All the Announcements from Anime NYC 2023

Anime NYC 2023: Great Pretender razbliuto World Premiere

ANN's coverage of Anime NYC 2023 sponsored by Yen Press and Ize Press!

It's time to return to the sundrenched world of con artists with Wit Studio's freshly announced sequel, Great Pretender razbliuto. Studio president George Wada, anime director Hiro Kaburagi, and producer Hitoshi Itō held a panel at Anime NYC on Saturday to discuss the new work. The anime's actual format and length are still under wraps; it will premiere on DMM TV in Japan, and the screening included the title card "Taipei Rendezvous," suggesting that there will be multiple episodes however, the team also announced there will be a theatrical screening in the U.S., courtesy of Crunchyroll. The anime may have a short episode count similar to a standard movie length, or the theatrical screening will not cover the entire anime. Fans will have to wait for further announcements for clarification.

The anime's subtitle, razbliuto, can mean "confused" or "sentimental" and seems at least partially grounded in the anime's central character, Xiang Xiang Dorothy, and the new character, Chiang "Jay". Both characters suffer from amnesia; Dorothy's is directly related to her appearance in the final arc of Great Pretender, while Jay takes a hard hit to a bathtub during the opening episode. They are also both recovering from recent heartbreak.

The opener can feel daunting if you aren't up to snuff on Great Pretender, but the many moving parts fall into place easily. It doesn't hurt that Dorothy is an immediately engaging character. She's nobody's fool, quick to disassemble con artist Yang K'un I's scam targeting her mother and leverage her position to pull Jay into her orbit. Jay is handsome, similar to Loid Forger or Kento Nanami, although his personality is far more affable than either. We are in the sweet spot for anime men in suits, and far be it from me to complain about it.

The story is set in Taiwan and Kyoto, but the initial episode stays in the sunny, saturated Taipei. Having never been there, it felt like the staff familiarized themselves with the locale, including prawn fishing, a night market, and its famous stinky tofu. The background art and character animation are highlights. Great Pretender may have lost some of its audience with narrative choices, but it's still an exceptional-looking anime that knows how to elicit laughs.

Kaburagi explained that the staff wanted to dive into Dorothy's back story, so fans of the character will get to learn more about her exploits when the anime premieres next year.