#koikeverse

Arch Villain 💣💥

First of all let me say that imo for certain characters the less we know about them the better, because a bit of mystery always adds layers to a character while knowing *everything* or even a specific background would only be detrimental to the character itself. That’s why after watching TWCFM we know about Fujiko nothing more than what we already knew before. She remains a mystery and that’s how it should be. These characters have been around for many years and their files have consistently been like age: unknown, nationality: unknown, etc.

Having said that there are certain things that can be considered, more or less, canonical, especially in a franchise that goes back to almost 60 years now where a continuity work is made possible by the original material being easily accessible.

What I like best in Lupin Zero, for instance, is that they basically lifted entire chapters from the manga, confirmed Lupin and Jigen being friends since a long time and set their age as peers. To note that Lupin often calls his friend “Jigen-kun”, which would suggest either them being the same age or Jigen being younger than Lupin. Imo they as friends go back even further (“we grew up together”) but obviously making them kids on the verge of adolescence instead of say 6 years old brats was for a more interesting and better storytelling.

So they met at a young age at school, became friends, then they parted ways because they’re still kids and have families who decide for them. At least Jigen has since apparently he has a father, a brother and a sister. So let’s say they go back to the States and Lupin and Jigen lose touch as it often happens in real life. Meanwhile Lupin stays in Japan, finishes school, gets into University and starts being active in the family business.

More or less around the time when Jigen joins the mercenaries still at a very young age following his father. Then his professional curriculum seems to go from mercenary to sniper, then to professional killer for the underground criminality, but since I guess he didn’t particularly like the killing business or obeying orders either he decided to get away from that by taking up bodyguard jobs, thinking that would entail less killing people and less troubles. * So now he’s a bodyguard but still in the criminal world, he hoped for no troubles but then people like Cicciolina happen and troubles keep following wherever he goes. He finds himself being hunted down by the mafia, by old enemies who want revenge or simply to eliminate him just to prove they’re the best hit on the market. He says a big FU all and decides for a change of life again by doing something different for a living and becomes a thief.

* That’s where the Koikeverse insert itself in the timeline, meaning between Lupin Zero and prior to/alongside Part 1.

The ‘first’ meeting between Lupin and Jigen that happens in the 5th episode of TWCFM could easily be their first meeting ever but it could also be two old friends who haven’t seen each other for let’s say 10 years. They’re adult now and their aspect has changed and they meet under a pyramid in the dark. So it’s very likely that they don’t recognise each other at all. Nothing prevents them though to have an epiphany later on, sort of going like “wait, you’re that Lupin/that Jigen I was at school with?” and so on… and from then I can see them rekindling their old friendship. That is if you want the Koikeverse to match the timeline, being it set in the 70s.

Requiem 🩸🪦🩸

Despite her being somewhat in disguise, notice how Jigen can recognise Fujiko at first sight.