Lupin the 3rd: Part III 20
Lupin III Part 3 20
ルパン三世 – Part III Ep. 20

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis

Lupin and Jigen see Fujiko on TV, supporting AZUMAYA Onihei at his press conference. Fujiko pays Lupin a visit and requests he steal a specific painting. Lupin does what she requests, but back at his hideout, he has the painting scanned and run through the computer. The computer returns an image of a man Lupin eventually recognizes as Mamushidayu (Viper the Swindler). Mamushidayu once conned Lupin into stealing a diamond, then kept it for himself.

Lupin finds Mamushidayu’s mansion, where the man and Fujiko make out. However, his attempt to scale the cliff fails. As such, Jigen flies him over in a plane to parachute in. Unfortunately for Lupin, Mamushidayu catches him. However, he denies he was ever Mamushidayu and challenges Lupin to prove otherwise.

Zenigata pays a visit to Onihei since Lupin had been there. At the same time, Zenigata has evidence that Onihei murdered someone. When Zenigata shows the image and warrant, Onihei denies it, saying his face looked different at the time of the murder. Indeed, Onihei’s name was actually Mamushidayu. When pressed, Mamushidayu gives up the location of the diamond to Zenigata. On cue, Fujiko enters and Lupin reveals he was disguised as Zenigata.

The crew fly to the island, but Mamushidayu makes it first and activates the anti-aircraft defenses. Lupin makes a ground assault of the tower with the diamond and defeats the various types of fighters on each floor. At the top, Mamushidayu activates the tower top to become a helicopter. Lupin defeats Mamushidayu, takes the diamond, and gets picked up by the crew in the plane.

Thoughts/Review

Man, Lupin the 3rd: Part III 20 is another one of those nonsensical stories. Things just happen, not only because the plot demands it, but because “reasons”. Some con man apparently gets plastic surgery to change his appearance from that of a moron to an intelligent person. Not only that, but it changes his voice as well as his name. All this is done so he can lead a “respectable” life and run an economic organization. Okay, fine.

Rumors come out about this man had a shady past. So he gets Lupin to steal a cheap painting. And now we come to the really stupid part. Somehow, Mamushidayu knows this painting can identify him. But how? Lupin’s computer did identify the image (but not the name) of Mamushidayu, but again, how? Why would this painting prove anything? Mamushidayu and his new Onihei identity don’t look alike. Nothing here makes sense.

I won’t even go into Mamushidayu’s trained lions. That said, since Mamushidayu conned Lupin into stealing a diamond years ago, why the smeg does Mamushidayu have it on some island after all these years? He doesn’t seem like a collector, unlike Lupin. But the plot needs him to prove to “Zenigata” that his current appearance is a fraud. Ugh. Just everything about this episode is confusing and dumb.

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

Let me wrap up my review of Lupin the 3rd: Part III 20 with some final thoughts.

• I’m really tired of the trope where Fujiko offers herself as a prize to Lupin if he’ll do something, only to not follow through at the end of the day.
• Goemon was mostly a cameo character. Jigen didn’t add that much more to the episode. And the real Zenigata was MIA.
• I learned that snakes (vipers) can strip a woman of all her clothes.

In the end, Lupin the 3rd: Part III 20 is a confusing, nonsensical mess with a story that’s quickly forgotten.