Lupin III

Lupin III, also known as Lupin the 3rd, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kazuhiko Kato under the pen name of Monkey Punch. The story follows the adventures of a gang of thieves led by Arsène Lupin III, the grandson of Arsène Lupin, the gentleman thief of Maurice Leblanc's series of novels. Lupin and his gang travel throughout the world to steal treasures and escape from the law. The first Lupin III manga, which first appeared in Weekly Manga Action beginning on August 10, 1967, spawned a media franchise that includes numerous manga, various animated television series, feature films, direct-to-video releases, yearly television specials, music CDs, video games, and a musical. Several different companies own the English language distribution rights to various Lupin III properties, including Geneon, licensor of the second television series, which was broadcast in 26 episodes on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim during 2003, and Tokyopop, licensor of the original manga. WhiteLight Entertainment, purchased the live-action theatrical rights to Lupin III in 2003.