Lupin specials are notorious for being some of the most middle of the road things which exist to keep the Lupin franchise alive. Imagine my surprise when stumbling into something pretty great. I mean that. Seriously, I didn't expect much from Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid at all other than to see Lupin and the gang go on a heist once again. Yeah, I'm giving away this one already. I wouldn't say this film/special/whatever is peak Lupin at all. But there are a lot of little surprises that while it fulfills a lot of the Lupin stereotypes, has a little more to chew on then just having a heist over a gem and facing off against an enemy that also wants it for their own reasons.
Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid opens up with Fujiko Mine tied up and at gunpoint against the mysterious and older Misae Toudou? Why? Well, Lupin is being given the task of stealing the mysterious Blood Seal gem or else Fujiko dies. Of course, that entire thing is a ruse because Fujiko was always behind this gem being stolen. Not that Lupin knows (or maybe he does), because he prepares for the heist of the gem before it goes on auction at a museum. Misae Toudou is there as well as the young ceo Himuro who is also interested in the gems.
As you would expect, Lupin with his gang goes about stealing the gem in a very simple but quick heist. Zenigata is also there to chase down Lupin like he always does. Of course and as you would expect, the mystery of the gem has a lot more going on then that. Surprise surprise, CEO Himuro murders the older Toudou by shooting right through her assistant and Fujiko is now working as a double agent between Himuro and Lupin. Also, a young girl named Maki had her popcorn stand stolen by Lupin during his escape and she finds her way into working with the Lupin gang and being taken in as an apprentice.
That is when the themes of this story start to roll in. For instance, Toudou's assistant (whose name is Misa) survived being shot through and is almost completely immortal when it comes to wounds on her body. So everyone has something to gain from facing the CEO Himuro. Maki forces her way to becoming Lupin's apprentice. There is also a history of Lupin's grandfather getting involved with the gem that shadows him further and further the mysteries of the Blood Seal are revealed. The film itself is a combination of Mission Impossible and Indiana Jones: The Raiders of the Lost Arc with something a bit more, even if its on the surface, to chew on with a great cast there too.
So this special is really good. It's not stellar or something that fits the highest lupin movie highs like Castle of Cagliostro and Mystery of Mamo. At the same time, it isn't something just ok like Prison of the past. It is a good time and you can jump into this one barely watching Lupin. It is possible it could even be an entry point to Lupin because it moves quickly, gives you an idea of the characters in their modern time frame, and looks really good. Highly recommend for everyone to check out because it's just good, cartoony fun.
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