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List of Lupin III television specials

This is a list of television specials of the Japanese media franchise Lupin III, based on the manga series by Monkey Punch that debuted in 1967. Beginning in 1989 with Bye Bye, Lady Liberty, every year until 2013 featured a 90 minute Lupin III anime television special that aired on NTV at 9:03 on Friday evening. Since then, they have been released irregularly, with the 27th and latest being November 2019's Prison of the Past.

Production notes
• While recording Voyage to Danger in 1993, Lupin's voice actor, Yasuo Yamada, took a sudden illness, and his standing became unstable. By the last part of the recording, Yasuo recorded his voice while he was in a chair. Yamada went on to reprise the role one last time in Dragon of Doom the following year. However, his health continued to decline during its recording. He died of a brain hemorrhage in 1995, at the age of 62. Kanichi Kurita took over the role of Lupin that same year. • 2007's The Elusiveness of the Fog aired as a tribute to the 40th anniversary of the Lupin III manga. Just as the OVA Return of Pycal brought back an old villain in recognition of the 30th anniversary of the anime, the character of Mamou had previously appeared in both a story in the original Lupin III manga and the thirteenth episode of the first anime series. He is treated in this special as if Lupin's gang had never met him before. • 2011's Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid brought new voice actors for Fujiko, Zenigata and Goemon for the first time in 16 years. ==Reception==
Reception
The Lupin III television specials released by Funimation have received reviews varying from positive to mixed. The most well-received seems to be Island of Assassins, with Chris Beveridge of Mania.com describing it as "the best non-TV Lupin experience ... since The Castle of Cagliostro", The least well-received of Funimation's releases is Secret of the Twilight Gemini, which received mixed reviews due to the animation and its B movie-style plot. Mania.com gave 2002's Episode 0: The First Contact an A+ and hailed it as the best TV special made to date. In 500 Essential Anime Movies Helen McCarthy called Liberty her personal favourite of the Lupin TV specials. She describes it as "light, funny and entertaining" and "terrific entertainment". ==See also==
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