Lupin the 3rd: The Complete First Series

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 match; later, stoic master samurai Goemon Ishikawa XIII joins his team. Throughout it all, femme fatale Fujiko Mine constantly seduces and subsequently undermines the main trio's heists. Unlike her appearances in later entries, this Fujiko is coldhearted, and is more of a villain than fans of the second series would be led to believe. Underscoring this groups exploits is the brave, bumbling Inspector Zenigata, who is always just ONE STEP AWAY from catching Lupin. Together, this motley crew of characters get into various tight spots, helping and hindering each other in varying amounts.While the routine is similar to contemporary entries, the direction is anything but. The first nine episodes helm closer to Monkey Punch's original manga than any series up until "The Woman Named Fujiko Mine", nailing effortless coolness and seedy undertones with the minimalist stylings of director Masaaki Osumi. Fan service and sex jokes, though tame by today's standards, abound in these episodes. Lupin is more carnal, and the plots are more intricate. In my opinion, the best of these episodes is the fourth, "One Chance To Break Out", in which Lupin makes one of his most daring and intelligent escapes in the history of the series for the sole purpose of humiliating Zenigata. It's a joy to watch, and strikes the perfect balance of grime and whimsy.The latter of those two traits takes over after episode nine, however, when Osumi was kicked off the show for refusing to make it more family-friendly. That's when little-known talents Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata (yes, THOSE guys) were brought in and given a chance to shine. The sensibilities and sense of wonder that would later define their Studio Ghibli films are all here; their episodes wash off excess grime and focus on crazy capers, turning Lupin into more of the lovable knucklehead we know him as today. While the early episodes are amazing in their own right, the series would have arguably not had its perpetual popularity without Miyazaki and Takahata's magic touch. It could be said that these two men defined the Lupin character as we know him today. Given that he is one of anime's definitive characters, this is no small accomplishment.What remains consistent are both the excellent voicework and jazzy soundtrack. Yasuo Yamada, who retained the role of Lupin (with one exception in "The Fuma Conspiracy") until his 1995 death, is wonderful here. Seeing him slowly get the feel for a character that would define his career is a joy to watch. The same goes for the other actors, who stayed on board until the latest film, "Blood Seal - Eternal Mermaid." The soundtrack is a prime slice of old school jazz by Takeo Yamashita and Charlie Kosei, made before composer Yuji Ohno came in and decided he wanted to stay on board for every single piece of Lupin animation from the second series onward. Music here is a clear inspiration for Yoko Kanno's soundtrack in the 1998 masterpiece, "Cowboy Bebop."The same goes for this whole series, as Shinichiro Watanabe has admitted in interviews before. Needless to say, a direct inspiration for such a stroke of brilliance can't be that bad. While some of the more hardcore Lupin fans (although I find it hard to imagine there are those more obsessed with the franchise than me) will argue which half of the show is better, I choose to sit back and take in the whole experience. This show is a true classic, and one of the first examples of true maturity and sophistication in Japanese animation. Lupin has stolen countless treasures in his forty-plus year run, but with this series, he manages to capture the hearts and minds of viewers. And that, as Zenigata puts it in the timeless "The Castle of Cagliostro", is the most precious treasure of all.Plot: A+Animation: A+Music: A+Voice Acting: A+Overall: A+

THis is what not only started the Lupin3rd on Anime but also was the archetectect of Adult/Pop Culture in Anime-I mean 1970/1971 Having Robert Plant & Bonzo (no less!) of Led Zep(Back Then!!) as part of your opening titles &Lupin & my man Gigen all pimped out-I Must state that this is restored wonderfully it is dubbed so for hours you will be reading text-Some old schoolers prefer this-But I feel compelled to state this in a review.That aside this is the genises of not only Arguably - the Oldest / consistant creative & entertaining Franchise/series (case in point The Mind Bending/Eyeball melting re-amagining of Lupin3rd in last years wonderfully Dark & Delicious A Woman named Fujiko Mori)...This not only was the starting point of directors/production co.'s art directors,editors etc.etc. careers who would shape Anime as we know it /The storytelling is TOP Notch (minor neg. points a couple of spelling errors-thu w/ my dismal spell. skills I'm not complaining just giving an objective review-Even though there were a LOT of problems w/ budgets being pulled/poor ratings-ITs amazing they were able to finish this many ephisodes!-Also included are informative historical notes &Did I Mention Led Zeppellin are in the opening Credit's...in the early 70's!!!!I mean I think they played at the time in Japan twice (both sold out ) but still-&well I could go on &on about the amazing detail to details this (and most Quality )anime has...Enjoy!

To understand the Lupin megafranchise one must understand the first TV series. This series is not only historically significant but an interesting lesson on what happens when the directors get shifted in a TV series. This can be seen as representative of the entire Lupin franchise--It starts out harder-edged and violent but goes into a transition period where it gradually becomes more family-friendly and marketable. In a sense it has every interpretation of Lupin--the hard edge of the manga, the light-hearted but still violent Red Jacket series, and the wacky capers of the Pink Jacket series (by the way, Discotek--I would love you forever if you brought this over)and Discotek Media's wonderful set brings the original TV series over on DVD remastered and subtitled only.The extras are great, more than anime fans are used to but no doubt less than a fan of bigger blockbusters would expect.The series is a delight, the disc is a delight--everything's great! Buy this disc if you're a Lupin fan--and despite the dated animation, it's a great place to start if you're new to Lupin.Definitely one of the better sets in my collection!

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 pricetag, that could be a dealbreaker for some. Personally, for a collection of what might be the best 23 episodes of one of my favorite animated franchises, it was absolutely worth it.

ゆえに、両方持っていても全然ムダ感がありません。北米版は、ライナーブックレットとかもなく、パッと見が海賊版かと思うような殺風景さなのですが、DVD自体は、他の方もレビューされているようにこちらに軍配です。海外版の嬉しい盲点？として、日本語セリフがオリジナルそのまま（いわゆる不適切表現も）なのが最高です。国内版のソフトでは望めませんからね。クレジットが「東京ムービー」なのも同様。昭和の、当時見たあのルパンに、まさか逆輸入で会えるとは思わなかった！感涙。

If you're a fan of Lupin III, this is a set to get. If you're on the fence, or looking to get into Lupin III and thinking of starting from the beginning, I'd temper my review and say this is more to satisfy curiosity than actually enjoy. This is the first series from 1971 where Lupin wears a green jacket. Here's the unvarnished truth Lupin III fans won't say: the early episodes are bad. Weird, dumb plots with everyone being unlikeable. Even when Miyazaki and Takahata come on, some things never get fixed (like background music ruining some of the action). They only manage a few great episodes very late in the series. If you're looking to get into Lupin III, try some of the movies first. Oh! and the DVD case for this set is bad. It's 3 discs, and I recommend buying a better case to hold them.

great TV series and a must own for any lupin the 3rd fan.Now only if Someone would release all 157 episodes of season 2 on DVD and Rerelease some of the more Rarer lupin the 3rd movies/films."Here a list of some of the film's the Series.1. the castle of Cagliostro2. missed by a dollar3. secret of mamo4. fujikos unlucky day5. dead or alive6. bye bye liberty crisis7. princess of the breeze8. sweet lost nights9. the fuma conspiracy10. napoleons dictionary11. the legend of the gold of Babylon12. memory of the weather-p 3813. order to assassinate lupin14. the stolen lupin15. the last job16. zangetsu sword of fire17. lupin the 3rd vs detective Conan (Part 1 2011 and part 2 2013)18. the seven days rhapsody19. Blood seal eternal mermaid20. another page21. the first contact22. lupin the 3rd kiri_no_elusive23. alcatraz connection24. from Russia with love25. angel tactics26. hunt for harimos treasure27. secret of twilight Gemini28. memories of the flaming Tokyo29. farewell to Nostradamus30. return of pycal31. Hemingway papers32. red vs green

DVDをテレビに使用して見ました！

Great DVD. Region free so works on my region 2 Blu-ray player. A must for any Lupin fan.