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Lupin III/Recap/S2/E48


"Lupin Laughs While the Alarm Bell Rings", released in English as "Vault Assault". Released in 2005 by Geneon on Volume 10: Enchanted Lupin.

Somewhere in Kentucky, Inspector Zenigata receives a phone call from Lupin himself. He catches up with Lupin, Jigen and Goemon soon after, determined as usual to catch them. Meanwhile, Fujiko, posing as a wealthy Japanese woman, arrives at the Metropolitan Bank and expresses interest in using the bank's special underground vault.

The car chase has ended at a race track, where Lupin uses a smoke screen and the massive traffic jam there to elude Zenigata. The track is no ordinary track, however; the Kentucky Derby is being held there. As Zenigata searches through the crowds around the track, he spots another message from Lupin on one of the horses. Quickly realizing Lupin is targeting the haul the Derby brought in, Zenigata takes charge of the security revolving around the track proceeds, which are to be transported to the vault of the Metropolitan Bank, thirty miles away. Zenigata promptly comes up with a plan of his own.

Sure enough, Lupin makes his move on at one of the bridges the security convoy must cross. His boat has a giant magnet on top, which he uses to freeze the armored truck under protection in place on the road. He then has Goemon accelerate the watercraft, pulling away the portion of the bridge with the truck on top. When Lupin goes to examine his prize, however, the gang is surprised to find the truck full of not money, but cops and Zenigata. The gang leaps off of the boat, but the security men fire into the water, before Zenigata shouts at them to stop. It's too late...a cloud of red appears on the surface of the water. In reality, Jigen and Goemon take dummies of themselves they hid underwater and weigh them down to the bottom of the river, while Lupin releases a sack of red dye. They swim off, leaving a despondent Zenigata to drag the river for their bodies.

The next day, the race stakes are placed in the vault, as is a massive chest of precious jewels that Fujiko and Goemon bring for "safekeeping." Zenigata, suddenly suspicious, arrives at the bank to search for Lupin. The bank manager demonstrates the security by throwing Zenigata's hat on the vault floor; the super-sensitive sensors there cause the alarms to go off and guards to come running. The vault is sealed and the time-locks are set in place for 7:00 the next morning. Somewhat placated, Zenigata returns to the search at the river.

The inspector's suspicions are, of course, well-founded; Lupin and Jigen are hidden in the massive chest Fujiko deposited. Using a specially made set of suction-cup/pulley combos, Lupin makes his way across the vault to the massive metal case where the Derby money is being held. Lupin drills through and blows a hole in back of the case, careful to catch the drill shavings and debris so they don't fall on the floor. With access to the money, he and Jigen quickly use the pulleys and ropes to guide the cash into their chest.

Even after witnessing the vault, Zenigata makes one last call to the bank to check. To placate him, a security guard goes down and checks through the vault's peephole, just as Lupin and Jigen are loading the last sack of money, which has promptly stuck in a pulley and caused part of the system to collapse. Luckily, the guard can't see them, as they are just behind the case and tells Zenigata there's nothing there. As Zenigata comes to grips with the fact they might really be dead, the "bodies" are found. Lupin's leaves a cheerful tape-recorded message thanking Zenigata for keeping vigil just before the dummies explode.

Back at the bank, Fujiko and Goemon have retrieved the chest and driven off, just as the vault alarm sounds; the bank has discovered the theft. The gang enjoys sifting through their ill-gotten gains as Zenigata drives past them to the bank, still smouldering in the emotional and literal sense.

This episode features examples of:

  • Absurdly Sharp Blade: Goemon opens up the side of an armored truck.
  • Absurdly Spacious Sewer: How Zenigata has the Derby funds transported to the bank.
  • Antagonist in Mourning: Zenigata is initially suspicious, but when he begins to think the gang might really be hurt or dead...
  • Artistic License Geography: The Kentucky Derby is in Louisville, Kentucky. The Metropolitan Bank would appear to be in New York, based on the "Hotel New York" the gang stays at. When last checked, those were not a mere thirty miles from each other.

    The more likely explanation was the race should have been the Belmont Stakes, which takes place near New York City and therefore fits in much better geographically.
  • Catch Your Death of Cold: Lupin and Jigen after swimming in the river.
  • Ceiling Cling: The suction method is used to pull off the actual theft in the vault.
  • Double Caper: The first to remove Zenigata from the picture, the second to actually perform the crime.
  • Engrish: The bank's sign reads "Metoropolitan Bank."
  • Faking the Dead: Used to keep Zenigata occupied while the actual crime goes down.
  • Grumpy Old Man: Lupin accuses Jigen of being one when he openly dislikes the rock music playing in Lupin's car.
  • Henohenomoheji: On the faces of the dummies the gang drops in the river.
  • Hollywood Magnetism: Played for Rule of Funny and cartoon physics.
  • Incredibly Lame Pun: In the English version, on the note Lupin leaves for the bank:

"Don't blame yourselves. The vault's all mine."

  • It's Probably Nothing: The guards when Zenigata calls the bank after suspecting Lupin might be in the vault after all.
  • Selective Magnetism: The giant magnet holds down a truck through a massive bridge without:
    • a) messing with the mechanics of the obviously metal boat supporting it
    • b) affecting Goemon's steel sword.
    • c) affecting a guard's machine gun.
    • d) affecting the rest of the bridge.
  • Smoke Out: Lupin's gang uses one to give Zenigata the slip in the traffic jam.
  • Shout-Out: A snippet of the Mission: Impossible theme plays as Lupin makes gives a This Page Will Self-Destruct message.
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