Lupin III: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Lupin III: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid Blu-ray Movie Review

Lupin the Third: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid is an exciting and fast-paced action-adventure. The feature-film stands as the 22^nd television special in the franchise. Broadcast on the Nippon Television Network, Lupin the Third: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid features quality animation produced by Telecom Animation Film (Lupin III: Elusiveness of the Fog, Lupin the IIIrd: Jigen's Gravestone). Created by Monkey Punch, Lupin the Third: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid features additional production by TMS Entertainment (Case Closed, Lupin III: Part IV).

Produced by Kōji Takeuchi (Lupin III: Farewell to Nostradamus, Lupin III: The Fuma Conspiracy), Naoki Iwasa (Napping Princess, Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine), Toshio Nakatani (Lupin III: Crisis in Tokyo, Lupin III: Island of Assassins), and Yasumichi Ozaki (Lupin III: Crisis in Tokyo, Lupin III: Dragon of Doom), Lupin the Third: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid is a wonderful film for franchise fans to see. The film features excellent voice-work by Kanichi Kurita, Kiyoshi Kobayashi, Daisuke Namikawa, Miyuki Sawashiro, Kōichi Yamadera, Risa Shimizu, Haruka Shibuya, Masako Nozawa, and Shiro Saito. Executive produced by Seiji Okuda (Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, The Sky Crawlers), Lupin the Third: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid is a must-see adventure.

Lupin III (Kanichi Kurita) has a new mission: to steal a valuable stone. The stone is unlike anything else on the market. The stone is an ancient relic and one that holds immeasurable value. The gemstone is also commonly known as being the Mermaid’s Scale. The gemstone is up for auction in an underground bidding war – the type that is under-the-table. Despite the supposed value of the gemstone, the gemstone turned out to be a forgery – it isn’t even the real thing!  The real gemstone is far more luxurious and valuable – holding the key to unlocking the potential of immortality.

No wonder the gemstone is so highly sought! When the queen of the Underworld is murdered, the immortal young aid Misa (Risa Shimizu) is thrust in to danger and finds herself kidnapped by Himuro (Akira Ishida). Lupin, Jigen (Kiyoshi Kobayashi), Goemon (Daisuke Namikawa), and Fujiko Mine (Miyuki Sawashiro) must manage to find the gemstone before it is too late – the entire fate of the world is at stake. In the wrong hands, the gemstone could provide more than immortality – it could provide a key to destroying the world itself. While pursuing the gemstone, Inspector Zenigata (Kōichi Yamadera) remains hot on his trail.

The characters remain essential to the filmmaking. The cast of characters are charming and add so much joy to the experience. Lupin is a charming protagonist and one can’t help but enjoy going along for the magic ride with the character. The cast of supporting characters are undeniably charming as well. The supporting cast is an essential part of the charm – Jigen and Goemon are essential to the series and feature-films. These characters make up a great gang of adventurers.

The animation in Lupin the Third: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid is exceptional and an essential part of the cinematic experience. The animation features art direction by Yasuhiro Yamako (Moyashimon Returns, Lupin III: Part IV) and chief animation direction by Yoshiharu Satō (Meiken Lassie, Only Yesterday). The animators of Lupin the Third: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid did superb work bringing to life the storyboards created by Hisao Yokobori, Kazuhide Tomonaga, and Teiichi Takiguchi.

 The animators showcase the superb character designs of Yoshiharu Satō (The Dog of Flanders, A Flying Princess and a Secret Island). The design work adds a lot to the production. The characters are just as well-drawn as in previous films in the franchise. Great artistry all-around.

The cinematography by Junko Miyakawa (Lupin III: Elusiveness of the Fog, Ramen Fighter Miki) is an essential part of the film. The visual style is exquisite and the aesthetic could not have been as well achieved without the contributions by Miyakawa. What a wonderful aesthetic for the film, with the superb colors of the cinematography enhancing the experience.

The score composed by Yuji Ohno (Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, Lupin the 3rd: The Mystery of Mamo) is one of the most valuable elements of the film. Composer Ohno is reliable and always dependable. The composer has a great sense of style as a composer and there are a lot of fun components of the score. The score brings the adventure forward and propels the action.

Written by Michihiro Tsuchiya (Chaika - The Coffin Princess, Pokémon Journeys: The Series), Lupin the Third: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid is a fun action-film with plenty of excitement. The film has quality scripting with good moments for the main characters and the journey is one that has fun excitement throughout. A good effort by Tsuchiya.

Directed by Teiichi Takiguchi (The Garden of Sinners, Baki-Dou), Lupin the Third: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid is essential for fans of the Lupin franchise. The directing adds a lot to the film and brings the best out of the entire production. Director Takiguchi has a keen visual sensibility and that is one main reason why the experience is so rewarding for fans. Lupin the Third: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid doesn’t stall in providing thrilling adventure and this makes it a compelling entry in the beloved anime franchise. Don’t miss it.

Lupin III: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Discotek Media, Lupin the Third: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The release provides an excellent presentation with superb color reproduction, detail, and clarity. The release features a strong presentation with quality encoding by Discotek Media. Line art is crisp and definition is excellent. The transfer exceeds expectations and offers an enormously fun and satisfying presentation.

Lupin III: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in English uncompressed PCM 2.0 and Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 (with English subtitles). The release provides a brand-new English dub track featuring the voice cast of the Lupin the Third: Part IV series. The feature-film sound direction by Youji Shimizu (Lupin III THE FIRST, Lupin III vs. Cat's Eye) is well reproduced on the release. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand. Overall clarity and detail are superb. The soundtrack is well reproduced.

Lupin III: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Japanese Voice Actor Roundtable Interview (HD, 15:05) as recorded during the discussion held on 10/09/2011.

Japanese Trailers (HD, 1:01)

English Trailer (HD, 00:45)

International Opening & Ending (HD, 7:04)

Lupin III: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Lupin the Third: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid is a thrilling action-packed adventure for fans of the anime film series. The film offers intense and non-stop excitement for franchise devotees. The Blu-ray release provides a quality presentation (with excellent video and lossless audio) alongside a nice assortment of supplemental features – including a Japanese Voice-Actor Roundtable. Highly recommended.