Finest Lupin the 3rd series gets its first official stateside release
Since its creation in the late 60's, Lupin the 3rd has had several television series and feature-length adaptations of the original manga created by Monkey Punch. This DVD collects the first-and arguably, the best-series, with many episodes directed by legendary anime filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. This is the first time that this series has been brought over for an official release here in the States, and as such, these episodes have never been dubbed. The language options are Japanese in 2.0, and Japanese in 5.1, with English subtitles, which is how the majority of Lupin fans would argue the series was meant to be seen anyway.
The package itself doesn't contain too many frills--liner notes for each episode and a couple episode commentary tracks by American "Lupin experts" are the two main bonus features, but it does contain both versions (theatrical and TV edit) of the Lupin feature-length pilot. It's not quite barebones, but it isn't "deluxe" either, and for the $50...
"Lupin, he's a nice guy"
This Anime is truly a really old one. The character hardly move at all (There is tons of standing still, only mouth moving scenes), each episodes story is predictable and the series isn't as perverted as the new Lupin. But is it entertaining? Hell yeah!
The music is one of the highlights here. The theme song consists entirely of a man reapeating "Lupin the 3rd" in different tones. The BGM is really awesome too. One infamous track is "Lupin - Nice Guy", a song where a man brags about Lupin in weird ways. The intro uses scenes from the episodes, but in a really amusing, 70's kind of way. It's like the cartoons you used to watch when you were a kid. Most of the episodes isn't continuous, so you can basicly watch any episode you watch. The only episode that proves different, is when Goemon arrives.
Since Hayao Miyazaki took over the show after episode 8, there is almost none nudity after this. The first 8 episodes have fanservice, but much milder than today. The...
Lupin Begins
When we think of Lupin today, we think of a funny, amicable thief who has a heart of gold. That's why some fans were a little put off by the fact that the newest Lupin TV series, "The Woman Named Fujiko Mine", was incredibly dark and disparate in its approach to the franchise. What those fans may not remember, however, is that the latest series is actually closer to the master thief's beginnings than any of the entries released in the last 20 years or so. "Lupin the 3rd: Series One" is sinister and mysterious, and much of its humor is perverted or black. However, this is not a knock on the show. In fact, it is a complement, for it is undoubtedly a classic that anybody, anime fan or no, will enjoy.
The shtick is pretty familiar at this point, so I'll keep it brief. Titular protagonist Arsene Lupin III is a master thief, known for his vivacious personality, ability to defy common logic, and weakness for women. His partner is Daisuke Jigen, a sharpshooter with a sharp wit to...
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