Jigen Keisatsu
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is a fictional character created by
Monkey Punch , known by the pen name , was a Japanese manga artist, best known for his series ''Lupin III''. Life and career Katō was born in Hamanaka, Hokkaido; he began drawing at a very young age, but did not draw manga until junior high school, when ...
for his
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
series ''
Lupin III , also written as ''Lupin the Third'', ''Lupin the 3rd'', or ''Lupin the IIIrd'', is a Japanese media franchise created by Monkey Punch. The series follows the endeavors of master thief Lupin III (character), Lupin III, grandson of gentleman t ...
'', which debuted in ''
Weekly Manga Action is a Japanese seinen manga magazine published by Futabasha. It is currently published twice a month, on the first and third Thursday. The magazine was originally formed as and began publishing weekly from July 7, 1967. It is considered the f ...
'' on August 10, 1967. Jigen is the
marksman A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision shooting. In modern military usage this typically refers to the use of projectile weapons such as an accurized telescopic sight, scoped long gun such as designated marksman rifle (or a sniper ri ...
, aide-de-camp and best friend of
Arsène Lupin III , referred to in some English adaptations as Arsène Lupin III, is a fictional character created by Kazuhiko Kato aka Monkey Punch as the protagonist for his manga series ''Lupin the Third'', which debuted in ''Weekly Manga Action'' on August 10 ...
. Along with colleague
Goemon Ishikawa XIII is a fictional character created by Monkey Punch for his manga series ''Lupin III'', which debuted in ''Weekly Manga Action'' on August 10, 1967. Goemon is a thirteenth generation descendant of the renegade samurai Ishikawa Goemon. He is famous ...
, he joins Lupin in pursuit of riches acquired typically by theft. Traveling across the globe, Jigen has garnered fame as a gunman with wildly capable speed and accuracy.


Creation and conception

According to Monkey Punch, Jigen was created as a New York raised American gangster based on actor
James Coburn James Harrison Coburn III (August 31, 1928 – November 18, 2002) was an American film and television actor who was featured in more than 70 films, largely action roles, and made 100 television appearances during a 45-year career.AllmoviBi ...
, especially his role in ''
The Magnificent Seven ''The Magnificent Seven'' is a 1960 American Western film directed by John Sturges. The screenplay, credited to William Roberts, is a remake – in an Old West-style – of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 Japanese film '' Seven Samurai'' (itself init ...
''. When the series was adapted into animation, the role was portrayed by
Kiyoshi Kobayashi was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Tokyo. He was attached to the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society. He was a graduate of the arts department of Nihon University. He was best known for his role as Daisuke Jigen i ...
, the voice actor responsible for dubbing many of Coburn's roles into Japanese. The character's name comes from Monkey Punch's love for the word "dimension," which translates to "jigen" in Japanese. In an interview with ''
Mainichi Shimbun The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by In addition to the ''Mainichi Shimbun'', which is printed twice a day in several local editions, Mainichi also operates an English-language news website called , and publishes a bilin ...
'', he stated the name is a corruption of the Japanese phrase .


Skills

Jigen is master thief Arsène Lupin III's right-hand man and sharpshooter. He can perform a 0.3-second quick-draw, providing accuracy that borders on superhuman. With ease he can shoot skeet with a handgun, explode a missile before it hits by targeting the warhead, and deflect another bullet by shooting it in mid-flight. Known by his trademark broad-brimmed
fedora A fedora () is a hat with a soft brim and indented crown.Kilgour, Ruth Edwards (1958). ''A Pageant of Hats Ancient and Modern''. R. M. McBride Company. It is typically creased lengthwise down the crown and "pinched" near the front on both sides ...
pulled over his eyes and short chin curtain beard, Jigen's favorite ploy is the trick shot. Jolting a large object into the air with gunfire and using it to clobber an enemy or shooting overhanging deco such as a chandelier to drop and encumber a group are just two of his many non-lethal tactics. In the second anime series, a non-canonic story implies he uses a notch on the hat for aiming; actually he can fire accurately without the hat and has done so several times. A master of many different firearms, Jigen's armory includes revolvers, machine guns, sniper rifles, and even a PTRS anti-tank rifle. His preferred carry-around is a
Smith & Wesson Model 19 The Smith & Wesson Model 19 is a revolver produced by Smith & Wesson that was introduced in 1957 on its K-frame. The Model 19 is chambered for .357 Magnum. The K-frame is somewhat smaller and lighter than the original N-frame .357, usually known a ...
combat revolver usually tucked in the back of his pants or housed in a fabric belt holster. He prefers the Model 19 due to its stopping power and reliability against misfire. He feels quite not himself without a gun: ''
The Fuma Conspiracy is a 1987 Japanese animated action adventure comedy film. It is the fourth animated feature film based on the 1967–69 manga series ''Lupin III'' by Monkey Punch. Although classified as an original video animation by Tokyo Movie Shinsha, it ...
'' shows a disarmed Jigen instinctively aiming with his empty hand.


Personality

In the original manga series, Jigen is not always at Lupin's side but lurking in the background until needed. The anime series, however, shows Jigen as extremely loyal to Lupin and willing to partner up anytime for a given heist. Jigen is noted for his quick temper; enemy and friend alike have been victim to his need to repay violence for insult. Both Lupin and Goemon have been on the receiving end of his blows in his response to their frank or comical criticism. Despite Jigen's gruff facade, he has an ironic sense of humor and genuinely enjoys participating in each caper with his partners. He is, by far, the more pragmatic of the group, with a cynical streak founded in failed romances (his luck with women runs from bad to worse, with love interests often betraying him or dying). He is always distrustful of
Fujiko Mine is a fictional character created by Monkey Punch for his manga series ''Lupin III'', which debuted in ''Weekly Manga Action'' on August 10, 1967. She is a professional criminal and spy who regularly uses her attractiveness to fool her targets. ...
and becomes irritated when Lupin goes along with one of her plans. Among Lupin's group, Jigen is the least apprehensive at taking human life. While he considers killing women and children taboo, he is willing to put down any age or gender who offers a life threat, such as Linda in Part 2 Episode 26. Where Lupin and Goemon both have unique sartorial tastes, Jigen is pure basics. His typical wardrobe is a dark grey, dark green or black business suit, along with a white or light blue colored dress shirt, a black tie, and his ever-present dark grey or black broad-brimmed fedora; the hat ranks as his most prized possession outside of his weaponry. During the third anime series, Jigen's outfit is more light colored and his hatband has a cross-hatched or grid pattern design (similar to the original manga interpretation of the character); however the black look is most applied for OVA productions and TV specials. Jigen's thick hair is typically collar-length and unevenly cut. His chin curtain beard varies from an inch to three inches long and is also unruly. A few episodes of the anime use an occasional gimmick where the character has his hat pulled forward so that only the lower half of his face is visible or, if he's without his hat, his hair will be covering his upper face and eyes. However such episodes are rare; and Jigen's face is plainly shown with or without his hat in most animated depictions. Jigen is the "big brother" of the group, and often serves as the voice of reason to Lupin's impulsiveness, as he must because of his friendship with Lupin as well as out of sheer professionalism. However, he has long since resigned himself to having to go along with the craziest of schemes. Jigen, like the rest of the Lupin gang, is adept with disguises and can pilot virtually any motorized vehicle. He is also a tough hand-to-hand opponent, capable of knocking out an attacker with one blow. While his racial origins may be in question, Jigen was at one time a famed bodyguard and assassin for many American criminal mobs. Of several stories regarding his past, the most popular has him an American mobster who moved to Japan on the lam; there he adopted a Japanese identity and name ("Jigen" is the conventional Japanese word for "dimension", not a name). According to Lupin, Jigen's hobbies are limited due to his stay-at-home preference. When he does go out, he usually attends target practice, visits a favorite bar, plays poker, enjoys a boxing match or eats at a
chop house A steakhouse, steak house, or chophouse is a restaurant that specializes in steaks and chops. Modern steakhouses may also carry other cuts of meat including poultry, roast prime rib, and veal, as well as fish and other seafood. History Chopho ...
-style restaurant. He also has a weakness for Spaghetti Westerns, lounging, classical music (except in Episodes 79 and 89 of Part 2), and hearty American food. Jigen's most obvious pastime is smoking; there is hardly a time when he not seen with a cigarette, usually one bent in a number of directions. His preferred brands have been Pall Mall Filter Longs or Marlboro Red. He is also seen occasionally smoking a briar pipe. As well, Jigen enjoys drinking scotch, bourbon, vodka, beer and occasionally fine wines; he has a "heavyweight's" resistance to intoxication. The Tokyo Pop releases of the original Lupin manga note in their preface that Jigen's appearance and temperament are based on the actor James Coburn, especially Coburn's role, Britt, in ''
The Magnificent Seven ''The Magnificent Seven'' is a 1960 American Western film directed by John Sturges. The screenplay, credited to William Roberts, is a remake – in an Old West-style – of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 Japanese film '' Seven Samurai'' (itself init ...
''. This has been confirmed by Monkey Punch during a 2003 Dallas, Texas anime convention interview. In a television documentary celebrating the manga's history, Monkey Punch stated he based the Jigen/Lupin relationship on
Alain Delon Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon (; 8 November 1935 – 18 August 2024) was a French actor, film producer, screenwriter, singer, and businessman. Acknowledged as a cultural and cinematic leading man of the 20th century, Delon emerged as one of ...
and
Charles Bronson Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky; November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003) was an American actor. He was known for his roles in action films and his "granite features and brawny physique". Bronson was born into extreme poverty in ...
's teaming in the 1968 film ''
Adieu l'ami ''Adieu l'ami'' (also known as ''Farewell, Friend'', reissued as ''Honor Among Thieves'') is a 1968 French-Italian heist crime film directed by Jean Herman and produced by Serge Silberman, with a screenplay by Sebastien Japrisot. The film was a g ...
''. ADDENDUM: TMS Entertainment's 2023's anime release of the series Lupin Zero indicates Lupin and Jigen were children together in mid 1960's Japan, with Jigen having access to guns and well-developed marksmanship. Whether this series is considered canon has yet to be revealed.


Appearances


Manga

Jigen first appeared in chapter 7 of the manga in which he and his partner Lupin encounter a man named Pycal of whom they must defeat. In the end, Pycal’s fate is left ambiguous as soon as Lupin manages to replicate one of his magic tricks against him.


Anime

In the anime series, Jigen is an expert gunman who can supposedly shoot in 0.3 seconds with his
Smith & Wesson Model 19 The Smith & Wesson Model 19 is a revolver produced by Smith & Wesson that was introduced in 1957 on its K-frame. The Model 19 is chambered for .357 Magnum. The K-frame is somewhat smaller and lighter than the original N-frame .357, usually known a ...
. Although his M19 is his preferred weapon, he is skilled in a number of different firearms.


Live-action

The character was portrayed by
Kunie Tanaka was a Japanese actor. Tanaka first made a name for himself as the lecherous antagonist of the ''Wakadaishō'' series (1961–1981) of films. He is also well-known for his roles in Kinji Fukasaku's yakuza films, namely the ''Battles Without Hon ...
in the 1974 Japanese live-action film '' Lupin III: Strange Psychokinetic Strategy''. The 2014 feature film featured
Tetsuji Tamayama is a Japanese TV and film actor. He joined modeling competitions and was active in ''Checkmate'' and other fashion magazines. In 2001, Tamayama debuted in '' Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger'' as GaoSilver. He continued to star in more movies and TV dr ...
in the role. Tamayama reprised the role in a 2023 spin-off film titled after the character.


Voice actors

Daisuke Jigen was first voiced by
Kiyoshi Kobayashi was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Tokyo. He was attached to the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society. He was a graduate of the arts department of Nihon University. He was best known for his role as Daisuke Jigen i ...
in both versions of the 1969 pilot film for the first anime, and he continued to voice the character for over fifty years. On September 7, 2021, a spokesperson for Kobayashi announced his retirement from the role; Kobayashi was the last remaining member of the franchise's original voice cast. '' Part 6'' featured Kobayashi's final performance in its first episode, with
Akio Ōtsuka is a Japanese actor, voice actor, and narrator from the Tokyo Metropolitan area. He is attached to Mausu Promotion. The astringent and calm quality of his deep voice has landed him many roles in films, dubbing, animation, and video games. He i ...
taking over the role for the remainder of the series. In the ''Lupin Zero'' prequel ONA series, Jigen is voiced by
Shunsuke Takeuchi is a Japanese voice actor and singer affiliated with 81 Produce. He won the award for Best Rookie Actor at the 10th Seiyu Awards. His roles include Producer in ''The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls'', Alexander Yamato in '' King of Prism'', Juuza H ...
. Prior to his retirement, Kobayashi's only absence from the role of Jigen had been for the 1987
original video animation , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...
''
The Fuma Conspiracy is a 1987 Japanese animated action adventure comedy film. It is the fourth animated feature film based on the 1967–69 manga series ''Lupin III'' by Monkey Punch. Although classified as an original video animation by Tokyo Movie Shinsha, it ...
''. Citing budget concerns,
TMS TMS may refer to: Broadcasting * TMS (entertainment data), data provider * ''Test Match Special'', BBC cricket coverage * ''This Movie Sucks!'', a Canadian TV show on bad movies * ''That Metal Show'', a US TV talk show Media * Hobby of Mode ...
declined to employ the regular voice cast;
Banjō Ginga , sometimes credited as his real name , is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator who was born in Kofu, Yamanashi. Ginga is affiliated with Aoni Production. He is married to voice actress Gara Takashima. Known for his deep baritone voice, ...
instead voiced Jigen in the film. Daisuke Jigen's English voice actor in the 1979
Toho is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
dub of ''
The Mystery of Mamo ''Lupin III: The Mystery of Mamo'', also known as ''Lupin III: The Secret of Mamo'', is a 1978 Japanese adult animated science fiction action adventure comedy film. It is the first animated feature film based on the 1967–69 manga series ''Lupin ...
'' (in which the character was renamed "Dan Dunn") was not credited but is typically identified as Cliff Harrington.
Steve Bulen Steve Bulen is an American voice actor. He has been doing voices for many animated films and television shows for Walt Disney Animation Studios and Hanna-Barbera as well several video games and anime titles such as ''Doomed Megalopolis'', ''Gian ...
voiced the character in several dubs produced by
Streamline Pictures Streamline Pictures was an American media company. Founded by screenwriter Carl Macek and animation historian Jerry Beck, it was one of the earliest distributors of English-dubbed Japanese animation. History Founding Founded in Los Angeles, ...
. Sean P. O'Connell (1995,
AnimEigo AnimEigo is an American entertainment company that licenses and distributes anime, samurai films and Japanese cinema. Founded in 1988 by Robert Woodhead and Roe R. Adams III, the company was one of the first in North America dedicated to licens ...
). Eric Meyers (1996,
Manga UK Crunchyroll Ltd., trading as Crunchyroll UK and Ireland, is an anime distributor and licensing company in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Founded in 1987 as Island World Communications, the company operated as Manga Entertainment Ltd. until 2 ...
). John Snyder (2000,
Animaze Animaze.. iNC was an American production company known for producing English language dubs for many high profile anime series, such as ''Cowboy Bebop'', ''Trigun'', '' Code Geass'', and '' Wolf's Rain'', and video games, such as '' Xenosaga Ep ...
/
Manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
).
Christopher Sabat Christopher Robin Sabat is an American voice actor. Some of his prominent roles in animations and anime include Vegeta, Piccolo, Yamcha, Shenron, and various characters in ''Dragon Ball'', Roronoa Zoro in ''One Piece'', Giroro in ''Sgt. Frog ...
voiced the character for
Funimation Entertainment Crunchyroll, LLC is an American entertainment company based in Coppell, Texas. It currently operates the anime-focused eponymous over-the-top subscription video on-demand streaming service. The company was founded as Funimation in May 1 ...
's dubs of several TV specials and theatrical films between 2002 and 2005, and for their 2013 dub of ''
The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is a Japanese adult anime television series produced by TMS Entertainment. Part of the ''Lupin III'' franchise, it is the fourth anime television adaptation of the ''Lupin III'' manga series created by Monkey Punch. Directed by Sayo Y ...
''.
Richard Epcar Richard Epcar is an American voice actor, voice director, and writer who has voiced over 1,200 characters in animation, video games and anime. Some of his major roles include Raiden in the ''Mortal Kombat'' franchise, The Joker in several proje ...
voiced Jigen in the Phuuz dub for Pioneer/Geneon's release of the second anime between 2003 and 2006, and reprises the role for
Discotek Media Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. History Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retr ...
's dubs of the fifth and sixth anime as well as several films and specials.
Dan Woren Dan Woren is an American voice actor who is known for providing voice work for anime, television, and video games. His role was voicing Roy Fokker in the ''Robotech'' series in the 1980s. Other major voice roles include Jagi in ''Fist of the No ...
voiced Jigen in the
Bang Zoom! Entertainment Unforseen Productions, Inc., doing business as Bang Zoom! Entertainment is an American audio post-production studio with its headquarters in Burbank, California, in Greater Los Angeles. Founded in 1993, it has worked on anime, video games, tel ...
dub for Discotek's 2015 release of the '' Jigen's Gravestone'' film and its two sequels.


Reception

Jigen has been referred to in other anime and manga such as ''
Excel Saga is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kōshi Rikudō. It was serialized in Shōnen Gahōsha's Seinen manga, manga magazine ''Young King OURs'' from 1996 to 2011, and its individual chapters were collected and published in 27 ...
''. Anime historian Carl Horn has described Jigen as "The epitome of cool".


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jigen, Daisuke Anime and manga characters introduced in 1967 Fictional assassins in comics Fictional gangsters Fictional gentleman thieves Fictional gunfighters in anime and manga Fictional Japanese criminals Fictional Japanese spies Fictional marksmen and snipers Fictional spies in anime and manga Lupin the Third characters Male characters in anime and manga