Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine

Background and production

In April 2011, it was reported that a new Lupin III animated television series would air in the fall on NTV. However, NTV then said the project was only a TV special (Blood Seal – Eternal Mermaid which aired in December), not a series. In 2012, Toho Cinemas announced that a promotional video for a "new television series premiering in April" would be shown at a Lupin 40th Anniversary event on March 18. Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine was announced a week later as a thirteen episode serial. The series was part of the 40th Anniversary of the Lupin animated series, and the 45th Anniversary of the original manga.

The series was directed by Sayo Yamamoto who was given full creative control. Yamamoto wanted to use the original Lupin III manga and its adult themes as a basis for the series. Takeshi Koike was the character designer and animation director and Yamamoto requested he use the original manga character designs as a starting point. The visual approach to the series has been compared to Valkyria Chronicles.

Mari Okada was the main writer of the series, although Itsuko Miyoshi (ep 2), Dai Satō (ep 3, 7, 10), Shinsuke Ōnishi (ep 5) and Junji Nishimura (ep 8) served as episode writers. It was reported that the series would capture the "sensuality" present in Monkey Punch's original Lupin III manga in its "daring interpretation" of the franchise. The promotional video first shown at Toho Cinemas began being streamed by TMS Entertainment on YouTube on March 26.

The music of Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine was composed by Naruyoshi Kikuchi, leader of the Date Course Pentagon Royal Garden band. Shinichirō Watanabe, known for directing Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo and who collaborated with Yamamoto several times in the past, served as music producer.

Release

The series was broadcast for thirteen episodes on NTV between April 4 and June 27, 2012. The opening theme song is "New Wuthering Heights" (新・嵐が丘, Shin Arashi ga Oka) by Naruyoshi Kikuchi and Pepe Tormento Azcarar feat. Ichiko Hashimoto, while the ending theme is "Duty Friend" by NIKIIE. Funimation licensed the series and provided an English subtitled simulcast of the series on both their website and Nico Nico.

In Japan the series was released by VAP as DVD and Blu-ray boxsets on September 19, 2012. In North America Funimation originally announced a date of July 30, 2013 for the home release of the series, with an art book included with a limited edition. However the art book was later cancelled and the release rescheduled to August 20, 2014 on Blu-ray or DVD and Blu-ray combo pack. Manga Entertainment licensed the series for the United Kingdom and released separate DVD and Blu-ray boxsets on September 16, 2013. In Australia the series was published by Hanabee as two DVD and Blu-ray combo sets on October 16 and November 20, 2013. They later released a four disc Blu-ray and DVD box set on December 3, 2014. On December 12, Jason DeMarco on Twitter said that Lupin III: The Legend of Fujiko Mine was considered to be aired on Toonami, but they could not make it work due to the show having too much nudity for their censors.

Music

The official soundtrack of the show was released on December 19, 2012, and features 42 tracks. It was released on US iTunes on January 29, 2013.

Jigen's Gravestone

In March 2014, it was announced that The Woman Called Fujiko Mine's animation director and character designer, Takeshi Koike, was directing an animated film that serves as a "continuation spin-off" to the TV series. Yu Kiyozono also returned to produce the film, Lupin the IIIrd: Daisuke Jigen's Gravestone (LUPIN THE IIIRD 次元大介の墓標, Jigen Daisuke no Bohyō), that focuses on the character Jigen and tells how he and Lupin became partners. Koike's fellow-Redline creators Katsuhito Ishii and James Shimoji served as adviser and music composer respectively. The film was split into two parts and had a limited screening at the Shinjuku Wald 9 theater from June 21–27, 2014.

It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 28, 2014, with an art book included in the limited edition. The 30-track soundtrack to the movie was released on December 10, 2014. On December 21, 2014, Discotek Media announced their acquisition of the North American distribution rights to the film, which was retitled Lupin the Third: Jigen's Gravestone for the American market. Their Blu-ray and DVD of the film, released on April 5, 2016, includes the company's first original English dub, which was produced in cooperation with Bang Zoom! Entertainment. TMS Entertainment made the dubbed and subtitled versions of the film available for viewing on Hulu on April 25, 2015.

Film cast

Goemon Ishikawa's Spray of Blood

A follow-up to Jigen's Gravestone by the same staff, entitled Lupin the IIIrd: Goemon Ishikawa's Spray of Blood (LUPIN THE IIIRD 血煙の石川五ェ門, Chikemuri no Ishikawa Goemon), was released on February 4, 2017. It will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on May 26, 2017, with an art book included in the limited edition.

Film cast

Other

Several different pieces of merchandise based on the series have been produced. Figures of Fujiko and Lupin from the show were created, while one of Jigen from the Jigen's Gravestone film was released at the end of 2014. Fujiko's and Jigen's came in different color schemes depending on the retailer. An artbook featuring original drawings of the TV series selected by Takeshi Koike was published as well.

Reception

The Woman Called Fujiko Mine won the rookie award at the 16th Japan Media Arts Festival, and was named one of the best anime of 2012 by Otaku USA, who called the animation the most innovative of any series that year. The Japanese DVD release of the series was the fifth best-selling Japanese Animation DVD of its first week having sold 1,404 copies, while the Blu-ray version was the ninth best-selling on its respective Oricon chart with 2,802 copies.

Kotaku's Richard Eisenbeis hailed the series as "one of—if not 'the'—most beautiful anime ever made." Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network (ANN) wrote a mostly positive review of the anime. She praised its darker tone and the tragic past of Fujiko, but particularly the overall plot; "Simply put, this is a series that has been very well planned, right down to the last scene." She notes that if the viewer is only familiar with the North American Geneon release of the second televised anime they will be surprised; "If you're going into this expecting wacky hijinks or crazy exploits, you will be disappointed. Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is a mature, slightly dark take on the franchise, and it succeeds in bringing new life to it while still remaining faithful to Monkey Punch's original." The only negative aspects she wrote were on the series' odd title opening and the amount of unjustified nudity. However, her colleague Jacob Hope Chapman disagreed with this, believing that the audio stands out in the opening and that the sexuality is completely in-line with the show's "aesthetic and never seems excessive or ill-fitting." Dallas Marshall of THEM Anime Reviews gave the series 4 out of 5 stars, praising the series for being closer to the original manga's style in both story and animation.

Reviewing the Jigen's Gravestone film, Paul Jensen of ANN had strong praise for the animation; stating that the film is worth watching at least once for the visuals alone. His biggest complaint was that the plot is essentially a cat-and-mouse game between the heroes and villains, with little else, but said "I'll take simple and focused over sloppy and complicated any day." In his review, Matt Schley of Otaku USA wrote that it "feels a bit restrained compared to the psychedelic madness that was [The Woman Called] Fujiko Mine." While he said the film is a "competent Lupin tale with more flair than the average Lupin TV special," he felt as if it was simply going through the motions.