Lupin the Third Part 5 – 04
Lupin III Part 5 04
ルパン三世 PART5

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Before Fujiko can kill Lupin, Zenigata arrives in a car and whisks Ami and Lupin to safety. Fujiko then has to deal with Jigen and Goemon. Meanwhile, the Bwanda military dispatches a helicopter unit, which destroys Zenigata’s car. The trio make it to the safety of the brush before spending the night there. The following day, they emerge from the brush to cross the desert and reach the border. Ami collapses from exhaustion, forcing Lupin and Zenigata to take turns carrying her.

When Ami comes to that evening, she sees a windmill in the distance, meaning there should be water. Sure enough, the windmill has a large water tank at its base. The trio camp here for the night and come up with plans for their final push to the border. The helicopter unit returns, but Ami springs their trap, downing the chopper in a net. Unfortunately, snipers are tuned into Lupin and company, so Lupin has Zenigata get Ami to safety. One of the snipers appears to nail Lupin.

Thoughts/Review:

Unlike the farcical, cartoon buffoon “assassins” that had been after Lupin before, in Lupin the Third Part 5 – 04, a pair of snipers and a heavily armed, military helicopter are credible threats to Lupin’s safety.

Frenemies

I had hoped to see Zenigata and Lupin team up at some point during the course of Lupin the Third Part 5. I hadn’t expected it to be so early into the series though. Although done under the guise of trying to whisk Lupin to prison, Zenigata showing up at the last second to save Lupin is another reminder that Lupin is an important part of Zenigata’s life.

Because Zenigata hasn’t been portrayed as a buffoon, we can see that Zenigata is acting under a scene of, “I’m going to be the one to take Lupin down, but I’m going to do it on my own terms.” If Zenigata takes Lupin down without Lupin having a handicap, which Lupin currently has with the contracts for Lupin’s life, then that’s the crowning achievement.

I did laugh when Ami attempted to figure out the relationship between Zenigata and Lupin, speculating that maybe Zenigata is gay and has a thing for Lupin. 😆

More Than Meets the Eye

Although I believe Fujiko would kill Lupin under the right circumstances, I’m starting to think Fujiko was there to stage Lupin’s death. I say this because in the previous episode, Fujiko referenced an episode when Lupin “assassinated” Fujiko. So as I think about things, this may have been her code speak to Lupin to let him know she was about to return the favor, and then cash out in turn.

However, Zenigata showed up, foiling Fujiko’s plan. With Lupin “dead,” Marco Polo is no longer on Lupin’s case, which would allow him to freely maneuver. And when Lupin is on the move against a rich entity, Fujiko can cash in, if she plays her cards right. So I think that Fujiko briefed Jigen and Goemon, which resulted in them “attempting” to assassinate Lupin, thus accomplishing what Fujiko could not. I’m pretty sure that was Goemon taking shots at Lupin near the end of the episode.

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

I’ve got to wrap this up as my Internet connection is just terrible. That said, Lupin the Third Part 5 – 04 was an enjoyable episode, allowing Zenigata to take center stage with Lupin.  As soon as I can get a better connection, I look forward to watching the next episode.