The Plot of the Fuma Clan
Encyclopedia
, released in North America
as Rupan III: The Fuma Conspiracy, is Arsène Lupin III's first direct-to-video adventure, and the first Lupin adventure since the pilot to not feature Yasuo Yamada
(due to a tight budget) as Lupin. Instead, Lupin's voice is provided by Toshio Furukawa
. It is also the only Lupin title not to feature Kiyoshi Kobayashi
as Jigen.
and his fiancée Murasaki. During the ceremony where the Suminawa family heirloom, a valuable antique urn, is handed over to Goemon, several black-clad ninja
attack the party and attempt to steal the urn. Lupin
and his colleagues fight off the ninja, but during the confusion others kidnap Goemon's bride-to-be and escape, leaving a ransom note.
Meanwhile, Inspector Zenigata has retired to a Buddhist temple following the apparent death of his long-time quarry Lupin. A colleague from ICPO is trying to persuade him to return to work, but Zenigata says he has "no interest in a world without Lupin". Zenigata soon changes his mind when he is shown a photograph of Lupin at the wedding ceremony earlier that day. Zenigata resumes his life-long pursuit of Lupin!
At the Suminawa household, Murasaki's grandfather explains to Goemon that the urn holds the secret location of the Suminawa family treasure, and that the Fuma clan, the ninjas who attacked the ceremony that morning, have been trying to steal it for just as long. He refuses to hand over the urn to the Fuma clan, but Lupin steals it instead and exchanges it for Murasaki's life. The urn contains a hidden engraving revealing the location of the treasure; an underground cave deep in the mountains.
Soon the race is on as Lupin and company, with Zenigata in close pursuit, try to beat the Fuma clan in negotiating the trap-laden caves beneath the mountain to find the ancient treasure.
cast. When the news was broken to Yasuo Yamada, it was not made clear who was responsible for the dismissal, leaving him with the impression that Lupin III's creator, Monkey Punch
, had lobbied the producers for a new voice actor. (In reality, Monkey Punch was happy with Yamada's portrayal, but felt that he had no business in telling the production company what to do.) Monkey Punch did try to reassure Yamada (who had developed a friendship with him over the years of Lupin III's run on TV) that he had nothing to do with it, and the regulars were reinstated with the first television special, Bye Bye Liberty Crisis. However, relations between Yamada and Monkey Punch were permanently strained by the affair.
In the United States, Animeigo released The Fuma Conspiracy under the title "Rupan III: The Fuma Conspiracy," and referred to the title character as "Rupan" in the English dub and subtitle scripts. Licensor Toho
demanded the change out of fear that the estate of Maurice Leblanc
, creator of the original Arsene Lupin, would sue for the unauthorized use of the name. It has since been re-released by Discotek under the title "Lupin the 3rd: the Fuma Conspiracy".
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
as Rupan III: The Fuma Conspiracy, is Arsène Lupin III's first direct-to-video adventure, and the first Lupin adventure since the pilot to not feature Yasuo Yamada
Yasuo Yamada
was a Japanese voice actor born in Tokyo, Japan.Yamada left the faculty of literature of Waseda University, and had performed in many stage, radio, and television productions. His most famous role was Arsène Lupin III from the Lupin III series, starting in 1971 and ending in 1995...
(due to a tight budget) as Lupin. Instead, Lupin's voice is provided by Toshio Furukawa
Toshio Furukawa
is a Japanese voice actor affiliated with Aoni Production and is married to fellow voice actress Shino Kakinuma. His height is 164cm. Hobbies are Fishing, diorama, reading and movies.In July 2011, Furukawa appeared at Anime Expo as a guest.-Career/Personal:...
. It is also the only Lupin title not to feature Kiyoshi Kobayashi
Kiyoshi Kobayashi
is a Japanese actor, seiyū and narrator from Tokyo. He is currently attached to the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society...
as Jigen.
Plot
The movie begins at the wedding of Goemon Ishikawa XIIIGoemon Ishikawa XIII
is a fictional character created by Monkey Punch for his Lupin III series. Goemon is the thirteenth generation of renegade samurai, a descendant of the historical figure Ishikawa Goemon...
and his fiancée Murasaki. During the ceremony where the Suminawa family heirloom, a valuable antique urn, is handed over to Goemon, several black-clad ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
attack the party and attempt to steal the urn. Lupin
Lupin III
, also known as Lupin the 3rd, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kazuhiko Kato under the pen name of Monkey Punch. The story follows the adventures of a gang of thieves led by Arsène Lupin III, the grandson of Arsène Lupin, the gentleman thief of Maurice Leblanc's series of...
and his colleagues fight off the ninja, but during the confusion others kidnap Goemon's bride-to-be and escape, leaving a ransom note.
Meanwhile, Inspector Zenigata has retired to a Buddhist temple following the apparent death of his long-time quarry Lupin. A colleague from ICPO is trying to persuade him to return to work, but Zenigata says he has "no interest in a world without Lupin". Zenigata soon changes his mind when he is shown a photograph of Lupin at the wedding ceremony earlier that day. Zenigata resumes his life-long pursuit of Lupin!
At the Suminawa household, Murasaki's grandfather explains to Goemon that the urn holds the secret location of the Suminawa family treasure, and that the Fuma clan, the ninjas who attacked the ceremony that morning, have been trying to steal it for just as long. He refuses to hand over the urn to the Fuma clan, but Lupin steals it instead and exchanges it for Murasaki's life. The urn contains a hidden engraving revealing the location of the treasure; an underground cave deep in the mountains.
Soon the race is on as Lupin and company, with Zenigata in close pursuit, try to beat the Fuma clan in negotiating the trap-laden caves beneath the mountain to find the ancient treasure.
Production
Due to budget concerns, TMS decided not to employ the regular voice cast for the OVA, instead going for a slightly less-expensive yet still well-known Aoni ProductionAoni Production
Aoni Production is a Japanese talent agency representing a fair number of voice actors and other Japanese entertainers.-Voice actors currently affiliated with Aoni:...
cast. When the news was broken to Yasuo Yamada, it was not made clear who was responsible for the dismissal, leaving him with the impression that Lupin III's creator, Monkey Punch
Monkey Punch
Monkey Punch is the pen name of Japanese manga artist Kazuhiko Katō , creator of the successful Japanese manga series Lupin III...
, had lobbied the producers for a new voice actor. (In reality, Monkey Punch was happy with Yamada's portrayal, but felt that he had no business in telling the production company what to do.) Monkey Punch did try to reassure Yamada (who had developed a friendship with him over the years of Lupin III's run on TV) that he had nothing to do with it, and the regulars were reinstated with the first television special, Bye Bye Liberty Crisis. However, relations between Yamada and Monkey Punch were permanently strained by the affair.
Release details
After being released on home video, Fuma Conspiracy was released in theaters as well.In the United States, Animeigo released The Fuma Conspiracy under the title "Rupan III: The Fuma Conspiracy," and referred to the title character as "Rupan" in the English dub and subtitle scripts. Licensor Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
demanded the change out of fear that the estate of Maurice Leblanc
Maurice Leblanc
Maurice Marie Émile Leblanc was a French novelist and writer of short stories, known primarily as the creator of the fictional gentleman thief and detective Arsène Lupin, often described as a French counterpart to Arthur Conan Doyle's creation Sherlock Holmes.- Biography :Leblanc was born in...
, creator of the original Arsene Lupin, would sue for the unauthorized use of the name. It has since been re-released by Discotek under the title "Lupin the 3rd: the Fuma Conspiracy".
Distributors
- Tokyo Movie ShinshaTokyo Movie Shinsha, formerly known as , is a Japanese animation studio, founded on October 1946. One of the oldest and most prominent anime studios in Japan, it has also produced numerous animated series airing in other countries such as France, the United States, and Italy. The company currently uses "TMS...
- AnimEigoAnimEigoAnimEigo is an American entertainment company that licenses and distributes anime, samurai films and Japanese cinema. The company was founded in 1988 in Ithaca, New York by Robert Woodhead and Roe R. Adams, III. It is now based in Wilmington, North Carolina, and run by Natsumi Ueki, Robert's wife...
- Western Connection
- Discotek Media
Japanese
- Toshio FurukawaToshio Furukawais a Japanese voice actor affiliated with Aoni Production and is married to fellow voice actress Shino Kakinuma. His height is 164cm. Hobbies are Fishing, diorama, reading and movies.In July 2011, Furukawa appeared at Anime Expo as a guest.-Career/Personal:...
as Arsene Lupin IIIArsène Lupin IIIis a fictional character introduced by Monkey Punch in Weekly Manga Action on August 10, 1967. According to its creator, Lupin is the grandson of Maurice Leblanc's Arsène Lupin....
, master thief - Banjō GingaBanjo Ginga, sometimes credited as his real name , is a Japanese voice actor who was born in Kofu, Yamanashi. Ginga is currently affiliated with Aoni Production...
as Daisuke JigenDaisuke Jigenis a fictional character in Monkey Punch's Lupin III series.-Abilities:Jigen is master thief Arsène Lupin III's marksman. He can perform a 0.3-second quick-draw and has an accuracy that borders on superhuman; he can shoot skeet with a handgun, explode a missile before it hits by targeting the... - Kaneto ShiozawaKaneto ShiozawaKaneto Shiozawa , real name was a Japanese voice actor from Tokyo affiliated with Aoni Production. He had a distinctive cold, calm voice which usually typecast him in roles as villains or anti-heroes....
as Goemon Ishikawa XIIIGoemon Ishikawa XIIIis a fictional character created by Monkey Punch for his Lupin III series. Goemon is the thirteenth generation of renegade samurai, a descendant of the historical figure Ishikawa Goemon... - Mami KoyamaMami KoyamaMami Koyama is a veteran seiyū and J-pop vocalist who was born in Nishio, Aichi. She was once married to fellow seiyū Tōru Furuya, her co-star in Mobile Suit Gundam, Urusei Yatsura, Dragon Ball, Saint Seiya, and Casshern Sins...
as Fujiko MineFujiko Mineis a fictional character created by Monkey Punch, for his Lupin III series. Fujiko is a professional criminal, burglar and "confidence trickster".... - Seizō Katō as Inspector Koichi Zenigata
- Mayumi ShōMayumi Shois a Japanese seiyū. She formely works at Aoni Production and is currently working at Kekke Corporation. She is married to fellow seiyū Keiichi Nanba.-Notable voice roles:*Ikuko Otonashi in Maison Ikkoku*Chi-Chi in Dragon Ball and early Dragon Ball Z...
as Murasaki - Kōhei MiyauchiKohei Miyauchi' was a veteran Japanese seiyū born in Kagoshima Prefecture. His real name was Takayuki Miyauchi and his nickname was "Miya-chan". On June 2, 1995, Miyauchi died on his hospital bed at the Nihon University Itabashi Hospital from abdominal varices...
as Old Man Suminawa - Shigeru ChibaShigeru Chibais an actor and voice actor. He has also worked as a sound effects director and music director. He is employed by the talent management firm 81 Produce....
as Inspector Fumi - Masashi HiroseMasashi Hiroseis a Japanese voice actor. He works at Production Baobab.He is known for the roles of Ramba Ral , Rikishiman , Gosterro , and Nakano-sensei .-Anime television:...
as Boss - Shigeru NakaharaShigeru Nakaharais a veteran seiyū . He works at Vi-Vo .-Notable voice roles:*Another Century's Episode 2 , *Arion *Aura Battler Dunbine *Biker Mice from Mars...
as Gakusha
English
- Robin Robertson as Lupin III, Master Thief
- Sean P. O'Connell as Daisuke Jigen
- Mark Franklin as Ishikawa Goemon XIII
- Michele Seidman as Fujiko Mine
- Marc MatneyMarc MatneyMarc Edward Matney is an American voice actor. He is better known for portraying police officer Ken Nakajima in the You're Under Arrest series and OVAs...
as Inspector Koichi Zenigata - Amanda Spivey as Murasaki
- Mike Way as Old Man Suminawa
- Paul Johnson as The Boss