The first five episodes of Wit Studio’s original TV anime Great Pretender have been released on Netflix Japan as scheduled on June 2. These five episodes together will cover CASE 1. CASE 2 which comprises episodes 6-10 will release on Netflix Japan on June 9 and the next four episodes which come under CASE 3 will be released on June 16.

#グレプリ は本日よりNetflix独占先行配信中📡CASE1”ロサンゼルス・コネクション”全5話が一挙にご覧いただけます！https://t.co/sHAhNgdZMw

そして今晩は配信開始記念イベントが目白押し！「グレプリナイト」ご参加お待ちしております🎉

メインPV第1弾 https://t.co/QcDlsyRnpM#GREATPRETENDER pic.twitter.com/Vv1oSoMmQ7

— アニメ「GREAT PRETENDER」（グレートプリテンダー）公式 好評配信中！ (@GrePre_anime) June 2, 2020

Netflix has the rights to the series, but it is not known when the anime will be made available outside Japan. The release date for CASE 4 will be announced on the official website as soon as it has been decided. 

Fuji TV and other stations will broadcast the anime starting from June 8th, 2020 at 24:55 (which is essentially 00:55 on June 9th). The message on the official website however said that the broadcast date and time may change in the future.

Wit Studio had previously announced that Freddie Mercury’s cover of The Platters song “The Great Pretender” will be the anime’s theme song. This is Japan’s first television anime to feature a song by Mercury for its theme.

Great Pretender anime has a theme of “credit fraud” and will be a “happy and comedic drama between worldly famous swindlers.” 

The series is directed by Hiro Kubaragi (of My Little Monster fame), scripts are handled by Ryota Kosawa and Yutaka Yamada (Vinland Saga & Tokyo Ghoul) is handling the music for the anime.

The story follows Masato who has styled himself as Japan’s greates swindler. Along with his partner he tries to trick a Frenchman, however, he ends up getting tricked instead. This frenchman is none other than Laurent Thierry- a much higher-level ‘confidence man,’ in control of the mafias. Edamura is yet to find out what fate awaits him, after having engaged in the Frenchman’s dirty jobs…!

The cast of the anime includes Chiaki Kobayashi (Edamame Masato), Junichi Suwabe (Laurent Thierry), Natsumi Fujiwara (Abigail Jones) and Mie Sonozaki (Paula Dickins).