Lupin vs the Shinsen Group note with the English title of Dangerous Dreamers.
In 1868, the famous Shinsengumi fought for the Japanese Shogunate to the bitter end but where ultimately routed after a last failed resistance in Hokkaido. Before their final defeat, they embarked their cherished golden colubrine on the Banryuumaru, which soon sunk into the ocean. However, rumors says that the cannon is still there to take… and said rumors are explained to Lupin and company by Fujiko’s latest contact, Isami Kondo the 3rd, grandson of the Shinsengumi commander, now a wealthy business man, who offers to Lupin the chance to get that treasured cannon, now worth a fortune, and orders his assistant Okita Soshi to bring a copy of the map. The plan is to fish out the golden cannon and split the income fifty-fifty between Kondo and Lupin’s group, as Goemon keeps eyeing Okita.
Later on at night, on the coast, Okita is seen playing a grass flute while some massive being appears in the water, which Okita calls “their personal guardian deity”, but is interrupted by Goemon, who stares at him a little before leaving the mysterious youth alone. The following day Lupin, Jigen and Goemon dive in Tsugaru Strait, looking for the Banryuumaru while noticing “seals” swimming in the distance. Soon they reach an underwater trench where the Banryuumaru still sails, dragged by an undersea current so strong that they are unable to move any closer. Out of ideas, Lupin returns to Kondo, now annoyed for the thief’s failure, and decides to forfeit his mission and tells Kondo to look for another diver; as he leaves, a massive man called John express his disappointment, but the businessman tells him to have faith, as he’s sure that if there’s someone who can recover the cannon from the Banryuumaru that would be Lupin. As predicted, the thief is still working on a way to get his hands on the cannon, but without success. Eventually, as he’s resting in a park, a ring-tossing game stand attracts his attention and he bursts into laughter. After scoring a perfect victory at the game he leaves in a hurry, unknowingly running by a sleepy Zenigata who, however, claims to be taking a break for this time and ignores him.
Lupin and his partners start working on an elaborated contraption that will allow them to safely board the Banryuumaru: first they plant two massive pillars side by side on the ship’s path, then they place a series of humongous concrete rings on said pillars, held halfway through by a beam, and place a net in the path of the current, unaware that Kondo and John’s mercenaries are plotting something. When the Banryuumaru is stopped by the net, Lupin has the beam removed and the massive rings fall around the ship, trapping the vessel so that it can be safely boarded. The team proceeds to board the ship and secure the golden cannon as Lupin places something inside, but the treacherous Kondo sends John’s men after the cannon and an underwater assault takes place in the ship, forcing Lupin and his associates to flee for their lives while Isami Kondo recovers the cannon, which is openly admired by Okita. Thanks to the tracking device in the cannon, Lupin is able to follow the ship by land. That night, Kondo’s ship suddenly crashes against the rocks, and the man finds Okita, dressed in his Shinsengumi uniform, scolding his master for forgetting the original purpose of the group: to revive the Shinsengumi and make Hokkaido an independent region against Japan. Incredulous, the business man calls Okita on this senseless act and orders his men to shoot, but John and the others are quickly killed by a barrage of harpoons, shot by Okita’s own followers, wearing seal pelts.
Without choice, Kondo admit his defeat and prepares to shoot Okita, but is backstabbed and killed before he can act, using his last breath to claim how the strongest force in modern Japan is money. As Lupin and his partners arrive on the ship, they witness Okita and his men openly weeping on their treasure and ready to start their ambitious plan when they’re discovered: soon, a fierce battle for the treasured cannon starts, with Okita’s follower falling one by one, forcing the idealist samurai to play his leaf flute once again to summon their guardian: a massive red octopus, which proceed to climb the ship and corner the terrified Lupin, Fujiko and Jigen. Meanwhile, Goemon challenges Okita to a duel and quickly overpowers him, but he’s grabbed by the giant octopus and falls into the sea. As Lupin and his friends can only watch helplessly, a fierce struggle takes place underwater, but eventually Goemon manages to free himself and finish the monster off by piercing its head. Defeated, Okita plays his last card and reveals the dynamite strapped on his body and the explosive placed on the ship as he declares that the spirit of the Shinsengumi will never die. As our heroes jump in the sea, Okita lowers himself in the golden cannon and screams for Hokkaido’s Independence once more before the whole ship explodes to kingdom come, sending explosive firework-like blasts in the sky. With the golden cannon lost forever, Lupin can’t do anything but to notice how dreams are ephemeral like fireworks.
This Episode contains examples of:
- Adaptational Villainy: While it's not too surprising to see Isami Kondo as villain material, the same cannot be said for Okita.
- The Beastmaster: Soshi Okita can control and summon the gigantic red octopus by sounding a leaf flute.
- Chekhov's Gun: The "seals" swimming around the trench.
- Fat Bastard: Isami Kondo is a ruthless businessman and is quite big.
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Genius Bonus: The red octopus may look like a standard Diabolus ex Nihilo, but it could be based on the Ainu monster known as Akkorokamui
, a sea monster dwelling in the sea near Hokkaido with the appearence of a huge red octopus. - In the Back: When Kondo pretends to leave in preparation for a I Surrender, Suckers, Soshi kills him with an harpoon before he can turn around.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Isami Kondo betrays Lupin's gang after taking advantage of them and takes the cannon for himself. He's then betrayed, robbed and killed by his own servant Soshi.
- Manly Tears: Okita and his companions weep openly at the sight of their cherished golden colubrine. Lupin finds them creepy.
- Master Swordsman: Averted with Okita: despite being the grandson of a Real Life Sword Saint, he's no match for Goemon.
- Oh, Crap!: Lupin, Fujiko and Jigen's reaction to the gigantic octopus clinging to the ship.
- Sea Monster: Okita's trump card, a gigantic red Octopus that attacks the ship but is ultimately killed by Goemon.
- The Shinsengumi: This episode features the grandsons of Isami Kondo and Soshi Okita as antagonists. Okita plans to revive the Shinsengumi to conquer Hokkaido and declare it an independent nation in order to restore the Bakufu.
- Taking You with Me: Okita does this to destroy the ship and the cannon.
- Wide-Eyed Idealist: Okita genuinely believes that he can revive the ideals of the Shinsengumi in modern Japan and complete their old goal of creating an autonomous country in Hokkaido. Kondo even calls him out on this.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: As soon as Lupin's plan to get to the Banryuumaru is successful, Kondo sends thugs to kill him and his gang.
