“Con artist Makoto Edamura is out-scammed by Laurent Thierry and drawn into global high-stakes fraud.”
Great Pretender
GREAT PRETENDER
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AI-powered analysis tailored to your taste
Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
Synopsis
Con artist Makoto Edamura is out-scammed by Laurent Thierry and drawn into global high-stakes fraud.
A series of unfortunate events has led Makoto Edamura to adopt the life of crime—pickpocketing and scamming others for a living. However, after swindling a seemingly clueless tourist, Makoto discovers that he was the one tricked and, to make matters worse, that the police are now after him. While making his escape, he runs into the tourist once again, who turns out to be a fellow con man named Laurent Thierry, and ends up following him to Los Angeles. In an attempt to defend his self-proclaimed title of "Japan's Greatest Swindler," Makoto challenges his rival to determine the better scammer. Accepting the competition, Laurent drops them off outside a huge mansion and claims that their target will be the biggest mafia boss on the West Coast. As Makoto becomes increasingly involved with the cunning Laurent, his colorful associates, and the world of international high-stakes fraud, he soon realizes that he got more than what he bargained for as his self-declared skills are continually put to the test.
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 149 sampled reviews
What 149 viewers settled on.
Mostly aligned
σ 1.79 · some divergence
5.3 pts
Recommenders 8.6 · others 3.3
↓ 1.11
Running avg · Sep 2020 → Aug 2025
- 10 “This show can be summed up in one word: INCREDIBLE! I love everything about it. The characters are so interesting that I want to meet them. The art is so beautiful that I want to travel around the...”
- 8 “I think that the Great Pretender is a great anime and I enjoyed it a lot, but there is just one huge problem with the show that really detracted from the experience, which is why I wouldn't rate it...”
- 9 “I thoroughly enjoyed the art style, the character development, and the compelling storyline that makes this series accessible even to those who aren't typically fans of anime. There were no notable...”
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- Format 23 × 23′ eps × min
- Total runtime 8h 49m all episodes
- Aired Jul 2020 – Dec 2020 Summer 2020
- Source Tv media type
- Rated R 17+ (violence & profanity)
- Ref. BS-15496 catalog
Produced by
- Production I.G Producer
- Fuji TV Producer
- BS Fuji Producer
- TOHO animation Producer
- Hakuhodo DY Media Partners Producer
Licensed by
- Netflix Licensor
- Anime Limited Licensor