REVIEW: ‘Great Pretender Razbliuto’ Delivers A Visual Feast

Three years after the release of the series Great Pretender comes the action-adventure tie-in, Greater Pretender razbliuto. Directed by Hiro Kaburagi and written by Ryota Kosawa, the film pivots from the exploits of con men Makoto Edamura (Chiaki Kobayashi) and Laurent Thierry (Junichi Suwabe) to Dorothy (Yuka Komatsu.) The movie from WIT Studio delivers a dizzying, action-packed caper as Dorothy, still suffering from amnesia introduced in the original series, faces mounting threats. Distinguished by its electric art design and vibrant cityscapes that bridge the surreal and natural in its architecture, the film is a strong reminder of why we flocked to the series in the first place.

While fans of the series have known that Dorothy’s alive following her near-fatal run-in with the Shanghai Longu Bang, Great Pretender razbliuto allows her the spotlight. Having set up camp in a small seaside village, she’s ready to travel the world with her adoptive mother. However, a run-in with a petty crook trying to make a quick score sets her off in a whirlwind adventure. The ever-shifting underworld of Taipei is pursuing her and must head to Kyoto with unlikely allies Jay (Shunsuke Takeuchi) and Ai (Yasuhiro Mamiya.)

There’s a lot of plot to run through in the film to its detriment. While it never stops being an enjoyable ride, there’s no question it would’ve worked better as its own season. This is especially true due to the inclusion of cameos from original characters such as Edamura. This world weaves and interconnects in ways that would justify bridging from one story to the next. Instead, the film charges through characters and actions, rinsing and repeating, with one crime boss being betrayed by another. It’s tiring, if entertaining.

Part of that desire for more time stems from the characters’ charisma. Dorothy is a delight on her own, separated from the flashbacks and backstory connected to Laurent. She’s long accepted the missing pieces of her past, even if she does often dream of drowning. Confident in what she wants and eager to explore the world, she cuts a formidable figure as a protagonist. Jay is a strong companion and the duo make an engaging pair. Jay also deserves an entire storyline with the amount of backstory he’s given. The two get to share one sweet day out as they get to know one another before being thrown into turmoil as her past and his present race after them.

Despite the ups and downs of the narrative there’s no denying that Great Pretender razbliuto is a visual feast. Chief animation directors Shōsuke Ishibashi and Hirotaka Katō, designers Akiyo Okuda and Shōsuke Ishibashi, and art directors Yumiko Sudou and Yūsuke Takeda have built a lush world. Each crevice of the cities have defining traits, emboldening the surroundings, making them tangible and lived in.

The film and its artists utilize a staggering amount of color, untethered to the restraints of realism in shading and highlighting. Sunsets spill across high rises, offering buildings a rainbow palette in scorching reds and cool blues. There’s an inescapable modernism to the character’s design. The espionage thriller roots work in perfect dissonance with the watercolor backgrounds. Despite dealing in promiscuity, drug deals, and violence, the backgrounds are soft-lit, with lines that blend into the buildings.

The animation flourishes in dextrous details, such as the close-up of Dorothy’s hands as she places bait on a fishing line. These are the moments that best define strong animators. While the animation loves the malleable faces of their characters, the physicality of Dorothy, Jay, and co. is just as integral to demonstrating the frankly absurd amount of skill on display. The innovation and creativity sneak into unassuming sequences, from Dorothy, Jay, and Ai huddling in an abandoned booth to their trip to Kyoto. Great Pretender razbliuto is in constant motion.

Great Pretender razbliuto is a strong successor to the original series. By both building on the lore that fans already know while also allowing wiggle room for new viewers to jump in, the film crafts an engaging, immersive experience. The story needed more time to breathe and develop its characters and their relationships with one another. Regardless, it’s not enough to fully take away from the film’s kinetic and winsome energy that bursts into the frame. Startling visuals and innovative designs embolden each scene, finding new ways to depict the familiar as extraordinary. The visuals go beat for beat in matching the hyper-energetic nature of the genre, understanding that this pulpy story requires animation that captures bottled mayhem and adventure.

Great Pretender razbliuto played in select theaters.