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Lupin III Gets 5th Anime Series Set in France

TMS and Telecom Animation Film announced at Japan Expo in Paris on Thursday that a fifth Lupin III series is in production. In the new series, Lupin III will travel to France — the home of his grandfather and namesake, Maurice Leblanc's master thief character Arsène Lupin. The visual below depicts the country's island commune Mont Saint-Michel.

Monkey Punch's Lupin III manga about the titular thief's escapades inspired four previous television anime series, several theatrical anime films, and a near-annual string of television anime specials. It also inspired the Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine television anime series and live-action adaptations, including 2014's live-action film.

For decades, Lupin III was renamed as Edgar in France, but starting at Japan Expo, the character is returning to his original Lupin III name in France.

Lupin III: Part IV, the first Lupin III television anime series in three decades to star the titular character, premiered in Japan in October 2015, after first premiering as Lupin III - L'avventura Italiana on Italian television on August 29, 2015. The story took place in Italy and San Marino, and it featured a blue-jacketed Lupin in his 20s.

Crunchyroll began streaming Lupin III: Part IV in January 2016. The television anime then premiered on Adult Swim's Toonami block on June 17 with an English dub. The Lupin III Italian Game special aired on January 8, 2016, and TMS Entertainment premiered it in the United States at Anime Expo this week.

Thanks to Gwyn Campbell and Daniel Zelter for the news tips.