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In the world of mages, it doesn't matter who did it, or how.

I'll preface this short review with a quick statement about myself - I'm writing this review as a novice fan of Type-Moon lore. I have yet to reach a level of knowledge that could even be faintly construed as being an expert, and as a result I welcome any corrections to lore mistakes I may be making!
When I first heard that Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files would be receiving an anime adaptation, I was overjoyed. I have read a portion of Case Files before, and I am aware that Makoto Sanda is ... the go-to man for Kinoko Nasu with regards to fixing any inconsistencies in the deep lore of the Fate universe, specifically those with regards to the Clock Tower and the Mage’s Association.
Permit me a metaphor, if you will. Many people would love a series or movie dedicated to exploring the underworld of the Continental and other institutions in the universe of John Wick. Case Files effectively is that series, except for the convoluted world of one of Fate’s three primary magical institutions. We got a teaser of the Clock Tower's proceedings at the end of Unlimited Blade Works, Zero hinted at this by introducing the idea of Freelancers and Sealing Designations; the latter of which also appear in Kara no Kyoukai, and Hollow Ataraxia’s Bazett Fraga McRemitz is an Enforcer of the Clock Tower. However, these little pieces of information leave more questions than answers, and rarely addressed the mechanism of how the Clock Tower operates.

Herein, to me, lies the real beauty of Case Files. Beyond a detective story, it introduces us to many aspects of the Clock Tower that highlight just how chaotic and conflict-riddled an organization it truly is. Case Files also makes multiple references to other spinoffs of the main Fate world; some will have noticed some familiar faces when the show outlines the concept of the twelve Lords, such as Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg from strange/fake, Tsukihime and Heaven’s Feel. Others will recognize characters such as Kairi Shishigou, Luviagelita Edelfelt and Olga-Marie Animusphere.

Apologies for the verbiage. Let us begin with the actual review.

Story
This adaptation of El-Melloi II’s Case Files is split into two halves; Episodes 1 through 6 focus on a series of anime-original content (collectively, the Grace Notes). The second half, starting from Episode 7, adapts the Rail Zeppelin arc from the novels.

The Grace Notes arc (teamed with the initial episode 0, "A Grave Keeper, a Cat, and a Mage ~There is no such thing as "truth".~", do a respectable job of introducing us to the main characters of the show. It is a fair point to make that this may not be the case for someone who hasn’t watched Fate/zero, and thus this marks it down a little. The anime-original content also does an excellent job of introducing the conflicts in the Clock Tower and the various tensions between departments, such as Waver/Lord El -Melloi II’s own Faculty of Modern Magecraft Theories and the 13th (technically separate) Faculty of Law, or Policies. Other reviews have pointed out that Case Files does not follow the conventions of a detective novel. I personally don’t think that one should approach Case Files as a conventional detective story precisely because it follows so many esoteric rules of magic; rather, one should treat it as an atmospheric exploration of the weirder aspects of magic in the Fate world, with a relatively simplistic detective element thrown into it. However, even with that being said, it is a genuinely valid criticism to be making of the show; from a detective fiction standpoint Case Files is barely a third-rate piece of fiction, given how many puzzle pieces either require so much background knowledge that the show no longer counts as a standalone piece of fiction, or are just straight-up non-decipherable until Waver spells out the magical construct behind it. Basically, it’s magic, not logic.

The Rail Zeppelin arc also explores the concept of Mystic Eyes, especially their ranking. And we all know tier lists are exceptionally important. Once again, there are little tidbits of information that will tickle the fancies of those familiar with Type-Moon lore, such as the appearance of the Child of Ainnash, or the reveal of the class of the main antagonist’s Servant.

However, at this point, I must unfortunately report that the Rail Zeppelin half of the Case Files adaptation showcases the greatest weaknesses of the show so far. While clues are dropped throughout the episodes for the reveal of the main antagonist of this arc as well as the rationale behind their unmasking, very little actual evidence onboard the train points to the main antagonist being who they are. Their relationship with Waver is also sadly under-explored in the show; something which I suspect the novels go more in-depth about, though I cannot comment on the matter having not reached the segment in question.

As a general rule, the Case Files anime's story (especially the Rail Zeppelin arc) suffers from contraction - it's clear some details are missing for expedience, but as a result it is not a friendly story to outsiders from the Type-Moon universe - many of the nuances are easy to miss. As an approachable story then, sadly this adaptation is not successful.

Art and Music
Perhaps the single greatest strength of this anime adaptation is the presentation. Having been to London multiple times, Troyca’s depiction of London is not short of a masterpiece. It complements the story perfectly, and the buildings are replicated in painstaking detail, emphasizing the grandiosity and pomp of London as a city and the Clock Tower as an institution.
Yuki Kajiura has handled the music for this adaptation, and it is beyond perfect. Kajiura’s work often has a single instrumental element that recurs in the more dramatic tracks within the soundtrack of a specific show – for Fate/zero, it was a violin-led orchestral element, and for Kara no Kyoukai it was the choir backing vocals. Case Files’ soundtrack (now that it is out as of September 5th)’s main element is the flute, teamed with the violin; this is most apparent in the opening theme ”starting the case: Rail Zeppelin”. However, some old Kajiura classics seem to always show up – ”deep in old grief” is practically lifted straight from the Fate/zero studio session, and ”waving goodbye” has the soft chimes and choir straight from Kara no Kyoukai.

Characters

Waver Velvet is a man on the outside, and a young boy on the inside. Not your average mage, trying to reach the Root like everyone else. He has unfinished business from ten years ago. From time to time, the young Waver that was bullied and tossed around by Iskandar surfaces. Perhaps you can’t teach a young dog new tricks either. He is a man tortured by his past mistakes, and constantly motivates himself out of a desire to finish what he started. Yet he is also undeniably older; and thus far more rational, careful, and calculating. Until he isn’t. At which point he either blushes or goes a little chuuni. He owes his current position to a certain smug Inorin-I mean, blonde young magus.

Reines El-Melloi Archisorte is a heady contender for the crown of smug. Endlessly confident, devious to a fault, curious and creative as well as sadistic, Reines is a perfect overlord for Waver (the man himself does not share this opinion). Cruel all the time, but genuinely compassionate and helpful when she needs to be. It’s not good assistance without some smug comment thrown in on the side. Inori Minase was truly the perfect CV to choose for someone like Reines. Also comes with Kayneth’s Mystic Code Volumen Hydragyrum, which has been changed into a Mercury Maid, Trimmau. I want a Mercury Maid.

Gray is our requisite Saberface. It isn’t a Fate spinoff without a Saberface. Perhaps this is why Strange/fake has yet to receive one. She has a complicated backstory herself which I will not go into as it is a rather major spoiler (though it has since been hinted at and partially revealed within the show). She’s a perfect sidekick to Waver, dedicated to taking care of him. She finds reassurance in that he tolerates her and does not expect anything unreasonable from her, as well as having a certain degree of respect for her, addressing Gray as ‘Lady’. Also has Add, a talking cube/scythe/hammer voiced by Daisuke Ono. No JoJo memes here. In Add’s final form, The Lance that Shines to the Ends of the World, Kawasumi Ayako also makes a guest voice appearance, courtesy of a changed role for her in Fate/prototype. Fate spinoffs are only made when Saber or her voice can be stuffed in.

Aside from the main three, several characters very familiar to those with Fate experience appear. Kairi Shishigou, Caules Forvedge and Rocco Belfaban of Fate/Apocrypha (though it is important to remember that Apocrypha takes place in an alternate world line, and thus these characters do not have any memories of that event), Luviagelita Edelfelt of Hollow Ataraxia and UBW fame, and Flat Escardos of later Strange/fake repute, just to name a few. Some original characters also appear, such as Yvette Lehrman and Hishiri Adashino. Overall, these characters do spar with each other rather well, although Yvette’s attempts at being a consort are about as endearing and successful as Waver finds them.

Conclusion

Alright. I’ve dragged on for long enough. I should probably dedicate this much effort to work instead, but that’s nowhere near as fun. Time to wrap it up.

In summary, Case Files is indeed a rather mediocre detective story. The latter half of the show, the actual adaptation, also unfortunately severely lacks in depth of lore as well as exploration into the world of Case Files on the level of the previous anime-only episodes. But what it makes up for instead is an almost unparalleled insight into how the Clock Tower’s various rivalries and tensions work, an overview of several magical concepts and theories in the Fate universe, even more lore to give Type-Moon fans a headache, top-class animation and music, and enjoyable characters that riposte off each other with a quaint charm.
Did I use the word quaint? I did, didn’t I?

Isn’t that the perfect word to describe the world of Case Files, then?

The Case Files of Lord El-Melloi II, Episode 0: A Grave Keeper, a Cat, and a Mage. Let's just call it the Case Files Special. This is an introduction to the upcoming Case Files anime, which is scheduled to premiere in July of this year.

The story itself is relatively self-contained, and there is not much to comment on. It is a singular special episode meant to introduce the series, after all. Which it does exceptionally well.

TROYCA have knocked this animation out of the park. Ufotable are the long-standing vanguard of Fate adaptations (just check out the latest Heavens' Feel movie), but Troyca has ... done a fantastic job replicating the atmosphere both of London as a city and the Clock Tower/Mages' Association as a chaotic organization of nobles tugging and pulling and not much actual stuff getting done. Also, glorious animation of Waver getting (repeatedly) pissed off. An angry, overworked professor is something to behold. Trust me, I know all too well. Sorry, Prof. Mitchell.


This special has several main characters, and several side characters that people may recognize depending on how far they've fallen down the Fate well. Rocco Belfeban, for one. For the purposes of this review, I'll just focus on the main Dynamic Duo and their (upcoming) superior.

Ah, Lord El-Melloi II. Don't drop the II, it's grating. Or Waver Velvet. Or 'that one support who never, ever gets a damn break' from Fate/Grand Order. It doesn't matter where you saw him; Waver's the same everywhere. An irritable scholar with absolutely no tolerances and the worst luck this side of an FGO player or a Lancer-class Servant-

I'm getting sidetracked.

Gray is Waver's apprentice/secretary/assistant. She's cute, and later events will shine a light on why she might look a little familiar. Stop bullying Gray, Waver.

Reines El-Melloi Archibald is Kayneth's daughter. Yes, Fate/zero's Kayneth. The one who was too prideful to realize that Kiritsugu was a man who took the term 'playing dirty' and dragged it through the mud then shot it in the head for good measure. Therefore, Reines is just as prideful and arrogant as her father. They grow up so fast.

Overall, this special serves as a very good introduction to what I expect (and hope) will be an excellent series. The El-Melloi Case Files are one of the most entertaining Fate spinoffs, and not just because it's not another variation on the Grail Wars, but rather because explores one of the most important factions within the Type-Moon universe that also happens to be rather under-represented.

Don't bully Waver. He's a good boy who does his best to try to give a shit.

Alright, let's be brutally honest here. This isn't some kind of recap of season one, nor is it a plot-heavy prelude to the upcoming second season. It's an episode solely designed to show off just how lascivious, almost criminally so, Misaki Kurehito's character designs are. Oh, and there's a little bit of story there too.

In a very simple note, this episode serves to remind us of what elements characterized the first season and almost certainly will be a recurring feature in the second. First, romance. The episode doesn't even try to hide the fact that all of the girls are competing to vie for ... male lead Tomoya's attention. Nor does it have any reason to; after all, this is a romance show.

But first and foremost, it's a series about a doujin circle, Blessing Software, and their endeavours to create a dating sim in time for a Winter Comiket release, and fortunately this episode isn't all about swimsuits and skinship. It does show off a segment of genuine teamwork within the circle with Michiru handling BGM, Eriri handling art and Utaha handling the script. And while minimal, I do hope the season has more of the teamwork and less of the screenshot-worthy moments though.

...forgive me if I'm a little tired. I've been using the Windows key and the Print Screen key together for quite a lot in the past 24 minutes.

In the end, it's important to remember that this episode is almost certainly not an indication of what the second season is likely to entail; it's more a chance to show off Kurehito-san's art. And what a showcase it was.

The conclusive review - if anyone wishes to have the episodics, I can PM them since I don't have a website.
When a show leaves an incredible impression you're always left wondering one of two things - what the author can do next, and whether the author could possibly hope to match it again. Plastic Memories comes onto my watching list quite a long while since the release of Steins; Gate. While it wasn't perfect the twisting, turning emotional journey I went through in those 24 episodes was undoubtedly one of the strongest anime experiences I've had. So Plastic Memories has quite the hurdle to ... leap if it wants to equal or potentially exceed its predecessor.

~
Life's a game against time; a game where time always wins. But how far can you go before the end?

The memories can be more valuable than the experience, they say. That may be true, but what if one day, you were to lose those memories? In essence, this is what Plastic Memories is all about. It's about memories, the creation and inevitable loss of them.

But knowing that memories have an expiry date, how should we best enjoy the time we're given? The struggle to enjoy the time we have left is what main protagonist Tsukasa constantly faces across the series. Death, although not as we know it, is a common theme across the series. So without further ado, let's get into it!


As the image suggests, this story focuses much on the two main protagonists, Tsukasa and Isla. Isla is a Giftia - a hyper-realistic android indistinguishable from a human, with her own quirks and interests. Giftias are far beyond the usual companion's android - this is made startlingly clear in the first few episodes, as Isla demonstrates a stunning proficiency with tea and interests far beyond a simple robot. And although the story inevitably revolves around the progression of Tsukasa and Isla's relationship as partners, the side characters serve not only to further their relationship, but to also offer background into pre-series events. Although these characters are helpful in developing relationships not only between the main duo but between themselves, deepening character interaction and development, there are occasionally examples of tropes that are overdone (which, for the sake of spoilers, I will not elaborate), and on a whole character designs are not bad but not revolutionary either. So the characters get a 7 - not outstanding, but certainly nothing particularly bad other than a few overdone tropes here and there, as well as rather plain design.

Background art is a different story - the backgrounds of Plastic Memories is one of the most consistently beautiful of this season - it lacks the pure impact of something like Unlimited Blade Works, or the magnificent reflections of Hibike!, or the vibrant and energetic style of Kekkai Sensen, yet it has its own appeal in its simplicity and its suitability to the situations where it is used. Although it is clear Plastic Memories is set in a futuristic world, there is nothing too far-fetched - the environmental design is the strongest aspect of the art in Plastic Memories, especially a specific part of the amusement park, which becomes a significant recurring element throughout the series. There's nothing too futuristic, yet the feel of a neo-technological society can certainly be felt through the neon lighting and the faceted buildings; yet there still exists a touch of the 'old world', so to speak, in the form of familiar sights such as bazaars and amusement parks crowded with people.

As it was in Steins; Gate, music played an invaluable role in establishing the mood of a scene. Certainly in Plastic Memories, the attempt can be seen, and the effect felt. But in the same way as the characters, though there was certainly nothing wrong with it, there was nothing groundbreaking in it, nothing that truly struck where it hurt, where it felt strongest. It cannot be denied, however, that it does get close, and on a few occasions it did suit the scene incredibly well. Sound is a very strong element of Plastic Memories - arguably, the story's faults are balanced out during its powerful moments by equally powerful and monumental musical scores.

And at last, we come to the finale, the decisive element, the most important component. The story.

Plastic Memories, being an anime where death and the 'destruction' of memories occurs repeatedly, does indeed have several heart-pounding and tear-evoking moments. On more than once occasion, I was almost moved to tears. The story ultimately comes to a painful conclusion and fortunately, the deus ex machina event I feared never came to light, and it ended on a high note for the series. However, this is the problem. Why, if its art and its sound are both excellent if not scintillating, and its conclusion is powerful and resonant yet suitable for the anime, does it only score a 7?

Unfortunately, everything that was right about the story was more than balanced out by what was wrong. In a nutshell, Plastic Memories' story has high points and drastically low points. These low points can be summed up simply - poorly placed humour. It is something that carries over from Steins; Gate; the overdone trope of a tsundere within Steins;Gate comes to mind. However, it seems to have been taken to a next level in Plastic Memories - instead of jarring tropes, which as I have detailed above already exist, though not quite at the same level, there is an excess, a superfluity, even, of poorly executed romantic comedy-styled humour. Every single time I saw Michiru's face of jealousy I immediately braced myself for what was to come - initially, I thought it would be similar to Steins;Gate where the bad would soon be bled out of the system and it would progress without hindrance. But unfortunately, it stayed throughout the series and although there is no denying it decreased significantly to the point of near-lack of existence at the final few episodes, this reversal occurred too late in the series. The sheer pain of having to endure the terrible slapstick comedy, not least the episode which spent all 25 minutes on Tsukasa's attempts to further his relationship with his partner, involving terrible advice from all the other characters. It is unbearable, and I eventually got to the point where I had to pause and take a water break due to the sheer amount of frustration I was experiencing, and it is never good for an anime if it causes more frustration than joy. We watch anime not for an objective experience; we watch it not because it's an obligation; we watch it for fun, and if I am forced to have to endure through a series through an obligation to finish a series as much as I can possibly bear, as well as the slim hope that the ending could possibly drag it up from hell, is far too much.

So, Plastic Memories. Is it a worthy successor to Steins; Gate? In some respects, possibly. But as a whole package? I'm afraid not.

I am terribly late to this. Which is unfair, because I finished this long ago.

Girls und Panzer, at best, first appears as if it were your standard run-of-the-mill 'moe' sort of anime. And the theme does sort of continue, and then you're hit in the face by the occurrence of an outrageously accurate depiction of a tank.

Which brings me to the main focus of this review. I watched Girls und Panzer not for the story, but for the tanks. It's not called Girls und PANZER for nothing.

Standard anime review rules applied, the story, characters and overall enjoyment range from 6 to 7. I'll ... elaborate on these below. Art and sound score a very respectable 9.

The story isn't particularly engaging. For spoiler reasons, no details will be given. However, it is a relatively predictable story outside of the tank battles, with a transfer-student from a top school at tankery to one that hasn't had a program in years, and so forth. Excluding the tank battles, this would be a 6 at best. However, the story also includes tank battles. I will freely admit that some of the latter tank battles (no names) did indeed give me a sense of suspense and anticipation, but there was a constant lingering gut feeling that I knew Ooarai would win. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that Ooarai was going to win, every time, and although there are some notable exceptions where the way through which they won was incredibly tense, the fact that I knew they would win places the story at a mid-range 7.

Most characters were a bit uninspiring, with the exception of Yukari (bless this tank nerd). There was the traditional superiority complex present, the discrepancy in family heritage and techniques, the breaking of honour for friendship and so forth, present through many character interactions. Some character interactions did indeed fill me with a sense of humour and light-hearted joy (Nonna and Katyusha being a wonderful example). But the characters are rather predictable most of the time, and so character-wise Girls und Panzer scores a mediocre 6. Not terrible, and some tropes aren't horribly overdone while others are simply blown up (no tank puns) to incredible levels, but not exceptionally special.

Enough of being a depressing person. It's time to move on to the fun stuff.

Art and sound have to be reviewed together. Here is the true glory of Girls und Panzer, and why Actas has done such a fantastic job of making Girls und Panzer special. As can be interpreted from the title, tanks play an important role in the show, and the art and sound certainly do not disappoint. Few things give a history buff like myself a euphoric buzz like a tank moving and hearing the pure mechanical noises that come with it. Girls und Panzer got my heart racing the moment I saw the first tank, and as the list of tanks rolled on, not only did I like the show more and more for including rarer and more invaluable, museum-worthy tanks that have no right being on a modern battlefield or rammed into each other, but I also stopped being able to refrain from squealing at each shell bounce, each mechanical grinding sound, each metallic clank and each hydraulic whirr. Art does not let me down at this point either. Tank suspension mechanics, turret traverse, gun elevation and locking, internal tank view modeling and the natural flow of the tracks simply added to the excitement I felt while watching each tank battle, and at this point I will concede that I had to rewatch certain parts of the episodes simply because I couldn't wait to skip to the tank battles. They are that enjoyable, and the only issue I could possibly find would be the sounds of the guns and the explosions - sometimes, they sound too high-end and lack a certain low-end focus that would be more expected of a tank's gun or an explosion; that is, the sound sometimes feels too crisp and nasal. Another nitpick would be the lighting - sometimes light doesn't reflect off of certain parts of the tanks, as if they were all painted in matte paint, which does subtract slightly from the pure realism. But these are small issues amongst a magnificent depiction of a juicily wide selection of World War II armoured fighting vehicles. Solid 9s for both the art and the sounds.

Putting aside my history buff self for a moment, enjoyment. It would be a 8 or even a 9 if I were to analyse it from my historical enjoyment perspective, but as I wish to be as honest in these reviews that I post, as well as recognising that not many people have the same level of fanaticism about armour or wartime technology as myself, I'll try to analyse enjoyment based on a more neutral perspective, and for this reason enjoyment sits at a solid 7. The excitement of the tank realism and the battles themselves is mitigated by the fact that the outcomes are predictable (though the course of the battles usually aren't) and that the parts of the show where tanks aren't featured is either quite normal, in a sense, or uninspiring. It does sometimes give you the desire to skip a few seconds just to get closer to the tank battles and avoid the dialogue.

Overall, what do I think? A solid 8 is in order. The problems with a relatively basic storyline, predictable outcomes and uninspiring characters and character dialogue is completely, if not increasingly, balanced out by the sheer delicacy of the sound and art used to depict the tanks as well as some of the architecture and scenery. Although there are some problems with the depictions of the tanks, and there are admittedly some quite humorous sides of character relationships and characters themselves, the good points more than balance out the bad points. This show is definitely worth your time, and for a more immersive and balanced understanding of the backstory of this show's universe, also remember to watch the Girls und Panzer OVA movie, which includes a battle that was omitted from the original anime for reasons.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm heading back to World of Tanks.

Mekakucity Actors.

Having followed the Kagerou Project since it was first uploaded on NicoNico, the announcement of the anime came as no surprise to myself. For anyone already familiar with the Kagerou Project, the story was relatively simple. For sake of no spoilers, I won't elaborate any further.

First up: the story. This is by far the part of Mekakucity Actors that has let me down a little. It is incredibly complicated to follow at times, and even though it is at its very core a relatively simple story, it is presented in a convoluted manner that makes it quite hard at times to follow ... accurately or find enjoyment in. Don't mistake my tone for displeasure though. It is fun all the way through, but is confusing at times, and that lets it down to a 6.

One thing that needs mentioning though. The ending was appallingly bad. It was so rushed and jumbled that all the incomprehensibility of the previous episodes seemed to have been added together and fermented for ADDED KICK. Not good.

The art is...eh. Anyone who has seen the music videos for the songs of the Kagerou Project will understand what the art is like in the anime. However, the decision to use CG during an emotional scene...It isn't great, face it, and including the various problems with the CG, means that it doesn't score particularly high.

Now, music. In essence, this is the core defining aspect of Mekakucity Actors. The anime started from a story defined by several songs, so it is only natural that this anime's finest aspect is the music. The songs progress the story in several aspects - one, several defining events that highlight character backstories are featured in the songs, with the song Summertime Record (do NOT read synopses as they are spoilers) highlighting what happens to the characters after the events of the anime. The songs are sung mainly by IA, though Miku appears in several. One of the most enjoyable aspects of this anime, and is an example of the unorthodox nature of Mekakucity Actors itself, being an anime series sprung from stories conveyed through song. The background for the song which isn't the Jin/IA songs are...average, though, which brings it down.

The characters are acceptable, and it is always funny to see the interactions between Ene and Shintaro, coupled with the fights between Kido and Kano. But there's too many characters to remember for a 12-episode series, and some of the core characters aren't developed as well as they could be.

Enjoyment is average. It isn't particularly good, but it isn't bad either. It's not terrible like some anime, but it is FAR from being a revolution. It isn't a must-watch, nor is it a must-ignore, but for the average viewer it won't be very enjoyable. Those who followed the Kagerou Project and its songs might watch this for fun, but again, prepare to be disappointed by the ending. That's all.

So overall, it scores a 5. Not top-ranking, but not bottom-list though. Watch it if you want, drop it if you will, ignore it if you choose.