Forum - View topicEP. REVIEW: Lupin the Third: Part 5
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yuna49
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As another political scientist who watches anime, I long ago gave up any expectation that it would portray plausible political situations. If this show were set in 1958 I might believe that the CIA would take an interest in Dolma's tiny, unimportant kingdom. In 2018 I doubt they'd care at all.
Anti-Americanism of the sort seen here goes back a long ways in anime. In Blood+, stand-ins for then-Secretary of State Condolezza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld are depicted meeting in the White House with the non-human villains in that show to expand American power across the globe. Even so, the anti-Americanism of Blood+ at least has a plausible source, the contentious relationship between the US military and the inhabitants of Okinawa. One subject that comes in for little commentary in anime is the state of Japanese politics itself. It shows up on occasion in shows by more political directors like Nakamura Kenji; see Gatchaman Crowds Insight for example. Other writers like Kill la Kill's Nakashima Kazuki include political themes like that show's emphasis on the conformity of the Japanese educational system and the fascistic tendencies in Japanese culture. But for the most part, anime avoids addressing domestic political issues and portrays international politics in extremely simplistic terms. Even the episode of Senkou no Night Raid that dealt with the Mukden incident was not televised but only distributed over the web because it was thought too controversial. |
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jroa
Posts: 537 |
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I dislike using my own credentials as a shorthand for these types of discussions, because it inevitably comes across as an appeal to authority, but I also have a pertinent degree (history) plus some professional experience in a relevant field (international relations) as well...and yet, as a matter of fact, I actually don't agree with your evaluation of this particular anime. There usually isn't a lot of time to provide an in-depth portrayal of global politics and international affairs in most Japanese animation productions. If it's not the central point of the series, then the matter will only be sketched rather than discussed in great detail. However, if we are discussing plausibility as a whole, there can be many valid reasons why the U.S. government and yes, even the CIA, would be interested in playing a role in the internal politics of another country, regardless of how "small" or "unimportant" they might be at first glance. There are no shortages of examples, to put it lightly. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_involvement_in_regime_change For the record, I did feel that the show didn't give us much insight with respect to the CIA's point of view, aside from brief remarks, but it's not hard to imagine the rest. Needless to say, history has shown time and time again that the U.S. isn't always in favor of reformists and has in fact supported conservative factions in the past. That's not exactly hard to believe.
Criticism of U.S. foreign policy in this specific anime does not necessarily have to do with right-wing nationalism and rearmament in Japan. Many different types of people, including individuals with left-wing ideals, can come to the same basic conclusion that perhaps the U.S. shouldn't try to get involved in the affairs of other nations. Of course, we can acknowledge that the language used in Dolma's speech did have a populist bent, because it was a member of royalty publicly appealing to her people and doing so in simple terms is often quite effective as part of political communication, but nothing shown so far indicates that she is representing a far right movement, especially in light of how previous episodes have already criticized the existence of parties with anti-immigration stances in Europe. |
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VampireNaomi
 Posts: 146 |
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Episode 17 wasn't bad, but I didn't really enjoy it, either. The idea of Lupin working as a detective is fun and I wouldn't mind seeing more of it, but only if the other characters are involved. Going into this episode, I was hoping it'd turn out to be a parade of disguises, like maybe the old lady would be Zenigata setting a trap for Lupin, or the three suspects would be Jigen, Goemon, and Fujiko and the whole thing would be Lupin setting a trap for the killer (old lady or maid in this scenario).
Instead, it was exactly as straightforward as it first seemed. And I'm not a fan of murder mysteries where the solution to the case is a surprise plot twist that comes out of nowhere. Edit: Well, on second thought, it wasn't completely out of nowhere since I forgot about the killer's alibi for the original murder, but I would have liked a little more time spent around the suspects so that there could have been more hints and red herrings. That's always my favorite part in murder mysteries. |
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11407 |
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Maybe I missed or forgot something, but I thought she just made herself available to be murdered, assuming they would take the bait and having faith that Lupin would be able to pinpoint the killer by being there when it happened. Did they say she'd already figured out which of the three was the actual killer? |
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Echii
Posts: 107 |
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Is the reviewer a Lupin fanboy or something ?! He is giving A for every episode
I tried to watch few episodes to see if it is as good as the reviewer make it, and I was disappointed. |
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DangerMouse
Posts: 3984 |
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That episode 18 sounds pretty great. Hopefully not too long after Part 5 finishes we'll get some dub news. I need it. Part 4 was great to see on Toonami.
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Mr. Dent
 Posts: 78 |
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Generations
 Posts: 204 |
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Several things: 1. The rating at the end is always subjective. If you were counting on that to carry you throughout the series, then I'm afraid the 'A' means nothing by itself unless you know the reviewer's mindset and taste. 2. If you weren't a fan of Lupin before, unfortunately this season won't change your mind because it's very Lupin. 3. If you started Lupin on this season, then you definitely won't enjoy it as much, because Part 5 is meant to be an anniversary that celebrates the series, which means it's chock full of references to series past and their relationships are already defined. 4. Subjectively speaking for myself, I agree with the ratings in most episodes, but I personally would have given this episode only a B. |
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SailorTralfamadore
 Posts: 499 Location: Keep Austin Weeb |
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Also, I'm not a he.
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S0crates
 Posts: 227 Location: Banned - Noticed our poor ethics |
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Her: "I'm not hiding anything!"
Well, literarily I guess she was right... 
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CR85747
Posts: 114 |
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Why isn't there a write-up of episode 20 yet?
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Caramichael
Posts: 114 |
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I don't know if it's juste me realizing it now, but I feel like the banter between Lupin Jigen and Goemon is much more natural since the last episode. Like they really feel like old friends dissing each other (I really liked the "What did you cut?" When Goemon shows off his sword in the car for full dramatic purpose and Jigen totally getting Lupin's motivations and snarking at him).
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Spike Terra
 Subscriber Posts: 359 Location: Maryland |
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Zenigata's amnesia was cured by his two greatest loves: Lupin and the act of catching Lupin. I loved this episode, it's the best episode yet in my heavily biased opinion (Zenigata is my favorite character in the entire franchise). Honestly this my favorite Lupin TV series at this moment. I have seen 1, 2 (which used to be my favorite), 4 and the Fujiko spin off.
Last edited by Spike Terra on Sun Aug 26, 2018 12:02 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Neko-sensei
Posts: 284 |
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I note that Zenigata's badge reads, "Member since: 1956." I think this pretty much confirms that we're in a Baccano! situation here and the entire main cast is immortal.
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TexZero
Posts: 584 |
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Episode 21 is way too close to home, so much so it's almost scary how accurately it's portrayed given the recent pushes from many nations to curtail internet data so that this very situation doesn't arise.
I almost wonder if the events were written with these changes in mind. Also color me impressed with how they're handling Zenigata even he thinks the new system is a bridge to far. Personally cannot wait for the next episode for some Goemon introspection and Ami to get some time to shine again. |
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