Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine was the best anime reboot

Sayo Yamamoto did not want to direct another example. Lupin The Third story.

She was only a few short months away from her wedding in late 2009 or early 2010. Michiko and Hatchin, her debut as a series director. She was unable to continue the magic girl project she was working on as her second-up. Yu Kiyozono, a producer, contacted her and gave her the opportunity to direct the premiere. LupinTelevision series in more than 25 years

Yamamoto accepted the offer, and was given full creative control over both staff members. Yamamoto began to draft an edited version of LupinYamamoto would be interested in this iconic male thief and the ways she could make hers stand out among the other series, films, OVAs and specials. The idea would not come quickly, but once it did, Yamamoto’s vision would begin a process that would purge everything audiences had come to expect from the decades-old franchise, and in just 13 episodes deliver its darkest, sexiest, and strongest installment in years.

Yamamoto’s Lupin, the Third: The Woman Called FujikoTo celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the First Lupin Animation (and the manga’s 45th), was the first series to be led by a female director, a female writer, and to have a story focused on the series’ iconic femme fatale. There had been a few Fujiko-centric stories over the years. Her role was more of a wild card. A woman who could help Lupin to his great schemes, so she could get the money, and leave her man suitor with just a smile and some lovely words of affection till their next adventure.

This series tells how Fujiko meets Lupin The Third, Inspector Zenigata, Goemon Ichikawa XIII and Daisuke Jigen. As each of them crosses paths with this mysterious, masochistic woman, they are left wondering why this bewitching vixen constantly puts herself in harm’s way. Is it just for the thrill of the heist, or is there something she’s running away from? Lupin, as they get closer to creating the legendary quintet, anime fans are familiar with, works to discover everything possible about the new opponent. Lupin’s investigation leads him to a dark organization that is performing mind-control experiments on teenage women. Lupin and Fujiko eventually meet the head of this organization. He may have more in common with Lupin than Lupin.

Image: TMS/Po10tial

The series would be the first not to feature Lupin as the protagonist, but it wasn’t the first time a Lupin origin story had been done (that was 2002’s Episode 0 – The First Contact. However, Yamamoto’s vision would venture into more radical territory. Yamamoto’s vision is of a series which can stand alone and not be tied to any continuity. TWCFM would serve as a direct prequel to the original 1971 anime, with the overall mood more in line with the grounded Masaaki Ōsumi-directed episodes rather than the lighter ones directed by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. By focusing on a mature audience and avoiding the references to manga, the anime will be truer to its source material. Castle of Cagliostro designs that generations had become accustomed to in favor for one that more closely resembled creator Monkey Punch’s artwork. And the series’ score would not include a single note of Yuji Ohno’s snappy jazz soundtrack, including the timeless opening theme. Yamamoto’s grand scheme of shaking up everything people knew of LupinIt was quite extreme but gave the legacy franchise something that it hadn’t had in years: a fresh direction.

The following are the Lupin franchise was entering its fourth decade, it seemed like the icon’s best days were behind him: There hadn’t been a new TV series since 1984’s Partie III, and the last theatrical film was 1996’s Dead or alive. Lupin and Company have appeared mainly in annual made-for TV specials since 1989. These specials were of a variable quality. Most of them offered a 90-minute meal of comfort food.

There had been many futile attempts to make the formula more appealing for contemporary audiences by the turn of 2000. Storylines included Lupin and his crew traveling 5,000 years into the past, coming into contact with a “genie” that had the ability to wipe away memories, and even a timid, gimmicky crossover with the more popular Detective Conan. Yamamoto was already developing the technology that would eventually become TWCFM,This franchise is best known for its complacency. The series was too conservative in both its presentation and its ideas. They needed someone who could throw away the tired, outdated playbook to try something new. That is exactly what Yamamoto had in mind, but like Lupin himself, she couldn’t pull off her master plan without some help from very skilled associates.

Yamamoto’s dramatic reimagning was made to assist her. Lupin The Third, Mari Okada (Fate/stay Night, Toradora), was brought in to write the series composition, making her Lupin’s first female head writer. Cowboy Bebop creator Shinichiro Watanabe was placed in charge of the series’ soundtrack, and in turn brought in producer and musician Naruyoshi Kikuchi to compose the series’ score: a slick, flavorful, and electric jazz soundtrack inspired by Roman Polanski’s Repulsion and Alan Rensais’ Marienbad’s Last DaysThe series’ core theme is female sexual abuse. Yamamoto was aware of her appreciation for manga’s original design and she wanted to help bring them back to their origins. Castle of Cagliostro,Takeshi Koike is a famous animator.Vampire Hunter, D: Bloodlust Yasuke(Director: ), had just completed a seven year journey directing his first feature. Redline He wanted a fresh start. Yamamoto’s company and others would continue to break all the rules that had been placed on the franchise for the last 40 years in order to create a series that would rock Lupin to the core.

Image: Tokyo Movie Shinsha

Image: TMS/Po10tial

Image: Tokyo Movie Shinsha

Image: TMS/Po10tial

Fujiko (top) and Zenigata(bottom) are featured in The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, and their less cartoonish Part 3 counterparts.

This is more than any other Lupin production. Fujiko’s WomanThis character-driven series not only brings back these icons in a more mature and darker setting but also gives the characters that have been part this franchise since the beginning an additional level of depth. In this series — more than any other before or since — Fujiko, Jigen, and Goemon all come across as fully fleshed out characters, rather than mere accessories to Lupin’s schemes.

They are all also given a much sharper, post-modern edge thanks to Okada’s script and Koike’s trademark thick-lined, comic-book-inspired designs, which strike the perfect balance between the manga and the Green Jacket series. While being a shade or two darker, the characters’ personalities are more or less the same, with the exception of Inspector Zenigata. He’s no longer the bumbling yet lovable “Pops’’ figure; in TWCFMHe’s a tough-nosed cop who is openly corupt and misogynistic. The most surprising moment of the series is when he agrees to sex with Fujiko. He will give up his custody. Even after they’ve done the deed, he informs her that he still won’t let her go unless she assists him in luring Lupin out into the open as he plans to steal the bejeweled mask of a famous opera singer.

While the sex scene is not overtly explicit, it’s emblematic of the arc’s frequent use of nudity. The opening sequence features Fujiko naked, which is a lovely voyage that Eiichi Yamamoto inspired (no relation). It’s repeated in nearly every episode. It is often a joke to get more viewers or sell more merchandise by having the protagonist of a series strip naked. The nudity is. TWCFM has a purpose, even if it’s outside the franchise’s usual comfort zone. To Fujiko, her body is just as deadly a weapon as Goemon’s trademark sword Zantetsuken, and the handguns Lupin, Jigen, and Zenigata carry around. This allows her freedom to go wherever she likes and to obtain what she needs.

Image: TMS/Po10tial

Fujiko’s ability to use her sexuality as a weapon has always been part her character. However, there are other things. TWCFM, She can show off her physique while still displaying a rare level of ingenuity and callousness. Lupin is stunned when she seduces an execution guard and has the poor thing take her place at the chopping board. Lupin had previously only considered her a one-trick pony. She quickly has the ability to turn the tide by quick thinking and using her sexuality when she’s being beaten. Unlike in so many of the series’ other installments, Fujiko always has the upper hand, is always in control of the situation, and is given time to display a more vulnerable and emotionally frail side than we’ve ever seen before — that is, until Okada’s script shatters our expectations and reveals itself to be the kind of long con only someone like Fujiko could pull off.

As Fujiko and crew try to get to the bottom of the memory flashes she experiences, the show expertly becomes two things: a compelling thriller, and a meta-narrative on reboot culture and women’s stories, nudity and all. With every man around her drawing his own conclusions about who Fujiko is, there’s a consideration of her very nature as a fantasy. At the end of the story, we are left wondering: “What is the mystery about Fujiko Mine?” The truth behind her is that there’s no mystery at all. Fujiko is not the product of a tormented childhood or abusive relationship; she lies, steals, manipulates, and seduces because that’s who she is. She isn’t a good woman gone bad, she’s a criminal and a damn good one. Yamamoto, Okada and, in particular, Lupin the third find her intriguing. Fujiko becomes his friend because of who she really is. The most shocking twist? TWCFM This is an updated version of the character that has been a man power fantasy since 1967, but who is now a gentleman thief.

Even though it wasn’t a huge hit in comparison to other shows that had been released during that time (Kuroko no Basket The second season is now available Fate/ZeroThe show has gained an ardent following, particularly among female viewers. This arc also marks the start of a great decade for The. LupinTelevision franchise. After that, two more series will be added. TWCFM: 2015’s Partie IV: The Italian Adventure and 2018’s Part V: Paris misadventuresBoth are continuing to bring Lupin into modern times. Partie IVThis was a delightful and entertaining way to return to the old classics Lupin The ThirdHijinks and adventures, featuring new characters, storylines, designs, and styles that looked classic LupinBut still inclined more towards Koike rather than Miyazaki. Part VThis would allow these old-school criminals to come in conflict with and then embrace the latest technology (social media and dark web privacy and cryptocurrency). It would be unique from any other series. Lupin series by splitting up the episodes into separate arcs, with unique stand-alone episodes mimicking the tone and art styles of previous series, paying ample tribute to the characters’ long history on TV.

Image: TMS/Po10tial

Image: TMS/Po10tial

Image: TMS/Po10tial

Yamamoto found a more personal resonance as Lupin excelled. Production of TWCFMHer mental state had declined after the earthquake of 3/11 Tohoku and the death of a family member. These two events led to deep depression, which made it impossible for the ambitious designer to concentrate long enough to create a storyboard. The work was never done. TWCFM was coming to a close, Yamamoto did some reflecting, vowing that her next project would be focused on something she truly loved — figure skating — something she began to gain interest in during her time working on the series (Oscar’s outfits were inspired by figure skater turned commentator Johnny Weir). Five years later, the result of this vow was in the shape of Yuri!!! Yuri!The groundbreaking series was renowned for its non-exploitative and mature view of gay love. It would be a global sensation and stand as one her greatest successes. She has worked tirelessly for the past six years to finish the next chapter. Yuri on Ice: Ice Adolescence.

By delivering Lupin’s most visually unique, sexy, and now most underrated installment, Yamamoto and her crew helped breathe new life into what was becoming a franchise plagued by formulaic plots and tired chemistry. Fujiko’s Woman finally put the spotlight on someone other than Lupin, giving us a much-needed look into one of anime’s most iconic female characters. The anime has now celebrated its 50th anniversary and is wrapping up its seventh television series. Lupin The ThirdFranchise is strong thanks to a woman with no interest.

Lupin, the Third: The Woman Called FujikoYou can stream it right now PlutoTV.