Fuma Conspiracy: Retrospective and Review | Legacy of Lupin

Legacy of Lupin continues with a retrospective and review of the 1987 OVA (or film, depending on who you ask) Fuma Conspiracy, AKA Plot of the Fuma Clan. For many, especially in Japan, this is a controversial Lupin project since TMS didn't hire the regular voice actors and composer to work on it. Instead, a brand new cast and musician took the helm, giving this project an inherently different flair. But this OVA does have incredible animation and a fun sense of adventure, so does it all balance out? Let's take a look and see! #LupinIII #FumaConspiracy #lupinthe3rd
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TIMECODES

00:00 INTRO / DEVELOPMENT
05:59 STORY AND CHARACTERS
12:08 ANIMATION, ART STYLE, AND SOUNDTRACK
15:51 VOICE ACTORS AND ENGLISH DUB
20:05 CONCLUSION
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SOURCES / RECOMMENDED READING:

[ryannorth]

Your Lupin series is severely underrated. The amount of research you throw into this, and your other video series, is astounding.

[rubyr]

It's a shame about the negative reception this received, even with its shortcomings I think it's still the best animated Lupin project until the Koike stuff. The negativity probably contributed to TMS not wanting to license it out for re-release, ( the 2003 and 2007 DVDs are long out of print) I hope that Discotek is able to get this one a blu ray release preferably with the current English cast

[doryna_sira]

Fun retroactive trivia: Toshio Furukawa was later cast as Lupin II in the new Lupin Zero series.

[cannonballking]

Good to see the Lupin train still on course, but now that we're out of the parts I wish you the best. With one every year you've got a long road ahead. You have my utmost respect for carrying through, as it's a scattershot of quality from here.
Either way a fantastic video on a fantastic movie, and one of the best films in Lupin's long catalogue. Great scenes and lovely character moments really take the best of this era of Lupin. Keep up the good work, and have a nice day.

[jc_ride]

I'd give my left kidney for this movie to get a proper dub, it's easily top 5 Lupin movies/specials but TMS pretends like it doesn't exist and won't release it on Blu-ray any time soon.

[shelbymckinney]

I always considered this on of my personal favorites in the franchise. I really want Discoteck to re-release this high definition with the Geneon/Red Jacket cast to do another english dub. Also, I know he wasn't in this one but R.I.P. Kiyoshi Kobayashi.

[AManWithaZ]

Loving this retrospective and looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the TV specials. The car chase through the bath house is incredibly animated. It's a fantastic display of traditional animation--pure controlled chaos! I would argue it even outmatches Cagliostro's car chase. I think that sequence (along with the animation in general) is what elevates this movie. Unfortunately, it's the story and characters that bring this film down (significantly) in my opinion. Too many aspects of the story and characters feel underdeveloped in my opinion. For example, the fact the villain doesn't even seem to have a name is a pretty big indicator of how underdeveloped and generic he is (his defeat isn't even that cathartic!). Also, I 100% agree with you regarding Murasaki. I can see why some would love this story, though, if they focus on its positive qualities. This movie can definitely be considered one of the best Lupin III movies (but that is maybe more of an indictment on the general quality of most of the Lupin movies/TV specials, than really a claim to this film being exceptional).

[Вихнажд]

According to the laws, you can't get married for a girl in Japan until she's 16, so I don't know why you think she's 14. Maybe she's 20 at all. Yes, she looks younger than her years, but my God, 18-year-old Clarissa de Cagliostro also looked 13 years old. So what?

[Analog_Mind]

It was great to see the Part 1 Character Designs with the high quality animation in this. Also this movie along with the Part 1 episode #7 "One Wolf Calls Another" is the base for a headcannon of mine that Geomon's family is part of a network of old Japanese Clans & Nobility that went underground during the Meiji Restoration of the 1800s, to preserve traditional Japanese culture. I think it's a bit of Lore the Lupin series should expand upon

[Gacktawesome]

One of the FOUR Lupin movies that is the best ones. The fact that Japanese people hated it because of the VA change due to tight budget and money problems from TMS is a real shame.

[ddbl]

This retrospective series is really good it's what really got me into lupin keep it up man!

[stevena]

I never liked the original dub (and Zenigatas design is a bit odd to me) but I ADORE the animation in this because it's probably one of the best animated Lupin "episodes" outside of the more recent OVAs.

Also I swear, Fujiko feels like she's just come off the set of AKIRA, because I can't watch this film without thinking of AKIRA and the late 80s early 90s anime love of biker girls.

[craigtoelle]

I watched this recently and really enjoyed it. The dub is not that good, but the high quality of the animation makes up for that. Story was fun too.
This really needs a reissue, preferably with a new dub (Tony Oliver and crew would be spectacular)

[LSadi]

Just a little Fun Fact: Zenigata's scene seeing Lupin "die" in an explosion while he is on the boat is a reference to the final chapter of Shin Lupin III where [Spoilers]

"ENDLESS..."
Zenigata kills Lupin and the gang in an explosion on an island.
"And here the story concludes"
"Maybe Lupin already know what was gonna happen"

[modder]

I'd rate the Fuma Conspiracy easily in the top 5 of the Lupin movies.

[handeggchan]

Fantastic vid as always, I still need to watch this one.

[Tuning]

Watch this one quite recently, revisiting the older (non cagliostro) long outing and where Mamo really surprised me very positively, this one was a bid of a letdown, even though I was looking so forward to the chase scenes. Not because was a bad movie / special. I would it one of the better ones, but especially the lack of Ohno really made me think it was missing out and could have been so much better.
Chase scenes where excellent, I liked the Miyazaki inspired brash and active Fujiko, and that amazing bumbling mess of policecars chasing the Fiat is unforgettable. It just makes me a bit sad it could easily make it a tier higher if cast and Ohno where present.

[MagillanicaLouM]

That spear trap sequence is beautiful. Also Little Nemo is something i know I've watched but can't for the life of me remember where or when

[burgerman]

It is a shame that TMS never contacted the original staff for this, Yamada and everyone loved their characters so I'm sure they would have taken the roles despite the pay cut.

[JoePants]

Given this is one of the few to not be released in the US on blu-ray yet, I wonder if perhaps they'd do a new dub with the Geneon cast...