On Friday, January 8, 2020, Netflix released a Japanese Manga series written and illustrated by Monkey Punch called Lupin. This is a retelling of the classic French story about Arsene Lupin, the world-famous gentleman thief and master of disguise. The plot follows the escapades of the master thief Arsene Lupin III, the grandson of Arsene Lupin, the gentleman thief of Maurice Leblanc’s series of novels.

The series was always likely to be a hit in France, where the character of Lupin is a Sherlock Holmes-type cultural touchstone – a popular TV series that bore his name ran from 1971 to 1974 and a 2004 film starred Romain Duris. 

Lupin has also served as an inspiration to a lineage of Japanese creators. Kazuhiko Kato(known by the name Monkey Punch) created an ongoing anime series based on Lupin’s grandson, Lupin III. This adaptation itself inspired several other anime adaptations, including the legendary director Hayao Miyazaki’s feature Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro. The new series adaptations gained great popularity and success as well as to the writers…

One season of Lupin has been released onto Netflix with five episodes, almost all five being 47 to 55 minutes in length. The exhilarating crime show is a highly engrossing, totally enjoyable action-drama with a dash of comedy. The story is paced skillfully, viewers are immersed in it and through it. It became the second most-watched program on Netflix and the streamer’s first French program to the top 10 in the American TV shows. It’s the stream’s most-watched global program. Which is bigger than both Bridgerton and The Queen’s Gambit.

The flashbacks at the start of most chapters connect the story arc tightly into a taut narrative. One of the best parts of these flashbacks and how they impact the storyline are the characters. 

Maurice LeBlanc’s opus is the inspiration of the series, as well as other notable Hollywood films. Omar Sy’s character is well-developed and he effortlessly breathes life into it.  Another memorable character is the feisty journalist Fabienne Beirot, and not to forget her lovable dog J’accuse. 

Crime-watching fans are eagerly awaiting the arrival of season two. For great shows like this, and for action thriller buffs, a long wait could be unsettling but worth waiting for. Overall the series is incredibly enjoyable and suspenseful to watch. I rate this show 8/10 and recommend it to avid crime and comedy fans.