The staff of the first new Lupin III television anime series in three decades announced on Tuesday that the series will premiere this fall in Japan on the Nihon TV channel and other broadcasters.

Franchise veteran Yuji Ohno's involvement as composer was also announced. Ohno commented on his involvement, saying, "Lupin is returning center stage! This is what 'Lupin Sound' should be! Please look forward to that kind of music."

The series was originally announced at the MIPCOM event in Cannes, France last October, and was scheduled for a world premiere on Italy's RTI channel this spring. The story of the new series will take place in Italy and San Marino. It will be the first full-fledged Lupin III television anime series to star the legendary thief character since 1984-85's Lupin III Part III ended three decades ago. (Sayo Yamamoto and TMS Entertainment made the Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine television anime spinoff in 2012.)

Franchise veteran Kazuhide Tomonaga (key animator on Lupin the 3rd: The Mystery of Mamo and Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, particularly the whole iconic car chase) is serving as chief director, and Yuichiro Yano (Moyashimon, Francesca, Mujin Wakusei Survive, Patapata Hikōsen no Bōken) is directing at Telecom Animation Film. Writer Yuuya Takahashi (Donten ni Warau, Tiger & Bunny, Lupin the IIIrd: Jigen Daisuke no Bohyō) is in charge of the series scripts.

Tomonaga noted that the Lupin III anime that his generation watched four decades ago was completely different from the previous anime aimed at children. He added that it had a very huge impact on the diehard adult fanbase. For the generation that already experienced that amazement as well as the generation unaware of those days, Tomonaga wants to make an exciting animation that is realistic yet sprinkled with fantastic elements. Furthermore, he wants to depict a Lupin in which conflicting elements coexist — hard-boiled yet comical, cool yet tongue-in-cheek.

Update: The series is still scheduled to premiere on Italy's RTI channel this May. The Japanese broadcast will then begin this fall. [Via LupintheThird.com]

Source: Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web via Yaraon!