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New 'Lupin III Italian Game' TV Anime Special Airs on January 8
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
A new Lupin III TV anime special will air on NTV on January 8 starting at 9:00 p.m. The special, titled "Lupin III Italian Game," will air during NTV's weekly "Friday Roadshow" programming block.
The special's story will center on the kidnapping of Rebecca Rossellini (voiced by Yukiyo Fujī), a beautiful business owner who is a featured character in the new Lupin III TV anime series that is currently airing. Upon hearing of her kidnapping, Lupin rushes to her rescue. Additionally, Lupin receives a written challenge from a mysterious person named "The Masked Count" suggesting a contest: who can obtain the "inheritance of Count Cagliostro" first.
The new currently airing Lupin III anime series is the first full-fledged Lupin III television anime series to star the legendary thief character since 1984-85's Lupin III: Part III ended three decades ago. Sayo Yamamoto and TMS Entertainment made the Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine television anime spinoff in 2012.
The story of the new series takes place in Italy and San Marino, and it features a blue-jacketed Lupin in his 20s. The series opened with an invitation to Lupin's wedding to the new character Rebecca. Rebecca is the young president of a conglomerate based in the Republic of San Marino, the story's setting. She has also worked as a model and an actress, and has become an international "gossip queen" due to rumors of affairs with many celebrities. She has an independent wild streak, as well as a secret she cannot tell anyone.
Franchise veteran Kazuhide Tomonaga (key animator on Lupin the 3rd: The Mystery of Mamo and Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, particularly the iconic car chase) is serving as chief director of the new series, and Yuichiro Yano (Moyashimon, Francesca, Mujin Wakusei Survive, Patapata Hikōsen no Bōken) is directing at Telecom Animation Film. Writer Yuuya Takahashi (Donten ni Warau, Tiger & Bunny, Lupin the IIIrd: Daisuke Jigen's Gravestone) is in charge of the series scripts. The franchise's veteran composer Yuji Ohno again composes the series' music, including the ending theme song by enka singer Sayuri Ishikawa.
The 24-episode anime premiered as Lupin III - L'avventura Italiana on Italian television on the Italia 1 channel on August 29. The series premiered on Japanese late-night television on NTV and other stations on October 1.
The previous Lupin III television anime special, Lupin III: Princess of the breeze ~Kakusareta Kūchū Toshi~ (Lupin III: Princess of the Breeze - The Hidden City in the Sky), aired on NTV in the same programming block in November 2013.
Source: Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web
