The Winter 2023 anime season has shaped up to be quite an entertaining one, with something for every fan. We’ve got a super chill love story with the girl next door, a story of a brother who became a sister, and even a Nier:Automata game-to-anime adaption that preserves the panty shots. We’ve even got an anime I thought I would hate: Lupin Zero, a “prequel” telling how Lupin the Third meets Jigen and finds his calling as a gentleman thief. Keep reading to see if you should watch it!
Lupin Zero is the Origin Story of Lupin the Third
This is the story of a spoiled half-Japanese, half-French rich kid named Arsène Lupin the Third, who befriends a schoolmate from the other side of the tracks named Jigen. Both are junior high students growing up in the 1960s, a time very different from today, and the anime is filled with the wonderful grittiness of the Showa Period.
If Fujiko from Lupin the Third feels like a Bond Girl, it’s because she basically was. Read my post on the passing of Diana Rigg, Fujiko’s real-life inspiration, here.
What Does Lupin Zero Get Right?
As would be expected of a prequel for such a famous franchise, much care has gone into the project so as not to offend die-hard fans. The animation quality is top-notch, the voice acting spot-on, and I really appreciated the lack of jarring CGI breaking the illusion of watching as young Lupin starts to find his way in life.
I also appreciate the restraint the series shows in introducing elements of the Lupin universe that should not be in it. When Jigen appeared, I was afraid other characters would get shoehorned in, too, with a young Goemon or Fujiko being part of the story. Happily, none of this happened. Lupin Zero is all about Lupin and Jigen, and…
…a small cast of additional characters. We get the flamboyant Arsène Lupin, Lupin’s famous grandfather, who came out of a series of French novels from the beginning of the 20th century. Then there’s Lupin’s father, an absentee dad who’s hiding some interesting secrets; the sexy Yoko, a club singer who turns Lupin on to buxom women in need of rescuing; and Shinobu, a Hayasaka-level maid and bodyguard.
Being a longtime fan of Lupin, especially the sex and violence of the Monkey Punch era, I really appreciated the music of the new series, which went out of its way to capture the feel of the early days. Updated versions of classic songs are exactly what we want as fans, not totally new songs, which is sadly the case with the reboot of Urusei Yatsura (likely to save on paying royalties.)
The production is being done by TMS Entertainment/Tokyo Movie Shinsha, which has been involved in the Lupin the Third world since the Cagliostro’s Castle days. The series is overseen by Ichiro Okochi, the capable writer who brought us Code Geass, Planetes, and more recently, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury.
What are the best Lupin series and films you should consider watching? I’ve got a blog post here!
What’s Bad About the New Series?
I really liked Lupin Zero and was impressed with the story it told of how our hero found his direction in life. The only hard-to-swallow aspect of the show might be the young ages of both Lupin and Jigen, who are only thirteen. Both boys smoke and are adept at driving and frequent clubs with alcohol and gambling. And most incredibly, Jigen is a master with his Smith and Maxon [sic] revolver and has already killed several people. I know this is the 1960s, but was Japan really such a rough and lawless place back then?
That Time Monkey Punch Violated International Copyright Law
When famed manga artist Monkey Punch created Lupin, he made his character the grandson of Arsène Lupin from the series of novels begun by Maurice Leblanc back in 1905. The connection was intended to be an homage, the same way the superpowers A-Ko from Project A-Ko! has are revealed to be because she’s the daughter of Superman and Wonder Woman. A fun cultural reference, no harm, no foul.
But the Leblanc estate didn’t appreciate the unauthorized use of the name of France’s famous gentleman thief being appropriated by another creator and for years English translations of Lupin the Third anime and manga had to tiptoe around the issue, writing Lupin’s name as “Rupan” or “Wolf.” Which is kind of funny, since Maurice Leblanc made an homage or two himself during his lifetime, including creating a parody of London’s famous detective named Herlock Sholmes. Happily for all involved, the books and character of Arsène Lupin entered the public domain in 2012.
Thanks for reading his blog post about the Lupin Zero prequel series, which I enjoyed a lot. What do you think of this latest series? Tell us below, or chat with us on Twitter!
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