Episode 0: The First Contact

{{Short description|2002 14th Lupin III television special directed by Ōhara Shōjitsu}}

{{Infobox animanga/Header

| name = Lupin the 3rd Episode 0: First Contact

| image = Episode 0.jpg

| caption = DVD cover

| ja_kanji = ルパン三世 EPISODE:0 ファーストコンタクト

| ja_romaji = Rupan Sansei Episōdo Zero Faasuto Kontakuto

| genre =

| creator = Monkey Punch

}}{{Infobox animanga/Video

| type = tv film

| title =

| director = Minoru Ōhara

| producer = Hiromichi Ohishi
Keiko Konori
Yasumichi Ozaki

| writer = Shōji Yonemura
Osamu Dezaki

| music = Yuji Ohno

| studio = TMS Entertainment

| licensee = {{English anime licensee

| NA = Discotek Media

}}

| network = NNS (NTV)

| network_en =

| released = July 26, 2002

| runtime = 92 minutes

}}

{{nihongo|Lupin the 3rd: Episode 0: First Contact|ルパン三世 EPISODE:0 ファーストコンタクト|Rupan Sansei Episōdo Zero Faasuto Kontakuto}} is the fourteenth Lupin III television special. It premiered on Nippon Television in 2002, as part of the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Lupin III TV series. The special depicts the first meeting of Lupin and the rest of his gang.

Plot

Daisuke Jigen is asked by a reporter to tell the story of how he met Arsène Lupin III and the rest of the gang. He tells about the time he was hired by a millionaire named Galvez to help guard the Clam of Helmeth, a green cylinder made of unbreakable metal. The cylinder contained instructions on how to forge a metal similar to the one that composed it. The Clam has also gained the attentions of both Lupin, a fellow thief named Brad, and Brad's partner, Fujiko Mine.

Brad manages to steal the Clam, but is murdered by Galves' henchman, Shade. Lupin and Fujiko now have possession of it, but no means to open it. Meanwhile, Inspector Koichi Zenigata has been dispatched by the Japanese police to hunt down and arrest Fujiko. He is paired with George McFly, an American detective who is his only resource. And on the other side of the world, Goemon Ishikawa XIII is seeking a sword worthy of his skills.

The key to opening the Clam of Helmeth is now the focus of everyone's efforts, but who will come across it first? And, more importantly, how much of Jigen's story is the truth?

Voice cast

class="wikitable" ! Character ! Japanese ! English
Arsène Lupin III \| Kanichi Kurita \|\| Tony Oliver
Fujiko Mine \| Eiko Masuyama \|\| Michelle Ruff
Daisuke Jigen \| Kiyoshi Kobayashi \|\| Richard Epcar
Goemon Ishikawa XIII \| Makio Inoue \|\| Lex Lang
Inspector Koichi Zenigata \| Gorō Naya \|\| Doug Erholtz
Brad \| Jūrōta Kosugi\|\| Erik Kimerer
Erina \| Romi Park \|\| Amber Lee Connors
Shade \| Shunsuke Sakuya \|\| Todd Haberkorn
Galvez \| Shūichirō Moriyama \|\| Jamieson Price
Detective George McFly \| Ichirō Nagai \|\| Paul St. Peter
Commissioner Crawford \| Masaru Ikeda \|\| Derek Stephen Prince
Hans Dolarhyde \| Tamio Ōki\|\| Kyle Hebert

class="wikitable"

! Character

! Japanese

! English

Arsène Lupin III

| Kanichi Kurita || Tony Oliver

Fujiko Mine

| Eiko Masuyama || Michelle Ruff

Daisuke Jigen

| Kiyoshi Kobayashi || Richard Epcar

Goemon Ishikawa XIII

| Makio Inoue || Lex Lang