Lupin III Part I (1971)

This is really two series that share the same characters but are almost alien in setting, tone, and form. The first half is all heavier tales where master criminals freewheel through twilight to a jazzy soundtrack. Someone dies in almost every episode, and there's genuine noir and pathos and political insight mixed in. The second half is all safe, producer-pacifying episodic antics set in same-y daytime Tokyo cityscapes where the gang pull off wacky heists and Zenigata yells “I'll get you next week, Lupin!”. If nothing else, it's a reminder that Lupin has had wildly different tones from the start.