Maciamo
Decommissioned ex-admin
Registered: July 2002
Location: Austrasia
Posts: 6652
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Review Date: August 28, 2004
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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adventure, action, suspense, atmosphere, characters
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Cons:
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repetitive stories after a while, a bit old
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Gatsu
Avenger
Registered: February 2006
Location: New York
Posts: 14
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Review Date: February 17, 2006
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Would you recommend the product? No |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 9
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The stories over everything vary drastically in their type; though most of them keep a good amount of action in the episodes and movies which makes it easy to sit through. Often there is a mystery or two for some added flavor to the action and comedy that the series excels in. The stories always carry some recurring themes; such as Lupin's never ending pursuit of Fujiko, Fujiko's constant betrayal; and Zenigata's never ending pursuit of Lupin. And typically the directors are good at delivering these in moderation so as not to bore the viewer.
In the end characters are what makes the series as good as it is.
Lupin is forever the womanizing Robin Hood of anime. In addition he's good at his job and know's it. He'll often up the ante by letting the owner of his target know he's coming. This combined with his insane tricks and stunts make him very easy to watch. For the most part his character is rarely changed; though Miyazaki's version in Castle Cagliostro is probably the most gentle of them all.
Jigen is normally given the part of the quiet sidekick, though he has occasionally been bumped down to comic relief. He's always very loyal to Lupin, though not always willing to go along with every scheme he's plotting. His signature marksmanship is always entertaining to watch. The TV special Orders to Assassinate Lupin (1993) gave a fair amount of background on him.
Goemon also serves the same role as Jigen, though is generally a little more aloof from the gang. While Jigen's ability to be called the best marksman in anime is debateable, Goemon being called the best swordsman in anime is not much of a stretch. His sword style has been used to cut anything from clothing to buildings, all with equal efficiency. Unlike Jigen however, he has been betrayed Lupin from time to time, though never without an explanation. Zantetsu Sword is On Fire (1994) is probably his biggest role in a single movie/special.
Fujiko has gone through the most changes throughout the years. Her personality has remained nearly the same; as a the money-loving woman who constantly betray's Lupin. However her looks will change, sometimes drastically from film to film. She has never been a favorite character, perhaps because compared to the others she changes so much; however she has shown herself to be a fairly essential part of the series and the gang. Though she gets a lot of screentime in nearly all the films/specials, Fujiko's Unlucky Days (1999) was one made with her playing a more siginficant role.
Zenigata's character has been nearly as constant as Lupin's. Compared to the other characters he has a little more depth, and has on a number of occasions been both happy and sad when he has temporarily caught Lupin. Happy that his lifelong goal is acomplished; but sad that he no longer has anything to live for. He's worked both with and against Lupin depending on the situation. Due to that, he's more interesting to watch in the films than the other characters since it's never apparent at first if he will play the unwilling assistant; or the persistant antagonist.
The shear size of the series, and the generations it covers make it suitable for a wide range of audiences; and in the end it's more of finding the right Lupin film/series for the viewer rather than finding out if the viewer likes Lupin.
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;)
;)
