View source for Episode 0: The First Contact

{{Short description|2002 14th Lupin III television special directed by Ōhara Shōjitsu}}
{{notability|date=January 2024}}
{{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<br>Keiko Konori<br>Yasumichi Ozaki
| writer          = [[Shōji Yonemura]]<br>[[Osamu Dezaki]]
| music           = [[Yuji Ohno]]
| studio          = [[TMS Entertainment]]
| licensee       = {{English anime licensee
 | NA = [[Discotek Media]]
}}
| network         = [[Nippon Television Network System|NNS]] ([[Nippon Television|NTV]])
| network_en      = 
| released        = July 26, 2002
| runtime         = 92 minutes
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Footer}}

{{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, [[Koichi Zenigata|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 Scott Kimerer|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]]
|}

== External links ==
* {{ann|anime|2727}}
*[http://www.lupinencyclopedia.com/anime/tv_special/episode_0_first_contact Lupin III Encyclopedia]

{{Lupin III}}
{{TMS Entertainment OVAs}}

[[Category:Lupin the Third anime films]]
[[Category:2002 anime films]]
[[Category:2002 films]]
[[Category:Anime television films]]
[[Category:TMS Entertainment]]
[[Category:2002 television films]]