First thoughts on Lupin III: Part 6
Before reading this article, please note that the contents may include slight spoilers for previous entries in the franchise, such as Lupin III: Part II II, IV and Part 5. Please only read ahead if you are not concerned regarding spoilers, and you are confident that reading them will not impact your enjoyment of previous specials, films and episodes.
Earlier this week, Lupin III fans across the globe came together on social media to celebrate the news of Lupin III: Part 6.
From my experience with the franchise over the past eleven to twelve years - this is perhaps the first time I have ever seen people so excited.
When The Woman Called Fujiko Mine was announced back in 2012 - reaction outside of Japan was positive, but rather muted. Part IV’s announcement, with the news of it being a return to the classic television format of Part’s I through III, was met with a bigger celebration. Then, partially due to the previous series offering good opportunity for onboarding and also due to Discotek Media’s fantastic work bringing Lupin titles to North America - Part 5 was met with a much louder cheer.
Compared to all of these - Part 6’s reveal felt like it was welcomed with a mighty roar.
Fans, myself included, had been clamoring for days, looking for any shred of new information on a 2021 TV series. After the teaser poster, featuring original artwork by Hirotaka Marufuji, leaked via Twitter - it was like something snapped inside all of us. Was this real - or a clever mock-up? Surely it looked too good not to be true? We had to know more, and now.
Two days later, the cheers of fans rocked the globe - Japan, Italy, France, North America, United Kingdom, Russia, Spain - people making themselves heard, and their joy apparent. It felt like a stampede of excitement - I received voice messages from fans reacting to the news, saw others sharing incredible fan artwork, and more.
Despite a global pandemic, and the ongoing situation across all countries of the world - this one thing brought us all together. For a moment, we fell lost in anticipation and excitement - what did we get? A promise of a new television series, and a seventeen second teaser video.
It was all worth it.
Let us take a look across what we know so far regarding Lupin III: Part 6, and share some theories and opinions on what form the October 2021 show may take. Keep in mind - this is all heavily opinionated, that your opinion may differ, and that it is OK if it does!
The first thing on many Lupin III fans mind when thinking about a new series is - what colour will the jacket be?
Much like the 2012 spin-off series, The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, which acted as an origin story for Lupin and his gang, Part 6 includes a green jacket. I theorize that this is not only in celebration of the first animated series’ 50th anniversary, but also to help set the tone of the new show.
Takahiro Okura (Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter) is involved with the writing and composition of Part 6. Okura was previously in charge of writing / screenplay on one episode of Lupin III: Part 5, titled: "Introducing Detective Jim Barnett the Third (探偵 ジム・バーネット三世の挨拶)”.
This one-shot story episode saw not only a return to the green jacket for Lupin, but also felt like a partial return to the original Part I formula in terms of tone and storytelling. The tale was less action-orientated, and instead focused on dialogue, character development, and included many story related twists and turns.
There will no doubt still be plenty of action, drama and humor in Part 6, but at its core, could we see a more grounded storyline? Perhaps fewer reincarnations of a villainous Leonardo da Vinci, and instead a larger focus on the character development of Lupin himself (in turn, making it not too dissimilar to Part 5, which saw a big focus on character development of Lupin, Fujiko - and to a lesser extent - Goemon).
The location of Part 6 is set within the United Kingdom, the home of Sherlock Holmes and many classic detective stories.
After reviewing the teaser image shared by TMS earlier in the year, fans no doubt noticed a cloaked figure in the distance - perhaps an interpretation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock for our favourite thief to face off against? Maybe a relative - or fanatic, imitating Holmes?
The teaser poster shown earlier this week however, suggests that Part 6 is going to be much more than that.
Lupin III, villain or hero… Rather than a simple thief versus detective tale, akin to Maurice LeBlanc’s' very own Arsène Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes, instead, we seem to be looking at a premise that is reminiscent of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, a novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson.
What could this mean for Lupin?
Perhaps we could see a case of mistaken identity, where an imposter looking like Lupin wrecks havoc across the United Kingdom, similar to the fake Lupin from Part II. Or instead, could Lupin be placed under some form of mind control, made to do things he wouldn’t necessarily agree with - similar to the case of Tutankhamen's 3000-Year-Old Curse, also from Part II.
Personally, I feel a far more interesting theory is that we see a troubled Lupin, struggling to come to terms with actions he has taken as a sort of morally grey anti-hero - perhaps on his own accord, or out of desperation. This would serve as an interesting continuation from the themes seen throughout Part 5, which dabbled in the topic of Lupin coming to terms of who he is.
The ending of Part 5, which will no doubt have stuck into the mind of any fan who saw it, told us that there’s more to Lupin as a character than we know. A scene towards the end of the final episode has Lupin remove his face, implying the one we (and his friends) know and recognise has been a mask all along.
At the time, the scene mentioned felt a little throwaway - simply conveying the idea that he trusts Fujiko Mine to the point he would share with her all of his secrets. Looking back on it, it could be that this idea is what has inspired something more. Are there more secrets to share, and does Lupin really know who he is?
Back to Part 6 - be it short, the teaser video feels moody and dramatic.
There is no bombastic Lupin theme, no goofy humour, no crazy chase sequences or gadgets. The mood set is a more somber one, almost painting the picture of a thriller rather than an action comedy. This is exciting - as over the years, the staff behind the Lupin franchise have taught us that it can be many different things - and that the characters are incredibly versatile.
Every time a new show rolls around, it is nice to have something different - and that may be what we’re seeing here. I have no doubt we will still see some humour, chase sequences and gadgets, but at its core, we seem to be on the path to a slightly darker Lupin series.
The bomb exploding, the lady jumping from the window (could this be Fujiko Mine?), the shot showing a representation of fire over the skyline, Lupin and the mysterious lady riding away from the police on a motorcycle.
There’s a lot to process here - but the tone set is, when compared to Part IV and Part 5’s initial teasers, far more dramatic than usual.
The only aspect of the trailer that has me slightly worried, is the shot showing a new, young, female character.
The Lupin franchise over the years has tended to lean heavily on one-shot female protagonists - and these have all been incredibly hit or miss. With the exception of Rebecca and (to a far lesser extent, in my opinion) Ami - it never feels like these new characters add much to the plot, despite their heavy amount of screen time.
Female leads also appear to continue getting younger and younger, which is another cause for concern. Part 5’s Ami Enan, despite canonically only being fourteen years of age, still featured in scenes showing her underwear and expressing her love for Lupin - although be that as perhaps not as a partner, but as more of a father figure.
Either way - this is not an avenue I personally would like to see explored further. The scenes mentioned from Part 5 left me feeling extremely uncomfortable, and I am hoping we do not see the same from Part 6.
Another tiny pet-peeve, is that the vehicles shown in the shot with the police open firing on Lupin and the woman as they ride away on the motorbike, seem to be 3D models.
The original Lupin series animators would go to great lengths to ensure all transport was studied properly and drawn by hand, and this philosophy was maintained for the years that followed. That was - up until a few later TV specials, such as 2013’s Princess of the Breeze, which relied heavily on the use of 3D models throughout the car chase featured during the middle of the film.
It never looks as good - nor does it ever age well, but it’s quicker and easier for production. Whenever I see it, I can’t help but scowl a little!
With all of this said - we still can’t wait to see more from Lupin III: Part 6.
A seventeen second teaser is not much to go by, but thankfully we don’t have long to wait until the release of the full thing - since it airs in Japan this October, around five months from time of writing.
The tone certainly looks different, and the idea of Lupin questioning his morality is an interesting one. Please let us know your thoughts after watching the teaser - either by leaving a comment on this article, or by reaching out via our many social media pages.
Stay tuned for more details on Lupin III: Part 6 over the coming months ahead!
