Lupin III: Part 6 announced!
It’s the news we have all been waiting for - a brand new television series, Lupin III: Part 6 has been officially revealed and is coming to Japan via NTV (and elsewhere) from October 2021.
Eiji Suganuma of Lord of Vermilion: The Crimson King, B-PROJECT, Ninja Cadets, Kodomo no Jikan, Whispered Words, Mashiroiro Symphony and Karneval is set to direct the series.
Takahiro Okura (Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter) will handle script / composition while Hirotaka Marufuji (Lupin III: Goodbye Partner, Lupin III: Prison of the Past) handles character design. Yuji Ohno will be returning once again to provide a no doubt fantastic backing score.
As confirmed previously, the new part is to be set within the United Kingdom. Lupin and the gang look to be facing off with a mysterious new foe - who looks an awful lot like a new take on Maurice LeBlanc’s original-character-do-not-steal, Herlock Sholmes.
The new poster, which shows key artwork of a skewed Lupin covered in blood, also has a rather Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde vibe about it. The text translates to “Lupin III, Villain or Hero?” Check it out below.
Artwork promoting Lupin III: Part 6, with character illustration by Hirotaka Marufuji.
The new series has been created (in part) to celebrate the original 1971 animated shows’ 50th anniversary, which is coming up on October 24th. 50 years later, Part 6 marks the seventh time a Lupin III TV show has aired in Japan, if counting the 2012 spin-off The Woman Called Fujiko Mine.
There’s no need to wait until October to get a glimpse of what Part 6 will look like, as a preview video has already been uploaded to YouTube! The short clip features a green jacketed Lupin, with a few quick cuts consisting of shots around London. Hirotaka Marufuji’s character design work shines through here - and it looks great!
To go alongside the announcement, a contest is also set to run for those living in Japan. Five lucky winners will star in the show - in animated form!
The contest is due to run from May 26th up until July 31st, 2021. Entries are placed via social media, where participants are to follow the official TMS Anime account, change their profile picture (to this image) and are to tweet out specific hash tags: #WELOVEルパン三世 and #ルパン6. In the tweet, be sure to state your favourite character, scene or line from the Lupin franchise (written in Japanese only). Be sure not to post any copyrighted images or videos - just text is fine!
Winning entries will be contacted by the official TMS Anime account, and their likeness will show up as either a hero or a villain in the final show - an exciting prize for any fan of Lupin III.
More information on Part 6, such as exact air dates and times, are likely to be revealed in the coming weeks and months ahead. Keep an eye on the official Japanese website for more details, or simply stay tuned to Lupin Central - we will be sure to keep you all updated!
In addition to the Part 6 announcement, Japanese apparel company JOURNAL STANDARD will be teaming up with TMS for a new line of merchandise.
The popular clothing brand has promised “T-shirts and more” to help celebrate the original 1971 green jacket TV shows 50th anniversary.
More details are to come in the near future - stay tuned!
