Lupin the 3rd: Part 1 22
ルパン三世
Lupin III Episode 22

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis

Zenigata’s boss has Mr. Gordon of the FBI come to Japan to show off the latest, crime-fighting computer technology. Zenigata is not impressed. However, they bait Lupin by publicly announcing how this computer will nail him. Lupin takes the bait and announces he’s going to steal a cash shipment from an armored train that evening. Mr. Gordon gives this information to the computer. As such, the computer lays out what Lupin will do. The police commissioner instructs the reluctant Zenigata to follow the plan the computer lays out.

Lupin, Jigen, and Goemon start working on Lupin’s plan, which precisely follows what the computer predicted. When they get the train stopped, Jigen and Goemon question why Zenigata hasn’t acted, since he’s part of the train’s security detail. Lupin isn’t worried. However, hearing noises from the tied up guards causes them to break from the computer’s prediction. Zenigata uses this to spring into action, arresting Goemon and Jigen, though Lupin escapes.

Zenigata is chastised for not following the computer script. The computer now predicts how Lupin will come to save his companions. The commissioner orders Zenigata to follow the computer’s instructions precisely. Again, Lupin follows the computer’s prediction, impersonating Mr. Gordon and ordering Jigen and Goemon transferred. Zenigata knows this is Lupin, but is not allowed to arrest him. As such, Zenigata does what the faux Mr. Gordon says. However, Lupin decides to be spontaneous, fooling the computer and allowing him to break Jigen and Goemon free.

Thoughts/Review

I gotta say, Lupin the 3rd: Part 1 22 was pretty fun to me. I rather enjoyed seeing Lupin’s arrogant attitude come back and bite him in the rear. As such, Jigen and Goemon get arrested and thrown in jail. In the end, Lupin’s act of spontaneity caused the computer prediction to fail. I did find it interesting that the notion of computers predicting crime ahead of time featured in this episode. But then the original The Minority Report novella came out in in the 50s. Of course there, mutants were plugged into technology to predict crime ahead of time. Here, it is just a super computer, but the outcome is the same.

The really interesting element is that Zenigata was right in his assessment. Sure, had Zenigata followed the first script, they may have easily nailed everyone. But in the second script, Zenigata knows that the Mr. Gordon he’s dealing with is actually Lupin. But his boss refuses to let Zenigata to act. After all, the computer’s infallibility is at stake here. And because of this, Lupin foils the computer and everyone else.

I wish that they’d allowed Zenigata to be smart enough to realize Lupin broke the computer’s prediction. Or rather, have Zenigata use his instincts to be better prepared for alternate outcomes. However, after the “beating” he took over following his instincts earlier, I suppose it is only natural that he decide to just follow the computer script. But it would have been more interesting had Zenigata come close to nabbing Lupin after Lupin got off the computer’s predicted path.

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

In the end, I found Lupin the 3rd: Part 1 22 to be pretty fun. Not perfect by any stretch, but fun nevertheless.