Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid is one of the best pieces of media that has come out of the Lupin IP since Cagliostro.
The layers of introspective philosophies that are active through the contextual ties of mortality, familial destinies and responsibility, and even just the nature of character in franchise storytelling are so wonderfully baked into the foundation of this film that it acts almost like a mission statement. I have always been a big fan of when Lupin faces his own position of his family dynasty and the repercussions of his decision to carry on with the meaning the legacy has attached to it. He has the potential to be the focus of an absolutely fantastic self-discovery narrative if given the right writer to pursue it.
The core cast of characters that are synonymous with this franchise is to my extreme joy are (mostly) used to a good deal of effectiveness. One of my long-running criticisms directed to the Lupin catalog's entirety is the disregard or underutilization of most of the recurring supporting cast. In the case of the Eternal Mermaid, each character, including the 2 major new additions in this film, is used to favor the narrative and thematic story-telling that is being attempted. Jigen and Goemon are the two standouts, in particular, with Jigen getting actual thematic dialogue that fully works in the context of his character. With this said, Zenigata and Fujiko both aren't in the best shape, but I appreciate how both do still have moments to shine in their own dedicated scenes, which unfortunately is a rarity for any character not named Lupin.
The animation is also quite high, even for being a TV special. Although there are some very apparent reuses of animation and even layering the same animation frames on loop for a few seconds, the overall animation and art style are quite good.
Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid is one of the best pieces of media that has come out of the Lupin IP since Cagliostro.
The layers of introspective philosophies that are active through the contextual ties of mortality, familial destinies and responsibility, and even just the nature of character in franchise storytelling are so wonderfully baked into the foundation of this film that it acts almost like a mission statement. I have always been a big fan of when Lupin faces his own position of his family dynasty and the repercussions of his decision to carry on with the meaning the legacy has attached to it. He has the potential to be the focus of an absolutely fantastic self-discovery narrative if given the right writer to pursue it.
The core cast of characters that are synonymous with this franchise is to my extreme joy are (mostly) used to a good deal of effectiveness. One of my long-running criticisms directed to the Lupin catalog's entirety is the disregard or underutilization of most of the recurring supporting cast. In the case of the Eternal Mermaid, each character, including the 2 major new additions in this film, is used to favor the narrative and thematic story-telling that is being attempted. Jigen and Goemon are the two standouts, in particular, with Jigen getting actual thematic dialogue that fully works in the context of his character. With this said, Zenigata and Fujiko both aren't in the best shape, but I appreciate how both do still have moments to shine in their own dedicated scenes, which unfortunately is a rarity for any character not named Lupin.
The animation is also quite high, even for being a TV special. Although there are some very apparent reuses of animation and even layering the same animation frames on loop for a few seconds, the overall animation and art style are quite good.
