Review: Part 6 “Episode 15 ~ Wedding Bells Ring with the Sound Of Gunfire”
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 15 ~ Wedding Bells Ring with the Sound Of Gunfire” of Lupin III: Part 6 is guest-written by Akira Kindaichi.
This one-shot storyline treads familiar territory, and features a romantic tale starring Daisuke Jigen. As has been often the case throughout previous series, the vast majority of sub-plots centred around Lupin’s trusty right-hand man include the resurfacing of a past relationship, or him becoming entangled in the life of a new female protagonist. These relationships never last past the episode, and often end with either Jigen leaving his lover behind, a betrayal, or the death of said character. This causes Jigen never to settle down with his would-be lady friend, or come to terms with his feelings.
What a heart throb.
Sadly, there is very little else to say about this new entry in the Jigen’s love life saga. Compared to similar themed episodes included throughout Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, I felt this was perhaps the weakest of the bunch.
The story here is one dimensional, with no twist and turns along the way.
Lupin and a mob of rival hoodlums are planning to steal a precious gemstone from Mylene, a small-town doctor and previous lover of Jigen. The old flame is soon to be married to nobility, and an assassination plot to swipe said jewel is about to go down on her wedding day.
Not if Jigen has anything to do about it.
Our hatted hero watches Mylene from the shadows, acting as a sort of invisible bodyguard, protecting her (and the jewel) from attackers. This involves some heavy stalking, and confrontation with the baddies once he gets wind of their location.
While Mylene does not interact with her true love throughout the episode, she is aware of his presence, and works with Lupin to ensure she is able to see him again before her marriage. In return, Lupin is gifted the treasure, which he (oddly) passes to Jigen, only for him to toss it into the sea, perhaps signifying he has no time for old memories and no regrets over previous relationships.
It is a sweet story, but comes across as incredibly stale.
There is nothing that makes this episode stand out from the rest of the pack, as it lacks any real punches. We see no interactions between Jigen and his once lover, and instead, a focus on a single flash back scene, the confrontation with the hoodlums and the relationship between Mylene and her husband-to-be. As a result, I felt it was forgettable, and will likely fade quickly out of the viewers mind.
It is a shame, as we have seen some exciting new spins on this episode idea from the likes of The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, which includes perhaps the best Jigen-romance story in episode two, “.357 Magnum”.
The difference between that and this, is that in Part 6, there are no interesting twists.
In “.357 Magnum”, Jigen is duped by a beautiful woman named Ciccilona, that ends up falling for him in the process. Fujiko mixes in nicely with the action, attempting to steal Jigen’s trusty gun under order of Ciccilona. The story explores his relationship with the femme fatale, along with a new female protagonist that he has sworn to protect—and also appears to develop feelings for. There are memorable scenes throughout—an exciting kiss in a church, and to top it all off, the animation oozes with style.
Everything about this Part 6 episode feels flat in comparison.
With all of this said—if you simply enjoy screen time from Daisuke Jigen, as I am aware many fans of the show do, “Wedding Bells Ring with the Sound Of Gunfire” is still worth a watch.
Yes, it has generic storytelling with cliché romance… but, Jigen’s shirtless for a good portion of it. Plus, there’s a dialogue about how kind and lovely his eyes are. At one point, Lupin even refers to him as “Jiggy-poo” and a “fuzzy angel”.
Hey—I don’t blame you if you get a kick out of this! Go nuts.
Unfortunately, as an episode, this is about as generic as Lupin gets.
There really is not much to say about it, hence why you may notice this review is a little shorter than our others (thus far). It is likely there is something here that certain fans may enjoy, though—particularly those sitting firmly in the Daisuke Jigen fan club.
For me personally, however, it was a little too cookie cutter. The villains were generic, the backstory was not interesting, and the action sequence felt uninspired. You would be much better off watching one of the Part 2 romance tales, or jumping into “.357 Magnum” instead.
