I can't help but thing Sega straight up lifted the idea for Robotnik/Eggman from Wings of Death - Albatross. Just look at the baddy in that, and his obsession with giant flying fortresses. I also remember that and the second Miyazaki episode being part of "Tales of the Wolf", in which Steamline Pictures took a crack at dubbing some episodes, to see if anyone wanted a full series order. Anime was still very much a niche thing in the west back then, so no...no one was interested.
This video was such a fun ride and made me laugh at many points. Thanks for reminding me of how brilliant and ridiculous Lupin the Third is. Great job with editing and script writing I wouldn't have guessed this was your first video on the channel.
About Miyazaki and Zenigata -- there's an interview with Mamoru Oshii where he claims that, yes, Miyazaki absolutely loved Zenigata, and that the staff thought the two were incredibly alike and often compared them to each other.
On the other hand, looking at how Osumi treated the character and Zenigata's role in his TV special, yes, I also believe Osumi didn’t care much for Zenigata (except for one great episode) I think Zenigata just got in the way of the melancholic crime film feel that Osumi really wanted Lupin III to have.
26:23 one of my favorite aspects of zenigata being the moral compass is how over time Lupin and the gang really seem to love and care about the guy and develop and odd little unconventional friendship with him. To the point where we routinely see lupins moral compass become symbiotic with zenigata. There are some things zenigata considers unforgivable and also has his ideas about lupins code. There’s things he’s certain that lupin would never do because lupin is “better than that”. Maybe you could argue that lupin trying to live up to Zenigatas noble expectations of him softened lupin over time. And we see lupin genuinely deeply distressed in part 2 when zenigata thinks lupin has become a serial killer and is just disgusted and disappointed in him. The idea that one of the in-universe limitations to lupins crimes (a man who is often shown to be limitless with his skill) is his fear or letting Zenigata down is so GOOD to me. Although I’ve noticed and agree Zenigata has a sort of lovers / rivals dynamic with lupin. I can’t deny this is where zeni goes into dad mode. Raising his four adult thief children to be better people lmao
Well, it largely depends on who's writing and directing (just like everything else); there are some entries where the Lupin gang show incredible disregard for what happens to Zenigata, that usually coincides with it feeling like the writer didn't care about him either.
Yeah, I do appreciate how as the series as gone on, Lupin and Zenigata's relationship really is almost like those Looney Toons where the wolf and the sheepdog punch in and out at the end of the day and it's just part of the job, but if something actually happens to one or the other, God help you. Even Jigen will go to bat for Zenigata
One cool way that "Zenigata is Lupin" twist clues you in on itself, is that when Lupin disgiused as Zenigata see the robot for the first time he excitedly compares the flying macine to Superman. Earlier in episode 90 we learn that Lupin is a big fan of Superman because he won't stop going to the theater to see the movie, later in episode 94 Zenigata finds out about Superman, and doesn't like the concept of somebody having that much power. So from previous episodes we can tell right away that it's Lupin, because of their differing opinions on the character.
Of all interpretations of the character, I think Miyazaki Lupin is my favorite. He still has the raunchy goofiness of any Lupin, but is exactly more of the “gentleman thief” the community makes him out to be and isn’t a complete degenerate like other interpretation’s. Sure he’s not perfect, far from it, but he tries to be and that what makes him all the more realistic and I adore it. It may not be manga source material accurate, but I’m still all for it.
As much as I love Miyazaki's vesion of Lupin I personaly like Lupin being a chaotic and horny monkey man who dose terrible things and gives no shits about it
I too prefer this more kind side of him, because it also fit more with the story of the original Arsene Lupin, who was a thief, but with a high moral code (he wouldn't steal from struggling people and sometimes would even solve murders or mysteries). The og manga Lupin III is way too edgy and rapey to be called a "gentleman thief".
I still cannot fathom why Bennett the Sage thought the revelation that Lupin forgot about Clarisse saving him ten years prior to "Cagliostro" was an unnecessary plot point. Your essay did a really good job on articulating why it's part of the crux of the film - although I'm a huge Lupin fan largely because of all the different creative choices applied to it, "Cagliostro" (along with "The Great Silence") is one of my all-time favourite movies because of the psychological complexity it gives to Lupin himself.
@@kingboobs20 I like some of his reviews (his review of "Harmagedon" had some pretty funny context about its producer), but the biases he would display in some of his early ones were especially frustrating - he went into great detail describing the cultural significance of the style of music in "Ghost in the Shell", and instead of giving the same level of analysis towards "Akira"'s soundtrack and the unique story of how it was composed, mocked one track for its "wheezing old man" instrumentation. Although his review of "Cagliostro" praised the movie as a whole, his framing of the review - around a tribute to Goemon's VA in the Manga dub, Michael Gregory, who only gets a handful of scattered lines - and my above-mentioned suprise that he thought the "Young Clarisse saving Lupin" revelation could have been cut are indicative of a somewhat dismissive attitude towards the film, one that is frustratingly apparent on many a "Miyazaki movies ranked" article describing "Cagliostro" as having little substance compared to his other movies (it *does* have substance, but is more poker-faced about it than his Ghibli movies).
Sage is kinda a snobby armchair critic and harsh on films he doesn't understand. I don't want to sound harsh myself but he has this large sense of ego in his reviews, giving a vibe of "what I think is good is good, what's bad is bad, and you're all wrong if you disagree."
Fun fact for those unaware. Lupin III creator Monkey Punch, despite liking the film, had issues with it over the characterisation of Lupin as he didn't like the idea of him being a hero. In fact he'd even stated "I wouldn’t have had him rescue the girl, I would have had him rape her!" (yes that is an actual quote from him). He later stated that he enjoyed the film from a distance. A lot of the fans at the time and even some today dislike the film due to it's portrayal of a significantly softer and more heroic Lupin.
@@ravenfrancis1476 Money Punch wasn't really involved with the anime, the only movie he directed was Dead or Alive which was honestly preety decent (although it has some huge pacing issues) and in general he'd let directors do what they wanted. I think he said this about Cagliostro cause it was the direct opposite of his Lupin, I don't recall him ever complaining about another film. Also having read the og manga and seen all 40+ movies I can reassure you that no movie comes even remotely close to Monkey Punchs Lupin. In the manga Lupin was a straight up villain. He was the leader of a huge crime family that had over 2000 active members in Japan alone, he killed frequently and had no problem whatsoever killing cops and women, his preferred method of killing was stabbing his victim in the back or hanging them, he was absolutely feared by everyone including Jigen and he frequently (and I really do mean frequently) raped women.
@@jc_ride what's interesting enough, if i recall correctly; lupin was inspired by the presentation of MAD magazine. he was made to be "cool" and a beacon of counter-culture that rejected the cleancut goody-goodyness of super heroes, super detectives, etc. for him to be a murderous, thoughtless rapist was something truly different from the norm. why i call that interesting is that for the longest time we existed and still somewhat exist in an era that values cynicism and being hardcore for the sake of hardcore. Lupin as we know him today as a witty Robin Hood kind of character is servicable as a modern counter-culture icon
As much as I love and appreciate Miyazakis work in the franchise, I personally always favored more aggressive/asshole versions of him. I think the modern series have struck a good balance between hero Lupin and asshole Lupin. But what I do really appreciate is Miyazakis work for Zenigata and Fujiko.
At this point, the future of the franchise HAS to give us a smattering of Hero Lupin and Snarky Mischief Goblin Lupin often in the same series or movie
@@princeblackelf4265 that's sort of what's going on at the moment. The new parts and the new specials have a version of Lupin that's not Miyazakis version but relatively heroic and less of a perv, and the Takeshi Koike directed movied are in a different universe where Lupin is a lot more of a dick and the movies in general are a lot more sexualised and violent
I also love the more aggressive feel, though I honestly think the best variant is the genius artist we see in like part 4 and 5. The lupin obsessed with simply being "the best human", a painting.
I just watched Castle of Cagliostro as my first Lupin anything 3 days ago and I'm already obsessed. This came at the perfect time. I wish you the best of luck with future essays and articles.
I absolutely loved your essay. How brilliant. I personally love snot nosed Lupin as much as the next guy, but Miyazaki’s Lupin, holds a very personal spot in my heart. I like to think the castle of cagliostro is Lupin’s very last major heist before he retires. I don’t think he’d ever settle in a quiet village somewhere, but maybe he finally gets a place of his very own where his colleagues can rest their heads with him. There’s something so sweet and satisfying to me about Lupin not necessarily becoming a good person, but becoming better and kinder to especially his friends. I appreciate a deep take on Lupin like this because I feel like Lupin is often dismissed as ‘silly thoughtless fun’ when it has the potential to really make you think and feel.
This video was incredible! As someone who has also gotten way way too into Lupin III, your analysis of Miyazaki's influence on the franchise was so so interesting!! I'd love to hear you talk about more Lupin in the future (and about other media too!)
Oh my god. You’re point about the gang constantly choosing the funniest solution because “this is kinda worth the extra effort.” has absolutely re-contextualised the whole franchise for me
speaking of the Cosmic retribution aspect I will always remember the episode where they steal a bottle of champagne (or maybe it was wine but I seem to remember it being described as champagne maybe that's just the dub or my shit memory) that used to belong to Napoleon but when they have a taste they discover that it turned into sour vinegar and that always struck me as a metaphor for how people will put a very high value on something just because a famous person owned it and wind up with essentially useless bullshit ... kinda like NFTs xD
Oh I know this one! It was even worse, with it being revealed something they stole was actually the donations for under privileged kids and made Lupin and co feel like a bunch of a-holes. They fixed their mistake but damn.
Having the castle in the sky robot steal stuff may be a reference to the original inspiration of those robots in the max fleischer super man cartoon. Where a scientist has them rob banks and stuff. It also might be a parallel to the lupin imposter being based on the original more evil (and maybe shallow) lupin.
I don't think good art/story writing should ever be blamed for making the series worse. Miyazaki created his Lupin how he wanted, the fact that others copied him is not his fault. Those other writers and creators and artists are free to create their own comprehensive version of Lupin, and if they want to incorperate elements from previous versions, fine, but it's not Miyazaki's fault if they try to copy him and can't. This is why the phrase "write what you know" exists. If you don't know how to write a character excatly how someone previously did, don't, create a version you CAN write for. It's also not like anyone would necessarily care that Lupin's personality changes between movies or series, it already does, so who cares? Before i get any mad replies, this is more a comment on the general conversation about this, less directed at the video. I've seen this take for other shows and i just wanted to write my thoughts somewhere.
it feels wild to blame him for just making decisions too likeable and fun to be discarded or simply set aside by people coming in later trying to do their own spins on it all
RUclips recommended this to me as a red jacket fan and Cagliostro lover. It took two minutes for me to laugh my ass off and understand I loved your humor and this was going to be a wonderful experience. I looked at your channel. And saw that it was empty aside from this essay and its trailer. I was flabbergasted. This is the most beautiful entrance onto RUclips I've ever witnessed. Your essay convinced me to watch green jacket which I dropped after episode 1 - I had no idea it got that good. It showed me many ways through which I would have never imagined Miyazaki to influence the series but that make so much sense. I remembered how awful I felt reading chapter 1 of the manga and thinking how much more interesting the anime cast was - now, I know for sure who to thank. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your hard work. I'll eagerly subscribe and wait months for anything you produce. And perhaps I'll watch TWCFM in the meantime !
I've been meaning to watch this ever since it released! Now that I finally have, I can say that you've done a fantastic job dissecting what makes Miyazaki's perspective on Lupin so special. You can argue that his work led to some big flanderization later on, but his version of Lupin feels a lot more personal than others have done with the character. I see a lot of a young Miyazaki himself in his Lupin; trying to maintain a grasp on that carefree, childlike wonder while still coming to grips with reality and adulthood. I think that's a big reason why he came back for Cagliostro and his Part 2 episodes; to reflect on the character now that he's a bit older and try to... grow him up, for lack of a better phrase. Amazing job with this video Delaney!
i’ve always felt like lupin III should best be seen as an interesting collection of artist interpretations and you pretty much put the words in my mouth on that note alone. you have monkey punch’s original vision along with osamu dezaki’s series of films, takeshi koike’s stuff in general, and miyazaki’s own perspective of how he sees lupin and whether or not it can really sustain a future. lupin at this point can never be the same again and everyone knows it, but i wouldn’t call that a bad thing entirely. that’s just how it’s been for a long time now
This was fantastic, hope to see more! Castle of Cagliostro on DVD was the best Easter gift my mom ever accidentally got me and would later be the inciting incident for my entire college friend group. And we watched "Mystery of Mamo" a week later... There was alot of screaming. You can tell this vid was crafted with alot of love and it was a fantastic ride. Thank you!
This video is utterly fantastic, it really shows how much Miyazaki created a future blueprint for other people to make their own Lupin interpretations (and helping make Zenigata the legend he is). I recently watched Castle of Cagliostro for the first time and really enjoyed it and all the funny part 2 clips I’ve been sent by friends. Big Goemon fan :>. Keep up the great work!
It's so funny you say the thing about Dr. Claw, because Inspector Gadget was made by the same studio as Lupin when Lupin the VIII got copyright striked and cancelled, and they needed a backup show. Also, this is the greatest Lupin video essay I've ever seen. Not enough people go into Part 1 as deep as you did and I am so happy for that!
Great essay!! I always suspected that Zenigata was Miyazaki’s favorite, but the connection you made about Miyazaki seeing himself in Zenigata 🤯 mind blown. I’d love to see your video on Don Bluth or The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, even if that show features the most cursed Zenigata.
@black-handed_ice_gwiazda9758 Sure! I'll be honest, it's been years since I've watched The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, but I remember not liking how Zenigata treated Fujiko. Mainly I dont think he would sleep with her.
10:50 although the main series doesn’t increase or decrease, there is a major spike in homosexual tension in the movie “Fujiko’s Unlucky Days,” between jigen and goemon. Just insane
real good video, one slight crticism is bringing up mainly miyazaki and osumi and not citing any other staff like the animators who handled ceatain cuts and instead citing the whole work to miyazaki, also castle of cagliostro was really well responded to at the time of release just some hardcores didnt like it, you can see this just from looking at the fandom for Clarisse and how it basiclly changed otaku culture in japan. still great video.
Cagliostro was not that well received at first, and compared to Mamo it was a flop financially. Miyazaki was also in conflict with the Part 2 staff when they brought him in to work there, and that was partially due to what he did with Cagliostro (he dismissed the script Part 2 writers provided him with and did his own thing instead)
Lupin was there for us at a difficult time in our lives somehow. The Woman Called Mine Fujiko is insane and engrossing and I nearly wrote it off from the synopsis. Glad I didn't, and would love to hear you talk about it after this wonderful and thoughtful essay.
Wow… This is such a well written video essay that explores Hayao Miyazaki impact on how he shaped the Lupin mythos for years to come. For a long time I always saw Lupin as a comedy action adventure, so to see Lupin who as a character that never really has character development be examined with such depth. It’s honestly immaculate, you’ve certainly earned a subscriber from me, I hope to see more of your incredible dives into examining media like this. And thank you for keeping what is considered to be a old anime classic relevant again. I love this show, and I am shocked I never found it sooner than last year.
I love this video SO, SO MUCH. Lupin III has a big role in my life, and seeing this masterfully compiled with lighthearted and fun commentaries makes me wonder... HOW'S THIS YOUR FIRST VID? PLEASE continue with such amazing charisma and work. I would literally see you talk about anything and have a blast.
Ngl I was having a pretty crappy day, sore from work, having too much caffeine and too little food all that jazz but this video completely lifted my spirits. This is possibly now my favorite video essay of all time and I thank you this is absolutely delightful.
Notably, Miyazaki didn't like Part 2. That fake Lupin gang in the final episode, in Miyazaki's mind, they were supposed to be the characters that the viewers watched throughout the series (except for Albatross) while Lupin was presumably disguised as Zenigata the whole time.
If he disliked Lupin living in a vacuum, getting away with things and not growing up, then it definitely makes sense that he'd dislike red jacket. However, I'm not sure about Zenigata having been Lupin the whole time at all. It doesn't fit with the rest.
@@blara2401 Why else would he be disguised? Also, looking closer, Zenigata from Part 2 is, character-wise, closer to Miyazaki’s Lupin than Part 2 Lupin is. Miyazaki disliked Part 2 for being, as he called it (paraphrasing) “a bunch of anachronistic slapstick that pathetically ran out of steam midway through”; basically because it was meaningless and didn’t represent the time it was made in. Honestly, I agree. While the good episodes are really good, on average Part 2 is just a bunch of nonsense that sometimes barely even has a story.
I love Miyazaki, but I have to hard disagree on that take. As sporadic and nonsensical as part 2 is, I don’t think it should be discounted completely at all- Lupin just isn’t the type of character to be the good guy all the time. His ancestor was the gentleman thief, he’s much more of the roguish kind.
@@commisso3806 Part 2 doesn't need to have a story ; it took Lupin's absurdism and ran with it, as the essay summised, and that's neither good nor bad, really. I enjoy it like I enjoy Urusei Yatsura's first season, which similarly kicks off great but then lags behind in my opinion.
@@blara2401 I’m not saying this to change your opinion, but I do want to say that it wasn’t only Miyazaki: Yasuo Otsuka also didn’t like Part 2, Soji Yoshikawa, the director of Mamo, said his film was pretty much made the way it was as an act of rebellion against Part 2, Yasuo Yamada openly preferred Part 1, and even Atsushi Yamatoya, the lead writer of Part 2 said he regrets a lot of the things they’ve done on that show.
Consistent through the series, Lupin has acted immature, but secretly is very mature, very understanding, and sometimes even bitter about the life he's in. He likes to play off a normal person as much as he can, a charming and immature person, but he runs into the limits of reality often. He 'left behind' the princess because he knows it just couldn't work. He's a criminal in danger, "dirt", and the princess is responsible, "clean". As much as he'd enjoy things, he knows not to overreach. He's responsible. "This is the life I chose. And this is what the consequence is. I can't just up and quit and pretend none of it happened." In a way, he wants to be slain by zenigata to repent for his sins. But he also doesn't want it to be an unfair surrender, he wants to lose at his best as not to shame his lineage. He wishes that the world would catch up to him and get him. He is afraid of the day he grows old and can't pull off his stunts anymore. IT's a very deeply layered character. Oh look noone read this rip
In my opinion, the best way to portray Lupin the 3rd and his gang is to first go for what they are, then build who they are around that what. This approach would not only stay true to the characters, but it would leave a lot more thinking and brainpower to the side characters, which I would argue should define Lupin's gang the most because Lupin, Jigen, Goemon, Fujiko, and Zenigata have already defined themselves and they're not (usually) ashamed of who they are, even if they occasionally hate themselves for their choices they've accepted their master criminal status' and aren't ashamed of owning it from time to time. They're just a bunch of crooks who have really specific traits that can be generalized and fitted towards any situation necessary, so lean into that when using them. As for what to do with the side characters, take the opposite approach. You can make your villains, your secondary protagonists, your supporting casts, and elevate them either to take Lupin's spotlight as Lupin and his gang help build up the rest of the narrative through their own antics or you could have them depict the scenario and why Lupin is needed and/or unwanted in that scenario. Either way, just remember the golden rules of writing such as "Never Waste Anything" or "If you're going to do something, do it with pride and certainty." I want to write my own essay and make my own interpretive fanart and fic about this series.
_Genuinely_ enjoyed this unpacking of the franchise. Entertaining, insightful, and your off-the-cuff approach brings some delightful wit to the table. Nicely done!
there is SO MUCH i like about this video (esp as someone who, almost daily, mourns the loss of Humble Professor's Lupin the III video as it got copyright striked ages after he long-since left youtube; and this is def going to be a video i repeatedly re-watch to cope, thank you so much), but one of my favorite technical things you did here was circumvent a copyright strike against that clip of Lupin getting shot via using the storyboards. it was an ingenious way of highlighting, not only the key frames/posing of each shot (like Lupin and Clarisse's faces or how Clarisse jumps on top of Lupin or or or), but also of What Exactly Is So Important Here That You Want To Show The Clip Without Talking Over It the process between storyboarding(, an animatic,) and the final animation is stark. that's why a storyboard is a work in progress and not a finalized piece 9 times out of 10. but by strippung down the scene to being barely more than the animators had (because the animators didn't have sound or voices), we get to sit in the position of people who didnt know how important this scene was going to be to see happen; we, instead, got to see the pitch of it. we got to see the idea in the making as you talked about its impact post-premier. but then it is merged with the sound, therefore making it an animatic-- a piece of the animation pre-production process that didn't really exist as we know it today (bc an animatic only exists in a digitally-made-storyboard world, or at least one where you have film editing software to edit/sync the still images with sound to) back when this scene was pitched?? so, at the same time as leaving the sound design as is heard in the present film's landscape, while also putting us back in time to Before This Shot's Animation Was Finalized, we're ALSO out into a place that likely never was there due to the technological difference between then and now. and i just. i love that. as someone studying to be a storyboarder with Castle Of Cagliostro having been my favorite film of all time, bar none, since i was in elementary school?? that made me immediately fall in love with your editing decisions. i would applaud you if that was possible within a comment section. alas. all i have are these emojis 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 and a "job well done" sort of congratulations if you do make new stuff after your rest, ill definitely check it out. youve earned my eternal admiration right there. and i could say more, but Essay Long Comments are kind of stressful, so ill leave it for here for now and may comment more as i re-watch this in the future. much love to you and yours. and, again, great fucking job 👏👏👏
ik it’s been a few years since this you uploaded video but i would love to see your analysis of all the don bluth films!! i really enjoy the way you speak so fondly of what interests you and if you are still interested in watching the don bluth films I’d love to hear you talk about them too
The screams overlaying the scene when Zenigata is groping made me bust out laughing. But in all seriousness that's true when Zenigata showed up in Fujiko's solo series and did that, I was like "ohhh........shit's going down. They've corrupted Zenigata. They're not playing", it honestly made me kind of sad. Also, this video is hilarious and informative, I look forward to more!! And if you only want to do Lupin vids till the end of time. I support you!! **OMG PLEASE MAKE THE FUJIKO VID YOUR NEXT ONE!!
@@thehaloscrolls391 Everyone's character was significantly darkened in the series. It's also weirdly out of place for Zenigata overall, as the rest of his characters is actually loyal to his original manga counterpart, where he was generally ruthless and efficient, as opposed to the loud clown he kind of usually is portrayed as. It could be argued that we're seeing Zenigata at a point in time before he fully developed into the character we'd better know him as, being that The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is a loose prequel to the entire franchise.
Hes a dirty cop in this series who used to be bright and pure but got disappointed in life and just started doing whatever. When he really meets the crew and goes thru drug owl adventure, he rediscovers this "purity". Kind of really weird people didnt get that, i thought it was obvious. Plus, its strange to me how people ignore the fact that Fujiko was the instigator of the relationship even though the recording of it sounding like Fujiko's torturing him is a plot point in the same episode.
castle of cagliostro is my favourite film of all time and i didn’t know there was any other lupin content until a few hours ago, thank you for making this video i have enjoyed it immensely!
Hey, I just wanted to tell you how delightful this retrospective was. Brilliantly edited and a perfect balance between history and deep analysis of a body of work. Thanks for sharing.
Your perspective at 33:47 gave me a brand new light for Cagliostro. I've always known him to act older in that film as his edges have softened and Lupin isn't exactly a liar. Still, I never questioned how he'd dodge any sort of confrontational moments to open up until you made the point. He finally opens up in a bruised, vulnerable moment and the closest thing (to my memory) that even compares to an understated moment like that is Lupin saying he likes being the kind of guy to do hero shit in Part V to Ami. It's painted my view of late Miyazaki Lupin because he gets multiple opportunities to stop his past self in strange new reflective ways like the wings of albatross
Looking forward to more essays from you! This one was fantastic. If you haven’t seen Sherlock Hound (Meitantei Holmes) yet, I highly recommend it. Even though Miyazaki only directed 6 episodes you see callbacks to his Lupin work
this was a fantastic video essay! i also got into the lupin franchise during the pandemic and started w/ miyazaki's entries in the series, and this vid reminded me of why i connected w/ it so deeply even if the series has departed from this take on lupin. plus the whole section on zenigata and his role as the heart of the franchise was excellent, i'd always kinda known it deep down but you put it into words perfectly
The female nudity more specifically in Albatross struck out to me cause it’s one of the few times where Miyazaki has had a scene like that, with the only one being in the Nausicaä of The Valley of The Wind manga. I don’t know/think they came out at the same time, but I have wondered why he chose those two times to do so. It may also be cause, like Albatross to his contribution to the Lupin franchise, the Nausicaä manga continued long after the original movie. So maybe it has something to do with Miyazaki being so in touch and comfortable with the series he worked on that he felt like he could definitely do something like that earnestly. I’m glad you pointed that out cause it was an interesting thing I also noted. Also hecking frick this is a great video. Truly great. Loved every bit of it. One of the finer analysis’s of Lupin III. Well engaging and of great depth, really solidified why part 1 is so good. Especially how innovative it was within itself, able to be so distinct with its identity and presentation. I’m glad you dedicated this video to what is the most significant and defining moments of the franchise. Great work.
6:08 The Woman called Fujiko Mine is a perfect prequel. Theres even a throw away line in Green Jacket where she gets very irrationally mad at Lupin when he suggests losing all your memories wouldnt be so bad. Which makes sense after seeing that series. Now if this was on purpose. I have no fucking clue.
What a great first video, I think Lupin is a character that could be in any situations, I always pictured him as an antihero, in some series he could be goofy and work against even worse people or you can make him a terrible violent thief who only cares about himself and the thing to steal. I think every interpretations of this character is cool in their own ways.
I wasn't sure what to expect with this video, like it just got randomly recommended to me but I really enjoyed both it and you, so thank you for making this!
I went to your profile to see what other videos there were… and I was shocked to see this was your only video! This is goddamned good for a first time. Congrats!
Dont you love when you find some informative,funny and amazingly high quality video kinda out of the blue? Im just amazed this video even exist,it oozes passion and talent out of every pore Its just amazing, absolutely stunning work
That dub is what made me a fan, god it was so funny. I also agree that anybody else doing those voices in English sounds wrong, although the Manga Video dub of Cagliostro is still pretty good ( with Solid Snake voicing Lupin)
This is wonderful. Thanks for educating me on one of my favorite Miyazaki movies. I know a lot of people aren't crazy about it but I could never not love a movie that combines two of my favorite things. Lupin and Miyazaki.
This was a fantastic watch! Thankyou for putting this together, was really enjoyable! I love especially how you talked about the challenges that Miyazaki faced in adapting this story, and really makes me respect his work on this IP even more!
This was an absolute delight to watch! Frankly it reminded me exactly why I love the Lupin franchise so much. Would love to hear your thoughts on TWCFM as well as Don Bluth's catalog - you've earned my subscription!
Excellent video, well done with the editing and the content was great too. Honestly helped put perspective on the human/emotional side that I wasn't grasping too well. Something about the Laputa robot, it's appearance in Lupin was it's first from what I can find. "Farewell My Beloved Lupin" predates the release of Laputa by almost six years. The episode aired Oct. 6th 1980 while the release of Laputa was Aug. 2nd 1986 in Japan.
I grew up watching Lupin III, since it was such a massive series here in Italy (it debuted in 1979 and has been a cultural phenomenon ever since), and the way it handled characters and relationships made me a big fan of the "anti-hero" protagonist, seen in works like City Hunter, Cowboy Bebop and Cat's Eye - it's a style of protagonist that isn't really done anymore, but Takahata and Miyazaki were especially great at bringing out a flawed, appealing version of the characters.
I really loved this video essay you made, it really gave me a good analytical look into the lupin Miyazaki created :) and theres so many things i didn't know til i saw this video!! like I had no idea he directed the second half of part 1, and I didnt even realize the complete shift in overall tone between the first half of part 1 and the second half, and even the character development in zenigata in the second half of part 1 as well, theres a lot that big lupin fans, including myself, have to thank Miyazaka for and im really happy you brought that to our attention :) I hope you make more of these cause it was really good!!
I legit thought you were a seasoned creator! The production values in this vid are phenomenal for a first video. Best of luck for future vids man. If this is anything to go by, your future vids are gonna be awesome
Great first video, this was well done and I practically expected you to have a whole library of previous video essays after watching this one. Just as a quick note, there was a (possibly poorly translated) interview with Miyazaki from decades back in which he went over his time with Studio Telecom that I recall reading where he admitted to having some involvement in the Red Jacket series Miami Bank Heist episode ( 143 where there is an emphasis on aircraft). From what I recall he said something to the extent of "That episode didn't turn out too well so I won't take credit for it". Great job from a long time Lupin super fan here!
Awesome video, I loved the effort put into it + the info I haven't known yet. I recently got into Lupin the Third, and watched all of Part 1 twice and Part 2 once, and am currently re-watching it now. Keep up the great work!
ok you got me, between this and your mamo essay i’m finally gonna gave and watch lupin haha - really great work here, as someone who didn’t know much about miyazaki’s involvement in lupin besides cagliostro existing this was super interesting! 🎉
Came here for a video essay on Miyazaki’s film on Lupin, was pleasantly surprised to stick around for a whole history lesson I didn’t know beforehand and see how the artist we love was working before his films. Thank you for a great video! Looking forward to watching more!!
What a sterling first video essay example!! Funny, super well researched, an interesting subject to talk about, and a well formed argument! This is a really fantastic video essay, but especially so for your first try. Well done!
This video was very good, I'm subscribing :) Anyways, I have a note on how Masaaki Osumi treated Lupin and Zenigata. In my opinion, he treated them like how the original Arsène Lupin novels treated Arsène Lupin and detective Ganimard. In the novels, Ganimard isn't close to being an even match for Lupin. He's the guy who managed to arrest him once, and is well known for it, and he's a good detective by all means, but he's not on the level of Sherlock Holms (or Herlock Sholms, which is how he appeared in the novels for copyright reasons), or even Arsène Lupin when he decides to solve a case (which is pretty common). And because Most of his crimes were never even known to have happened, because he was the perfect criminal, Ganimard rarely even shows up. You can pretty clearly see the parallels between that and Zenigata and Lupin's relationship in the first few episodes of part 1.
If anything, the video glosses over Part 1 episode 4, which quite directly sets the "they secretly need each other" dynamic for Lupin & Zenigata in stone. Osumi was well ahead of everyone there. I didn't think about the Arsene Lupin/Ganimard mirroring here before, though, and it makes sense that someone with interests as varied as Osumi would help alluded to it here.
He was in fact also closer to the original Monkey Punch manga: the fourth episode "One Chance to Breakout" is one of the very few which follows an early story from the manga pretty much frame by frame.
I suggest to keep making Lupin content along with other projects. This is very insightful and you inspired me to revisit my fantasy thief story that I had to stop for a year now cos I couldnt make the set up as intriguing til this vid. Keep it up and I wish you success. You inspire people
Love you for bringing up how always sunny in Philadelphia oddly has recreated the same basic formula and structure as lupin iii many years later. Probably completely independently and by coincidence as I have no reason to believe the creators watch anime let alone this one. I noticed that the shows and characters are similar in a fun way and I felt like I was a crazy person if no one else did. Lmao you’re right that Zenigata becoming a true member of the group and a true main character completed the formula and made the show what it is much like Frank. This whole video essay was beautiful and I loved it.
So. I have never watched a Lupin film. But I grew up on nothing but Ghibli films, im telling you, I was rabid for the things. Miyazaki just has that special kinda magic that draws me in like no tomorrow. So I see this, and I recognize Cagliostro as Miyazaki like he's in the bones of it. So of course, I click on the video. Now I have to go watch Cagliostro and the other Lupin movies because wow! Feeding my Ghibli soul!! Who knew! Plus, I keep hearing about how entertaining Lupin is, so why not right? Also also, I was so surprised to see that this was your first video essay posted on your channel! The edits are all really good, and the chapters flow together very comedically at times. The music in the background and the way you approach some topics in your video rings of Breadsword's formula, and I love it to bits!! Not the same, you definitely make it your own, and I cant wait to see what you make next!! Definitely got a subscriber from this one :DD
I loved this! Such a great and wonderful exploration of the pivotal moments of Lupin anime history! Very well edited and very professionally made! Subscribed, I’m so excited for your next video.
This series looks incredible for something that was animated for TV in the 70s. Also, damn, things got kind of Patlabor at the end there. Though the presence of the Laputan Robot is... _weird_
I've been watching Lupin the Third for around 2 years now on and off. Anytime I get a day off work I watch some. I have always been a fan of Miyazaki's work and believe Castle of Cagliostro is one of, if not the best Lupin Movie to this day. Despite being rushed it stands the test of time almost 50 years later. I've been especially interested in the cars Lupin drive throughout the Franchise such as his 1929 Mercedes SSK (very rare car), his 65 Fiat 500 (never been too clear on the year). I was quite Surpised when they brough back his 1965 Alfa Romeo from Part 2 in the Conan crossover. So the main reasons I loved this anime was the style, the cars, and the characters. I'm happy to see so many people love this anime.
This just popped up on my feed and it was delightful - similarly to you I started a project to watch all of Lupin (for myself, chronologically by release - I'd already seen p4 and 5 before starting, and am up to ~1999 on specials at this point). I really appreciate the thoughtful analysis of the eras of Lupin and what makes the show and characters so great, as well as the exploration of Miyazaki's career through the lens of his work and impact on Lupin - hopefully I'll have made my way though The Woman Called Fujiko Mine by the time you produce that video on it, I'll be keeping an eye out for more from you!
Oh my god. I just stumbled upon a 48 minute video essay on one of my favorite animes that hardly anyone talks about? yesssssss! something to listen to at work!
This essay was fantastically composed and curated. I could really feel how much you cared for it. You are wonderful, thank you for this. I’m looking forward to checking out your channel.
I actually, don't mind seeing you explore The Woman Called Fujiko Mine. I held in high regard upon my first viewing, but I havent watched in 5 or so years. Very awesome debut video! Can't wait to check out more.
Cool video! I do think that, while your apprehension towards the Osumi leg of Part 1 is fine by itself, you de-emphasize just how impactful that part was on the series & TV anime from that era. More than just being too edgy for TV & not edgy enough for Monkey Punch, the Osumi-directed episodes honed in on the turn-of-the-'70s art film & counterculture stylings that appealed to young adults & salarypeople otherwise uninterested in kid's shows at the time. Stories like, say, the one with Poon have this real "I watch Godard films for breakfast" vibe extending from the script all the way to the subtle editing which only Osamu Dezaki's shows would immediately build off of. A couple of the more Takahata-driven episodes early on even iterate on what Osumi was approaching in his last few, which tracks for a man just as into international cinema as him.
This is all very true. Osumi's episodes are some of my favorite Lupin content ever made, and I think they don't get enough appreciation, but there are reasons for it: first, the early ones were really rough around the edges, and Osumi was fired before the series could properly improve and become more consistent. Second, the Miyazaki stuff is much more approachable for a general audience, while Osumi's episodes take way more risks and specific choices with the style, which scares people away. A lot of people have a: "This is all weird and kind of sad, let me have my happy Lupin adventures" kind of reaction to them.
@@commisso3806 Most of what little anime Osumi directed reflects that outsider approach to aesthetics & storytelling that's celebrated today but clashes so hard with Lupin III's identity afterward. He came from a puppet theater background yet went for a thoroughly adult approach with Lupin (while keeping some of the manga's humor). One favorite little fact I can point to: they contracted Atsushi Yamatoa, a famous scriptwriter for edgy pinku/avant-garde art films, to write two episodes for the first cycle, most notably the one with Pycal. Yamatoa was such a perfect fit for what Osumi's team wanted to do, straddling the line between pulp/exploitation & the kinds of liminal post-modern stylings you'd see in adult Japanese/European movies then. That didn't entirely go away under Takahata/Miyazaki (see the clock tower episode), but it defines the Osumi era. They basically invented the adult anime TV series and then some in just one episode production cycle, before the ratings worked against them. Osumi never did anything this significant again, though I think Run! Melos is an underrated anime movie even among overlooked '90s productions.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought of 60s/early 70s new wave cinema when watching the Osumi episodes. There were definitely some arthouse vibes (which makes Seijun Suzuki's involvement in the pink jacket era all the more fitting)
Another aspect of Lupin III under Miyazaki is how much he rejects a common philosophy within the films that the world and the people in it are mostly selfish. People don't do things for alturisitc reasons, and even Zenigata is trying to catch the criminal protagonists out of his own selfish obsession. And Miyazaki's entire body of work is about empathy and loving other and being self-sacrifcing, so of course he tried his best to shift that narrative and to make all the characters much, much less self serving. I personally like Miyazaki's Lupin the best, mostly because I agree with his philosophy, but I also understand how that kind of thematic departure still rubs people the wrong way. I do love too how Miyazaki didn't cave entirely to the demands of the industry and still was able to let his beliefs shine through instead of making something he didn't thematically agree with. That sort of show or film might've made the whole thing more consistent, but worse overall, and I think is contrary to the spirit of Lupin in general. All this to say, this is one of the funniest and well written video essays I've ever seen, and I have seen a LOT. Can't wait to see what you have in store in the future!
3:15 I'd like to point out that Howl's Moving Castle, also directed by Miyazaki, was based on a pre-existing book by Diana Wynne Jones, one I'd personally read prior to watching the movie. It's a good book and more people should read it. It also had two sequels which *weren't* turned into Miyazaki films, both of which were also pretty good. Funnily enough, the second book is titled "Castle in the Air," and came out four years after the very similarly named Ghibli movie, "Castle in the Sky". Probably a complete coincidence seeing as how they're nothing alike in terms of characters, plot, or setting, I just find it funny that there's a second Ghibli connection within the same series, years before the Howl movie came out.
great video! i also got very into lupin during 2020 LOL i am now an endless pit of lupin knowledge and am sooo excited to see ur take on the fujiko mine anime. one of my favs - it is so intricate and delicate and GOD its amazing
Super interesting and very easy to watch. Thanks for making this, I was always curious about other lupin after seeing Cagliostro and feeling alienated by the first episode of the actual tv series. Now I feel like I got a decent crash course of Lupin’s beginnings and a really good understanding of Miyazaki’s role.
Amazing essay I was on the fence with lupin the 3rd (mainly due to life stuff and unsure where to start with lupin) but was interested in it. But watching this is definitely making me wanna catch it. Really enjoyed this video overall and was pretty funny (also liked the patreon end card bit) If you continue to make videos, really hope your channel grows
FLASHING LIGHTS WARNING: 05:08 - 05:13 , 09:37 - 09:41
Excellent video! Very high effort, and I can't wait to see this channel grow more
Poon??? as in LamPoon perhap??? o~0
Heya what happened to the rest of your videos?
I can't help but thing Sega straight up lifted the idea for Robotnik/Eggman from Wings of Death - Albatross. Just look at the baddy in that, and his obsession with giant flying fortresses. I also remember that and the second Miyazaki episode being part of "Tales of the Wolf", in which Steamline Pictures took a crack at dubbing some episodes, to see if anyone wanted a full series order. Anime was still very much a niche thing in the west back then, so no...no one was interested.
This video was such a fun ride and made me laugh at many points. Thanks for reminding me of how brilliant and ridiculous Lupin the Third is. Great job with editing and script writing I wouldn't have guessed this was your first video on the channel.
About Miyazaki and Zenigata -- there's an interview with Mamoru Oshii where he claims that, yes, Miyazaki absolutely loved Zenigata, and that the staff thought the two were incredibly alike and often compared them to each other.
On the other hand, looking at how Osumi treated the character and Zenigata's role in his TV special, yes, I also believe Osumi didn’t care much for Zenigata (except for one great episode) I think Zenigata just got in the way of the melancholic crime film feel that Osumi really wanted Lupin III to have.
That won't ever not crack me up.
26:23 one of my favorite aspects of zenigata being the moral compass is how over time Lupin and the gang really seem to love and care about the guy and develop and odd little unconventional friendship with him. To the point where we routinely see lupins moral compass become symbiotic with zenigata. There are some things zenigata considers unforgivable and also has his ideas about lupins code. There’s things he’s certain that lupin would never do because lupin is “better than that”. Maybe you could argue that lupin trying to live up to Zenigatas noble expectations of him softened lupin over time. And we see lupin genuinely deeply distressed in part 2 when zenigata thinks lupin has become a serial killer and is just disgusted and disappointed in him. The idea that one of the in-universe limitations to lupins crimes (a man who is often shown to be limitless with his skill) is his fear or letting Zenigata down is so GOOD to me. Although I’ve noticed and agree Zenigata has a sort of lovers / rivals dynamic with lupin. I can’t deny this is where zeni goes into dad mode. Raising his four adult thief children to be better people lmao
Well, it largely depends on who's writing and directing (just like everything else); there are some entries where the Lupin gang show incredible disregard for what happens to Zenigata, that usually coincides with it feeling like the writer didn't care about him either.
I love your comment ❤ You perfectly described why I love Lupin and Zenigata's relationship 🥰
Yeah, I do appreciate how as the series as gone on, Lupin and Zenigata's relationship really is almost like those Looney Toons where the wolf and the sheepdog punch in and out at the end of the day and it's just part of the job, but if something actually happens to one or the other, God help you. Even Jigen will go to bat for Zenigata
One cool way that "Zenigata is Lupin" twist clues you in on itself, is that when Lupin disgiused as Zenigata see the robot for the first time he excitedly compares the flying macine to Superman. Earlier in episode 90 we learn that Lupin is a big fan of Superman because he won't stop going to the theater to see the movie, later in episode 94 Zenigata finds out about Superman, and doesn't like the concept of somebody having that much power.
So from previous episodes we can tell right away that it's Lupin, because of their differing opinions on the character.
Of all interpretations of the character, I think Miyazaki Lupin is my favorite. He still has the raunchy goofiness of any Lupin, but is exactly more of the “gentleman thief” the community makes him out to be and isn’t a complete degenerate like other interpretation’s. Sure he’s not perfect, far from it, but he tries to be and that what makes him all the more realistic and I adore it. It may not be manga source material accurate, but I’m still all for it.
Same for me.
Well put.
As much as I love Miyazaki's vesion of Lupin I personaly like Lupin being a chaotic and horny monkey man who dose terrible things and gives no shits about it
I too prefer this more kind side of him, because it also fit more with the story of the original Arsene Lupin, who was a thief, but with a high moral code (he wouldn't steal from struggling people and sometimes would even solve murders or mysteries). The og manga Lupin III is way too edgy and rapey to be called a "gentleman thief".
That was the whole point of the original Arsène Lupin, he was supposed to be a gentleman while also being a thief
WE GOT A RICH WIDOWER WITH A HEART CONDITION!!
This was a beautiful essay, thank you so much for making it.
I saw the subbed version of that episode last week
What episode is that? I need to watch it now lmao
I still cannot fathom why Bennett the Sage thought the revelation that Lupin forgot about Clarisse saving him ten years prior to "Cagliostro" was an unnecessary plot point. Your essay did a really good job on articulating why it's part of the crux of the film - although I'm a huge Lupin fan largely because of all the different creative choices applied to it, "Cagliostro" (along with "The Great Silence") is one of my all-time favourite movies because of the psychological complexity it gives to Lupin himself.
Bennett isnt stranger to bafflingly bad points
@@DeepEye1994 Bennett was the worst reviewer of the Channel Awesome era which is really saying a lot.
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@@kingboobs20 I like some of his reviews (his review of "Harmagedon" had some pretty funny context about its producer), but the biases he would display in some of his early ones were especially frustrating - he went into great detail describing the cultural significance of the style of music in "Ghost in the Shell", and instead of giving the same level of analysis towards "Akira"'s soundtrack and the unique story of how it was composed, mocked one track for its "wheezing old man" instrumentation. Although his review of "Cagliostro" praised the movie as a whole, his framing of the review - around a tribute to Goemon's VA in the Manga dub, Michael Gregory, who only gets a handful of scattered lines - and my above-mentioned suprise that he thought the "Young Clarisse saving Lupin" revelation could have been cut are indicative of a somewhat dismissive attitude towards the film, one that is frustratingly apparent on many a "Miyazaki movies ranked" article describing "Cagliostro" as having little substance compared to his other movies (it *does* have substance, but is more poker-faced about it than his Ghibli movies).
Sage is kinda a snobby armchair critic and harsh on films he doesn't understand. I don't want to sound harsh myself but he has this large sense of ego in his reviews, giving a vibe of "what I think is good is good, what's bad is bad, and you're all wrong if you disagree."
Fun fact for those unaware. Lupin III creator Monkey Punch, despite liking the film, had issues with it over the characterisation of Lupin as he didn't like the idea of him being a hero. In fact he'd even stated "I wouldn’t have had him rescue the girl, I would have had him rape her!" (yes that is an actual quote from him). He later stated that he enjoyed the film from a distance. A lot of the fans at the time and even some today dislike the film due to it's portrayal of a significantly softer and more heroic Lupin.
I'd say Miyazaki made the right call avoiding that.
I think this is a sign that if your Lupin project is liked by Monkey Punch you ended up doing something wrong.
@@ravenfrancis1476 Money Punch wasn't really involved with the anime, the only movie he directed was Dead or Alive which was honestly preety decent (although it has some huge pacing issues) and in general he'd let directors do what they wanted. I think he said this about Cagliostro cause it was the direct opposite of his Lupin, I don't recall him ever complaining about another film. Also having read the og manga and seen all 40+ movies I can reassure you that no movie comes even remotely close to Monkey Punchs Lupin. In the manga Lupin was a straight up villain. He was the leader of a huge crime family that had over 2000 active members in Japan alone, he killed frequently and had no problem whatsoever killing cops and women, his preferred method of killing was stabbing his victim in the back or hanging them, he was absolutely feared by everyone including Jigen and he frequently (and I really do mean frequently) raped women.
@@jc_ride Yeah, which is why anything he'd approve of in terms of Lupin is garbage.
@@jc_ride what's interesting enough, if i recall correctly; lupin was inspired by the presentation of MAD magazine. he was made to be "cool" and a beacon of counter-culture that rejected the cleancut goody-goodyness of super heroes, super detectives, etc. for him to be a murderous, thoughtless rapist was something truly different from the norm.
why i call that interesting is that for the longest time we existed and still somewhat exist in an era that values cynicism and being hardcore for the sake of hardcore.
Lupin as we know him today as a witty Robin Hood kind of character is servicable as a modern counter-culture icon
As much as I love and appreciate Miyazakis work in the franchise, I personally always favored more aggressive/asshole versions of him. I think the modern series have struck a good balance between hero Lupin and asshole Lupin. But what I do really appreciate is Miyazakis work for Zenigata and Fujiko.
At this point, the future of the franchise HAS to give us a smattering of Hero Lupin and Snarky Mischief Goblin Lupin often in the same series or movie
@@princeblackelf4265 that's sort of what's going on at the moment. The new parts and the new specials have a version of Lupin that's not Miyazakis version but relatively heroic and less of a perv, and the Takeshi Koike directed movied are in a different universe where Lupin is a lot more of a dick and the movies in general are a lot more sexualised and violent
I also love the more aggressive feel, though I honestly think the best variant is the genius artist we see in like part 4 and 5. The lupin obsessed with simply being "the best human", a painting.
I just watched Castle of Cagliostro as my first Lupin anything 3 days ago and I'm already obsessed. This came at the perfect time. I wish you the best of luck with future essays and articles.
Definitely one of my all-time favorite animated films, let alone one of my favorite movies, period.
I absolutely loved your essay. How brilliant. I personally love snot nosed Lupin as much as the next guy, but Miyazaki’s Lupin, holds a very personal spot in my heart. I like to think the castle of cagliostro is Lupin’s very last major heist before he retires. I don’t think he’d ever settle in a quiet village somewhere, but maybe he finally gets a place of his very own where his colleagues can rest their heads with him. There’s something so sweet and satisfying to me about Lupin not necessarily becoming a good person, but becoming better and kinder to especially his friends. I appreciate a deep take on Lupin like this because I feel like Lupin is often dismissed as ‘silly thoughtless fun’ when it has the potential to really make you think and feel.
Couldn’t have said it better. Y’know despite the countless sequels of the anime and spin-off’s, this is my headcanon ending to Lupin’s theft career
castle of cagliostro is referenced in part 5 so its definitely not his last major heist
@@HasHollow I dont like part 5 so i dont care. I dont like any Lupin that takes place in cellphone times. I pretend it doesnt exist lol
@@geeba3353 L opinion
This video was incredible! As someone who has also gotten way way too into Lupin III, your analysis of Miyazaki's influence on the franchise was so so interesting!! I'd love to hear you talk about more Lupin in the future (and about other media too!)
Hi
hi thomas google docs
@@davebob4973 google docs
Zenigata really is the heart of the crew, I had never heard it put like that...
Oh my god. You’re point about the gang constantly choosing the funniest solution because “this is kinda worth the extra effort.” has absolutely re-contextualised the whole franchise for me
speaking of the Cosmic retribution aspect I will always remember the episode where they steal a bottle of champagne (or maybe it was wine but I seem to remember it being described as champagne maybe that's just the dub or my shit memory) that used to belong to Napoleon but when they have a taste they discover that it turned into sour vinegar and that always struck me as a metaphor for how people will put a very high value on something just because a famous person owned it and wind up with essentially useless bullshit ... kinda like NFTs xD
Oh I know this one! It was even worse, with it being revealed something they stole was actually the donations for under privileged kids and made Lupin and co feel like a bunch of a-holes. They fixed their mistake but damn.
It's champagne indeed
Having the castle in the sky robot steal stuff may be a reference to the original inspiration of those robots in the max fleischer super man cartoon. Where a scientist has them rob banks and stuff. It also might be a parallel to the lupin imposter being based on the original more evil (and maybe shallow) lupin.
I don't think good art/story writing should ever be blamed for making the series worse. Miyazaki created his Lupin how he wanted, the fact that others copied him is not his fault. Those other writers and creators and artists are free to create their own comprehensive version of Lupin, and if they want to incorperate elements from previous versions, fine, but it's not Miyazaki's fault if they try to copy him and can't. This is why the phrase "write what you know" exists. If you don't know how to write a character excatly how someone previously did, don't, create a version you CAN write for. It's also not like anyone would necessarily care that Lupin's personality changes between movies or series, it already does, so who cares?
Before i get any mad replies, this is more a comment on the general conversation about this, less directed at the video. I've seen this take for other shows and i just wanted to write my thoughts somewhere.
it feels wild to blame him for just making decisions too likeable and fun to be discarded or simply set aside by people coming in later trying to do their own spins on it all
RUclips recommended this to me as a red jacket fan and Cagliostro lover.
It took two minutes for me to laugh my ass off and understand I loved your humor and this was going to be a wonderful experience.
I looked at your channel. And saw that it was empty aside from this essay and its trailer. I was flabbergasted.
This is the most beautiful entrance onto RUclips I've ever witnessed. Your essay convinced me to watch green jacket which I dropped after episode 1 - I had no idea it got that good. It showed me many ways through which I would have never imagined Miyazaki to influence the series but that make so much sense. I remembered how awful I felt reading chapter 1 of the manga and thinking how much more interesting the anime cast was - now, I know for sure who to thank.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your hard work. I'll eagerly subscribe and wait months for anything you produce. And perhaps I'll watch TWCFM in the meantime !
I've been meaning to watch this ever since it released! Now that I finally have, I can say that you've done a fantastic job dissecting what makes Miyazaki's perspective on Lupin so special.
You can argue that his work led to some big flanderization later on, but his version of Lupin feels a lot more personal than others have done with the character. I see a lot of a young Miyazaki himself in his Lupin; trying to maintain a grasp on that carefree, childlike wonder while still coming to grips with reality and adulthood. I think that's a big reason why he came back for Cagliostro and his Part 2 episodes; to reflect on the character now that he's a bit older and try to... grow him up, for lack of a better phrase.
Amazing job with this video Delaney!
Oh hey! It's the other awesome person who does Lupin reviews that people should absolutely check out!
i’ve always felt like lupin III should best be seen as an interesting collection of artist interpretations and you pretty much put the words in my mouth on that note alone. you have monkey punch’s original vision along with osamu dezaki’s series of films, takeshi koike’s stuff in general, and miyazaki’s own perspective of how he sees lupin and whether or not it can really sustain a future. lupin at this point can never be the same again and everyone knows it, but i wouldn’t call that a bad thing entirely. that’s just how it’s been for a long time now
This was fantastic, hope to see more! Castle of Cagliostro on DVD was the best Easter gift my mom ever accidentally got me and would later be the inciting incident for my entire college friend group. And we watched "Mystery of Mamo" a week later... There was alot of screaming. You can tell this vid was crafted with alot of love and it was a fantastic ride. Thank you!
This video is utterly fantastic, it really shows how much Miyazaki created a future blueprint for other people to make their own Lupin interpretations (and helping make Zenigata the legend he is). I recently watched Castle of Cagliostro for the first time and really enjoyed it and all the funny part 2 clips I’ve been sent by friends. Big Goemon fan :>. Keep up the great work!
It's so funny you say the thing about Dr. Claw, because Inspector Gadget was made by the same studio as Lupin when Lupin the VIII got copyright striked and cancelled, and they needed a backup show.
Also, this is the greatest Lupin video essay I've ever seen. Not enough people go into Part 1 as deep as you did and I am so happy for that!
Great essay!! I always suspected that Zenigata was Miyazaki’s favorite, but the connection you made about Miyazaki seeing himself in Zenigata 🤯 mind blown.
I’d love to see your video on Don Bluth or The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, even if that show features the most cursed Zenigata.
@black-handed_ice_gwiazda9758 Sure! I'll be honest, it's been years since I've watched The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, but I remember not liking how Zenigata treated Fujiko. Mainly I dont think he would sleep with her.
10:50 although the main series doesn’t increase or decrease, there is a major spike in homosexual tension in the movie “Fujiko’s Unlucky Days,” between jigen and goemon. Just insane
real good video, one slight crticism is bringing up mainly miyazaki and osumi and not citing any other staff like the animators who handled ceatain cuts and instead citing the whole work to miyazaki, also castle of cagliostro was really well responded to at the time of release just some hardcores didnt like it, you can see this just from looking at the fandom for Clarisse and how it basiclly changed otaku culture in japan. still great video.
Cagliostro was not that well received at first, and compared to Mamo it was a flop financially. Miyazaki was also in conflict with the Part 2 staff when they brought him in to work there, and that was partially due to what he did with Cagliostro (he dismissed the script Part 2 writers provided him with and did his own thing instead)
Lupin was there for us at a difficult time in our lives somehow. The Woman Called Mine Fujiko is insane and engrossing and I nearly wrote it off from the synopsis. Glad I didn't, and would love to hear you talk about it after this wonderful and thoughtful essay.
Wow… This is such a well written video essay that explores Hayao Miyazaki impact on how he shaped the Lupin mythos for years to come. For a long time I always saw Lupin as a comedy action adventure, so to see Lupin who as a character that never really has character development be examined with such depth. It’s honestly immaculate, you’ve certainly earned a subscriber from me, I hope to see more of your incredible dives into examining media like this. And thank you for keeping what is considered to be a old anime classic relevant again. I love this show, and I am shocked I never found it sooner than last year.
I love this video SO, SO MUCH.
Lupin III has a big role in my life, and seeing this masterfully compiled with lighthearted and fun commentaries makes me wonder... HOW'S THIS YOUR FIRST VID?
PLEASE continue with such amazing charisma and work. I would literally see you talk about anything and have a blast.
Ngl I was having a pretty crappy day, sore from work, having too much caffeine and too little food all that jazz but this video completely lifted my spirits. This is possibly now my favorite video essay of all time and I thank you this is absolutely delightful.
Notably, Miyazaki didn't like Part 2. That fake Lupin gang in the final episode, in Miyazaki's mind, they were supposed to be the characters that the viewers watched throughout the series (except for Albatross) while Lupin was presumably disguised as Zenigata the whole time.
If he disliked Lupin living in a vacuum, getting away with things and not growing up, then it definitely makes sense that he'd dislike red jacket. However, I'm not sure about Zenigata having been Lupin the whole time at all. It doesn't fit with the rest.
@@blara2401 Why else would he be disguised? Also, looking closer, Zenigata from Part 2 is, character-wise, closer to Miyazaki’s Lupin than Part 2 Lupin is.
Miyazaki disliked Part 2 for being, as he called it (paraphrasing) “a bunch of anachronistic slapstick that pathetically ran out of steam midway through”; basically because it was meaningless and didn’t represent the time it was made in.
Honestly, I agree. While the good episodes are really good, on average Part 2 is just a bunch of nonsense that sometimes barely even has a story.
I love Miyazaki, but I have to hard disagree on that take. As sporadic and nonsensical as part 2 is, I don’t think it should be discounted completely at all- Lupin just isn’t the type of character to be the good guy all the time. His ancestor was the gentleman thief, he’s much more of the roguish kind.
@@commisso3806 Part 2 doesn't need to have a story ; it took Lupin's absurdism and ran with it, as the essay summised, and that's neither good nor bad, really. I enjoy it like I enjoy Urusei Yatsura's first season, which similarly kicks off great but then lags behind in my opinion.
@@blara2401 I’m not saying this to change your opinion, but I do want to say that it wasn’t only Miyazaki: Yasuo Otsuka also didn’t like Part 2, Soji Yoshikawa, the director of Mamo, said his film was pretty much made the way it was as an act of rebellion against Part 2, Yasuo Yamada openly preferred Part 1, and even Atsushi Yamatoya, the lead writer of Part 2 said he regrets a lot of the things they’ve done on that show.
Consistent through the series, Lupin has acted immature, but secretly is very mature, very understanding, and sometimes even bitter about the life he's in. He likes to play off a normal person as much as he can, a charming and immature person, but he runs into the limits of reality often. He 'left behind' the princess because he knows it just couldn't work. He's a criminal in danger, "dirt", and the princess is responsible, "clean". As much as he'd enjoy things, he knows not to overreach. He's responsible. "This is the life I chose. And this is what the consequence is. I can't just up and quit and pretend none of it happened." In a way, he wants to be slain by zenigata to repent for his sins. But he also doesn't want it to be an unfair surrender, he wants to lose at his best as not to shame his lineage. He wishes that the world would catch up to him and get him. He is afraid of the day he grows old and can't pull off his stunts anymore. IT's a very deeply layered character. Oh look noone read this rip
Actually your comment helped me write this character better so thanks :)
@@finchcarvingadiamond Helped you write the character better? Are you a writer for the lupin series, or?
In my opinion, the best way to portray Lupin the 3rd and his gang is to first go for what they are, then build who they are around that what. This approach would not only stay true to the characters, but it would leave a lot more thinking and brainpower to the side characters, which I would argue should define Lupin's gang the most because Lupin, Jigen, Goemon, Fujiko, and Zenigata have already defined themselves and they're not (usually) ashamed of who they are, even if they occasionally hate themselves for their choices they've accepted their master criminal status' and aren't ashamed of owning it from time to time. They're just a bunch of crooks who have really specific traits that can be generalized and fitted towards any situation necessary, so lean into that when using them.
As for what to do with the side characters, take the opposite approach. You can make your villains, your secondary protagonists, your supporting casts, and elevate them either to take Lupin's spotlight as Lupin and his gang help build up the rest of the narrative through their own antics or you could have them depict the scenario and why Lupin is needed and/or unwanted in that scenario. Either way, just remember the golden rules of writing such as "Never Waste Anything" or "If you're going to do something, do it with pride and certainty."
I want to write my own essay and make my own interpretive fanart and fic about this series.
_Genuinely_ enjoyed this unpacking of the franchise. Entertaining, insightful, and your off-the-cuff approach brings some delightful wit to the table. Nicely done!
There's a certain energy that Miyazaki brings to Lupin that makes his version of the characters so fun to watch.
there is SO MUCH i like about this video (esp as someone who, almost daily, mourns the loss of Humble Professor's Lupin the III video as it got copyright striked ages after he long-since left youtube; and this is def going to be a video i repeatedly re-watch to cope, thank you so much), but one of my favorite technical things you did here was circumvent a copyright strike against that clip of Lupin getting shot via using the storyboards. it was an ingenious way of highlighting, not only the key frames/posing of each shot (like Lupin and Clarisse's faces or how Clarisse jumps on top of Lupin or or or), but also of What Exactly Is So Important Here That You Want To Show The Clip Without Talking Over It
the process between storyboarding(, an animatic,) and the final animation is stark. that's why a storyboard is a work in progress and not a finalized piece 9 times out of 10. but by strippung down the scene to being barely more than the animators had (because the animators didn't have sound or voices), we get to sit in the position of people who didnt know how important this scene was going to be to see happen; we, instead, got to see the pitch of it. we got to see the idea in the making as you talked about its impact post-premier. but then it is merged with the sound, therefore making it an animatic-- a piece of the animation pre-production process that didn't really exist as we know it today (bc an animatic only exists in a digitally-made-storyboard world, or at least one where you have film editing software to edit/sync the still images with sound to) back when this scene was pitched?? so, at the same time as leaving the sound design as is heard in the present film's landscape, while also putting us back in time to Before This Shot's Animation Was Finalized, we're ALSO out into a place that likely never was there due to the technological difference between then and now. and i just. i love that. as someone studying to be a storyboarder with Castle Of Cagliostro having been my favorite film of all time, bar none, since i was in elementary school?? that made me immediately fall in love with your editing decisions. i would applaud you if that was possible within a comment section. alas. all i have are these emojis 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 and a "job well done" sort of congratulations
if you do make new stuff after your rest, ill definitely check it out. youve earned my eternal admiration right there. and i could say more, but Essay Long Comments are kind of stressful, so ill leave it for here for now and may comment more as i re-watch this in the future. much love to you and yours. and, again, great fucking job 👏👏👏
Lupincentral brought me
THIS IS AMAZING I’m in love with your editing and comedic timing.
Definitely sharing!
ik it’s been a few years since this you uploaded video but i would love to see your analysis of all the don bluth films!! i really enjoy the way you speak so fondly of what interests you and if you are still interested in watching the don bluth films I’d love to hear you talk about them too
"I may have got too embarassingly into Lupin III"
Nothing wrong with it, it's one of the most famous and beautiful manga/anime out there
The screams overlaying the scene when Zenigata is groping made me bust out laughing. But in all seriousness that's true when Zenigata showed up in Fujiko's solo series and did that, I was like "ohhh........shit's going down. They've corrupted Zenigata. They're not playing", it honestly made me kind of sad. Also, this video is hilarious and informative, I look forward to more!! And if you only want to do Lupin vids till the end of time. I support you!!
**OMG PLEASE MAKE THE FUJIKO VID YOUR NEXT ONE!!
Why is he like that anyways?
@@thehaloscrolls391 Everyone's character was significantly darkened in the series. It's also weirdly out of place for Zenigata overall, as the rest of his characters is actually loyal to his original manga counterpart, where he was generally ruthless and efficient, as opposed to the loud clown he kind of usually is portrayed as. It could be argued that we're seeing Zenigata at a point in time before he fully developed into the character we'd better know him as, being that The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is a loose prequel to the entire franchise.
Hes a dirty cop in this series who used to be bright and pure but got disappointed in life and just started doing whatever. When he really meets the crew and goes thru drug owl adventure, he rediscovers this "purity". Kind of really weird people didnt get that, i thought it was obvious.
Plus, its strange to me how people ignore the fact that Fujiko was the instigator of the relationship even though the recording of it sounding like Fujiko's torturing him is a plot point in the same episode.
Outstanding essay. Thank you so much. Your heart was shining brightly and I love hearing about how much passion you have for this.
castle of cagliostro is my favourite film of all time and i didn’t know there was any other lupin content until a few hours ago, thank you for making this video i have enjoyed it immensely!
Hey, I just wanted to tell you how delightful this retrospective was. Brilliantly edited and a perfect balance between history and deep analysis of a body of work. Thanks for sharing.
Your perspective at 33:47 gave me a brand new light for Cagliostro. I've always known him to act older in that film as his edges have softened and Lupin isn't exactly a liar. Still, I never questioned how he'd dodge any sort of confrontational moments to open up until you made the point. He finally opens up in a bruised, vulnerable moment and the closest thing (to my memory) that even compares to an understated moment like that is Lupin saying he likes being the kind of guy to do hero shit in Part V to Ami. It's painted my view of late Miyazaki Lupin because he gets multiple opportunities to stop his past self in strange new reflective ways like the wings of albatross
Looking forward to more essays from you! This one was fantastic. If you haven’t seen Sherlock Hound (Meitantei Holmes) yet, I highly recommend it. Even though Miyazaki only directed 6 episodes you see callbacks to his Lupin work
this was a fantastic video essay! i also got into the lupin franchise during the pandemic and started w/ miyazaki's entries in the series, and this vid reminded me of why i connected w/ it so deeply even if the series has departed from this take on lupin. plus the whole section on zenigata and his role as the heart of the franchise was excellent, i'd always kinda known it deep down but you put it into words perfectly
The female nudity more specifically in Albatross struck out to me cause it’s one of the few times where Miyazaki has had a scene like that, with the only one being in the Nausicaä of The Valley of The Wind manga. I don’t know/think they came out at the same time, but I have wondered why he chose those two times to do so. It may also be cause, like Albatross to his contribution to the Lupin franchise, the Nausicaä manga continued long after the original movie. So maybe it has something to do with Miyazaki being so in touch and comfortable with the series he worked on that he felt like he could definitely do something like that earnestly. I’m glad you pointed that out cause it was an interesting thing I also noted.
Also hecking frick this is a great video. Truly great. Loved every bit of it. One of the finer analysis’s of Lupin III. Well engaging and of great depth, really solidified why part 1 is so good. Especially how innovative it was within itself, able to be so distinct with its identity and presentation. I’m glad you dedicated this video to what is the most significant and defining moments of the franchise. Great work.
6:08 The Woman called Fujiko Mine is a perfect prequel. Theres even a throw away line in Green Jacket where she gets very irrationally mad at Lupin when he suggests losing all your memories wouldnt be so bad. Which makes sense after seeing that series.
Now if this was on purpose. I have no fucking clue.
This is such a brilliant disection of the franchise, fantastic job! As I lupin fan myself you put it in better words than I ever thought one could.
What a great first video, I think Lupin is a character that could be in any situations, I always pictured him as an antihero, in some series he could be goofy and work against even worse people or you can make him a terrible violent thief who only cares about himself and the thing to steal. I think every interpretations of this character is cool in their own ways.
I wasn't sure what to expect with this video, like it just got randomly recommended to me but I really enjoyed both it and you, so thank you for making this!
I went to your profile to see what other videos there were… and I was shocked to see this was your only video! This is goddamned good for a first time. Congrats!
Dont you love when you find some informative,funny and amazingly high quality video kinda out of the blue?
Im just amazed this video even exist,it oozes passion and talent out of every pore
Its just amazing, absolutely stunning work
The Lupin dubs with Tony Oliver are the best dubs. Anyone else playing him in English does not feel right.
this anime is honestly one of the few in which the dub cast is about as close to the japanese as you can reasonably get in terms of affect
That dub is what made me a fan, god it was so funny. I also agree that anybody else doing those voices in English sounds wrong, although the Manga Video dub of Cagliostro is still pretty good ( with Solid Snake voicing Lupin)
"way, way embarrassingly into Lupin the Third" no such thing! ❤️
Oh wow, I figured this was a years-old gem of a video recommended way after it was published, but two weeks? Going to great things here
This is wonderful. Thanks for educating me on one of my favorite Miyazaki movies. I know a lot of people aren't crazy about it but I could never not love a movie that combines two of my favorite things. Lupin and Miyazaki.
This was a fantastic watch! Thankyou for putting this together, was really enjoyable!
I love especially how you talked about the challenges that Miyazaki faced in adapting this story, and really makes me respect his work on this IP even more!
completely losing my mind over this being your first video on youtube. this is some raw shit, amazing stuff.
Oh my god the long-form Lupin content this platform desperately need and done really well on top of that? You bet i'm hitting that bell button
Oh myyyyyyy is that the Platina Jazz cover of Stolen Moments I hear in the background of the Miyazaki rant?!
Great video!
This was an absolute delight to watch! Frankly it reminded me exactly why I love the Lupin franchise so much. Would love to hear your thoughts on TWCFM as well as Don Bluth's catalog - you've earned my subscription!
This video is pure gold. The editing, the writing, the humor, all of it is great! Thanks for doing such a good job.
Excellent video, well done with the editing and the content was great too. Honestly helped put perspective on the human/emotional side that I wasn't grasping too well.
Something about the Laputa robot, it's appearance in Lupin was it's first from what I can find. "Farewell My Beloved Lupin" predates the release of Laputa by almost six years. The episode aired Oct. 6th 1980 while the release of Laputa was Aug. 2nd 1986 in Japan.
I grew up watching Lupin III, since it was such a massive series here in Italy (it debuted in 1979 and has been a cultural phenomenon ever since), and the way it handled characters and relationships made me a big fan of the "anti-hero" protagonist, seen in works like City Hunter, Cowboy Bebop and Cat's Eye - it's a style of protagonist that isn't really done anymore, but Takahata and Miyazaki were especially great at bringing out a flawed, appealing version of the characters.
I really loved this video essay you made, it really gave me a good analytical look into the lupin Miyazaki created :) and theres so many things i didn't know til i saw this video!! like I had no idea he directed the second half of part 1, and I didnt even realize the complete shift in overall tone between the first half of part 1 and the second half, and even the character development in zenigata in the second half of part 1 as well, theres a lot that big lupin fans, including myself, have to thank Miyazaka for and im really happy you brought that to our attention :) I hope you make more of these cause it was really good!!
I legit thought you were a seasoned creator! The production values in this vid are phenomenal for a first video. Best of luck for future vids man. If this is anything to go by, your future vids are gonna be awesome
Great first video, this was well done and I practically expected you to have a whole library of previous video essays after watching this one. Just as a quick note, there was a (possibly poorly translated) interview with Miyazaki from decades back in which he went over his time with Studio Telecom that I recall reading where he admitted to having some involvement in the Red Jacket series Miami Bank Heist episode ( 143 where there is an emphasis on aircraft). From what I recall he said something to the extent of "That episode didn't turn out too well so I won't take credit for it". Great job from a long time Lupin super fan here!
Absolutely fantastic review and as someone who just got into Lupin this helped me really appreciate the series
Awesome video, I loved the effort put into it + the info I haven't known yet. I recently got into Lupin the Third, and watched all of Part 1 twice and Part 2 once, and am currently re-watching it now. Keep up the great work!
ok you got me, between this and your mamo essay i’m finally gonna gave and watch lupin haha - really great work here, as someone who didn’t know much about miyazaki’s involvement in lupin besides cagliostro existing this was super interesting! 🎉
This was insanely high quality and I hope to see more in the future!
Came here for a video essay on Miyazaki’s film on Lupin, was pleasantly surprised to stick around for a whole history lesson I didn’t know beforehand and see how the artist we love was working before his films. Thank you for a great video! Looking forward to watching more!!
What a sterling first video essay example!! Funny, super well researched, an interesting subject to talk about, and a well formed argument!
This is a really fantastic video essay, but especially so for your first try. Well done!
Dude, the always sunny audio bits with the Lupin characters is genius. It works so well
This video was very good, I'm subscribing :)
Anyways, I have a note on how Masaaki Osumi treated Lupin and Zenigata. In my opinion, he treated them like how the original Arsène Lupin novels treated Arsène Lupin and detective Ganimard. In the novels, Ganimard isn't close to being an even match for Lupin. He's the guy who managed to arrest him once, and is well known for it, and he's a good detective by all means, but he's not on the level of Sherlock Holms (or Herlock Sholms, which is how he appeared in the novels for copyright reasons), or even Arsène Lupin when he decides to solve a case (which is pretty common). And because Most of his crimes were never even known to have happened, because he was the perfect criminal, Ganimard rarely even shows up.
You can pretty clearly see the parallels between that and Zenigata and Lupin's relationship in the first few episodes of part 1.
If anything, the video glosses over Part 1 episode 4, which quite directly sets the "they secretly need each other" dynamic for Lupin & Zenigata in stone. Osumi was well ahead of everyone there. I didn't think about the Arsene Lupin/Ganimard mirroring here before, though, and it makes sense that someone with interests as varied as Osumi would help alluded to it here.
He was in fact also closer to the original Monkey Punch manga: the fourth episode "One Chance to Breakout" is one of the very few which follows an early story from the manga pretty much frame by frame.
I suggest to keep making Lupin content along with other projects. This is very insightful and you inspired me to revisit my fantasy thief story that I had to stop for a year now cos I couldnt make the set up as intriguing til this vid. Keep it up and I wish you success. You inspire people
Love you for bringing up how always sunny in Philadelphia oddly has recreated the same basic formula and structure as lupin iii many years later. Probably completely independently and by coincidence as I have no reason to believe the creators watch anime let alone this one. I noticed that the shows and characters are similar in a fun way and I felt like I was a crazy person if no one else did. Lmao you’re right that Zenigata becoming a true member of the group and a true main character completed the formula and made the show what it is much like Frank. This whole video essay was beautiful and I loved it.
So. I have never watched a Lupin film. But I grew up on nothing but Ghibli films, im telling you, I was rabid for the things. Miyazaki just has that special kinda magic that draws me in like no tomorrow. So I see this, and I recognize Cagliostro as Miyazaki like he's in the bones of it. So of course, I click on the video.
Now I have to go watch Cagliostro and the other Lupin movies because wow! Feeding my Ghibli soul!! Who knew! Plus, I keep hearing about how entertaining Lupin is, so why not right?
Also also, I was so surprised to see that this was your first video essay posted on your channel! The edits are all really good, and the chapters flow together very comedically at times. The music in the background and the way you approach some topics in your video rings of Breadsword's formula, and I love it to bits!! Not the same, you definitely make it your own, and I cant wait to see what you make next!! Definitely got a subscriber from this one :DD
AAHHH OMG!! ❤️ Dude such a strong intro and such good pacing, I really hope this blows up the way it deserves to! ^-^
i rly enjoy ur style of videoing, its funny, thought-provoking, and charming. pls never stop talking about things ur interested in / passionate about.
I loved this! Such a great and wonderful exploration of the pivotal moments of Lupin anime history! Very well edited and very professionally made! Subscribed, I’m so excited for your next video.
Long time Lupin Fan, first time channel watcher. Thank you for this.
This series looks incredible for something that was animated for TV in the 70s.
Also, damn, things got kind of Patlabor at the end there. Though the presence of the Laputan Robot is... _weird_
I've been watching Lupin the Third for around 2 years now on and off. Anytime I get a day off work I watch some. I have always been a fan of Miyazaki's work and believe Castle of Cagliostro is one of, if not the best Lupin Movie to this day. Despite being rushed it stands the test of time almost 50 years later. I've been especially interested in the cars Lupin drive throughout the Franchise such as his 1929 Mercedes SSK (very rare car), his 65 Fiat 500 (never been too clear on the year). I was quite Surpised when they brough back his 1965 Alfa Romeo from Part 2 in the Conan crossover. So the main reasons I loved this anime was the style, the cars, and the characters. I'm happy to see so many people love this anime.
This just popped up on my feed and it was delightful - similarly to you I started a project to watch all of Lupin (for myself, chronologically by release - I'd already seen p4 and 5 before starting, and am up to ~1999 on specials at this point). I really appreciate the thoughtful analysis of the eras of Lupin and what makes the show and characters so great, as well as the exploration of Miyazaki's career through the lens of his work and impact on Lupin - hopefully I'll have made my way though The Woman Called Fujiko Mine by the time you produce that video on it, I'll be keeping an eye out for more from you!
Oh my god. I just stumbled upon a 48 minute video essay on one of my favorite animes that hardly anyone talks about? yesssssss! something to listen to at work!
What an awesome first episode. As some who's also embarrasingly into Lupin, thank you for that.
This essay was fantastically composed and curated.
I could really feel how much you cared for it.
You are wonderful, thank you for this.
I’m looking forward to checking out your channel.
I actually, don't mind seeing you explore The Woman Called Fujiko Mine. I held in high regard upon my first viewing, but I havent watched in 5 or so years.
Very awesome debut video! Can't wait to check out more.
YT recommended this, gotta admit, you have a fun strong personality, good video presentation, humor, etc. What you're doing is good, keep it up!
Cool video! I do think that, while your apprehension towards the Osumi leg of Part 1 is fine by itself, you de-emphasize just how impactful that part was on the series & TV anime from that era. More than just being too edgy for TV & not edgy enough for Monkey Punch, the Osumi-directed episodes honed in on the turn-of-the-'70s art film & counterculture stylings that appealed to young adults & salarypeople otherwise uninterested in kid's shows at the time. Stories like, say, the one with Poon have this real "I watch Godard films for breakfast" vibe extending from the script all the way to the subtle editing which only Osamu Dezaki's shows would immediately build off of. A couple of the more Takahata-driven episodes early on even iterate on what Osumi was approaching in his last few, which tracks for a man just as into international cinema as him.
This is all very true.
Osumi's episodes are some of my favorite Lupin content ever made, and I think they don't get enough appreciation, but there are reasons for it: first, the early ones were really rough around the edges, and Osumi was fired before the series could properly improve and become more consistent. Second, the Miyazaki stuff is much more approachable for a general audience, while Osumi's episodes take way more risks and specific choices with the style, which scares people away. A lot of people have a: "This is all weird and kind of sad, let me have my happy Lupin adventures" kind of reaction to them.
@@commisso3806 Most of what little anime Osumi directed reflects that outsider approach to aesthetics & storytelling that's celebrated today but clashes so hard with Lupin III's identity afterward. He came from a puppet theater background yet went for a thoroughly adult approach with Lupin (while keeping some of the manga's humor).
One favorite little fact I can point to: they contracted Atsushi Yamatoa, a famous scriptwriter for edgy pinku/avant-garde art films, to write two episodes for the first cycle, most notably the one with Pycal. Yamatoa was such a perfect fit for what Osumi's team wanted to do, straddling the line between pulp/exploitation & the kinds of liminal post-modern stylings you'd see in adult Japanese/European movies then. That didn't entirely go away under Takahata/Miyazaki (see the clock tower episode), but it defines the Osumi era.
They basically invented the adult anime TV series and then some in just one episode production cycle, before the ratings worked against them. Osumi never did anything this significant again, though I think Run! Melos is an underrated anime movie even among overlooked '90s productions.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought of 60s/early 70s new wave cinema when watching the Osumi episodes. There were definitely some arthouse vibes (which makes Seijun Suzuki's involvement in the pink jacket era all the more fitting)
@@DragoonEnRegalia Melos is very good. He did a great Lupin TV special rightly after that
Another aspect of Lupin III under Miyazaki is how much he rejects a common philosophy within the films that the world and the people in it are mostly selfish. People don't do things for alturisitc reasons, and even Zenigata is trying to catch the criminal protagonists out of his own selfish obsession. And Miyazaki's entire body of work is about empathy and loving other and being self-sacrifcing, so of course he tried his best to shift that narrative and to make all the characters much, much less self serving. I personally like Miyazaki's Lupin the best, mostly because I agree with his philosophy, but I also understand how that kind of thematic departure still rubs people the wrong way. I do love too how Miyazaki didn't cave entirely to the demands of the industry and still was able to let his beliefs shine through instead of making something he didn't thematically agree with. That sort of show or film might've made the whole thing more consistent, but worse overall, and I think is contrary to the spirit of Lupin in general.
All this to say, this is one of the funniest and well written video essays I've ever seen, and I have seen a LOT. Can't wait to see what you have in store in the future!
3:15 I'd like to point out that Howl's Moving Castle, also directed by Miyazaki, was based on a pre-existing book by Diana Wynne Jones, one I'd personally read prior to watching the movie.
It's a good book and more people should read it. It also had two sequels which *weren't* turned into Miyazaki films, both of which were also pretty good. Funnily enough, the second book is titled "Castle in the Air," and came out four years after the very similarly named Ghibli movie, "Castle in the Sky". Probably a complete coincidence seeing as how they're nothing alike in terms of characters, plot, or setting, I just find it funny that there's a second Ghibli connection within the same series, years before the Howl movie came out.
great video! i also got very into lupin during 2020 LOL i am now an endless pit of lupin knowledge and am sooo excited to see ur take on the fujiko mine anime. one of my favs - it is so intricate and delicate and GOD its amazing
I NEEDED A FELLOW FEMALE TO RANT ABOUT LUPIN FOR SO LONG OH MY GOSH
Super interesting and very easy to watch. Thanks for making this, I was always curious about other lupin after seeing Cagliostro and feeling alienated by the first episode of the actual tv series. Now I feel like I got a decent crash course of Lupin’s beginnings and a really good understanding of Miyazaki’s role.
Amazing essay
I was on the fence with lupin the 3rd (mainly due to life stuff and unsure where to start with lupin) but was interested in it.
But watching this is definitely making me wanna catch it.
Really enjoyed this video overall and was pretty funny (also liked the patreon end card bit)
If you continue to make videos, really hope your channel grows
shout out to your mom for being a patron
also great job , lover hearing about my lovable scamp being an actual human, loved every minute of it