Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is a 2012 Japanese anime series based on Monkey Punch's Lupin IIImanga. Produced by TMS Entertainment and Po10tial, the series aired on NTV between April 4, 2012 and June 27, 2012.[1][2] It focuses on the franchise's heroine, Fujiko Mine, as she undergoes various missions and encounters the rest of the Lupin III cast for the first time. Unlike the franchise's previous three televised anime, The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is more sexually oriented in order to capture the "sensuality" present in the original manga as well as darker and more serious. It is also the first in which Lupin is not the protagonist.
Sayo Yamamoto is the director of the series, making it the first Lupin title to be directed by a woman, and Takeshi Koike was the character designer and animation director.[3]Mari Okada was the main writer of the series,[3] although Itsuko Miyoshi (ep 2), Dai Satō (ep 3, 7, 10), Shinsuke Ōnishi (ep 5) and Junji Nishimura (ep 8) served as episode writers. The opening theme is "New Wuthering Heights" (新・嵐が丘, Shin Arashi ga Oka) by Naruyoshi Kikuchi, who also wrote the in-show music,[3] and Pepe Tormento Azcarar feat. Ichiko Hashimoto, while the ending theme is "Duty Friend" by NIKIIE.
VAP released the anime on home video in four-disc DVD and Blu-ray box sets on September 19, 2012.[4][5]Funimationsimulcasted the series, with English subtitles, on their website and Nico Nico for North American audiences as it aired in Japan.[6] On July 28 at Otakon 2012, they announced that they also acquired the home video rights to the series.[7] They released The Woman Called Fujiko Mine in Blu-ray and Blu-ray/DVD sets on August 20, 2013, including an English-language dub.[8]Manga Entertainment released a similar set in the United Kingdom on September 16,[9][10] whereas Hanabee released it in Australasia in two parts, on October 16 and November 20.[11]
Episode list
No.
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original air date
01
"Master Thief vs. Lady Looter" Transliteration: "Daidorobō VS onna kaitō" (Japanese: 大泥棒VS女怪盗)
Tells the story of how Fujiko Mine first met Lupin III. Fujiko is on a mission to infiltrate a drug operation, which is not helped by the arrival of master thief Lupin.
As Fujiko goes undercover as a tutor looking after some children in order to get some world treasures on a train, including the successor to a country, she meets the samurai Goemon Ishikawa, who is on a mission to assassinate the children's grandfather, Mr. Trunc. When the assassin wants to kill both Trunc and Goemon by sending the train out of control, Fujiko and Goemon work together to save the children by separating the passengers from the treasures.
04
"Vissi d'arte, Vissi d'amore" Transliteration: "Uta ni iki, koi ni iki" (Japanese: 歌に生き、恋に生き)
Tomio Yamauchi
Mari Okada
April 25, 2012 (2012-04-25)
In order to be released from the police, Fujiko has sex with Inspector Zenigata and is then told to protect a jewel studded mask worn by an opera singer named Ayan Maya from being stolen by Lupin. As the performance goes on tonight, a mysterious 'ghost of the opera' makes an attempt on Ayan's life. As Ayan faints from the experience, Fujiko is cast as her stand-in to draw out Lupin. However, Fujiko is soon trapped, discovering that the attempt on Ayan's life was a fake, while Lupin reveals the Ayan on stage is actually a stagehand. As Zenigata chases after Lupin, Fujiko chases after the ghost, Darenzo, and meets the real Ayan, who had been living underneath the opera house with Dorenzo. As Ayan explains the decisions she made, she decides to burn the mask before inviting Fujiko and Lupin to join them for dinner.
As Lupin attempts to woo Fujiko, she tells him about a jewel peacock at the bottom of a pyramid in Egypt. Meanwhile, Jigen, who is short on cash after being scammed, goes on a search for the peacock as well. Jigen soon finds himself fighting against not only Lupin, but the various traps set up by looters. After both Lupin and Jigen fall into a trap together, Fujiko appears revealing the peacock will appear if one of them dies in the trap. However, they both manage to escape by sacrificing some scorpions. The peacock reveals itself, but Fujiko is forced to give it up in order to escape from the pyramid.
06
"Prison of Love" Transliteration: "Ai no rōgoku" (Japanese: 愛の牢獄)
Shōko Nakamura Hideki Tonokatsu
Mari Okada
May 9, 2012 (2012-05-09)
Fujiko begins work as a teacher at an all-girls school, where she immediately finds herself the target of affection for many of the students, including a shy girl named Isolde Brach. Fujiko starts to take an interest in Isolde and the two spend some time together. As Isolde is punished by her jealous classmates, she turns to Fujiko for a night of passion. However, it is soon revealed that Isolde is actually Zenigata's assistant, Oscar, who took the real Isolde's place in order to catch both Fujiko and Lupin. The next day, Oscar initiates a plan to capture Lupin. However by that time, he had already freed Fujiko, who tricks Oscar into giving her the code for a pendant containing a thesis by Isolde's late father. As Fujiko and Lupin escape and share the spoils, Oscar swears to get revenge on Fujiko.
07
"Music and Revolution" Transliteration: "Ongaku to kakumei" (Japanese: 音楽と革命)
Fortune-teller Shitoto can guess the "Death Date" of any person. The victims are all former marks of Lupin III. Jigen is hired to destroy the lithograph Shitoto uses to read these fortunes. Lupin teams up with Jigen, however, Lieutenant Oscar is waiting for him. What does this fortune teller have in store for the fate of Fujiko?
09
"Love Wreathed in Steam" Transliteration: "Yukemuri bojō" (Japanese: 湯けむり慕情)
Yasuo Tsuchiya
Mari Okada
May 30, 2012 (2012-05-30)
Lupin and Jigen find themselves looking after a girl who was used as a living piece of art. The girl has no name as the artist treated her no more than an object, while their motives for taking are unknown, the girl bonds with Jigen. But the trio have troubles evading Fujiko, who desperately wants to kill her for personal reasons. Eventually Fujiko corners Lupin and the girl at a hot springs, but is unable to attack her, when Lupin warns her that since they're at the heart of the springs; he would start a reaction should she try to harm the girl. He confronts Fujiko with her reasons for trying to kill the girl and deduces that Fujiko sees the girl to be like herself. Both women have had their lives altered and manipulated. When Fujiko sees this as the truth she leaves, completely stunned. Lupin and Jigen cover the girl's tattoos and leave her at a Buddhist temple hoping she can have a real life.
Lupin investigates a group of owl people who desire Fujiko and begins to learn more about Fujiko's past while fighting off illusions brought on by a strange drug.
11
"The Feast of Fools" Transliteration: "Orokamono no matsuri" (Japanese: 愚か者の祭)
Fukurōkōji Pāchiku Yuzuru Tachikawa
Mari Okada
June 13, 2012 (2012-06-13)
As Goemon tries to look after Fujiko, Oscar disguises himself as Fujiko and frames her for various perfect crimes in an attempt to gain Zenigata's favour.
12
"The Woman Called Fujiko Mine (Part 1)" Transliteration: "Mine Fujiko to iu onna (zenpen)" (Japanese: 峰不二子という女 （前篇）)
Nana Harada Makoto Sudō
Mari Okada
June 20, 2012 (2012-06-20)
Fujiko, Zenigata, Lupin, and Jigen go to a strange theme park to finally confront Fujiko's past, and the deranged Count Luis Yu Almeida.
13
"The Woman Called Fujiko Mine (Part 2)" Transliteration: "Mine Fujiko to iu onna (kōhen)" (Japanese: 峰不二子という女 （後篇）)
Fujiko enters a chamber where Count Luis Yu Almeida is sitting and waiting for her, however Lupin interferes from a communications room and being gunned by Jigen, who inhaled the Fraulein Eule Cult drug, which makes Lupin flee. Fujiko falls into another chamber where message appears in blocks and Lupin assists Fujiko to reach again the top. In a special room, Lupin explains the real events that occurred in the tragedy of Eulenspiegel and the process of brutally inducing mind control to little girls. Also in the room lies Dr. Kaiser's daughter Aisha who has been long time experimented for the sake of Count Almeida and now frail and weakened. Fujiko reveals that she entered the manor as a maid and intends to steal the Fraulein Eule cult drug, however she's been cornered by Almeida's men and experimented her as well. Her drive to steal and indulge in sex made Aisha somewhat happy. As the conversation draws close, Lupin gets Aisha and unmasks "Minerva's" Owl who happens to be Aisha's mother who survived the Eulenspiegel tragedy. Lupin and Fujiko brings Aisha to a coastline, but Aisha succumbs due to her weakened state. As they drive off, Fujiko challenges Lupin to steal her, but Lupin ends up in failure catching her because of her theft of a bolt from the car, causing it to disassemble and leaving Lupin in the middle of the road.
^Because the show aired at 1:29 am,[2] it technically debuted on April 5, 2012. However, the official debut date is listed as April 4. This dating method is continued with all the episodes.
