Lupin III: The Lie Of Fujiko Mine Review
by Tito W. James
As a follow up to Daisuke Jigen’s Gravestone and Goemon Ishikawa’s Spray Of Blood, The Lie Of Fujiko Mine continues Lupin the III‘s universe of adult-oriented OVAs. The previous two stories were mind-blowingly good, but does this newest installment live up to expectations? Let’s take a look.
THE BAD
There aren’t enough “Wow” moments in The Lie Of Fujiko Mine. No particularly spectacular fights, environments, or bits of fan-service. The animation quality is solid but it doesn’t outdo the other OVAs that came before.
THE GOOD
The Lie Of Fujiko Mine is a more psychological/emotional tale that has Fujiko take on the role of a surrogate mother protecting a child from a crazed assassin named Bicam. This new killer has a fantastic design and is by far they creepyiest foe introduced into the Lupin OVAs. The final confrontation between Fujiko and Bicam is cathartic and proves why he’s the perfect foil for her.
THE VERDICT
The Lie Of Fujiko Mine is satisfactory in the story it set out to tell, but it would be ranked as my least favorite of the three OVAs released so far. The previous Lupin OVAs were bold in their use of subversive content, and so this story feels tame by comparison. However, there are hints at a larger mystery at play and I’ll be there for when the next installment in this series comes out.
The Lie Of Fujiko Mine is available now on Amazon.