of her tragic backstory, your mind goes there anyway. The real bummer of Adele is that we never really know what she wants. She says it's power, and we're meant to understands that because she had so much of her power taken away as a child, this is how she gains it back as an adult. But she's soft and heartbroken at the end, pretty much telling us she wishes Jigen had been there for her the way he's there for Oto. That's not a new idea, but it sucks when the only build up to it is Adele saying it out loud and then, instead of using her amazing fighting prowess, she challenges him to a quick draw duel. You could argue that since they're both quick draws, this was an interesting fight... But what was memorable about Adele's fighting was how intricate and showy it was. Jigen did that took in his way, but what he's known for are those cowboy stand-offs. So this was Jigen's duel from the outset and from the audience's perspective Adele had already lost simply because of that. Yes she's happy Jigen's released her from her miserable life I guess. Who she is, what drives her, how she really feels about Oto and the other children, is all kinda just bits of information which come out piecemeal in the rather anticlimactic finale.

The movie is live action, and generally benefits from it. But with Adele, for some reason it went super anime IMO. I don't just mean her character design. It's definitely different, but not too far off from the rest of the characters. The way she cradles Oto, dressing her in the white gown, keeping her on her lap like a doll, made me think of gothic novels, and def shojo manga. The way Adele dramatically falls out the window with a smile in slow motion as well seemed right out of anime storyboard. Not a big deal in the scheme of things, but it stuck out to me like a sore thumb. Obvs Shadow Guy is a pretty anime-style henchman too, but not as extreme as Adele.

Shadow Guy and Ruri: Just didn't get enough development. I really wish Ruri and Jigen had met again in the end. I was half expecting her to show up and try to get revenge on Jigen, or kill herself... I mean I'm definitely glad she didn't, because we hardly needed more tragedy to balance out Oto's rescue. But I liked Ruri, I'm sorry her lover was killed even if it was his own doing, and they definitely seem to have been in tough strait themselves, so. And Ruri knows Chiharu. Everything seemed prime for her to have some role in the finale, but nope. Honestly, much as I like Chiharu, I might have enjoyed Ruri taking in Oto? Okay, Ruri's lifestyle isn't conducive to raising a kid at all :P But it would have tied her in, maybe, if she moved in with Chiharu so an old retired lady didn't have sole responsibility of a traumatized young girl. And Ruri could have learned watch-making, along with being a sex worker, hopefully encouraging her to be more choosy with her clients so she doesn't get hurt so much. Idk I just felt Ruri was left out to dry in the end, her romance existing just to make the movie sadder.

Last, Oto: Cute actress. Very good at behaving terrified. And adorable when she was finally allowed to smile. But like I mentioned earlier, I wish she had found more agency in the end. Of all the tropes they avoided, one I wish they'd kept was Oto finding her voice in the final battle scene. I know she says "I'm sorry." But I'm picturing like, Adele has Jigen at her mercy, and at the moment Adele begins to shoot Oto just shrieks with everything in her and it distracts Adele enough that Jigen finds an opening... Her getting miraculously cured in an instant would be overkill for sure, and I appreciate that she's doing some self-therapy through writing in the notebook as she recovers and heads towards speech one day. What I really just wanted was for Oto to have some say/something to do in her own rescue.

Speaking of which, it seems children have replaced women in the action movie "damsel in distress" role. In Lupin it's everywhere. I'm a bit tired of it. I miss scrappy, precocious kids.

Tl;dr: I enjoyed the movie as a Jigen fan. It's not bad! It's better than expected really. I have a couple :) issues, that's all. Lol

[craveanimeblog-blog]

The Best Animes of 2019 that You Must Watch Before the Year Ends

Every season there are new anime series released. Checking them all out can be very time-consuming. If you are looking for a longer-running series or shorts, you will find something here. We've compiled a list for your reference.

Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan is heavy on atmosphere, character development, and plot. The characters are grotesque titans who devour their victim. Nobody is truly safe in this anime.

Dragon Ball (Z, GT, Super)

The Dragon Ball series follows the adventures of Son Goku and friends. It has been the subject of anime memes, jokes, and parodies. The fighting genre of anime began with Dragon Ball. It started as a light-hearted take on Journey to the West but transformed into the genre that influenced much of what was to come. Goku and his foes spend a lot of time on their attacks, the abridged Dragon Ball Kai is a bit of a different take.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

This unique fantasy world has real consequences. It's about the brothers Elric. It has great animation, fantastic dubs, and engaging stories. It's a great choice if you like more drama, action, and a faster pace.

Samurai Champloo

Samurai Champloo has a hip-hop aesthetic, fantastic dub, slick visuals, and a great sense of style. It offers an alternate version of Edo history.

Madoka Magica

Madoka Magica is about a group of girls who discover how to use magic to transform and fight. It is aimed at children, particularly girls. But it's dark and mature enough to appeal to a wide audience.

When They Cry

When They Cry has a creepy the atmosphere and a touch of mystery, gore, and psychological horror that many Western horror fans look for.

Steins: Gate

Steins: Gates deals with time travel, exploring the concept in an interesting way. It establishes how it works and features a time loop plot that is excellent.

Gurren Lagann

This giant robot anime is fun and packs a strong emotional punch as well.

A Place Further Than the Universe

This coming-of-age tale of four teenage girls on a boat to Antartica. Mari Tamaki doesn't want to skip class, Shirase Kobuchizawa finds her long-lost mother, Hinata Miyake is a drop out looking for adventure before taking her college entrance exam, and Yuzuki Shiraishi is a child actress who posts vlogs of the trip. It's the story of the friendship between the girls and is noted for its gorgeous animation and genuine heart. There are 13 episodes in Japanese with English subtitles.

One Piece

One Piece is aimed at kids and it's shounen anime. It has been on the air for 20 years and creator Eiichiro Oda creates a world complete with its own culture and history making it fully realized.

Laid-Back Camp

This anime follows Nadeshiko as she discovers her love of camping and her new school. She figures out how to enjoy her time in the outdoors and her new friends. This series also offers actual camping tips. There are 12 episodes in Japanese with English subtitles.

Pop Team Epic

This is a mash of animated shorts with the antics of protective Pipimi and violent Popuko who are best friends. The episodes are split into two, one with the characters voiced by women and one by men. They share the same jokes. All 12 episodes are in Japanese with English subtitles and on Funimation with dubbed English voices.

Violet Evergarden

Kyoto Animation brings Violet Evergarden to life, the main character shares her name with the series. She is a young girl who was used as a killing machine by the military during the war. She lost both of her arms and they were replaced with metal prosthetics. She integrated back into society as Auto-Memory Doll a trained ghostwriter for letters and books. She learns to deal with complex emotions which is both satisfying and sweet to watch as well as the beautiful animation. There are 13 episodes in English and Japanese with English subtitles as well as with dubbed voices and subtitles in other languages.

Uma Musume: Pretty Derby

Uma Musume is about horse girls. They attend a special school and train to race. The story is about Special Week who want to the #1 horse girl in all of Japan. While she is racing she sees Silence Shizuka, another racer who is unbeatable. The two become rivals and friends. This is both fun and wholesome and the girls are all named after actual racehorses. There are 13 episodes with English subtitles.

Lupin III: Part V

Arsene Lupin III, the master criminal, first appears in Monkey Punch's Lupin III (Kazuhiko Kato) in 1967. Familiar characters Fujiko Mine (Lupin's occasional girlfriend), samurai Goemon Ishikawa II and marksman Daisuke Jigen are part of the adventure. The season focuses on technology and ways that Lupin III is impacted by it. There are 24 episodes in Japanese with English subtitles.

Megalo Box

Megalo Box is about Megalo Boxing. This fictional sport is about using technology along with their fists to enhance strength and speed. Yuri is the current champ who scouts Junk Dog from an underground ring. Junk Rat enters Megalonia under the name of Joe, to compete in a worldwide Megalo boxing tournament to challenge Yuri. This is a The 50th-anniversary celebration of Ashita no Joe that has a low-resolution style right out of the 90s. It makes it stand out in the world of hi-definition. The 13 episodes are available in Japanese with English subtitles.

My Hero Academia: Season Three

Harry Potter in superhero form, the hero is studying at an elite school for the gifted with a cast of characters. The superheroes, known as pro heroes, are everywhere. Everyone one of them has a particular power, quirk or super-strength such as a tape-dispensing elbow. This series is about fun, the character design is interesting, and the powers are inventive and strange. Both the characterization and the plot will keep you interested. Episodes 1 through 55 is available in English subtitles. Seasons one and two have dubbed English voices.

Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online

The series is set in a world where individuals can immerse themselves in their favorite games. Asuna and Kirito are gone in favor of Karen Kohiruimaki who is a college student concerned with her abnormal height. All 12 episodes are available in Japanese with English subtitles.

Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku

This relatable romance anime is about Wotakoi and her four friends who work in an office and are otaku, or hardcore game and anime fans. The series is filled with relatable moments. The main characters Hirotaka and Narumi deal the dating struggles and tastes. Available in Japanese with English subtitles.

Aggretsuko

Retsuko releases her frustrations through Death Metal karaoke about her love life, her misogynistic boss, and her dead-end job. She navigates being single, misogyny, and loneliness less than gracefully. Everyday tragedies are handled in a way that is familiar to us all. It dwells in imperfection and is adorable and funny. There are 10 episodes in English and Japanese with English subtitles as well as dubbed voices and subtitles in other languages.

Hanebado

Hanebado explores the world of badminton and two girls, Nagisa Aragaki, whose goal it is to be the best payer in Japan, and Ayano Hanasaki, a prodigy who has no desire to play. Hanebado makes badminton look cool with the all-female cast in a male-dominated genre. The characters can stand on their own while showing a genuine passion for the sport, done in fluid animation. Episodes are in Japanese with English subtitles, there will be 13 episodes.

Banana Fish

Set in the streets of New York City, Ash Lynx is a 17-year-old gang leader who is groomed as a sex worker and mob successor. Banana Fish is the name of a drug she was given by a dying man along with a note. Eiji is a 19-year-old photographer from Japan who is investigating gang activity in New York City and encounters Ash. The writing is excellent, and it currently has episodes 1 through 5 streaming in Japanese with English subtitles. The current season will have 13 episodes.

[morporkian-cryptid]

I'm curious as to how you think the first kiss would go between Lup and Jigen in the childhood friends AU -- is it when they're still young? When they're older doing crimes together? THE PEOPLE WISH TO KNOW

AND THE PEOPLE SHALL KNOW!

I really like the idea of them being childhood sweethearts, but also as the previous anon pointed out, it's unrealistic in that historical context, sooooo... you're getting TWO scenarios!!

[fifteen minutes later] I've been going through kissing prompts and now I am Yearning. Help

This response has left headcanon territory and is trying to become a fanfic of its own.

Case one: self-indulgent childhood sweethearts scenario. Lup and Jig are both trans boys, Lup presents as a boy because his father lets him, Jigen is still in the closet, only out to Lupin.

Lupin and Jigen are in their early teens - twelve or thirteen - and they've known each other for a few years already. Lupin's visits to New York are not anything regular, but he'll be damned if he doesn't see his best friend at least once a year. This time, all the Lupin family is here, and Nisei is attending a fancy party thrown by a wealthy business man he's intending to rob blind. Nisei managed to get his son invited (this is part of mini-Sansei's training), and the invite said to bring a plus-one, so Lupin pestered Jigen until he agreed to come along. (Jigen really wanted to, he just thought it would be a terrible idea and everyone could see he wasn't part of the Wealthy People).

Because they're kids (and because this is my self-indulgent headcanon), Jigen is allowed to present as a guy at the party (which is an argument Lup used to convince him). Lupin is a bit star-struck when he sees his best friend emerging from the dressing room, donned in a fitted tux and with his hair slicked back, looking for all the world like he was born to walk among the high society. Jigen pokes fun at him for his reaction.

For a while now, Lupin has been playfully flirting with Jigen - nothing major, just the occasional teasing, and gifts that could be seen as a token of friendship. Jigen dismissed it as Lupin being an incorrigible lady's man and still seeing a girl in him. But this evening, Jigen is a boy, and Lupin is going all out with the suave gentleman persona, bowing to his partner and asking "May I have this dance?", kissing his knuckles when Jigen bashfully says "yes", making him waltz around the room and holding him close when the slow dances come on.

Jigen is at loss for words; he doesn't know what game Lupin is playing, and he feels like this is wrong, this should be wrong, but he's enjoying himself too much to break away from his friend. There's a small part of him screaming that Lupin has found out about Jigen's feelings for him and is playing a cruel joke; or that he's practicing on Jigen before he tries to woo a lady; or that he's just flirting for the heck of it, because Lupin doesn't need a reason to do crazy things.

To be fair, for all his act of self-confidence and suaveness, Lupin is just as nervous as Jigen is. This is the first time he's had feelings for a boy, and he doesn't know if Jigen sees him as anything other than a friend, or if he might take offense at Lupin's attempt at romance. But he wouldn't be Lupin the Third if he never took any risks, and this evening was enough to turn his burgeoning infatuation into sheer adoration for the beautiful blushing boy in his arms. He's fallen hard, and he can't turn back now.

The slow dance ends, and Jigen, with stars in his eyes and his heart racing, is about to tug his friend towards a quiet hallway outside of the ballroom, when an explosion goes off. Nisei has chosen this exact moment to put his plan into action, and the crowd is now running around in a panic. Lupin grabs Jigen's hand, heading towards the ballroom balcony where Nisei has told him to wait, watch and learn as he performs the heist; but in the chaos, the two are separated, and Lupin has no choice but to follow his father's instructions, leaving his friend behind.

They don't see each other again for several months, and Jigen spends that time convincing himself that he imagined the soft smile on Lupin's lips, the twinkle in his eyes whenever he looked at him, the euphoria of dancing with his crush best friend, of being allowed to be himself for one evening and still being liked that way. Lupin may be his best friend, the person who knows him the best in the world and the one he trusts the most, he's not the person in Jigen's dreams. Because all these fantasies can't happen in real life.

The next time Jigen sees Lupin, it's in the middle of the night, after the young thief climbed up the gutter of his apartment building and insistently knocked on his (third floor) bedroom window until it woke Jigen up. Lupin beckons his friend outside, and they climb the fire escape up to the roof. There, under the half-moon and the yellow lights of the street lamps below, Lupin puts on his most charming smile to hide the frantic beating of his heart, as he hands Jigen a small bouquet of roses he stole from the florist down the street. There is a few seconds of baffled silence, before Jigen shakily takes the bouquet from Lupin's hands, and works up the courage to give his friend a quick peck on the cheek. This was all Lupin needed to know that his offering was accepted, before he leans and returns Jigen's kiss - on his lips. It is quick, and hesitant, and leaves them both frozen in the uncertainty of what the other will do; until Jigen moves away, head bashfully bowed down so his hair will hide his eyes, but there is no mistaking the love-struck smile that he can't fight off his face.

The next times they meet, the exhilarating freedom of their strange friendship had taken new colors, and although their meetings are few and far between, and although they keep it secret, it's the best thing in both of their lives.

---

WELP, this got way out of hand. This post is already long enough, so I'll write the second scenario in a reblog when I come up with an idea. I hope you enjoyed reading this, because I sure did writing it.

Thank you for enabling me!