14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The original stories by Monkey Punch!, May 5, 2003
This review is from: Lupin III, Vol. 1 (Paperback)
About 100 years ago, Maurice Leblanc wrote some novels about a thief named Arsène Lupin (pronounced LOO-pahn). This thief was a true gentleman, even thoughtfully leaving a note stating that he was about to steal everything in the house before he actually did so, and despite this he was always successful. He generally targeted wealthy people who he believed did not deserve their riches. But instead of giving to the poor, he just kept the spoils.
Cut to 1967. Arsène Lupin the Third is the grandson of the notorious thief. This new Lupin follows the tradition of always sending a letter before stealing, but this gentlemanly quality is only superficial: it won't take long to notice that Lupin III brings new meaning to the word "lechery". Hmm...the artwork also looks very much like MAD Magazine...we must be in parody territory!
To fully appreciate the stories you have to remember the context of them. To say MAD Magazine was a heavy inspiration for Monkey Punch is to say Mount Everest is a little big. Fortunately, the really bad jokes and lack of continuity between panels that are characteristic of MAD Magazine (in its current form; I don't know about back in the 1960s) are nowhere to be found here, but all of the more positive aspects of MAD are present. It's not meant to be taken seriously, so don't get offended too easily. Many chapters play out like elaborate Spy vs. Spy strips with dialogue, with Lupin as one spy and any of a number of people as the other, including Inspector Zenigata of Interpol.
My particular favorite chapter is chapter 2, where Lupin tries, successfully of course, to escape from prison. The expressions on Lupin's face as Zenigata continually humiliates him are priceless...then Lupin makes his escape and it's Zenigata who has to be humiliated! I won't tell you just how Lupin gets out of prison, but the scheme is ingenious and the results are a riot, to boot!
The translation is nearly flawless, except they don't provide translations of sound effects often enough (luckily I can read hiragana and katakana so I have an idea of what they say, but a lot of readers probably can't), and in Volume I of the series they transliterate the names "Fujiko" and "Jigen" as "Fugiko" and (ugh) "Gigen". While that's not a crime, the names look strange that way and just make it more likely they'll be pronounced incorrectly. But these are very minor issues; the translation is very well done.
Overall, a very funny graphic novel for relatively mature audiences, at least if they're mature in an immature way. ;)
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Girls, Guns, and Fun, November 27, 2004
This review is from: Lupin III, Vol. 1 (Paperback)
Lupin the Third is Japan's answer to James Bond. The only thing he likes more than a big payday [...]. Whereas Bond was a charismatic secret agent, Lupin is a charismatic non-so-secret gentleman thief. He is the world's greatest thief, seemingly able to escape from any predicament. His adventures are filled with comical antics and hilarious miscues. He chases after the women as much as the treasure and the former usually leads to a lot more trouble the latter.
Accompanying Lupin on his adventures are two loyal and faithful companions and one not so loyal companion. His close, personal friends Goeman, a samurai swordsman, and Jigen, a professional gunslinger, are usually responsible for pulling Lupin's butt out the crazy predicaments he gets himself into. His not-so-loyal companion and oft rival is the beautiful and devious Fujiko. She is the main object of Lupin's lust and responsible for a good number of the predicaments he gets into. Oddly enough, no matter how much she cheats him, he seems to love her that much more.
Rounding out the cast is the intrepid Inspector Zenigata. He is always on Lupin's tail, well actually, it's more like he's always a step behind. It is Zenigata's mission to one day capture the elusive Lupin and claim the respect he so rightly deserves.
This series is great, especially if you like James Bond type stories. The wit and humor are perfect for the style of story. The art effectively portrays the action as well as the body language and moods of the characters.
Note: Readers need to keep in mind that, while not explicit, this is not for children. Monkey Punch rates it for teenagers age 16+ and carries the "Parental Advisory" label.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
MY FAVORITE CHARACTER OF ALL TIME, January 24, 2011
This review is from: Lupin III, Vol. 1 (Paperback)
THE MANGA IS WAY MORE AMAZING THAN THE ANIME SERIES... OF COURSE THE ANIME IS GREAT, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO MANGA IT DOESN'T SHOW THE TRUE LUPIN BEFORE HE MEETS HIS GANG... WOULDN'T SPOIL IT ON YOU, THE MANGA IS A MUST HAVE FOR ANYONE READING.
A MASTERPIECE FOR ALL.
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