Lupin the 3rd Returning to Toonami with Special OVA

What do you get when you combine a world similar to that of Speed Racer to an anime that prides itself on spectacular heists and double crosses? You get the Lupin The Third OVA, Is Lupin Still Burning, of course! Premiering last year as part of a tribute to the franchise’s 50th anniversary, the special animation follows Lupin on an adventure that takes him on a high speed race against the nefarious “Scorpion Gang”. As an added ace up their sleeve, the gang has kidnapped Fujiko, making this one serious race against the clock.

Twitter User ToonamiNews broke the news that the original video animation from the Lupin The Third franchise, Is Lupin Still Burning?, will be premiering late at night next month on December 13th, promising a brand new adventure for fans of the Gentleman Thief:

This year has certainly been a good one for the Lupin The Third franchise, as later this year, we’ll be seeing a brand new computer generation feature length film that combines the stylistic adventures of the Gentleman Thief with some jaw dropping modern animation. Lupin The Third The First will be premiering later this year, just in time for the holidays!

The official description for the OVA, Is Lupin Still Burning?, reads as such:

“Lupin is looking to take top prize at the first race on the Hida Speedway. However, the Scorpion Gang has taken Fujiko prisoner and worse still Zenigata is watching him at every turn.”

Will you be watching this new adventure of Lupin and company next month? Are you excited for the upcoming Lupin The Third The First movie? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and Lupin!

The most recent version of the franchise is the anime Lupin the Third Part 5 which is the sixth iteration of the anime overall, and aired in Japan last year. You can currently find the original Japanese release with English subtitles on Crunchyroll, and they describe the series as such:

“Lupin’s current target: a key to a certain server facility. Once obtained, the information of all the customers and their funds from the world’s largest online bank will be in Lupin’s hands. There, they find the developer of the security system of the bank: Ami. Lupin and Jigen successfully capture Ami and bring her to their hideout. However, almost immediately upon their arrival, Zenigata and his men surround the place. Being at a loss as to why their location was exposed so easily, they discover an online show going viral. The show’s name: “Arrest Lupin III.”