Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine

"Cease what you are doing and gaze at me. Stop everything, say, for the thrumming of your heart."

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The Rundown

“Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine” is one of the abounding installments in the “Lupin” franchise. The sprawling series usually follows, obviously, Lupin, a quick-witted and clever thief, and his various adventures; though, with this anime, it follows a woman named Fujiko Mine, who is also a thief, and her various experiences and encounters before she teams up with Lupin.

Back Then

I’ll be frank: I was in denial after I first saw “The Woman Called Fujiko Mine.” The trailer (which I’ll post in this article) was so exciting, and the anime itself was so stylish (believe me, it is), I desperately wanted to love it.

And so I did.

But, not in a “healthy” way. You see, I secretly saw the major issues with the show, but I wanted to treat it as a masterpiece so much that I just couldn’t bring myself to fully look at them. Sure, some of the good things I saw in “Fujiko Mine” still hold up to this day, but others…

Right Now

“The Woman Called Fujiko Mine” is, without a sliver of doubt, a bit disappointing.

I won’t spoil it, but the whole thing (while episodic) strongly hints at some type of payoff at the end, with little clues, dazzling imagery, and a head-turning tone making the plot swell until it can hold no longer; and then it just deflates. It doesn’t disappear into thin air, no, but, instead, we still something that had so much potential slowly, but, still somehow in a fast manner, painfully deflate itself.

When I say both “slowly” and “quickly,” I mean it. The last 1-2 episodes, in a snap, turn a completely different direction to make it so where all we are able to experience is the cold aftermath.

Know that I have no problem with plot twists like the show's sort or anything of the like; it's just that "Fujiko Mine" doesn't even seem to be true to itself with what unfolds.

After the Talk

I still enjoy “Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine.” Heck, I actually kind of like it. Though, when all is said and done, it just ends up falling flat on its face.

6/10- Though hammered down by interesting characters and nailed by an incredible stylistic tone, “Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine” only ends up shooting itself in the foot too many times to count.