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Delays, delays, delays... Now 4 episodes!??? An 8-30 release in Italian, but 4 episodes already out. Also, this was supposed to come out in Japan in October but I saw it in Japanese not long after trying to decipher the Italian. (taking Italian did not help me.)
Anyhow...
The new Lupin is finally going damnit!
So just getting this out of the way. Blue Jacket Lupin looks almost sharp in the blue and red tie.
I have to admit though, I had some trepidation going into the new series after watching the 2 part OVA Jigen's Gravestone by Redline creator Takeshi Koike.
That was a dark, gritty Lupin that looked gorgeous, and gave Lupin a worthy adversary.
Oh, and he had a blue jacket too.
Episode1
This series starts off interestingly enough with a marriage, and if you know Lupin, that is a little odd.
This is the first indication that this is going to be a bit of a different Lupin.
For the most part Lupin titles do not have an on-going story. Outside of a few continuity continuations in the old series, the gravestone OVA and of course The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, normally Lupin is just a chock-o-block of stand alone capers.
I enjoyed the almost Cagliostro feel of this title. It is set in Italy and had that charm of Lupin being in Europe with his trusty Fiat 500
Now more than ever it fits the country it was meant to. The episode was for the most part, kinda slow. As we are finally reintroduced to the cast, we see everyone in their standard clothing attire save for some different coloring schemes. (this happened in the other Lupin series. Jigen has moved to a sporty purple undershirt, while Goemon decided to wear the only pink samurai garb ever. Even Zenigatta has an odd red tint to his trenchcoat.
But the biggest add, is Rebecca. Unlike Fujiko, she has a more thrill seeking nature and
her thieving was just because she wanted too. She would have ended up with the treasure no worries.
Anyhow, her designs are cool and cute.
and her fashion style is quite good as well.
The action is only short lived, with a rooftop chase right out of Manuver Gear from Attack on Titan.
I liked the first episode, but I have to admit, to have not seen any Lupin before, this first episode acts like you should already know the characters.
The animation is a bit better than the TV specials in my book. It is TMS at their finest, which is just very good. They keep it simple and not try to overwork the character designs. There is fun play with light and the backgrounds of the city look highly detailed at times.
So far I enjoy the show immensely, but it is through highly rose colored glasses of nostalgia.
Episode 2
This one has a car chase!
Nothing like a Lupin with a zany car chase. The whole story of the football player seemed like it was a ends justifying a means.
There is a sequence with a grenade that made me actually laugh. Jigen and Lupin's deadpan reaction to it is classic.
after a cigarette lit up by Jigen, one of the family mafia heads tosses a grenade at them, only to have Jigen nonchalantly nick shoot it back at the guy who tossed it.
The episode fills in some of the issues Lupin will face, and that being the mob style bosses. Overall this was just an episodic episode.
Episode 3.
A little darkness in this episode as Jigen is
actually tortured. We also get more of Rebecca. and the new bad guy, who was in former episodes but briefly
You can watch most any Lupin out of order, BUT, this one would help had you seen something Lupin first,
It sorta throws you into the story as if you know Lupin's gags, characters reactions and who in the hell is this Interpol cop after lupin?
I think if a person has at least some working knowledge, they will pick up on it fast enough. That said, It is still a show you could watch without seeing other series first.
The show so-far is linear though. Meaning, in the old series you could watch even the TV show out of order, but this 4th season, you need to see it from where Lupin is married first. Woman Called Fujiko Mine was similar.
There is a fun link with Castle of Cagliostro. Just a minor one. In episode 3 there is a treasure attached to it.
Bumpity, don't know who's in, but buddy group, start-o! One episode per day.
01:
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This was a pretty fun, and enjoyable introductory first episode for me, blistering with retro and classic style. The animation, and art style, oh my fucking goodness, OH MY GAAAWD. Fab as fuck, and everything really popped out to me. It's a good modernized update, on an old franchise. It's just nice in general coming back to some Lupin, and seeing these familiar faces. It really felt like classic Lupin to me. Rebecca looks like she's going to be a new fun whimsy/spunky addition to the very well established cast. (Fujiko is great ofc, but it's nice to have another female face)
It's pretty interesting to note, they kept the same voice actor, for Jigen though, he's probably really old as fuck at this point lol
Man, I really just can't get over, how fucking awesome this show looks though. This was great stuff, all around.
P.S. I've already said it already, but that OP is the bomb, and ED is pretty nice too.
Ep. 1:
My first meeting with Lupin. And what a weird meeting that is. I have no idea who the characters are, and Lupin's voice is certantly different than what I expected. That being said, I love the animation. And the opening has to be one of the best openings I have ever seen. The music and the animation go so well together! The ending is nice, too. Also, I think I'm in love with Fujiko Mine.
Sidenote: why aren't there any characters assigned to the series?
Ep. 1:
My first meeting with Lupin. And what a weird meeting that is. I have no idea who the characters are, and Lupin's voice is certantly different than what I expected. That being said, I love the animation. And the opening has to be one of the best openings I have ever seen. The music and the animation go so well together! The ending is nice, too. Also, I think I'm in love with Fujiko Mine.
Sidenote: why aren't there any characters assigned to the series?
Yeah, it kind of throws you into it, tbh though, it's not like the characters are super deep or anything, so you don't really need to know much, beyond their classic archetypes really. Doing a very quick skim through their roles, should really be enough I think, as Lupin stuff is quite self-contained, so, it should be quite easy to pick up.
I would, but @Tents is watching this with me and she always gets on me for wanting to get ahead. I tired to explain that it's because I am a natural leader, but she just said "that's not what that phrase means." Cute she's trying to teach me how to English.
I would, but @Tents is watching this with me and she always gets on me for wanting to get ahead. I tired to explain that it's because I am a natural leader, but she just said "that's not what that phrase means." Cute she's trying to teach me how to English.
It tosses you into the characters and their dynamics without a lot of exposition about the characters and their relationships. The exposition is saved just for the relevant story bits to fill in the plot of the episode. The plot is simplistic and the twists are easy to predict and that puts the emphasis on the characters and their interactions, but when they're this entertaining I don't mind at all.
My favorite part of the episode was Goemon being so salty about not being told the plan ahead of time. He got in a few great passive aggressive jabs. His almost tsundere like reading of the line "I'm not doing this for you. It's a wedding present" was hilarious.
I like the way the episode just shows the characters interacting and let's you pick up on the relationships. It's a lot better than going through and explain the long history between the characters. As @GenSan said the relationships are all classic anyway, so it's easy enough to pick up on.
The other neat thing is the more recent entries in this series really play up the professional pride that Lupin and company take in their work. They don't care about the loot, they just want to pull off complex and convoluted plans in the most stylish manner possible. It usually goes to shit quickly since Lupin and Fujiko can't help screwing each other over, but that's all part of their adventure. There's definitely an aspect where these characters are in on it for the thrill, but unlike Rebecca it's more than that because their reputations are on the line as well. Lupin is offended she would use his name, because if it puts his reputation at risk.
I'm hoping we'll be seeing more of Rebecca. She could be a fun wild card in the cast since, she's a thrill seeker, but she's also a novice thief and could throw some interesting dynamics into the works. I just hope they won't play too hard on a love triangle between her Lupin and Fujiko.
Lupin III: Part IV was one of my favorite anime in recent years. Did a really good job of getting that groovy Lupin vibe down while providing a really fun running story. Had a few poor episodes but it was an overall very entertaining anime. There's an episode about midway through I won't spoil for you guys but it blew my mind how emotionally invested it made me realize I am in Lupin. Which is probably mostly because I'm a fan of the franchise as a whole. Hopefully you guys enjoy the series as much as I did! :)
The art is great and all, but it bugs me all the dudes have super hairy hands. The dudes in general are harrier than most anime characters, which is probably why this sticks out to me so much.
The art is great and all, but it bugs me all the dudes have super hairy hands. The dudes in general are harrier than most anime characters, which is probably why this sticks out to me so much.
Pfffffffffffft, tbh, obviously a good thing. Are you saying, you don't like dem hairy hands? After awhile, I get a bit tired, of all these super cleanly looking, and bishie anime characters. This is a nice change of pace from, all those hairless, pretty boys, son.
Lupin looks like a playboy from a 70s porno/action flick and I appreciate that they haven't changed that look over the years. He still acts like a kind of misogynistic Sean Connery James Bond-esque character as well which I love. It's a great time warp to a very groovy time.
I like that the modern entries are aware of this point and make it a bit more palatable, because it's usually what bites Lupin in the ass the majority of the time. This was also the case in the older series as well, as Fujiko was never anyone's fool in most of the older stuff, either, but in the newer stuff it's definitely more pronounced, which I can appreciate. It keeps the classic vibe without it feeling completely dated.
Yeah, it kind of throws you into it, tbh though, it's not like the characters are super deep or anything, so you don't really need to know much, beyond their classic archetypes really. Doing a very quick skim through their roles, should really be enough I think, as Lupin stuff is quite self-contained, so, it should be quite easy to pick up.
I think it's maybe for the best. It could get boring fast if they spent the first couple of episodes just introducing everyone. I just can't get my head around why the samurai dude is there.
