Just in time for the 40th anniversary of The Castle of Cagliostro comes the first, fully computer-generated Lupin III movie. In the starring role is the green-suited, roguish hero, Arsène Lupin III, the grandson of author Maurice Leblanc's gentleman thief of the same name, and the creation of manga artist/writer, Kazuhiko Katō, better known by his pen name, Monkey Punch, who passed away earlier this year.
Since his comic debut in 1967, Lupin has become one of Japan's most-adored icons. While there have been sizeable gaps between his assorted serialized and feature-length adaptations and spinoffs, the debonair thrill-seeker is never off the small or big screen for too long.
His latest foray into the realms of CG animation looks set to be his biggest adventure yet, even for a character that has been reconstituted into everything from video games to stage musicals. Perhaps taking a cue from the current deluge of Disney's CGI-heavy remakes of classic cartoons, the anime industry is treading a similar, computer-led path, with Lupin III: The First bearing strong stylistic similarity to Toho's 3D, CG Doraemon movie in 2013, and its rebuild of the first Pokemon movie, released in Japan this month.
Much like the mixed response Disney's remakes have been receiving from audiences and critics alike, CG anime has a chequered history, with technological innovation never quite trumping people's preference for the, well, cartoonishness of 2D cartoons.
Like the uncanny valley horrors of The Scorpion King, Sonic The Hedgehog and Hollywood's other worst digitized offenders, some CG in anime is just plain bad. The recent Berserk revival series featured a choppy blend of 2D and 3D animation that, in its rockiest places, reduces its characters to stilted puppets.
i can't believe this is real pic.twitter.com/DM68EI9WDf
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Even better examples like Netflix's Godzilla anime trilogy are stiff in places, with viewers consistently feeling as though they have to look past animation of varying quality in order to enjoy the story. More than a decade later, 2004's Steamboy, from Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo, remains the most visually impressive of this mishmash method.
Photorealistic CG in anime was pioneered by 2001's Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, though those that have yet to see the video game spinoff might find this fact hard to believe given that the film's graphics haven't aged particularly well; the biggest hurdle when it comes to the longevity of this kind of style.
2005's Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children has arguably stood the test of time better, mainly because it has a much splashier color palette, dynamic action sequences and the benefit of its source material's striking, bishonen character designs. It still, however, just feels like you're watching an extended video game cutscene.
This is far less of an issue in 2013's Space Pirate Captain Harlock, which is a stunning achievement as far as photorealism goes, but less welcome for fans of creator Leiji Matsumoto's distinctive art style, who might argue that this modern-day recreation of the classic space opera story lacks the visual identity of its source.
Gone are all of these concerns when watching Lupin III: The First's trailer. There's no clunky mixture of 2D and 3D; no drab and dead-eyed "realism," and no video game comparisons to make. Not only does it look gorgeous, but the animators have captured the loose and punchy spirit of the franchise's charismatic protagonist and his motley crew. It's a CG anime movie with soul.
Fans will also be glad to know that it comes with Katō's seal of approval. "I've been looking forward to a 3D, CG Lupin III for a long time. I've taken a look at the characters and story: it looks like this Lupin will come packed with new sensations, and I'm getting excited just thinking about how this film will turn out."
Lupin III: The First is written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki (Dragon Quest: Your Story). It is scheduled to be released in Japan on Dec. 6.