A true gentleman would never ask a lady’s age, but a gentleman thief would not only do it, but would commemorate her years: for the 40th anniversary of the first airing of the TV series Cat eyesthe three cat burglars Sheila, Kelly and Tati they made an appointment with Lupine III, that he too is celebrating fifty years of career in TV this year. Thus it was born Lupine III vs. Cat eyes, crossovers which in Italy is available on first videos, in which these thieves, emblematic of a part of the history of Japanese animation, will compete in a daring and acrobatic treasure hunt, to grab a work of art which, in the end, will reveal an important secret that fans have been waiting for a long time .
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Lupine III vs. Cat eyes: thieves compared
After years of honorable career, since the release of the first trailer, there was great concern about this crossover from fans of the two sagas. The doubts were not so much related, for the most part, to the narrative rendering, as inevitably to the animation: the CGIit must be said, it often has this effect when it comes to Japanese animation, especially when it concerns characters who have made the history of anime.
Lupine III vs Cat’s Eye
It must be said, however, that this feature film, born to celebrate two important anniversaries, was made by the studio Shift Rwho has demonstrated his skills in animating in CGI works such as Cyborg 009 vs. Devilman And helloworld, which remain two of the most representative titles of this animation style. Also, to direct Lupine III vs. Cat eyes I am Hiroyuki Seshita And Koubun Shizuno, the names behind the films of Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters, Blame And Ajin, some of the anime that have been most appreciated for the exemplary use of the cel shading. This particular animation style takes advantage of a few 3D models represented as if they were hand drawnwith thick black borders and flat colorways reminiscent of the traditional stroke of manga.
In the face of a similar experience, one should therefore expect a good job, as far as animation is concerned. And Lupine III vs. Cat eyes actually does not disappoint a part of these expectations: the graphic rendering is actually satisfactory with a level of cel shading that it doesn’t feel “fake” or rough, criticisms that are most often leveled at this style of animation. The movement is fluid, homogeneous, clean and well defined, what unfortunately what is lost is the expressiveness, fundamental element in particular for the character of Lupine. It is therefore inevitable to admit that, especially for fans of the incorrigible thief as animated in the TMS classic series or in the numerous feature films produced over the years such as those of the master Hayao Miyazaki, the visual impact may not be the most successful.
To make the success of the film worse, unfortunately it is the personages: the plot retraces a great classic of the two strands, a treasure hunt. Back in the 80s, when we left the three cat sisters to run their beloved cafCat’s Eye, Sheila, Kelly and Tati uncover a clue about their long-lost father. But to solve this mystery, which they have been trying to solve for years, they must steal the last painting in a triptych, in the series The Girl and the Flowers by Michael Heinz, a painting on which Lupine III also laid eyes.
Lupine III vs Cat’s Eye
However, the narrative plot never manages to give enough space to the protagonists of the iconic stories: the clever sisters, in addition to proving themselves through the famous acrobatic ability, fail to enhance their own investigative and strategic skills, on the contrary Lupine and his gang, especially Jigen And goemon, whose exploits are also excessively told and little shown, with a conclusion, moreover, that will not a little turn up their noses to those who know and loved the peculiarities of these two characters as told by Monkey Punch.
Honorable mention, however, for the original dub: Almost all Japanese voice actors return to their roles, including Kanichi Kurita and Keiko Toda that give voice (and life) once again to Lupine III and Hitomi Kisugi. Cast members include Akio Ohtsuka as Jigen Daisuke, Daisuke Namikawa as Goemon Ishikawa, Miyuki Sawashiro as Fujiko Mine, Koichi Yamadera as Inspector Zenigata. And in addition to the original dubbing, the soundtrack also lends itself to bringing back the emotions that have accompanied forty and fifty years of adventures, with some homages to the themes of both series.
