#should watch

I went into this blind, not knowing that it’s based on a true story. Excellent performances by Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst. 

The ending was very well-written imo 😭

Okay, So I watched this anime back in 2019. However, I feel like I should bring this up now since the game “Among Us” is so popular.

But like this anime is such a good series and might make you think of among us. Because as you can tell, they are lost in space and (slight spoiler?) there is an “imposter” of sort.

I would love to say more. But like I really don’t want to spoil anything because the plot twist in this anime is so good and I love it.

Though I will say that I love the characters so much. So at first (ep. 1) they all seem one dimensional and extremely stereotypical. But then they all just come to life. Like some of them develop so much and you can just relate to what they’re feeling. The characters just grows on you and I’m so attached to them even if it’s been a whole year.

No joke, just watched it for a third time and idk why, but I just got so emotional even though I didn’t the last two times I watched it. It’s just so good. Drama, plot twist, funny, mindfuckery (if you really think deep about it).

Like you should definitely check it out. It’s 11 episodes (though the first and last episode is like an hour long), the pacing is nice. I would say you could watch it either in sub or dub, wouldn’t really matter. But like...

What's it about? I've seen a few people out there describing this as an "Ocean's 11 but in anime form" type of show, and they're not wrong. It was the first thing that came to mind as I watched, since this anime revolves around the various escapades of a motley crew of "confidence men" (and women), and how they use their skills to pull off heists in a skewed Robin Hood style, i.e. steal from the rich and give to themselves! The show is divided into four "cases", each of which details a particular con that the group is running, while focussing on the backstory of one of the four central characters. 

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What I liked? This show was pure entertainment. If you've ever watched movies like "Ocean's 11" or "Catch Me If You Can", this anime falls into that sort of genre and it's undeniably entertaining, leaving you suspending your belief for a good while. Assuming you don't look too closely or analyse things too much, the cons they run are slick, well-coordinated, have a few surprises here and there, while really sticking it to the "bad guy of the week" - all of which makes it pretty satisfying to watch. We also get to know each of the characters with each case, watching their development as they try to move forward from the things holding them back in life. All four leads are likeable in their own right, and the ladies definitely hold their own here, which was nice to see. The animation style makes good use of vibrant colours, which lends itself to that exciting, "larger than life" feel. The first 3 cases were really enjoyable and showcase the best of what this show has to offer. And, as a bonus, the music choices are fabulous - a lot of contemporary vibes, and an ending song that’s the cherry on top! 

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What I liked a little less? While I seriously enjoyed this show, it has to be said that the 4th case ended up bringing it down a bit. By the time the 4th case rolls around, a lot of the tricks they use to pull off their cons are transparent to the audience, because we've seen it all before, and just ends up deflating our sense of suspense/excitement. The story in the 4th case also becomes rather convoluted, as it tries to accomplish a number of goals, rather than just focussing on the con, and, in doing so, may leave the viewer feeling a bit unsatisfied with some of the writing choices that were made and how everything plays out in the end. The focus of the case itself was also a poor choice for a light-hearted show like this, as it handles a very serious issue in a rather off-handed manner. You can definitely enjoy it at face value, but once you start thinking things through, you'll start to see the technical and moral flaws, i.e. a lot of this could never happen in reality, and con-men aren't really the good guys. And case 4, unfortunately, highlights it all.

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Could, should or wouldn't watch? Even though there are some flaws, I would still put this into the "should watch" category. It really was entertaining to watch and I cannot discount how much fun the first 3 cases were. It's slick and cool, jet-setting all over the world, spending money to make money, living the high life, all while serving some well-deserved humble pie to some villains along the way... If rumours are to be believed, it seems that a second season could be on the cards one day. But until then, if you're looking for a crazy ride that's a lot of fun, Great Pretender is a great choice! 

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