Stealing is a Good Thing
The ever resourceful world thief known as Lupin the Third still enjoys immense popularity to this day.
Starting out as a Japanese Magna comic book written by Monkey Punch, a pen name, it covers the adventures of a mischievous thief player who kicks up the entire routine as a gag. All this while throwing himself into more trouble than it is worth. Yet he finds in his thieving career a spark of life.
Perhaps stealing can be an art.
He likes to steal many jewel valuables. He lusts after women. He finds everything a game to him. Yet there is still some kind of honor amongst himself and his gang of misfits. It is like watching a perfectionist at work.
Then why include this in the Time and Space Continuum column?
There are many TV episodes of Lupin the Third and following films resorting to science fiction themes. This might include DNA altering or weather controlling machines. There is one film called the Castle of Cagliostro where Lupin dons a belt with several high tech gadgets that helps him escape narrow traps.
He often uses a kind of hook that shoots out from his wrist mechanism where he can stop himself from falling.
He likes to get richer.
However, due to a sense of justice lingering in the back of his mind, Lupin exposes other criminals for their cruel goals of world domination or whatever evil deeds they might be harboring. Turns out Lupin isn’t such a bad guy.
Which is why he continues to be a popular icon.
Even American director Steven Spielberg said of Castle of Cagliostro, “It’s one of the best adventure movies ever made.” For someone like Spielberg to make this comment, it’s really something. Not only that, the film grabbed fifth place on Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs' list of best anime.
Not bad for a modest thief.
There’s plenty of elements like comedy, thriller, romance all rolled up into one mixed bag. The ending result? It’s always so damn fun to watch.
The entertainment stays lightweight. The stories are sometimes simple at best. And it is a formula episodic series with returning themes. But watching the series or films is like seeing old friends again. You want to feel like you’re part of their heist.
No matter the odds, or the situation, Lupin the Third finds a way out using charms and wits. And his cleverness is always underestimated by his enemies. Never underestimate a fool.
His group of friends are equally compelling. His partner in crime, Jigen, is a master marksmen with an old revolver that looked like it had been used during World War II. His accuracy is something no less than amazing. The next in line is Goeman who remains a quiet samurai helping his fellow thieves to escape. He is very excellent with using the sword against worthy opponents. But he doesn’t like to cut away at inanimate objects.
The last, but not least, is the female fatale thief Fujiko Mine who likes to take advantage of using Lupin for furthering her own gains. She is not exactly the nicest girl in the world. Yet her womanly intelligence has gained notoriety in the field of thievery. Her own reputation precedes her. It is because of her that Lupin finds himself in dire plots.
I remember when I was a kid during the height of video game playing in the 1980s there was an arcade game called Cliff Hangers. This was a laser disc game using actual footage from Lupin the Third to tell a gaming story. I always sucked at playing the game. But the animation was pretty cool.
I have not been much of a big fan of Japanese anime for many reasons. Much of it is really an acquired taste. Many times I don’t care for the style. But there are always exceptions to the rule.
Lupin the III is one true exception.
The art is fine. But it is the stories and humor that makes the charms for this particular cartoon series. Monkey Punch has created another legacy. A wild trip to the other side of Japanese Anime.
So go ahead and a have a good laugh while following the footsteps of Lupin the Third. Taking the time to have a little fun can go a long way. And you might have a little trouble catching up with him!
Starting out as a Japanese Magna comic book written by Monkey Punch, a pen name, it covers the adventures of a mischievous thief player who kicks up the entire routine as a gag. All this while throwing himself into more trouble than it is worth. Yet he finds in his thieving career a spark of life.
Perhaps stealing can be an art.
He likes to steal many jewel valuables. He lusts after women. He finds everything a game to him. Yet there is still some kind of honor amongst himself and his gang of misfits. It is like watching a perfectionist at work.
Then why include this in the Time and Space Continuum column?
There are many TV episodes of Lupin the Third and following films resorting to science fiction themes. This might include DNA altering or weather controlling machines. There is one film called the Castle of Cagliostro where Lupin dons a belt with several high tech gadgets that helps him escape narrow traps.
He often uses a kind of hook that shoots out from his wrist mechanism where he can stop himself from falling.
He likes to get richer.
However, due to a sense of justice lingering in the back of his mind, Lupin exposes other criminals for their cruel goals of world domination or whatever evil deeds they might be harboring. Turns out Lupin isn’t such a bad guy.
Which is why he continues to be a popular icon.
Even American director Steven Spielberg said of Castle of Cagliostro, “It’s one of the best adventure movies ever made.” For someone like Spielberg to make this comment, it’s really something. Not only that, the film grabbed fifth place on Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs' list of best anime.
Not bad for a modest thief.
There’s plenty of elements like comedy, thriller, romance all rolled up into one mixed bag. The ending result? It’s always so damn fun to watch.
The entertainment stays lightweight. The stories are sometimes simple at best. And it is a formula episodic series with returning themes. But watching the series or films is like seeing old friends again. You want to feel like you’re part of their heist.
No matter the odds, or the situation, Lupin the Third finds a way out using charms and wits. And his cleverness is always underestimated by his enemies. Never underestimate a fool.
His group of friends are equally compelling. His partner in crime, Jigen, is a master marksmen with an old revolver that looked like it had been used during World War II. His accuracy is something no less than amazing. The next in line is Goeman who remains a quiet samurai helping his fellow thieves to escape. He is very excellent with using the sword against worthy opponents. But he doesn’t like to cut away at inanimate objects.
The last, but not least, is the female fatale thief Fujiko Mine who likes to take advantage of using Lupin for furthering her own gains. She is not exactly the nicest girl in the world. Yet her womanly intelligence has gained notoriety in the field of thievery. Her own reputation precedes her. It is because of her that Lupin finds himself in dire plots.
I remember when I was a kid during the height of video game playing in the 1980s there was an arcade game called Cliff Hangers. This was a laser disc game using actual footage from Lupin the Third to tell a gaming story. I always sucked at playing the game. But the animation was pretty cool.
I have not been much of a big fan of Japanese anime for many reasons. Much of it is really an acquired taste. Many times I don’t care for the style. But there are always exceptions to the rule.
Lupin the III is one true exception.
The art is fine. But it is the stories and humor that makes the charms for this particular cartoon series. Monkey Punch has created another legacy. A wild trip to the other side of Japanese Anime.
So go ahead and a have a good laugh while following the footsteps of Lupin the Third. Taking the time to have a little fun can go a long way. And you might have a little trouble catching up with him!
posted by K.M. Paters at 12:51 PM
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