If you have sensitive vision please err on the side of caution: this video has a lot of VHS effects on top of footage which is already fairly flashy. I should also reiterate that this is not a call to action to pester people who actually work on these releases: I do not condone that kind of behavior even as a joke. TW Hitler Timestamps: 08:50 09:57 27:22
As a long time Lupin fan, it cannot be overstated how unique and crucial the conflict between Lupin and his cohorts are in Mamo. I've seen most of the films, anime, and some of the manga. I don't think anything this meta is ever approached in the franchise except maybe Series Part 5.
As a italian I give you the Honorary Italian card for being as much of a fan of the great lupin as we are, dude's a cult over here and you're the first english person i find who not only studied him but likes its work as much as we do! By the way I recommend watching Lupin Zero, i think we have a master piece season on our hands!
@@starmaker75 More like we have Italian dubs for ALL the stuff heck we even got a Italian version of a game that was never translated in English for the ps2
What I love about the "god or idiot" scene is that the kind of Lupin I love is the one who doesn't question why he's a thief. He just does it because it's fun, it gets him money, and gets him women. I love that. I hate it when they make him question "why am I a thief? will I ever be good as grandpa??? :((( " like they've been doing in a lot of modern day Lupin stuff. I especially love Lupin v. Mamo because of this. Mamo is a tortured soul whose philosophizing and over-thinking has trapped him and has caused him to spend entire lives (as clones) trying to make the world into something acceptable, even if that means burning it and starting all over. He's stuck living a life glorifying art and other "dead" things instead of going out into the world and living life. Lupin is the complete opposite, his head is "empty" and he has no dreams because he lives day-to-day on the fly. He never knows what his next goal is until he hears about something cool to steal. He lives life and lives it BETTER than Mamo because his own thinking/fears, if he has any, don't hold him back. Lupin is ultimately the one who changes the world.....maybe not for the better, but he still does. And on the fly. No years of planning, cloning, giant-braining, and living in such isolation. I think Lupin's way of life, not thinking, not dreaming, just doing and living, is a great way to actually live freely. I wish I could be more like Lupin than Mamo. Also, I love all your videos and hope you continue to make more, even if it's once every year or so.
I hope they go back to the older Lupin, I love the newer Lupin but by the continued use of him is pushing writers into a stereotypical thieves corner when Lupin’s whole thing (in my opinion) is thinking outside of the box and possibly relearning what freedom means
Honestly, at the point we've reached, I do not think that introspective Lupin has been fully explored, heck I would argue that Lupin as a character has been fundamentally tried to be analyzed but for some reason or another, could not be fully realized either through incompetence, lack of vision, or a fear that if we were to look at what makes Lupin tick, that if we were to just give Lupin an end goal, a retirement plan so to speak, that the entire franchise would end and that we need to continue the episodicness of the whole adventure and I would argue that no. You can make a satisfying ending to Lupin, you can make a narrative that does not end with Lupin riding away to his next adventure, you could very well make a story where Lupin stops being Lupin along with his colleagues. The characters have already been pulled in so many different directions that I kind of want to see the logical endpoint of each of those directions. I want to green jacket Lupin retire to a nice quiet life after all of the reprehensible stuff he's done and regretted to have done and tried to atone. I want to see Red Jacket Lupin in one epic fight scene against Zenigata, just die or be captured by Zenigata, and finally sent off to prison for all of the things he has not regret I want to see Pink Jacket Lupin still being insane as always and always going to continue. I want to see Blue Jacket Lupin look at all of his past Jackets and all of his past actions and just think to himself what he really wants. And I want all of the future jackets to go through several other endings, I want Lupin to be able to have so many endings that everyone can have a Lupin that they can look to and say "I liked that Lupin for" *so and so* "reasons." The appeal of Lupin should be the surface level presentation of someone trying to be cool, and while he has his moments of not particularly being the coolest person on Earth, is still fundamentally the most talented, smart, intelligent, and in the moment character of all time. Lupin does not try to live in over his own head, instead he lives in his own real world and will do whatever it takes to bend that world to his will as he attempts to steal whatever he wants to enjoy whatever he wants. On some level, this might not sound as different than Mamo, but what Lupin gets that Mamo, and therefore every other Lupin villain or antagonist, is that their world is not the only world that exists. There are other worlds all across the Earth that can be just as worthy of consideration as great as their own, perhaps even more so. Of course, they would never do so because they have never done so, and it was too late for Lupin to talk sense into them, especially Mamo, and anyway the series are an action franchise, so it's not like Lupin is in a particular position to be obligated to do so. However, when you look at the themes that I brought up, there's a lot of possibilities that Lupin could be pulled through. Overall, I just want to see a Lupin that is not afraid to go wherever he is going to go. If there is a logical end point to a Lupin plot, then there will be a logical end point to a Lupin plot. If there is an illogical endpoint to a Lupin plot, let it go there too. Wherever Lupin goes, it should be followed up with. And right now, I think we should need more Lupin plots where Lupin has just found out why he's Lupin, which is that he enjoys it like you've said, and he prefers to live as Lupin, which I think Part 4 of Lupin covered rather well, if not without its core issues. Honestly, I want a narrative where Lupin's actions are rather painted in a more honest light and we get to see what Lupin's legacy leaves behind. Because we all know and have seen that even with Cagliostro's Lupin that Lupin genuinely does not seem to understand nor really care to understand the consequences of his actions, he just knows he did what he did, which in my example's case was good, and leaves off to do his next thing. I don't want a plot twist with Clarisse, I just want to see what Lupin actually did because Lupin himself could argue round and round in circles about his actions or he could just not care, that does not make his actions any less substantial to the world around Lupin. Basically, I want Lupin and his gang to make a mess, then I want to see a discussion occur around that mess, and I then want to see Lupin and his gang forced to clean up the mess before inevitably escaping to make another mess. Rinse and repeat until Lupin's actions inevitably catch up with him. This would give every other character an opportunity to be their own characters, because at this point Lupin's actions are not self-contained bouts of criminal mischief, he is actively causing both solutions and problems for others, whether he intends to or not. Jigen will be his primary supporter, Fujiko can try to profit off of him, Goemon can not like what he is doing or the kind of person he is, and Zenigata can finally have a consistent reason for wanting to chase after him, because Lupin is not all good, despite how cool he may be while doing his criminal acts. Lupin can be anything he wants, still does not change the fact that he is a really charismatic and likable criminal who way over his own head and does things that no normal sane and rational human being should be capable of doing or should want to do but he still does them anyway, and they're amazing when they happen but retrospectively they should be horrifying. Like how people obsessed with making death into an art would say about disasters, accidents, or war.
Thank god this was able to be reuploaded, as I was incredibly crestfallen when I realised this masterpiece of a video essay was taken down. The editing is top notch, the script is seamless in how it weaves ideas together, your line delivery is perfect with the emotion of your words always coming through. This isn't just some of the best Lupin content available, this is one of the best videos available in my opinion, and I can only wish you the best going forward; hopefully this is able to get the traction it deserves. Either way, I hope you have a lovely day, and keep up the amazing work.
Around 1994 or 1995 I was at an anime convention, and someone at a booth was playing the hanging scene on a loop. These were the days of VHS, and someone had to have manually edited that loop together and made an entire VHS of it. It was one of the most disturbing things I had ever seen. I knew I had to go find this movie.
You did a hell of a job pitching this movie omg. I watched the opening to this video having never seen mamo, got the third of a plot summary, then went and watched it immediately before coming back to finish the video.
Lupin watching the montage of all the things Mamo has done as a Pink Floyd-esque guitar riff plays in the background always sends a shiver down my spine. Great job on getting this video back online.
Something interesting from an interview for a show Soji Yoshikawa worked on later, Armored Trooper VOTOMS in 1983: "Previously, I wrote and directed the first Lupin III movie (The Mystery of Mamo, 1978), and Votoms was a step forward from that. I apologize to the Votoms fans, but I had already presented a hero who is very dangerous because he doesn’t believe in anything. Lupin is a realist who confronts the enemy, Mamo, with realism. The enemy tries to convince him of the existence of something like a god, but Lupin is a realist and doesn’t believe in anything like that. In short, he’s dangerous because he believes in nothing. In a way, Mamo and Lupin are the same character. The only difference is that one is in power while the other is not. In that sense, Lupin and Chirico [the protag] are very similar. At the time, we were in the Cold War era between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, so I made it a story about how the power of the real superpowers is much scarier. It’s sort of half-joking, but I was really excited about the fact that I could do it in a serious way. So, I never told anyone this, but I had a double image of Votoms and Lupin. Of course, Chirico doesn’t make jokes. Chirico is rather a poor and sad character. Lupin can go with the flow, but Chirico is a sick person at the beginning. The OVA shows this." (source: timeldred dot com slash writerproducerinterviews1997) This is how I personally rediscovered Mamo, since Votoms has recently become one of my absolute favourites. When I first watched Mamo I thought it was a solid Lupin flick, if batshit insane. But somehow it stuck with me. With other movies i think "Wow, this is awesome!" directly after watching, but forget about the details in the long term. Not the case with this one. And now after having rewatched it and having seen your video I must say: You really get it! Don't be discouraged by the average anime fan's opinion: They have shit taste. Most of my favourites seem to be very contentious. So many of the kino classics, even the most highly regarded in japan are met with moderate or mixed reviews. This can be said for both Mamo and Votoms, and I am shocked at how these seemingly different works are so similar: - Both prompt people to say: "The visuals are dated and while I liked the action in the first two acts, the space magic mumbo jumbo at the end was stupid." while in reality the visuals and the third act are what elevate them both from great to absolute kino. - Both feature a protagonist who struggles with, as you say, pushing those closest to him away, while they cannot explain to themselves why they keep coming back to him - Both have a conspiracy that escalates into having the protagonist come at heads with and kill a high-tech pseudo-diety, who claimes to have controlled human history for a long time, in a very psychadelic climax. -etc. I feel like I am the first person to have really noticed this, even though it now seems obvious. Anyway, if anyone reading this likes Mamo, go check out Votoms (or at least the OP and ED for being so very stylish.) Everything is so well thought out, designed, the atmosphere is incredible, the music--everything perfectly fits! Even the sound effects are so iconic I would recognize them anywhere. Anyway, hope this helps someone.
My college roommate and I have gotten absurdly into lupin but I’ve been holding off on watching this one. I think it will be tackled the moment we return from winter break. It’s time
Second time viewing this in full ever since the first upload. I really hope this gets at least as many views as your 'Miyazaki's Lupin' video so that it might reach the right people someday. Even if it never gets into the Criterion collection, there's a chance that an aspiring filmmaker or future auteur sees this and can maybe live and be inspired by this great Lupin film. (I'm hoping I could be that guy lol but that's pretty wishful thinking). Can't wait for your next upload!!!
Not gonna lie, I watched the last vid at 3am one night and it convinced me to finally start watching Lupin III. I’m having a blast with it and can’t wait to get to Mamo. Fantastic job, looking forward to whatever is next!
Like I said last time; I'm not one to blindly agree with videos essays. I rarely watch them cause that's not how I like to engage with art. But Mamo is one of my favorite films of all time, so I choose to watch the video. I smiled the whole time and kept saying to myself; "She gets it, she totally gets it! Someone else who appreciates this movie like I do." Great work. Glad to see this masterpiece back up again.
If the movie makes it into the Criterion collection, this video should be included as one of the special features. Amazing work! Edit: Also, please tell me more about Bluth’s Thumbelina?????
I see a lot of similarities between your style of talking, and your mother's. "I don't know, kind of seems sketchy to me" is such a you line, I'm almost convinced there's a lot of your personality you've got from your mom. 34:17 Also, what's this song? I want to do Scout from Team Fortress 2's Conga Dance to the song. You know what, scratch that, I'm going to make you do that dance in my animation of this entire video, just like my animation of every other video. I'll probably have to do limited animation but I'll still do it.
Good to see it back! This video is a real treasure, especially your look at the character of the character of Lupin. Mamo is also a real treasure, because the character Mamo is actually interesting. Personally I think, that the good Lupin movie need a good antagonist too, so Lupin looks even better when he beats them. Mamo just works, because he saw it all and is bored. Lupin III on the other hand loves life, the challenge, the struggle, everything life has to offer, so of course he tells the old stinker to shove it. Perfect dynamic, hopefully we will see it again one day.
Just wanna say thank you for getting me into Lupin the third with this video! Wouldn’t have watched this movie without it and I’m seriously in love with it now! Thank you!
You put Thief and the Cobbler just long enough for me to start thinking about how Scheherazade slaps before using it for a montage. That's great editing.
Your writing and edditing is incredible. I love your videos. This made me watch the film and while I'm not sure if it's "high art" It's certainly really interesting with a lot of strong visual and conceptual momments. Was well worth the watch, thanks for talking about it.
The YT-Safe Re-Edit finally arrives! Hope this one stays, hope that the original can be saved on public display - and that "Lupin III: The Mystery of Mamo" does eventually join the Criterion Collection (as well as many other animated films).
Well. Thank you. Thank you for talking about my favourite lupin 3 film. I'm a big fan of your work, and you have nailed what i feel about it. I'm not that good about theme, but, when i see Mamo, i feel that it is bigger than every lupin made. he is the one have take lupin to the very edge of what was possible in sci-fi with that franchise without breaking lupin. AND, HE WAS THE FIRST TO TRY.
I am so damned happy you made this fantastic thing! As a Millennial SJW woman trying desperately to explore and explain my sudden obsession with raunchy 1970's animation to my friends.... I need all the help I can get! Through the hell of 2020 the only art that burned through my brain fog was Belladonna of Sadness, End of Evangelion, and Mystery of Mamo. Profound, extreme, beautiful- but through all of it....humble and silly. There's a concept in Tantric Buddhism, whereby the path to true transcendence can only be achieved when we take time to stop and acknowledge that deep down we are all just absurd horny meat puppets of flesh and blood - and ultimately....that's just fine!
You DO have to admit... It is INCREDIBLY funny that Zenigata is KIND of the through line of the film where he vaguely ignores the weirdness of it all (Or isn't even privy to it) but he's also the guy who wins in the end. Like... He wins. He says "I'll get you Lupin" at the start of the film and succeeds. He catches Lupin. THAT'S the end of the film. We don't see Lupin escape but they have to run away from the explosions. Pops gets a freaking happy ending. There's a very odd thing with the start of the film where the whole Lupin died OR DID HE?!?! Feels like it's a Manga chapter. It doesn't make any freaking sense and it's not supposed to because Monkey Punch was just essentially parodying genre. This FEELS like the closest distillation of the manga where Lupin is a hedonistic psychopath who is only after what he wants. Plus the film doesn't make a whole HEAP of sense because the story is, much like the Manga, a series of parodies that Lupin and the gang find themselves in. You have Duel by Speilberg having a chunk of the film. You have the allusions to Phantom of the Paradise. You have a lot of Seijun Suzuki, you have Yakuza films, you have a cold war thriller, you have a Gothic Horror (like a Hammer film) It's Lupin vs film/art almost. It's almost a meta journey. Also your mum is the best! Sorry for the long text crawl.
That scanline effect is pretty cool honestly, and if it's a way to beat content flagging even cooler. My favorite part of this movie was always that serene bit where Lupin walks around inside surreal painting landscapes with The Way to the Oasis playing in the background. That'll always be on my summer night drive, windows down playlist thanks to that memory.
Absolutely brilliant thesis! If you could do a video of this magnitude on The Legend of The Gold of Babylon I can die happy, that is my absolute favorite piece of Lupin media ever made
Two weeks late to this, but god damn. I've seen this film an unhealthy number of times (all 4 English dubs, and the fact that the Geneon dub is on YT now does not help) and this video still opened my eyes on a lot of the film. These sort of Lupin essay videos are always a blast to watch and listen to. That being said, I'm looking forward to whatever you have in store next!
Thank you so so so much for making and re-uploading this video! I saw it on my feed about an hour before the original was taken down and I really regretted not seeing it! I don’t know what the differences are, but your videos are such works of art regardless it was as great as I could have imagined! I love this film and I’m so glad I’m not the only person who thought this should be in the criterion collection, haha. While I’ve seen it a few times and really enjoyed it, I don’t think I was ever able to get even half of what you were able to get and articulate out of it so this was an especially enjoyable and insightful watch for me! Just like how I was amazed with how you formulated the journey of Miyazaki’s Lupin, this interpretation of the franchise means so much more to me after hearing what you have to say about it, it was like watching it again and for the first time all at once! Thank you so much for existing and thank you so much for sharing with the world, the world is better for it.
This is a wonderful Christmas present! I’m really disappointed because I wasn’t able to see the original edit before it was taken down. Now excuse me while I go locate Mystery of Mamo online to watch on New Years (I have an odd tradition of watching anime films and eating buttered toast every New Years Eve/Day).
Absolutely masterful analysis! Funny as hell, smart, thoughtful, informative, and a delight from start to finish. I always thought this film deserved more love (I just reacquainted myself with one of its many, many bad reviews from Lupin fans) and it could get no greater tribute than this. Excellent, excellent work!
thank you so much for making this, Mamo is my favorite Lupin movie, or just one of my favorite movies in general, but this video made me apprecatioe on another level, I love it even more now thanks to you, you're videos are so good!
...and I just saw this because TMS decided to stream the very movie (with the Geneon dub) on their RUclips channel. Definitely cartoony, weird, and fun.
Hi!!! I was lucky enough that RUclips sent me to your other Lupin III video, which I devoured, and then I watched this one this morning, which I devoured as well!! As someone who has wanted, for a long time, to put out rant-based-studied-video-essays on my favorite content of all time and just sits on scripts, I'm REALLY glad you have taken the plunge and release vids when you can. I ///really/// enjoyed both pieces ((and I know NOTHING of Lupin III other than loving the Jigen/Lupin ship)) and look forward to more!
Whoa… my question was answered by the end. I think it was a dub thing, and the funi dub was so different and I had no idea Tony got to this one too… damn. Thank!
Loved this ❤ I unfortunately/fortunately only discovered this film this year. The animation and voice acting is a lower standard than the more recent lupin lll content but it’s officially my fave lupin film now. Looking forward to seeing more of your content. Keep it up 😊
I would said mystery of Mamo is the highlight of part 2 lupin. It repents the insanity, experimental, fun, humour, and sincerity of the part. To me this is the grand finale of part 2
This video was (re)uploaded three weeks ago. Two weeks ago, the official TMS Anime Channel uploaded LUPIN THE 3rd: Mystery of Mamo. Coincidence? I THINK NOT!
Glad you mentioned Fujiko's presence, it's really the only movie where the entire main cast gets full billing. Her and Goemon get lost in a lotta Lupin plots, Cagliostro being an example. For that, and combining crazy w/quality, it's the only "true" Lupin movie in my head. Cagliostros perfect but isn't what you'd expect from the term "Lupin III Film". Saw Mamo when I was a kid watching P2, and as an adult revisiting did I notice just how deep it is as you have.
Not going to lie, I clicked on this video thinking the title was an announcement rather than a call for action, and was very excited to hear that. There are two films I've seen that I felt like they came from alternate realities where the fundamental priorities of filmmaking had developed differently. One of them was Seven Samurai, the other one was Mystery of Mamo.
Well… I just bought a $25 blu ray because of this video… and god damn… it was worth every dollar. My wife and I had a freaking blast watching this. The part where the truck falls off the cliff… and they all just start laughing their asses off… and then the plane flies in shooting at them… it’s just… a moment… a perfect hilarious moment.
very interesting, very thoughtful video! ive watched mamo plenty of times and love to analyze the various lupin iterations but ive never fully clicked w mamo on that deep of a level. i know its themes of identity, of immortality, of war, the politics inherent to the scene where jigen n goemon are interrogated and so on but the way you talk about your thoughts on mamo is a bit of an eye opener for me and im tempted to rewatch mamo w all of this in mind, though ive honestly seen that movie too many times recently lol.... i think being a lupin fan can actually hinder the ability to really go deep into mamo cause a lot of these things i just shrug off as "usual lupinery" like uhm hitler and napoleon being there, or the way we go from the vampire scene to the pyramids to france and so on its very lupinesque to be unfocused in this way and its really masterful how mamo transitions from scene to scene, but since its so part 2-like it makes it harder for me to really think about these aspects of the movie and not just take them at face value. im also a gay jigen truther ive wrote extensively about it LOL but i pick up more on the fujiko n lupin aspect in mamo.... i really should look at jigen in it a bit more. the tenderness he has for lupin in the movie gets eclipsed by his weird need to keep their gang as a guys club for me (which isnt NOT motivated by gay affection necessarily.. a lot happens in this movie it just makes it harder for me to see it) but really thinking back to it now it really is there isnt it. it really is there.!!! all in all i really enjoyed this vid it took me forever to get around to actually watching it and i kinda wish i had earlier its given me a lot to think about! thank you for sharing your thoughts on mamo, its a weird movie but its got a lot to offer :)
FANTASTIC VIDEO! Just like your previous one! I'm so excited that you continue to hash out Grade A video essays on Lupin III. I remember the first time I watched Mystery of Mamo. I bought the special edition DVD with the keychain thing when I was like 18 and watched it after having fallen in love with the show for the first time. I very clearly recall my thought process as the movie went on. The first ten minutes or so I was like "Wow this is great". Then it quickly descended into chaos and I stared at the screen without any thoughts. I just absorbed everything in silence. I sat there afterwards wondering if I liked it or hated it. It was very polarizing for me, loving it one moment but then thinking "What the fuck was that?" the next. I realized that it had a lot of existential sexual energy to it. The whole thing was really about sex and one's love for the series as a whole - the good and the bad and the ugly. The sexual energy of Lupin, the sexual energy of the world powers, the sexual energy of Mamo, the sexual energy of the creators wanting to do something as R-rated as the manga, the sexual energy of what drives people to go after something. It combines the silly ludicrous plots of the more lighthearted anime with the artistic noir vibe of the original manga. Mamo wondering if Lupin is an idiot or God is a reflection of our existential crisis about life. Is sex really all that drives life? Is it stupid or profound to think that? The Mystery of Mamo being the first Lupin movie is symbolic in a way. It's like saying "This is what the show will eternally be about." The ending is literally an orgasmic display of explosions. The ending of the film always struck with me because it reminded me of what Monkey Punch always said about Zenigata and Lupin. He said that if the show were to ever end they would have to end as equals, either they both win or they both lose. Zenigata pursues Lupin the same way Lupin pursues Fujiko. The fact that they end the movie handcuffed together is, in a way, an ending to the series. It may not have been "the" ending but it's certainly AN ending. They are forever chained to each other because of their obsessive pursuits.
I go to work in like 3~ hours from now, I'll be watching this again during that time because lord knows ik nothing about Lupin and need to rewatch this to understand
Amazing video analysis. It's been 3 years since i watched Mystery of Mamo. Gosh I love how weird and trippy experimental it is yet also having emotional stakes and characters dynamic study with the Lupin gang. The movie did a wonderful job the gang breaking up than any other Lupin parts and movies. Btw, I see the gang as polycule and the show is literally the embodiment of be gay do crimes . Anyway, your video made me want to rewatch Mystery of Mamo and i love how narrate and edit your videos. Amazing ❤ Thank you for making Lupin analysis videos bcs I'm a fan of the franchises and wish there r more youtube videos and more ppl watching Lupin. Thank you for your videos and take care ❤
The Castle of Caglioso was apart of the Hayao Miyazaki blu-ray collection when Disney (who at the time had the distribution rights to the Studio Ghibli films) partnered with Seven Star Media (also known as Discotek media) to have their blu ray release on that boxset. Discotek media currently have the rights to majority of all Lupin the Third films and Anime with most of that content still in print, especially with the Castle of Caglioso blu ray and 4K blu ray. Oh and did I mention how the film is apart of Netflix's library as apart of the Studio Ghibli streaming collection, but as HBO Max exist and they have the American Streaming rights to the Ghibli catalog of movies, the Castle of Caglioso is then the only Hayao Miyazaki movie that's not apart of that Studio Ghibli/or Hayao Miyazaki movie streaming collection. But it would nice if Gkids (the current distribution partner with Studio Ghibli) would rerelease the Hayao Miyazaki Studio Ghibli blu ray collection and partner with Discotek as to include The Castle of Caglioso into that set. Did I mention how the movie the perpetually on sale and in print and will always be that way? There's whole articles on it. And if you want a good copy of the movie I'd either recommend the Studio Ghibli Japanese release of the movie that you can pick up from Jbox or buyee, or I would also recommend the Discotek 4K blu ray collectors edition (which for some reason does have a "standard" release). Ight imma finish the video as I'm already have way through it. Have a nice day!
I had this weird relationship with this movie when I first watched about 6 years ago. I didn't like it because I felt it was too dark, too nihilistic, and overly raunchy. Like you said in the video it kind of reminded me of Fritz the Cat, another movie I wasn't too fond of at the time. I gelled more with Miyazaki's more squeaky clean white knight Lupin, and even then I wasn't a big fan of Miyazaki's movies. However over the years I have kind of warmed up to this movie. It's so fascinating and bonkers that I just can't take my eyes off of it. Since then I have watched it multiple times in Japanese and a few of the English dubs. I think you kind of hit the nail on the head as to why I find it more interesting now compared to back then. Kind of like a Lynch film you can interpret it's meaning in many different ways and your conclusion is never wrong. It can be about mortality, adult animation, or just another insane Lupin adventure from the late 70s. I think overall, the narrative is definitely all over the place, and stuff just happens before the movie comes to a conclusion, but even moments in-between hold something special. There is something that can be taken away from almost every scene in this film even if it is a bit of an incoherent mess at times. There is just a right mix of substance and style that no other Lupin movie has done. I still regard Cagliostro as my favorite film in the franchise, but I won't deny that Mamo is a very close second. Thanks making this video and sharing your thoughts on this film.
If you have sensitive vision please err on the side of caution: this video has a lot of VHS effects on top of footage which is already fairly flashy.
I should also reiterate that this is not a call to action to pester people who actually work on these releases: I do not condone that kind of behavior even as a joke.
TW Hitler Timestamps:
08:50
09:57
27:22
I'm so happy it's back up
Ahhh yes The Mystery of Mamo... my favorite Lupin movie
I found it hard to watch, and I dont have sensitive vision by any means. Felt unnecessary.
Thanks now i can access hitler whenever i want
As a long time Lupin fan, it cannot be overstated how unique and crucial the conflict between Lupin and his cohorts are in Mamo. I've seen most of the films, anime, and some of the manga. I don't think anything this meta is ever approached in the franchise except maybe Series Part 5.
The Part 5 is the best one in the series.
@@vincentquemuel2570 It surprised me how good it came out. Story was creative for current times without being out-of-taste. Backgrounds were gorgeous!
I'm convinced that this (fantastic) video is directly responsible for TMS putting the full dub on their RUclips channel.
Unfortunately it's no longer there.
@@SpookySkellyGurlI know it's such bullshit I only got to watch it once on my phone, I was gonna show it to all my friends on a TV
@kerdnerl It's on tubi which is a free legal streaming service. That's how i watched it.
It's on Tubi, both the dub and the sub.
Omg, I hope that this is still true, and even if not that glimmer of hope made my day haha
23:57 had me absolutely SHRIEKING. YOU GET IT. YOU UNDERSTAND.
As a italian I give you the Honorary Italian card for being as much of a fan of the great lupin as we are, dude's a cult over here and you're the first english person i find who not only studied him but likes its work as much as we do!
By the way I recommend watching Lupin Zero, i think we have a master piece season on our hands!
Wasn’t the Italian following string enough that there a good amount of Italian dub of lupin stuff and had part 4 Italian dub go first.
@@starmaker75 More like we have Italian dubs for ALL the stuff heck we even got a Italian version of a game that was never translated in English for the ps2
How did you find Lupin Zero?
@@stevena488 I LOVED IT! If anything I thought it was TOO SHORT! I need more!
Is lupin in Italy the same level as like naruto in America or is it more niche? I’ve always been interested by what shows regions latch on to
What I love about the "god or idiot" scene is that the kind of Lupin I love is the one who doesn't question why he's a thief. He just does it because it's fun, it gets him money, and gets him women. I love that. I hate it when they make him question "why am I a thief? will I ever be good as grandpa??? :((( " like they've been doing in a lot of modern day Lupin stuff. I especially love Lupin v. Mamo because of this. Mamo is a tortured soul whose philosophizing and over-thinking has trapped him and has caused him to spend entire lives (as clones) trying to make the world into something acceptable, even if that means burning it and starting all over. He's stuck living a life glorifying art and other "dead" things instead of going out into the world and living life. Lupin is the complete opposite, his head is "empty" and he has no dreams because he lives day-to-day on the fly. He never knows what his next goal is until he hears about something cool to steal. He lives life and lives it BETTER than Mamo because his own thinking/fears, if he has any, don't hold him back. Lupin is ultimately the one who changes the world.....maybe not for the better, but he still does. And on the fly. No years of planning, cloning, giant-braining, and living in such isolation.
I think Lupin's way of life, not thinking, not dreaming, just doing and living, is a great way to actually live freely. I wish I could be more like Lupin than Mamo.
Also, I love all your videos and hope you continue to make more, even if it's once every year or so.
I hope they go back to the older Lupin, I love the newer Lupin but by the continued use of him is pushing writers into a stereotypical thieves corner when Lupin’s whole thing (in my opinion) is thinking outside of the box and possibly relearning what freedom means
Honestly, at the point we've reached, I do not think that introspective Lupin has been fully explored, heck I would argue that Lupin as a character has been fundamentally tried to be analyzed but for some reason or another, could not be fully realized either through incompetence, lack of vision, or a fear that if we were to look at what makes Lupin tick, that if we were to just give Lupin an end goal, a retirement plan so to speak, that the entire franchise would end and that we need to continue the episodicness of the whole adventure and I would argue that no. You can make a satisfying ending to Lupin, you can make a narrative that does not end with Lupin riding away to his next adventure, you could very well make a story where Lupin stops being Lupin along with his colleagues.
The characters have already been pulled in so many different directions that I kind of want to see the logical endpoint of each of those directions. I want to green jacket Lupin retire to a nice quiet life after all of the reprehensible stuff he's done and regretted to have done and tried to atone. I want to see Red Jacket Lupin in one epic fight scene against Zenigata, just die or be captured by Zenigata, and finally sent off to prison for all of the things he has not regret I want to see Pink Jacket Lupin still being insane as always and always going to continue. I want to see Blue Jacket Lupin look at all of his past Jackets and all of his past actions and just think to himself what he really wants.
And I want all of the future jackets to go through several other endings, I want Lupin to be able to have so many endings that everyone can have a Lupin that they can look to and say "I liked that Lupin for" *so and so* "reasons."
The appeal of Lupin should be the surface level presentation of someone trying to be cool, and while he has his moments of not particularly being the coolest person on Earth, is still fundamentally the most talented, smart, intelligent, and in the moment character of all time. Lupin does not try to live in over his own head, instead he lives in his own real world and will do whatever it takes to bend that world to his will as he attempts to steal whatever he wants to enjoy whatever he wants. On some level, this might not sound as different than Mamo, but what Lupin gets that Mamo, and therefore every other Lupin villain or antagonist, is that their world is not the only world that exists. There are other worlds all across the Earth that can be just as worthy of consideration as great as their own, perhaps even more so.
Of course, they would never do so because they have never done so, and it was too late for Lupin to talk sense into them, especially Mamo, and anyway the series are an action franchise, so it's not like Lupin is in a particular position to be obligated to do so. However, when you look at the themes that I brought up, there's a lot of possibilities that Lupin could be pulled through.
Overall, I just want to see a Lupin that is not afraid to go wherever he is going to go. If there is a logical end point to a Lupin plot, then there will be a logical end point to a Lupin plot. If there is an illogical endpoint to a Lupin plot, let it go there too. Wherever Lupin goes, it should be followed up with. And right now, I think we should need more Lupin plots where Lupin has just found out why he's Lupin, which is that he enjoys it like you've said, and he prefers to live as Lupin, which I think Part 4 of Lupin covered rather well, if not without its core issues.
Honestly, I want a narrative where Lupin's actions are rather painted in a more honest light and we get to see what Lupin's legacy leaves behind. Because we all know and have seen that even with Cagliostro's Lupin that Lupin genuinely does not seem to understand nor really care to understand the consequences of his actions, he just knows he did what he did, which in my example's case was good, and leaves off to do his next thing. I don't want a plot twist with Clarisse, I just want to see what Lupin actually did because Lupin himself could argue round and round in circles about his actions or he could just not care, that does not make his actions any less substantial to the world around Lupin. Basically, I want Lupin and his gang to make a mess, then I want to see a discussion occur around that mess, and I then want to see Lupin and his gang forced to clean up the mess before inevitably escaping to make another mess. Rinse and repeat until Lupin's actions inevitably catch up with him.
This would give every other character an opportunity to be their own characters, because at this point Lupin's actions are not self-contained bouts of criminal mischief, he is actively causing both solutions and problems for others, whether he intends to or not. Jigen will be his primary supporter, Fujiko can try to profit off of him, Goemon can not like what he is doing or the kind of person he is, and Zenigata can finally have a consistent reason for wanting to chase after him, because Lupin is not all good, despite how cool he may be while doing his criminal acts. Lupin can be anything he wants, still does not change the fact that he is a really charismatic and likable criminal who way over his own head and does things that no normal sane and rational human being should be capable of doing or should want to do but he still does them anyway, and they're amazing when they happen but retrospectively they should be horrifying. Like how people obsessed with making death into an art would say about disasters, accidents, or war.
Thank god this was able to be reuploaded, as I was incredibly crestfallen when I realised this masterpiece of a video essay was taken down. The editing is top notch, the script is seamless in how it weaves ideas together, your line delivery is perfect with the emotion of your words always coming through.
This isn't just some of the best Lupin content available, this is one of the best videos available in my opinion, and I can only wish you the best going forward; hopefully this is able to get the traction it deserves.
Either way, I hope you have a lovely day, and keep up the amazing work.
Here’s hoping this one stays up! Work like this must live on!!! LOL
Around 1994 or 1995 I was at an anime convention, and someone at a booth was playing the hanging scene on a loop. These were the days of VHS, and someone had to have manually edited that loop together and made an entire VHS of it. It was one of the most disturbing things I had ever seen. I knew I had to go find this movie.
I absolutely love how you paired the music with this video essay. Really enhances the jokes
You did a hell of a job pitching this movie omg. I watched the opening to this video having never seen mamo, got the third of a plot summary, then went and watched it immediately before coming back to finish the video.
Lupin watching the montage of all the things Mamo has done as a Pink Floyd-esque guitar riff plays in the background always sends a shiver down my spine.
Great job on getting this video back online.
Something interesting from an interview for a show Soji Yoshikawa worked on later, Armored Trooper VOTOMS in 1983:
"Previously, I wrote and directed the first Lupin III movie (The Mystery of Mamo, 1978), and Votoms was a step forward from that. I apologize to the Votoms fans, but I had already presented a hero who is very dangerous because he doesn’t believe in anything. Lupin is a realist who confronts the enemy, Mamo, with realism. The enemy tries to convince him of the existence of something like a god, but Lupin is a realist and doesn’t believe in anything like that. In short, he’s dangerous because he believes in nothing.
In a way, Mamo and Lupin are the same character. The only difference is that one is in power while the other is not. In that sense, Lupin and Chirico [the protag] are very similar. At the time, we were in the Cold War era between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, so I made it a story about how the power of the real superpowers is much scarier. It’s sort of half-joking, but I was really excited about the fact that I could do it in a serious way.
So, I never told anyone this, but I had a double image of Votoms and Lupin. Of course, Chirico doesn’t make jokes. Chirico is rather a poor and sad character. Lupin can go with the flow, but Chirico is a sick person at the beginning. The OVA shows this."
(source: timeldred dot com slash writerproducerinterviews1997)
This is how I personally rediscovered Mamo, since Votoms has recently become one of my absolute favourites. When I first watched Mamo I thought it was a solid Lupin flick, if batshit insane. But somehow it stuck with me. With other movies i think "Wow, this is awesome!" directly after watching, but forget about the details in the long term. Not the case with this one. And now after having rewatched it and having seen your video I must say: You really get it! Don't be discouraged by the average anime fan's opinion: They have shit taste. Most of my favourites seem to be very contentious. So many of the kino classics, even the most highly regarded in japan are met with moderate or mixed reviews.
This can be said for both Mamo and Votoms, and I am shocked at how these seemingly different works are so similar:
- Both prompt people to say: "The visuals are dated and while I liked the action in the first two acts, the space magic mumbo jumbo at the end was stupid." while in reality the visuals and the third act are what elevate them both from great to absolute kino.
- Both feature a protagonist who struggles with, as you say, pushing those closest to him away, while they cannot explain to themselves why they keep coming back to him
- Both have a conspiracy that escalates into having the protagonist come at heads with and kill a high-tech pseudo-diety, who claimes to have controlled human history for a long time, in a very psychadelic climax.
-etc.
I feel like I am the first person to have really noticed this, even though it now seems obvious. Anyway, if anyone reading this likes Mamo, go check out Votoms (or at least the OP and ED for being so very stylish.) Everything is so well thought out, designed, the atmosphere is incredible, the music--everything perfectly fits! Even the sound effects are so iconic I would recognize them anywhere. Anyway, hope this helps someone.
The Cavalleria rusticana needledrop still absolutely floors me.
My college roommate and I have gotten absurdly into lupin but I’ve been holding off on watching this one. I think it will be tackled the moment we return from winter break. It’s time
Second time viewing this in full ever since the first upload. I really hope this gets at least as many views as your 'Miyazaki's Lupin' video so that it might reach the right people someday. Even if it never gets into the Criterion collection, there's a chance that an aspiring filmmaker or future auteur sees this and can maybe live and be inspired by this great Lupin film. (I'm hoping I could be that guy lol but that's pretty wishful thinking).
Can't wait for your next upload!!!
Not gonna lie, I watched the last vid at 3am one night and it convinced me to finally start watching Lupin III. I’m having a blast with it and can’t wait to get to Mamo. Fantastic job, looking forward to whatever is next!
Like I said last time; I'm not one to blindly agree with videos essays. I rarely watch them cause that's not how I like to engage with art. But Mamo is one of my favorite films of all time, so I choose to watch the video. I smiled the whole time and kept saying to myself; "She gets it, she totally gets it! Someone else who appreciates this movie like I do." Great work. Glad to see this masterpiece back up again.
After watching this video (the original upload), I immediately watched The Mystery of Mamo. It is beautiful and I want to watch everything Lupin now.
If the movie makes it into the Criterion collection, this video should be included as one of the special features. Amazing work!
Edit: Also, please tell me more about Bluth’s Thumbelina?????
I see a lot of similarities between your style of talking, and your mother's. "I don't know, kind of seems sketchy to me" is such a you line, I'm almost convinced there's a lot of your personality you've got from your mom.
34:17 Also, what's this song? I want to do Scout from Team Fortress 2's Conga Dance to the song. You know what, scratch that, I'm going to make you do that dance in my animation of this entire video, just like my animation of every other video. I'll probably have to do limited animation but I'll still do it.
You're doing God's work for lupin fans
This film sounds absolutely bonkers, bravo for making this video and fighting to reupload it. It sounds so surreal, i want to check it out now XD
Mamo: “either and idiot, or a *GOD*!”
Me, an idiot: so Lupin’s immortal
23:35 - 24:06 I immediately subscribed after hearing this monologue! 😂
Good to see it back! This video is a real treasure, especially your look at the character of the character of Lupin.
Mamo is also a real treasure, because the character Mamo is actually interesting. Personally I think, that the good Lupin movie need a good antagonist too, so Lupin looks even better when he beats them. Mamo just works, because he saw it all and is bored. Lupin III on the other hand loves life, the challenge, the struggle, everything life has to offer, so of course he tells the old stinker to shove it. Perfect dynamic, hopefully we will see it again one day.
So glad I found your channel right as I got tasked with drawing Lupin
Just wanna say thank you for getting me into Lupin the third with this video! Wouldn’t have watched this movie without it and I’m seriously in love with it now! Thank you!
You put Thief and the Cobbler just long enough for me to start thinking about how Scheherazade slaps before using it for a montage. That's great editing.
Oh thank god it’s back
Your writing and edditing is incredible. I love your videos.
This made me watch the film and while I'm not sure if it's "high art" It's certainly really interesting with a lot of strong visual and conceptual momments. Was well worth the watch, thanks for talking about it.
The YT-Safe Re-Edit finally arrives! Hope this one stays, hope that the original can be saved on public display - and that "Lupin III: The Mystery of Mamo" does eventually join the Criterion Collection (as well as many other animated films).
this video didn't need to go this hard but it did and I am more than willing to wait a year for another video like this
Well. Thank you. Thank you for talking about my favourite lupin 3 film. I'm a big fan of your work, and you have nailed what i feel about it. I'm not that good about theme, but, when i see Mamo, i feel that it is bigger than every lupin made. he is the one have take lupin to the very edge of what was possible in sci-fi with that franchise without breaking lupin. AND, HE WAS THE FIRST TO TRY.
Also good luck for fujiko mine, it will be loooooooooooong to write about it.
I am so damned happy you made this fantastic thing!
As a Millennial SJW woman trying desperately to explore and explain my sudden obsession with raunchy 1970's animation to my friends....
I need all the help I can get!
Through the hell of 2020 the only art that burned through my brain fog was Belladonna of Sadness, End of Evangelion, and Mystery of Mamo.
Profound, extreme, beautiful- but through all of it....humble and silly.
There's a concept in Tantric Buddhism, whereby the path to true transcendence can only be achieved when we take time to stop and acknowledge that deep down we are all just absurd horny meat puppets of flesh and blood - and ultimately....that's just fine!
Happy this is back up!!!
I will re-watch it a thousand times
Im happy to see one of my favorite video essays back. lets hope it stays up this time
Elite thumbnail right there
yay it's back up!! i didn't get to finish watching the whole essay before it was taken down, so i'm incredibly relieved i finally get to finish it :D
time to rewatch this video! really hoping this version will stay up :)
I am obsessed with your Lupin content and I love you. Also your mom is rad as fuck. Please make more. Thank you ❤️
You DO have to admit... It is INCREDIBLY funny that Zenigata is KIND of the through line of the film where he vaguely ignores the weirdness of it all (Or isn't even privy to it) but he's also the guy who wins in the end. Like... He wins. He says "I'll get you Lupin" at the start of the film and succeeds. He catches Lupin. THAT'S the end of the film. We don't see Lupin escape but they have to run away from the explosions. Pops gets a freaking happy ending.
There's a very odd thing with the start of the film where the whole Lupin died OR DID HE?!?! Feels like it's a Manga chapter. It doesn't make any freaking sense and it's not supposed to because Monkey Punch was just essentially parodying genre. This FEELS like the closest distillation of the manga where Lupin is a hedonistic psychopath who is only after what he wants. Plus the film doesn't make a whole HEAP of sense because the story is, much like the Manga, a series of parodies that Lupin and the gang find themselves in. You have Duel by Speilberg having a chunk of the film. You have the allusions to Phantom of the Paradise. You have a lot of Seijun Suzuki, you have Yakuza films, you have a cold war thriller, you have a Gothic Horror (like a Hammer film) It's Lupin vs film/art almost. It's almost a meta journey.
Also your mum is the best! Sorry for the long text crawl.
Watching this after watching the movie (which was uploaded to YT 12 hours ago), we rarely have good video essays on movies as specific as this.
That scanline effect is pretty cool honestly, and if it's a way to beat content flagging even cooler. My favorite part of this movie was always that serene bit where Lupin walks around inside surreal painting landscapes with The Way to the Oasis playing in the background. That'll always be on my summer night drive, windows down playlist thanks to that memory.
I hope your videos makes more Lupin fans! As a life long fan of Lupin I’ve learned things about the franchise from your vids and it’s been a delight.
Super glad this is back. Fantastic video!
Absolutely brilliant thesis! If you could do a video of this magnitude on The Legend of The Gold of Babylon I can die happy, that is my absolute favorite piece of Lupin media ever made
Two weeks late to this, but god damn. I've seen this film an unhealthy number of times (all 4 English dubs, and the fact that the Geneon dub is on YT now does not help) and this video still opened my eyes on a lot of the film.
These sort of Lupin essay videos are always a blast to watch and listen to. That being said, I'm looking forward to whatever you have in store next!
The section with your mom is a part of the video that just keeps getting more delightful with each rewatch TwT
Time to watch it again
Thank you so so so much for making and re-uploading this video! I saw it on my feed about an hour before the original was taken down and I really regretted not seeing it! I don’t know what the differences are, but your videos are such works of art regardless it was as great as I could have imagined! I love this film and I’m so glad I’m not the only person who thought this should be in the criterion collection, haha. While I’ve seen it a few times and really enjoyed it, I don’t think I was ever able to get even half of what you were able to get and articulate out of it so this was an especially enjoyable and insightful watch for me! Just like how I was amazed with how you formulated the journey of Miyazaki’s Lupin, this interpretation of the franchise means so much more to me after hearing what you have to say about it, it was like watching it again and for the first time all at once! Thank you so much for existing and thank you so much for sharing with the world, the world is better for it.
such a great essay that I watched it again and thank you so much for making!
One of the best youtube videos I've seen this year!
It’s back up!! It was so frustrating to see that it got taken down, I hope that more people get to see this masterpiece of a video essay now
Another incredible video. You're quickly becoming one of my favourite content creators.
This is a wonderful Christmas present! I’m really disappointed because I wasn’t able to see the original edit before it was taken down.
Now excuse me while I go locate Mystery of Mamo online to watch on New Years (I have an odd tradition of watching anime films and eating buttered toast every New Years Eve/Day).
love this video so glad it's back up
Watched the original upload but will leave this running on another tab to help the algorithm a little bit (also commenting for the same)!
Wonderful, another reason to dive deeper into my interests and step out of my objective reality.
Absolutely masterful analysis! Funny as hell, smart, thoughtful, informative, and a delight from start to finish. I always thought this film deserved more love (I just reacquainted myself with one of its many, many bad reviews from Lupin fans) and it could get no greater tribute than this. Excellent, excellent work!
You really gave a voice to the fans of Mystery of Mamo with this incredible video!
this one BETTER stay up!! ill give it a rewatch soon 👍👍
I can watch your vids all day, thanks again for the great content
thank you so much for making this, Mamo is my favorite Lupin movie, or just one of my favorite movies in general, but this video made me apprecatioe on another level, I love it even more now thanks to you, you're videos are so good!
...and I just saw this because TMS decided to stream the very movie (with the Geneon dub) on their RUclips channel. Definitely cartoony, weird, and fun.
Great video essay! I really want to see this now
Hi!!!
I was lucky enough that RUclips sent me to your other Lupin III video, which I devoured, and then I watched this one this morning, which I devoured as well!!
As someone who has wanted, for a long time, to put out rant-based-studied-video-essays on my favorite content of all time and just sits on scripts, I'm REALLY glad you have taken the plunge and release vids when you can. I ///really/// enjoyed both pieces ((and I know NOTHING of Lupin III other than loving the Jigen/Lupin ship)) and look forward to more!
Whoa… my question was answered by the end. I think it was a dub thing, and the funi dub was so different and I had no idea Tony got to this one too… damn. Thank!
Loved this ❤ I unfortunately/fortunately only discovered this film this year. The animation and voice acting is a lower standard than the more recent lupin lll content but it’s officially my fave lupin film now. Looking forward to seeing more of your content. Keep it up 😊
I would said mystery of Mamo is the highlight of part 2 lupin. It repents the insanity, experimental, fun, humour, and sincerity of the part. To me this is the grand finale of part 2
Great video!
This video was (re)uploaded three weeks ago.
Two weeks ago, the official TMS Anime Channel uploaded LUPIN THE 3rd: Mystery of Mamo.
Coincidence? I THINK NOT!
yess new video
Glad you mentioned Fujiko's presence, it's really the only movie where the entire main cast gets full billing. Her and Goemon get lost in a lotta Lupin plots, Cagliostro being an example. For that, and combining crazy w/quality, it's the only "true" Lupin movie in my head. Cagliostros perfect but isn't what you'd expect from the term "Lupin III Film". Saw Mamo when I was a kid watching P2, and as an adult revisiting did I notice just how deep it is as you have.
I love this video! It really puts the movie into a fun and unique perspective that one might have missed on the first watching.
Yay, it's back!!!
Not going to lie, I clicked on this video thinking the title was an announcement rather than a call for action, and was very excited to hear that. There are two films I've seen that I felt like they came from alternate realities where the fundamental priorities of filmmaking had developed differently. One of them was Seven Samurai, the other one was Mystery of Mamo.
Well… I just bought a $25 blu ray because of this video… and god damn… it was worth every dollar. My wife and I had a freaking blast watching this. The part where the truck falls off the cliff… and they all just start laughing their asses off… and then the plane flies in shooting at them… it’s just… a moment… a perfect hilarious moment.
I am amazed how much this movie put in and managed to make it all work
I love this channel
very interesting, very thoughtful video! ive watched mamo plenty of times and love to analyze the various lupin iterations but ive never fully clicked w mamo on that deep of a level. i know its themes of identity, of immortality, of war, the politics inherent to the scene where jigen n goemon are interrogated and so on but the way you talk about your thoughts on mamo is a bit of an eye opener for me and im tempted to rewatch mamo w all of this in mind, though ive honestly seen that movie too many times recently lol....
i think being a lupin fan can actually hinder the ability to really go deep into mamo cause a lot of these things i just shrug off as "usual lupinery" like uhm hitler and napoleon being there, or the way we go from the vampire scene to the pyramids to france and so on its very lupinesque to be unfocused in this way and its really masterful how mamo transitions from scene to scene, but since its so part 2-like it makes it harder for me to really think about these aspects of the movie and not just take them at face value.
im also a gay jigen truther ive wrote extensively about it LOL but i pick up more on the fujiko n lupin aspect in mamo.... i really should look at jigen in it a bit more. the tenderness he has for lupin in the movie gets eclipsed by his weird need to keep their gang as a guys club for me (which isnt NOT motivated by gay affection necessarily.. a lot happens in this movie it just makes it harder for me to see it) but really thinking back to it now it really is there isnt it. it really is there.!!!
all in all i really enjoyed this vid it took me forever to get around to actually watching it and i kinda wish i had earlier its given me a lot to think about! thank you for sharing your thoughts on mamo, its a weird movie but its got a lot to offer :)
Thanks for this.
I may re-watch this after the film.
such a good video!
FANTASTIC VIDEO! Just like your previous one! I'm so excited that you continue to hash out Grade A video essays on Lupin III.
I remember the first time I watched Mystery of Mamo. I bought the special edition DVD with the keychain thing when I was like 18 and watched it after having fallen in love with the show for the first time.
I very clearly recall my thought process as the movie went on. The first ten minutes or so I was like "Wow this is great". Then it quickly descended into chaos and I stared at the screen without any thoughts. I just absorbed everything in silence. I sat there afterwards wondering if I liked it or hated it. It was very polarizing for me, loving it one moment but then thinking "What the fuck was that?" the next. I realized that it had a lot of existential sexual energy to it. The whole thing was really about sex and one's love for the series as a whole - the good and the bad and the ugly. The sexual energy of Lupin, the sexual energy of the world powers, the sexual energy of Mamo, the sexual energy of the creators wanting to do something as R-rated as the manga, the sexual energy of what drives people to go after something. It combines the silly ludicrous plots of the more lighthearted anime with the artistic noir vibe of the original manga. Mamo wondering if Lupin is an idiot or God is a reflection of our existential crisis about life. Is sex really all that drives life? Is it stupid or profound to think that? The Mystery of Mamo being the first Lupin movie is symbolic in a way. It's like saying "This is what the show will eternally be about." The ending is literally an orgasmic display of explosions. The ending of the film always struck with me because it reminded me of what Monkey Punch always said about Zenigata and Lupin. He said that if the show were to ever end they would have to end as equals, either they both win or they both lose. Zenigata pursues Lupin the same way Lupin pursues Fujiko. The fact that they end the movie handcuffed together is, in a way, an ending to the series. It may not have been "the" ending but it's certainly AN ending. They are forever chained to each other because of their obsessive pursuits.
Mystery of Mamo is Gigabased
No Mames Mamo Momento.
I go to work in like 3~ hours from now, I'll be watching this again during that time because lord knows ik nothing about Lupin and need to rewatch this to understand
Hi Im back for a second watch, 24:04 still catches me lmao and I think I understand more now
Im back binging your essays again because I really enjoy the vibe and detail, no I do not have a problem
It’s back!
It's back up! Like! Comment! Share this fantastic video essay around!
Amazing video analysis. It's been 3 years since i watched Mystery of Mamo. Gosh I love how weird and trippy experimental it is yet also having emotional stakes and characters dynamic study with the Lupin gang. The movie did a wonderful job the gang breaking up than any other Lupin parts and movies. Btw, I see the gang as polycule and the show is literally the embodiment of be gay do crimes . Anyway, your video made me want to rewatch Mystery of Mamo and i love how narrate and edit your videos. Amazing ❤ Thank you for making Lupin analysis videos bcs I'm a fan of the franchises and wish there r more youtube videos and more ppl watching Lupin. Thank you for your videos and take care ❤
this video is so good it made me wanna watch both it and mamo a second time
Such a cool video
Brilliant video, G
Criterion: Seal of approval for Classics all throughout the World... & Armageddon.
Third time's the charm amirite
When you played the x-files sound with the matrix overlayed, I died of laughter (but Momo brought me back as a clone)
I’m so glad this video is back up. I have many thoughts about why it was taken down. Reach out if you’d like to hear them….
19:40 They do. we learned squash and stretch from rotoscoping.
The Castle of Caglioso was apart of the Hayao Miyazaki blu-ray collection when Disney (who at the time had the distribution rights to the Studio Ghibli films) partnered with Seven Star Media (also known as Discotek media) to have their blu ray release on that boxset. Discotek media currently have the rights to majority of all Lupin the Third films and Anime with most of that content still in print, especially with the Castle of Caglioso blu ray and 4K blu ray. Oh and did I mention how the film is apart of Netflix's library as apart of the Studio Ghibli streaming collection, but as HBO Max exist and they have the American Streaming rights to the Ghibli catalog of movies, the Castle of Caglioso is then the only Hayao Miyazaki movie that's not apart of that Studio Ghibli/or Hayao Miyazaki movie streaming collection. But it would nice if Gkids (the current distribution partner with Studio Ghibli) would rerelease the Hayao Miyazaki Studio Ghibli blu ray collection and partner with Discotek as to include The Castle of Caglioso into that set. Did I mention how the movie the perpetually on sale and in print and will always be that way? There's whole articles on it. And if you want a good copy of the movie I'd either recommend the Studio Ghibli Japanese release of the movie that you can pick up from Jbox or buyee, or I would also recommend the Discotek 4K blu ray collectors edition (which for some reason does have a "standard" release). Ight imma finish the video as I'm already have way through it. Have a nice day!
I had this weird relationship with this movie when I first watched about 6 years ago. I didn't like it because I felt it was too dark, too nihilistic, and overly raunchy. Like you said in the video it kind of reminded me of Fritz the Cat, another movie I wasn't too fond of at the time. I gelled more with Miyazaki's more squeaky clean white knight Lupin, and even then I wasn't a big fan of Miyazaki's movies. However over the years I have kind of warmed up to this movie. It's so fascinating and bonkers that I just can't take my eyes off of it. Since then I have watched it multiple times in Japanese and a few of the English dubs. I think you kind of hit the nail on the head as to why I find it more interesting now compared to back then. Kind of like a Lynch film you can interpret it's meaning in many different ways and your conclusion is never wrong. It can be about mortality, adult animation, or just another insane Lupin adventure from the late 70s.
I think overall, the narrative is definitely all over the place, and stuff just happens before the movie comes to a conclusion, but even moments in-between hold something special. There is something that can be taken away from almost every scene in this film even if it is a bit of an incoherent mess at times. There is just a right mix of substance and style that no other Lupin movie has done. I still regard Cagliostro as my favorite film in the franchise, but I won't deny that Mamo is a very close second.
Thanks making this video and sharing your thoughts on this film.
Another reason for me to find a way to more easily access bluray than stealing a relative's PS4.