Lupin the 3rd: Part V

"Misadventures in France" (2018, 24 episodes)

(Note that this is where where "jacket color" begins to break down as a useful identifier – the suit and tie are a little lighter, sure, but it's still the same dang color scheme! Also worth noting that, although the US release mentions France in the subtitle, it's nowhere near as French-focused as the last one was Italy-centric as globetrotting is once again a fixture.)

If Part IV was implicitly modernized, this entry embraces that theme. Technology and hacking are a major focus: the conflict of being a mask-wearing safecracker in an era of digital verification and offsite servers. These are highlighted by new character Ami – a shut-in hacker rescued during their first job who looks for purpose alongside the team. In addition to probing whether a gentleman-thief has become much of a relic as the treasures he used to nab, this Part further explores relationships within the entire gang especially Fujiko and Lupin.

A fun twist this show brings in is that, though it repeats the structure of story arcs broken up by one-shots, these episodes are written in the style of previous Parts with character colors changing to match! This is a fun way to revisit the history for old and new fans alike (even if I have some quibbles with how effectively they evoke their respective Parts):

  1. (green jacket) Episode 17
  2. (red jacket) Episodes 11, 12, and 20
  3. (pink jacket) Episode 6
  4. (blue jacket) Episodes 18–19

All that being said, this series is excellent but even if it's better than IV it's harder to recommend this as a starting point – its themes of history and legacy really play a lot stronger if you have some episodes and movies under your belt.

I do not recommend jumping around random episodes of this Part. Some episodes are definitely weaker than others, but overall its semi-serialized nature means that watching straight through is the best way to experience it.