Lord El-Melloi II Sei no Jikenbo: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note

Diverging from the Fate franchise, is the tale of Waver and his apprentices in the London city.

The most memorable impression left by Fate/Zero is probably the powerful interaction between Waver and his servant, Rider. Their bond evokes one of the most touching scenes throughout both season, and it extends here on how Rider brought an impact to him with Rider’s ideals to an extent that he’s never imagined before. With the words “ live on ”, Waver embarked on many adventures and became more mature with greater magical abilities, embracing the spotlight as one of the professors in modern magecraft and became the Lord El-Melloi ... II.

As certain events unfold, he is reluctantly brought into the world of crimes and mysteries unbeknown to anyone. Surprisingly, each case has a typical detective-style vibe with little clues such as presence of alibi and motives of different suspects from various background being presented. It doesn’t bend the process and managed to retain basic detective method such as deduction skills through analysis and observation with limited resources. Then, it step up the game with the blend of modern magecraft in the story world to enhance the techniques in solving and conducting crimes. The lead detective however, is not omnipotent, which brings in the cute and powerful Gray to deal with physical threats as one of his trusted apprentices. One by one, his apprentices join him as they tackle crimes and mysteries with their unique skillsets. With that, their adventure begins.

The animation is done by TROYCA. It’s a studio I’ve never heard of before, but they have done a splendid job in depicting the city of London that capture the reflecting gold-ish street light in night and the old-style English mansion with classic Victorian-like character designs. This presented a city seemingly enveloped in mysterious mist, so inviting and thrilling, yet so dangerous with unknown threats lurking in the shadows.

The ending theme song, ‘Hibari’ is freaking amazing. The tune has a chilly feeling that eases the heart, with Gray holding the lantern as the seasons around her changes, as if she’s waiting for someone. The setting is so calm and so relaxing, that it’s just that pleasant to watch till the end. The opening, on the other hand is only accompanied by the Sherlock-like instrumental opening, which is much fitting to the theme of the story. Adding the scores of both animation and song, the set up of ambience are done elegantly with more moments to look forward to.

Overall, the story is quite interesting so far.

Check out my review of the prequel episode as well.

First, a brief plot synopsis: time has passed since the events of Fate/Zero, and Waver Velvet is back at it again as the Clock Tower's resident schmuc-- I mean detective!! Okay, in all seriousness, I like this guy. He's intelligent, but a bit too brash and serious for his own good. His companions, including the mysterious hooded Gray and the blonde imouto Reines, round out the main/recurring cast quite well with their own unique personalities, and everyone is always a joy to be around. That may actually work to Waver's detriment, though, since he is usually ... the one to dispense exposition and thus may come off as a bit trite and one-note, but he has his moments of personality, and they are rather enjoyable. The episode plots aren't bad, but can be a bit trying if you actually want to solve the mysteries yourself; they tend to pull some kind of random magic stuff you can't possibly already know out of freaking nowhere to solve the whole thing. If you're confused by all the fantasy jargon tossed around, don't worry, everyone else is just as confused as you because it's basically all brand spanking new. Did you know the Fate universe had fairies? I didn't, but I should have guessed so! :D :D

Do you need to watch Fate/Zero to enjoy this show's stories? No, in fact you basically need no prior knowledge at all except that the Holy Grail War is this big death game over a wish-granting McGuffin. And even that isn't all that important. Just like this show for what it is, and if you are a Fate fan, then you can appreciate the small bits of fanservice they throw in. However, its Fate-ness is, ultimately, its Achilles Heel; the show can often struggle with being... well, watchable. Mystery often revolves around exposition dumps, true, and endings to mysteries tend to just be long-winded revelations, but those revelations and most of those exposition dumps have payoff because of the suspense built up beforehand. This show lacks necessary suspense; it spends most of its time explaining why things work the way they do, and we end up just waiting for everything to happen. It's almost as though the show would provide a more entertaining experience if it came with a big textbook where we, upon pausing the episode, look up relevant information ourselves before continuing. At least that way there would be some real audience investment to the mystery because the audience would be actively working toward figuring it out.

But let's focus on positives. In terms of production, TROYCA have outdone themselves and even ufotable (gasp!), if we're looking at the God-awful UBW series (oh, nvm then). The backgrounds (which I suspect ufotable has been helping with) look gorgeous, the character designs are slick, unique, and memorable, and the CGI, when present, is really solid. This show is probably the best-looking of the season so far. Directing is solid, though I'm not really seeing much in the way of uniqueness. Episode 4 had a cool focus-shifting blur effect, but not much else. The music, courtesy of everyone's favorite Yuki Kajiura is decent (with a solid instrumental opening theme) but it's a noticeable step down from Fate/Zero in my opinion. It doesn't make and carry scenes like it did there.

Should you watch this show? As of yet, it's nothing meaningful, but that could change depending on how Waver is developed; he has the right foundation to be a vehicle for a genuine message. The other characters don't have much in the way of deep themes driving them, so this really is a straight-forward mystery, putting story over character, but not being allowed the ability to do it well. The show kneecaps itself with every Fate-universe-centric exposition scene to the point where it can downright be painful and eye-rolling to watch. I may not have the patience for it, but I am sure that others do. Throw in some great production value and you have yourself a nice 7 out of 10.

I do, however, recommend watching Un-Go. It doesn't have a tenth of the exposition scenes that make you want to just stop. I highly urge you, if you are a fan of mysteries and enjoy a bit of the supernatural, to check it out. Make sure to watch the prequel film partway into the series, though. Check the release order of the episodes to know where.

Happy Watching!
- LC

There is no crime without a motive.

In this anime, it doesn't matter who or how someone committed a crime. It is not your usual detective anime, unless you're very well-versed in the Type Moon franchise, it is often impossible to pinpoint the culprit.

However, that's where the fun is. Watching Waver solve mysteries and wondering why would the culprit do something like that is all part of the fun. Every episode feels short and I cannot wait for the next week's.

Sound and Art is a solid 10 for me. I enjoy watching the OP and ED every episode, and that says a lot.

Character ... is also 10 so far - this is a minor spoiler, but every character has a role to play, even after their mystery has been solved. That's also what I like about the Fate series - character development for every character. The first half of the anime features original scenes not in the novels, while the second half features the Rail Zeppelin arc in Volumes 4 and 5.

Overall I think this is a successful anime as it has made me buy the novels in order to read the continuations.

Story: 10
What a great story, none less expected from a series of the Fate Franchise. The story revolves around Waver Velvet. The first half of the season acts as a build-up until the eventual climax on the train. The ending scene really touched me.

Art: 8
TROYCA really did a great job with this series. The battle scenes are well polished. The character design is perfect, especially with Gray. The animation is smooth other than some stiff movements on certain parts.

Sound: 8
The seiyuu did a great job on this series. Waver's seiyuu did a really great job on his voice. I wouldn't say I dislike it, but ... the only thing I like less is Gray's engrish. The SFX and BGM sounds amazing! Props to the composer.

Character: 9
What do you expect of a Fate Series? Waver is a well designed character. The contrast of Waver in Fate/Zero and Waver in this series is a great one. Gray's character was also really good.

Enjoyment: 10

Overall: 9
Really great series. Amazing story, eyecatching art, outstanding BGM, one of my favorite Fate characters, and a marvelously enjoyable series.

Characters :10/10 Characters characters characters characters... yes yes yes yes!!!!!! It has been such a long and terrible time since I have come a across an anime with so many lovable characters. From Waver (Lord El-Melloi II) to Gray, to Karabo and everyone else. Every single character at least to me was absolutely amazing. Their motive their actions decision to choices all seemed so real and in character. I have seen hundreds of anime where characters do stupid shit or annoying or out of character garbage that makes no sense. I really wish I could write it down to explain it but I would much ... rather have a conversation or even go through scene by scene of the whole show and individually explain why I love each character and why I love their actions. Each character has a certain charm that absolutely made me love all of them I honestly don't know how to put into writing but I will try my best. And when (minor spoiler) the train stopped I literally got up and begged that no other character would be killed off.

I could not believe it myself! I wanted not a single one of the characters to die that is crazy thing for me to want while watching anime.

I felt like I went crazy writing that so let me clear my head and continue. Waver was my second favorite character from Fate/Zero after his servant Aleksander the Great or Rider to make it easier. They absolutely stole the spotlight in that series( one of if not the best big bro little bro dynamic/ similar to Kamina from Gurren Lagann and Takamura from Hajime no Ippo) and I was exited to see Waver again after having to drop the pile of garbage disappointing nonsense of a series called Unlimited Blade Works which was garbage and left such a bad taste in my mouth having to drop the 4 different times I tried to watch.

But this series is just without a doubt plane and simply amazing.

Waver has this charming knowledgeable but somewhat sad air about him (because of how his participation in the Holy Grail War went I truly feel like he did nothing wrong but he has genuine regret that honestly made him even more likable and understandable). But for me and I hope other who watch this will truly admire and all the other characters played off of him perfectly.

This anime had perfect interactions between character. They felt like real people not characters from a story. Interactions that were never forced annoying or illogical like many on top of many anime are. All interactions pushed the story forward. Right now as I write this I still don't know how they were able to make every single character even the villains but they certainly did. I have never liked so many characters in one anime as much as I do in this series. Truly well done. I would honestly love to go through every single character and say why I love them individually if I had the time.

The tone of the series was serious but it had many light-hearted moments and moments where the viewer can smile or even laugh that also fit in perfectly and was never out of place. In an early ep there is a moment when Reines get sick and is in a room with Waver alone and makes a joke that makes Waver blush. That is one of the most perfect moments of comedy and warm moments I have ever seen in any media from anime to live action to movies to books. When she said that and you saw that Waver blushed and acted as if he was that teenager talking to rider from Fate/Stay you know it is the exact same character just older. That in and of itself is also a truly amazing feat. And I believe that only a cold hearted person who does not know the meaning of friendship would not understand. It was a beautiful moment.

Another thing about the characters that you see is the love waiver has for his students. It also does something else with this that I've only seen in one other anime in which Waver is the weakest person in the series. That is made clear but you can see how much each and every one of his student love and cherish him. He cares for, knows, understands and talks to his students because he was once in their shoes. I love Waver or Lord El Melloi so much. Again only in Hunter X Hunter have I seen a main character who at all points throughout the story is the weakest. He is not overpowered hes not a chosen one; he is just a person like anyone who is just kind. Watch this series please trust me.

Story: 9/10 The story isn't a game changing new story but it was amazing I would love to give it a 10 out of 10. But I will have to re-watch it 2 more times before I could do that. I only give 10s to series that I have re-watched at least 2 times.But I do know for certain within the next few months I will be watching this series again. I don't want to ruin anything so watch the series.

Sound: 10/10 I guess I don't really care. It could be mute and I would still watch. But it was good. I am eagerly awaiting the dub though.

Art: 10/10 It is Ufotable if it wasn't a 10 that would be a surprise.



Enjoyment: 10/10 Through the roof through the sky and surpassed my expectations. Like I said I dropped Unlimited Blade Works which was such a disappointment and seeing this it turned my frown upside down. The characters were so good.



Watch this series please to show anime creators what we want in anime.

With each new entry, it becomes clearer to me that the Fate series has grown aware of its own shadow. Back when Apocrypha came out, I described it as a love letter to the entirety of the Fate canon. In contrast, I believe that Lord El Melloi II and his case notes are its shadow. And a shadow aware of its existence as such.

A war survivor following after the shadow of a king long gone, not one, but two different shadows of kings, dreaming with the shadow of a love they assume unattainable, yet worth fighting for. Lingering shadows from time past, and the looming ... shadows of the fights yet to come. Its no surprise that little Waver became a detective, living his entire life looking for a light amidst such shadows.

Even the production of this show seemed aware of the legacy they had been granted the opportunity to belong to, and saw themselves as working under the shadow of a giant. I believe that is why, given the chance to create original stories for the start of this adventure, all they conjured up were shadows of other tales, past, present and future.

Nearly all entries in the remaining fate lore end up touched in some way by the shadow of this work, and in that sense, it achieves the greatest peek any shadow could aspire to: tracing the limits of the light that spawned it.

This show was a shadow of all that I loved from the Fate universe, and in that, I cannot hate it in the ways it is cast over such love.

Remember that one retarded kid from Fate/Zero? Waver Velvet? I do. He was probably the reason why I enjoyed Fate/Zero less. I don’t like his character. I don’t like it at all. So what is he up to now? Well...

He became a Lord of the clock tower. He turned more mature, grew, and now he looks even better than his old self.

This show is pretty much about the after story of Waver Velvet. “The Conan of The Fate Series, Lord El-Melloi II Sei no Jikenbo : Rail Zeppelin Grace Note.”

Honestly, this show wouldn’t be as fun as is if Gray wasn’t there. ... Gray - the descendant of Saber, Lord El-Melloi II’s assistant and student. She pretty much carries about ⅓ of the show by simply just showing off her Noble Phantasm.

The “mystery” thingies aren’t too bad but they’re also quite bland. The last investigation this show did was actually pretty confusing because the revealed perpetrator was some lad I didn’t even know and he wasn’t even introduced within the show.

Another bad thing about this show is the English accent. Gosh. Fuck me, man. They were so cringe. Agh. I can’t. I. I just can’t.

Other than that, it’s pretty cool to see how much Waver grew and how he’s following Alexander's ambition. It’s also pretty cool to see a relative of Saber who can use a Noble Phantasm.

El-Melloi as a series has a lot of things going for it considering it's a spinoff of a massive franchise. I mean that half sarcastically, everyone knows Fate at this point however that's only what draws people in. What keeps them are well developed characters and/or amazing visuals and battles. El-Melloi does both of these well, with a lot of visual and lighting effects that come off pretty well in most fights(a noticeable lack of CGI which I always love), and I genuinely want to see the development of the cast of characters. Waver returns from Fate/Zero in a strong upfront drive: to make his ... king proud. The giant arc of his development is him trying to find what his liege from Fate/Zero would want him to do to further their goals. It's honest in the simplicity of what Waver needs, yet still touches on so many magical concepts that the main series' never really have time to delve in to. Although it is based on a game, the thought that went into the series seems further than a cash grab (I'm looking at Fate Apochraphya), yet it still saves time by introducing typical characters that have appeared in much more than this single anime (i.e. Luvia, Waver, a Sabre-knock off, etc.). Truth be told, I kept telling my roommate "Yeah I'm just watching Sherlock Holmes but if it was a fate anime," and I really mean that. The sense of mystery and intrigue that goes around the entire Clock Tower is engrossing. In fact, for most this is the first real look at the Clock Tower politics besides some small ending bits from UBW. Overall, this series is just a really nice tie-together between Fate/Zero and Fate/SN to really establish why the Grail War was so small in future, or why so many families were apathetic towards another so soon. If you've invested heavy time into the Fate series, "Lord El-Melloi II Sei no Jikenbo: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note" is a great way to fill the void between now and the third Fate Heaven's Feel movie.

Rail Zeppelin is a show that requires prior knowledge from Fate/Zero, as it is the continuation of one of its original protagonists. Unfortunately, as a show it doesn't work strongly on its own as the gravity of Waver's situation is only felt through having experienced Fate/Zero. Despite it, the show does still feed the audience bits and explanations for Waver and Gray's backstory and intentionally shows us the meaning behind their struggles.

In its own conception, Waver Velvet aka Lord El Melloi II, has his own baggage and potential for growth. It is without a doubt one of Type-Moon's better written characters as he has his ... weaknesses, his goals and self-awareness. There are many themes that are thrown around Waver's characterization. He struggles to become a better Magus due to his own natural limitations, but has talents that lie elsewhere. Namely his detective work within the magus world, as well as being able to gather the talented and teach them. This parallels Iskandar's ability to gather followers, hence why Iskandar saw such great potential. Waver is a relatable character that struggles against the unattainable while being very well aware of it. The show itself is more a character study on Waver's lingering feelings after Fate/Zero. He struggles with his regrets, and he essentially grieves for the Iskandar that accompanied him in the events of Fate/Zero.

Gray is our female lead, although a saberface-meme by the definition of the Fate fandom, she stands apart with her personality. She is our sheltered character who struggles to find her own purpose in relation to Waver; paralleling Waver's own struggle to find his own purpose despite his own failings. Manufactured/crafted in order to recreate King Arthur in form, she was saved from that existence by Waver and given the opportunity to find her place in the world at his side.

Each episode initially feels episodic, but it eventually shows its hand that it's been building upon each other. The show, or even the series itself borrows heavily on Sherlock Holmes. Adashino as an unromantic Irene Addler, Gray as a sheltered Watson. Doctor Heartless as Moriarty.

The animation is without a doubt remarkable, considering that it's helmed by TROYCA, a studio partially founded by one of the original directors of Fate/Zero(at the time he was with UFOtable). Sound and music are irreproachable. The OP's sequence, although not a vocal song, is reminiscent to a James Bond film's opening sequence. ASCA's Hibari for the ending song is a soothing ballad, that represents well Gray's fragile nature.

What stands out for this anime is Reina Ueda's voice acting for Gray as it highlights her vulnerability very well. It is easy to forget all the saberface jokes and all the plot points that demonstrate her connection to Arturia/Saber, considering how well they set her personality apart, especially with the emphasis put on by the voice actress.

Overall, it's great for a Fate fan, as it does tease bits of lore such as mystic eyes, overlaps/alternate with certain elements from Fate/Apocrypha. (For example Caules from Apocrypha is present and is the heir to his family earlier than the events of Apocrypha). It is however not a high paced anime, and therefore it is not for everyone. Being someone who doesn't usually read Light Novels, the show does entice me to want to read the original source of the Lord El Melloi II's Case Files series.

The thing I loved most about this anime is the art: the rich colors, the deep detail, the hyper-realism sometimes. It is set in present day, yet the visuals & attire feel Victorian - suitable to a Sherlock Holmes feel.

I was also captured by the idea of Sherlock Holmes operating in the world of magic. I am a big Holmes fan. And the adult Waver character captured many Holmes-isms (tall, dark, slender, brooding but given to sudden intense outbursts, a lot going on under the surface, more concerned about the case than his personal safety), but was still obviously its own character, not a mere ... copy.

I felt the plot was interesting enough. I was distracted enough learning about the magical world to not notice/care about any leaps or weaknesses.

The second thing I most loved was the character, Gray. She embodies such extremes that it’s fascinating seeing how she holds together.

Here’s hoping for more seasons!

Another installment in the Fate universe and from someone who enjoys the fate series, I really liked what they had to offer, it's an all rounder 8 for me, but for those who aren't versed in the fate universe I don't recommend this cuz the world, characters and the plot will feel unappealing and you'll find yourself not knowing what's going on most of the time, but for those interested let's get a bit into details:

Story:

The plot takes a bit of an episodic form, every episode or 2 centers around a case related to magic and mages,(except for last case which is 6 episodes) and ... Waver (now Lord El Melloi II) takes on these cases, by orders of his adoptive younger sister.
now the magic aspect for me is still complicated so I'm not sure I understood all the deductions, but it's interesting to watch how they work it out as Waver's past is catching up to him, there is more to these cases than meets the eye.
so I personally enjoy the mystery element of the plot.
also the pacing was very good, I like that the cases didn't feel rushed.

Characters:
there is lot of nostalgia if you're fate fan, most characters are well known, and most were in cameo in previous works so it's interesting to see more of them, and if you're a fan of Fate/Zero it's a quite a scene, the transformation for Waver and seeing him in a new light.

Art:
The Art was surprisingly very good considering the studio isn't a major one animation was okay/good I guess, battles aren't flashy or as good as Ufotabe of course but I guess that's okay cuz the show is not about flashy battles.

Sound:
OST was one of the best thing this anime has to offer and I don't always pay attention to OSTs but it stood out for me and OP/ED were brilliant.

Enjoyment:
I think it was enjoyable enough, but due too it's episodic nature it can get a bit boring at times but at the end it was worth it!

story: 8/10
art: 8/10
sound: 9/10
characters: 7/10
enjoyment: 6/10

Overall: 8/10

Let's make one very important thing clear right away: this anime is tailored to the most seasoned fans of the Fate franchise and in general of the Nasuverse and not for those who have only seen the animated routes of Fate/Stay Night and Zero due to the presence of characters and references from various spin-offs of the series. Furthermore, we must not be misled by the name "Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files" and expect an investigative anime that involves the viewer in the search for the culprit while formulating hypotheses as to how the crime took place. The central theme of the anime is Waver ... Velvet's maturation after the events of the 4th Grail War shown in Fate/Zero.

FROM NOW ON THERE WILL BE SPOILERS.

The anime is divided into two parts: the first which, in small stand-alone investigative cases, acts as a worldbuilding and presentation of some characters, and the second in which the main events of the anime transpire.

Earlier I wrote that you shouldn't approach this anime with the desire to see cases like those of Sherlock Holmes because the main issue is that Lord El-Melloi II is set in a world of mages. The magic in the Nasuverse, as far as I know, has never been precisely framed with a list of specific spells, rules or limits and therefore turns out to be beyond its users. As a result, the cases presented in this anime become impossible for the viewer to solve. On the contrary, if you look at the anime because you are fascinated by the Nasuverse and its magical system, the cases and the plot can be pleasant and interesting, in particular Rail Zeppelin's arc which explores aspects related to mystical eyes.
A flaw of this arc is certainly the main villain, Dr. Heartless, of which the viewer is almost totally unaware of until his appearance in episode 12 and, until the end, very little is known about him. I hope for a second season that better characterizes this individual since in the finale he and Faker manage to escape and it is said that Heartless and Lord El-Melloi II will be destined to fight again.

As already mentioned before, the central theme of the work is Waver's personal growth after the farewell with his Servant, Iskandar. The protagonist, despite having now become an adult, remains trapped in the past and suffers from this due to the frustration of not having fought in the Holy Grail War but of having remained a spectator. He feels that he is missing something to be worthy of being by Iskandar's side. Although he knows of the enormous danger, he is willing to assert himself by fighting another war, but above all to see his old friend again. During the anime Waver matures and understands that his place is not on the battlefield, but behind the desk: his path is the teaching and education of young people. He manages, in this way, to untie himself from the past and to move forward and feel worthy of being a companion of Iskandar. And this is precisely the teaching that this anime wants to transmit: we must find the strength to get up and always go forward, chasing our dreams.

Speaking of the rest of the cast, the secondary characters do not have a deep characterization like that of Waver and turn out to be very forgettable, except for some characters who, like the protagonist and thanks to the teachings of Waver, manage to mature too. In particular, during the course of the episodes, Gray's maturation path is interesting, leading her to understand herself and her desire to assist Waver.

As for the artistic side, drawings and animations are discreet but nothing exceptional. I found the opening titles (ep 1) that flow during the battle between Iskandar and Gilgamesh fantastic. A note of credit goes to the settings, the backgrounds were well made and very pleasant, in particular those of the train.
The opening has no vocals but this does not mean that it has less value than the "classic opening", indeed, as a lover of OSTs, I love this opening so much that I have never skipped it. In general the OSTs accompany the scenes quite well and there are some that stand out among the others and that I would gladly hear as "they are magicians" or "we call him heartless".
The voice actors all did a good job, in particular Ueda Reina who was able to perfectly interpret the character of Gray and giving to "Rhongomyniad!" the same vibes as "Excalibur!" of the original Saber.

In conclusion Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files is aimed at a small target of people because to enjoy it at its best you need a fairly broad knowledge of the Nasuverse and it turns out to be a good anime if you look at it for the maturation path of the characters but an anime not successful if you look at it for the cases themselves.

STORY: 7
ART: 7
SOUND: 8
CHARACTER: 7
ENJOYMENT: 9
OVERALL: 8

My english skill is very bad if you want to keep reading go ahead

I think this anime, this storyline is the best fanservice for fate fans, nasuverse fans so far
Normally fate franchise only focus on one thing that is battle royale fight and relationship between normal people (master) and heroes (servants)
at first i'm really interested fate because how cool servants are but i found out the universe of it the fiction character like Masters are interesting too
but they're never dig those character more but always moved on and created new title for their new servants, new battle royale
This anime is what am looking ... for first time they're digging in master universe, mage universe and It's work for me It's pretty interesting even they're still want to keep fate scent so hard the story somehow still go around holy grail, servants im kinda sick of it sometimes
I think this show will better if they're focusing on newb mage just like in harrypotter starting introduce magic of nasuverse little by little but i understand that they want to somehow connect to fate for more attention
but for first time that they're trying something new It's not bad the all of sub character are so interesting I like how they're create character in nasuverse I can tell It's really difference with generic character

as a detective anime and non-nasuverse fans or very new FGO fans not show may not for you

i forgot to mentioned that other show that like this show that is not about servant and holy grail is Garden of Avalon but It's not actually show It's a Drama CD but It's too skippy they're not put effort on that enough to make this one shine too shame

This story, follows Waver Velvet, and his assistant Gray, as they engage in solving mysteries, the main one being Rail Zeppelin Grace Note. I was super excited for this anime after watching Fate/Zero, because Waver and Iskandar were my favorite duo in that- so, a story revolving around Waver was a pleasing sight.

Story: The story felt a little spontaneous to start, they kinda attempted to warm you up to the cast and paint an initial picture with some less relevant cases to start, and eventually it transitions into the main case, Rail Zeppelin Grace Note. It does a relatively good job of keeping things interesting ... with a minor plot twist here and there, but nothing too crazy.

Art: The art gets the job done. For a story from the Fate universe, there isn't a ton of combat, so in that regard, the art and animation is a bit tame. It does have its flashy moments where the artistic talents are shown off a bit more indepth, but outside of that, the character art and animation was solid all the way around.

Sound: This was okay as well, nothing too crazy, the OP was catchy in its own right, even though, it's not what I think of, when I think about anime openings. They used their soundtrack effectively to portray the feeling of mystery, or danger, when it was prevalent. The voice acting was good as well, but nothing too insane.

Characters: I loved the character work here, and, I hope to see Waver and Gray again in some other rendition of the Fate series. I loved the cameos of characters from all the branches of Fate, you had characters from Apocrypha show, some from Grand Order, and of course, the main character being from Fate Zero. It was a joy to see characters show up, and tie into this side branch.

Enjoyment:I really enjoyed this anime, I think it got a tough bill of goods, considering, it was always watched right after Kimetsu no Yaiba on Saturdays, but, in it's own right, it was solid. Like I said, the story follows some of my favorite characters in the entire Fate universe, so, i might be slightly biased based on that.

Overall: It gets a 7/10. I think, the score is just a bit lower, because everything was a bit tame for the Fate universe, you had tie ins, and explanations of things that happened in that world, but, there wasn't a ton of action revolving around that. I'm hopeful that we'll get to see some of these characters again, when Fate Grand Order kicks off in the fall season.

[SPOILERS]

Lord El Melloi II Case Files: Rail Zeppelin is a 7/10 in my book which is ok
PROS
Lots of good references to the Type-moon series (Olga Marie, Mystic eyes of death perception, Caules, Kairi, etc)
I like the OST and especially Waver's theme, The op too was stuck in my head for some reason too.
Other than the final battle the fight in episode 1 was cool
I like Karabo he seems like a nice guy
The art is pretty and reminds me of violet evergarden
Waver's character arc was good
... Also, the same studio that did beautiful bones Sakurako's investigation

CONS
After the entire series, we still don't know a lot about Gray
They don't take enough time to develop the cast so they're all really forgettable. Outside characters from other series and FGO I don't know them at all. Like Svin and The other guy, I can barely remember. Also the pink girl.
The final battle is super dull and doesn't feel like a fate fight with a lot of action and a bunch of fancy camera work. Not that it's totally bad but I thought it could be better.
A lot of BS pulled out of nowhere like the train having a giant laser powered by eyes
You cant actually solve the mystery yourself because the show doesn't give you proper evidence to solve the mystery and pulls crap out of nowhere.

Like a diamond with one, big, deep scratch going through the middle - 8/10.

In short:
What is this anime?
It's a show with a really weak, boring, flawed start, which later - after getting to the point, the titular Rail Zeppelin - evolves into something epic. The pleasure I got from the finale was just out of this world.
What this anime could've been?
A great series which would lock into your memory for months. A series which wouldn't require you to read lore explanations. A series that you just wouldn't want to drop at any point.

Lord El-Melloi II Sei no Jikenbo: Rail ... Zeppelin Grace Note is a TV anime series produced by Troyca (IDOLiSH7) and directed by Makoto Katou (Re:Creators, Yagate Kimi ni Naru) based off a light novel "Lord El-Melloi II-sei no Jikenbo" written by Makoto Sanda. The series is a spin-off of Fate/Zero, which is a prequel to the most popular visual novel in Japan, "Fate/stay night".
The plot takes place somewhere between 2001 and 2004. The main character, Waver Velvet, AKA Lord El-Melloi II, is a lecturer in the Magus Association headquarters, the Clock Tower. Because of his debts he, together with a girl named Gray which is his assistant of sorts, has to help in many different crime investigations.

I'm gonna start with flaws, because most of them are located before the Rail Zeppelin part (I'm going to call this part "the introduction") started.
To begin with, Gray. Gray is the biggest plus and minus at the same time.
Her voice actor did an excellent job. It's so thrilling to hear her fluently switch between high-note screams full of despise and whispering the level unlock chant. That alone got me madly hyped during the final fight. On the bonus note, she sometimes sounds like my favorite female VA ever, so that's even better. However, while we are at it, I have to mention this: Engrish. I know how R and L work in Japanese so I can let sketchy R pronunciation pass, but "kuleiv" (crave) killed me.

Gray's personality (or rather its remnants that we got to see) is also a big advantage of her character, if not the whole series. She is quite a bit toned down when Waver is around, but when he isn't she gets really interesting. Her personality isn't easily explainable, I can't even assign any character archetype to her. I'm just gonna say she is charming, but not stupid, as the most of alike her are. One example of that which comes to my head is that she once bought a gift for Waver, but was too anxious to give it to him. She tried, but time and time again she would back out a second before making the move. She finally managed to give it in the last episode, and the wait was rewarded with a really happy scene between the two.
Additionally, Add (10/10 pun, ik). This happy little cube (or a scythe. Or a shield. Or a giant King Arthur's lance) and its interactions with Gray aren't the most common thing, sadly, but my god are they funny. I sure got a good laugh at least twice, especially in the last episode. Its irony and friendly taunts are just on point.

Wasn't I supposed to be complaining? Right.
First fatal mistake of the series (funny, like, isn't something fatal supposed to be singular?): Gray's backstory - or rather the not-so-total lack of it.
When it comes to backstories there are two options: give the viewer at least the amount of a character's history that you need to and then use it to thicken the plot, or don't give the backstory at all and don't use it as a story expander. Can you guess which one Troyca chose to go with? Anyway, you are wrong - they chose neither of those.
I know this series is based on 10 long novels and they just couldn't possibly have fit her story in full, but I just don't understand their move here. Why would you unveil just a little of mystery (that Gray was rescued by Waver from some village - like I myself couldn't deduct that he saved her from how loyal and attached to him she is), but then full-fledged use it in the darn climax of the series? I just have too little information to understand what the priest said to her just before he died - I only understand that it was important. Oh well, at least it was short enough to get me just a little mad.
Another got-me-irritated thing: everybody is speaking Japanese, for no apparent reason. The action takes place in Great Britain (and Iraq), why wouldn't they be speaking in English? I've seen only two series with the action going on outside of Japan, the other one being Great Pretender. In the latter authors were able to justify making everyone speak Japanese, why couldn't they do something about it here? It's such a tiny detail, but it breaks the immersion a bit.

Let's get away from the characters for a bit and talk 'bout art style (and the technical execution overall).
I like it. Characters are a tiny bit plain; I'd like for, for example, Waver's coat to be a little bit more detailed, but on the other hand, Gray's outfit is quite pretty - although until like the 11th episode I haven't noticed that it was a dress.
Next up - animations, camera movement, CGI, color palette, shadowing. These are all really nice. Not amazing, no, but for a low-budget adaptation to a spinoff of a prequel, they're great. Colors are nice and more on the colder side, which fits the mood well. Oh, and I'm impressed with how well did they manage to animate magic. Normally it's nothing hard, but when you are restrained by the way it works (eyes glow = on, eyes not glow = off), animating it so captivatingly is surely hard. Also, god damn was the final fight beautiful, no other words to describe it. Lastly, the soundtrack. It's no Monogatari Series, but it's great nevertheless. Only the opening disappoints.

But I said this anime is flawed, didn't I? As for now, I brushed off every flaw I pulled out, right? It ends here.
The second fatal mistake. The one which actually influences on the score I'm going to give, the one which made the introduction such a hassle. Lore explanations.
Sounds stupid. Everyone loves to experience some juicy lore. I also do. Some context: I am a Nasuverse (is El-Melloi even a part of Type-Moon? I don't know anymore) fan; I watched Fate/Zero; I saw Fate/stay night both in the original and adapted form; I watched Kara no Kyoukai. In short, I have a bigger than average knowledge on how does magic in Nasuverse works... and I heavily struggled to understand Waver's explanations of not only the lore, but also on what just happened and why it happened (heh, whydunit). Thus, each and every episode of the introduction is just a big question mark to me. Things, however entertaining they wouldn't be, are happening pretty much randomly and Waver is pulling his brilliant answers out of thin air. Even my initial (after episode 0) impression was "I'm hooked, but I'm not really sure on what exactly...".
Of course, our heroes gettin' on the magic train didn't change anything in that regard, but the explanations then were easier and happened much less often. Wow, who could have guessed that not trying to pack 700 pages into 40 minutes of screen time would make everything clearer.
Ah, this really aggravated me. Listen, I've seen Danganronpa, I can sense when something from the source material is getting skipped. In Lord El-Melloi my plothole detector was ringing a lot more than it should. Example? I said this before - dying priest's words. They were darn important, but without context provided from omitted parts, they just made no sense.

Ok, I'm good now. Let's praise it some more.
Humor. It's great! You already know my opinion on Add, but it isn't the only comedic aspect of this anime. I swear, I have at least five saved screenshots of Yvette's dialogues and more or less the same goes for Reines (her jokes just couldn't age any better). A subtle reference to the F/sn ("King Arthur was a guy, right?") made my day once.

We are getting closer and closer to the meat of the matter, but just one thing before that: Waver. I didn't like him at first because he was kinda cold and seemed haughty, he also definitely ain't my favorite Fate/Zero character, but after we got to know him a bit more and learn of his depression after Iskandar's sacrifice, it's easy to start feeling sorry for him. He often spaces out during lectures or unintentionally lets his sorrow out, those moments were sad. On the other hand, his brain is just massive. Remember "Murder on the Orient Express"? He would've solved that case in a day.

Oh, but I'm getting ahead of myself. The plot.
Or rather just the part that is understandable and not rushed (let's keep a conspiracy of silence over the rest, hm?). The titular "Rail Zeppelin". Incredibly captivating, making you think, inducing heart-throbs and thrills.
A quick summary: Iskandar's coat (very powerful and even more important magic artifact) gets stolen and the thief leaves Waver an invitation to the Rail Zeppelin, a mystic eyes train. Mystic eyes are like superpowers and on this train is the only place in the world where you can buy/sell them (yes, sell eyes. Your own, of course. This happened). Not so long after the train gets off, a murder happens, and the victim's head is nowhere to be found. While the mystery of the crime slowly unveils, the thief from before attacks Waver, seriously wounding him and knocking him unconscious for some time. While he is unavailable the train suddenly changes tracks and goes into a cursed forest. The rest is solving the mysterious murder and theft, which are strangely connected to each other.
It seems pretty basic. Like just another detective story. Let me assure you, it's not. The viewer is kept in suspense to the end (hell, even after it, the epilogue leaves just another cliffhanger!). Whydunit and whodunit are supposedly unveiled multiple times, but the real answer remains to be seen. It isn't, however, only a crime investigation. There is another plot thread - a direct attack from the thief. There are some fights (better or worse, depending on the story progress - at first they are kinda static, the characters would just grapple with their weapons and talking over it. They get more creative and nonlinear with time), and there is an absolutely epic final battle scene where Gray uses her full potential (I mentioned this moment like 7 times already, that's how good it is).
I liked a lot of little things about narrative. The narrator does not give us any more information than Gray knows (Gray, not Waver, because he knows everything), which does happen from time to time in other series and aggravates me heavily. When there are two plots threads happening at the same time the one we are following would constantly switch in a Hollywood-like way (the camera moves and the scene changes etc.). Flashbacks are greatly balanced, they are never annoyingly long. I could go on and on, but I don't want to spoil all the plot lol.



It's getting kinda long, isn't it? Let's get to the verdict.
8/10.
Why so high? Hm. You know, I tend to say that "a good series can be destroyed by a horrible ending and vice versa. In the end, the part you are going to remember the most vividly is going to be the climax". This is true here. Is this series a masterpiece? Nah. It's flawed, rushed and it just doesn't have this 'something'. The first half is mostly forgettable, because you can't remember something without understanding it. There is nothing really fresh or innovative here, everything I have seen before in one form or another. Before the Rail Zeppelin part started I thought of giving it a 5/10 at most. However, the ending - especially the climax - managed to change this series for better. Again, no masterpiece, but a great way to spend four hours. Must-watch for a Fate fan. Watch out for the cliffhanger - it's spicy.
I'm hooked. I would happily read the books... but they are getting translated at a speed of a monkey with a writing machine. I guess I'm better off learning Japanese on my own...

Gray... Rave... Crave... Deprave... Grave... me. Grave for you.

I like this anime for it's art. So...

1. Art.
These anime has very beautiful opening & ending. I can add a point for them.
Wonderful backgrounds. Many frames so beautiful that I want to take them for wallpapers.
The characters have nice designs. I understand that it was taken from the original source. But it was not screwed up. At times there are problems with the movements of the characters, it is not realistic. But it is a problem from the beginning of the anime. It does not apply to action scenes.

2. Story
You have to watch Fate/Zero to understand the anime.
The plot blends several ... detective stories that later become a whole history. The stories are spiced with anguish of the main characters. The anguish will be resolved by the end, but I cannot say so about the detective line. And you cannot guess who is the criminal, because you have not enough knowledge. This is why the detective-story is not very good. Overall, following the progress of the investigation is somewhat enjoyable -- if you ignore that almost all minor characters become detectives too... And other minor characters are strongmen. And there are strongmen-detectives. Sometimes I thought it was a parody of a detective story. Perhaps it was intended?

3. Characters
The main characters. Waver looks & acts like quite alive. Also he often crouched in fdeshbacks with story, that had long ten years ago. But he lives, changes, develops, and in general, he is a man of integrity.
Gray is a kawai girl with a powerful weapon. She is boring, melancholy, strongly devoted to the Lord. She could be ok, but according to the plot, she has a prototype — epic hero. And she is completely different in character from this hero. Also about appearance. There is a hint of an explanation as to why this could be. The anime includes a hint of an explanation as to why this could be. But only one hint.
Reines. I like her. She has her goals, preferences, friends, enemies. But she is not so originally.
As for the minor characters, I found a few interesting. At first it's Melvin. He is not often shown, but he has its own story and It looks like he has hidden character traits and motives.
Second. Karabo: he acts in an unusual way for a representative of the church. His actions are unpredictable to the end.
Flatt & Svin I found boring.

4. Music
The music in this anime is very beautiful.

5. Enjoyment
If you are interesting in Waver's fate, and if you would ignore periodic problems with drawing movement and the number of detective characters, you can get pleasure. Also, you shouldn't expect much from the end of the anime.

An adaptation of Fate/Zero, this anime is highly enjoyable for those who enjoy the fate world. Instead of focusing on a glorious treasure, this anime focuses more on the life of Mages and the strife they go through. The anime goes through several murder mysteries that make you realize its not just enemies that have to fear mages; their friends and families are not as safe as they would prefer to be. Before beginning this anime, watchers should make sure they have a basic understanding of how the Fate world works as the anime takes you through one fantastical scenario after the next. Although the ... main character does explain his thought process in finding the culprit, similar to novels for Sherlocke Holmes (mc even says Elementary a few times lol), the magic and mysteries in the Fate world is quite advanced. I found this anime to be a lovely change of pace for the Fate World and am sure for people who like fantasy, mystery, and character development, you will enjoy it as well.

Story: 7/10
Characters: 8/10
Animation: 9/10
Music: 8/10
Enjoyment: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

In all honesty I love the fate franchise and just honestly happy we got more content from it. This anime was a unique take on the Fate series. From all the action based anime with a little drama we got a from the fate series, this was a mystery based drama with action sprinkled in there and I was here for it. One problem with the story was how confusing and hard it was to understand the mysteries in this anime. Trying to grasp the root of the mystery was really hard and I could only get about half ... of it when the case was solved. One thing I did love about the story was the world outside the fate stay night series. Information on Mage society and the infrastructure on how they live was intriguing. Character interactions was the highlight of this show. I love how people act with Waver. They sprinkled in a few funny moments that made me chuckle. One thing I love about this show was Waver maturity. He went form daddy step on me energy to Oh Oh Oh STEP ON ME DADDY and I fucking love it. Just seeing the inner chad in him just pop out was one of the greatest highlights of the fate franchise for me. Ost wasn't memorable for me but the OP just makes me want to bust. Animation was also very clean. For a studio that wasn't ufotable I am impressed. I really have to say I am grateful that this series was created.

Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files emerges as a commendable show that successfully marries mystery and magic, drawing viewers into a captivating world of intrigue and supernatural enigmas. With its intriguing premise and the enigmatic protagonist, Lord El-Melloi II, the series entices audiences with a blend of intellectual deduction and fantastical elements.

The anime showcases a meticulous attention to world-building, delving deep into the complexities of magecraft and constructing a magical society that feels both authentic and immersive. This richly developed setting serves as a backdrop for the engaging cases that Lord El-Melloi II undertakes, adding depth and substance to the overall narrative.

Throughout the show, we encounter ... a diverse and intriguing cast of characters, each contributing their unique perspectives and motivations to the unfolding mysteries. Lord El-Melloi II's interactions with these individuals provide moments of humor, emotion, and intellectual challenge, forging an endearing connection with the viewers.

The animation and art style in Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files are generally of high quality, effectively capturing the wonder and spectacle of magical occurrences. The visuals heighten the allure of magecraft, adding visual flair to the various spellcasting and magical elements featured in the series.

However, it is essential to acknowledge the show's drawbacks, namely, some unnecessary episodes that could have been omitted without compromising the overall narrative. Additionally, the initial half of the series before the Rail Zeppelin arc might have felt slow-paced and less gripping compared to the latter half. Despite these shortcomings, Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files still manages to redeem itself through its intriguing mysteries and the charm of its central characters.

Ultimately, the anime deserves praise for its well-executed blend of mystery and fantasy, weaving together a compelling tapestry of magical investigations and intricate cases. Its strengths lie in the well-developed world, the engaging cast, and the intellectual stimulation provided by the mysteries tackled by Lord El-Melloi II. With its delightful mix of magic and detective work, Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files proves itself as an enjoyable and commendable show, earning a solid rating of 7 out of 10.


BEST EPISODE
The second to last episode of Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files stands as an absolute standout, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of viewers. It is an episode that masterfully culminates the series' buildup, delivering a breathtaking and emotionally charged experience.
In this pivotal installment, the narrative reaches a crescendo, as the threads of mystery and magic are intricately woven together, leading to a climax that leaves us on the edge of our seats. Lord El-Melloi II's intellect and determination shine brilliantly as he faces his most formidable challenge yet. The unraveling of the central mystery is nothing short of exhilarating, as we are treated to a cascade of revelations that shed light on the intricate web of secrets.
What sets this episode apart is its ability to strike a delicate balance between intellectual intrigue and heartfelt emotion. The intellectual stimulation of piecing together the puzzle is accompanied by a profound emotional impact as the characters confront their deepest fears, regrets, and vulnerabilities. The series has skillfully built up these characters throughout, making this emotional climax all the more impactful and resonant.
Furthermore, the animation and visuals in this episode are top-notch, bringing the magical battles and spellcasting to life with an impressive display of artistry. The action sequences are thrilling, and the spellbinding visuals enhance the sense of wonder and awe within the fantastical world of mages.
This episode's mastery lies in its ability to leave a lasting impression on viewers, evoking a myriad of emotions that linger long after the credits roll. It is a testament to the series' ability to deliver on both narrative and emotional fronts, creating a truly immersive and unforgettable experience.
In conclusion, the second to last episode of Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files is an absolute triumph, serving as a pinnacle of the series' storytelling and emotional resonance. With its masterful blend of mystery, magic, and heartfelt moments, this episode leaves us in awe of the artistry and depth of the anime. It solidifies its position as the best episode, leaving a lasting impression on viewers and serving as a testament to the brilliance of the series as a whole.