Considered the world's greatest thief, Lupin is known for announcing his intentions to steal valuable objects by sending a calling card to the owners of his desired items.

[2] A master of disguise and ruthless killer who is often hired to work as a mercenary or bodyguard, Lupin is typically pursued across the globe by Inspector Koichi Zenigata.

[2] Lupin often runs into Fujiko Mine, a beautiful female thief who typically uses her body to get what she wants or to make her targets easier to kill.

Monkey Punch enjoys puzzles and mysteries such as Columbo and Agatha Christie novels, and was also inspired by The Three Musketeers and the movies of Alfred Hitchcock.

[5][6][10] As the series was to be published in a magazine targeted at adults, Fujiko Mine was created to add a female presence and to fulfill a "Bond girl" role.

While Lupin, Fujiko, Jigen and Goemon frequently operate together for their own goals, the author considers them not to be a true group as they have their own individual interests.

Additional chapters known as Lupin III New Adventures (ルパン三世 新冒険, Rupan Sansei Shin Bōken) were released from August 12, 1971.

[12][13] Monkey Punch stated that there was a bitter dispute between Futabasha and Chuokoron Shinsha over who would publish the collected volumes of the series.

[24] Allen Divers of Anime News Network praised the strong writing and action; however, he felt that the art was too primitive.

[citation needed] In The Rough Guide to Manga, Jason S. Yadao highlighted the example of how Lupin wearing a hat looks exactly like Zenigata.

He praised the episodic nature of the series for allowing the iconic characters to get into globe-trotting hijinks involving fast cars, meticulous heists, and slapstick comedy, "all without being weighed down by the structural demands of a larger narrative.

Silverman cited the stories that show Lupin's skill with disguises as the best because it allows their plots to "twist and convolute in exciting and silly ways."

She noted that the English translation sometimes uses period-appropriate language but other times feels a tad too modern and described the art as "all over the place," but called the stories mostly a lot of fun.

"[29] Giving it a three ½ star rating, Christopher Farris felt the book is best-suited for already established fans of Lupin III and described it as "more of an aesthetic sampling" of Monkey Punch's distinctive art and storytelling, which makes it an "appreciable treat."

[29] Jones and Silverman both noted that those only familiar with the franchise from the anime adaptations that portray Lupin as a "lovable thief," might be surprised by the original manga's adult tone.