Welcome back, folks! Last time, I covered the weirdest Lupin TV series and a controversial OVA amongst other things, and it happened to end on a sad note. Fear not, for I’m sure this will be a lot less of a downer. Let’s get right into it, and what better way to start than by introducing an integral part of Lupin tradition!
This tradition is, of course, the Lupin III Yearly Specials, which were new animated made-for-TV films made by TMS, which aired on NTV every year, between 1989 and 2013. Before I get into these (and I’m sorry that I didn’t mention this earlier) I feel the need to mention how these came about: after the unexpected flop that was The Fuma Conspiracy, and the poor reception of the Pink Jacket TV series and its tie-in movie, TMS had pretty much given up on trying to revive the Lupin III franchise… until they realized that Japan had not yet given up on Lupin, and they just needed a new tact. Enter the yearly specials, which, along with OVAs and movies, took up 26 whole years until a new TV show started airing in 2015. Thankfully, there’s still a lot of material to chew on, so let’s begin … by taking a trip to the Big Apple.
New York sure does sound like a perfect place for a monumental heist, doesn’t it? The first yearly special, Lupin III: Bye-Bye Liberty Crisis! (otherwise known as Goodbye Lady Liberty) aired on April 4, 1989, and was directed by Osamu Dezaki, who directed several anime classics such as Astro Boy, Ashita no Joe, Space Adventure Cobra, and Rose of Versailles, as well as storyboarding several episodes of Green Jacket. The film, which follows the gang as they attempt to steal a precious gem hidden in the Statue of Liberty while evading a mysterious cult, proved to be a huge success, in no small part due to Dezaki’s involvement. He would return to the director’s chair four more times for these specials, so please, keep his name in mind!
The 80s era of Lupin III ends here, folks, and it’s safe to say that it showed both fans and critics alike several new and experimental pieces of Lupin media, whether they were received well or not. Next time, we’ll start the 90s era of Lupin history, so look forward to that. Until next time!
The Art Archive 