The early episodes of Lupin III, especially the first ones, are something of an acquired taste. 1970s animation is so much more sparse than the bubble economy a

The early episodes of Lupin III, especially the first ones, are something of an acquired taste. 1970s animation is so much more sparse than the bubble economy anime later on. The Woman Called Fujiko Mine captures a lot of the feel of the early episodes but with modern animation and themes. It is a great show, it’s just… variable. Some of this is by design, as a Jigen plot is going to be darker than a Fujiko focused episode. Every once in a while there will be an episode that’s pitch perfect and has a Spruce Goose (I wonder who directed that one?) but then the next episode is a bit lame. Or there’s the version with better music, Cowboy Bepop. The tone is a bit darker because the Lupin analogue is age twelve but it’s still fun.