Lupin III/Recap/S2/E10

"Steal File M123", with the English title "ZenigataCon". Released in 2003 by Geneon on Volume 2: Love Heist.

Lupin and Fujiko are attending a fancy dinner party in Paris, where Fujiko expresses her admiration and attraction to their host, Marcel Dulane. Lupin points out that his past is mysterious, and everyone who tries to learn more inexplicably dies. The party is then interrupted by the unexpected death of a reporter, who crashed the party and was "accidentally" stabbed by a suit of armor falling on him. At Dulane's insistance, the party resumes. Lupin is disgusted by the casual attitude of the host and guests towards the reporter's death, but an intrigued Fujiko decides she needs to know more about Dulane and sneaks around his house, in spite of Lupin's protests. They dig for info until they are trapped and gassed.

The two awaken strapped to chairs. Their host greets them, admitting it was easier to trap them than he thought. Then, he reveals why Lupin and Fujiko were invited to the party: he wants Lupin to sneak into Scotland Yard and steal a file for him. Dulane then reveals not only is he responsible for the deaths of the others who snuck into his background, but that he has also strapped a bomb to Lupin's waist. If Lupin fails to return in time or attempts to remove the bomb, it will detonate; Fujiko is also being held hostage for further incentive. Lupin goes to Jigen and Goemon for help, who declare him foolish for going to the party and helping Fujiko in the first place. They decide to teach him a lesson by leaving him on his own on this caper.

Lupin goes to Scotland Yard on his own, in the guise of one Inspector Zenigata. Alas, the real Zenigata walks in shortly thereafter. As the two squabble over who is real and who is fake, two more Zenigatas enter the room! The four argue among themselves; any attempts by the head of Scotland Yard to find the real one out by psychology don't work. Finally, Zenigata #3, who reveals himself to be Jigen, and Zenigata #4, who is Goemon, grab the real Zenigata, calling him Lupin. The three are taken away, leaving the Zenigata-faced Lupin free to find the file he needs. He locates the requested file, M123, and then busts his buddies out of their cell, leaving the real Zenigata behind.

The three attempt to board a plane back to France, only for Zenigata to suddenly catch up to them. They steal a smaller plane, but Zenigata persists in another small aircraft until Goemon, perched on the back of Lupin's plane, cuts Zenigata's aircraft into pieces. Zenigata crashes (unharmed) in the Channel, while the gang continues on their way. However, their plane is out of fuel; Lupin lands it on the back of a truck, but the plane is promptly knocked off at the next tunnel. Taking a quick break, Lupin and Jigen inspect the file Lupin stole, and find it to be on George Marshall, a small-time con. Their puzzlement is interrupted by Lupin's bomb belt, which has gone to the next stage. Back at his mansion, Fujiko expresses concern that Lupin won't return with the file in time, but Marcel confesses that is exactly the idea; he just wants the file destroyed and doesn't care if Lupin dies in the process.

Meanwhile, Lupin and his gang have stolen a fancy sports car and have set off again, eluding the police after breaking through a checkpoint. Lupin then offers to stop and let Jigen and Goemon out when the bomb belt passes into the final stage before it explodes; they refuse out of friendship. Together, the three of them crash Dulane's...literally. Goemon frees Fujiko, while Lupin and Jigen threaten Dulane. Dulane threatens to make the belt explode as the four run off; however, Lupin managed to slip off the bomb inside, causing Dulane to instead blow up his own mansion. Dulane emerges from the wreckage, his disguise ruined and revealing he is actually the small-time crook in the file. He rants among the ruins of his wealth as Lupin and the gang leaves.

That night, Lupin receives another invitation, which he tears up without looking at it. He is distraught when Jigen tells him it was from the Queen of England for helping find Dulane.

This episode features examples of:
"Jigen: It's friggin' careless, Lupin. How many times do we have to friggin' warn you? But you had to impress friggin' Fujiko and isn't that friggin' ironic, now? Lupin: You're right, I'm a friggin' idiot, I was thinking with my friggin' pants, and now I'm in big friggin' trouble."
 * Absurdly Sharp Blade: Goemon cuts Zenigata's plane into smaller bits.
 * Cluster F-Bomb: Well, F for friggin' in this case:


 * Department of Redundancy Department: Zenigata's use of the word "over" while chasing Lupin in the planes.
 * Implausible Fencing Powers: Goemon cuts Fujiko free from her bonds -- and the chair from under her -- while leaving her unharmed.
 * Latex Perfection: Times three!
 * No Celebrities Were Harmed: Dulane's English dub voice sounds conspicuously like Christopher Walken.
 * Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: Lupin's attempt to sound like a British copper.
 * Running Gag: Lupin makes various jokes about Marcel's resemblance to a chicken.
 * Shout-Out: Lupin shouts "Score one for Snoopy!" after Goemon cuts Zenigata's plane apart.
 * Spot the Imposter: The guys at Scotland Yard get a hard time figuring out which of the four Zenigata's is the real one.
 * True Companions: Jigen and Goemon, in spite of their earlier argument with Lupin, refuse to leave him, even when the bomb threatens to explode.
 * What Happened to the Mouse?: Presumably, someone fished Zenigata out of the English Channel... Although knowing him, he could have just swam it.