Review: Part 6 “Episode 13 ~ An invitation from the past”
Welcome to our episode review of Lupin III: Part 6!
Our review is from the perspective of a “hardcore” Lupin III fan, who has seen every episode, film, and special the series has had to offer since its animated inception in 1969. The author's perspective on modern anime however, is lacking. When it comes to anime, we exclusively watch Lupin III, so cannot compare it to other shows on the market. Instead, we can only compare it with Lupin media of the past.
Be aware that there are SPOILERS ahead.
Please only read on if you either have seen the episode already, or do not mind learning about important character interactions and pivotal plot points in advance.
“Episode 13 ~ An invitation from the past” of Lupin III: Part 6 is the first entry in the shows’ second act.
Unlike the first act, which covered episodes one to twelve, the second revolves around the theme of “women”, and promises a new perspective on Lupin’s past.
Initially — I had concerns regarding this. This was as I personally felt that both the first act’s story and the method in which it was told left a lot to be desired. The handling of Lupin III Versus Sherlock Holmes felt like wasted potential, and even when it came to the guest-written episodes, it took until a second attempt by Mamoru Oshii for things to get interesting and exciting.
If the plot of the first half amounted to virtually nothing in the end, how would they pull off a dive into Lupin’s past? Can the team behind the show stir up new emotions in our beloved thief, without things feeling only surface level, as the murder plot in the Holmes arc did?
Thankfully, there has been a slight change on the production back end, with Shigeru Murakoshi (ZOMBIE LAND SAGA) replacing Takahiro Okura as the lead of series composition. In addition, Kazuhiro Soeta, who worked both episode four and ten, returns to his spot in the director’s chair for episode thirteen.
The change is immediately apparent, and to me, seems for the better.
Murakoshi, who recently took part in several media interviews regarding his work on the show, is heavily involved with this action-packed thirteenth episode, and the wider long-running storyline featuring in the second half. As mentioned in his interview, Murakoshi’s entry to the franchise was watching re-runs of Part 2, a show he holds a special place for in his heart. His favourite characters are Goemon, Jigen and Zenigata, and he finds the slower paced, perhaps more mundane scenes with the gang his highlights of previous episodes. He spent time re-watching both old and new Lupin series in preparation for his role on Part 6, and took advice from his peers when creating the thirteenth episode.
村越 まず菅沼（栄治）監督やプロデューサーからは、「担当させていただく第2クールのテーマが『女』であること」、また「第１クールのテーマが『ミステリー』で、このような方々が脚本を担当し、このような物語になります」という説明をしていただきました。そのうえで「（第１クールとは）異なる、自由なストーリーにしてもらってかまわない」と言われまして。自由にできるというのはうれしくもあり、プレッシャーもありました。
往年のファンにも刺さるような演出は、プロデューサーからのアドバイス
I was given guidelines from director Eiji Suganuma. The theme of the second act I am in charge with will be “women”, which differs from the first act, which has the theme of “mystery”. I was introduced to the scriptwriters from the first act, and was told the broad story for the show. After that, Suganuma told me that it is okay to have a free story for act two that differs from the first act. I was happy for this, and felt the pressure lift away knowing I had creative freedom.
The broad advice from the production staff was to stick to what the fans enjoy best from previous works.
This all shows immediately as soon as episode thirteen kicks off.
There is a notable change of pace in the storytelling and tone regarding the characters when going between the Holmes arc and this — which is being dubbed Lupin III Versus The Witch.
My confidence on if they can pull off delving into Lupin’s past has been (tentatively) restored.
Some may argue that there is not anything particularly stand-out about the episode, and that it fails to do anything too crazy. While I do agree with this — it is a far cry away from the excellent Darwin’s Bird, for example — episode thirteen provided me with some much-needed reassurance.
This feels like an episode of Lupin.
It is the little things that make a big difference to me. As mentioned in his interview, Murakoshi appreciates the slower, more mundane conversions between the gang, and he nails that in this episode. We get to spend some nice time with the crew at their hideout. Jigen is seen flaunting his cooking skills like the male-wife we all desperately want and need. Fujiko’s approaching the pair with new heists, barking at them to grow up when becoming entangled in a childish wrestling match (slightly akin to that famous scene by the water in The Castle of Cagliostro). Lupin is cracking wise, coming on to Fujiko, and generally acting like himself — something I felt was absent in the first act.
Murakoshi, Soeta, and team then manage to switch the tone nicely, without breaking the flow of the episode. This involves Lupin reacting strongly to the idea that one of his grandfathers treasures, an item pilfered by the original Arsène Lupin, is about to show up in an auction.
This scene is handled well. Lupin sulks off to the roof, Jigen hesitantly follows, and passes his buddy a cigarette. The synergy between the characters is great, and it feels like old friends helping each other through a tough time (a concept that was further explored during Episode 0 ~ The Times).
We soon find out that Lupin’s sudden shutdown is as only one person has ever stolen from his grandfather, and that is his mother, Tomoe, who he thought dead for years.
The concept of Tomoe was first introduced in the original Monkey Punch manga, as the wife of Lupin II.
While her character was never fully fleshed out or explored in detail, the idea was floated around once or twice. One chapter even involved Lupin III meeting with her, his father and grandfather.
Originally, hearing the news of her involvement leading up to episode thirteen had me worried. The idea of the anime exploring Lupin’s parent figure felt oddly cursed — especially if the story was to be told in the same style as the Lupin III Versus Sherlock Holmes arc.
Yet again, episode thirteen reassured me that this might just work, and cleared some of my doubts.
We get to hear about Lupin’s past. He grew up in a mansion, once owned by his grandfather, and was cared for by his mother. As the professional master thief he was, the original Arsène Lupin guarded his treasures well, and no-one (to his knowledge) was able to steal from them. That is, except for his mother.
While we do not learn much more than this in episode thirteen, it is a perfect hook. Why did his mother steal from Arsène Lupin? What did she steal, and how did she do it? What does the mansion look like? Will we get to see Lupin as a child, and learn about what fate befell his parents? It is all very exciting and has great potential, just as the Lupin III Versus Sherlock Holmes concept did at the start. I can only hope act two successfully follows through in future episodes, and sticks the landing.
The bulk of the episode features a classic Lupin style heist plot, that results in our thief coming face-to-face with Mercedes. This new red-headed antagonist and her identical looking subordinates are part of the robbery group, “Elvira” (according to the official website, as this is not explained during the episode).
There’s an adorable new female protagonist - Mattea - that Lupin unknowingly tricks into sneaking in some Fuma Conspiracy looking insect spy-bots. I am curious to see how she will be further involved in the plot, as in episode thirteen, she simply felt used and ended up as a damsel in distress for our hero to save. I did appreciate the latter scene, though, as again — it helped make Lupin’s character feel familiar. No matter how much he wants the treasure, he would always give it up to save an innocent life.
Zenigata is back too, hoping to protect the treasures at auction from Lupin’s grubby little monkey hands.
He is joined by fan favourite detective “Yata” and a new, young go-getter female assistant, named Ari. While their relationship has yet to be explored in detail, Zenigata and his companions work well together here. Zenigata is the veteran cop, weighted down by years of experience, and calls all the shots. His assistants help to put his methods into practise, checking security, searching people as they enter the building, yanking at their cheeks and checking for disguises. It is great to see such enthusiastic individuals following their bosses, quite frankly, bizarre Lupin-catching orders, and I can only hope they are all explored in more detail during the second act. I would especially love to see further interaction between “Yata”, Ari and Lupin.
The heist is a success at first, until Mercedes and her gang show up. The action gets a little dark at times, with “Elvira” members shot, and exploding, left, right, and centre. It does not feel out of place, though, and helps create a memorable, exciting action sequence. Even a glimpse at the climax is shown ahead of the title card sequence. It does not waste any time, and throws viewers right into Lupin’s elaborate circus style tightrope chase, high above the streets of New York. A fantastic way to kick things off.
Unlike previous Part 6 episodes, it does not feel like members of the Lupin gang are present for the sake of screen time. Everyone plays their part in the heist. Goemon, as the brawn of the operation, holds off enemy fire with his sword when the time comes. Jigen rigged the lights to go out during the auction, and Fujiko stole the boys uniforms to help infiltrate Zenigata’s security team. Lupin is shown working tirelessly on his insect bots, and as Jigen alludes to, seems far more invested in this heist than usual.
As the episode reaches its climax, it is made clear that despite many treasures going up for auction, there is one that both Lupin and Mercedes want more than others. A red chaos emeral- I mean, a shiny red jewel. While not explained (yet, anyway), it is implied this jewel is more than just meets the eye, and may have a larger purpose than just looking pretty.
The episode ends with another mention of Tomoe, Lupin’s mother, and a quick montage of the female characters that are due to be introduced in future episodes.
While the average viewer may find the scene a tad confusing, I thought the montage was well integrated. All characters were shown watching the events above the street unfold in one way or another, thus linking them to the story. The character designs seem fun, and I’m looking forward to learning more about them. I do only hope these characters amount to more than just damsel’s in distress.
The new ending theme, Bitter Rain, has a very different feel to the Milk Tea one that came before it. Unlike its cute, colourful pop-style predecessor, it has a moodier, jazzy feel about it. As much as I adore MIlk Tea, I feel this may better fit the tone of the episodes, and make for less jarring cuts when going to credits. I am looking forward to hearing the full version, once it releases next week!
As Lupin himself boldly proclaims regarding his work methods during this episode, it truly is back to the basics for this one.
While I do admit there was nothing particularly mind-blowing or stand out about episode thirteen, I found the mystery here far more compelling than anything shown during the Lupin III Versus Sherlock Holmes arc. Ironic, when you consider that portion of the show had the key word “mystery”…
There is a fun, classic Lupin style heist, some nice action scenes, clever use of tricks and toys from Lupin, convincing dialogue between characters, and an explosive opening / ending that is sure to keep people interested. The promise of learning more about Lupin’s past, and his mother, is exciting, and I cannot wait to uncover the mystery.
There are bound to be fans that appreciate the stranger (or more interesting, depending on how you look at it) storytelling from act one. However, personally speaking, this felt like a return to form for Lupin, and it has helped me walk into act two with a level of confidence I did not have throughout act one.
