Lupin the 3rd: A Beginner's Guide
Panel held at:
- Sakura-Con 2022
- Kumoricon 2022
- Sakura-Con 2024
- Sakura-Con 2026
Recommendation Recaps
TV Series "Crash Course"
Note that "continuity" is generally quite loose throughout the franchise. Jumping in, out, and around entries is not only okay but encouraged!
- Part I, "Green Jacket" (1971–1972, 23 eps) As a result of its production this can feel like two shows: an adult-oriented crime drama vs a lighter all-ages adventure (helpfully illustrating how the series has continued to be dramatically reinterpreted by different creators). The older production style can be off-putting to modern viewers, but it has its charms and the characters feel well-realized immediately.
- Not recommended for beginners.
- Recommended episodes: 4 One Chance for a Prison Break, 9 Hitman Sings the Blues, 17 Lupin Caught in a Trap, 19 Which of the Third Generation Will Win?
- Dubbed (2022).
- Part II, "Red Jacket" (1977–1980, 155 eps) A lighter tone with episodic escapades. Easy to jump in and around with the variety of adventures, and set many standards for the series going ahead.
- Highly recommended for beginners.
- Recommended episodes: 1 The Dashing Entrance of Lupin III, 34 Lupin Has Become a Vampire, 99 The Scattered Magnum, 145 Albatross: Wings of Death (maybe my favorite single episode of Lupin)
- Partially dubbed: Episodes 145 & 155 by Streamline (1994), episodes 1–79 by Geneon (2003).
- Part III, "Pink Jacket" (1984–1985, 50 eps) Experimenting with the three different "flavors" of Lupin (hard, soft, and comical) mixed in different proportion. Visual variety embraced by directors and animators, pushing expressions and motion to slapsticky extremes at times.
- Middling recommendation to beginners, consistently enjoyable if only "good not great" overall.
- Recommended episodes: 7 The Man Called Death Gurve, 30 A Cocktail Named Revenge, 40 Lottery Ticket Mayhem, 49 The Day Pops Was Adopted
- Not dubbed.
- Part IV, "The Italian Adventure" (blue jacket, 2015, 26 eps) Modernizing Lupin for new millenium and generations, again by mixing tones to explore the range of the series. Note that this begins the "modern era" of structuring longer major story arcs with one-offs sprinkled in.
- Highly recommended for beginners.
- I recommend watching in order rather than jumping around. That being said, "The Murdering Marionette" and "Nonstop Rendezvous" are fun one-offs.
- Dubbed. Note that, as a result of a quirk of its production, the English version (being adapted from the initial Italian rather than adjusted Japanese release) uses slightly different footage and episode ordering and therefore is released separately from the subtitled version on video and streaming.
- Part V ("Misadventures in France" 2018, 24 eps) Fully embraces the theme of modernization, exploring if a gentleman-thief has become much of a relic as the treasures he used to nab in an era of digital verification and offsite servers. Further exploration of intra-team personal relationships, with Lupin and Fujiko at the forefront.
- Recommended for beginners. I think some of its themes and explorations play stronger if you have some familiarity with the series, though.
- I generally recommend watching this part in order rather than jumping around. The different-colored jacket "flashback" one-offs can serve as a decent introduction to the tone of their respective series.
- Dubbed.
- Part 6 (green jacket, 2021–22, 24 eps) Some interesting exploration of Lupin's persona and a wide variety of stories, but ultimately ends up feeling scattershot with neither arc exceptionally compelling.
- Not recommended for beginners.
- Recommended episodes: 5–6 The Imperial City Dreams of Thieves (two-parter), 17 Win or Lose in 0.1 Seconds.
- 0 is a farewell to longtime Jigen voice actor Kiyoshi Kobayashi. Really only recommended if you have already been watching subbed.
- 4 and 10 ("The Killers in the Diner", "Darwin's Bird") recommended only if you like Mamoru Oshii's talky and thematic heady writing/direction.
- Dubbed.
Movie "Starting Points"
(presented in chronological order)
- The Mystery of Mamo: Might be a little too wild and crazy for its own good at times, but absolutely nails that eclectic mélange of action, excitement, and risqué humor that makes the series great.
- The Castle of Cagliostro: Fantastic movie, but as a relatively non-standard portrayal of Lupin (both much more of a "nice guy Lupin" characterization and a metatextual 'final word' from Miyazaki on his interpretation of the character) it's not the best indicator of what to expect from the series as a whole.
- Episode 0 - The First Contact: A smaller-scale TV special (giving you a better example of what to expect from other entries in both tone and production value); prequel makes it a great way to meet the cast and learn how they play off each other.
- The First: A charming and light introduction with modern CG animation flair (that still captures the expressiveness of the anime). Not as excellent as Cagliostro but still another good "nice guy Lupin" starting point.
Prequel/spinoffs of note:
- The Woman Called Fujiko Mine: (13-episode series) Stylish, artistic drama – a dark exploration of trauma and sexuality far afield from usual entries but well worth the watch for mature viewers.
- Lupin Zero: (6-episode series) Snappy, brisk fun that serves as a true-to-form tonal introduction.
- LUPIN THE IIIRD: (5 OVAs + feature film) Watch in order (Jigen, Goemon, Fujiko, Zenigata, Immortal Bloodline) for an aesthetically-driven alternative take on the series. If you do, I recommend watching Mystery of Mamo for context as well.
Suggested episode guides/reviews