Lupin III

Lupin III also written as Lupin the Third or Lupin the 3rd, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Monkey Punch. It follows the escapades of master thief Arsène Lupin III, the grandson of Arsène Lupin, thegentleman thief of Maurice Leblanc's series of novels. 

The Lupin III manga, which first appeared in Weekly Manga Action on August 10, 1967, spawned a media franchise that includes numerous manga, two versions of an anime pilot film, five animated television series, six theatrically released animated feature films, two live-action films, a two-part animated theatrical short film, five OVA works, twenty-five animated television films, two musicals, music CDs, and video games. Many different companies have owned the English-language distribution rights to variousLupin III properties at various times, with just the first two animated films having been released by over 10 companies alone.Tokyopop acquired the license to the original manga in 2002, and later the second series in 2004. Funimation Entertainmentpurchased the rights to several of the television specials and films in 2002, and the fourth television series in 2012. Geneonlicensed and dubbed 79 episodes of the second television series, 26 of which were broadcast on Cartoon Network's Adult Swimduring 2003. Discotek Media licensed the entire first television series and the first live-action film, they also own the rights to several other Lupin titles, including some previously released by other companies. 

Nearly fifty years after its creation, Lupin III remains popular, with the fifth anime series currently airing in Italy. For several years, issues relating to the copyright of Maurice Leblanc's intellectual property meant that the Lupin name was removed from its releases outside of Japan, usually changed to "Rupan" or "Wolf". However, the copyright has since expired, allowing foreign releases to use the Lupin name.

Plot

Arsène Lupin III, the grandson of the fictional gentleman thief, Arsène Lupin, is considered the world's greatest thief, known for announcing his intentions to steal valuable objects by sending a calling card to the owners of his desired items. His right-hand man and closest ally is Daisuke Jigen, an expert marksman who can accurately shoot a target in 0.3 seconds. Although Lupin and Jigen frequently work as a two-man team, they are often joined by Goemon Ishikawa XIII, a master swordsman whose sword can cut anything, or Fujiko Mine, a femme fatale and Lupin's love interest. Although Fujiko usually works together with the others, she occasionally exploits Lupin's interest in her to steal the treasure for herself. Lupin and his gang are constantly chased by Inspector Koichi Zenigata of the ICPO, who has made it his life's work to arrest them, pursuing Lupin across the globe.