Feb 4, 2017
The intention of this review is to cover the series as a whole, including the 2nd season. The Fate series are quite famous and not in need of much introduction. If you are reading this, you probably have already some experience with them. (Note that I mainly rate based on enjoyment and my opinions are subjective to my personal tastes and kindness).
Story
The storyline is an alternative course of events to the previous anime Fate/stay night from the 2006. During the first few episodes, the events are the same with the 2006 version, but then the characters start to make different decisions which lead
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to different events. The story flowed quite nicely and I was always left with anticipation for the next episode. Towards the last episodes though, I did get the feeling that some parts were dragged much longer in duration than necessary as if the creators did not have other material to fill the required episodes. However, it wasn't that bad and it didn't affect the overall flow. With that said, it doesn't mean that there aren't a couple of things here and there that do not reasonably match with the expected result. However, I am keeping my reservations on that matter as humans are always unpredictable :P There was also a point to the story that everyone had realised a specific secret about one of the characters (including the audience), but it took several episodes to come out in the open, which somehow stole a bit of the element of surprise regarding the plot shift. I did feel some dissatisfaction that certain characters did not learn few truths about the others, but I suppose that this was how things were to end up in this timeline. In terms of action, it surely had very well directed and memorable battle scenes. These complimented well the story and the conflicts between the characters.
Art
In terms of the graphic art, I consider the anime of very high quality. The colours, the details of the scenes, and the animation are all very carefully and elegantly designed. But, surely that is something to be expected by the ufotable studio (of which I confess I am a fan, so maybe there is some bias there). The art and colours definitely fit the fantasy theme of the series and made it memorable and lively. The designs of the characters resemble the 2006 version but are more detailed and more appealing. Yet, you can still relate them to their previous versions.
Sound
The voices of the characters were the same as the 2006 version, as well as the Fate/Zero anime. I personally believe that the voices fit the characters personality and it's nice to have this sort of consistency through the different series. The soundtrack was also really good. Especially the chores accompanying the battle scenes were giving off that epic feeling that is expected in such moments. There are a few tracks from the soundtrack that have made it into my music playlists. I did not find the opening and ending songs of both seasons memorable or stuck in my head, but there are nice tracks and fit the anime's aura.
Character
A great deal of the series revolves around Shirou's desire/dream. This desire/dream can be considered either as a flaw or a strength, and through the story the audience is given arguments for both sides. In general, I believe that all the characters explained well their actions and the reasons for which they took a specific side over another. The arguments are well rounded and really important in order to understand the characters' personality. There were a couple of times that I felt that some characters were presented too clever or knowledgeable despite their age for the sake of progressing the plot. But I easily overlooked that part. On a side note, I find Gilgamesh, one of the main antagonists, as one of the most interesting personalities I have come across despite of his rotten side (or maybe because of that). Either way, he is a bonus to the show (and of course the actor who is voicing him - I absolutely love it).
Enjoyment
I confess that in terms of satisfaction, I was expecting something similar with the Fate/Zero. The creators tried to do so, but it didn't get as far. Of course, the series were very enjoyable and thought provoking. In the future, I would definitely like to re-watch the parts of the series where the most interesting arguments and impressive battles happened. To conclude, I would recommend this anime whether you are a fan of the franchise or not.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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