Gênero: Action, Adventure, Award Winning, Comedy, Ecchi
Estudio: TMS Entertainment
Sinopse:
Many people are falling prey to a suspicious new religion. Lupin III infiltrates this group, hoping to steal the treasure their leader keeps hidden. There he lays eyes on the beautiful, bewitching woman who has the leader enthralled. This is the story of how fashionable female thief Fujiko Mine first met Lupin III, the greatest thief of his generation.
(Source: ANN)
Nenhum episódio encontrado.
Comentários
SolidPayne
To call Lupin The 3rd important is a severe understatement, it's influenced many anime. Pretty much any western style anime about a bunch of crazy characters going on adventures and getting into trouble owes something to Lupin The 3rd but that does that mean it's still relevant? It's still popular in Japan sure but with how many stagnant specials and how silly it can be, The franchise was started to get pretty stale, it definitely needed a change of pace to keep things interesting. The result was to change Lupin from a cartoony comedy to a gritty Film Noir and to have the main characternot be Lupin but Fujiko Mine and with a great team behind this as well, it had alot going for it but did it pay off or was Lupin just grandpa anime? This answer is most certainly Yes, this thief still get some tricks up his sleeves. They took something goofy and fun and made it something far deeper than that.
Analysis of The Themes and Ideas:
Lupin The 3rd has always been a rebellious anime but it was more literal in the sense that it's about a thief stealing and making fools out of the police but here it's more metaphorical. Everything about this show is contradictory to the norms of what we think anime should be like.
It's was made in 2012 but feels like the 70s, it's a Japanese product that has a very western look and feel to it, most anime fans are use to serial shows while this is mostly episodic, Fujiko Mine herself is a different main character than you would expect to see in an anime, you just don't see many femme fatales as the lead in anime but the show isn't just different for the sake of it, it all fits into the story. You might ask why don't they modernize Lupin the 3rd and make the characters look more modern but that would be missing the point entirely, they're not characters of our time, that's just not who they are.
The whole show is about social outcasts and people's idea of how you should or shouldn't act. It's essentially a "Be yourself" kinda story but done in the least cliche way possible.
Lupin is completely care free, he steals whatever he wants, acts however he wants, whatever Lupin does you can trust him to be him and he's completely at peace with himself in that regard with no regrets. He's the embodiment of what a part of the characters aspire to be: free.
Jigen's the kinda man who probably would've been better off in 1940s New York/Chicago or in the wild west with his gun skills, taking sides of gangs not knowing who or what he should be fighting for if for anything.
Goemon in this anime is not just here because samurai are cool and every action anime set in modern day has to have a samurai like how he use to be, he's a man with a code from a long line of samurai who lives in a time where nobody appreciate his kind anymore
Fujiko herself is someone trying to be free of a past, a past forced upon her by others who want her in their image. She tries to repeal that by showering herself with treasures.
The antagonists represents the societal norms in some way. Either being part of the authority or being controlled by one. Zenigata who was originally the goofy clumsy grump from the other animes has turned into a much more hard-boiled tough guy, he's definitely different from what was done before, he's not always likable but hearing what he says later on in the series, it comes across like maybe he use to be that grump that we all know and love but somewhere along the way, because he wanted to get to the top and be respected so much that he lost his soul and honor to get there. Oscar is completely obedient to Zenigata and is closer to what you would think an anime main character to be like: He's young, androgynous, good looking guy and he's gay which is even better for female anime fans but the only downside really is that he's kinda off his bonkers. The main villains here that are the owl people are all about control, they all dress alike, talk alike and want people to dress, act, and think how they want them to, everything about them is very orderly, they are everything our main characters hate
Story: 9
Much like Cowboy Bebop, this is an episodic series with an overarching story-line and much like Cowboy Bebop, the stand alone episodes play into the themes of the overarching story-line. Almost every episode is about someone trying to control the fate of others or someone trying to break free and stand up for what they want. I also love that there's not a whole lot of action, there's action certainly but there's only action when there needs to be. It's a show that relies on good storytelling and amazing atmosphere to keep you hooked than cheap thrills. Not every episode is a homerun but the overall package is fantastic.
Like I've said the show is done in a much more Film Noir way than in as other Lupin animes (that were more like Oceans 11 meets Spy vs Spy) with lots of deep blacks, people falling in and out of love, death, corruption, and of course the classic Femme Fatale, it's all great stuff. Frank Miller wishes he could do a Film Noir about sexuality and visuals as good as this
Some have complained about alot of the nudity in this show and that is something to keep in mind when you watch this, I don't mind because that's just part of Fujiko's character. She uses sex as a weapon and really she seems to feel more alive and like her true self when she's nude than when she's in clothes which again that would play a big part of the idea of not being what other people think you should be. You might think that I'm looking for excuses to defend fanservice but consider that the writer and director of this anime are both women, I think it's safe to say that there's more to it than that especially since the director Sayo Yamamoto is the same woman who gave us Michiko To Hatchin, it's clear from that alone that she knows how to do female characters (she is a woman after all).
If there was one complaint I would have with the story (and it's a minor one) is that it does become a little hard to fellow towards the ending, there's alot of explaining going on and it can be hard to keep track of especially if you're watching it with subtitles but aside from that I have no real problems with the story and I do love the atmosphere and feel of the last 3 or so episodes, it has a very Pierrot Le Fou from Cowboy Bebop vibe to the whole thing.
Visuals and Animation: 10
The animation I will admit isn't always the best. Sometimes it looks great but there are moments where it can be pretty stiff but to me, you can forgive alot in the animation department (which isn't even that bad anyway) if you have the art to back it up and man that's where the visuals truly stand out. One thing I think makes Sayo Yamamoto stand out is that unlike other anime directors that have made western style animes, she doesn't seem to take her inspirations from much American source material where as alot of western style anime have a very American feel to them. She doesn't do that, Michiko To Hatchin had a very City of God brazialian feel to it and A Woman Called Fujiko Mine has much more European feel than American.
That's the best way I can describe to you the imagery of this show without just plain showing you because my god this is seriously one of the most beautiful looking animes I've ever seen. I've said Film Noir alot but even that doesn't quite sum up up how this show looks, you can take a snap shot of almost any scene in this anime display it in an art museum, it's just that great to look it, it's very abstract. If the music in Cowboy Bebop is considered a character in that show than that same would have to go with the art of this show. Much like the show itself, the art style feels very familiar but is very fresh at the same time.
Characters: 10
I've dived into what these characters are about but how are their personalities themselves? It's Lupin The 3rd, in other words I love these characters just like I've always have.
Lupin is as funny, clever, and is as much of a jack ass as he always is and I love him for it.
Jigen is just as bad ass as ever if not more so here and continues to be my favorite character of the entire franchise.
Goemon is done best here than I've ever seen him done before, like I said before there wasn't much to him in other entries of the franchise outside of just being a bad ass samurai, here there's alot more to him than that.
Fujiko makes a good anti hero, she's certainly not boring and thankfully she never does that "woe is me, feel sorry for me" crap. She never becomes a flat out good person but there's a tiny part of her that thinks maybe she could but it just never works out that way, I like characters like that.
This Zenigata like I said certainly an interesting take on the character, I do miss the old one because he was funny and I felt sorry for him but that Zenigata wouldn't have worked here in this gritty stylized crime anime and Oscar... Oscar's just a creep, sure there's an episode where they get into his back story but the conclusion to all that makes me pity him more than feel sorry for him.
Other than Oscar, they're classic Lupin characters with a twist. There's a reason why these characters have been around for so long and why people continue to cosplay as them to this day cause they're just so damn likeable and cool
Sound: 10
It seems to me that any anime with an western flare to it is gonna sound better in English (Anything Shinchiro Watanabe, Trigun, Baccano!, Black Lagoon, Panty and Stocking, Hellsing Ultimate) and here is no exception because while the Japanese version is good. The funimation dub is fantastic and everyone is cast perfected (Also watching it dubbed makes the ending easier to fellow). Ever since the Pioneer dub of Lupin iii Part 2 Michelle Ruff has proven to me that she is Fujiko and while I miss Tony Oliver especially when Fujiko and Lupin were talking, Sonny Strait plays a great Lupin in his own right. Christopher Sabat when he did Jigen in the past I felt sounded too forced with his tough guy voice but he had finally perfected the character, he gives a smoothness to the role while still sounding like a bad ass and Mike McFarland does a good job as Goemon, keeping his voice stoic without being a bore. Richard Epcar does a great job with giving just the right tone with making Zenigata sound tough, he really does sound like he could stand up to guys like Humphrey Bogart or Robert Mitchum (although I found it so weird that Richard has played Jigen, Goemon, and now Zenigata. How odd is that to have played have of the Lupin The Third cast now?)
The music was produced by Shinichiro Watanabe and composed by Naruyoshi Kikuchi and while not quite as memorable as Yuji Ohno's music. It certainly does sound cool and it gets the job done, makes you feel like you're watching a slick but gritty crime movie. One of my favorite pieces isn't really music, it plays during a flashback of Fujiko's child hood and it's these weird electronic sounds, it's very unsettling
Enjoyment: 10
It's been a while since I've seen not only an anime with hard boiled film noir elements but it's been a while since I've seen anything Lupin this good since Episode 0: First Contact and the 2nd Tv series of Lupin The 3rd. This was exactly what the series needed. It's quite ironic that a reboot (for lack of a better word) of such an old franchise is one of the freshest animes I've seen in a long time. Sure, I've mentioned some problems here and there but they're so minor that who cares anyway and yeah this certainly isn't going to appeal to everyone (Hell, it even took me a little while for this anime to grown on me) but that just makes it more special to me. I don't want something to appeal to everyone, you try doing that and you appeal to nobody. You gotta have you mind set and tell the story you wanna tell and that's exactly what they did here. I can't give this more than the overall rating I'm about to give it
Overall: 10
ggultra2764
The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is certainly not standard Lupin III fare. Rather than the comical and over the top antics you would expect of Lupin and his group as they steal and outwit Zenigata, the humor here is more subdued and the series has a darker, more serious and mature feel to it. Fujiko finds herself the main attraction of this series as the first half to this series is prominently focused on her tackling different thefts while encountering Lupin, Goemon and Jigen individually and the second half features the four being caught up in the activity of a mysterious organization that Fujiko appearsto have past ties with. The series appears set up as a prequel of sorts considering Jigen and Lupin don't know about one another and team up until later in the show, as well as Goemon hardly interacting with the two in this series. The four do maintain their memorable character traits in this series, though Fujiko tends to get nude quite often in this series and Zenigata is more of a traditional hard-boiled detective in this series than his usual bumbling, Lupin-obsessed comic relief provided in earlier iterations of the franchise. Zenigata also carries in toll a new character in the form of a young assistant named Oscar who is an occasional nuisance in Fujiko's thefts as he tries to apprehend her and has his back story fleshed out in later episodes.
While the first half of this series is standard Lupin III fare, while more prominently focused on Fujiko, the highlight for the series for me comes in the form of its second half which features a more linear storyline when said mysterious organization comes into play. The group have their identities concealed in bird masks and apparently have some type of mysterious past connection with Fujiko. This particular story element is quite effective in messing with one's perceptions of what you assume is going on with Lupin and his group, especially as more details on the organization's illicit activities come to light and come to learn that not all is what it would seem on the surface. I won't spoil the major elements of this plot, but all I will say is that the ending comes across as quite the surprising shocker yet makes sense once you put together the elements of the organization revealed from earlier episodes. The only rough element to this new storyline was the unclear resolution of the fates of Zenigata and Oscar when they become entangled in the mess involving the organization.
The animation style to The Woman Called Fujiko Mine sticks out quite a bit as well compared to past Lupin III works. Anyone who seen Redline may notice similarities in the drawing styles used for scenery and character designs here in this series. This isn't a coincidence as two of the major figures behind making Redline, Sayo Yamamoto and Takeshi Koike, contribute their talents in the unique animation style used for The Woman Called Fujiko Mine. Scenery and character designs are drawn with a pastel-like feel as color tones are quite subdued and there is frequent use of pattern-like designs used to blend in with a number of scenery and character designs. The character designs are well-detailed and the memorable designs of Lupin characters are retained here, all the way down to Lupin's green dress coat worn during the original first series from the early 1970s. Action scenes are well-animated featuring fluid movement in many instances and have great choreography coming from gunplay and even the swordplay used by Goemon.
Overall, The Woman Called Fujiko Mine made for perhaps the best offering I've seen from the Lupin III franchise thus far. It still retains the basic elements of the franchise's premise and characters while creating a more mature series in its prominent focus on Fujiko's exploits and its dark, mind-bending second half when focusing on Fujiko's connections with the mentioned organization. The series certainly won't be for everyone if they are expecting the typical comical antics of the Lupin III franchise. But if you are looking for something different with the franchise, The Woman Named Fujiko Mine should be a worthwhile gem for you.
Cardinyan
I'm going to say this from the start: Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is, to me, an absolutely outstanding piece of art. I'll also say this: this review is gonna be unbelievably pretentious. Sorry :p. It's probably not unfair to say that a lot of people, if not most people, watch anime primarily for straight-up, unadulterated enjoyment - fun, in other words - and this style of anime utterly floods the market. However, every so often there comes an anime or two that break the mold, and these more daring shows are absolutely crucial to reviving such a stagnant medium. I'd like topoint out that I'm not just pontificating about the overabundance of moe girls and fanservice by myself, Miyazaki and Anno have been going on about the "dead End" (Anno) that anime has hit for years. My point is that, while I thoroughly recommend trying this anime, I beg of you, don't expect it to conform to your expectations.
Story: I'm going to try and keep this primarily spolier free, but I apologise if a few key details slip through. The story takes place pre-Lupin II (which I have not read, BTW), and centers, for the first time in the franchise, on Fujiko mine, Lupin's primary love interest. The first 9 episodes go through various heists and the stories surrounding them in a very film noir fashion; it's a very artful, but traditional action show, much in the style of Cowboy Bebop. However, at episode 10 it gets weird. WEIRD. A lot of people were put off by this - when you get to this point, let me assure you that everything is explained, save one detail, but that detail (Oscar's resolution) isn't really that important. Indeed, this is the only thing I can actually call a "flaw" in this anime, aside from perhaps a slightly lacking explanation of how the drugs work (episode 1, not really a spoiler), or a proper reminder when it become relevant again. Still, these are not abject flaws; you might ask why I give it a 9, rather than a 10, since it's so nigh-on-flawless IMHO, but... see the conclusion.
The story is, to me, excellent. it relies of next to no tropes, it references famous operettas and movies (episode 4 is a take on The Phantom of the Opera, there's a later episode that takes from Indiana Jones etc). On top of this, it's original, it's fun, it's everything that a proper, gripping TV series should be.
Art: 10. Glorious. GLORIOUS. I've never seen higher quality, or more suitable, or better utilised art in any anime ever, and I watch all the arty crap. Period. Not only does the dark, gritty, pencil-shaded style add to the noir-esque presentation and vibe that the whole show carries, not least thanks to its soundtrack, it allows the show to shine at every. single. moment. Explosions are lovingly animated, extreme close ups are striking and utterly transparent in terms of their meaning - as an actor myself, I've never, ever seen such good "acting" from animated characters. It's natural, and honestly rivals live-action hollywood for quality. The only word for this, is "artful" not just in the sense of being well drawn, but in the sense that Sayo Yamamoto's direction has such a sense for striking images that it's honestly difficult for me to focus at all times without just gasping at how utterly beautiful bits of this show are. It's clear to see the influence that working with Takeshi Koike (who incedentally did a follow up movie to this show) on REDLINE has had upon Yamamoto. *drools rainbows* 10/10.
Sound: 9. I can't deny that soundtracks are usually my favourite parts of anime, and this one is fabulous. it's used to perfection, and it's utterly intrinsic to one of the most literarily significant aspects of this show - it's connection to previous film styles. While Fujiko Mine is definitely rooted in the noir-esque detective genres, primarily seen in the late 50's, it specifically hones in on the French new Wave.
[Pretentious bit, feel free to skip] On top of having an almost truffau-ian preoccupation with running and movement, the soundtrack specifically references the works of Alain Resnais, specifically Last Year At Marienbad. I told you it was gonna get pretentious. LYAM is famous for being creepy - it has a constant baroque organ playing in the background, even when it doesn't match the diegetic suonds on screen at all, and this helps add a real sense of paranoia to the film as the viewer tries to make sense of the conspiracies within it; in episode ten of Mine, when it starts to get WEIRD, and when you begin to doubt everything rational about the show (and when a lot of people dropped it) this organ comes in. In the following episodes, the jazz is swapped out for organ music - throughout, the atmosphere is reflected and counterpointed by the soundtrack in a fashion so subtle but also totally intrinsic tot he show that i can only describe it as MASTERFUL. Honestly, I'd love to write an essay comapring this series to the new wave but y'all are here for anime so I'm gonna stop. Trust me, it's really cool. [pretentious bit over]
So why isn't sound a ten? Alas, it doesn't have a memorable tune to it - take My Neighbour Totoro or Princess Mononoke. Both films have one recurring melody that, while utilised in different ways, really sticks with the listener and becomes inextricable from the climactic scenes; you're left humming the songs for days after, and this helps the films' emotional climaxes resonate more. Lupin's music is not designed to be like that, of course, and it's use is, to me, utterly perfect, but it doesn't have the same lasting impact, so... not a ten. Not quite. So close.
Character: 10. Every character is fully developed. No tropes, no cliches, and the sexual nature of the show is completely separate from any ideas of "fanservice". When fujiko is shown having sex... she's not really shown having sex. instead, you see symbols of sex. he camera doens't take the usual approach of sexualising her body or emphasising ridiculous assets. She has those, and indeed spends a lot of time naked, but the camera doesn't ogle her - it's sexual, but not sexualised. ultimately, it's nudity in anime that isn't innately sexist. WHY CAN'T EVERYTHING BE LIKE THIS?. Every side character, no matter how minor, is full of life and character, and the lack of anime tropes is so totally refreshing. There's a character with no lines, and about 8 minutes total screentime - I ruminated on her situation for hours after watching because of how deeply affecting her character arc was. I've rarely, if ever, seen better developed characters in a TV show, aside from maybe in the works of Masaaki Yuasa (Ping Pong, Tatami galaxy). If you like this, go watch his stuff ASAP.
Enjoyment: 10. I'm going to say something contentious here - this show is what Bebop aspired to be. Bebop is a great show, beloved by many, and I'm NOT saying it's better or worse than this, but the themes it employed - jazz backing, noir-esque atmosphere, conspiracy and crime, are all taken much, much further here. The show's later-on obsession with drugs, and the way this is used to screw with you as you watch it - is one of the most ballsy moves to come out of anime since... ever. Honestly, this show feels more like the spearhead to an art/cinematic movement than it feels like an anime.
Overall: 9. Why a 9, not a ten? Other than the 1 unexplained detail... it's not for everyone. There are things I would change, bits where there might have been more humour or more explanation, but nothing that's really a flaw, if you're paying attention. That said, a lot of people will find it pretentious, and I can;t blame them. A lot will find it hard to follow at times - it is. That said, if you're even remotely interested in Anime as an art form, rather than just as a mode of enjoyment, please, I BEG you, watch this show (and then go watch Ping Pong The Animation). If you just want fun, then i'd honestly recommend not watching this. It's fun, don't get me wrong, but if you come into this show with any expectations at all based off regular anime, you'll be confused, disappointed and the show won't be given the chance it deserves to WOW you like it should do.
Taufiq91
I'm conflicted over this anime. For starters, it's an excellent take on Lupin III with beautiful art and a darker storyline, and had an interesting crew consisting of a SHAFT/Gainax freelancer, a KyoAni art director, Dai Sato and Shinichi Watanabe. On the other hand, it has a messy and pretentious story that kinda killed the "mystique appeal" of Fujiko Mine, added some unnecessary characters and is cluttered with bad writing by one of the biggest hacks in anime (And yes, i'm talking about Mari Okada). The story of this Lupin III series is all about Fujiko Mine, and how she became to be that one hotchick you see in every Lupin III anime from the past 4 decades. You also see her trying to rob things and steal stuff but who cares.
It's basically Lupin III meets "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego" with a sprinkle of Black Rock Shooter.
The story is quite a mess. The first 5 episodes have that sense of humour of the typical Lupin III story. And that's fine.
But then, they just have to add that fucking annoying and unnecessary "DEEP" crap and turn Fujiko into an Asuka clone. And i'm not talking of making Fujiko a tsundere. I'm talking about them turning Fujiko into a post-mental breakdown suffering of a woman. And yes, i hated that part. Why?
Because it's unnecessary and pretty killed the character for me. Fujiko was made to be a mysterious figure of lust and envy, and to add something that's the opposite of the two pretty much killed that. I don't want to know about her past. I want to see her as the sex bomb figure of tension that she is.
Also, the worst thing about the story are the flashbacks of Fujiko's childhood. It's messy and gives away nothing that would make understand her. It's just padding at its worst and i hated that.
I understand the need to go dark. Hell, i loved Casino Royale and Batman Begins for offering a gritty take on their respective franchises. But you don't make it to a point where you kill the appeal of the character. It's one reason the Star Wars Prequels don't work. You don't try and be edgy to the point of butchering what makes the characters likable.
And all of these can pretty much be blamed on Mari Okada. You can tell that all the "Deep & Dark" flashback trauma crap is handled by her. Hell, episode 11 has her shit all over it. And i fucking hated it. It reminds me of everything i hated about Black Rock Shooter. Who gave this woman more work? We kicked Shyamalan hard for butchering The Last Airbender and Akiva Goldman got cockpunched for Batman & Robin, and yet she's getting away with this?
And besides Fujiko III, you see the return of the well-loved Arsene Lupin, the samurai wonder Goemon, the sharp-eyed Jugem and the bumbling Interpol agent Zenigata. And they added another main character named Oscar who's Zenigata's assistant and obviously gay for the Inspector. And to me, he's pretty pointless because he brings nothing to the story, and he makes me ask "Is this franchise really desperate of a new following that they need to add a character made for a fujoshi fanbse?" Seriously, he's just there for the fabulous.
But those are the bad parts, so now, here's the good parts!
The art is excellent.It feels like moving palettes rather than animation and has an excellent colour scheme of sorts. It's clearly influenced by Western animation and it's more colourful than the other stories in Lupin III, which is a contrast to the dark storyline.
The sound's nice. In terms of music, it's clearly the jazzy orchestra type of music you'd expect from a Shinichi Watanabe production. It's nice and i enjoyed the score as it reminds me of music by Anton Karas. I'm surprised that the score wasn't composed by Yoko Kanno, because it feels like one. And thus, i think the composer did an excellent creating a score influenced by Yoko Kanno.
And the voice acting's pretty nice as you have the original seiyuus for Lupin and Jigen(Kanichi Kurita and Kiyoshi Kobayashi), whereas Fujiko is now voiced by the talented Miyuki Sawashiro while Goemon is voiced by the excellent Daisuke Namikawa. The legendary Kouichi Yamadera now voices Zenigata and Oscar is voiced by Yuki Kaji. All of them provides excellent voice acting and i'm impressed the most by Sawashiro as she is able to weigh in and sound as good as her predecessor, Eiko Masuyama.
All of these good points provide a counter-balance to the ridiculously terrible storyline. You have all of these elements of music and animation that brings more to the anime than the story itself. And surprisingly, the Lupin and Jigen scenes managed to be more enjoyable than the Fujiko scene and that is also a good point about this series.
Overall, Lupin the Third: Mine Fujiko to Iu Onna is a conflicted series with a flawed story, but makes up for it with the music, animation and giving space to Lupin, Jigen and Goemon. If you're a Lupin III fan and its core, then you will like this. But if you haven't seen any of the Lupin III series before, then go watch the original series alongside Castle of Cagliostro and maybe one of the other OVAs like Fujiko's Unlucky Days which is also similar to this anime.
And to end this review, here's Tom Jones singing It's not Unusual, because i really love Tom Jones:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrwO8b9iq34&feature=related
AnimeObasan
I've rewatched this several times to get a better perspective and open my opinion. Woow! As any Lupin franchise fan knows, the history of the characters is volatile and trying to make any one back story canon will make your head explode. That said, I think this series has possibly the best back story for the characters. CHARACTERS: Fujiko has never been one of my favorite characters. I think Jigen and I share the same opinion of her. But her meeting with the main characters (in this series at least) is great. First there was the Lupin episode (what happens at the end of thatone, the start of their relationship was pretty neat), then the Jigen episode, then the adorable Goemon episode, and then OMG WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH ZENIGATA! STOP IT!
Ok, I am a big Zenigata fan and I wade into each series or special wondering if this will be a "Zenigata the Fool" special or "Zenigata the Badass Detective" special. This one is happily the latter. His appearance is upped, which is neat considering the others seemed exaggerated in the opposite direction. At one point Jigen's beard is so distorted that it's almost touching the brim of his hat. On the other hand, Zenigata looks almost...bishie. I don't think his assistant was the only one to swoon over him thanks to that. And his character development was so different than a lot of the series. He never loses his cool, and seems to be really on his game.
The characters here are changed a bit from the anime norm. But that's a good thing. Sit down and try to binge watch ALL the Lupin series, then the specials and movies, and now the new stuff. The early stuff was a bit heavier, including some of the specials. This show, however, opens up new meeting possibilities and changes not the characters, but the way the world sees them and the way they see themselves. Fujiko, for instance, couldn't care less about who sees her nude. She's overly secure in who she is. Then there's Zenigata, the older but still very attractive inspector. This seems a deviation from the normal bumbling officer fare from most other Lupin. We even get a new cop, Oscar, who is similar to Melon Cop in the manga, but definitely not the same character. This series, of all the Lupin series, is the closest to the manga. Depending on what you like about the franchise, this may or may not be a good thing.
SOUND: Great voice actors. We've got the English dub's usual Lupin voice (the one used for all the specials, NOT the awesome Red Jacket version), a decent Goemon, a great Fujiko, and...the Red Jacket version's Jigen as Zenigata. That was a weird change. 100 episodes and they just randomly switch voice actors?
Another thing that bugged me was that Lupin dubs can't seem to decide on which pronunciations they want for the names. Lu-pin (like a needle) or Lu-pin (like the French way). Same goes for Fujiko's last name: Mine. Is it Mi-ne (with the Japanese pronunciation) or Mine (like "Youre mine)? This becomes an issue when Fujiko flat out tells Goemon her name isn't Maria, it's Fujiko Mi-ne (Japanese pronunciation) and he responds by making it clear he's interested in her. He says: "Mine...Fujiko." (Mine as the "You're mine") That scene was ruined by the dual pronunciation.
Another highlight AND lowpoint of this show was the music. It tried WAY too hard to be artsy. I was downright disgusted with the opening. But the rest of the music was fantastic, Goemon's theme in particular, that flutey sound that has become as iconic for me as the main Lupin theme.
ANIMATION: My original reaction was that the animation was BAD! AWFUL! But they put so much attention into that strange animation method. Besides that, there are some slick movements, and attention to detail that you just don't see in "prettier" shows. As for the art style (I've gotta say something about it), it took me a lot of getting used to. It's extremely reminiscent of the original TV series and pays some serious homage to the manga. Which, if you go into it open minded, is a good thing. It doesn't try to be a new thing the way Green vs. Red did (and failed at). It screams, "I am old school and proud of it!" and then throws some boobs in your face.
SabryChan
Lupin the Third: Mine Fujiko to Iu Onna, in my opinion is one of the best remake ever. The style, the characters are very well done in this versio. I haven'tseen the 70s version but I think this version is more near to the manga than the original. The plot was really interesting, everything in this anime was perfect in my opinion. There should be more anime with this style, because they are very enjoyable.
ShikabaneFan82
This is my first review so I'll try my best for you guys. This is me editing my incomplete review after I have finished this AMAZING series. So like I said before Lupin the Third was a childhood favorite and something I have always loved. The high expectations I had for this anime were completely met 10 fold. I expected nothing less from a Lupin anime series. This series is way more serious than anything I've ever seen from any Lupin series or movie. It has funny moments but it doesn't focus on comedy as much as the original series did. I enjoyed that aboutthis series. The fact that it was way more serious made me love it even more. I actually prefer the seriousness of the comedy version.
Story (9/10) - I think the story is very good especially near the end where everything is fully explained. I loved the depth they were giving to Fujiko throughout the series so it didn't seem like she was just Fujiko Mine the thief. The story revolved around her and it also did a great job of making everyone else matter even though the main focus of the story was her. The last 2 episodes were absolutely amazing. I loved that the show wasn't just about her or them stealing and that it actually had a full on story line to it. Again the story was great especially for an anime that doesn't really need one. But they gave it one and it was amazing. The execution of how it was told was also great and there's certain parts that had me flipping out.
Art (10/10) - I personally loved the art in this series. It was weird to me at first and I liked it at the same time. The style is so unique and you can tell it was made to look like that so it could give you the feel that you were watching an older series. That's how I felt about it anyway. A newer series that had a very old look and feel. I loved it. Everything was simply beautiful. The opening sequence was one of the sequences I listened to every time not only because of Fujiko's amazing intro but the art was just amazing.
Sound (10/10) - The music for the series was simply amazing. The song "Duty Friend" had me at the edge of my seat every episode because I loved that song so much I couldn't wait to hear it after an amazing episode just ended. Again the opening sequence was amazing also. Now the sound of the anime itself was also great the music they played at certain parts really fit well and made the scenes more enjoyable. The voice acting is amazing also in my opinion I think they were all great. Especially Fujiko, Lupin, & Jigen. The overall sound to me was flawless.
Character (10/10) - I said this during my first review that I grew up with these characters and I was already in love with and this show actually made me realize that I love them even more than I thought I did. They are just great characters. These characters who are usually in a comedy anime are thrown into this serious anime and it still worked and amazing. In my opinion again the seriousness is more enjoyable. Lupin is still his wacky self and I still loved him. Fujiko's character really impressed me on this show. I loved her on the original but my god they made me love her more throughout this series. They gave such depth to her character. Again the characters are amazing.
Enjoyment (10/10) - I loved this series so much. I couldn't wait until the next episode because of how much I loved watching this series. It was really great. I must say this show will be way more enjoyable if you have seen the original series and you already love it. If you don't already love the series you still think this is a good or even great anime. I still think anyone planning to watch this anime should watch the first series first. Lupin will always be one of my favorite series.
Overall (10/10)
JuneNephthys
Let my preface this review by saying that there are facts that make me biased in the case of The Woman Called Fujiko Mine. I have watched many Lupin releases including the original Miyazaki TV series, also know as "green jacket" Lupin, as well as the 155 episode Part II, variably known as "red jacket" Lupin, as well as many of the movies and specials. I have not finished Part III, a.k.a. "pink jacket" Lupin, because the ugly art has given me trouble in caring about it, and I have completed Part IV, a.k.a. Lupin (2015) or "blue jacket" Lupin, so I am a prettywell-versed fan of the Lupin franchise. I know that Fujiko Mine is supposed to an alternate retelling of the original series, but this series is a disgrace and is disgusting in every possible way.
Another point that makes me dislike this show is that I think Sayo Yamamoto's projects are horrendous and trashy. In my opinion, the only good thing that she worked on is Texhnolyze, but she wasn't the lead director on that project. Michiko to Hatchin and Yuri on Ice are both awful series that don't have a direction with narrative and depend on artsy, pretentious-ness and "socially aware" messages to cushion the fall of their failures.
Despite what Tumblr leads you to believe, just because something is representative of other cultures/ethnicities or has the first homosexual marriage announced in it (even though, not true, technically Kyou Kara Maou had a homosexual proposal before), doesn't make it a good series. I often find that people are victims to internet communities and hype, so much so that they refuse to see any of the flaws in something, because there are moments that they like. Moments don't make a story, something called a cohesive narrative does.
Allow me to begin by saying that the characters are nothing like the original series and are portrayed in crude and offensive ways. Lupin probably is the most accurate portrayal, that was passable.
Jigen being seduced by Fujiko is a big no. In the original continuity, Jigen doesn't like women and especially hates Fujiko with a passion, treating Lupin like an idiot for falling for her. It's completely ludicrous him fall in love with her in this, something in the guise of a prequel.
Goemon isn't believable either, the original series DOES state that he has a weakness for women, and that's practically his Achilles heel, but Goemon has a type. In all of the other variations, he has always gone for the traditional, sweet, and pure type of woman.
In the original continuity, Goemon has even shown disdain for Fujiko being such a vulgar woman, but no, apparently in Yamamoto's brain baby, that just means he wants to sleep with her. Apparently, the show wants you to believe that before Lupin even befriended his gang, before that became a thing, heck, even before Lupin and Jigen's iconic bromance came into fruition, they were all just trying to bang Fujiko? What… the… hell?
And the worse one of them all was Zenigata. In the original, there were a couple of times that Zenigata was tricked because he thought Fujiko was pretty, but the Zenigata I know would never have time for that. In Lupin III Part II, the series makes a substantial deal of letting us know that Zenigata is so obsessed with catching Lupin that that's the only thing he makes time for, he even says that he doesn't have time to bathe or brush his teeth because of his pursuit of Lupin.
And yet he has time to have sex with Fujiko? No, no, no! No! Fujiko has always been the femme fatal, but this portrayal of her and everyone else casts her only as an object to be lusted after, but what the series advertises itself to be is a feminist, "women's empowerment" fantasy (this is feminist in the same way that Twilight is “empowering” for women). The opening is stupid, it’s called "New Wuthering Heights," and has the narrator droning out precocious phrases that try to make this series 3deep5u.
There's nothing that even really indicates that Fujiko is her usual backstabbing self, except for maybe the first couple of episodes. They even write the offensive, psychopathic gay guy (Oscar) to obsessively lust after Fuji-cakes like she's a piece of meat. Even though it originally portrays him as having a thing for Zenigata; it gets mixed up, like all of the other plot points and becomes art for art's sake.
Everyone has sex with her, wants to have sex with her, or wants to be her. Simultaneously, they shame her for having sex. And, I got tired of even hearing her name by the last 4 episodes. If you want to be indoctrinated to believe that being facetious suddenly makes you self-aware then I suppose you would like this hunk of indispensable garbage. Fujiko's personal story isn't even concluded in the end, though heavily alluded to throughout the series.
I wouldn't want this to be anyone's introduction to Lupin, preferably I would want that spot to go to Part I, II, IV, Jigen's Gravestone, or Castle of Cagliostro. I can't even convey how much I hate this series; I would never be friends with anyone who thought this was high art. I give it a 2/10, because the art and animation are superb and I'm a fair critic, but otherwise I would have rated it in the negatives. I wish that The Woman Called Fujiko Mine would have never been added to the Lupin franchise.
artist-retired
"She'll take it all and leave you wanting more," that is a quote I found on the retail box set of the this anime, and that latter half of this quote couldn't be more true. STORY: This is the latest addition to one of Japan's longest running anime franchises, Lupin the Third. This anime attempts to show the series in a new light as something more of a dark and gritty prequel story to the franchise that apparently reveals Fujiko Mine's past. With the spotlight aimed centered on Fujiko Mine, thievery's leading lady in anime. The sexy seductress that steals everything she can finally has herback story split wide open in this heavily stylized and sexy episodic saga, and her latest heist? To steal your time and expectations.
It would be bad to jump straight into the flaws immediately, but I'll say this for now: if you compared this one to the past series, it's ultimately hit and miss for the most part. Instead, I want to stay positive and just talk about the characters first, even if most people into anime should know by now. There's the titular character, not Lupin just yet, Fujiko Mine. A thief who wants nothing more to shower herself in the riches that the world can offer, who's past has been one for grabs for decades. The writer of the overlooked Michiko to Hatchin has decided give it a shot to create one for us to watch unfold... Or maybe not what we're expecting it to unfold.
I'll go into that one in a bit, I still have to talk about the rest of the cast. Obviously there's Lupin himself, a thief who's a thief for the thrill of it-Actually you should know who the hell he is even if you haven't watched any of the series beforehand. He doesn't really have much of a character in this series, rather, he's more like a force of nature, a plot device really. He's still the fun thief we all know and love, he's just appropriately taken a slightly more farther back seat in the story. Although once in a while he steals the spotlight as one would expect a thief of his caliber (Even if it's limelight stolen from the Fujiko herself, the main topic of this particular series).
The rest of the gang is here too, like Daisuke Jigen who is probably the best (My favorite) thing about this anime in my all so humble opinion. Okay, there's some bias in that of course, but he has the most favorable, if somewhat minimal, development in the series and is the most likable by far. Goemon Ishikawa, like Lupin, is also more like a plot device than a character, simply there for conflict and cutting "useless objects." But that's okay, he's not the core focus of the series. And of course, I can't forget Zenigata who has been transformed from bumbling nitwit into a gritty, serious, and even competent police officer. This change isn't bad at all though, just something that fits more with the darker tone of this series.
There's one more character in the cast who gets a lot of spotlight and a lot of the problems with this series. Zenigata's new devoted assistant, Oscar, a strange alien from the world of Yaoi and BL craziness. I'm exaggerating a bit, but he ultimately feels out of place in the world of Lupin the Third, even with the change in overall tone to the series, he'll feel like an invader from the planet Junjou Romantica.
True to the series' nature, Fujiko Mine is mostly an episodic fare but with a underlying plot that ultimately takes over by the end of the anime. These episodes vary from quality that can match with the original series to some unfortunate writing that's connected to the main plot line. If I had to pick out single episodes that I'd recommend to watch alone if you aren't interested in the series as a whole, then episodes 1, 2, 5, 7, and 9 will satisfy your Lupin itch with a new coat of paint (Though episode 9 contains details to the main plot, so you can take or leave that one) which most of them involves Jigen in some way or another. I just don't know, he just brings something to the anime that really clicks with me for whatever reason.
Anyway, my problem with the main plot? Without trying to spoil anything, let me just say that despite this series sells itself as Fujiko's back story, don't expect it fulfill that promise the way you'd expect it to be. That and Oscar.
Oscar seriously feels like he doesn't belong in the series and his character arc goes nowhere! Taking up way too much time that Fujiko could have used for herself. The biggest problem with the series is just how unsatisfying it ends up being, but it's certainly not a waste of time especially because of the those 5 episodes alone. I still recommend watching it and it's still ends up being something special.
ANIMATION/ART: Here is where the biggest difference this series has when compared to the older series. Probably the biggest draw to me this series has for me is that Takeshi Koike is the character designer and animation directer, one of the main forces behind the likes of Redline and he doesn't disappoint at all. Giving the Lupin franchise a brand new look, it is displayed as a stylized work of art with a new gritty and dark edge the series has never known. Especially the 90 sec opener, I couldn't help myself to not skip it and it had become one of my favorite things about this anime. Unfortunately I have to take away two point from a perfect score due to two main flaws: The uneven animation and the absolute redundancy of the Fujiko's nudity. Her nudity isn't done in a way that most ecchi anime flaunt their characters about, it's very artsy at it's best but overdone to the point where you'd think the animators had to fulfill a quota.
SOUND: Possibly the best thing about Fujiko is it's audio department. From the 90 sec spoken only opening (Both in Japanese and English, yes funimation is still dubbing over openings... I guess, it's not sung in either language though), to the catchy ending theme song. There's only ear candy to be had here. Even the english dub manages to impress, with arguably Michelle Ruff's (Rukia from Bleach, Yoko from Gurren Lagann) best performance to date. I'd dare to say it was better than the japanese performance, but that's my own personal preferences talking there. The one deep scratch in this otherwise flawless category is Sonny Strait's Lupin. In this anime, Lupin is much less cartoony and silly (He's still bit of a goofball though) and more dirty, more gritty. But Sonny plays it straight (Pfft) and gives us what we're used to in the original. You'll get used to it eventually, but it's still a lackluster element in the end.
OVERALL:
The Good:
+ A new twist on a familiar franchise.
+ Great episodes that rival with the old Lupin.
+ The gritty new art direction and opening animation.
+ Daisuke Jigen.
+ Just about all of the audio, especially Michelle Ruff's performance as Fujiko Mine.
The Bad:
- The main plot's conclusion.
- Oscar
- The uneven animation.
- Sonny Straight's Lupin.
A single question remains, who asked for Fujiko's past story anyway? I want to know Lupin's a little more, but I'd rather stay away for now in the case that I might get led astray again.
JackCox
Never in my life did I think they could make a serious story out of Lupin the III, and then this came along. If you are expecting the classic Lupin the III series with the same formulaic plot, then to quote Fujiko herself, Cease what you are doing and gaze at me, save for the throwing of your heart. Right away the opening should give you the first clue you are about to enter a very adult story, one charged with sexual energy. It's very interesting to see the changes that have been made to some of the characters, so I'll get into it: The biggest change Inoticed was Zenigata, he's not an idiot in this show, he's actually portrayed quite the opposite, a very tough as nails cop determined to seek justice and not a bumbling moron.
Jigen and Goemon are pretty much the same as the were from the previous incarnations, they are the least changed. Lupin is still his same playful kind of self, but he has a much more serious side in this one as well, this is probably the closest representation to Monkey Punch's Gentleman Thief as there has been on screen.
Of course this show is really about Fujiko Mine and about who she is. Fujiko is one of the sexiest if not the sexiest female anime character ever dreamt up, but what makes her sexy is not just her looks, its the fact that she knows what she wants and she gets it, she is sexual there is no doubt about it, but she's an empowered woman, she doesn't care what others think, she only cares about using whatever means to get what she wants, kind of Machiavellian in a way.
The Animation is simply beautiful, it's got a very comic book like style to it. Takeshi Koike had a big hand in this and so if you are familiar with Redline, you will almost certainly appreciate the look of this series. There are some scenes in later episodes that devolve into surrealism, these scenes while quite disturbing are just amazing to look at.
As for the music, this is an absolute highlight of the series, the soundtrack ranges from upbeat jazz and funk to a beautiful reworking of Bach's Invention of a Minor, and even opera. The soundtrack to this is one of my favorites.
You cannot go wrong with this series, it's one of my favorite series ever made and deserves all the acclaim it's gotten. The only mistake in the entire series may be Episode 7, it is the one episode that seems completely out of place and does not fit with the rest of the series. I'd say almost every episode in this series advances the plot, this one does not. It's a real shame, but it's the truth. Except for that one misstep, this show is pretty much one of the best.
Eastunder
Lupin III is a genuine classic in the world of anime and manga. Originally written and illustrated by Monkey Punch in 1967-1969, it was later adapted into an anime in 1971. It would be the first of several anime and movies that follow the adventures of Lupin III, and would lead to the franchise being one of the most recognizable titles in anime. So what's the series about? It follows the antics of master thief, Arsene Lupin III, as he travels around the world stealing the most valuable and challenging treasures the world has to offer. He's assisted by his allies, Jigen and Goemon, huntedby the determined Inspector Zenigata, and challenged by his ally/rival/kind-of, sort-of, not really, love interest, Fujiko Mine. Fujiko often played the part of damsel in distress and wily seductress. But despite that, she stands out, even today, for her charm, her cleverness, and the fact that she was often the one who got the last laugh. Even now she has her own following of fans and, in 2012, got her own spin-off titled Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine. A prequel to the original Lupin III that brought the series back to its roots (and possibly even more primal) and gave the spotlight to Fujiko instead of Lupin. It was an interesting idea. Giving the leading role to someone aside from Lupin, and Fujiko was a cool enough character. But could she carry her own series? The answer? Absolutely!
The Woman Called Fujiko Mine almost immediately asserts itself as different from the original series though its visuals. The direction was done by Saya Yamamoto, who's best known for directing Michiko to Hatchin, and being one of Shinchiro Watanabe's proteges. The series ambition is clear from the start through its sensual, yet unsettling, opening theme that makes it clear that this series planned to be far more than what we would expect from Lupin III. Filled with dark lines, earth tones, and some rather fantastic imagery, the series comes off as gritty and retro yet artistic. But, Lupin III has never been a completely serious show and, while this series is definitely different in tone, it never truly loses its sense of humor. But instead of overshadowing it, the direction blends with disproportionate character designs, cartoonish movements, and rather fun action scenes to make a series that looks neither stuffy nor silly, but just really cool. The budget doesn't always match up to its ambitions. But it succeeds most the time, and it's always a treat to watch. The only big issue with the visuals, is that they completely outshine the music direction done by Saya Yamamoto's mentor, Shinchiro Watanabe. Watanabe, best known for his work on the classic Cowboy Bebop (which is fitting considering the series seems to go for a Bebop feel, and Lupin III is a big influence on Watanabe) goes for a smooth jazzy feel that sounds good, but never gets the attention it deserves. The only time the music is prominent is during the aforementioned opening theme. Filled with a haunting and growing piano and strings that builds up as though it comes closer to ensnaring you in its clutches (similar to Fujiko herself).
But it's impossible to talk about this series without mentioning just how explicit it is. In just about every episode of the show, we're exposed to Fujiko's bare breasts and butt. This series has no qualms about showing you every square inch of Fujiko (the parts they're allowed to show anyways). But, this should be expected. Sex is a large part of Fujiko's character and image. It's her main weapon and she's not afraid to use it to get what she desires. She's not ashamed of it or her actions, and that's a large part of why the nudity in this show works. Almost all nudity and ecchi out there tries to be sexy, but comes off as gross for how voyeuristic it comes off and often happens at the expense of the character's dignity. Fujiko comes off as sexy (or as sexy as an animated character can get) because her main appeal comes from her charm, and her body is simply used as a means for her to come out on top. Which she has no problems with and even gets a sense of freedom from, giving a strangely empowering message through it. Hell, they even put a clever twist on her nude scenes in the last two episodes, which I can't go into great detail of for fear of spoilers.
To those who are familiar with the never-ending antics of Lupin III, the choice in visuals might seem a little strange. Despite Lupin III's erotic humor and gunfights, the series itself was more like a saturday morning cartoon. Almost always silly and never having an actual plot. Well, the ambition of the show also carries out into the rest of the show. Rather than having a bunch of episodic vignettes, the show goes for an overarching plot to explore the mystery of Fujiko. Not to say the show never goes into the vignettes itself. The first half is filled with creative and silly adventures, such as a hunt for treasure in a pyramid, a samurai taking on military planes with nothing but his sword, and an episode that ends with a cult swimming in a literal sea of drugs and getting high off their asses (Best. Ending. Ever!). But it's all coated in a darker shade and chooses to explore its characters more, wondering what makes them tick, and explaining how they all ended up together to begin with.
However, the characters are also far more gritty than you might remember them. The most notable one is Inspector Zenigata, who was once a pure-hearted, if not bumbling, officer, but is now more corrupted and ruthless, but still contains some noble sense to him. They also add a new character into the mix, Oscar. A prideful yet pathetic Lieutenant to Zenigata, who both despises and envies Fujiko Mine for being and having everything that he desires. Then there's Lupin himself, who's gone from being a womanizing Dennis the Menace with a gun, to being a far more conniving and selfish version of the gentleman thief. It's not a bad character change, and it actually fits the show far better. But it causes some problems for the dub. While almost all the english cast brings a good performance, Sonny Strait was a poorly cast choice for Lupin. While acceptable for a more goofy Lupin, Strait just feels out-of-place in this reimagining, despite him trying his absolute hardest to make it work. It's a good dub overall, but that one aspect is rather unfortunate.
But it's made very clear in the show that all these characters are nothing more than a supporting cast in the tale of Fujiko Mine. So what about Fujiko herself? She's a selfish, somewhat even, vicious thief. Through it's opening theme, a soliloquy spoken by Fujiko's voice actors in each language, she speaks about how wicked she is, and how much joy she gets from it. She entrances you into her world and challenges you. 'Figure me out, if you dare'. She's fun to watch, yet morally reprehensible. She's charming, yet most likely to stab you in the back and make off with all your money. You feel her touch, only to ignore her claws sinking deeper into you. She's dangerous, and yet you can't help but feel drawn into her world. As the show goes on, each character she comes in contact with wonders, who is Fujiko Mine? Though eventually the question becomes, what made Fujiko Mine into the person she is? By the end of the show, every character has their own answer to these questions, based on their own experience with her and point of view on the situation. Yet not even Lupin, who's probably the closest to her, can truly put their finger on what makes her tick. But the answer to those questions the show gives us, is so obvious, and yet so powerfully brilliant, that it'll leave you thinking about the woman called Fujiko Mine for many days to come. Making her possibly one of the best female characters in all of anime.
Yes the show is thematically fantastic. Always visceral and sincere, even at its harshest. The woman they make Fujiko out to be, the numerous situations she gets herself that connect to her character, and, strangely enough, even Fujiko's objectification, all provides for a very powerful and rare feminist message that you would never expect from Lupin III. I'd be ready to call this show an absolute masterpiece. If not for one thing. The plot to this show is really, really, dumb. From the beginning the series hints towards a large mystery, always providing a few visual hints to connect all of it together. The result though is a contrived mess of conspiracies and a wholly excessive amount of owls and butterflies that makes you question what the writers were smoking when they wrote this. Even the vignettes at the beginning of the series aren't safe from criticism, as the two Goemon episodes, written by Dai Sato, are the sole weak episodes of the entire series. Being overly political and taking the spotlight away from Fujiko, but resulting in no new development for Goemon's character. But by the end of the show, you're presented with two major twists involving Fujiko's past that almost makes you think the entire thing was pointless. Until you look at those final scenes and really think what the show was truly about, and you realize that there is truly brilliance within this series. The catch is that you have to look past the plot, and focus more on the themes and characters, to truly appreciate it.
The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is everything we never would've expected from Lupin III. Some older fans of the franchise might be turned off by the darker tone and strange art style. But others will find what the series has to offer to be new and rewarding. Plus, seeing as it's a prequel, it can be watched by those unfamiliar with Lupin III, and might even encourage some to check out more of this classic franchise. Despite the show's nonsensical plot, it's fulfilling narrative, direction, and Fujiko Mine, is enough to outshine the negatives and make this a show worth checking out. Anyways, that's all for now. Til next time.
Riiakuma
A woman called Fujiko is probably my favourite series within the Lupin the third sides. This story is really well articulated and definitely gives us some insight to the characters in the past. Before the Lupin gang was formed completely. I have heard about people complaining about how Fujiko is a character that is despised as she always betrays Lupin and is known for having sex with a lot of people. Honestly, she didn’t really grow on me at first either. But this series definitely changed my view on Fujiko and it might have just been me. I think Fujiko is purposely made to foolLupin and very sexualised because she’s meant to be a form of unexpectedness for Lupin. Lupin is attracted to Fujiko because of how she plays him. This series kind of shows how Lupin starts to show his interest in Fujiko and why Fujiko acts the way she does. It definitely opened my eyes and made me realise how much of a significant role she plays.
Within this series we also see the parts of Jigen and Goemon before they had also become part of the gang. It definitely interested me how they interacted with each other before they became familiar with eachother.
100% recommend with an open mind and with excitement. It’s a series with a really interesting artstyle and definitely more serious than usual but was just as addicting as any series of Lupin III.
garthol
One of the most mature and violent additions to the Lupin series, taking cues from the early anime and, from what I can tell, the source manga in general. Its style is impeccable, its music fantastic, and its writing as compelling and passionate as the woman thief herself. This Lupin story functions as a alternate universe prequel, taking many mature and “adult” concepts and vignettes to explore the different headspaces of the Lupin cast. While it does clearly have a focus on Fujiko, it also delves into all of the other character’s motivations and backstories, twisting how they met and why. Considering that every character hashad at least 3 different “how they met” scenarios, this isn’t much of an issue, and it works pretty well I think!
The character’s designs are pretty much exactly the same as the rest of the franchise, but the personalities differ. Jigen is a lot more stubborn, quick to shoot, and lonesome, Goemon is more sentimental and heroic, and Zenigata is basically a corrupt cop who doesn't care what happens as long as he catches Lupin. They are all, additionally, very infatuated by Fujiko at some point, especially Goemon, who actually asks her to be his girlfriend at one point. (Which is insanely out of character, but whatever, it’s a separate continuity)
The writing, however, is very compelling and tells very passionate stories of lust, loss, and identity. Most episodes are separate in terms of setting and conflict, but maintain the themes throughout. There is one overarching plot line that takes up, technically, 4 of the episodes, but they are paced very well and make for a stunning and concise ending.
The visual style and animation is where this series truly flourishes. With direction from people who worked on Michiko to Hatchin, the inspiration is obvious. Delectably grimy and sensual bodies, mixed with vibrant colors that grab your attention immediately. Motions from lanky and awkward bodies move smoothly, with guns and blood galore. It’s beautiful.
My only problems with this series are probably… the over-inclusion of character-original-to-this-series Lieutenant Oscar, and the over-sexualization of Fujiko herself. Oscar is an interesting character, and honestly gets some of the best episodes, but he himself is not that interesting. His personality is two-note. He’s a decent cop and he’s in love with Zenigata (aren’t we all?). Now, having a homosexual character is actually pretty great! Considering the eroticism and sensuality of the series, it makes perfect sense to explore and show examples of every single kind.
Fujiko’s status as a complete dude magnet is also slightly infuriating to me. In other branches of the franchise, there are many men that constantly refuse and denounce her. Jigen and Goemon are some of the major ones, even occasionally threatening to leave Lupin if he doesn’t throw away that nasty woman (see Secret of Mamo). But in this show, every single man is instantly charmed. Even old man Zenigata! I suppose some of them are less blatant (Jigen is always his stubborn self) but the twist on well-known characters doesn’t fly too well, even in a grimier world.
Anyway, Lupin III: The Woman Called Mine Fujiko is an artful ride, with plenty of surreal imagery and metaphorical messages. It’s a delightfully mature and violent tale of finding confidence in who you are, and discovering how far you are willing to go for your passions. Despite all the problems Lupin fans might have with it, it’s artful, beautiful, ambitious, and in my opinion, successful. 9/10.
DOWA
I was having very interest of Lupin 3rd franchise and the first series that i see are this and then i don't have more interest Lupin 3rd franchise. starting overview : ART&SOUND: IS AMAZING STYLE you don't need me to see AMAZING ART the music is classic music that is really cool for the series STORY : The narrative is a mystery of the woman called Fujiko Mine .......also the Lupin and there other characters....... THE MYSTERY IS NON SENSE IF FIRST PART I can divide the series in two parts Part 1 ( first 5 episodes) : On this first part of thestory they establish that Fujiko Mine is a super mystery women but ........ the characters don't do really nothing only acting super cool the series is episodic in this part and mysteries are establish in one episode and solve in the same
but in defend of this part they establish the other characters of lupin 3rd cast and tell about his principal personalities.
Part 2 ( the rest of episodes) :
On this part they are finale start to resolve the mystery of fujiko mine and others~
all about this part is Ok.
All start to have some sense and they do a conclusion in the most Ok. way.
CHARACTERS:
Lupin and the other cast of characters are good have good a Ok personalities but they still more characterized for be cool and charismatic.
The real protagonist is the woman called Fujiko Mine she has a past , is interesting , It is defined , is deep. All this is establish and they start to talk about this develop to begin to end. Is NO A MATURE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.
Is more like RULE OF COOL CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.
CONCLUSION:
7/10
GOOD
is cool rule of cool
cool characters cool story and very cool art
IS ONLY COOL
LovelyTekki
The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, while it did go out of it's way to make Fujiko so much more than a femme fatale or eye candy, also loses what makes Lupin III such a great series. Now first of all, I want to say that the art direction for this series is amazing. While other darker Lupin fare like Goemon's Blood Spray had artwork that looked downright uncanny at times, A Woman Called Fujiko Mine is consistent in looking amazing. The animation is fluid and the stylization and shading is really cool. It looks close to the original manga in some ways. Ditto with the soundtrack.Duty Fiend just might be one of the best songs in the franchise, and Lupin III is known for great music in general. When it comes to the animation and aesthetic, this series knows exactly what it wants to be and nails it, utilizing a style that fits well with the darker tone and is visually interesting.
Now...what doesn't work? The writing. Characters are all over the place. While Goemon is still generally pretty good, Zenigata's portrayal in this series is exceptionally bad, by making him bent on killing Lupin. This goes against what we love about him, that he is determined to bring Lupin to justice but isn't twisted by hate! The new character Oscar is also pretty bad and boarderline offensive with his portrayal of gay men as predatory and abusive. Zenigata being absolutely clueless about how horrible he was was also out of character, since historically, Zenigata is always one of the first characters to sense trouble and dig deeper.
It gets to a point where it feels like all this stuff is done to appear shocking, and thus, "mature", while not understanding what made the Lupin series a good mature series in the first place. Other series like Lupin III Part 5 for example handle dark themes in a much better way without sacrificing the characters we love or leaning hard on stereotypes. I did enjoy Fujiko's story about how she is the way she is out of liberation for herself, it did feel like the character was given a new sense of agency in this series, but it was at the expense of so many of the things we love about Lupin III that it almost makes you wonder if it's worth it.
While it's not the worst thing the Lupin III franchise has to offer, you won't be missing too much if you skip this one.
Amruth_Vs
Lupin III : Woman Named Fujiko Mine Mini Review/Thoughts Now that I finished it It's freaking fun guys.This installment is my gateway to the franchise, and it's a pretty good gateway if you don't want to check out the older ones. It had Fujiko meeting the other characters from scratch for the first five episodes and it was a proper reboot. This installment had a unique art style too. The series is kind of similar to Masaaki's. Each of the episodes are really fun, adventurous and sexy. Fujiko is one of the hottest anime characters I've seen and the music is dope too. Going to startthe rest of the series that aired after this one too.
My Overall Score : 9.0/10.0
WhiteBakemono
Anime: Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine Title: It's Lupin, what can I say? About the Anime: Fujiko Mine: a woman so beguiling that the greatest thief on earth, Lupin III, has vowed to claim her as his most prized quarry. And while men lust after her, she only has eyes for one thing – all the beautiful treasures in the world that she can possibly steal. From the haunted opera houses of Japan to the boobie-trapped pyramids of Egypt, Fujiko uses both violence and sex to manipulate those who stand in her way. But with the tireless Lupin intervening in every situation to 'take' her,and the skilled rogues Jigen and Goemon entangling their own personal vendettas with hers, how is a woman to realize her wildest desires?
Story 7/10: Looking back at the various incarnations of Fujiko Mine, any observer will recognise a mere handful of common traits, most of them incidental (sexy, traitorous, gunslinger), rather than grasp fully who she is as a person. So, perhaps it helps to focus on what she isn’t: definable, fathomable, consistent. The enduring allure of Fujiko Mine across generations and several reinterpretations is that she rarely lets us see into her soul. In some past incarnations this was because of lazy characterisation or sheer necessity of the plot – Fujiko Mine turned up to steal and cock-tease and left before we could ever get even a glimpse of her personality. In this reimagining, courtesy of Sayo Yamamoto, the dazzling creative mind behind 2008’s Michiko to Hatchin, that very opacity in Fujiko’s personality is no longer an accident but rather the point. In that sense, like many great anime, The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is about a mystery; just that the mystery is not external to the protagonist but the protagonist herself.
This focus on the main character is what stabilises what otherwise remains a disjointed set of episodic adventures comprising the usual Lupin pick’n’mix of comedy, violence, drama, and action. In any given episode something must be stolen, there will be gunshots and stunts, possibly explosions, the infamous thief Lupin will try to seduce Fujiko, and Fujiko will try to seduce whoever is left. This is one of the more violent and explicit additions to the franchise, adding decapitations, frequent nudity, and blood splatters. Often the violence worked for me by imparting a grittiness that offset the more bizarre flights of fancy and became the bitter complement to the erotic sweet. I found the bawdy humour, which operates on a level similar to that of corny British soft core porn, much less appreciable. Broadly, though, this is a faithfully kitschy adventure spanning, in the manner of Indiana Jones, from the pyramids of Egypt to the fertile gardens of a girls’ boarding school and offering the kind of storytelling borrowed from the 1960s when people still believed in such unlikely crap as master thieves.
On the other hand, despite performing the usual motions, The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is not about what it seems to be about. That is no small feat. So much of the content would have suffice for mere entertainment, and indeed, I’ve seen anime fans lap up much shallower fare with baffling relish. However, beneath the lewd flirtation and lovingly contrived action sequences, The Woman Called Fujiko Mine attempts to smuggle in some finer detail for those who care to look for it. Much of the series involves subtle sleight of hand, from the way we perceive characters to the direction in the action. Take Fujiko’s and Lupin’s dialogue for example, it is only vaguely about flirting – rather, it is always about one-upmanship. During a pool-side scene in episode five, for instance, Fujiko asks Lupin if he’s trying to get her, and the infamous thief responds that once he sets out to steal something, he always gets it. He may simply be talking about desiring her, but, more meaningfully, his boast lays bare his prowess at stealing while declaring something else that becomes more obvious towards the end. So pervasive is the script’s subterfuge that even when we finally come to the truth about Fujiko, it’s actually hard to say we really have it.
Animation 8/10: Style is not over substance here; rather style is inherent to substance. The retro comic book art, with its thick black pencil lines for shadow and simplistic colouring, props up the host of kitsch adventures. Any overt beauty to be found here radiates mainly from Takeshi Koike’s (Redline) design for Fujiko. His imagination elevates her to the status of a goddess, pure and simple, a saucy minx with hints of divinity who exudes childlike sweetness in her smile as easily as she does vengeful menace in her grimace.
Sound 6/10: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine delivers frenetic music that chops and changes as rapidly as its scenery. Brief tribal interludes will turn into chaotic jazzy refrains, only for the latter to melt away in waves of haunting solo vocals. The opening theme, intriguingly, consists of spoken prose over a tuneless instrumental while the end theme comes the closest resembling a marketable pop song. But for all its eclecticism, the score remains rather unassuming, so that I fear no-one will come away remembering much of it.
Characters 8/10: In a delightful twist that brings to mind Revolutionary Girl Utena and Brother, Dear Brother, Yamamoto transforms Fujiko from a victim of patriarchy to a symbol of complex female sexuality. Here is how I see the difference. In most shows Fujiko is defined by her sexuality. This happens, for instance, both in the exploitative first TV series as well as in the family-friendly Hayao Miyazaki classic, Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro. In the original, Fujiko’s sexuality is all there is, and being a sex kitten becomes synonymous with being a bad person not to be trusted. The message is simple, women who screw also lie and cheat and are not believable. They are certainly not heroes. In the tamer movie, Miyazaki falls into the same trap by divorcing sexuality from virtue, so that in order to be a likeable hero, the woman must be stripped of her sexuality. She’s strong, she’s convincing, and she can be trusted to help because she does not get naked with men. But in Yamamoto’s version, what can we make of Fujiko? Here Fujiko is sometimes a hero (saving a revolutionist from certain ruin) and other times a deviant (seducing vulnerable teenage girls for their loot), all the while remaining a sexually free individual pragmatic about her carnality rather than being trapped into using them as means (see 99% of episodes). Sex is part of her but it does not define her either in presence or absence.
But for fear of committing the ironic act of discussing Fujiko purely in terms of her sexuality while denying her objectification, I’ll add the following. This show offers an impressively thorough explanation for her character without spoiling her for everyone. Through most of the episodes I thought of Fujiko as a woman in search of a past, but coming away from the show, I am convinced she is merely a woman enjoying life as it befalls her. Her mystery is that there is no profound internal dynamic driving her: she is not torn up with angst, she is not ablaze with all-consuming hatred, but neither is she a cheery shoujo princess wanting to save the world through self-sacrifice. She challenges this great need we have for (anti)heroes with grand purposes and denies that life for anyone – especially for a woman – must play according to scripted rules. Above all, Yamamoto’s Fujiko is a mystery because she fits none of our preconceptions, and that makes her frightening, aggravating, bizarre, and above all, fascinating.
The director’s approach to the thief Lupin also impressed me (a bit like Miyazaki’s version of him, but not to the same level). Abstracted from various interpretations, I find Lupin an inherently deplorable concept – all selfish acts and lewd thoughts, a banal hedonist. He’s just a hungry Id made manifest, grabbing whatever he wants, whether it be treasures or titties. In The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, this aspect of him is not so much toned down as given a human twist. He still just wants things, however, his desire for Fujiko stretches beyond animalistic libido to sincere admiration of her fierce independence. Moreover, his lewd gestures arguably take on new meaning in a context where Fujiko is dominant, so that I could see his crass advances as an old in-joke between two equally autonomous beings who know when not to cross the line. In fact, it might very well be the case that, with this mingling of lust and admiration, Lupin might actually be in love and not just in lust. Sharpshooter Daisuke Jigen, samurai Goemon Oshikawa, and frustrated detective Koichi Zenigata, are more straightforwardly likeable than Fujiko or Lupin but also predictable for veteran fans of the franchise. They show up and perform their shtik and then get out of the way again. One exception may be Zenigata’s sidekick, Oscar, whose dark beauty and coy homosexuality make him an intriguing extension of the show’s eroticism.
Overall 7.5/10: Fujiko Mine remains indefinable but that is precisely what we love about her. So malleable is she as a concept that Yamamoto has been able to transform her from a traiterous sex object to a powerful, autonomous person while never betraying the Fujiko tradition. Fujiko is also successful here because she manages not just to captivate other characters, but to break the barrier of the television screen and entrance us, ensuring we follow her into fire and back. I offer reassurance, though, that fans will not just like this show for what it does anew, but also for the nostalgia it delivers. Experienced fans will savour the little homages to previous shows strewn throughout the story and recognise the boldness and vivacity of preceding Lupin works mirrored here. This ensures a caper that is, though light on the common sense, still utterly satisfying. To those who argue that the sex is still too much, I recommending closing your eyes and imagining Fujiko as clothed throughout the whole show. Still a fantastic character, no?
~WhiteBakemono
Inuyoujo
This is one of the worst animes I've ever sat through in my life. Starting off with the good: The art, animation, and sound are all top quality. It's made of stuff that can hold, so I see it aging well in those areas. The action scenes are very in one's face, and for it to be so dark themed it's vibrant and colorful! The characters are serious, but very energetic and goal oriented. No one is really depressed for this theme, but it handles serious issue. The story, plot, and characters are the terrible part. They do a retelling of how the crew met andcenter it around Fujiko. Everyone has sex with her, wants to have sex with her, or wants to be her. At the same time, they shame her for having sex. And, I got tired of hearing her name by the last 4 eps.
My leading problem is Fujiko is usually a very terrible character, so I was hoping that with her show they would show off how awesome she is and why the boys hang out with her, even though she usually betrays them. Maybe she had their back on something really bad, and they tolerate her out of loyalty. Maybe she has a skill that is valuable when she doesn't backstab them. Nope. This all turns out the be story about how lame she usually is and they made an extended story about it this time. And, for all this we still don't anything anything about Fujiko's past, and character development is not a thing here.
Lupin wanting to have sex with her is old news. Jigen being seduced by her was so unrealistic and not believable at all. They even gave him a love story with a different woman. Jigen doesn't need a love story. The way the whole thing was played was unbelievable and forced. Goemon was more believable because of his nature, but him being attracted to someone like Fujiko was unbelievable after he finds out she's a lair. Goemon is that "looking for love" character, but Fujiko? No, thank you. Zenigata has sex with her, and it works into another plot device with a different character. I feel like that's the only reason why that happened. But, Zenigata having sex with her is another wildly out of character thing.
Which leads me to Oscar. I don't want to see a character more queer coded than him. He's a gay character that falls in love with Zengiata and the more he wants to have sex with him the more evil her gets, and even crossdresses for no respectable reason. He gets progressively more feminine and ruthless and has an obscure ending. They didn't make him a character to cheer for by any means. In all that, he's the character that gets the most development, so that makes him character development boy - which is rare in Lupin.
At this point I'm use to Lupin and the boys talking down about women. I've been looking at it enough to see that they shame women because of what women have done to them in individual stories and their individual ways. They all bluntly call women evil and useless on various occasions. When women characters come in they don't count them out or successfully leave them behind and the women characters turn out to be great, most of the time. I feel like this story has an anti-woman subtext, though, because of how Fujiko is treated as a character and by other characters.
I see this anime as anti-feminine, anti-sex, anti-bodies, and anti-LGBTQ/ queer.
I wouldn't recommend this to anyone, nor would I hang out with anyone that liked it.
Caeruleus_CCXVI
7.0/10 ~ Highly recommend this one just on the art style Man this one was quite the treat to watch for the visuals alone. They really just made it feal like an oldschool manga or art book from the 70's come alive in animated form. The amount of work that went into each scene, every set piece, every episode is crazy to think of much akin to watching something like Red line, I wouldnt be surprised if there is overlapping staff there to be honest. I may have grown up watching some Lupin iii, but I really do not have much love for it, that beingsaid this did not have to be nostalgic to be good. Which I am always here for, as I can truly view this without some rose tinted glasses unlike so many.
The charecters were written to the T of how they are through out Lupin's series but here you get a diffrent taste of how they theoretically could have met as the cannon of this seems to be a bit murky. That being said we dont watch lupin for extremely deep charecters or deep plots, so nothing new here. You also just have to be prepared for it being episodic with fairly independent stories, a bit of a thing from the past that most people are not use to in this day in age.
The sound track is spectacular, this has to be up there with Cowboybebop or Shamploo for how good it was consistently.
My biggest complaint is the show was a bit too sexual, I wouldnt be surprised by stats if Fujiko had her tits out for almost 50% of all screen time she was actually on. And this is coming from someone who quite enjoys such things... made the moments feel less special if you know what I mean. All that being this is show is so good that you can just kinda ignore the titties and its still quite good.
6.5 and above is where I start to actually personally recommend shows, and remember 5/10 is average so this is well above that. Cheers
