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.

This week’s review covers two back-to-back episodes of Lupin III: Part 6, both of which aired on Christmas day, at the end of 2021. While technically separate episodes, both form the finale of the Lupin III versus Sherlock Holmes storyline, and therefore we saw fit to combine our thoughts into a single review.

Please note that due to this double bill, the series will be taking a break for one week over the New Year. Episode thirteen, which kicks off the second act of the series, will air in Japan and on streaming platforms worldwide on January 8th 2022. You can expect a review from us to go live on January 11th 2022. We hope you can look forward to it!

Be aware that there are SPOILERS ahead.

Please only read on if you either have seen the episodes already, or do not mind learning about important character interactions and pivotal plot points in advance.

“Episode 11 ~ The Truth and The Raven” and “Episode 12 ~ The Ghosts of Britain” serve as the finale of the first act in the Lupin III versus Sherlock Holmes storyline, and the halfway point of Part 6 as a whole.

Despite the pre-show build up, we have seen very little of Sherlock Holmes and assistant Lily over the past eleven episodes. The pacing and narrative structure of Lupin has always been rather inconsistent, however the newest entry into the franchise has undoubtably had the most sporadic central plot yet.

Both episodes eleven and twelve feature call-backs to moments early in the show, that aired around October time in 2021. Since said characters and plot devices have had no mention since, it can be tricky to remember what happened, and therefore figure out what is going on here. We would recommend perhaps rewatching episodes one, two, and seven ahead of this, just to freshen up, and prepare for what is in store.

Do all unsolved mysteries come to a close throughout this double bill? Are we finally given a glimpse of the mysterious “Professor” character, mentioned in episode seven? Let’s jump in and find out!

The Truth and The Raven kicks off with the murder of Alex Jenkinson, a real estate agent and “land shark” killed at the hand of “The Raven”.

Holmes, who has no regard for his adopted daughter’s mental wellbeing or personal safety, strolls onto the crime scene with Lily in tow to investigate the dead body. While there is nothing unusual in regard to the murder initially, Holmes has a hunch a more grandiose crime is at play. Thankfully, a local passer-by is able to recognize Mr. Jenkinson, and place that he was visiting his pub the night of the murder. Not only that, but the victim was accompanied by another – a woman called Fujiko Mine.

Of course, our femme fatale had no part of the murder, as she was simply trying to get close to Mr. Jenkinson to uncover some information. As Fujiko laments her loss, the gang decide to correctly pin everything on “The Raven”. It seems our victim was attempting to develop the land owned by Mr. Faulkner, the individual also terminated by “The Raven” way back during episode one – a move those in certain circles did not appreciate.

Enter Zenigata and Lestrade, getting a talking to from a weakened Holmes. Our detective is struggling to remain composed, but continues on through his determination to detail the situation at hand. Before we have time to think, plot devices from earlier episodes begin cropping up – the death of Lord Faulkner, Dr. Watson, the mysterious poster that Albert tried to steal in episode one, and more. As mentioned previously, if you are struggling to recall the initial episodes in the series, this information may come as a bit of a blast to the past for you, as it did with me.

Speaking of past events – Holmes is now on the hunt for the other half of the much sought after poster, which Goemon both cut and swiped during the chase sequence in episode one. To do this, our detective has enlisted the help of the public – with the promise of a one million pound reward to those that recover it. Lestrade, seemingly the only character with a concern for personal safety in this show, is understandably annoyed at Holmes' reckless actions, but it is too late – the word is out, and the game is afoot!

Lupin and crew end up in the inevitable cross-hairs of money hungry shady looking characters, and as they attempt to escape with the poster, Holmes collapses and is rushed to hospital. That is, until, he decides to make a quick pit-stop to traumatize Lily some more.

The heartless detective has decided to bring Lily back to the scene of her father’s murder, to once again stir up memories in hope she recalls the face of his partner’s killer. I was not able to get behind Holmes here. Despite the severity of “The Raven’s” crimes, and the ongoing murders by their hand, putting a fourteen-year-old child through such mental strain seems unwarranted. Surely there are better options at uncovering the mystery of their identity, and getting the job done?

Lestrade is as baffled about the scenario as I, and questions Holmes’ motives for doing such a thing. I feel the writers were attempting for Holmes to come across as “cool” here, seeking vengeance for his partner’s death, but it comes across poorly. If anything, I would imagine Dr. Watson may have been more annoyed about the treatment of his daughter, over anything else. In moments, Lily is back in a Holmes-induced coma, and Holmes lays her back in the car to rest.

Back to Lupin, Jigen and Goemon.

The trio manage to lose their gung-ho pursuers, only to cross paths with both Inspector Zenigata and “Yata”. The five partake in a poorly animated car chase, containing plenty of static shots, simple backgrounds and 3D CG falling cars (that feel as if they have zero weight to them). Gone are the days of the fun, bouncy Fiat, as the Triumph speeds through the streets with very little interest about it.

The gang escape Zenigata’s pursuit, losing their half of the poster in the process, and the chase is over.

The episode then takes a very messy turn. Lily’s in bed recovering, then Albert is planning a trip to London from Paris. We see a shot of mysterious bandaged man Eliot, a corrupt agent who first made an appearance earlier in the series, and then we jump to Holmes, who is investigating the poster in the late Lord Faulkner’s office. Both Lily, who is now seemingly all better after just seeing her recovering in bed, and Lupin tail Holmes and confront him, interrupting his investigation. Zenigata is also here, wanting to arrest Lupin.

Despite putting her through hell, Lily decides she wants to move forwards, and trusts Holmes. The young assistant wants to work through her trauma, and uncover the identity of her father’s killer. The group then channel their inner Professor Layton and attempt to find the location of a secret vault hidden within the room. After successfully doing so, a bright light shines from behind the frame which once contained the now considered “worthless” poster, and the room explodes.

As Zenigata struts away from the blaze, he gruffly tells Lestrade that he does not know of the other’s safety, and the episode ends.

The brief moments leading up to this ending scene, and the scene itself, feel both forced and a mess.

A wider issue I personally have with Part 6 is that, at times, it has felt as if the episode writers have struggled to compose their stories into a twenty-four-minute episode format. I got that same feeling here – with multiple scenes crammed in together and characters seemingly turning up at random, likely in a big push to end the episode with a “bang”.

That “bang”, which ended up taking the form of an explosion, felt strange and out of place. Lily’s preamble about feeling safe next to Holmes did not age well, as only moments later, she is potentially blown into smithereens.

It was exciting to see both Lupin and Holmes working together to uncover the room’s secret, but the puzzle itself and how they solved it was both far-fetched and uninteresting. If simply opening the curtains unlocked the vault, then how the room had not exploded previously is beyond me.

Regardless, we now move on to episode twelve, and uncover the final truths behind “The Raven” plot.

The Ghosts of Britain, as you may expect, continues the story from where episode eleven left off.

Thankfully, everyone has survived the blast – which is confirmed to have been a trap set by the late Lord Faulkner in an attempt to protect his and “The Raven’s” treasure. Lily gets a generous helping of new mental trauma to add to the pile, and Lupin smartly slinks by Holmes in disguise.

Our thief meets with Albert, who is now back in London. While his role in Part 5 was clear, in Part 6, Albert is seemingly just… there. He offers very little to the central plot line, and here only makes an appearance in hope to cut a deal with Lupin for the treasure. After refusing to do so, a dejected Albert attempts to pull a gun on our hero – who is saved just in the nick of time by Fujiko. It feels like a relatively throw-away scene, simply to remind us that Albert is present, and still willing to attack Lupin and the gang to get his way.

Next, Holmes gets all shout-y, and wants to go through Lord Faulkner’s personal belongings. There is some story exposition regarding the French police’s involvement with the incident in episode one, and we learn that the bold red ring worn by Faulkner is the true key to his treasure. We then cut away to Inspector Zenigata and “Yata” driving around London.

This was one of the few scenes I enjoyed throughout these two episodes.

The good inspector warns his assistant of the dangers ahead, and explains that he is too young to potentially throw his life away. “Yata”, who clearly looks up to his peer with the utmost of admiration, explains that this is something he cannot do. “Well, it’s your funeral, kid”, remarks Zenigata. It is nice to see a scene containing just the pair together, rather than them just running around with the force and shouting at Lupin. I would have loved to see an episode dedicated to the both of them, exploring their working relationship in the pursuit of Lupin and his gang.

Holmes has yet again walked Lily into a gunfight, as both he and Lestrade attempt to protect “The Raven’s” treasure from both the corrupt agent Eliot and Lupin. Our hero thief, of course, turns up at the last minute to help himself to the spoils. Lupin also uses the opportunity to come clean to Lily about the events concerning her father’s death – particularly, that he did not commit the crime.

Zenigata turns up. Fujiko turns up. Everyone wants the treasure. There is some rather pointless gun fire, and then – finally – a proper face-off between Lupin and Holmes.

Yet again, I felt as if the writers struggled here. Characters are popping on and off-screen seemingly at random, and there is no class to how the action scenes are being built up to or composed. It almost feels as if characters are showing their face just for the sake of it, and for no meaningful reason.

The fight between Lupin and Holmes is brief, but fun. Viewers are treated to a rare instance of excellent animation, as the pair exchange blows with one another. Lupin gets the final shot in, and much to his young assistant’s sadness, Holmes is down for the count. As she kneels over the detective’s body in despair, Lily’s head rises and then, it happens. She sees the face of her father’s killer, staring right back at her.

Lestrade. The same man who has been accompanying the pair throughout the series thus far.

While I feel the average viewer could have seen this twist coming from a mile off, the execution here is okay. It is a bit of a mystery as to why Lily’s memories only came back now, as opposed to the multiple other times she came face-to-face with Lestrade in episodes prior – but I’ll let it slide.

It has been enough time since Lestrade’s fiery temperament was on show back in episode one, and likely people may have forgotten this side to him. The reveal and flashback scene showing Lily’s memories complete themselves was good, although perhaps not quite as shocking a revelation as the writers may have intended.

Holmes suddenly gets up, and this turns out to have been all part of both he and Lupin’s plan to uncover the real killer. Lily simply confirmed what the pair already expected, and Lestrade is unable to keep his cool. He is rigged with a bomb belt, and ready to take the treasure, London and everyone with him out in one go.

Before Lestrade gets the chance to pull the pin on his bomb belt, it is story exposition time.

“The Raven’s” treasure turns out to be a bunch of unexploded WW2 bombs, that people once thought to be armed. The bombs were and are still stored in the sewers, and have been transported underground by the group over the years.

While this is now no longer the case, it gave the “The Raven” enough status to be considered a minor superpower, and therefore feared by many. They had pressured both the government and the police into doing what they wanted, and therefore officers such as Lestrade fell under their control. They now, however, no longer exist within the modern world.

Upset about learning this fact, Lestrade runs off into the streets above.

Filled with regret and anger after realising the truth about “The Raven”, our corrupt police officer leaps off the Tower Bridge and blows himself to kingdom come.

Even in his final moments, it is clear that Lestrade regrets the events of his past, and asks Holmes to apologise to Lily for him. This is a rather sombre scene, that is cut short as Lupin smirks, and remarks that it is time for him to go.

Watson had asked Lupin to look over his daughter as his dying words ten years past. These words came about as the Dr thought Lupin was Holmes, his vision clouded by the thick fog. This explains Lupin’s keen interest in both Holmes and Lily throughout the season, but the thief wants to make it clear that Holmes is the one that should fulfil his partner’s dying wish, and not him. As he drives off into the distance with Fujiko, Lupin shouts back to Holmes that he hopes he never crosses paths with him again.

While the animation certainly had a bit of a boost towards the end of the second episode, I felt unsatisfied by the ending itself.

I appreciated the rather obvious twist with Lestrade, and the confrontation between Lupin and Holmes, but felt the explanation of “The Raven’s” treasure disappointing. It seemed to me as if a lot of the action and mystery this season this far had been for nothing. I also felt it unnecessary to involve the French DCPJ, with them offering very little to the plot or action.

Also, the way Holmes caught out Lestrade was incredibly amateur storytelling. Although it is not explained, I can assume Holmes’ sickness in episode eleven was an act, so that Lestrade would drive them to the place of Watson’s murder. Holmes somehow had Lily wear the same scarf as she did ten years ago when out of the car, and Lestrade recognized it – therefore, confirming his attendance at the scene of the crime.

The show uses Lily as a plot device time and time again, and this particular instance felt the worst of them yet. It was not a clever or satisfying twist at all.

Of course, no departing act would be complete without an after-credit scene.

We learn the identity of James Moriarty, a young boy with blonde hair who could be spotted in the background at the scene of the crime in episode eleven. Moriarty introduces himself to an unsuspecting Holmes, who rushes off with Lily – now referred to as simply “Watson”, in tow.

Moriarty then walks up to Lupin and pals, who exchange a few words. This is build up to the second act of Part 6, and despite moving away from London, it is clear we will be seeing more of Holmes, Lily and Moriarty.

While I was a tad disappointed to see Moriarty as a child, we know so little about him to make any proper judgments on his character. I would be keen to see more of him throughout act two, and hope he proves a unique and interesting spin on the classic villain. I also would not be surprised if we now simply just didn’t hear of him again, if all the weird pacing this show has had is anything to go by.

That is it, then.

One door closes, and another one opens. The mystery of Dr. Watson’s death and “The Raven” is put to rest, and now we potentially have a feud between Lupin, Holmes, and Moriarty to look forward to.

I felt there were a couple of good moments throughout the finale of the first act, such as the fight between Lupin and Holmes, and the moment with Zenigata and “Yata”. Overall, though, this was a messy ending to an already messy first half. The twists did not quite satisfy me, and the constant abuse of Lily as a plot device got on my nerves. The odd pacing and strange editing, with characters appearing and disappearing, plus scenes jumping around the story like a flea on fire, felt confusing.

While many felt similar in their faults, I enjoyed the one-off storyline episodes far more than this central plot during the first half of Part 6. That does not fill me with confidence for the second act, which promises to introduce Lupin’s mother into the fray – a concept that, while worked fine in the original manga, feels oddly cursed in animated form.

For now, let us reserve judgement and wait to see what the New Year brings.