In this summer's Great Pretender, Abigail Jones is an Iraqi native who spends her time as one of the front-men of the confidence jobs crafted by Laurent Thierry, which mostly take place in the United States of America. With a slender frame and not an ounce of bashfulness in her makeup, Abby knows the effect her figure has on others and is ready to use it, if needed. “Though she be but little, she is fierce,” Shakespeare writes in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and the thought fits Abby to a tee. She is the tough, more advanced team member of Laurent’s group and is entirely out of Edamame’s league regarding how deadly she is. Today, we take a look at Great Pretender’s greatest pretender: Abigail Jones!
The Chameleon
Abby first arrives in the storyline when she is planted near a mafia boss as a trophy-girlfriend. She appears not to speak English, but has a nearly out-of-body reaction to trying the drug, Sakura Magic, as Laurent presents it. Abigail’s response is so extreme that Edamame, who knows the supposed drug is just candy, comes to believe that he has been carrying something more dangerous around with him. When Abby is out of the presence of her target, she speaks English fluently, and it’s apparent that she is a member of team Laurent. Abby slips in and out of roles with ease. From being an art salesperson, to a willing toy for the aims of her seduction, to racing planes, she keeps a cool face on display for those nearby, and she never breaks character. This con woman is an expert at letting the target see and believe that which she wants to.
The Warrior
In addition to fitting into any scene like a missing puzzle piece, Abigail is also very capable of taking care of herself. With a body that has been trained her whole life, and a fight or flight reaction that airs heavily on the side of fighting, Abigail Jones goes a little wild when excited, but she always accomplishes her goal. She boxes in a scam of an indoor fighting ring and takes a punch as well as she throws one. This iron will and strength to back her determination are what make her a vicious opponent.
The Survivor
As the watcher of any other anime can probably guess, Abigail’s skill and focus come from events in her past, whose wounds are far from healed. As a young child, Abigail grew up performing ballet on stage while her loving parents watched. After several bombs landed in her hometown of Bagdad, Iraq, life was never the same. Now orphaned, Abigail was the victim of being raised as a child soldier, and those skills of grace and serenity became tainted with the learning of assassination and combat technique. Her path to knowing Laurent is currently undiscussed in the anime.
Abigail’s life was ripped apart from war and poverty; she has survived somehow and seems to hold that against herself. It comes up towards the end of 1st cours that she is looking to die. Abby’s character changes in some ways throughout the season, and with the 2nd cours on the way, perhaps Abby will start to build trust in any person besides herself. Who knows what’s in store?
Final Thoughts
Abigail Jones is the calm, covert powerhouse that helps many of Laurent’s plans come of fruition. She can break into venues with ease, gets close to any target she sets her mind to, and even offers a small amount of kindness to Edamame, in the form of real advice. Abby’s range of roles she blends into is much broader than that of other characters in the story. (Laurent only plays a cultivated host.) Even though Abby has had hell-like experiences in her life, she may be slowly finding meaning.
Have you watched Great Pretender yet? Are there any characters out there who remind you of Abby? Please tell us in the comments!
Author: Mool Basil