Episode 4 – Lupin the 3rd Part 6

The literary bases of Lupin the 3rd Part 6 will continue until further notice, it seems, as we reach this Mamoru Oshii-scripted episode. Indeed, it might as well be credited as a joint writing project between Oshii and Ernest Hemingway, as the story of the episode pointedly cribs the base plot, as well as much of the dialogue, from the American writer’s classic short story ‘The Killers’. “Short stories are always more challenging than novels” a character knowingly remarks partway into this installment, which is a relevant observation for a series like Lupin the 3rd which has always been roughly half-anthology by volume anyway. So does it undercut the efforts required for episodic entries if Oshii largely copied Hemingway’s homework, or does his own spin on the material deliver? And is such a setup even really an issue for a franchise itself whose genesis is a titular derivative of Maurice Leblanc‘s own literary classic? At the end of the day, any story, short or long, original or adaptation, need only keep the audience entertained to be considered a success.

To be fair, this episode of Part 6 isn’t a one-for-one copy of Hemingway’s ‘The Killers’, and acknowledgement of that story within this one’s narrative turns out to be a key component of decoding its ideas overall. That said, don’t worry that this episode will send you scrambling for Wikipedia like some of last week’s Ellery Queen allusions, as Oshii will happily take time out of his day here to explain the genesis, plot, and publication history of Hemingway’s story. There’s an amusing irony to the point that the most complex, interesting, ‘unique’ points of this episode come in the form of an infodump around a wholly separate story we just effectively watched an adaptation of, but I’m sure it makes an appreciable clarification for the kids playing along at home who might have initially been questioning what all this had to do with Lupin for the first fifteen minutes (apart from at least noticing how suspiciously Lupin-and-Jigen-shaped our central hitmen were).

Of course, even if you haven’t been keeping up on your Hemingway, it’s pretty hard to miss the connection as this episode unfolds. Between all the book and story titles, quotations, and other allusions, this episode’s central scene at the restaurant is presented as a clue-filled mystery itself for audiences to solve, akin to the ones presented already in previous episodes of this season. The trick, then, is the presence of that plot-device ‘code book’ that is the heist target for this particular Lupin short story. In-universe it’s required to decode some damaging CIA information, but for what Oshii’s presenting to us, it’s a cipher for all those clues and details previously sprinkled throughout. It’s hardly subtle in how it handles this element of audience interaction, but does come off as a neat trick, nonetheless.

That willingness to be heavy-handed with the presentation makes up a lot of this episode’s appeal. The whole thing is absolutely drenched in a murky palette appropriate for this overall grim subject matter, drawing us into the banal tone of Hemingway’s story. Though tonal comparisons also make for the kind of contrast pseudo-adaptations like this invite: There’s a whole collection of contract killers occupying the restaurant in Lupin‘s version (including an instance of our good friend Duke Togo!), and that powder keg of a situation eventually goes off in a sudden, furious, and loud fit of violence. It’s the only burst of its kind in the episode, but it leaves one hell of an impression, perhaps even moreso if you’re familiar with the more low-key proceedings of Hemingway’s version of the story. Similarly, the backstory of the unlucky assassination target draws in a whole complex web of historical and political intrigue. The new situation around ‘Andre Anderson’ (who in a fit of circuitous literary madness, seems to be named after the real-life inspiration for the fictional character in the original short story) presents the most major departure of Oshii’s story from Hemingway’s, at the same time accounting for the involvement of Lupin: This isn’t a snapshot of a street-level community grappling with gritty groundlings of organized crime, it’s a world-spanning caper now involving multiple famous master thieves. In that respect, it almost seems glib to see Fujiko and Lupin remarking on leaving poor Anderson’s fate up in the air simply at the behest of playing out the plot of the original story accurately. Then again, fictional characters making historical and literary allusions their own playthings is itself another neat trick.

Apart from one’s appreciation for Hemingway or atypical Lupin the 3rd episodes, the takeaway on this one will rest in how much inherent value you see in what it’s doing. What importance can we find in a Lupin recreation of an Ernest Hemingway story from a writer who isn’t necessarily known for either of those things? As I mentioned, Lupin as a franchise is almost required to be derivative by nature these days (this season was primarily advertised on the spectacle of a Sherlock Holmes crossover, after all), and the framing of this one fits with Part 6‘s overall style so far. And I’d say it’s to Hemingway’s credit that his dialogue can slot in so naturally to the pacing of this episode and still prove consistently entertaining for us even as we’re waiting for the story’s other shoe to drop. Pulling off that mash-up is also the mark of an effective adaptation, so good on Oshii for that one. But along that line, this entry may underwhelm as the Lupin debut for the writing of the acclaimed anime creator, swapping out as it does much of his cerebral and societal ruminations for cool literature facts. But given how it still made for an interesting, unique episode, and as someone who thought Vladlove was a perfectly fun little show, I think Oshii has earned this kind of indulgence.

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Lupin the 3rd Part 6 is currently streaming on
HIDIVE.

Chris is a freelance writer who appreciates anime, action figures, and additional ancillary artistry. He can be found staying up way too late posting screencaps on his Twitter.