Here's something I'm posting here ahead of some other things, a review of Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro, a very good late 1970s anime based on a comic/ manga. It's most interesting as an anime that doesn't have a science fiction or fantasy element, though as I cover, it's not far from either or both. Has anyone else here even tried to follow anime?
https://trendytroodon.blogspot.com/2022/08/animation-defenestration-one-with-fiat.html
David N. Brown
Mesa, Arizona

On Thursday, August 11, 2022 at 12:54:08 AM UTC-4, David Brown wrote:
> Here's something I'm posting here ahead of some other things, a
> review of Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro, a very good late 1970s anime
> based on a comic/ manga. It's most interesting as an anime that
> doesn't have a science fiction or fantasy element, though as I cover,
> it's not far from either or both.

Most episodes/movies in this franchise are at best borderline SF,
but some have explicit SF elements, e.g. episode 13 of the first
series (1971-1972), in which Lupin has to confront a time-traveling
madman, or episode 6 of the second series (1977-1980), which is
about a bone fide curse.

> Has anyone else here even tried to follow anime?
> https://trendytroodon.blogspot.com/2022/08/animation-defenestration-one-with-fiat.html

> We get a partial answer with the relatively late appearance of a
> spunky former associate. He clearly respects her, and might be
> attracted to her, yet it’s self-evident that he would rather leave
> her free to find her own adventures than have her follow him.

Fujiko Mine? She is not exactly a "spunky former associate". She is
a serial betrayer and double-crosser who frequently uses Lupin's
attraction to her in order to join his gang and then abscond with
the loot.

Double-crossing is something that the Lupin franchise is well
known for, but Lupin-Zenigata and Lupin-third party double
crosses are typically better -- more clever, funnier, etc -- than
Fujiko's entirely too predictable eventual betrayals and Lupin's
equally predictable willingness to forgive and forget in the next
episode. (To be fair, Lupin manages to turns the tables on her
on rare occasion.)

In any event, _Castle of Cagliostro_ is a good standalone movie,
but it's better if you are familiar with the rest of the franchise.

On Wed, 10 Aug 2022 21:54:05 -0700 (PDT), David Brown
<davidnbrown80@gmail.com> wrote:

>Here's something I'm posting here ahead of some other things, a review of Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro, a very good late 1970s anime based on a comic/ manga. It's most interesting as an anime that doesn't have a science fiction or fantasy element, though as I cover, it's not far from either or both. Has anyone else here even tried to follow anime?
>https://trendytroodon.blogspot.com/2022/08/animation-defenestration-one-with-fiat.html

I don't "follow anime" as such, but I have seen a fair amount (and
purchased some).

IIRC, my first was /Princess Mononoke/ (dubbed) in a theater and then
/Akira/ on DVD. I collected all of Miyazaki, which took a while and
was only possible because of Disney (or the guy motivating them).

But I then branched out to some extent, especially with SD rentals.
Attractiveness varies.

As to Miyazaki's /The Castle of Cagliostro/, one thing I noticed right
away is that it is not in the style of his other films, which, along
with characters we are supposed to recognize, suggests that he was ...
constrained ... by having to match it's style to that of a TV series.
The existence of which another poster here has confirmed.

It was comprehensible and worth watching from the first viewing on,
but I agree with the other poster that knowing the series might help
with the regular characters.
--
"In this connexion, unquestionably the most significant
development was the disintegration, under Christian
influence, of classical conceptions of the family and
of family right."

On Thursday, August 11, 2022 at 12:28:13 PM UTC-4, Paul S Person wrote:
[snip-snip]
> As to Miyazaki's /The Castle of Cagliostro/, one thing I noticed right
> away is that it is not in the style of his other films, which, along
> with characters we are supposed to recognize, suggests that he was ...
> constrained ... by having to match it's style to that of a TV series.
> The existence of which another poster here has confirmed.
[snip]

The film certainly had to conform to the expectations established by
the 2 TV series which had preceded it, but keep in mind that they
had been shaped by Miyazaki himself. Miyazaki and his partner
(later Studio Ghibli co-founder) Isao Takahata had creative control
of the original (1971-1972) series after episode 9 and were
responsible for the semi-absurdist "heist adventure-comedy" tone
of the franchise from that point on. Episodes 13-23 are very well
done and are primarily responsible for Lupin becoming the
institution that it is today.

On Thursday, August 11, 2022 at 5:58:21 AM UTC-7, Ahasuerus wrote:
> On Thursday, August 11, 2022 at 12:54:08 AM UTC-4, David Brown wrote:
>
> > https://trendytroodon.blogspot.com/2022/08/animation-defenestration-one-with-fiat.html
> > We get a partial answer with the relatively late appearance of a
> > spunky former associate. He clearly respects her, and might be
> > attracted to her, yet it’s self-evident that he would rather leave
> > her free to find her own adventures than have her follow him.
>
> Fujiko Mine? She is not exactly a "spunky former associate". She is
> a serial betrayer and double-crosser who frequently uses Lupin's
> attraction to her in order to join his gang and then abscond with
> the loot.

Interesting. That is the character, I just hadn't checked on the name; maybe the (second) film toned her down a bit. I suppose she is technically a double crosser even here, but then the only person she unambiguously betrays is Count Cagliostro. Something I hadn't commented on is that she is very loyal toward Clarisse, which isn't presented as a big surprise. As I have alluded, she really has a very limited role here, so there's not a lot to read from apart from Lupin's reactions to her.

On Thu, 11 Aug 2022 05:58:18 -0700, Ahasuerus wrote:

> On Thursday, August 11, 2022 at 12:54:08 AM UTC-4, David Brown wrote:
>> Here's something I'm posting here ahead of some other things, a review
>> of Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro, a very good late 1970s anime based
>> on a comic/ manga. It's most interesting as an anime that doesn't have
>> a science fiction or fantasy element, though as I cover,
>> it's not far from either or both.
>
> Most episodes/movies in this franchise are at best borderline SF, but
> some have explicit SF elements, e.g. episode 13 of the first series
> (1971-1972), in which Lupin has to confront a time-traveling madman, or
> episode 6 of the second series (1977-1980), which is about a bone fide
> curse.

Lupin the Third stories are much more likely to be techno-thrillers
rather than outright SF but there are a few that are fantasy based. Such
as last year's Lupin the Third Part 6 Episode 10 "Darwin's Bird"
screenplay by Mamoru Oshii. Which has Fujiko being hired by a mysterious
man in white standing in for his unnamed superior to steal a fossil from
London's Natural History Museum and then things start to go weird.

>
>> Has anyone else here even tried to follow anime?
>> https://trendytroodon.blogspot.com/2022/08/animation-defenestration-
one-with-fiat.html
>
>> We get a partial answer with the relatively late appearance of a spunky
>> former associate. He clearly respects her, and might be attracted to
>> her, yet it’s self-evident that he would rather leave her free to find
>> her own adventures than have her follow him.
>
> Fujiko Mine? She is not exactly a "spunky former associate". She is a
> serial betrayer and double-crosser who frequently uses Lupin's
> attraction to her in order to join his gang and then abscond with the
> loot.
>
> Double-crossing is something that the Lupin franchise is well known for,
> but Lupin-Zenigata and Lupin-third party double crosses are typically
> better -- more clever, funnier, etc -- than Fujiko's entirely too
> predictable eventual betrayals and Lupin's equally predictable
> willingness to forgive and forget in the next episode. (To be fair,
> Lupin manages to turns the tables on her on rare occasion.)
>
> In any event, _Castle of Cagliostro_ is a good standalone movie,
> but it's better if you are familiar with the rest of the franchise.

It helps to understand a lot of Lupin's action if you always keep in mind
that regardless of what he says Lupin does not really care about money or
most material objects. Not like Fujiko who is ruled by money. Of course
to be fair to Fujiko she is on a time limit(her looks fading) that Lupin
can ignore. Lupin is just in it for the thrills or because he likes or
dislikes somebody. So why should he care if Fujiko betrays him? Nothing
of value is lost and it is usually a lot more fun to have Fujiko around.

On Thursday, 11 August 2022 at 22:48:46 UTC+1, Magewolf wrote:
> It helps to understand a lot of Lupin's action if you always keep in mind
> that regardless of what he says Lupin does not really care about money or
> most material objects.

It's nice to be that rich.

Corrections, by the way:

"put a genre on the map"

"popular and well-regarded anime"

"as good a preview as any of"

"zipper" perhaps "zippier".

And "Needless to say" is, in this case, needless to say,
if you've decided to say the thing anyway.

On Thursday, August 11, 2022 at 5:48:46 PM UTC-4, Magewolf wrote:
[snip-snip]
> Lupin is just in it for the thrills or because he likes or
> dislikes somebody. So why should he care if Fujiko betrays him? Nothing
> of value is lost and it is usually a lot more fun to have Fujiko around.

The main problem that I have with "Fujiko betrayal" endings is that
they are entirely too predictable. It's the default way of resetting
everything back to square one and it feels scripted. Compared to
more complicated and less predictable plot lines involving
Zenigata and various other characters, it's "weak sauce" (to use
a technical term.)

On Thu, 11 Aug 2022 10:30:47 -0700 (PDT), David Brown
<davidnbrown80@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Thursday, August 11, 2022 at 5:58:21 AM UTC-7, Ahasuerus wrote:
>> On Thursday, August 11, 2022 at 12:54:08 AM UTC-4, David Brown wrote:
>>
>> > https://trendytroodon.blogspot.com/2022/08/animation-defenestration-one-with-fiat.html
>> > We get a partial answer with the relatively late appearance of a
>> > spunky former associate. He clearly respects her, and might be
>> > attracted to her, yet it’s self-evident that he would rather leave
>> > her free to find her own adventures than have her follow him.
>>
>> Fujiko Mine? She is not exactly a "spunky former associate". She is
>> a serial betrayer and double-crosser who frequently uses Lupin's
>> attraction to her in order to join his gang and then abscond with
>> the loot.
>
>Interesting. That is the character, I just hadn't checked on the name; maybe the (second) film toned her down a bit. I suppose she is technically a double crosser even here, but then the only person she unambiguously betrays is Count Cagliostro. Something I hadn't commented on is that she is very loyal toward Clarisse, which isn't presented as a big surprise. As I have alluded, she really has a very limited role here, so there's not a lot to read from apart from Lupin's reactions to her.

If by the second film, you mean /Lupin III: The First/ (2019), which
is in 3D Animation rather than being flat and (I would think)
hand-drawn, I have seen it but I really couldn't say for sure. It
wasn't very memorable, although it was enjoyable enough when I was
watching it.
--
"In this connexion, unquestionably the most significant
development was the disintegration, under Christian
influence, of classical conceptions of the family and
of family right."