The Great Pretender is returning with a sequel, Razibluto — but this time, the adventure will feature a new protagonist and a change in broadcaster.
Production IG and Wit Studio recently announced a sequel to Great Pretender, the news will be delivered during a panel at Anime NYC on Saturday. ONA, dubbed Razibluto, is scheduled for release in 2024. The Great Pretender: Razibluto will not follow the much-loved Team Confidence; instead, viewers will follow Dorothy, Laurent Thierry’s ex-fiancé and master con artist, introduced in the last season’s finale. Wit Studio has confirmed that the series’ first main character, Makoto Edamura, will appear alongside new characters such as Yang K’un and Chiang. Plot details are scant at this point, but panel attendees were treated to a closer look at the upcoming anime.
Despite the lack of specific information about the upcoming story, Wit Studio has recruited talent, including both new and returning employees, who have worked on some very popular anime. Hiro Kaburagi will return to the director’s chair, and there will be a rearrangement of roles and responsibilities within Wit Studio. Previous screenwriter Ryota Kosawa will now take on the role of script supervisor, and Shōsuke Ishibashi replaces Kyoji Asano as animation director. Yumiko Sadou will join returning team member Yusuke Takeda as art director. Composer Yukata Yamada will reprise his role, providing the unique soundtrack, which previously included Queen’s cover of Freddie Mercury’s “The Great Pretender.”
Perhaps one of the most interesting developments is that Great Pretender: Razibluto will not be licensed by Netflix in the West like ONA before it. Instead, Crunchyroll will now stream ONA in 200 countries, while Manga Productions holds the rights in 16 Middle East regions. In its home country of Japan, DMM TV will be tasked with broadcasting. The release will also be simultaneous in all regions, unlike last season. The Wit Studio board also announced that Razibluto will play in select theaters in the United States.
Great Pretender has joined the club of extremely popular heist anime like Lupine III, infusing a unique art style with Western influences and sympathetic anti-heroes. The original follows Makoto Edamura, a small-time con artist, as he is drawn into the much riskier world of Laurent Thierry and Abigail Jones. Forced into participating in a dangerous scam, Makoto eventually finds her place and joins Team Confidence, showing some truly compelling character development along the way.
Great Pretender: Raziblutos is scheduled for its world premiere in 2024.
Source: Anime News Network
