Lupin III: Zenigata and the Two Lupins is my first exposure to Takeshi Koike's take on the franchise, and if this is any indication of how the rest will go, then I am more than a bit intrigued. The tone is very serious in this iteration, with a focus on terrorism, political scheming, and how far a sense of justice can really take you, and while the big plot reveal does strain suspension of disbelief just a tad, it still strikes a resonant chord with the modern distrust towards any forms of extreme power and the cavalier attitude with which those in power treat theirsubjects. The fake Lupin proved to be incredibly captivating despite very little being revealed about him, and Zenigata’s struggle with understanding the indifference of those around him gives this story a strong heart as the plot pushes forward.
It’s also a very graphic take on Lupin this time around, with far more gore and dismemberment than I was expecting, as well as a series of terrifyingly well-animated explosions, though it also has a tendency to dole out a bit too much plot armor when Lupin and Jigen are too close to any given detonation. Action aside, this one’s just really great to look at in general, sporting a richness to its color palette despite the bleakly depressing Totally Not Russian setting, though the CG crown shots did draw me out of the moment more than once. I’m still fairly new to Lupin as a franchise, with this being the fourth entry I’ve finished so far, but it’s the sheer variety and creativity that keep me coming back, and this new entry more than scratches that particular itch.