The A24 Lupin That Wasn't 

Green vs Red is a movie that I definitely appreciate more than I actually like.

“Great idea/poor execution” is always frustrating to encounter. With a movie that is simply mediocre or boringly bad, you can watch it and then go on with your life. It doesn’t take up much space. Fascinating concepts which weren’t executed well will plague you with all their untapped potential and you’ll spend too much time thinking about all the ways it could have been good. Great video as usual!

A wise man once said “Monkey-Sensei prefers the red one you know. No matter what he says now we can’t do anything about it.”

I love how you've unofficially become THE "Lupin the Third" analytical RU-vid channel.

My only way I could wrap my head around this movie was that it was about the VAs. the voice cast by this point was mostly all replaced, and the others save for Jigen being retired very soon after. This movie felt like it was about them in a way, and how they'd need to go eventually but these Roles would continue past them, whether they like it or not. And with hindsight 20/20 you could read a lot of Jigen's actions as being like how his VA is going to stick around the longest, even if His Lupin and everyone else is gone. Hell, you could even throw Monkey Punch into it, with how he was ALWAYS okay with these characters and these stories being outside of his hands and just.....existing by the logic and passion of whoever else was steering the ship. I don't THINK that was anyones intention in making this, but its the weird meta explanation for this movie i've chosen. also i hate that rain filter more than almost anything else this franchise has done.

Been a while since i saw the movie, but i like the idea of the old man who sells books being the real lupin trying to pass on the mantle, not sure how this makes sense with the rest of the story but with the way it's told, anything could work

We wait ever patiently for the mine fujiko video

Yet again Infinite Snow Productions reminds me that I need to watch more Lupin

I was IN the fandom at that point (on the forums and fan sites) and my GOD it was rough. Because Lupin hadn't had anything TRULY major in a while (Part 0 was still the highpoint for the recent tv movies and those were kind of getting boring and samey) and we were still on forums and going "Man, Tokyopop really butchered that translation didn't they?" About the Manga (Dr. Furball was the guy to go to regarding all that). I remember when this dropped. I REMEMBER going onto friggin Veoh and "WATCHING IT LEGALLY". This thing was, unfortunately, a thing that I think we all just kind of did a Krusty the Clown "What the HELL was that?!" at. I still feel a bit cold on this thing because it was a huge promise and no delivery. Shame really. It's why I'm kind of jealous of the younger fans who got into Lupin due to the Blue jacket series because y'all got SPOILED like crazy!

It feels like a concept that should have gotten its own series. What it has to say is so metatextual that it really shouldn't have been mushed into a movie like it was- it needs space to breathe and time for the audience to absorb what the fuck it is they're saying, lol. The dotted line point you made is a pretty good one because that's what this movie really is: a bunch of thought-provoking ideas laced together by thin, thin threads that don't do a very good job of connecting said ideas into a cohesive plot. Which is honestly fine, imo. What we got is still pretty neat and fun to think about, and God knows some really great fan content/analysis came out of it (like this vid) Thanks for another banger lupin essay, snow :3

Green vs Red is an interesting ride. Before I saw it I thought this would be a meta film in which two takes on Lupin basicly fight against each other. Then it turned into a movie about Imposter syndrom along with the status of Lupin in the world where he is so well known that people impersonate him and then lose themself in Lupin. After the part in which the Woman and Zenigata sit in the car I really though „OH SHIT IS THIS GONNA TURN INTO A Satoshi Kons Paranoia Agent thin where Shonen Bat is the same as Lupin?“ It sadly did not. (Give me this kind of special TMS). Then into Political stuff whit the one thing they use scinse ages (WAR IS BAD WE GET IT, DAMN IT). Then suddenly a giant robot shows up at this point I was like „OH SHIT!“ While laughing my ass off while knowing this is so batshit insane cause it‘s Lupin. And then it turns into two madmen wanting to kill each other in a fricking sick scene. I like it, it‘s nice, the Lupins are funny, the Cagliostro stuff is a little tired, cause I think Cagliostro kinda is overrated, I like it it‘s good but not … well Mamo. (Mamo Fans rise) and also so much more that makes up Lupin, which never really get talked about cause being overshadowed. Zenigata is a cool and hardboiled cop for a lot which I love. Jigen and Goemon should be more in it, but still have good stuff going on. I was sad that Pink Jacket did not really appear expect for the multi Lupin shot with the diffrent styles of Lupin. The Robot scene felt like Lupin watched to much Pop Team Epic (Especially in punching the building). (Also I agree with you that Fujikos Lie is bad, but at least not as boring as Return of the Magician.) (Also Also, I kinda jumped out of my chair seeing you use Little Shop of Horrors. Glad to see that you also like it.) (Also Also Also, Nice Video)

Calling the lighthouse old man yaoi hit me like a truck lol

As more familiar to Japanese modern history, I can explain why that rich guy obsessed with “ICE CUBE”. The movie refers that He is from nagasaki, which has been nuclear bombed. He has specific nagasaki accent, and his aesthetic of the office is more like nagasaki thing than chinese one(Yes taoism and Buddhism is mostly from china but east asians shared many culture elements just like europe sharing Greek/Christian cultures). So he is opposite to the cop, who is from hirosaki(also nuclear bombed), not believing that such power should exist. The rich guy was the one who saw the power of nuclear bomb and he believes that Japan also needs that power for security. And this is just my interpretation/take, Jigen is not actually following “the thrilling one”. If I recognize correctly, Before the bridge bombing scene, The red lupin the third was pretending to be Jigen to coach and test the green one. Do you think that a fancy guy like real jigen eating junk food with very dirty manner? I do not. On the bridge, Jigen and Goemon says that “The thrilling one” is the real lupin, but the movie implies that they’ve already contacted from the scene Jigen being frustrated with the computer. He just acted for the red one, while he does not know why the red lupin do that. The bridge incident is mostly manipulated by the red lupin for the sake of the trial. The trial confirms whether Yasuo has real qualifications for being lupin the 3rd or not. That is why "the thrilling one" line comes in, yelling "What is lupin the 3rd", not to red one, but to yasuo, green one. So I also agree that this film is not focused to one thing. The one concept was “What makes lupin the 3rd as lupin the 3rd and what is lupin the 3rd”. And it also wants to say that Japan is going on right wing side, and it would not resolve the problems and frustration of the youth. That is a false promise like soccer news. The nation does violent things for the sake of the nation, not for people. Filmmakers wanted to emerge that two things into one film, and You know how the result comes out. Though I have to say that I liked it a lot.

my sister everybody🫡

Funnily enough, green vs red has always been my favorite out of anything I’ve seen about Lupin, the ambiguity and huge amount of questions it leaves is something that pushes me to fill those gaps with my own ideas and personal wishes especially a huge appreciation I have for the theme Memory of Smile which feels like a main theme in this movie and it fits so well not just in the context of lupin but it’s voice actor who sadly passed away. I can understand and even laugh at the incoherence in the movie like the robot or the out of nowhere subplots, the intention of the movie was beautiful and even if it didn’t work as it was supposed to I certainly found a huge appreciation for Green vs Red for daring to do something unique and representative on what is Lupin to its viewers rather than its universe

“Good idea/bad execution” is easily the best descriptor. I completely agree with you, and thank you for expressing it so well!

Saul Goodman is now apart of the infinite snow lore

You've honestly articulated so much that I could never find words for about this one. At least for me, "Green Vs. Red" reminds me a lot of those comic book "deconstructions" I always find a bit tedious. Like, oh, you want to tell a story about Insert Legacy Character Here as this Grand Universal Concept What Eats Your Soul rather than as... a *character* with goals and emotions and meaningful relationships? And it's less a new, original story in its own right and more a commentary on stories you've already told? It feels a bit like attending a lecture on the platonic ideal of a sandwich rather than being served an actual well-made sandwich. I appreciate a lot of the ideas in "Green Vs. Red", and I generally really enjoy it when this franchise gets weird and experimental; but I like it a lot less when it tries to go meta and self-referential, and the final product ultimately just couldn't thread that needle for me.

Delaney- girl... I just wanted to say you're probably my favorite essayist right now (and not just because I've been on a Lupin III binge lately). You take animated films seriously and talk about stuff I love with angles I don't see other film essayists do... and with funny jokes and good editing. That ABBA trailer for this rocked. Thanks for ur content and no rush making the next feature film length vid lol :)

Following this channel since it's first video, and every video since has been banger after banger! Can't wait to see what your next project is!

Green vs Red will always be one of the more interesting outings in the series for me; it frustrates me that it never seems to fully form or shape any of its themes, nor does it seem intentionally open ended. But its sheer ambition as a nonlinear meta fiction is so admirable for media in a long running franchise makes it kind of unforgettable in a good way.

man i love your essays so much! great work!!!!!

Imma act like I definitely saw all the movies you were talking about and say: Yeah I get it! but for real, this was still enjoyable.

woooooo delaney this was great!!!

Your videos have only recently come across my feed and I just have to say they're great thank you for what you do, you made me love mamo even if the titular man grandma thing looked freaky as all get out, I appreciate your takes on Lupin and I'm glad there are still cool people talking about him and his crew, Thanks Infinite Show Productions :))

The fuckin black and white fiat fight on the roof goes hard as hell tho.

I love your videos so much, thank you

cool video, lupins a weird on for sure and the idea that theres a bunch of cosplayers is definitely a story that should get explored again and maybe better

I think that I am a big weirdo when it comes to the sorta Lupin media I like. I think Cagliostro is okay, just cause I saw it after I had watched a lot of Lupin stuff alright, and so it died down the hype and I think Part 5 has some of the best and worst moments in franchise. What I always enjoy is your essays about this strange franchise, so much so I requested that we watched "Green vs Red" on discord so that I was prepared for this essay. Watching this movie made me appreciate Darwin's Bird a lot more, cause at least that one has a creepy tone in the second half even if it also rambles on. I think the biggest failing imo is the new characters. I don't get why Yasuo wants to be Lupin or what his relationship with his Grandma is, or why Yukiro is mad at him or w/e. At the end, I'm not even sure if I'm supposed to see Yasuo as a tragic figure or just a pathetic guy who kins Lupin. Like maybe that's the point, but since I'm not interested in either character, I feel myself not caring about their arcs.

Ahhhhhh got the notification while at work! But have a comment and a click to help engagement while I get through this shift

Oh thank goodness, I finished watching this special and I was so lost and confused and I just found people saying how great it was and how it told the story out of order deliberately and such. I knew if anyone could check me on this one it was this channel, and while I don't wish ill on the production of the special, it was definitely a watch that left me less questioning certain aspects and more asking "What was ANY of that?" Still, I can't deny the art in the movie, and a lot of cute references and a few interesting ideas. I even liked a few slower moments listening to Fire Treasure and watching the main guy just doing his thing. It made me like Fire Treasure even more. This special plays out a bit like an episode of Xavier: Renegade Angel, which I adore, but I guess no matter how much we try, expectation does play a part in how we take in media.

saul and kim said your name? thats one of the biggest flexes ive seen

Loved green vs red as a kid and still i don’t know Why but there is some hidden charm this movie has that makes want to rewatch it every few years

I think i really needed this today

There was a scene in the car where Lupin is taking to Jigen and then it's revealed that that Jigen is Lupin in disguise where I thought for a moment this movie was taking a "Multi-verse's margin into each other" angle where all these Lupins existed separately in their own universes/timelines but something was causing them to all suddenly fold into each other and the real question of the movie would be who would survive the battle royal of all of these guys.

Always good to see another Lupin video essay. I wait warmly for the Woman Called Fujiko Mine video.

Having seen every Lupin movie, OVA, and TV special out there myself, I'm definitely with you with Island of Assassins being up there. More deeper narrative and production dives on these lesser known Lupin works would be sick. Hell yeah, great stuff ✌

Fantastic video once again! I was happy (but not shocked) to see our movie tastes when it comes to what we consider good Lupin media is the same. I love the parallels between classic/horror/live action cinema and something like Lupin. Especially for something so out there like Red vs Green where it seems they were trying to pull from other things that have done the same but ultimately it just fails. But at the same time it's hard to hate it, both for what it is and what it could've been. The ambition they had is what Lupin has needed again for decades, yet the only other time I've felt it again was in TWCFM (and some of Lupin Zero, but not to as high of a degree). I respect it completely, even if it didn't reach it's full potential. Speaking of, I'm excited for when we finally get to see the TWCFM video. This video serves as a good look at RvG AND a teaser for that upcoming vid.. You're incredibly well spoken and funny, and I'd wait however long it takes to hear your full thoughts on such a good (yet flawed) series! Also, I know you said you probably won't do it, but I would love to hear your thoughts on the Koike films someday too. I think you're one of the few people who seems to not think it's as amazings people say it is (granted, visual style is great, but storywise......) Whether or not you do it is another story, but if you're ever open to talking about it, even off the cuff style or on social media, I (and I'm sure many others) would love to hear someday 😄!!

Great video, great production, great analysis! And...holy shit, it shouldn't surprise me at all, but just hearing David Lynch speak...what a goddam insightful guy. I've never just broken that idea down like that but it's so on the nose perfect.

Lost me a bit with the horror stuff but just the fact that I saw you posted this made me find Green vs Red streaming and I watched it and really dug it. Also, Island of Assassins is KILLER.

Great video and sick ending song!

Always love watching your Lupin videos! Much better than my own. I agree about this movie, it is conceptually rich, but doesn't hold up structurally.

Yess another video from Infinite Snow Productions ❤ It's sad there's not that much RU-vid channels that analyze or talk about Lupin the 3rd. It's been 3 years since I watched Green vs Red. I forgot about the ice cube plutonium plot and robot 😅 I mostly remember the trippy and Lupin references and Imposters plot. Honestly, the movie is so confusing but I appreciate it's approach and animation 👍Btw Good luck with your the Woman Called Fujiko Mine video ❤ Best wishes

I love these little dips into the Lupin fandom

I love these videos

Another banger from Breadsword's equally cool sister

the narration is good good but but the punchlines ? GOOOOOOD

I expected a Lupin Video It was less Lupin than expected Kinda like your point about expectations for Horror Movies.

Also I eagerly await your Lupin Zero video

Great video! Thank you for your insanity; it’s a treat.

As ever, another good run down of a part of the Lupin franchise here.

Great video

12:17 Oh my god, no! Oh that physically wounds me. Edit: Anyway, I saw the trailer you put out and thought this was going to be about a stellar entry of the Lupin series (of which I am a bit of a greenhorn to), and the ideas peeking through that trailer had me honestly debating when I could watch the movie that week before this review. Obviously I didn't find that time, and also couldn't help but watch the review first. Now that I know the general concepts, but don't know the full depth of the direction and choices the film made, I feel like I'm going to be mapping my own personal 'Green vs Red' within my mind for the rest of the week. I don't even have that much personal experience with the series to pull from, but that the idea is so genuinely compelling that I can't help thinking more about it. What it means to be the literal spiritual successor, to be in active ravenous competition with a thousand people for one universal role, to feel yourself truly lost in the identity of another because you tried hard enough to superficially act as that person, possibly because you lost your own sense of worth, possibly because you needed the money, possibly because it was something to do. And that's still ignoring the gang's role in all that. I don't think I'm going to write a fanfic (I already struggle to write one story for several years as is), but I don't think this is going to fully leave my brain, and I consider it a blessing to have been exposed to it without feeling the frustration of having seen it be misguided in real time. I should definitely see the film for myself one day, but probably after I make peace with the idea that it won't rise to meet all the wonderful concepts it tosses out.

Amazing video as usual, I feel like green vs. Red is the atlantis of Lupin. All the pieces to create high art are there, but it just needed to be longer. I am also interested though in why you werent big on part 5, I would put that on "good lupin" for Albert alone honestly. I think it has brilliant writing and pacing, but lupin tropes hold it back from being in "cinema". (I was also holding a gun to the screen whenever ami was on it out of fear of what they'd do with her character) Also why you didn't like fujikos lie, which I haven't seen yet, but I have seen the other two, goemon i'd put in "cinema", but jigen i'd put in "good lupin" (but that one scene is horrible). Part 6 sucks though I think. I am super hyped for that fujiko mine video though, absolute 10, worthy of the cinema. I can't wait.

pretty eh movie, but the points being made here are very cool. a video like this is something this movie needed if more people are to appreciate at least what its trying to say.

15:24 I feel like skinamarink is a massive exception to this. You either get it or you don't. You also have to meet it on it's own terms which alot of critics aren't willing to do.

I never understood the movie even after watching it twice. Felt like I was watching a fever dream

Great video! I think this really put into words how I feel about this movie, too. Very curious to know what your thoughts will be on TWCFM vs Koike's films -- while I didn't like Fujiko in the first two (the drill alone is just... well, I'm sure you're aware), I actually felt that Fujiko Mine's Lie did more for her character than all of the TWCFM series. That said, I think I'm one of the few odd ones out in not liking the series, and either way I'm looking forward to when that video comes around!

This is the kind of video essays were i constantly go like: UGH! YES! THATS HOW I FELT! Aparently, this was an attempt to execute Lupin with the ideas of Mamoru Oshii when he was hired for the production of a third Lupin The Third film before getting fired, which eventualy ended up being that beautyfull cartoony colorful mess that was Gold of Babylon (which i personally LOVE). I agree so much, i wanted so bad to love this movie but... you know.

9:48 VENTURE BROS MENTIONED

I think she did a good job discribing my thought on. This movie

just watched this movie for the first time. Kept pushing it off because the whole internet seems to agree this one sucks. Turns out i unironically love it. It feels like a movie from Lupins perspective and we get to experience what it really means to be Lupin. And that boils down to one thing: The thrill. He does not care about pgilosophies, disenfranchised youth doesn't bother him, he is just in this world to go with the flow. There's hundreds of me now. Let's see if one of them is fun. Oh look Jigen just jumped out of a Zeppelin and landed on a helicopter that's somehow piloted by me! Now there's a giant mech, also somehow piloted by me! He never questions any of it and i'd say isn't even aware of most of it because it doesn't mean anything to him. We first see him in a dark room, sitting in a melancholic pose, staring at screens. But then he sees Zenigata and his eyes light up. Whenever his life is in danger, Lupin can't help but smile. His single goal is to have the time of his life every single waking moment. And the gren kid is starting to get there. While trying to save the kid while driving up the bridge, at first he looks terrified but then starts to enjoy it. He feels the thrill, feels it calling to him. It's not to differentiate the two. It's one achieving what it means to be Lupin. That's why it doesn't even matter who tried to save the kid. The themes, the symbols, the weird stuff, that's all just decoration. The movie doesn't care about it, because Lupin doesn't. And i love it.

I've just gotten into the Lupin series myself; I'm slowly working through it, and I recently watched Green Vs Red, and I had SO many feelings about it. One thing to know is that I got into Lupin after watching and getting very invested in Persona 5, so I approached Lupin with the pre-loaded idea that "Lupin is a Trickster God." While not played as literally and theologically as in Persona 5, Lupin still serves the same purpose as a Trickster God: he challenges the status quo of life by engaging in multiple transgressions against its rules (thievery, defiance of authoritarian power, cross-dressing, etc). He serves as a reminder of the impermanence of human existence by making it clear that no matter how tightly anyone tries to hold onto anything, he can steal it. And while he misbehaves, he also engages in acts of benevolence, like how many acts perpetrated by Tricksters end up being for the benefit of humanity (stealing suns, granting knowledge, and preventing the stagnation of human culture by demonstrating through rule breaking, what traditions have staying power, and which may be discarded in favor of progress). With that knowledge in mind, I could see the parts of Green Vs Red where it FELT like they were trying to break into some of those ideas, and it was VERY EXCITING, but at the same time, it was also playing with so many other ideas (Ship of Theseus: how long can you play with a character's identity over 50 years without it changing to something entirely different, "Anyone Can Wear The Mask": Lupin is not so much a person of his own but he can be any of us, aspirationally, and also, just straight up looking at how healthy it is to be a fan of someone else's story to the extent that you define yourself by something someone else has written.) It was disappointing as you said, because it felt like it was trying to do too many things, but I felt like the ingredients of something great were there, and I just wanna give a shout out to how clearly you put your finger on that vibe.

When I watched “Mystery of Mamo” for the first time my initial thoughts at the end was “Huh…that was weird…10/10 movie of the year” lol. When I watched “Red vs. Green” for the first time my initial thoughts were “…WHAT JUST HAPPEND!!!”

why do people dislike part 5 and by extension 6 so much. i loved 5 so much

Here's my idea to fix this film. Condense everything into 4 films following the perspectives of Jigen, Goemon, Fujiko, and Zenigata. Then, make a collection of episodes that show us the perspectives of 10 "Lupins" and make a strong argument for why each of them is the "real Lupin" in their own right. Then we can end with a final film combining all of the threads and combining them to make a satisfying ending. Would it be an exhausting undertaking that would require a lot of people, a lot of research, a lot of ideas, and a lot of professional and expert execution to get everyone to care and not burn out, alienate, and otherwise flop like Marvel did? Absolutely. Would it be the best idea possible? Unfortunately, from where I'm standing, yes. This is why if this idea is going to be followed through, it's going to need a massive budget and a lot of time and respect, and unfortunately, I doubt that that can be done. This is why I would recommend funding this project and slowly and cheaply developing the groundwork for it over years and years of careful planning until the money has been poured in to make the full project a reality, pick a character to start the series, develop the film, and then watch the money pour in. If it does, move forward like usual. If it doesn't, pull the plug. Easy and simple as that. Lots of pressure, but it'll definitely be needed to take a film as seriously as it needs to be taken. Actually, what is the first horror property that someone could say has successfully had widespread appeal?

I saw it as a statement on how reality itself and the expectations society places on all of us (including letting those with power get away with schemes) might be the ultimate restraint on what Lupin represents: Freedom. All the references to past works in the franchise represent each fan attaching themselves to a different ver of Lupin. The truth is however that like the everyday man who bears the same name as the original voice (yet sounding the least like him), it's the will to live for yourself that makes you Lupin. Also Fujiko’s Lie is my 2nd favorite next to Tokyo Crisis 😅

Part 5 is at the bottom? I thought it was excellent, not only does it have a well-made overarching plot, but the stand-alone episodes were some of the best I've seen.

I watched this with my boyfriend and ended up passing out (it was like 1am :') )and when i woke up my boyfriend said he had no idea what the fuck happened and neither did I :')

I hope Green V Red gets dubbed one day, I get its not great but seems like it could be fun if the script was tweaked maybe that could save it lol and thank you for making this video

Curious to hear your thoughts on part 5 as the ending parts of that series deal with the dilemma of "who is Lupin actually?"

I watched the OVA during today. It was pretty confusing to begin with, even after finishing Part 1 and being in middle of Part 2 of the Lupin series. It's a bit of a mixed bag between good and not bad, but kind of bizarre in a way or so in 75/25 for me to comprehend. To me, I think one of my favorite scenes of the OVA were the two red jacket Lupins that tried to run away from the cops, then going on separate paths, which made me wish that there would have been more scenes for a fascinating kind of friendship that those two Lupins would've had. And of course, the afro Lupin being one of my favorites in it as well, even if it is a nod to Shinichi Watanabe, who's a huge fan of the Lupin the Third series. But uh, yeah. The OVA was a bit bizarre, but pretty neat and a few scenes in it had me laugh up a bit, and whether it's for you to watch it or not if you wanna get into the Lupin the Third series, you should probably save it for next time, if you wanna learn more about the other Lupin variations from the variety of shows and movies that the lovable gentleman thief has appeared in many of them! Great essay, by the way! ✨

Waiitng on that is lupin gay video 🙏

I would love if you had the names of the movies you're referencing (or using as examples without naming them) written on the clips. It feels nice to understand your witty references when you have seen the movie, but if you haven't, you might feel a bit lost (at least I did). The name of the movie could help to add to the video in places where the viewer hasn't seen the movie, but might know something about it. I understand if it is a lot of work, but just as an idea x3 I love your stuff

Algorithmic punch!

I need to ask, is the Lupin with the afro that appears throuought Green vs Red supposed to be Shinichi Watanabe, the director of Lupin III: Da Capo of Love: Fujiko's Unlucky Days/The Columbus Files, Puni Puni Poemy, and Excel Saga, which he storyboarded as well?

man i really liked this movie

More yummy lupin content hurray !!!!!!!

This movie’s visuals are so good I forgot how much I hated it until I remembered why I hated it (you started describing the plot)

For years I had to deal with the fandom saying this is one of the best specials and it’s not… I agree with your frustrations that it couldn’t live up to its concept

plssssss do a Fujiko series video~ 🎉 also: DARKPLACE REFERENCE??

I watched this earlier this year when I was on a big Lupin III kick, so it got watched in close proximity with the likes of Mamo and Part 5, and while it's definitely a mixed bag, it's not a movie I'd call bad. It's one of those movies that while weaker than the sum of its parts, still leaves an impression, and the ideas that can spawn from it can go in so many different directions. It's really only something you can get form a series like Lupin III, one that has been going on so long and with different interpretations from the various creatives working on it, that it can have these wild lookbacks and conversations on its own history. One could argue this movie is representative of the status of the series, a big complicated but engaging mess.

YAYYYYYYYYY!!! MMMMMEOW

What's the ending song? 23:08

Watching this movie is the most confusing experience I’ve had with this franchise. Like it be one thing if it was one quality through, but even though this movie has some of the highest highs in the entire franchise, it has the most incoherent plot I’ve seen in a Lupin movie It starts pretty alright with pleasant scenery and it reminds me that “oh yeah, there’s people besides Lupin in this movie”. Then they played the Castle of Cagliostro theme which was a little weird. Then we get to probably the best part of the movie which is the giant army of Lupins just wrecking havoc, not only is it neat for the movie to use this as an opportunity to pull designs from Lupin’s past from Part I, Part II, both of Part III’s designs, Mamo, Cagliostro, Etc. and just seeing all the Lupins just pouring into Tokyo with their Riats is so great and fun and some animated scenes make me think “why are the animators going so hard on an OVA movie?!?”. Like genuinely, like when the army of Lupins just flooded Tokyo, the majority of car chase scenes, and the sketchy black and white style used for Green and Red Lupin fight on top of the building looks so cool! And there’s so many in-jokes during the Lupin army segments and as someone who’s seen all the things they’re referencing makes it very satisfying. This part of the movie is so awesome and fun and yet the movie decides to fizzle this plot point out which is very disappointing. The movie occasionally focuses on this duo of fake Lupins, but the movie barely does anything with their presence except when one of them says that he wants to quit being a fake Lupin and work for his dad’s business in manufacturing which feels very real, but other than that their inclusion feels so pointless. The movie also occasionally focuses on this guy named Yasuo, who is obviously named after the previous voice actor of Lupin who unfortunately passed away, and the movie for the most part just shows his life and everyday struggles. He has these blips or visions of the Lupin life which the movie never elaborates on how this works and then he eventually just dons a Lupin costume and poses as him which feels very sudden and I don’t even think the movie gives him a real motivation for this (and if he did have one it’s very underdeveloped because the movie has so much other things that it wants to focus on), and on his own Yasuo as a character is pretty bland. His friend or lover or whatever, Yukiko (whose named after the Fujiko voice actor for Lupin: Part I) serves as the Lupin girl of the film and while I do like her and she does have a sense of personality by being this reporter, but the movie doesn’t do too much with her outside of some pretty cool scenes talking with Zenigata and (I think) Lupin dressed as in old man, and her friendship or relationship with Yasuo isn’t developed that much. Zenigata has more of a role in the movie and there are some really interesting moments with him talking about Lupin and the stuff about the corrupt government, but like most of the other interesting plot points they don’t get too much time to shine because of how much they compete with each other. Jigen, Goemon, and Fujiko don’t really do anything substantial on their own except when Jigen actually got officially branded McDonald’s for him and Lupin at the beginning of the movie which McDonald’s is pretty prominent in the movie being in like 3 scenes. Lupin himself isn’t really much of the main character which is weird. I sorta get what they were going for, the movie’s not so much about Lupin and more-so about his influence on other people and while this sounds like a great idea on paper, they rarely focus on it and develop the idea and the overall execution of the film feels like they have all these separates ideas for a plot and then they just decided to mash them all together, and as a result of that the individual ideas that are presented have the potential to be really engaging or fun, but the filmmakers cramping all this together feels like a bit of a disservice to each of the separate plots.The movie just can’t decide if it wants to be a comedic romp celebrating Lupin’s past, a slice-of-life film looking at Yasuo’s everyday life and struggles to find his place in the world, a brutal commentary on the changing political landscape and corrupt governments, a dissection of Lupin as a character, just none of it messes and this is just the ultimate downfall of the movie. But with all that said, I can’t for the life of me call this a bad movie because there is just so much good stuff as well. The animation is way too good for an OVA release, the soundtrack is also pretty good with Fuji Ohno scoring it, the direction is surprisingly really strong for a Lupin movie with all these unique shots and angles, and like I said earlier the flood of Lupins in Tokyo has to be one of the greatest moments in Lupin animation history, plus even if the movie does feels like a hodgepodge of competing ideas, the ideas themselves are pretty strong, they just don’t work as well if they’re mixed together. I almost forgot to mention the ice cube subplot which Lupin is after this thing that looks like an ice cube and the English dialogue that’s spoken in the plane scene is really stilted and it’s obvious the voice actor for that character wasn’t a native English speaker and it kinda took me out of the movie. And then there’s this Mike Logan guy transplanted his brain into his son? W-W-What? And he just got blown up like 3 minutes later so what was the point of all that? This is just a true enigma of a movie. The plot is pretty much all over the place and a lot of the new additions just aren't that well-utilized and it drops the best part about it about 20 minutes in, but there’s just so much good stuff that I can’t really give it a lower rating than a 6/10.

Can I ask, and in advanced if youve already mentioned this in another video I havent gotten to yet, have you seen the episode 10 of part 6 that puts Fujiko into some weird religious horror scenerio? Because its really fucking uncomfortable but in the best way where your like "huh this feels really off but I cant figure out why" and suddenly at the end your like "oh GOD" and its not much because its restricted to a 22 minute episode but god I wish it could have been a full movie.

honestly, green vs red is a batshit crazy movie that I just enjoy it, lady liberty made me feel nothing but GVR made me feel like "WHAT JUST HAPPENED." Also I'm probably the only one who really likes part 6 a ton

I'm not a fan of horror. Most of it is "boo! And loud noise!" Level. Very rarely does it actually build a vibe and tease it out until the climax. Giggity. I saw the VVitch. I bought it release day on Blu-ray and watched it with my lady at night with the lights out. All it did was make me think and wonder. In this case it wasn't a good way. Don't get me wrong, it was well done and I enjoyed it. It just left me unfulfilled. I find myself to be that midrange person that catches a lot of stuff the normies miss out on but I won't be able to put myself into the headspace of the "true aficionado". It doesn't help that I don't respect abstract artists and their navel gazing. I haven't seen this particular Lupin. I'm worried I'll only be able to enjoy it on the surface level while still feeling unfulfilled in the grand scheme. Thank you for the hard work. This was another good essay.

hey you put this on the playlist so everyone can see it, maybe you wanna undo that or???

As an anniversary special that celebrates the Lupin franchise is great but as a movie it makes no damn sense but is still a fun watch.

2:10 from which anime it come from ?

Haha, I like you.

More lupin kino

9:38 what Lupin Movie is that from?

You said island of assassins fans stand up well I’m here

Japanese symbolism will always confuse me and fly over my head as a SINGULAR American EDIT - …I actually kinda liked TWCFM. EDIT 2 - But thanks for helping me get a better understanding of Red VS Green. I would’ve NEVER thought about this movie as a horror thriller.

What A24, do you mean that movie studio also called A24?

I've honestly heard only bad things about Green vs Red (still haven't watched it and probably low on the Lupin watch list), which is a shame since just going off of plot beats and general premise it sounds like it would honestly be a pretty cool special that would have fun with the years of lore to tell something fun and meta. Thankfully, the new Spiderverse scratches that itch, but it's a real shame that this one just didn't hit with anyone that watched it.

God I love 4:3

I think I've seen every single Lupin film except for 6. And the worst one that I've seen so far is the much shorter TV special, "Return of Pycal." Both for it's very lame plot and it's horrifically ugly CGI backgrounds in several shots.