Video:

Like the first season boxset this set contains top notch video qaulity ripped from the original R2 dvd sources. There is no pixaliaztion to be found or image ghosting to be found and this, as with all the second season box sets, contains no MAC watermarks or logos. The only downside is that these episodes don't appear to have been given the restoration process that the more treasured first season did. this means that inharent dirt and scrathes appear from time to time, but for a series over twenty years old it still stand up.

Audio:

A true Dolby Ditgital Stereo mix is given to the every episode, and all the music and dialoge come through crisp and clear. No audio problems are present through out the entire three disc set.

Subtitle:

The subtitles are better then average, in fact there really quite excellent. Timing is always the most crucial and often most over looked aspect of most HK disks, but here its perfect. The problem lies in how literial the english translation is taken, making much of the humor inharent in the Lupin series come off dry or incomprehencable. To MAC's credit, the subtitles never take away from the viewing experience, but a series as dated and Japanese as Lupin is could do well with a less literal and more American fan-sub translation to make more of the jokes excessable to an American audience.

Comment:

The Lupin TV series sets are all examples of superior HK DVD sets. All sets wish they could raise the bar like MAC has done with Lupin series. Specifically with this Second Season - Part 1 set they have started what is one part of a complete six piece set whose quality only improves with every release. Do not be turned off by this first parts lame non-animated menu designs, because as the set progresses you are treated to a series of great menus. Also fans of the first series might be turned off by the series complete three-sixty in charter design and more comical storylines, but as the series progresses the show really begins to rise to the occation. I could not reccomend this box set more to Lupin and non-Lupin fans alike. Enjoy.

Video:

Great picture quality for such a vintage series.

Audio:

It's mono, but sounds pretty damn good to me.

Subtitle:

Dissapointing considering the great job done on the first seasons box set. Only slightly better than your average HK subs.

Comment:

This set is a bit of a let down considering how good the previous release was. The main menu is just plain boring. The subs ,while not horrible, suck. Alot of the great characterizations and humor is lost, something that wasn't a problem before. It's too bad -the LUPIN III season 1 box set is one of the best HK DVD releases yet. Lets hope MI can get back on track.

Video:

Not much to say other than it's an excellent rip of a series that is about 30 years old. I didn't experience any distortions or glitches. Short of re-mastering (if that is possible with this, I know touch-up job on the Castle of Cagliostro is magnificent), I think this is as good as it gets. In terms of the appearance of the series, everything is slightly 'cleaner' and a lot brighter. At first, I wasn't too fond of the new 'look' to the characters, particularly Lupin's - I know a guy's got to change his clothes now and again, but I will always associate Lupin with the green jacket, black shirt and yellow tie combo. Also everyone has a much more pointed nose than in the original series and Jigen - sacrilege! - actually looks up from beneath the brim of his hat more often. However, all of this is just personal. Tested on a Pioneer 636 (RGB output) + QED RGB Scart (video-only) cable + Hitachi 28" flat widescreen.

Audio:

Clear with no hissing or popping. I'm giving it five because the original sound is great - it could get better with re-mastering or re-recording (unlikely). I think the most important thing is that Yamada Yasuo, Kobayashi Kiyoshi and Naya Goro are still behind the voices/characters of Lupin, Jigen and Zenigata respectively. Fujiko and Goemon's voice actors have changed, but this isn't really noticeable or, in my important, as significant. Tested on a basic Sony Dolby Digital amp.

Subtitle:

Hmmm, hate to disagree with the previous reviewer, but this is more Engrish than English (you know what to expect). Apart from the translation improving on Disc 3, this is not up to the overall standard of the first MI TV series set. There are grammar, spelling and missing line issues but, thankfully, no appearances of 'k?' at the end of lines of dialogue (as in the First series). I'm not sure if it's case of working from Japanese to Chinese to English, but some of the translations are bizarre. In the Loch Ness Monster episode, 'Loch Ness' is 'River Noch' and 'Nessie' becomes 'The UFO of River Noch' (the characters clearly say 'Nessie'). The Monaco Grand Prix episode switches between Moraco and Mexico(!) with well known US driver Ji Qi Su Ya (Jackie Stewart - Scottish!) and Australia's Lidio (Nikki Lauda - Austrian). There are more examples, but you get the gist of what I'm saying. These don't destroy the set - far from it - but it's a shame that the standard has slipped from the First series - the English simply isn't as good. Things do get a bit better on the third disc, however.

Comment:

Again, a nice gatefold set, which is similar in style to the First series' set. If you arrange/stack your DVDs like books - spines showing - it all looks very nice and professional. The presentation on the discs, however, is not as good as the First series. The menus are no longer animated or as stylish and the chapter select screen doesn't offer small screenshots of each episode for easier reference. Nevertheless, they are still easy to navigate. It took me a while to get into the Second series. First, the new look put me off slightly, but more significant was that the first few episodes weren't that gripping. Inevitably, things picked up and I began to enjoy myself though I don't think the overall standard is as good - is this because Miyazaki was behind some of the best of the First series? Anyway, enough of the moaning. This is still essential for Lupin fans and I'm looking forward to the rest of the Second series.

Video:

Hey, I'm not going to mark it down for this... It's from the 60s. It doesn't look good, but only because it's damn old. It would be *idiotic* to mark this release down for something that has nothing to do w/ MI.

Audio:

Again, it's Lupin. That means old. Sounds alright, though.

Subtitle:

Great. That's it, just great. They were VERY well done.

Comment:

A great set. If you like Lupin and don't have this, what in the hell are you doing? And if you don't like old animation, why are you reading this review? *HIGHLY* reccomended.