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[NecrosaroIII]

Lupin the Third is one of the best anime franchises, yet it doesn't get brought up that much here in the states. It was a career maker for Hayao Miyazaki for christ's sake. Yet it is mostly forgotten, even though they're still making shows of it.

What makes the franchise great?
The Characters:
The core cast, Lupin and his gang, are all vibrant and hilarious. Jigen, Lupin's trusty sharpshooting partner, is my favorite character. I like his cool headed personality. My all time favorite character is Zenigata, an interpol detective and Lupin's obsessed sometimes enemy, sometimes ally

The Heists:
The show is essentially a heist comedy, with light sci fi elements. Usually the cappers are pretty fun, with some neat twists. Usually Lupin ends up taking down a criminal worse than he is.

The music:
The Lupin theme is iconic. First appearing in Castle of Cagliostro, it's now synomous with the character. It's usually a mix of enka and lounge jazz. Sets the tone perfectly.




There is a show currently airing, Lupin Zero. It's about Lupin as a kid. It's certainly fun. But at the very least check out Parts 2, 4, 5, 6 and various specials. Part 3 isn't that good imho. Part 1 definitely has its charms, but it's very different from the rest of the franchise.

 

[kondorBonk]

There were copyright issues originally and Leblanc's estate did go after early attempts to be aired in other countries.

Lupin eventually did enter public domain but as a kid all the Lupin movies I saw on VHS in stores used the "Wolf" or "Rupin".
Even Castle of Cagliostro he was called "Wolf" in the US.

Adult Swim I think began airing the Part II series in the early 2000's and Leblanc's estate either got paid off or they knew it was entering publiv domain soon enough.

Fantastic Series with some having different flavors than others. But its understandable for the US not to be as obsessed missing out on 30+ years of content.

My favorite however is The Woman Called Fujiko Mine. Its a full series and 3 movies that is closer to the manga and more serious in tone. Its a great starting off point as well.

 

[jshackles]

I absolutely love Lupin III. Lupin Zero was good, but I felt like they could have done a lot more with it than six episodes. The newest main series (part 6, the one that mostly took place in London) was amazing and a masterclass in modern animation.

Also, Fujiko

 

[kunonabi]

Over time Lupin III has become one of my favorite series. Its greatest strength is just how flexible it is. It can be crazy sci-fi or pretty grounded, family friendly or sexed up and super volatile, all because of how amazing the core characters are. Personally, I love part III. They did some pretty wild stuff in terms of animation on a tv budget. The artstyle does take some getting used to, especially the latter half, but it's so full of energy and has some of my favorite episodes.

The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is indeed fantastic and had it stuck the landing in the last couple episodes it would have been an all-timer for sure.

I find Parts IV and VI to be the weakest myself.

 

[AJUMP23]

I am a big fan of Lupin. Aways thought it was a great series.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

I had one problem with the Fujiko series.

Spoiler

I didn't like how Zenigata fucked Fujiko. I dunno. He should be always be pure.

 

[jshackles]

I'm just going to leave these here without comment

Is Lupin Still Flirting? by AlexisRoyce, Tsushi

Enemies to Lovers Dating Simulator

alexisroyce.itch.io

The Jig is Up! by AlexisRoyce, Tsushi

If you wanna be gay and do crimes, you’re gonna need a partner.

alexisroyce.itch.io

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

The first series was incredible, some of the violence on display left me speechless when I watched it recently in streaming. The show was significantly tamed down after that, probably making it better suited for success because of a more relaxed age rating. Wacky Lupin is the best Lupin.

I binged the Italian series in one night a few years ago and it was surprisingly good, some episodes were just amazing. Some full-length movies are also very good. Even the live-action film wasn’t that bad.

I watched very little Lupin considering that it’s an institution for the millennial generation in Italy. I should make up for that someday.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

I haven't watched Lupin the First yet. Was it fun?

 

[jshackles]

I haven't watched Lupin the First yet. Was it fun?

Personally I really liked it. My wife (who hates movies and anime) also enjoyed it. It's goofy, but fun.

 

[Badlucktroll]

They made Lupin Saturn game

 

[kunonabi]

I haven't watched Lupin the First yet. Was it fun?

It runs into the usual problem Lupin movies do where most of the gang gets shoved off to the side for most of the movie but it's still an entertaining time.

 

[Lasha]

I haven't watched Lupin the First yet. Was it fun?

Lupin the First is gorgeous and fun. I was skeptical of the series transitioning to 3D. My fears were assuaged within the first ten minutes.

 

[gow3isben]

As a noob how should I start watching this? Is there a watch order for seasons etc?

 

[NecrosaroIII]

As a noob how should I start watching this? Is there a watch order for seasons etc?

If you have a tolerance for old anime, Part 2 is a good starting point. Part 4 is a good starting point too.

There is sort of an issue with the newer material kind of relying on knowing who the characters are, so they don't really bother to introduce them, but you'll figure them out pretty quick. It's not like there is a super tight canon or anything. It's mostly episodic, with loose overarching plots.

 

[ClanOfNone]

Though I didn't realize it till many years later, my first intro to Lupin was the OLD laserdisc arcade game Cliff Hanger.
I watched a few of the feature length movies, but the only thing I really remember is some big lumberjack mofo (Hawk?) who was a total badass.

 

[kunonabi]

As a noob how should I start watching this? Is there a watch order for seasons etc?

Lupin isn't huge on continuity so in theory you can jump in most anywhere. Villains sometimes return here and there but it isn't a big focus. It's typically an episodic franchise so it has some of that timeless James Bond appeal. There are all sorts of films and tv specials which work well as one offs. If talking about the various series than part 2 is the usual suggestion as it features the characters in their more popular and recognizable iterations along with all the other Lupin staples. The series also covers a pretty wide range of tones but honestly a lot of it gets a little too out there especially in the back end. It's a very long series so trying to watch the whole thing is a sizable task.

Part 1 isn't bad but it's very old-fashioned and the tone skews little darker and more experimental although it does start to grow into a more lighthearted and typical Lupin show by the time it ends. Probably better to save it for later if you feel like seeing how it started.

Part 3 is underrated but the art style is very oft-putting and it has a reputation for being too whacky and out-there which I personally feel is a little undeserved. I don't think it finds the right balance with the core cast as some of the other series so again probably not the best place to start.

Part 4 gets a lot of praise, and it certainly has an amazing intro, well the Japanese version anyway, but it i found it to be too dry and honestly kind of boring. It tries to mix a more serialized story with some one-shot side story episodes so it has a more modern feel to it but I find it to be very uneven and the main plot is kinda eh. Still, it does have some really good episodes and it's more grounded and approachable than 2 and 3. Well, mostly.

Part 5 is everything 4 wanted to be as far as I'm concerned. The characters are firing on cylinders here and its pretty damn consistent all the way through. It's more of a commentary/celebration of the series with a lot of references and more character development than usual, so it benefits the most from being familiar with the series. The ending in particular is kind of a deep cut but it's such a good show you could probably still start with it anyway. It does build off 4 in regard to Fujiko and Lupin and some other bits so it might be worth watching 4 first.

Part 6 is sort of a mess to be honest. On paper it sounds like it should be a slam dunk but the writing doesn't live up to it most of the time.

The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is a more artful and sensual take and not very indicative of how the rest of the animated franchise typically operates. It's gorgeous and expertly crafted so I think it's worth watching in general but it was real shock to the system for a lot of fans. Definitely on the more adult end of the spectrum for Lupin.

 

[CGNoire]

Lupin the Third is one of the best anime franchises, yet it doesn't get brought up that much here in the states. It was a career maker for Hayao Miyazaki for christ's sake. Yet it is mostly forgotten, even though they're still making shows of it.

What makes the franchise great?
The Characters:
The core cast, Lupin and his gang, are all vibrant and hilarious. Jigen, Lupin's trusty sharpshooting partner, is my favorite character. I like his cool headed personality. My all time favorite character is Zenigata, an interpol detective and Lupin's obsessed sometimes enemy, sometimes ally

The Heists:
The show is essentially a heist comedy, with light sci fi elements. Usually the cappers are pretty fun, with some neat twists. Usually Lupin ends up taking down a criminal worse than he is.

The music:
The Lupin theme is iconic. First appearing in Castle of Cagliostro, it's now synomous with the character. It's usually a mix of enka and lounge jazz. Sets the tone perfectly.




There is a show currently airing, Lupin Zero. It's about Lupin as a kid. It's certainly fun. But at the very least check out Parts 2, 4, 5, 6 and various specials. Part 3 isn't that good imho. Part 1 definitely has its charms, but it's very different from the rest of the franchise.

Cause everyone forgot about it after Cowboy Beebop.

 

[killatopak]

It does in mine. Load of people collecting their figures in my toy community.

 

[Lasha]

Don't sleep on the original books either. Arsene Lupin reads like Sherlock Holmes except with a main character who is actually likeable. They are hilarious and hold up well.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

Pretty awesome to see Lupin referenced in Western movies.

 

[GymWolf]

I onestly only watched lupin for zenigata, the swordman and the bitch.

But it is very famous in italy.

 

[Stitch]

Lupin III vs. Cat’s Eye is on Prime Video

 

[NecrosaroIII]

Wow, so much Lupin goodness recently!

 

[Tams]

Lupin III vs. Cat’s Eye is on Prime Video

Oh, I have Japanese Prime. That's my entertainment tonight sorted!

Not that I ever really got into Lupin, and while very well known in Japan, I think it's becoming an oldie. I don't think a lot of young Japanese people even know about it.

 

[01011001]

it was mildly popular in the mid 2000s in germany for a bit when MTV broadcasted it.
they even produced an exclusive opening theme for that german broadcast, which will be stuck in my brain forever I think lol

 

[NecrosaroIII]

Watched Lupin the First last night. Kind of reminded me of Indiana Jones and the last Crusdade, but didn't feel derivative. Was a lot of fun. Some of the plot elements were bat shit insane and I loved it for it.

Spoiler: Spoiler

The Eclipse was totally alien technology