English Dub Review: Lupin the Third Part IV – Wedding of Lupin the Third

 

It’s been a while since I’ve accompanied the famed thief Arsine Lupin the Third and his partners, the samurai known as Goemon Ishikawa XIII, and the sharpshooter Daisuke Jigen on one of their crazy capers. When Toonami announced they would be showing another part of Lupin series, I had to get on board. Lupin the Third is a fun filled adventure filled with comedy hijinks and thrills at every turn.

This episode starts off with a shocking announcement. Lupin is getting married and leaving his life of thievery behind! All of his comrades leave him behind thinking this will be the last time they see him. Only Fujiko suspects there is more going on than meets the eye. As always, Inspector Koichi Zenigata is onto Lupin’s case right out of the gate. He even shows up to crash the wedding trying to put a stop to the ceremony, only to be apprehended like a criminal and thrown into confinement. Just what is Lupin up to?

It’s obvious to see that Lupin’s wife Rebecca Rosalini is an elite member of society and quite used to getting her way. When you hear all that she has accomplished at such a young age, what more would you expect? Goodness, she is loaded. She owns fifty-five houses and drinks wine that is so rare that there is only one bottle in the entire world! It seems she has anything and everything at her fingertips, so what does Lupin want with her?

As it turns out Lupin is actually after the famed Royal Crown of Libertas, a solid gold jewel encrusted crown worn by the newlywed bride during a special ceremony that only the 9 families that lead the country to participate in, and only for the morning following her wedding. We find out that Jigen was already aware of Lupin’s intentions, and Fujiko had figured out what Lupin was up to as well. Only Goemon was left clueless because he is a terrible liar and would’ve given away the scheme, leading the team towards failure. After the royal guards are notified that Lupin is going to steal the crown, the craziness begins. So much happens in such a short amount of time, it was admittedly a little hard for me to keep up with what was going on at first and I almost lost track of what was happening. Inspector Zenigata is released from his imprisonment and tries to thwart Lupins plans but he is outsmarted – a reoccurring theme to longtime Lupin fans. Even though Lupin himself doesn’t steal the crown, the crown is stolen by another person, and then another! Many switch-around, tricks and disguises are used, and each member of Lupin’s team gets involve and are able to show off their unique talents. On top of all of this, the biggest twist is still to come.

I can’t spoil the entire plot of the show for you because I want you to enjoy the show for yourself and treat yourself to one of anime’s great, longer lasting series. I will tell you this, it seems that even the master thief Lupin has met his match! And what will become of his wife, Rebecca!? Will she show up again in another episode or was her appearance just a one-time thing?

Right out of the gate, I have to say that part four of Lupin the Third looks great. The animation is handled spectacularly and it doesn’t take long or Lupin to get into the groove of things. If you like shows that have action, humor as well as plot twists that you would never expect to happen, then do yourself a favor and check out Lupin the Third. As mentioned earlier, Lupin the Third is one of the older anime’s having its original franchise debut in 1967. The first anime adaptation of Lupin started in 1971. The fact that this franchise is still around 50 years after its debut means that it has withstood the test of time and is great in its own right. While both action and humor are present with this series, Lupin’s true staple are his smarts. I can’t wait for next Saturday’s episode to see what treasure he has set his sights on!

Check out Lupin the Third Part IV Saturday nights at 2AM eastern time on Adult Swim’s “Toonami” block.

 

SCORE
7.5/10