Interview] Series Composer Shigeru Murakoshi Talks about "Lupin III Part 6" 2nd Cool

In 2021, the "Lupin the Third" TV animation series will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the broadcast of "PART 1. It is a work befitting of the commemorative year, with a screenplay written by a number of splendid people, including animation writer Mamoru Oshii, Masaki Tsuji, who has scripted numerous animated films, and novelists Taku Ashibe, Akio Higuchi, and Kanae Minato.

The second season of the series will begin airing in January 2022!　Shigeru Murakoshi, who made his debut as a scriptwriter in 2014 with the TV anime "Knights of Sidonia" and has since worked on "Zombieland Saga," "To the Beasts Who Were Once Gods," and "Gymnastics Zamurai," will be in charge of series composition for the second season.

We interviewed Mr. Murakoshi about "PART6" second course, which has taken a new turn and is becoming more and more interesting.

The order was "to tell a free story that is different from the first course.

--Please tell us how you came to be in charge of the script this time.

Murakoshi: Without really knowing it, one day I heard through a scriptwriter I often work with that I had received an offer to write a new series of "Lupin the Third". I remember how surprised I was because I had no idea what to expect.

It is a long-running series and many people have been involved in it, so I thought, "Why me? "Why me? I naturally had some hesitation. However, after listening to what they had to say, I realized that they wanted all kinds of creators to participate in "Lupin the Third" for the next 50 years, not just the ones who had been involved in this first series and the previous 50 years. If that was the case, I decided to give it my best shot and accepted the offer.

--What is the "Lupin the Third" series that you have seen the most?

Murakoshi: "Part 2. When I was little, it was rerun in the evening. After that, I enjoyed the movie versions of "Lupin the Third: Lupin vs. the Reproduction Man" and "Lupin the Third: Cagliostro's Castle," as well as the TV anime "PART 1" as a fan.

--What were your orders when you decided to take on the series composition?

Murakoshi: First of all, Director Eiji Suganuma and the producers explained to me that the theme of the second cool that I would be in charge of was "Women" and that the theme of the first cool was "Mystery" and that these people would be in charge of the script and that the story would be like this. He also explained that the theme of the first cool was "Mystery," that these people would be in charge of the script, and that the story would be told in this way. I was happy to be free to do so, but at the same time I felt a lot of pressure.

The producer's advice was to create a direction that would appeal to fans of the past.

--Murakoshi: What were you particular about the structure of the 13th episode (the first episode of the second cool season), which was the "first episode" for you?

Murakoshi: Since this was the first episode of the second cool season, I was conscious of including more action scenes and making an impact on the audience so that they would be able to see the show from this point on.

--I feel that you included scenes that would make old fans grin.

Murakoshi: The producer said to me, "Why don't you try it this way? I was told, "Why don't you do it this way? I was afraid to suggest "I want to pay homage to that famous scene," so I went to ....... I was grateful for his advice.

--Did you have a chance to look at the past works before you decided to take on the script?

Murakoshi: Yes. When I got the idea, I asked, "Can you give me some time? and rewatched all of them. Up until then, I had only been looking at it from the perspective of a fan or viewer. I had a sense of duty to watch the films again.

Daily interactions are the best part of the "Lupin the Third" series

--Murakoshi: Was there anything you were conscious of in the flow of the story?

Murakoshi: I think it was the way the Lupin team should be. For example, I was very conscious of maintaining the "character" of the dialogue. I thought that the charm of the team comes out the most in casual, everyday interactions, so the scene in episode 13 between Lupin, Tadashi, and Fujiko was difficult, but worthwhile.

--The scene with the small drone that Lupin built and the hostile force flying through the air seemed to reflect the times.

Murakoshi: The gimmick for the enemy flying through the air was an idea from Director Suganuma, and was based on something that actually exists today. We all looked at the materials and absorbed such ideas to create the script.

--Murakoshi: In the last scene of the 13th episode, there was an unexpected scene in which women who seemingly had nothing to do with each other appeared one after the other.

Murakoshi: We didn't introduce them all unnecessarily, and I hope that viewers will look forward to seeing how these women, each with her own unique personality and various positions, will interact with Lupin and his friends in the future.

--I heard that the second cool will continue the format of omnibus episodes with a different scriptwriter in charge of each episode.

Murakoshi: Yes. We asked everyone to write scenarios that would allow the characters, including the Lupin family, to shine. Some people asked, "Can you write an episode for this person? while others asked, "Which character would you like to write an episode about? We also received requests from some people asking "Which character would you like to write an episode about? Everyone wrote a wide variety of scenarios, which was very encouraging.

--By the way, what is your favorite character?

Murakoshi: When I started with "Part 2," I liked Ishikawa Gomon. I was so excited to see such a cool swordsman! I was so excited (laughs). (Laughs). After that, I liked the austere Tomei, and now I like Inspector Zenigata. I really sympathize with the subtle psychological state of wanting to catch Lupin and not wanting to catch him (or not wanting him to be caught). I think he has a unique position in the "Lupin the Third" series, and I think it is one of the main attractions of the series.

--Lastly, do you have a message for us?

Murakoshi: I think that in the second season, we see feelings that Lupin may not have had before. There are attractive women in each episode, and I hope that you will enjoy the mystery of Lupin's mother, which is featured in the second cool. We have made it a point to make sure that the audience will be satisfied when they watch the entire series, so we hope that they will watch it all the way through to the end!

(Reporting and writing by Atsushi Saeki)

Program Information

Lupin the Third Part 6
The first season is currently airing nationwide on Nippon Television Network Corporation!
The second season will be broadcast nationwide on January 8, 2022 (Sat.) at 24:55 on Nippon Television Network Corporation!
Distribution: Available on Hulu and other distribution sites!
Please check "ON AIR" ( # ) on the official website for the broadcast date and time and distribution service of each station.

Original story: Monkey Punch

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