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curleyclown · 2 months

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kal you forgot to use the director's cut for the zenigata image

Lupin Movie Marathon Analysis #2

The Castle of Cagliostro

I wanna start with my personal history with this movie. A former friend of mine had introduced me to Lupin III around early 2022, and ended up convincing me to watch the first 2 episodes of Part 2. I enjoyed them, but they made no real impressions on me.

Then, he recommended this movie, “The Castle of Cagliostro”. He told me the film was on Netflix, so I made myself a quick breakfast, sat down, and put on the movie. What I saw that day made such a huge impact on me, that I’ve been stuck in Lupin III hell for the past 2 years now.

This essay has taken a long time to write. It’s been really hard for me to accurately summarize my scattered thoughts on this movie, because not only is it genius, but I have such an emotional attachment to it that I wanted to do it as much justice as possible. So join me, as I dive into The Castle of Cagliostro, why it’s great, and why I love it so much.

The Castle of Cagliostro is the quintessential Lupin movie. While the previous film, The Mystery of Mamo is fantastic in its own right, Cagliostro has had the most influence on Lupin, and arguably anime as a whole. But in order to talk about Cagliostro, we have to talk about its director. Hayao Miyazaki. THE anime director. Famed for his works at Studio Ghibli, this is his theatrical debut as a director. However, his first rodeo as a director was actually the first Lupin TV series, which I find necessary to mention when discussing why Cagliostro is such a good Lupin film.

Lupin III Part 1 had a rocky start being directed by Masaaki Ohsumi, who would later go on to direct the fifth Lupin TV Special, Voyage to Danger, a special I hold in high regard. His work on the first Lupin series, however, is subpar. While he is a talented director, his emphasis on the darker aspects of Lupin without the charm that makes the series so endearing to fans leaves me wanting more. Despite already having planned more episodes of Part 1 (leading to an unusual production process), Ohsumi was fired for refusing to tone down the unappealing mature content of the TV series. That’s when A-Productions, the dream team of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata (of Studio Ghibli fame himself) came into play.

The A-Productions era of Lupin III Part 1, which encompasses episodes 7-8, 10-11, and 13-23 is fantastic and perhaps my favorite interpretation of the Lupin cast. They’re all fun, lovable, and charming with just the right amount of silliness, and from the character writing to the action, this era of Part 1 more than delivers. But this is not a Part 1 essay (despite my prior false promises, sorry), so let me get to the point.

A-Pro, and specifically Miyazaki had the tough task of turning Ohsumi’s Lupin he had already established as a deadly and reckless killer burglar into a charming mischievous thief. And though I have heard some people say the transition between the two was night and day, I rather disagree myself. I think throughout the earlier episodes of Part 1 you can see Lupin’s character slowly morph as A-Pro took more control of the series. The perfect example is Ep. 7, “One Wolf Calls Another”, directed by A-Pro, though originally planned by Ohsumi. This episode was A-Pro’s way of wrapping up the Goemon plot initially presented in the prior episode, “The Coming of Goemon XIII”. In it, we see Lupin slowly but surely warm up to Goemon eventually resulting in the conclusion to the episode, where the two are seen laughing after getting into a comical chase.

So, my point is, throughout Part 1, we as the audience see Lupin transform from the more ruthless Ohsumi-era Lupin to the Lupin we all know and love. But here’s where Cagliostro comes in. Though there was no explicit need for it, Miyazaki wanted to conclude this character arc of Lupin. Using what he had learned during the production of Part 1, Miyazaki wove together a plot with elements of ep. 10, 11, 21, and more, leading us to the 1979 classic, The Castle of Cagliostro.

This is where the essay really starts.

The Castle of Cagliostro subverts your expectations in many ways. Already, we start out with the Green Jacket. Despite the prevailing attitude amongst Lupin directors being Red Jacket, to evoke a more manga-esque feel, Miyazaki deliberately chose the Green Jacket. This will especially become important when talking about Lupin’s characterization in the movie.

The film starts out like a typical Lupin romp, right as Lupin and Jigen complete a typical heist. And up until the car chase, it seems like this is just going to be typical Lupin fare, comparable to that of one of the later Part 1 episodes. That’s until the car chase. The scene starts out pretty abruptly, disturbing the rather peaceful movie up until then. Between Treasure of the Flame (or as it’s usually called, Fire Treasure) and the shot of Jigen changing the tire as Lupin lies in the Fiat, the film has remained pretty calm.

Then, BOOM! The car chase is purposely disruptive, with its bombastic music choice and spectacular animation. It’s tonal whiplash, but in the best way possible.

As the movie continues, we see Lupin’s motivations change as the movie slowly grows farther away from our preconceived notions of what the movie will be. He slowly grows less and less focused on Cagliostro’s counterfeit cash, and more on rescuing Princess Clarisse. Like Mamo, this film is sort of like another character study on Lupin. His partners take a backseat, as in comparison to Mamo, which specifically tested Lupin’s relationships with his comrades, this movie wants to challenge how we perceive Lupin as an individual.

And this is where I get to the meat of this essay. Lupin III. The characterization that either makes or breaks this movie for people. While most people in this fandom do agree that this is an objectively well-made movie, I have heard one too many times the complaint that Lupin’s characterization is not accurate to how he really is, and therefore, it is not a good Lupin III movie. Many find him too kind, not insane enough. But I rather disagree with this. In fact, I think this is a great characterization of him. The problem is that most people don’t view this movie how I believe was meant to be viewed.

Besides the subversion of expectations, Miyazaki specifically picked the Green Jacket not just to evoke feelings of Part 1, but to specifically tie this movie back to it. As I said earlier in the essay, despite it being a byproduct of Part 1’s irregular production, throughout Part 1, we see Lupin embark on a character arc of sorts, becoming more empathetic throughout. Cagliostro is the natural conclusion to this. We can assume Cagliostro takes place at least a good amount of time after Part 1. Part 1 (as confirmed in the show itself) took place when it came out, set in 1971-1972, so in that same vein, I’d place this movie around 1979, almost a decade later.

It’s obvious why Lupin acts more maturely when you view it from this angle, because he’s now in his later years, perhaps even mid-life. He’s simply grown as a person. Miyazaki wasn’t just making another wacky silly Lupin romp, as enjoyable as they can be. He was making a point about the character. And in order to prove that point, he made Clarisse.

Clarisse is an amalgamation of a few side characters from Part 1. Primarily, Lisa (episode 11) and Rie Makita (episode 21). Like Lisa in her respective episode, Clarisse serves as the damsel in distress for Lupin to rescue. But unlike Lisa, who was mostly helpless throughout the episode, Clarisse is able to put up a good fight against the count when it counts, which is comparable to Rie, the so-called “tomboy”. By herself, she’s already a great character. Kind-hearted and strong-willed, she’s just really likable. I have yet to see someone who dislikes Clarisse.

But I think what really makes her such a unique character is her relationship with Lupin. A lot of people (usually unfamiliar with the Lupin character) tend to misread their relationship as a romantic one (and the Streamline dub, I’ll get into that later, does NOT help) but when you take into account Lupin’s supposed age it’s a little gross. But disregarding that, the genuine friendship they develop is adorable and really humanizes Lupin. Once again, this movie serves to show how he’s grown, and Clarisse is the symbol of his growth.

As @lastflunky notes in her analysis of Cagliostro which I really enjoy, Clarisse saves Lupin’s life, and in return, Lupin saves her life. Young Clarisse saves Lupin 10 years prior, and in return, Lupin saves her from the Cagliostro guards pursuing her at the beginning of the film. Then, Clarisse prevents Lupin from being shot by Jodot by guarding him and sacrificing the rings and her freedom. Lupin repays the favors by of course saving her and defeating the Count for good. This not only puts a twist on the whole damsel in distress concept by making Clarisse capable, even in a bad situation, but also just goes to show how much these two genuinely care about each other. It’s beautiful and their relationship is honestly one of the best parts about the movie.

Count Cagliostro is a good villain, in the sense that he's awful. While admittedly not as interesting as Mamo, he's a fierce antagonist and very intimidating, especially to Clarisse. During the scene where he's talking to Clarisse after throwing Lupin in the castle dungeon, the tension is as thick as a knife. He's a well-written villain in that, though you hate him, he keeps you on the edge of your seat. And because of how evil he is, it's even funnier to see Lupin mess around with him. (His death is also incredibly gruesome, but then again, Mamo burnt to death and then got his brain exploded, so what's worse?)

I’m going to discuss the other characters relatively quickly because this movie and therefore my analysis is very Lupin-centered. Jigen follows his Part 1 characterization. He’s cheeky, fun-loving, and always at Lupin’s side. I personally like Jigen when he’s more like this and less like his more cynical Part 2 depiction. Besides that, though he doesn’t have a lot of depth, he serves as a means for Lupin to provide exposition and as Lupin’s partner when needed. And for that, he does a good job. Goemon is much the same way and has incredibly little time in the movie. A lot of people have complained about this and while I do like to see Goemon utilized, personally I’d prefer that they only use him (or any character) for that matter when needed and not just to be there for the sake of being there. Because of that though I don’t have much to say on the subject of him. I like Goemon’s design in this movie though, the skintone is a little darker than how it is in Part 1 which I dig.

Zenigata is GOOD in this movie. Which makes sense if you know anything about Hayao Miyazaki. He’s the perfect mix of serious and silly, as though he is very stern, he also has his comedic moments, such as when he exposes the Cagliostro counterfeit bills to the world, a scene that STILL makes me laugh out loud. His alliance with Lupin makes for a fun dynamic and overall he’s just great. Very rectangular, 10/10.

Fujiko Mine is an odd case in this movie because to a lot of people, she isn’t Fujiko. This movie definitely appeals to a more “All Ages” demographic, which obviously means the more sexy side of Fujiko was toned down. And while another writer may have struggled to make a more typical femme fatale archetype work, because of how good Miyazaki’s Fujiko is (watch Part 1), she’s still just the right amount of petty to make it Fujiko, to me at least. My final note is that her relationship with Lupin is nice. They’re not lovers in the movie (in fact, Fujiko says they were past lovers to Clarisse) but I still find their dynamic fun and cute. Overall, I love Fujiko in this movie. She's great.

This movie has almost the opposite message as Mamo does. While Mamo is about Lupin never changing, this movie is about how Lupin has to change to be the best version of himself. And while I believe the movie isn’t as deep in themes as Mamo is, I still find that a really great message and take on Lupin as a character from Miyazaki. As much as I love insane deranged Mamo Lupin, there’s something to be said about Cagliostro’s sheer earnesty. I love this movie.

Now that I’m done with my plot dissection, it’s time for the part of the analysis where I talk about everything else! The art.

This movie is GORGEOUS. While Mamo uses limited animation to create more interesting angles and shots than this movie, there’s something to be said about the beauty of the smooth animation, detailed character movements, vibrant colors, and beautiful backgrounds. It all comes together to make such a VIVID film. I love it. I love every second of it.

The designs are also great, as they're very Part 1 influenced, and I can't NOT love designs brainstormed by my favorite Lupin artist, Yasuo Ohtsuka.

My favorite scene in the movie, in terms of animation, is definitely the scene where Lupin leaps from the roofs of Cagliostro Castle. I love how it starts, with Lupin fumbling with the string and dropping it. The character animation is so subtle yet so expressive, and when he starts barreling down the roof and makes those grand leaps, in tandem with the music cues… it's awe-inspiring.

As for everything else, the soundtrack is amazing and has the amazing “Treasure of the Flame” as well as my personal favorite Lupin song, Samba Temperado, featuring to this day, my favorite rendition of it. The Japanese voice acting is great too, featuring a standout performance from Yasuo Yamada as he takes a calmer and more mature take on the character that I really enjoy. Sumi Shimamoto’s Clarisse is really cute (and she also voices Nausicaa from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind which I really like), and Taro Ishida’s Count Cagliostro is very menacing, which fits the character really well. Everyone else provides a great performance as well.

Anyway this is getting long, so dub rapid fire! Streamline dub has pretty good voice acting (Bob Bergen’s Lupin is a personal favorite) but the script is really inaccurate (which isn’t their fault, evidence suggests they received a really awful translation of the JP ver.), and they added a really stupid romance subplot with Lupin and Clarisse. Manga dub is pretty decent, even though I don’t love the VAs as much, and the unnecessary swearing doesn’t really work for this movie. The Family Friendly cut is also pretty okay, but the editing is a little rough.

So, now comes the conclusion. But before I end off this essay, I’d like to say why I personally love Cagliostro so much. Even aside from the actual quality of the film, it just means a lot to me. It was what made me a real Lupin fan, and got me to meet so many wonderful people through this fandom. It’s so accessible, so simple, and yet so rich in depth, that it’s just… the perfect movie.

I had never really considered it until this rewatch, but it was as Lupin and Clarisse looked toward Cagliostro Castle that something clicked in my brain. This is my favorite movie ever made. I’ve heard some people argue this movie is bad or overrated, because it influenced the later Lupin films to be more bland and stale, but personally, I don’t think it’s fair to judge the movie by things completely out of it or its makers’ control. The Castle of Cagliostro is an amazing movie, and it’s a fantastic Lupin III movie.

That’s the end of this essay. My rating? 10/10 movie.

Special thanks to Shmeepy, Curley, Kat, Sapphic, and the others in Caggy for reading this essay as I posted WIPs.

Also thanks to Delaney Jordan and lastflunky for their analyses of Miyazaki's Lupin and Cagliostro respectively, they were big inspirations in writing this essay.

Join Cagliostro Central, my Lupin III server named after this very movie.

Also if you just like seeing stuff from me read my comic, yes I'm a filthy plugger what of it.

Ok bye see you in September for Babylon (hopefully I get it out sooner)

#/j /j /j #ok but in all seriousness #kal cooking!!!#lupin iii

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