Lupin III Part VI Episode 15 Review

Episode 15, "Wedding Bells Ring with the Sound of Gunfire"

The wedding coupleLupin with a picture of the blue jewel

 

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Lupin and Jigen's next target is the "Tear of Marseille", a blue gem about to be gifted to an old acquaintance of Jigen's at her wedding. Jigen stalks the target, reliving the memory of the woman, Myelene, saving his life after a shoot-out. But there are others that are after Mylene, with an even darker purpose. How is Jigen supposed to protect this woman but at the same time steal from her? Wedding bells chime on this trip down a rainy road.

Jigen puts a gun to a headJigen confronts the groom

 

Comments:

 

We get our second Jigen episode here, this time dealing with a shared past with a woman who helped him out once. It's hardly a new format for a Jigen episode, but the formula works if done well enough. And I think it works here.

Lupin and Jigen target the wedding of magnate Count Fernand Maistre to doctor Mylene Legrand, who had once saved him from a car crash. Apparently the bride will be wearing a valuable jewel at the wedding which Lupin desires. But this guy called the Jackal and his brother want to kidnap Mylene for ransom. Jigen, who had also once been treated by Mylene after being badly injured, is keeping an eye on Myelene and make sure no harm comes to her before they can get the gem. But ultimately it turns out Mylene lured Lupin with the gem so she can see Jigen again.

We get this amusing moment where Lupin tries to make a haiku from his observation of a sullen Jigen, and Jigen replies that there's too many syllables. It's one of those little character moments that really elevate the material, showing the intricacies of the characters' relationships. I also like when Lupin teases Jigen about not taking Mylene for himself and Jigen throwing away the Tear of Marseille, which devastates him. These are two characters who work really well off each other.

There's really nothing special about the actual plot. Jigen stakes out the wedding, reminisces, and ultimately saves Myelene by taking out the Jackal without anyone noticing (his gunshot drowned out by fireworks). It's the way the episode pulls all of this off, by focusing on the emotions of the characters and the framing of them with their environments, that matters. I think the best scene is Jigen's confrontation with the groom, providing a chance for Jigen to connect to Myelene's life in the present without being too overt.

Looks like next week is finally the first Goemon episode in this series. And he's in the world of high fashion? Weird.

Jigen reveals he was disguisedJigen with the blue gem

Overall Score:

 

4 out of 5

 


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