The fun of long-running entertainment franchises is that they occasionally enter a stage where they become more like anthologies – playgrounds where many different stories are told using familiar characters. Lupin the Third is one such anime franchise. While the series has never really had a ton of continuity, the more recent series are a fun blend of ongoing storylines and one-off episodes that are more fun and occasionally fanservicey (of the type that’s more involved in signaling to folks who are “in the know” rather than the type that’s about nudity).
Lupin the Third: Part 4 brings Lupin and friends to Italy, where Lupin gets married, among other things (as one might expect, the situation is temporary). The entire series is a lot of fun; I personally think Part 5 is better overall, but Part 4 definitely signaled a triumphant return for TV anime Lupin. And, because of it’s format, it had room for a spooky episode, which is of course what I’m electing to focus on here.
Lupin and Jigen drive to a castle on the outskirts of Florence that’s been converted into a hotel. The place has a reputation for being haunted by the “ghost bride” of the Gautieri family who was murdered there, but Lupin’s interest in it is more monetary – there are rumors of a treasure being housed inside the castle, and the master thief is interested in making it his own.
The hauntings seemingly turn out to be a bit of smoke and mirrors – something used by the owners of the castle to drum up business. But Lupin does find a set of secret passages and learns that the little sister of the ghost bride actually is guarding something (and she befriends Lupin to help him in his pursuit). But he’ll have to find it before the Mamma family, a group of other thieves, finds it first.
Like many of my favorite Lupin episodes, this one combines zany action and hijinks with a surprisingly bittersweet conclusion. It’s also full of fun fake-outs. Is the hotel actually haunted or not? That tidbit of information is reserved for the heartfelt conclusion of the episode. But either way, this is a fun, ghostly episode of Lupin the Third that doesn’t require a lot of background in the franchise to enjoy. If you’ve seen The Castle of Cagliostro or even just read a Wikipedia article on Lupin basics, you can probably enjoy this standalone episode.
Lupin the 3rd Part 4 is available to watch on Crunchyroll and HIDIVE.