Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works

The Holy Grail War is a battle royale among seven magi who serve as Masters. Masters, through the use of the command seals they are given when they enter the war, command Heroic Spirits known as Servants to fight for them in battle. In the Fifth Holy Grail War, Rin Toosaka is among the magi entering the competition. With her Servant, Archer, she hopes to obtain the ultimate prize—the Holy Grail, a magical artifact capable of granting its wielder any wish.

One of Rin's classmates, Shirou Emiya, accidentally enters the competition and ends up commanding a Servant of his own known as Saber. As they find themselves facing mutual enemies, Rin and Shirou decide to form a temporary alliance as they challenge their opponents in the Holy Grail War.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Saber Main

Kawasumi, Ayako Japanese

Toosaka, Rin Main

Ueda, Kana Japanese

Archer Main

Suwabe, Junichi Japanese

Emiya, Shirou Main

Sugiyama, Noriaki Japanese

Emiya, Kiritsugu Supporting

Koyama, Rikiya Japanese

Gilgamesh Supporting

Seki, Tomokazu Japanese

Kotomine, Kirei Supporting

Nakata, Jouji Japanese

von Einzbern, Illyasviel Supporting

Kadowaki, Mai Japanese

Matou, Sakura Supporting

Shitaya, Noriko Japanese

Lancer Supporting

Canna, Nobutoshi Japanese

Takeuchi, Takashi Producer, Original Character Design

Iwakami, Atsuhiro Producer

Kondou, Hikaru Producer

Miura, Takahiro Director, Storyboard

Reviews

Dec 27, 2014

Stark700

Recommended

If there’s one word that any anime fan can be familiar with, it may be ‘Fate’. The franchise adapted from the highly popular Type-Moon visual novel has been around for a decade. In 2006, an anime adaptation by studio DEEN was released in an attempt to adapt the visual novel. And while it included the characters from the series, there were controversy regarding the actual adaptation. Then, there was the movie titled ‘Fate Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works’ movie that was released four years later. But even so, that only ran less than two full hours in a futile attempt to adapt the Unlimited Blade ... Works route. To say the least, it’s inefficient when attempting to craft a story in such a short time frame. Luckily, Ufotable decided to step up to the plate deliver what fans want – a faithful adaptation of the route in TV series medium.

Make no mistake. This series runs a lot longer than 2 hours with the finale extended to fit the double the time of a single episode. So in a way, this series can be viewed indirectly as having more than 12 episodes in total time length. (total of 16 episodes actually if including episode 0) What’s more though is how the series is set up. Because of the nature of MAL’s database, this review will not cover the episode 0 that introduces the story from Rin’s point of view. Rather, we are introduced to the young man known as Shirou Emiya. For people wondering about the series, it is not essential at all to watch Fate/Zero or the F/SN: Unlimited Blade Works movie. In fact, I would highly recommend skipping the latter and focus on this adaptation as that’s more of a promotional product. This TV series adapts the route known as ‘Unlimited Blade Works’ with high level of anticipation.

There’s little doubt the show has a variety of ideas whether it’d be related to magecraft, the Holy Grail, or the mechanics of the Holy Grail War. Taking these ideas and presenting them can be quite a challenge but I do have confidence to say that this adaption did justice. The first episode introduces Shirou Emiya who we see a normal teenager attending high school with his friends. There’s foreshadowing and hints thrown in the backgrounds already to show that not all is going normal around Shirou’s neighborhood. It doesn’t take long for the show to hit the supernatural realm when we see magic and otherworldly powers in Fate style. Shirou becomes the Master of a powerful Servant known as ‘Saber’ in a dangerous tournament (Holy Grails War) after nearly getting himself killed by another servant. Battle ensures and the series manages to craft a setup that will unanimously create more anticipation. The way the first few episodes are set up doesn’t just create a thrilling mood but also spawn questions especially for new viewers. This is where the show shines as the adaption adequately explains the mechanics. Although some bits can feel like typical info dumping, there are comedic points thrown in to ease the bits of unsettling boredom. But do note that it’s fairly important to listen to the explanations because it all connects to the characters and story.

The way the story is crafted involves the main cast, or specifically the Masters and the Servants. We already know who Shirou is but there’s also another prominent Master that is introduced from episode 0. Her name is Rin Tosaka, the master of Archer. For those who have seen episode 0, it’s likely that you’ve got to know her a lot more than the previous Fate franchise. Nonetheless, she comes into conflict with Shirou and the other Masters in the Holy War. The servants play prominent roles as well especially involving the infamous Saber. She is more of the poster girl as well as the warrior who wishes to win the Grail War. On the other hand, Shirou represents the most human character in the series. Honest, loyal, and courageous are a few words to describe him. And although he may seem like a generic character, there’s no doubt that he can influence others. What this first half of the series does is introduce the main players that the VN fans will be familiar with. For new fans of the series, they will be delighted to find out just how much the adaptation extends beyond the movie. Characters such as Illya, Kirie, Shinji, Issei, Taiga, and Sakura are all introduced in clever ways. Even more so, we have the servants who make their debuts as well. Lancer for one makes quite an entrance to create the intensity of the war. What we also have are also other servants that contrasts with each other in terms of their personalities. Whether it’d be Archer’s ideals, Saber’s chivalry, or Rider’s cunning nature, every servant offers something new to the table. Or sometimes, you may just have a big grunt like Berserker who wants to rip everything to pieces.

Like I mentioned before, the series offers variety. What that means is a balance of mood and pacing for the series to work. Yes, there’s mystery going on in the background with the events of the show. Yes, there is also action to keep up the momentum. Then, there’s also the slice of life-like atmosphere. Taking place in a high school setting, the series also finds time to lend comedy and even realism to what could have been an all-around action flick. While this may come as a mixed bag, the series does it cleverly to build narrative with the characters. Rather than just talking, they show what the main characters’ lives are like with others. Even more so, this series makes it quite interesting considering that Servants and Masters aren’t exactly similar with ideologies. Shirou is a prominent example unlike some others who wishes to win the Holy Grail war with their personal dark desires. What goes around comes around and this show proves a point when it crafts its story’s relationships between characters. There’s chemistry between certain characters that can easily been such as with Shirou and Saber or him and Rin. Unfortunately, not all of them get their spotlight and some are still shrouded in mystery (example: the mysterious blonde young man shown several times in the series). And mystery, that may be an overused word by some point. We don’t find out too much about some characters’ intentions such as priest Kirie Kotomine. But do we want to? For some, that’s a certainly and is why the show will keep the audience at their feet. It makes the audience want to figure out the puzzle with the pieces. The dialogues are cryptic but provides hints while dreams (such as Rin’s) create suspense. Then, there’s also the more charming moments as some tense scenarios focuses on Shirou’s own personal perspective. There’s no doubt that he is becoming closer to Saber and the show portrays this with tiny packages of hints rather than explicit fatal attraction. Still, don’t expect much romance for the first cour of this show. Treat it more as a setup with all the key characters bought into the series like players to a game. Because honestly, this Holy War is where winner takes all.

Thank you Ufotable. I’ll say this twice because the studio really deserved the gratitude for their superior effort in adapting the animation quality of this series. The animation style of this series looks lavishly done whether it’s the backgrounds, character designs, or the jaw-breaking action scenes. There is a good amount of action focused on all the fights that gives both the servant and their master a chance for spotlight. The action itself is well coordinated with rapid movement and clever camera angles. In short, Ufotable outdone themselves with the budget they have. And to be honest, there’s little criticism to say when it comes to the artistic frontier of this adaptation. Mage spells are also cleverly demonstrated while violence create the brutal reality of the Grail War. There’s minimal fan service except some suggestive camera angles. But judging exclusively, this series is almost flawless on the artwork.

Soundtrack also plays a pivotal role although not as strong as the artwork department. The two most prominent aspects are the OST during the fight scenes and the character voice mannerisms. I give praise to Kirie Kotomine, Rin, and Caster for their character portrayals. It is very real to their personalities and to the point. Shirou even gets some praise at times when he makes his effort to what he has to say. Unfortunately, there’s also some bits that can be irritating at times; namely Sakura and her repetitive dialogues or Shinji’s narcissism. The OST is also a great comeback and treat for fans who are in favor of action. Every action sells with even tiny details being incorporated with the battles. This can be easily seen such as Saber being tossed into objects, Shirou being tortured by Rider, or Rin jumping several stories to avoid Lancer’s blows. While not as fantastic as the visual realm, soundtrack is by no means a pushover.

True to its hype, Fate Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works is a must-see of the year whether you’re a fan of the visual novel or coming into series as a newbie. There’s much to adapt but the first half captures that very well with the setup. To say the least, this show has that sort of momentum every episode. It is set up and then delivery with the series capitalizing on every opportunity. Along the way, we also get breaks with useful info dumps, humorous gags, and relationship building. The action will no doubt leave you in awe thanks to Ufotable’s technical qualities. Still, there are some characters you may like and some you’ll despise; more people will probably have that decision by the second cour of the show. Characterization is not a masterpiece though and neither does the story offer perfection. There are parts in this series that sometimes will waver off with its mood and peculiar balance. Still, there’s a saying that third time’s a charm and Ufotable hit the bull’s eye on this show. Now, the second half of the series awaits….

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Feb 16, 2015

ZephSilver

Mixed Feelings

The Fate franchise is among the most recognizable and highly lauded titles in the anime community. It should go without saying that this lofty praise is largely due to Ufotable's impeccable presentation and production values. When it comes to the Fate franchise and other Type-Moon adaptations, the studio pull out all the stops as evident with Kara no Kyoukai and the critically acclaimed Fate/Zero.
If there was ever a black sheep attached to the Fate franchise's name, many will without a doubt point to the 2006 lackluster adaptation of Fate/Stay Night and the 2010 Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works movie by Studio DEEN. The Fate ... franchise isn't new to multiple studio collaborations as Silver Link have already taken on the role of adapting Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya and has manage to keep a consistent presentation. But that still left Stay Night up in the air until now, as Ufotable tackles the adaption of the Unlimited Blade Works route, attempting to shine new light where DEEN have dragged it through the mud.
Now with all that said you may be wondering why the score is so low, did something go wrong? Well no not really, as far as production goes Ufotable's track record with Fate is still spotless but that doesn't mean what they adapt was. You see the Fate franchise always boast a "battle royal" and the closet thing we got to that came with Fate/Zero but it seems like no matter how you dress it, Stay Night when it all boils down to the inescapable facts, is simply another "run of the mill" story of empowered bishounen teens and silly cock fights that leads nowhere. Today we'll break down the overlooked truths of this anime, a show with high production value but a subpar script.

1st we'll get the positive aspects out of the way: Art/Animation: 9.5/10, Sound 8/10


Art/Animation: 9.5/10

There's good animation and then there's Ufotable animation. For many anime fans already familiar with the studio's work it should go without saying that it is absolutely gorgeous. The amount of heart and effort presented in every frame is clearly evident with richly saturated color palettes and smooth textured backgrounds. The attention to detail is worthy of immense praise, as it doesn't take long to be immersed into the show's setting. Every movement from our characters show consistent fluidity and just the little things like their hair moving as they walk or the ruffling of someone putting on a jacket brings a sense of realism.
They also excel in cinematography showing unique camera angles and well crafted camera panning shots. It feels like you're watching a Shinkai film at times and that kind of consistent quality from a series is almost unheard of. But for most of us the greatest enjoyment comes from the solid fight choreography. This is where the studio really shows their stuff as they brilliantly use all the tricks they have up their sleeves, from contrasting color pallets to cinematic compositions making every action carry a sense of weigh behind it. You can feel every blow and strike from the characters, this is an eyegasm worthy of multiple rewatches. Although it isn't all perfect as little nitpicks like the CGI cars still feel out of place from the immense detail surrounding it but it certainly isn't a huge issue when compared to everything else it had going for it.

Sound: 8/10

to accompany the strong animation we're given a great song composition to boot. Brought to life by the highly praised Yuki Kajiura, a woman made famous for her gripping orchestic pieces and her atmospheric somber ballads. The soundtrack fits the show like a glove and really enhances every scene to new elevated highs. The only downside being that their was very little to distinguish this score from any of Kajiura's other works, as her signature style almost feel like carbon copies of each other. Despite that it is still a wonderful attachment and one welcomed any day.
The voice actors were also good, many fitting into their roles without any qualms to speak of. Standouts being Suwabe's role as Archer, as he gives him that no nonsense aura and Ueda as Rin as the chemistry she brings between the other cast feel quite natural.

Now with the praise out of the way let's address the elephant in the room: Story 5/10, Characters 5/10

Story: 5/10

Definitely one of the biggest offenders, the story is noticeably flawed, even a casual viewer who pays little attention to it can easily spot the missteps. When it comes down to it the presentation and execution of the show is the only thing separating this from your "run of the mill" bishonen fighting show. Hiding under the guise of a "battle royal" it seems like the only episodes that showed true progression were the 1st, one in the middle and the last. Everything else was obvious padding to reach the shows desired length, with lots of dead time and fights that lead nowhere. For a "battle royal" it seems like everyone is more concerned with chivalry and throwing praise at their opponents than actually eliminating them. Every fight seem to boil down to "I'm going to kill you... wow I'm impressed with your skills... nevermine I won't kill you, let's fight some other time".. Now this isn't always the case as the last confrontation in episode 12 actually yielded something other than the monotonous cycle. But that doesn't excuse the rest of the show from dicking around with needless slice of life moments, unnecessary harem-esc comedy and aimless fights.
Again this isn't a fault with the studio but with the poor script they have to work with. It's one thing to stay faithful to your source material but it's another to let said material bog you down. This sense of stagnation lead to very tension-less encounters since all that comes out of it are wounded opponents that simply retreat to recuperate for the next empty encounter.

Characters: 5/10

As much as I like the cast of the Fate franchise it isn't hard to see them for what they truly are, which are simply characters. Only a few of them feel like actual people while the rest feel like simple 1 note puppet pieces dancing across the screen.
Our main protagonist Shirou isn't as offensively idealistic as portrayed in his DEENs counterpart but he isn't any better either. He still spouts naive ideologies found in your typical bishonen MCs. Your "fight for what's right" kind of archetype, one I'm sure many of us are tired of seeing.
thankfully Rin Tohsaka is more tolerable as she isn't your Asuka level of tsundere, but she feels more well rounded. However their is very little dimensions to her character, as it seems the show relies heavily on your prior knowledge of her placement in the Fate universe.
The shows other biggest offenders come in the form of the supporting cast, with bombastically 1 dimensional characters like Shinji Matou and for the most part a majority of the Servants. Archer says it best, as he describes the servants as being nothing more than instruments for the masters to use and that's exactly what they feel like. Most of them exudes 1 note archetypal characteristics that defines them. May that be Archer's "no nonsense" archetype, Caster's "big bad witch" 1 dimensional villain representation or Saber's "lady of honor" 1 note portrayal. All the the servants show little to no layered characterization and depends to heavily on pseudo-history to hold any merit. They simply can't stand on their own as people and that keep them from being anything more than 1 note characters.

Enjoyment: 7/10

Any qualms I have with the shows characters & story is easily washed away with the great presentation. Ufotable is simply a studio that can't be faulted as they always succeed at bringing wonderful eye candy to the screen that will keep you hooked from beginning to end.

Overall: 6/10

Despite its lackluster cast and story Unlimited Blade Works is truly pure entertainment. As popcorn material it is only rivaled by its predecessor Fate/Zero. For anyone seeking awesome fights, fluid animation and easy consumption look no further, this title is truly an addicting watch. There is something here for anyone, may you be a fan of the franchise or not. With that said I recommend giving this title a go.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Jan 13, 2015

dissipated

Not Recommended

**THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS**

This is the most overrated anime I have ever seen. If one is expecting a grand follow-up to Fate Zero, one is gravely mistaken. Well move closer to the screen and let senpai explain.

Story=3
The story consists of tossing a teenage boy into the Holy Grail war (an Armageddon between masters (contemporary individuals who supposedly command their respective servants) and servants (summoned titans) for the sake of obtaining the Holy Grail). This should be a gruesome event with fights to the death, BUT . . . ‘Fuck that,’ Shirou brazenly proclaims. ‘I am going to lead my harem life and ignore every ... peril.’ As one may have guessed, this anime isn’t really about the war. It’s about the harem Shirou obliviously leads. Most of the anime is focused on the relational struggles of the protagonist and some high school girl. For 8 episodes, we are forced to endure Shirou’s petty conversations with Rin inside his home or at school. Not much is done to contribute to the Holy Grail War as apparently—going on a date is more important.

Progress in this anime is almost non-existent. The characters are non-progressive as they are constantly engaged in purposeless chatter and dawdling. The story is littered with pseudo-drama, pseudo-fights, and cliff hangers, which are sometimes intriguing, that evokes utter disappointment and results in pointlessness. The fights are just random clashes with no deciding outcomes and little build-up. Oh, a few episodes later a servant dies. Due to the complete absence of characterisation, no one cared.

There are multiple flaws in the anime. One being Saber commenting on Berserker’s ability to simultaneously solo all the servants. She then proceeds to 1v1 him as though they are of equal calibre. Then she moves to ’cover’ (behind a little gravestone) and wrecks berserker. The most flagrant one is Shirou's plot armour that countlessly saves him.

Trivium; for some reason, this anime was revered as a slice of life when it was airing. Upon inspection, these ’slice of life’ moments were just fan service.

Character=3
Most of the characters were scarcely developed and characterised. Literally nothing is known about them asides from their superficial identities. The characters that received most of it were abjectly cliche and mundane.

Shirou=1
Shirou is the naivest and most idealistic cherry boy I have ever seen. His special ability is being impervious to anything macabre.

Shirou logic: I have almost been killed multiple times . . . Oh well, they must have their reasons. I forgive them.

These types of characters, the type that starts off naive and idealistic generally mature or at least develop but not Shirou. Despite all his near-death situations, he remains ignorant. What’s annoying is Shirou’s lack of concern for the war throughout the show as he seems to be preoccupied with maintaining his high school life. I just can’t help but mirror his disinterest, while viewing this show.

Shirou can be described in three words, ‘asinine and mundane’. He is so often brushed by the verge of death but lives or is kept alive because he is ’interesting’; however, that’s just his naivety and incredible plot armour rather than anything interesting. He is also indecisive and mostly follows the instructions of others. Whenever he decides for himself, the outcome is boring, being completely predictable, and/or completely irrational. Their current route with Shirou seems to be:

1. Protagonist has no experience and is completely rash.
2. Magically becomes shrewd and can pull off incredible moves in the most critical of situations.
3. Will soon surpass Rin despite being completely incompetent and useless.

Rin=2
Rin is one capricious vixen. Her daily routine involves whining to and about Shirou and then having the biggest mood swings.

Rin: I am going to kill Shirou; Wait, time to team up again.

Repeat this throughout the show, and it becomes annoying.

Her character clashes with her backstory and motives. Her childhood was riddled with traumatic events, such as her parent’s premature deaths and the early separation from her dear sister. She’s also lived independently for most her life endeavouring to further herself as a mage. She explains an inherent character of a mage is being able to further one’s goals despite the means. One would expect a more mature, traumatised, or troubled character, right? No, she’s infantile, simple, and sometimes unduly cordial. Putting it in anime terms, ‘I AM TSUNDERE INCARNATE!’

Archer=7
He is one of the better character in the show but he lacks sufficient characterisation, development, and screen-time. He also seems to be the only one taking the war seriously on team Shirou.

For anyone who has seen Fate Zero, RIP Saber’s character. There is almost a complete loss of her original character.

Enjoyment=3
The anime was initially somewhat enjoyable (6/10), but it just frivolously dragged on. As mentioned above, the fights were and the plot was largely meaningless. The anime fails to build the necessary tension and suspense to lead an engaging plot. The outcomes were predictable or completely irrational, and the story was somehow unreasonably slow paced.

Overall=3
Unless one fanatically love shounens, avoid this show at all cost. It is a blender of cliches.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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