Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Lupin the 3rd: Part 5 Blu-ray Movie Review

Lupin the Third: Part 5 is an exciting and adventure-laden confection. The series continues to be one of the most rewarding anime productions of all time. Created by Monkey Punch, the manga was adapted in to the long-running and fan-favorite anime production. Lupin the Third: Part 5 is produced by Kōji Nozaki (Lupin III: Goodbye Partner, Lupin III: Prison of the Past) and Masaki Shiode (Wonder Egg Priority, Run with the Wind) and the fifth part includes some more thrilling fun for franchise devotees. The fifth part features animation produced by TMS Entertainment (Case Closed, Detective Conan - Episode One: The Great Detective Turned Small). Broadcast on the Nippon Television Network (Case Closed, Death Note), Lupin the Third: Part 5 delivers the exciting thrills that fans of the beloved anime series have come to expect to find.

Arsene Lupin III (Kanichi Kurita) discovers a new world of technology that he never expected to encounter before in his own lifetime. As Lupin faces up against the changing world of technology with the help of a leading securities expert, the stakes of the game raise significantly. Lupin now sets forth to steal the entire fortune of the Marco Polo bank and the entire banking enterprise is one rooted in digital currencies – often rooted in unscrupulous banking.

As changing technologies continue to affect Lupin, a viral video game on the internet causes Lupin to become sought after by practically everyone on the planet! As Lupin and his comrades Daisuke Jigen (Kiyoshi Kobayashi), Goemon Ishikawa (Daisuke Namikawa), and Fujiko Mine (Miyuki Sawashiro) flee, Inspector Zenigata (Kōichi Yamadera) remains steadfast in pursuit of the master thief. Can anyone ever catch the great thief Lupin?

The Lupin franchise features one of the most compelling cast of characters ever assembled for an anime. The entire ensemble is enticing and these characters make the series so thrilling and memorable. Long time fans will be pleased to see the return of these beloved characters for another fun and action-packed adventure. Lupin remains the headstrong and fast-as-lighting master thief.

Lupin is a strong protagonist and he carries the entire series on his shoulders. Lupin may be an art thief but he helps to save the day so many times that one can’t help but look at the character as a lovable hero. The strong supporting cast of characters enriches the series as well. Goemon remains a master swordsman and Jigen the gun-wielding expert. Fujiko is as sultry and beautiful as always – providing the series with a fantastic sense of suave that is undeniable. Then there’s Inspector Zenigata, who is always chasing after Lupin (without succeeding) and yet he is an unofficial team member for the crew in some way.

The character designs by Hisao Yokobori (Lupin III Italian Game, Lupin the 3rd Part 6) are remarkable. The designs certainly stand out as some of the best in anime and the designer retains the style that originated in the original production. Though the series always goes through some slight changes (providing modifications that are a bit different in each installment), the end results are great at remaining authentic and true to the voice and vision of the original creative team. These anime characters simply wouldn’t be the same with a complete overhaul to their designs so the great craftsmanship given to the production helps to ensure that the series remains a thrill for fans.

The art direction by Keiichiro Shimizu (Tower of God, Baki-Dou) is another rewarding component of the production. The animation is outstanding and the sense of artistry on display is fantastic. Shimizu has fantastic sensibilities as an art director. Understanding the essential ingredients of the series and its visual qualities, Shimizu manages to provide the series with a beautiful looking production that has sweeping production merits – from the stellar background animation to the detailed line art. The animators certainly provided a great level of care to the series and make it look imaginative.

The cinematography by Aiko Miyazaki and Akinori Nakakohara is another highlight for this installment of Lupin. The visual element is essential to the series working as well as it does. The series looks sleek and crisp. The earlier series had a more old-fashioned hand- drawn aesthetic with a color palate that often reflected something a bit more complex but the new series still retains a beautiful style and looks as wonderful as fans can hope to find. The cinematography has a wonderful sense of cinematic lighting and the results certainly enhance the tone of the production.

The score composed by Yuji Ohno (Captain Future, Lupin III: Part II) is exceptional and the series simply wouldn’t be the same without the contributions of the great composer at the helm. Ohno has been the long-time composer for the majority of the Lupin anime franchise and his contributions are key to the series success. The score is jazz-infused and energetic and there is an uplifting sense of energy to the music. The entire series finds a greater sense of rhythm and cohesion between installments because of the dependable music by Ohno.

Written by Ichiro Okouchi (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress), Lupin the Third: Part 5 offers exciting action-packed storytelling. The characters are always the strongest point of Lupin. The characters have great personalities and the writing does a good job of reflecting their iconic voices as characters. The sense of adventure in the storytelling makes the production fun as well. The series has plenty of thrills.

Directed by Yuichiro Yano (Moyashimon Returns, Mujin Wakusei Survive), Lupin the Third: Part 5 is another rewarding entry in the long-running Lupin franchise. Lupin is one of my favorite anime productions and it is always nice to revisit Lupin with more installments. The series has such an outstanding sense of energy and vision, it is a wondrous world to explore and return to. Fans of the franchise will be thrilled to have more installments in the beloved saga.

Lupin the 3rd: Part 5 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Anime Limited, Lupin the Third: Part 5 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The presentation is outstanding and looks remarkably crisp and colorful in high definition. A wonderful encoding.  

This is an impressive and well-rounded presentation with a lot of great clarity and depth for the series animation. The style of animation is well reproduced on the Blu-ray format. The encoding preserves the animation with excellent color and detail. The encoding also capably handles the action sequences and offers a robust and satisfying presentation overall.

Lupin the 3rd: Part 5 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: the release is presented in English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The lossless audio encoding is exceptional sounding. The lossless sound encoding provides a greater sense of depth, clarity, and precision. Dialogue sounds crisp and clear during the presentation. The score is well reproduced as well.

One of the best advantages of the Blu-ray format is the inclusion of lossless audio. On this Blu-ray set, a robust 24-bit depth high-resolution option is provided. By comparison, streaming video audio encodes are usually limited to 16-bit depth at an average bit-rate of 320kbps. The level of compression to the dynamic range on the streaming options is heavily compressed and sounds lackluster when one compares it to the lossless sound presentation with a good sound system.

Lupin the 3rd: Part 5 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc 2:

Preview Video (HD, 00:58)

Creditless Opening (HD, 1:21)

Creditless Ending (HD, 1:26)

English Opening (HD, 1:21)

Art Galleries:

Key Art and Color Works

Model Sheets – Main Characters (Color)

Model Sheets – Supporting Characters (Color)

Model Sheets – Main Characters (Black and White)

Model Sheets – Supporting Characters (Black and White)

Model Sheets – Items, Weapons, and Vehicles

Model Sheets – Backgrounds

Disc 3:

Creditless Opening (Ep. 24) (HD, 1:28)

Creditless Ending (Ep. 24) (HD, 1:33)

English Opening (Ep. 24) (HD, 1:28)

Creditless Opening (OVA) (HD, 3:34)

English Opening (OVA) (HD, 3:34)

Lupin the 3rd: Part 5 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Lupin the Third: Part 5 is another exciting and thrilling installment in the popular action-anime franchise. The series has outstanding animation and a wonderful sense of creativity. The production brings back every fan-favorite character. The series simply wouldn't be the same without Lupin, Jigen, Goemon, Fujiko, and Inspector Zenigata. The characters are essential to the backbone of the franchise and audiences keep returning for more Lupin adventures because of the essential cast.

The Blu-ray release features an outstanding video and audio presentation. The release includes a robust high-definition presentation alongside an exceptional DTS-HD Master Audio presentation in either English or Japanese (with English subtitles). Fans will appreciate the higher bit-rates allotted to the video encode compared to streaming services and the significantly higher audio encode rates (and greater bit-depth) provided to the lossless audio presentation. Anyone experiencing the series with a quality sound system will appreciate the huge improvements the lossless audio provides.

A solid presentation of another fun Lupin entry. Highly recommended.