Since its initial publication in 1967, the Lupin III series created by the late mangaka Monkey Punch, which chronicles the misadventures of a gentleman thief descended from Arsène Lupin, has entertained audiences around the world through numerous iterations that continue to be produced to this day. While I was aware of the character for some time, I didn’t get my first true exposure to the series until Lupin III Part IV: The Italian Adventure, also known as Blue Jacket due to Lupin’s jacket color in said series, first aired on [adult swim]’s Toonami block, and from there I was instantly hooked.
I was then curious when I first heard about the series’ first computer animated feature, Lupin III: The First, through a Japanese trailer, finding the animation faithful to the series and being curious to see whether it would ever be dubbed into English. Later, I was even more curious about seeing this movie when an English version was eventually announced, especially when the first English trailer confirmed the return of the Blue Jacket voice cast, though I opted to wait until it was out on Blu-ray to see it due to a limited US theatrical screening taking place in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Having finally gotten the chance to view it safely, I would say the wait was well worth it.
