#btw op you’re one of my fav tumblr accounts so this was especially a nice surprise

[rickyrooh]

THATS ME WHO MADE THAT COMMENT!!!!! i honestly made that comment for the sake of the creator noticing it and hopefully putting it in their next part bc i feel like goemon potentially being autistic should be recognized a bit more, both from the fandom AND people who like to focus their attention on autistic coded characters. as an autistic guy i always saw him as autistic from the moment i got into lupin last year so i always get really happy whenever i see someone talk about the headcanon, let alone MY COMMENT being here??!!!!!??!!!!

it was such a pleasant surprise bc i did think about someone maybe posting about me but i never thought it would actually happen LOL, but yeah it was really cool seeing my comment appear in the lupin tags!

I just got Goemon jumpscared in the comments of a "disabled characters in media" video, and as a continuation of this discussion I would like to know how the Lupin III autistic community relates to Goemon, if at all. Under the cut will be my relatability to his character. (Also, have autistic people been brought into the fandom because of Goemon?)

As a disclaimer I am not formally diagnosed with autism, however I am likely autistic and have traits that are irrefutably autistic if I were to pursue a diagnosis.

Goemon is the single most relatable character I have ever encountered in fiction, and it is likely due to this element of representation (albeit accidental) that I am so enamored with his character. Many characters in media are not autistic, or are autistic in a certain way so that they are unrelatable and/or even a bit offensive (the Sheldon Cooper types). Goemon is the one character I have truly related to; he's introverted, dedicated, and knowledgeable, alongside many other autistic traits.

Furthermore, Lupin III is surprisingly nice about Goemon's autism. Lupin, Jigen, and Fujiko acknowledge and even appreciate Goemon's quirks, and it serves as a nice bit of escapism in contrast to the ableism of everyday life. They stick up for him, do their best to accommodate him, give him space, and typically don't make fun of him (in the ways that matter; they'll make fun of him for being nerdy, but not for wanting to be alone or eating specific foods). They're genuine friends to him, and don't push him away despite their differences.

I could see Goemon's character/episodes as a tool for those who do not understand autism, though I am obviously biased. However, if people in my personal life were to watch Lupin III and pick up on Goemon's quirks, it would make things go a lot easier for me. I've already seen this in the fandom, with even newcomers and non-autistic people acknowledging that Goemon has certain needs and this is just how he is. "Goemon only eats Japanese food, he's just like that." "Goemon likes to be left alone for long stretches of time, he's just like that." "Goemon's quiet but enjoys our company, he's just like that."

I also greatly appreciate how Lupin III avoids autistic stereotypes. Goemon isn't delegated to an irrelevant side character role for the sake of a quota, he's an active force in the story. Goemon isn't irrationally mean, and while he does get upset it's from a place of caring. Sometimes Goemon doesn't understand things (there's a clip from the Sorcerer King game where he asks what a "tab" is to a dealer asking for their delivery), but it isn't done excessively. Goemon's smart, but has interests outside of academia.

Overall, I am so grateful that this character just so happens to exist, Lupin III has legitimately made my life so much better after I learned that the things I do are shared by someone else.