Story:
The Great Pretender Razbliuto anime revolves around Dorothy, the self-proclaimed genius con artist who recruited the infamous Laurent Thierry into a life of crime. This time, however, she was defeated at her own game by Shanghai Longu Bang and presumed dead, only to reappear years later in a small coastal village. Now, due to a series of events, she finds herself pursued by the underworld in Taipei. To escape "kidnapping" or worse, "death," she heads to Kyoto, but what awaits her there...?!
Review:
The Great Pretender was…more than great for me. When I watched the original anime in 2020, I thought it was a fun and unique show with a likable cast of characters, a distinctive style, and a great soundtrack. However, I think the anime slumped a bit during the latter part, where things got so ridiculous that I stopped engaging with the film. I say this because your enjoyment of this film will largely depend on how you feel about this final installment in the series, which suffers from many of the same weaknesses that were evident in the film.
The dialogue was strong, the character actions were a bit believable, and I like where everyone ends up in the end. I just don't like how we got there. With a much better plot structure, we could have had a great masterpiece that would stand perfectly alongside some of the best parts of the original series. This might have been made better if the film had been structured and presented as a proper film rather than a collection of episodes stitched together. That's another thing that bothered me. It didn't feel like I was watching a movie. Even the small title cards appear every twenty minutes, as if to indicate that the episode is divided into multiple acts. However, they look more like introduction cards for another episode that play automatically after the last one has finished.
Also, the film's visuals are no more impressive than some of the series' better-looking episodes. The Great Pretender anime should have had a great presentation of looks and a distinct style. The characters were beautifully expressed, with many small touches scattered around them that helped them stand out, from painted nails to small, specific glances. Dorothy is probably one of the most distinctive and fascinating brown women in anime. The backgrounds were also stunning, with distinct colors and a sense of place, with a range of different tones that helped stimulate the viewer's senses.
I wish I could hear more of the soundtrack. Great Pretender has always had a very diverse soundtrack, drawn from different sources and inspirations to reflect the many different cultures and nationalities represented in the series. Although Razbliuto wasn't up to par, this musical variety still suited the scenes fairly well. The songs were also arranged beautifully. The only downside was that we barely got a chance to hear them because of how intermittently they were throughout the film.
