Kouichi Zenigata

Kouichi Zenigata

Inspector Zenigata hails from Japan, city of origin unknown. According to Episode 0: First Contact, his original title was Tokyo Police Inspector whose original interest was the capture of Fujiko Mine and her then partner. His pursuit took him to New York where he met Arsene Lupin III for the first time. The master thief’s cocky attitude and talents left the inspector infuriated to the point where he left the Japanese Police Force in favor of enlisting in ICPO (called Interpol in Pioneer’s English dub) for the sake of specifically bringing Lupin to justice.

Zenigata has made it his life’s mission to arrest Lupin. The other members of Lupin’s gang are targeted for apprehension as well, but Zenigata usually ignores them when Lupin himself is present. Lupin and Zenigata appear to be the worst of enemies, but in the anime they are, in a manner of speaking, friends; something Lupin shows openly (often by greeting Zenigata with mock affection), but it is an idea Zenigata is extremely reluctant to entertain. Similarly, he is often awed by Lupin’s genius, but refuses to show it. Also, when he believes Lupin to be dead, he will drop to his knees crying at the fact he couldn’t arrest him before his death, and often go into isolation until someone reveals that Lupin is still very much alive. Zenigata has an attachment to Lupin with the belief that no one should kill him or worse, capture him, besides Zenigata himself. Once, when he believe Lupin was dead, he gave up his profession and became a monk (in Fuma Conspiracy). Lupin’s opinion of Zenigata is a little less caring, but still filled with respect. He often seems amazed that Zenigata can keep up with him. At times he’s overwhelmed by how much thought Zenigata has put into his traps for Lupin. Once, when Lupin thought Zenigata was dead, he sought to take down his supposed murderer.

While he has some interest in capturing Jigen, Goemon, and Fujiko, he is really after only Lupin. Jigen seems to have a genuine fear of being caught by Zenigata.

In The Mystery of Mamo (originally titled simply Lupin III), it is mentioned that Zenigata has a daughter named Toshiko, but this isn’t developed any further. He’s unable to settle down because of his eternal pursuit, and although he sometimes longs for female company he has no luck with women - in no small part due to his inability to commit himself to anything but chasing Lupin.

The anime version of Zenigata is a quite sensitive person and often cries in emotional situations, particularly when he thinks Lupin has done something out of consideration for him, or when finding out Lupin is OK after worrying about him. On occasions when Lupin appears to be dead, he mourns him more expressively than anyone else; partly from genuine grief, partly because he no longer has a goal in life. In the 1987 OVA The Fuma Conspiracy, Zenigata actually retires from police work when he believes Lupin has died and becomes a monk, believing that if he prays enough Lupin will be a law-abiding citizen in his next life. Because of this singular ambition, he is never particularly displeased when Lupin manages to escape his custody, since that means the hunt will go on. On one occasion when Zenigata is able to successfully capture Lupin and place him in prison he becomes frustrated that Lupin hasn’t yet escaped after a year has passed and wishes for him to escape or be rescued by Jigen.

Zenigata even goes so far as to cryogenically freeze himself so that he can continue to chase Lupin in the future, though both his and Lupin’s cryopods malfunction and they are stuck in the present.

The origin of Zenigata’s and Lupin’s mutual regard was based early in the series when Lupin had the chance to shoot the Inspector, but instead wished him well and escaped. Since then, an unwritten understanding between the pair has always been neither will attempt to cause the death of the other. Further, the two are best referred as unacknowledged friends; several occasions have occurred where Lupin and gang aided Zenigata out of a life-threatening situation; when a woman the Inspector loved was killed by a criminal gang, Lupin participated in avenging her murder. On another occasion when an old enemy of Lupin’s shot Zenigata point blank, Lupin began a wild motorcycle chase to apprehend the killer, partly to conclude affairs with the adversary, and partly to avenge the (supposed) death of the Inspector.

Anime

Lupin III: Pilot Film
Lupin III: Pilot Film
Winter 1969
Lupin III
Lupin III
Autumn 1971
Lupin III: Part II
Lupin III: Part II
Autumn 1977
Lupin III: The Secret of Mamo
Lupin III: The Secret of Mamo
Autumn 1978
Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro
Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro
Autumn 1979
Lupin III: Part III
Lupin III: Part III
Winter 1984
Lupin III: The Legend of the Gold of Babylon
Lupin III: The Legend of the Gold of Babylon
Summer 1985
Lupin III: The Fuma Conspiracy
Lupin III: The Fuma Conspiracy
Autumn 1987
Lupin III: Secret File
Lupin III: Secret File
Winter 1989
Lupin III: Goodbye Lady Liberty
Lupin III: Goodbye Lady Liberty
Spring 1989
Lupin III: The Hemingway Paper Mystery
Lupin III: The Hemingway Paper Mystery
Summer 1990
Lupin III: Napoleon
Lupin III: Napoleon
Summer 1991
Lupin III: Bank of Liberty
Lupin III: Bank of Liberty
Summer 1992
Lupin III: Voyage to Danger
Lupin III: Voyage to Danger
Summer 1993
Lupin III: Dragon of Doom
Lupin III: Dragon of Doom
Summer 1994
Lupin III: Farewell to Nostradamus
Lupin III: Farewell to Nostradamus
Spring 1995
Lupin III: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure
Lupin III: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure
Summer 1995
Lupin III: Dead or Alive
Lupin III: Dead or Alive
Spring 1996
Lupin III: The Secret of Twilight Gemini
Lupin III: The Secret of Twilight Gemini
Summer 1996
Lupin III: Walther P-38
Lupin III: Walther P-38
Summer 1997
Lupin III: Crisis in Tokyo
Lupin III: Crisis in Tokyo
Summer 1998
Lupin III: The Columbus Files
Lupin III: The Columbus Files
Summer 1999
Lupin III: Missed by a Dollar
Lupin III: Missed by a Dollar
Summer 2000
Lupin III: Alcatraz Connection
Lupin III: Alcatraz Connection
Summer 2001
Lupin III: Return of Pycal
Lupin III: Return of Pycal
Spring 2002
Lupin III Episode 0: The First Contact
Lupin III Episode 0: The First Contact
Summer 2002
Lupin III: Operation Return the Treasure
Lupin III: Operation Return the Treasure
Summer 2003
Lupin III: Stolen Lupin
Lupin III: Stolen Lupin
Summer 2004
Lupin III: An Angel's Tactics - Fragments of a Dream Are the Scent of Murder
Lupin III: An Angel's Tactics - Fragments of a Dream Are the Scent of Murder
Summer 2005
Lupin III: Seven Days Rhapsody
Lupin III: Seven Days Rhapsody
Summer 2006
Lupin III: Elusiveness of the Fog
Lupin III: Elusiveness of the Fog
Summer 2007
Lupin III: Green vs. Red
Lupin III: Green vs. Red
Spring 2008
Lupin III: Sweet Lost Night - Magic Lamp's Nightmare Premonition
Lupin III: Sweet Lost Night - Magic Lamp's Nightmare Premonition
Summer 2008
Lupin III vs. Detective Conan
Lupin III vs. Detective Conan
Winter 2009
Lupin the Third
Lupin the Third
Summer 2009
Lupin III: The Last Job
Lupin III: The Last Job
Winter 2010
Lupin III: Chi no Kokuin - Eien no Mermaid
Lupin III: Chi no Kokuin - Eien no Mermaid
Autumn 2011
Lupin III: Lupin Ikka Seizoroi
Lupin III: Lupin Ikka Seizoroi
Winter 2012
Lupin III 3DCG
Lupin III 3DCG
Winter 2012
Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine
Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine
Spring 2012
Lupin III: Record of Observations of the East - Another Page
Lupin III: Record of Observations of the East - Another Page
Autumn 2012
Lupin III: Princess of the Breeze - Hidden City in the Sky
Lupin III: Princess of the Breeze - Hidden City in the Sky
Autumn 2013
Lupin III vs. Detective Conan: The Movie
Lupin III vs. Detective Conan: The Movie
Autumn 2013
Lupin Sansei: Jigen Daisuke no Bohyou
Lupin Sansei: Jigen Daisuke no Bohyou
Spring 2014
Lupin III (2015) Specials
Lupin III (2015) Specials
Summer 2015
Lupin III (2015)
Lupin III (2015)
Autumn 2015
Lupin III (2015): Italian Game
Lupin III (2015): Italian Game
Winter 2016
Lupin III:  Goemon Ishikawa's Spray of Blood
Lupin III: Goemon Ishikawa's Spray of Blood
Winter 2017
Lupin III: Part V
Lupin III: Part V
Spring 2018

Comments

Information

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Source:Wikipedia

Relevant

Arsene Lupin III
Daisuke Jigen
Fujiko Mine
Goemon Ishikawa XIII
Rebecca Rossellini
Conan Edogawa
Ran Mouri
Juuzou Megure
Kogorou Mouri
Sonoko Suzuki
 Nix
Keith Dan Stinger

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