#can you tell cagliostro zenigata is my favorite

[soggifin]

I’m trying to figure out how to draw The Squad™️ and started with Jigen and Zenigata because they are my favorites

[headcanon-territory]

Lupin III movies/media and their respective side character/npc girl rating - excuse for rambling -⭐️

~order of when I watched it~

• The First : 10/10

>Sexy people movie

>still one of my biggest favorites

>This movie is strong with its characterization and interactions

>Everybody in this movie you guys have my phone number

>look I get it we have Sweet boy Lupin but girl you did not need to feel the need to save the nazi

>I kinda just skipped the scenes that are not involving lupgang I'm sorry Latitia

>why why are we now feeling bad for her nazi grandpa why why are we here

>the rating is perfect for the animation sorry guys

NPC girl: 7/10 - Latitia is fun when she's interacting with Lupgang she works well with them despite being so normal,, unless if it's her solo scenes especially with her grandfather

• Castle Of Cagliostro: 10/10

>peak lupin

>second movie so immediatly went from sexy people doing crimes to Hayao Miyazaki telling you to sit down and rethink life

>is there anything else to say cause many of video essays represents what j think of this movie

>STOP MILKING THIS MOVIE

>I got weirdly hyped when I realize that ending was the scene that Marisa stole that precious thing referenced

>I need more zenigata and lupin moments with how this movie does it

NPC girl: 9/10 - Clarisse is the prototype sure but the tone of this movie helps her stand in and not awkward with the cast most of the time

- I also feel emotions like I cared for this girl in comparison to Latitia

•Prison of the Past: 10/10

>I had a blast

>Zenigata and Yata are the best here sad that Yata's character didn't transition into part 6 apparently

>First introduction to Yata though that I seen clips of him in Part 5 prior

>cute robot heehee

>Harvey stardew valley why are you here

>Yata beating up lupin and going apeshit with no intentions to be will always be my favorite

>rewatched for comfort from nostradamus' Zenigata

NPC girl: B - Florensa was that her name?? Didn't care, that fighting scene was good tho

•Tokyo Crisis - 9/10

>Fun Movie

>Alot alot of Zenigata in this I'm happy

>we can excuse Goemon getting nerfed the shit he has to go through is funny

>Fun artstyle

NPC girl: 8/10 - what the fuck was the plot with the villain using her egg cells about I forgot

She slayed tho, casually has psychic powers that rocks

•Detective Conan vs Lupin III [the second one] - 5/10

>watch this one for the scenes with Jigen and Conan only

>I do not care about that idol boy and his manager what are you guys doing

>the fujiko bath scene with Ai is.. eugh../neg

>also this one is one of the movies with creepy lupin uh oh

No NPC girl but the crossover experience?: 4/10 get that idol boy OUTTA HERE

•Blood Seal ~ Eternal Maid: 9/10

>refreshing characterization after watching the Case Closed crossover oh my god

>Cute Fujilup in this

>Plot fun kinda died down when the little girl dropped the "I wanna be a thief" Plot for her sister

>still good tho nonetheless

>GRANDPA LUPIN DESIGN HERE WOAH??

>Especially its depicting a young Arsene Lupin and its funny on how sweet he is compared to our grandpap Lupin in Lupin Zero where he straight up ripped a woman's tooth

NPC girl: 9/10 what I mentioned earlier deducted a point but she is very fun in the first half of the movie I do care for her and her sister. Love all these little kids wanting to become Lupin

•Fuma Conspiracy: 9/10

>I need to rewatch this

>Was Goemon young when he met Murasaki in her young girl school uniform 😧..

>Weirdly I didn't feel like there was that much Goemon despite being a Goemon movie

>One of the best Fujiko Designs woah

>I don't care that it tries to replicate The cagliostro feel it was still a great movie

>the budget issues tho sheesh

NPC girl: 8/10 - Murasaki is cute I really don't mind;; after she got rescued it's like she dosent matter anymore but not in a bad way I do enjoy her company. Again with the change of tone she fits in [but I dont like the implication with her and Goemon from earlier]

•Farewell to Nostradamus: 10/10

>I love this movie fuck you

>I can excuse the absolute butchery they did to Zenigata because of how crazy this movie is

>still I need mental recuperation for that

>weirdly this and fuma are up on YouTube and these guys has good animation but why are they left up there??

>I do love this Lupin even though he's not that different from other movies but this specific version of Lupin is my fav

NPC girl: - 10/10 JULIA SOLOS I love her she dgaf most of the time either of how she has been under her parents protection and had fun after everything and she wants to be Lupin III?? EVEN SHE AND LUPIN ARE TRYING TO BUY A CANEO FOR SERGEO?? STOP THATS SO CUTE

-also she and Lupin gets along because of being kids born from rich families that wants freedom and fun

Bonus: Tagalog Dub

>This one is more funny than the sub but hey who loves themselves with pinoy humor

>Lupin gives Goemon and Jigen nicknames [Goemskis and Jigs] and i love it

>Lupin in my boiling blood is half Filipino with all my heart that i would die on this hill

>They removed the pedophile lines from Julia only because her first encounter with Lupin was changed from "You like little girls" to "You like dolls?" Probably for cultural reasons

>and other scenes calling Lupin a pedophile is changed to "The guy that looks like a monkey"

>Zenigata when he finally saw lupin after he's mistaken as dead added "Lupin, buhay ka pala, UNGOY KA!" ["Lupin you're actually alive you monkey!"]

>Lupin's first time seeing goemon "And lalaking sakam! Na walang hilig sa Chika babes!" [It's the Lonely/Greedy not interested to chicks and babes!"]

>Would it be funny if you decide watching the lupin tagalog dubs because you're a big Englishira

>I'm unironically calling Lupin by <Lu-Pin> not <Lu-Pon> because of this

•Green vs Red: 9.5/10

>Sometimes I'm watching a psychological horror movie

>and that thought came to mind when Green Lupin was panicking inside the car when red lupin came in

>and when Goemon couldn't handle that his friend's face is everywhere by people trying to impersonate him??

>and the "real" Lupin spying on everyone in the beginning sounding so depressed as he spies on zenigata??

>this shit was surreal I love it

>jigen was hot Grabbing on that helicopter wait whatt

>goemon tied up whaattt

>Serious sexy zenigata whattt

>this movie left me with emotions I think I'm supposed to rethink life

•Lupin III vs Cat's Eye: 8/10

>oh boy that artstyle is so limited to what it can do

>I have not watch Cat's Eye I didn't dig into any summary of Cat's Eye I immediatly jump in

>they cool tho

>I like Ai

>Lupin blowing a kiss to Zeni and Grabbing Jigen by the ass you kidding me

>Lupin gets injured so bad but not for drama intensity but to nerf him he's fucking blind for half the movie

>Goemon our mann he knew that burger hoe was badddd

>GOEMON YOUR SWORD

>YOU GUYS ARE INTIMIDATING A MAN IN THE PARIS CATACOMBS

>TWO MOVIES IN A ROW WITH THE NAZIS INTO THE PLOT

>Zhongli why are you talking to Lupin

>Lupin's voice is also low for majority of the scenes because of how tired he is.... stop the car,, I had to watch dub for the difference of Tony Oliver's performance

>It's alright but Kanichi's voice has some.. effect on me

>I need more lupin getting fucked up maybe I should go watch part 6 idgaf [I did]

>all of my screenshots of this movie is lupgang being very bloody and sexy

>crossover experience: 7/10 and I didn't got to be properly introduced with Cat's Eye

•Operation: Return the Treasure: 8.5/10

>A fun one

>Everybody really did shine here huh

>ESPECIALLY GOEMON WHO;

-ok the first minutes he's in already witness his benefactors murdered

-reunites with the gang and first thing done is trick him into giving back the treasure and get chased down after

-Gets arrested

-Got shot by the shoulder

-bleeding in an alleyway

-Got slammed by the door

-stabbed that crazy bitch clean despite that the blood was censored even though he wasn't censored also getting stabbed and shot?? Or is the zantutsken just like that

>Movie's a win when they have a good Fujiko

>Last act has pretty visuals

>shits gonna turn to the diamond castle from barbie

Npc girl: 2/10 why why are you can you exist nowhere we don't need a few shots of you admiring the scenery of that tower

Even the crazy bitch Is cooler than you

☆~Woohooo! I'm kinda new to Binge watching Lupin despite getting into the fandom 2 years back

Now last thing to note is that I'm scared facing the most harsher Lupin entries with the Lupin similar to Manga Lupin because the Lupin that was formed by Miyazaki in cagliostro then balancing him in movies like Nostradamus is my comfort,;,

[sourgrapelaffytaffy]

Alright what’s lupin the 3rd it looks SO CUTE AND GOOD AND IM DYING

KICKS DOWN THE DOOR

ALRIGHT LISTEN UP FOLKS IM ABOUT TO TELL Y’ALL ABOUT POSSIBLY THE GREATEST ANIME OF ALL TIME

First of all) It’s created by the amazing late Monkey Punch, who has such a great grasp on humor I cannot even imagine anyone else meeting that level.

THE STORY: It’s about Arsène Lupin’s (fictional gentleman thief) grandson, Lupin iii, and his adventures with his gang in trying to steal from literally everyone and everything. Lupin is a goofball who’ll do anything for a treasure as well as a kiss from a lovely lady. My friend has described him as “big of heart, dumb of ass” which pretty much sums up all you need to know.

Lupin is joined by his partner & best friend Jigen, a shootstraight gunman who can make any shot. And he was based on James Coburn’s character in The Magnificent S.even, who also could make any shot! The man who dubbed Coburn’s roles into Japanese also voices Jigen! How cool is that? Jigen looks like he would be a stern, no nonsense mobster, but he’s actually as much of a goofball as Lupin is. 

They’re joined by Goemon & Fujiko! Goemon is a quick to be flustered Samurai who tries his best to help the two in anyway he can. His sword can cut through anything which leads to amazing comedic shots. Fujiko is the woman who’s got Lupin wrapped around her finger. She can get him to do literally anything for her, and often betrays the group once she gets what she wants, but sometimes helps them out a whole lot. Lupin always falls head over heels for her, no matter what she does.

And THEN THERE’S INSPECTOR ZENIGATA!! Rightfully nicknamed “Pops” by the group of thieves, Zenigata is part of the ICPO and in charge of catching Lupin and his gang, though Lupin more specifically. While he is determined in catching them, he’s more focused on getting them to serve their debt to society instead of rotting away in a cell. He does care about the group and their well being, and certainly doesn’t want any of them to get hurt. He often has to team up w/ Lupin to defeat a greater threat, which is personally one of my favorite parts. Think of his chases with Lupin like an elaborate episode of human Tom & Jerry. You can probably guess that Pops is Tom. HE IS STRESSED & NEED TO GO TO SLEEP & PLEASE GOD JUST LET HIM EAT HIS RAMEN IN PEACE

“But Peggy!” I hear you say “There’s so much Lupin iii content! How do I even start?”

WELL LUCKY FOR YOU!! I HAVE A RECOMMENDATION LIST OF HOW YOU CAN GET STARTED!!

First of all: Movies / TV Specials

Castle of Cagliostro (1979)! This is the first film Miyazaki ever directed! YES!! THAT MIYAZAKI!!! If you want to get into Lupin & see how all the character dynamics work, then this is the film you start with. Lupin & Jigen travel to a small country making counterfit bills, but end up trying to save a locked up princess instead. It has GREAT animation! You can find this in HD on Netflix! (Miyazaki also directed episode 145 of part 2!)

Next keeping along the same vibe is The Fuma Conspiracy (1987): When Goemon’s wedding gets crashed, he, & the gang must go rescue his bride and find a secret hidden treasure along the way. This one has more Goemon, a great car chase, and good Fujiko characterization, yAAAY!!! This one’s on Kissanime!

Farewell to Nostrodamous (1995)! My personal favorite as of right now! A doll containing Lupin’s diamond is snatched by a little girl, & when this girl gets kidnapped, Lupin & the gang must find a way to get her back. This one has EVERYONE in character! The animation is amazing & it has one of the best sequences I’ve ever seen. I don’t wanna give too much away. This one’s on kissanime as well.

Blood Seal: Eternal Mermaid (2011): Last on out “Get started” movie list is this TV special! A young girl named Maki begs Lupin to make her his apprentice in the art of thieving. But why is she so persistent? This special has great character moments & amazing animation. Give it a watch on kissanime!

This is getting long but SERIES REC TIME BAYBEEEE!!

I started with Part 4: The Italian Game (2015)Lupin & his gang adventure around Italy stealing & causing general mischief. This series is what got me into Lupin. It has fun, heart, and has individual episodes for other members of the gang (Jigen, Goemon, & Fujiko) so it doesn’t just focus on Lupin! It’s a great way to learn how the characters interact with each other and it FUNNY as hell!! This is my personal favorite series, & it’s what got me into Lupin in the first place. You can find all episodes on kissanime.

Part 5: (2018)On amazon prime & kissanime but oof it’s kinda rough around the edges. More pushing towards adult humor if anything. If you’re going to watch it I recommend episodes 11 & 18. They focus solely on Lupin’s gang & their interactions with each other. 

Definitely give Parts 1, 2 & 3 a try too! I’m currently weeding my way through them, so I can’t recommend much yet.

There is “edgy” Lupin content, so if you’re into more dark, adult content then go for it, but it’s not particularly my style. I think Lupin should be fun!

IF YOU GIVE ANY OF THESE A WATCH!! FEEL FREE TO TELL ME! I NEED MORE PEOPLE TO GUSH ABT LUPIN WITH WHILE WE WAIT FOR LUPIN III: THE FIRST TO RELEASE IN THE STATES!

[paunchsalazar]

hey!! bro ur my number #1 source for lupin III content so can I ask like how in the hell I go about watching all the series / movies / etc for it in order??? I’m really pumped for the live action so I wanna at least dip into all the other stuff. thanking ya kindly //tips hat

hello!!! what an honor!! oh my… ok I’m so sorry in advance… I’ve gotten a few similar asks and I started writing out a list and it was getting over 1500 words long so I had to try to chill out…so…

LUPIN III CRASH COURSE

I’m sorry that this is so long.. and consider I cut it down! but here is my intro because I know this franchise is huge and confusing!! (I’ve had multiple instances of friends being like ‘I tried to find that Lupin thing you like but I could only find the third one?’) 

I kind of liken it to Scooby Doo? it stretches some 60 years and has been handled by many different writers, directors, and animators across very different eras? most important to know! the order doesn’t really matter and things aren’t really sequential (save for where the three most recent shows) so you can jump in and explore whatever seems compelling! it’s overwhelming because there is so much but also nice because there’s something for everybody! if you like fun and pure, edgy, etc. etc. 

feel free to disregard everything coming… I will say my personal priority order is

- Castle of Cagliostro

- some episode of part 2

- part IV, ideally all of it! there’s filler but it’s hard to know which ones

- part I (or some episodes of it? up to you!)

- Fuma Conspiracy

- part V 

- part III (it’s great too!! just not as sequential as IV and V)

- First Contact… truly indulgent but its so cute!

(below I broke down a little about each and my favorite episodes, where to find them, etc. and there’s so much more but just doing everything below is a whole lot)

TV (All the shows except for The Woman Called Fujiko Mine are on Crunchyroll!)

Part 1 (1971) - crunchyroll!

The beginnings kind of a weird feeling because the first half was directed with one vision vs. the second half being co-directed by Takahata and Miyazaki, there’s a shift in Lupin’s personality and most significantly they sought to shed his ‘sense of apathy’ and make him more of a hero? something that’s echoed later on! honestly, I don’t think the transition is as dramatic as some people find it? but it does shift across the episodes and end on a sweet note!

truly they all have something to enjoy but I made note of 

episodes 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 16, 18, 19, 23 

for some reason? really really suggest watching the last episode! but get a bit of the first and second half beforehand!

Part II/Red Jacket (1977-80) - 155 episodes - on crunchyroll dubbed and subbed

there are a lot so I tried to narrow it down to a few of my favorites/ particularly noteworthy ones? I bolded my absolute favorites! I’m sure I missed a few but save for a few two-episode arcs you can jump in anywhere and it’ll be fine.

episodes 1-79 are dubbed on Crunchyroll! In my personal opinion the script makes it worth it!! there are a bunch of non-dubbed episodes anyway if you want to get a feel for both

(these episode titles are often hilarious, misleading, and/or horribly embarrassing?)

1 - ‘The Return of Lupin the Third’ - just a good starting point!

5 - ‘Will the Leaning Tower of Pisa Be Standing?’

6 - ‘Tutankhamen’s 3,000-Year-Old Curse’

7 - ‘Venetian Super Express’ - I want to say this is a cute little road trip episode? it’s been so long

9 - ‘Steal the FIle M123’ - this dub… madness. very strange Christopher Walken impression for absolutely no reason?

10 - ‘Bet on the Monaco Grand Prix’

15 - ‘Crude Reproduction, Perfect Frame’ - Lupin keeps committing strange and uncharacteristic crimes, but he has no memory of doing so!

29 - ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ - Lupin has some mysterious Levitation Technique and everyone is after it 

32 - ‘Lupin the Interred’ A famed hitman is after Lupin!

34 - ‘But Your Brother Was Such A Nice Guy’ - this episode is one of the zaniest ones and that’s saying a lot… Vampires? Jesus? Really really funny moments though especially in the dub

42 - ‘Cruisin’ in Drag’ Lupin infiltrates the ship of a wealthy bachelor disguised as a woman 

45 - ‘Diamonds and Minx’ kind of a mess of people stealing from each other? 

46 - ‘The Island of Dr. Derange’

57 - ‘Alter-Ego Maniac’ - Inspector Zenigata goes criminal

62 - ‘Church of the Poison Mind’ - Jigen and Goemon stumble into a religious cult

69 - ‘Zenigata Getcha Into My Life’ - this title is awful but this episode is great. 

78 - ‘Ice, Robot’ - an inventor has made a machine that can cry diamonds!

79 - ‘Baton Death March’ 

81 - ‘Fujiko, Men are a Sorry Lot!” - Fujiko gets engaged to a Prince, the rest of the gang goes after the monarchy’s Golden Bell

96 - ‘Lupin’s Gourmet World’ tbh this is a vore episode but there are some great gang moments here and a really fun third act

99 - ‘Fighting Jigen’ - first anime episode (I think like in history? but I could’ve misread) in stereo! And I believe the first to air of the TMS staff’s work, you can tell because the style shifts to a more Miyazaki/Cagliostro look and this will keep happening for the rest of the show

101 - ‘Fervent Love at Versailles’ - a crossover episode with Rose of Versailles! 

103 - ‘The Wolf Looked at an Angel’ - Goemon is an angel I can say little else

104 - ‘The Most Dangerous Golden Bed’ - debut of perhaps the best opening! I love this episode?? so much?

112 - ‘Danger! Goemon’ 

122 - ‘An Unusual End to an Expedition for Napoleon’s Treasure’ 

143 - ‘The Miami Bank’ 

145 - ‘Wings of Death: Albatross’ - ah yes, one of the famed Miyazaki-directed episode, truly so worth it

151 - ‘To Arrest Lupin, the Mission at the Highway’ - another not exactly Miyazaki episode but a lot of the people he trained? They depart from the part 2 style(s) again but its a good bit of fun all around! Really lovely character animation

152 - ‘Jigen and the Hatless Pistol’ - Jigen loses his hat and thus his ability to shoot

155 - ‘Thieves Love the Peace/Farewell, Dear Lupin’ - the finale episode! Miyazaki-directed as well, and just beautiful 

Part III (1984) - 50 episodes - crunchyroll!

I’m still very early in this one so I can’t say much yet! But it gets a bad rep? Perhaps for being more inconsistent stylistically and a bit on the zanier end! But I really like it!! these drawings are such a blast! I think each bit has its merits and this one is no exception. Plus with all their freedom animation-wise they can do a lot of fun stuff!

The Woman Called Fujiko Mine (2012) - 13 episodes - on kissanime for certain and I think animetake?

this is the most dramatic departure from the rest of the shows/films/specials. Fujiko Mine is the star of this part! It definitely has less obviously plot-important episodes but it’s one narrative from start to finish. I must note that it’s by far Lupin’s edgiest, I think it’d be safe to deem this part as R-Rated. There’s sex, violence, sexual violence, abuse, bodily mutilation, obsession… a gay character who gets a pretty tragic fate (at first I was excited by the very existence of an LGBT+ character but he really goes through the wringer and never gets a resolution.. I don’t want to spoil). This is probably Lupin at his ickiest? I do like Jigen’s personality here! And his dynamic with Fujiko, but it’s a lot more disjointed than the other parts. She meets each of them separately and towards the end, Lupin and Jigen interact more but there’s barely a time when they’re all together. That’s not meant to be a deterrent but personally, I’m a sucker for their friendship and love them as a group so it’s a bit of a bummer. Sequential plot-wise though! This one is definitely captivating, a bit disturbing, and there is a plot-twist that really got me. The villain design is really cool too!

Part IV (2015) - 26 episodes - on crunchyroll, also dubbed on Funimation

This part is narrative-based and sequential! It still has some more standalone episodes but there’s definitely an overarching story throughout! I think they’re all worth watching and might leave little important bits that’ll be confusing later on. Essentially this part takes place in Italy for the most part and starts with Lupin getting married to a multi-millionaire heiress/model/celebrity who wants to get into the thief business. This one feels like a good combination of old and new, it’s not quite as silly as the earlier parts can be, but it’s full of nostalgia while still feeling original. I really had a good time!

This dub isn’t bad but!! It comes with a different opening and soundtrack, I guess Lupin’s pretty big in Italy and perhaps there were licensing issues? I’m not sure? But it’s a bit of a bummer to be without the Yuji Ohno soundtrack. The alternate opening feels more like a collection of stills and footage found throughout the show? It’s not horrible, just different! Regardless, the Part IV Japanese OP (vs. the Italian/US one) is worth a watch!

Part V (2018, airing on Adult Swim right now, summer 2019!) - 23 episodes 

I’m actually not done with this part but its good fun! more directly tied to part iv then the others are to each other. It’s more sequential as well with a few sub-arcs and since it fell on the franchise’s anniversary it has callback episodes with Lupin in various jackets in various tones. Interesting Lupin characterization here… he seems… sadder, wistful? and we get hints of Lupin lore! Lots of fanservice but… I love it! I still think they could’ve pushed it more? it feels somehow more reserved than part IV in some ways, which is already different from the 70s and 80s, but it’s got a lot of lovely moments!!

Films/TV Specials

From 1989 to 2011 they had a special every year!! So much!

Castle of Cagliostro (1979) - Available on Netflix! 

perhaps the best-known piece of media in the Lupin franchise? And rightly so. This film is Hayao Miyazaki’s directing debut and a blast from start to finish! This characterization of Lupin is definitely Miyazaki’s more than Monkey Punch’s but that seems to be the strange nature of the Lupin franchise! I could really go on forever… please watch it!

The Fuma Conspiracy (1987) - 

perhaps harder to find, but it’s on Kissanime! Goemon is getting married but before the ceremony is over the bride is taken by the Fuma ninja clan and the gang helps him to get her back as well as learn the story of a family heirloom? Really great stuff from everybody! Adorable Zenigata, the fluffiest and most handsome Goemon, cute Jigen, Fujiko, and Lupin interactions, a really really incredible car chase! Even with Cagliostro’s fame, this one has got some serious pizzazz

Episode 0: The First Contact (2002) - on Kissanime as well! 

A journalist asks Jigen how he met Lupin III, this is probably my favorite TV special? And features one of my favorite opening scenes in the whole franchise. The instrumental!! Perhaps each member of the gang at their purest, whatever that means, really great moments between everybody and peak Lupin and Jigen meeting and somehow signing up to be life partners

[recentanimenews]

Crunchyroll Remembers Their Favorite Lupin the 3rd Stories

On April 11, Kazuhiko Kato—better known to his fans by the name Monkey Punch—passed away. Kato created many amazing works in his time, but the best known and most beloved of all was easily Lupin the 3rd. For many of us here at Crunchyroll, it was one of our earliest anime, if not an actual gateway series.

  Today, we here at Crunchyroll News and Features are taking a look back at our favorite films and episodes, as well as what made us love this crazy series. We'd love to hear from the rest of you, too: tell us in the comments what makes you love the Lupin Gang and what story you loved most. If you're new to the series, we hope this encourages you to check out one of the standards of anime.

  Thanks to everyone on the team who took part and shared their memories!

    Paul: The true genius of Lupin III is that the characters are archetypal, and so they can map onto whatever story the writers and directors want to tell, from slapstick nonsense to hard-boiled, noir-style thrillers filled with murder and gratuitous nudity. Lupin, like Batman, means something different to everyone, and there is so much more to the character than simply “red jacket”, “blue jacket”, “green jacket”, etc.

  My first experience with Lupin III was The Castle of Cagliostro, and I've got a lot of time for The Woman Called Fujiko Mine and Jigen's Gravestone, but I'm sure everyone and their cousin has some kind words to spare for those entries, so I'll devote a few phrases to the weirder animated entries: The Fuma Conspiracy, The Mystery of Mamo, and The Legend of the Gold of Babylon.

  Although I own two different DVD releases of The Fuma Conspiracy, I remember almost nothing about the film itself except that it involves Goemon getting engaged, the entire film is basically an extended (and exquisitely animated) chase scene, and the AnimEigo release had to fudge Lupin's name as “Rupan” because of the lawsuit with Maurice Leblanc's estate.

  The Mystery of Mamo has clones, a giant space brain, ridiculous cameos and product placement that got scrubbed from the Geneon release, like 6 different English dubs, and perhaps the single greatest visual rhyme in anime cinema history, which juxtaposes Lupin teasing Fujiko's nipple with world leaders pushing the Big Red Button for a nuclear missile strike.

  The Legend of the Gold of Babylon is so goddamned weird that is makes The Mystery of Mamo seem “two bedroom one bath white picket fence in the suburbs” mundane by comparison. I haven't managed to sit through the entire film in one viewing, but it's co-directed by Seijun Suzuki and it's arguably the most divisive work in the entire Lupin III franchise, so it merits a mention.

  But none of these wild and woolly adventures would exist without the original manga from Kazuhiko Katou, aka “Monkey Punch”, and while straight manga Lupin with no chaser is way too raw for me, it's the primordial essence from which all other interpretations of the characters spring, and the world is a smaller, meaner, and pettier place without Lupin's creator in it.

    Carlos: I’ve always loved the phantom thief genre in any medium. I loved it as a Super Sentai, adored it when Persona 5, and of course, couldn’t get enough of it in the eclectic series of Lupin the 3rd.

  Kazuhiko Katou’s legacy has truly been immortalized in Lupin’s escapades, being one of the earliest examples of the phantom thief trend in Japan and modernizing Arsene Lupin’s adventures for generations of fans to enjoy. The anime world has lost an old time visionary, but he left us with his timeless classic that I’ve loved for so long, and will enjoy for years to come. Whenever I sing “Memory of Smile,” I’ll raise a glass to Monkey Punch.

    Noelle: My first introduction to the series was Castle of Cagliostro, having also grown up on Ghibli, and something about that was just so fun and enjoyable.

  The Detective Conan crossovers are also a bit of lighthearted fun- Lupin exists everywhere!

  All Lupin works embody the phantom thief sub-genre, but instead of being something heavy and ominous, they are free-spirited. Lupin, Jigen, and Goemon all have chips on their shoulders, but that doesn’t stop them from causing trouble and generally having a good time while doing so. Every installment is witty, clever, and I’m always eager to see how the gang will come out on top.

  The truest Lupin installment that greatly stuck with me is of course, The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, which ranks as one of my favorite anime series to this day. It doesn’t focus on Lupin himself but Fujiko, and her adventures of self-discovery and living her own life. This one was a far more serious series, especially compared to the far more carefree Lupin series that I’d been exposed to, but it worked.

  I’d usually watch Lupin whenever I wanted something that I know I’d enjoy, but also makes me feel good. There aren’t many series that manage to do both.

Rest in peace, Monkey Punch.

    Nicole: It’s been hard to reconcile with the fact that Monkey Punch is gone... My first encounter with Lupin came from Castle of Cagliostro, where I immediately fell in love with the Miyazaki directed version of Lupin as a dashing thief and the misfits that followed him around. I remember hearing from a lot of people when I first wanted to expand that “Oh that isn’t really Lupin, that’s a sanitized version of him,” and over the years I kind of find myself disagreeing with that more and more. Lupin is a lot of things to a lot of different people, and I think Monkey Punch really created a unique and amazing set of characters that various directors then worked with and left their mark on. I still find myself rewatching Cagliostro whenever I get a chance, and I find it an amazing ‘first anime’ movie to show to people who have never really seen much anime at all before.

  The Lupin TV series are filled with so many amazing episodes, and when I originally drafted up a top ten list last year, I ended up starting to rewatch the whole thing again. Even though some adaptations of Lupin are a bit better than others, I would say that anyone who likes the idea of a master thief and his madcap capers will find a lot to love almost anywhere in this series, and I hope that maybe in this sad circumstance of Monkey Punch’s passing, people will get curious enough to investigate the series and fall in love with it too.

  Some of my favorite Lupin memories and moments, aside from Cagliostro, have to be those dealing with Zenigata. As much as I love the Lupin crew, there’s just something charming and attractive about Zenigata’s character that always made him so much fun to watch. As I mentioned in my list, there are a lot of interpretations of Zenigata, but I always prefer the hard-boiled, semi-noir detective version of him that episodes like “Until the Full Moon Passes” or “The Woman the Old Man Fell in Love With” depict. I think the reason I always liked Zenigata so much is that he’s really important for Lupin to play off of, and without Zenigata, I don’t think you’d really enjoy Lupin as much as a character! The moments where the two of them really face off, or even work together, are some of the most magical moments in the series overall; on that note, I really recommend curious viewers to check out “The End of Lupin III”, another great pick.

  Finally, I’ve come to appreciate the Miyazaki influence in Lupin more over the years, and realize that without Monkey Punch, we probably wouldn’t have Studio Ghibli today; those who are curious to see where Miyazaki got some of his original directing starts might want to check out his Lupin episodes, and of those, “Farewell, my Beloved Lupin” is amazing (and keen Miyazaki fans might see a lot of similar designs here to later movies!) and of course the amazing Miyazaki take on Fujiko in “Wings of Death: Albatross”! I’m sure there’s so much more I could talk about or recommend, but I’ll just say that Lupin, in all of his incarnations, is worth it, with something for everyone, from various movies and tv shows to spin-offs like the amazing Woman Called Fujiko Mine, I hope that creators will keep honoring the vision and memory of Monkey Punch and deliver us more amazing Lupin content in the future.

    Joseph: Like many people, my first exposure to Lupin as a character was in Miyazaki's Castle of Cagliostro feature, which I still think is his best movie as a director. That characterization of Lupin, I would go on to learn, is just one of many, and I would soon see just how different his origins were when Tokyopop started publishing Monkey Punch’s original Lupin manga in English. Looking back, it's probably not the best representation overall, but it's still interesting to see how the character has evolved since those rough early days.

  The next time I caught him in action was back when Part 2 would air on Adult Swim—*checks paper* almost SIXTEEN YEARS ago?—and I've kept up with him and the rest of the gang irregularly over the years. My favorite thing about the franchise is just how flexible it is in general. While the broad strokes of each character may remain along the same lines depending on the jacket du jour, Lupin offers up a distinct canvas on which artists can apply their own unique sensibilities. I especially appreciate stuff like 2012’s The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, which is about as decadently artsy as Lupin gets.

    Kara: I spent two semesters in my college's anime club my freshman year being generally okay with anime. It was Castle of Cagliostro that got me all the way in. I remember when I finished watching it, I turned to my friend and said, "I'm actually kind of sad there's no more movies with these characters in them." I had no idea how ridiculously wrong I was.

  I loved earlier specials and series, but what I'm loving now is the flexibility the characters have after 50 years. We had The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, which was downright surreal but ultimately rewarding when the other shoe drops. The new movies have been fantastic as they bring in a largely new cast. And for me, Part 5 was some of the most satisfying anime I've ever watched, Lupin or otherwise. It felt so in the spirit of Kato-sensei's original work, while still creating new riffs on it.

  For me, anything Lupin is my go-to on a bad day. I know it's going to be funny, I know the "good guys" (whether or not Zenigata sees it that way) will win the day, and I know there's a lot of heart in every single version. It's hard to believe the gang's creator has passed on, but I'm also glad he got to see his work beloved by the world, and that it will continue strong for new fans.

  Series available on Crunchyroll:

>> Part 1

>> Part 2

>> Part 3

>> Part 4

>> Part 5

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Kara Dennison is a writer, editor, and interviewer with bylines at VRV, We Are Cult, Fanbyte, and many more. She is also the co-founder of Altrix Books and co-creator of the OEL light novel series Owl's Flower. Kara blogs at karadennison.com and tweets @RubyCosmos.

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