English Dub Review: Lupin the Third Part IV “The End of Lupin III”

“Great artists are like great thieves, they both know how to steal people’s souls.

Overview (Spoilers Below)

After the arrest of Lupin the III, he has been placed in a maximum security prison and placed on death row. Not only that but he has 100 security guards assigned to just him. The plot of this episode revolves around Lupin trying to escape from captivity. He’s been in captivity so long that his hair has grown out and he’s sporting a beard. He actually looks like a mash-up of Goemon and Jigen. After being transferred to the ultimate lock-up, and with Inspector Zenigata constantly keeping watch, Lupin sees the pointlessness of his situation and actually stops eating and gives up his will to live. It’s sad really. The once charismatic and energetic Lupin has been reduced to nothing but a captive, a shell of his former self. He looks pitiful! Even Inspector Zenigata is torn between his civic duty and his want for Lupin to live. To make things more interesting, Goemon, Jigen, and Fujiko seem to be even more preoccupied with living their own lives and have not even made a single attempt to save Lupin from his fate of wasting away in a cell. How will Lupin get out of this one? Will he get out of this situation?

This episode is depressing to watch as Lupin wastes away in his cell. The interesting thing is that Inspector Zenigata actually starts to question if it was even worth it? It’s like Zenigata actually enjoyed the thrill of having to keep up with and trying to outwit Lupin, and he realizes that there will never be another criminal like Lupin the III. When Lupin asks for one last cigarette, as he feels the embrace of death upon him, Lupin and Zenigata share a moment. It truly feels like the end of Lupin the III. With the sound of a dead-weight *thud*, Lupin’s thin and malnourished body hits the floor one final time. I could truly feel Zenigata’s dilemma and wasn’t surprised when the old man shed a tear for his most worthy rival while vowing to bury him in a grave worthy of his name. I never thought that Lupin would go out like this – alone in a cell without so much as an acknowledgment from his crew – and I’m certain that Inspector Zenigata also feels a great twinge of remorse. The entire time I was watching this episode I kept waiting for Zenigata have a change of heart, to open the air right cell door and let Lupin go, coming to an agreement that Lupin would keep thieving away, while Zenigata kept pursuing the notorious thief – the two caught in an endless game of cat and mouse. Yes, at one point, Zenigata even realizes that he needed Lupin because catching Lupin had been his greatest goal and given his life a meaning. It was like watching two rivals come face off one final time, only to realize that even though they were one different side of the playing field, they had many fond memories of each other and there was a mutual respect between the two. I’m almost certain that without Lupin, Zenigata would retire, only to spend the rest of his days filled with regret for actually catching Lupin and probably take his death even harder than Goemon, Jigen, Fujiko or even Rebecca. With cameos from all the characters we have run into this season, even Agent Nyx, this episode is one for this history books. Lupin the III truly is something special.

Our Take
This episode was kind of tough to watch, but that’s not because it was a bad episode nor the end of Lupin the III. It was tough to watch because Lupin literally tried every trick in the book that he could to escape and none of them worked, as Zenigata was able to see through his tricks and disguises. Yes, there was even some humor mixed in as well, which was great and helped balance the overall depressing feeling of this episode. I must give it to the writers, as the quote from the beginning of the episode rings true. “Great artists are like great thieves, they both know how to steal people’s souls”.  The artists behind this show are just as great of artists as Lupin is a thief. For an episode where the majority of the plot takes place inside a jail cell, this episode was very entertaining and this episode has its funny moments as well as its sad ones. Overall I was left with a feeling of peace when the credits started rolling. I am totally ok with how this episode finished and this was a great episode – a must-see for any fan of Lupin III, the greatest thief in the world. But don’t take my word for it, see it for yourself. This episode really makes you appreciate Lupin the III and his genius.

SCORE
9/10