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Little-Known Monkey Punch Manga From 1975 Reveals Lupin III, Fujiko's Son

Monkey Punch's passing last week has prompted fans to celebrate the acclaimed manga artist's life as well as his most famous work: Lupin III.

One little-known piece of trivia is that Lupin and Fujiko get married and have a child in a spinoff manga called Lupin Kozō (Lupin the Brat), which Monkey Punch drew in 1975. It first began serialization in December 1975, and concluded in September 1976 with 18 chapters. It was published in the short-lived Weekly Shonen Action magazine, which ran for only 28 issues.

Although the manga itself is ambiguous about who Lupin the Brat's parents are, Monkey Punch confirmed his identity in interviews. One fan recently posted a clip from a television interview where Monkey Punch spoke about the matter. The reaction from the interviewer is priceless.

In the various Lupin III manga and anime stories, Lupin and Fujiko are shown to have flirtatious but not necessarily romantic relationship. In some stories they are amicable, while in others they attempt to interfere with each other. In an interview with ANN from 2003, Monkey Punch described them as "not necessarily lovers, not necessarily husband and wife, but more just having fun as man and woman with each other and using their weapons against each other, but in an enjoyable way."

Monkey Punch was born in Hamanaka, Hokkaido in 1937. He made his major debut with Playboy Nyūmon in Futabasha's Manga Story magazine in 1965. Lupin III then launched in Futabasha's Manga Action magazine in 1967. Due to the popularity of the series, the first Lupin III television anime adaptation premiered in 1971. The franchise has since inspired numerous television anime and films, as well as live-action works and games.

Monkey Punch passed away on April 11 due to pneumonia. He was 81.

Source: Lupin Kozō Thorough Analysis Fanpage, @SakemotoMasao