"Blood Seal ~ Eternal Mermaid"
With Discotek releasing the original Lupin III TV series later this year (expect reviews), I was chomping at the bit to do something Lupin-related for Otaku Revolution. Luckily, there was a recently aired television special to watch and review! Even more fortunate, it was a pretty damn good one!
This was the first really fun ride for Lupin in a long while. The past few specials have been pretty terrible, especially the last one, The Last Job, wherein the running joke was Lupin being bitten on the ass by a ninja dog. This time around there were all the classic trademarks of Lupin: A heist, some chases, a secret treasure, a henchmen for Goemon to battle. Only the execution was really quite good. There were elements of past Lupin features like Plot of the Fuma Clan and Stolen Lupin, but with its own unique twists and turns.
Artistically speaking, this Lupin feature has a nostalgic feeling to it. Character designer Yoshiharu Sato has obviously taken a cue from Kazuhide Tomonaga. The result is character designs that closely resemble the ones from Castle of Cagliostro and Plot of the Fuma Clan. It gives the whole thing a "classic Lupin" look, with sketch-like lines.
The legend of the Yaobikuni is an interesting one to use as a basis of a treasure. The Yaobikuni is the legend of an eight hundred year old priestess. The priestess is the daughter of a man who was served mermaid flesh. The man didn't eat it out of fear of what might happen, but he kept the meat, which was then eaten by his daughter. At a certain age, the girl stopped aging. She would marry, but each time the man would eventually die of old age while she remained as youthful as ever. So she became a nun and wandered. This legend has been used in several anime, including Mermaid's Scar, Blade of the Immortal, and Blue Seed. The search for the treasure's she amassed during her life and the conclusion of a greater treasure than can be swiped by a thief is not a new situation for a Lupin feature, but is utilized well.
For the first time in forty years (okay, the second time, counting Plot of the Fuma Clan), the roles of Goemon, Fujiko, and Zenigata are being played by new voice actors. Taking over for Makio Inoue, Eiko Masuyama, and Goro Naya, respectively, are Daisuke Namikawa (Rock in Black Lagoon, Italy in Hetalia: Axis Powers), Miyuki Sawashiro (Shinku in Rozen Maiden, Maria Taro Sekiutsu in Sayanora, Zetsubou-Sensei), and the legendary Kouichi Yamadera (Spike Spiegel in Cowboy Bebop, Ryouji Kaji in Neon Genesis Evangelion). They all do an excellent job as the new voices for those roles, restoring a sense of youth and vitality that the previous VAs had lost over the years. Kanichi Kurita has long since mastered Lupin's voice and Kiyoshi Kobayashi still fits Jigen like a glove.
You know what's weird? I must be so used to her as Goku, because when Masako Nozawa plays an elderly lady in this feature, I find it unnatural-sounding. I keep thinking, "Wow, Lupin III is talking to Goku!"
The feature is not without its flaws, however. For one, I've never been a fan of supernatural elements in Lupin features. I'd like a little more grounding in reality, at least in principal. Secondly, Lupin's introspection and reasoning behind his chasing the treasure seems forced. It's not until halfway through the special we even discover his motivation, and I'd much rather it just have been to find an interesting treasure than peering into his grandfather's past. It feels like they've done that before too many times. Also, the final act is overly long. There were several places they could have ended it before the real ending and the special would lose nothing.
So, while I wouldn't put it quite in the same league as Episode 0: First Contact, I would say that Blood Seal ~ Eternal Mermaid is at least as good as Operation: Return the Treasure, Stolen Lupin, and Seven Days Rhapsody. I hope they keep the art style like this in further entries. It really lends itself well to the franchise.
Overall Score:
4 out of 5
