The all-new animated feature film "LUPIN THE IIIRD THE MOVIE: Immortal Bloodline," based on the popular anime "Lupin the Third," which is based on the manga by the late Monkey Punch, was released on June 27th. This latest film in the "LUPIN THE IIIRD" series is the first to be directed by Monkey Punch, and is the first 2D animated feature film in about 30 years since "Lupin the Third: Dead or Alive," which was released in 1996. The director is Koike Takeshi, who also directed "Gravestone of Daisuke Jigen," "Goemon Ishikawa's Spray of Blood," "Fujiko Mine's Lie," and "Zenigata and the Two Lupins" in the "LUPIN THE IIIRD" series. We spoke to Director Koike about the behind-the-scenes production of the "LUPIN THE IIIRD" series.
◇ Unique sizzle
Since "Lupin the Third" was made into a TV anime in 1971, various masterpieces have been produced, including theatrical anime and OVAs (original animation videos). The "LUPIN THE IIIRD" series is appealing for its hard-boiled worldview and the unique flavor of hand-drawn animation, and aims to "return to the roots" of Monkey Punch's original manga. Digital technology has become indispensable in modern anime production, so not everything is analog, but they have deliberately stuck to drawing (by hand). It is said to be "the first 2D theatrical anime in about 30 years..."
"Although 2D is the main focus, I also use 3D. It's digital, but I create it with a 2D look. CG is a useful tool, but I personally like to draw animations by hand. Dynamic, slightly distorted expressions are effective when showing a sense of movement. I can control it freely. That's why I'm so particular about my drawings. I try to express as much as I can by hand, but I also use CG, and I hope to find a good balance between the two."
Although it is a "return to the roots," the anime is produced with a free-spirited approach.
"Monkey Punch's original work has a manga-like, American comic-like atmosphere, so I'm trying to incorporate that into my work with dynamic images. The artist himself is a very kind person, and told me, 'Do whatever you like,' so I've been able to do what I want since then. Animation is all about movement, and I'm the type of person who is moved by dynamic images, so I'm trying to keep that in mind."
The original work has the unique, harsh atmosphere of the 1960s and 1970s.
"Creative advisor Katsuhito Ishii often uses the word 'sizzle.' He deliberately emphasizes it to give the visuals impact. He doesn't draw everything in, he also subtracts. If there is something you want to make stand out, you need to control it by reducing the amount of information in other areas. If this series looks different from other Lupin series, is it because he is particular about that? He wanted to exude the atmosphere of the early part of the first TV anime series, around episodes 2 to 9, and he is trying to create a work that wouldn't be out of place in that period. As it is set in around the 1970s, there are no mobile phones."
◇The work of the “legend” Kazuhide Tomonaga
As with the previous "LUPIN THE IIIRD" series, animator Kazuhide Tomonaga is also involved in "Immortal Bloodline." Tomonaga is also known for creating the famous car chase scene in "Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro."
"Tomonaga is the main artist involved in this series. He's a legend, but he's still very active and is probably the artist who has worked on the most of them. He has the energy to rival any mid-career or young artist, and his drawing ability, quality, and quantity are all superb. His expression of exaggerated movements is unique and exaggerated. I once heard him say, 'I need to move about 1.5 times more than I think I should in order to convey the impact.' It's really been an educational experience."
Having a veteran like Tomonaga on the set is an inspiration to the other staff members.
"Younger and mid-career artists get to see Tomonaga draw up close. Just watching him is inspiring, and the younger artists are also improving."
◇ I made it to the end with "LUPIN THE IIIRD"
Director Koike is responsible for all aspects of the "LUPIN THE IIIRD" series, including direction, character design, mechanical design, and animation direction.
"As in the past, I was in charge of everything, but whereas up until now there were only 800 cuts, this time there were 1200, which is a lot more. I wanted to give each of the main characters a chance to shine, so there was a greater sense of volume than ever before. The animation director couldn't keep up, so I got help from a lot of different people. This is a work that left the strongest impression of being made by everyone, with help from a lot of different people."
Director Koike says about himself, "I guess I'm greedy."
"If I let things flow aimlessly, they will just drift away, so I want to avoid that as much as possible. I want to maintain the quality of each screen. There are many things I want to do myself, and if I don't look over everything, I won't be able to materialize what I have in mind. There are many parts that I want to check. You might think that I should just leave it to them, but this time I realized that I should leave things to them, so from next time I have to think about how to do it."
The "LUPIN THE IIIRD" series has focused on the main characters Jigen, Goemon, Fujiko, Zenigata, and Lupin. I'm curious to see how the story develops in the future...
"This is the end of my 'LUPIN THE IIIRD'. I have accomplished what I wanted to do. I also wanted to do an episode that would be a prequel to ' Lupin the Third: Lupin vs the Clone', so I think it ended beautifully. I am very grateful that I was allowed to do it for 12 years, and I think I have done my best. I am very lucky. In the anime industry, 'Lupin' is special, and there are many people who want to do it. So I am looking forward to seeing other people make 'Lupin'."
Although Director Koike has "completed" the "LUPIN THE IIIRD" series, his challenges continue into the future.
"I want to try a variety of different things. When I was a child, I watched the films ' Galaxy Express 999' and 'Lupin vs. the Clone' and it gave me a creative urge, and I'd be happy if something I create could help encourage that kind of urge."
