[Typewriter noises] An old geezer watches Lupin III

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Thanks so much to @Kat for providing me with a copy of Tabbiewolf's watch template... I've updated this to the best of my knowledge. Return of Pycal? Might have seen it, might not. Access to tubi has been a real godsend in filling out a LOT of gaps. I have the two 5-DVD sets of specials from the 90s, but there were just a ton of specials I had not seen and didn't think I'd ever get to see and then boom, a whole lot of them were there.

I also somehow managed to get through all of Part 2 (eyes glaze over, so many episodes) but I really bogged down in Part 3, although there were definitely some good episodes there, I'm sure I haven't seen all of them. And I'm sure some of these are due for a rewatch.

Honestly I haven't been thinking about whether I've seen stuff with an English dub. I can't remember watching anything dubbed, anyway... unless that was all that was available and I've forgotten? I could not actually tell you whether the frist time I saw Cagliostro it was the Streamline dub or in Japanese. It was for sure in the 90s, and it was PROBABLY on VHS. Same with when I first saw Fuma Conspiracy.

 

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Prompted by this, and thinking about the different types, made me decide to watch Voyage to Danger again. Honestly Orders to Assassinate Lupin is kind of a terrible name, because Keith is only a minor character in this.

Overall, I was surprised by how much I thought this special was "fine". I mean, maybe nothing special, but perfectly reasonable. It doesn't use Zenigata or Goemon very much, but it's generally... fine. Sidelining Zenigata, while regrettable, actually kind of makes sense for plot reasons, to create room for Keith (a killer mercenary) to be chasing Lupin instead of Zenigata, who I think would be a bit uncharacteristic to be firing missiles at our heroes. (Koike film characterization aside.) I was kind of thinking of this one as sort of the prototypical mediocre 90s TV special but now I'm thinking of it as better than some of the others.

I liked Zenigata showing up to drink with Lupin, and he got one or two other good bits in there, but yeah, mostly comic relief.

The writing does a fairly good job of making it appear that everything is going perfectly for Lupin and the others until it turns out that it isn't at all, and then there are a couple of points where things seem to be completely hopeless but they're not.

Aaaand we get some tragic romance for Jigen. It doesn't come up very often, but I think it's perfectly characteristic for him, as at least romantically a tragic figure. Otherwise I'm remembering the episode of Part 2 in which he has to smuggle a female dancer out of Russia and it turns out she betrays him. Alas, poor Jigen! (Part 2 Episode 58, The Face of Goodbye at the National Border aka... Gettin' Jigen With It? What a terrible, English title, honestly!) He's just a guy who's been hurt too much.

There are a couple of bits about saving for retirement and Lupin's immediate decision to help out Zenigata (although yes also going for Jean Claude's money) that make me think of it as a somewhat later story, if pre-Cagliostro.

And oh, one more thing! I felt like an arms dealer was the perfect kind of villain for this period just after the Cold War. Waaaay back in the 1930s - a period when most people were sick of war - an arms dealer was the perfect arch villain for the hero The Saint. Maybe ditto for Lupin in 1993. Note that in this one they didn't object to calling Russia Russia, unlike recently referring to, what was it, the Loviet Union in Immortal Bloodline? Anyway, enough rambling.

 

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I finally watched Return of the Magician aka Return of Pycal

This one is a bit of a mixed bag and it seems kind of incomplete. Like there is set of McGuffins (crystals) but I don't think we ever see if they amount to anything, unless it was just what was demonstrated in the amphitheatre?

There were some parts that were good, like the ones that integrated images of Lupin and Pycal from the manga, but there were other bits which just didn't make sense. Like:

- scene showing Pycal with his scars, he's muttering about needing to improve the UV formula to protect him from the sun
- cut to a scene of Fujiko lying on a bed, naked
- cut to another scene

Why is that middle one in there? I think it's supposed to be at Pycal's, but it doesn't actually establish her location so it's just... there.

I liked the part at the start where Pycal was disguised as Zenigata.

Unfortunately when you average those out it feels kind of forgettable.

PS I can't not mention that people in Greece don't dress like that any more. Stop being weird, Lupin writers.

 

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Is Lupin Still Burning?

Heh, finally saw that. It was cute - I only vaguely remember the enemy that Jigen faced off against, but I think it was on the border between France and Spain in a part 2 episode? Obviously lots of callbacks because that was its whole purpose.

I'm honestly too tired to do much analysis. Pretty fun.

 

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PS a bad thing about Return of Pycal is the CGI. It's old. It's not good. It would have been better done as something drawn.

 

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SWEET LOST NIGHT

A genie? Sounds a bit much for me... And I don't think this has a great rep.

But it starts well. Zenigata shown to know just about every one of Lupin's tricks. And second billing in the credits?

During the theme there are a bunch of scenes... Disconnected from any other show?

 

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..... ugh that was bad.

The best bit WAS Zenigata being a real challenge to Lupin, knowing his tricks and having counters. Which is only at the start. More of that please!