In one of my latest Manly Mondays, I talked about the Lupin III films by director Takeshi Koike, and how the hardboiled tone really fits the series.
As already mentioned in that article, the beauty of the now 50 year old “Lupin The Third” franchise is that it comes in many shapes, zeitgeists and forms: long running TV series, big cinema releases or short-running experimental shows.
Koike’s films in 2014 and 2017 were intended for a mature audience, given the depiction of violence and intensity of the themes it portrayed, and director Saya Yamamoto’s entry in 2012, A Woman Called Fujiko Mine, was equally adult – yet with a different focus as it explored sexuality and identity of the long-established characters.
However, Lupin III had always long-running TV series as a main focus, which were split into “Parts”. In addition, each of these Parts had a different suit jacket colour for protagonist Lupin to wear, so that it was immediately clear from the first glance which series you were watching: Part 1: Green Jacket (1971-1972), Part 2: Red Jacket (1977-1980), Part 3: Pink Jacket (1984-1985).
Each “jacket colour” is also unique in feel and tone, I highly recommend checking some episodes out to see what you might like the best. As these series are very often of episodic nature, you may pick and choose to your heart’s content.
And in 2015, a new TV series came around – Part 4: Blue Jacket (2015-2016).
Let’s take a look at this new series in retrospective, what did it do and what was added to the long-running legacy of the franchise?
A Love Letter to Italy
The story of Lupin III is very much grounded in the usual set-up: Lupin is a thief, roaming the lands with Jigen, his gun-slinging friend, in a tiny yellow Fiat 500, where they will be entangled in all sorts of adventures. On this journey, they will be supported by Goemon, a friendly yet stern samurai, and Fujiko Mine, a rival thief and love interest to Lupin. They are constantly chased by Inspector Zenigata from the ICPO, whose only goal in life it is to finally bring Lupin behind bars.
Lupin III Part 4 “L’avventura italiana” takes place, as the title says, in Italy, which makes for a gorgeous setting. The Mediterranean feeling with the sunny, bright lighting is always is a beautiful sight, and as the team has to flee and chase very often, we see a lot of Italy – the countryside, the beaches, the castles, and old inner cities.
Apart from the usual sights and landmarks, the care that went into the details is astounding: euros are used throughout as currency, license plates are in the European style, and even newspapers, signs and police cars are in Italian, really selling the setting as a graspable place to be. In addition, Part 4 aired in Italy before it did in Japan, which is unusual, but fitting for this series, as Lupin III enjoys its cult status in this country.
New Friends and Foes
Part 4 brings some new additions to the usual cast, most notably Rebecca and Nix. It’s difficult to introduce new characters to a web of already established relationships, but this series manages it quite well.
Rebecca Rossellini is a rich, spoiled, but quirky and fun girl with green-yellow hair, who has an acting career, a financial empire and good looks. Having lost her parents and now the sole heir of the conglomerate, she seeks thrills in her perfect life, things she cannot buy with money.
Lupin makes a marriage proposal to her, and surprisingly, she agrees – and after less than a month, they are standing in front of the altar. It turns out, of course, that this was all an elaborate plot by Lupin to steal a certain treasure, however, all the paperwork for the marriage already went through: Rebecca has become Ms. Lupin. What should have been a short scam turns out to be more complicated, and Lupin is officially married now – it will be one of his main goals over the course of the series to get Rebecca to sign the divorce papers.
But this creates an interesting love triangle with Fujiko Mine, as well as a thematic clash of femininity: Rebecca, the fun, young and quirky girl on one side, and Fujiko, the classy, mature and experienced woman on the other side. And while they are not explicitly fighting over Lupin, the banter, conflicts and hijinks that ensue are quite fun, even from Jigen and Goemon’s side who both cannot believe that Lupin is a “husband” now.
Time to decide, Lupin!
Rebecca makes for a fun rival/romantic interest, but she is not universally present in every episode, nor does she have major influence on the complicated main story.
For me, it was the other new character that I was very fond of:
Nix, a British MI6 agent. He strictly follows his orders and thus has a few run-ins with Lupin’s crew, eiter because he actively has to fight them, or because their paths randomly cross.
Agent Nix. (“Nix” being colloquial German for “Nothing”, not sure if intended.)
His design was a standout for me: the short slightly military-tinged haircut, the stern look, the wrinkles that give his face age and character, and especially the pointy ears (which serve not only an aesthetic purpose!)
While Nix seems like an uptight and efficient spy who doesn’t do anything besides following orders to 100%, more and more details about him will be revealed over the course of the series, and in the end, I was immensely happy to have him in this series.
As it turns out, Nix has problems to keep his emotions under control, and is often in danger of “snapping”, which might be hazardous for everyone involved. When his missions carry out well, he stays calm, but if he fails or a loved one is in danger, hell breaks loose. Nix is not only a spy, he is also a family man, with three cute daughters and a strong wife, so may God have mercy on your soul if you ever intend on hurting his family.
Nix carries emotional weight in his job and in his private life, and his role of being a responsible father clashes with his dangerous profession. He is a well-round character with a slightly tragic side too, but his likability and his switching between “deadpan serious” and “full on burning rage” serves for impressive, as well as funny moments within the story.
Nix, a great rival for Lupin.
As Nix is an important character with a lot of action segments and character acting, he gets some amazing animation cuts in Part 4, for example this cut by Shinya Ohira, where he fights a rebel spy. The unusual artstyle break and the pencil shading outlines give Nix’ actions visual power and strength.
Story and Standout Episodes
The story of Lupin III Part 4 is not the tightest, as not all episodes are here to drive the main plot forward. It is episodic, with an “Adventure of the Week” format, where you can enjoy every episode on its own, and occasionally be reminded of the big scheme in the background. The story goes off the rails somewhat to longer it goes, with some pretty incredible story twists and introductions, but it is all in good fun, as the strong cast can hold any outlandish plot together. The season finale might not have the biggest impact, but a nice ending overall.
However, there are some episodes that are able to absolutely stand on their own. If you want to get a taste, or if you simply want to visit the highlights this series has to offer, here is a small selection from my personal experience:
Episode 1: Lupin’s Wedding
“Rating”: Give it a Try!
Obvious choice to take the season opener, but this episode is a great character piece, with Lupin’s and Rebecca’s wedding and the controversy it causes with Fujiko, Jigen and Goemon. In addition, the animation is top-notch and delievers movie-quality action scenes to establish Rebecca’s character. A fun intro to the series!
Episode 3, 7 and 19: 0.2% Chance of Survival, The Zapping Operation and Dragons Sleep Soundly
“Rating”: Give it a Try!
Three episodes for Agent Nix, one being his introduction to his character and his skillset, being on par with Lupin and Jigen, and the other episode to show his family side and the caring father that he is. The third episode however takes a very dark spin on the spy business, with harsh violence and great danger to the protagonists. It makes for a strong tonal break that is worth checking out, if you are interested. (Keep in mind though that his episodes are more intertwined with the main plot and are not “pure” standalones!)
Episode 13: The End of Lupin III
“Rating”: MUST WATCH
The mid-season finale and the episode that deeply touched me emotionally. In a surprising twist of events, Zenigata catches Lupin. Now that he has achieved his life goal, he gets a new goal: Keep Lupin behind bars. By removing the rest of the cast and only leaving Lupin and Zenigata in a 1-on-1 theatre piece in prison and total isolation, it goes far into the relationship of the two rivals.
I was highly impressed by this episode, and I would recommend it blindly to absolutely anyone.
Episode 16: Lupin’s Day Off
“Rating”: MUST WATCH
A simple premise: Lupin, Jigen and Goemon have a day off, so they book a table at a fancy sushi restaurant. They have to arrive at 6 PM, and it is only a short drive through the countryside to get there.
This episode is slice of life beauty with perfect comedic delivery, and how much a simple idea can escalate into madness. This one had me in stitches, from the fast action to the quick jokes. A jolly good time of an episode.
Episode 20: To Hear You Sing Again
“Rating”: Highly Recommended
A melancholic episode that I don’t want to spoil too much of. It is the story of an old Italian diva and her husband, and how long such a love can last through all the ages, through the good and the bad. A touching story that may move you to tears.
Episode 26: Nonstop Rendezvous
“Rating”: ABSOLUTE MUST WATCH
This second special Bluray episode, sometimes called “Episode 26”, serves as a prequel to all of Part 4 and is an all out action romp with everything you could wish for: Fun character interaction, high-speed chase scenes, action shenanigans and full on physical comedy of the first degree. It reminds me of other amazing car chases I have only seen in films so far, and it will have you thoroughly entertained! The last few minutes may be a bit slow, as it only serves as a lead-up to Episode 1, but everything before that is pure fun and the essence of Lupin III comedy action.
Conclusion
Lupin III Part 4 was a good time, and especially cosy to watch over a long time, basically like it aired, one episode per week and going faster if you feel like it. Not all episodes are stellar, some are outright bland, such as Episode 15 where Lupin infiltrates a high school to simply fight against bumbling teachers, but overall, I had a splendid time with a few amazing highlights.
If you want to get into the Lupin III franchise, I would maybe recommend other films instead, (The Castle of Cagliostro, The Fuma Conspiracy or Jigen’s Gravestone) as you may already need a bit of a grasp on who all these characters are, before you see them interact with newer ones. I’m still happy about the introduction of Nix, I hope that he may return for the next currently airing Part 5 in 2018.
The Italian adventure makes for a comfortable series to watch as a mood piece, to just see the cast hang out and enjoy themselves, with some great action sprinkled in here and there. It’s not the best of the franchise, but a very solid entry that you can check out if you want to – and if not, you can enjoy the standalone episodes I recommended to you as short film snacks.
Overall, I’m happy that I watched it, and I look forward to more adventures of the wonderful Lupin III cast.
The End.
Sources: Wikipedia “Lupin III”, MyAnimeList “Lupin III Part 4”
Elena DS 