Retro anime fans now have an opportunity to purchase a brand-new Blu-ray collection for the original season of the Lupin the 3rd series.
As detailed by distributor RightStuf, the new Blu-ray release for Lupin the 3rd Part 1 will contain all 23 episodes of the master thief's original animated adaptation, fully remastered in HD and with a brand-new English dub. Notably, several of these episodes were directed by the legendary filmmakers Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, who worked on the televised anime series before co-founding Studio Ghibli. Miyazaki also directed the critically acclaimed 1979 Lupin III film, The Castle of Cagliostro.
This new release also contains bonus materials, including clean versions of the opening and ending credit sequences, art galleries, liner notes, and essays about the series. The original Japanese language track with English subtitles will also be included along with the new dub. The box set carries an MSRP of $69.95 USD, but is currently available on RightStuf's website for a discounted price of $45.47 USD.
Lupin the Third: Part 1 kicked off the animated series that has continued into the modern age, which is a testament to the thief's ongoing popularity. In the decades since its debut, the franchise has seen some major changes, such as Lupin III The First, the series' first feature-length 3D CG film, which premiered in December 2019. The most recent season of the anime series, Lupin III Part 6, was released in October 2021 and finished airing in March of this year.
Lupin III began as a manga written by Kazuhiko Kato, also known under the pen name "Monkey Punch," and was first published in 1967. Serialized in Weekly Manga Action, the series focused on the adventures of the titular gentleman thief and his partner Jigen as they travel the world while pulling off elaborate heists and avoiding capture by the overzealous Tokyo Police Inspector Koichi Zenigata. The duo are also joined by the stoic and highly-skilled swordsman Goemon, and Fujiko Mine, a fellow thief that occasionally teams up with Lupin, but is more than willing to betray them if it serves her needs.
In addition to the new Blu-ray release, episodes of the Lupin III anime, ranging from the original 1971 series to 2021's Lupin III Part 6, can be streamed on Crunchyroll and HIDIVE.
Source: Rightstufanime.com