Lupin the 3rd: Jigen's Gravestone Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Lupin the 3rd: Jigen's Gravestone Blu-ray Movie Review

Lupin the Third – Jigen’s Gravestone is a thrilling action-packed anime feature. Created by Monkey Punch, Lupin the Third – Jigen’s Gravestone is a fun installment in the saga. The film acts as a sort of reboot with a distinct art style in the vein of Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine. A beautiful production with animation by Telecom Animation Film (Lupin III: Farewell to Nostradamus, Blue Thermal), the film features theme music composed by James Shimoji, with lyrics by Takumi Iwasaki, and performed by Gary Stockdale.

Produced by Yu Kiyozono (Lupin III: Part IV, Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine), Lupin the Third – Jigen’s Gravestone was distributed by TMS Entertainment. Featuring voice-performances by Marika Minase, Kanichi Kurita, Kiyoshi Kobayashi, Akio Hirose, and Miyuki Sawashiro. Lupin the Third – Jigen’s Gravestone is an engaging entry in the franchise.

Queen Malta (Marika Minase) hoped to help heal a quarrel between two nations with a showstopping performance as a singer. Despite Malta’s goal to bring unity to the nations with her performance, the night doesn’t go down as smoothly as one might have hoped. Malta finds herself the unexpected target of assassination.

A night of unity through song becomes a night of horror when Malta becomes the victim of an assassin and is killed while performing live on stage. Lupin III (Kanichi Kurita) now finds himself on another new mission alongside Daisuke Jigen (Kiyoshi Kobayashi). Lupin is in pursuit of a valuable gemstone known under the name of Little Comet.

Despite nearing escape, Lupin finds his escapade crashing down when both him and Jigen become intertwined with the same assassin that killed Malta: Yael Okusaki (Akio Hirose). The assassin is now pursuing Jigen and he can even see the sight of his own gravestone looming in the distance. Will Jigen be the next victim of the deadly assassin? The stage is set for a deadly game. Some surprises might even be in store and sexy vixen Fujiko Mine (Miyuki Sawashiro) isn’t too far behind and might be able to offer some help.

The character designs by Takeshi Koike (Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, Afro Samurai) are impressive and creatively handled. The design work is reminiscent of the animation in Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine. The avant garde style works wonders for the production and helps it to stand out from other Lupin installments.

The animation is one of the best elements – and why it works so well. The art direction by Seiki Tamura (Tokimeki wa, Sugu Soba ni.) is terrific. The animation direction is handled by director Takeshi Koike. The effort is outstanding here and there was an enormous amount of attention to detail provided in the film. Lupin the Third – Jigen’s Gravestone is a visual wonder.

The cinematography by Jiro Tazawa (Fairy Tail, Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone) is in tune with the visual style of the animation. Cinematographer Tazawa brings out the best in the animation. A darkly mesmerizing aesthetic for the cinematography.

The score composed by James Shimoji (Redline, Lupin the IIIrd: Fujiko Mine's Lie) is entertaining and a nice backdrop for the action. The music provides plenty of adrenaline. An outstanding score. Shimoji might not approach the material in the same way as the jazz-infused scores in classic Lupin but the music feels at-home for this reboot of the franchise.

Written by Yūya Takahashi (Lupin the Third – Goemon’s Blood Spray, Lupin the IIIrd: Fujiko Mine's Lie), Lupin the Third – Jigen’s Gravestone isn’t as well scripted as some other Lupin entries. This script is simply not as compelling as expected. The concept is good and there are still some good moments but the scripting lacks the same ambition as some of the best Lupin entries.

Takeshi Koike (Afro Samurai, World Record) does a great job in the directors’ chair. Any shortcomings of the script are made up for with the fast-paced action. The film has a breezy and entertaining style. The energy is palpable. Lupin the Third – Jigen’s Gravestone is well worth seeing.

Lupin the 3rd: Jigen's Gravestone Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray from Discotek Media, Lupin the Third – Jigen's Gravestone is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The release has excellent video quality. The presentation is well-encoded. The level of detail in the transfer is excellent and the release benefits from a healthy bit-rate during the presentation. A worthwhile release from Discotek Media.

Lupin the 3rd: Jigen's Gravestone Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release provides a selection of lossless audio options: English uncompressed 2.0 and Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 (with English subtitles). The lossless audio is crystal clear and sounds nice throughout the presentation. Dialogue is well reproduced. The sound direction by Youji Shimizu (The Princess and the Pilot, Lupin the 3rd: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid) is brought to life. Impressive detail and fidelity.

Lupin the 3rd: Jigen's Gravestone Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes a nicely designed o-card slipcover.

Episode 1 Recap (HD, 00:50)

Japanese Trailer 1 (HD, 00:32)

Japanese Trailer 2 (HD, 00:32)

English Credits (HD, 1:53)

Lupin the 3rd: Jigen's Gravestone Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Lupin the Third – Jigen's Gravestone is well worth seeing. The action-packed anime film is a nice installment and semi- reboot in the Lupin franchise. The adventure has plenty of exciting and entertaining moments. The Blu-ray release provides an excellent video-audio presentation. Recommended.