DAMN, did this anime surprise me. I've never considered myself someone who would pour time into watching a Netflix original, let alone a Netflix original anime, but "Great Pretender" came out of nowhere and slapped me across the cheek hard.

While "Great Pretender" seems to exist in a world akin to those every 007 movie seems to reside in, I'm not complaining. The plot is intriguing, the characters engaging, and the writing is overall, very strong. Yet, the most fascinating thing about season 1 is its visual flair. Every scene is a painting, and I say this in the most literal sense possible. The animation is dynamic, the voice acting brimming with life, but what floors me every time I watch this is the art direction. Splotches of maroon meld and clash with harsh tones of baby blue, abstraction intersplices with an uncanny depiction of real world locations- hell, the backgrounds are vivid whilst seemingly transporting the titular crew to otherworldly vistas.

I loved "Great Pretender", and will be revisiting it soon.