Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro

Rupan Sansei: Kariosutoro no Shiro

Also Known As: Lupin III: CoC

Genre: Action/Comedy

Format: 1 Movie

Allegiance: Tokyo Movie Shinsha

Director: Miyazaki Hayao

Vintage: 1979

Intelligence Agency Report by: Phate

After pulling off a heist of a casino, master thief Lupin III discovers that he has just stolen nothing but counterfeit money. Shortly thereafter, he decides to steal the treasure of Cagliostro Castle. Lupin then discovers that the lovely and beautiful Clarise is going to be forced to marry the Count of the castle. Lupin must then attempt to save Clarise from the clutches of the Count and solve the mystery of Cagliostro Castle. Even with his friends Jigen and Goemon by his side, Lupin must go through an army of assassins, Inspector Zenigata, and whole lot more!

Field Agent Report by: Phate

Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio

9.00
9.00
8.75
8.00
8.50

Overall

9.00

(not an average)

Miyazaki Hayao is considered by many to be one of the greatest anime directors of our time. It’s no wonder, because his works definitely have something special to them. Same goes for Castle of Cagliostro, as it has so many great qualities about it; it’s also one of his first major works, and considered by many to be the pinnacle of the Lupin III franchise.

Castle of Cagliostro is one of my favorite anime movies, and for good reason. It excels in almost every area it possibly could, and even in the ones it doesn’t, it does fairly well in. The plot and characters, for starters, are wonderful. Though not incredibly complex and twisting, they’re still very fun. The plot, for one, is simple and easy to understand, and that’s what makes it so good. When something is as fun as this, it doesn’t need to have a twisting story. As for the characters, they’re delightful, also. Each one is lovable, especially if you’re familiar with the Lupin franchise and are more familiar with them.

Many people consider that the only real flaw of this show would be the animation. It was made a while ago, and the animation can get a little crude at times, but it can’t really be helped. However, the other fault I found would be that it wasn’t as funny as I had hoped. Maybe this type of humor just isn’t what I find funny, as other people I know who’ve seen loved the comedy.

Castle of Cagliostro is definitely one of the better animes out there. Though not perfect, it definitely is something that anyone needs to see. It has action, drama, and even comedy, and though the jokes didn’t quite appeal to me, there’s always a chance that it will appeal to you. Watch it as soon as possible.

Field Agent Report by: Niner

Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio

8.50
9.50
9.75
8.50
8.75

Overall

9.50

(not an average)

One of the main reasons classic anime are revered today is because of their ability to maintain their excellence even in light of all the newer and glitzier productions of the modern day. The style and method of presentation may have changed over the years, but the other intrinsic components of a great show, such as storyline and character development, haven't really changed at all. The Castle of Cagliostro possesses all of these qualities and as such, has taken its rightful place in the pantheon of anime classics.

The Lupin III franchise is considered classic in its own right, but I came into watching The Castle of Cagliostro without having seen any previous Lupin production. This fact made me a little apprehensive, since I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to connect to the characters as much without having prior experience, but my fears were quickly quashed about fifteen minutes into the film. Arsène Lupin III is a character that needs little introduction, and from the get-go he was immediately likeable, trading wisecracks with fedora-topped straight man Jigen and making me feel like I'd known them forever. The rest of Lupin's motley crew was much the same way, from the voluptuous and double-crossing Fujiko Mine, to the taciturn samurai Goemon and the doggedly determined Inspector Zenigata. Each character brought another diverse element to the story, but never diverted attention away from the true star of the show, Lupin. The plot goes with the tried and true formula of saving a damsel in distress from a dark and foreboding castle and while Lupin isn't exactly a knight in shining armor, he slips into the role rather easily, putting all of his formidable skills to the test in an effort to save the girl. It was particularly enjoyable to me to see Lupin and Zenigata forced into certain sticky situations because it really allowed me to observe the rather unique dynamic they share. For all the inspector's bluster and Lupin's jesting, it was readily obvious that they harbored a deep, if begrudging respect for one another.

Yes, the animation is a bit dated, but for something that was made in 1979, The Castle of Cagliostro still looks pretty darn good. It really detracted nothing from my enjoyment of the show; however, I had to list at least one drawback and this is it. I guess another would be the fact that it does fit the damsel in distress formula to a T, and the ending is no big surprise there as you kind of got that feeling going into the movie. Again, not really a bad thing, since I'm just nitpicking here.

Much like its venerable title character, The Castle of Cagliostro has withstood the test of time, holding its own against newer movies and series with flashier visuals. Again, much like Lupin, you can't underestimate this film, because under the dated exterior is excellence and style that very few productions today can match.