essay

Stealing. Good or bad? In the Bible, the Eighth Commandment says, "Thou shall not steal." But what if you're just so very good at it? As good as say, Lupin III? In 1967, Kazuhiko Katō, authoring manga under the peculiar pen name Monkey Punch, concieved of a character who was the grandson of the author Maurice Leblanc's Arsène Lupin. His manga, Lupin III, influenced by the novels and the art styles of Mad Magazine's Mort Drucker and Sergio Aragonés, ran in Weekly Manga Action magazine and became extremely popular. It eventually spawned numerous animated features, including three television series, five theatrical animated films, a live-action movie, and several television specials, which have become an annual Japanese television tradition. What is the appeal of this franchise? What is it that keeps Lupin III on the mind of the Japanese?