Le avventure di Lupin III

The animation is, as expected, a but janky, but the series in itself has generally stood well the test of time. It's fun, it's entertaining, it has an excellent music score reminescent of movies of this era like the Female Prisoner Scorpio series or Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (on a side note, it's incredible how Fujiko Mine reminds me of Tura Satana from that cult classic), with episodes more verging on proper noir and others with more absurd premises. Great Seiyuu performances and an easy to digest runtime (I rewatched this series in a couple of days) complete the package.

Lupin III is many things to Japanese people and otakus alike: he's an icon that's been around for generations and for some is a cultural susbstitute for the likes of characters like Batman and Sherlock Holmes, or even James Bond. Lupin III is a fun but underrated franchise outside of good ol' Nippon (Japan) and that's odd considering Lupin has more western appeal than other animes which have garnered wider followings even if they follow their Japanese roots more closely. Without Lupin, we'd still have an anime industry but it probably wouldn't have matured in the way millions have known the anime industry as it has become.

Lupin III was very much a pioneering series for the medium of anime, and even taking away the historical value it's still an entertaining show to watch, and the crime caper film feeling to the stories really helps boost the series' engagement with the viewer. The criminals in Lupin are the ones we love to see doing what they do best: p!ss off the authorities and making it count.

What else is there to say about Lupin? Just give the show a watch asap. If you're a self- proclaimed anime buff like I am, watch this piece of Japanese visual history before your eyes and see for yourself if the series helped make anime what it is today. I can honestly see where a lot of the industry gained the confidence to tell more adult stories; and it's all thanks to this classic show.

Lupin III: probably my favourite anime franchise outside Cosboy Bebop.

Lupin in the Green Jacket is probably one of the most famous versions, although it is the shortest series of the gentleman thief. In this first series we see a Lupin with certainly more noir tones than in the following series.

Less kind-hearted and more determined to achieve his goals.

The merits of this series are many: first of all it was one of the first cartoons intended for a mainly adult audience, which made the character immediately loved, even outside Japan, there is a great attention to detail, both in terms of weapons and equipment, and for the plans put in place by Lupin and his gang. The characters are multifaceted and each episode has been crafted with care.

However, being the first television transposition of the Monkey Punch comic, some flaws are inevitable. One of the most relevant is the alternation of several people to direct the episodes (including Hayao Miyazaki). The episodes are all more than enjoyable, but sometimes there is a bit of inconsistency in the style and some are slower and less exciting.

In conclusion I add that: certainly compared to the most recent Lupin films and series, the first series can be slower and more particular, as we see a darker and less light-hearted protagonist, but if you love Lupin (or excellent animated series) , I advise you to retrieve this series and also watch it for what it represented.

Enjoy your vision.

My first encounter with the Lupin The Third name was The Castle of Cagliostro (a fantastic film on its own), which made me interested in watching the franchise. So where else to start then the series that started it all? (insert pointless plot synopsis here) Since this a episodic series, the early episodes are hit or miss sometimes, and I do prefer the Miyazaki-directed episodes in the ladder half of the series, but it's still fun throughout. The characters are extremely fun to watch interact and play off of each other (my personal favorite was Zenigata) The animation is quite dated, it grows on you after awhile. The music is pure cheese, but I loved it nonetheless. Overall, this series was what I expected for the most part, but in a good way. It really makes me want to watch the rest of the Lupin installments. I would strongly recommend this show. 8.5/10

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, and he'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.