Lupin III/Recap/S2 E16

"The Two Faces of Lupin", with the English title "Crude Reproduction, Perfect Frame". Released in 2003 by Geneon on Volume 3: Family Jewels.

One night in Paris, Zenigata visits a Mr. Beaucoup regarding Lupin's latest calling card targeting his valuable diamond, the Star of Versailles. However, after Zenigata reassures Beaucoup and leaves, Lupin breaks in his mansion, steals the diamond and kills Beaucoup in cold blood.

The next morning, the robbery and murder hits the news. Lupin himself is skeptical and clearly doesn't remember murdering anyone that night, but Jigen and Goemon are growing worried of him. All brain teasing aside, Lupin decides to go after another (much larger) diamond instead: the African Queen. The following night, Fujiko is dating the man who is in possession of the African Queen so she can procure it from him, but as soon as they arrive at his house and he's about to show the diamond, Lupin unexpectedly breaks in, kills the man, takes the African Queen for himself and runs away, laughing maniacally as Fujiko watches on in horror.

The next day, Fujiko scolds Lupin for what he did last night, but Lupin still doesn't buy it. Jigen and Goemon, at a loss for ideas, decide to send Lupin to a psychiatrist named Dr. Normil, who had close relations to Lupin's father. After performing a psychological experiment, Normil reveals to Jigen and Goemon that Lupin has the "Disguise Syndrome", a rare psycho-physiological disorder that causes his face and personality to change at certain times, which is why he committed the cold-blooded murders at midnight and has no memory of it afterwards. As he bids Jigen and Goemon adieu, it's revealed that the results Normil showed was film footage containing edited scenes recorded with an evil-looking Lupin stand-in.

The following morning, Lupin wakes up in his hotel room. Investigating the room, he finds a woman murdered in the closet. Thankfully, he had a camera set up in the room to record what happened the night before. As he watches the tape, he sees himself getting comfortable with the woman he found murdered before transforming into his evil persona and murdering her. Horrified by what he witnessed from the tape, he goes to Dr. Normil, who breaks the news to him about his condition. The news leaves Lupin distraught, as he starts to really blame himself for the midnight murders, not knowing that Normil actually framed Lupin through the use of a stand-in and tampered film footage.

As more of these morally terrible crimes and midnight murders keep happening and even Interpol is convinced that he needs a death sentence, Lupin starts becoming suicidal because of all the blame. Before he can hang himself, however, Fujiko stops him. She wants to prove him that he is incapable of murdering people at random by tying Lupin to a chair and holding him at gunpoint until the clock strikes midnight, which is the time Lupin would turn into his evil side. Outside of Lupin sneezing, nothing happens after midnight has passed and Fujiko's point has been proven. Lupin is very relieved and, after some further investigation, sets out to take Dr. Normil back. Disguised as him, he fools Zenigata into arresting (the real) Dr. Normil and his evil Lupin stand-in by making him think that that Normil is actually Jigen contaminated with Disguise Syndrome through Lupin.

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This episode features examples of:

• Adaptation Distillation: The episode removes the gag of the "diseased" person also becoming a woman, and adds some character development for Fujiko.
• Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: One news report claims the damages Lupin has caused so far are twelve casualties, 350 million francs in stolen cash, 200 million francs in stolen jewelry and one stolen ice cream cone.
• Aw, Look — They Really Do Love Each Other: Fujiko scolded Lupin for the murder she thought he did, only for her to return and narrowly stop him from committing suicide because she believes Lupin is incapable of murdering innocent people. Then, she ties Lupin to a chair and keeps him at gunpoint until midnight, so that if Lupin really has the Disguise Syndrome, she'll shoot him and then kill herself so they can be together in death.
• Frame-Up: Dr. Normil makes Lupin (and his companions) believe he has a rare mental condition, just so he and his Lupin stand-in can perform morally horrible crimes and profit from it whilst the real Lupin has to carry all the blame. It's a pretty elaborate one, considering Normil is a psychologist and has been friends with Lupin's father.
• Jekyll and Hyde: Subverted with Lupin's evil side, as caused by the Disguise Syndrome (known as Hyde's Disease in the English dub). It was all part of Normil's nasty scheme to break Lupin and perform crimes under his name.
• Slipping a Mickey: Dr. Normil convinces Jigen and Goemon that Lupin has a split personality by spiking Lupin's scotch, then switching the two-way mirror for a film while the thief was unconscious.