Arsène Lupin III is the grandson of world-famous thief Arsène Lupin, and he's living up to his grandfather's memory as a high-profile thief himself. Due to his infamy, Lupin III attracts the attention of the persistent Inspector Zenigata of the ICPO, as well as rival criminals. Lupin III's criminal lifestyle even seeps into his love life. The main woman in Lupin III's world is femme fatale Fujiko Mine, who Lupin III can never tell is working with or against him. Follow Lupin and his gunman partner Daisuke Jigen on their quest to own the world－or at least the valuable bits!
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FOXHOUNDER1014
Like most fans of Lupin III, my first experience with the titular thief was with Hayao Miyazaki’s debut film “The Castle of Cagliostro.” It was simply a masterpiece with great action scenes, likeable characters, a heartwarming story, and excellent pacing. I consider Cagliostro to be one of the finest adventure films (animated or live-action) ever created and stands on my personal list of top movies. Anxious for more, I looked into the series and was amazed at how deep and spreading the franchise’s roots were. Lupin III is perhaps the most well-known and popular anime character of all time in Japan. There have been variousmanga series, three television shows, one live-action movie, five animated films, various other animations, and yearly television specials that remain popular with the Japanese masses. Unfortunately, Lupin never really got firm foothold of international markets. While the likes of Goku and Pikachu are known worldwide, our green (or red or pink) jacketed thief still struggles to gain popularity outside of Japan to this very day. Despite this, Lupin III still manages to have a small, but loyal cult following. For those of you that don’t about Lupin, here’s a little backstory.
The origins of Lupin III can be traced back to the early 20th century works of French writer, Maurice Leblanc. Essentially opposite of detective Sherlock Holmes, Leblanc created a gentlemen thief named Arsène Lupin. Like his title suggests, Lupin was thief, but a gentlemen in nature. He would always “politely” leave notes to the police indicating where and when he would steal something, but would always escape their grasp. His goal was really not to steal, but to live life on a dangerous edge and to savor every moment of the chase. Old Arsène enjoyed considerable popularity in his days and has a long-running franchise to him as well. Fast forward all the way to 1967. Professional manga artist Kazuhiko Katō was “discovered” buy a magazine company who was interested in his work. He was hired, and his boss at the time suggested the pen name “Monkey Punch.” The origins of that name aren’t exactly clear, but some speculate that it came from the ape-like look of some of Katō’s characters. Nevertheless, he wasn’t too fond of the name but chose it anyways since he was only attached to a three month project. The project? A comedic manga series that parodied Arsène Lupin’s many exploits. It starred the grandson of the thief with him and his gang going on many adventures throughout the series. The art was rugged and abstract, the humor was vulgar, and it was a huge hit.
Following the success of the manga, Lupin III was soon picked up for anime form in 1969 by TMS Entertainment and Toho. Virtually unknown director Masaaki Ōsumi was hired to craft a short pilot film that introduced Lupin and his gang. The pilot was highly controversial at the time to say the least. The realistic violence and adult themes simply didn’t fly well with the companies, so the project never saw distribution. Two versions were produced: a 16:9 CinemaScope version intended for theatrical release and a 4:3 version meant for television. Despite the failure of the pilot, Lupin III was still picked up for a 26 episode television series. On October 24, 1971, anime history was made.
For the first time ever, here was an anime series intended for adults and not just kids. Some episodes were loose adaptions of certain manga chapters, but most were original stories. Like the pilot film before it, the show had realistic looking guns and vehicles, violence, and darker plotlines. It seemed, though, that the Japanese animation industry wasn’t ready for such material. Initially, Masaaki Ōsumi directed the first few episodes. They were dark and gritty, with mature themes and sensibilities. Because of this, the show failed to gather the ratings it needed and Ōsumi was fired because he refused to change the tone. This is when Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata joined the show. You heard right, THAT Miyazaki and Takahata. Two of the most revered Japanese anime directors who brought us masterworks like Spirited Away and Grave of the Fireflies got their start on this show. When they did, everything changed. Now Lupin III was given more humor and the episodes noticeably became more family friendly. The show can be divided into three parts. The first eight or so episodes by Ōsumi are serious in tone. Sure there’s the occasional dry humor, but there’s gun fights and fan service shots aplenty here (though it could probably be considered as quite tame by today’s standards). The next section is the transition period. Here we see Lupin III slowly change from the dark nature and into more lightheartedness. By the time we reach the final portion, the show is now comedic and full of laughs, almost the polar opposite of how the show started out. The episodes directed by Miyazaki and Takahata are what the set the standard for the franchise to this very day, with the exception of the adult-themed Mystery of Mamo movie and recent Fujiko Mine series. This show as a whole never really had a set path or direction. Since this is the first ever show for the franchise, it feels very experimental at times and has many changes in tone and quality. Despite these changes, the ratings remained poor and the show was cancelled after only 23 episodes.
The basic premise is that master thief Lupin III (now sporting a green jacket unlike the red of his manga counterpart) is always trying to steal; whether its money, jewels, or treasure. I think that his character would best be described if you took the coolness of James Bond, the adventurous nature of Indiana Jones, and the niceness of Tintin; and put it all together. Lupin will always try to steal things, but he’s never without honor. Along the way, he’ll help anyone in need, won’t kill without reason, and he’s fiercely loyal to his friends. Speaking of which, Lupin is joined by a colorful cast of characters that represent his gang. There’s Daisuke Jigen, Lupin’s most trusted ally who’s a quick split-second gunman and Fujiko Mine, a seductive women whom Lupin is infatuated with. Because of this, he’s easily tricked or swindled by her. Early on in the series, he’s joined by Goemon Ishikawa XIII, descendant of the legendary Japanese samurai who actually existed in real history. Goemon has a blade that can cut just about anything, and seems to want to help Lupin just as much as he wants to kill him. The gang is constantly chased by Tokyo Metropolitan Police Inspector Koichi Zenigata, supposedly the descendant of fictional detective Zenigata Heiji. His only goal in life is to capture Lupin. He always fails, but that’s perhaps for the best. Throughout the series, Zenigata has actually captured Lupin on occasion; but quickly realizes that he has no other purpose in life. Later on in the franchise, it’s clear that Lupin and Zenigata both respect each other even if they’re constantly at odds. The ideas are always fresh and exciting, with little repetition between episodes. It really amazes that, even after 45 years, this series is still going with new ideas.
I haven’t even talked about the excellent voice actors yet. Lupin is played by Yasuo Yamada, a veteran seiyuu who voiced him for the rest of his life before his unfortunate death in 1995. Yamada brings out the perfect traits in Lupin. He’s cocky, suave, hard-boiled, classy, and even emotional all at the same time. Make no mistake, Yamada is the definitive voice of the character and no one else could have brought Lupin to life besides him. Yes, there have been other actors in the role of Lupin and they all do a fine job, but Yamada will be the one who’ll always be the most famous and well known. The tough and gruff Jigen is portrayed by Kiyoshi Kobayashi, historically known for playing the character in every single Lupin related animation with the exception of the 1987 OVA, “The Fuma Conspiracy,” where the entire cast was briefly replaced. It’s really impressive that this guy still voices him after all these years and he shows no signs of slowing down. Death Note fans might recognize Kobayashi as the voice of Watari. Fujiko’s seiyuu is Yukiko Nikaido, a talented actress who plays the femme fatale as a crafty and cunning woman who knows how to get what she wants. She would later be replaced by the more well-known Eiko Masuyama who has an equally impressive track record like Kobayashi. Masuyama, however, retired from the role in 2010. The no-nonsense samurai of few words, Goemon is voiced by Chikao Ōtsuka who some may know from One Piece and Dragon Ball. He is the father of Akio Ōtsuka of Metal Gear fame. Last but not least, we have Gorō Naya who plays Zenigata. Honestly, Zenigata’s over-the-top and hilarious performances are a joy to watch. He gives off all the right emotions and feelings that this character evokes. Unfortunately, Naya died only very recently (as of this writing), at the age of 83. Both Yamada and Naya will be sorely missed, but their legacy left behind will never be forgotten.
I’ve talked about the characters, but what of the animation? At first glance, Lupin III seems primitive in its art style. But you know what? I like this kind of look. For the time, this was the highest quality animation available for television. Although it certainly shows its age, colors are still vibrant and sharp with the simplistic backgrounds nice as well. Characters move fluidly enough and action scenes play out nicely, but it’s obvious that some cheap tricks are used here and there. It doesn’t have the same thin cartoonish look as the second series, nor the gorgeous animation of Cagliostro, but I’m sure that most people will be satisfied with what they see. The audio side of things is more of a mixed bag. The main theme is a simplistic repetition of “Lupin the Third” sung in various tones. It may be basic, but just like the Batman theme, it’s pretty damn catchy. The ending theme is a more melancholic and bittersweet Japanese vocal song. These were all sung by Charlie Kosei, who does a pretty good job singing in both Japanese and English with excellent pronunciation. Although Kosei hasn’t been doing much recently, he contributed a song to the popular PlayStation 2 game Katamari Damacy. Within the series, there’s also background music by Takeo Yamashita. The themes are pretty basic to say the least, and there’s really not anything special, but it does the job when it needs too. For an amazing Lupin III soundtrack, check out the work of Yuji Ohno. He composed excellent jazz themes from the second series onward, and his addictive Lupin III main theme is still playing in my head even now.
Exactly where can you get this series? If you live in Japan, it’s readily available on DVD and Blu-ray. Recently, though, North American anime distribution company Discotek Media released the entire series on Region 1 DVD for the very first time ever. This set boasts a brand new high quality video transfer, extensive liner notes on each episode, essays, song lyrics, a complete vehicle list, a complete weapons list, commentary on key episodes by Lupin fans, and even both versions of the original pilot film. It’s the ultimate release for any Lupin fan and I highly recommend you purchase this amazing set. Overall though, is Lupin III worth your time? I’d say without a doubt, yes. Not only is this an important and historical anime, it’s simply a fun show to watch. I’d even go as far to call this the “Cowboy Bebop” of the 1970s generation. The influence that this show had on the exploits of our Bebop crew is immediately noticeable. In fact, Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe has even gone on record to say that he was heavily inspired by this series, particularly with Ōsumi’s work. So there, you have it. An essential anime series that’s action-packed, entertaining, and full of great characters. It may be rough around the edges, as well as uneven in quality; but I guarantee you that you’ll have damn good time watching this series the whole way through. Check it out.
Psycho_Sanji
The one that started it all. This is a legendary anime series about some instant classic characters, the Lupin gang. This is amazingly ahead of it's time, being the first anime starring criminals, the first gritty comparatively more realistic anime with guns and such. Not just for anime, it's ahead of it's time in general. Most importantly, it's still a joy to watch nearly 40 years later. Lupin is the cool, laid back antihero. This laid back style, helped by the very cool soundtrack, is still influential today in titles like Cowboy Bebop. Lupin has other sides to him too of course, he has an ego, andhe'll laugh like a maniac and take on any challenge. And of course, he gets pretty excited when there are ladies around, especially Fujiko.
The supporting characters are great here. You have Jigen, Lupin's partner and best friend. He's very cool himself, a smooth criminal, but he's also the voice of reason, a more mature criminal. Then you have Fujiko, the classic femme fatale cat burglar, she is Lupin's love interest, and often his rival. Then there's Goemon, the renegade samurai with a strong moral code, who can cut anything. And of course, Inspector Zenigata, who tirelessly dedicates his life to capturing Lupin.
Lupin is episodic, featuring 23 self contained stories. Although there is one plot that takes two episodes early on, with Goemon out to defeat Lupin. One episode Lupin is in prison, another time him and the gang have explosive watches put on that they can't take off. These are all great stories.
An interesting thing about this series is that it has two different feels to it, depending on who is directing. Masaaki Osumi directs episodes 1-7, 9, and 12. These are the more dark and gritty episodes, and sometimes have a melancholy feel. These episodes are amazing, giving us the depth that the Lupin characters are built on.
The founders of Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, direct episodes 8, 10-11, and 13-23. These episodes are also superb, with a more fun and upbeat feel, closer to what Lupin is known for today. You can tell Miyazaki is involved when Lupin starts saving cute damsels in a gentlemanly heroic way.
All in all, Lupin III is a classic series, which is still going strong today with movie specials. I recommend checking this out, it's must see anime.
literaturenerd
Overview: Red jacket? Green jacket? Who gives a shit?! Ok, now that I am done quoting Happy Gilmore, I will review what is without a doubt one of the most famous and beloved anime of all time...in Japan... and pretty much nowhere else. Background info: Lupin the 3rd started way back in the early 1970s and was created by the legendary mangaka known only as "monkey punch". Yep, that's really what he calls himself. Lupin was created as a spoof/ homage of the character Arsene Lupin, who was a gentlemen spy in a series of French novels that were popular in the late 1800s and ran alongside theSherlock Holmes stories. Along with spoofing low brow adventure novels from 1800s France, Lupin also takes a lot of inspiration from James Bond and the spy movies and novels that were extremely popular during the 1960s and 1970s. In his adventures, Lupin is joined by the femme fatale Fujiko, badass samurai Goemon, and awesome sharp shooter Jigen. Lupin has crazy adventures that mix slapstick comedy with awesome action and some of the first "fanservice" in anime history.
Lupin in Japan vs. outside Japan:
Lupin was a HUGE hit in Japan, and to this day recieves reboot after reboot. A new live action movie was created just this year and will be followed by sequels. However, for some reason Lupin has never been a very big deal overseas. Perhaps this is because the West was already saturated with slapstick comedy and James Bond parodies like "Get Smart", which would have aired around the same time that Lupin first came out.
Story and characters: 8/10
The story and characters are so well known and beloved in Japan that even if you have never seen Lupin, you have probably seen it parodied or homaged dozens of times in other anime. For example, the red coat worn by the character Nabeshin in Excel Saga is an homage to Lupin, as are the character designs from Cowboy Bebop. Spike is based on Lupin, Jet = Jigen, Faye =Fujiko and Vicious = Goemon. The plot works because it is simple and usually doesn't take itself too seriously. The characters have great chemistry and each brings something to the mix.
Music: 9/10
Lupin was probably the first anime ever to have a truly KICKASS opening theme song. This was back in 1971 and no other animated show had an opening that mixed jazz, a smooth singer, and an awesome melody and beat like this one. The entire soundtrack is very jazz oriented, which started a huge trend in anime that continues to this day 40 years later!
Art: 7/10
The art really scares away some viewers because it has a very unique style. I would compare it to One Piece, but I actually think even the original Lupin from 1971 has better character art than One Piece. An interesting fact is that one of the key animators for the original Lupin was Hayao Miyazaki, who later became the main animator for one of the early Lupin movies.
Overall: 8/10
If you want to watch an anime that has stood the test of time and been HUGELY influential on the genre as a whole, then Lupin is an absolute must! It currently has a low rating on MAL of around 7, but don't let that dissuade you. Some people simply don't appreciate anything that is older than they are and don't care about influence, history, or enduring quality. I feel sorry for those people, because they miss out on a LOT of great stuff. If you don't want to watch the original series, at LEAST watch the 1979 movie Castle of Cagliostro. It is generally considered the the high water point of all things Lupin.
Redward
Its the one that started it all. Sure, the manga is where Lupin was truly born, but in terms of beginning a legacy, the first television series can take a good chunk of the glory. While its impossible to review this without comparisons and/or contrasts to the second and third series, Lupin III has done enough to give itself its own limelight. On its own, Lupin III lays down a solid effort. There is action, intrigue, and betrayal...all of which would become staples of the Lupin franchise. The characters that will go on to become some of the most famous in anime history are established here.And while the animation is undoubtedly telling of its' age, the standard for long, lanky legs and hairy hands is set. With all the good foundation that Lupin III sets for the franchise, there is, thankfully, one aspect that did not carry over...the music. The combination of hippy j-rock and the repetition of Lupins' name does not make for a good soundtrack.
Another trait that fails to carry over is the dark and dirty side of Lupin. Fans of the second series and later specials are familiar with family-friendly Lupin, but Lupin III allows for a much more serious, James Bond-type espionage story. During the course of the series, Lupin and the gang commit and encounter murder, violence against women, and even rape.
As a stand alone series, I'd give this a 7 out of 10. But Lupin III isn't a stand alone series. It, while having its own identity and place within the Lupin Franchise, does so much to establish Lupin and the gang as a powerhouse in the anime world. For any Lupin fan that wants too see how it all got started, I highly recommend this. For any old school anime fan, this is straight up your alley, so what have you been waiting for?
And for everyone else, if you can find it, watch it. Bear with the hippy j-rock and enjoy a fun, exciting series that'll introduce you to the fun world of Lupin the Third.
Riiakuma
Watching this anime in 2020 made me think that I would find this really outdated or difficult watching because of how I am used to modern anime style and high quality. Despite this anime being made in the 70s it’s an absolute stunner even now. Of course there are lags and sometimes delay in animation when a character speaks but I always remember how limited in technology and how difficult it would be to create a smooth animation at that time so I really don’t think too harshly of those small errors. Lupin the third part 1 is definitely a must watch. It’s comedic andentertaining story keeps anyone on their feet and some episodes really stick to you. I definitely could see how close Jigen and Lupin are and it’s a friendship that can’t be broken so easily. I really love the episodes when you see the two being goofy. Lupin III is just one of those anime’s that grows onto you like an old friend and you just reminisce on it. I definitely will go for a rewatch and would recommend it to pretty much anyone. Although I was so late in the game to start this series, I’m grateful I did.
Definitely a hidden gem that got buried amongst time and age. I have watched the 2019 Lupin III but it didn’t get as much hype as many other anime. I hope this gem once again sparkles as it once did in the 70s
vytah
Rather than reviewing this series as a prelude to the whole franchise (like reviewers before), I'd prefer to review the series and just the series. Lupin III is a master thief, a unsuccessful womaniser, a mad genius capable of stealing anything and escaping from anywhere, companied by his gang, and chased by Zenigata like Bugs Bunny by Elmer Fudd. In overall, very enjoyable comedy series. STORY: 8/10 There's no overall spanning story, each episode can by watched separately. After first three episodes, which have a weird feel, next twenty are typical thievish things. Lupin either tries to steal something, tries to escape from jail, or tries to escape frompeople who are after his life. To achieve this, he makes a plan involving disguise, misdirection, violence, explosives and a lot of awesomeness. Yes, violence - this anime is not for kids, thankfully, so it doesn't turn into a kiddy cartoon show. Coz kids shouldn't watch series where the main character is, well, a thief.
The episodes can be from lighthearted to dark and violent, but they're all funny (well, the third ep was the most serious one).
If you wish, you can skip first 3 eps, I think they're not Lupinish enough.
ART: 7/10
Well, it was the seventies, so the art is not great, but it has its cartoonish feel. For the first glance, it looks nowhere like modern Japanese animation. Despite its drawbacks, the art suits the show.
SOUND: 9/10
Apart from the OP for the first few episodes ("Lupin Lupin Lupin the third" all over), we get lot of awesome music. The music can be compared to music in European animation. On the other hand, dubbing quality and sound effects suffer from being from the 70s, so they can be considered one of the weak points of the series. But all classic things are like this, ain't they?
CHARACTER: 10/10
First, we've got Lupin.
A madman, who'd do anything to achieve his goal, but never turns his back on the damsel in distress. Unpredictable, eager to act, with unusually accurate intuition. He's being the main source of humour in the series - you'll never know, what trick he will pull out.
Secondly, we've got Fujiko. You never know, on which side is she. Her main hobby is stealing things Lupin has just stolen, but she often gives him a helpful hand.
Then, we've got Zenigata. A man with a precise aim in his life: to catch Lupin.
And last but not least, Jigen and Goemon. Those two are Lupin's straight men, more rational and less impulsive (but Goemon's honour can be easily offended), masters of gun and katana respectively.
Due to series' episodic nature, there's little character development, but the characters are themselves original enough to keep you entertained.
ENJOYMENT: 9/10
First three episodes were kinda weak, but the rest of them were relaxing and funny. Larger amount of Lupin can feel repetitive, so my advise is to limit yourself to 5 episodes per day.
Lupin is great to watch, either alone, or simultanously with other, probably serious series (I watched Lupin to cheer myself up while watching NGE and Hellsing, and man it helped a lot.)
OVERALL: 9/10
If you want some comedy, you enjoyed The Olsen Gang, or you want to relax with something less moe-moe-kyun, Lupin is just for you.
Area51
Lupin the Third came into the realm of animation nearly a decade after the release of Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy anime. Lupin III is known as a classic to anyone who understands the history of the anime scene in Japan. This age of animation was a time when children grew up with the adventures of immoral ne’er-do-wells shooting off Walthers, a time when intelligent dogs with speech impediments were best friends with stoners, a time when sailors ate spinach to beat up kidnappers; It was an age when children wanted to grow up to be great heroes. Unfortunately the days of courageous, green-jacketed thieves likeLupin have been replaced with an era of black-haired trench-coated teenagers and mentally-troubled orphans. 60’s children, you are sorely missed.
Lupin III is the episodic adventures of the infamous thief, Arsene Lupin the Third, dressed in his iconic green jacket and yellow tie, accompanied by his cohorts. Daisuke Jigen, Lupin’s right-hand-man, is a cynical sharpshooter loyal only to his partner. Goemon Ishikawa is a samurai of incredible talent, wielding a blade that would easily slice steel. Fujiko Mine is Lupin’s love-interest, ally, and greatest enemy all in one. Together they face the determination of red-faced Inspector Zenigata, a man of the law who has dedicated his life to imprisoning Lupin the Third. The characters are what one would expect from a well-loved cartoon of the 70’s: each one distinct in their personality and instantly recognizable.
Lupin III is a clearly sexist show, having begun in the beginning of the 1970’s. Fujiko represents the mindset towards women at the time: traitorous and unpredictable. At the end of most episodes, Lupin’s latest trophy is immediately stolen by Fujiko. The classic conclusion to a Lupin III episode is Lupin crying out Fujiko’s name in frustration as she drives or flies off into the distance.
The animation style is also what one would expect of the time period. To us folk from the modern west, it seems to basically be the equivalent of an old episode of Scooby Doo: plain-faced characters with lanky bodies against noticeably hand-drawn backgrounds. To watch such a show today, it is certainly not without a feeling of nostalgia. The musical themes of Lupin III are especially memorable, what with the amusing English lyrics of the ending song and the catchy tunes of the openings.
Lupin the Third is an all-around entertaining anime and the bearer of one of the most iconic characters in anime history. There is little value to be had with the show, the lack of morality is obvious, but I suppose it could be said that the message to be gained from Lupin the Third’s adventures would be similar to a quote by the lovely Oscar Wilde, “Life is too important to be taken seriously.”
Story: 6/10
Character: 7/10
Art: 5/10
Sound: 6/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
Overall: 7/10
VIA (Value in Anime) – Classic Division
Written single-handedly by Moros_Fate.
This review on Lupin III has been the pinnacle of all reviews on this dismal website. For those of you foolishly disagree with this fact, join myself in the V.I.A.’s Classic Division—the only division of this pathetic club that is of any intelligence—and be enlightened.
cloudflowe
Lupin III changed the market for anime by introducing a cast of adult characters with adult stories and problems, attempting to breathe maturity into a medium whose initial visionary created in the shadow of the legendary Walt Disney. The show narrates the escapades of the titular phantom thief, his right hand man Jigen, and his lady friend Fujiko. Heist, capers, and kidnappings abound as the gang seeks out their latest thrill. Part 1 of this watershed franchise is where Lupin first leapt onto broadcast television. Its sound design and animation unfortunately reflect the times more than the capability of its staff, but with older productions fromanime’s very infancy a certain unrefinement is to be expected by the viewer. Part 1’s production does the job: it conveys its narrative with enough audiovisual engagement to weave a story. Those searching for eye-melting sakuga sequences or emotionally evocative soundtracks should turn their attention elsewhere.
What Part 1 DOES offer is an admittedly delightful romp of elementary crime capers that earnestly presents its cast and situations in a charmingly campy manner. Its best episodes play the tried and true archetypes of Arsene Lupin III, Jigen Daisuke, and Fujiko Mine to their fullest, making for brief 20 minute stints of amusing jokes, goofy interactions, and ridiculous action. The primitive production actually worked in service of my connection with the Lupin gang during these moments; ridiculous tunes and bright, simple colors elevate the unfolding mayhem on screen.
Lupin III can be delightful for a few afternoons of chuckles and relaxation.
Even as I viewed it through the simple unpresumptuous lens the production aspires to, a “sort of funny anime where entertaining things happen to lovable characters,” Lupin III Pt 1 fell short of being the perfect crime in one critical area: consistency.
Even excusing the different ideas brought by its various directors, Part 1 possesses no sense of itself or its cast, with various elements changing or even disappearing across episodes. Nothing flows, as if the staff did not know what sort of characters the Lupin gang should be or what sort of stories the gang could tell.
Lupin III Pt 1 suffered from acute growing pangs. By later Lupins, a majority of its issues with consistency were sorted out and the resulting packages feel much more cohesive. Part 1is a different beast entirely: it regularly messes with its world’s internal logic, switches up its tone, and perhaps most offensively juggles the personalities of its cast. Lupin’s a good thief, Jigen’s a “cool gunman,” Fujiko is ambiguous, and samurai Ishikawa Goemon is a hardass. Those are the only constants across the 26 episode runtime. The relationships between the characters, how they play off each other to execute gags, and their own desires seem liquid for no artistic purpose. As a note, my own tolerance for Lupin III’s lack of vision as to what it wanted to be might be lower than most.
Aside from that, Lupin III’s first anime outing is an enjoyable ride. The production gave birth not only to a new demographic for the at the time infantile medium of anime, but also served as the premiere anime endeavor for legendary names Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki. As a project in isolation it fails to deliver truly excellent entertainment in virtually any regard, but it deserves an audience for its amusing antics and deserves respect for its ambitious legacy to a medium that lacked identity, even if its own identity search runs parallel to early anime’s adolescence.
ggultra2764
This is where things began for the famous Lupin III franchise starting from here all the way to the franchise's most recent adaptation, The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, over the span of 40 years. It also has some notoriety to it with the differences in series direction, story setup and presentation thanks to the very concept of the series. Lupin III was one of the very first TV anime titles geared for an older audience, which is most certainly shown with the title's focus on a criminal in the form of international thief Lupin, scenes of violence that showed characters killed onscreen, sexual innuendo andcontent compliments of Lupin's perversion and Fujiko's seductive charm and a gritty look into the criminal underworld that Lupin and his group are regularly involved with. The show's concept was ahead for its time, but was also a bit controversial as many anime titles of the early 1970s were still rather wholesome in content, traditionally focused on the "good guys" as protagonists and geared for younger audiences. This backlash, combined with low TV ratings at the time of the show's airing in earlier episodes, led to a change in directors which led future iconic directors Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki to take the reigns of directing the series to make the series more comical, tone down the violence and sexual content of earlier episodes and make Lupin and his crew more sympathetic. Even with the changes, the show still suffered from low ratings and was cancelled after 23 episodes. It wasn't until airing reruns of the series later in the decade that led to the show finally gaining popularity and having later TV show, movie, OVA and TV special adaptations to come along with it.
Taking all this in mind, you will certainly see some clear differences in how the two halves of this first Lupin III TV anime series perceive itself. Much of the first half to the anime is following the manga adaptation's setup rather faithfully with Lupin and his crew being willing to kill off those in the way of their capers and Fujiko not afraid to use her body to dupe Lupin and others into getting what she wants. When the second half of the series comes along under Takahata and Miyazaki's direction, you will notice how it takes after the elements that many Western fans would be familiar with from Lupin in Castle of Cagliostro as Lupin's gang only steal from those who can take the loss and very likely a part of the criminal underworld, they don't kill anyone in their capers except as a last resort, will take the time to dispatch criminals who commit worst crimes than they have, Fujiko doesn't resort to her seductive charm to rob others and Lupin isn't as perverted in his womanizing.
The show's storylines are mostly episodic as they mostly consist of Lupin and his gang planning out and executing some sort of theft and/or crossing paths with Zenigata and/or whichever criminal/ wealthy person they cross paths with. There are some relevant plot details that this series takes to exploring during Lupin's capers such as how Goemon meets with and joins Lupin's gang, the unique relationship between Fujiko and Lupin and Lupin's family roots. While many episodes are self-contained with their plot and follow a standard formula in how their plots are laid out, there is enough diversity in the types of capers that Lupin's gang are involved with which keeps this first TV anime from getting stale. While the series is known for possessing quite a bit of slapstick and "toon forcing" at points with its comedy being prevalent, it was still quite entertaining and engaging to see the chemistry between members of Lupin's gang, Zenigata and whichever criminals are found within an episode and many episodes are still grounded in following the capers of Lupin. This doesn't necessarily mean all the plots to Lupin were perfect as some resorted to a sci-fi or fantasy element (time traveler, girl whose life force was connected to flowers) that were a bit too out there compared to other episodes in the series.
Being a 40-plus year old anime series, don't expect much in the visual department for Lupin III as the animation style is quite outdated, simple in its details and there are quite a bit of animation shortcuts and errors to notice. The music mostly consists of carefree and energetic musical pieces and songs from the early 70s that do well enough to get you latched on the antics and actions of the characters in this series.
If you are a Lupin III that has seen later parts of the franchise, this first series is a definite recommendation to allow one to know how things got started in the 40-plus year anime saga of the titular thief's long-running and popular franchise.
garthol
Lupin the Third: Part 1 is an absolutely charming and educational anime that all people interested in the history of anime or of a huge Japanese franchise should absolutely watch. It holds up very well in certain parts, but its awkward mix of maturity and childishness is overall a mixed bag that depends on your personal tastes. As many others have mentioned, this is not only the first official Lupin release, but also the least consistent. It starts out as a gritty and dark crime drama focusing on womanizer thief Lupin the Third and his sharpshooter partner Daisuke Jigen, but slowly progresses into a fun andfriendly crime-based comedy that seems to work more like an animated sitcom than the thriller it, at first, set out to be. This is apparently due to network ratings, which showed the first run of Lupin on TV as unfavorable at its worst, and resulted in director Osumi Masaki being given joint directorial duties with (now, well-known names) Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. Through the talents of Miyazaki and Takahata, Lupin found success as a family-friendly comedy focusing on the hijinks of the Lupin Gang, rather than any violent drama Masaki had in mind. (From what I understand the original manga was also quite dark. Take that as you will.)
This show, as a result, is completely subjective. Will you prefer the hard-boiled beginning, with genuine murder and chaos? Or the goofy and hectic second half, with slapstick and complete ignorance of physics? Personally, I liked aspects of both. At its best, Lupin Sansei Part 1 is enthralling and creative, putting unique spins on spy/crime thriller tropes using its animated medium and various visual and aural talents. There are some absolutely epic moments from the lead, with his crafty gunslinging and escape artistry hidden behind a facade of a humorous and fun-loving gentleman. The comedy hits most of the time, too! Watching Lupin mess with the codgy old Zenigata is a treat in its own right.
The age shows, though. The animation is pretty terrible by today’s standards, though holding true to its roots as an “adult-marketed” cartoon, the guns and cars look absolutely marvelous and, at their best, photo-realistic. Facial features are immediately recognizable and charming. The real drawbacks are in the backdrops and any background characters. They’re more outlines of what should be there than actual backgrounds.
The music, while repetitive, with constant chants of “Rupan the Third!” and “Walther P38,” (Lupin’s trademark gun which he doesn’t use very much) can pump you up or bring sweet closure to a comedic moment depending on the situation. I’d say it’s used very well.
I would have to argue that the staying power of the Lupin III series comes from the character designs and personalities. Over these 23 episodes, with no previous knowledge of the series, I fell in love with Lupin’s heartfelt smile and shining eyes, Jigen’s cranky, but sage advice, with a trigger finger to match, and Fujiko’s demure but malicious tendency to betray everyone. Zenigata’s hard-working demeanor and childish frustration was equally endearing. (As much as Goemon is a well-known mainstay, he isn’t in many of these episodes. Ah well.) The voice cast is phenomenal as well, and most reprised their roles for later seasons.
Is it excellent? No. Is it boring at times, and repetitive? Yeah, sure. Is it a good time for casual viewing? Absolutely. Lots of corny, physics-defying moments, obvious reveals, cheesy one-liners, and great characters adds up to a lovely time machine from 1971 Japan, and I absolutely adored every minute of it! 7/10.
serowenczak
One of the few original anime that are still as good now as they were back then. If you are a person that likes mystery anime and enjoys perverted quirky humor than this is the anime for you. I encourage everyone to watch it, it's very lighthearted and doesn't take any serious commitment. For the most part each episode is independent of the others and can be watched in any order. There isn't any deep story or heavy themes it's just a fun action and mystery anime with hilarious situations and witty dialogue.
asei
I started to watch Lupin III in search of an answer, how this franchise can be so old and vast. Why people still watch it. I expected Lupin to be some kind of anti-Bond. He is a lover, adventurer, a gentleman and a thief. Of course, I got what I expected. I liked a bit more serious tone, more mature, as much seinen as show potentially could be. And yet, despite everything above first 5 or so episodes were pretty boring. When the director changed the story changed as well. The show got to bemore family-friendly, with less and less erotic connotations, less serious and more comedic. My opinion is ambivalent on this. At some point, I felt that it turned to be a kids show as if I watch a cartoon for 5-year-olds. But I have to say I started to enjoy the show more since the middle of the season. The show benefited by changes.
Another aspect that added to the feeling of kids show is the art style. Obviously anime 40 years ago did not have the same character designs as it has now. If I did not know it is Japanese, from the first glance I would think it is a Western show. Also, the quality dropped from the first couple of episodes till the last ones. If at the beginning the backgrounds were marvellous, in the end, they were meh, nothing special.
There are some nice tunes and the first OP is superb. But why at the second one they sing "Rupá-Rupá", regarding Lupin, if the seyus easily pronounce his sirname as "Lupá", as it would sound in French...
Characters are great. My personal favourite is Fujiko. She is sexy, and smart and savvy. Great design and mischievous personality. Perfect female thief. Others are great too. Jigen is an amazing friend, never betrayed Lupin.
I moderately enjoyed the show. Every episode I found something I liked and something I disliked. I understand why there is a fanbase over this show and why there are still sequels produced as TV shows and movies.
Overall it is fun to watch. I have to admit though, even with a more mature beginning, seinen as the main audience and rating PG-13 I still think it is more suitable for a younger audience. Cartoons made by Tex Avery also have a lot of jokes revolving around sex and erotics, but I watched it as a kid, and will show to my children. Same goes to Lupin III.
Panwig
all legends have a beginning and this is the beginning of Lupin The Third, The legendary first series ,He influenced a lot in the industry, being a fundamental piece for the seinen genre, influencing works such as cowboy bebop as well as the career of hayao miyazaki, it is true that animation may not look so much after 50 years, but the stories are extremely original and ahead of its time, It is surprising that the franchise has managed to last to this day, but with a tremendous start I already understand why 10/10 and an absolute classic It also has a song in Spanish withwhich I laughed too much
TheCompletionist
Even though I've been aware of Lupin the III since watching Lupin: Tales Of The Wolf which was a two episode vhs tape that was released by Streamline Pictures in the 1990's I haven't had much experience with Lupin the III as a whole. As of the writing of this review the only other time I've watched any additional works of Lupin III is the Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro film. I decided to look at Lupin III's first adventure into the world of television with the original tv series released in 1971. This series despite being over 50 years old holds up incredibly wellwith some really excellent capers and some laugh out loud humour scattered throughout the majority of the episodes.
In this series we also get to see the beginnings of Goemon and how he actually becomes a part of Lupin's gang because from his first appearance he is actually a villain to Lupin and his gang before he eventually joins them.
The format of each episode is roughly the same for the most part. Lupin and his gang plan a heist. Multiple obstacles are placed in his way and with Inspector Zenigata hot on his heels, Lupin and his gang have to be on top of their game and their crafty shenanigans have to be top tier in order to pull off some of these heists. The majority of the episodes in the series are very self contained because there isn't really an overarching story minus the episodes showing goemon's evolution as a character from villain to eventually being a part of Lupin's gang. So besides these episodes you can truly watch many of the episodes out of order without feeling lost because there isn't really much of an overall story throughout this very first season.
I often find the strongest episodes of the series are either the episodes that focus on a character's past or break away from the mold of trying to plan the perfect heist or steal a coveted treasure. There is a really great episode that focuses on Fujiko's past that is probably the most detail you'll get with regards to character development throughout the entire season. If you expect to see much character development with regards to Lupin, Jigen, Goemon, and Zenigata then your going to be sadly disappointed. We do get a few tiny scraps of Lupin talking about his father and grandfather but they're incredibly minuscule at best. There also some really great episodes where Lupin has to escape prison and even there are episodes where he has to stop a terrorist plot and he has to rescue a kidnapped girl which is actually nice to see becuase the typical trope of planning the perfect heist can get a little repetitive to the point of it being annoying when you pretty much see it in just about every episode. It's not to say that the majority of the heist episodes are bad, but they can come off pretty generic. Sometimes the best heist episodes are the episodes where Fujiko gets the last laugh, or at least she thinks she does until Lupin gets the upper hand which can often lead to some pretty hilarious outcomes.
The humour in introductory season of Lupin the III is still as timeless as its even been but it's mostly at Inspector Zenigata's expense to the point that every once in a while you have to feel sorry for the guy because he constantly falls victim to Lupin's scheme even when he thinks he can come out on top. Definitely some of the best hilarious moments of the entire anime is trying to figure out how and when Fujiko is going screw over Lupin and his gang. I often ask the question why Lupin even trusts this broad to begin with but since she has the reputation of being one of the original anime waifu's it is perfectly understandable since Lupin often wants to hook up with Fujiko Mine despite there is literally a 90% chance she is going to take advantage of him one way or another.
One of the nice things about this anime is that it can be mature when it wants to be. There are times throughout the anime where you think that children of any age can watch it, but throughout the entire series people do get killed (despite there being no blood or very little blood) and there are some very brief scenes of nudity scattered throughout the entire first season, but thankfully it never distracts you from what makes the first season of Lupin's adventure so enjoyable. It would definitely be more suitable for a teenage audience.
I think one of the weakest aspects of the very first season of Lupin the III is the lack of compelling villains. None of the villains are truly that memorable for the most part. Some of them do make a minor appearance in other episodes but they're incredibly cookie cutter and incredibly basic, lacking any semblance of an individual and definable personality. I understand that Zenigata will always be the number one antagonist against Lupin the III, but if a little more work was put into some of the secondary villains then many of the heist episodes wouldn't feel so lacklustre.
With regards to the animation it is pretty much what you would expect out of something made in the 1970's. It's not really polished all that well, and it comes across as incredibly jagged animation wise from time to time but you have to respect and understand the time it was made in. There are a few noticeable animation errors but it's nothing that distracting, and the series does suffer from unexpected and random time jumps when certain plot points happen throughout an episode such as when one of the character gets hurt and then the next scene your in the hospital room with that character with no inclination of what happened in between those moments and sometimes it can be pretty noticeable in a few of the episodes.
The music is more than serviceable because it's an excellent time capsule into the type of music you would hear in the 1970's. As a huge James Bond fan it instantly reminds me into a lot of the background music you would often hear in the Sean Connery and the early Roger Moore era of Bond films.
This first season of Lupin only had it's first English Dub fairly recently in 2021 and they got some really great old school voice acting talent from it. They took a few alumni from Robotech (Macross) with both Tony Oliver (Rick Hunter) and Richard Epcar (Ben Dixon) voicing Lupin and Jigen respectively. I will admit, that the voice they got for Fujiko Mine (Michelle Ruff) was absolutely perfect casting for her. Cute yet manipulative.
Overall, the first season of Lupin the III is a great way to start getting yourself into the world of Lupin the III and even though his first outing isn't his best outing with a lack of character development for many of the characters and many of the episodes being completely generic - it is still a great time capsule into the world of anime in the 1970's and it pretty much helped cement Lupin the III as one of those timeless anime characters and all the great films that await him in the future especially his magnum opus of a story which is Lupin the III: Castle of Cagliostro directed by none other than Hayao Miyazaki.
BowlingJD
This is the first animated series with the amazing third generation thief, Lupin with his gang of buds Goemon the samurai and Jigen the marksman. Also, one can't forget about the mystery cunning and sexy woman that is Fujiko Mine whom Lupin is totally weak in the knees for. Lupin III is episodic in every sense, and if James Bond was a thief, he would be Lupin. This is a fantastic show with each episode keeping your interest in the crew, and when will Inspector Zenigata (whom has devoted his entire life to catching Lupin) finally put the cuffs on Lupin. Each character is totally lovable andonce you watch a few episodes you will quickly realize how this show even stands up today. The art style stands the test of time, music is wonderful, and really pushes the boundaries of the time in which it came out.
If you are an old-school anime fan and need something to watch from the 70's that isn't a super robot, look no further than the womanizing thief himself.
AnimeObasan
I started with Lupin back when it was run late night on Adult Swim. I was iffy about it based on the strange animation style. And I wasn't too crazy that the show seemed to be just about a thief and an inept detective. But this first series that started it all is worth watching as a fan of the Lupin franchise. STORY: An inept detective? Well, I suppose that depends on the director or writer. In quite a bit of the first Lupin series Zenigata is a VERY good investigator who just happens to be dealing with someone who is even better. There's anepisode where Zenigata captures Lupin and keeps a watchful eye on him for years, only for Lupin to get his revenge as he's going to the gallows. It really made me go, "wow!" Both Lupin and Zenigata were very well developed so early on.
CHARACTERS: This first series is worth a watch as it introduces you to Lupin the Third, a world renowned thief, his partner Jigen, Fujiko, Zenigata, and we first meet Goemon. How they meet is a great story. What kills me about the series though is how non-canon it can be. There's an episode where Fujiko is playing Goemon's girlfriend, then a later episode where she is in a very mild disguise (like hair dye and that's it) and auditioning to be one of his students. But he doesn't notice? I think that's both a great thing and a very frustrating thing about the Lupin franchise...you should take the series like someone is telling you a story...and can't quite remember all the details. All the characters' will remain the same, but their history will change quite a bit.
ART: While the art is out there, it fits with the manga. I think the style of this series was better than some of the later Lupin specials put out in that two-tone style from the 90s.
SOUND: Well, I'm partial to the English dub that began in the second tv series, but the voice actors were always great and the music as well. Who can forget the two main Lupin openings, one which is still prevalent in every single Lupin special?
ENJOYMENT: I think Lupin is an anime staple. Watch it.
SCLFI
Releasing prior to 1974 and Space Battleship Yamato, Lupin III commits fully to its episodic format. Apart from the introduction of two side characters, it has essentially zero enduring changes that occur within its overarching story, allowing it to focus on refining its episode scripts with no secondary concerns. It takes these circumstances of production to a conclusion of pure chaos, but only for roughly its opening 9 episodes, after which point its main director was fired and replaced by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, whose approach does not substantially reconfigure the character of the series, but it does eliminate the anarchic energy that itheld previously for something more plain.
The disconnect between the two halves of Lupin is best encapsulated through its opening. The first opening utilises freeze frames and timing its action in tune to the music to economically convey a feeling of momentum, and its stylisation is further recognisable through the use of a split-diopter shot and rapid-cutting psychedelic imagery. The psychedelic influence also bleeds into the overall soundtrack, with music clearly influenced by the emergent, experimental developments in rock from the 60s, but without the production value to really follow through. Although simplistic and sometimes repetitive soundtracks for older anime are quite standard, the lack of production value in Lupin's case is evidenced by the fact that all the songs (including the OPs) have the unifying quality of not having any ideas for lyrics beyond just repeating the show's title.
For any series, not just one constrained to the budgets of the 1970s, Lupin’s animation is significant for carrying an unprecedented level of monumentality via its commitment to a pure level of mayhem, which is really its principal goal as a series. Compared for a moment to most heavy hitters within the shonen genre, which concern themselves with questions of psychology and morality, Lupin is a refreshingly simple construction. It does not ask questions of morality, it makes an unwavering, declarative judgement: Guns are cool, cars are cool, and its singular intention is to make full use of the fluidity and dynamism of animation to demonstrate these principal truths.
The Western genre was upended by Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch in 1969, which, as with Lupin, did not invent any new ideas, it only found the force to push those relentless aspects of the genre’s most chaotic institutions to new heights. Similarly, Lupin did not find new ways to direct a car chase or a firefight, but it does have a unique strength in highlighting the intensity of these items, through a great emphasis on movement, rather than landscapes and orientating establishing shots. Accentuating the humour with this approach, whereby characters will have guns seemingly materialise in their back pockets at a moment’s notice, it commits to the intensity and emotional investment of its action sequences in a manner that might not be edited in an unusual manner, but through framing its action in a way that prioritises its intensity over any conception of ‘sense’, it has more commonality with its psychedelic and experimental musical inspirations than one may otherwise expect.
It is in full view of this stylised direction that the series’ latter half seems comparatively dry. The two openings implicitly reveal this change, as they both share a shot of Lupin running while under fire, allowing for a direct comparison. In the first opening, this is taken at a close-up, giving a view of Lupin’s facial expression and better emphasising the speed of the action, while the bullet holes are punctuated both with sound and visually. In the second, it’s taken at a medium distance, which gives the animators far less opportunity to highlight any aspect of his character, and instead of the more involved perspective of a low, Dutch angle seen in the first opening, it is completely flat, lacking in detail. The episodes themselves follow through on this de-intensified approach, treating its subject matter with a procedural distance. This is not to suggest that the later episodes approach anything close to being boring, mostly on account of the fact they are still working from the same original story, and retain the same episodic format that allows for an appropriate focus on action.
As a comprehensive entity, Lupin is always sharp in its direction, and its willingness to commit to a discontinuous, anarchic brand of action, closer related to Spy Vs Spy than something like Yamato, is precisely what allows it to remain consistently gripping across all of its episodes. But the change in tone that comes at the halfway point is one that lessens its most powerful qualities, aligning it closer to any standard TV production, rather than fully embracing its own unique strengths. The directorial style of Miyazaki and Takahata may work better for finding an emotional centre in a feature-length film, but within a singular, contained episode, the premise of Lupin works at its best when it operates under a currency of loosely defined moments of pure, distilled action and chaos. From their direction, Lupin establishes itself as a series with consistently adequate direction, animation and writing, which happens to have a few audaciously poignant outliers within its first half.
glawktalk
Lupin the Third is great for any age and I love the 70's and 60's jokes/humor that you just don't see nowadays. The only critiscism i have is I wish there were more two part episodes so that they could build a little more suspense. The episode where lupin stays in prison for a whole year is truly a wonderful piece of art, and it really is great for the character development of one of the best Anime/Manga characters ever designed. I give it a 9 because it's basically impossible for an Anime to get a 10 in my view.
DrMechano
One of the most iconic anime characters of all time got his TV debut here, and what a great start it was. The original Lupin III anime is a nonstop thrill ride, full of case chases, shootouts, heists, and cool fight scenes that still hold up over 50 years later. This show is - to put it simply - the epitome of "cool." But it's also not so high on its own hype that it's totally self-serious or humorless either; Quite the opposite, as Lupin III is jam-packed with comedy, and nearly every episode manages to make me laugh out loud at least once. The premise issimple: Arsene Lupin III, the grandson of the famous thief Arsene Lupin, goes on a different self-contained adventure in each of this show's 23 episodes. Some of them are attempts to steal a magnificent treasure, some are duels with rival criminals, some involve shaking off the dogged Inspector Zenigata - but all of them make great use of Lupin's clever thinking and resourcefulness as he outwits his foes. And that's a huge part of what makes the show so fun; Lupin usually wins not by brute force or sheer determination, but by playing it smart. (Of course, he is not perfect, and sometimes loses the treasure he's after - which just makes the times he does win all the more special, since it's never a foregone conclusion if he'll succeed.)
One major thing about Part 1 is the tonal shift that occurs about 7 episodes in. The first few episodes - directed by Masaaki Osumi - were more dark and moody, having more of a foreboding atmosphere. Osumi was replaced with Hayao Miyazaki (of Studio Ghibli fame) who reworked Lupin into the more lighthearted, zany series it's mainly known for today. Lupin himself shifts from being more of a straight-up villain to... well, still a villain (he is a thief, after all), but more of a goofy, likable villain with a heart of gold. And it is this characterization of Lupin that would persist through (almost) every subsequent project featuring the master thief for the next five decades.
While some parts of this series may feel a bit strange compared to Lupin's later outings, I do think it still holds up remarkably well, and is absolutely worth the watch. If you're already a fan of Lupin, or want to get into the series but don't know where to start, Part 1 is a great time. I highly recommend it.
