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FujikoCon
A fan's theory on the 'real' Fujiko Mine
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First of all, keep in mind that this is just fan speculation. The controversy isn't all that important to enjoy the story,
I just thought I'd give out my opinion...again.
Obviously, one of the main characters in the Lupin franchise is a lass named Fujiko Mine, and she appears many times throughout
the manga, but often times, Lupin doesn't seem to remember her from previous stories. In the interview featured on the 'Dead
or Alive' DVD, Monkey Punch admits that he got tired of naming Lupin's various girlfriends, so he just started naming them
all "Fujiko Mine." However, once Lupin hit TV airwaves in 1971, the Fujikos had merged into one character, and has
stayed that way for over 35 years.
However, do you ever get the feeling that the author had one reoccurring Fujiko that the anime version could be considered
an adaptation of?
I do. In chapter 56, "Triple Play", Fujiko is introduced as "Lupin's girlfriend" and in the same story,
Lupin complains about how she always double-crosses him (making him sound a lot like anime Jigen). So, with this in mind,
I have tried to figure out which Fujiko is the "real" one. In my mind, in order for her to be considered real,
it'd to have the some of the following qualities:
-Her name must be presumed to be 'Fujiko Mine.'
-Lupin must not act as if he's never met her.
-She must be a thief, assassin, or a spy herself. (Not counting working undercover)
-She must be intelligent, and be able to match wits with Lupin
Now, not all of these have to be present, but can be assumed without messing up the story. For example, in Chapter 105,
'Four of a Kind', Fujiko isn't shown interacting with Lupin so it's unknown if they've met, but she is shown to be a thief
for the Rat Clan and is intelligent enough to sneak into the room where the painting is being held without raising suspicion
(Zenigata probably noticed, but that's another story.) hence, real. The Fujiko in Chapter 50, 'Theft of a Salesman', though,
is just another girl, because she's never met Lupin, works in an office, and is stupid enough to believe that a talking dog
is a world-class thief.
So, there you have it. Now, I'm not claiming I'm right about this. Only Monkey Punch himself knows for sure, and even
he may not know (Goemon's memorable encounter with Mamo in "Killing Time" is an example that indicates that continuity
wasn't important for this weekly series.). But, that's just my two cents.
-Dr. Furball
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