Not only can you watch your favorite shows every week less than 24 hours after the original Japanese broadcast thanks to fansubbing groups and video streaming sites, North American distributors (most notably FUNimation ) have started to release English-dubbed episodes while the show is still airing in Japan as well.
The Digital Age has made anime far more accessible and popular than ever before.
Of course, it wasn't always like this. I was just one of many kids who grew up watching Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon in the '90's. And by the 2000s, every video store I went to had a small section dedicated to selling anime DVDs. Anime was, and still is, a niche market, but it had become a noticeable niche market by then. I'm sure there are quite a few fans out there who remember the heyday of Gatchaman and Robotech, but I think it's safe to say that most fans around my age are only familiar with shows that are 25 years old or less.
Which is a real shame, because there are many older gems that even the most casual anime fan can enjoy. Now we come to star of the hour. Or perhaps I should say, the thief of the hour.
To get an idea of what exactly Lupin the Third is, think of James Bond. Or Doctor Who. Or, if you prefer another obvious choice, Batman.
Lupin III has appeared in multiple TV shows, movies and comics in almost half a century, since he first debuted in hi own comic book series in 1967 written by the legendary Monkey Punch (aka Katou Kazuhito). Like those other characters previously mentioned, Lupin seems to be one of those "immortal" franchises, a character who has become a cultural icon. in Japan and shows no signs of being forgotten anytime soon. Anime may not be watched by most of the Japanese population, but I think it is safe to say that most people over there would recognize this theme music:
Today we'll be talking about the movie that introduced the master thief to Western audiences. Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro A movie not only beloved by nearly every Lupin fan, it also has the distinction of being the directorial debut of the legendary (starting to sense a theme here?) Hiyao Miyazaki. It is truly fitting that one Japanese icon helped to create another.
The movie opens up with a quintessential Lupin caper wrap-up. Lupin & his partner in crime Jigen are high-tailing it out of a casino, bags filled to bursting with the place's assets. Not only do they get away right under the security's noses, but they have sabotaged every single car in the parking lot just in case something went wrong.
Lupin and Jigen's victory celebration is short-lived, because all the money they've stolen is fake. Every single bill is a work of master forgery, known in the underworld as "goat bills", which have had an impact on many of the world's greatest tragedies over the last 500 years. Lupin is not down for long, for he has a sudden urge to visit the very small (fictional) European country of Cagliostro, where the forgeries are rumored to originate from. As the heroes make their journey across a gorgeous country side, the equally beautiful song Treasure Fire plays over the opening credits.
From this opening scene, it tells you almost everything you need to know about these characters and the story. If we didn't have such equally great examples like Robin Hood and Han Solo, Lupin is perhaps the definitive Lovable Rogue, a completely shameless master criminal who nonetheless has a endearing charm and who also has a moral code, even if it may not exactly be ours. Jigen is Lupin's constant companion, a master marksman and gun expert who follows Lupin's schemes, no matter how extravagant or implausible.
Although Jigen is equally as laid back and badass as his friend, he has a wonderful sense of humor, a guy who has "seen it all" and loves to make light of that fact. Although much more level-headed, he's never overshadowed by Lupin's larger than life persona; this makes him a great character in his own right. There's a hilarious and heartwarming scene early in the film that just shows how great their chemistry is together and how close they are as friends.
There is no point going into detail about the plot, 'cause if you're over the age of 10, chances are you've seen it at least two dozen times by now: An ancient conspiracy, hidden treasure, a tough as nails cop, a despicable greedy villain who is rich and wants to be richer, chases, daring escapes, corrupt politicians, a damsel to rescue, an army of henchmen to defeat, a final epic battle and a sweet romantic subplot. There is absolutely no originality where the story is concerned.
Like Indiana Jones, what makes Castle of Cagliostro stand out from other films lies in its execution. The action is creative, fluid and edge of your seat exciting. The characters are all easily recognizable archetypes and yet are memorable and lovable because the acting and dialogue is just top notch. The artwork and music is absolutely wonderful and makes everything else that much better by being so damn great on the eyes and ears. With a 99-minute run time, there is nothing wasted or excessive in this thing. The movie's story slows down and speeds up at exactly the right moments.
The car chase scene sums everything right with the movie; it's a work of art in of itself. Sorry for the cliche, but it's a great ride. Take a look for yourselves, it deserves to be appreciated.
There is so much done right in Cogliostro that even if you were to conclude that this movie is overrated after seeing it, I believe is it is impossible to not enjoy this on at least some level.
On the flipside, when it comes to the writing, the new characters leave no impact. The bad guy is suitably oily and smug throughout the whole film, but he has no complexity to him. If it wasn't for the fact that the"girl of the week" has ties to Lupin's past, not to mention her very tragic backstory, you wouldn't really remember her. Not helping matters is the fact that she shares quite a bit of screen time with much more interesting and awesome characters. She never feels anything less than a plot device. .
It's the other regulars of the Lupin cast and how they play off each other that keeps you engaged throughout the movie. There's Fujiko Mine, Lupin's greatest rival in crime and off-again, on-again love interest/ally. She has the distinction of being both an object of lust, with a body straight out of every male fantasy, and also (perhaps paradoxically) a symbol for female empowerment. She's not afraid to get into a fight or play mind games to get what she wants, it's just that using her looks tends to work more often than not.
There's also Lupin's nemesis, Interpol inspector Kouichi Zenigata. The interesting thing about his character is that he's very different from Lupin, but not in ways you might think. It would be easy to make him a sympathetic bumbling idiot like Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther, but he makes Lupin look that much better by being a very competent honest cop and almost religiously dedicated to his job. You get the impression that no one else could possibly hunt Lupin down, and no other criminal could get the drop on him like our thief can. Lupin and Zenigata's relationship is a complex one. There is lot of mutual respect and tension between these two at all times, since for obvious reasons they are on opposite sides (for the most part).
Lastly, there's Goemon, a mercenary often hired by Lupin to act as a back up in many his adventures. The only info you get about him is that he's extremely skilled with his katana, and very proud of his samurai heritage. He's there more for fan service than anything else. He fights, and that's pretty much it. A shame that the screen time doesn't give everyone their due.
When makes this movie work, especially if you're not familiar with the franchise, is that by the time it's over, you get Lupin. The movie shows u that he wasn't always awesome, he's made mistakes just like everything else, and his lifestyle, though he unquestionably loves it, has it's drawbacks. It sort of gives a realistic depiction of what being Lupin is like, but at the same time the story refuses to take itself too seriously.
You see his life and his world, the adventure, the zaniness, the danger, the women, the intrigue, and you become captivated by it. Lupin and their friends get just enough time in the spotlight, and then they're offstage. It's much better than having to track down old Lupin episodes. The English dub is also very good, so you won't to worry about subtitles if that bothers you.
The ending has a twist that I won't spoil, but it's pretty surprising in a way; Lupin succeeds and yet at the same time he doesn't. It's almost philosophical more than bittersweet, but it's up to you whether you find the ending satisfying or not.
By the end of the movie, you will feel that you understand the man and the legend known as Arsene Lupin III. And you will want more of him once it's done and the credits start rolling. There's no higher recommendation than that.
If you want to see reviews of other great (but mostly horrible) anime films and shows, check out internet critic Bennett the Sage's website here
The popular anime Youtuber Glass Reflection is also very good if you're new to anime, though he tends to review newer stuff.
No comments:
Post a Comment