English Dub Review: Lupin III Part VI “Episode 0: The Times”

Overview

Lupin, Jigen, and Goemon end up in jail after being betrayed again by Fujiko and captured by police using the latest high-tech weaponry: armed drones equipped with AI programming and plastic guns which spray quick-setting adhesive. Jigen laments how much has changed in the modern world, and contemplates quitting the thievery business, and also leaving both Lupin & Goemon…

Our Take

This was such a fantastic jumping-on point for Part 6, and in many ways, it was perfect as it has all the things you’d expect from a Lupin story: a fun compelling cast, clever storytelling, fun interactions, and with the appearance of advanced weapons such as the sticky guns and drones (that are animated in CGI) along with Jigen in talks of parting ways with his longtime crew.

I do find it amusing how Lupin’s lines about him adapting to the times also reflect the franchise as a whole. But at least they’re finding new ways to keep it interesting. And with the decision Jigen potentially makes, all of its proceedings feel like a huge metaphor for the change of times but upon research, it also marks a massive departure from Funimation who up until this point, only currently owns the dubbing rights to the first 5 parts and the Fujiko spin-off.

Overall, this episode was quite fun yet surprisingly emotionally resonant. The cast remains so damn likable, but there’s also a heavy focus on Jigen as expected due to the nature of the episode. It remains to be seen how long his “departure” would last, but Lupin is a respectable enough friend to let him walk his own path and not be sore about it…