The Absurd Fun of Lupin III 

Lupin is absolutely HUGE in Italy and France, so huge that the generation of 50 years olds still recognize it and know the characters. I think that's why the latest series have been set in Italy and France, and Lupin often drives a Fiat 500 or a Renault!

The most underrated franchise in anime history. Also, am I the only one who thinks a Lupin III vs. Professor Layton crossover would really work?

Blue-jacket Lupin is a statement, that Lupin III can still wow audiences 40 years later. Doesn't hurt that it's my favourite colour, either.

wow, i never tought lupin was "underrated", here in italy everyone knows about lupin, its literally bigger than dragon ball or naruto here and i never tought it wasn't famous in the US

I'm 49 and just discovering the world of anime! I stumbled upon Lupin thebthirdnand I want to be Daisuke Jigen for cosplay!

I still think about the scene in cagliostro where Lupin and Jigen have parked the car for the night and are cooking supper over a gaslit fire. Its such a cozy looking image

I really enjoyed Lupin III: the castle of Cagliostro , thats one of my favorite anime movies

The greatest thing Lupin ever stole, was our hearts. Edit: Yes. It is corny as hell.

Lupin has become my all time favorite anime/manga and has given me a wake up call in how to make a fun series with nuance writing and well formed character.

As someone who doesn't really interact with fandoms online and mostly still talks about that kind of stuff in person with friends, it BLOWS MY MIND that apparently nobody talks about Lupin. Like...in my circle, this is the top-tier stuff. I'm not saying this to be snobby (lord knows there are hundreds of classic and modern anime hits that I've never heard of), but it's like...like living in the arctic your whole life and learning that deserts exist haha.

The castle of cagliostro was the first one i had as a young kid, that movie is deeply engraved in my mind. The second one was the one with Mamo and his DNA project.

If it wasn’t for that Lupin III: The First reveal trailer I watched, I wouldn’t have been interested in Lupin III in the first place, which gave me a huge inspiration for some characters I made. Thief media has always been an interest to me and I gotta say, Lupin III is one that I always look forward to when new content surfaces, so I can see what kind of clever plan and heist the gang is involved with. So, thanks for making this video to showcase what makes this series great.

Pretty good video. It's a shame Lupin doesn't a larger following here in the west, but at least there are companies that distribute it such as Discoteck media and Toonami. Let's hope the new CG film get at least a small theatrical release.

I'm really looking forward to seeing the Lupin the Third: The First movie. Ok its 3d cgi movie, but the animation looks like it could give Disney Pixar a run for it's money. But the trailer looks like it's going to be a lot of fun. It could be exactly what the franchise needs to break into the broader western audiences.

I totally agree: Lupin deserves way more attention and recognition. I'm excited for Part 6 but at the same time wanting it to be well-written, funny, clever, and humorous as always (especially now since so many shows have seemed to outlive their stories/gone on to end poorly). I see the Lupin stories as something like Batman: it's become immortal in a way as the characters evolve and their stories and settings expand. Lupin the 3rd may be a simple formula of the characters conducting a theft or becoming involved in a dangerous scheme, but the sheer unpredictability and humor is what keeps me watching. Yes, I know Lupin and friends will probably live, but the show does a good job at showing both the unexpected and the real-world consequences. I cannot easily count shows like this one that have me laughing hysterically one moment only to bring tears to my eyes in the next (literally only One Punch Man and Star Trek TNG are the ones that I can think of). Like you said, you really come to care about the characters. I hope this show never loses that quality. I guess I'll add my favorite movie, character, etc. to the mix: I love Castle of Cagliostro but I think my favorite movie is Crisis in Tokoyo (SPOILERS: though the insane intro of Island of Assassins made my jaw drop when I though Zenigata had been murdered). Red and Green was kinda meta--I thought it was set in the future after the team had passed away and was like the main character's hallucination--and confusing/poorly written but I really loved some of the musical cues in it. I'm also a bit odd in that my favorite character is Zenigata! :D I always love the episodes/movies where he helps the team (or they help him). I like the mutual respect and understanding between him and Lupin. I think my favorite seasons of the show were Part 2 (especially the episodes animated/directed by Miyasaki--they seemed so clever) and Part 5. I still haven't quite watched all the parts in completion (I tend to pick ones that look like they have Zenigata in it, lol). Ugh, sorry for the long comment. I could talk about this show all day! Great video! :)

Lupin III part two season 2 for me is the peak. Great 70's aesthetic, and the english Dub is hysterical! I find myself just laughing, and rewinding constantly.

I just want to say that the Green Jacket stories are some of the most underrecognized stories in the franchise (except for Cagliostro, of course), but mainly Part 1. Overall the quality was pretty consistent and has some really high stakes at times (Episode 4 might be my favorite TV story of Lupin III ever). Plus, we even get to see Goemon's "origin" story and character arc, which I found quite endearing. It also had some of the funniest bits, like Zenigata in the airplane, the Lupin outsmarting the time traveller, all those Lupin imposters, etc.

My childhood.. Used to watch it every single morning as a kid before school (I'm Italian and lupin is BIG in Italy. So everything was dubbed by some amazing voice actors. These days I watch movies mostly in English but the Italian dub of lupin is still way better than the English one)

I always felt like the Lupin III series in Japan has similar popularity to the Charlie Brown/Peanuts series in the West. Very well respected for its longevity and commitment to its original cast/characters and known by those who are fans of Anime/Cartoons, but both aren’t ever in the conversations of Greatest-of-all-time.

If you're willing to start with Part V, I would recommend starting with Part IV since it's still modern era Lupin with a good blend of light hardheartedness hijinks mixed with some darker tone plot lines. Part V is a much darker and mature story where the gang feels more jaded and tired in a world that is rapidly changing due to technology and the internet. There's a lot going on in Part V, so I feel that Part IV serves as a good precursor to provide context to the dynamic of the gang before they seemed so broken up in V, especially with Lupin and Fujiko. (IV - blue jacket with red tie, V - blue jacket with pink tie, black jacket was just a one off special).

Oh yeah the "black jacket" was a special from earlier this year, "Goodbye Partner"

Lupin III is so stylishly done and so cool. The music, the dynamics between the core characters... It’s like a hidden gem.

Lupin is like Doctor Who in the way it adapts to modern times while keeping the core aspects of the show mostly the same.

I thought this was a good video, but the script could have used trimming down. There's multiple parts where you repeat what you're trying to state (I think a good example is around 8:30 where you spend almost 1 min reiterating that "Lupin's an antihero", where I think it was properly conveyed in like the first 20 seconds). I think your narration is really good though, you sound pretty confident and as a direhard Lupin fan I could see this video bringing people to the series.

I'm hoping so badly that the movie is gonna come to Germany. If it doesn't, I'll greatly miss out on a chance to watch Lupin on a huge cinema screen.

Adult Swim.... then years later remembered how hilarious it was and tried to find it again only to discover what amazing evolution and extra content there was, and I'm hooked. By far one of my favorite cinematic creations of all time. And you're right! It's the characters. They're timeless. It was difficult for me to transition the cartoon-ish lunacy to serious at first, especially with inspector zinagatta. But now I fully appreciate the depth and development and creative material to work with and make the whole story and characters so dynamic, flexible and fleshed out. Talk about a fun way to suspend your disbelief and live vicariously through fiction. Lupin iii has become a timeless hidden treasure in a world where story telling has frankly become a little stale and cliche. And boring. But there's just something about Lupin iii that gets you excited and engaged. The characters have evolved to be likeable in their own unique quirks, stories and the way they engage with each other. Gigen is my favorite. His misogyny was a little cliche at first, but I'm delighted that it's been taken in a different direction than other characters that attitude is based off of, and is more of joke and played off as a sort of goofy complex of his instead of adding to his coolness and manliness and backstory. So played out. And it's been kind of thrown off to the side as his character evolves. Now he's like this laid-back, delinquent, thrill-seeking yet unenthusiastic, just super cool character, just along for the ride. And Fugiko is less of an honor-less backstabbing tease and more of an independent, capable team-player who lives by the code. Lupin has always been great, he's a great character and he's evolved smoothly and is just such a perfect and intriguing main character to base and drive these endless franchises. Zinnegatta, when they made him serious in some spin-offs, it made him less of a laughable oaf and gave him more gravity and respect of his character and his ability and skill in his job, and in his rare, hard-earned experience in chasing professional thieves, and how he maintains his high moral standards and honor, and yet is now savvy to the point that he has an edge over his less experienced counterparts, almost becoming as clever and devious as the outlaws he's chasing and stepping into the grey areas required. I still love his over-the-top ridiculous rendition, and I feel like they do a good job combining the two sides they've created for him into one person. Geomon has always seemed a little flat to me, but his character has made some huge changes as well, becoming funnier and more mysteriously intriguing. He's a great third wheel and really adds an extra layer of dynamic within the group.

Detective Conan is another "sitcom based around crime," but you're right that it'd be better if they didn't pump out so many episodes. Recently saw the Conan/Lupin crossover film.

Thanks. I grew up with Lupin (I'm italian, after all), and I recently fell in love with it thanks to Cagliostro, as I'm also a big fan of Miyazaki and Takahata, and I'm actually a fan of Takeshi Koike as well, so this video was just the kick I needed to decide myself to get into the franchise as a whole. In general, there's probably never been a series both so iconic and so under the radar, I feel like I owe it to Lupin and Monkey Punch, and I feel like everyone interested not just in anime but in cinema should watch it as well.

Lupin needs more love!!😩💕 It is amazing!!!

I've never been a big anime fan but I absolutely love Lupin III. It's quirky, fun, and never takes itself too seriously. You can't help but feel good when watching it and in that regard it's classic escapist entertainment.

I remember a few months ago I was scrolling through Twitter and saw the trailer for the new movie thats coming out, I was really interested and today I went back to doing research, I gotta say thank you for this video

This be me personal favored anime o' all time me hearty. And I be lovin it for all the reasons ye described. Especially ye claim that at the end o' the day, Lupin be just fun. Plus I see meself in him. I be a pirate and often after many o' the voyages I been on, I be left with so many pieces o' eight I could retire any day I see fit. But I carry on, for I enjoy the trill o' pirate's life.

Part 5 was sooooo good, yeah Lupun definitely ages like wine 🍷 🥂

I've noticed your videos capture how a viewer feels while watching the show so well. You're experience of first getting into monogatari was the exact same for me and the way you talk about the roller coaster that is lupin resonates with my experience. Makes this sort of stuff comfy to watch

This video is absurdly well made, you my friend, are underrated

I'd say the best place to start is where Disney started with it, The Castle of Cagliostro. It's one movie, but can really give you a damn good feel for what Lupin is all about. Plus it's a guaranteed great english dub thanks to Disney back when they actually cared :P Edit: Plus, it's Studio Ghibli, it's obviously the best place to start your journey into the Lupin rabbit hole! :)

I agree with every single word you said. I have loved Lupin (and been outright obsessed with Jigen) for almost 30 years now. Thank you for this ❤

In Europe it's exactly the same. Barely anybody knows the show and most haven't even seen the art at all. Exept Italy. Italy has an enourmous Lupin comunity

I want to see the Lupin 3dcg movie . I hope it gets translated.

I just watched Part IV and LOVED it!! Now I’m watching part II and loving that one too. I generally watch dubs over subs and the dubs have been brilliant

5:15. Ah, the old exploding bear trap in the ass trick.

Thanks for making this! I got into Lupin recently and it's great to see that there are other people who are into the show as well.

I just recently got into Lupin myself, thanks to an awesome friend of mine and I have to say that this video is not only excellent, but also incredibly accurate. I was absolutely blown away by both how easy it was to get into and just how quickly I fell in love with all the characters! There's a surface of charm, fun, beautiful artwork, and silliness that is held up by some incredibly deep and well thought out characters that are easy to love and empathize with. The newer seasons especially deal with some deep, and even dark material, but it's presented in such a way that it adds severity and bluntness without being exploitative while keeping just enough fun and humour to keep from weighing everything down. I am so excited I got into it in time for the CGI release and cannot wait to follow its progress from here!

The eroticism in the first season is said to be the result of the original comic's tone, which was created by Monkey Punch and published on a manga magazine for much older male readers.

You brought up a phenomenal I’d never thought about. You mentioned how it avoids overstaying it’s welcome by frequently going away and coming back. I myself have been a fan of Lupin for years but I’ll often drift away from it for months or years at a time, only to “rediscover” it all over again sometime later. I hadn’t thought about it before but I think that’s pet of what makes it work.

I'm in my 30s and I'm not really all that into anime (I used to watch Dragon Ball Z at a friend's house every week when we were in 4th grade and I also got into the Pokemon craze, but otherwise it's not a genre I'm all that familiar with). I was flipping through the PlutoTV channels one day and it happened to stop on a channel dedicated to this program. Ordinarily, I would've kept flipping but it just so happens there was all sorts of explosions and craziness going on so I thought, "Holy fuck, I don't wanna turn the channel now, I wanna see what happens next". It didn't even bother me that it wasn't dubbed into English. I couldn't help but enjoy it since it was so much fun.

This is an amazing video, Lupin is my favorite anime of all time. And I just recently got into it. Its never too late. I've been a fan for about a year or so. I started with part 4 and now I went back to part 1 and now I'm on part 3

this review is incredibly well articulated, your points and assessments really click for me loved this

A woman called fujiko is one of the best animated mini series in anime ever, even though it is strictly for mature audiences. Honestly it’s a masterpiece.

Can I also say that the franchise has one of the best core English casts in all of anime? While the series as never been short of excellent English talent (David Hayter, Sonny Strait, Chris Sabat, Mike McFarland, and Christina Vee have all been attached to the franchise playing one of Lupin's gang at some point), the current cast of Tony Oliver as Lupin III, Richard Epcar as Jigen, Lex Lang as Goemon, Michelle Ruff as Fujiko, and Doug Erholtz as Zenigata is one of the most entertaining combinations of voice actors in the modern dubbing era, in a time where ensemble casts are fewer and far between. I would make the argument most projects with this combination stand alongside luminaries like the Animaze/ZRO Limit dub of Cowboy Bebop and the Funimation dub of Ouran High School Host Club.

Lupin III's got the vibes of a Studio Ghibli movie, with the hyjinks of the Austin Powers movies, and never was that an aesthetic I wanted until now. I love the artstyle of the anime so much, as most mainstream animes are so convoluted and too "pretty". Lupin looks like Kill La Kill, simple and cell-shaded, but with unique character designs.

Thank you, your explanation of the series is why I love Lupin the Third.

God, I wish Lupin III was more popular in America. In Japan its a cultural fucking icon, and it's been massive in Europe since the 70s. In Italy specifically, it's probably the MOST popular anime. Seriously, talk to any Italian and they'll know about Lupin III, it's a household name there. Hell, they literally call crooked cigarettes "sigarette alla Jigen" and it's not common to see cigarette shops with a smoking Jigen as a signboard. Like what Mexico is to DBZ, Italy is to Lupin III.

You did a great job with this review or analysis on Lupin the III. The title did throw me off a bit but I checked with something different you did plus considered the timing here so- I figured why not- and now I do understand why the keyword: absurd used. At best, in the point of its function to give good-light, then I agree. And found this was quite well-thought out. A bit of history, what 'they' could mean to the fans and the color-jacket func. genius. Thank you for your work on this.

One of the things I've noticed about Lupin is that the characters are designed in such a way that allows them to be placed in virtually any modern time period and they don't look out of place. They look just as much a part of the 60s in something like The First as they do a more recent modern setting like part 6.

Lupe Fiasco brought me here. Now I have to start watching Lupin The Third. Great video!

While this video covered a lot, the overarching theme I could take away was how it mastered to age well. You made some interesting statements about ongoing series, how its broad and vague setting helped it reinvent itself while still keeping a very distinct identity. And how this ultimately allowed it to go with the time more smoothly than most other series over the years.

I grew up watching classics like Speed Racer and Battle of the Planets but didn't know about Lupin The 3rd until one night in April of 2003, when I was up late watching AdultSwim; it was that night that I became a Full Fledged anime fan. The anime that night began with Inuyasha, then Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Big-O and Lupin The 3rd; I stayed up every single night and watched every single one of those shows, each one is still held dearly in my heart; along with the originals Speed Racer and Battle of the Planets.

Many thanks from this longtime Lupin III freak. Just a couple additional Lupin III shows I want to rave about here: The Green vs Red OVA - what a wonderful mind-twisting homage that was. And from among the recent specials, Lupin III First Contact/Episode 0 is probably my favorite, and also a great recommendation for newcomers to the franchise.

The car chase at the beginning of CoC is amazing. One of the greatest car chase scenes on film animated or otherwise.

Castle Of Cagliostro was the first thing that introduced me to Lupin, and I've been a massive fan ever since! The series just has that classic something that I can't get enough of!

I've loved Lupin III since I was 24. I'm 42 and still love the show. Started with part 2 in 2004 and watched the episodes on Adult Swim. Bought several of the dvds along with The Castle of Caglistro and Mamu at SunCoast. A year or two ago I started watching part 2 again starting with episode 80. Last episode I watched was ep 135 about a week or two ago so I only have 20 episodes left. I've already watched parts 4-6 and several of the specials and movies. I've been watching the sub the last couple years and Part 6 episode 0 was the last special with Jigen's voice actor. Have to give that guy a lot of credit. He was 88 when he retired and he was the last of the original Japanese cast to do so. Everyone else retired or died in Lupin's original voice actor's case before part 4 started in 2012 as far as I know.

Glad this video got suggested to me! Watched your other videos and love them!

I was working for a company that was subtitling Japanese programs. The Castle of Cagliostro is one that I was a technician for. I served as both translator and technician, sometimes both. Cagliostro was an easy one since there was relatively little dialogue. It's mostly visual.

Lupin part 4 and Outlaw Star are the the animes that got me into anime, and honestly it was solely because of its artistic design. they both gave me retro-aesthetic vibes that i absolutely love, but it’s they’re storylines is what sealed the deal. from lupins adventures in crime, rebecca’s little storyline, and MI6s operations, while in outlaw star they’re in space, dealing with pirates, outlaws, cyborgs and androids, coming up with money to survive, and the mystery of the galactic layline. and now those two are my absolute favorite and has gotten me interested in watching more anime

Dang you really know how to sell Lupin...GREAT VID, gotta take a deeper dive than Castle of Cagliostro!!

I found lupin the third a few years ago and I got hooked immediately before part 4 came out

Was searching for Spirited Away or any movies like it on Netflix last week, and Lupin Castle of Cagliostro came up, and I really enjoyed it, now I'm going down a rabbit hole trying to watch and learn more about this wild anime

In college I had to take a public speaking course and I did my project on Castle of Cagliostro.

41 films "a handful of movies"

So good that even part 6 is OTW!

You good sir just made a hell of a video!!

Great video, thanks! 🙏💯

A huge surprise & many thanks for your favoritism! As of the generation of the early Lupin series in Japan (decades overseas now), you guys know much about the latest version. The only thing I'd like to suggest is to learn Japanese for the original comics by Monkey Punch (or translated into your language if available)! You'd surely be impressed discovering why lupin is how he is! Good luck!

The title of this video should've been " A Love Letter for the Lupin series"

This is definitely the best episodic anime without any question in my opinion, the only other one I would say rivals it is gintamas episodic structure.

I discovered Lupin when it started airing on Adult Swim in 2003. Back to back with Case Closed. I discovered Part 4 on Adult Swim last year and it's crazy they still have the same voice actors almost 20 years later.

Me and my dad used to watch lupin whenever he brings the projector at home, of course my favorite was the cagliostro movie- since then, i was hooked by lupin the third

Oh yeah I remember Lupin The 3rd being my gateway into anime. My uncle got some DVDs with like five episodes on them and I watched them like crazy. Hell I fell in love with the show so easily I bought the game on PS2. Lupin has to be my favorite anime, nothing comes close. Part 2 best part even though they're all good

I just know Lupin is a serie that Italians love

It's remarkable that one moment can be a goofy slap stick comedy and the next be violent hard-boiled crime story. With none of it feel off or disjointed.

I've seen this post going around regarding the Lupin III timeline if anyone every plans to watch it. I didn't create it, but it might help some people: Green Jacket: I know they are all episodic in nature, but this is what I came up with. I did have some conflict with Episode 0 and Fujiko Mine, I got some help with some fellows at a Lupin Discord Server and this is what I put together. The Woman Called Fujiko Mine (2012) -Jigen's Gravestone (2014) -The Bloodspray of Goemon Ishikawa (2017) -Fujiko Mine's lie (2019) -Episode 0 (2002) -Pilot Film (1967) -Part I (1971) -Mystery of Mamo (1978) -Castle of Cagliostro (1979) -Legend of the Gold of Babylon (1985) -The Fuma Conspiracy (1987) -Return of Pycal (2002) Red Jacket: This was the easiest and hardest slope of the Timeline. most of the TV Specials, OvAs and Movies as well as other Lupin Media. I had to mostly plot this one out via release date. and I stuck in things that I was gonna remove like where the Video Games, 2014 Live Action movie, and Red vs. Green Goes. -Part II (1977) -Bye Bye, Lady Liberty (1989) -The Hemmingway Papers (1990) -Napoleon's Dictionary (1991) -From Siberia with Love (1992) -Voyage to Danger (1993) -Dragon of Doom (1994) -Farewell to Nostradamus (1995) -Pursuit of Harimaro's Treasure (1995) -Dead or Alive (1996) -Secret of Twilight Gemini (1996) -Island of Assassins (1997) -Crisis in Tokyo (1998) -The Columbus Files (1999) -Missed by a dollar (2000) -Alcatraz Connection (2001) -Treasure of Sorcerer King (Game, 2002) -Return the Treasures (2003) -Stolen Lupin (2004) (unlicensed) -Angel's Tactics (2005) -7 Days Rhapsody (2006) -Elusiveness of the Fog (2007) -Lupin is Dead, Zenigata..(Game, 2007) -Sweet Lost Night (2008) -(Cased closed thing) (2009) -The Last Job (2010) -Eternal Mermaid (2011) -Another Page~Marco Polo (2011) -Princess of the Breeze (2013) -Live Action (2014) -(The First, 2019, debatable) -Red vs. Green (2008) Pink Jacket: This was the most easiest out of all of these thus far, since it's one of the shortest. -Part III (1984) -Legend of the Gold of Babylon (1985) Blue Jacket: These were a doosey, really! But I had to do my homework with Part 4 and 5 since there's an overarching plot. This one was also very easy to do. -Part IV (2015) -Italian Game (2016) -Part V

Castle of Cagliostro was my introduction to Lupin the 3rd.

and don't forget the blue jacket was located in Italy,totally,and even was premiered in Italy in honor of our country which is beloved in Japan, the great master Miyazaki loves Italy (Porco Rosso)

The way you described lupin reminds me of yakuza. And... yeah... they are really damn similar.

Exellent video !

I always had curiosity about the series, but just started with the one from 2015 and then, watched everything from that point to the last OVA(movie?). I really enjoy the characters and world of Lupin. I will still try some of the old movies, but I don't think I'll try to watch the older series (too much content). So, I can just recommend the more modern adventures of Lupin, but I can say that if you give it a chance you'll have a great time for sure.

5 minutes, only need 5 minutes of this video to convence me to watch lupin III... Twice. NICE VIDEO.

Been a fan since the early 80s yuji ohno is one of my fav composers

I've been a fan through every iteration of Lupin III. I feel fortunate in that way. I've been a huge fan of anime since Astro Boy in the 60s. Ironically I didn't come to manga until much later. Lupin is both nostalgia and current foe me. I love the show.

Theres a few recurring yet somewhat amusing plot points in some of the episodes. Ex. Lupin dies (again...), Literally all of Jigen's love interests dying or betraying him, Fujiko messing with the group's plans, etc.

I'd like to see a something in the animation style of the opening credits of Part 5.

I came to lupin III because of the new CG movie trailer, but the actual anime is amazing as well! Also the music is incredibly hype

It's funny that you brought up Detective Conan in a Lupin video, given that the two series have crossed swords twice.

Castle of Cagliostro was what got me hooked into lupin iii! The series is really balanced in what it’s aiming for in terms of fun.

I've been on a Lupin kick since picking up the manga. I really want to check out the recent 3D movie and the Goemon special.

I like how textbook this fan video is.

I got into this series thanks to Lupin the Third Part 4 and I mange to watch part 1, 2, most of the Movies, part 4, and 5. I’m trying to watch all of 3

I'm glad I discovered Lupin III. It's an amazing franchise.

Great video.