Lupin The 3rd: The Castle of Cagliostro

About Lupin The 3rd: The Castle of Cagliostro

If you are hunting for a new action series, Lupin The 3rd: The Castle of Cagliostro (ルパン三世 カリオストロの城) deserves a look (1979). The setup goes like this. At its core: In the twilight of his career, master thief Lupin the Third's latest and greatest caper has hit a snag. What should've been bags of cash from a national casino turns out to be expert counterfeits!

More of the story: Together with his partner-in-crime Jigen, Lupin heads to the remote European nation of Cagliostro to exact revenge. Not everything goes as planned; the two encounter Clarisse, a royal damsel in distress being pushed to marry the sinister Count Cagliostro against her will. Saving her won't be easy, however, as Lupin and Jigen -- together with Lupin's unpredictable ex-girlfriend Fujiko and the swordsman Goemon -- must struggle their way through a trap-filled castle, a deadly dungeon.

As an action title, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. Arsène Lupin III (Yasuo Yamada) and Daisuke Jigen (Kiyoshi Kobayashi) are two of the characters you will meet early. It will appeal most to viewers who like fast, high-impact fights. At 1 episodes in total, it is easy to plan a viewing schedule.

Production & Appeal

Animation is handled by Tokyo Movie Shinsha, so the studio's house style defines how Lupin The 3rd: The Castle of Cagliostro looks and moves on screen. The action focus matters here: fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. Viewers rate it 8.0/10, which signals strong word of mouth. On the casting side, Yasuo Yamada voicing Arsène Lupin III gives the lead role a recognizable voice. It aired in 1979, which makes it easy to place in the wider anime calendar.