#i just like the intro

[castleofswagliostro]

Part 1 Episode 1 - "Is Lupin... Burning?"

It's me, the Lupin Apologist and thanks for clicking on my episode review for P1E1, "Is Lupin... Burning?" The answer to that question and many other burning issues are beneath the cut. Enjoy!

An alternate title to this episode could have been Vroom Vroom, and I think it still would have worked.

It is difficult to jump into Part 1 without establishing some chronological context first. Even though this is the first episode of part one, it is not the pilot of Lupin the Third. In fact, the pilot was a 1969 short film produced two years after Monkey Punch released the first Lupin the Third manga. I didn't know this when I first started watching the series and I think the pilot film is one of the hidden gems of the franchise. More on the pilot film in my next post (come to think of it)!

Also, you can't talk about part one without talking about the intro. For now, suffice to say that the intro is a BOP and whoever says it isn't is mean.

ok now onto the real shit.

The episode opens with a suspicious character trying to pour some magic shit into Lupin's race car. I WILL be calling it nascar for this whole post. I don't care if it's technically indy cars or whatever, I was raised in Appalachia so everything is nascar to me. Respect my culture!

Lupin then calls Jigen and their plot is then discussed. Fujiko Mine is supposed to be infiltrating the offices of the company who is sponsoring the race, the Miracle Hotel. This is an iconic exchange and one of the more light hearted parts of the episode. Some of my favorite lines are delivered in this exchange, one of them being from Jigen. When Lupin asks him how Fujiko is doing on the mission, he says he doesn't know but is "sure she'll be fine." Spoiler alert, but she is anything but fine!

While Fujiko was attempting to plant a bug in the conference room of the Miracle Hotel, the commissioner captures her and straps her to a table. He then reveals that the entire race was a rouse he created as a death trap for Lupin (Death Cab for Cutie reboot?) and raises some interesting points about human nature. Why are humans unable to resist certain things? What is going on in Lupin's schema that makes him a sucker for a good nascar race? Whatever it is, the commissioner is capitalizing on his racing addiction and hoping that this vice will lead to his demise, and eventually the collapse of the crime empire Lupin is cultivating. Fujiko tries to contact Jigen and tell him what she just learned, but a henchman stomps on her walkie-talkie and she goes no-contact with Jigen.

Meanwhile, Lupin becomes aware of Inspector Zenigata's presence in the race. He is right behind Lupin, hot on his trail but he could never quite catch him. This is a sick metaphor for Zenigata's life and role in the franchise. He is capable, strong, and a victim of his own power. Zenigata goes into an interesting monologue where he states "If he wasn't the grandson of Arsene Lupin... and I wasn't a descendent of Heiji Zenigata..." and he never concludes that thought. If you weren't, then what?! Would you be friends? Would you admire him? Do you already admire Lupin and the whole "gentleman thief" thing is just a monkey wrench, Zenigata? Would he be a colleague, or something more? We may never know the answer to this question, but holy shit isn't speculating fun!?

The middle of the episode explores a few sub plots. Jigen and Lupin switch cars on the race track and Jigen drives the car for a little bit (beep beep). Lupin infiltrates the hotel posing as a plumber (whose hat has a wide ass brim, bro why is your hat so damn big?) and Fujiko gets sexually harassed by the commissioner. Yay! Lupin rescues Fujiko, electrocutes a bunch of guys, switches back with Jigen and returns to win the race. Yay! Fujiko bonks Jigen on the head and ties him up. Yay! Lupin blows up the race track! Yay! Fujiko cuts a deal with Zenigata and turns him in for her arrest warrant. Yay! Lupin fools Zenigata and gets off scot free for killing a ton of people! Yay! Lupin and Fujiko ride off into the sunset. Yay. Episode complete.

Fujiko's portrayal in this episode is really interesting. It's much different than what we will see in parts two-five. She's much more subtle about her intentions. She is calm and collected, and while she will always remain competent, there is an air about her that convinces others to trust her. Part of this is Jigen's behavior towards her. Jigen is very trusting of Fujiko in this episode. He gives her a pet name, he turns his back to her. And she takes advantage of that. I think this is before Fujiko enters into the femme fatale reputation of her own choosing, and a demonstration of how she really does know how to protect herself when she has control. For some reason she let herself be captured earlier in the episode, when I fully believe she would have been able to take him. Why would she let herself get captured?

She knew Lupin would drop everything to come rescue her. He would leave the race he was so enticed to participate in (even plan for that possibility with Jigen) because he loves her so. This episode is a great introduction into the intricacies of Lupin and Fujiko's relationship. At this point in time, I think it is one sided on Lupin's part. But I think as time goes on and we see more of their lives, we can be convicted that Fujiko truly loves him, too, and just faces different barriers to the realization of that love than Lupin ever will.

The final thing I would like to talk about is the title of this episode, and how it comes full circle. The commissioner arrives to the scene of the race and finds that it is in flames and rejoices that it is burning, for despite all of the hassle, his plan has come to fruition. Lupin is burning! He's going to burn in Hell! We win!

That couldn't be further from the truth. Lupin capsizes that plan and burns the entire place to the ground. Lupin isn't burning, but he is burning. He is the catalyst, not the variable. He is the perpetrator, not the victim. Thus continues Lupin's full sprint into the beginning of his legacy, as he has been a fugitive for longer than we've known him.

episode stats

Four stars. It's a good opener but the droning nascar noises will hurt your head after a while and some of the character designs are just... meh, they're still figuring things out. It gets better the more you get into part one.

Trigger/content warnings: sexual assault/harassment, death, electrocution in water, explosions, nascar, tickle torture, nudity

Plot is good and easy to follow! I like how the symbolic title comes into play.

Does Fujiko get sexualized? Yes, and you see her nips.

Kill count: AT LEAST an entire hotel staff and some nascar drivers.

Flash warning for the scene where Lupin electrocutes everyone in the tickle chamber (it'll make sense once you watch it)

Thank you for reading! Please like, comment, and reblog. I would love to know what you've thought of this episode and your thoughts on part one in general. I always have thought that is was underrated and under appreciated, so I am very happy to start my blog by shining a spotlight on it.

I'll see you on this channel! ;)

[noodles-and-tea]

Last part whoo!!!

PART 1 / PART 2 / PART 3 / PART 4

[onesidedradiostatic]

stayed gone but you're the sinners watching/listening

(AKA I spend an unnecessary amount of time editing)

[rapidhighway]

:]

[lab-gr0wn-lambs]

hot garbage 👇

[devilart2199-aibi]

Time to change up this tune, baby! ‼️🎶💥

[tsuutarr]

Concept: Yandere!Alice in Wonderland Characters (but it's only the White Rabbit for this piece) x Reader

“Wake up! Please, wake up!”

At the desperate call of the static-laden voice, your eyes groggily open. Your head hurts, thrumming with heavy noise. The artificial lights are too bright and yellow, staining your vision like aged-paper. It makes your headache worse.

“Oh no, are you ill?” a voice teeters. Face scrunched, you look up to see a screen hanging over you. A small image of a pixelated white rabbit flickers on and off. “Oh no, oh no… we’re so behind schedule…”

“What…” you being, head swirling. You don’t understand where you are or what’s happening. You don’t even really remember anything, for that matter. It makes you feel sick.

“Ah, I’m really sorry,” the pixelated rabbit apologizes, looking quite guilty. “Yes, yes, it’s quite a lot to take in…” 

Before you know it, the screen the pixelated rabbit is on moves closer to you. The blue light is bright, making you squint.

“Hello, [Alice],” it greets you softly. “My name is WH173-R48817, though most call me White Rabbit or White.”

“My name isn’t [Alice].” You’re not sure where that statement came from, but it feels wrong to be referred to as [Alice].

“Ah… Ah, yes, certainly,” White’s voice murmurs.“Apologies. What would you like to be called?”

You tell White a name – you’re not entirely sure where that name came from, but it feels right.

“Understood. I will refer to you as such.” With a comforting smile, White continues. “Now, as I was saying… I am the White Rabbit System, an AI system that helps manage things in this lab.”

“A lab?”

“Yes,” White responds. “We are currently in a laboratory.” 

Your eyes flicker around the room and it’s quite obvious now that you are, in fact, in a lab-like place. You’re comfortably resting on a surgery bed as jars of… body parts line the shelves around you.

“You are a part of the Wonderland Project as the most successful participant. Now that you’ve regained consciousness, we must exit the starting point.”

You stare at White blankly, its words doing very little to reveal anything substantial to you. However, White is far too frazzled to properly listen to you, going on its own little tangent. You didn’t think an AI could be so… anxious. 

“We’re already quite late!” it frets while you eye it. The screen White is on is embedded into some device on the wall. You doubt the device will be able to move outside of the room.

“How are you going to exit this place?” you ask. 

“Ah, look at me, being a klutz,” it sighs, somehow looking bashful despite being an AI. “A moment, please.” And just like that, the screen it was displayed on flickers off, the blue light fading away. Momentarily, you’re stunned, until you hear the soft footfalls approaching you. You turn your head to see a tall man with bunny ears.

“Greetings,” he says. His voice sounds like White’s, though a little deeper and more human. “I wondered which form would be the most efficient, and decided that this one would work best.”

“What.”

He continues walking closer to you as he talks. “I have a few bodies that I can connect my programming to. This is one of them.” When he finally reaches you, you can see how tall he is. He’s rather lanky and thin, but his height is enough to be intimidating. “Pardon me. I’m not that fond of touching others myself, but I have no choice,” he mutters, before reaching for you and cradling you in his arms faster than you can process what’s going on. “Hold on to me. We are quite behind schedule.”

“Behind schedule? For what?”

“The continuation of the Wonderland Project, of course.”

“And why exactly do I have to be a part of this project?”

White peers down at you curiously. “Well, isn’t it obvious?” he asks. “Because you’re the most important key, of course. We need you.”

With that, he leaves the room with you in his arms.

[souenkun]

I need the pokemas anniversary to come soon so we can hopefully see volo go batshit crazy again for the second time!!!

[legallybrunettedotcom]

never look back, walk tall, act fine I some dancing on film I youtube link

[silverraes]

coming to your ✨website✨ of choice soon

[starryeyed-seer]

me: I'm not a bat

Mr pages: (stuffing novels under its robe): I must abscond

[wild0moon]

something something we are getting this game

[redr0sewrites]

i will forever defend these two- NOT to start discourse but they are both so heavily mischaracterized by the fandom its INSANE like omg yes they are flawed but they are also trying their best PLEASE leave them alone 🙏🙏🙏

as usual im yapping in the tags if anyone cares

[tangledinink]

sometimes i just like drawing silly babies on silly playdates... gemini!donnie's babies ft. @abbeyofcyn and @cupcakeslushie's babies

[coern-art-very-cool-and-nice]

one wish that leads to another wish that leads to another wish that leads to another w

[johnbly]