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This page is about the full Lupin III'' Media franchises. For more information on the character entitled "Lupin III", see Arsène Lupin III.

is an anime and manga series originally created by manga artist under the pen name in 1967 as a part of Weekly Manga Action. It began as a parody of a series of novels by Maurice Leblanc featuring a French gentleman thief named Arsène Lupin. It became extremely popular and successful, being turned later into three animated TV series and many movies and TV specials which continue to this day. It is also the inspiration for other anime and manga series, perhaps most notably Cowboy Bebop.

Cast of characters

The names are in Western order, with the given name before the surname.

Lupin the Third (ルパン三世 Rupan sansei) is the grandson of Arsène Lupin. He is the world's most skillful and most wanted thief. Sometimes he just steals whatever he wants, and at other times he prefers to steal from disrespectable people. Often in his adventures, he will take it upon himself and his gang to foil other criminals engaged in more serious crimes. He often appears incompetent, but it is mostly a disguise. While he has been arrested and thrown in jail on a number of occasions he has always managed to get broken out. He also has a fondness for fancy gadgets from time to time. His infatuation with Fujiko Mine is perhaps his biggest weakness, as it lands him in unsavory situations most of the time.

Daisuke Jigen (次元大介 Jigen Daisuke) is Lupin's marksman. He can perform a 0.3-second quick-draw and his shooting has amazing accuracy. He prefers to conceal his eyes using his hat, as it gives him a more enigmatic appearance. In the anime series, it is revealed that he uses a notch of the hat to aim. He is also proficient in the use of many different firearms, such as machine guns, sniper rifles, and even a PTRS anti-tank rifle. His accuracy borders on the superhuman, literally never having missed a shot in the entirety of the series. He also feels quite naked without a gun: during an enemy attack in The Fuma Conspiracy, Jigen didn't have his gun on him and still instinctively reached for it, humorously shooting the air without a gun.

Goemon Ishikawa (石川五ェ門 Ishikawa Goemon) is the thirteenth generation of renegade samurai, beginning with the real-life historical figure Ishikawa Goemon (石川五右衛門). He has a sword called Zantetsu-Ken (斬鉄剣), meaning "iron-cutting sword", which can cut through anything. It is said in the anime series that Zantetsu-Ken cannot cut konnyaku gel. To Goemon's dismay, Zantetsu-Ken is usually used to cut inanimate objects, which Goemon considers unworthy of his blade, rather than human flesh. He is usually quiet and participates in Lupin's exploits less frequently than Jigen. Objects cut by Goemon will fall apart a couple of seconds after he cuts them up with his blade.

Fujiko Mine (峰不二子 Mine Fujiko) is Lupin's love (or lust) interest. Despite her appearances, Fujiko is an extremely intelligent and crafty person and will use her feminine charms to get what she wants from any man. She is also an expert when it comes to firearms and even rivals Lupin when it comes to her burgarly skills. Lupin and Fujiko were never really lovers although occasionally Lupin scored with Fujiko, especially when the latter is dying to find out about a particular detail that Lupin knows. She will also routinely makes a deals with Zenigata or Lupin's current enemy in an attempt to gain her freedom or to hopefully gain a piece of the loot he is after. While Lupin normally is able to outsmart Fujiko, she is able to make off with some or all of his loot on occasion. It should be noted that Fujiko does exhibit feelings of love for Lupin, but only during a near-death experience.

Inspector Zenigata (銭形警部 Zenigata-keibu), full name Koichi Zenigata (銭形幸一 Zenigata Kōichi) has made it his mission in life to arrest Lupin. Zenigata is based on a famous Japanese crime fighting character named Zenigata Heiji, best known for throwing coins as a weapon. Zenigata's handcuff throwing technique is his own take on the character's choice of weapon. He would love to arrest the other members of Lupin's gang, but Zenigata is really after the mastermind himself. Lupin and Zenigata appear to be the worst of enemies, but they are, in a manner of speaking, friends; something Lupin shows openly (often by greeting Zenigata with mock affection), but it is an idea Zenigata is extremely reluctant to entertain. Similarly, he is often awed by Lupin's genius, but refuses to show it. In the movie Lupin vs. The Clone, it is mentioned that Zenigata has a daughter Toshiko, but this isn't developed any further. While usually portrayed as a bumbling fool in most of the anime, Zenigata in the manga is a very clever and crafty adversary to Lupin. In the movie Dead or Alive, Zenigata is portrayed much more faithfully to his character in the manga.

Manga series

The original manga series was published by Futabasha on Weekly Manga Action from August 1967 to April 1972. Monkey Punch's main character was the grandson of Arsène Lupin, but Lupin III was far from being a gentleman like his grandfather. In this first manga series, Lupin is a lecherous sex maniac with an extreme lust for women that can never be satisfied; yet, he somehow remains a likeable character. This parody of the original Lupin character was inspired by MAD Magazine; in fact, the art style of the early manga has a very striking resemblance.

  • Rupan Sansei - Lupin III (first series by Monkey Punch)
  • Rupan Kozou (mini-series by Monkey Punch)
  • Shin Rupan Sansei - Lupin III - World's Most Wanted (second series by Monkey Punch)
  • Rupan Hassei - Lupin VIII (by Kon Oriharu)
  • Rupan S - Lupin III S (by Takaguchi Satozumi & Shusay)
  • Rupan Y - Lupin III Y (by Yamakami Manatsuki)
  • Rupan M - Lupin III M

Television series

Each Lupin series can be easily identified by the color of Lupin's jacket, which changes each series. The later movies and specials also use this color scheme, so it is possible to determine approximately where these specials fall in Lupin's career, though there are exceptions.

Episodes 7 through 23 of Series 1 were directed by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata (who both went on to form Studio Ghibli).

Series 2 was notable for the fact that a new episode aired every week in Japan for three years. It was also the first anime series to be broadcast in stereo (albeit intermittently), beginning with episode 99. This is also the Lupin III series run from time to time on Adult Swim on Cartoon Network. Two Shin Lupin III episodes (145 "Albatross: Wings of Death" and 155 "Farewell, Beloved Lupin") are also famous for being directed by Hayao Miyazaki; they were released in America by Streamline on VHS under the title Greatest Capers.

Many stories in the anime were adapted from the both the original and second manga series, although some had to be toned down for television, especially in Series 2, which was made with younger audiences in mind.

Movies

TV Specials and OVAs

The first anime work about Lupin the 3rd is the Pilot Film (13 minutes, 1969); it is an OVA (Original Anime Video). There are also 2 OVAs: The Fuma Conspiracy (74 minutes, 1997) and Return of the Magician (50 minutes, 2002). The TV Specials are released in the late summer on NTV (Nippon Television) in Japan, usually at the end of July, and have been an annual tradition since 1989, these are full-length, 90 minute features. There have been 17 specials released as of June 2006.

Video games

The anime has also spawned various games based on the show.

Recurring themes

  • Often Lupin has an opportunity to kill Zenigata, which he always passes up. As an example, once Lupin nearly ran over Zenigata with a race car, but made it jump over him after Zenigata ducked down. Because of this generosity (and for another reason; see below), Zenigata refuses to kill Lupin. This seemingly gentlemen's agreement is amazingly acknowledged by both parties: Zenigata almost always refused to believe that Lupin made an attempt on his life -- and Lupin never did!
  • Zenigata, like a good old-fashioned police officer, is interested in the capture, not the killing of Lupin. When Lupin tricked the world by getting "killed" in an episode, Zenigata was openly crying as he considered this a tragedy even on a criminal.
  • Zenigata cannot stand going without chasing Lupin for an extended period. For instance, Zenigata arrested Lupin in the fourth episode of the first TV series (which was based on the second chapter of the manga), and Zenigata nervously waited a year for Lupin to escape so the chase could continue. Lupin, deciding to toy with him, waited until he was to be led to his execution to escape.
  • Zenigata often finds himself arresting more dangerous criminals, after Lupin and his gang thwart them. Logically, this would give Zenigata an impressive performance record, which would explain why he is still allowed to pursue Lupin despite his lack of success in capturing the thief.
  • In the various movies and OVAs, Zenigata will often join in full alliance with Lupin's gang against some menace deemed more dangerous, such as the Count in The Castle of Cagliostro or the terrorist group in Orders to Assassinate Lupin. After the day is won, Zenigata will show his gratitude by allowing the gang a few minutes' head start before he begins chasing them again.
  • Another recurring theme is the appearance of descendants of famous historical and literary figures. For example, Lawrence of Arabia the Third, and Nezumi Kozo the Fourth.
  • Jigen seemed to be fated to lead a doomed love life. Almost all of the women he ever got involved with either do not love him, betrayed him, were killed, or were unable to have a workable relationship. This explains why Jigen seemed very much cynical on Lupin's many advances to women, especially with Fujiko.
  • Lupin and his cohorts are known to be able to drive and utilize any vehicle; cars, motorcycles, airplanes, and pretty much any other mode of transport. Of the many cars they drive, a few were consistently used; 1929 type 38/250 model SSK Mercedes-Benz, Mini Cooper, and Fiat 500. The latter, Fiat 500, were made popular by the series. A yellow Fiat features prominently in The Castle of Cagliostro and later in The Fuma Conspiracy OVA.
  • Lupin's vehicles often end up destroyed, or severely damaged during his adventures. They also tend to have modifications, such as gadgets similar to what Lupin carries on himself. Lupin's cars and airplanes tend to be yellow or red, but other types of vehicles (jeeps, trucks, submarines, boats etc.) can come in any colour.
  • Fujiko reciprocates Lupin's love when he's in trouble or one is near death. Demonstrated in "Tutankhamen's 3,000 Year-Old Curse" (English title: "Cursed Case Scenario;" Series 2, episode 7) and a few others, Fujiko shows another side of her relationship with Lupin, not only business but also deep feeling of affection and care. At other times (though a rarity), Fujiko simply shows random affection and gets by with Lupin with not much trouble.
  • Secondary female characters, sometimes called "Beta Girls", are different with every Lupin movie/TV special, similar to the revolving door of Bond girls in James Bond movies. The relationships of these characters vary with each film. Some have a brief relationship with Lupin but are denied by Lupin in rare displays of restraint, others have relationships with other characters, and Lupin serves to help them resolve their collective problem, and in some cases, the woman simply doesn't give Lupin the time of day.

Legal issues

The name Lupin III caused a legal problem for the series. Monkey Punch did not seek permission to use the Lupin name from the estate of Maurice Leblanc. The estate agreed not to pursue any legal action, provided that the usage of the name remained within Japan. Therefore, when Lupin material was licensed for overseas usage, the name had to be changed. Streamline Pictures renamed Lupin "Wolf." Animeigo went with "Rupan III," which is how Lupin's name is actually pronounced in Japanese (in English it is usually pronounced LOO-pahn, not LOO-pin; the French pronunciation is leu-PAHN).

In France, he was named "Edgard de la Cambriole" (though "de la Cambriole" is likely to be a nickname or a nom de guerre, literally meaning "of Burglary"). The Lupin name passed into the public domain in the early 1990s, but Nippon Television had continued to offer licensing for the Lupin TV specials first under the name "Cliff Hanger" (based on the laserdisc game of the same name, which used footage from Lupin Vs. the Clone and The Castle of Cagliostro), and later under the name "Chase Tracer."

Licensing and release information

The second series began distribution in United States in 2003 by Pioneer. Universal City, CA based phuuz entertainment inc. was hired to adapt and translate the series, which resulted in a very tongue-in-cheek English dub, which included modern popular culture references to update the otherwise dated series (such as eBay and Shaquille O'Neal) and "spicier", more comedic dialogue, which received ambivalent feedback from cult fans. The first 74 episodes have been translated, and enjoyed a series of DVD volumes (currently up to 12) and multiple runs on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim but due to lacklustre popularity the show's American future remained ambiguous. In the summer of 2004, however, Lupin III's popularity seems to be on the rise, perhaps due to additional exposure on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim line up.

Geneon Animation (formerly Pioneer) has already obtained 52 more Lupin the 3rd: The Red Jacket Series episodes, bringing the count of US licensed episodes to 89. Geneon plans on releasing these episodes on DVD in the next few years, but there is little word, however, on whether Adult Swim plans on acquiring the rights for more episodes, even though Lupin III's ratings have been good compared to other shows that aired on the rather unfavorable 1:30 am time slot. Geneon also released Secret of Mamo movie to DVD.

FUNimation has the rights to eight of the made-for-TV movies, starting with 1993's Orders to Assassinate Lupin (Voyage to Danger) and going to 2000's Money Wars" target="_blank" >* (Missed by a Dollar), as well as the feature films Farewell to Nostrodamus and Dead or Alive. As of March 2005, all of them have now been released in North America.

Manga Entertainment still holds the rights to The Castle of Cagliostro for the USA (a special edition rerelease is planned for August 29, 2006) which is released without the Lupin III heading but does now use the Lupin name in both the subtitles and dub (some earlier version referred to Lupin as "Wolf"). The movie was previously also owned by Manga Entertainment in the UK, where it was released on VHS in 1996 along with Secret of Mamo and Goodbye Lady Liberty (the latter two being dubbed by the UK branch). Castle of Cagliostro was the only of these to get a DVD release. All three licences have now expired and Cagliostro has been rereleased by Optimum Releasing, with the earlier dub.

Until this year, Animeigo had the rights to the OVA The Fuma Conspiriacy and the movie The Legend of the Gold of Babylon, but both have since been bought by Discotek Media, along with Lupin III's sole live action entry, Strange Psychokinetic Strategy (released in February 2005). Due to legal reasons, Animeigo's releases were forced to be under the "Rupan III" moniker, even after the rights had cleared for other companies to use the proper Lupin name. When Discotek releases these films, it will be the first time they have been released in America under the original Lupin title.

The owners of the rights of the pre-1993 and post-2000 TV movies, as well as the first and third Lupin TV series, are currently unknown. There are many online rumours as to who might have what, as of December 2005 there have been no official announcements.

The manga is published in English by TOKYOPOP. The original set of stories that ran from 1967 to 1972 simply goes by Lupin III while the second set, which started in 1977, is known Lupin III - World's Most Wanted. Lupin the Third S and Lupin the Third Y, two series from the late 1990's, have not been released in United States, nor are there any announced plans to so.

Anime Parodies and References

  • Azumanga Daioh - Tomo Takino has a desire to be like Fujiko, to the point she even attempts to grow her hair out for a sexy look. Failing that, she briefly decides on a career in Interpol, the agency Zenigata works for.
  • The Animated Series - The climax of the episode "The Clock King" is a fight in a clock tower between Batman and the Clock King, which plays out very similarly to the climax of Castle of Cagliostro. (Several episodes of BTAS were animated by Tokyo Movie Shinsha, the Japanese studio that produced Cagliostro; some fans erroneously assume that this episode was one of them. However, "The Clock King" was actually animated by Sunrise.)
  • Cowboy Bebop - Most of the main cast of the show, excluding Ed and Ein, is a silent homage to Lupin III and his gang, mostly in their appearance, and sometimes in their characteristics, too. Also, the shots of Spike's running legs in the opening theme's animation are also styled after Lupin's bowlegged style of running in classic Lupin III features. In the episode "Sympathy for the Devil," the villain who looks like a young kid and plays the harmonica is dressed in Lupin's green jacket outfit, including the black shirt, and yellow tie as seen at the top of the page. One of Lupin's favorite cars, the now famous yellow Fiat 500, makes a cameo appereance in the episode "My Funny Valentine".
  • Cutie Honey - In the original manga, Panther Claw tells the police which bank they will strike next. When Seiji informs Honey about this, he makes a comment: "Heh, I guess they think they're Lupin III now!"
  • Cardcaptor Sakura - In episode 7, where Sakura must break into an art museum, Kero is wearing a tie similar to Daisuke Jigen.
  • Excel Saga - In the anime, Nabeshin (based on director Shinichi Watanabe, who also directed Fujiko's Unlucky Days) wore an outfit that strongly resembled Lupin's. In addition, the beginning of episode 12 features series creator Rikdo Koshi dressed up as Zenigata and a set of rings that parodies the ones from Castle of Cagliostro. An altered version of the Castle of Cagliostro poster is seen on the manga artist's wall in episode 1.
  • Fist of the North Star (Hokuto no Ken) - In an early episode where Kenshiro and Batt attempt to reclaim the stolen rice seeds, Batt returns and says to Kenshiro, "I got them back, I am a regular Arsene ain't I?". This is a tribute to Lupin as his first name is Arsene.
  • FLCL - Kamon Nandaba, Naota's father, dresses up as Lupin and tries to impress Haruko Haruhara. Later, the trademark black title screen appears, at first types out a title (trans. Forever the Bullet of Love and the Plot), but the title gets trashed for another (ブラブレ trans. Bura Bure). In that same episode Kamon, who is still dressed as Lupin, jumps out of his clothes, leaving his boxers on, and attempts to dive and land in between Haruko's legs. Haruko, wearing nothing but a towel, foils him by launching a boxing glove, attached to a spring, from in between her legs, ultimately knocking Kamon out. This sequence parodies a gag shot from the title sequence for the second episode, first season of the Lupin TV series.
  • Fullmetal Alchemist - Episode 10 contains a parody of Lupin III character Zenigata, in the form of a detective that dressed in the same trademark outfit and focused his entire career on catching one particular thief.
  • Great Teacher Onizuka - Onizuka's students played a Lupin III video game in an arcade station.
  • Here is Greenwood - Episode 3 features a parody of the confrontation between Lupin and Count Cagliostro
  • Honey and Clover - Chapter F special includes Miwako dressing Yamazaki up as Lupin (with a Green Jacket), which is then followed up with several tributes to Castle of Cagliostro.
  • Keroro Gunso - In Episode 23, there seems to be getaway riders who remarkablely looks like Lupin and definite looks of Jigen, from Castle of Caglistro. Car is of same style/model also.
  • Love Hina - Swordswoman Motoko Aoyama has been known to remark, "Once again, I have cut a worthless object," a trademark line of Goemon's.
  • Macross/Robotech - In episode 24 (titled "Good-Bye Girl" in Macross, "Showdown" in Robotech), a camera pan over the games in a video arcade shows a man with distinctly-Lupin-like blue jacket and black sideburns playing a driving game that re-enacts the runaway bride chase from Castle of Cagliostro.
  • Main Moon Super Buffet Cinema - A fake teaser trailer was made for a live action Lupin film. The trailer made its way online, and generated a lot of buzz amongst fans. Though intended to be a joke, the demand and desire for the 'film' entitled Cincinnati Red Handed, is as hot as ever.
  • Megazone 23 - In Megazone 23 Part 1, Lupin and Jigen have a split-second cameo as uniformed policemen in a police car that Shogo trashes with the Garland.
  • Midori Days - In Manga Vol.4 Sakisaka Hisashi (the boyfriend of Rin Sawamura) found the missing master copy of the old Lopin III Background music.
  • Otaku no Video - Lupin cosplay and memorabilia can be spotted in some scenes.
  • Samurai Jack - Features a Jigen-like thief in the episode "Jack and the Labyrinth". In the episode, the thief jeopardizes Jack's chances of getting back to his own time.
  • Urusei Yatsura: Only You - Mendou and his servent have a discussion parodying the scene from Cagliostro where Jodo finds Lupin's calling card on his back.
  • ×××HOLiC - The time-space witch Yūko Ichihara also quotes Goemon's "worthless object" catch-phrase in the first volume of the manga.

Lupin III itself alludes to the original Arsène Lupin adventures from time to time. The Castle of Cagliostro gets its title from the novel La Comtesse de Cagliostro (The Countess of Cagliostro). Also, in one episode, Lupin III goes up against several detectives, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes (who, like Arsène Lupin, was a Victorian era character), whom he outwits and impersonates. The original Lupin tangled with Holmes several times; however, due to Conan Doyle's copyright, Holmes and his friend Dr. Watson appeared under thinly disguised names like "Herlock Sholmes" and "Dr. Wilson".

References

In rapper Kanye West's single "Touch the Sky", Lupe Fiasco says "Yes, yes, yes guess who's on third? Lupe steal like Lupin the Third" - this is a word play on baseball player 'stealing' a base much like Lupin was a thief.

External links

Official sites

Fan sites

Anime dubbed into English | Anime series | Lupin III | Manga series | Shows on Adult Swim | Kaitō Anime

Lupin III | Lupin III | Lupin III | ルパン三世

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Lupin III".

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