Lupin III Part III 01 — Lupin gets a call from Fujiko to come to San Francisco because she has a lead on Al Capone’s missing treasure. Apparently, he baked the secret of the treasure’s location onto five tiles he made while in prison. In San Francisco, Fujiko and Lupin are out to find the tiles held by Chin Kai in Chinatown. Inspector Zenigata is on their case and pursues. Criminal Star-Mo grabs Lupin and Chin Kai’s gang grabs Fujiko. Star-Mo learns how difficult it is to hold Lupin in check but after some crazy driving where a bomb attached to Lupin’s chair could go off, Lupin tells what he knows about the titles. Lupin is rescued by Jigen who disarms the bomb. Fujiko is stripped in an attempt to find the titles. Star-Mo comes with them, but they find they have six tiles. Only one is real and Fujiko is soon rescued by Goemon. The gang heads to Alcatraz where they find the other real tiles in Capone’s original cell. Defeating Chin Kai’s thugs and eluding Zenigata, they discover the secrets of the titles and dive to the north of the Golden Gate Bridge to find the treasure.

Well, I can certainly see why this TV series is considered the weakest of the lot. I honestly felt like I was watching Scooby Doo at times. The weird thing was that they never actually showed Lupin getting the treasure.

Pumpkin Scissors 12 — As Oland and Ored look for clues about Alice’s abductions, the newspaper reporter Dalton returns to the Pumpkin Scissors HQ. The captain, Stekkin, and Machs are reluctant to let him in until his remarks about the death of Dr. Colts, the father of the tank. A flashback shows Captain Hunks with the female who’s involved with the Invisible 9 project. Back in the present, as Hunks and Dalton talk, Alice arrives, having been let go by her captors. Dalton leaves and gives the false impression to Oland and Ored that he knows nothing of Alice so they are surprised to see her when they enter their HQ. At a local bar, Cecile (leader of the group that kidnapped Alice) talks with Dalton. Her allies Bruno and Rick are eager for her to sell the manuscript that could blow the lid off the corruption in the government and expose the secret human weapon’s project like the Invisible 9. She doesn’t want to sell, but Bruno and Rick knock her out to give the papers to Dalton. Dalton’s editor is happy to have the papers but acts cautiously. Meanwhile, Cecile confronts Alice while Bruno and Rick are assassinated in an alleyway. After treating Cecile’s wounds, she, Alice, and Oland confront Dalton again. Alice explains why what he is doing is wrong but he too is assassinated. Alice and Oland fight the assassin, who upon being bested by Oland, takes his own life. Back at the newspaper office, the editor claims to have lost the manuscript and Cecile soon learns of Bruno’s and Rick’s death. Elsewhere, two mysterious figures discuss the people being ready for a post-war world.

Thoughts: This isn’t a bad series, but it isn’t great either. Even after 12 episodes, it still hasn’t really gripped me, even though there are interesting things.

Ah! My Goddess: Sorezore no Tsubasa 23 (OAV 01) — After waking from a premonition dream, Keiichi is greeted by Belldandy. She has found the diary of his grandfather, Hotarunosuke-san complete with a picture of his grandfather as a young man with a young woman. Urd and Skuld see a treasure map and want to explore, but get vetoed by Keiichi. However, Keiichi gets overridden when the Motor Club comes by and the group uses his grandfather’s place in the country to train. Inside the western house, Bell and Urd notice something wrong, but are put off when they are greeted by Honda Chieko, an attractive maid who happens to be a shinentai. She seems to know Keiichi and calls him “Morisato-sama,” much to the disgust of Ootaki and Tamiya and Skuld. Chieko isn’t happy K1 doesn’t remember her and doesn’t care much for Belldandy. But she prepares meals for everyone and a party ensues. K1 slips away at some point and Chieko follows. In a bedroom, she produces the picture of Hotarunosuke-san and herself and tries to get K1 to remember a promise made. Urd and Belldandy come to K1’s rescue and Belldandy gets Chieko to tell her the story. Turns out, K1’s grandfather had promised to drive Chieko around the lake on a Brough Suprier bike, and that bike is on the premise. K1 repairs the bike after Chihiro-san puts Ootaki and Tamiya in check. He then keeps his grandfather’s promise, allowing the shinentai to leave Earth. He puts the bike back in storage (to the chagrin’s of Ootaki and Tamiya) and tells Belldandy what he’d do if she left him for a long period of time. She promises not to make him wait that long.

Thoughts: I always loved this chapter in the manga because it was sweet on one hand, but also showed what Belldandy (and even Urd) would do if K1 got into trouble. The adaptation of the manga chapter is pretty good, save for Bell and Urd flashing their powers in front of the entire Motor Club (but they were drunk, ANB!). I never have liked the anime writers constant need to have the megami flash their powers in public or in front of crowds.