#lupin iii part 1

[youmeansus]

The sun is shining, but not for me…

Poor huggable Jigen

[rowanberrypop]

he’s so cute in part one and for what

[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.”

[decy-press]

what the hell is going on in 1972 lupin

[sournote2014]

On this day two years ago, Kiyoshi Kobayashi's obituary was released.

[saradrawing]

lupinktober day 4: DODGE

fujiko, queen of dodging

she made a fast movement here

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btw since now i'm doing the inktober in color. i was doubting about it, so i did a survey and well, people has spoken:

[bestoflupiniiipoll]

Best of Lupin III Poll

[landofartandcraft]

I wanted to do a top 10 of my favorite lupin's episodes (now it's a top 30 LMAO) so i think i will post redraws with the name of the episode.

My fave episode from part 1 is "let's catch lupin and go to Europe" : it's a very fun episode, everyone has time to shine and i love zenigatta. This scene is at the end when poor sweet zenigatta see lupin and cie at the airport (i love everyone's pose specially jigen)

[cupofteagirl]

Can we talk about this smile?

he's up to no good x) well he just thrown some dynamite into the car after all x)

his smile is so mischievious he take so much fun while doing crimes x)

[anysin]

From Lupin III Part 1, episode 2.

[femme-from-hell]

don't mind me going through your blog to consume all the lupin content 👀👀 but, on a side note, i was wondering if i could ask your preferences in the many verses of lupin! as in, in which verses do you like to see the main cast the most? which ones do you feel are the most "authentic" to the character? keep up the good work, and happy writings! ❤️

I’m kinda dumb so I’m assuming when you say ‘verses’ you mean like all the different versions of Lupin and the gang! For me, It would have to be a tie between Miyazaki’s Lupin (castle of Cagliostro), Takeshi Koike’s movie iterations of Lupin, Lupin in part 2 (red jacket), and part 5. 

When it comes to what is authentic within Lupin and the character group to me, there are so many specific attributes to consider that are key focal points that make him, well, him! In Castle of Cagliostro, I adore the romantic nature where he leans more into the “gentleman” of the gentleman thief title. Miyazaki had stated that in his film, he wanted to depict a Lupin in his twilight years, a more mature version of himself. I feel like that more kind and caring nature is to die for, and it does really well in showing how the accumulation of all that he has gone through would understandably result in that type of personal development later in his life, assuming you were to put that movie on a timeline with all the other content. Along with Lupin, I love how the relationships between him and those he cares about are obviously close without having to directly say it, such as how he and Jigen wrestle about with one another, how Fujiko and him have a “I loved you once, and I still love you, just not in that way” vibe going on, etc.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, we have Koike’s depictions of Lupin and the others which heavily lean more into the “thief” portion of his title. The gritty nature, the unshaken attitude in the face of violence or death, all of it is a beautiful reminder of his origins (the manga)! It never fails to nail in the fact that in reality, he is a criminal, he isn’t really a good guy. Sure, once in a while he’ll save someone or do something kind, but most of it is as a result of an alterative motive. For example, in Fujiko Mine’s lie, he helps the kid out not because of morals or anything, but because the kid offered cash. That darker aspect of Lupin and his friends are rare in the later productions in the series, but whenever it does come about (with exceptions for stuff like Island of Assassins bcs its just a bad movie), it is beautifully done. It mixes a sense of manic sporadicity into Lupin which makes things all the more thrilling and interesting because it turns from just being this silly goofy guy to one of many layers of an internationally wanted criminal. 

Part 5 manages to mix that mature nature earlier displayed by Miyazaki’s Lupin but reistablishes the fact that Lupin isn’t just some guy you see in the paper, but he is in fact, a dangerous wanted criminal. A scene I love deeply is when in part 5, then Ami (amy? Idk she was a little annoying I won’t lie), had run off into an alley and these goons started picking on he and Lupin swoops in as usual. Unlike the usual goofy beating he would give them, he puts his gun into one of the dude’s mouths and was like, “I’m not some celebrity. I’m a criminal, I’ve killed before and I’ll do it again.”! It is one of my all time fav scenes across the board for the series. In terms of the maturity, it can be seen in his relationship with Fujiko which I adore. There scenes are so palpable with unspoken tension, his love for her exceeding words and how what they have will never be as simple as ‘I love you’. It takes all these good parts and mashes them together to make something amazing

As for my thoughts on part 2? He’s a gigantic asshole! He’s selfish, childish, whiney, but he’s also brilliant, inventive, and hilarious. All of these together make part 2 a great depiction of Lupin in his youth. 

Sorry this got kind of long, i got pretty carried away but I had fun writing a little summary on my thoughts! I hope you enjoyed it and I’m sorry if I misunderstood  (￣▽￣*)ゞ

[youmeansus]

Jigen, master of elegant departure

[astronerdboy]

Lupin the 3rd: Part 1 23 ( Finale! #LupinIII)

Lupin the 3rd: Part 1 23 ルパン三世 Lupin III Episode 23 SPOILER Summary/Synopsis Construction workers unearth a large quantity of gold coins. While ownership of said coins gets debated, Lupin summons Fujiko and Jigen to steal the coins. Meanwhile, the police have stored the coins in the Bank of Tokyo’s vault. The police commissioner takes issue with Zenigata’s lackadaisical attitude over the gold.…

[sournote2014]

I love the expression.

“Lupin III - The All-Together Playing-Card Operation” (1971)

Jigen, Tokyo Movie Shinsha

[sournote2014]

"Mein gürkchen!"

(I learned today that this is Jigen's nickname for Lupin in the German dub)

[bestoflupiniiipoll]

Best of Lupin III Poll