< Lupin III < Recap < S2

Lupin III/Recap/S2/E57


"Will It Be the Computer or Lupin?", with the English title "Alter-Ego Maniac". Released in 2005 by Geneon on Volume 11: From Moscow With Love.

Inspector Zenigata arrives outside a gigantic airplane parked on a Hawaiian landing strip. Inside, he finds a confusing maze of passageways, but a voice guides him safely to the central command of the plane. Zenigata has come to inform the plane's owner, renowned criminal psychologist Professor Hunter, that Lupin is rumored to be in Hawaii and might be after the professor's treasures. Hunter assures him that his computer, carefully calibrated with all known data on all known criminals, would be more than a match for Lupin should he attempt to steal anything. The professor takes the inspector on a tour. While in the special glass vault, Zenigata spots something interesting: one of the Edo-period coins owned and thrown by his famous cop ancestor, Heiji Zenigata. When Hunter temporarily disconnects the vault security to show Zenigata how its done, Zenigata slips the coin into his pocket.

Later on, Lupin and Jigen are relaxing at their Hawaiian beach house when their proximity alarm goes off. They are shocked when they figure out the determined speeding mad man driving up the road is none other than Zenigata. Even more astoundingly, Zenigata manages to capture both Goemon and Jigen with ease. When he arrives at the hideout, Lupin sends out every trap at his command from his saferoom, but Zenigata avoids them all and ends up with the master thief held at gunpoint! Zenigata has won at last! He promptly breaks down into tears.

The gang, Fujiko now arrived, sits dumbfounded as Zenigata begs to join the Lupin gang. He explains he's heard rumors of a Zenigata coin in Hunter's collection and wants it back to his family. Zenigata explains Hunter's computer and traps to the gang, and while Lupin is intrigued by the challenge, Jigen, Goemon, and Fujiko call it too much of a risk and beg off. Lupin is determined though, and with newfound gang member Zenigata at his side, he decides to make a go.

Zenigata and Lupin go for the plane in disguise, but Lupin quickly realizes it's a useless move; Hunter's computer knows his weight and his walking patterns; he has been detected as soon as he stepped foot inside! However, Zenigata, as he's not a crook, is not in the system. Lupin, riding on Zenigata's back, uses the detective to guide him through the maze, thwarting everything the computer thought it knew about the thief. Meanwhile, the Hunter has the airplane take off, bound for the nearest state prison.

The two allies soon arrive at the main vault. Lupin uses every tool at his disposal to crack the glass, but it's bulletproof, laserproof, and self-repairing! Lupin quickly realizes that without Hunter's fingerprints, he can't get in. The thief finally gives up. Zenigata implores him to continue his attempts, but Lupin, suspicious, and finally tells Zenigata to explain the real reason he wants in. Zenigata confesses stealing his ancestor's coin to the master thief; he wanted Lupin's help to open the safe so he could return the coin without Hunter knowing. With this new-found knowledge, and the stolen coin in hand, Lupin quickly comes up with a new idea.

Finding Lupin's abandoned tools, Hunter gloats that Lupin has given up; however, he finds Lupin in the central room, messing with the professor's chess board. Hunter gloats over his victory until Lupin reminds him humans have a weakness that the computer can't take into account: emotion. With that, he presents Zenigata's coin to Hunter. Flabbergasted, Hunter runs back to the vault and opens it to check it is the real one missing and not a fake. In his panic, he allows Lupin to follow him in. As Hunter rants, Zenigata is knocked unconscious by the flight crew, but instead of helping Hunter, they reveal themselves as Jigen, Goemon, and Fujiko, who have flown the plane to Lupin's hideout instead of the prison. Hunter is promptly tied up, and the gang quickly relieves him of his treasures.

As they load the last of it on the boat, Zenigata regains consciousness and goes after them. This time, however, his handcuff attacks are easily repealed by Lupin and his gang, who ricochet them back to ensnare the detective. Flustered, Zenigata wonders what went wrong. Lupin tells him that the day before, he was so determined to do the right thing, he was willing to change who he was and become a thief. If he ever wants a chance at catching Lupin again, he should think like a thief again. As Lupin's gang departs, Zenigata fumes over his defeat...but still breaks the chain on his handcuffs.

This episode features examples of:

  • Bound and Gagged: Jigen and Goemon, by Zenigata.
  • Breaking the Bonds: Zenigata at the end of the episode, caused by Unstoppable Rage.
  • Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: At the beginning of the episode, Zenigata takes out Jigen and Goemon, and gets the drop on Lupin. Holy crap!
  • Dramatic Unmask: The plane's crew are really Lupin's gang.
  • Friendly Enemy: Jigen pretty much states this trope word for word after Zenigata wants to join Lupin's gang.
  • Improbable Aiming Skills: Zenigata, who knocks Jigen's gun from his hand and keeps shooting it away from the gunman with ease.
  • Latex Perfection: Parodied by Jigen, who tugs on Zenigata's face to make sure it was actually the detective who pulled off all those amazing feats. Lupin also attempts this with Hunter's face to fool the computer, but to no avail.
  • Status Quo Is God: By the end of the episode, Zenigata is back to his normal, bumbling self.
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