Lupin III: The Elusiveness of the Fog Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Lupin III: The Elusiveness of the Fog Blu-ray Movie Review

Lupin the Third: The Elusiveness of the Fog is an exciting action-adventure in the Lupin anime franchise. The 19^th television special in the franchise, Lupin the Third: The Elusiveness of the Fog was originally broadcast on the Nippon Television Network. Created by Monkey Punch, Lupin the Third: The Elusiveness of the Fog is an ambitious effort produced by the Nippon Television Network, TMS Entertainment, and Tokyo Movie.

Lupin the Third: The Elusiveness of the Fog features animation production by Telecom Animation Film (Lupin III: Farewell to Nostradamus, We Rent Tsukumogami). Produced by Toshio Nakatani (Lupin III: Island of Assassins, Lupin III: The Secret of Twilight Gemini) and Yasumichi Ozaki (Lupin III: Island of Assassins, Lupin III: Missed by a Dollar), Lupin the Third: The Elusiveness of the Fog features a theme song by Yuji Ohno. The film features voice-performances by Kanichi Kurita, Kiyoshi Kobayashi, Gorō Naya, Makio Inoue, and Eiko Masuyama. A must-see adventure for fans of the beloved anime series.

Lupin III (Kanichi Kurita) and Daisuke Jigen (Kiyoshi Kobayashi) are getting into a new bundle of mischief. The duo find themselves in over their head with more adventures than either one can handle. This time around, Lupin and Jigen are traveling underwater through the Kiritappu sea. The watery depths hold a forgotten treasure.

The treasure might be more valuable than anyone could ever have imagined as it might hold the key to unlocking time travel. Despite the possibility of time travel, Inspector Zenigata (Gorō Naya) remains hot on the trail of Lupin and his friends. Unexpectedly, Lupin and the gang are mysterious trapped in the past by a strange adversary. The unexpected detour through time poses a huge risk.

Lupin, Jigen, and Goemon Ishikawa XIII (Makio Inoue) could become trapped in the past – permanently! If Lupin and his gang of allies cannot find a way to time hop back to present time, Lupin’s beloved Fujiko Mine (Eiko Masuyama) might be erased from the time line. Can Lupin course-correct the time travel woes and manage to save Fujiko before it is too late?

The characters make the world of Lupin exhilarating. The television special does a great job highlighting the great cast of characters. The character designs by Satoshi Hirayama (Glass Mask, Lupin III: Return of Pycal) are impressive and stay true to the vision established in theatrical and television productions for Lupin. The artistry of the designs is superb.

The animation is brought to life with superb splendor by the animation team. Under the art direction of Seiji Sugawara (Monster Rancher, Going Wild) and the chief animation direction of Satoshi Hirayama (Cat's Eye, Lupin III vs. Detective Conan), Lupin the Third: The Elusiveness of the Fog is fantastic as a animated achievement. There is so much to appreciate about the background animation, line art, and colorful animation.

The visuals are robust and engaging. The animators brought to life the storyboards by Nobuo Tomizawa (Lupin III: Farewell to Nostradamus, Lupin III Italian Game), Toshihiko Masuda (Ace of Diamond, Lupin III Italian Game), Yutaka Mizuki (Tide-Line Blue), and Yuzo Sato (Cardcaptor Sakura, Medabots). Junko Miyakawa (Lupin the 3rd: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid, Ramen Fighter Miki) enhances these visuals as the cinematographer.

The score composed by Yuji Ohno (Lupin III: Crisis in Tokyo, Lupin III: Dead or Alive) is fantastic fun and there is plenty to enjoy about the score. The jazz-infused score is exhilarating. The music makes the production all the more memorable. Fans of the franchise adore the music of Ohno and the score certainly is one of the most valuable aspects of the film.

Written by Yoshifumi Fukushima (Yowamushi Pedal, Captain Tsubasa) and Yuka Yamada (Samurai Warriors, Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid), Lupin the Third: The Elusiveness of the Fog is a fun and engaging romp. The script gives good dialogue to the cast of characters. The charm of the journey provides an exhilarating experience.

Directed by Toshihiko Masuda (Cybersix, Kira Kira Happy Hirake! Cocotama), Lupin the Third: The Elusiveness of the Fog is a fantastic television adventure. The television special is as fun as some theatrical Lupin films are. The production is worthwhile and the direction by Masuda feels quite ambitious for a TV film. Fans of the franchise won’t want to miss it.

Lupin III: The Elusiveness of the Fog Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Discotek, Lupin the Third: The Elusiveness of the Fog is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high- definition in the original aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The film features a high-definition presentation that is upscaled from standard-definition animation. Despite the animation being upscaled on the release, the presentation is surprisingly good looking on the release. The animation is quite impressive looking. The encode is surprisingly smooth and clear while looking true to the animation. Outstanding upscaling by Discotek Media.

Lupin III: The Elusiveness of the Fog Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 (with English subtitles). The lossless audio on the release is satisfying. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand. The score composed by Ohno is well reproduced. A good audio presentation for the television special.

Lupin III: The Elusiveness of the Fog Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

TV Commercials (HD, 00:51)

Liner Notes includes 6 click-through slides.

Lupin III: The Elusiveness of the Fog Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Lupin the Third: The Elusiveness of the Fog is a fantastic adventure with plenty of charm and entertaining action-packed fun. The film has a lot in store for Lupin fans. The film is great entertainment. The Blu-ray release provides a solid presentation of the film. The release comes a nicely designed o-card slipcover. Recommended.