Lupin III (2015)

Lupin is like a goldmine of potential when you’re fanatic of adventure. Taking place in the country of Italy with a diverse cultural background, the series invites anyone who is interested in a journey filled with daring risks. I’d like to see this series not just as a revisit of the franchise but also a show that recreates adventure as a whole. Lupin III (also known as Lupin the Third) is a series that is easily recommendable for anyone but those who is interested in adventure will be in for a big treat. It’s truly like a miracle. The show takes place in the refreshing countryof Italy and San Marino. Behind the beautiful mountainous landscapes lies a deeply cultured world ready to be explored. The main protagonist is the titular character, Lupin. Anyone who is familiar with the franchise will recognize him easily although Lupin now has a blue coat to make him look him even more fabulous. Known for his mischievous and lascivious personality, viewers will easily be able to see some of his intentions throughout the show. Of course, there are others that joins him on his adventures such Jigen, Goemon, Fujiko, and the new girl Rebecca. While some of these characters will be like a walk down memory lane, Rebecca is a new character that is a tricky pony to get used to. The first episode establishes a bizarre relationship as Lupin and Rebecca is bounded by marriage. This may come as a bit peculiar as we hardly know anything about Rebecca. Until of course, we learn some of her true intentions. From there, we can dive into Lupin III like an episodic adventure. The structure of the show chronicles Lupin’s life style as he attempts to make daring getaways with his usual thieving habits, attempts to woo Fujiko, or otherwise occasionally helping out others. The show also establishes Lupin as a very crafty individual. What makes him fun to watch is that even though he is a mastermind of innovative stealth tactics, he sometimes lets his own personal agendas and weakness (such as women) get in the way of his goals. This often translates into a twisty scenario that gets much more complicated than it should be. But hey, that’s just the nature of Lupin and what makes him such a fun character to watch. Despite Lupin’s thieving habits, he is a humble person and does not tolerate injustice. During his adventures, we see that he seeks to punish violent criminals or individuals who truly wishes to inflict harm to society. This makes him somewhat more of a hero but most people in the world sees him as the reputable #1 thief. His relationship with others has a wide range of diversity. The most complicated may be Fujiko as Lupin often finds himself trying to woo her yet she puts him into undesirable circumstances. On the other hand, we got Daisuke Jigen, a man who is loyal to Lupin. Unlike Fujiko, he helps Lupin and often times when he needs it the most. The two shares a bonding relationship while on the road and his skills of driving is invaluable to their missions. Goemen is also an interesting character with his silent presence yet packs a deadly arsenal of techniques with his sword. Obviously, a show about a thief also has people hunting for them. The most significant character is Zenigata. His obsession to capture Lupin is very entertaining as the two are sometimes locked in a cat-and-mouse game. Think of it like Tom and Jerry but with a lot of more twists. The adventurous structure of the show sometimes pits them together in unlikely circumstances as well that really shows their relationship. I have to admit though, Rebecca is a character that I find hard to adapt with at first. Most people are probably more familiar with Fujiko so introducing Rebecca is somewhat of a risk. Plus, she has a spoiled personality and often hard to please. As time went on, I find more appreciation for Rebecca especially in the later episodes when we see a deeper side of her character. In a way, she is also like Fujiko with her crafty mind and ability to manipulate events in her favor. A frequent question for fans is whether you can watch this show without any experience of the predecessors. It’s sort of a two-way sort of scenario. On one hand, you can watch it to enjoy this series as a standalone with the Italian adventures. Most episodes are standalone and easy to understand even with some of the background storytelling. On the other hand, you’ll probably get a better experience if you understand the characters better from the previous series. Honestly though, this show can sometimes be so entertaining that you’ll often forget about the story. It’s just that damn fun. In terms of technical visuals, the show may seem lackluster at first. Don’t let it fool you. The show isn’t designed to look like a Makoto Shinkai-level type of blockbuster. Rather, it retains the classic feel and that’s what Lupin is about. It’s stylistic and very well done. Plus, the characters are designed in ways that feels nostalgic. They still retain what fans may be used to such as Fujiko’s seductive fashion, Goemon’s trademark samurai clothes, or Zenigata’s professionalism. The background and design of Italy is also filled with culture that really gives the adventurous feel. It’s spellbinding just seeing some of the architectural designs that almost makes you feel like you’re there yourself. Add that with the neat action and this show really is something to take home. Did I mention classic already in this review? Let me mention it again then. The soundtrack is classic. No, not the type of classic like it’s remixed. Rather, it’s refreshing with how this show is done. From the theme songs to the jazz-beat music, this show can easily be put on repeat every episode with the music. Character voice mannerism is also stellar that matches with their performances. I’d often find myself laughing at the humor just because of Lupin’s role and his voice matches perfectly as a thief. That same goes for Fujiko, a woman that defines what manipulation is all about. The waiting is definitely worth it. Even though the original series debuted many years ago, Lupin III still reminds us why adventure can be so much fun. From the thrilling action to the marvelous character performances, it’s a show that anyone can easily dive into. Rebecca can be a character that some may find irritating at first. However, I’d give it more time as she does get a decent amount of characterization later. While on the way, you’ll see just how bizarre Lupin’s adventure can really get in a world like no other.

TL;DR – As good as any entry point into the sprawling Lupin franchise, the fourth TV series should appeal to old fans & new audiences alike. It's not without flaws, but is a lot of fun. Few characters from what some consider the golden period of children's TV anime (1960s – 1980s) have maintained a presence in pop-culture like Lupin III. Despite this being the first full TV series in over thirty years, a steady stream of films, specials, crossovers & marketing tie-ins have helped keep the world's greatest master thief in the popular conscience. But while many may know of Lupin & his gang, this latestseason likely represents the first opportunity for many, including this reviewer, to see them in action. Seemingly aware of this, this forth series sets out to juggle the potentially conflicting objectives of appealing to a new generation of potential Lupin fans, while giving older fans a reason to watch. Fortunately, it for the most part pulls it off. The first episode opens to the surprise of many, including Lupins companions Fujiko, Jigen & Goeman, with Lupin's sudden marriage to Rebecca Rossellini, a beautiful but bratty heiress & socialite in San Marino. Of course, the wedding is not what it seems, but the episode is a great (re)introduction to Lupin III, with a fun jewel heist & culminating with detective Zenigata pursuing Lupin over rooftops with all the kinetic, gravity defying energy one could hope for. It also begins the main story of the series, as Lupin et al find themselves caught up in the mystery surrounding the “Dream of Italy.” The new characters introduced for this series, Rebecca & MI:6 agent Nix, seem fine additions alongside Lupin III's regular characters. Nix is certainly the weaker character, underutilised as well as seemingly being gifted with new, unexplained powers whenever the plot needs it. Rebecca is clearly the newcomer that the writers were most interested in. A spoilt brat who manages not to be as annoying as that character type often is, she soon reveals herself to be a thrill seeker for whom Lupin represents the ultimate prize. For a man who loves all women too much to be tied to just one, that represents a challenge. Their relationship seems to have been seized on as a chance to explore a dynamic that couldn't be done between Lupin & his old flame Fujiko. As to the “Dream of Italy” itself, in truth it's a bit of a mess. The idea behind it seems to be to take Lupin's quote comparing great thieves to great artists & have him face off against the world's greatest artist in a battle of wits. It certainly has some creative ideas, with a couple of surreal dream episodes, & Lupin & Rebecca make for a fun duo. But by the time Lupin et al are trying to save the world from the clone of a certain historical figure made by MI:6 after they stole the dream research of oh no I've gone cross-eyed. Luckily, the “Dream of Italy” is easier to watch than to understand the point of & anyway only makes up about half of the episodes of the series. The rest are standalone stories that either focus in more detail on a couple of the characters, or heists that wouldn't fit the tone of the main story. These are arguably the best part of the series, particularly those that focus on or have cameos by older characters. Old Lupin III fans may get the most out of them, but new viewers should enjoy the chance to get to know the characters better & see them in more varied situations. All of the main VA's have voiced their characters previously, so none sound uncomfortable or unsuited to their roles, though for various reasons Kiyoshi Kobayashi (Jigen) is the only one to have been in the last TV series. It's a little disappointing that the production of this latest series is as uneven as it is. The character designs are nice, though none of the new characters have quite the immediate recognisability of Monkey Punch's original creations. Still, at least they mostly kept the look of the older art style. That might seem like something obvious, but after the horrible mix of bishoenen & beak nosed men in the recent Young Black Jack anime, I wouldn't be surprised if someone on the production committee suggested “modernising” the look of Lupin. The background art is the stand out part of the production, with outdoor scenes in particular looking gorgeous. The animation quality, though, is mixed. The first episode is great & there are plenty of sequences peppered throughout that look good & are fun to watch. Of particular note is that, while CGI cars are present, the many chases between Lupin & Zenigata all look hand drawn, & much better for it. But on the other hand, especially in the mid-season, quality takes a notable downgrade, though it picks up for the final few episodes. The first episode is, perhaps unfortunately, also the one that best combines Lupin III's characters, setting & style into one package. Like the art, it's also nice that they kept the music in the style of the old series'. Indeed unlike, for example, the frankly unpleasant version of the Cutie Honey theme song in 2004's Re: Cutie Honey, this series take on the Lupin III theme song stands up well. The OST also has a jazzy vibe that reminds one of classic heist & crime films. For the end credits, rather than just shoving in any old pop song that's looking for a chart boost, or have one of the female VA's do a character song, they went for a sultry jazz number by long time enka singer Sayuri Ishihawa. It all adds up to make each episode that bit more fun to watch. Sadly, it seems that despite the name recognition, the forth series of Lupin III has been mostly passed over by anime fans. While I can't speak for existing Lupin fans, who may well not find anything that they haven't got from Lupin's many previous appearances, as a newcomer this newest series seemed as easily accessible & enjoyable entry point as one could hope for. Just as the series began with Lupin's gang coming together, the final episode ends with them fading off screen, one at a time, as they once again part ways till their next heist. I'll be looking forward to it.

Well, where do we start off? Let me just write as much as I can about this gorgeous series. Just before I begin rambling about why this anime is absolutely amazing, I would like to state that I may be a bit bias as this is one of my, if not, favourite anime series. First of all, comes the story. Its plot being led by Lupin and his team is very unique. It focuses on one main arch, in this case, it'll be Italy. Between each episode is a completely different, new, unique story, while also being linked to the main arch. Furthermore, the mysteryand thrill of what and how Lupin finds and steals the treasure is amazingly entertaining and always makes you come back for more. Second, comes the art style. There isn't much to say about the art style because it's unquestionably beautiful. While being crisp and pleasurable, it mildly keeps the old style that blends perfectly to the genre of the anime, being an adventure, treasure and a bunch more. To add on, the sound fits perfectly to the 'tone' of the anime. Being a thief anime with the hint of mystery fits consummately with the classical music and beats. The characterisation in this masterpiece is 'sui generis', meaning unique and individual. To begin with, the members of Lupin gang are all unique in the sense that their attitudes, goal, personality, abilities are highly distinctive. Not only that, but other characters like Rebecca or Mr. Nix are very different and each character has their own backstory with ups and downs. Overall I will have to give this anime 10/10! Easy score. It's really intriguing to watch and exciting to watch. If you're a mystery and adventure fanatic like me then this anime is a jackpot for you.

"The Birth of the Cool" may have occurred with Miles Davis, but in the realm of anime and manga we owe it to Monkey Punch and his bizarre tales of Lupin the Third for laying the foundation of "Cool." I don’t know what it is about recent Lupin III specials and shows, but there’s a strange tendency for the writers to attempt a complex, philosophical plot that feels very out of place with the classic cast of characters that make up the Lupin III franchise. Thinking about it, even decades ago we had plots like this, many specials attempting to delve into the supernatural or sci-fialong with philosophical dialogue. As much as I enjoyed The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, it is extremely guilty of this in the later episodes and it really just feels uncomfortable. That all said, Lupin III is inherently a stupid-fun show and when you don’t try to take the writing seriously you’ll be just fine. Lupin III Part 4 is full of hit-or-miss episodes. I have to say that the character Rebecca usually contributes to an episode being one of the misses. Another thing about the majority of Lupin III specials and the recent shows; there’s an apparent need from the writers to add a main character that literally no Lupin fan gives a shit about. Usually it’s handled fairly well, like the weird cop kid in The Woman Called Fujiko Mine. He’s a secondary character that doesn’t do any harm to any episodes. However, in Part 4, episodes based almost entirely around this new character Rebecca end up being completely skippable and I happened to fast-forward through a few scenes here and there that I just couldn’t keep watching. I enjoyed her in the finale episode at-least with the “subtle” references to Castle of Cagliostro, but otherwise the show would have benefitted from her being written out early on. Fortunately, writers still know how to handle the main cast of characters that we all know and love. The episodes that hit are those beautiful heist episodes with the classic setup of Lupin, Jigen, and Goemon going through life-and-death situations to steal some great artifact or defeat some whacky villain while Fujiko shows up at the end to swipe the reward right from Lupin’s grasp. During all this, Zenigata is doing his best to capture the gang or often teaming up with them to capture the “antagonist of the week.” It’s the system that every Lupin fan has to adore, as it is what the entirety of the early Lupin III TV shows consist of. Overall, this addition to the Lupin III franchise is decent. It’s not nearly as good as The Woman Called Fujiko Mine but it always makes me happy to see the franchise still going strong. This is a show that’s more than forty years old, and Lupin the Third and his gang are still as lovable as ever.

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