by Ben Warnock
Robin Hood and His Merry Men are transported to the twenty-first century as con men who steal from the corrupt and give to the wronged (whilst taking a large cut for themselves). Wit Studio's “Great Pretender Season 1” is part of a multimedia project released alongside a manga of the same name by Ryota Kosawa and streaming globally on Netflix.
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The show is split into four cases across its twenty-three-episode season. Each case focuses on a particular member of the thieving family and delves into their backstory whilst pulling off a heist. The first case is entitled Los Angeles Question and introduces the audience to Makoto “Edamame” Edamura, a Japanese swindler who is recruited by master con man Laurent Thierry to help in a plan against a scummy Hollywood producer. Along the way, the audience is introduced to the other key crew members, Abigail Jones and Cynthia Moore. As the job progresses, Edamura's past and his estranged and disgraced father are uncovered.
Following the completion of the first case, the group goes international with Singapore Sky where Jones' past is the centre of attention. To best an air race owner who fixes the flights of the competition by any means necessary, Abigail becomes a pilot to thwart the man through his love of gambling. As the third case rears its head, Cynthia's past is at the fore as the band of con men set out to bankrupt an art auctioneer who sells counterfeit art whilst ruining the lives of the artists he employs. Employing the use of a fake masterpiece, the gang turn the tables on the auctioneer to bankrupt him in Snow of London.
Finally, in the last case of the season: Wizard of the Far East, leader Laurent gets his chance to shine as his start as a con man is revealed and his intertwined fate with our protagonist is unearthed. In what is the most dangerous heist yet, the band get together to pit two mafia factions against one another to take their money and expose their human trafficking. Figures from the past come back to haunt the crew as everything gradually begins to get more complicated for our merry con men.
Forgiveness and the ability to move on from trauma are the key themes of the show's episodes. Whether it be familial grudges, like our hero, or PTSD from war, the series' messages always urge one to push forward despite the past. Whilst at times these messages can be enmeshed in contrived storylines and heists, the characters are so genuine in their expressions that it becomes endearing. Whereas another show spouting the same themes might sound more like a PSA, coming from the mouths of a family bonded by trauma and attempting to move on together it becomes wholesome and entirely believable. These are all damaged people trying to do right by the world and most importantly themselves. The only time when these underlying ideas become hollow is in the final act where the group acts out-of-sorts and motivations become clouded in favour of producing convoluted plot twists.
The voice actors all give commendable performances, helping to flesh out the characters and give heart to their actions. The combination of intense flashes of emotion by Chiaki Kobayashi's Edamura and the refined omnipresent composure of Junichi Suwabe's Laurent, in particular, creates an entertaining dynamic.
It would not be a WIT Studio show without stunning animation and this might be some of their best work yet. Cel-shaded backgrounds by Yusuke Takeda are vibrant and composed with a stunning array of colour arrangements that help fit the mood of any scene. Just like the show's opening song by Yutaka Yamada, the animation is styled like jazz. Colours and brush strokes flow in what seems like a random order but if you go with the flow then some striking animation awaits. On the character design side, Yoshiyuki Sadamoto's creations are fairly simplistic yet uniquely individualised allowing for personalities to become reflected in their look. However, this is turned on its head when reaction shots are needed (which they always are in any solid heist) and the faces morph into exaggerated caricatures of emotion. The crowning moment of a plan gone well is the look on the face of those being tricked and this is certainly the case here.
Opening on your strongest case is always going to be tough to follow but “Great Pretender Season 1” mostly manages to stick the landing. Minus a few bits of turbulence in the final act, in the form of overwriting and atypical character choices, the anime manages to produce a consistently enjoyable experience that is as vibrant as its art style. Much like its cast of intensely likeable con artists, the episodes follow the beat of their own drum and if the audience can jive on their rhythm, then they're sure to have a great time.
