Lupin III

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Template:References Template:Infobox animanga/Header Template:Infobox animanga/AnimeTemplate:Infobox animanga/AnimeTemplate:Infobox animanga/Anime Template:Infobox animanga/Footer Lupin III or Lupin the 3rd (ルパン三世, Lupin the 3rd, not Lupin 3) is an anime and manga series originally created by manga artist Kazuhiko Katō (加藤一彦) under the pen name Monkey Punch (モンキーパンチ) in 1967 as a part of Weekly Manga Action . It began as a parody of a series of movies based on a series of novels by Maurice Leblanc featuring a French gentleman thief named Arsène Lupin. One of the last movies in the series featured Arsene Lupin's son, Lupin II. Presumably the title character in this series is his son.

In Monkey Punch's original manga series, Lupin is a lecherous sex maniac with an extreme lust for women that can never be satisfied; yet, he somehow remains a likeable character. This parody of the Lupin character was inspired by MAD Magazine; in fact, the art style of the early manga has a very striking resemblance. The manga has since spawned three TV series (episodes of the second series now appear in English on DVD and aired on Cartoon Network), and many movies and TV specials which continue to this day. It is also the inspiration for other anime and manga series, perhaps most notably Cowboy BebopTemplate:Fact. Some episodes and movies were even directed by Hayao Miyazaki, one of the most well-known anime directors.

Contents

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Cast of characters

Image:Lupin III.png The names are in Western order, with the given name before the surname.

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Arsène Lupin III

Lupin the Third (ルパン三世 Rupan sansei) is the grandson of Arsène Lupin. He is the world's most skillful and most wanted thief. Sometimes he just steals whatever he wants, and at other times he prefers to steal from disrespectable people. Often in his adventures, he will take it upon himself and his gang to foil other criminals engaged in more serious crimes. He often appears incompetent, but it is mostly a disguise; after all, he doesn't go to jail. He also has a fondness for fancy gadgets from time to time. His infatuation with Fujiko Mine is perhaps his biggest weakness, as it lands him in unsavory situations most of the time.

Physically, Lupin is a man of average strength, but who can throw a surprisingly good punch. He is insanely flexible and fast, however, and his manual dexterity is quite simply cat-like in precision and quickness, honed from years of sneaking and stealing. He also possesses incredible skill in the art of disguise, able to impersonate pretty much anybody, even women. His skinny body enables him to easily impersonate heavier subjects by padding disguises, usually filling them with gadgets and surprises in the process. He can even imitate voices to perfection. His favorite disguise has always been impersonating Inspector Zenigata, which incenses Zenigata to no end.

While Lupin is a scoundrel, he's a scoundrel with a heart, and hates injustice with a passion. While he sees no wrong in his chosen profession, he reminds anyone who asks that the people he steals from can take the loss, and that there are worse people than him in this world. He also shows a chivalrous streak that compels him to help those less fortunate than him(especially if it's a pretty lady!). Lupin also fancies himself a ladies man, although his success in that department is dubious at best.

Statistics:

  • Age: Unknown
  • Nationality: French-Japanese (his father is French and his mother is Japanese)
  • Height: 179 cm.
  • Weight: 63 kg.
  • Preferred Weapon: Walther P38
  • Preferred Cigarette: Gitanes Caporal

Voiced by

AKA:

  • Wolf
  • Rupan
  • Cliffhanger
  • Chase Tracer
  • Hardyman (Germany)
  • Aramis Lupin (Mexico)
  • Arsenio Lupin (Italy and Spain)
  • Edgar de la Cambriole (France)
  • Tsonggo (monkey- for having the looks and cunningness) & Butiking Pasay (house lizard- for having a skinny figure) (Philippines)

Image:Jigen.JPG

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Daisuke Jigen

Daisuke Jigen (次元大介 Jigen Daisuke) is Lupin's marksman. He can perform a 0.3-second quick-draw and his shooting has amazing accuracy. He prefers to conceal his eyes using his hat, as it gives him a more enigmatic appearance. In the anime series, it is revealed that he uses a notch of the hat to aim. He is also proficient in the use of many different firearms, such as machine guns, sniper rifles, and even a Boys Anti-Tank Rifle. His accuracy borders on the superhuman, literally never having missed a shot in the entirety of the series. He also feels quite naked without a gun: during an enemy attack in The Fuma Conspiracy, Jigen didn't have his gun on him and still instinctively reached for it, humorously shooting the air without a gun.

Despite having a Japanese name, his nationality is uncertain. His origin is also uncertain. In some versions, he was a Chicago mobster, but eventually escaped to Japan and changed his name (Jigen is not a native Japanese surname; it is a word meaning "dimension"). In the 2002 television special "First Contact", he was a mobster in New York, and only joined Lupin after being unable to assassinate him, as was his assignment from his boss at the time. Jigen is extremely loyal to Lupin (however this was not true in the original manga, and in "The Mystery of Mamo" he says that he and Goemon follow Lupin around because they've both vowed to kill him), and almost always partners up with him for a given mission. He is also a chain smoker and so is often seen with a cigarette in his mouth. The Tokyopop reissues of the original Lupin comics note in their preface that Jigen's appearance and temperament are based on the actor James Coburn.

Jigen has just as sharp a sense of humor as Lupin, and he genuinely enjoys participating in each caper, but he also shows an extremely cynical streak, which is especially evident when it comes to women. He especially distrusts Fujiko, and gets quite irritated when Lupin goes along with one of her plans. He serves as the voice of reason to Lupin's impulsiveness, both because of his friendship for Lupin as well as sheer professionalism.

Statistics:

Voiced by:

AKA:

  • Julian (Mexico)
  • Oscar (Spain)
  • Auguste (France)
  • Isidore (France)
  • Dan Dee (Germany)
  • Jigs (Abbreviation of the name Jigen - as Lupin frequently calls him) (Philippines)

Image:Goemon.JPG

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Goemon Ishikawa XIII

Goemon Ishikawa (石川五ェ門 Ishikawa Goemon) is the thirteenth generation of renegade samurai, beginning with the real-life historical figure Ishikawa Goemon (石川五右衛門). He has a sword called Zantetsuken (斬鉄剣), meaning "iron-cutting sword", which can cut through anything. It is said in the anime series that Zantetsuken cannot cut konnyaku gel. To Goemon's dismay, Zantetsuken is usually used to cut inanimate objects, which Goemon considers unworthy of his blade, rather than human flesh. He is usually quiet and participates in Lupin's exploits less frequently than Jigen. Objects cut by Goemon will fall apart a couple of seconds after he cuts them up with his blade. In the 2002 TV special "First Contact", Goemon met Lupin when he was searching for the Zantetsuken and how to make it, with Lupin, Jigen, and Fujiko all being adversaries until being forced to work together to survive. This shouldn't be taken as canon, however, as "First Contact" featured many inconsistencies with the manga and the original television series.

While Goemon might be considered one of Lupin's friends, it is more of a professional relationship than true friendship. Goemon easily gets annoyed by Lupin's antics, and sometimes he's even opposed him(in fact, their first meeting happened while Goemon tried to assassinate Lupin as part of a guild of killers for hire). However, he doesn't hesitate to help Lupin when crap hits the fan, and readily helps him any time Lupin works for a just cause. Many theorize that Goemon associates with Lupin out of admiration for his profession, as Goemon's ancestor was a master thief himself. Goemon has a much more amicable relationship with Jigen, however: Goemon sees Jigen as a fellow honorable warrior, while Jigen sees Goemon as a trustworthy "foxhole buddy."

Goemon is an incredibly gifted martial artist, both in hand-to-hand and melee combat. His sword, Zantetsuken, is rumored to have been made from the metal of a fallen meteor, and it literally can cut ANYTHING. Goemon is so fast and skillful with it that he literally blocks bullets, even from submachine gun fire. If he has a weakness, it is that he's even MORE weak with women than Lupin is. He readily trusts any woman who seems superficially trustworthy, often landing him in much trouble. He also is very bad with money, and constantly charges Lupin for his services. What he does with the money is a complete mystery.

It should be noted that in one English episode ("The Last Mastery") Goemon visits his Iga Ninja sensei. Goemon is commonly thought to be a samurai, but this episode depicts him as a master ninja. This makes more sense as thievery would go against most samurai ideology.

Goemon's catchphrase is "Again I have cut a worthless object", which he says whenever he uses his sword to do something spectacular, but not to kill someone (for instance, cutting all of Lupin's flaming clothes off of him in one stroke while Lupin was flying through the air in Castle of Cagliostoro).

Statistics:

  • Age: Unknown
  • Nationality: Japanese
  • Height: 180 cm.
  • Weight: 63 kg.
  • Preferred Weapon: Zantetsuken (katana)

Voiced by:

AKA:

Image:Fujiko.JPG

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Fujiko Mine

Every Superman has his Kryptonite, and in Lupin's case, he has two... both of which hang from the chest of Fujiko Mine (峰不二子 Mine Fujiko), Lupin's love (or lust) interest. Lupin and Fujiko were never really lovers although occasionally Lupin scored with Fujiko, especially when the latter is dying to find out about a particular detail that Lupin knows. It should be noted that Fujiko does exhibit feelings of love for Lupin, but only during a near-death experience. She was named after Mt. Fuji, which is fitting, since mine means "mountain peak", and Fujiko has exorbitantly large breasts to associate with the pun. She is not really part of Lupin's gang, but often participates in Lupin's exploits. However, as a grifter par excellence she often works to serve her own interests, which often conflict with Lupin's ("Need I remind you that the last time she brought us a good deal was never?" Jigen has once remarked), and which of the two will prevail in such a situation is anybody's guess. Frequently, these schemes involve her betraying Lupin to get close to the enemy, whom she intends on double-crossing at a later time as well (and sometimes, though rarely, help to extricate Lupin and the gang for the trouble she put them into, as if to atone for her misdeed). This never seems to bother Lupin, however. In the 2004 TV special "Stolen Lupin", he remarked "Betrayal is the exclusive right of women". An English translation of Fujiko's name would be "Twin Peaks".

Fujiko is truly Lupin's equal: she is a proficient disguise artist, an excellent marksman, and a cunning thief. She also has the femme fatale role mastered, and her feminine charms have earned her many riches. Jigen despises Fujiko, and sees her showing up as a sign of rough times ahead. By contrast, Goemon actually enjoys having Fujiko in on a caper, and has even gone on his own with her on separate capers from Lupin's. Lupin is, of course, completely infatuated with Fujiko, and will do anything for her. While Fujiko milks this for all it's worth, the fact is that Fujiko never gets Lupin into any trouble she believes he can't get out of.

Statistics:

  • Age: Unknown
  • Nationality: Unknown (probably Japanese)
  • Height: 167 cm.
  • Weight: 50 kg.
  • Three Sizes: B99.9, W55.5, H88.8 (39-25-30)
  • Preferred Weapon: FN 1910
  • Preferred Cigarette: Moa menthol

Voiced by:

AKA:

  • Vanessa (Mexico)
  • Patricia (Spain)
  • Magali (France)
  • Margot (only in some series) (Italy)

Image:Zenigata.JPG

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Inspector Zenigata

Inspector Zenigata (銭形警部 Zenigata-keibu), full name Koichi Zenigata (銭形幸一 Zenigata Kōichi) has made it his mission in life to arrest Lupin. He would love to arrest the other members of Lupin's gang, but Zenigata is really after the mastermind himself. Lupin and Zenigata appear to be the worst of enemies, but they are, in a manner of speaking, friends; something Lupin shows openly (often by greeting Zenigata with mock affection), but it is an idea Zenigata is extremely reluctant to entertain. Similarly, he is often awed by Lupin's genius, but refuses to show it. While usually the comic relief character of the series and the character most made a fool of by Lupin, Zenigata is actually a very intelligent and resourceful policeman. While he has rarely been succesful in capturing Lupin, this is more because of Lupin's resourcefulness than Zenigata's incompetence. Zenigata has quite the high success rate in other police endeavors, and it is this degree of success that enables him to still lead the investigation towards Lupin's capture even after so many failed attempts. Zenigata is also aware that while Lupin may be a scoundrel, there are worse evils in the world, and he's willing to team up with Lupin to bring down a more dangerous threat. However, once the bigger evil's down, all gloves are off and Zenigata jumps at Lupin with his distinctive cry of "LUPIN!! You're UNDER ARREST!!" Zenigata has a squad of policemen under his command, and they respect and admire him greatly, almost to the point of fanaticism. They are willing to place themselves in considerable harm's way to help him, and they are even willing to disobey orders from higher ups to support his hunches.

Zenigata is in phenomenal physical shape for a man his age(theorized to be the mid 40s), and has shown proficiency in Judo and Karate, able to dispatch multiple attackers with minimal effort. He is also quite the accurate shot with his gun, a Colt .45 pistol(although nowhere near Jigen's godlike skill), and an almost inhuman skill with handcuffs, which he likes to throw in a bola-like manner at his prey. However, his diet leaves a lot to be desired, consisting mostly of water-boiled ramen noodles and black coffee.

Lupin often refers to Zenigata as tottsan, a form of address that is usually translated as "Old Man" or "Pops". He is named after a famous fictional Japanese detective, Zenigata Heiji. Zenigata's ability to handcuff criminals at a distance also comes from Zenigata Heiji, as in legend he threw coins with great force and accuracy, using them as weapons to disable criminals. In Japanese, the title of inspector is keibu (警部).

Statistics:

  • Age: Unknown
  • Nationality: Japanese
  • Height: 181 cm.
  • Weight: 73 kg.
  • Preferred Weapon: Colt 1911A1 government issue
  • Preferred Cigarette: Shinsei

Voiced by:

AKA:

  • Inspector Zuñiga (Mexico)
  • Basilio (Spain)
  • Inspecteur Gaston Lacogne (France)
  • Depektib Zenigata (Philippines)
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Recurring themes

  • Often Lupin has an opportunity to kill Zenigata, which he always passes up. As an example, once Lupin nearly ran over Zenigata with a race car, but made it jump over him after Zenigata ducked down. Because of this generosity (and for another reason; see below), Zenigata refuses to kill Lupin. This seemingly gentlemen's agreement is amazingly acknowledged by both parties: Zenigata almost always refused to believe that Lupin made an attempt on his life -- and Lupin never did!
  • Zenigata, like a good old-fashioned police officer, is interested in the capture, not the killing of Lupin. When Lupin tricked the world by getting "killed" in an episode, Zenigata was openly crying as he considered this a tragedy even on a criminal.
  • Zenigata cannot stand going without chasing Lupin for an extended period. For instance, Zenigata arrested Lupin in the fourth episode of the first TV series (which was based on the second chapter of the manga), and Zenigata nervously waited a year for Lupin to escape so the chase could continue. Lupin, deciding to toy with him, waited until he was to be led to his execution to escape.
  • Zenigata often finds himself arresting more dangerous criminals, after Lupin and his gang thwart them. Logically, this would give Zenigata an impressive performance record, which would explain why he is still allowed to pursue Lupin despite his lack of success in capturing the thief.
  • In the various movies and OVAs, Zenigata will often join in full alliance with Lupin's gang against some menace deemed more dangerous, such as the Count in The Castle of Cagliostro or the terrorist group in Orders to Assassinate Lupin. After the day is won, Zenigata will show his gratitude by allowing the gang a few minutes' head start before he begins chasing them again.
  • Another recurring theme is the appearance of descendants of famous historical and literary figures. For example, Lawrence of Arabia the Third, and Nezumi Kozo the Fourth.
  • Jigen seemed to be fated to lead a doomed love life. Almost all of the women he ever got involved with either do not love him, betrayed him, were killed, or were unable to have a workable relationship. This explains why Jigen seemed very much cynical on Lupin's many advances to women, especially with Fujiko.
  • Lupin and his cohorts are known to be able to drive and utilize any vehicle; cars, motorcycles, airplanes, and pretty much any other mode of transport. Of the many cars they drive, a few were consistently used; 1929 type 38/250 model SSK Mercedes-Benz, Mini Cooper, and Fiat 500. The latter, Fiat 500, were made popular by the series. A yellow Fiat features prominently in The Castle of Cagliostro and later in The Fuma Conspiracy OVA.
  • Lupin's vehicles often end up destroyed, or severely damaged during his adventures. They also tend to have modifications, such as gadgets similar to what Lupin carries on himself. Lupin's cars and airplanes tend to be yellow or red, but other types of vehicles (Jeeps, Trucks, Submarines, Boats etc.) can come in any colour.
  • Fujiko reciprocates Lupin's love when he's in trouble or one is near death. Demonstrated in "Tutankhamen's 3,000 Year-Old Curse" (English title: "Cursed Case Scenario;" Series 2, episode 7) and a few others, Fujiko shows another side of her relationship with Lupin, not only business but also deep feeling of affection and care. At other times (though a rarity), Fujiko simply shows random affection and gets by with Lupin with not much trouble.
  • Secondary female characters, sometimes called "Beta Girls", are different with every Lupin movie/TV special, similar to the revolving door of Bond girls in James Bond movies. The relationships of these characters vary with each film. Some have a brief relationship with Lupin but are denied by Lupin in rare displays of restraint, others have relationships with other characters, and Lupin serves to help them resolve their collective problem, and in some cases, the woman simply doesn't give Lupin the time of day.
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Licensing and release information

The second series began distribution in United States in 2003 by Pioneer. Universal City, CA based phuuz entertainment inc. was hired to adapt and translate the series, which resulted in a very tongue-in-cheek English dub, which included modern popular culture references (such as eBay and Shaquille O'Neal) and spicier more comedic dialogue, which received ambivalent feedback from cult fans. The first 74 episodes have been translated, and enjoyed a series of DVD volumes (currently up to 12) and multiple runs on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, but due to the lackluster popularity, the show's American future remains ambiguous. In the summer of 2004, however, Lupin III's popularity seems to be on the rise, perhaps due to additional exposure on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim line up.

Geneon Animation (formerly Pioneer) has already obtained 52 more Lupin the 3rd: The Red Jacket Series episodes, bringing the count of US licensed episodes to 89. Geneon plans on releasing these episodes on DVD in the next few years, but there is little word, however, on whether Adult Swim plans on acquiring the rights for more episodes, even though Lupin III's ratings have been good compared to other shows that aired on the rather unfavorable 1:30 am time slot. Geneon also released Secret of Mamo movie to DVD.

FUNimation has the rights to eight of the made-for-TV movies, starting with 1993's Orders to Assassinate Lupin (Voyage to Danger) and going to 2000's One-Dollar Money Wars (Missed by a Dollar), as well as the feature films Farewell to Nostrodamus and Dead or Alive. As of March 2005, all of them have been released.

Manga Entertainment has the rights to The Castle of Cagliostro which is released without the Lupin III heading. They use the Lupin name in the sub and dub. The movie is being re-released by Optimum Releasing in the UK.

Until this year, Animeigo had the rights to the OVA The Fuma Conspiriacy and the movie The Legend of the Gold of Babylon, but both have since been bought by Discotek Media, along with Lupin III's sole live action entry, Strange Psychokinetic Energy (released in February 2005). Due to legal reasons, Animeigo's releases were forced to be under the "Rupan III" moniker, even after the rights had cleared for other companies to use the proper Lupin name. When Discotek releases these films, it will be the first time they have been released in America under the original Lupin title.

The owners of the rights of the pre-1993 and post-2000 TV movies, as well as the first and third Lupin TV series, are currently unknown, though there are many rumors online about who currently has them. As of December 2005, there have been no official announcements for any of them.

The manga is published in English by TOKYOPOP. The original set of stories that ran from 1967 to 1972 simply goes by Lupin III while the second set, which started in 1977 goes under Lupin III: World's Most Wanted. Lupin the Third S and Lupin the Third Y, two series from the late 1990's, have not been released in United States, nor are there any announced plans to at this time.

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Legal issues

The name Lupin III caused a legal problem for the series. Monkey Punch did not seek permission to use the Lupin name from the estate of Maurice Leblanc. The estate agreed not to pursue any legal action, provided that the usage of the name remained within Japan. Therefore, when Lupin material was licensed for overseas usage, the name had to be changed. Streamline Pictures renamed Lupin "Wolf." Animeigo went with "Rupan III," which is how Lupin's name is actually pronounced in Japanese (in English it is usually pronounced LOO-pahn, not LOO-pin; the French pronunciation is loo-PAHN).

In France, he was named "Edgard de la Cambriole" (though "de la Cambriole" is likely to be a nickname or a nom de guerre)*. The Lupin name passed into the public domain in the early 1990s, but Nippon Television had continued to offer licensing for the Lupin TV specials first under the name "Cliff Hanger" (based on the laserdisc game of the same name, which used footage from Lupin Vs. the Clone and The Castle of Cagliostro), and later under the name "Chase Tracer."

  • Addendum: "Edgard de la Cambriole" simply means "Edgar the Burglar" (or "Edgard De La Cambrioleur", [Edgard of the burglars]).
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Television series

Each Lupin series can be easily identified by the color of Lupin's jacket, which changes each series. The later movies and specials also use this color scheme, so it is possible to determine approximately where these specials fall in Lupin's career, though there are exceptions.

  • Lupin III (Series 1) - 23 episodes (1971-1972) (Green jacket)
  • Shin Lupin III (Series 2) - 155 episodes (1977-1980) (Red jacket)
  • Lupin III Part III (Series 3) - 50 episodes (1984-1985) (Pink jacket)

Episodes 7 through 23 of Series 1 were directed by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata (who both went on to form Studio Ghibli).

Series 2 was notable for the fact that a new episode aired every week for three years. It was also the first anime series to be broadcast in stereo (albeit intermittently), beginning with episode 99.

Many stories in the anime were adapted from the both the original and second manga series, although some had to be toned down for television, especially in Series 2, which was made with younger audiences in mind.

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Movies

Certificates are from USA/UK/Canada/Japan.

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TV specials and OVAs

These are released in the late summer in Japan, usually at the end of July, and have been an annual tradition since 1989. With the exception of the 60 minute OVAs The Fuma Conspiracy and Return of the Magician, these are full-length, 90 minute features.

Ratings are from USA/UK/Canada/Japan.

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Video games

The anime has also spawned various games based on the show.

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Parodies

  • Azumanga Daioh - Tomo Takino has a desire to be like Fujiko, to the point she even attempts to grow her hair out for a sexy look. Failing that, she briefly decides on a career in Interpol, the agency Zenigata works for.
  • Batman: The Animated Series - The climax of the episode "The Clock King" is a fight in a clock tower between Batman and the Clock King, which plays out very similarly to the climax of Castle of Cagliostro. (Several episodes of BTAS were animated by Tokyo Movie Shinsha, the Japanese studio that produced Cagliostro; some fans erroneously assume that this episode was one of them. However, "The Clock King" was actually animated by Sunrise.)
  • Cowboy Bebop - Most of the main cast of the show, excluding Ed and Ein, is a silent homage to Lupin III and his gang, mostly in their appearance, and sometimes in their characteristics, too. Also, the shots of Spike's running legs in the opening theme's animation are also styled after Lupin's bowlegged style of running in classic Lupin III features. In the episode "Sympathy for the Devil," the villain who looks like a young kid and plays the harmonica is dressed in Lupin's green jacket outfit, including the black shirt, and yellow tie as seen at the top of the page.
  • Cutie Honey - In the original manga, Panther Claw tells the police which bank they will strike next. When Seiji informs Honey about this, he makes a comment: "Heh, I guess they think they're Lupin III now!"
  • Excel Saga - In the anime, Nabeshin (based on director Shinichi Watanabe, who also directed Fujiko's Unlucky Days) wore an outfit that strongly resembled Lupin's. In addition, the beginning of episode 12 features series creator Rikdo Koshi dressed up as Zenigata and a set of rings that parodies the ones from Castle of Cagliostro. An altered version of the Castle of Cagliostro poster is seen on the manga artist's wall in episode 1.
  • FLCL - Kamon Nandaba, Naota's father, dresses up as Lupin and tries to impress Haruko Haruhara. Later, the trademark black title screen appears, at first types out a title (trans. Forever the Bullet of Love and the Plot), but the title gets trashed for another (ブラブレ trans. Bura Bure).
  • Fullmetal Alchemist - Episode 10 contains a parody of Lupin III character Zenigata, in the form of a detective that dressed in the same trademark outfit and focused his entire career on catching one particular thief.
  • Great Teacher Onizuka - Onizuka's students played a Lupin III video game in an arcade station.
  • Here is Greenwood - Episode 3 features a parody of the confrontation between Lupin and Count Cagliostro
  • Fist of the North Star (Hokuto no Ken) - In an early episode where Kenshiro and Batt atempt to reclaim the stolen rice seeds, Batt returns and says to Kenshiro, "I got them back, I am a regular Arsene ain't I?". This is a tribute to Lupin as his first name is Arsene.
  • Love Hina - Swordswoman Motoko Aoyama has been known to remark, "Once again, I have cut a worthless object," a trademark line of Goemon's.
  • Otaku no Video - Lupin cosplay and memorabilia can be spotted in some scenes.
  • Urusei Yatsura: Only You - Mendou and his servent have a discussion parodying the scene from Cagliostro where Jodo finds Lupin's calling card on his back.
  • XXXHOLiC - The time-space witch Yūko Ichihara also uses Goemon's "worthless objects" line in the first volume of the manga.

Lupin III itself alludes to the original Arsène Lupin adventures from time to time. The Castle of Cagliostro gets its title from the novel La Comtesse de Cagliostro (The Countess of Cagliostro). Also, in one episode, Lupin III goes up against several detectives, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes (which is amazing, since he was set during the Victorian era, like Arsène Lupin), whom he outwits and impersonates. The original Lupin tangled with Holmes several times; however, due to Conan Doyle's copyright on his character, Holmes and his friend Dr. Watson appeared under thinly disguised names like "Herlock Sholmes" and "Dr. Wilson".

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References

In rapper Kanye West's "Touch the sky" single, Lupe Fiasco says "Yes, yes, yes guess who's on third? Lupe still like Lupin the Third."

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External links

fr:Lupin III it:Lupin III ja:ルパン三世

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