Lupin III: Otakara Henkyaku Daisakusen!!

Lupin III: Operation Return the Treasure / ルパン三世: お宝返却大作戦！！ / Rupan Sansei

Genres: Action, Adult Cast, Adventure, Comedy, Mystery, Seinen
Themes: Adult Cast
Demographics: Seinen
Studios: TMS Entertainment
Licensors: Discotek Media
Rating: 7.28 / 10
Rank: #3021
Popularity: #7594
Users Listed: 7,982
Users Scored: 3,328
NSFW: No
Last Updated: 12/27/2023
Aired: August 1, 2003 (Summer)
Type: Tv Special
Source: manga
Age Rating: PG 13
Episodes: 1

Synopsis:

Following a daring heist in Moscow, the renowned thief Lupin III sets his sights on the legendary Trick Diamond. His pursuit leads him to the estate of Mark Williams, a notorious collector who amassed a vast trove of valuables over decades. Instead of the diamond, Lupin and his trusted companion Jigen encounter Fujiko, who reveals a final, complex request from Williams: return all the stolen artifacts to their original owners. This arduous task becomes the key to unlocking the diamond's hidden location, rumored to be concealed within Antoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia. As Lupin navigates this intricate quest, he remains pursued by Inspector Zenigata and the formidable forces of the casino's former owner, forcing him to contend with both external adversaries and the moral implications of his profession. The series explores themes of legacy, redemption, and the true nature of treasure.

Characters:

Ishikawa XIII, Goemon (Main) - Voice Actors: Inoue, Makio, Palumbo, Antonio, Barney, Jean
Jigen, Daisuke (Main) - Voice Actors: Kobayashi, Kiyoshi, Peythieu, Philippe, Pellegrini, Sandro
Lupin III (Main) - Voice Actors: Kurita, Kanichi, Ogouz, Philippe, Del Giudice, Roberto
Mine, Fujiko (Main) - Voice Actors: Masuyama, Eiko, Lafond, Catherine, Korompay, Alessandra
Anita (Supporting) - Voice Actors: rino, Gribe, Agnès, Ward, Monica
Carlos (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Tsujimura, Mahito, Brione, Benoist, Sardone, Sandro
Krochovich, Ivan (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Yamadera, Kouichi, Curtil, Emmanuel, Varcasia, Gaetano
Misha (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Gribe, Agnès, Igarashi, Rei
Tokarev (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Kitamura, Kouichi, Brione, Benoist, Orlandi, Toni
Williams, Mark (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Yanami, Jouji, Sachot, Jean-Claude, Kalamera, Michele
Zenigata, Kouichi (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Naya, Gorou, Bianchi, Rodolfo, Messe, Patrick

Staff:

Kawagoe, Jun (Director)
Sano, Takashi (Episode Director)
Kashiwabara, Hiroshi (Script)
Fukuyo, Takaaki (Key Animation)
Harada, Hiroki (Key Animation)
Hayashi, Hirotaka (2nd Key Animation)
Hayashi, Yoshimi (Special Effects)
Hirayama, Satoshi (Character Design)
Hyoudou, Takashi (Key Animation)
Ikai, Kazuyuki (Key Animation)
Imaishi, Hiroyuki (Key Animation)
Itojima, Masahiko (Key Animation)
Kamata, Hitoshi (Key Animation)
Kataoka, Kouji (Key Animation)
Kikuchi, Shunya (2nd Key Animation)
Kobayashi, Toshimitsu (Animation Director, Character Design)
Kouta, Fumiaki (Key Animation)
Koyama, Tomohiro (Key Animation)
Kusumoto, Yuuya (Background Art)
Mogi, Shinjirou (Key Animation, Assistant Animation Director)
Monkey Punch (Original Creator)
Morinaka, Masaharu (Key Animation)
Morita, Minoru (Key Animation)
Nakajima, Tatsuo (2nd Key Animation)
Nakatake, Manabu (Assistant Animation Director, Key Animation)
Nakazawa, Yuuichi (Key Animation)
Namura, Hidetoshi (Key Animation)
Notake, Hiroyuki (Key Animation)
Oono, Yuuji (Music)
Saitou, Yoshinari (Mechanical Design, Animation Director)
Sakai, Keishi (Key Animation)
Sakurai, Masaaki (Key Animation)
Sano, Yuriko (Editing)
Satou, Michio (Key Animation)
Shigekuni, Yuuji (Key Animation)
Shimada, Toshihiko (Key Animation)
Shimada, Hideaki (Key Animation)
Sugie, Toshiharu (Key Animation)
Sugitou, Sayuri (Key Animation)
Sunaga, Raita (2nd Key Animation)
Takeuchi, Kazuyoshi (Key Animation)
Tomooka, Shinpei (Key Animation)
Wakayama, Masashi (Key Animation)
Watami, Tanoshi (2nd Key Animation)
Yamada, Shinya (Key Animation)
Yamazaki, Noriyoshi (Key Animation)
Yanase, Jouji (Key Animation)
Yoshikawa, Shinichi (Key Animation)

Reviews:

User EveryNameTaken (Score: 8/10):
Watching a random Lupin special is a crapshoot in a rigged Mafia casino, but sometimes, you get lucky. Lupin: Operation Return the Treasure is one such time: a solid example of what makes Lupin III one of my favorite anime properties, with a good mix of comedy, crazy capers and supernatural kookiness. The central story is a clever inversion of every other Lupin special: instead of stealing, Lupin and Jigen have to secretly return old treasure from around the world that was stolen by one of Lupin's old rivals in the hopes of getting an even bigger treasure. The rival is dead, but in anticipationthat Lupin would come to steal his Trick Diamond, he entrusts his last will to Fujiko. Of course, Fujiko tries to play both Lupin and the Russian mafia in the hopes of selling the diamond before either of them can get their hands on it, but things quickly get out of hand. The story even seamlessly integrates Goemon, always a difficult task for any TV special, who comes across the crew while seeking vengeance for comrades that were killed by a Russian hitwoman, who also doubles as the bodyguard and lover of the head of the Russian mob. nnDespite the self-knowing twist of returning treasures instead of stealing them, both the characters and capers are familiar and fun. But perhaps the most memorable part of the special is its climax in Gaudi's most famous cathedral, the Sagrada Familia, which has just the right touch of heart and mysticism. The special doesn't quite reach the heights of First Contact or the Fuma Conspiracy, but it's such a solid movie that it would be a shame for any Lupin III fan to miss it.

News:

North American Anime & Manga Releases for December (12/05/2016)
Q3 2016 Anime & Manga Licenses [Update 9/27] (07/01/2016)

Forum Topics:

Lupin III: Operation Return the Treasure Episode 1 Discussion

External Links:

Related Anime/Manga:

Lupin III (anime - Parent Story)