Forum - View topicLupin The Third: Where To Start and What's Worth Watching
|
Goto page Previous 1, 2, 3, 4 Next Note: this is the discussion thread for this article |
| Author | Message | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ikari22
Posts: 48 |
|
|||||
|
What a coincidence, I've been watching Lupin for a few months now. I've already finished the first season and I'm around episode 23 of season two. (Sadly I can only watch a few episodes throughout the week - I hate you real life and responsibilities! )
 
The series is a roller-coaster, some good and some bad episodes, in some I've had to rewind a lot because I keep falling asleep, but overall it's good enough to kill some time just before bed. That part about each episode being almost independent is true and helps if you're stuck like me in not being able to clock in a lot of anime time and might lose track of the story. |
||||||
|
||||||
|
Lupin the Third
Posts: 88 Location: Idaho |
|
|||||
Not true, I'm afraid. The Crunchyroll/Hulu numbers match the altered Pioneer-Geneon DVD numbering. What you need to know is that CR/Hulu #3 ("50 Ways to Leave Your 50-Foot Lover"/"I Can Hear Nessie's Song") is actually JP #4, CR/Hulu #4 is actually JP #5, etc. until you reach CR/Hulu #26, which is actually Japanese #3 ("To Be or Nazi Be"/"Hitler's Legacy"). So when you see me recommend "Episode 10" in this list, you'll need to tune into episode 9 on Crunchyroll or Hulu. #27 and onward are correctly numbered on all releases. |
||||||
|
||||||
|
lostbirdinatree
|
|
|||||
|
I've only seen the first 2 episodes of the blue jacket series, along with the Detective Conan movie and TV special. I didn't quite get what was going on with the Lupin characters until I started the blue jacket series, especially why Conan calls Jigen "papa", but since that's non-canon in Detective Conan terms it doesn't really matter anyway.
|
||||||
medama_oyaji
 Posts: 99 |
|
|||||
Ok, so the part 2 episodes I'd be looking for on Crunchyroll are: 9 18 24 25 And from 32 onward they are the same... I'm really grateful for the work you put into this, but I do wonder why in an article aimed at English speakers, who would most likely be seeking out official English releases, you wouldn't indicate this more clearly in the article itself? |
||||||
|
||||||
Dragonsandphoenix
 Posts: 82 Location: Malaysia |
|
|||||
|
The first Lupin anything ever I watched was Fujiko Mine after reading Hope's (amazing) review of it on ANN. While I was intrigued I didn't finish it for some reason and have been meaning to get back to it for some time now. I am keeping track with the Blue Jacket series and am loving it so far. This piece is very much appreciated since I've only sampled a bit of the older series.
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
Lupin the Third
Posts: 88 Location: Idaho |
|
|||||
Well, I honestly didn't want to clutter the article with multiple episode numbers on a handful of episodes, and figured that since most other Internet resources use the correct numbers, and since I describe the episodes in question, it wouldn't be too hard for people to figure out. Also, the future Discotek DVD release will fix the episode order issue. But in hindsight, I would probably have done it differently for more immediate practicality. |
||||||
|
||||||
mow123
 Posts: 339 |
|
|||||
|
Lupin is semi-episodic and I am having a blast jumping in at part 4 despite only seeing a movie of Lupin before this. My brother and I probably like episode 7 the best so far. It plays to the coincidences and strengths of the show very well. However, if you are jumping around you probably want to watch the earlier Nix episode first. Or maybe my brother just liked episode 7 because there was a spoiler[ kidnapped loli] -- only partially joking. I also think this was an awesome Nix episode that played on the strength of the earlier episode of him in it. Nix is classic Bond villain meets anime anti-hero with enough novelty mixed in to remain exciting and fresh.
The animation and art for part 4 is gorgeous and from what I heard this season has a more fun Lupin, a worthier rival as Zenigata, and much tighter overall direction and polish. |
||||||
|
||||||
HaruhiToy
 Posts: 4118 |
|
|||||
|
This is a bit off-topic, but does anyone have a link to the lyrics for the 2015 (Part IV) season closing? For some reason my searches never come up with anything.
|
||||||
|
||||||
Felis
 Posts: 80 |
|
|||||
|
I've only seen a handful of episodes from the various TV series. Since it is episodic, I just watch the show when I feel like it.
I like Part 2 the best (with the English dub). I will eventually get around to watching Parts 1 and 3 on Crunchyroll. I'm planning to buy all of Part 2 when Discotek releases it on DVD. I'm not in any rush to watch Part 4 so I'll wait for the English dub release of that (which I hear is currently being recorded). I never cared for the Fujiko Mine TV series but I'll try to watch it again at some point on Hulu. |
||||||
|
||||||
|
BadNewsBlues
Posts: 5914 |
|
|||||
I was running the comparison by ANN's Episode guide and running it against the according episodes to CrunchyRoll's episodes. Which seems to match up with yours.....confusing stuff. |
||||||
|
||||||
doubleO7
 Posts: 1069 |
|
|||||
|
Fujiko Mine is definitely not going to be everyone's cup of tea, still, I'm rather surprised that Reed didn't actually finish it, considering it's short length. I'm curious how far he got.
So I'll offer my two cents on it. This show, like Part IV, should be watched in order from start to finish, rather than cherry-picking standout episodes to watch. Though it's not apparent at first, it does have an overarching narrative, with the last few episodes making call-backs to most of the one-off adventures that made up the bulk of the series up to that point, slowly tying everything together. In hindsight, many of the standalone episodes aren't as standalone as they initially appeared. Having said that, there were some episodes that stood above the rest as particularly good. I agree with Reed's spotlighting of episodes 2 and 5, but it would be redundant to repeat what's already been said about them. As for my other picks... #1 (Master Thief vs Lady Looter) - I found this to be a really strong opening episode. It kicks things off with a bang, introduces most of the important players, and perfectly acclimates the viewer to the tone this experimental take on Lupin is going for, as Fujiko and Lupin exploit their wiles and wits, respectively, as they both infiltrate a cult-led drug operation. #9 (Love Wreathed in Steam) - An interesting Lupin/Jigen-led episode where they save a girl with an artistic, full-body tattoo from being sold off at an art auction. This one is noteworthy for starring Fujiko as the villain this time around. Also of note is that this is the first episode to lead directly into another (in this case, episode #11). #11 (The Feast of Fools) - This one FINALLY gives us some much-needed background on Zenigata's new partner Oscar, who's been an enigma that pretty much felt like he was around "just because" up until this point. There's actually a good bit that happens in this episode, but the basic plot has Zenigata entrusting Oscar with Fujiko's capture, but things aren't quite what they seem... ...and of course we have #12 and #13, the two-part finale (The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, Parts 1&2) - Everything finally comes together right here at the end. I won't spoil what happens, but oh boy, do things get weird. Some people were disappointed, others were satisfied, I'm somewhere in the middle personally. Regardless, it wrapped things up fairly well, aside from one dangling plot thread: spoiler[What happened to Oscar?] Jigen's Gravestone didn't address this either. Again, with how methodically planned this series eventually reveals itself to be, a "best of" episodes list should be treated more like ones to look forward to as you watch the entire thing, rather than ones to skip to, at least that's my recommendation. |
||||||
|
||||||
VampireNaomi
 Posts: 146 |
|
|||||
|
I always felt that the various TV series were generally more enjoyable than the movies or specials, even though the stories and animation are simpler. The main cast tends to feel more genuine somehow, maybe because the longer titles need to spend so much time developing an epic plot and the new characters around it. I don't need a Lupin story to have massive stakes like saving the world from an evil cult. A story about breaking into some rich guy's safe or stealing something from a museum can be far more fun. Episode 16 of the new series was a great example of how enjoyable these characters can be without much of anything special happening.
The only series I've seen in their entirety are Part I and the Fujiko spin-off. I enjoyed both, though the Fujiko series was more like an interesting curiosity. I wouldn't want the entire franchise to have that serious a tone. So far, the new series has struck the perfect balance for me. It's funny with an adventurous spirit, but it does have serious and emotional moments to keep it from becoming too goofy. I'm a little surprised to hear how many people loved Jigen's Gravestone. I was really impressed with it the first time I saw it, but after a few re-watches and reading other people's criticism, I realised how weak the story was. As a Jigen fan I was also a bit disappointed that an OVA with his name in the title had nothing new or interesting to say about his character and that the main reason they defeated the bad guy was that Lupin had a trick up his sleeve. And I won't even get started on the awful Fujiko glass box scene that's the only time this franchise has made me so uncomfortable that I didn't know if I wanted to keep watching. |
||||||
|
||||||
Covnam
 Posts: 3644 |
|
|||||
|
Thanks for the guide. I have the first series in my backlog and have already seen Fujiko. I'll probably pick up the new series after watching the first. I think following up that with the 2nd & 3rd (except for maybe the few episodes suggested here) would be a bit too much for a mostly episodic series.
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
Clyde_Cash
Posts: 376 |
|
|||||
|
I first came to Lupin through the red jacket series when Adult Swim aired it. Later came Castle of Cagliostro and Fujiko Mine.
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
PhaciaLovesKakashi
Posts: 5 |
|
|||||
|
I grew up with the Adult Swim Red Jacket Lupin as my starting point, so Tony Oliver and his cohorts have always been my leads to compare against. Bearing this in mind, I have essentially almost all of the Lupin III saga available in the US on DVD - the Green and Red Jacket series, the movies, and most of the TV specials to date - which means I'm short episodes 80-155 of Part II, The Gold of Babylon Movie (almost impossible to find anymore), The Last Job Movie, and the Pink Jacket series.
 
With the above in mind, I personally like the Red Jacket series better than the Green Jacket series better than The Woman Named Fujiko Mine series better than the Pink Jacket series. I like Red Jacket for the action-adventure basis most of the believable plotlines follow and how Lupin can be both clever/funny, a little horny, and gallant all within episodes of each other. My personal favorite episode from the Red Jacket series - that I own - is Episode 27: The Little Princess of Darkness. This is mainly because it's one of the few times in the Red Jacket series where he purposefully lets his quarry get away in the end, and given that spoiler[ it's a LITTLE GIRL giving the whole gang trouble and having them chase their tails ], I find it rather amusing. My favorite Red Jacket Movie to date would probably be The Secret of Mamo, for no other reason than the fan-service aspect of it  - definitely NOT something for youngsters to watch with you - but also for the realization that spoiler[ Fujiko through most of the movie just wants Lupin not to be a goof while being tender with her ].
I like the Green Jacket series for entirely different reasons compared to the Red Jacket series. While I like the Red Jacket series for the character personalities, I enjoy the Green Jacket more for the smoothed out art style of the characters, compared to the smudged outline with angles style of Red Jacket. I enjoy Jigen and Goemon's character development in this series, as well. My favorite Green Jacket movie is hands-down, The Castle of Cagliostro, as there are few movies or series episodes where you'll see Lupin acting so sweet and gallant. Now I am a HUGE fan of the famous, fabulous femme fatale with her wily ways! But, honestly, the first time I watched The Woman Named Fujiko Mine series, the Fujiko plotline and art style threw me for a loop. I wasn't used to the thick, hardline art style compared to the previous series, and the Fujiko plotline as the story progressed got a little weird for me. That being said, I can still appreciate the attempt to draw the characters closer to the original manga style and the richer color palette (that didn't turn out as artist-on-acid as I thought). After watching the series through a couple more times spoiler[ and forgetting about the owlheads with their forks and knives ], I started seeing more nuasances and got to enjoying it as its own standalone in the Lupin III universe. If you're more into neonoir style storylines, the more serious storyline of this series may work for you. I do not like the Pink Jacket series, period. As a sequel to Red Jacket with its wonderful development of a clever group of characters, the Pink Jacket series dumps these character developments down the toilet and just leaves everyone as just plain goofy. And although I understand there are only so many plotlines you can replay, most of the episodes in the Pink Jacket series capers just seem either too unbelievable or beyond ridiculous. Again, this is just my opinion. If you like the Pink Jacket series, give me a few episodes where the characters seem comparable in attitude to their Red Jacket selves, and I MIGHT rethink this series. I haven't had the opportunity to view any of the Blue Jacket series, short of the newest special, Jigen's Tombstone, that seems to tie The Woman Named Fujiko Mine into the cannon storyline. But I am thoroughly looking forward to Tony Oliver and cohorts reprising their roles - sorry, Sonny Strait - love you as Krillin, but not as my favorite gallant master thief of a thousand faces. The one thing I'm still trying to do is figure out, if you were to put the series, specials, movies, etc in some kind of cannological order, what that might be. So far, I'm at the following order: 1) Episode 0: First Contact 2) Green Jacket series 2a) The Castle of Cagliostro Movie 3) Fuma Conspiracy Movie 4) The Woman Named Fujiko Mine series 5) Red Jacket series 5a) The Detective Conan Special and Movie (watch the special first or the movie might not make sense) 5b) Most of the Movies and Specials interspersed here 6) The Gold of Babylon Movie 7) Pink Jacket series 8) Jigen's Tombstone 9) Part IV series 10) Aria: The Scarlett Ammo (even if not directly starring Lupin and the gang, there is a remarkable coincidence in one of the main characters in this series. Watch it and see what I mean!) Anyone else care to help me put the chronological cannon together?
|
||||||
|
||||||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group