Films
/
Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)
Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979) poster

Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)

ルパン三世 カリオストロの城

Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Crime • 1h 42m

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Cast: Yasuo Yamada, Kiyoshi Kobayashi, Eiko Masuyama, Makio Inoue, Gorō Naya, Sumi Shimamoto, Taro Ishida, Kohei Miyauchi, Ichiro Nagai, Tadamichi Tsuneizumi, Kinpei Azusa, Eken Mine, Shozo Hirabayashi, Minoru Midorikawa, Mikio Terashima, Osamu Saka, Junkichi Yarita, Akio Nojima, Juji Matsuda, Yoko Yamaoka

Best English-friendly & video release

2025 Discotek US Blu-ray SteelBook

Video notes:

4K Blu-ray is denoised

The 2025 SteelBook uses the same transfer as the 2014 Japan Studio Ghibli Blu-ray and 2015 Discotek US Blu-ray but with better white balance.

Updated 1 month ago


Best audio release

Japan: 1995 Japan LaserDisc 

English: 2012 UK Blu-ray

UHD tiers

Disappointing
Discotek:

stacked with extras and great mono, issues with the video


About the film

After a successful robbery leaves famed thief Lupin the Third and his partner Jigen with nothing but a large amount of expertly crafted counterfeit bills, he decides to track down the forgers responsible—and steal any other treasures he may find in the Castle of Cagliostro, including the 'damsel in distress' he finds imprisoned there.

Alternative Titles
The Castle of Cagliostro, Lupin the 3rd: The Castle of Cagliostro, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, LupinThe Third:The Castle Of Cagliostro

More from Hayao Miyazaki

See more →

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Video format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

2026 Japan Studio Ghibli (remastered) Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

France 4K Blu-ray announced

Video Notes:

Remastered Blu-ray only included as a pack-in with the 4K Blu-ray. Includes English subtitles and a dub, which the 4K Blu-ray does not.

Best Audio:

Japan Studio Ghibli 4K Blu-ray

UK StudioCanal Blu-ray for the English dub

Audio Notes:

4K Blu-ray includes the original 5.1 mix in its unaltered form, all other releases after the LaserDisc, as well as the remastered Blu-ray, had its dynamic range lowered.

For the English dub, the UK StudioCanal Blu-ray is the least limited mix.

Additional Info:

US Disney Blu-ray has dubtitles. US GKIDS Blu-ray and Japan Studio Ghibli Blu-ray releases (both 2013, box set, and RM4K) have proper English subtitle translations.

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Best English-Friendly & Video:

2014 Japan "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Japan Studio Ghibli 4K Blu-ray announced for a November 25, 2026 release

Best Audio:

Japanese audio: 2014 Japan "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Blu-ray/US GKIDS Blu-ray

English dub (Disney): 1998 US Disney VHS has better sounding vocals despite altered music and sound effects, the US Disney LaserDisc has limited audio, and 2003 DVD is a fake 5.1 upmix

Releases from 2010 onward have the original music and sound effects, but distorted vocals

English dub (Streamline): 1996 Japan remastered LaserDisc, available in Ghibli Ga Ippai Collection boxset

Additional Info:

2012 US Disney Blu-ray has dubtitles. US GKIDS Blu-ray has bonuses that are absent on the US Disney Blu-ray

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Best English-Friendly:

2014 "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Japan Blu-ray or US Disney Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · lddb.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

2014 "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Japan Blu-ray

Video Notes:

2014 "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Japan Blu-ray
Comparisons: https://slow.pics/c/6JWnlfit

Best Audio:

All sources are within margin of error. Comparisons: Japanese, English
Alternate Streamline English dub is available only on 1994 Fox LD.

Additional Info:

US GKIDS Blu-ray has more bonuses than the US Disney Blu-ray

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Best English-Friendly & Video:

2014 Japan Hayao Miyazaki Collection Studio Ghibli Blu-ray

Best Audio:

2014 Japan Hayao Miyazaki Collection Studio Ghibli Blu-ray

For English dub: OOP US 2015 Disney Blu-ray

Additional Info:

US GKIDS Blu-ray is missing some features from the OOP US Disney Blu-ray but has an exclusive 12-page booklet.

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Best English-Friendly:

Japan Studio Ghibli Blu-ray or US GKIDS Blu-ray

Additional Info:

US Disney Blu-ray has alternate "simplified" subtitles compared to the translation used in the Japan Studio Ghibli Blu-ray and the US GKIDS Blu-ray

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

US GKIDS 4K Blu-ray

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Best English-Friendly & Video:

2017 US GKIDS Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Japanese audio: The HQ Audio Restoration by Hydra Spectre (made using the 2011 US Disney Blu-ray and the 2003 Taiwan Disney DVD), 2003 Japan Studio Ghibli DVD or 2003 Taiwan Disney DVD as an alternative

English audio: 2005 US Disney DVD

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Studio Ghibli The Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki Blu-ray

Additional Info:

The Ghibli ga Ippai SPECIAL Short Short 1996-2016 Blu-ray has a different video transfer that has a tealer tint and slightly tighter framing.

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Best English-Friendly & Video:

2017 US GKIDS Blu-ray

Video Notes:

2017 US GKIDS Blu-ray has better detail and grain, 2014 Japan Studio Ghibli Blu-ray from the Hayao Miyazaki box set for MGVC with added bit-depth for supported players

Best Audio:

2011/2014 Japan Studio Ghibli Blu-ray for original 6.1 audio mix, Cinema DTS for the English dub

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Best English-Friendly:

2017 GKIDS Blu-ray

Best Video:

2014 Japan Hayao Miyazaki boxset Studio Ghibli Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Japanese audio: 2014 Japan Hayao Miyazaki boxset Studio Ghibli Blu-ray has 6.1 discrete

English audio: Cinema DTS-ES, 2010 US Disney Blu-ray as an alternative

More Animation on Blu-ray

Director: Kenji Iwaisawa

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Netflix Streaming

Upcoming Release:

US GKIDS Blu-ray announced

Best Audio:

Japan Pony Canyon Blu-ray for original 7.1 mix

Netflix Streaming for English dub

TV series

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Amazon Streaming

Upcoming Release:

US GKIDS/UK Anime, Ltd. Blu-ray announced

Best Video & Audio:

Japan Pony Canyon Blu-ray

Directors: David Hand & Ben Sharpsteen & William Cottrell & Larry Morey & Perce Pearce & Wilfred Jackson

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Disney 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Mono track is on the included Blu-ray; 4K Blu-ray missing original mono. LaserDisc probably better

Director: Satoshi Kon

4K · Disappointing
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Sony 4K Blu-ray is very smeary with the upscaling but has correct aspect ratio and very good HDR grade.
UK Blu-ray has wrong colors, and Sony 2007 Blu-ray is the worst (encoding and AR)
See professorwho's review

Directors: Chris Appelhans & Maggie Kang

Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

"Sing-Along Edition" not included on the Criterion 4K Blu-ray, only available on Netflix Streaming

Director: Masaaki Yuasa

Best English-Friendly & Video:

US GKIDS Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Japan Aniplex Blu-ray is severely lowpassed, which is not an issue on the US release

Director: Mamoru Oshii

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

Bandai JP 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

All 4K releases are sourced from the same mediocre transfer provided by Bandai, with various amounts of tweaks. Japanese disc presents it with the least tinkering.

The best attempt at improving it comes from the German/French releases from KSM/All the Anime, both of which use the same master with HDR regrading (original grade is SDR in HDR container), tasteful regraining and sharpening, in an attempt to breathe some life into the middling transfer, making for an arguably more pleasing viewing experience.

All earlier releases are from an even worse transfer, with significant black crush, with the exception of a Japanese TV airing, which doesn't suffer from that issue, but instead is heavily sharpened and suffers from poor encoding.

Comparisons: JPN UHD, USA UHD, FRA/GER UHD, ITA UHD (tonemapped), JPN UHD, USA UHD, FRA/GER UHD, ITA UHD, ESP UHD (PQ), All 1080p BDs, HDTV, HDTV filtered

Audio Notes:

Original matrixed stereo mix: Bandai JP 4K Blu-ray
Most discs include this track with comparable fidelity (which is excellent).

Dolby Atmos remix: Lionsgate US 4K / All the Anime FR 4K
6.1 remix (from Ghost in the Shell 2.0): KSM DE 4K / All the Anime FR 4K

All tracks on the Lionsgate US 4K replace the original ending song with the one heard on the English dub. As the Atmos track on the FR 4K is just a port, it also has this song replaced.

Additional Info:

Japanese 4K includes English dub and subtitles.
French/German 4Ks are not English friendly, with no dub or subtitles.
French disc includes the Atmos track, but the German disc does not.

TV series

Best English-Friendly & Video:

UK Anime Ltd. Blu-ray

Video Notes:

UK has reportedly better compression than the US Viz Media

TV series

Best English-Friendly & Video:

UK Anime Ltd. Blu-ray

Video Notes:

UK has reportedly better compression than the US Viz Media

Director: Simon Wells

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Dolby Stereo: THX Certified Laserdisc

Edit history

7 edits

Researched and maintained by

nemwolfvanshadycbcHydra Spectre

· last reviewed 1 month ago

Every recommendation follows the same method — how these calls are made.