Farewell To Nostradamusnote is the fourth animated feature length film in the Lupin III series, first released in Japan on April 22, 1995. It is noteworthy for being the very first entry in the Lupin franchise to feature Kan'ichi Kurita in the titular role of Lupin, following long-time voice actor Yasuo Yamada's death the previous month. Funimation licensed the film for US release in 2002, along with Lupin III: Dead or Alive and eight annual TV specials.
Lupin and Jigen have just finished another job in Rio De Janeiro, hidden their prized diamond in a cute dolly, and board their next plane to America. However, a bratty girl called Julia takes the doll for herself, but not long after that she is kidnapped by a sect. Fujiko, who was hired as her nanny, explains to Lupin that the girl is the daughter of Douglas, a wealthy man who just entered the next election for presidency and owns the only known copy of Nostradamus' lost book of prophecies in the vault of his skyscraper. The Nostradamus sect happens to be after the book as well and use Julia as leverage to force Douglas to drop out of the election. Thus, Lupin has no choice but to rescue Julia, get into the vault and steal the lost book, all whilst staying one step ahead of the Nostradamus sect, if he ever wants his diamond back.
Complete spoilers below — don't read further if you don't want to know how this caper turns out!
Farewell to Nostradamus features examples of:
- Action Dress Rip: Fujiko when she regains her memory.
- Adorably Precocious Child: Julia.
- The Alcatraz: Execution Island, which is where Lupin's uncle was confined to, after he nearly succeeded in cracking into Douglas' security vault. Guess who pays him a visit, to find out how he did it?
- All Love Is Unrequited: This is one of the few movies where Fujiko has no feelings for Lupin whatsoever. When she regains her memory after Lupin kisses her, she tells him it meant nothing, since she was hypnotized at the time.
- Antagonist in Mourning: Zenigata becomes depressed when it appears that Lupin is dead.
- Big Bad: The book in Rhisely's possession is fake. The only reason his predictions come true is because he arranges for them to happen, as part of his scheme to get his hands on the real one in Douglas' security vault.
- Calling the Old Man Out: Mary publicly criticizes her husband, Douglas, at the opening festivities of the World Cup, by telling the crowd he's chosen to run for office, rather than save their daughter.
- Cult: Those who blindly follow the Nostradamus sect, unaware that it's a sham.
- Determinator: Zenigata, when he tries to defuse a bomb, despite having no idea what he's doing! The attempt is subverted, once the timer hits four seconds.
- Disguised in Drag: Inspector Zenigata is attempting to get close to Lupin by looking like a woman. He makes an ugly woman from behind. See the page image for when he faces Lupin. You cannot unsee it.
- Disney Death: Lupin is seemingly eaten by sharks about halfway through the film and everyone mourns his death. Of course, it later turns out he survived, but none of the others know it yet.
- Disney Villain Death: Rhisely and Chris both fall to their deaths. Chris meets his demise during his failed attempt to break into the vault. Rhisely joins him, minutes later, when his followers set off the explosives in the Douglas Tower.
- The Dragon: Chris to Rhisely.
- Dragon with an Agenda: Chris, as noted in the Starscream entry further down.
- Embarrassing Nickname: Throughout the movie, Julia refers to Lupin as "pedophile". It eventually becomes an Insult of Endearment.
- Evil Is Hammy: Rhisely, especially during his public readings of the false prophesies of Nostradamus.
- Fan Disservice: Zenigata dressed as a Brazilian dancer. Ugh!
◊ - Faux Affably Evil: Rhisely. Sure, he puts on airs of being humble, yet sophisticated, but he's really just a con artist.
- Gadgeteer Genius: Zenigata shows this side by inventing a formidable tracking device. Parodied with his other invention: a model of handcuffs that can bind four people at once, actually four pairs of handcuffs linked by a chain.
- Hopeless Suitor: Lupin gets nowhere with Fujiko this time 'round. She makes it clear to him that their partnership is strictly business.
- I Fell for Hours: If anyone "legally" enters the vault without scanning a security card into their visor, they'll be treated to a virtual simulation where they keep falling... and falling... and falling... It's worse than it sounds.
- I Have Your Wife (Or Daughter): The Nostradamus Sect informs Douglas that they've kidnapped Julia, to blackmail him into dropping out of the Presidential election. Douglas refuses.
- Improbable Aiming Skills: Most, if not all, of the shots the Brazilian soccer team make while planting the explosives around the Douglas Building.
- Intimate Healing: A hypnotized Fujiko got naked and warmed Lupin with some good ol fashioned female nurturing and warmth.
- Karmic Death: Rhisely dies in the destruction of the Douglas Building, which he orchestrated and set in motion.
- Lawyer-Friendly Cameo: Pretty blink-and-you'll-miss-it, but a cartoon that uncannily resembles Tiny Toon Adventures is shown on a TV in one scene. Not shocking, considering that TMS did some of the animation on that series.
- Mood Whiplash: It occurs at the ending: Lupin and Julia having a laugh, then the Douglas Building falls apart with everyone somberly watching, while a song ("Ai no Tsuzuki", about going on even though the past is gone) plays through the closing credits. In context, this was the last Lupin film Yasuo Yamada worked on, and he died before it was completed. The ending reflects that one of the main Lupin cast has gone.
- Mundane MacGuffin Person: Julia. The only way to access the security vault of the Douglas Building, is via a retina scan, of her eyes.
- Mysterious Employer: Remember that buyer who offered to pay Fujiko fifty million for Nostradamus' book of prophesies? Turns out it was Rhisely.*senses he's being watched*
Rhisley: (shouting in Fujiko's direction) "And YOU, back there...! I guess you can forget about that fifty million!! HAHAHAHAA!!" - No MacGuffin, No Winner: When Lupin rescues Julia and finally has his hands on the book of Nostradamus, it turns out to be completely worthless because Julia doodled on it whilst playing in the vault. This prompts him to let Goemon slice it to ribbons.
- Obviously Evil. Chris.
- Scam Religion: The Nostradamus Sect is built purely to get the leverage needed to gain access to the Douglas's vault.
- Scarily Competent Tracker: Zenigata. He could already chase Lupin all around the world, but here he becomes even better thanks to a device of his own invention that can detect his presence and point Zenigata at him. The device is irreversibly reprogrammed near the end of the movie.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Zenigata pulls this, near the beginning, while trying to disarm a bomb. It's clear he had no idea what he was doing, but he still tried anyway... up 'til the last four seconds.Zenigata: (repeatedly slams briefcase on the floor) "Die! You! Stu-pid! Thing!"
*countdown continues, 'til it reaches four seconds*
Zenigata: (shrugs, muttering) "Oh well, I tried."
*chucks briefcase and hauls ass* - Skeleton Key Card: Inverted. An escort attempts to lock Lupin and Jigen in a separate room, but Lupin blocks the lock by placing a card between the door and frame.
- Smuggling with Dolls: Lupin himself does this with his stolen diamond. Things get problematic when Julie takes the doll from him. And then the cult takes both of them!
- The Starscream: When Chris decides Rhisely isn't moving things along quickly enough, he takes matters into his own hands and ends their partnership. Then goes for the book, himself.
- Stealth Hi/Bye: Lupin pulls this by throwing a book in Douglas' face. In the brief instant it takes Douglas to brush it aside, Lupin and Jigen are gone.
- This Cannot Be!: Jigen and Zenigata's reaction when it appears that Lupin's been eaten by sharks.
- Throw the Book at Them: As mentioned in the Stealth Hi/Bye entry above, when Lupin throws a book in Douglas' face, he and Jigen disappear.
- 20 Minutes into the Future: The film is set in February 1999, four years after the film was released.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Lupin's uncle, who gets murdered via electric shock, when Chris tries to extract his memory of breaking into Douglas' security vault.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Mary's reaction when her husband basically puts his presidential campaign ahead of his daughter is to basically say "What the Hell, Douglas?!" on national television. Which is another trope: Calling the Old Man Out in public.
- Worthless Treasure Twist: It turns out that the book of Nostradamus is so defaced from Julia using it to scribble in when she was playing in the vault as a little girl that it's completely illegible, destroying any monetary value it might have held.
