2020年夏アニメ
GREAT PRETENDER
WIT STUDIO
クライムサスペンスコメディ
2020年6月2日Netflix先行配信／7月8日フジテレビ「+Ultra」ほかで放送開始（全23話）
Great Pretender is an original TV anime produced by WIT STUDIO, streamed early on Netflix starting June 2, 2020, and broadcast on Fuji TV's "+Ultra" block and other stations starting July 8, spanning 23 episodes of crime entertainment. Self-proclaimed "Japan's greatest swindler" Makoto Edamura, nicknamed Edamame, tries to con a French tourist visiting Asakusa — only to discover the man is Laurent Thierry, a master confidence man who can even outwit the mafia. Swindled out of a huge sum himself, Edamura ends up, for reasons unclear at first, joining Laurent's crew and getting swept into world-spanning cons on a massive scale. True to its tagline "Only the wicked are targeted. Welcome to the con artists' banquet," the series delivers thrilling battles of wits aimed squarely at villains, moving through Los Angeles, Singapore, Shanghai, and London.
📝 Highlights
👥 Characters
💫 Foreshadowing & Quotes
❓ FAQ
🌟 Featured Comments
📝 Highlights & Appeal Light spoilers
01① An original anime from Attack on Titan's WIT STUDIO
This original TV anime is produced by WIT STUDIO, known for Attack on Titan, and directed by Hiro Kaburagi.
02② Character designs by Evangelion's Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
Character designs are by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto of Neon Genesis Evangelion, with a screenplay by Ryota Kosawa.
03③ The meeting of con artists Makoto Edamura and Laurent Thierry
The story kicks off when self-proclaimed "Japan's greatest swindler" Edamura tries to con Laurent in Asakusa, only to be swindled himself.
04④ Thrilling crime entertainment that only targets the wicked
True to the concept "only the wicked are targeted," the series delivers a thrilling con game aimed squarely at those who deserve it.
05⑤ A four-part structure spanning Los Angeles, Singapore, Shanghai, and London
Starting with the Los Angeles arc, the story moves through Singapore, Shanghai, and London, each featuring a different large-scale con.
06⑥ An original anime streamed worldwide on Netflix
Ahead of its Fuji TV broadcast, the series began streaming worldwide on Netflix starting June 2, 2020.
07⑦ A theme song by Freddie Mercury, a first for Japanese TV anime
The ending theme features "The Great Pretender" by Freddie Mercury, marking the first time a Freddie Mercury song was used as a theme song in Japanese TV anime history.
08⑧ Intricate twists penned by screenwriter Ryota Kosawa
Ryota Kosawa, also known for writing The Confidence Man JP, handles his first TV anime series composition with intricately crafted twists.
💡 Key Points & Predictions Some spoilers
The highlight going forward is what kind of villains Edamura and Laurent's crew take on as their con games move from Los Angeles to Singapore, Shanghai, and London. Each city is expected to bring a different style of con, with intricately crafted twists waiting at every turn.
🧾 Story So Far Contains spoilers
Self-proclaimed "Japan's greatest swindler" Makoto Edamura tries to con Laurent Thierry, who is visiting Asakusa, only to be swindled out of a huge sum himself. Realizing Laurent is a confidence man who can even outwit the mafia, Edamura is somehow drawn into his crew and gets swept up in a scheme targeting villains in Los Angeles.
✅ Recommended Viewing Points
Recommended for anyone who wants to enjoy both the striking visuals from the team behind WIT STUDIO's Attack on Titan and Evangelion's Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, along with thrilling twists aimed squarely at villains. Best enjoyed as a binge starting from the Los Angeles arc.
👀 Trivia & Fun Facts
"The Great Pretender" by Freddie Mercury, used as the ending theme, marked the first time in Japanese TV anime history that a song of his was used as a theme song. The opening theme "G.P." was composed by Yutaka Yamada. This was also screenwriter Ryota Kosawa's first job as a TV anime series composer. A sequel, Great Pretender razbliuto, was released in 2024.
Makoto Edamura / Edamame (CV: Chiaki Kobayashi)
The series protagonist, a self-proclaimed "Japan's greatest swindler" who ends up joining Laurent's team after being conned by him.
Laurent Thierry (CV: Junichi Suwabe)
An international confidence man who can even outwit the mafia, drawing Edamura into his cons that target only the wicked.
Abigail Jones / Abby (CV: Natsumi Fujiwara)
A member of Laurent's team who supports the crew's cons through disguise and acting.
Paula Dickins (CV: Mie Sonozaki)
A woman connected to Laurent's team who plays an important role in each of the crew's schemes.
Kudo (CV: Yohei Tadano)
A con artist who was Edamura's partner, joining him at the start of the story in the attempt to swindle Laurent.
Kim Si Won (CV: Kujira)
A hacker appearing in the Los Angeles arc who provides technical support for Laurent's crew's schemes.
Eddie Cassano (CV: Atsushi Ono)
One of the villains targeted by Laurent's crew in the Los Angeles arc.
Salazar (CV: Ryota Takeuchi)
A figure appearing in the Los Angeles arc, involved in the incident surrounding Eddie Cassano.
Inspector Anderson (CV: Masaki Tani)
A police officer appearing in the Los Angeles arc who investigates the events surrounding Laurent's crew's scheme.
Raji (CV: Akio Otsuka)
A figure appearing in the Los Angeles arc, depicted as operating behind the scenes of the incident.
💫 Unresolved Foreshadowing Contains spoilers
- The real reason Edamura ends up drawn into Laurent's crew is left largely unexplained early on.
- It's hinted that Raji operates behind the scenes of the Los Angeles arc's incident, and his true identity remains one of the story's biggest mysteries.
- Who Laurent's crew's true ultimate target really is is also gradually revealed over the course of the series.
💌 Predicted Viral Quotes for Next Season
"Only the wicked are targeted. Welcome to the con artists' banquet." — The tagline symbolizing the entire series.
"I'm Japan's greatest swindler." — Edamura's line introducing himself at the story's opening, kicking things off in style.
"Confidence man." — The key phrase describing Laurent's true identity, running throughout the series.
What kind of anime is “Great Pretender”?
Great Pretender is an original TV anime produced by WIT STUDIO, streamed early on Netflix starting June 2, 2020, and broadcast on Fuji TV's "+Ultra" block and other stations starting July 8, spanning…
What are the theme songs (OP/ED) of “Great Pretender”?
You can find the theme songs of “Great Pretender” ranked by view count in the anime song ranking on the homepage. Each song’s page also shows a chart of its view-count history.
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