The original 3DCG Lupin III!
Way back in 2012, fans were given their first glimpse at how a 3DCG Lupin III could look.
The short film released as part of the DVD and Blu-ray Master File collection, which collated various new works from the series. Kazuhiko Katō (Monkey Punch), who has been quoted saying he always longed to see a 3DCG version of Lupin III, gave the set his blessing. Katō even designed the cover artwork, creating a new illustration featuring his iconic art style (which can be seen pictured below).
Characters and above image owned by TMS and NTV.
In addition to the 3DCG film, the set also included a short OVA based on one of the original manga chapters, named "Lupin Ikka Seizoroi" (Lupin Family Lineup). This OVA acted as the final send off for various veteran Japanese voice talent, with the likes of Makio Inoue (Goemon Ishikawa), Eiko Masuyama (Fujiko Mine), and Gorō Naya (Inspector Zenigata) reprising their roles.
The Master File also included the pilot film for the long lost Lupin VIII animation, a proposed series created by DiC Entertainment in collaboration with TMS. This was the first time the pilot film had been released in high quality, and even featured dialogue direct from the script, in the form of subtitles. You can read more about that in our extensive article on the same, The history of Lupin VIII, right here.
Bundled in with all of these goodies was the 3DCG short film. While it was not the first time Lupin and company had appeared in 3D (see: various video games and Play the Lupin DVD music videos), it was definitely the first time there had been a decent amount of thought and production value behind the piece.
The animation team behind the short film was none other than Marza Animation Planet, the same team that would go on to work on the recently released feature length Lupin III: The First. At the time, Marza was better known for their work on various video game properties, such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Monkey Ball, Phantasy Star Online and various other SEGA owned properties. Later in 2013, they would go on to produce a feature length 3DCG film for Space Pilot Captain Harlock.
Marza’s first stab at creating a 3DCG take on Lupin III was an excellent one. While the animation itself now looks a little bit dated, especially when compared to the incredible looking Lupin III: The First, the characters are all looking on point and the action choreography is excellent. Yuji Ohno’s staple theme tune fits everything well, and it’s still a treat to watch - even today.
With Lupin III: The First topping charts and satisfaction surveys in Japan, the 3DCG future for Lupin is looking bright.
Japan would never forget about the gangs 2D animated origins - and that is never going to change. With the success of the latest film however, we wouldn’t be surprised if we are to see the gang in 3D again in the coming years. With Marza Animation Planet behind the production - our favourite thieves are in safe hands!
