I have seen some pretty heartless criticism for the Castle of Cagliostro, mostly coming from hardcore manga fans who say that the content is soft and boring. Even fans of the anime series have the tendency to say it is boring. I guess I can’t fault them for being bored, but I certainly can—and will—fault their criticisms for being shallow. I think it’s clear to most of us that the vast majority of Lupin III fans are born from the anime, not from the manga. Though the work of the manga shouldn’t be fully discredited, it is clear to see how pretty much all characters portrayed between the two sources are vastly different from one another—and we all know who are the more admirable counterparts. Fans are blinded by the fact that CoC is actually very aware of the dark beginnings of Lupin, and it makes a point of this in a quiet moment.
On the surface, we see and understand that this is a brief explanation of Lupin’s failure to discover the secret of the castle. On the other hand, it clarifies why he goes out of his way to protect Clarisse’s life. So, what is it on the deepest level? What does this scene really mean?
What I firmly believe most people refuse to see is that this is a man, still working on putting aside that past, yet knowing that because of who he is, he will never really be “the good guy,” who is, aside from all that, making the deepest and most honest choice for the good of another.
He sees a big picture here that he did not see the ten years ago, and he’s taking all elements of the situation into account. This is a moment that should absolutely not be discredited.
The little acts of kindness and sacrifice that add to the feel of the fairy tale mean so much greater when you understand who this man was before, and, more so, that he took a moment to talk down that past self. It may not be in the words, but it’s in the tone of voice. He concludes that he is returning that favor of being looked after, especially when he didn’t deserve it.
When he says he will steal away Clarisse, she asks if he will give her freedom, to which he says yes. Think of it like this: who ever knew that the master thief had the ability to give?
In this way, one can actually argue that the core of the movie says that the greatest treasure is life.
Having said that, firmly established on these hopeful beliefs, happy 39th anniversary to a beautiful, breathtaking, life changing movie. I will enjoy your beauty and gentility for years to come.
This time next week, Netflix will be removing Hayao Miyazaki’s first feature length film as a director from their service — Lupin III:The Castle of Cagliostro!
And to that, we say… it’s time to revisit the classic tale!
