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IMDbPro

Lupin the Third Part 1

Original title: Rupan sansei
  • TV Series
  • 1971–1972
  • TV-PG
  • 23m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
2.6K
YOUR RATING
Kiyoshi Kobayashi and Yasuo Yamada in Lupin the Third Part 1 (1971)
AnimeHand-Drawn AnimationHard-boiled DetectiveSeinenActionAdventureAnimationComedyCrimeMystery

The adventures of the master thief Lupin III and his cohorts as they dive into various escapades, all the while in pursuit by the tenacious Inspector Zenigata.The adventures of the master thief Lupin III and his cohorts as they dive into various escapades, all the while in pursuit by the tenacious Inspector Zenigata.The adventures of the master thief Lupin III and his cohorts as they dive into various escapades, all the while in pursuit by the tenacious Inspector Zenigata.

  • Creator
    • Monkey Punch
  • Stars
    • Yasuo Yamada
    • Michelle Ruff
    • Richard Epcar
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.8/10
    2.6K
    YOUR RATING
    • Creator
      • Monkey Punch
    • Stars
      • Yasuo Yamada
      • Michelle Ruff
      • Richard Epcar
    • 13User reviews
    • 7Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Episodes23

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated1 season

    Photos58

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    Top cast37

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    Yasuo Yamada
    Yasuo Yamada
    • Arsène Lupin III
    • 1971–1972
    Michelle Ruff
    Michelle Ruff
    • Fujiko Mine
    • 1971–1972
    Richard Epcar
    Richard Epcar
    • Daisuke Jigen
    • 1971–1972
    Tony Oliver
    Tony Oliver
    • Arsène Lupin III
    • 1971–1972
    Kiyoshi Kobayashi
    Kiyoshi Kobayashi
    • Daisuke Jigen
    • 1971–1972
    Yukiko Nikaidô
    • Fujiko Mine
    • 1971–1972
    Gorô Naya
    Gorô Naya
    • Inspector Kouichi Zenigata
    • 1971–1972
    Chikao Ôtsuka
    Chikao Ôtsuka
    • Ishikawa Goemon XIII
    • 1971–1972
    Lex Lang
    Lex Lang
    • Goemon Ishikawa XIII
    • 1971–1972
    Doug Erholtz
    Doug Erholtz
    • Inspector Kouichi Zenigata…
    • 1971–1972
    Ichirô Nagai
    Ichirô Nagai
    • Chief…
    • 1971–1972
    Michiko Hirai
    • Ginko Hoshikage…
    • 1972
    Steve Kramer
    Steve Kramer
    • Lupin the 2nd
    • 1971
    Kei Tomiyama
    • Tatsu
    • 1971
    Junpei Takiguchi
    • Mister X…
    • 1971
    Eimei Esumi
    Eimei Esumi
    • Pycal
    • 1971
    Kôsei Tomita
    • Gun-Tetsu
    • 1971
    Osamu Kobayashi
    • Stern
    • 1971
    • Creator
      • Monkey Punch
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews13

    7.82.6K
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    Featured reviews

    8codedatalink

    A Great Start To The Lupin Franchise

    My first encounter with the Lupin The Third name was The Castle of Cagliostro (a fantastic film on its own), which made me interested in watching the franchise. So where else to start then the series that started it all? (insert pointless plot synopsis here) Since this a episodic series, the early episodes are hit or miss sometimes, and I do prefer the Miyazaki-directed episodes in the ladder half of the series, but it's still fun throughout. The characters are extremely fun to watch interact and play off of each other (my personal favorite was Zenigata) The animation is quite dated, it grows on you after awhile. The music is pure cheese, but I loved it nonetheless. Overall, this series was what I expected for the most part, but in a good way. It really makes me want to watch the rest of the Lupin installments. I would strongly recommend this show. 8.5/10
    9MissSimonetta

    Historically important as well as entertaining

    While this show does suffer from a terrible pilot episode and occasional bad writing, this first Lupin the Third series is a landmark in the history of animation. One of the first animated TV shows intended for adults, it was a failure upon its initial airing, and took years of reruns for it to get a boost in popularity.

    The show is of course dated in some ways. The animation is of the limited 60s/70s variety and the music is psychedelic. But as someone who watches movies much older than this, it's not that distracting. The show is full of action, comedy, and great characters.

    It's less kooky and formulaic than the later 1977 Lupin series, and the first half of the show is especially dark. Lupin was rarely ever as borderline villainous as he is in the first half of this series, save for his manga incarnation.

    Many modern anime fans won't give it a second look, but if you appreciate anime history or just plain animation history, then Lupin III is not to be missed.
    8emasterslake

    Lupin's first TV series.

    This was the first Lupin the 3rd TV series aka The Green Jacket series, cause Lupin wears a green jacket.

    After the making of the pilot film of 1969, this TV program was promoted to air with the help of TMS Entertainment(which has been producing Lupin anime for more than 30 years now).

    Unlike the second TV series, that everyone's familiar with, this one has a more serious tone to it. Due to that, it received low ratings, so the later ones had a little more humor to it, which almost equals to the humor from the Red Jacket series.

    It aired from 1971-1972. With a total of 23 episodes. Meant to end with 26 episodes, but it was canceled before any other episodes were put in production.

    The animation is decent since it was made 34 years ago. The episodes done by Takahata and Miyazaki are the best ones. But too bad it only lasted for 1 season. Luckily over the years of reruns it received a fan base, and demands for more Lupin were made. It came back as the Red Jacket series which lasted longer than this one.

    What's cool about the Green Jacket series was it was the first anime aimed for Mature Audiences.

    Due to it having nudity, violence, and some drug use. i recommend it for teens and older.

    Those who like Lupin the 3rd can check this series out. There's no word on this series being dubbed yet, but my advice is to search this series on Bittorrent or a Fansub shop if you're lucky enough.
    8kevin_robbins

    Lupin the Third is a delightful blend of espionage, action, comedy, and hijinks. It's a carefree anime series that's a lot of fun.

    I recently watched the original 23-episode Japanese anime 🇯🇵 television series Lupin the Third (1971) on Tubi. The storyline follows a legendary thief and his friends as they execute heists, evade the police, and overcome various other robbers, supernatural elements, and distractions...

    Created by Monkey Punch, this series features a brilliant blend of characters: Lupin, who resembles James Bond; his partner, a Yakuza-like henchman; a young lady involved in love and deception; and a samurai. The series also includes supernatural elements and humorous cop elements. While some antics are over the top, the overall premise kept me smiling from beginning to end. The banter, jokes, and character behavior add to the enjoyment. The action scenes are excellent, offering a nice mix of car chases, boat escapes, aerial shots, shootouts, and everything in between. The plots are straightforward, but there are some nice twists and unexpected turns of events. This is early, classic anime that's a lot of fun to watch unfold. I'll definitely watch the next season.

    In conclusion, Lupin the Third is a delightful blend of espionage, action, comedy, and hijinks. It's a carefree anime series that's a lot of fun. I would score it an 8/10 and highly recommend it.
    Roberto Ruccolo

    The greatest anime serie ever made!

    The best animated serie ever made! That wonderful japan anime was the first (and maybe since today the only) that describes the life of a gang in the crime world. Lupin The Third, the greater thief of the 20th century, his friend Jigen, a great gunman, his girlfriend Fujiko, the most sexy character in the japanese anime, and the samurai Goemon, enemy and friend at the same time, fight against the inspector Zenigata of the japanese police and against a lot of super villains, gangsters and criminal associations. The action, the violence, the sex, the adult target, weapons and cars made this cartoon a unique experience, with some humor, a lot of suspense and a wonderful soundtrack.

    More like this

    Lupin the Third: Part II
    8.0
    Lupin the Third: Part II
    Lupin the 3rd Part IV
    7.6
    Lupin the 3rd Part IV
    Lupin III: Part III
    7.5
    Lupin III: Part III
    Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine
    7.7
    Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine
    Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro
    7.6
    Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro
    Lupin the 3rd Part 6
    7.1
    Lupin the 3rd Part 6
    Lupin the 3rd Part V
    7.8
    Lupin the 3rd Part V
    Lupin the Third: Goemon's Blood Spray
    7.3
    Lupin the Third: Goemon's Blood Spray
    Space Pirate Captain Harlock
    7.8
    Space Pirate Captain Harlock
    Lupin III: The Fuma Conspiracy
    7.0
    Lupin III: The Fuma Conspiracy
    Lupin the Third: The Gravestone of Daisuke Jigen
    7.2
    Lupin the Third: The Gravestone of Daisuke Jigen
    Lupin the 3rd: The Mystery of Mamo
    6.9
    Lupin the 3rd: The Mystery of Mamo

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This is generally considered the first anime TV series to have adult sensibility theme.
    • Goofs
      In episode 2, Fujiko's sub machine gun changes from an M1 Thompson to an MP-40 between shots.
    • Crazy credits
      In the opening credits, Lupin drives his SSK automobile through the series title, completely smashing it.
    • Connections
      Featured in Rupan sansei: Chronicles (1997)
    • Soundtracks
      Lupin Sansei Sono 1 - Lupin The Third no Uta
      (Opening song 1)

      Music by Takeo Yamashita

      Lyrics by Tokyo Movie Kikakubu

      Performed by Charlie Kosei

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 24, 1971 (Japan)
    • Country of origin
      • Japan
    • Official site
      • Lupin the 3rd
    • Languages
      • French
      • German
      • Italian
      • Portuguese
      • Spanish
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • Lupin the Third Part I
    • Production companies
      • Chûôkôron Shinsha
      • Futabasha
      • TMS Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      23 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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