Lupin III: Cagliostro no Shiro

The Castle of Cagliostro is a masterpiece.

Lupin and Jigen are following the trail of some counterfeit money to a castle in a small independent country in Europe. This leads them to a girl from Lupin's past in need of a hero.

Miyazaki's first feature film is a great one. He takes the already lovable Lupin cast and makes them just a bit more innocent, which gives this a very pleasant fairy tale feel. The characters are charming, and it's a joy watching the story unfold.

In this great adventure, our heroes set out to save the damsel in a tower from an evil count. The always great ... Fujiko is there looking for some loot, samurai Goemon shows up to lend his blade, and Inspector Zenigata is on Lupin's tail as always.

The movie has a laid back, cool feel at first. It also gets pretty fast paced, and the action heats up. Pretty much, it's great to see all the Lupin characters in top form, their interactions always entertaining.

There are some nice nods for fans of the series too. For example, a montage of a younger Lupin's exploits features some of the situations from the intro of the original series.

It's beautifully animated, with a very moving score by Yuji Ohno. And of course, great voice work from the Lupin cast. Plus this movie has one of the coolest car chases ever.

Pretty much, this movie is two masters at the top of their game, Hayao Miyazaki and Lupin III. A true classic, check it out.

When most think of revered anime director Hayao Miyazaki, they immediately think of seminal classics such as Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. However, when I think of Miyazaki I think of a little film called The Castle of Cagliostro, which just so happens to be his directorial debut. To understand exactly what this film is, we have to travel back to 1971.

Little known director Masaaki Ōsumi directed a show called Lupin III, an action/adventure/comedy series based upon the exploits of the eponymous master thief from the manga by Monkey Punch, which in turn was inspired by Maurice Leblanc’s crime novels about gentleman thief Arsène ... Lupin. The show proved to be too dark and adult-themed for general audiences, so Ōsumi was replaced by two directors. The new duo working under the name “A Productions Directors,” consisted of Isao Takahata (who would later give us emotional films like Grave of the Fireflies and Only Yesterday) and Hayao Miyazaki. Under their direction, the show was given a lighter, more family friendly tone, though this did little to affect the show’s already poor ratings. Following the show’s cancellation, Miyazaki and Takahata worked on various projects together. In 1979, the creators of the original Lupin III show, TMS Entertainment, ask Miyazaki to come back and direct the next feature film in the franchise. At this point, Lupin III has had one live-action movie (that borders on being absolutely terrible), one anime film (that’s in the same adult style as the original series), and a second anime TV show. With Miyazaki now in the director’s chair, one of the finest films ever created is made.

The Castle of Cagliostro debuted in Japanese theaters on December 15, 1979, only five days after the second series’ 113th episode. While initial reviews were positive, the film failed to become a box-office success and thus only had a limited theatrical release. However, over the years the film gained a cult-like status and was a fan-favorite at various anime conventions. There’s even a rumor that it was shown at the Cannes Film Festival (making it the first anime to be shown there), though there’s very little out there to verify this. Even more dubious is the claim that Steven Spielberg was in attendance and called it, “One of the greatest adventure movies of all time.” In 1992, the film was dubbed into English by Streamline Pictures and was distributed internationally. In 2000, Manga Entertainment purchased the license from Streamline and created an all-new second dub. I’ll talk about each dub in detail later on. Now that you know this history behind this film, you’re probably wondering if it’s worth all the hype. To answer that question, I can respond with a firm, “Yes!”

The story starts off rather simply. Lupin III and his buddy Daisuke Jigen have just robbed millions of dollars off a high-class casino, making a clean getaway in their stylish Fiat 500. When they examine the money, the duo soon realizes it’s all counterfeit. Lupin instantly recognizes the high quality workmanship of the money. Years ago, he attempted to find the source of the “goat bills” himself, but was almost killed and narrowly escaped with his life. Now Lupin decides to locate the source once again at its supposed location: The Castle of Cagliostro. Before arriving, they rescue a young girl who was being pursued by a gang of thugs. She is later captured by the men, but not before leaving a ring bearing the crest of Cagliostro that gets into Lupin’s possession. The girl is revealed to be Princess Clarisse, who is to be married to the Count in a few days. By marrying Clarisse, the Count wishes to cement his own position of power by bringing the two families together and to uncover the fabled treasure of Cagliostro. Lupin bears a strange connection to Clarisse as old memories from his past soon come back to haunt him. No-nonsense samurai Goemon Ishikawa XIII joins the Lupin gang to help rescue the princess and Fujiko Mine assists by working under disguise at the castle. Kochi Zenigata also shows up in order to capture Lupin, but winds up helping him instead.

Castle of Cagliostro is a real visual treat for the eyes. The gorgeous backgrounds are full of intricate detail and color. The character designs may seem simplistic, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Lupin and his gang were meant to look this way. Not as realistic drawings, but as cartoonish and vibrant characters. Some people have claimed that this animation doesn’t look as good as Studio Ghibli’s films. I really think that’s an unfair comparison. Studio Ghibli’s artwork is more realistic, yet fantastical at the same time. With Cagliostro, the style is completely different. Lupin III has always been more about simplicity, and that’s not a bad thing. Characters are supposed to look basic, while backgrounds are meant to be more detailed. If this movie had animation like Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away, it simply would not work. Not only does this look amazing for 1979, it’s still breathtaking today. From that dreamlike opening titles sequence, to the masterfully animated car chase scene, to that climatic clock tower duel; Cagliostro simply looks beautiful. My review on the animation cannot do this film justice. It really has to be seen to be believed. The soundtrack is great too. Series veteran Yuji Ohno is at the reins here and his jazzy tunes perfectly fit each scene. The score can bold and upbeat for the more intense action scenes, as well as subtle and quieter for more mellow parts. The film’s main theme, “Treasure of the Flame,” is one of Ohno’s best contributions to the Lupin III music mythos with its beautiful lyrics and composition. I’m sure that most fans (myself included) will get a kick out of the use of the amazing Lupin III ’80 theme during the opening car chase theme. I also really enjoyed the use of the third movement from Bach’s BWV 590 organ piece during the wedding scene. It feels so haunting, yet strikingly beautiful at the same time. Altogether, Cagliostro looks and sounds wonderful. ‘Nuff said.

As mentioned before, Hayao Miyazaki is director, and his fingerprints are all over this movie with its characters. You won’t find any of his environmental or political themes here, but his influence is still strongly felt. Lupin is noticeably much more “nicer” than previous incarnations and demonstrates his more chivalric side. Although he is very much after the treasure, he no doubt wants to save Clarisse by being, as he puts it: “your thief in the night.” Yasuo Yamada is back again as Lupin and he plays him expertly as always. In fact, all the Japanese regulars are here again. There’s really not too much else to say about the original Japanese audio, because it’s pretty much perfect. The actors hit all the right notes with each scene and character, so there are no problems here. Instead, I’ll talk more about the two English dubs. In the Streamline dub, Lupin is voiced by veteran voice actor Bob Bergen. I should also note that in this version, Lupin is referred to at all times as “The Wolf,” due to fears of copyright from Maurice Leblanc’s intellectual property estate. This is sort of laughable though, as the symbol on his belt clearly bears the letter “L,” and his calling card also reads the name “Lupin.” While I normally enjoy Bergen’s voice work, he sounds way too cartoonish and silly here. It’s not terrible or anything, just kind of unfitting for a master thief. David Hayter in the Manga dub, on the other hand, is far better suited for the role. You heard me right. The same guy who voices Solid Snake in the Metal Gear series voices our main protagonist. How cool is that? He perfectly gives Lupin that “nice guy” vibe and always nails each line of dialogue. There are hints of kindness in his voice, but also a bit of the gruff Snake tone when he gets more serious. With Zenigata, David Povall is serviceable in the Streamline dub, but Dougary Grant proves to be much more entertaining to watch in the Manga dub. It’s clear that Grant was trying to emulate Gorō Naya’s acting in the original Japanese dub, though he does a good job in the role himself nonetheless. This time around, Zenigata teams up with Lupin to uncover the secret behind Cagliostro’s counterfeiting ring. The banter between these two guys is pretty funny to watch seeing as how they’re normally enemies.

Then we have our main villain, Count Cagliostro himself. There’s really not a lot to say about him, because there’s little character to him other than he’s the evil guy after the treasure and power. Even still, he provides an excellent foil to Lupin by being that diabolical antagonist to go against our hero’s noble and heroic antics. Both actors in the two dubs do a pretty good job of getting that “snobbish aristocrat” personality out of him and there’s not a whole lot of difference between their performances since they handle the character so similarly. The final sword fight between Cagliostro and Lupin in the clock tower is an absolute joy to watch; and it’s seems to have inspired several works of animation from The Great Mouse Detective to Batman the Animated Series. I should also note that voice actor Kirk Thornton actually appears in both dubs! In the Manga dub, he plays Count Cagliostro and in the Streamline dub he plays the chief guard Gustav (who in the Manga dub has an awful Arnold Schwarzenegger-like voice).

We also have two female supporting characters. The first is Clarisse. With her voice, I have to say that I prefer Joan-Carol O'Connell’s acting in the Streamline dub than Bridget Hoffman in the Manga dub. Both actresses do a great job, but I feel that Hoffman sounds a bit too childish for my tastes. Clarisse seems to be little else other than the stereotypical damsel in distress. However, I don’t necessarily see this as a bad thing. That famous scene where Lupin climbs the tower to rescue Clarisse is an obvious homage to classic fairy tales. In fact, I think that in the Streamline dub this is more apparent when Lupin calls himself Clarisse’s “knight in shining armor.” Even though she may not be the strongest female character ever, you still want to see her rescued by Lupin. Again, it’s sort of the same with the Count. These characters aren’t meant to be complex, but rather basic archetypes that are supposed to be simple enough for the audience to sympathize with. Lupin is the brave hero, the Count is the evil villain, and Clarisse is the damsel in distress. With this kind of film, you don’t need any more depth or character beyond that. That’s not to say there’s not a strong female character in this film. Come on, it’s Miyazaki! He’s better than that! That role belongs to Fujiko Mine, Lupin’s lover, ally, and foe. In Cagliostro, Fujiko is no longer the buxom babe that she was in previous incarnations. Miyazaki never cared for Fujiko being the object of Lupin’s lustful desires and long-time fans of the franchise will immediately know what I’m talking about. This time around, she’s a spy working undercover at the Count’s castle. She helps Lupin out of sticky situations, but it’s clear she has her own intentions. Between Streamline’s Edie Mirman and Manga’s Dorothy Elias-Fahn, the point must go to the Manga dub. Elias-Fahn gives off much more emotion than Mirman, whom I consider to be a little too stiff in the role.

Finally, we have our supporting characters Daisuke Jigen and Goemon Ishikawa XIII. In previous anime, Jigen and Goemon are Lupin’s loyal henchmen and that’s no different here. Jigen is Lupin’s straight man, and he always has Lupin’s back with his quick gun-slinging skills. I found Jigen’s Streamline voice actor, Steve Bulen, to be way better than Manga’s John Snyder by far. Bulen feels perfectly natural, but Snyder tries to add a sort of “toughness” that’s unconvincing. He’s still perfectly fine, but there is a notable difference between the two actors. Either way, both manage to have perfect chemistry together with Lupin’s actors Bob Bergen and David Hayter, respectively. Sword-wielding samurai Goemon has little dialogue in both versions. As an honorable warrior of little words, he’s the type of guy who doesn’t waste time talking and focuses solely on the matters at hand. Steve Kramer in the Streamline dub and Richard Epcar in the Manga dub give different takes of the character. Kramer is quiet and calm with his voice (though he does have quite a few annoying one-liners), while Epcar’s voice is deeper and has more presence. I don’t really think it matters that much if I compare the two together, since Goemon doesn’t have that big of a role in this film to begin with. Basically, the two actors play him fine. Speaking of Goemon, here’s a pretty cool Easter egg I discovered at the beginning of the film. Lupin and Jigen rob a casino in the intro, but throw the money away when they realize it’s fake. If one looks closely during the scene where Lupin tosses the bills out of the sunroof, the top of Goemon’s head and sword can be seen in the pile of money! I didn’t realize this until I read some trivia online. This is probably why Lupin and Jigen were able to make such a clean getaway and they probably dropped him off before they reached the Cagliostro border. I’m guessing that there was probably a planned sequence with Goemon, but it was taken out from the final film. Really though, Jigen and Goemon don’t serve that much of a major purpose in the film other than being Lupin’s backup. Still, I think that they’re both given enough screen-time as is. Giving Jigen and Goemon bigger roles would only shoehorn them into the plot. This film is really more about Lupin and his own quest to save Clarisse.

Overall, both dubs have their own strengths and weaknesses. The Streamline dub takes some rather needless liberties from the original Japanese script and the lip movements don’t always match up with the dialogue; but the acting is solid for the most part. The Manga dub is much more faithful to the Japanese script and the acting is strong; but there is much more swearing in this version. I’m not offended by this or anything, but it kind of ruins what’s otherwise a family friendly film. Regardless of which dub you get, it shouldn’t really affect your overall viewing experience. I’m honestly a purist for the original Japanese language track with English subtitles, but I have to say that I prefer the Manga dub over the Streamline version. Since most releases usually have the Manga dub, that’s probably what you’re going to get anyways. The Streamline dub will probably appeal more to those nostalgic fans who had the film on VHS way back when it was originally released, but it really shouldn’t matter for the casual viewer.
Now that I’ve talked about virtually every aspect of the film, I’m going to give my own personal take and thoughts on something that rarely gets talked about: the hidden level of emotion and storytelling that can easily be missed by the average viewer. I’m probably drifting into spoiler territory here, but chances are you’ve probably seen the film already. If you haven’t; skip this paragraph, watch the film, and then come back to it. Anyways, onto my analysis.

When I first saw this film, I instantly knew it was a perfectly crafted animated feature. I really loved the film, but because it was my first time in the rich universe of Lupin III, a lot of things slipped under my radar. What do I mean by this? After I had seen the film, I soon went to the original green-jacket series. The Lupin I saw in that show was almost the polar opposite of the one I saw in Cagliostro. While in the film he was brave, heroic, and chivalric; our thief in the show was crude, mean, and arrogant. This was of course due to the way he was originally portrayed in the manga series by Monkey Punch. What could have possibly caused this drastic change in character? The touch of Hayao Miyazaki. When Miyazaki and Takahata first worked on the series, Lupin’s evolution began. The series started hinting at this, but by the time we’re in Cagliostro; the change is complete. The production-wise reason of this was that Miyazaki disliked the original character of Lupin and wanted him to be more likable and nicer. Story-wise though, we see something that perhaps was unintended. The opening of the film shows Lupin and Jigen on a more-or-less standard caper: stealing money. The robbery goes off without a hitch and it’s clear that Lupin has mastered the art of thieving at this point. When he sees the counterfeit bills, that’s when Lupin’s old memories resurface. The man thinks back to a time where he was young and just starting out. In fact, we are treated to a brief flashback sequence that shows actual scenes from the original series re-animated and integrated mid-way through the film. Lupin looks upon those days with regret and chides himself for being so arrogant. Perhaps this represents Miyazaki’s own views on his earlier animation career. Now that Lupin is more experienced, those rookie days are behind him. Lupin wants to save Clarisse for the reason that he himself might be saved. As mentioned before, Clarisse is the damsel in distress; but she means much more than that to Lupin. She’s his path to what could possibly be a normal life. A normal life away from the chase and the thrills of being a thief on the run from the law. He battles through Cagliostro’s forces with all his might and in the end; he’s successful in rescuing her. Lupin is then face with a personal choice: what do I do from here? He looks into Clarisse’s eyes and sees the innocence that he himself never had. Lupin doesn’t want Clarisse to have the same life by following him. Instead, he leaves her behind but vows to always be at her side if needed.

That final scene in which Zenigata is in hot pursuit of Lupin symbolizes how his thieving ways will never change. Lupin will never have a normal life because he doesn’t need one. He lives and enjoys his life by always being on the move and savoring every moment of the chase. Going back to Miyazaki, I think this also shows his own personal choice by being an animator. He enjoys what he does, and wants to create these kinds of films for the rest of his life. Just as Lupin’s purpose in life is to steal, Miyazaki’s is to create animated films. And that’s what I believe is the main theme in Cagliostro. Looking upon your own life and questioning if this is what you’re happy with. Can people really change, or do we stay the same throughout our lives? I find it quite ironic that such a seemingly simple film has these kinds of themes. Whether or not Miyazaki actually intended for this film to have a deeper meaning is up for debate, but I think that’s the whole beauty of it all. It doesn’t really matter if the creator intended for this film to have any symbolism or meaning. That’s up for the audience to decide. Cagliostro isn’t just an entertaining film, but a film that can actually teach you something if you look hard enough. Miyazaki does this in all of his films, but in Cagliostro it’s just less apparent. Now the difference between the film and the television show is probably quite obvious. Films have longer running times, thus more character development and plot can be added in. You can add drama and the previous themes that I mentioned, but not so much in a television show episode. Since Lupin episodes only are about 20 minutes, it usually just cuts right to the action. It’s a nice change of pace to see Lupin given more character and emotion than his usual TV self. Needless to say, I realized none of this when watching the film for the first time. However, going into this film with a new set of eyes made it mean a whole lot more to me.

Now we come to the bad news. In the US, there’s unfortunately no definitive release of this wonderful film. Manga’s original DVD release of the film is a non-anamorphic transfer that only has decent picture quality. The DVD itself doesn’t even have any extras. A few years later, Manga released a “Special Edition” that improves picture quality and they even added a couple of extras. However, one absolutely pointless change completely ruins this release. The original opening titles sequence has been altered. Instead of using that beautiful animation with the Japanese credits, Manga decided to remove all Japanese text and only show still frames of the intro. Why would they ever do such a thing? It completely takes you out of the moment and destroys the original version! That’s why I cannot recommend you purchase this so called “Special Edition.” Both DVDs have also been long out of print for years. In Japan, Cagliostro received a deluxe Blu-ray treatment with a gorgeous new transfer in crystal clear 1080p high definition. Seeing has how it’s region free, I would have imported this in a heartbeat; but there are no English subtitles or language options. Europe received a full English version of this Blu-ray, but it’s region-locked; thus it can’t be imported by anyone else. I really hope that this release will come stateside soon. And why shouldn’t it? This is a classic work of Japanese animation! To all those that live in Japan and Europe, I urge you to buy this! Hopefully the strong sales of it will guarantee a wider release!

Hayao Miyazaki’s last involvement with the Lupin III franchise was directing final two episodes of the second TV series. Miyazaki himself really doesn’t consider the film his best work, and called it a “clearance sale on all the previous Lupin ideas I had previously done.” If one watches the original television series, the influences that it had on this film will be extremely noticeable. There are many scenes here that are almost taken shot-for-shot from the series and a lot of the scenarios are similar. And perhaps that’s what makes this film so enjoyable. It takes everything that that Miyazaki ever did with the Lupin III series and puts it together into one satisfying experience. I don’t think that Miyazaki is ever going to go back to Lupin. Now that he’s with Studio Ghibli, there’s little reason for him to go back to the franchise. My one dream is for there to be a brand new Lupin III animated feature film that reaches audiences worldwide. It would give our thief the international popularity he deserves, similar to how Spielberg’s Tintin film revived interest in Hergé’s original comic series. Even if that never happens, at least we still have this masterful film that has aged remarkably well. This is a movie that, after you’re done watching, you immediately get a good feeling inside. Anyone who’s a fan of Hayao Miyazaki should see this film as it demonstrates his own animation techniques just when he was starting out. If you’re a serious fan of animation or film, you owe it to yourself to see the Castle of Cagliostro. It gets my highest praise and reminds us all why we enjoy the genre in the first place. Go see it!

The Castle of Cagliostro is a gem, directed by none other than Hayao Miyazaki himself. For those of you who have seen some of his other works like Castle in the Sky or Princess Mononoke this should come as no surprise, despite it being his first film.

The art style may seem a bit dated to some, but despite its age, it really gives the film life and is a treat for the eyes.

In terms of audio, the dub and sub are both very nice, especially the dub. Coming from a person who cannot stand anything in dubbed, I have to say that their ... English voice actors, really fit their characters roles and as such made it easier to enjoy the film, so for those of you who prefer English over sub, you are in for a treat.

The characters in general, ranging from Lupin all the way to the zany inspector Zenigata, were well written and interesting, with their various personalities, actions, and dialogue. It never felt stale, they really kept the picture alive.

To be entirely honest, if you are a lover of Hayao Miyazakis work, or perhaps a lover of things involving Lupin and his pals, then I can guarantee that you will love this film, because it is quite honestly a classic.

The Castle of Cagliostro is a really great movie. It's obviously quite old, seeing as how the animation can be choppy at times, but the characters are great and the story is wonderful.

Story-

The storyline of this movie is well-developed and fast-paced. Unlike some Miyazaki movies, the Castle of Cagliostro has a fast-paced storyline that is very easy to understand.

Art-

The art in this movie is alright... It's certainly not the best from Hayao Miyazaki, considering it's one of his first films, but the art is still good. The backgrounds and
buildings, however, are very beautiful and realistic, and the characters look a little like cartoons. ...

Sound-

The music in the movie was pretty good and enjoyable. When there was music (which there often was) it fit very well to the current situation or setting.

Characters-

The characters begin well-developed and stay that way. I really wish that the character's could've developed a bit more throughout the movie because their personality was the same at the end as it was in the beginning.
The main character is Lupin, a skilled theif who is also very relaxed and tends to joke around. There's also Lupin's assistant gunman, Jigen, who often questions Lupin but always ends up doing what he says. There's also Clarice, the "damsel in distress", the GroundsKeeper of the castle and his dog Carl, and the Count, a twisted, evil, and double-crossing man.

--

I really enjoyed this movie because of it's characters and storyline. The music was a nice touch as well. But if you're looking for a movie based on the art, you should probably pick another Miyazaki movie as this movie is not his best.

Star Rating (out of four): ***

The Castle of Cagliostro has a peculiar opening. A master thief named Lupin III and his partner-in-crime, Daisuke Jigen, have successfully stolen millions of dollars from a grand casino. Or so it seems. It turns that the money was actually counterfeit, the work of a high-class crime lord name Cagliostro. Yet Lupin isn’t angry; quite the opposite. It’s fascinating how quickly he forgets the loss and gets pumped up for his next big steal. This is the ideal thief, a man not so much interested in robbing to get rich than in the act of robbing itself. And judging by ... his exuberant methods, it’s not hard to see why.

Lupin is one of the most memorable characters in anime history. He’s like a loony James Bond, always cool and cheerful even when things go wrong, which is always. He may seem prepared for anything, but then unexpected events occur, most caused by his own clumsiness, and things take a turn, not always for the worst though. But he’s not one to be underestimated. A master of deception, Lupin can convince security guards that the police detective that he is impersonating is the real Lupin in disguise. He’s so devilishly unpredictable that he can lead his enemies (and the audience) to believe one thing, but then suddenly reveal his true intentions to everyone’s astonishment.

What keeps us oriented and on our toes is Lupin with his high energy, something we need in a plot that doesn’t have its own. After a very surrealistic chase scene that uses cars and bombs in very unique ways, Lupin saves a girl in a wedding dress named Clarisse from her death. (Lupin immediately likes this girl, of course, and will spend the rest of the film trying to save her.) She runs away to avoid captivity from more bad guys, but accidentally leaves behind a special ring. What purpose does this ring have?

Well, it may help Lupin understand the legacy of the castle of Calgiostro. It is the base of a counterfeiting business carried down over centuries, but is there something more below its ruins? A treasure, perhaps?

But we don’t care much about all this. Part of that may be because we don’t particularly care much for the villain and the damsel-in-distress. They fill their roles, but with no personality or style. Clarisse, the princess, is especially boring, not getting much of her own say until the end of the movie. She is the fiance of Count Cagliostro, although he seems to care more about that ring she possesses than her.

Maybe the director, Hayao Miyazaki, realized that all this plot material was secondary anyway, because the majority of the film (thankfully) is spent watching Lupin wiggle his way out of every hole he makes for himself. The best scenes show him either getting into trouble or surprising us by appearing to be in trouble, but really having the upper hand. The detective impersonation and car chase are such sequences, but there is also an episode in the waterways, an interesting but spoiled attempt to reach the princess’ imprisonment tower, and a gloriously hilarious wedding disruption that will leave many flabbergasted.

But things aren’t all cartoon lunacy. There are a few scenes of grave seriousness that keep us informed of the great danger Lupin gets himself into. People can actually die in this film. But these scenes don’t make us scorn Lupin's silliness; we're just more amazed that he manages to escape alive and still have that stupid smile on his face.

The Castle of Cagliostro is always entertaining when Lupin is on-screen. It lags when it comes time for exposition and villain/damsel interactions, but I for one would sit through all the exposition in the world to see Lupin III struggle through another mission, and have great fun while he’s at it.

After Hayao Miyazaki’s iteration of Lupin the Third, the “gentleman thief” was never the same. In fact, it wasn’t until The Castle of Cagliostro that he finally grew into that title. Lupin had long been the ungrateful, voluptuary heir to the more noble Arsene Lupin character of Leblanc’s French pulp stories. Until ’79, Lupin was the perverted anti-hero of cartoon antics; not today’s charming hero who prioritizes damsel-rescuing over gold-snatching. Some contemporary writers have taken Miyazaki’s approach to Lupin and driven it to absurd lengths, transforming him into an idealist to be a mouthpiece for their personal philosophies. Others have managed to retain the deviancy ... of the original Lupin while sprinkling on some of Miyazaki’s charm in order to craft an anti-hero, but an anti-hero with likability. In any case, The Castle of Cagliostro rescued Lupin from a life of meaningless debauchery… and is a damn good movie to boot.

If you are interested in both anime and video-games, you likely know of the Persona franchise. Persona 5, a stylish JRPG that shoves nihilistic romanticism and sanctimonious progressivism down your throat at every scene, uses Arsene Lupin as an ideological symbol throughout the game. In this context, the gentleman thief is akin to Milton’s Lucifer; speaking truth to power and standing up for your own ideals. To the writers of Persona 5, the objective truth of one’s ideals is irrelevant—and actually nonexistent—as the only real truth is that which you find subjectively within yourself. Of course, as with most casual nihilists, this theory of moral relativism becomes inconsistent as they simultaneously preach about the evils of greedy corporations and nationalist politicians. Now, this is all relevant to Lupin the Third because these are exactly the themes shoehorned into many of the franchise’s specials and shows.

Lupin, as a ne’er-do-well who breaks from the norms both legal and moral of society at large, is to many writers the symbol of this self-reverential romanticism. These writers translate the selfless hero of Miyazaki’s film through an ideological lens, creating an unlikely political idealist. Thus we can find Lupin and his gang helping an Islamic monarch prevail against American-backed revolution [Part 5], assisting Fidel Castro to retain command of Cuba [The Woman Called Fujiko Mine], sympathizing with a super-AI’s mission to redistribute Amazon boxes around the globe to create an equitable society [Goodbye Partner], and saving the world from a clone of Leonardo Da Vinci—actually I don’t even remember what that was about [Part 4]. Now, is this all Miyazaki’s fault? Not quite, as long-running franchises inevitably become corrupted by ideological/bad writers. However, the stage was set by The Castle of Cagliostro by making Lupin the Third as a character live for anything more than the craving for treasure and the lust for women. Once Miyazaki made Lupin any more morally complex than the cartoon clown, the floodgates were opened to writers who take themselves far too seriously.

I’d like to rescue The Castle of Cagliostro from such an ideological interpretation. The audience sees it for the joyful mystery adventure that it is. Even the writers know that the fun simplicity of the series is what keeps people coming back, not the subtexts they impose on it. However, the subtexts keep appearing as the franchise continues through the years, and it is grating. Hayao Miyazaki created a Lupin film with a set-up subtly different from previous shows; Lupin isn’t after any riches, but is only interested in solving a mystery of international political intrigue. Greed has completely disappeared from him as a character motivation, yet he finds joy in the thrill of the heist. Spontaneously, he is thrust into a romantic damsel-rescue mission (a Lady Clarisse) by way of an incredible car chase—yet there is none of the lustful, womanizing Lupin here. Instead, he is paying a debt to Clarisse for selflessly saving his life a decade before.

It’s also clear that Lupin has more noble sentiments as he actively strives to ruin the antagonist Count—an over-the-top cruel and wealthy aristocrat akin to the original Lupin villains—not to mention the intentionally corny speech about “releasing girls about to be forced into marriage to run free in green fields.” Despite Fujiko's reference to Lupin's womanizing past, his relations with Clarisse are almost ridiculously chaste. The fact that the mysteries of counterfeit currency and the house of Cagliostro are solved is utterly secondary to Lupin’s goodwill towards Clarisse. He’s a romantic hero; a knight in shining armor who believes in the cardinal virtues—objective morality—yet who takes absolute pleasure in the arts of strategizing, infiltrating, and escaping. In short, he is a hero who thoroughly enjoys his trade; not a world-saving idealist who just happens to be a master thief on the side.

What is the genius of the Lupin III franchise? The heroism or the heists? The convoluted intrigues or the simple adventures? I think most long-time fans would agree that it’s the latter in both cases. Miyazaki managed to craft an incredible story that perfectly balanced heroism with entertaining antics, alongside a perfect score and glorious Ghibli-quality backdrops. Given many Lupin III iterations that followed Cagliostro, it’s clear that most writers can never manage that balance—Miyazaki is exceptional. The key was in keeping Lupin's heroism simple and traditional, not radical and of apocalyptic consequence. My solution for new writers would be to move away from the convoluted plots that twist and contort to fit a philosophical subtext. Instead, focus on the thrilling antics of the master thief, the gunslinger, the samurai, the femme fatale, and the stubborn detective—all the while sprinkling some of that Miyazaki charm, and maybe just a touch of Miyazaki heroism, onto the characters. Keep it simple, keep it traditional. Remember, you're writing about the Lupin gang, not about pressing geo-political issues. Don't project your political resentments onto the plot, and don't overburden it with absurd forays into the supernatural or sci-fi. Even the lamest writers can manage that. Of course, who’s gonna listen to me? They don’t read MAL.

Often times I find myself wondering what the heart of lupin the 3rd is; what is the crux, the soul, the spirit of such a perennial franchise? Amidst prolonged rumination no such answer reveals itself, to me lupin is simply too intimate a franchise, as if he refuses to be reduced to a few mere words or thoughts. The man in question refuses to be tied down to a simple description, a simple thrill, or a single woman, there’s no doubt that this franchise can slip through any attempt at description composed of constituent words and sentences and phrases. To bridge what is infinitely apart, ... to catch a witty gentlemen thief and his entourage? There’s just no easy way out.

But as an attempt to decompose what makes lupin so great, one naturally gravitates towards the reusable formula of cast and narrative that can be cooked as simple or complex as the consumer’s appetite so desires: Lupin’s charismatic nature, #ourguy hardboiled Jigen, the walking anachronism Goemon, Fujiko’s antics, Zenigata’s true love-hate chase, and how these characters culminate in the most romanticised, titillating crime. To steal, is it not the ultimate pleasure? The ultimate thrill? Is it not a desire that each viewer has caged inside their heart, ready to burst out in a spectacular fashion? It is in anime, in abstraction that these fancies can be quietly soothed in a gratifying and stylish manner. It is in Lupin and only Lupin that such an appetite can be sated to the highest degree. Yet in many entries of the franchise there seems to be unresolved feelings, an uncertain identity, or maybe just too much filler? Maybe the serious narrative is a letdown, or maybe it’s too experimental? Not everyone can trudge through the dreary narrative of Fujiko’s lie, nor the episodes of nothingness in part 2. Dear reader, has Lupin disappointed you? In that case I recommend you visit, revisit, or even take a simple glance at the Castle of Cagliostro. Sometimes it is hard to describe something with just words, or even just with sounds. Miyazaki’s movie sits atop that throne, or maybe it’s a clam clearing? Wherever it sits, it’s a special place, a meditative place. A place that once you’re whisked away to, you find it hard to dissociate yourself, to leave such a rosy and romantic abode. It is truly an escape into the struggles and adventures of another.

Glossing over the obviously gorgeous sound and visuals, the selling point of this movie is that it’s happy. Let’s begin with the colours. I’m by no means an expert on colours, but there’s just something about that homebrew of vivid complementary colours, pastel and light shading that gives the movie a fantastical, fuzzy feeling. And within these colours a narrative is painted, with an underlying hue of warmth arising from intimate framing. This warmth is perpetuated with the style of animation, which comes off as heavily stylized and cartoonish, but surprisingly tangible and grounded at the same time. The backgrounds definitely speak picturesque beauty, however in the foreground the frisky adventure exhibits itself so stylishly that the entire presentation transcends terms such as “realistic” or “cartoonish” and becomes a synaesthesia of tones that can only be achieved in animation.

The narrative itself moves forward at a rather intense pace, and there’s moments of fear, thrill, and terror. But despite this, the movie somehow remains happy. It’s just always happy. We can thank the clever and snappy nature of each action scene; they never overstay their welcome, yet each remain unique and easily impressionable. The castle set piece moments especially are stringed together in a natural fashion, where it feels like the characters funnel into each unknown area, rather than the areas being scripted for characters. Between all the action definitely lies playful and pulpy dialogue that, if not delivered by a familiar and lovable cast, would come off as tropey, edgy, or romanticised. But because it is such a charming cast, the dialogue instead feels bouncy, slinging back and forth between characters deliciously. I found the playful but serious interactions between the jaded Lupin and the younger princess to be especially endearing, as it constructs this strange dynamic where totally opposite characters slowly thaw and warm up to each other.

Even if the overarching narrative can feel thin at times, it plays out in such a wild and brazen manner that it somehow feels innovative to even the 21st century consumer. And of course, there are moments of injected worldly politics and conspiracy lore that complement the main adventure, although they are simple ramblings, they still retain an agreeable degree of thoughtfulness. Again, due to the linear nature of the story, the movie always moves things along comfortably and naturally. There aren’t even many surprising moments, Castle of Cagliostro is simply obsessed with overclocking the Lupin engine. And by doing just that, it’s stolen my heart.
9/10

This film rules hard. A developmental Miyazaki film that has great charm for its time. The film exudes a bouncy and comical energy. Every frame of this film has a wonderful animated feeling. Always holding a special poignant energy. The visual gags and style is fantastic. The way they bounce around and perform great feats of movement is a blast to watch. But it’s all very clear and not that ridiculous. At times they’ll have gags of characters trying to avoid danger by having really long and physically impossible movements like swimming up a waterfall. But it’s not a tension thing. The fact remains that ... they’ll fall down a waterfall, the humour is that it’s extended for so damn long and it’s full of energy. It’s so funny. All the characters are so perfectly simple but enjoyable. You have a clear sense of how they act and it’s super rewarding to see how it all goes out. But also this film is the smartest in the franchise. It’s actually such a great commentary on wealth and ownership and satisfaction. Lupin on his journey to steal something he can’t easily obtain, all the while with a villain who’s obsession of ownership is so strong and he creates a counterfeit money scheme which fuels the whole world. It’s really clever with all its story elements. We see all these grand castles and think that it’s the great prize we’d go for. But our hero goes to seek some girl locked in a room cause he longs for a prize that is far greater than any riches. Whereas the count keeps her in there and uses her for exactly what he wants in his dictating fashion. I think Miyazaki also has some strong themes of purity going on and not diminishing it. Like I’m pretty sure Lupin calls the count a pedo at one point. But it also shares his views of preserving and letting the youthful spirit be free. Instead of being diluted out by old pressures. Which also pays off greatly at the end with the final scene. They take such a classically simple comedy anime and they put some clever narrative to it. It’s so cool to see. But the action set pieces are no small achievement. They’re all so inventive and memorable. From the literally perfect opening car chase that is so cool on all levels. The suspenseful and violently rhythmic hotel brawl. And the clock tower battle with its fast paced but not too nauseous direction. I can tell Miyazaki definitely times his sequences in his mind. The flow is incredible with how all the actions and perspectives fold between one another. And the score is perfect. Yuji Ohno takes some wicked jazz and he’ll just chuck it in to make it great. The variations are cool on the song Fire Treasure and it’s a beautiful theme for the film. It makes me wanna get a suit, drive in my fiat and rob a casino. In summary this film is like pretty classically amazing

Now, before I begin this review I would like to preface: this is an extremely biased and personal opinion, I'm not going in depth on why this is objectively the greatest Miyazaki or Lupin the Third entry. This was my first exposure to Lupin and what got me to fall in love with these characters. That being said I am combing through the movies, the series, the specials, and the manga, so perhaps a personal ranking may be on the horizon soon (well, as soon as I scale this absolute monolith of a franchise with my bare hands and defeat the dread of extremely limited ... European releases.)

Without further ado:
Lupin the Third - Castle of Cagliostro

The characters of Arsène Lupin III, Daisuke Jigen, Goemon Ishikawa XIII, Fujiko Mine, and Inspector Koichi Zenigata are absolutely and fundamentally perfect in their conception, they all balance one another out in terms of attitude as well as their skillsets and roles within a heist. I watched Mystery of Mamo afterwards and it was shocking that it was only released a year prior to Cagliostro. Mamo has this vague notion of who these characters are and how they function; as stated earlier this is their biggest draw in both diversity and staying power, but having archetypes is only part of the battle, these are still characters need just that: character!
Lupin retains his traditional role as his usual self, but we see a glimpse into a more Robin Hood side of his thievery with him using his abilities to help others. It's interesting how watching Lupin's plans unfold work a lot like a Sherlock Holmes in that the puzzle is solved from the moment their eyes even meet it, the fun comes from seeing their working as they undo all opposing forces with wit and grace. It is extremely gratifying to watch Lupin work and even more so to see the work be used for the role of a traditional hero rather than selfish gain.
Jigen is very much the Watson if we keep to this analogy of Holmes, for newcomers we immediately know that this behaviour is common for Lupin, but still retains this mystery to it that never fails to captivate the imagination. Jigen and Goemon are extremely endearing in their relationship to Lupin and even make Lupin more endearing also, the fact that they can keep up with his impromptu style without missing hints at this long history that I just want to see (hence why I'm binging the series.)
Fujiko isn't exactly a part of the posse but she most certainly acts as an element to the overall dynamic, she's undercover and we don't even realise it's her, but she gives up the minute Lupin shows up, choosing instead to assist him. Fujiko has so little respect in Mamo that it's disgusting, her role is shrunk down to the sex appeal and the romantic sub-plot, every scene with her showed her breasts on full display without rhyme nor reason, this film on the other; she is a vital wild card almost, Lupin allows himself into dangerous situations because he retains faith that she will be there to save him. (Fujiko is my favourite female character ever, I hope it's not too obvious.)
Then, we have Zenigata, my absolute favourite Lupin the Third character, so much so I want to write an entire piece on how amazing Inspector Zenigata as a character. To condense it for this film though: he is absolutely hilarious, his relationship with Lupin is on par with Tom and Jerry or Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd, but it isn't just slapstick, he is an actual character with motivations that shift as the story progresses, going from Lupin being his primary mission to outing the count and overthrowing his superiors.

Anyway,
The story: solid, the plot fulfills its purpose but the character driven nature of it shines through via the strength of their writing and dynamics.
The art/ animation: drop dead gorgeous painterly backgrounds coupled with some of the most expressive and entertaining character art I have seen.
Basically, watch this movie, it is an amazingly fun time and a perfect introduction to some of the best characters in anime as well as manga.

This movie is the perfect example of how to make an amazing movie. Yuji Ohno's music is beyond legendary to say the least. In my opinion this is the one of if not the best movies every made period. I highly recommend this to any seasoned Lupin fan or even a new comer who has never heard of him before.

The story is a fairly typical one for Lupin where he has to go steal something of mysterious value (After all he is the world's greatest thief). But the story could not be as great as it is without everything else accompanying it.

The art for this ... movie is amazing. When it is combined with the beautiful music composed by Yuji Ohno, it creates some of the greatest moments in all of anime. One specific scene is the car chase. This is by far the greatest car chase ever. Introducing the assets of the characters, combined with the music and beautiful scenery, creates an amazing experience for the viewer that has me in goosebumps every time it begins.

Overall, I give this a 10/10. I can see no flaws in this masterpiece and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to watch one of the greatest movies ever made.

Before he became a massively overpraised director whose fans thought he could do no wrong (and worse yet, he BELIEVED them), overloading his movies with feminist and environmentalist messages and a hefty dose of sentimentality on top, all while trashing the work of younger creators, Hayuki Miyazaki was a more humble man. During the 1970's, he worked on episodes of the Lupin the 3rd TV show and its 1979 movie, "The Castle of Calgiostro".

And while it was more down-to-earth, lacking the ambition of his later projects, it was good, wholesome fare, in may ways superior to what he would produce later.

In one sense, "The ... Castle of Cagliostro" is merely a longer version of a Lupin the 3rd episode. On their way to the source of counterfeit money throughout the Western world in the fictional European kingdom of Cagliostro, Lupin and trusty sidekick Jigen encounter a damsel in distress being held in the film's title location by an evil count. Series regulars Goemon the samurai, Fujiko the femme fatale, and Zenigata the dogged Interpol chief soon show up, too.

And as a long Lupin episode, it's great! There is a heap of action and adventure, much of it witty and inspired. The ruse with the sliding floor was particular fun, but none of it is rote. High-wire fights and large-scale battles occur in creative locations, whether the winding hills of our fictional country, a night-time roof-top encounter with ninja-like assassins, or the famous clocktower scene. Lupin is the height of cool and confident throughout, especially when the dastardly count has him surrounded and seemingly dead to rights. Of course, there is also Lupin's classic use of disguises and contraptions, misdirecting the enemies and gaining the upper hand.

Equally importantly, the film possesses a charming humor in the midst of its action. Life and death hanging in the balance doesn't preclude some much-appreciated laughs and silliness. This works well since Lupin and his adventures are too absurd to treat with dead seriousness, and would also spoil much of the fun. Despite being cool, Lupin is very fallible, screwing up and making mistakes at several critical junctures in the movie. This makes him more sympathetic and endearing to the audience, as opposed to an unstoppable protagonist whose victory is never in doubt, a common problem with shounen adventure series.

And yet, there is indeed more to the picture than merely being a long, very good episode of Lupin the 3rd. For one, there is the setting, a pure Ruritanian romance. I haven't looked it up, but I'm certain Miyazaki had read "A Prisoner of Zenda", and much of that influence is evident in the film. This gives it a more romantic, wistful, and gallant feel generally lacking in the TV series.

Additionally, despite how much I rag on him, Miyazaki genuinely possesses a fine eye for mood, beauty, scenery, and bitter-sweet nostalgia. Some of the moments and shots in the film, with its simple hand-drawn animation looking dated nowadays, nevertheless evoke emotions and a sense of wonder and longing rare in any anime. For instance, the walk between the princess and Lupin near the end of the picture, or the princess's moon-inspired chambers in the castle and how well it's incorporated with the action are handled with real skill and talent. In later decades, Miyazaki would overdo the nostalgia and focus exclusively on beauty and scenery in his films, to the detriment of all else. Here, however, the balance is perfect.

Of course, such attention to detail is not present everywhere. For instance, right before the climactic battle, the count sends his henchmen after Lupin in the clocktower. They are all identical twins, as the animators couldn't be bothered to produce unique animation cells for them! This eye-rolling laziness partially douses what is meant to be a very tense moment.

Speaking more generally, certainly "The Castle of Cagliostro" is filled with plot holes and absurdities, as any Lupin adventure is, but it punctures one's suspension of disbelief that the princess wouldn't remember Lupin from her past. And it's hard not to roll one's eyes at Lupin's ability to defy gravity and walk up the side of walls, jump 12 feet straight up in the air, or leap 30 feet across a chasm, magical powers that come and go as the plot requires. Some of it is plain lazy.

One should also keep in mind that this is ultimately a kid's movie. Adults like myself can appreciate it, but don't expect a deep mystery, a clever and novel twist on the Ruritanian romance, or an interesting message.

All that being said, the movie fully deserves its status as a classic, a rollicking adventure that achieves moments of beauty and wonder. It's a film every anime fan should check out.

If you want to experience one of the most important films ever made, then give Castle of Cagliostro a try. Though some today may find the pace slow and the length a bit too much, but Castle of Cagliostro is a well made move in all departments.

A story that's easy to follow and enjoyable from start to end. Beautiful cell animation and back drops. A pleasant soundtrack. Iconic characters from Lupin III with Arsenal Lupin III, Daisuke Jigen, Ishikawa Goemon XIII, Fujiko Mine, Inspectior Zenigata, and even the characters introduced here are just as memorable.

The impact and legacy of the film has inspired people ... from all around the world. It's sited as a possible inspiration for Raiders of the Lost Arc (1981) and The Great Mouse Detective (1986). The film stands out as Hayao Miyazaki's debute role as director for a full length feature film. This along side a few of Miyazaki's future films inspired John Lassater of Pixar fame.

The movie is also a fantastic starting point if you're interested in checking out the Lupin III franchise, while the characters aren't portrayed exactly like how they are in other forms of media, many have sighted that Miyazaki's interpretation of the iconic thief is one of the best.

Sense it's debut in 1979, Castle of Cagliostro has made a huge impact on media. This is a film that everyone should experience once, it's currently available on Netflix if you want to watch it in officially.

Just finished watching this movie... it only can be described like this, when the ending is near and "the credits start rolling", the music starts to play, and you just feell so damm good for having watched this, it is a joy in your heart, only experiencing this you will fully understand, a masterpiece!! Simply as that.
The characters are very enjoyable, the story is good (not anything that amazing, but it isnt a let down either), the sound, even though I only remenber one song worth mentioning "Lupin the III: Castle of Cagliostro - Fire Treasure", it is so calm and beautiful, it is a ... joy listening to it! Even the animation, it is of 1979 but damm, it is really good, it is still very enjoyable to watch the art of the movie to this day, I cant imagine how much amazed people were when they first saw the movie back in the day!
This was my first Lupin content I ever watched , I didnt even know of its existence, also being my second Studio Ghibli movie I have watched to now (the other being Horus Prince of the Sun), as I never fully finished Spirit Away (only saw a bit on TV 10 years ago...). I was going to keep watching the all the other Studio Ghibli movies, but now I have too to experience the whole Lupin animated series by first hand too!! Truly a marvel of its own, HIGHLY reccomend this to anyone! Seriously, child, teenagers, adults, grannies and grandpas!
It managed to be for everyone, teach good values, and be a HELL OF DAMM GOOD EXPERIENCE, while doing it so!!

Arsene Lupin The 3rd at your service!

Before Spielberg and Lucas came up with the idea for a macho manly man adventurer, the master of Japanese cinema Hayao Miyazaki gave us Lupin the 3rd: The Castle of Cagliostro.

After Lupin and his long time crime companion Jigen loose out on counterfeit money from a bank heist they set their sites on bigger game. After saving a beautiful bride from a group of thugs, Lupin and Jigen head for the castle of Cagliostro ruled with an iron fist by the brides husband-to-be Count Cagliostro. It seems now Lupin is no longer in it for the gold ... as he sets out to rescue the bride with the help of old friends and old enemy's, while stumbling on to something bigger than he could have ever imagined.

I've been a big fan of Lupin the 3rd for a long time. I use to watch the show and always thought it had the right kind of formulas for a great anime. Action, comedy, romance and mystery. But Lupin's crowning moment is this. With Miyazaki having a hold of the reigns both the adventure and the characters seem to have a new spin. Lupin isn't as perverted as he is in the show and even though that may take away some of the comedy aspects of the Lupin premise, it doesn't take away the fact that this film is full of top notch action, which Miyazaki is always good at. Not to mention this is his directorial debut, if that's not enough to get you to see it, I don't know what is.

All in all. A+ effort from everybody who worked on this great movie. Some people will probably argue that this is no where on the same level as "Spirited Away" or "My Neighbor Totoro" but in my honest opinion as an anime and a movie lover, Miyazaki's true colors showed in this film that would later expand into the films I just mentioned and for that The Castle of Cagliostro stands the test of time.

Take care everyone.

Lupin the III: Castle of Cagliostro is the Perfect Animated Adventure!

Everything about this anime is perfect, the colors are amazing and well thought out, the scenery is some of the most detailed and beautiful I've ever seen, and the characters are classic and memorable as they should be in an adventure this Iconic.


There are lots of reasons this movie could be considered perfect but the reason I think it's so good is because it perfectly encapsulates the feeling of being a kid and using your imagination to create your own pretend adventure. I could honestly go on and on but i made a video ... essay going more in detail and I'd really appreciate it if you checked it out.


Either way this movie is a perfect 10 and it's not even up for debate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM6sdHLo9wc

I recently saw this movie in theatre at a Fathom event that promotes new releases of Blu Rays and such. It was the most fun I have ever had in theatre, and I feel blessed to have seen this 40 year old film on a big screen.

The story is wonderful. I don't want to spoil it but it's such a romantic journey and it has plenty of fun for everyone. It's just finely crafted.

The art and animation is fantastic for it's time, and holds up today. It's Miyazaki so you know what to expect.

I gave the sound a 7 because really it kind of did ... leave something to be desired. The sound was a little cheap with the effects. Make no mistake though, the music was quite good. The music was not quite as good as later stuff by Hisashi that would come later, but still some good music I listen to on occasion.

Characters I only gave a 9 because Monkey Punch (the author of the manga) said that Lupin was quite out of character. I see where he's coming from with that remark, but at the same time this is canonically later on in Lupin's career. This is when he acts more mature I would think, and it works wonders for his character.

Overall this movie is one of the best anime movies I have ever seen. I'd recommend it to absolutely anyone who likes animation because some scenes, especially the car chase, are simply captivating. A wonderfully delightful film.

When i saw the cover art of this movie i just knew i had to watch it

However i did not know by the end of this movie that i would say i have watched a masterpicece because that is what it truly was

The Art in this movie for its time is great and it suits the movie very well the music, the scenery everything in this movice seems to fit in perfectly

The characters are all interesting and of course the main character Lupin is just a joy to watch along with his sidekick as well

I wont tell you what the story is ... about because i would recommend you watch it but the story is very good, and its a very deep story as well, but i will mention that theirs a scene around the end where Lupin mentiones something to the princess which indicates the deep message of this movie it is truly beautifual

Lupin is back in his second movie, but this time Miyazaki is behind the helm. Compared to the disappointment of Secret of Mamo... this film is not only better, it’s downright fantastic. The art, music, action, the list goes on about how entertaining it is.
Lupin and Jigen steal a horde of money, but it’s counterfeit! Now, they work to find out where it comes from. The conclusion of their search ends up leading them to the sovereign nation of Calgliostro. Upon their arrival, the old damsel in distress comes into play along with revealing some of Lupin’s past with Cagliostro.

All the classic Lupin characters are ... present, and this time without any of the out of place art, character designs, or super strange villains. This time, Lupin feels like Lupin and there is the classic James Bond evil villain that makes Lupin so fun. Basically, this felt like a blast from the original series in terms of of the characters, story, and all.

After the calm paced intro, this turned into a fantastically fast paced action movie with perfect moments of humor on top. This film is a visual treat compared much to Future Boy Conan (Miyazaki’s first solo shot) and his first feature film shot is just as good. He seems to know Lupin as a character extremely well and it shows as Lupin fantastically squeezes out of pinch after pinch.

The progression of the story unlike many anime of the 70’s is seamless, and the viewer is always involved into the progression of the overall goal of the characters. This is a must watch film, plain and simple.

Outstanding movie. I went in without knowing anything about Lupin, besides that it was a popular franchise and yet I never felt like I was missing part of the plot.

The whole film reeks of old school and I wouldn't have it any other way. The way the film starts, how it slowly reveals the true mystery of the castle, how The Count is prety much a James Bond villain especially with his castle that is full of traps and his dozens of servants/ bodyguards. It's got action, romance, mystery, suspence, drama and it's all very human despite being quite over the top most of the ... time. The animators often drew the characters in wacky poses or had them survive near impossible situations, but the film never feels like it has a stick up its ass; instead it never forgets that it's a cartoon, so it's OK if things get a little silly at times, especially with a plot like this.

All the characters were very memorable too. Sure, Lupin gets to be on screen most of the time and he's a great character, but the rest of the gang all played their part wonderfully. Zenigata was tied into the plot in an excellent way and never felt like he was interupting, but rather assiting the script and helping things move along. Clarisse was fantastic as well. Despite being the damsel in distress, she was more than willing to sacrifice herself twice in order to let Lupin escape, despite the Count's growing impatience towards her and that makes her very brave in my opinion. Then of course you have The Count of Cagliostro. He's a snobby prick who's always full of himself and DAMN proud of it. Only thing he doesn't do is twirl his mustache; other than that, he catches Lupin, but throws him in the dungeon instead of killing him, lives in a medival castle full of traps, shows off how rich he is with every chance he gets and he even dresses up with his final boss costume for his sword duel with Lupin towards the end. Again. I wouldn't have this ANY other way.

I loved the soundtrack too; gave me strong 70s and James Bond vibes and I love how whenever there was a visual gag the music went along with the animation. Marvelous combination. The main theme was very chill despite the mostly fast pace of the movie, but it helped ease me into the plot and slowly close out the movie.

All in all, a masterpiece. My only gripe is that the sound design is a little weak, but aside from that I was ready to rewatch it the moment it ended and I'm down for watching The Castle of Cagliostro anytime, anyday. Cannot recommend enough.

Lovely, lovely, lovely. I'm late to the party but this is a must-watch for any fan of Lupin the 3rd. However I don't know how good it would be as someone's first exposure to the ever-expanding Lupin Cinematic Universe.

This really feels just like an extended and more colorful version of the old Lupin episodes, mixed in with some of that old-school animation and sound charm. I was never bored throughout the entire film; the pacing is well balanced between action scenes, slapstick comedy, and the occasional slow/dramatic moments.

All the classic characters are back and at their best. It's somewhat surprising to see Lupin act not ... unlike the modern Lupin adaptations, keeping his more lascivious desires in check and showing a more heroic side.

When I think about Lupin the 3rd, nostalgia inevitably seeps into my memories. When I rewatch the old material, it doesn't live up to how I remember it. However this movie completely recaptures my rose-tinted remembering of the old show and the rascal thief who always makes the best of a butter-side-down situation.