What Were LaserDisc Games?

The short lived craze that helped reignite interest in video games and animation.

For those who didn't grow up during the 1980s or early '90s the word 'LaserDisc' may not exactly be familiar. Think of LaserDiscs as the record size prototype of the DVD. LaserDiscs were first manufactured in 1978, arriving shortly after the VHS beat out Betamax. Unlike the DVD or the Betamax, LaserDiscs utilized disc based technology, resulting in higher quality image and audio quality. LaserDiscs were also the first format to include extra discs filled with extra features. Despite these advantages of the LaserDisc, it wan't until the DVD arrived that optical discs became the preferred video format. LaserDiscs were considerably more expensive than VHS tapes in most regions, very large/awkward to hold, could not record shows on TV, and could not store as much length as the VHS. Thus LaserDiscs were not popular with most of the American public, save for movie buffs or the dedicated otaku.

Laserdiscs: the record sized forerunner of the DVD.

However, LaserDiscs did manage to make a significant (if short-lived) impact on the animation and video game industries. While the idea of the interactive movie was not new at the time (The short film Kinoautomat [1967] is largely considered to be the first.), LaserDiscs made the use of interactive movies more widespread due to their ability to skip back and forth between segments of film and nonlinear play devices. For those unfamiliar with them, interactive movies can be best be described as the video game equivalent of  'Choose Your Own Adventure' books, where the player's actions dictate the result of the film depending on which choices they make. Many LaserDisc games required 'quick time events' where the player has to press the correct sequence of buttons within a short given amount of time, or else they will die. This happens very frequently in LD games, because in order to progress, you must memorize the button sequence. (Thus many quarters are quickly lost if you play them in arcades.)

Enter the Dragon's Lair

Although the first LaserDisc game, Astron Belt (Sega, 1983), was actually a rail shooter that used some footage from Star Trek 2: Wrath of Khan, the first widely successful game was Dragon's Lair.  Released later the same year by ex-Disney animator Don Bluth, Dragon's Lair proved to be so popular that several machines were reportedly broken by children playing on them too frequently. Dragon's Lair is widely credited for saving the sagging arcade industry and renewing public interest in video games after the fall of Atari. It also gave Bluth the much needed money to fund his additional feature films and thus encouraged him and others animators to make material beyond cheap Saturday morning cartoons.

The reason for the game's appeal was simple. Unlike other popular games of the time which utilized simple, pixelated sprites, Dragon's Lair featured high quality hand-drawn animation, which gave the game a greater sense of 'realism'. (Well, realistic enough for a fantasy story about a dim-witted and cowardly knight ['Dirk the Daring'] determined to save a scantly clad princess from a fearsome dragon.) Dragon's Lair was even successful enough to have a sequel released in 1991, which is fondly (or not so fondly remembered) for its rather bizarre time-traveling plot. Dragon's Lair also received several ports to other systems (including the infamous NES version) and had a short-lived cartoon series with noticeably bad animation provided by Ruby-Spears.

Gameplay of Dragon's Lair making it look extremely easy.

In reality, you die a lot. Say goodbye to your quarters!

In 1984, Don Bluth released Space Ace, which is essentially Dragon's Lair in Space. The game had a higher budget with smoother animation, more sound effects better voice acting, and of course, a good dose of strangeness. Thayer's Quest also hit arcades the same year. Although the game was developed by RDI Video Systems (the studio that released Dragon's Lair and Space Ace), Thayer's Quest was made without any involvement from Bluth and has rather shoddy production values in comparison to Bluth's work. Thayer's Quest was initially created for the doomed Halcyon console (which had many advanced capabilities including voice recognition). It ultimately failed due to its extremely steep price of $2,500. In fact, the Halcyon is often cited as the most expensive video game system ever created!

Poster for Space Ace.

Cliff Hanger or Lupin III?

Not all companies could afford to hire American animators like Don Bluth, several of them opted to use footage from anime unreleased in the US at the time and cut it to fit into the storyline they desired. The most famous of these games is Cliff Hanger (1983) which made a cameo appearance in the movie The Goonies. Cliff Hanger was created using footage from two Lupin III games, primarily from The Castle of Cagliostro. As with many anime games released overseas, Cliffhanger had hilarious bad dubbing done directly over the original Japanese and many of the characters in the films either had their names changed or were cut out completely.

Bega's Battle (Sega, 1983) was a rail shooter with footage taken from the anime Harmagedon. Like many popular games of the time, it was featured on Starcade. It had a notoriously violent opening sequence, where a man's face is shown mutating and melting off. (And, yes, this game was marketed towards children.) The anime itself is pretty awful and forgettable despite being directed by Rintaro and produced by Madhouse. Curiously enough, two other of Rintaro's movies,  Galaxy Express 999 and Adieu Galaxy Express 999, were adapted into a 1987 LaserDisc game called Freedom Fighter. Freedom Fighter was the only game before developer Millennium Games shut down. It is thus very rare and highly sought out by collectors.

Cliff Hanger! The game that keeps you on your toes!

Genki Girls & Ninjas: Japanese LaserDisc Games

Several game developers in Japan also made LD games. Super Don Quix-ote (Universal, 1984) which is only notable for being very loosely inspired by Don Quixote and for having low budget animation on par of Thayer.Badlands (Konami, 1984) was a far more interesting game. It plays out as a Western style shooter starring Buck, a cowboy on a quest to avenge the deaths of his wife and children who were murdered by a band of outlaws. Despite, its solemn sounding setup, Badlands is actually quite humorous and silly at times due to its particularly bizarre and nonsensical death animations and random mix of American and Japanese cultural references. On a similar note, Sega also released a vengeance game in 1985. Road Blaster is a racing/shooter game where you play a man tracking down a gang of bikers who killed his wife. Unlike Badlands, the game maintains a fairly serious tone throughout. 

Outside of Don Bluth and Cliff Hanger, perhaps the best remembered LaserDisc games were made by Taito. In 1984, the company released Ninja Hayate, a game suspiciously similar to Dragon's Lair. It is about a Dirk-like ninja who attempts to rescue a princess from a feudal Japanese castle. (Ninja Hayate also bears more than a passing resemblance to another Taito game, The Legend of Kage.) Time Gal (1985) is commonly bundled with the above and is the more famous of the two. The game is set in the year 3001. You play as a skimpily dressed girl named Reika who must travel between different time periods in search of the criminal Luda in order to prevent him from altering the past. Time Gal was one of Japan's more popular LaserDisc titles, receiving numerous ports to different systems over the years. This is no doubt due to the main character being a typical excitable, ditzy 'cute' anime girl (who looks a lot like Lum from Urusei Yatsura). She laughs, spews random English and makes various pop cultural references while being chased. Half of her 'death' animations just involve her being shamed in some way or nearly losing an article of clothing. (This is actually quite creepy once you realize that several of these death sequences cut to a clip of Luda laughing.)

I'm not sure if these death sequences are annoying or hilarious. 

The Decline & Legacy of LaserDisc Games

By the late 1980s, the number of notable LaserDisc games being made began to decline rapidly as the popularity of the format waned. This is because once someone figures out the pattern of buttons needed to be pressed and sequences to choose in these games, the games have practically no replay value beyond showing off your skills to your friends. LD games thus get very repetitive over time and are often quite similar to one another in gameplay and in structure. The only major producer of LD games in the late 1980s and the early '90s was American Laser Games, which made a total of ten games up until 1994. Unlike most developers, American Laser Games used cheaply shot live-action footage which has little enjoyment beyond its camp value. All of their titles were light rail shooters which had lousy green screen effects. Most of their games were either Westerns, space dramas, or crime narratives. In 1991, Dragon's Lair's co-creator, Rick Dyer, released Time Traveler through Sega. The LD game was the first video game to utilize holographic imagery, however its standard plot about traveling through time in order to rescue to the protagonist's girlfriend may have weakened its appeal. Ultimately, Time Traveler's gimmick could not save LaserDisc games. Within four years, the DVD was introduced and the LaserDisc quickly faded into obscurity.

Although LD games were short-lived, they managed to greatly influence the future of gaming. Dragon's Lair helped re-spark public interest in the medium after the Video Game Crash of 1983. LD games pioneered the notion that games could use branching paths based upon the player's choice, introduced the notion of cutscenes to gaming, and introduced full animation to gaming. While interactive movies remain a niche market, several notable ones have been made in recent years, including Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls. Although these games are far more sophisticated, they owe a lot to their LaserDisc heritage.

What's the point of a low budget game if it's not animated?

Five Anime Productions that Never Saw the Light of Day

There is no questioning the ever growing appeal of anime in the West. The medium was popularized not only due to audiences being curious about alternatives to Saturday morning cartoons, but also due to the combined talents of pioneers such as Osamu Tezuka, Hayao Miyazaki, Rintaro, Shinichiro Watanabe, and Hideaki Anno, just to name a few. However, as with the case of several American studios, some projects by famous directors never made it past the drawing boards or were put on indefinite hiatus. Producing high quality animation is certainly not cheap. Below is a small glimpse at what could have been.

 Miyazaki's and Takahada's Pippi Longstocking 

Production art for for the proposed film.

One hardly needs an introduction to Studio Ghibli founders Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahada. Their impressive filmography includes the likes of Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986), Grave of Fireflies (1988), Only Yesterday (1990), Princess Mononoke (1997), and Spirited Away (2001). However, the two had just started out in the early 1970s and were relatively unknown. Takahada's and Miyazaki's efforts on ambitious projects, such as Horus: Prince of the Sun (1968) and the original Lupin III series (1971-1972), were shunned and ignored for several years, as they were ahead of their time.

In 1971, Miyazaki and Takahada approached Pippi Longstocking's author, Astrid Lindgren, expressing intrest in adapting the property into an animated feature entitled Pippi Longstocking: The Strongest Girl in the World (Nagakutsushita No Pippi: Sekai Ichi Tsuyoi Onna No Ko). They even traveled around Sweden, making observations for their proposed film. However, Lindgren was not keen on the idea. This was likely due to her unhappiness with the 1949 film adaptation of her book. All that remains of Miyazaki's and Takahada's project are some proposed watercolor storyboards.

Miyazaki and Takahada compromised by creating an original project featuring a young, feisty redhead in pigtails, Panda Kopanda. The two films, Panda Kopanda (1972) and The Rainy Day Circus (1973) run at about half an hour each. They follow a girl named Mimiko, who is left to take care of the house when her grandmother is away. But when she returns home from the station she finds herself in charge of two unusual guests, a large Panda and his son. Keen eyed fans will notice that Papa Panda bares an uncanny resemblance to Totoro. Indeed, the Panda Kopanda shorts were training grounds for the relatively new filmmakers, and they greatly influenced the direction of Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro (1988). So in other words, if Miyazaki and Takahada had actually managed to obtain Pippi Longstocking's copyrights, there likely would never even been a My Neighbor Totoro!  

Storyboards for Pippi Longstockings vs Panda Kopanda.

Rintaro's Lupin VIII 

 

A still from the pilot, "A Man from the Past."

After having three television series and three feature films, American producers began to notice the immense success of the Lupin III franchise in Japan. Thus, the French company DiC (which previously collaborated on anime-like projects, Ulysses 31 [1981] and The Mysterious Cities of Gold [1982-1983]) and TMS, decided to adapt Lupin III to suit American tastes. In 1982, production began under legendary director Rintaro (Galaxy Express 999 [1979], Metropolis [2001]), who was given a large budget to work with.

But, making Lupin appeal to Westerners proved to be difficult. The Japanese series was aimed at a more adult audience, featuring frequent gunplay and innuendos. Since cartoons in America were deemed as 'kid's stuff' throughout the '70s and '80s (save for a few wild cards like Ralph Bakshi), Lupin's occupation as a master thief and his criminal outings were deemed unsuitable for childern. The series had to undergo a major makeover.

This whole scene explains why Lupin had to be changed for American audiences....

Lupin VIII is set in the 22nd century. It follows the descendant of Lupin III, who is a freelance detective that pilots a spaceship. Since smoking and guns were a big 'no no' for American cartoons, Jigen's trademark cigarette and pistol were replaced with a lollipop and a laser gun. Goemon's samurai sword was changed into a ... lightsaber sword. And Fujiko's sexuality was toned down considerably. Because Lupin VIII is not a criminal, Inspector Zenigata's descendent simply chases him based on past family history.

A promotional poster for Lupin VIII. 

The series did manage to produce a pilot episode, "A Man From the Past,". Although the episode's animation and sound effects were completed, the project fell through before dialogue could be recorded. Apparently, a second episode was scripted, but it has yet to emerge on the internet. Lupin VIII failed to get off the ground due to copyright issues surrounding the Arsene Lupin name. Despite that Rintaro was set to direct the series, it probably relieved many anime fans that the show was canceled. Lupin VIII had changed so much from its original incarnation it wasn't even Lupin III anymore! DiC seems to have realized this though. It came up with a compromise about another (but rather clumsy) detective, Inspector Gadget.  

So instead of a wily thief, we got an incompetent inspector. Great. 

Miyazaki's and Takahada's Little Nemo

The 1985 pilot for Little Nemo by Yoshifumi Kondo.

 TMS is one of the the oldest and most successful anime studios. Not only did it bring us Lupin III, but also Rose of Versailles (1979-1980), Sherlock Hound (1984-1985), Akira (1989), and Detective Conan (1996-present). In order to try and expand its international market, the studio decided to try and make a feature length production that would transcend cultural boundaries. In 1977 producer Yutaka Fujioka flew over to Monterey, California to negotiate with Winsor McCay's family. He wanted to create a Japanese / American coproduction of McCay's comic strip, Little Nemo in Slumberland.

The project grew to be very ambitious and expensive. Perhaps a bit too ambitious and expensive. Fujioka approached both George Lucas and Chuck Jones to help with the film, but both declined, noting Little Nemo was plagued with story problems. Fujioka did manage to gather many other talented people for the production, including Ray Bradbury, the French comic artist Moebius, several Disney animators, Brian Froud, and the Sherman Brothers. Both Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahada were brought on board in the early 1980s as well. Their longtime friend and animator director, Yoshifumi Kondo, managed to create a short pilot trailer for the film, before they all left the seemingly doomed production and established Studio Ghibli.

Beautiful concept art for Nemo by Moebius.  

But despite this blowing loss, Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland continued to clunk along. Osamu Dezaki managed to create a second pilot and Sadao Tsukioka created a third, now seemingly lost, pilot. Dezaki's pilot is considerably closer to the finalized version of Nemo, but still bares more resemblance to an anime movie than a Disney cartoon. In 1988, Yutaka Fujioka appointed Masami Hata and William Hurtz as the film's directors. The film was finally released in 1989, after twelve years in production.

Even though Little Nemo holds the distinction of being the first anime film to receive national release in the United States, it flopped. Nemo only earned 10 million for its 35 million budget. It failed to connect with both Japanese and Western audiences, in spite of all its superb animation and inspired visuals. There were simply too many artists with differing opinions involved, which the movie's storyline obviously suffers from.

Akira Kurosawa's The Masque of Black Death

Kurosawa doing what he does best. 

Akira Kurosawa was one of Japan's most important and influential directors. His contributions to Asian cinema include Stray Dog (1949), Rashomon (1950), Seven Samurai (1954), and Ran (1985). Kurosawa not only directed, but also often wrote and edited his own films. His work ranged from historical epics to noir-like dramas.

In 1998, Kurosawa surprised everyone when he announced that he had written a screenplay for the short Edgar Allen Poe story, "The Masque of Red Death." The film was going to be his first animated feature. However,  Kurosawa died on September 6th that year of a stroke. Renewed interest in the project occured in 2008, and Kurosawa Production planned to have the film completed by 2010, in honor of Kurosawa's 100th birthday. That deadline has long since passed, and The Masque of Red Death remains in hiatus. Very little information is known about what the initial production would have been like, as no animated stills from the film have been leaked online.

Satoshi Kon's The Dreaming Machine

 

Promotional art for the film.

Outside of Studio Ghibli, perhaps no other anime director has met as wide acclaim as Satoshi Kon at studio Madhouse. His movies are often realistically animated, and deal with complex issues such as social inequality, homelessness, and exploitation in modern Japan. Satoshi Kon frequently used female characters as his leads, who often dealt with keeping grasp with reality. His best known works are Perfect Blue (1998), Millennium Actress (2001), Tokyo Godfathers (2003), and Paprika (2006).

In 2010, Kon announced that he would make a fantasy-adventure movie targeted for family audiences entitled The Dreaming Machine (Yume-Miru Kikai). The Dreaming Machine was to feature no human characters, and instead star only robots. The plot was to center around three robots (Ririco, Robin, and King) as they embark on some sort of road trip.

Tragically, Satoshi Kon was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. His health rapidly deteriorated and he passed away on August 24, 2010. Before he died, Kon did manage to get all of The Dreaming Machine's storyboards complete and asked his studio to finish his film for him as a last request. Madhouse put character designer and chief animator, Yoshimi Itazu, in charge of directing. As of 2011, 600 out of 1500 of The Dreaming Machine's shots were completed. The production was put on hold and its website was taken down. When asked about progress earlier this year, Madhouse still cites that finacial issues are keeping The Dreaming Machine from being completed.

A model sheet for the female lead.

The Best Red Jacket Lupin Episodes (Series II)

155 episodes of varying quality are hard to watch all at once. So here are the 10 greatest.

After reviewing the first (Green Jacket) Lupin the Third series, I figured that I should post about the second (Red Jacket) series sometime. Lupin III: Part II (or Shin Lupin as it is known in Japan), is the best known version of Lupin abroad, being successful enough to run for three years and is still fairly popular today. Its opening theme and score by Yuji Ohno have practically slipped into the public subconsciousness. In fact, Lupin Part II holds a couple of unique distinctions: It was the third anime ever made to run over 150 episodes (only after Astro Boy (1963-1966) and Dokaben (1976-1979). Most animes at the time ran for about 30-60 episodes on average.), and its 99th episode was the first anime to ever be broadcasted in stereo.

Of course, churning out a new episode weekly for several years means that not every episode is a winner. The overall quality of the show itself is decent, but the quality of the animation and storylines can be highly variable and some of the episodes are so out there or sloppily put together that they are best avoided all together. (The worst offenders being perhaps "Lupin's Grommet Heaven" and "Frankenstein Attacks Lupin".) However, Lupin Part II does tend to improve in quality over time and is best described as more lighthearted and carefree take on the franchise than the original Green Jacket series. This second series isn't really worth watching all the way through unless you happen to be a die hard fan. Really, Lupin Part II is perhaps best described as a causal anime, as the episodes can be literally watched in any order as the show has little to not interrelated plots (except for a few special two part episodes). But the thing is, the great episodes of this classic anime are absolute must sees for not just Lupin III fans, but any anime fan period.

Below, I have put together a list of the ten best Lupin III: Part II episodes based upon popular (and my own) opinion. You can watch each episode listed by clicking on the their titles highlighted green. (To watch the dubbed version instead, click on the name of the dub listed in the entry). Enjoy!*

10. Where is the Cinderella Stamp?

Lupin may be a great thief, but he's a terrible babysitter.

Director: Kyosuke Mikuriya
Season & Episode #: 2 - 27
Studio: TMS
Dub Name / Dubber: "The Little Princess of Darkness", Geneon

What It's About:

In a museum, the famous Cinderella Stamp is on display. The stamp is one of the only 12 ever made and all of its former owners have either been a princess or gone on to become one. However, when Lupin and his gang try to steal the rare stamp, they find themselves stuck with a little girl named Alice. Alice also wants the stamp, in hopes of becoming a princess herself. She proves to be nuisance, as she refuses to leave Lupin until he gives it to her. Alice is determined and Lupin is charged with kidnapping! This leads up to a climatic chase at a theme park with Inspector Zenigata hot on Lupin's tail. What will Lupin do?

Why It's Great:

This episode is rather unconventional compared to most Lupin III fare. Kysouke Mikuriya directed the most Lupin Part II episodes (83 in total), and while not all of them were great, he loved to throw off the audience's expectations once in a while. Having Lupin's rival be a non-threating but smart little girl, instead of a large cooperate boss or gang member, is pretty funny. It puts the thief in an awkward position, as he does certainly not want to harm a kid or upset one. Lupin's lack of experience with children is very apparent when he is easily tricked by Alice and reluctantly obliges to let her tag along. The last part of the episode is also memorable, as it is a very strange but entertaining tribute to many classic Disney films (keeping with the princess theme of course).

9. A Present for the President 

Lupin tries to get some Christmas 'spirit' by stealing wine.

Directors: Kyosuke Mikuriya & Kazunori Tanabashi
Season & Episode #: 1 - 12
Studio: TMS
Dub Name / Dubber: "The Sleight Before Christmas", Geneon

What It's About:

A bottle of wine that Napoleon made for Josephine is going to be given as a Christmas gift from the French government to the U.S. president. Lupin and co. head off to Bordeaux. They manage to enter the winery by hiding in some barrels, but are confronted by Zenigata. Later, they attempt to steal the bottle by sneaking on Zenigata's plane and switching it out with cheap wine. At the end of the showdown, who will get the present and the last laugh?

Why It's Great:

"A Present for the President" is very entertaining, as it manages to be a holiday episode that doesn't explicitly play out like most other Christmas themed titles. Having Lupin play the part of the 'Grinch' when he steals the wine (and later 'Santa' when he accidentally realizes that he stole dolls that were supposed to be donated to underprivileged children), is an entertaining way at poking fun at popular tropes. Even though this an early episode, the backgrounds and exaggerated character animation are well drawn. The characters themselves have a lot great interactions with one another, such as when Zenigata argues with a carefree French policeman who can never get his name right, and when Lupin's gang floods the wine cellar. But the best part of this outing is its surprise ending.

8. Lupin Laughs While the Alarm Bell Rings

One of the funnest things about this show is seeing how all of the crazy heists get pulled off. 

Director:  Kyosuke Mikuriya
Season & Episode #: 2 - 48
Studio: TMS
Dub Name / Dubber: "Vault Assault", Geneon

What It's About:

Lupin plans to take the till from the Kentucky Derby, but the truck he stole actually contains Zenigata. Lupin, Jigen, and Goemon jump into the river, only to be apparently shot by a policeman. However, it turns out this is all just a ploy to throw off Zenigata. Lupin's next target is the Metropolitan Bank's vault. Lupin and Jigen manage to sneak in when Fujiko delivers them in a safe-box. Then the real challenge begins. How can they possibly steal the money without setting off an alarm system that activates at the weight of a handkerchief?

Why It's Great:

Seeing Zenigata trick Lupin once in a while is really important, otherwise the show gets too predictable or Zenigata ends up looking too stupid. Likewise, showing Zenigata getting really upset when Lupin supposedly dies gives a nice insight on the friendly rivalry the two share. It's also pretty amusing to watch Lupin, Jigen, and Goemon fight over which genre of music is best while they are listening to the radio, which is probably something every family or spouse can relate with. This is one of the episodes that best demonstrates how Lupin and his friends can organize elaborately complicated schemes, while running circles around the security and the police. In fact, Lupin makes theft look a lot funner than it should!

7. Will it Be the Computer or Lupin?

Zenigata and Lupin, sworn enemies and occasional allies.

Director: Kyosuke Mikuriya
Season & Episode #: 3 - 57
Studio: TMS (with Yuzo Aoki)
Dub Name / Dubber: "Alter-Ego Maniac", Geneon

What It's About:

Located in a VTOL aircraft in Hawaii, there is a highly sophisticated safe that can be programmed to outsmart any of its potential opponents. Professor Hunt declares it to be his masterpiece and scoffs at the idea that Lupin could rob it. But when Zenigata notices that Hunt's collection contains a throwing coin owned by his Edo-period ancestor, he steals it on a sudden impulse. Overcome with guilt, Zenigata goes over to Lupin and begs for his assistance. Now the unlikely duo must team up to return the coin (and Lupin plans to also take the loot).

Why It's Great:

Yuzo Aoki's somewhat demented art style and free form character animation is in stark contrast to that of Telecom's polished style. This is not a bad thing, however, but actually a compliment. Aoki had long been involved with the Lupin franchise and went on to be the character designer for the (love it or hate it) third Lupin series. He was heavily involved with bringing his own unique brand of visual humor to some of the more bizarre or wacky episodes. This episode is a great showcase of his work. Not only that, but having Lupin and Zenigata work together for differing motives is a nice change of pace. Having Lupin outfox an over pompous criminal expert or a high ranking official is always guaranteed a laugh. And how surprising it was to have a very determined Zenigata take down all of Lupin's gang before convincing the thief to help him!

6. The Border is the Face of Farewell

It's the best ill-fated romance episode starring Jigen.

Directors: Yasumi Mikamoto & Yagi Ishikura
Season & Episode #: 3 - 58
Studio: TMS
Dub Name / Dubber: "Gettin' Jigen With It", Geneon

What It's About:

Lupin and Jigen are in the Soviet Union where they plan to steal the Aurora Drop, a valuable diamond. The diamond is adorned on a ballerina's forehead. Both Lupin and Jigen manage to successfully snatch it with a remote controlled net, but Jigen is wounded, the diamond turns out be a fake, and Lupin is forced to move ahead. In an unexpected twist, the ballerina, Monkia Ivanov, rescues Jigen and he ends up helping her cross the border so she can defect and escape to America. Can Jigen and Monkia get past the Communist Block? Will Jigen's heart be broken when he discovers Monkia was using him?  

Why It's Great:

Breaking up the cops vs robbers pattern, there have been a couple of side character centered episodes, usually about a rivalry of Goemon's or some tragic love story with Jigen. (The later which may explain why Jigen is untrusting of most women). "The Border is the Face of Farewell" is perhaps the best of these episodes due to its focused plot and intense emotions. The fact the it starts off like a regular Lupin episode also throws off the audience a bit. Despite that Monika leaves Jigen, she does seem to respect him and has valid ambitions of her own. "The Border is the Face of Farewell" is also notable for starring Ikeda Masako (best known for playing Maetel in Galaxy Express 999 as well as being the Japanese dub voice for Audrey Hepburn) and for including a homage to the British film noir The Third Man.

5. ICPO Secret Directive

How do they escape this time? It's ridiculous. Watch it.

Director: Shigetsugu Yoshida
Season & Episode #: 3 - 85
Studio: TMS (with Yuzo Aoki)
Dub Name / Dubber: none

What It's About:

 Two troubled lovers, the blind Maureen and the hooligan Stefan, come over to Lupin's gang for assistance after stealing a diamond from them. They want to use the diamond for their honeymoon before Maureen passes away from illness. Fujiko is so moved by their plight, that Lupin, Jigen, and Goemon all agree to assist the couple. But Lupin and his friends have all fallen into trap set by the ICPO! It turns out that Maureen and Stefan, are actually the bureau chief Jasmine and Inspector Zenigata. Ecstatic with their success, Maureen proposes to a bashful Zenigata, while Lupin and co. are placed in a sinister cel with spiked mobile grating. Can our anti-heros escape without becoming impaled? Will Lupin ruin Zenigata's marriage plans?

Why It's Great:

Shigetsugu Yoshida may have directed the most awful Lupin III film in existence, The Gold of Babylon (1985), and produced a few dud episodes (such as one involving Lupin moving penguins from the South to North Pole. Yes, you heard that right, penguins). But he also directed his fair share of funny, well written episodes and acted as the assistant director of the most famous Lupin film, The Castle of Cagliostro (1979). "ICPO Secret Directive" is one of his best ones. It is a riot from start to finish with all of its dramatic irony. There are just so many great sight gags in this episode. Jasmine is an interesting side character. She's less of blunderer than Zenigata, but somehow seems to be rather charmed by him never the less. It's always nice to see a competent female character, considering that Fujiko's personality and set of skills seem to vary widely depending on the writer. Speaking of Fujiko, her interactions with Lupin are particularly memorable in this episode, and somehow she holds the 'key' to escaping the cell.

4. The Wind is Hot in Morocco

Lupin and Zenegata are captured and must flee, while tied together!

Director: Kyosuke Mikuriya
Season & Episode #: 2 - 30
Studio: TMS (with Yuzo Aoki)
Dub Name / Dubber: "Morocco Horror Picture Show", Geneon

What It's About:

Lupin is separated from his friends while he is in Morocco, after being lured away by an attractive girl. Suddenly, he is stuffed away into a bag and brought to a desert encampment. Zenigata is also captured. Both are being forced into the Foreign Legion, an armed antiestablishment sect. Neither of them want to join the involuntary army, and things only get worse when Lupin causes trouble. Both Lupin and Zenigata are shackled together by the neck, but manage to escape into the desert. Now, they must run for their lives, with the legion in pursuit.

Why It's Great:

"The Wind is Hot in Morocco" is where Aoki's style perhaps shines the most. The situations which Zenigata and Lupin get into are very outrageous, like when they disguise themselves as an Arabic couple to avoid detection (only to have Zenigata get hit on by the legion's commander!) or when both hide in large vats of colorful paint. The pure lunacy of this episode shows off the Lupin franchise's goofy side, but still has enough of a plot to hold itself together. The beginning of the episode is a great bait and switch, because its narrative flow and animation looks fairly average at first, but then steadily become more loose and wacky. Lupin and Zenigata pretty much define the term 'friendly rivalry,' constantly fighting but willing to risk each other's safety to help one another. Both certainly are rash in their own ways and are very determined to achieve their own goals.

3. The Arrest Lupin Highway Operation

This is about as good as TV animation gets.

Director: Shigetsugu Yoshida
Season & Episode #: 4 - 151
Studio: Telecom
Dub Name / Dubber: none

What It's About:

Lupin and Fujiko are carrying out a plan to steal an entire shipment of South African diamonds. Unfortunately, they bump into Zenigata (who else?) and Fujiko is taken hostage. Zenigata is unusually calm about failing to catch Lupin. He has set up an elaborate trap utilizing a collapsing mechanism set to go off at a certain point on the highway. Fujiko tries to warn Lupin, and both Jigen and Goemon are leery. Zenigata has never been so sure of himself or so smug, but Lupin never backs down to a challenge. As they say, pride comes before the fall...

Why It's Great:

Telecom is a very talented animation studio. The quality of the work produced by Telecom is practically theatrical. Its staff gained much experience from working on the production of the first two Lupin III films (The Mystery of Mamo and The Castle of Cagliostro). Really, I could have just as easily listed all of the other episodes produced by this company in place several other entries, but that wouldn't represent this show very accurately. "The Arrest Lupin Highway Operation" is expertly paced and leaves its viewers on their toes. Much more emphasis is put on the drama and action than most Lupin episodes, but this one is consistently funny as well. (Otherwise it wouldn't really be Lupin III, would it?) Another interesting thing about these Telecom episodes is that Fujiko is frequently shown to be less of sex symbol and more as 'one of the gang.' Sure, Fujiko, being a femme fatale archetype, is supposed to be sexy, but a woman who can fight for herself and stand her own ground, is more appealing than one that shouts, "Save me!" all the time and only exists to provide fan service.

2. Farewell My Beloved Lupin 

The final Lupin episode went out with a dramatic bang.  

Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Season & Episode #: 4 - 155
Studio: Telecom
Dub Name / Dubber: "Aloha Lupin", Streamline

What's It's About:

A jewelry store in Tokyo is raided by an armored robot. Maki Oyamada, daughter of the robot's inventor, is piloting the machine, believing that she is working for Lupin III. Maki wants to show the world how dangerous the robot can be, so her father's inventions do not end up being used for military purposes and people will remain unharmed. Little does Maki know that she is actually being used by the enemy herself. Zenigata arrives to examine the robbery, but where is Lupin and his gang? Will Lupin's name be tarnished by the impersonating crooks and what will happen to Maki once she learns the truth?

Why It's Great:

This episode practically plays out like a feature film. Hayao Miyazaki directed "Farewell My Beloved Lupin" (along with "Albatross: Wings of Death") under the pseudonym Teruki Tsutomu. Both episodes marked his final involvement with the Lupin franchise, before he moved on to directing his own feature films and establishing Studio Ghibli. "Farewell" is somewhat like Cagliostro, but is perhaps a bit more serious in mood. Many of Miyazaki's trademark elements can be seen on display here: the strong anti-war and pacifist themes, the 'Superman' robot that would later reappear in Castle in the Sky (1986), and, of course, the iconic red headed heroine wearing blue (voiced by the great Sumi Shimamoto). The sense of tension and unease (balanced out by bits of humor) thrown in the earlier half of this episode, attention to detail, and bittersweet ending make "Farewell" an appropriate finale to the Red Jacket series. It also marks the beginning of a new chapter for many of the animators' careers.

1. Albatross: Wings of Death

How is it humanly possible to pack so much action and fun within 25 minutes?

Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Season & Episode #: 4 - 145
Studio: Telecom
Dub Name / Dubber: same as Japanese title, Streamline

What It's About:

Lupin, Jigen, and Goemon are preparing dinner in a trailer while waiting for Fujiko to arrive. Fujiko bursts through the door, gunning at her pursuers, and completely ruins Lupin's sukiyaki (and his car). Fujiko is captured but manages to leave Lupin something, a small detonator to an atomic bomb. Lupin goes off to inspect a suspicious looking aircraft museum. He discovers that it is housing a newly restored Albatross, a gigantic flying machine housing many bombs. The plane's pilot, Lonebach, is also trying to seduce Fujiko in hopes of making her his wife. Neither Fujiko or Lupin will let him get away with that!

Why It's Great:

Lupin fans, you probably saw this one coming. Everything about "Albatross" is perfect. The comedic timing, interpretation of the characters, the climatic airship battle, just everything. Anybody can go in watching this episode and not know a thing about Lupin (or Miyazaki) and enjoy it. Although, if you plan on watching Lupin III Part II, I recommend that you save this one for last, so you are not disappointed by the rest of the series. A great part of this outing's success owes to animator Yasuo Otsuka, who was a mentor to Miyazaki and later went on to establish his own animation school. If Otsuka hadn't retired in the late 1980s, who knows what the man would have gone on to create. Fujiko is very assertive in this episode. She manages to break out of confinement and bring down most of Lonebach's crew, wearing little more than the top half a dress and a tablecloth tied around her waist. The witty banter between her and Lupin is also entertaining. Fujiko and Lupin certainly share a strange, inconsistent, but somehow enduring relationship. The original manga's author, Monkey Punch, apparently based this on his own relationship with his wife, which is interesting to say the least.

Miyazaki's Fujiko kicks the most ass. Just saying.

* For those who got a kick out of this article and would like to know more about this series, I highly suggest that you check out Anipage's post on Lupin III Part II. It's very in depth and describes the different companies behind each episode.

Openings & Music to Lupin III: Series 1

Throughout its run, the first Lupin III series had several different theme tunes and unique vocal tracks. Even though this series's music remains less known than the second Lupin III TV show's iconic theme, it still had a very unique country-rock and jazz like quality to it. (As mentioned earlier, it should be Lupin's original score was a major influence on the soundtrack of Cowboy Bebop.) Below are some experts of Lupin the Third scored by Takeo Yamashita.*

1. Original Opening

This theme was used predominantly for the earlier, darker, and grittier episodes directed by Masaaki Osumi. Charlie Koshi provides the vocals in this clip (and the next three), sounding quite a bit like Bob Dylan. The gunfire, car crashes, and numerous explosions throughout really emphasize the action / spy-film like quality of the series (and perhaps act to remind the viewer that Lupin was not originally conceived as a childern's show). It is worthy to note that the footage from this opening actually originated from the ill-fated 1968 pilot film. The second opening which can be viewed here, also used lots of the pilot footage and acted as an introduction to the show's colorful cast.

2. Third Opening

Lupin III's third opening reflects the lightheartedness and madcap capers that would begin to dominate the series after Miyazaki and Takahada took over from Osumi. It has a high energy Latin flavor to it. All of the characters are additionally shown to work together more often, rather than against one another. The animation here is notably smoother here than the excerpts used in the previous themes because it came from the series itself, not the pilot. Miyazaki's redesign for Fujiko can be seen at 0:58. 

3. End Theme

Motorcycles make everything cooler don't they? All joking aside, this end theme is a nice moody piece of Western influenced music with some background whistling in it. The animation is simplistic but suits the bare bones style of the tune. The text on the screen is Italian (most of the videos for Lupin on Youtube are in Italian, because Italians love Lupin.), but the lyrics are in the original Japanese. It's interesting that the series kept this somewhat melancholy sounding song even after it dropped some of its darker themes. 

4. "Lupin, He's A Nice Guy"

This is probably Lupin III's most famous song due to its distinctively early '70s sound and rather unintentionally humorous English lyrics. Basically, it's just Charlie Koshi bragging about Lupin in odd ways. There are some scratches, skips, and sounds from the show mixed into this recording as the original was lost. The song usually played during the series after Lupin successfully pulled off some sort of heist or tricked Inspector Zenigata for the tenth millionth time.  

5. "Scat Theme (Rebirth Version, Fujiko's Theme)"

Several variations of Lupin III's "Scat Theme" exist, but the one shown here is perhaps the best known. Hummed by Kayoko Ishu, this rock-blues piece was primarily used when Fujiko was acting manipulative, troubled, or both. It was used heavily in the earlier half of the series, reflecting its more mature tone and character driven conflicts. The footage in this video clip, syched to the music, mainly uses clips from the 9th episode, so don't watch it if your worried about spoilers. (It's about Fujiko's past.)

* I originally wrote this article on the 7th of last month, to follow up my review for the first Lupin III series. However, it was taken down yesterday for some reason, so I had to repost it.

Lupin the Third: Series 1 (Review)

Directors:
Masaaki Osumi (episodes: 1-7, 9, 12)
Hayao Miyazaki & Isao Takahada (episodes: 8, 10, 11, 13-23)

Company: TMS

Year: 1971-1972

Country: Japan

How does one of Japan's most revolutionary anime series hold up?

Lupin the Third is one of Japan's longest living franchises, still generating numerous spinoffs and specials to this day. Based off of the manga by Monkey Punch, the series is about Lupin III, the grandson of French thief Arsene Lupin, who never fails to steal a target that he sets his eyes upon. Lupin is aided by Diasake Jigen, an excellent marksman who is heavily implied to be a former mafia member, and, later, by the stoic swordsman Goemon on occasion. Fujiko Mime betrays Lupin just as frequently as she helps him. She often exploits Lupin's weakness for women to her own advantage. Lupin must also beware of Kocihi Zenigata, a bumbling inspector who has dedicated his life to capturing the thief. Although a pilot film was released in 1969, the Lupin franchise did not really take off until 1971 with its first television series, initially somewhat controversial due to its level of violence and suggestive themes.

Our protagonists: a thief, a former mobster, a samurai, and a femme fatale.  

The early episodes, directed by Masaaki Osumi, are rather rough around the edges in certain places and remain fairly loyal in overall tone to the original manga. Lupin III truly was the first anime series aimed at a more adult audience. It was a product of changing standards brought on by the cultural upheaval of the late 1960s. Some of the content in the first half of the series can be a bit surprising even by today's standards. The body counts can be quite high as Lupin is not below shooting his enemies and the protagonists frequently get tangled up with criminal organizations. The drama remains tense throughout, and Lupin and his friends encounter many hardships uncommon (or rather unheard of) in American cartoons of the same time period.

Black comedy and bizarre Mad Magazine like humor is also common early on. Sex is never depicted on screen, but never the less is suggested and certain episodes are quite racy at times. In one particular scene, Fujiko thanks Lupin for saving her and says, "I just wish you would have come sooner." Lupin, upon seeing Fujiko's ripped clothes, replies, "No, I should have come later!" 

Or in other words, Lupin, you're being manipulated again.

Pointing the gun at the screen. Not your typical Saturday morning fare. 

Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahada were later brought in to tone down the violence and innuendoes. The series then went under a major makeover. Slapstick humor and inspired sight gags become fairly common. Some of the violence remains, but is less mysterious and sinister in nature. Lupin becomes a more carefree and kinder character. He is far less of a playboy and is even quite chivalrous at times, when he saves young girls from harm or steals money from the rich in a Robin Hood-esque manner. Jigen becomes less temperamental and Goemon's rivalry with Lupin cools down considerably. All of Lupin's allies are more willing to work with one another as well.

Fujiko perhaps changes the most. The sexuality goes completely out the window with Miyazaki and Takahada at helm. Fujiko becomes far less seductive and begins to become more playful with Lupin. She is shown to be kidnapped less often and to be very capable. Also, Fujiko starts to be depicted in Miyazaki's trademark style. She begins to sport a short hair cut, pilot airplanes, and frequently wear the color blue.

The contrasting parts of the show make it very interesting to watch indeed. The first few episodes are almost too cruel or over sexualized in places, while the later Miyazaki / Takahada episodes can be overly goofy at times. Perhaps, the best episodes are the middle ones which balance the drama and grit of Osumi's direction with the boyish energy and more confident direction of the later Miyazaki / Takahada ones. The sudden change in the show is not a bad thing, in fact, it makes Lupin III more enjoyable.

Miyazaki and Takahada working behind the scenes in 1971.



Miyazaki's Fujiko relies less on her sexuality and more on her wits.    

The greatest thing about this series is its great use of characterization and zany humor. Each Lupin episode can be viewed as a self contained story (save for the one where Goemon is introduced), but have enough references back to past episodes to keep fans watching. Much of the show's humor and tension comes from its cast's contrasting personalities. Lupin is smart, but also very goofy at times and weak willed around women. On the other hand, his partner, Jigen, is a no-nonsense guy who can't stand Fujiko. Goemon is even more stern. He is quite conservative and his ego frequently clashes with Lupin's. Zenigata is so stubborn and so driven to catch Lupin, that he constantly makes errors. The audience gets a lot of laughs out of his mistakes, but can sympathize with him as well. And Fujiko, despite how manipulative she can be at times, truly does care for Lupin. She never puts Lupin into situations that he can not escape from and mourns when she is lead to believe that he has died. (Once, Fujiko even shoots her former partner, whom she was very close to, in order to save Lupin's life.)

Lupin drives a Mercedes SSK which happens to be one of the world's rarest cars. The running gag? It blows up or gets cut in half a lot. 

Oh no, Zenigata caught Lupin...Too bad he will escape in about two seconds.

Another interesting aspect is the series's soundtrack by Takeo Yamashita with vocals provided by Charlie Kosei and, occasionally, Kayoko Ishu. The music is very distinctive, firmly fitting in the era Lupin III was created. It has sort of a post-Woodstock vibe to it. Charlie Kosei sounds a bit like Bob Dylan at times, and the soundtrack also makes heavy use of jazz, whistling, and scat lyrics. There are even English vocals throughout the score. This can be somewhat hilarious as the English can be rather nonsensical. ("Lupin, he's a nice man...and he gets angry....sometimes...But he's a groovy guy. Yeah, Lupin the Third".) It should also be noted that the music of Lupin III and the overall darker mood of the series's first half had a great influence on Shinichiro Watanabe, creator of Cowboy Bebop (1998) and Samurai Chamloo (2004). 

The animation of Lupin the Third is dated, yes, but that is practically unavoidable for a TV series that is over forty years old. Even though the characters are rather static in certain scenes, the animation for this show is very fluid in comparison to other anime and American cartoons released at the same time. The character designs have aged fairly well, as they have not changed too much over the years. Great attention is given to drawing realistic looking guns, cars, motorcycles, airplanes, and other such machines. This detailed style of inanimate objects would carry on to Miyazaki's later work, due to his love of flight and appreciation of mechanics. (Miyazaki's father was an aeronautical engineer who created plane parts during WWII.)

The attention to detail on the motorcycle is impressive, especially given this show's age.

The original Lupin III series is not perfect, but that's part of its charm. The grittier, more adult half of Lupin really helped push anime into unfamiliar territory and further distance its self from American cartoons. The later half of the show was a stepping stone for Miyazaki and Takahada who would later become two of the most respected anime directors to ever live. Lupin is not only historically important, but it has great wacky humor and well developed characters. So despite Lupin having a rather rough start and its age, the series remains a favorite among many hardcore anime fans and perhaps one of mine as well. 

Rating: 4/5

* About the Dub: No English dub of Lupin III was ever produced, despite the later series receiving one. For those curious about the Lupin III, it is available for purchase on Amazon in its entirety, with restored picture quality and special features including the pilot film. For broke college students and any one else starved on cash, the original series can be watched for free on Hulu.