Lupin III: Seven Days Rhapsody Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

Lupin III: Seven Days Rhapsody Blu-ray Movie Review

Lupin the Third – Seven Days Rhapsody is the 18^th television special in the beloved Japanese anime feature- film franchise. Broadcast on the Nippon Television Network, Lupin the Third – Seven Days Rhapsody features animation production by Tokyo Movie (Case Closed, Detective Conan: Magician of the Silver Sky). Created by Monkey Punch, Lupin the Third – Seven Days Rhapsody is another exciting installment in the film series.

Produced by Toshio Nakatani (Lupin the 3rd: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid, Lupin III: The Secret of Twilight Gemini) and Yasumichi Ozaki (Lupin III: Crisis in Tokyo, Lupin III: Dragon of Doom), Lupin the Third – Seven Days Rhapsody features voice-performances by Kanichi Kurita, Kiyoshi Kobayashi, Gorō Naya, Eiko Masuyama, Makio Inoue, and Mariya Ise. Lupin the Third – Seven Days Rhapsody will be a must-see for fans of the anime.

A lot can happen in the span of one week. Lupin III (Kanichi Kurita) and his close allies all find themselves intertwined in a series of adventures across the span of a seven-day rhapsody of action. The jam-packed week of experiences is full of twists and surprises as Lupin finds himself being hired by the beautiful Michelle (Mariya Ise) to help steal an enormous diamond.

Lupin is known as the best thief in the game and Michelle wants only the best for her mission. The elusive diamond is known as the Goddess’ Teardrop. The Goddess’ Teardrop belongs to Michelle’s millionaire father. Can Lupin steal it away?

Meanwhile, Jigen Daisuke (Kiyoshi Kobayashi) is doing a contract job. Inspector Zenigata (Gorō Naya) remains hot on the heels of Lupin III with another cat-and-mouse chase. Fujiko Mine (Eiko Masuyama) hears of the mysterious and valuable Goddess’ Teardrop diamond and hopes to steal it away for herself – getting some help on her mission this time by Goemon Ishikawa XIII (Makio Inoue) assisting. Michelle ends up being kidnapped and the diamond quest heats up with more unexpected turns. Who will walk away with the elusive diamond?

The characters are at the heart of the film. As with all of the Lupin adventures, the cast is one of the big draws of the film series. Lupin the Third – Seven Days Rhapsody continues to reward fans with the cast returning for another fun adventure. Lupin is a lovable hero and adventurer. There is so much suave gusto and charisma. The supporting characters are just as essential. Zenigata is the lovable inspector always chasing after Lupin and often joining in on the fun. Fujiko is a beautiful badass and opposite to Lupin. Goemon is stoic and great with a blade. Jigen is the best draw with a pistol and a terrific ally to Lupin on his journey. The character designs by Satoshi Hirayama (Cat's Eye, Lupin III: Crisis in Tokyo) impress with wonderful designs. The designs for the characters add so much to the production – bringing these characters to life for the television special. The iconic aesthetic of the characters beautifully retained.

The animation is one of the most compelling and vital components of the anime production. Lupin the Third – Seven Days Rhapsody features superb art direction by Yukiko Iijima (Digimon Adventure 02, Lovely Complex) and animation direction by Jōji Yanase (Attack on Titan The Final Season, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations), Kenji Hachizaki (Lupin III: Elusiveness of the Fog, Lupin III: Farewell to Nostradamus), Masahiko Yoda (Blade of the Immortal, Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine), Masakazu Saitō (Rosario + Vampire, Tiger & Bunny), and Shinya Takahashi (Armitage III: Poly-Matrix, Space Battleship Yamato Resurrection). The animation is top-notch and impresses in spades.

What an incredible showcase for the Lupin franchise. The animation is bold and colorful with background animation and detailed layouts that add to the aesthetic of the feature-film. The action-packed animation is well brought to life and there is plenty going on in the feature- film from scene-to-scene. What a wondrous animation effort and with so much to appreciate. The team of animators brought their A-game to the production.

The mecha designs by Yoshio Mizumura (Lupin III vs. Detective Conan, Yowamushi Pedal) are also well-done and add another component to the feature-film. These mecha designs help add another layer of quality to the production. Mizumura does a good job delivering on this front with Lupin the Third – Seven Days Rhapsody.

The cinematography by Satoshi Ohtsubo (Lupin III: Return of Pycal, Requiem from the Darkness) is exceptional and certainly adds a lot to the feature-film. The cinematography is vibrant and colorful. The production impresses in spades with well- done cinematography that highlights the subtle and engaging aesthetic elements of the animation.

The score composed by Yuji Ohno (Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, Lupin III: Part II) is a joy and one of the key elements of the feature-film. Ohno is a brilliant composer and the franchise just wouldn’t be the same without the great contributions of Ohno. Ohno understands the characters enormously well. What fun music and the jazzy score is essential for the action-packed fun.

Written by Hiroshi Kashiwabara (Lupin III: Dead or Alive, Lupin III: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure), Lupin the Third – Seven Days Rhapsody is a fun thrill ride. The script is well-done. The characters are tossed into new and exciting situations. Kashiwabara is a great scriptwriter with a great grasp on the production and what is required for a fun adventure in the franchise. As a result, the thrill ride is all the more entertaining.

Directed by Hajime Kamegaki (Puzzle & Dragons X, The World Is Still Beautiful), Lupin the Third – Seven Days Rhapsody is an action-comedy adventure that works splendors in the beloved film franchise. An incredible effort by Kamegaki. The director has a ton of fun with the production and bringing out the best in the animation and in the story. Kashiwabara throttles the adventure dial and brings something essential for the franchise. Lupin the Third – Seven Days Rhapsody is a lot of fun for franchise devotees.

Lupin III: Seven Days Rhapsody Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Discotek Media, Lupin the Third – Seven Days Rhapsody is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The release is presented with an upscaled high-definition presentation. Newly remastered by Discotek, Lupin the Third – Seven Days Rhapsody is beautifully presented on the release. Discotek has provided a nice and engaging master and one that capably upscales the animation from the standard-definition master. The animation isn't quite as crisp or organic as native high-definition animation is. However, the animation looks impressive for an upscale and better than a standard-definition DVD. Compression is a bit more well-managed and the encode capably provides a pleasing presentation.

Lupin III: Seven Days Rhapsody Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 (with English subtitles). Fans of the franchise will be pleased to learn that this is the first time this special has been available in North America with English subtitles. The newly translated English subtitles are excellent and add to the quality presentation. The subtitles are free from egregious spelling or grammatical errors. The nice lossless encoding allows for a solid soundstage. The audio is not quite as crisp or robust as on some productions but it sounds clean and engaging without any audio detriments to deter anyone from the experience.

Lupin III: Seven Days Rhapsody Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes with a beautiful o-card slipcover. The nicely designed slipcover features compelling key artwork. The artwork underneath the slipcover remains the same and does not offer additional artwork. Discotek does a nice job with the quality of the slipcovers and the manufacturing quality certainly stands out as something commendable. A nice collectable component for the release.

On disc supplements include:

TV Commercials (HD, 1:05)

Liner Notes includes 8 pages of notes on the special.

Although a more robust supplemental package would have been appreciated, it is nice to see Discotek continue to provide both the quality o-card slipcovers and the liner notes as these are elements of the releases fans have come to expect.

Lupin III: Seven Days Rhapsody Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Lupin the Third – Seven Days Rhapsody is an excellent action-adventure thrill-ride. The action-packed anime feature-film is a must-see for franchise devotees. The filmmaking is fun and there is a lot to appreciate with the production.

The Blu-ray features an upscaled high-definition master alongside newly translated English subtitles. The release is only provided in the original Japanese (and no English dub is on disc). The Blu-ray release also comes with a nice-looking o-card slipcover. Highly recommended.