For an anime that takes place in France, there sure are a lot of French people that speak Japanese, English, Italian, or even French.
"Lupin III: Part 5" aired from Spring 2018 to Autumn 2018 and is the sixth anime series in the "Lupin III" franchise. Telecom Animation Film animated Part 5, along with "Lupin III (2015)." "Cybersix," and the funny bully anime with that Nagataro Hayase person...
Fine, it's called "Don't Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro." Telecom Animation Film also animated "Ramen Fighter Miki," so, they have my absolute respect.
A History About Lupin III
"Lupin III" has a long history—the original manga started in 1967 and ended in 1972. Before the "Lupin III" anime aired, a pilot film was made in 1969.
The 1971 "Lupin III" anime removed elements from the original manga, like Lupin sexually assaulting women... You can see why that was removed but kept the adult themes.
However, overtime, the "Lupin III" anime became more family-friendly due to poor ratings. This worked in its favour though, as it became inexpensive "filler" to broadcast before other programs, being rerun a lot and eventually gaining a fanbase. As a result, Part II and Part III in the 1980s were made with more light-hearted direction.
While impressive for its time, the first "Lupin III" anime is dated in many places from predictable plots, repetitive animation techniques, and a horrible soundtrack. Why did anyone think shoving the opening vocals into so many songs was a clever idea?
It was a different time with different technology, so I can't be too hard on it, although I did give up on it after episode eight. However, its legacy cannot be denied.
"Lupin III: Part 5" happened to be the anime my friend and I ended up watching after we gave up on part 1. "Lupin III: Part 5" came after Part 4 in 2015 and the 2012 "Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine," the latter being more faithful to the manga.
Whether that's a good thing or not, I have no clue. Regardless, I live in fear.
Why did we choose Part 5? Well, it looked the most interesting, it seemed neat... Okay, fine, it was because of this funny Not Safe for Work (NSFW) gif. I wanted to know the context, but it wasn't even in Part 5!
Me and my friend were bamboozled, heartbroken, and went through the five stages of grief many times not being able to see the funny. My friend was so devastated, he went to Kenya.
What is a Lupin?
Lupin the III is the third inheritor of the Lupin name, the most wanted criminal in the world. He steals things with his crack shot right-hand man Daisuke Jigen; former enemy turned samurai ally Goemon Ishikawa XIII; and femme fatale Fujiko Mine helps, who sometimes betrays them.
[Animation Studio: Telecom Animation Film]
However, Inspector Kouichi Zenigata tries his best to arrest Lupin for his thievery... Only his thievery... Not the times he's killed people.
"Lupin III: Part 5" focuses on Lupin against modern day technology, as his new enemies use it to try to defeat/kill him. However, Lupin also gets a new ally, a teenage girl named Ami who is an expert hacker. Despite her deadpan personality, she can post a cat gif like no other.
The Characters
The best way to describe Lupin's gang is fun, simple, but fun as h*ck. Lupin the III himself just loves to steal, but he has a moral code, killing only when he has to. He loves the excitement of the heist.
Daisuke Jigen is the cool-headed gunslinger, while Goemon is serious & honour-bound. Kouichi Zenigata himself, despite wanting to catch Lupin, does care about him. He's like a dad, but without the dad jokes.
The simplicity of the cast is endearing, but not so simple that they're one-note. Paradoxically, they also have some intriguing depth.
The only character I dislike among the main cast is Fujiko. She has her cool moments but can be frustrating in the filler episodes.
For example, she punishes Lupin for forgetting their anniversary by clogging the toilet in his hideout... In the same place Goemon and Jigen live too. The two didn't even do anything wrong, the fault is all on Lupin.
The filler episodes in general are hit-and-miss. A few of them are good, but most of them are either mediocre or just awful depending on your sense of humour. I personally found the jokes in the main arcs more up my alley. Some filler episodes also make one or two of the characters poopyheads for the sake of the funny, which I'm not a fan of.
Main story-wise, I don't have much of an impression on Fujiko since she feels sidelined. Even in the final arc when each character gets their moment in the spotlight, Fujiko is just kind of there.
My favourite character in Part 5 ended up being the newly introduced Ami. Her development and personality is fantastic. She easily has the strongest moments in the anime for me, next to Lupin.
Wait, when I said next to Lupin, I didn't mean it literally-
Anyway, even most minor characters leave strong impressions despite only being in one or two episodes, from the maid Marie to sniper Mirage.
Smooth Moves, Smoother Oxygen Graphics
"Lupin III: Part 5" looks fantastic. The visuals are appealing, the animation is great, and the environments are stunning. I've never been to France, but after watching Part 5, I feel like I have.
[Animation Studio: Telecom Animation Film]
Furthermore, Part doesn't just stick to France, as there are also desert environments. A desert environment is a necessity.
The animation quality is also phenomenal. The fights are eye candy, with Part 5 giving fun and challenging opponents for Lupin's gang to fight.
The soundtrack is also excellent, with the jazzy soundtrack being beyond memorable, such as "A Night in Paris" and "Creeping Malice." Although, some music in Part 5 is from Part 4 like "Chase!! Chase!! Chase!!"
Unfortunately, some songs are frustratingly difficult or impossible to find. For example, that song at the beginning of episode two after the OP? I can't find it no matter what, it's like a ghost. Ironic given it's a catchy ghost.
The OP and ED are also fantastic. The OP has a clean style that looks amazing while giving a great introduction to each character. The ED has an incredibly fitting song with the visuals focusing more on Fujiko's feelings for Lupin.
The voice-acting is also excellent, at least in the Japanese version. I haven't watched the other dubs.
The Arcs of Lupin: III Part V
Due to the arcs being named Episode I, Episode II, and so on, I gave each arc a custom subtitle. Mainly to make them sound cooler.
Episode I: The Lupin Game
The beginning of Episode I has Lupin saving Ami from the Twin Towers in France to steal the illegally gained funds from Chuck Glay's company, Marco Polo, through hacking. Given an uncreative company name like that, he had it coming.
The operation seems to be a success, but Chuck starts the Lupin Game in retaliation, where the goal is to find Lupin. It soon becomes a global trend, with Lupin being tracked everywhere, making him easy for the police to find.
Even when Lupin goes to another country where he can't be arrested, Chuck sends assassins after Lupin. Now Lupin has nowhere to hide, dangerous people hot on his tail, and a teenage girl to protect.
Additionally, just when you think the worst is over, the actual worst begins. However, that's what makes the arc so blood pumping. Each escalation is more intriguing than the last.
[Animation Studio: Telecom Animation Film]
The antagonists are also clever since they have countermeasures for Lupin's plan(s). When Chuck does fail, it's believable for why he fails as Lupin outsmarts him in a way you don't see coming.
I legitimately thought the odd elements in the arc were the characters being dumb. Imagine my shock when I was in the same shoes- Sandals as- Chuck wears both.
Given how predictable Lupin's scheming was in Part 1, I wasn't expecting him to do a 5D Chess move. This also goes for my expectations of Lupin too. This Lupin is still silly but there's a real, serious, compassionate side to Lupin.
C-Compassionate to Ami. Although, the best scene in Part 5 is easily when Ami is being harassed by some guys and Lupin steps in and takes them down without messing around. He even aims a gun inside the mouth of one of them, and while the clip is empty, he gets his message across.
While at first, he only saved Ami for his personal gain, with Ami being the one hacking Marco Polo, Lupin finds he wants to protect Ami until everything is over. In Part 1, from what I saw at least, Lupin only protected women because he had the hots for them.
The best part of Episode I is Ami. Ami is a shut-in, reprehensive of the outside world. She heavily relies on the internet as it's her realm. She doesn't even have any interest in going to school since she has everything she need on the internet: education, friends, etc.. However, she has no real life outside of the internet, I feel called out by myself.
This is unfortunately due to her being kidnapped as a child, being used for... Well, it's one of the worst fears a parent can have realized. However, her programming skills were recognized by her captors, so she was made to program things.
However, if she didn't meet deadlines, she'd be beaten. Therefore, she's as efficient as possible, even eating food that can be eaten quickly.
It's why Ami doesn't understand Lupin at first. Lupin puts himself in danger despite having the money to retire and live a peaceful life- Well, peaceful is a bit of a loaded word in this case. However, two events make Ami understand Lupin.
Firstly, when she's stuck in the desert with Lupin and Zenigata, they're thirsty and exhausted, not drinking water for a long time. Fortunately, Ami sees a windmill in the distance, rushing towards it to find water to drink. Hydro Homie moment.
[Animation Studio: Telecom Animation Film]
It's the first time she genuinely smiles in the anime, as finding that water was like drinking it for the first time. The second event is when Ami is running away from a military helicopter shooting at her so she can lead it into a trap. After the helicopter is destroyed, she laughs out of pure joy.
[Animation Studio: Telecom Animation Film]
These two events made Ami feel something she hasn't felt in a long time: excitement. After so many years, she's excited about something (the water) and... Felt alive (helicopter attack), had genuine fun. This is what makes Ami understand why Lupin never retires because he enjoys the excitement.
While Ami can learn anything, it lacks soul. Realizing this, she enters a girl's boarding school to make friends and enjoy herself in a safe environment.
I adore Ami's character arc so much. It feels natural while having a fantastic message about living life beyond the screen, which is heavily relevant with today's internet culture.
However, it doesn't condemn using the internet nor the friends you make on it, just to not isolate yourself from the real world using the internet. Which is good because my Nigerian Prince uncle-
Episode I is overall an outstanding beginning to part 5 that made me appreciate Lupin more and kept me engaged the entire time. I was excited to see more.
Episode II: The Weeping Thief
Episode II starts with a mystery: Lupin accepts a job from Gaston, who helped Lupin start his thieving career, to steal a fake Picasso painting. However, there's more to it, as the painting has a notebook, Lupin discovers Gaston has been dead for years, and the one who abandoned Lupin the III, Albert d'Andrésy, may be involved.
This arc is more personal for Lupin, as he faces off against Albert, who went off to try to steal France—relatable. As Lupin's former partner/rival, Albert's cunning, even it's a little heavy-handed at first.
To introduce Albert's intelligence, they show Lupin setting up traps for Albert only for him to see right through them. However, it isn't that impactful since Lupin was shown doing that stuff when he tends to reveal his plans after succeeding or while doing them.
[Animation Studio: Telecom Animation Film]
Fortunately, Albert shows his cleverness in a natural way later in the arc. I can safely say he truly is intimidating, even fending off against deadly assassins.
These assassins aren't a joke, teeth that can bite through metal, shotgun batons for both melee & gun ability, and more. These guys... Girls... Only one of them has a clear gender... Are a ton of fun.
[Animation Studio: Telecom Animation Film]
Albert d'Andrésy also makes for a cool rival to Lupin. He lurks in the shadows to steal, while Lupin puts a spotlight on his thievery with calling cards.
[Animation Studio: Telecom Animation Film]
Unfortunately, Albert doesn't do much after this arc, which is a shame. He appears in the Part 6 anime, so it's possible this was only the beginning of his story.
The conflict of Episode II is cool too, with the notebook having the dirty laundry of some high-profile people, enough to control France or perhaps most of the world. The mystery behind why the people chasing Lupin want the notebook is interesting.
However, the villain this time around is forgettable, and the social commentary boils down to the "politicians corrupt" message I've seen so many times. I mean, if they weren't, why don't they comment on towel laws? Suspicious I tell you.
Episode II is still engaging with the mystery, assassins, and rivalry between Lupin & Albert. It's stellar, but it's my least favourite of the four arcs since it doesn't have the same highs as other arcs.
Episode III: The Kinnari and the Kinnara
Episode III follows Ami who befriends Padar princess Dolma Sinha at her boarding school. They bond since Ami has no social skills, and Dolma is seen as weird for hanging a crow on a water fountain, my favourite recess activity growing up.
However, terrorists attack the boarding school. While—Ami, Fujiko disguised as a professor, and Lupin's gang—stop them, Dolma is taken by the CIA to Padar to "save Padar."
Padar is in a civil war with the Traditionalists and Reformers. The Reformers want to move along with the times, while the Traditionalists want to stick to Padar tradition.
At first, it's kind of disappointing. The modernity vs. tradition aspect is a backdrop with the Traditionalists clearly being the bad guys because of their manipulative leader. There's no moral grayness.
Or... At least, that's what I thought at first. Writing this review, I realized the focus wasn't on the right and wrong of the war itself, but how self-destructive it is.
You see, a CIA agent named Ugo McQuire was the one who took Dolma; however, he genuinely wants to save Padar. If he didn't want the best for Padar, he would've killed Dolma at the boarding school, which would've been super easy, barely an inconvenience.
He may seem to justify horrible actions, but Ugo's origin country was the victim of the self-destructive nature of a civil war, torn apart by it. He wants to prevent Padar from suffering the same fate.
[Animation Studio: Telecom Animation Film]
It leads to the heartbreaking resolution, where after Ugo is shot and is dying, Dolma takes the chance to say America was the true enemy, the "American Dog" being put down, and that there's no more reason for the people of Padar to fight. It hurts her to demonize Ugo, but it was the only way to save Padar while fulfilling Ugo's wish as he dies.
[Animation Studio: Telecom Animation Film]
The Reformers and Traditionalists never had to fight; they can co-exist. This is made clear from Ami's and Dolma's friendship. Dolma Sinha stuck to her traditions and was outcast by the other boarding school students, but Ami accepted and partook in her traditions.
[Animation Studio: Telecom Animation Film]
Ami is an expert in technology, but her ability is seen as weird. Weird to everyone but Dolma. It's not about sides, it's about co-existence. This message easily boosted my opinion of Episode III, making it go from "great but needs more poop jokes" to "fantastic but needs more poop jokes."
The rest of the elements in Episode III are excellent too. Lupin's gang being caught in the middle of a civil war, only wanting to steal Dolma's necklace, is an awesome concept. It gives room for more clever schemes, with a larger scope.
Although, it can be weird when some schemes aren't elaborated on. Such as when Ami and a wounded Lupin have a gun pointed at them by a soldier. They manage to get out of the situation, but they don't explain how. I can only assume it was aliens, given the CIA is involved, it can't be a coincidence... Wait, no, that's the FBI.
[Animation Studio: Telecom Animation Film]
Ami has another significant role too, teaming up with Fujiko to save Dolma, well for Fujiko, Dolma's necklace. The team-up pleasantly expands on Ami's development, as they ground her excitement.
There are times where she does things alone or her body freezes up, and while it's exhilarating for her, it usually backfires. It's important to do exciting things, but also know the risks and to not do anything stupid.
Ami's awesomeness rubs off on Fujiko too, who has a lot of great moments in Episode III. She shows a more compassionate side by treating Lupin's injuries, while also being genuinely manipulative in smart ways.
Overall, Episode III hits the dictator's ball out of the park, literally! While it's not my favourite arc, it's well executed.
Episode IV: We Start and End with the Family
Episode IV begins with an Enzo Bron, CEO of Shake Hanz Corporation... Oh my god, I just realized that's a pun... Anyway, Bron is seen introducing PeopleLog. PeopleLog is an application that makes it easy to find out far too much about someone... What a wonderful idea, what could possibly go wrong?
Oh yeah, it can track routes criminals take and make it easy to find criminals, a.k.a. Lupin's gang. Oh yeah, people can add information about Lupin, ranked from E to A, with A ranked facts being true, without proper context... Wait, isn't this just social media today- Oh.
[Animation Studio: Telecom Animation Film]
However, this is all part of Enzo's plan to prove the usefulness of PeopleLog by having it capture Lupin. He even targets Lupin's greatest weakness, which happens to be the theme of Episode IV, family.
When Goemon reads an E ranked statement on PeopleLog about being Lupin's underling, without understanding the ranking system, he questions what he is to Lupin. He always went with Lupin because he felt Lupin was the strongest man but grew to see Lupin as family. However, does Lupin just see him as a tool?
Even when Lupin explains the ranking system, since Goemon doesn't even know what a Tik Tok is, Enzo strokes the flames again by adding A ranked information that Goemon is an item in Lupin's collection. This causes Goemon to fight Lupin to figure out how he himself feels about Lupin during their heist to shut down PeopleLog.
When Goemon does win, it's the only time in Part 5 we see him distraught. He panics and gets emotional after hurting Lupin, a member of his family. While he does patch Lupin up and Lupin has no hard feelings towards Goemon, Goemon is devastated.
Daisuke Jigen himself also wonders if they should just retire given how much the times have changed—thieving has become more difficult, the times are far from simple. He brings this up after he takes on a bunch of S.W.A.T. and police as a one-man army.
Retiring would change their family. However, Lupin gives his philosophy on how life is like a story, with the only audience member of your life being yourself. This encourages Lupin's gang to make their comeback despite being at their lowest point.
An audience member will tune out if they don't care about what happens next in the story of their life. A bit extreme in Lupin's case given his "occupation," but you get the idea, it encourages him to keep going.
Additionally, Fujiko technically counts as family too as Lupin finally rekindles his relationship with Fujiko by revealing one of his secrets: his true face.
This secret was also how he managed to beat Enzo despite every single odd being against him, also leading to the biggest brain move... If PeopleLog verifies the truth with its ranking system... Why not leak government secrets? If they can't track his real face, he can steal/find them easily.
Knowing Enzo, he'll trust PeopleLog's judgement and refuse to take them down. As a result, PeopleLog becomes the enemy of nearly every government. Except Norway, those guys don't have any dirt.
Speaking of Enzo, he makes for the most interesting antagonist in Part 5 personality-wise. Enzo Bron and his wife divorced, with his ex-wife taking custody of their daughter. Unfortunately, his daughter was kidnapped, with his ex-wife committing suicide after receiving all the blame...
Enzo Bron focused his time, likely to cope, on PeopleLog to find his daughter. However, he ends up relying on PeopleLog so much due to making logical judgements without human emotions, that he becomes obsessed with it. To the point where when he does find his daughter, which turns out to be Ami, he's barely fazed.
[Animation Studio: Telecom Animation Film]
It's devastating for Ami since it was thanks to Lupin that she realized she wanted a father. Before she never looked since she didn't care since she barely remembered Enzo. However, when she tells Enzo this, he waves it away. It's crushing to see because a sad Ami makes for a sad viewer.
Fortunately, Enzo comes to his senses when Ami points a gun at Enzo when she points it at Lupin. However, Enzo can't bring himself to shoot his own daughter. Later, Enzo saves Ami as the PeopleLog building collapses, seeing his daughter in danger.
[Animation Studio: Telecom Animation Film]
Enzo Bron was forced to make decisions he couldn't make without PeopleLog, emotional choices, which revived the part of him that holds Ami dear to him. It's kind of like how experiencing excitement woke up Ami in the first arc.
Reconnecting with her father, Ami goes her separate ways from Lupin's gang. The family theme is extremely effective and helps to create an engaging arc, and I'm genuinely surprised I got through explaining the theme without making a "Fast & the Furious" joke... Wait, nut!
This arc is just fantastic all around, being a climatic finale. Characters from earlier in Part 5 even show up, rooting for or against Lupin.
More interesting, characters from earlier "Lupin III" parts even cameo, spreading information about Lupin that paint him as a cold murderer and more. I only recognize Mr. Gold from Part 1, but it's still wicked even if you haven't seen the other parts.
[Animation Studios: Telecom Animation Film (Part 5) & Tokyo Movie Shinsha (Part 1)]
Episode IV just gives so many vibes I've only experienced in other anime: the crowd full of hatred hunting down Lupin reminds me of the 2018 "Devilman: Crybaby" anime, another aspect reminds me of "Neon Genesis Evangelion..." The manga, the anime be poop-
The scenario with PeopleLog, Lupin's gang being challenged & delved into, Ami continuing to be best girl, Enzo as an antagonist, the references, and the insane climax makes Episode IV the perfect note to end Part 5 on. My only real criticism with Episode IV is when Goemon's battles with Lupin from earlier parts are shown on T.V screens.
Don't get me wrong, it's an awesome reference while also challenging Goemon's doubt of what he is to Lupin, but who was recording all these encounters? Were the other parts filmed in front of a live studio audience? I am confused and mildly inconvenienced by this nitpick.
Overall (A+)
"Lupin III: Part 5" blew me away coming from Part 1. My expectations were exceeded with fantastic characters, phenomenal arcs, great messages, stellar animation, beautiful presentation, and catchy music.
While there are flaws, the only major one that keeps me from giving Part 5 a S ranking are the filler episodes. They make up over one quarter of the anime, and are mostly misses, but I also can't argue to skip them since they come into play in the final arc.
However, Part 5 still gets a strong recommendation from me. I need to check out Part 4 and Part 6 at some point.
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