Heists are synonymous with Mission Impossible and even Cowboy Bebop - but Great Pretender is a must-see anime that breathed new life into the genre. Released in June 2020, this shonen anime follows the adventures of Japan's self-proclaimed 'greatest swindler' Makoto Edamura. After falling in with world-class thief Laurent Thierry, Edamura is whisked into the arena of high-stakes heists and charismatic teammates that changes his life forever.

Makoto undertakes four worldwide heists that bring unbelievable twists, emotional moments, complex characters, and a story unlike any other. Every episode raises the stakes and grips the audience until the very end. As a shonen, Great Pretender succeeds in every way. As a heist anime, it shows that this underrated genre deserves so much more attention than it gets.

Great Pretender's Characters Are The Series' Greatest Strength

Four male characters aboard a limusine in the anime The Great Pretender

Great Pretender is filled to the brim with characters that have so much personality and even more complexities. Edamura is the fresh-faced newcomer whereas his new mentor Laurent Thierry is their heists' charismatic leader and creator. ing their team is the reserved Abbie, whose connection to the two isn't initially revealed at all. An FBI agent pursuing everyone involved is also revealed to be in on their plan from the start. Cynthia is the femme fatale of the team, taking on roles of infiltration to aid their team.

Each character has their own complex histories that explain why they're in the business of heists and take center stage with every case. Edamura's difficult relationship with his con artist father plays a role throughout the story, coming to a head in Season 2. Abbie comes from a war-torn childhood, dealing with this trauma primarily in "Case 2: Singapore Sky". In "Case 3: Snow of London", Cynthia vies to take down the art dealer who took advantage of her former lover. The entirety of Season 2 deals with Laurent trying to avenge the death of his love during a past heist.

Things are Never As They Seem in Great Pretender

The protagonists of Great Pretender having dinner by the sea

From the start, this anime makes it clear that nothing is black and white. Unrelated characters or even adversaries could be their biggest allies. Tensions between characters that seem so real could be entirely fabricated. "Case 1: Los Angeles Connection" sets the expectations, but every case after raises those stakes. In "Case 4: The Wizard of the Far East", this is taken to the extreme after Edamura s forces with the Yakuza and the team is seemingly at odds with each other. Paired with the involvement of Edamura's father, what follows is one of the biggest and most satisfying reveals of the entire series.

Show like My Hero Academia are immensely popular right now for their action-packed scenes and memorable characters. This anime offers the exact same, but it weaves it in between twists and turns that keep the audience guessing. It's one thing to know who the heroes and villains are, it's another to never be entirely sure. Great Pretender shows that the heist genre is criminally underrated and deserves so much more love and attention than it gets.

Great Pretender is currently available on Netflix.