# Where to Watch The Castle of Cagliostro

**The Castle of Cagliostro streams on Max and Netflix — Hayao Miyazaki's directorial debut, and one of the most purely delightful adventure films ever animated. Even if you've never seen a frame of Lupin III, this is essential viewing: the blueprint for everything Miyazaki would later perfect at Ghibli.**

## Where to Watch

- [Max](https://play.max.com/movie/d80eb867-0680-4f73-a6f9-cfbb8a68a399)
- [Netflix](http://www.netflix.com/title/70050576)

Max and Netflix both carry The Castle of Cagliostro. Either is a great way in; it plays beautifully as a standalone film regardless of the Lupin franchise around it.

## Synopsis

Master thief Lupin III pulls off a casino heist only to discover the loot is flawless counterfeit money — so he and his sharpshooter partner Jigen head to the tiny European nation of Cagliostro, the suspected source. There they cross paths with Clarisse, a gentle young royal being forced into marriage by the sinister Count who rules the country. What starts as a caper becomes a rescue, sweeping in Lupin's slippery flame Fujiko, the stoic swordsman Goemon, and the ever-pursuing Inspector Zenigata. Rooftop chases, a fairy-tale castle riddled with secrets, and a hero who's equal parts scoundrel and gentleman — it's adventure filmmaking at its most joyful and humane.

## Fast Facts

- **Format:** MOVIE
- **Episodes:** 1
- **Premiered:** 1979
- **Studio:** telecom animation film, tms entertainment co., ltd., tokyo movie shinsha
- **Score:** 8

## If You Liked This

- **[Lupin III](https://hozuna.com/anime/lupin-iii)** — The series that started it all — the original Lupin III introduces the gang whose chemistry powers Cagliostro, in freewheeling episodic form.
- **[Castle in the Sky](https://hozuna.com/anime/castle-in-the-sky)** — Miyazaki's Ghibli classic Castle in the Sky carries Cagliostro's DNA directly — the same airborne adventure, plucky heroine, and boundless sense of wonder.
- **[Porco Rosso](https://hozuna.com/anime/porco-rosso)** — Porco Rosso shares Cagliostro's romance of dashing rogues and European vistas — Miyazaki returning to the adventurous, rakish register he first nailed here.
- **[Frieren: Beyond Journey's End](https://hozuna.com/anime/frieren-beyond-journey-s-end)** — 
- **[Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc](https://hozuna.com/anime/chainsaw-man-reze-arc)** — 
- **[Re:Zero Season 4](https://hozuna.com/anime/re-zero-season-4)** — 
- **[Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood](https://hozuna.com/anime/fullmetal-alchemist-brotherhood)** — 
- **[Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2](https://hozuna.com/anime/attack-on-titan-season-3-part-2)** — 

## FAQ

### Where can I watch The Castle of Cagliostro?

It streams legally on Max and Netflix.

### Do I need to know Lupin III to watch The Castle of Cagliostro?

Not at all — it's a self-contained film that works perfectly as a first watch, and it's one of the best possible introductions to Lupin.

### Is this really directed by the Studio Ghibli founder?

Yes — it was Hayao Miyazaki's feature directorial debut, made years before Ghibli, and you can see every hallmark of his later masterpieces already taking shape.