The source of Oscar’s obsession with Zenigata is revealed, but just how far will Oscar go to obtain his desire?
What They Say:
A recent string of particularly flashy thefts has been tied to Fujiko Mine, who seems to have taken to sending written warnings to the police just like Lupin does. But if you ask Inspector Zenigata, something smells fishy about the whole thing.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Oscar has been an interesting but under utilized character in the series. This is no surprise given the already crowded cast of characters, but this episode gives us a chance to understand why he is obsessed with Zenigata. It also shows us just how dangerous obsession can be. Fujiko appears to be stealing a page from Lupin’s book and begins announcing her crimes. This comes as quite a surprise to Goemon, as he is currently tending to a despondent Fujiko in a remote cabin.
We soon learn that Oscar was a street urchin Zenigata once saved from drowning in Paris. Zenigata was impressed by Oscar’s tenacity to hold onto a single franc and his pride, as bullies attempted to take both. Oscar became infatuated with Zenigata, an infatuation that led to obsession. This obsession is now leading Oscar to commit crimes in Fujiko’s name in some misguided effort to win Zenigata’s favor. His plans soon find him another pawn in Count Almeida’s game.
This was an interesting balance of character study and advancing the overall Count Almeida plot line. Oscar came from nothing and found someone who believed in him. His descent into madness and the speech from Zenigata that snaps him out of it were ironic. Zenigata relates his own tale of holding onto his pride by fighting corruption in the Paris detail he was on when he found Oscar. And yet, Zenigata is willing to allow a bit of corruption to slip into his work. Still, there are limits one must place and stepping past them betrays whatever it is you believe in.
Count Almeida has an extensive intelligence network to pick up on Oscar’s moment of insanity and try to exploit it. He also manages to always know where Fujiko is, even if it is a remote cabin inhabited by a wandering samurai named Goemon. It pushes that boundary of where does reality and illusion meet and diverge. Is Count Almeida really that well connected and financed? How do those Owls manage to show up at just the right moment. Fujiko is now at a the verge of a complete mental breakdown, and the series shows no signs of letting up the pressure on her or anyone else.
In Summary:
With a an already crowded field of characters, Oscar has managed to stand out as an obsessed and twisted man. This episode shows him just how dangerous his obsession has become, but it might be too late to save him from self-destruction. This seems to be a common theme of Count Almeida’s pawns, as Fujiko ends this episode with an even more fractured psyche. A good mix of character study, action, and the usual questioning of a reality that has Owl men appearing conveniently makes this a fantastic lead in to the final two episodes.
Grade: B+
Streamed By: FUNimation
Review Equipment:
24” iMac booted into Windows XP Home, using FF11.
