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Chapter 104–“Booty in a Bottle”
Characters- Lupin, unnamed victim, Zenigata, Fujiko
Synopsis- Lupin’s next target has called on Zenigata for protection. However, this man is a master at placing things
inside bottles, and Zeni’s smarter then Lupin thinks...
Firsts-
Links to animated Lupin-
Review- Well, this is it, the final volume of Lupin the Third. And the first story here is a good Lupin vs. Zenigata tale,
with great artwork, nice humor, and a twist ending. There’s not really any action here, since Lupin’s just breaking
into a house, but there are a few scenes that will probably make you chuckle. And, you gotta admit, stories where Zeni outsmarts
Lupin are always good. 8.6/10
Notes-
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Chapter 105–“Four of a Kind”
Characters- Lupin, Mr. Hiraga, Fujiko, Zenigata, Mr. Kanda, Mr. Magawa, some police officers and a dog
Synopsis- A bunch of people are gathered around the famous painting, ‘Mona Lisa’s Bellybutton’ expecting
Lupin to show up. Of course, he can be any of them in disguise...
Firsts-
Links to animated Lupin-
Review- Although Lupin’s my favorite, I always love to see Zenigata, who isn’t just a great character, but should’a
shown up more in the previous books. This one’s a great chapter, because, although it’s revealed early on which
person Lupin’s in disguise as, you’re continually guessing if Lupin will nab the painting or if Zenigata will
figure it out first. No action in this one, plenty of comedy, a surprise ending, and suspense building the whole time. 10/10
Notes- First mention of the Rat Clan since chapter 70, way back in volume 8!
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Chapter 106–“the Better Half”
Characters- Lupin, Jigen, Goemon, Zenigata, Prof. Hamlet, an evil Lupin (‘Mr. Hyde’), various murder victims
Synopsis- Lupin has been killing the people he robs—wait, Lupin doesn’t kill like that! Well, you can rest assured
that the real Lupin is gonna find out who this impostor is...but what if it really is him?!
Firsts-
Links to animated Lupin- This became the second series episode ‘Crude Reproduction, Perfect Frame.’
Review- Ah, the split-personality story. Everyone loves those, right? Well, this one’s pretty good: the artwork’s
fine, but starts to get noticeably a bit carried away in the second half of the story, for that matter, so does the story,
with Lupin’s second transformation and all, but all is good by the ending, which is pretty clever one, as usual. The
only action here is Mr. Hyde’s killings, but there is plenty of comedy to make it funny. So, in the end, it’s
not as good as the anime episode based on it, but still a good read. 8/10
Notes-
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Chapter 107–“Mah Jong Maniacs”
Characters- Lupin, Fujiko, Jigen, Goemon, the Professor, Mahjong players
Synopsis- Lupin’s trying to break into an apartment inhabited by Fujiko and a scientist, both wearing gas masks, but
it’s harder than one would seem...
Firsts- First time Goemon’s sword breaks
Links to animated Lupin-
Review- I wonder if I’d enjoy this one more if I knew how to play Mahjong? Anyway, the artwork here is top-notch, with
plenty of physical comedy, especially on pages 103 and 104. The story takes an interesting twist in the middle which makes
it even more interesting. The action scenes are well-drawn, and everyone really takes a part in this story, which hasn’t
been seen in a while. 10/10
Notes- Is it just me, or is Fujiko kinda cute in a gas mask?
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Chapter 108–“The Funeral March of Lupin III (First Movement)”
Characters- Lupin, Jigen, Goemon, Ataginez, the orchestra, assassins, 2 ladies
Synopsis- Lupin and his buddies have gone to a concert. But when the conductor begins playing, the rest of the audience starts
attacking!
Firsts- First time Goemon’s seen smoking since his debut.
*First time the male & female symbols have been used to represent genitals
Links to animated Lupin-
Review- The last story arc of Lupin III. It starts off great. The artwork is amazing (and funny) as the assassins try to
kill Lupin, Jigen, and Goemon. Most of the chapter is the attempted murder, but is still entertaining. However, there is
one major flaw: the ending. It seems to have just been thrown in for a nearly explicit sex scene. And the running gag of
that scene gets annoying fast. Part One: 7.7/10
Notes- Two women appear in the tub at the bottom of page 165, but there’s only one afterwards
*I don’t know if the bleeps were present in the Japanese version, or if they were added by TOKYOPOP. If anyone knows
what the dialogue was in the original version, please contact me.
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Chapter 109–““The Funeral March of Lupin III (Second Movement)”
Characters- Lupin, Jigen, Zenigata, Goemon, cops, Ataginez, his henchmen
Synopsis- Zenigata’s got Lupin cornered...until he hops the fence. But, waiting on the other side is Ataginez, anxious
to finish his symphony: “the Funeral March of Lupin the Third.”
Firsts-
Links to animated Lupin-
Review- The end? The final story arc ends with a bang (or two). The artwork is absolutely amazing (but a bit cartoony at
times), surpassed only by the story itself. The timer at the top of each panel lets you know how much time is left before
the conclusion, which is so awesome that you’ve gotta see it for yourself. Plenty of action and slapstick, with a small
break in the fourth wall. The aforementioned timer also increases the suspense, with a cool payoff. Highly recommended.
10/10
Notes-
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Final Chapter –“Lupin Tells All”
Characters- Lupin, Jigen, Goemon, Fujiko, an Old Man
Synopsis- Lupin has decided that since this is the last chapter, he’s gonna end it by revealing all of his secrets to
us. However, his partners don’t like this idea...
Firsts-
Links to animated Lupin-
Review- This is it. 110 chapters, that’s a whole lotta laughs, battles, sex, twist endings and downright insanity.
Whew. But the review of the whole series is for another time. The final story has OK artwork, plenty of puns, a surprising
ending, and a couple of Loony Tunesesque comic moments. It’s a great chapter, and a fitting (not to mention hilarious)
way to end the series. 9/10
Notes- This isn’t listed on the table of contents.
* Lupin’s mention of “Our next adventure” and the last page’s “The End (for now...)” are
both foreshadowing the second manga series, “Lupin III: World’s Most Wanted”
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