Great Pretender's Wasted Potential

[@mrmonsterhunter808]

Makoto slowly changing his looks and adopting habits like smoking was the perfect visual symbolism into what could’ve been a dark but fitting end to his character. Also are we gonna ignore that he sold real children while he was undercover?? And apparently that was all an act.

[@josefagomezschmeisser8356]

EXACTLY! when he was undercover he sold children! WTf

[@mikemorro140]

I'm guessing the team was buying whatever kids he sold

[@sentry1996]

Actually the kids were okay, remember one who got sold (the boy that originally believed escape was pointless) showed up as a grown up afterwards where he met a nice street artist alongside Cynthia

[@B_bang22]

Yeah I dead as a forgot he did that. But if I remember he was never really okay with it and tried to treat the kids as nicely as possible and wanted to save them but didn't have the means to do so

[@mazaaaya4283]

He didn't 😒

[@yeoss2101]

They pulled the same stunt so much that when seeing the characters die my reaction was just "damn ok anyways"

[@vinsmokemomi9231]

Exactly ! same reaction lmao

[@CrimeVaultUK]

Knew they had blood packs

[@pressfinchat]

after the first arc, i could predict what would happen next with near perfect accuracy, with the exception of the last few episodes. Despite that, i still greatly enjoy this show anyways.

[@alexbrown8900]

Exactly

[@animenokoijin2963]

The Allegory between dorothy and abigail was identical the hair style and the yacht is the exact same spot she died it would have been more of a shock for her to die as well rather than another faking your death moment that just became dull and after awhile it was not suprising, if abigail dies then edamura could become the new laurent who settles down and finds another conman to take his place he cant deny bsing a conman anymore because of the guilt of abigail dying by his hands so he lives on as a conman the scene where his father kills him really happens edamura really dies and his father holds him in his hands dying, edamura asks his father to stay awake edamura says mother i can see mom, edamura dies, his father lives, the conman disband.Who would agree this would have been a great alternate ending

[@guavawafer]

Something not mentioned here that pissd me off was that they revealed how Makoto's mother actually knew that Oz was innocent and had been seeing him the whole time in secret. Literally the one person Makoto could trust also chose to leave him in the dark like everybody else.

[@Tsumamii]

yeahhhh that did happen didnt it... like I appreciated the sentiment that Oz really did still care but that late into the show I just added to my mental list of "things that happened cause why the fuck not"

[@najmiselamat8791]

exactly

[@jsbeat38]

The only person who has died in great pretender was Makoto's mom. And that's yet to be seen.

[@broo3331]

And the guy who betrays the director and got shoot, pretty sad

[@justafanofgorillaz]

And Laurent's mom-

[@miucegai]

Watch them reveal she's alive and has been behind the scam artist group this whole time

[@gustavopereira4924]

@@miucegai lmao

[@gustavopereira4924]

@@miucegai ah Yeah Makoto.... it was actually me, I faked my decease so all this 15+ years of scheme could work

[@Toxicgamerdog]

Edemura's entire life has just been a big ass setup. I wouldn't be suprised if that figure shit he does was conditioned into him from birth for some scheme

[@hidinginyourcloset]

It's like the freaking Truman Show

[@chilekhanh1504]

@@hidinginyourcloset i was just thinking about that

[@marielcarey4288]

​@@hidinginyourclosetoh dear god

[@thejanusproject32]

@@hidinginyourcloset Goddamnit, that is an interesting point. Goddamnit

[@lukeknight357]

“I felt stupid, and I felt betrayed” my exact emotion during this whole anime

[@UnalloyedRascal]

thats the point

[@td9250]

Dorothy being alive was the ultimate salt on the wound.

[@Tsumamii]

amen

[@dipo7502]

I didn’t even like her as a character, she was just a plot device for Laurent, should’ve stayed that way

[@leaderofthebunch-deadbeat7716]

Who gives a shit? anime of the year

[@niitokiii]

So?

[@td9250]

@@leaderofthebunch-deadbeat7716 Yeah. I loved it. That's why breaking the immersion hurt.

[@lunes862]

I hate the fact that Dorothy is still alive even though I like her but the fact that she's alive makes Makoto's suffering completely unnecessary and useless. It was all for nothing! And the fact that Makoto in the end is like "yeah I'm completely fine and I don't care that you used me -again- without my consent to avenge someone who i don't even know! And I definitely did not suffer some kind of trauma because of it" pains me.

[@francesscaena6822]

I partly agree. Yes, the fact thatMakoto was just fine with everything is so dumb. He had complicated feelings about his dad showing up, he participates in child trafficking (which is probably due to his attachement to the mafia boss? But again he betrays her so idk) and Laurent drags him into this just because. At this point Edamira should just willingly be part of the team. Or they should've made him betray Laurent and Oz forobvious reasons. But about Dorothy, I actually think her being alive could turn out really interesting. She seems to have forgotten who she is, so technically, the old Dorothy is somewhat dead, as in she's a different person now. But the important thing is, Laurent believes she is dead and he needed to get his revenge to finally move on. Now just think about his reaction when he finds out that she is alive (and doesn't remember him)? He would be dragged back, all progress he made would be gone. Maybe at this point he already has feelings for Edamura (since that somewhat implied) but he also loves Dorothy? Maybe he takes her to a mission so she can remember? Point is, Laurent would loose his mind. That could make a very interesting plot in future seasons, if we get any. So I don't think that's necessarily bad. Also sorry this is so long:)

[@carter2019]

its so so frustrating to see everyone brush under the rug how makoto is manipulated snd tramautized constantly by laurent because he cant let go of the past. it totally ruined laurents character for me

[@Girlelsanna]

I dont really want Dorothy to be alive.. It just ruins everything

[@sokka924]

me too!!!

[@perfectslumbers]

i didnt even know she was alive until just a couple mins ago but my opinion is that it would have been more refreshing if she wasnt revived, i see no point for her being alive as the characters will never know etc

[@mizunagareboshi7443]

omg me too!

[@TheMartyredextras]

@@perfectslumbers I like to believe that if the show ends here, laurent will eventually find her and if the show continues, maybe we'll get to see it happen. So in that way, I kinda like it.

[@TheMartyredextras]

IMO this is actually a pretty nice way to have your cake and eat it too. We got the revenge story, and the message about forgiveness. and now we get to be happy.

[@nemiio1958]

I wish that edamura betrayed them all in the end becoming the real "villain" Like just snaping and getting them all back would of been a huge twist.

[@j.aneens]

PLEASE THAT WOULD BE THE REAL TWIST OF THE WHOLE SHOW

[@Lacotaka]

@@j.aneens I would have love to see that! and they could have had the next season being that they would try to stop edamame the potential in this version of the season’s ending is boundless

[@mrgoatman6202]

He doesn’t even have to become the ‘villain’ of the show. Maybe just have him break the one rule or something: I found his relationship with Akemi really interesting and I wish the creator embraced it. I have a bias towards ‘dark’ protagonists so I’m sure it’s coming out but I really enjoyed his whole change, thinking his two friends were killed by his dad then killing his dad. Then spending two months getting closer with Akemi, seeing her as a maternal figure and her seeing him as a surrogate son (that’s the vibe I got at least). Those two months are really goddamn life changing and I wish the effect stuck around even after the whole “sike lmao” was revealed. Honestly I completely agree with the video, it’s such a wasted opportunity

[@teob.870]

I was so excited when I thought he snapped, he was absolutely brilliant. I was thrilled to see such a great twist, especially since it fit so well after everything they'd done to him. They betrayed him and broke his heart over and over again. Especially the last stunt, he was absolutely devastated and suicidal after he "killed" his father. The fact that they made him forgive them for THAT only to get a happy ending?? I would've killed their asses a long time ago if I was in his shoes.

[@MooNLight21400]

BRO SAMEEE

[@zeypher6]

Honestly there was a chance I would've been down with the ending up until the point where they revealed he didn't really get slashed. The idea of him absolutely losing it kind of made sense to me, since his life had already been prematurely ruined by his Dad, and at every turn his attempts to live an honest life were undermined by Laurent and his Dad's scheming. The whole idea of him latching onto Akemi because she was the only person still treating him like a person and not a prop even made sense to me, even if him literally auctioning off the children was a bit much. It felt like the writers were too scared to commit to the darker or more nuanced ending the show was building up towards, and ran it back super hard in the last episode or so.

[@alexburn4014]

I would have liked the original plan to fail so Makoto then secretly comes up with a second con without either parties being aware whats going on. What i would have done was Makoto planned a counter plot to make team confidence believe he betrayed them and hide away the money while painting himself as the villian. then he'd actually get cut and nearly dies because of both sides toying with him for so long. Makoto deserved to get some justice for himself for the amount of shit he has to deal with and him getting injuries badly being the end results of their games with him while they use the money he conned from everyone to set up his new life and his medical bills.

[@petaldow2640]

Ya I feel as though they also just played off his trauma and it would have been nice to see he get revenge. I was all for evil makoto cause it would be a great to his character. It’s like they just shoved makoto’s trauma away as if it didn’t matter when it in fact is a big part of his character.

[@enricolivi8890]

I hate the fact that dorothy is still alive. That's the only thing that pisses me off. She literally fell into the water after being shot, how the f did she survive? At the end i was kinda happy that laurent moved over her after being obsessed since she died, but the fact that she might return back triggers me.

[@Tsumamii]

gonna take some real bullshittin' to convince me why shes still around

[@ivy4329]

exactly almost every person in the anime dies and it turns out to b a stunt like let someone die fr

[@imMizz1]

@@Tsumamii Next season: Edamame's mom is actually alive! Didn't see that comin, now did ya?

[@rand0md00d3]

@@imMizz1 dude if they do that... ugh i hate the idea but it might just end up being true X'D

[@user-sx5me8qu5s]

In this show im pleading and hoping for a death. There's no stakes, there's no thrill. You KNOW that even after a headshot, they're going to live. please die?!?!?

[@VoibbleLunchbox]

Solid points, hit the nail on the head at every part. I took Makoto's dark turn so seriously just for him to be like "psych I was kidding, sweep that under the rug, all's well that ends well! :^)" I didn't want Makoto to be left in darkness like he was but I did not want him dragged immediately out of the hell he faced scot-free with a pat on the back. Left a sour taste in my mouth for what was up til then a great show.

[@Tsumamii]

Thank you very much! it builds up to such a big bang but ended up just fizzling out

[@Google_Censored_Commenter]

It's called "Great Pretender" for a reason. If you took his dark turn seriously - they achieved the impossible, fooling the viewer.

[@amuroray9115]

You all got fooled. Now you know why it s called the Great Pretender. Lmao. The show Conned the audience good

[@VoibbleLunchbox]

@@amuroray9115 "Aha, yes! The one who got scammed in this case, was you, the viewer! It was all so cleverly put together by us, the writer's room! All of the intelligent themes and character development and consequences we spent so much time weaving into every episode was yanked out at the very end. Nobody learned any lessons, nobody grew, the villains didn't get punished this time, and fuck it, the previous villains got rewarded. The scam was the show, we scammed you out of emotional investment and watch time! So genius!"

[@amuroray9115]

@@VoibbleLunchbox I was only talking about Makoto’s “dark turn”. Not the criminals who should have been punished or the other details. Makoto not actually going batshit was one of the main complaints. Feel free to vent on the rest. Idc. I would have done things differently.

[@Mashiris]

I would’ve loved seeing Makoto turning bad and getting revenge on all of them, ngl he suffered a lot everyone played with his mind I really wanted him to get revenge.

[@s.shinelikesunny_]

SAMEEEE

[@carter2019]

it definitely felt weird for everyone to play off him being traumatized as just part of the plan and a silly thing

[@iamyou5038]

same, but i am also really glad that he didn't turn evil cause i would have been pissed if makoto actually put up with that i would want him to revenge in a different way

[@nightlockerz1165]

Nah idk man

[@rileybob]

there needs to be another season bro

[@ichirolemon9469]

The better twist should have been Makoto finally getting revenge on Laurent and betraying the whole confidence team, and I think with him dying in the end will sit better with me than him just forgetting all of his emotions in that climactic scene with Oz. I love the Great Pretender but Case 4 was just irredeemable. They used the same "twists" as before and altough I was shocked, I didn't believe that they will stick with it. They're scared of killing the characters, this show needed someone to die to have an emotional impact in the story, Dorothy could have been the one but its more so I was sad for Laurent than I am for her. Anyways I liked your video, and it didn't hurt me at all when you criticized those bad plot points, like I said I love the Great Pretender but Case 4's flaws was detrimental to my overall rating and enjoyment. PS. (sorry if my English is bad)

[@Tsumamii]

I know what you mean! It would have been a real show of maturity on Makoto's part to just not comply with Laurent's plans, even with the blood bag stunt he was still playing right along with what laurent had schemed up. Glad you liked the video! and dont worry, your English sounded just fine :)

[@Damarcus123]

The end was amazing, the fact it was all planned from the beginning really blows my mind. Plus edumura doesn’t seem to be the type of guys to do what he didi

[@j.aneens]

I AGREE LIKE MAKOTO HAD POTENTIAL

[@user-gk6nt5gi5n]

I dont really see him dying as a good ending him getting makoto getting his revenge by scamming larent would have been good if it was handled differently. If they were actually shocked and didnt play him for a joke. I think people are to obsessed with code geass endings in my opinion not every mc needs to die. Plus it kinda goes against edamura as a character

[@Damarcus123]

@@user-gk6nt5gi5n fax

[@zarsiw]

damn, this video needs more views! i 100% agree. where case 4 really fell off for me was after revealing the dad/cynthia/abby were alive. seeing edamura so broken was incredibly disturbing and impactful, but everything just went out of the window afterwards

[@Tsumamii]

Thank you thank you! impactful is definitely the right word there I thought it was a moment that was purposefully hard to watch and leaves a strong impression on the viewer

[@Google_Censored_Commenter]

The fact that they survived does not make the moment any less impactful. I feel like people just don't want happy endings for the sake of it. Nothing in the anime is contrived, that's all that really matters.

[@majestvic]

@@Google_Censored_Commenter it just sucked that the writers used the "sike they survived" move over and over again. and yes them not being dead makes the moment less impactful

[@Google_Censored_Commenter]

@@majestvic The end outcome doesn't really matter in this context. The show is about leading you on, playing with your expectations AND your emotions. You clearly are impacted by the thought of them being dead, but when it turns out they survive, that emotion of relief is just as impactful. It doesn't cancel out your previous emotion, it just takes you on a rollercoaster of experiences. And the best part being there's a perfectly logical and reasonal explanation for what happens, with hidden clues you weren't supposed to notice, but definitely were there. That's what makes the show a one of a kind.

[@Kushagrasingh-se2of]

@@Google_Censored_Commenter you summed it up perfectly ,people thinks dark and gritty story/ending is good story/ending,i mean it can be but not every story/ending needs to be to me great pretender was overall cheerful anime ,not sure how it can be that from what this video is suggesting(watched only half of it)

[@wafflefrogs]

Yeah when I was watching season 2 I’d completely forgotten about the child trafficking part until we saw one of the kids with Cynthia at the end. Way to set your stakes high and then forget they’re there huh.

[@Tsumamii]

the other 3 cases were much better focused I agree, even in case three when they wanted to focus on a character's backstory the crime directly tied to cynthia and her boyfriend, in case 4 its the people who killed dorothy who just so happen to also be child traffickers

[@skyguy713]

@@Tsumamii if you think about it that makes sense from Laurants perspective. In his eyes his revenge was what he was after, and the kids were just a indirect benefit that they got saved.

[@Mashiris]

lol at first I was “who is that” like legit I forgot about the kids, wished they handled that plot better.

[@edeniceribeiro7075]

Watching this make me feel... I dunno just a inner peace, like I REALLY hated case 4, I love Makoto, he is so sweet... Why they (Laurent the writers etc) did this to him? Like why don't tell him the plan? "That's wasn't nothing personal hat's their job, Makoto would ruin the plan" then why use him? They don't have people, like, in the whole world? If him is "useless" then leave him alone, with his normal and HAPPY life. Anyways I love Makoto he didn't deserve this season

[@kish4corheunbl]

Fr man. The whole reason he became a swindler in the first place was because of his dad's fkd up and decided not to tell him he secretly met his mother. So Laurent doesn't have the right to tell Makoto that he was better off with team confidence as he was doing bad stuff before joining them.

[@noelle1030]

I hate the fact that the criminals they defeated were still roaming around in Case 4 :/.

[@noodlesdoodles2590]

I just finished watching this show and the way the second season handled itself really didn't sit right with me. It just felt so wrong for Makoto to keep working for the trading company after he found out that they work in child trafficking, it just didn't feel right for his character. Also, seeing him snap after spiraling for so long from all of Laurent's manipulation was really satisfying, like he was finally standing up for himself, so I was incredibly disappointed when the show revealed that he was in on it the whole time and it was all part of the plan. Like, Laurent is a good character, but couldn't he have just told Makoto about the overall scheme of things? Same with Makoto's dad; these crucial aspects of his life were just kept from him until the characters felt it was convenient to tell him. Makoto had good reason to hate them both, since they never allowed him agency in his own life. Anyway, his video perfectly articulated the problems I had with the show as a whole, so great job! I can't believe you only have 102 subs. I'm subbing and watching your other vids now. Keep up the good work :)

[@Tsumamii]

Thank you thank you!

[@j.aneens]

I AGREE

[@acewmd.]

They aren’t friends and makoto is a tool for them to use, he doesn’t get told the plan because he only needs to know his part in it not the higher scheme. They aren’t good people in any way they make a living scamming and swindling and justify it by targeting those they seem worse than themselves. They use him like anyone else would and he’s rightfully unhappy about it but that doesn’t entitle him to anything since he’s just a nobody that was conveniently there.

[@fr6823]

i still give this anime a 10 even tho the last 2 eps is kinda weird... and the after credits is sure disappointing

[@Tsumamii]

a perfectly valid opinion

[@micheledibella]

how tf and why is dorothy alive

[@heachantaeil4978]

@@micheledibella wait she is alive? When did we saw that

[@zay_kash]

@@heachantaeil4978 last episode after credit

[@OtakuMonkei]

I’m kinda disagree but hey people opinions I guess

[@rootatooti]

my disappointments were almost identical to yours, but it was still such an enjoyable anime for me - so much so that I wish it gets more episodes in order to straighten itself out. I know it's probably run it's course and there's nothing much more to be done other than give makoto actual character development. but damn do i hope they redeem themselves with something because that would be so awesome. The art, music and storytelling were WAY too good for them to wear out their one trick pony like that :( It's like one more chest plate away from becoming immobolized by it's plot armor.

[@Tsumamii]

Im rooting for it to get a redemption too, they definitely leave it open to more, we'll see if they are able to secure another season

[@aedinn]

well said

[@JuliusCaesar103]

Fully agree with you. Seeing the villains happy at the end felt like the creators spitting on my face and then mocking me. Great video!

[@jsweet6738]

I mostly agree with what you said except for Abbie and Cynthia's death and Makoto going dark. Honestly for me I think the scene where they "died" shouldn't have been there in the first place. The fake deaths were overplayed, but I would've hated having them die just because Laurent wanted revenge. For Makoto's arc of becoming an antagonist I honestly could never find it believable because it made no sense under any circumstances he'd participate in child trafficking. He absolutely hated his father for doing it and he hated Laurent's tricks because it kept steering him away from being the moral person he wanted to be. A revenge on Laurent should've just been leaving and not letting Laurent control him anymore, not fucking joining the child traffickers. Those 2 months of him child trafficking absolutely ruined Makoto's character and they didn't even really redeem that besides Makoto just being like "oh I guess I should con instead of trafficking children." Overall, just wish they did a lot differently for Case 4 because it left a very sour taste in my mouth after Cases 1-3 were fantastic.

[@Tsumamii]

well said, between the options of Abby and Cynthia dying or removing their fake death entirely I do think I prefer their death, I think them dying in the name of laurents revenge would have been great storytelling, a sort of slap in the face to laurent that his selfish attempts to avenge a death lead to only more death, I would have hated losing them too but if that was an intention part of the writting then Im on board. I dont think him joining Suzaku is entirely out of the question, He's a broken man with nowhere else to turn to, and so in such a dark time Akemi's kindness gave him a place to belong, in the moment it wasnt about revenge but feeling like he had no other option. good stuff though, always love it when people add to the conversation with their own take :)

[@FatCatSnuggles]

I mean, there is an option between complete death and escaping without a scratch. A character could always come back, but with losses. None of the characters seem to get any permeant injury, so that could be an interesting Avenue to explore. Say that Abby was to get shot in one of her elbows or other important joints, how would that affect her ability to con? It presents a new scenario for character interactions.

[@fogheaded3866]

Mate edamura tried that at the end of literally all the previous arcs and it led him right back to being manipulated by Laurent the only way to really get back at him would be to lean fully into it instead of doing as he's told to do by him which he did and then him betraying laurent after he tried again makes perfect revenge one upping the person who constantly one ups him and them dying was perfect as not only did it parallel Dorothy's "death" it was also showing that things don't always work out for them they screwed up

[@zemox2534]

You do not need to kill off your cast to make a good story. That said all the fake deaths were just infuriating. There need to be consequences but in the end everyone got away with just a slap on the wrist.

[@williamnguyen8663]

I always took Dorothy surviving not as them not going through with killing her, but she faked her death. She’s a con woman and we don’t really get a clear understanding of her intentions like we do with other characters due to limited screentime. She could very well have tricked everyone to pulling off that one last con job, and then set things up so that she could “die” and no one would be the wiser. It wouldn’t be difficult since we know the group can have people on the inside, that helps them no problem. Her amnesia could all be a clever trick so that nobody is the wiser as a past would hinder her progress as a con artist. It’s easier to trick if people think you don’t know anything

[@galapregel191]

But why would she do it without telling Laurent. She knew it would destroy him if she died...

[@williamnguyen8663]

@@galapregel191 because she doesn’t give a fuck about him. She’s a conwoman, Laurent himself talks about not getting attached. She never loved him, and did this to ditch him and have him take the fall while she escaped and lived a life free from the law

[@galapregel191]

Ok that's actually a cool concept, I hope they do something like that in the next season if they ever make it

[@tima1639]

At least this would have been a satisfying ending!! I like where you're going at

[@bryannaing6316]

The boat scene was definitely what I felt should've been the turning point in Makoto's character. After witnessing his friends die and killing his own father, Makoto was a broken man. With Suzaku being the only person in Makoto's life since his mother to show him ANY form of love, and with the genuine care she gave him in a time when he needed it most, they built such a strong rapport that (although basically Stockholm Syndrome, like you said) should've been saved towards the end of the series. His outburst and decision to betray Team Confidence would've been the damn icing on the cake since it showed how much he actually DID care for Suzaku, and considering how morally grey Makoto's been throughout the build-up of case 4, it wouldn't be surprising if he actually did continue to work for Suzaku in trafficking children. Yet they decided to screw it up, there and then. It's one thing revealing Oz was alive and the story of everything up to that point, it's another to betray such a caring character who was there for Makoto and built up a strong, near familial with him just because "it was all part of the plan".

[@fizkallnyeilsem]

Human trafficing is obviously wrong the fact that they just simplified it as a a good ol forgetable business, is quite ignorant

[@sniperfire95]

Ugh I agree with you on this and I hate to say it! I thought season 1 was like a solid 9 out of 10. Season 2 started out well, but slowly made its way down to a 5 or 6. They gave the anime a realistic vibe in the sense of using real world places (like singapore, JFK international airport etc.), real world languages, and the characters aren't doing ninjutsu fuckery or kame-kame-ha shit. When we learned that they built a fucking skyscraper on an island in mere days before this "deal" the writers completely lost me. I couldn't take the story seriously any more. That element of semi-realism meant a lot to me I guess. I don't even know if I could watch a season 3 now even if it came out tomorrow. Like I just don't really care anymore :(

[@Tsumamii]

that’s something I agree with just didnt fit into the video. despite how crazy it got there was at least a feeling that it was grounded in possibility, but the last second giant building was too over the top.

[@BluesJayPrince]

I liked your balance of pros and cons. I’d say we agree that we enjoyed the ride and were left with some disappointment at the end. But overall worth watching the anime.

[@dimitrismantzounis4234]

u described the experience perfectly

[@water1880]

@@dimitrismantzounis4234 yup I enjoyed the ride and loved the fact that the dad was always they're the thing I hated was WHY BRING BACK THE 3 VILLAINS. It makes 0 since. I hope maybe they're building up for a season 3

[@buddermonger2000]

I think the most disappointing fact about the whole ending is that EVERYTHING was leading up to Makoto's genuine betrayal. Everything in the show has shown that Makoto is sensitive and easily beaten down. Hell Abigail straight tells them that Makoto is a lot more sensitive than she thinks. When there's such a strong setup across not just the whole show but the arc up to then, it genuinely seems like the ending should've been about Laurent getting in too deep as he no longer has the help since everyone got made and is betrayed by Makoto who just burns the whole thing down in spectacular fashion with the ending being about him bringing in the police and turning himself in as a broken man. Laurent should've been slowly going crazy and just broken down especially with him being made since he slipped from being too consumed with revenge thus also allowing Makoto to one-up him and finally prove himself better than Laurent giving him agency since it's the one thing he'd receive after losing everything. The story thus ends with a broken man, breaking another man, and suffering for it as the other man brings everything down because of it. The ending would be quite melancholy but elevate the work as it had a melancholy air around it despite the fun. Makoto having nothing left would return to prison and want to sulk. That would be a satisfying ending even if was a downer from it. Because of how safe they played it and how scared they were it kind of screams re-write to me. You don't set something up that hard only to throw it out unless the change is called by someone else.

[@mashedpotatoesfan26]

even if your idea of how the ending should have gone down is really dark and depressing, it would have opened up a whole new world of opportunities to continue the story in an interesting way that gives the characters development and completed arcs. picture laurent in jail, a slow pan shot to him in his cell, shaved head and nearly done doing time. everyone in the crew is living their own lives, estranged from each other bc of their code. maybe some still keep scamming maybe some dont, but after makoto's betrayal they are all changed forever. maybe it all leads to laurent just bascially getting redemption and working his way up as a scam artist (again) to get anywhere NEAR the now untouchable makoto edamura, the new heir of the suzaku trading company. IDK BUT THERE:S SO MANY MORE INTERESTING WAYS IT COULD HAVE GONE

[@MatryoshkasInsanity]

I agree with you so so much. The first season was super good, especially the first case, when they "killed" Laurent and Abby I really was shocked and when we found out it wasnt real i really was relieved and it worked really well cause I really thought they were dead and went like so what we gonna do with the rest of the series if most of the main characters died? And I was very invested and wanted to see how the story would go on without them just to find out they luckly were alive! But you end up not being invested in other deaths cause you just know they are part of some sort of plan which means i really didnt care and I wanted so so bad for Oz to be actually bad and make Makoto hate him and go thru the psychological drama of hating you father for everything he has done, to you and to other kids, and once he gets the chance to confront him he does something crazy, like killing him, but something that is somehow understandable. That would be such a GOOD plot twist, Makoto finally choosing for himself, being it right or wrong, instead of being controlled by others. As much as I love Laurent, he has always involved makoto against his will and it would have been awesome to see Edamura snapping and making a cold clean break with him and the con artist thing. And if the anime wasnt going to finish like that then we may have seen them go on wuthout Makoto and maybe see his life go on as he wanted it to be, normal. And maybe as a plot twist they meet again but by different sides, like Makoto trying to stop them. It was so much wasted potential. Also, the last con was super expensive for them so whats the point lmao. The graphic is amazingly good, the characters are interesting but i feel like they are not well developed. One thing I really liked tho was Cynthia back story, aside the fact it had some very beautiful animation, it made us see thru her and I loved the fact that in the end she (kinda?) adopts a kid that was being kept captive and when she sees he is into art she is kinda melancholic for her past but is happy to see that a kid who was deprived of his happiness found some joy in art, just like her ex bf, it was honestly super sweet to see her put aside her "hate" for artist for this kid.

[@Tsumamii]

well said!

[@StormyWolf]

I definitely agree with the whole forgiveness thing you were talking about. But not only was the child trafficking seemingly forgiven, but also the emotional trauma that Edamura's supposed friends and father put him through. And his mom?!? Like, why the F would he ever forgive these people? I guess we're supposed to take his failure at playing dead in the first episode (among only his friends) as proof that he (still) can't act, thus justification for continuing to keep him out of the loop? What's a little trauma induced among friends, right? Not like anyone there has trauma of their own, right? But really, did he deserve that? Are we supposed to think he deserved that, or that he's suddenly okay for the last two months because drinks? Anyways, thanks for voicing so much of my frustration in this video. I just watched the whole show yesterday and was so in love then so disappointed, I'm still getting over the whiplash.

[@sokka924]

I thought season 2 was a solid 10/10 but dropped to a 6/10 cause Dorthy survived bru.

[@niitokiii]

Man it went 10/10 to 6/10 just because Dorothy survived? That's a stupid reason

[@RikXtreme4]

When I saw her post credits, I was like "...why?"

[@elmehdi8332]

Just act like there is no post credits bro

[@Chance4]

I’m just ignoring that until season 2

[@lunatism9714]

Wait, she survived??

[@leemia7517]

It felt so messed up throughout season 2 to walk through all the pain Makoto was enduring to be slapped in the face and told it was all fake. And the story never makes it clear what was fake or what wasn't. Did he actually traffic children? Did he mean to kill his dad?

[@DJHoneyBee]

Honestly it feels like they were just to focused on fan service. They used case 4 to answer most of the back story questions in regards to who Laurent is and what motivates him. They also did these cameos at the end and showed all of these characters contently going about their post con lives. I feel like what would of worked better is making case 4 less about Laurent’s backstory and instead making that the focus of season 3. This would allow for a more definitive end to the arc of season 4 didn’t involve the ending on the yacht and still leave an avenue to make more seasons.

[@DJHoneyBee]

And maybe it’s just me but the crappy ending didn’t ruin a season that kept the artistic and musical beauty that the first season set. It just left a slightly sour taste in my mouth.

[@Tsumamii]

I kinda like that idea of moving Laurents backstory to case 3, Im not totally onboard I really like case 3 as it is but maybe a compromise would be inserting another case between 3 and 4, my only concern is Laurents backstory is so tied to the plot of season 4 it might feel a big segmented to have it be the focus of the previous case, thats a really interesting idea though thats got me thinking

[@rand0md00d3]

@@Tsumamii I think Gabe meant season 3 as season 3 and not case 3, since case 3 is tied to season 1. Basically, season 1 has case 1, 2, 3, season 2 has case 4, and you make a 3rd season, case 5, solely about Laurent and Dorothy.

[@Abrhm77]

Y'all are too pissed of at how the team used edamura at the end but misses the point thats how every arc was based off makoto was never supposed to do con work but he ended up in the con business due to various reasons for me thats what makes the show so interesting edamura isn't a mc based of how genius he is in the con business that would be Laurent the show's theme is how a dude like him survives in this dirty business world. I loved this show this is the first time I’ve watched a show with this much plot twist this is one of my favourite of all time

[@ChocolateMilkCultLeader]

Makoto snapping, in the end, was art. The ending was everything but

[@MM-qo2ww]

This was an amazing video everything u said is exactly how I feel about case 4 good job

[@Tsumamii]

¡Muchos gracias amigo!

[@coleburns5497]

@@Tsumamii Have you heard of the manga “Gimmick!”

[@coleburns5497]

@@Tsumamii It’s from Kozaburo Kanari, who wrote Kindaichi: case files. About a special effects Artist solving crimes, by using his skills to help clients. Think of Nip/tuck & scooby doo mixed together. It kinda has the vibe of Great pretender, but more clever ways of tricking people.

[@AnimeClub-md8wm]

Really like this video, definitely a lot of effort went into it, I agree with every point made. I enjoyed cases 1-3 so much, it sucked to see case 4's execution

[@Tsumamii]

theres definitely a lot of time that goes into these so thank you for noticing :)

[@slim_streams]

Makoto was made the pawn every 10 minutes and god it was so frustrating. Like damn just let this dude live his life

[@nlucas51]

I was honestly was thinking they were just going to leave makoto there and get out with no money or anything. I ever saw a good point made on reddit that both groups we're knocked out while this was all happening so they could of just took the money without going through any of that drama. Honestly it felt like someone told them last minute they were getting a season 3 and so they made Makoto death fake last minute.

[@natasharap7818]

I think that all the events that happened in the last two episodes should’ve been REAL. Like Makoto snapping and pulling a light yagami would’ve been an amazing ending (because we see his character slowly shift to a bad person). They could’ve kept the ending the same, except have his dad actually hurt Makoto, so there could’ve actually been a RISK at stake (at this point we’ve seen the characters die like 3 times). They could’ve had the ending be the same outcome (the plan working out etc.) but except keep Makoto in the hospital after betraying them. It could’ve made the audience question Makoto motives this whole time, and have them contemplate who they should really be routing for. ALSOOO! I think that ending it with him in the hospital bed could’ve been a good parallel to his mom being in the hospital, while they showed the scene of his dad talking to the mom’s grave… but idk that’s all just me. I still love this anime tho and I hope season 3 can do better :/

[@pollaris9540]

Totally agree here and now I’m really wanting a do-over with your ending of Makoto in the hospital. It would’ve been way better than undercutting everything it was leading up to in that episode anyway.

[@bakedbob1029]

first I just wanted to say that I loved your video. I really thought that in the middle of the 4th case, Makoto really was thinking about a plan that was finally going to "get" Laurent, we still even see Laurent hallucinating about Dorothy, basically showing the audience that he was crazy and that he "would do anything to avenge her" and in the makoto snap scene, Laurent and ozzy change places, Laurent slashes Makoto and ozzy sees that Makoto has a blood vest, but Laurent doesn't know that, neither does the rest of the crew, and when the room elevator goes down Laurent and the crew are sad, we see Laurent really cared about Makoto and he feels remorse, but then, Makoto is like, "ha, finally got you!" and he's like "aw sh * t you finally got me" and that would kinda be the end of Laurent's arc and dorothy would stay dead, to show that Laurent needs to move on from the past in some way, and forget the bad guys getting together, that was unnecessary in my opinion. I know that this is not the best ending and it probably has some plot holes, but in my opinion it's better then the original ending

[@Tsumamii]

not a bad idea especially working solely with what we were given just changing a few parts, really creative!

[@allpainnogain5368]

mans whole life is a villain origin story💀

[@daxx9296]

While I enjoyed case 4 while watching it, I did feel a bit unsatisfied with how it all played out for some reason, this video pretty much explains why, keep up the good work!

[@Tsumamii]

thank you!

[@petaldow2640]

I feel like makoto should have never forgiven his dad and the blond bastard. The villain arc would be so interesting and seeing him with the chairman finally helping him with his trauma was nice. I disliked how makoto just threw her away like that when she helped him and thought of him as a son and he kinda thought of her as a mother figure. I also loved him with his hair slicked back and in the suit. They kinda just ignored makotos important trauma and made a joke of it which wasn’t nice cause I feel like it should have been shown more it is really important to his character. All the tricks and lies his whole life was a sceme itself makoto deserves to hate his dad and the blond bastard. Dorothy’s plot twist was bittersweet cause I kinda just wanted it to end there but than she popped up alive so idk how to feel about it

[@bebop1004]

I think that the best part of Great Pretender was the first case. It hooked me and the twists were surprising. It had such good highs, especially during the final confrontation in the drug farm. It was like watching an actual movie

[@treypoling]

I didn’t have much of a problem with Edamura’s boat scene because even if they ended up being alive you still see a downward spiral with Edamura and how deeply it effected him. That being said it does build up to an ending that did lose a lot of potential. All of his anger and trauma build up to this insane climactic moment where Edemura shows how he felt to his father, Laurant, and the others, but it really just falls flat directly afterwards. Sure he kind of snapped but the show just tells you that it never really happened the way you thought it did. I think the writers of the show loved the characters so much that they didn’t want to let the go, and thought the viewer wouldn’t either. I’m glad he’s still alive, but is that really what his arc throughout the whole story was building to? Would fans of the show still feel the same of the show after seeing any of their beloved characters die? It’s hard to argue that Makato or someone else should have faced some amount of consequences by the end of the story, but at the same time that would’ve done so much to the theme of the show and what it really wants the viewer to walk away with. Regardless of what happened during any of case 4, what we all really wanted was the epilogue we got with all the characters living their lives happily and still being friends. It would be so torn to end the show with a sad ending or an ending with the other characters living on without Edamura. The way they handled the ending may not have been satisfying by a story standpoint, but having the main character die at the very end of a genuinely fun show to watch would be a lot to handle and I don’t think would be possible to resolve in a conclusive manner that felt like it was a natural ending to the show.

[@Tsumamii]

I really like this take! my only sort of “counter argument” to what you said is I dont think happy epilogue = better ending. take something like a madoka magica (minus the movie only because I havent seen it) or the movie uncut gens for example. they didnt have a traditionally happy ending, but they stand out from the crowd because of it. If makoto had truly died I feel it would have left a much longer term impact on viewers than the mediocre ending we got, which, from my experience at least, has been more alienating to viewers than him actually dying, seen a lot of people not wanting to return if the show pulls a season 3 but hey, at least we got to see Makoto explore the world and drink some coffee right? :P seriously though great comment love to see people spark conversations!

[@treypoling]

@@Tsumamii I don't have too much experience with conclusive anime endings because most of the shows I've watched are either Moe or ongoing series so you might have a point there. Cowboy Bebop's ending has made an impact on me because I feel like (spoilers) Spike's death felt in character to the show thematically. Season 2 of Great Pretender is definitely darker than the previous season, but I think as a finale to the rest of the show, Makato or anyone else's death would've been out of character. It's not like in the rest of the show we've seen a lot of death. Side note, I was typing this and got off topic so here's another thought: I don't remember who said it, but there was a phrase passed around the group that was something along the lines of "we don't kill." If this motif was handled better, I feel the ending we got of Edamura living could have worked a lot better, but what we got was what we got.

[@mike2207]

I’d rather have a show that takes risks than a show that’s too afraid to kill off any of the characters because of the fans. The great pretender has all these dark themes and hyped up betrayal for survival, just so it could have a corny ass happy ending.

[@anneb6773]

Dorothy being alive could have had a lot of potential in my eyes, that is if the rest of the season wasn’t disappointing... Hear me out, if this season would have focused on Laurent’s backstory and Edamura’s individual character development instead of trying to smash in random surprise elements, I think Dorothy being alive could bring a lot of emotional value. Seeing Laurent being confronted with the fact that Dorothy is alive after years, would be a really interesting plot point for a next season: Laurent is portrayed as this capable man who always wins in the end while still having fun. He is irresponsible, sure, but he is seemingly perfect. Seeing his backstory got me a lot more invested in his character, he has flaws, things that bother him; he’s more than a charming gambling champion who always wins in the end. Making Dorothy come back and confronting Laurent with this, while he’s still processing his trauma, would put him in a really vulnerable spot. Showing Laurent in a setting like that would not only be interesting as an audience to watch, but Edamura being able to see Laurent a way where he is extremely vulnerable, rather than the other way around, could effect their whole dynamic too. I think seeing all those characters interact with each other would sure be interesting to watch and I think Dorothy as a character could also be really refreshing. However this potential got thrown into sea. Don’t get me wrong because this all could still work for a next season, but the excitement to watch it just isn’t there anymore. Because we’ve seen our main characters die not once but TWICE this season, it just feels like the same old trick all over again. The whole point of great pretender is that it’s supposed to amaze you, you have to think “wow, i didn’t expect this!” But by keeping to repeat the same things over and over again, the shock value just isn’t there anymore. Thus, nobody cares about Dorothy, she’s just alive for the sake of being a plot twist, and I think that’s sad.

[@geekgirlsreviews5978]

My Beef that I had with the last story is the bad guys so easily trusting this dude to be cool with this child trafficking plot. You think they build up to that having him doing little crimes. And actually think some of the bad guys got let off the hook to easily. Although I did like most of it regardless.

[@namelastname2724]

I feel like enough people aren't talking about how all the antagonists from this season just...returned at the end. Chilling together on a yacht, _with_ the confidence men. That honestly has to piss me off the most (beating out the Dorothy thing (which I just considered disappointing) by a bit). It's like all the hard work they did taking those guys down was for nothing. It really made the whole season feel useless

[@Oingo_brozaaa]

You should have realized edamura wasn’t dead from the beginning their biggest rule is they don’t kill people. Also I think that the second time doesn’t count and how they always do smaller versions of the big heist except for the first one is perfect foreshadowing to how the first heist is a small version of the biggest one. The signs were there and it legitimately started from the first episode

[@gigi.pilgrim]

i agree, Dorothy's death was a surprise but also a disappointment, it just feels so unsatisfying to bring her back after Laurent got revenge. In addition, he also got over the death of her and is about to live a life with relief. I am intrigue if theres gonna be a third season, season 2 just had loose ties such as the president scene//the reveal of her being alive.

[@Spellbound_93]

When a show keeps finding contrived ways time and time again to bring people back from the dead, it loses all stakes. I knew from the moment Dorothy was shot she would be alive. Also how lucky was Oz that Edamura shot him in the torso rather than anywhere else. It was a HUGE risk to not let him in on the plan. Edamura could have quite easily have shot him in the head and (as contrived as case 4 was) there is no coming back from that.

[@supereldinho]

So essentially, in season 2 Laurent went from a charming and clever con artist to being fucking Sosuke Aizen who's capable of manipulating events years in advance, to the point of even shaping the protagonist's entire life for his own benefit. Are we sure he's not Makoto's biological father because at this point I wouldn't even put that past him, what with the sheer number of contrivances running rampant? Ironically, it would seem the show itself was just one big con altogether...

[@inessantos1534]

Case 4 was a whole mess, a masterclass on how NOT to write things. It annoyed me beyond words. The series had SO so much potential: amazing characters , awesome animation, cool soundtrack…. Then they ruined it with cheap twists and rushed events. Agree with everything you said. I thought Makoto would snap and betray laurent and the team (an actually meaningful twist) bcs of the suzuku heir and the cat imagery. His mother loved cats, the mafia woman also loved cats. Perhaps if we had a makoto that found another “motherly” figure and turn to the “evil” mafia side, this series would become an instant classic. But its just a perfect example of wasted potential and frustrated viewers. Anyway, great video!!

[@sgtsourarchive8369]

Honestly if Laurent just trusted edamura and told him the plan then there would be no problems and he’d probably go through with it. Like you’d think after working with someone for 5 years you’d tell them the plan and trust them with it and not screw them over mentally and emotionally. I think the last ep should’ve had Abbie Cynthia and Oz dead with edamura betraying Laurent. That would’ve been a huge twist but one that MAKES SENSE. And also no past villains that definitely would’ve had you killed if they found you again after you took everything from them. (And screw that post credits scene)

[@GlowOfFarore]

I feel like a more satisfying version of Makoto's character arc could have built to either him genuinely snapping and committing to that, or to him using his frustration to figure out how to outsmart Laurent like he always wanted. Case 4's ending tries to do both and ends up committing to neither, so it just kind of feels like there were no real consequences and that Makoto didn't really develop all that much aside from being put through the emotional ringer several times over. I wanted to see him either snap for real or genuinely become a part of the team, and Case 4 kinda doesn't fully commit to either.

[@SketchaV]

8:49 I poured my heart and soul into that line. Nailed it!

[@Tsumamii]

you turned my good video into a great one ;)

[@GusVergil]

For me one of the worst parts were when the previous vilains came back and they were friends now, like they were not just selfish and did things only related to money, they did some pretty fucked up irredeemable shit. For example the first villain, the first thing that came to my mind when he came back and was partying with the crew was that he literally abused girls from the cinema industry. I get it that the show was trying to push that message of redemption and forgiveness but holly fuck.

[@benelz8542]

I AGREE LIKE WHY?! I was okay with showing them being friends with Clark but the others NO they all are narcissistic, corrupt and ready to destroy lives for their own success or to kill people for their own benefit, like as mentioned Eddie abused girls sold them pipe dreams and got them hooked on drugs and just used them for promiscuous activities but not just that he is a Mafia Boss and is responsible for literally murdering people that snitched on him and ofc drug dealing and Thermotherapien aren’t any better Sam is a misogynistic A hole who crippled a man and also did all sorts of, shady activities and Colemann is a dick who uses a Farrah as his own Bank account. All of them suck and should all be down in the dumps with no money like they got conned for a reason 😐

[@roudxh3268]

Im gonna pretend the show ended at Cynthia'arc. Mannn, cause that arc is just so beautiful

[@Tsumamii]

I think its really cool especially for how, to put it bluntly, empty of a character cynthia is, that they were able to make such an emotional arc about her

[@icyside123]

Thank you. I have to admit that this video was a breath of fresh air for me after the last episode that left me feeling so bitter and disappointed. You perfectly summed up what went wrong while also giving the show props for its good parts. I was ready for Makoto's antagonist/villain arc at the end after he was pushed past his breaking point. I believe that would have been the biggest plot twist and something that the other con-artists couldn't have planned for. I was rooting for you Makoto! Sadly I'll just have to "pretend" that the show had a better ending than it actually did.

[@pollaris9540]

Personally, I’m not a fan of things being framed as “problematic” in fictional settings, though I understand your point about the situation with human trafficking and the consequences of the villains that committed it. Scamming money doesn’t seem enough in that sense, but I do like that they were visually cut off from society. I also think there was more of a lasting effect on the head honchos: They scarred the Japanese lady that grew to see Makoto as her son by having him killed in front of her, and the Chinese mafia boss honestly believed he was going to die and now he is left wondering, “When will it happen? Why hasn’t it taken effect yet?” And with the listless way they both were, they are also cut off from what made them powerful-the people and the control they had on them. That being said, I would have loved to see a setup for season three centered around a dark Makoto affected by the manipulation of his team and Stockholm syndrome take center focus. If they wanted the character dynamics and the team to stay the same, then I don’t think such a serious “scam” should have been introduced if they weren’t willing to take risks with the characters. Such a promising start to this series, though. I love the characters so I’ll be keeping an eye out for more info on this series.

[@lucy-er4vt]

Loved your vid, I also feel like the crime they chose for the final arc was too awful. Like, let's assume all of the kids from this season are fine and the CEO and the rest of the organization went to jail.. What about the clients? People who bought children? Children who were sold before Makoto joined? It's kind of disturbing to imagine that they only took care of the people at the top, completely disregarding everyone else involved.

[@Blind_Hawk]

I wouldn't say it is problematic at all, it is problematic that they wasted potential and could have been great. They decided to not be different, to not be original. To play safe for some reason. I miss it when shows, movies and anime were daring to risk something instead of pandering to everyone...

[@BenDeganiVB2025]

Yeah this is my biggest issue as well. It feels like everyone's constantly downplaying and shitting on Makoto and it never developed his character.

[@thevanamacha]

I had came for the cool Black girl with white hair in art banners, just to see her be a plot device for a male character. Don’t get me wrong, loved the show, LOVED the art and colors (really loved), and loved the ridiculousness of the show. But her part was much less significant than I thought, and that blowed.

[@hanh2127]

this perfectly sums up how i felt about the last season! great pretender is a great show in my opinion (one of my favorites of all time in fact), but that ending though.... i felt scammed by that final boat scene, because i felt like the characters got exactly what they wanted, but not what they NEEDED. which is a crux of good storytelling imo. if they really held to the "needs over wants" thing, i feel like ending would have been somewhat better (and also that cursed boat scene wouldn't have to exist LOL). great pretender also does this thing where it likes to be "symmetrical" with it's storytelling. repeating and bringing back different ideas with different takes each time. i found this to be really effective and satisfying in the first season, but i think they go too far with it in case 4, leading to the whole.... death thing. you can only fake-kill-off a character so many times! you gotta drop a theme/idea if it's no longer serving the plot in an impactful way! but yeah. great work on this video :^)

[@Tsumamii]

Thank you! I really like that wants over needs thing I hadn't considered that!

[@matthewmcwilliams6500]

I feel that they can make a movie to be the big end and I think it could be great. I really like the chemistry of abigale and Makoto and I hope that they end the series with them at least trying a relationship

[@TheMartyredextras]

As soon as you said the word "problematic" I was certain I was going to disagree with you... but yeah...actually they should have made sure to show that the child trafficking has stopped. I like to believe the implication is that it has, but it definitely did need more focus. I don't think its terrible, because I, just like the writers apparently, was clearly more invested in wrapping up the Dorothy revenge plotline. Maybe it's because she reminds me of my girlfriend, but that backstory got me more invested in the show than I ever had been. I personally really like the ending overall. There are a lot of shows where the message is some dark depressing thing and honestly, them kicking the shit out of the bad guys and then going to party on a yacht was actually a nice change of pace for me. Maybe I just needed that positivity in my life. The villains turning good is a bit cheap in my opinion, so I agree with you there, but I'm not as upset about it as you seem to be. And I was super hyped when they revealed Dorothy was still alive because it meant we got a rare moment of satisfaction in the revenge, without having to actually lose anything, like kill bill or dead pool 2. It's very difficult to pull it off, but these things do prove that you really can have your cake and eat it too. I am also a big fan of how the ending could easily stop there and have very happy implications, but they could also play it as a cliff-hanger for the next season and expand on it more. In summary, I agree that certain parts were not as tightly executed as the first season, perhaps the case didn't need to be that long, but i do think it wrapped everything up rather nicely, from all the characters backstories, all the symbolism with the cats and the figures, all the foreshadowing, all the returning characters. I've found in recent days that I have liked the dark gritty stuff a lot less and happy endings much more. I used to think of myself as a reviewer and a big fan of the artsy, dramatic stuff, but recently I've really appreciated a good happy ending. And that's what I think this show was going for. Plus that scene where they're all partying with the guns is a good meme and a very satisfying moment in context.

[@robincloninger5630]

You did such a great job of explaining everything wrong with the last case! I just can’t get over the fact that they showed no punishment for the human traffickers, and in fact, made them the first villains that had any potential for sympathy, which doesn’t make any sense to me!!! When they brought back all the other bad guys, I just felt like the validity of the entire first season was completely wrecked. They also explained how every prior case was constructed by Oz as a way to test Edamura, but I can’t fathom why he would ever do that to his son. Like...he caused so much trauma in his child’s life, and for what? I don’t understand the motivation at all. The creators teased us with ideas of what we wanted but snatched it away by playing the “haha, it was all part of the plan” card. It felt like the classic ending of “and then he woke up”. It was very unfulfilling. I absolutely loved the first season and grew to love the characters, but now I just don’t know how to feel.

[@starlitez_]

I really did like the anime up until the point where they showed Dorothy is alive. It didn't really make sense to me, but I'm still interested in how they'll go about it, can't lie.

[@kjbionicle]

Just finished binge watching this the other day and you pointed out everything I hated about season 2 and why for a series I enjoyed so much at the start, I was just left feeling angry at the end. There was so much bullshit and honestly, I thought Makoto going apeshit in the end was the only silver lining that could have been because it felt like my anger at the series was justified in how angry Makoto was. Then NOPE. That's all bullshit too. For a series that talk about crimes and teaches us that though the main characters are criminals, there are worse people who are truly villains--There are ZERO consequences. Team Confidence NEVER f*cks up. None of the villains, no matter how heinous their crimes, get any real repercussions because it seems like they're just immediately back to doing whatever and their monetary losses therefore feel like they're just slaps on a wrist. And even F*CKING DOROTHY. Who should have been the one fuck up... The one real consequence that was supposed to (in Laurent's messed up way and I totally don't agree) be the justification for why Laurent gets to ruin Makoto--IS ALSO STILL ALIVE. And I never understood the reason for why Laurent had to constantly pull the wool over Makoto's eyes. It was bad enough when it was really just to get him to join despite Makoto's protests--But to just go ahead and outright traumatize him, from being forced to become a human trafficker (despite how even just dealing in drugs was already a line Makoto didn't want to cross), to having to watch people he cares about die and he has to shoot his own father... And just because Laurent went through the same trauma with Dorothy, somehow he can just go ahead and do the same to Makoto?? It's f*cked up and Laurent didn't deserve any forgiveness from Makoto. Him nor Makoto's father. And its bullshit they left that up in the air in a sort of did he or didn't he forgive them? No idea he has to forgive himself first. BULLSHIT.

[@ilianafafouti7224]

Oh my god thank you so much you voiced out every complaint i had in my mind. It would be so much better if makoto actually snapped and betrayed all of them

[@MICCHII]

God thank you for putting everything I thought about this show into words... Edamura is such a wasted character and Laurent should have been punished more for his constant control over Edamura's life... And Dorothy being alive at the end was like the final straw for me. And with the amount of fake deaths? How am I supposed to feel the suspense anymore :/

[@timtin97]

this is 2 years ago but i'm so glad to have watched this vid instead of continuing any further into season 2. i stopped midway in episode 3 of season 2 cause it was clear the story focus was never gonna be on the trafficking topic and laurent straight up leading makoto to his STILL human trafficking father really made me drop the series and see if things got better that season through reviews. only to find out it got worse!! and there were major issues i missed about the show and makoto's development after watching this vid. overall this was a great analysis on the show dude

[@E1_DE3]

If you think about it, every heist was just Laurent perfectly predicting everything and I think the fact that all of the heist targets were all just hunky dory in the end and having a chill time on the boat was what made me do a complete 180. It's what made me realize that they didn't even know what they were doing and there was no point to any of it. So they only pull heists on people who deserve it? But to go out of your way to try and redeem these guys in the end for no reason? I didn't mind Eddy's Gang getting in on it as a neat callback because they actually had a stake in getting back at Laurent, but then it was all a part of the plan? Nothing matters, we're all friends now. Forget all of the people these three alone have ruined. Laurent is honestly one of the most insufferable Mary Sue's I've seen in recent media.

[@elleoellem]

When you said that you “felt stupid and betrayed” for case 4 that one hit me even though I didn’t want it to. Because, well yeah I felt stupid. I should have expected the “major plot twist” and looked at it from a broader perspective.

[@cxsmikaiyo]

they literally left him to get emationally attached to child traffickers all for a woman he didn't even know,, that's so fcked up

[@kaspersefir]

so i am halfway through the video, and i was watching it on my phone and every time i accidentally turn off my phone i forget where i even am because your storytelling is so immersive and entertaining, lmao that Sketch aV bit really caught me off guard btw. but if you want my advice i got 2 tips, maybe pause the music for those parts when it fades to black and then the video continues, it'll make it feel more as you are done reading a chapter and not looking at the title of said chapter, i hope you understand what i mean! my last tip is to not care about the numbers/stats... keep doing these videos because they're are fun to make and not for the intent of making money or getting views, and you'll win in the long run (even tho i'd probably pay for your patreon if you'd have one) anyways, great quality and storytelling keep doing you! this concludes my ted talk. (btw i came from reddit)

[@Tsumamii]

comments like yours really make my day!! thank you so much

[@prishimmer]

When anyone died, it was weird for me cuz i didn't want them to die, but i knew they were just gonna turn up alive somehow, so i didn't really feel worried or anything. When Abbie & Laurent died the first time, i was like oh really? well i guess we didn't know them that well, whatever. & then after that, they were just immortal. Also I was never able to fully believe anything that was happening cuz I kept thinking "but this might just be an act"

[@iamjaboba]

I feel like letting the first 3 antagonists suddenly become allies to the crew was worse than Dorothy still being alive. At least with Dorothy, she was away from the rest of the crew for the whole series. Amnesia or not, for the most part, she wasn't involved with the current day plot

[@chatyxd6078]

The show kept upping the stakes at the end, people were dying and Makoto's mental health was taking a dangerous turn. I really thought that Laurent would be the bad guy, a man who uses his "friends" to get revenge on the mafia boss that killed his girlfriend. But then it's all just thrown out the window and everything is okay and nothing matters. My biggest problem is that Makoto has no agency in the show, everything he does is bieng manipulated by Laurent and makoto never gets a moment to get an upper hand on laurent. Why make Makoto this amazing con artist when everything he ever does is planned, even when he goes off plan laurent was always expecting it. Akqiabriwndis

[@deeloon6870]

This video was really well made, you need more attention man

[@Tsumamii]

thank you thank you!

[@bluedog4754]

I'm happy that other people thought the same thing for this series, the sad thing is, I got bored at the beginning of case 3 of this anime, and now I think lesser of case 1, because of how predictable the story got latter on.

[@1.4142]

The last arc made no sense and trivialized human trafficking at the same time. The first three were fire though.

[@gluttonyfang6674]

The twists in Case 4 really makes you feel like Case 4 Edamame: Disappointed, confused, betrayed and pissed. Truly immersive 10/10 "Will use blood packs again."

[@cardoisthatboi9968]

I completely agree with you in this. There was so much wasted potential in case 4

[@TheePolcast]

No because everything you said was super true. My biggest problem was that bare minimum “forgive yourself” like??? For what? Yes, Makoto probably did have a lot of guilt as a result of being manipulated but like? Forgive myself for what? For playing right into your hand without knowledge of what was going on? Oz and Laurent specifically are responsible for involving him, they willing,y chose to ruin his life, that’s not on him. It just felt like such a deservice to Makoto’s (even Laurent who I ended up hating due to what they turned him into) character to just end the entire thing,oh well time to move on! Just forgive and forget I guess! Like.?? You guys stomped all over his life and morals and you’re asking him to move on like it’s nothing? Also Dorothy still being alive is undoubtedly a good punch in the gut because it fits with the type of person they showed us she was but still, at what cost?

[@areyanceJr]

after that abysmal reveal and cameo of the 3 villains I tried grasping at straws like when makoto asked his father if all what he did with Laurent was setting him up to this plan and that the entire show ,including the previous villans were in on it

[@riananimations7102]

If Makoto had killed his father and it wasn't a lie, it would be much more impactful and interesting for the story in my opinion

[@merkoo7]

I think you're right. I like case 4, but something really felt off. It's kinda the reason I can't get myself to rewatch the series. Thank for finally making me understand why.

[@Tsumamii]

I know what you mean, hard to rewatch them build up to really good ideas knowing they won’t fulfill them

[@hunibear2193]

The thing that bothers me about the cases going forward from case 1 is that they take too many necessary actions. I can understand - and I do really enjoy - dramatic and extravagant twists, but only if they’re actually done with calculation or reasoning. It feels like a lot of the extravagance was just for the sake of extravagance, which feels tacky in the end. I understood how and why they needed to pretend to be the FBI in the first case - it was necessary to really pull out the money from him and incriminate Monsanto. But in the final case, they built a whole island and building because... Erm. Exactly. There’s no reason as to why they needed it. I guess they could’ve done it in order to force them on the island, but why not toss them there and run with the money when they already knocked them out? They had the people drugged up and the money was there, so why go through the double of doing so? I also feel as if there wasn’t enough justice done to the traffickers. Why’d Monsanto have to have his whole entire net worth taken from him as a mob boss, but human traffickers had to pay just a small portion of their net worth? It’s like if they ran off with just the drug money in the first case - it’s *fine* but there’s likely a ton of money left over. It just felt unfinished and covered up with glitter to appear complex, when the theatrics didn’t feel necessary. Edit: Oh yeah! By the way; was the series going to clarify whether or not Makoto genuinely just trafficked children without consequence, or are they just going to gloss over it? It feels like that’s a crucial bit that goes unmentioned. Imagine if Draco returned to Hogwarts despite all the things he’s done or took part in, and everyone just laughed then moved on. Feels shallow and done without thought.

[@Tsumamii]

ohhhh I feel ya, like in case 2 when the real con was just color tinted windows

[@btcodm5035]

Everyone gansta till the villains joins the yacht party

[@Tsumamii]

nice.

[@marblemarble7113]

I like how calm this show is. Irl when bad shit like your two friends being shot by your dad happens you dont have epic music and villian monologues and special effects to make the scene feel big. It just happens and youre left with it. Ive always wanted to make or watch a show or movie like that and i admire that aspect of this show even though it was just a twist.

[@sirminimuffin4196]

My view about this is as you mentioned briefly, I feel as though it’s more intended, that your supposed to feel used and let down as mokoto has by Laurent several times, almost as if his entire life was planned for him, I actually LIKED it because it posed a different take on what other anime and shows do

[@이젠조금씩지쳐가네]

I agree so much! I got this feeling at first when they fake killed Laurent and Abby. I was thinking "Wait isn't this a comedy??? What's going on??" And it did felt fun then they revealed it was fake :D Something like "Shit, don't you scare me like that!" I legit though the show took a more dark and dramatic turn in Season 2, I was worried for all the characters and the most climactic scene was so insane I had no idea how are they going to get out of it safely Only to realise Darn you, writers, got me again XD The drama and the comedy of the show had a certain balance in the first three arcs, but arc 4 was super dark that I started to think they forgot to mention it's a drama in a series' genre But turned out drama is a part of a bigger comedy I couldn't think of XD

[@Tigewasse]

And the alliance b/w those shitty guys was the worsttt!!!! It's like making a truce with ur arc nemesis and taking another one big load bs

[@AhanaNags]

This video really covered all the problems I had with the last arc! It's such a shame, because I would have liked to remember the show as a stylish, smart, snappy, western con-inspired anime that was really unique and fun. And I'm going to try to do that, by just pretending the last arc wasn't canon. I'm a "great pretender"! (sorry, that was a very bad pun)

[@doriandolez7919]

They copied their own homework one too many times and it ruined many things. Honestly, Makoto didn't even have to die for this to be still good. He could just spend long time recovering, anger building up if they REALLY didn't want to end him. But not the ending we've got. Anything but that.

[@blake4770]

This case retroactively soured the whole series for me. I still think its a good show but man I don't feel the same about it :/