The Woman Named Fujiko Mine #04 — Phantom of the Opera

April 25th, 2012

 

At least it had Lupin. And bees.

Impressions:

…Sigh. So in case you thought last week’s episode was a sign that the show might be tired of prostituting Fujiko, she begins this episode by having sex. With Zenigata. While other cops peep on them. He then spends the rest of every scene they have together in the episode feeling up her ass. Sigh. I’m really not certain how that was supposed to add to either her or Zenigata’s characters. We move upwards from there thankfully to opera. Yes, opera. The target this week being the jewel encrusted mask worn by a woman that someone had gone completely Phantom of the Opera on. And then it all culminated in Lupin’s master plan to release bees. And pump fake blood onto Zenigata when ‘shot’ until his effeminate assistant popped up for some bad slapstick, apparently signaling that his part of the episode was over.

Once again, Fujiko was all but useless for everything with Lupin’s random antics being far more entertaining, brief as they might have been. She was more or less just a prop to wander from scene to scene and in the end, have the plot explained to her. I think they came up with that first and then forgot to actually work it into the episode until the last minute because half of it was out of utterly nowhere. You’ve only got to fill 20 minutes with this episodic stuff, Okada. Spending most of it futzing around and then giving a "What a twist!" overview of the story was meant to be at the end is not the best way to fill them. Fujiko also had to be around to give Zenigata someone to molest apparently, which is somehow even more painful to my brain than just having her nipples thrust in my face. It had Lupin at least, even if only for a couple minutes. Here’s to hoping they continue that trend, although it’s probably more likely that they’re just going to cycle through the cast again.

 

Posted in Lupin III | 3 Comments »

3 Shouts From the Peanut Gallery

  • Aroduc says:
    April 25, 2012 at 1:22 pm

    Fujiko, no. Zenigata, likely.
    The two of them combined are the stuff of nightmares.

  • sympho-KLAC-gear says:
    April 26, 2012 at 6:18 am

    so this ep we had

    fujiko “proper” meeting with Zenigata.
    cause of mask that lupin want to get.
    stage performance turned Phantom of the Opera story like.
    oh lupin missed fujiko’s “fujiko”.
    Zenigata going all after lupin & got pour in blood.
    fujiko look at water floor see her past.
    oh the stage worker & performer went behind it oh burn the mask.
    here lupin to see fujiko.

    ok so now wonder what next how much more fujiko’s past will be revealed?

  • Sly says:
    May 1, 2012 at 3:35 pm

    Fujiko’s not so much the heroine as a new lens to view all the old characters through. Considering that in the original manga, Fujiko never had a consistent character of look, but was just a name Monkey Punch kept assigning to different women, I think it’s safe to say this is the most complex version of Fujiko I’ve ever seen. Not to say that I’m not a little disappointed Fujiko hasn’t played as active a roll in the last few episodes as she did in the first.

    As for her tryst with Zenigata, I think that was the perfect way to get the audience’s attention and clue everyone in that this isn’t there grandpappy’s “Pops.” The chase scene with Lupin was as hilarious, slapstick, and cartoony as ever, but the fact that Zenigata’s not overly concerned with bringing Lupin in alive (putting it mildly) and has some kind of competing history with Lupin’s family, determined to end the bloodline, adds a nice, serious undercurrent.