If I were asked about wit studio's speciality I'd have no choice but to say "Cathartic payoffs", but whilst in their other works payoffs are an rewarding addicion at the end of each arc, Great Pretender is constructed solely around them. The series is divided into 3 minor and one major arcs which all tell a separate stories but are connected by the main cast, each arc also tells focuses on a different character from the main cast. On this level the story can be compared to Lupin III but with storyarcs and less style.
As you may suspect, the plot of this series is not the most complex one, at the beginning of each arc you know how it will end but as always the devil lies in the details, the writer wants to ensure that the viewer won't be bored and that there will be always at least 4 different ways in which the conman's may reach their goals,the story may be rather simple but it's definetly really fun to watch, especially if you're a fan of heist movies, every now and then the story gets a darker turn but given the nature of the series some of those moments can't be taken seriously.
The characters are the reason for why this anime is as good as it is, to paraphrase a certain video on youtube "In a well written group, if you present a problem to your characters each should come up with a different solution" and this sentence is deffinetly true when it comes to GP, every character from the main cast has their own merits and represents a different approach to being a conman, backstories of the main cast are not as deep as you'd expect them to ben and few of them can be guessed just from a glance, but regardless of that they at least justify the characters actions enough so they seem reasonable (in most of the cases). Overall the main cast is well written, each has his own interesting backstory and few little quirks that will make you at least appreciate them, my main problem laid in Edamura who's character oftenly contradicts itself and is your average MC,in the last arc he goes through some questionable changes but that doesn't change the fact that he's a rather shollow and most shonen-esque character in the show. The cast is rather well designed, that said there's only one memorable design- Laurent's, but given the nature of the series the design lack any details that would make them memorable, nontheless they definetly fit the situations and the characters wearing them . When it comes to dialogues, they are well-written and fun to listen to, oftenly dialouge is a verbal battle between two characters and those moments are both interesting and enjoyable to watch, sure every now and then there's a stupid truism or a cheesy quote that has been already said a thousand times (especially when it comes to conversations including Makoto) but that doesn't take away from the overall experience, each colloquy does it's best in trying to be chekhov's gun and to be honest, that's enough.
The series is full of fanservice moments which are obviously there simply in order to pander the viewer, but despite that these scenes are not too in your face and even oftenly make sense in the context.
I'm not an expert when it comes to technicall stuff so I won't go into details but to say just a few things. The anime looks nice, it's full of colours, the backgrounds look well enough and the animation is pleasant to look at, there's always something to look at so you won't get bored with staring at the same frame for 30 seconds. Music is definetly an important part of this anime, I don't know who decided that the rap should be in the OST but he did a great job, apart from the premise of the show the soundtrack may be the most unique thing about it, the music gives this anime a soul and fits very well in the series, there are many interesting tracks that you wouldn't normally hear in an anime but most of them pass the test and really fit the show (Also the ed is Freddie Mercury's cover of the "Great Pretender" so and that's actually amazing).
To sum up, Great Pretender is what "Sting" and "Ocean's 11" anime child would be. Sure it's predictable and it's script leaves something to be desired but despite that it's fun to watch, the characters, dialogues and the action moments are great, the OST and story arcs really suit the anime and the style of the entire show is really unique and makes giving the show a try definetly worth it, the fact that the story takes places in different countries in different setting and with different goal results in each arc being unlike the one before it, so if you're looking for a enjoyable series to spend an evening or two with, Great Pretender is a way to go.
