, usually called and formerly Heiji Zenigata VII, is a
fictional character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...
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 h ...
for his
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) 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 prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
series ''
Lupin III
, also written as ''Lupin the Third'', ''Lupin the 3rd'', or ''Lupin the IIIrd'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Monkey Punch. It follows the endeavors of master thief Arsène Lupin III, the grandson of Arsène ...
'', 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. He is named after the famous fictional Japanese detective
Zenigata Heiji
, usually called and formerly Heiji Zenigata VII, is a fictional character created by Monkey Punch for his manga series ''Lupin III'', which debuted in ''Weekly Manga Action'' on August 10, 1967. He is named after the famous fictional Japanese ...
, of whom he is a descendant.
He is the star of the live action ''Inspector Zenigata'' TV series and portrayed by
Ryohei Suzuki
is a Japanese actor who is represented by the talent agency Horipro.
Early life
He graduated from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies with a Bachelor's degree in English Studies in March 2006.
When he was a student, he worked part-time in NHK ...
, making it the second ''Lupin III''-based property not to star Lupin as the protagonist.
Creation
Inspector Zenigata was conceived as Lupin's arch rival to create a "human
Tom and Jerry
''Tom and Jerry'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated media franchise and series of comedy short films created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Best known for its 161 theatrical short films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the series c ...
".
Monkey Punch said that he believed the ''Lupin III'' story could never end but that if he had to, both Zenigata and Lupin would have to end as equals. They would either both fail, both win or both get very old.
Personality
Inspector Zenigata hails from Japan, city of origin unknown. According to ''
Episode 0: The First Contact'', his original title was
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
Police Inspector whose original interest was the capture 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 who regularly uses her attractiveness to fool her targets. Unlike t ...
and her then partner. His pursuit took him to New York where he first met
Arsène Lupin III
is a fictional character created by Kazuhiko Kato aka Monkey Punch as the protagonist for his manga series ''Lupin III'', which debuted in ''Weekly Manga Action'' on August 10, 1967. According to his creator, Lupin is the grandson of Maurice Le ...
. He left the Japanese Police Force in favor of enlisting in ICPO (
Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...
) for the sake of specifically bringing Lupin to justice. For a brief period between the first and second TV series, Zenigata was demoted to a beat cop in an unknown location of Japan.
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. Zenigata has an attachment to Lupin with the belief that no one should kill him or worse, capture him, besides Zenigata himself. 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. In instances where Zenigata has been injured in the field or believed dead, Lupin avenges the Inspector by hunting down his attacker.
While he has some interest in capturing Jigen, Goemon, and Fujiko, he is really after only Lupin, and as such shows little interest in them when Lupin himself is involved. During the course of his hunt for Lupin, Zenigata has revealed and arrested a large number of criminals from all walks of life, sometimes unintentionally and with help from Lupin. This is a major reason why ICPO tolerates his repeated failures to capture Lupin: the "collateral damage" from his lifelong quest has made him a highly rewarded and respected officer of the law.
At the beginning of Part 1, he was far from a nice person. He was corrupt, opportunistic, self-serving, dangerous, obsessive and violent, and was only redeemed by his grudging respect for Lupin, who he still didn't hesitate to shoot at whenever the thief pulled off a heist. By Part 1 Episode 14, he mellows out a great deal, and becomes more lovable, endearingly awkward and upbeat.
In ''
The Mystery of Mamo
''The Mystery of Mamo'', also known as ''The Secret of Mamo'', is a 1978 Japanese animated science fiction adventure action comedy film; it is the first animated film of the ''Lupin III'' franchise created by manga author Monkey Punch. The film was ...
'', it is mentioned that Zenigata has a daughter named Toshiko, but to date this has never been mentioned since the film. In an episode of ''
Lupin III Part II
''Lupin the 3rd Part II'' is a Japanese anime television series produced by TMS Entertainment. Part of the ''Lupin III'' franchise, it is the second anime television adaptation of the ''Lupin III'' manga series created by Monkey Punch. Althou ...
'', Zenigata is asked if he has any family, to which he replies "not yet". He's unable to settle down because of his eternal pursuit, and although he sometimes longs for female company (such as a reporter Maria in ''Crisis in Tokyo'', who compares him to her father) his single-minded attitude regarding the capture of Lupin leaves no personal time available. In the 2012 series ''
The Woman Called Fujiko Mine'', Fujiko is seen performing sexual favors to an apparently willing Zenigata in order to avoid jail time. The Pioneer dub of the second anime series portrays Zenigata as having an unhealthy dependence towards his mother and continually making references to her.
Zenigata is a quite sensitive person who often weeps uncontrollably, particularly when Lupin has done him an act of consideration, or when relieved to discover Lupin is OK after assuming his death.
At times he can be surprisingly affectionate, even towards his sworn enemy. In Seven Days Rhapsody, Zenigata captures Lupin in a rough hug after he leaps from a helicopter, nuzzles him with his face and declares that they were destined to be together. In the post credits scene, Lupin is standing out in the rain and Zenigata kindly offers that they eat
katsudon
is a popular Japanese food, a bowl of rice topped with a deep-fried breaded pork cutlet,
egg, vegetables, and condiments.
The dish takes its name from the Japanese words ''tonkatsu'' (for pork cutlet) and '' donburi'' (for ''rice bowl dish'') ...
together in a warm interrogation room.
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
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
''
The Fuma Conspiracy'', Zenigata actually retires from police work when he believes Lupin has died and becomes a
monk
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...
, 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. In Part 1 Episode 4, when Zenigata is able to successfully capture Lupin and place him on death row, 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. One of the few times where he hasn't mourned Lupin's "demise" was in ''
The Mystery of Mamo
''The Mystery of Mamo'', also known as ''The Secret of Mamo'', is a 1978 Japanese animated science fiction adventure action comedy film; it is the first animated film of the ''Lupin III'' franchise created by manga author Monkey Punch. The film was ...
'', where he is shown to be the only one who doesn't believe Lupin was actually executed, and tries to drive a stake into his body to test if he is really dead, only for the corpse to explode and Lupin to reveal himself as actually alive and well moments later, confirming his suspicions. Towards the end of the movie, he even tells Lupin that as long as there is one Lupin in the world, he'll continue to follow him "straight through the gates of Hell". In ''
Lupin III: The First'' he isn't upset when Lupin appears to have died, and shifts his goal to chasing the rest of Lupin's gang.
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 exists between the pair where 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. In Part 2 Episode 98, when a French superintendent tries to have Zenigata killed and frame Lupin for the crime, Lupin first tries to avenge the Inspector's supposed death, then when he finds out Zenigata is alive he helps him to avenge the shooter, who had spared Zenigata's life and had only hit him with a tranquilizer to make him appear dead. In ''Island of Assassins'', when an old enemy of Lupin's shot Zenigata point blank while he helplessly watched, a wild motorcycle chase began to apprehend the killer, partly for Lupin to conclude affairs with the adversary, partly to avenge the (supposed) death of the Inspector, who would have certainly died if the ICPO chief hadn't casually mentioned Lupin's name after the Inspector flatlined.
Physical skills
Zenigata appears to be in good physical shape for his age; his proficiency in
Judo
is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponi ...
and
Karate
(; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...
have been revealed many times, with him able to dispatch multiple attackers with minimal effort. He's also capable with a
jitte
A is a specialized weapon that was used by police in Edo period Japan (1603 – 1868).
History
In feudal Japan, it was a crime punishable by death to bring a sword into the ''shōgun''s palace. This law applied to almost everyone, including the ...
, the traditional Japanese police weapon designed to counter sword attacks. Other skills include his marksmanship with his weapon of choice, a
Colt .45 automatic pistol, and an almost inhuman skill with throwing handcuffs, tossing them in a
bola-like manner at his prey.
Zenigata's subconscious appears to be somewhat in control of his body. During chases he can perform outlandish physical feats such as jumping over huge obstacles and beating down a dozen attackers without thinking, simply because of his preoccupation with Lupin. For example, in 1997's ''
In Memory of the Walther P-38'', the mere mention of Lupin's name is enough to wake him from a coma, even as he is about to succumb to a near-fatal bullet wound. When accidentally knocked out by the stun-gun wristwatch used by
Conan Edogawa
, known in some major English adaptations as Jimmy Kudo, is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the manga series ''Case Closed'', created by Gosho Aoyama. A high school detective, he is forced to ingest the lethal poison after an en ...
in 2009's ''
Lupin the 3rd vs Detective Conan'', he was only out for a few seconds when according to Conan, it would render an elephant unconscious for 30 minutes. Zenigata's obsession when he gets upset or close to Lupin seems to give him abilities beyond the normal. Many are the heavy locked doors he manages to crash through when fury overtakes him.
The Inspector's appearance has stayed consistent through both the manga and anime series; around 6 feet, Pops has a long face ending in a bulky chin. Much like Lupin, he has extended sideburns that reach to the lower part of his cheeks. Dressed modestly in a brown business suit with white shirt and brown trench coat, he as well wears a standard flat-brim fedora. He occasionally smokes and drinks. His preferred cigarette is the Japanese made Shinsei, and enjoys hard liquor of various designs, usually bourbon or sake.
Zenigata is usually presented in the anime as clumsy and drawing hasty conclusions, but equally he is depicted with extremely efficient detective skills.
As a first class manhunter, Lupin's upcoming capers are usually predicted by Zenigata based on his prey's behavior, habits, and information about Lupin's research.
Nicknames
Lupin often refers to Zenigata as ''tottsan'' (とっつぁん), a form of address that is usually translated as "Old Man" or "Pops", with "Pops" being used most frequently in the English dub. Other translations have the used the terms "daddy", "daddy-o", and "papa". He is named after a famous fictional Japanese detective,
Zenigata Heiji
, usually called and formerly Heiji Zenigata VII, is a fictional character created by Monkey Punch for his manga series ''Lupin III'', which debuted in ''Weekly Manga Action'' on August 10, 1967. He is named after the famous fictional Japanese ...
. Zenigata's ability to handcuff criminals at a distance also comes from Zenigata Heiji, who threw coins with great force and accuracy and used them as weapons to disable criminals; Koichi once himself displayed this ability when he cut a rope with gold coins in a Part 2 episode. In Japanese, the title of inspector is ''keibu'' (警部), although the Streamline dub ''Castle of Cagliostro'' erroneously stated Keibu as Zenigata's first name, as did his passport in the Part III episode ''Steal the Pyramid of Insurance Money''. In the Filipino dub of the series, Lupin refers to Zenigata as "depektib", a play on the words "detective" and "defective". In "Lupin III: Burning Memory - Tokyo Crisis", the landlady nicknames him "Kou-chan" when he comes home to find his apartment burned down. He has been nicknamed "Zeni" by various characters, including Fujiko, Jasmin and even at times Lupin himself.
Actors
Inspector Zenigata was first voiced by Shinsuke Chikaishi in the
CinemaScope
CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...
version of the 1969
pilot film for the first anime, while
Chikao Ōtsuka
was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator. He was most known for the roles of Captain Hook (''Peter Pan no Bōken & Disney's Peter Pan''), Dick Dastardly (''Wacky Races'' & ''Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines''), Goemon Ishikaw ...
voiced him in the pilot's TV version. However,
Gorō Naya
was a Japanese actor, voice actor, narrator and theatre director from Hakodate, Hokkaidō. He and his brother were two of seven children, and was a drop-out of the legal education division of Ritsumeikan University. He was connected to Theatre E ...
was given the role when the first anime was actually produced (1971–72) and he continued to voice the character until 2010, with one exception. Due to budget concerns,
TMS decided not to employ the regular voice cast for the 1987
original video animation
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
''
The Fuma Conspiracy'', with Zenigata voiced by
Seizō Katō
was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator who worked for Haikyo (Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society).
Kato was born in Tokyo. He was noted for his role as Megatron and Galvatron from the 1st Transformers series until '' Transform ...
. The 2011 TV special ''
Blood Seal - Eternal Mermaid'' marked the first appearance of
Kōichi Yamadera
is a Japanese actor, voice actor, narrator and singer from Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture. He graduated from Tohoku Gakuin University's economics school and is currently affiliated with Across Entertainment. Before that, he was affiliated with th ...
as the character and he continues to voice Inspector Zenigata to this day. Naya did return to the role once more for the 2012 ''Lupin Family Lineup'' short original video animation.
Greg Starr voiced Inspector Zenigata in the 1979
Toho
is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer an ...
English dub of ''
The Mystery of Mamo
''The Mystery of Mamo'', also known as ''The Secret of Mamo'', is a 1978 Japanese animated science fiction adventure action comedy film; it is the first animated film of the ''Lupin III'' franchise created by manga author Monkey Punch. The film was ...
'', where his name was changed to "Detective Ed Scott".
David Povall
David Povall (born June 21, 1947 in San Antonio, Texas) is an American actor. After acting in many Mexican and American films, known as David Estuardo, he also works as a voice actor.
Filmography
Live-action
*'' The Arrival'' - Additional voi ...
(1992-5,
Streamline
Streamline may refer to:
Business
* Streamline Air, American regional airline
* Adobe Streamline, a discontinued line tracing program made by Adobe Systems
* Streamline Cars, the company responsible for making the Burney car
Engineering
...
). Marc Matney (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 licensi ...
).
Seán Barrett (1996,
Manga UK
Crunchyroll Ltd., trading as Crunchyroll UK and Ireland, is a producer, licensee, and distributor of anime in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Founded in 1987 as Island World Communications, the company operated as Manga Entertainment Ltd. until ...
). Kevin Seymour (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 Epis ...
/
Manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) 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 prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
).
Phillip Wilburn
Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...
voiced the character for
Funimation Entertainment
Crunchyroll, LLC, previously known as Funimation from 1994 to 2022, is an American entertainment company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony as a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex that specializes ...
's dubs of several TV specials and theatrical films between 2002 and 2005.
Dan Lorge
Dan Lorge is an American voice actor. He currently teaches acting at Take 2 Performers Studio in Reno, Nevada.
Selected filmography
Anime
* '' Lupin the 3rd Part II'' (1977–1980) – Inspector Koichi Zenigata
* ''Fist of the North St ...
voiced Zenigata in the
Phuuz dub for
Pioneer/Geneon's release of
the second anime between 2003 and 2006.
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 proj ...
was given the role for Funimation's 2013 dub of ''
The Woman Called Fujiko Mine'', and reprises the role in the
Bang Zoom! Entertainment
Bang Zoom! Entertainment is an audio post-production studio with its headquarters in Burbank, California, in Greater Los Angeles. It has worked on anime, video games, television series, feature films, and original animation projects.
Their work ...
dub 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.
Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retro titles fr ...
's 2015 release of the ''
Jigen's Gravestone'' film. In 2017,
Doug Erholtz
Doug Erholtz is an American voice actor. He is best known for his performances as Inspector Zenigata from ''Lupin the Third'', Kisuke Urahara, Gin Ichimaru, and Rudbornn Chelute briefly from '' Bleach'', TK Takaishi from '' Digimon Adventure 02'' ...
took over the role for Discotek's dubs of
the fifth and
sixth anime.
Tadanobu Asano
, better known by his stage name , is a Japanese actor. He is known for his roles as Dragon Eye Morrison in ''Electric Dragon 80.000 V'', Kakihara in ''Ichi the Killer'', Mamoru Arita in '' Bright Future'', Hattori Genosuke in ''Zatoichi'', Kenj ...
starred as Zenigata in the 2014 live action film ''
Lupin the 3rd''.
Japan's NTV broadcast network featured a live action ''Inspector Zenigata'' TV special and subsequent series with
Ryohei Suzuki
is a Japanese actor who is represented by the talent agency Horipro.
Early life
He graduated from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies with a Bachelor's degree in English Studies in March 2006.
When he was a student, he worked part-time in NHK ...
, (''
Hentai Karmen
Hentai is anime and manga pornography. A loanword from Japanese, the original term ( ) does not describe a genre of media, but rather an abnormal sexual desire or act, as an abbreviation of . In addition to anime and manga, hentai works exi ...
'', ''
Gatchaman
is a Japanese animated franchise about a five-member superhero ninja team created by Tatsuo Yoshida and produced by Tatsunoko Productions. The original anime series, which debuted in 1972, was eponymously entitled ''Kagaku Ninja-tai Gatchaman ...
'' both 2013) starring as the Inspector. The show follows the character as a brilliant, doggedly capable IPCO officer successfully chasing down an assortment of criminals. Joining Suzuki are
Atsuko Maeda
is a Japanese actress and singer. She is a former member of the idol girl group AKB48, and was one of the most prominent members in the group at the time, regarded as the group's "absolute ace", "immovable center", and the "Face of AKB." After ...
and
Takahiro Miura
is a Japanese actor. He graduated from Juntendo University Sports Health Science Department. He is represented with Anoré. His father is Tomokazu Miura who is also an actor, his mother is actress and former singer Momoe Yamaguchi
, known by ...
as the Inspector's neophyte detective aides. The series and special both were presented on
Hulu Japan in February 2017. It revealed the first poster visual on January 16, 2017.
Reception
Zenigata was voted the eighth best supporting character in anime by Mania.com. Mania.com also put Zenigata as the 9th greatest anime detective.
Mike Crandoll of
Anime News Network
Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and oth ...
compared Zenigata's pursuit of Lupin to
Wile E. Coyote
Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner are a duo of cartoon characters from the '' Looney Tunes'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' series of animated cartoons, first appearing in 1949 in the theatrical cartoon short '' Fast and Furry-ous''. In each episod ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zenigata, Koichi
Lupin the Third characters
Martial artist characters in anime and manga
Comics characters introduced in 1967
Fictional Interpol officials
Fictional Japanese people in anime and manga
Fictional judoka
Fictional karateka
Fictional Japanese police detectives
Male characters in anime and manga