The unflappable samurai Goemon from Rupin's motley crew takes centre stage for this fourth animated Rupin III outing. The story begins with a traditional Japanese wedding of Goeman finally tying the knot. But that is shattered when his soon-to-be wife Murasaki is kidnapped by the Fuma Clan's ninjas and ransomed for a sacred family key to a hidden treasure. The deal is secretly made, despite the bride's father's objections. But with Rupin tagging along, he doesn't plan to let this treasure of his hands. He's going to help get the girl back and the gold.
I think it's an improvement over the previous "Legend of the Gold of Babylon". Animation looks smoother, bold and fleshed-out. The storytelling is straightforward, almost similar in style to "The Castle of Cagliostro", but high-octane. Everything moves fast, even for its small running time (74mins), but it neatly comes together. I've seen some complaints about the English dub, but I wasn't bothered. Rupin is back to wearing his green jacket, but he and co mainly plays secondary to Goemon's story. That's why the humor seems to take a back step and when it crops up never does it feel forced, but nonetheless you can always count on the tenacious Interpol inspector Zenigata. So the Rupin flair is there, just not as frequent.
With the story focusing on Goemon, it shows there's lot more to his enigmatic character and the inclusion of the strong-willed Murasaki illustrated his benevolent side with their touching interactions. Even with this drama going on, the hijinks remain plentiful and there are a couple of fun car chase scenes. The bad guys aren't to be taken lightly either. Their encounters are always excitingly fruitful, especially that in the underground cavern with its labyrinth of tunnels and traps. The use of hallucinations in one of those traps was a creative touch and then there's the arresting final fight between Goemon and the imposing "Boss".
"The Fuma Conspiracy" is a lively, satisfying and charming adventure that doesn't outstay its welcome.
