Adult Animation Revolution: Takeshi Koike’s ‘Lupin the IIIrd’ OVAs Now Streaming On YouTube

Created by the Mangaka Monkey Punch in the 1960s, Lupin the IIIrd is a long-running series focusing on a gang of unique criminals who pull off impossible heists all over the world. The core characters are Lupin, the master of disguise; the gunslinger Daisuke Jigen; the swordsman Goemon Ishikawa; and the femme fatale Fujiko Mine.

The original manga series is notably darker and more sexually charged than its many family-friendly anime adaptations. Redline director Takeshi Koike takes Lupin back to his darker roots via a series of OVAs (original video animation) with a neo-grindhouse aesthetic. Koike’s interpretation of Lupin the IIIrd is wickedly cool and criminally underrated. Now the OVAs Daisuke Jigen’s Gravestone, Goemon Ishikawa’s Blood Spray and Fujiko’s Lie are streaming on YouTube. If you’re new to the world of Lupin or are curious about anime in general you have to check these out!