Lupin the 3rd
From Asaction
Lupin III, the half French/half Japanese grandson of the infamous Arsene Lupin (a fictional gentleman thief who appears in a book series of detective fiction / crime fiction novels written by French writer Maurice Leblanc, as well as a number of non-canonical sequels and numerous film, television, stage play and comic book adaptations) is determined to prove he is every bit the grand master thief that his grandfather once was. Interpol Inspector Zenigata (Japanese) has been assigned to tracking down and arresting Lupin, who's already rather famous in Japan along with his American best friend, Daisuke Jigen. The original manga written by Monkey-Punch inspired a set of 5 animated movies including Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro done by Hayao Miyazaki (of Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service, Howl's Moving Castle and Princess Mononoke fame), currently 18 tv specials with one more coming out yearly, and three television series labeled by the color jacket Lupin wears in it. (The first series is also known as the green jacket series as is also referenced in FLCL by Naota's Dad, the second series: the red jacket series is the one that Adult Swim showed part of and the third series is also labeled the pink jacket series)
Lupin III's plot is based one episode to the next, with hijinks ensuing as he attempts to steal expensive and rare artifacts, dodge Zenigata's attempts to arrest him and win back his love Fujiko who is sometimes an ally and sometimes his enemy but always prefers money to love. There are many mythological and fantasy references interspersed throughout the show as Lupin III, Jigen, and Goemon (his samurai friend) deal with such legends as mermaids, dragons, vampires, and Nessie. Lupin also occasionally runs up against Nazis and the infamous "Hutler" as he travels around the world in search of rare items to pilfer.
Adult Swim only showed 26 episodes in the second series from the first episode: Return of Lupin III to Little Princess of Darkness, skipping To Be or Nazi Be as it was felt the Nazi theme was too much for Adult Swim viewers even though there were Nazis in the episode Hell Toupee which Adult Swim did show.
Lupin III's dub and sub is licensed and produced by Geneon in the United States with the rest of the second series that Adult Swim chose not to license and air on dvds. Many of the Lupin III movies and tv specials are licensed and dubbed by Funimation however.
The five main characters include:
Lupin III -- The thief grandson of Arsene Lupin and mastermind behind many of the world's great heists, or so he would lead you to believe.
Dasiuke Jigen -- Lupin's best friend, a gun-toting American reported to have a link to the Chicago mob (but more likely to be on the run from them).
Goemon Ishikawa XIII -- A samurai originally determined to kill Lupin III, he discovered he'd been tricked by his master and developed a business relationship with Lupin which later developed into true friendship. He'll protect Lupin from danger but he gets easily irritated with Lupin's antics, especially those involving Fujiko.
Fujiko Mine -- The object of Lupin's love and adoration, she frequently uses her looks and charms to trick men into giving her money and getting away with the goods. Sometimes an enemy to Lupin she'll exploit his weakness for her without second thought but defend him against a true enemy. She is frequently credited with being the original "large chested girl" in anime and may have influenced female anime characters for years to come.
Inspector Zenigata -- Determined to hunt and catch Lupin III, "Pops" as Lupin often calls him, has yet to succeed but tries every episode. Over the course of many years Lupin and Zenigata have developed a mutual respect for each other, refusing to kill each other and sometimes even working on the same side against a truly evil force.
For much more info, check the main Wiki article on Lupin the 3rd.
