Lupin III: Return of Pycal Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Lupin III: Return of Pycal Blu-ray Movie Review

Lupin the Third: Return of Pycal is an entertaining and action-packed entry in the Lupin franchise. Created by Monkey Punch, Lupin the Third is one of the most essential of all anime productions. Produced by Keiko Konori (Lupin III: Episode 0 'First Contact', Lupin III: Operation Return the Treasure), Kenji Mizunuma (Reporter Blues, Glass no Kamen), and Mitsuru Ōshima (Zone of the Enders, Hajime no Ippo), Lupin the Third: Return of Pycal is the first OVA production in the franchise.

Lupin the Third: Return of Pycal has animation by Tokyo Movie (Lupin III: The Secret of Twilight Gemini, Lupin III: Crisis in Tokyo). Executive produced by Kin'ya Yokoegawa, Tadahito Matsumoto (Requiem from the Darkness, Cardfight!! Vanguard), Takashi Tanatsugu, and Umeo Ito (Soreike! Anpanman: Anpanman to Tanoshii Nakama-tachi, Soreike! Anpanman: Tekka no Maki-chan to Kin no Kamameshidon), Lupin the Third: Return of Pycal provides plenty for fun for franchise devotees. Though not the best installment it has enough merit to keep fans of the franchise entertained.

Lupin III (Kanichi Kurita) is on a new and dangerous mission. The mission once again requires Lupin to work alongside his friends Jigen (Kiyoshi Kobayashi) and Goemon (Makio Inoue). The master thief is seeking the rare and valuable Celestial Crystals. If Lupin can manage to obtain the entire 7 crystal collection, Lupin will hold enormous riches beyond compare. Lupin might have a gold mine is he snatches the entire set!

One of the most valuable Celestial Crystals is located in a giant mansion. As Lupin enters the mansion seeking the crystal, he finds Inspector Zenigata already there! Yet it’s actually “The Magician” clown Pycal (Nachi Nozawa) disguised as Zenigata. Now Lupin must somehow dodge both Pycal as well as Inspector Zenigata (Gorō Naya) and get the crystal at the same time.

Pycal proves to be one of the most dangerous villains Lupin has ever faced – and he wants to obtain all of the crystals in order to get special powers foretold if one has the full set of crystals – and use these powers to control the entire world! The fate of the entire world might rest in the hands of Lupin. Can Lupin stop Pycal from collecting the crystals?

The character designs by Satoshi Hirayama (Lupin III: Elusiveness of the Fog, Lupin III: Operation Return the Treasure) are impressive. The design work for the OVA installment stays faithful to the original television series while having a somewhat more modern aesthetic. The results are satisfactory.

The animation in Lupin the Third: Return of Pycal is engaging. The animation features art direction by Takashi Miyano (Lupin III: Crisis in Tokyo, Lupin III: Island of Assassins) and animation direction by Satoshi Hirayama (Lupin III: Missed by a Dollar, Lupin III: Elusiveness of the Fog). The animation style is notable and provides a beautiful aesthetic. Though there are some elements of the production that seem low budget compared to earlier installments (perhaps unsurprising given this entry was an OVA film) the results are still enjoyable within the franchise.

The cinematography by Satoshi Ohtsubo (Lupin III: Seven Days Rhapsody, Requiem from the Darkness) is perhaps a weak element of the production, though. The cinematography uses animation filters for the desired aesthetic. The animation is sometimes a bit less impressive looking as a result. A decent if somewhat unspectacular effort.

The score composed by Yuji Ohno (Lupin III: Crisis in Tokyo, Lupin III: Dragon of Doom) is enjoyable fun. Ohno is a genius. The score for Lupin the Third: Return of Pycal is entertaining and has a lot of charm. Ohno is consistently reliable.

The screenplay by Ryou Katsuragi (B't X) is a weak point in the production. The script by Katsuragi just isn’t that good. The storytelling and pacing are a bit lackluster at times. Even though it is an OK script, Katsuragi could have done better. Some of the supporting characters also seem to have less to do.

Directed by Mamoru Hamatsu (Legendary Armor Samurai Troopers, Ronin Warriors: Legend of the Inferno Armor), Lupin the Third: Return of Pycal is a decent installment in the film series. It is the franchise first OVA installment. The film is not as good as some of the best theatrical or television features but it does have some charm. Hamatsu made an entertaining (if imperfect) entry but fans should check it out regardless of if it lives up to expectations – there are enough good moments for franchise devotees.

Lupin III: Return of Pycal Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray from Discotek Media, Lupin the Third: Return of Pycal is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in an aspect ratio of 1.84:1 widescreen. The presentation quality on the release is average at best. The transfer quality is somewhat underwhelming at times because it is an OVA production from 2002. Technology at the time was limited and many anime productions were edited using digital tech and look dated now with softer and less robust animation.

The art style is inherently dated because of production techniques used during this time period. It is quite unfortunate because cell-based animation transferred on film from earlier decades can be seen with a much more vibrant and colorful aesthetic on Blu-ray than series produced in the early to mid 2000s. As a result, don't expect too much from the transfer on Lupin the Third: Return of Pycal.

Lupin III: Return of Pycal Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of audio options: Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo. Both lossless audio options are provided with English subtitles. The presentation quality of the subtitles is excellent on this release. The subtitles are free from having significant spelling or grammatical errors.

The sound direction by Satoshi Katō (Space Adventure Cobra, Cat's Eye) is well encoded on the release. The lossless audio sounds clear during the audio presentation and certainly is impressive overall. The release does not include an English dubbed option.

Lupin III: Return of Pycal Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes a nice o-card slipcover.

Television Promos (SD, 00:54)

Creditless Opening & Closing (HD, 1:25)

International Opening & Closing (HD, 3:04)

Secret Endings:

#1: Inspector Zenigata (HD, 1:25)

#2: Fujiko Mine (HD, 2:01)

#3: Mysterious Old Man (HD, 1:42)

Lupin III: Return of Pycal Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Lupin the Third: Return of Pycal is a decent entry in the beloved franchise. The installment is a bit weak compared to the best theatrical and television specials but it still has some fun moments for the devoted fanbase. The film was the first OVA production in the Lupin anime franchise.

The Blu-ray release has a decent video and audio presentation. The video quality is a bit underwhelming because of the limitations of OVA animation produced in the early to mid 2000s. It is unfortunate but there is nothing that can be done about it because of technology of the time and its limitations. The audio fares somewhat better and dialogue is clear and easy to understand. Recommended.