Great Pretender could have easily been a 10/10 anime for me if it weren't for the fact that at it's worst it was so frustrating I wanted to rip my hair out. Unfortunately, the very last arc and conclusion of this anime really let down what was in the running to be an all-time favourite show.

Story
This anime is divided into four arcs and unfortunately, the story for the very last arc -- which takes up 9 episodes -- was an absolute shit show that did wrong by the characters and threw away the moral compass guiding most of the cons just for some unearned grand finale. The last arc had some characters doing things for the plot that just soured me completely on them, and it really felt like the anime had lost all consideration it had for consistency and development just so it could throw zany flat plot twists at us. It was so disappointing because when Great Pretender was good it was GREAT!!

The show explores some extremely heavy themes like war and human trafficking, yet it also does not seem to realise the implications these horrendous acts actually have. That when people commit them they're not just being regular B-Side bad guys. It's meant to be a fun heist story so I don't expect an in-depth study into the horrors of these crimes, but if you're going to use it then show some respect for the seriousness of the subject matter.

Art
Absolute outstanding. A visual feast. Gorgeous to look at.

Sound
Even with some corny OST choices, I loved it, honestly.

Character
Looking back the only thing I'm sure of is that despite my frustrations for the last arc, for the large majority of the show, the vibrancy of the ensemble cast served as the beating heart of the show. Makoto, the main character, is wholesome and someone you always want to root for. Abby is tragic and brave and so compelling! Cynthia is fun and flirty! Laurent... is Complicated lol. The relationship between all of them is fizzy and delightful and they have wonderful chemistry. IT'S TOO BAD THEY SAID, "FUCK ALL" TO ALL THAT IN THE LAST ARC!!

Enjoyment
I was counting down the days until the last case was released, because I enjoyed so much of this anime when it didn't let me down. I had a great time with the characters and I wanted to know more about them and I cared about them! And the cons were ridiculous but it was just fun seeing this gang we ended up caring so much about executing them.

Overall
Despite my bitter feelings for how it ended I really don't think I can discount how much I enjoyed the majority of my viewing, which is why I'd give it an 8/10 overall. What this anime gets right it really gets right. It's fast-paced, enjoyable, with great chemistry between the characters. It's a shame about some of the extremely poor choices it made.