Episode 6

Lupin III, vol. 4: The Rainy Afternoon is Dangerous

This story depicts Fujiko as being very ruthless and even possibly calculatingly murderous. Much more so than in other episodes; but this is possibly in keeping with Monkey Punch's original intent. However, the animators had trouble holding to the model sheets this time.

In The Raining Afternoon is Dangerous, Lupin has returned home in the rain, and Jigen notices a piece of paper taped to Lupin's back. It's a plea for help from a woman. Then, a man bursts into the room and demands that Lupin come with him. Lupin ignores the danger, and goes just to meet the woman in distress. They drive to a mansion, where Lupin discovers that Fujiko is the woman that wrote the note, but it's for an old man in a vegetative state. Lupin wants to leave, but the driver holds a gun on him, and Lupin capitulates. Fujiko claims that she's just a maid in this house.

Lupin gets outside, where he meets up with Jigen. They are about to talk when a car arrives, and one man tries to kill them with a machinegun. Lupin pushes Jigen to safety, but hurts his arm. A few minutes later, as the car is driving by, Jigen shoots a hole in the trunk, and Lupin embeds a throwing knife, with a stick of dynamite, into the new hole. The car blows up. Seems that the bad guys are threatening the vegetable and Fujiko, and are out to stop Lupin's attempts to help them.

Lupin goes to a hospital to have his arm looked at, and as he is putting his coat back on, the vegetable's photo falls out. The doctor recognizes the old man as the head of a powerful gang. The guy disappeared from sight 6 months earlier. Lupin recalls that that's about the time that Fujiko claimed that she started working for the guy as a maid.

Next, Lupin returns to the mansion with Jigen, only to discover that the old man died over night. Fujiko is in mourning. Lupin realizes that someone is listening at the door, and when he opens it, the guy with the machinegun from the car falls into the room. The guy is captured, and confesses that he was the vegetable's right-hand man. About 6 months ago, the vegetable was a very powerful leader, and he'd had a scientist build a machine for him. Supposedly, it was a life-extending, or suspending, machine. The leader wanted the scientist to enter the machine first to test it out. The scientist tried to run, and was shot in the back and killed by the leader. At this time, Fujiko showed up. The implication is that Fujiko sabotaged the machine, and the leader was turned into a vegetable by it. The leader's corpse has been impounded by the police, and the gunman replies that the corpse will be cremated soon. Fujiko panics at hearing this, and bolts. The gunman knocks out Lupin, and chases after the woman. Jigen enters the room to find Lupin on the floor. The hero speculates that there is something valuable hidden on the body.

The weather has cleared. A little time passes. Lupin invites the vegetable's two henchman to a hideout to plan a way to get to the corpse and find out what's on it. The three are waiting for Jigen to show, and the man reveals himself to be hiding in the rafters of the building. Lupin starts by introducing himself. Next, is The Hammer, a guy who can make long leaps, and is VERY fast in covering Lupin in explosives. Lupin spits them out. The gunman is about to state what his specialty is, but Lupin tells him that that's alright. Jigen wants to get to business, but Lupin requires that he has to introduce himself as well. Next, the hero asks the henchmen to give their passwords. He asks for the "co" word, and Hammer replies with "comic." From the gunman, for "sa" it's "Lupin the 3rd (Sansei)." Jigen wants to get down to business, but Lupin asks him for "ha." Instead of answering, Jigen tries pulling a gun. Lupin disarms him, and the gunman mows Jigen down.

Still later, Lupin goes back to the mansion, to ask Fujiko what is so valuable on the corpse. Fujiko won't say, and just pulls the drapes to show that Zenigata is outside. Lupin can't act against her, or get to the body. But, Lupin has Jigen's body brought into the room, and pulls the mask off to reveal the driver that Fujiko had been working with. Fujiko is at an empasse as well. So, Lupin and the band get outside, and meet up with the real Jigen. Lupin shows Zenigata's driving route on a map. At one point, there is an x-intersection on the road. Farther along the route, the two roads intersect again in a kind of swastika shape. They will use this fluke of the terrain.

The band positions themselves near the road. Zenigata has the corpse put in a police van, and follows the van in a motorcade. As the van nears the first intersection, a barracade diverts the van along the side road. The gunman shoots the side mirrors off the van, and drives an identical van along the real route, followed by the motorcade. Lupin drives up behind the real van, and the Hammer leaps forward to bang the back doors open, before returning to the car. Lupin and Jigen leap into the van, while the driver notices that the mirrors are missing, there was a strange sound in back, and the the barricade wasn't there when they were checking out the route yesterday. Lupin checks the corpse, and finds a huge diamond that he identifies as the Star of Kilimanjaro. He and Jigen return to the car, and then the van reaches the swastika and is reunited with the motorcade.

As the band is standing on a bluff, looking at the diamond, the gunman asks to hold it. Then, Fujiko drives up on a motorbike. The gunman throws the diamond to her, and leaps onto the bike. Jigen kills the traitor, but Fujiko escapes. Zenigata has been alerted to Lupin by Fujiko, and he sets up a road block. Lupin evades it by driving into a river. The three villians escape but are soaked, prompting Jigen to comment that this is just like the heavy rains on the day that all of this started.

Later, Fujiko is in the bathtub at home, stroking her body with the Star. The episode ends as she wickedly kisses the diamond.
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Episode 7

Lupin III, vol. 5: One Wolf Calls Another

Continuing with the Comic Souris collection of Lupin III color comics from the first TV series, we have volume 5. The reproduction quality is the same as in the previous books; however, the character designs tend to fluctuate from scene to scene, and the odds are high that some of the dialog is probably missing from the books. Fortunately, this does not get in the way of the strange situations, clever ruses, and general fun of the stories.

Volume 5 starts out with One Wolf Calls Another, which re-introduces Goemon, in the TV version, and shows us how the samurai finally decides to join forces with Lupin and Jigen.

Lupin is in a field, practicing all the standard samurai tricks (cutting bamboo stacks with a sword, kicking and punching stone statues...) He thinks he's pretty cool, but... In the next scene, Lupin is fully bandaged up, as he talks to Jigen about the dagger that Arsene Lupin used to have (which was taken from him) that could cut through steel. Just like Goemon's sword can. Jigen needles Lupin about the loss of the dagger, and Lupin tells him to stop; this is a matter of family pride. Eventually, Lupin decides to act, leaving the stunned Jigen behind (this is, as he said, a family matter.)

Goemon has taken on the job of chief guard at the estate of a very rich man, and there is a call out for underlings. One guy, a gangster who is good with a sword, is approaching the fortress when he is confronted by himself. The duplicate knocks out the original with a well-aimed pebble to the head. On a rock outcropping, Goemon's meditation is interrupted when an underling states that the next batch of prospects has arrived. He wonders who is waiting for him, and Lupin is standing off to the side, watching and chuckling.

5 people introduce themselves, and Lupin and Fujiko recognize each other. They are placed in a room to wait, while one by one, they are called to the other side of a screen. Lupin is using an old magazine with a hole in it, to pretend to be asleep, while staring at Fujiko's breasts. He asks her what has brought her here, but the woman just attacks him with a knife, refusing to blow her disguise. Then, one by one, the other entrants collapse unconscious into the holding room. Looks like the entrance exam is pretty brutal. When the woman's turn comes, she uses a short dagger to disarm the man attacking her. Goemon is impressed. Then, Lupin is called out. He wants to start a conversation with Goemon, but is brought up short when he sees the woman in the samurai's lap. He acts upset, and ignores Goemon's question as to which weapon he wants to use. So, the test attacker sweeps in to attack with a sword, and Lupin disables him with an overwhelming fart. Goemon is again impressed, and decides to test Lupin's prowess with a sword (according to the data sheet Goemon has, the guy Lupin is impersonating has a bit of a reputation.) So, Goemon attacks, Lupin counters with an overhead block, and his wooden sword shatters. Lupin collapses, but not before he puts a little bug on Goemon's uniform (a ladybug.) From the parapet above, Goemon's employer congratulates him.

Then, the two of them go down into the secret laboratory, where workers are following the instructions in some old scrolls to make a sword that can cut through steel (AKA: Zantetsuken.) It's these scrolls that Goemon has been hired to protect. They talk about the threat from Lupin, should the thief try to get onto the grounds, and they are concerned that maybe the thief already has. Along the way, the employer shows how quick and ruthless he is, by grabbing a bird perched on his shoulder, and wringing its neck. The employer asks what Goemon will do if he finds Lupin, and the samurai replies "cut him up." Lupin is listening in (his 'titch' of disdain at the comment attracts some attention from the other testees in the room.) He tells the bug to fly home, but Goemon notices it, and cuts it in two.

That evening, Lupin tries to sneak into the woman's room, but steps on the caltrips on the floor. He hops outside, to discover that the woman really is Fujiko, and that the other 3 testees are her minions. She tells him "good night," and Lupin is coldcocked from behind. A plane flies over, dropping a box of automatic weapons and grenades. Armed, the group storms the fortress, as Lupin watches from one open eye. The group kills several guards, and makes its way through underground tunnels to reach the little cell holding the scrolls. Goemon is there, and he kills the remaining two men, but lets Fujiko go; he doesn't want to cut a woman. Fujiko leaves, but Lupin has snuck in to grab the scrolls. However, Goemon tells him to look more closely at them -- there's a burning fuse attached. Lupin throws the bomb past the bars of the cell. Goemon curses the fact that he's screwed up. The explosion covers him with debris. So, Lupin continues on past to get into the bedroom of the employer. The old man isn't quite quick enough, and Lupin grabs his sword first. He's forced to talk about Zantetsuken...

It was 25 years ago, on a very windy day. The employer was out practicing his swordsmanship, when Lupin II appeared with a dagger that cut the guy's sword in two. Shocked, the man watched Arsene leave, but through devious tricks had managed to steal Arsene's dagger. Lupin asks if this was Lupin II, and the old man says it was. Lupin asks where the real scrolls are, and the old man balks. However, Goemon answers that he has them. The old man wants Goemon to slash Lupin, but the samurai had been listening to all of this, and he wants to set up a contest. The winner gets to take the scrolls. Lupin and the old man agree, with the old man choosing to use his Zantetsuken. Lupin is happy with the situation.

The next day, Goemon sets the scrolls on a tree trunk, and tells the two antagonists to come forward. The old man is wearing a kendo uniform (martial art using sword,) and Lupin is wearing steel armor with a shoulder holster on the outside. They take the 10 paces, and turn. Lupin starts shooting, and the old man stops the bullets (note: his sword doesn't cut the bullets in two, like Goemon's does.) Lupin's armor gets diced, and Lupin runs away. However, he's also boobytrapped the field. The first trap is a steel weight hidden in a tree. The old man cuts the weight in two, but one half still hits him in the head. Lupin is still being chased, when the guy falls into a covered pit. Since the sword won't help the guy get out of the pit, Lupin declares himself the winner. But, before he can take the scrolls, Fujiko flies overhead in her plane and snags them on a line. Fujiko apologizes as she flies off, and Lupin yells at her. However, Goemon again had switched the scrolls, and he gives the real ones to Lupin. Goemon has his sense of honor. And, since his services are no longer needed, Goemon tells his employer that he's quitting. Lupin is impressed.

Later, Goemon has given Lupin a letter inviting him to a duel. Lupin insults the paper, saying that it's too rough to use as kleenex, too small to make a paper airplane, but maybe enough to try to heat up bath water. Lupin doesn't want to duel, but Goemon advances. Lupin pulls his gun -- Goemon moves forward. Lupin warns that something bad will happen, but the samurai takes another step. Lupin pleads with him to stop, and Goemon falls into another pit. To show that he considers the duel over, Lupin helps Goemon out. Then later, Goemon is waiting for Lupin near a felled-tree bridge. Lupin is driving his car, with Jigen inside. Eagerly, Lupin tries to run Goemon down. Goemon cuts the car in two, and is chased by Lupin's side of the vehicle. After a while, the two realize how funny this is, and they sit down together, laughing. (Apparently, they have decided to drop the duel.) Jigen doesn't understand what the joke is.
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Episode 8

Lupin III, vol. 5: All Members Gather, Trump Strategy

All Members Gather, Trump Strategy, the following chapter, begins with Mr. Gold, a very rich, powerful man, gloating over the good fortunes that have come his way because of the Napolean Trump in his possession. He gets a phone call; Lupin claims that he will crash Gold's party tomorrow, and will steal the cards right at midnight. Gold isn't scared, so Lupin shows his power by calling Gold's attention to the wrappings on the stacks of money in Gold's vault -- they all say "Lupin." Lupin repeats "tomorrow, midnight."

The time of the party arrives. The guests are gathered, and several old matrons are talking about how their hearts are pounding so nervously at the idea of Lupin arriving. Gold reassures them that there's nothing to worry about. Then, Zenigata comes in, telling Mr. Gold to cancel the party. Lupin, the master of disguise, must already be on the grounds; having the party will make it harder to protect the cards. But, Gold states that his friend of 25 years is the chief of police, and that he intends on enjoying the birthday party that he is throwing for himself. Zenigata will just have to do his job of arresting Lupin. Zenigata buckles to the implied threat, but swears at Gold under his breath.

Gold calls everyone over, and shows them the treasure that Lupin has decided to target -- the deck of playing cards that Napolean owned; called "the Napolean Trump." According to the story, Napolean's army was on its way to attack Russia, but succumbed to the cold winter winds. On the night before the fateful battle, Napolean performed a fortunetelling ritual. The Joker from the deck warned him of disaster, before a strong wind blew all of the cards away. Napolean was defeated and exiled. However, in his hands, the Trump have brought Mr. Gold only good fortune. The cards are safely locked in a glass case in the middle of the room, and Zenigata is standing nearby. He notices that his watch is 5 minutes slow, and corrects it while stating that Lupin will strike in 5 minutes. Then, a voice booms out that Lupin already HAS the cards, and the ones in the case are fakes. Zenigata attacks the big birthday cake, thinking that Lupin is inside, but only succeeds in pulling out a tape recorder. Gold opens the case, and is happy to see that the cards are the real ones. But...

Lupin had disguised himself as one of the matron ladies, and a strong vacuum cleaner is hidden in his purse. He sucks up the cards, states that he'd changed the clocks in the building to be 5 minutes fast, leaps up to evade some of the security pouncing on him (this includes another of the old matron ladies,) escapes through the skylight, and then hides while releasing an inflatable Arsene Lupin II propellor-driven balloon. The guards shoot the balloon down, and Gold concedes round one of the battle to Lupin. He vows to get the cards back.

At the hideout, the group celebrates the ease at which they got the cards, but Lupin is concerned. They'd been told earlier of a vision that Fujiko had seen; the Napolean Trump Joker had appeared on the road in front of her, and warned her that the deck would soon come into her possession. (Joker appears a bit to be like Lupin in tights, and with a big red nose.) Joker introduces itself as the protective angel of the Napolean deck, before disappearing. Lupin jokes that it's good that the vision wasn't the angel of misfortune. At that moment, a small child knocks at the door, and gives a bouquet of flowers to Jigen. Lupin shouts out that it's a boobytrap from Gold, as the flowers explode in Jigen's hands.

In the hospital, Jigen is wrapped up in bandages, and Lupin expects the next attack to come now. A nurse walks into the room, and Goemon kills the goon before he can pull out his gun. They wheel Jigen out to the hall to escape. A doctor and nurse stroll past, then attack with scalpels and a machine gun. Goemon dispatches them, also. Seems that the hospital is owned by Gold, and peopled with his minions. Lupin wheels a casket down to the main lobby, and tells the guards there that the patient in room 203, Jigen, had tragically died. The guards let the group go. They get to a hearse, and a spy radios Mr. Gold that they're on the move. Inside, Lupin is wondering about Joker being the angel of bad luck, and Fujiko assures him that she's keeping the cards with her. In his office, Gold is watching a blinking light on a road map, stating that it's useless for Lupin to try to escape. He calls Zenigata to bring the Inspector in on the chase.

The heroes have switched vehicles. Fujiko is driving, with Goemon in the cab. Lupin is complaining about the temperature of the freezer truck, and Jigen is just a frozen block of ice. Gold is above them in a helicopter, watching the blinking light on a portable electronic map. Ahead of them, more goons spray the road with oil; Fujiko loses control of the truck, and it slides up the ramp into a larger semi. But, Goemon leaps up and cuts the semi trailer in two. Zenigata arrives to arrest them, but tosses his cigarette into the oil. Lupin uses the blaze to escape. They get into a police car, and Zenigata keeps chasing them. So, Lupin decides that they'll split up and meet at an old castle hideout. A little later, Jigen and Fujiko are inside the castle, with Zenigata and cops outside. Fujiko uses the cards to tell their fortunes. She stops when she notices that one of the cards feels funny. Peeling the coating off, she finds the transmitter Gold used to track them. Cursing, Jigen sets the transmitter afire.

Zenigata is wondering what's taking Lupin so long to arrive, and Gold berates him for not entering the building to get the cards. Zenigata isn't interested in the cards, he wants Lupin. So, Gold pulls out a letter from the chief of police, reminding the Inspector that they're such good friends. Defeated, Zenigata wonders what to do next. Gold radios to some of his men.

On a hill, Lupin is judging the distance to the castle, and the direction of the wind. Goemon wonders if they're going to rescue the others. Lupin asks "what others?" as he tries to tie a sapling to the ground. Disgusted that Lupin is throwing his friends to the wolves, he leaves to save them by himself. Lupin gets hit in the face by the tree, but is amused at the samurai's old-fashioned sense of honor. The police storm the castle, and Jigen holds them off for a few minutes. The invaders chop the door down with an axe, and Jigen realizes that these men aren't police. One goon states that the real police are outside; these guys are Gold's personal guards, with orders to kill to get the deck. Jigen and Fujiko are getting concerned, when Goemon cuts the thugs down. Goemon tells them that he'd come in alone to save them, because Lupin has abandoned them. However, Fujiko asks what the thing on Goemon's back is -- it's a note from Lupin, with instructions.

At the same time, Lupin has selected a rock, and catapulted it with the tree to hit Mr. Gold in the back of the head.

Zenigata is standing outside with his men, when Gold comes up and states that he's going to act now. Zenigata says "go ahead." Gold throws a grappling hook, on a rope, into the second floor window. He ties the other end of the rope to the tailend of a jeep. As he starts driving away, Zenigata asks what the point of this is. Gold rips off his face, and says "it's this." Zenigata is stunned to see Lupin driving the jeep. The rope goes tight, and a large kite (made by using the carpet) bursts out of the wall. Jigen, Goemon, and Fujiko are holding on to the kite, and they smirk at Zenigata as they fly away. Fujiko happily pulls the Napolean deck from inside her blouse, and notices the Joker turn to talk to her. Joker thanks her for rescuing the deck from the clutches of such an evil man. The cards flutter into the wind, as Fujiko watches in dismay. Lupin waves goodbye to "the angel of bad luck."

The scene fades as the jeep drives off.
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