Rupan sansei: Part II

The first episode of the series re-unites Japan's favorite comic felon with his gang: crack shot Jigen, steely samurai Goemon and devious ex- girlfriend Fujiko on a cruise that turns out to have a surprise party scheduled just for them! The action moves on through a dizzying blur of international hot spots as the gang attempt one wildly improbable heist after another, usually with unexpected results. Past enemies from the earlier TV show make return appearances, and the Loch Ness Monster has a guest spot. The series creators stick closely to manga artist Monkey Punch's distinctive Sergio Aragones-influenced cartoon style, which is both a plus and a minus; everything has a uniform kookiness that can sometimes be distracting, especially when the setting requires a posh look.

In addition to the elaborate heists which characterize the series, occasional episodes go seriously weird and mystical, with lots of mind- bendingly surreal elements: telepaths, beams that induce suicide, a nun who deals in mass hypnosis (!) to name a few. Series villains often sport the towering arrogance and ambitions of James Bond supervillains.

This series really hit its stride in the second season with a run of truly fine episodes. Great heist action, elaborate chases, exotic locations and outrageousness are all featured here as Lupin's gang tries to recover Peking Man's Bones, steal a golden lion from the Australian government, rob a casino and finally steal the crown jewels of England. This final episode is the best of the disc as Lupin disrupts a royal wedding to get a crack at her majesty's crown!

Fast moving, with good looking action animation and well written (if often wildly implausible) heist schemes, untimely double-crosses and good background art depicting the globe scattered locations, there is lot here to enjoy.

SSJAniFan explains the heart of the show. Lupin The Great (English Title) funneled through the Anime sub-culture until it made way to Adult Swim (most immediately).

This is one of the early greats, sweeping America from the 'China Towns' of San Fran, Toronto, Seattle and New York in 1975. Some have compared this show to "Scooby Doo", but the show is more sophisticated, with plenty of 'adult' content as earlier noted.

The one overlooked aspect of the show is it's English language cast, which includes the indelible Tony Oliver. Anthony or Antonio starred in some of the classic early Anime series, including the groundbreaking "Robotech". Along with his co-star on the show, Lia Sargent, Oliver never fails to appear in even the latest series, like "Last Exile".

Campy at times, but necessary in the sometimes overbearing world of Anime dramas. Maybe a live action version will be made someday, but I hope the charm of the show remains on the original cells.

This is one of my favorite Anime TV series.

I first saw it off of the DVD line up after seeing a few Movies of Lupin the 3rd.

I never seen it or heard of it on TV.

But doesn't matter since I own most of the DVDs of the series so far.

This is known as the Second TV series of lupin the 3rd. Aired from 1977-1980 in Japan. It took 26 years for this series to get debut in English. It couldn't of aired back in the 80's cause back then people think Cartoons are only for kids.

But this ain't no kids show. Has some swearing, violence, nudity, and use of drugs. If this were to air back 20 years ago then it be edited and chopped up banded the episodes that aren't appropriate for little kids to see.

So it's good for a popular Anime TV series to finally hit the USA shores since America changed the way it sees cartoons.

The English version is good, funny, and uncut. Please it has some mentioning of modern day jokes which don't fit in the actual time period it's in. Such as one character mentioning Ebay or stuff that wasn't around 26 years ago.

Still funny even with those jokes. Those who prefer seeing it in Japanese will know the DVDs have the old Japanese Track with them.

Second television series of the most famous thief ever, certainly the best known and most representative of all. As well as the longest produced so far, with 155 episodes.

The second series is certainly the one that has been more successful and definitively affirmed the character of Lupin. Our protagonist is presented to us with a new and flamboyant look and his unforgettable red jacket.

From the beginning we notice some substantial differences with the previous series: here we have a globetrotting, adventurer Lupin. Almost every episode is set in a different country and we see Lupin meet all kinds of antagonists, from the simplest to the most imaginative.

It's a very adventure-focused series, unlike the first one, which was almost entirely set in Japan.

Another very important difference compared to the series with the green jacket is Lupin's character: if in the first series we had a noir, ruthless and unscrupulous Lupin; here we have a slightly more light-hearted protagonist. The tones of the series are much more cheerful and Lupin is much more heroic and forgiving. We will hardly see him kill someone... On the other hand, his typical determination will not be missing, which will lead him to never give up in order to reach his goal.

Obviously such a long series cannot be without flaws. In fact, the large number of episodes sometimes has a negative effect, as we will happen to see very beautiful and compelling episodes (for example those directed by Hayao Miyazaki) and decidedly bad, boring or completely meaningless episodes full of errors.

In conclusion: I personally find this series excellent and enjoyable. Rich in facets and capable of enthralling all types of spectators. Thanks also to his styles, different in each episode.

On the other hand, for lovers of Lupin in a green jacket this series could be more childish and sweetened.

That said, I highly recommend you to see it and enjoy it.

It will certainly take some time, but it will be worth it.

Good vision.

Most people in the US get acquainted with the Lupin III series via Hayao Miyazaki's debut film, The Castle of Cagliostro (1979) or this 1977 TV series which briefly aired on Adult Swim a few years ago. While it never made a hit on Adult Swim, this series was a smash in the late 1970s, the result of the franchise's renewed popularity which came from reruns of the 1971 Lupin anime.

Personally, I prefer the 1971 Lupin anime to this later incarnation. Despite the super limited animation and uneven tone over the 23 episodes, it broke more ground, feels more adult, and is less repetitive. However, that does not mean the second Lupin TV series is not worth your time. It's a fun, goofy romp of a show, one that can prove addictive if you're craving insane humor and quasi-surreal action. Yuji Ohno's soundtrack is superb, the essence of 1970s cool.

Also, the Geneon English dub isn't half bad. All the voice actors do their characters justice and seem to be having fun. This is a good series, one that deserves more than the lukewarm reception it received in the States.