Great Pretender is the kind of anime that, many years from now, people will cite as the show that got them into anime in the first place. By taking a beloved pop genre – in this case, the complex, multi-layered con – and giving it an animated makeover, Netflix’s meticulously-plotted original is a perfect example of what anime can do. Great Pretender’s season two is better than everything that came before it and a logical continuation of all that stuff too. Much of season two is about rounding out Edamame as a protagonist, filling out gaps in his back story, exploring his psychology – particularly in how it relates to his father, given the nature of the case and interrogating the idea of fate, of being doomed to repeat the mistakes of others and oneself without proper guidance and the courage to make tough decisions. The mechanics of the season-long con are exquisite to behold at times, and the way Great Pretender decides when to embrace or subvert expectations and tropes is pretty masterful. The lack of clunky exposition is a miracle given the consistency of the narrative’s twists and turns. With a blend of genres and tones, an exceptionally clever narrative and plenty that’ll appeal to a wide swath of Netflix’s viewership.