Lupin the Third(2008).
© Manga Entertainment
Mumbling Kitsune: Indiana Jones and the Castle of Cagliostro
By: Nadia OxfordDate: Sunday, May 25, 2008
As summer draws closer, the sun's heat warms the earth and soon we're overrun with more flowers and movies than anyone can count. It's a life-affirming event, but it's also hard on our allergies and pocketbooks.
We can close the window to plant pollen, but it's harder to deny our desire to see big fat action movies on big fat screens accompanied by eardrum-bursting sound. Sometimes, though, it's good to remember to pace ourselves. Anime and manga often adapt or even continue famous movies, providing a substitute thrill when it's just not feasible to spend, spend, spend.
For example, consider Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the long-awaited sequel to one of the most beloved action series of all time. If you can't make the midnight showing because the law has determined that your cat does not count as a babysitter for your infant, why don't you stay at home and watch some Indiana Jones anime?
...Probably because there isn't an Indiana Jones anime. Ah, but don't despair. Indy fans who are stuck at home—or alternatively, Indy fans who have seen the new movie and are high on action-lust—still have relevant anime options.
By far the most recommended course of action would be to rent or buy Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro, an adventure movie by master anime director Hayao Miyazaki. Released on the cusp of the 1980s, this full-length feature remains an inspiration to movie directors worldwide, albeit a lesser-known one. The translation/subbing and dubbing of the movie has suffered a rocky history, keeping it out of the hands of potential fans and setting established fans into a bloody froth over poor quality. Fortunately, the most modern dub, which was handled and released by Manga Entertainment, is of considerably higher quality than previous attempts.
This is good news, since Castle of Cagliostro is a movie that deserves A-treatment. It contains a number of expected parallels to Indiana Jones films: Chases, traps, exotic landscapes, sprawling, ancient structures and a thoroughly likable hero. Lupin III, the lanky grandson of Maurice Leblanc's “gentleman thief,” Arsene Lupin, is a kinder thief in Castle of Cagliostro than he is in his manga roots; he's far more cynical and prone to licentious behaviour (i.e., a little more like Indy) in his still-frame adventures than he is on screen.
If you're not in the mood for substituting Indiana with Arsene Lupin's wayward descendant, consider making your own adventure with anime-style Indiana Jones figures. These tiny action figures are either adorable or an abomination depending on how much of a purist you are and to what degree anime does or does not trigger your gag reflex. The spiral-eye style is admittedly a tough sell, especially since it's generally common on anime and manga characters who wear thick geek glasses or are easily made dizzy. Indiana is neither, though it is kind of a fitting design choice for the minecart figure.
Whether you decide to go to the movies or stay home, enjoy the summer. Remember that sunscreen is for external application only, no matter how tempting that coconut smell might be.
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EDIT:
Just checked the figures - great looking if they hadn't got swirlling eyes.