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Samurai are among the most important people in Japanese culture and history, considering they remain a significant source of inspiration for Japanese artists. Animators have brought samurai history to life through anime, creating some amazing fight sequences and even better discussions on honor and friendship. While samurai are part of the military caste, they are also much more than that.

Samurai have a unique code of honor unlike anything else seen in the country, or anywhere in the world, for that matter. Some fantastic samurai anime are out there for those interested in seeing samurai in action. These warriors have always been a key part of anime, and while samurai anime tend to be rooted in historical realism rather than fantasy, the battles in these series are incredible. Almost everyone will find something to love in these awesome samurai anime.

Updated on March 15th by Chelsea Steele: Samurai will...

"I'll catch Lupin III myself. Only I can fulfill this mission." Toho Next has revealed a first look teaser trailer for a brand new theatrical anime called Lupin the Third: The Movie. It's set for a release in 2025 on a roadshow tour in theaters in Japan, and hopefully in theaters in the US (but nothing announced yet). No plot details are known yet, but it's made by the director of Redline and the "World Record" segment of The Animatrix. A longer version of the trailer is being shown at 45th anniversary screenings of Lupin the 3rd: Castle of Cagliostro (1979) - the anime classic directed by Hayao Miyazaki as his very first feature film. This one also listed as Lupin the IIIrd: The Movie (with a final title still Tba) and stars the voices of Kanichi Kurita as Lupin III, Akio Otsuka as Daisuke Jigen, Daisuke Namikawa as Goemon Ishikawa, Miyuki Sawashiro as Fujiko Mine,...

Phantom thieves might be making a comeback in anime, if the recent announcement of Lupin the Third's first 2D movie in decades is any indication. For the uninitiated, Lupin the Third is a story about a master thief by the same name, grandson of fictional French gentleman thief Arsène Lupin. Lupin has a singular voice, bridging comedy and adventure with action, heart, and sex appeal. It's an essential formula in entertainment—because it works.

Debuting in 1967, the series would go on to become one of the most renowned and timeless anime franchises, with Lupin developing an iconic status in Japan and Italy and a devoted cult following elsewhere in the world. Lupin the Third has spawned countless movies, TV releases, and countless manga. Fans have even gotten in on the action, since Lupin's episodic format lends itself well to one-off stories that aren't "canon", per se. However, despite its prolific catalog of adventures,...

Italian car manufacturer Fiat has announced a new collaboration with anime series Lupin the Third, which will include the release of three original short stories and three limited-edition Lupin III-themed Fiat 500 and 600 models for real-life drivers.

Announced on the Fiat Japan website, the upcoming collaboration will celebrate Fiats long-standing legacy as master thief Arsne Lupin IIIs go-to getaway vehicle while promoting the newest models of the Fiat 500, Fiat 500e and Fiat 600e. The collaboration will include the release of limited-edition Lupin III-themed Fiat models, as well as the debut of an original Lupin III short story with all-new illustrations. The Fiat x Lupin III collaboration will roll out in three "volumes" from September 2024-February 2025, with a limited-edition Fiat 500 model simultaneously released with a corresponding volume of the original Fiat x Lupin III short story.

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Eiko Masuyama, who voiced Fujiko Mine in the Lupin the Third series initially in 1969 and then would star in the role from 1977 to 2012 in a range of capers that includes Hayao Miyazaki's The Castle of Cagliostro film and the Case Closed crossover special, passed away on May 20, 2024 at the age of 89 due to pneumonia. The announcement was made on Masuyama's agency Aoni Production's official website , as well as the official Lupin the Third anime series Twitter account . Aoni Production also noted that a private funeral was held with her family in accordance to her wishes. Masuyama was also known for playing Honey Kisaragi in the original Cutie Honey anime series and Snow Princess Kaguya in Sailor Moon S: The Movie - Hearts in Ice . Our condolences go out to Masuyama's family, and we want to thank her for her contributions to the anime industry. Source: Aoni Production , Lupin...

Anime voice actor Eiko Masuyama has passed away, as recently formally announced by her talent agency, Aoni Production. Matsuyama was best known for playing the role of the first Fujiko Mine in the Lupin III anime franchise, beginning with 1969s Lupin the Third: Pilot Film.

Aoni Production revealed that Matsuyama died on May 20, 2024, due to pneumonia. The company stated that the voice actor had been undergoing treatment for some time, and that at her familys request, her wake and funeral ceremony were attended only by close relatives.

Masuyama was born in Tokyo in 1936 and had been professionally involved in the anime industry since the 1960s, with her first roles as the characters Lucia and Kipiah in one of the earliest televised anime in history, Astro Boy (Mighty Atom). This was followed by some of the most well-known early titles in anime history, including the adaptation of Osamu Tezukas Kimba the White Lion,...

Hayao Miyazaki is considered one of the best animators of all time, and his work with Studio Ghibli includes some of the most beloved and acclaimed animated films in the history of the medium. The animator has helped change anime and animation so much that he refuses to permanently retire, choosing instead to deliver masterpiece after masterpiece and exploring different genres and tones, all while remaining true to his trademark themes and characters — determined heroines, magical realism, and anti-war messages. Miyazaki seems determined to continue working even if it means threatening the future of his studio after he's gone because he's yet to pick a successor.

While many people are familiar with Miyazaki's output with Studio Ghibli, not many know about his work prior to co-founding the studio with Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki. And yet, it is in that pre-Ghibli era that we find hints of the maestro that Miyazaki would become,...

PlutoTV now offers a Naruto channel with two streaming options, allowing fans to revisit or experience the hit anime for the first time. The channel plays episodes continuously, but there is also an on-demand option for viewers to start from the beginning. All 220 episodes of the first series are available, providing around 84 hours of Naruto content to watch, along with an additional 20 hours from a related spin-off series.

After previously offering a dedicated Sailor Moon channel, PlutoTV has added one for Naruto. Available in two different streaming options, as well as in Spanish, now is the best time for anime fans to revisit or experience the hit anime for the first time. One of its spin-offs has also been made available.

PlutoTV is a free service that uses ads to support the many series it offers either on-demand or as watchable channels. These channels air episodes continuously, but the streamer also offers films to watch.

Anime is one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the entire world, and with each passing year, the medium becomes even more popular among international viewers. However, as impressive as the contemporary success of anime is, it would be nothing were it not for the influential anime series that paved the way in previous decades.

In particular, the 1980s was a particularly noteworthy period of development for the anime medium. Over the course of the decade, many different television series and films pushed anime in a new direction, spawning several moments that would go on to change the medium forever.

Related: 10 Important Anime Moments From The 90s That Changed Everything

The Battle Of A Baoa Qu Concludes Mobile Suit Gundam (1979)

While it technically debuted in 1979, Mobile Suit Gundam is much more representative of the 1980s than the previous decade. The ground-breaking series paved the way for several generations of mecha-inspired anime,...

Anime can often be expensive to own, but for those who know where to look, there are excellent free anime to stream out there. The following anime series can all be watched on free platforms, perfectly legally, albeit with some commercials added into the mix. For those on a tight budget who need their anime fix, though, nothing can be better.

Some of the following series are only available dubbed, while others are only available subbed. The rights for streaming subs and dubs can be different, so often times there's only one or the other available on these free streaming services. As a result, many of the following series are only available in subtitled form. Still, no matter what dubbing preference one has, there's free anime out there that can satisfy.

Naruto

Streaming on: PlutoTV, Tubi

Subbed or Dubbed?: Subbed

The original Naruto anime follows Naruto Uzumaki, a young...

Ryuhei Kitamura has had a rather interesting career. Starting with some of the cult titles of the 00s, including “Versus”, “Azumi” and “LoveDeath”, he then shot a Godzilla and a “Lupin The Third” film, then he moved to Hollywood to shoot films with Ruby Rose and Jean Reno among others, and now he is back with “Three Sisters of Tenmasou”, a manga adaptation that shows his most sensitive side as of now.

Three Sisters of Tenmasou is screening at Japan Cuts

The particular manga is “Tenmasou no Sanshimai: Sky High” by Tsutomu Takahashi (published from 2013 to 2014 by Young Jump Comics) and revolves around the said inn, a quaint out-of-time place in the small port town of Mitsuse. The establishment functions as a stopping point for people on the verge of death to decide if they want to return to the world of the living, where they are in a coma from an accident or illness,...

In this day and age of increasing prices and tightening budgets, the word “free” tends to make our ears prick up in a positive way. Sling Freestream, the free ad-supported arm of Sling TV, has just announced nine new channels to its already broad line-up.

Watch Now $0 / month sling.com

Sling Freestream already has something for everyone, but has added new channels focused on movies, natural disasters, survival, true crime, home renovation, an iconic 1980s TV show, anime, and more.

Check out the new shows launching on Sling Freestream this month:

Hipstr: Dive into a wide array of genres, ranging from groundbreaking documentaries to uproarious comedies, all the way to unique indies and beloved classics.

Real Disaster Channel: Real Disaster Channel offers all the electrifying disaster and survival stories you desire, creating an adrenaline-pumping experience that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat.

Crime & Justice: Immerse yourself in...

The one anime series that I'm most excited about this spring is "Skip and Loafer." The source manga tells the tale of Mitsumi Iwakura, an ambitious teenage girl from the country who moves to Tokyo for high school. There she meets the easygoing Sosuke Shima, and the two of them slowly build a close-knit network of friends that includes local mean girl Mika Egashira, bookish Makoto Kurame, and independent-minded Yuzuki Murashige. Each of them is as different as can be, and yet despite bad early impressions, they find a common cause in each other. "Skip and Loafer" is too good-natured to be a "realistic" high school story. But it is successful at evoking the texture of adolescence in its banality, complexity, and sweetness.

"Skip and Loafer" is also the first anime in years to be directed and scripted by the great Kotomi Deai, who has now been active in the...

Eye-popping action steals the show in “Lupin III: The First,” the first computer-animated feature entry in the classic franchise about the French gentleman thief and master of disguise. Casting the hero as an Indiana Jones-like adventurer tussling with Nazis to unearth an ancient scientific invention, visual effects wizard Takashi Yamazaki has pulled off another hit since directing “Stand By Me: Doraemon,” .

As mainstream entertainment on a par with big-budget Hollywood studio fare, the animation will have no problem breaking into the international family market. However, the unflaggingly perky caper has no down time, so one can’t help wishing for more the laid-back gamesmanship and boyish banter of the older renditions.

Kazuhiko Kato, under the pen name Monkey Punch, created his character in 1967, as the grandson of Arsene Lupin, the hero of Maurice Leblanc’s novels. He persevered with the manga series until 1991, spawning a collection that encompassed 27 TV specials,...

Gkids, the acclaimed producer and distributor of animation for adult and family audiences, announced that it has acquired the North American distribution rights for the animated feature&#160Lupin The 3rd: The First, a new animated feature&#160 from&#160director/screenwriter Takashi Yamazaki.

The Lupin the 3rd franchise, from original creator Monkey Punch, began in 1967 and has spanned a variety of manga, TV, game, theme park ride, and musical adaptations, including The Castle of Cagliostro (1979), the feature film debut from the acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki. Gkids will release Lupin The 3rd: The First theatrically in 2020 in both Japanese and an all-new English language dub. The deal for North American rights was negotiated by Gkids President David Jesteadt and Sam Maseba, Director of Licensing for Tms Entertainment.

Said Gkids President David Jesteadt.

"As someone who has been a fan of Lupin III since The&#160Castle of Cagliostro, I was blown away by quality...

GKids has snatched up North American theatrical rights to “Lupin the 3rd: The First,” the latest anime feature in the popular “gentleman thief” franchise, written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki. GKids will release “The First” (produced by Tms Entertainment and Marza Entertainment Planet) in 2020 for Oscar qualification in both Japanese and an all-new English language version.

Based on the legendary manga series, “Lupin III,” by the late Monkey Punch, “The First” marks the first CG-animated addition to the movie franchise. Arsène Lupin III is hired by young female archaeologist named Letizia to steal the infamous Bresson Diary (containing the secret of eternal energy) from a dark cabal devoted to resurrecting the Third Reich in the 1960s. Through a series of adventures that includes trap-filled tombs, aerial escapades, and daring prison escapes with his trademark wit and visual finesse, Lupin III uncovers his family’s literary origins.

More from IndieWireHow Hollywood Animation Studios...

Gkids has secured the North American distribution rights to Lupin III: The First, a Japanese anime feature which stems from the Lupin the 3rd franchise originally created by Monkey Punch. From writer-director Takashi Yamazaki, the film will get a theatrical release this year in Japanese and an all-new English language dub.

The pic follows “gentleman thief” Lupin III who, along with his colorful underworld companions, races to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Bresson Diary, before it falls into the hands of a dark cabal that will stop at nothing to resurrect the Third Reich.

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Gkids has acquired the North American distribution rights to the film “Lupin the 3rd: The First,” a Japanese anime film based on the long-running character and franchise from the Monkey Punch manga books and many animated films.

“Lupin the 3rd: The First” opened in Japan last December and will get a 2020 theatrical release from Gkids in both its original Japanese and in a new English language dub. It’s notable as the first film in the “Lupin III” franchise to be animated in 3D CGI rather than hand-drawn.

Lupin III is a “gentleman thief” character who dates back to 1967 and has spawned manga books, TV shows, video games, a theme park ride, musical adaptations and feature films. American audiences might recognize the character as the subject of the debut film from animation master Hayao Miyazaki, 1979’s “The Castle of Cagliostro.”

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The blu-ray/DVD release for last year's live-action Lupin the Third film will be released in Japan on February 18. Debuting overseas, the first live-action Lupin III film in four decades grossed $19.9M Usd at the Japanese box office. Related Content: Live-Action Lupin III Film Releases New Full Trailer First Live-Action Lupin III Trailer Anime: Live-Action Lupin III Film Gets Release Date, Cast Photo Revealed Lupin III (ルパン三世 Rupan Sansei), is a 1967 Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Monkey Punch (Katō Kazuhiko) that follows the incredible feats and adventures of Arsène Lupin III, the grandson of Arsène Lupin, the gentleman thief of Maurice Leblanc's series which is often described as a French counterpart to Arthur Conan Doyle's creation Sherlock Holmes. Considered the world's greatest thief, Lupin III, travels the globe, stealing priceless objects and announcing his intentions via calling card before pulling off the heist. Joining him are...

The live-action Lupin the 3rd film will premiere in Japan on August 30th. According to Ann, the plot is , "Lupin and his partners in crime before they became a gang. They infiltrate the high security of the Ark of Navarone, a gigantic fortress-like safe, to lay claim to the Crimson Heart of Cleopatra within. It is said that whoever possesses this treasure shall "unite the world." Related Content: First Look At Shun Oguri In The Live-Action Lupin III Movie Live-Action Lupin III Begins Filming Casting Underway For Live-Action Lupin III Lupin III (ルパン三世 Rupan Sansei), is a 1967 Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Monkey Punch (Katō Kazuhiko) that follows the incredible feats and adventures of Arsène Lupin III, the grandson of Arsène Lupin, the gentleman thief of Maurice Leblanc's series which is often described as a French counterpart to Arthur Conan Doyle's creation Sherlock Holmes. Considered the world's greatest thief,...

Related Content: First Look At Shun Oguri In The Live-Action Lupin III Movie Live-Action Lupin III Begins Filming Casting Underway For Live-Action Lupin III Lupin III (ルパン三世 Rupan Sansei), is a 1967 Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Monkey Punch (Katō Kazuhiko) that follows the incredible feats and adventures of Arsène Lupin III, the grandson of Arsène Lupin, the gentleman thief of Maurice Leblanc's series which is often described as a French counterpart to Arthur Conan Doyle's creation Sherlock Holmes. Considered the world's greatest thief, Lupin III, travels the globe, stealing priceless objects and announcing his intentions via calling card before pulling off the heist. Joining him are expert marksman and Lupin right-hand man right-hand man Daisuke Jige, master swordsman Goemon Ishikawa Xiii who is said to possess a sword and skills that can cut anything and femme fatale Fujiko Mine, fellow thief and Lupin love interest. Pursuing...

The first footage from the forthcoming live-action adaptation of Monkey Punch's infamous Lupin III manga debuted on TBS's Asachan (Morning Chance) program yesterday. Visually, the film seems to have definitely captured the essence of the anime. Check it out. Related Content: First Look At Shun Oguri In The Live-Action Lupin III Movie Live-Action Lupin III Begins Filming Casting Underway For Live-Action Lupin III Lupin III (ルパン三世 Rupan Sansei), is a 1967 Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Monkey Punch (Katō Kazuhiko) that follows the incredible feats and adventures of Arsène Lupin III, the grandson of Arsène Lupin, the gentleman thief of Maurice Leblanc's series which is often described as a French counterpart to Arthur Conan Doyle's creation Sherlock Holmes. Considered the world's greatest thief, Lupin III, travels the globe, stealing priceless objects and announcing his intentions via calling card before pulling off the heist. Joining him are...

Related Content: First Look At Shun Oguri In The Live-Action Lupin III Movie Live-Action Lupin III Begins Filming Casting Underway For Live-Action Lupin III Lupin III (ルパン三世 Rupan Sansei), is a 1967 Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Monkey Punch (Katō Kazuhiko) that follows the incredible feats and adventures of Arsène Lupin III, the grandson of Arsène Lupin, the gentleman thief of Maurice Leblanc's series which is often described as a French counterpart to Arthur Conan Doyle's creation Sherlock Holmes. Considered the world's greatest thief, Lupin III, travels the globe, stealing priceless objects and announcing his intentions via calling card before pulling off the heist. Joining him are expert marksman and Lupin right-hand man right-hand man Daisuke Jige, master swordsman Goemon Ishikawa Xiii who is said to possess a sword and skills that can cut anything and femme fatale Fujiko Mine, fellow thief and Lupin love interest. Pursuing...

The live-action Lupin the Third movie will be released on August 30, 2014 in Japan. Below, you can see a set photo from filming in Chendai, China that contains Lupin actor Shun Oguri and Fujiko actress Shun Oguri. Filming began last October. Related Content: First Look At Shun Oguri In The Live-Action Lupin III Movie Live-Action Lupin III Begins Filming Casting Underway For Live-Action Lupin III Lupin III (ルパン三世 Rupan Sansei), is a 1967 Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Monkey Punch (Katō Kazuhiko) that follows the incredible feats and adventures of Arsène Lupin III, the grandson of Arsène Lupin, the gentleman thief of Maurice Leblanc's series which is often described as a French counterpart to Arthur Conan Doyle's creation Sherlock Holmes. Considered the world's greatest thief, Lupin III, travels the globe, stealing priceless objects and announcing his intentions via calling card before pulling off the heist. Joining him are...

Actor Shun Oguri on set in the trademark black dress shirt and yellow tie. Only thing he's missing is the green jacket. Oguri lost 18 pounds for the role but Japanese fans are mixed on his selection for the titular protagonist. Related Content: Live-Action Lupin III Begins Filming Casting Underway For Live-Action Lupin III "Lupin III (ルパン三世 Rupan Sansei), is a 1967 Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Monkey Punch (Katō Kazuhiko) that follows the incredible feats and adventures of Arsène Lupin III, the grandson of Arsène Lupin, the gentleman thief of Maurice Leblanc's series which is often described as a French counterpart to Arthur Conan Doyle's creation Sherlock Holmes. That first manga has spawned a worldwide phenomenon that now includes anime, OVAs, a previous live-action film, music soundtracks, video games and even a musical. Considered the world's greatest thief, Lupin III, travels the globe, stealing priceless objects and...