I'll start with what I liked.
While I felt like the art direction read as more generic as opposed to its predecessor, the backgrounds in particular were gorgeous and the animation was clean. The soundtrack was wonderful as always, though admittedly this season's version of the theme wasn't my favorite.
When it comes to the plot episodes focusing on the main cast, I felt like things were more or less handled very well (in particular, the final arc read as very solid as far as the main cast was concerned even though I do feel like they could have given Zenigata more of a chance to shine overall; but a lot of potential arcs that could have revolved around him were admittedly addressed in the prior season).
The Fujiko-Lupin dynamic was handled very interestingly, and was clearly a focal point of this season which didn't bother me. On the contrary, it was refreshing to see a season where their relationship wasn't glossed over or reduced to a simple "oh they're fwb but it's not our business."
...Unfortunately I dislike that Ami was the catalyst for this discussion.
I don't think that Ami, overall, is a bad character, although I did find her somewhat bland compared to last season's Rebecca. My issue with her primarily lies in her crush on Lupin. This isn't the first time that the franchise has introduced a young girl (a minor) who develops feelings for Lupin, and it's always handled with class. This season also has Lupin rejecting Ami's feelings (although as the season continues I almost wish they'd written him as firmer in his dismissiveness), but in general it grew increasingly uncomfortable if not annoying for her crush to be pushed front and center.
From a writing standpoint as well, it felt kind of skeevy given Ami's backstory. Like, I just sort of sat there like. Why would the writers feel like this was an appropriate means of handling this type of character.
...But,
anyway,
Enzo also was a bizarre case. I felt as though I didn't understand him as a character at all. While not outright malicious his characterization was very inconsistent and he almost reads like a completely different person in the final episode.
As far as other new additions, Albert was interesting, but I wish they'd done a little more with him (though I understand that a lot of what happened in Part V was likely a set up for a Part VI series). Yata was an interesting character who regrettably got very little screentime (a side effect of Zenigata feeling practically Benched after the first arc).
When it comes to its MANY homages, I felt that some worked better than others. They definitely weren't done in a way that felt overly invasive, but I did feel like the imposition that every iteration of Lupin III takes place within the same universe hindered the show somewhat. As a viewer, I'm willing to appreciate the reappearance of Castle Cagliostro as a small nod or easter egg, for example, but the way the writers impose the concept that all versions of Lupin are the same felt like it was crossing the line into bizarre.
Overall, the show wasn't bad.
I enjoyed the parts that appealed to me personally, and disliked the parts that didn't. I'd definitely recommend starting with Part IV before this one, as Blue Jacket seems to be weaving together a more cohesive universe than previously seen with Lupin, so while it's possible, it's difficult for me to recommend this season as a starting point.
