#closely followed by jigen and fujiko

[loopspoop]

Everyone plays video games. Lupin is canonically bad at them so he sticks to stuff like Mario. Goemon plays all the Zelda games and god forbid you say anything against them or any of the characters because he will skewer you on Zentetsuken. Jigen sticks to mundane games like Bejeweled or Temple Run (but he also played those shitty shooter games in the Walmart arcades they had in the early 2000s, you know the ones). Fujiko definitely fucked with early Animal Crossing (think the era where they villagers were kinda rude as hell) but also loves the Sims and the virtual pet games they had on the DS. Pops literally only plays Wii Sports when he’s relaxing. If he needs a break from studying a case he’ll play Candy Crush or Tetris…or Solitaire if he’s in a mood

[catchyhuh]

i used to want to kill you

do you ever think about the fact that lupin’s entire crew once viciously wanted him dead. i do a lot. but i don’t think lupin does lol 

tw for death talk (as would make sense) and mentions of hanging and stabbing

jigen:

it doesn’t naturally come up in his thought process a lot, but when it does, it’s very strange. it almost feels like a weird dream more than a series of events that tangibly happened in the past

i think the reason it doesn’t bother him TOO too much is just the fact that he didn’t come close to succeeding. not in any way that really mattered. he knew deep down even when lupin was unarmed, facing the barrel of his gun, jigen didn’t really have it in him to kill him, even if he still doesn’t totally understand why after all this time

plus, he’s so far removed from who he was as a person when it happened that he subconsciously sees the version of himself who tried to kill lupin as a removed third party, like any other random assassin sent to kill his partner nowadays

fujiko:

doesn’t think much of it. lol

not even in a callous way! fujiko just very much lives in the moment, and she knows that as they stand, as SHE stands right now, they’ll both be ok. and that’s really all that matters. obviously she does care about his mortality to an extent if her breaking down and sobbing upon seeing his hanged body in p3 meant anything! 

in modern lupin she outright believes he’s unkillable (and she’s right) so she knows even setting the most dangerous target on his back won’t do much damage to him. and you’ll notice if she’s there WHEN the danger itself is happening, she changes her tune pretty quickly 

goemon:

it bothers him in a completely different way from jigen because sometimes he thinks he’s still not over it

he threatens lupin with death pretty frequently, but no matter how dire he acts about it, lupin, to some extent, always seems to see it as a joke, even if it’s a joke he runs across the room to escape from before giggling his head off

as we see in part 5, it… kind of really bothers goemon that he is all too capable of killing lupin, and yet he listens to him, he follows him, even though he’s technically the strongest, right? even though HE should be the leader, or at least be acknowledged more as someone lupin relies on, have his threats be taken SERIOUSLY? but i mean all that got solved when goemon actually did slice him up and freak the fuck out so i guess we’re good lol

(i didnt go into zeni formerly trying to kill him because weee have that one ep of p1 that gets into how he feels about it waaay better than i could)

[thelavendercatalogue]

The Plan

The Plan to fake Lupins death was ultimately all Zenigata's idea.

And he had been far too over zealous about it

Lupin’s condition was too touch and go even beforehand, to the point they worried that the stress of the move would be too much even if Lupin was under some form of sedation enough to keep him calm.

However when police jurisdiction comes into play there’s nothing they can do except just try to reason with them and convince them that this is a bad idea and reconsider their options.

But when ICPO refuses to relent, they have no choice but to let him go

The Docs Told Zeni what could happen

But Zeni was prideful

deep down cautious

but externally prideful that the plan would work

not could go wrong

everything was going to be fine

except there was a problem you see ICPO didn't actually refuse to relent with the medical board's orders

in fact

they had AGREED with the hospital that this plan was far too risky with too many potential hiccups and such. But Zeni was once again being bullheaded, by pushing for it, claiming he had it all under control

So not only was Zeni going against literal medical professionals, but the organization he works for as well. Which he'd done before with himself plenty of times, so it wasn't unheard of, and maybe there was some misplaced faith from all that, but Zeni had gotten over zealous about his plan to move Lupin, essentially pushed it to the point he nearly came close to killing him

But beforehand, before the plan actually came into motion, there was one thing they had to do.

keep it secret

No one knew about the plan absolutely no one, except a precious few.

It was because they needed to make it look convincing. Faking his death would only work if everyone believed he was dead.

even his friends

Jigen as a result never told Goemon or Fujiko, and that was WHY Jigen had a falling out with Fujiko

you see I always HCed that Lupin doesn't actually fake his death as often as we think he does. But when he does, the reason he doesn't tell the gang is to make it look convincing or more so to protect the gang.

Ever notice how when he does it it's normally when a BBEG is involved. It’s not super frequent but when it does happen it’s a Big Thing. Especially when it's a situation where he doesn’t tell the gang. Usually a situation where he feels backed into a corner and there’s no other way out.

which is why the gang expect it FROM Lupin

But Lupin ultimately had no hand in this It wasn’t his plan his big brainiac scheme

it was Jigens

they never expected Jigen to do something like this.

The whole plan had originally started because Jigen and Zeni started to plot the take-down of much of the city's more corrupt police force, knowing that with them in the way, progress would be tremendously limited in looking for the real culprit behind both attacks on Lupin and Yata and all subsequent issues that followed with that. Both hoped that by doing so, that it might entice certain individuals out of hiding when they find out their protection is slowly being whittled out.

However doing so also started to put Lupin and others at risk and rather than risk anything else happening to people they have a shit about, the pair came up with a plan.

Basically fake Lupin's death to throw the scent off and discreetly move him someplace else.

However in order to make it convincing

Jigen had the fucking bright idea not to tell Goemon and Fujiko in order to make it seem realistic. And because Lupin was so bad off and everything was touch and go already, the plan had worked, people bought it.

Only downside is, Goemon and Fujiko ended up spending literal weeks thinking Lupin was actually gone because the plan went so well and Jigen didn’t tell them until both Goe and Fuj found out themselves sometime later

Fujiko of course wasn’t happy

but by extension of Jigen not telling the gang,

Zeni never told Yata

Point of the matter is even in that short time where Yata and Lupin started talking, Yata and Lupin began to "bond" to the point even Jigen starts to thank Yata for keeping Lupin company when he's not around

and given the whole fact Jigen was never one for talking even when Yata still tried to make small talk, often to focused on the other to even bother to notice that Yata even existed and when he did talk, conversation was brief, Yata feels. . .for some odd reason a small sense of strange proudness; getting a thanks from a man as Dark and Mysterious as Jigen. Yata knew something was wrong when Lupin stopped talking. . .But he was never let in on the plan

But you see the issue with not telling Yata is Yata is a smart boy

very smart

If Zenigata didn't tell him something Yata would probably find out by snooping, and Zeni couldn't have that and risk him maybe letting it slip which would ruin everything. Yata of course would always know Zeni had a plan, and because of that, Zeni couldn't keep him totally in the dark.

So maybe he told him something, some other "secret" plan in order to make the lie look convincing and to maybe throw Yata off the scent

as a result Yata didn't know what the ultimate plan was

Yata knew he was planning something just not what

But Yata wasn't expecting Lupin to die

How the ultimate plan went no one knows for sure. Jigen had been the mastermind behind that actual plan, tricks like this were their specialty. Zeni had the ultimate hand in it, but in reality it was Jigen who planned everything down to minute detail because as good as Zenigata is, Jigen had learned from Lupin, never leave a detail untouched.

It was him who had the bright idea to coincide the time with Lupin's move on the day he was supposed to have surgery to fix the leg. Because in Jigen's eyes no one would have suspected if something went wrong; Lupin was so bad off as it was already that everything was touch and go. No one would have suspected if Lupin had either died on the table or afterward.

His plan to keep Fujiko and Goemon away from the hospital was so easy. Take a walk, find someplace to sit down somewhere, and just talk. .just talk. . .he doesn't mention the plan, he doesn't even talk about anything regarding Lupin unless he has to, and the ruse is easy, because the other two simply suspect that he's just nervous and not showing it.

To further sweeten the deal, Jigen also mentions that his sister is planning his nephew's baptism and he wants the two of them to join him.

And the pair are happy to agree.

Not knowing that Jigen is actually heartbroken that he's actively lying to them about this.

He's focused of course, he knows it needs to be done

But it's killing to have to do it, but he has too. So he buries it and the trio talk like they haven't talked before. Even Jigen and Goemon are enjoying each others company

all under the guise of a lie

heh. . .who would've thought. . .

Between all this Jigen is waiting for a phone call. . .a signal that the plan is in motion. He told the doc to "call him on his cell" when Lupin was out of surgery, with the gang standing around to make it look convincing. Maybe in the end it was the doctors who would ultimately decide how to go about Lupin's "death"

Afterall leave it to those who deal with bodies to know. . .

When he finally get the call, it's not hard to feign any shortage of emotion. In the beginning it was. . .relief maybe. . .to hear his phone ring some hours later and be told that Lupin's out and they can come and see him.

Jigen tells the gang and their excited, their quick to make it up there even when jigen's trying to stall for time, but their a "little early" anyways so the doc's tell them to

"wait in the waiting room"

and they'll call them in when they get Lupin all settled

But Jigen notices a glint, a certain look in the Doctor's eye. . .and he knows just by that look along that it's time. So he waits and he braces himself for the inevitable

As they wait, things seem to go quiet; no one calls them in. And in the end it's Goemon who's first to ask what's taking so long, and he sounds nervous while doing it and maybe it was fate's sick idea of a joke, but not even a millisecond after he says that, all hell finally breaks loose.

Jigen doesn't know how they did it. To be honest he's afraid to know. Because it's convincing, so convincing to the point that when they go to the room and find the docs working on Lupin, even with knowing the plan, it's so realistic it's like every bad dream Jigen's had over the last few months come true.

Which is why when Lupin "dies" and the Docs finally call it, it not that hard to feign shock or worriedness or whatever else he must be feeling

because after all. . .it's not like he hasn't thought about this already. . .

watching it come true just makes it easier

So much easier, that when Zenigata spots Jigen shortly after the Docs call it, it looks like he's actively shutting down, and it doesn't take long for Zeni to notice that he is actually doing that. But Zeni can't just go over, he has to leave him for just a few more moments until Jigen is alone or else the others will get suspicious or something.

But the moment he is alone, Zenigata is quick to remind him as he pulls him by the shoulders that it's not real

none of this is. But he has to remember the plan

and also that Zenigata has to go as well that it's time

and he promises Jigen that he will look out for Lupin, he gives him his word.

And maybe that snaps Jigen out of his farce, just enough to not completely have a total meltdown, enough to remind him what they're doing.

So Zeni leaves him, determined to see the rest of this through, while he leaves Jigen to mourn with the gang.

But as he goes to the ambulance bay, where Lupin, still sedated having actually been cut open on an operating table and wheeled out no more than 10 minutes ago is being loaded up, one of the nurses in on the plan whose been taking care of him (maybe it's the one jigen likes), basically tells Zenigata as he hops in the back that she hopes he knows what he’s doing because if he doesn’t, he’s surely going get lupin killed, perhaps even going as far as to actively start protesting against it all and perhaps telling him that he's going to kill Lupin attempting this and to please reconsider

but Zenigata is determined, and he’s on schedule and maybe being a little bullheaded to admit she has a point, but they're in to deep now, so he pays it no heed to her warnings as he closes the ambulance door

because as far as everyone else is concerned

Lupin's dead already.

[mine-fujiko]

About Lupin III, I grew up watching part 1 and still to this day it remains my favourite installation of the franchise, with only Lupin Zero as a very close second if not even on the same level. I just adore Yasuo Otsuka’s style for the characters design and to me that’s the way they look best (redhead Fujiko, cute tall and lanky Lupin and Jigen and Zenigata, first time we see Goemon he looks like an Utamaro’s painting!) and the animation is pretty good for a 1971 tv series. I love the “more violent” episodes by Osumi but also the more comedic later ones by Miyazaki/Takahata.

The series as a whole is incredibly original, it doesn’t follow the usual tropes but instead it gives us a terrific interaction between the main characters. It also doesn’t claim to do any big explanations but just presents the viewers with characters and situations that are just there to be interpreted as the viewers wish. Very interesting to see as both characters and situations develop in the course of the 23 episodes. I’m going to focus only on Lupin, Jigen and Fujiko because there are some episodes that are just “Lupin and Jigen vs Fujiko” that are absolute comedy jewels 😁

On to the characters.

Lupin: is an arrogant, egocentric, over confident arse. He’s convinced that Fujiko is his girlfriend but he is the only one who thinks that! He is very attached to Jigen. He also kills cops. In later eps he starts to see Fujiko as a rival, stops molesting her(!) and by the end of the series they’re more like friends/colleagues.

Jigen: is very loyal and very reliable, off the scale cool guy who saves Lupin’s life like every 5 minutes, he’s sarcastic, cynical but also fun loving and a bit mischievous too. Doesn’t trust Fujiko and he is right because (see below). In later eps he too starts to see Fujiko as a friend/colleague. Still doesn’t trust her, though!

Fujiko: is a wild psychopath. Literally trumps on everyone’s dead body to get what she wants. Nobody’s girlfriend but totally Lupin’s antagonist. Doesn’t give AF and does whatever is best for her. Backstabbing made perfect. In later eps she loses a lot of her sexy man-eater traits but that’s the Miyazaki effect.

I also want to add what really makes the series and thanks god the whole franchise for me, which is the great amount of humour (all characters can turn from extremely cool to goofballs in a sec) and the ability to mix drama, comedy, mystery, mad gags, etc.

As someone who loves the original manga I maintain that the series that did the best job about basically *anything* was part 1.

For reference, the “Lupin and Jigen vs Fujiko” episodes are:

… basically all of them? LOL! No, for real episode 6, 10, 12, 16, 17, 21 because Rie is mini-Fujiko!

To quote one resume it usually goes like this:

“Fujiko goads Lupin into stealing a large shipment of diamonds. Lupin takes the task despite Jigen's protest that Fujiko is playing them for fools. Of course, Jigen is right.”

[theimpossiblescheme]

Welcome Back, Partner

(I wrote this a long time ago, after I first watched "Goodbye Partner", and I finally feel confident enough in my various revisions to share it with the world. I hope you all enjoy it!)

Lupin’s digs this time around were a tiny cottage in the North Downs in England, one he’d only used one other time that Jigen could remember.  There was no air conditioning in the summer, and the electricity was dodgy, but at least there was running water and enough gas to cook with.  It was a hell of a drive from the nearest airfield (he could have just come in through Heathrow, but noooo, that’d be too damn easy), but he managed to make it before the sun set and the rainclouds above him finally burst.

Goemon was sitting next to the sofa and meditating as usual, Zantetsuken tucked into the crook of his arm.  Upon hearing the door open, he cracked one eye open in Jigen’s direction before closing it again without a word.  Fair enough.  Jigen wasn’t particularly looking forward to that conversation.  He had every right to be pissed.  They all did.  All that casual chatter before was a crock of shit.  Lupin might act like everything was all fine and dandy, and Fujiko didn’t give a damn either way, but Goemon?  If he was pissed at you, he let you know it.  Sometimes at swordpoint..

Well, Jigen wasn’t going to stick around long enough to give him a chance.  He was just going to check things over, steal himself a beer, and… hell, he didn’t know.  Maybe hit up a pub somewhere for seconds.  Chat up some guy who needed a second in his own hairbrained scheme.  Let Lupin come to him for a change instead of crawling back like a pathetic lost puppy.

Kicking off his shoes, he wandered past Goemon into the little kitchen and opened the fridge.  Just down the hallway was a single bedroom, one queen-sized bed in the middle and almost a dozen frou-frou throw pillows scattered around the floor.  Sitting cross-legged on the bed next to an already-smoldering ashtray, humming to himself and annotating a large diagram laid out in front of him, was Lupin.  Shit, Jigen had only been gone for a few days, and it looked like Lupin already had most of the details mapped out… typical, really.

God knew he’d need all the help he could get.  Being a little short on manpower and all.

Jigen was just turning to go, beer in hand, when the call of “Hey, Jigen!” followed him.  His teeth gritted at the sound, but against his better judgement, he turned around.  Lupin actually looked and sounded pleasantly surprised he was here, and it was almost more than he could stand.

He weakly held up the hand holding the bottle.  “I just was grabbing this… don’t lemme keep you or—”

“Hey, c’mere, I wanna show you something!”  Gesturing for Jigen to come join him, he laid the diagram at the end of the bed and started to explain the setup and markings, every gesture meticulous, an excited sort of purpose in his voice like always.  But Jigen was only half-listening as he stood in the doorway, only catching every third word, if that.

How could Lupin just… pretend like this?  It was something he was damn good at, and it always pissed Jigen right the hell off.  Now more than ever.  His best friend had shot him and left him for dead, and here he was gabbing like it never happened.  Sitting there perfectly comfortably as that same “friend” stood twenty feet away.  Smiling like a goddamn idiot while his partner in the other room was probably plotting a murder.

Any other time, Jigen would have immediately pulled him into a headlock and refused to let go unless he told him the truth.  But right now, it wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying.  Hell, Lupin had jokingly threatened plenty of times to do the same thing to Jigen… maybe Jigen wished he actually would.  It’d be no less than what he deserved.

Lupin must have noticed him not paying much attention because he gave a small pout before shrugging it off and folding the diagram up to set aside.  That shrug alone was enough to make Jigen want to grab him and squeeze him until his head popped, but he resisted for now.  “’S’not finished anyway.  So how was the competition?  I heard that Alisa took first place.”

“Good.  It was good.”  Jigen still didn’t move from the doorway.  For a moment he was tempted to pull his hat further over his eyes, but Lupin would catch that in a second.

Whatever he had to say, he’d better say it now.  Jigen was a big boy, he could take whatever the son of a bitch threw at him.

Instead, Lupin just sat there, face set in a determinedly neutral position, studying Jigen like he’d study a particularly complicated lock.  “When did your flight come in?”

“I… couple hours ago.  Drove the rest of the way here.  Kinda out of the way, but I made it.”

Lupin nodded.  He looked down at his hands and seemed to notice he was still holding the pencil from before, and he reached over to set it next to the discarded diagram.  When he spoke again, it was facing away from Jigen so he almost couldn’t hear.

“… You could have stayed, y’know.”

Jigen couldn’t help but snort.  “No, I couldn’t have.  Imagine a scraggly old geezer like me trailing after that poor kid—she can do a lot better for… she can do a lot better.”

Imagine, Daisuke Jigen as a father.  Even for a kid that wasn’t his.  He didn’t mind them or anything, but the prospect of any kids getting that close to him terrified him on their behalf.  He still had stress dreams about that heist where they’d been followed by half a classroom’s worth of child actors claiming to be their children.  Best case scenario, Alisa would ask too many questions, try to get too close herself, and end up in the crosshairs of someone else’s gun.  She had no idea what he did for a living away from Lupin, what kind of miserable living it could be… there was no place for a little girl.  Alisa had her whole life ahead of her while Jigen had…

What the hell did he have now?

Lupin slowly straightened and resumed his earlier position, hands gripping his ankles.  “You could also have told me what was really going on.”

Down to brass tacks at last.  “What was I supposed to say?  ‘Sorry, this maniac’s got a hold of my old friend’s daughter, and I gotta do what he says or he’ll kill her, so don’t mind if I kill you and Goemon to make it look good’?”

All Lupin gave was another shrug.  “It’s a start, anyway.”

All right, now this was just unnerving.  “How can you be so goddamn casual about this?  Your partner—hell, your best friend—shoots you in the chest, and you wanna move on like it’s nothing?”

That time, an eerie sort of chill settled over Lupin’s face.  “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

Jigen’s breath caught for a second.  Lupin never talked about his career prior to bringing him, Fujiko, and Goemon on board, and Jigen never thought to ask.  Usually if some part of a man’s life was nothing but a carefully constructed blank, it was for a good reason.  This reason… it made perfect sense.  Tracked with everything he knew about Lupin, that was for sure—his insistence on keeping his partners close, on considering them friends barely into the casual acquaintances stage, on going the extra mile to keep them content between jobs…

Shit, if that didn’t just make him feel worse.  Best thing that ever happened to him, only one who treated him like an actual person and not just a gun with an arm attached, and Jigen had almost broken his damn heart.  And that wasn’t even considering if Goemon would ever trust him again.

He sighed, leaning against the doorframe and shoving his hands into his pockets to keep from fidgeting with his hat.  “Look, I meant what I said back there—I wouldn’t blame you for wanting to sever ties with me.  If you don’t want me sticking around, that’s your right.”

A few degrees of chill melted from Lupin’s expression, and he stared back up at Jigen with that same fierce concentration.  Like he’d almost figured out the last tumbler on the lock.  “How long do you want to stick around?  Tell me the truth.”

…Hell, forever?  No way was he saying that out loud—it was much too sappy for him—but it was the first thing that came to mind.

So Jigen settled for a quiet, “Long as you’ll have me, I guess.”

Lupin seemed to weigh that in his mind before finally nodding.  “Good enough for me.”

“Wha—seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“What about Goe--?”

“I’ll talk to him.  Worst case scenario, we’ll just duke it out.  The guy’s like one of those little fighting robots—you wind him up, go a few rounds to get it out of your systems, then he calms down.  It’s worked before.”

Somehow Jigen doubted it would be the same for him.  Lupin and Goemon both ran hot in their own ways while Jigen was a lot cooler… it might take a little while longer to get all of the hurt and guilt and anger out of his system.  But part of him desperately wanted to take Lupin’s word for it, if only for things to truly go back to normal without anyone giving him the silent treatment or pretending things were fine when they weren’t.  He was willing to see the next few weeks through, at least, whatever they brought his way.  “If you say so.”

“It’ll be fine, Jigen.  It’ll blow over like it always does—remember when Goemon left to chase after that kabuki gang, and we all fought it out when he came back?  You just gotta give it time.”

That word “left” was doing a lot of heavy lifting.  Mostly as a pretty substitution for “betrayed us.”  And then Goemon felt guilty enough to let Lupin cut off his head, only to be brought around by an all-out brawl instead.  Lupin had been plenty pissed off then, Jigen knew, but it hadn’t lasted long; true to form, right after they’d beaten the shit out of each other, he and Goemon had gone back to the plan as if nothing ever happened.  Maybe it was seeing his friend’s obvious guilt that alleviated it.  Maybe he just took for granted that Goemon would be back eventually and felt like he had to go through the motions anyway.  Maybe he was too used to Fujiko stabbing him in the back every other day.  Maybe he did genuinely want Goemon back more than he wanted revenge.

Jigen would never make sense of it.  Even all these years later, it was hard to tell why Lupin did anything.

It was easier to cover it up with a joke.  “I can’t tell if you’re just really trusting or really stupid.  Not the best look for an internationally wanted criminal.”

That time, Lupin did look a little hurt, but quickly masked it with quiet outrage.  “Come on, I trust you guys with my life.  You know that.”

“Yeah, I know—”

“Do you?”

It didn’t sound like a demand so much as… almost a plea, if an exasperated and tired one.  Like he was practically begging Jigen to get the hell over himself and accept the forgiveness being offered.  Like he needed the return to normal as much as Jigen needed… hell, he didn’t even know what.  To be kicked out for good this time?  To be reprimanded?  To have his lights punched out the way Lupin and Goemon had done years ago?

And they’d called Lupin a masochist…

But instead, here they were.  Talking about their feelings like a couple of chumps.  The metaphorical door was open and the hand outstretched.

And every bone in Jigen’s body was screaming for him to walk through and take it.  To just let himself come home.

So he nodded.  “Yeah.  I do.”  And that was that.

If nothing else, no matter how terrible an idea it was, he believed in the thief.  This entirely too forgiving dumbass thief who’d changed his life… and apparently wasn’t done with him yet.

Lupin nodded in return, this time with a little more energy and satisfaction, and tossed another frilly throw pillow at Jigen’s head, which he caught without even thinking.  “Goemon’s already staked out the couch, so you’re either with me or on the floor for tonight.”

“I’m takin’ the floor—don’t wanna roll off in the middle of the night.”  After several hours either crammed into a tiny airplane seat or on the road in the middle of nowhere, Jigen felt restless enough to kick a hole in the wall.  Better that than Lupin’s back.  Besides, their entire conversation had left him psychologically wrung out, and right now he needed some small distance.  Later he’d have to unbind his chest, too–there was still so much tension there, like his whole goddamn torso was in a vice.  Shoving the pillow under his head and ignoring Lupin’s little “aww” of mocking disappointment, he sprawled out right next to the bed and eased a hand from his pocket to readjust his hat, getting as comfortable as he could for now.  Out of the corner of one eye, he could see Lupin lying back against the last pillow and reaching for his pack of cigarettes, and for the first time all day he couldn’t resist smiling.  “Anybody ever tell you not to smoke in bed?”

“What, are you gonna tell my mommy?” Lupin chuckled, lighting up and taking a grateful first puff.  “‘Sides… thirteen and counting, and the place hasn’t burned down yet.”  And he took a long luxurious stretch across the bed, arms up over his head before folding them under his neck.

… Oh, what the hell.  “Hey, hand me one of those.”

“Thought you hated my brand.”

“Yeah, but getting mine out’s too much effort.”

Without missing a beat and holding his own cigarette away from the blankets, Lupin rolled over to place one between Jigen’s teeth and light it.  It took him a couple of tries—the old fancy pearl-plated lighter had been traded for a cheap Zippo—but that first burst of nicotine was the best thing Jigen had tasted all day.

Better than the cheap beer he’d originally come for, that was for damn sure.

[doamarierose-honoka]

TMS Entertainment, a beloved Japanese animation studio currently owned by Sega Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of SegaSammy holdings, has just announced that for their 60th anniversary, they’ll begin uploading special animated features of significant importance to the company to their official YouTube page. Most noteworthy to Sega/Sonic fans, this includes the first six episodes of Sonic X in its original Japanese dub. The entire campaign begins on August 5th, 2024. This is a good chance to get a taste of what Sonic X was originally like, free of both English voices and the cacophony of censorship edits imposed on it in its original English dub by 4Kids Entertainment

Gotta go fast as you rush past the break for the skinny on this special event. GO! GO! GO! GO! LET’S GO!

As stated above, Sonic will be the one to kick off TMS Entertainment’s 60th anniversary celebration on August 5th. On that day, at noon EST, 9AM PST, they will upload episode 1: The Supersonic Hero Takes The Stage, in its original Japanese format with English subtitles. On August 6th, episode 2 will follow, then episode 3 on August 7th, and so on, but episode 6 will come on August 12th instead of August 10th. Strangely, their schedule says they will upload episode 5 again on August 13th-16th. Based on this, it’s possible each episode besides episode 5 will only be online for one day, so just in case, make time to catch each episode on the upload date.

Fortunately, TMS has already provided links to episodes 1-5 on YouTube. You can go to each and click the “Notify Me” button to have YouTube send you a notification for when each episode will premiere. Here are the embeds to each episode.

As for the rest of the 60th anniversary event, TMS will also be uploading episode 1 of Big X (The studio’s very first anime from August 3rd 1964, based on the Osamu Tezuka manga), Super Dimension Century Orguss episodes 1-10, and the Takeshi Koike directed Lupin III movie trilogy, consisting of Jigen’s Gravestone, Goemon’s Blood Spray, and Fujiko’s Lie. Go to TMS Entertainment’s 60th anniversary celebration news page for the details and schedule on all anime being presented.

TMS Entertainment has been the animation studio for many beloved anime throughout the decades. They are most associated with long running franchises such as Lupin III, Detective Conan (Known in the west as Case Closed), as well as several anime based on Sega franchises, not just including Sonic X, but also Virtua Fighter, Hi-sCoool! SeHa Girls, and Phantasy Star Online II: The Animation. They also animated the FMV cutscenes in Burning Rangers. Besides anime, they also had a hand in animating several western cartoons, including Inspector Gadget, Cybersix, The Real Ghostbusters, Batman: The Animated Series, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, and The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. Currently, they are working on popular anime such as Undead Unluck and Dr. Stone.

TMS Entertainment’s official YouTube page currently hosts trailers, clips, and full episodes of many anime they have produced throughout their long history. In same cases, they have the entire series of some of their anime available to view absolute free, including Karate Master (1973), Cat’s Eye (1983), Magic Knight Rayearth (1994) (Along with its Brazilian Portuguese dub), Virtua Fighter (1995) (As well as its Spanish dub), Itazura na Kiss (2008), Lupin III Part 2 (1977), Lupin III Part 4 (2015), and the English dub of Sonic X (Season 1) (Season 2) (Season 3) (Plus, the Brazilian Portuguese dub, surprisingly). They are gradually uploading episodes of The Gutsy Frog (1972), Yowamushi Pedal Grande Road (2013), Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas (2009), and Z/X Ignition (2014). They are also, as of this writing, in the middle of an ongoing Lupin III celebration in which they upload a feature-length Lupin III TV special every month, with this current month’s pick being Tokyo Crisis (1998). They’re a channel worth following if you love watching all kinds of anime, no matter its age.

So will you be catching these uploads of Japanese Sonic X? Are there any TMS animated productions you’re a particular fan of? Give us a holler in the comments section before.

And remember, if you like Sonic X in Japanese, the entire series has been made available on Blu-Ray courtesy of Discotek Media. (Who also blessed us with complete Blu-Ray releases of Hi-sCoool! SeHa Girls, Virtua Fighter, and The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog)

[maryellencarter]

Last photoset from the 2014 movie! Including Fujiko just straight-up Indiana Jonesing her opposite number (they had a very protracted lingerie-vs-bathrobe catfight earlier), a reasonably good shot of their scruffy Zenigata because he is pretty attractive even if he's not who we're here for, and the only time we get the main five together with nobody else in frame.

Next, the little closing scene wherein Fujiko waltzes off with the loot, Jigen bitches briefly about it, Goemon Batmans out of the scene while nobody's looking, and Lupin and Jigen drive off laughing together, pursued by Zenigata. And then some Instagram-esque filtered shots from the credits.

(I have no fucking idea why they put both "Tetsuji Tamayama" and "Daisuke Jigen" in American name order, but used all-caps for the family name Tamayama and the given name Daisuke. One more baffling life choice for the road, I suppose, which is par for the course with this movie?)

Thank you all for following along! Check out the Tetsuji Tamayama tag on my blog for the rest of my Jigen screenshots from the Lupin III 2014 movie, and here's to seeing what he can really do with the role in October!

[little-sw33tie]

Hello, Toni!! <3 what is this Y/N the third AU that you speak of? I don't think I hear of it.

0w0GI!!!! Okokok so basically it’s an AU I came up with based on Lupin the 3rd!!!

Y/N is Lupin, Sun is Jigen, Moon is Goemon, Eclipse is Fujiko and Vanessa is Inspector Zenigata!!! Vanny is here too in place of Moneta (who is Zenigata but. He went villain mode for a sec)

Also I’m not good at describing personalities please bear with me</3

Y/N is a wealthy, cunning, master of disguise, violence enjoying thief, stealing mainly for the thrill of it! But they have a heart of gold when it counts! Also goofy, they are goofy!!! They’re also stubborn and reckless. Over confident to the point where it puts other in harms way.

Sun is loyal, caring and easily entertained! But he does have a streak of cynicism. Over all though she’s just as intelligent and sensible! Also more professional than Y/N, but still goofy. He’s slow to anger, but his anger is as powerful as his namesake.

Moon is very prideful, and mostly collected. He feels emotions very strongly, but keeps a fair amount of the extent internally. He’s strict yet compassionate and exceedingly patient. Though, during a mission he can and will lose what composure he has to go gremlin mode (they do out outside of missions too, especially to fuck with Sun (Y/N usually joins Moon in these shenanigans)) He can be overly strict and close minded, things should be done his way, follow what he was taught. Be strictly aligned to tradition. He will exercise what he needs to for that to happen. There have been times where his virtue turns to sin, much to his regret.

Eclipse at his core has a heart of gold, though it’s rarely seen. She is a very cautious character with herself, with her moments of greed and some over-excitement. She’s frivolous and care-free all the same. He’s independent, determined and a trickster. She’ll lie as much as she needs to get where he needs to be, or get what he needs, she uses what she has to an advantage at the cost of having trouble trusting people. He’s not above being a little two-faced either.

Vanessa is clumsy and sensitive, but with a strong heart and resolve. Determined and impulsive, she’s outspoken. Her need for justice is what drives her. She’s calculated and competitive. Her borderline obsession with justice has put strain on her relationships, making her more or less alone. The people she works with admire her determination, her ethics and strength but with her focus on capturing Y/N, she would do anything for that to happen. Even a deal with the devil.

Overall I don’t really have a clear clear story in my head but it’s slowly coming together!

@basyacriptid MORE YN 3RD STUFF!!!!

Bonus doodle of Y/N and Vanessa!

[morporkian-cryptid]

Lupin fandom: I need advice on the choice of a tattoo for Goemon!

In my tattooist/florist AU fic Hanafuda I'm coming upon an arc where Goemon is going to get a tattoo done by Jigen. I've had a design planned for a while but now I'm rethinking my choice, and I'd like an outside opinion! Even just reblogging this for others to see would help 🙏

Goemon's reasons for getting a tattoo are 1) he's turning a page in his life, making peace with his previous life as an assassin working for the yakuza, and embracing his need for adventure rather than a quiet life; and 2) he's pining super hard for Jigen.

Until now I had planned to give him the following tattoo:

It's a traditional irezumi layout, depicting yellow chrysanthemums and maple leaves.

Chrysanthemums are a symbol of Japan (the seal of the imperial family). Yellow chrysanthemums are a solar symbol and as such represent joy and happiness. Chrysanthemums are also a symbol of health and longevity (due to their alleged medicinal properties). White chrysanthemums are present in Jigen's tattoo, which influenced Goemon's choice.

Maple leaves are the equivalent of cherry blossoms for autumn, sharing most of the same meanings: the change of seasons and the cycle of endings amd beginnings, the fleetingness of life and beauty, honor and steadfastness, and a strong association with the way of the samurai.

Goemon is aware of the meanings of these plants in Japanese tradition and chose them with that in mind. I'm (and he's) also sticking with the rule of "not mixing the seasons", hence the choice of autumnal maple leaves rather than spring cherry blossoms (because chrysanthemums are autumnal and are the staple around which I built this tattoo).

Here's what I'm considering changing:

One of the reasons Goemon cites in the fic for getting a tattoo is the major change in his life and his desire to keep in sight things that are important to him - honor and the way of the samurai, and happiness and a long life; but also Jigen (this is a slow-burn JiGoe fic). However, Lupin and Fujiko are also a major part of his life, his closest friends, and instrumental in his decision to turn his life around. Hence, I figure he would also have them appear on his tattoo in some way. Most likely with lupines for Lupin, and belladonna or another beautiful poisonous flower for Fujiko (or a beautiful flower with thorns, because this Goemon wouldn't think of Fujiko as poisonous). The layout would be maple and chrysanthemums on one shoulder, lupines and belladonas on the other.

This choice of tattoo makes sense for Goemon as a character in regards to his evolution, but poses two issues:

One, it makes it obvious that the flowers represent people, and so makes it obvious that the chrysanthemums represent Jigen (a fact that Jigen isn't supposed to be aware of). This kind of solves itself, because in wearing symbols of several close friends Goemon clouds the issue of his romantic feelings for Jigen. But still.

Two, I put a lot of thought into finding two plants that fit the meanings I wanted and were associated with the same season (and in universe Goemon would also be very sensitive to following the rules of irezumi symbolism). Neither lupines nor belladonna are part of the traditional Japanese flower repertoire, and belladonnas bloom in summer while lupines bloom in spring.

And if you have suggestions of flowers for Fujiko and Lupin, please add them!

Even if you don't vote, please reblog this to pass it around! 🙏

Thank you for your help!

[experthiese]

@megaanchor asked: ❝ you look cute when yer upset. ❞

The Lupin pout is nothing new. Those close to him have seen it more times than they probably care to remember, each one following one small, inconsequential slight or another. It's his way of attention-seeking, of farming pity for every bruise on his ego.

This time, however, he's left to lick his superficial wounds alone. There's no Fujiko to try and coax cuddles out of, nestling against her side until she relents and lets him close (and takes his wallet when he's not paying attention). There's no Jigen to whine to, splaying himself out across the couch like a maiden with the vapors, drowning his sorrows in expensive whiskeys and shared cigarettes. There's no Goemon to chat away to, knowing full well that his complaints aren't even making a dent in his samurai's iron focus. He doubts they're even being heard, most of the time.

There's not even any Zenigata. All five of them are spread out across the globe, chasing their own jobs while Lupin works to plan their next big heist.

And so, here he is. Left to sit cross-legged on the nearest beach, some exclusive stretch of sand that doesn't get many visitors this late in the year. It's a beautiful sight, and perhaps Lupin would be more inclined to appreciate it if he wasn't busy scowling and skipping stones across the ocean with more far force than necessary.

❝ What do you want, Archie? ❞

[peaterookie]

ok ok i finally got the time to answer these myself, here's some things about me :)

1. Where did you first learn about Lupin III? I remember first seeing lupin in an airplane flight on a display where it shows a list of movies? Looking back I have a feeling it was Italian Game but I dismissed it bc I was really young lmao. But the thing that did got me into Lupin was this music mix on YT called “it’s a lovely morning, and you are a horrible thief.” The music fucks and I got sucked in the lupin rabbithole

2. What is your favorite character? Lupin!!! But more specifically, I like his manga version the best.

3. Following up on that question, what’s the best thing about them? Aside from the horrible things manga lupin does… He is a super nuanced character if you look below the surface and analyzing what he does is very fun and I kinda deeply relate to him? Please don’t take it the wrong way lmao Also his design is sooo silly look at this booger of a man

4. What's a Lupin character you relate to the most? I think Jigen? With a side of Goemon and Lupin I feel. I relate to Jigen the most because I think I appear rather reserved and sorta approachable to people, but when people get to know me I am sorta silly and outgoing. I also love to complain.

5. What’s your favorite Lupin Anime series? I haven’t watched the anime much other than the entirety of Part 1 and a bit of Part 2, so I’ll choose that.

6. What's your top 3 favorite episodes from it? - Episode 19: Which of the Third Generation will win! (I love the multiple lupin scene) - Episode 14: The Emerald’s Secret (Catherine is such a brat, Fuji and Lup collab, and super satisfying ending) - Episode 02: The Man they called a Magician (It made me lose my shit)

7. What's your favorite Lupin manga series? It’s frankly a tie between Shin Lupin III and New Adventures.

8. What's your top 3 favorite chapters from it? Shin Lupin III: - Chapter 31: Strange Bedfellows (GOEPIN WOOOOOOO) - Chapter 94: Ryuu (Touching story, more Lupin characterization) - Chapter 87: Hell’s Chaperon (sobbing) New Adventures: - Chapter XX: Island of Thieves Part 2 (First manga chapter I read, super interesting story, the islanders are super terrifying but funny villains, and Lupin cries like a little baby) - Chapter 97: Lupin Sucks (What can I say, he does suck.) - Chapter 95: The Man with 20 Faces (Lupin is so thug gangster badass in this one)

9. What's your favorite movie? And why? Mystery of Mamo because it has an interesting plot, mamo is funny raisin man, and it lacks the typical tropes Lupin movies will later have. Also it’s close to the manga.

10. What was the first movie you watched? Legend of the Gold of Babylon. DUBBED. It was awkward to watch.

11. What's your favorite Lupin design? ngl he looks awesome in this

12. What's your favorite Jigen design? he makes me feel a certain way

13. What's your favorite Goemon design? he is insanely cute how can i not love this design

14. What's your favorite Fujiko design? she looks so pretty in mamo

15. What's your favorite Zenigata design? friendshaped zenigata is best zenigata

16. What's your favorite thing about the franchise? I love how freeform it is, they can literally go anywhere and have anything happen and it’ll still make sense. I also like how it can go from silly funny to serious and sentimental a moment later. Anyways Lupin manga numero uno

17. What's your least favorite thing about the franchise? Modern animated L3 media often falls into the trap of being very boring, unoriginal, or just kinda ugly looking. Also the fandom often generalizes the character into one thing and it bothers me.

18. What's your least favorite character? And why? Rasputin in the manga pissed me off sorry to anyone that liked the three parter

19. What's your favorite Lupin III music track? Fairy Night!!! Manhattan Joke and Silhouette are also music that I'll put close to my heart.

20. Do you have any Lupin III merch? If so, what's your favorite out of the collection? I wouldve sacrificed my soul to the devil to have this but luckily it was just 40 dollars out of my wallet

21. If you could contribute/change the franchise in any way, what would you do? Let lupin kiss men lol idk maybe i'll also have goemon be a bit more similar to his manga counterpart

22. What’s something about Lupin III that you wished people knew more about? I wish there was less misinformation about the manga sorry can you tell i like the manga, also i wish more people would read it before judging

23. A moment in the Lupin franchise you'll always remember? HIS FIRST HEIST WAS JIGEN'S HEART OMGGG

24. What’s your favorite Lupin III quote? "Either show me your trump card… or get ready to BUMP HARD!"

25. Give one Lupin headcanon that you have! Lupin is genderfluid it's true mp told me

26. What's the most random fact about Lupin III that you know? Part 1's release date is the same month and date of my birthday, (October 24th) and by result, Lupin Zero was also announced on my birthday too.

27. Any hot takes? Part 2 is kinda overhyped

28. Do you create things in the fandom? What’s by far the thing you made that you’re most proud of?

29. If you could be in the Lupin III universe for one day, what would you do? Buy some monkey punch drip and pray it transfers back in the real world

30. What’s something you hope TMS would do in the future for the Lupin III franchise? maybe a lupin zero but for goemon, and an animated series accurately portraying shin lupin/new adventures stories as well as the art style.

i was sad i couldnt find something like this anywhere so i made one!!!

This is gonna be fun to see people's response :) Here's the plaintext version:

Where did you first learn about Lupin III?

What is your favorite character?

Following up on that question, what’s the best thing about them?

What's a Lupin character you relate to the most?

What’s your favorite Lupin Anime series?

What's your top 3 favorite episodes from it?

What's your favorite Lupin manga series?

What's your top 3 favorite chapters from it?

What's your favorite movie? And why?

What was the first movie you watched?

What's your favorite Lupin design?

What's your favorite Jigen design?

What's your favorite Goemon design?

What's your favorite Fujiko design?

What's your favorite Zenigata design?

What's your favorite thing about the franchise?

What's your least favorite thing about the franchise?

What's your least favorite character? And why?

What's your favorite Lupin III music track?

Do you have any Lupin III merch? If so, what's your favorite out of the collection?

If you could contribute/change the franchise in any way, what would you do?

What’s something about Lupin III that you wished people knew more about?

A moment in the Lupin franchise you'll always remember?

What’s your favorite Lupin III quote?

Give one Lupin headcanon that you have!

What's the most random fact about Lupin III that you know?

Any hot takes?

Do you create things in the fandom? What’s by far the thing you made that you’re most proud of?

If you could be in the Lupin III universe for one day, what would you do?

What’s something you hope TMS would do in the future for the Lupin III franchise?

[zenni-gotcha]

Idk if I’m the 1st but I love your other blog so I wanna give this one a try! How about a Lupin gang x fem reader where a heist doesn’t go too well and despite being the most inexperienced member the reader ends up saving the gang or proving their loyalty to each character? Thankees

[Congratulations Mx. first person! This was a fun one to write and a great way to kick off the page :) ]

Lupin

He had tripped a wire

Sure he was the best thief around, but best doesn’t mean perfect

As all of you were running he tripped over something that Jigen had knocked over a few seconds before

You were quick to turn back and pull him up regardless if that made the security guards closer to you

There wasn’t much times for thanks then as you both had to get a move on

When the two of you finally got to the Fiat Jigen already had the engine running and was yelling at you both to hurry

After there had been some time to not only lose the police, but also have a few moments of silence then Lupin would thank  you

It was be genuine at first, but quickly devolve into his usual over-the-top nonsense

After all, he’s just a poor little gentleman thief and that was all soooooo traumatic

He needs you to help make him feel better

This is followed up by Jigen hitting him and telling him to knock that shit off while he’s trying to drive

The Fiat is too close quarters for Lupin to try to pull his lovesick nonsense in

Jigen

He was stationed a bit farther back than he usually was

There was tight security and the gang that Lupin was try to steal from was not known for being the friendliest of people

Things seemed to be going well until he felt something cold on the back of his head

If there’s one thing that he knew as an ex-hitman it was that sudden cold things on any part of your body wasn’t good, especially because those tended to be guns

The attacker went to go to say something, but only got out, “Well, well! If it isn’t-“ and then a pained grunt before he hit the ground.

Jigen was quick to turn around and kick the gun out of they guy’s hand

But he noticed that wasn’t necessary as he was out cold

He then looked up to see you standing there with a big branch you found nearby

It was a good thing that you were here to check on him and not in the get-away car like you were supposed to be

He’ll be sure to thank you properly later by maybe taking you somewhere or buying you something

But at the moment not only did you need to get a hold of Lupin and tell him to get out of that base

But he also was short on words due to the adrenaline flooding his system because he was almost just shot

He’ll simply walk over to you, give your forehead a quick kiss, and give a shaky, “Good girl!”

Goemon

Goemon Ishikawa XIII was a force to be reckoned with

There was hardly a person that could defeat him in any form of combat and even less that were stupid enough to try

That’s why people were quick to use traps on him

And usually he would defeat those was well

Usually, but not tonight

When the net underneath him swept upwards and knocked his sword out of his hands as it did so

There wasn’t going to be an easy way to get the ropes of the net cut without that

Just as he had resigned himself to capture and finding an escape route that way, here you came running up

Quickly you grabbed his sword and did your best to cut him down

Admittedly, you almost cut him as well, but you didn’t actually

And, he had to admit that the sight of you holding it was kinda hot to him

He quickly thanked you as you started to leave the area

One of the first things he wanted to do when you both got back home was give you actual sword lessons

Fujiko

Things were going well

You had all gotten the majority of the wanted items from a museum

Then on the way out, Fujiko saw one more art piece that she told Lupin and you that she absolutely had to have

Both of you told her it was a bad idea, but she went for it anyways

As soon as she started to take it from its holder, there were suddenly alarms blaring and all of the lights were on

Apparently, there was a very well hidden pressure button under the piece

As you all ran to an exit, the security gates were starting to close

Fujiko, who was a bit behind the two of you because she still took the time to take the art, didn’t look like she was going to get there before the gate closed

Thinking fast, you grabbed a nearby bench and propped it up long-ways under the gate

It didn’t stop the gate for long, but it did hold it long enough to give her time to slide under

When you all get back to the hideout, she thanks you by giving you a big kiss and letting you hold the piece that caused all the problems

Lupin will call you an enabler, but don’t listen to him

He’s just jealous

Zenigata

His plan was perfect

There was no way that Lupin could get away this time

Except for he did

And, while the dear inspector went to give chase he didn’t notice that he was getting close to where he put a tiger trap(without spikes thankfully)

All Lupin knew was that one moment he was being chased and then the next moment he was alone and thankful for it

Zenigata sat there in his misery for about a half hour before he saw you peek your head over the edge of the hole

As soon as you saw him you immediately went and got help

All in all he got out of it with nothing more than a twisted ankle and broken pride

He’ll be glad to let you know how thankful he is for everything while your taking care of him at home

Makes you dinner as best he can with his cooking skills and the fact that he can’t stand for long at the moment

Hope you like cup noodles :)

[elliottjpg]

Today in "Elliott's extremely niche projects" :

Lupin III Gwendalavir AU!

Gwendalavir is the universe of the french fantasy novel series La Quête d'Ewilan. It is a medieval-type empire, where multiple warrior groups, magicians and secret societies fight both to protect the Empire from its enemies, and to rule it. Meanwhile, Lupin and his merry band of misfits are running around trying to steal as many magical items as possible.

These are the serious character design drawings, and I have a few shitposts in the making ^^

Character introductions under the cut!

Lupin: Designer.

In Gwendalavir, some people called "Designers" have the gift of "Drawing": they can make things they imagine become reality - from a simple light to a whole-ass building, depending on their level and the balance between their Creativity, Will and Power. Lupin has a HUGE Creativity, but very low Will and Power, meaning his drawings are all very out-of-the-box, but they tend to blow up in his face. He stole an uncountable amount of powerful drawing-related artifacts/relics, such as the graph sphere he's wearing (a drawing aid) and Jigen's glove. He's also stolen secret manuscripts of the Shadowalkers' Guild, non-conventional weapons, and other such fun items.

He also keeps doing all the stupid stuff you shouldn't, like swimming in the Eye of Otolep (a magic sentient lake), climbing the Rentaï (a magic sentient mountain) to steal a graft, infiltrating the Shadowalkers' council, stealing stuff from the Chaos Mercenaries, etc. He tried to become a Shadowalker, but he couldn't resolve to follow a master for three whole years, so he said "screw it" and ran away. His personal philosophy (freedom, thrill-seeking) is very close to the Shadowalkers', but he is too selfish to be part of a guild.

Jigen: sharp shooter.

He is the most talented shooter in all of Gwendalavir. He grew up on the streets of crime-ridden Al-Far, enlisted in the Imperial Guard for a short while, before becoming a mercenary, and eventually meeting Lupin. He's constantly trying to stop Lupin from drawing, and failing. He won all the shooting trials (all categories) in the Tournament of Al-Jeit one year (probably competing against Goemon in longbow category). Lupin stole and gifted him a relic, an eternal Drawing called the Glove of Ambarinal: it is an archery glove linked to an intangible and invisible bow with an infinite supply of arrows. Because he dresses in all black tight-fitting leather outfits, people constantly mistake him for a Shadowalker or a Chaos Mercenary (depending on how strong his "don't fuck with me" aura is that day).

Also, he's transgender, and got his surgery done by the Dreamers, a brotherhood of magic medicine monks.

Goemon: renegade Frontalier.

Goemon Ishikawa the First was part of a people called the Frontaliers, who are expert swordsmen with a steel-strong sense of honor. He was banished from their Citadel for being a thief. His descendants continued learning the Frontaliers' sword fighting and uphold their code of honor, but they also cherry-picked a bunch of different techniques from every fighting group in the country. Meaning Goemon's fighting style is extremely confusing to everyone, and he regularly gets mistaken for a Frontalier, a Shadowalker or a Chaos Mercenary. The Ishikawa family has beef with the Fuma, a branch of the Chaos Mercenaries, after they stole one of the Fuma's secret scrolls. Goemon has a relic from Merwyn, a legendary Designer: a sword that can cut through any material and always stay sharp.

Yes. I know. He looks like Kylo Ren.

Zenigata: Thül warrior.

The Thüls are a group of warrior tribes renown for their strength, their relentlessness and their ardor in battle. They often escort and protect merchant convoys. Zenigata joined the Imperial Guard, and has vowed his life to catching Lupin. He is a very mediocre Designer. He is also the only Thül that Goemon respects (the Thüls and the Frontaliers are hereditary enemies).

Fujiko: Shadowalker.

The Shadowalkers are a very secretive guild, whose members are known for their extreme independence, their incredible fighting skills, and downright supernatural abilities. She actually joined the Guild and went through the exhausting three years training, in order to get close to a member of the Council and to steal the aforementioned Glove of Ambarinal from him. In the end, Lupin beat her to it by sneaking through the vents of the guild's HQ. She has a "graft" (a secret power that some Shadowalkers may acquire by climbing the Rentaï), that allows her to detect any precious metals or gemstones in her vicinity. Fujiko is also a passable Designer, but generally hides it and keeps it as her secret weapon. She works with any rival group in Gwendalavir, as long as she can get something out of it, even sometimes pretending to join the Chaos Mercenaries (her guild's hereditary enemies, and partly composed of renegade Shadowalkers).

[mooralltach]

Right, I'm back with ANOTHER crazy part 6 thoughts post

It weirdly doesn't seem to have much of a connection to my last observation post, though who knows? Maybe it will...? I also haven't been able to find one of those quotes in this latest episode yet, even though according to the recurring theme there should've been one, and I wonder if that means anything...

Basically,

Anyway, continued under the cut, spoilers up to ep 22.

I'll start off by saying I'm really not sure about this theory at all, and that I initially discarded it because the traces I tried to follow were random at best and seemed to end very quickly, if there was anything in the first place. So most of this post will be just me speculating and thinking out loud, more than having a coordinated trail like last time. It's just that there's a few things that have caught my attention, so I'll try and make sense of it.

So the thing is, I feel like there's something going on with flowers somehow?

This thought started at ep. 15, since that episodes woman of the week has a very specific flower attached to her (lily of the valley), and I was like, 'oh it'd be cool if they kept that up, since we have the florist girl and all. What if every weeks girl has their own flower?' But they don't (at least not as far as I've been able to find), so I wrote it off as coincidence. Using flowers for thematic purposes is pretty popular after all, and Jigens episode really did feel melancholic enough to use flowers for too, like a Cowboy Bebop or Noir kinda mood/story.

There's also these flowers (in ep 14) that have nagged me since the moment I saw them:

I kind of dismissed this as meaning anything beyond this episode, because I assumed either Lupin or Fujiko placed those flowers there to get those little drone bugs in, since that's what they did at the auction house. There's even a shot focusing solely on the flowers for a second, which could be a little hint for Fujiko's surprise attack.

But nobody really acknowledges them either. Lupin and Fujiko don't, they only show the little bugs, and Mercedes doesn't either. I guess they are just flowers, but if that's your basement, wouldn't you notice if something was suddenly added, especially if they stand out as much as these in the for the rest completely dark room? They’re literally next to her in that last pic, there’s no way she wouldn’t have noticed.

Idk idk. Though this still kinda feels like grasping at straws, there's a few things from the newest episode that had me thinking about it again:

Look, Mattea being a flower isn't weird at all, of course. She is (or she poses as?) a florist, she's supposed to be flower themed. But it's the fact she's a marigold.

Which they've hinted at in episode 14:

(Funny stuff, I originally screenshotted this because I thought the way she caressed the flower in this scene was peculiar to me, and then the type of flower doesn't really matter. At some point I did try to look up if I could recognise some flowers that'd been shown (since I have close to zero flower knowledge), and the only one they seem to show in detail is this one. The friggin marigold.)

This scene made me pause a little as well:

This one's probably a little insignificant, it could be like the flowers from ep 15, as a nice character quirk of loving a specific flower. But I can't help thinking the woman who loved those flowers was one of Tomoe's students, as is Mattea, and Mylene from ep 15 had some connection to her as well. Still, that's only a few, and there don't seem to be any specific flowers for any of the other women (unless those flowers in Mercedes' hideout really were part of it).

I'm still kinda torn on if there's anything in these thoughts at all. But on the other hand...

Then what the hell is up with this quote from the preview for next week?

[outerspace-iiinnerspace]

A single like?! Let's go

First: all of them were Already criminals before they got powers (except maybe Goemon). They all triggered fairly early in the Worm timeline like mid-late eighties, early nineties? Fujiko perhaps a little later. They all triggered as adults, though with a wider spread in their ages than in canon. Jigen and Zenigata are the oldest, Goemon is the youngest. Fujiko and Lupin* somewhere in the middle. This is partially so they’re our beloved Old Dudes during the events of Worm, partially because when Taylor get powers she didn’t know everything but she knew more or less what was happening and how that like fits in society. There’s a framework that allows people to understand more or less what’s going on that the gang would not have had, they’re figuring it out on their own. Partially because I don’t know at what point in the timeline Japan gets destroyed and I want them established and globetrotting before then.

Lupin and Zenigata are grab-bag capes who cluster triggered. Lupin was already a criminal at this point and Zenigata was already a cop. The details don't matter but basically the building was in the process of exploding and/or burning down. Probably Lupin's fault; we all know about his healthy appreciation for pyrotechnics and disregard for his own and others' health. The shock (o shit things are on fire), panic/fear (o shit people are dying i don't want that to happen to me, how do i get out of here), guilt (loop: o shit this is my fault because i set off the explosion. zeni: o shit this is my fault because I wasn't able to stop him before it got to this point), and physical danger caused a trigger event. At least one other person triggered with them, possibly more than one, but they were the only two to make it out. The kiss/kill dynamic... sure is there.

Lupin's primary power is that he can contort himself dramatically and move /very/ fast. He can't do it while being watched (it works if he's being recorded, as long as someone isn't watching live on the other end). He can't teleport through a closed door but he can jam himself through the gaps in chickenwire and it is not pretty to watch. He can figure out and memorize a building's layout very easily; it's a kind of intuition, not foolproof, but taking a look at a partial blueprint or even walking around one or two public rooms will give him a very good idea of what exactly the rest of the place looks like (works similar to Tattletale's power I think). He’d have at least one other minor power (grabbag/cluster, remember) but its’s probably something silly or super situational that doesn’t see much play. I’ll think of something or take suggestions. One thing he does is deliberate misdirection to make it look like he has more/different powers than he does - combines closeup magic and sleight of hand with pyrotechnics (you’d think he’d learn his lesson but nope), disguises/special effects, weird stolen tinkertech**, and assistance from other members of his gang. His wiki page is an almighty mess. This is partially for tactical reasons to get people to waste time defending against stuff that won’t come up but also cause its fun and to mess with people. Let’s call him a mover (changer)/thinker, potentially other stuff based on minor power/s but eh who knows.

Zenigata's primary power is that he is able to track anyone he's met before; if they're traveling on foot he can follow them right down to which half of the sidewalk they're on, but using a vehicle (either him or the person he's following) makes it more difficult and less accurate over long distances. Of course, the vague directions lead him a little closer which gives him a better idea which leads him closer which gives him a better idea... you get the gist. It's pretty impossible to shake this guy. His secondary powers allow him to keep going when injured (doesn't heal him or let him ignore pain or make him tougher; he can just function longer without collapsing or passing out, walk on a broken ankle, etc. Not fun!) and give him a facility with locks. He can open and close those suckers like no one's business, very fast and without a key. Of course, he's usually closing them and they are hard to get open afterwards. Is a lil bit insane, as in canon, but also more easily distracted. I think this actually classes him as a thinker/brute which is a fun combo. He is not a member of the gang, more like their beloved nemesis, also in a legal liminal space between vigilante and cop which could be dealt with if it wasn't so much easier for all institutions involved to pretend he doesn't exist.

Jigen's trigger event was very similar or perhaps the same as a backstory element in the /fantastic/ fic The Universal Measure, which I am using because it has similarities to some canon backstories and also cause its good. To very very shortly summarize: he tried to shoot a gun out of a kid's (young teenager's) hand as a you-don't-know-what-you're-doing-stop-fucking-around-and-get-out-of-here gesture, only the kid’s gun was busted and blew up right in the kid's face. Jigen panicked and shot the kid in the head and told himself it was a mercy killing, that he wasn't gonna survive the injury anyway, he was making too much noise and it was dangerous etc etc etc but honestly he was scared and panicking, knew he fucked up and wanted to hide the evidence and tell himself it didn't happen. In the fic this is a bad decision that haunts him forever and causes the kid's crime boss brother to come after him; in this version it causes him to trigger. His primary ability is that he can use any gun as though it's in the best repair it could ever be in, and as though all other conditions (weather, visibility, stability etc) are /perfect/. He can't do stuff that's impossible, but when he shoots he always has the best range, perfect aim, no kickback, no misfires, no random malfunctions and maintenance is easy-peasy and practically unnecessary. He can't shoot behind his back or with his eyes closed, but as long as he has a second to even attempt to aim he's gonna hit his target, which gives him a fantastic reputation as a quick-draw. As a bonus, since this is an effect on the gun, not him technically, he can keep everyone else's firearms in tiptop shape. He is also very good at repairing/assembling guns - I'm picturing some kind of museum heist gone wrong where everyone's lost their weapons and he smashes open a case with some 400 year old pistol covered in rust and the entire firing mechanism removed and thirty seconds later he's opening an elevator by hitting the buttons from a hundred feet away. This makes him a tinker (blaster) (inasmuch as anyone capable of using a ranged weapon is a blaster). He doesn't invent guns, just screws around with ones that already exist. Unknown how/if this interacts with guns built by other tinkers.

Goemon triggered due to the abuse/training he went through from Momochi. Not detailing it bc if you know you know and if you don’t well it’s not that crucial and I’ve got some episodes/manga chapters for you to look at. He already basically has superpowers in canon (or like, a sword with superpowers) and the basic idea is the same. He can cut through anything, etc. The shadow thing doesn't exist here, or if it does it's just superstition, not an actual ability and sadly I think his ability to cut thru bullets in midair has to go. I will miss it, maybe that’s something he can do under stress/when he’s in a situation similar to his trigger event. His skill/strength/speed is all due to training (his power doesn't teach him stuff or affect his body) and his power does work with any bladed weapon, but he may not be aware of this because he's only ever tried it with Zantetsuken. His power does not bypass the Manton Effect (cannot magically cut through a guy with no resistance), but if he stabs you it doesn't really matter if it's a superpowered stab or not, you know? In most cases you're still gonna bleed. If he second triggers he might get an ability similar to Jack Slash's where he can do these cuts from a distance (or, see: what he did to those cop cars at the end of Requiem for the Assassins). Looooves to do that thing where he sneaks in and cuts up your stuff so when you try to use it later it just falls apart, that’s his absolute favorite joke. Also the one where he cuts open a fire hydrant and gets everyone so sopping wet so he can run off while they’re distracted. This is a striker power, right? That’s pretty straightforward I think. 

Fujiko... I don't have a really concrete idea about Fujiko, which seems fitting for her. Her trigger event is a mystery, although something makes me lean towards a very, /very/ loose adaptation of her backstory from The Woman Called Fujiko Mine with the owls. Her power is that she's very likeable, trustable, and unpredictable. It's not foolproof and it's not mind control, but she's got some kind of unaccountable charisma and it's hard to think too hard about what she's up to. The more contact, or the better someone knows her the less reliable it is - which she counters by lying like a rug, moving often, and not getting close to anyone but the other members of the gang (and that sort of by accident, then begrudgingly, until she gives up and goes oh well). A fun secondary effect is that this ability messes with thinker powers, but not in a really noticeable way unless you're really looking for it or you're having someone else check your work. Thinker powers do work on her, but not in the way their users expect. Tattletale could come to a more-or-less accurate conclusion about her, for example, but without noticing that the steps she used to get there are either inaccurate or make zero sense. I think she's met/hooked up with Contessa at least once and they had really confusing sex. I also think there was a rumor going around at one point (possibly started by herself, possibly by an enemy, possibly occurring naturally) that she actually had some sort of really nasty master power ala heartbreaker, though I'd personally classify her as stranger/trump (if i understand the classifications right which I may not). She doesn't mind control people, she's just very good at doing the sexy manipulation thing and her power primes people to fall for it.

None of them wear 'costumes' in the mask-and-spandex sense (although I suppose you could call their canon outfits costumes in a sense) or have secret identities. Fake IDs, disguises, sure, but they're all more or less doing their thing full time and don't particularly care about their names being attached to it. If they HAD to have cape names though, I think the boys would be Wolf, Joker, and Samurai***. Fujiko thinks it's silly when she's putting on a new persona every week for a new scam anyhow, and 'concealing his name and activities' doesn't sit well with Zenigata's identity as A Law-Abiding Lawman even though Interpol has 100% cut him loose in everything but the barest technicalities by now anyways. Lupin is into old superhero media which by the way it’s not mentioned in Worm I assume is no longer popular sadly. He’s a big ol’ Superman fan in canon and I see no reason to change it - I imagine in this world it’s seen as kinda odd like why are you fooling around with comics when Legend exists? Which is to say he definitely wears a Superman costume sometimes like haha look at me! I’m a hero you guys! While collapsing a chandelier and making off with a million carat purple diamond or something. 

MO is more or less as canon - show up, steal something, mess up the local underworld and/or political scene, scamper off into the sunset leaving chaos in their wake. They still target jewels, money, art and so on, but also like going after tinkertech, cape paraphernalia, and wonky powers-related things. Have almost certainly broken one or more quarantine sites (Madison). Less murdery than canon or at least some iterations of canon. Just here to have a good time/raise hell.

*”but woudnt Lupin have triggered as a kid???” No because he was twentysomething already when Scion showed up plus I’m going the Catholic Orphanage Backstory route because it’s funnier. 

** Yes i know that stuff is unreliable and prone to blow up if used by someone other than the tinker who built it. He's still not gonna stop. That's honestly half the point.

***Iffy - they named him this in a few older English dubs (like Lupin -> Wolf) and I can see it as something the others would have picked for him if we're going with a version where his English isn't great - but I can also see him naming himself Ryusei (manga reference!) or Zantetsu/Zantetsuken just for kicks.

who wants to hear what i think the lupgang's powers would be like if they were in parahumans/wormverse

[zenigatas-eyelashes]

Rating Lupin characters on snuggability

(ft. my hcs as always)

5. Lupin: look I'm not saying you can't snuggle w/ a boney person but I'm not not saying that. He is simply too pointed. If he was shorter perhaps. Steals blankets on purpose. 5/10

4. Goemon: abt to loose followers for this but I he just gives off vibes that his skin is cold 24/7. BUT he is tall & totally has some soft chest & thighs to lay on. Also steals blankets. 7/10

3. Jigen: a close tie for 2nd. He is short, he is hella chonky, warm, a bit hairy, n a bit stinky if u don't like cigs but: moobs. Shares blankets unless ur Lupin or Fujiko. 8.7/10

2. Fujiko: What can I say she's great. A little smaller but still plenty of tum & thigh to lean into. Very soft, smells nice, will let you lay on her chest & will share blankets unless your Lupin or Jigen. 9/10

1. Zenigata: World's best cuddle bug. Not a hard bone in his body. Tall, big, a bit of chub & a lot of love. Might snore & talk in his sleep but he's warm all over & holds u close.