Lupin III vs. Detective Conan The Movie is a crossover film for both the Lupin III franchise and the Detective Conan (aka Case Closed) franchise that was released in Japanese theaters in 2013.

Lupin III vs. Detective Conan The Movie
English Publisher: Discotek Media
Format: DVD
Release Date: October 27, 2015

The film opens with Kaito Kid going after a famous diamond… except for the fact that it’s not really Kaito Kid. We see the real Kaito Kid among the spectators watching the events unfolding. It turns out that the Kaito Kid we see committing the crime is actually Lupin III in disguise. This really trips up the police when “Kaito Kid” doesn’t act the way they expect. Conan pursues after “Kaito Kid” and discovers it’s really Lupin when Goemon uses his sword to slice Conan’s skateboard in two.

It turns out that Fujiko Mine, Lupin’s love interest, is being held hostage with an explosive collar around her neck. If Lupin doesn’t do what the kidnapper demands, then the collar will detonate. It turns out this heist was just a test of Lupin’s abilities. The kidnapper, who goes by the name of Alan Smithee, wants Lupin to go after the jewel that Alan really wants: the Cherry Sapphire.

After consulting with Inspector Zenigata, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police realize that Lupin will be going after the Cherry Sapphire. Zenigata, along with volunteers Officer Sato and Detective Takagi, try to protect the Cherry Sapphire and arrest Lupin III. Unfortunately, Lupin outsmarts them and makes his escape. With this treasure, Lupin is able to free Fujiko.

When a famous young Italian pop singer named Emilio Baretti comes to Japan, Conan sees Jigen among his entourage. Thanks to Sonoko, Ran, Conan, and Kogoro get to meet the pop star and stumble upon a mystery that the police are investigating: a threatening note aimed at Emilio. After befriending Ran and Sonoko and having a dramatic experience, Emilio admits that his producer uses his concerts as a cover for illegal activities.

The Cherry Sapphire brings Lupin and his group into this mystery, and the two storylines come together into a climactic standoff. Alan Smithee takes Conan hostage, and it’s up to Lupin to rescue the kid detective and bring an end to the whole situation.

I enjoyed Lupin III vs. Detective Conan The Movie, and I thought the crossover between the two properties worked just as well here as it did in the television special that precedes this film. The idea of crossing these two properties together is an interesting one, and I’m glad to see that the execution of the crossover was done in a way that felt realistic and not forced.

I also thought that the animation quality was a little higher than it was for the television special. However, since Lupin III vs. Detective Conan The Movie was a theatrical release, it’s not surprising that the studio wanted the best quality animation they could get for the release. This is especially true because this film was made to commemorate several entities’ various anniversaries. I can’t remember them all, but I remember there was a small list at the beginning of the film.

When it comes to this DVD, it has Japanese 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo audio with English subtitles. However, it should be noted that the English subtitles can be turned off. I assume it’s for viewers who are confident that they can understand what’s being said when they listen to the Japanese audio. The aspect ratio for the video is 1.85:1 16:9 Widescreen. I had no complaints with either the video or the audio for this release.

For bonus features, this released includes “Liner Notes,” which is seven pages of text with information about the film, information about some of the characters, as well as translation notes. There are also three trailers for the film included. The inclusion of the trailers is a step up from the bonus features that were included on Discotek Media’s release of Lupin III vs. Detective Conan The Special.

If you’re a fan of either the Lupin III franchise or the Case Closed franchise, this DVD release for Lupin III vs. Detective Conan The Movie would be worth adding to your anime home video library.

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