Lupin Family All-Stars note , also known as Lupin Family Line-Up in English translations, is a ten-minute short film produced for the Master Files, a DVD release to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Lupin III franchise. It is notable as the last official release featuring Eiko Masuyama, Makio Inoue, and Gorō Naya, the long-time voice actors for Fujiko, Goemon, and Zenigata, respectively. It also sadly happens to be Naya's very last acting role, as he died a few months later. The story is based on the first manga chapter in the second Lupin manga series.
On a secluded island, Lupin has anonymously invited the gang to come and see him five years after their last job together. The gang is alternatively surprised and dismayed to see Lupin again, and tensions resurface. Jigen, as usual, doesn't trust Fujiko at all, and Goemon and Jigen apparently have some unsettled grudge they want to act out. Add to the equation Lupin's odd behavior involving anything with fire or heat, plus a mysterious man in an iron mask chained to the wall, and suddenly things are not as they appear to be. At all.
Complete spoilers below — don't read further if you don't want to know how this caper turns out!
This short features examples of:
- Adaptational Modesty:
- Goemon just slices Lupin's chair apart; in the original, he did both the chair and the sexy puppet show Lupin puts on.
- There was more Fanservice in the original manga story, especially on Fujiko and Goemon's part; Fujiko wasn't wearing any underwear when Jigen shot her disguise apart, and Goemon spent most of the story in his Fundoshi.
- Batman Gambit: The whole trap is one on behalf of Zenigata and the gang falls for it perfectly. They'd've been fine if they had just ignored the suspicious invitations. So it was silly of him really to not only let Lupin get re-dressed, but not search him for explosive contraband on an island made of explosives...
- Cast as a Mask: Before the man in the iron mask reveals himself to be Goemon, he's voiced by Chikao Ohtsuka, who voiced Zenigata in the 4:3 version of the pilot film and Goemon in the 1971 "Green Jacket" series.
- Confronting Your Imposter: With everyone disguised as everyone else, everyone is suspicious of themselves, because they aren't them, but can't say they aren't them because then everyone would know they aren't who they are, either. Each character removes the disguise of the person who disguised themselves as them. Does that make sense, yet?
- Decoy Getaway: Inverted; it's the incoming Zenigata on the boat who is really a rubber blow-up doll.
- Defeat by Modesty: Goemon unveils the identity of the fake Fujiko by slicing her (his?) costume in half.
- Disguised in Drag: Fujiko disguises herself as Jigen. Lupin disguises himself as Fujiko, complete with apples as Fake Boobs.
- Duel to the Death: At first, Jigen and Goemon appear to have some unresolved issue in their past, triggering a fight. Averted after everyone's true identity is revealed. Jigen started the fight because wanted to know who came disguised as him.
- Hammerspace: Where on earth did Goemon have his sword hidden?
- Implausible Fencing Powers: Jigen-as-Goemon does okay, but will the real Ishikawa please stand up to help get rid of the disguises?
- Latex Perfection: Everyone for... well, just about everyone. For those keeping tabs, Goemon is really Jigen, Jigen is actually Fujiko, Fujiko is disturbingly Lupin, and Lupin is the quite gleeful Zenigata. Whew.
- Made of Explodium: The secluded island is really a massive, dressed-up pile of gunpowder.
- Man in the Iron Mask: Played with; the mask hides Goemon's identity until he frees himself, in turn setting a chain of Dramatic Unmaskings into motion.
- Master of Disguise: This story shows that everyone in the cast has some ability at disguise and imitation.
- Rewatch Bonus: Knowing all the characters are impersonating each other turns everything on its head. No wonder everyone was so distrustful of someone else. They were the real one in disguise!
