Anime / Lupin Zero

The untold origins of the man everyone knows

"...I'm sick and tired of living on a course that's already been plotted by somebody else!"

— Lupin III, age 13

Lupin Zero (stylized as LUPiN ZERO) is a six-episode Original Net Animation series produced by TMS Entertainment through their subsidiary Telecom Animation Film. It is the eighth overall anime series in the Lupin III franchise, following Lupin III: Part 6, and a Prequel to Lupin III: Part 1, loosely based on stories from the original manga. Notably, in a similar case to previous prequel series Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, longtime series composer Yuji Ohno does not return for this series, with Otomo Yoshihide instead taking up the role.

In 1960s Tokyo, two young boys cross paths. The first is Lupin (Tasuku Hatanaka), a 13-year-old swindler living on his rich family's dime not keen on letting anyone decide his path in life, including his currently-absent father Lupin II (Toshio Furukawa) and his legendary grandfather Arsène Lupin (Yoshito Yasuhara). The other is Daisuke Jigen (Shunsuke Takeuchi), a gun-toting delinquent hardened by living with his father on the fields of war. This is the story of how these two boys become friends and, ultimately, the notorious globe-trotting partners in crime we'd see them as in a decade's time.

Other notable characters include Yoko (Saori Hayami), a club singer whose shady dealings bring the young Lupin and Jigen together, and Shinobu (Toa Yukinari), Lupin's housekeeper and partner of Lupin II.

The first episode premiered at Anime NYC on November 18, 2022, and the series' proper premiere, consisting of the first two episodes, occurred on December 16, with episodes then airing weekly. Like with Part 6, Sentai Filmworks' HIDIVE streaming service will be airing the series in the US. The teaser trailer can be watched here, and a full trailer can be watched here.

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Tropes:

• Adaptation Expansion: Episode 3 is an adaptation of the manga chapter "Lupin III vs Arsène Lupin", in which the aging Lupin I gives his young grandson one final challenge that will determine whether or not he's worthy to receive his estate...which turns out to be an underhanded ploy to acquire a new heart. The anime expands upon this basic premise, turning Lupin I's challenge to his grandson into a contest among multiple thieves.
• Anachronism Stew: Lupin Zero is set in a vague "early 1960s-ish" time period, roughly a decade before the events of Part 1 occurred (read: aired on TV in Japan) around the start of the '70s. This vagueness regarding exactly what year(s) the events of the series take place in lets TMS be wishy-washy regarding certain details, such as Arsène Lupin undergoing a human-to-human heart transplant to extend his life, even though a successful transplant wouldn't be done until 1967, towards the end of the decade. This instance at least is sort of justified in that the elderly Arsène is considerably kookier and dirtier than his literary counterpart, and thus is more likely to attempt such a crazy stunt without knowing if it'd work or not.
• Artistic License – Religion: Marinal is an Indigenous girl who seemingly comes from somewhere in South or Central America, but regards cows as sacred deities. Cows weren't introduced into the Americas until the colonial period, making it extremely unlikely that they'd be worshipped as religious figures by the tribes living there.
• Brand X: Close-ups of Jigen's signature revolver show it's a Smith & Maxon, complete with a simplified version of the Smith & Wesson logo that has the W flipped upside down. Averted with appearances or mentions of the Walther P-38, which is referred to as a "Walther" in both the show itself and the credits song.
• Casting Gag: Toshio Furukawa (Lupin II) and Yoshito Yasuhara (Arsène Lupin) had connections to the franchise before, both involving voicing the titular thief; Furukawa Other Darrin'd Yasuo Yamada in The Fuma Conspiracy while Yasuhara was almost Yamada's replacement for Farewell to Nostradamus before Kanichi Kurita stepped in.
• Chase-Scene Obstacle Course: What Lupin II and his son's chase through their mansion turns into, thanks to the young Lupin covertly installing numerous tricks, traps, and secret passageways in his spare time.
• Chivalrous Pervert: The teenage Lupin definitely falls into this camp, unlike some iterations of the character. Though the series doesn't dive into Lupin's relationship with women that much in favor of developing his relationship with Jigen, he's still very good friends with Yoko and respects Shinobu's authority to some extent... though this doesn't stop him from peeking at Shinobu's lingerie, which actually helps clue him in to the fact that the "Shinobu" that confronts him and Jigen at the end of episode 5 and tries to lead him astray at the start of episode 6 is really Lupin II in disguise, as his dad wasn't wearing the kind of undergarments she usually does.
• Deliberate Values Dissonance: It's '60s Japan, so things like the middle school age Lupin and Jigen smoking and going to a club to drink isn't that far off for the period.
• Depraved Bisexual: Lupin I is a hedonistic Dirty Old Man with a harem that includes both women and men. He also has a man killed for his heart in an effort to extend his own life.
• Disappeared Dad: Lupin angsts about being left behind by his globe-trotting father.
• Eagleland: Definitely Type 2, with the American servicemen in the fourth episode depicted as boorish, violent, and willing to kill a teenager for stumbling upon their bootlegging operation.
• Episode Zero: The Beginning: This series is set before the events of Lupin III: Part 1, hence the "Zero" in the title.
• Foreshadowing:
  • In the third episode, it's noted that the female thief, Phoolan, has quickly fallen behind the other competitors, and she's the last to arrive at the location where the prize is supposedly being held. She also acts strangely protective of Lupin, in contrast to the ruthlessness of the other two thieves. At the very end of the episode, Lupin finds the real Phoolan Bound and Gagged in the forest, with it being revealed that she was intercepted and replaced by Lupin II while en route to prize.
  • In one shot at the end of episode 5, a duo of shorter soldiers wearing helmets too big for their heads can be seen among Gaucho's forces. In Episode 6, Lupin and Jigen are revealed to have been wearing identical disguises, indicating that the two soldiers from episode 5 were really them all along.
• Game Between Heirs: The third episode revolves around Lupin and three other thieves competing for the inheritance of the original Arsène Lupin.
• Give Him a Normal Life: It's revealed that Lupin's father left him behind in Japan, ostensibly to be raised by his maid Shinobu so that he wouldn't grow up to be a thief like Lupin I and II.
• Good Parents: While he hardly goes about it in the best manner, it's evident that Lupin II does care about his son. He outright rescued him from his abusive grandfather's Training from Hell, wanted him to live an honest, less dangerous lifestyle than that of a thief, and certainly cares for his safety more than his grandfather, who was perfectly willing to potentially get his grandson killed to get his heart and extend his lifespan, whereas II made getting his son out of the range of the atomic bomb he stole and sold a priority. Additionally, when Lupin declares his intent to become Lupin III and beats his father's challenge to steal his Walther, he willingly divulges the info on the bombs' location, gives him some advice for his new lifestyle, and even bequeaths his Walther to him.
• Hollywood Natives: Marinal Zochile Npakakokka, the young shaman girl from episode 2. Her garb and tribal face paint mark her as coming from an indeterminate country somewhere in the Americas, but her language, name, and cultural mannerisms don't really map onto any real-world Indigenous tribe.
• Hotter and Sexier: Downplayed somewhat due to the young age of the protagonist, but streaming online rather than airing on broadcast television appears to have given the show some extra leeway with regards to adapting the sexual content of the original manga. Notably, the women in Lupin I's harem are all depicted topless in episode 3.
• I Just Want to Be Free: Lupin's arc throughout this is essentially him realizing this. Growing up, he was given Training from Hell by his grandfather, including having his meals locked in a safe for him to unlock, to become a great thief until his father stole him away in an attempt to force him into an honest life with the help/enforcement of Shinobu. This causes Lupin to resent both of them for trying to control the way he lives, leading to him being a top student who nevertheless engages in a lot of delinquency because he can't outright rebel against one of them without playing into the hands of the other. It's only when Jigen refuses to stand down from his Mexican Stand Off with Shinobu due to finding it exciting, that Lupin realises that he's always been a Thrill Seeker and so proclaims that he'll become Lupin III not to please his grandfather or spite his father, but because he realises that he'll enjoy the life of constantly living life on the edge.
• It Was a Gift: Episode 6 reveals that Lupin's signature Walther P-38 originally belonged to Lupin II, and after a chase between the two wherein the elder Lupin challenges his son to swipe the weapon off of his person in exchange for the nuclear cannon's location, Lupin II lets Lupin III keep it as a farewell present.
• Knight Templar Parent: Well, Knight Templar Parental Substitute. When she and Jigen get into a Mexican Stand Off during a Yakuza raid on the mansion, Shinobu states she has no issue shooting Jigen even if she knows he wouldn't actually shoot Lupin, since she sees him as a bad influence who could lead him to the life of crime his father wants him to avoid. ...Except Episode 6 then reveals that it really is a Knight Templar Parent, as "Shinobu" was really Lupin II in disguise trying to dissuade his son from becoming a criminal and get him out of range of the impending nuclear attack.
• Like Father, Like Son: Evidently, the third of the Lupin line got his womanizing habits from somewhere, with his grandfather having a harem of naked men and women at his bedside almost constantly and his father attempting to get handsy with Shinobu at one point before she elbows him.
• Mythology Gag: As a prequel to Part 1 notably influenced by the original manga, references to both are aplenty, along with nods to other entries in the franchise:
  • In keeping with this series' main influence, Lupin's character design is closely inspired by the manga's interpretation of him in his youth.
  • Many of the shots in the opening credit sequence are homages to chapter title pages and other images from the original manga. The opening credit sequence itself, meanwhile, is based on Part 1's first opening.
  • The ending sequence is a reimagining of Part 1's, with Lupin and Jigen in place of Fujiko on the motorcycle.
  • In episode 2, Lupin produces a feather to Jigen in the exact same manner he produces a tiny flower to Clarisse in The Castle of Cagliostro.
  • In episode 5, Lupin freezes when Jigen walks in on him escaping out a window in the same manner as when Goemon makes him freeze in Part 1's fifth episode.
  • Also in episode 5, Shinobu mentions the founding of a "Lupin Empire", a vague, pre-established syndicate mentioned in the manga.
  • In episode 6, to commemorate his first heist as "Lupin III", Lupin dons what would become his iconic Green Jacket era outfit. Jigen, while not going as far as to wear a suit, tie, and fedora, gets in on this by donning a blue dress shirt with a leather jacket and black trousers to go with his cap, giving off the impression of his own trademark appearance.
  • The scene from the finale where Yoko leans in and kisses Lupin on the forehead right before she commits suicide is a direct homage to the ending scene of The Castle of Cagliostro, where Lupin gives Clarisse a forehead kiss just before departing.
• Named by the Adaptation: Shinobu roughly corresponds to Lupin's unnamed housekeeper and Lupin II's secret accomplice (previously dubbed "Miss K" in Tokyopop's translation) from the flashback chapters of the original manga.
• Organ Theft: Arsène Lupin pulls this con in episode 3, getting a group of thieves - including his own grandson - to sign a contract that on the surface merely grants them entry to a competition for Lupin's inheritance, but in reality is partially written with ink that fades away after a while, revealing that it's actually a contract that signs away the rights to the signer's heart in the event of their death, with the intent being to transplant the heart of the contest's "winner" into the aging Lupin's body as a way to extend his life. Arsène even directly states that he's "stealing Marion's heart" to Albert.
• Pragmatic Adaptation: This series uses the few times the original manga flashed back to Lupin's youth as its main inspiration. Between the manga's notoriously adult tone and the anime's short 6-episode length, however, it's safe to say that the manga acts as more of a springboard for the series than anything else. Certain changes are also made to account for elements added to the Lupin III canon after publication of the manga, among the most notable being the presence of Albert from Lupin III: Part 5 as Lupin I's new apprentice.
• Prequel: Like Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine before it, this series takes place before the events of Part 1, but goes in a different direction by exploring Lupin's teenage years.
• Read the Fine Print: One of the twists at the end of the third episode. The contracts the thieves signed to enter the competition for Lupin I's inheritance actually signed away the right to their heart in the event of their death. Marion, the thief who actually manages to "win" the contest, is fatally wounded by a surprise trap and gets his heart transplanted into Lupin I for his trouble.
• Retraux: The art style, tone, and general aesthetic deliberately ape the style of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata's episodes of Part 1, and Yoshihide's soundtrack harkens back to Takeo Yamashita's soundtrack for Part 1 — that is, when it isn't arranging it outright. Two major examples of the latter are the opening theme, an instrumental arrangement of "Afro Lupin '68", the second opening theme of Part 1, and the ending theme, an arrangement of Part 1's ending theme, "Lupin the Third Theme Song II".
• Shout-Out:
  • Phoolan, the female thief in Episode 3, is named after Phoolan Devi, known as the Bandit Queen of India.
  • One of the yakuza goons from Episode 5 is modeled after Katsutoshi Otomo, Sonny Chiba's character from the second Battles Without Honor and Humanity film.
• So Proud of You: While their parenting styles and desires for him couldn't be any more different, episode 6 sees Lupin I and II expressing pride in the newly dubbed Lupin III, with II bequeathing his Walther P90 to him in acknowledgement of his new lifestyle, while I lets out a booming laugh upon hearing of his successful attack on the Brooklyn.
• Strong Family Resemblance: The three Lupins (Arsène Lupin, Lupin II, and Lupin III) all closely resemble each other to some degree. In particular, their heads are basically the same shape, and Lupin II more-or-less resembles his son as an adult, albeit with a beard, more pronounced eyebrows, and a slightly different hairstyle.
• The Syndicate: Shinobu briefly mentions the establishment of a "Lupin Empire" headed by Lupin II in episode 5.
• Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: Downplayed; while the middle school-aged Lupin and Jigen are more rebellious than outright troubled, they still smoke, drink, and use firearms despite how much younger they are in this series.
• Wham Episode: Episode 5, "The Man Who Operates in Secret". Lupin II returns to Tokyo to steal a nuclear cannon from the stationed US military on behalf of a revolutionary force seeking to seize control of Japan's government, and it turns out that Yoko has secretly been working with their leader, Gaucho, this whole time. Jigen is hired by a group of yakuza contracted by the government to assist in their raid of Lupin II's estate, with the goal naturally being finding the man himself. Things soon come to a head at a rooftop standoff between Jigen, the young Lupin, and Shinobu, who's come alongside his father to relocate the family elsewhere. The excitement leads Lupin to realize just how much he enjoys living life on the edge, and he resolves to finally claim the title of "Lupin III" and become a thief — but only so that he can go wherever and do whatever he wants, starting with his very first heist as a pro thief: Jigen's heart, the culmination of over half a century of Ship Teases. Sometime after, at a US military boat stolen by the revolutionaries, Gaucho receives Lupin III's signature calling card, telling him that he'll be coming to claim the "songstress" the following morning.
• Worthy Opponent: In the end, Gaucho, after previously kicking the crap out of him and shrugging off his theft declaration as a childish prank, acknowledges Lupin as one after he manages to trick him into grabbing the broken handlebars of a motorcycle instead of his Walther, having attached a string to it pre-emptively. In the end, he admits defeat and allows Lupin to take a shot at him before falling off a railing to his death.
• Would Hurt a Child: Shinobu (actually Lupin II in disguise) has no qualms about shooting Jigen even if he stands down from their Mexican Standoff, seeing him as a bad influence who'll steer Lupin into the life of crime his father wants him to avoid.

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