Discuss the Series You Just Finished

@SuperAdventure I remember watching Adachi and Shimamura when it was airing and really enjoyed it, although iirc it was left quite open regarding the romance angle at the end of the series. The alien astronaut girl was a weird but fun addition to the show.

Magic Knight Rayearth II (1995) - the first season was a good shoujo fantasy adventure with a memorable twist at the end. This second season saw our three magic knights, Hikaru, Umi and Fuu return to the magical world of Cephiro to try and assist their friends find the new pillar, the person whose will creates and stabilises the magic of Cephiro. There was none of the fun adventure and the pacing was horribly slow, except for the last few episodes when the story concluded, giving the overall show an unbalanced feel. There was no romance in the first season but suddenly the three main characters and magic knights all get love interests and all the secondary cast get paired up, so a bit of a romance overload. The new villain was boring. I ended up snoozing through many of the earlier episodes waking up to find the story in exactly the same place as when I'd fallen asleep.

This series reminds me a little of the 80's fantasy films The Dark Crystal and Never Ending Story with its setting, character designs and aesthetic, which I really enjoy. The OST was decent, and much better than the story deserved. Fun cheesy dub including English cover versions of the OP and ED. I would recommend the first season but not this second one. Very low 6/10 (6.1).

@SuperAdventure I had the same view of idol anime as you describe above. I'd seen some idol adjacent shows Lapis Relights) and a comedy focused idol show (DropOut Idol Fruit Tart), but then I watched this youtube review video on IdolMaster 2011 and decided to give it a go. It is superb, and not just as an idol anime, but a great show, music (there are so many really good songs, this one from ep 20 is my favourite and you get unique ED's with a different song most eps), characters, writing, character banter and interactions, some fun comedy and excellent production qualities. I was genuinely stunned by just how good this show was. Since then I've tried Love Live School Idol S1 and it doesn't come close, but I'd highly recommend Idolmaster 2011 to anyone, it's a great show.

Dorohedoro (2020) - dark comedy and gory seinen horror combine in this stand out anime with a fantastical world and larger than life characters. Liked everything about it, very high 7/10 (7.9). This series is sort of what I was expecting to get from Chainsaw Man, but didn't. Wish we'd get a season two but from the sound of the ending, it's one of those 'go read the manga' anime.

Kamisama Kiss OVA 1 & 2 (2015 & 2016) - the conclusion of the supernatural fantasy shoujo romance sees Nanami travel back in time to resolve Tomoe's curse and allow them to finally be together. Pacing was a bit fast and the second OVA was simply a short epilogue and both entries benefited from all the build up in the prequel seasons paying off at long last. All the entries in this franchise have a solid OST with traditional Japanese sound, meant to evoke the feudal era. It was the exceptional OP and ED from the first season that cemented my love for this show and the tsundere couple in Tomoe and Nanami, and none of the later entries quite made the same impression and an indication of just how influential a good OP and ED can be to a show for my enjoyment. These OVA's weren't dubbed and that was a shame for me as I think the English VA for Tomoe and Nanami conveyed their characters personalities better than their Japanese counterparts. Both OVA's get a low 8/10 (8.1).

City Hunter 2 (1988) - the Japanese James Bond, Ryo Saeba, returns for a second season as the underground sweeper known as City Hunter. This season dialled in on the aspects of the first season that made it so popular, namely they turned up Ryo's lewd mokkori antics up to eleven, and Kaori's reaction to Ryo's mokkori antics were on looney tunes level of slapstick. Another change was that nearly all of the episodic stories took place over two episodes, compared to the single shot episode stories in the first season, which gave more room for the stories to unfold.

One aspect that was a bit problematic was Ryo's perverted womanising ways, mostly just skirt chasing, but here and there he did things that would certainly get a show cancelled nowadays (actually wait, I'm forgetting Inukai-sans Dog and Slave Harem exist). Among them was a couple of instances where someone suggests to Ryo that he coral young girls and then bring them up to adore him so when they're eighteen he'll have a fresh harem of beautiful virgins (you even get a scene of this playing out in Ryo's mind). We'd call this child grooming and is a bit disturbing, Ryo terms it 'planning for the future'. In contrast there are a couple of situations where girls aged sixteen and seventeen throw themselves at him and he says no because they're too young.

We know from season one why Ryo doesn't want a serious girlfriend, because of the dangerous nature of his job, and we know how Kaori feels about Ryo. This season took that one step further and we got some super sweet romantic developments that I wasn't expecting and now there's no doubt how they both feel about each other. One aspect I love about City Hunter is how it switches from serious to cool action and then slapstick in a heartbeat, making it work seamlessly. Kaori's 100 tonne hammer of divine punishment has taken on a life of it's own and is as much a part of the show as Ryo's mokkori. The whole hammer gag could become repetitive and boring but the show manages to keep it fresh and funny, love the little crow that flies across the screen. There were little details such as a friend of Kaori's finding all her 100 tonne hammers in her closet and a picture of a 100 tonne hammer on her duvet that just add to the hilarity. City Hunter knows what works for its audience and leans into it.

We got to see lots of the reoccurring secondary cast in Umibozu and Saeko and even some easter eggs from Cat's Eye as Umibozu starts working in a cafe of the same name.

Finally, my favourite thing about this anime is the OST. These are my two favourite tracks, Never Go Away and Escape. I can and do listen to the City Hunter OST on frequent occasions and love the feeling of nostalgia it conjures, despite me never having heard these tracks before, I had a similar experience with the music from Ranma 1/2.

I had to slow my watching down as I was burning through too many episodes and as with Gintama I can't get enough of City Hunter. Very high 8/10 (8.9).

My Happy Marriage (2023) - from reading the synopsis on mal I thought I was coming into a supernatural version of Taisho Otome Fairy Tale but this ended up quite different. I usually enjoy supernatural fantasy shoujo series so was looking forward to this one. It was good, but had some major drawbacks. The story follows Miyo, a girl with a unique supernatural bloodline, who hasn't shown any signs of developing her powers so is ostracised from her family and subjected to some terrible physical, verbal and mental abuse by her father and step family following the death of her mother. The step mother and step sister were cardboard copy Disney villains who felt like they had stepped out of Cinderella. Miyo is sent away to marry and her new life with Lord Kudo begins. I learnt the term 'ikemen' from this show; cool, calm, collected, intelligent bishi guys and often the love interest in shoujo anime/manga.

The supernatural element to this show was pretty well laid out and we had some decent action. The story surrounding Miyo, most of the show, was a bit harder to watch. Often in anime stories we have shy, abused or withdrawn women who meet someone early on in the story and suddenly blossom and become a different person, seemingly overnight. When this happens I found myself thinking 'could this person really transform that quickly after a lifetime of abuse/hardship'. My Happy Marriage showed me why this transformation often happens early on in stories and that's because it becomes progressively harder to continue watching someone have their life controlled by others and never speak out, and this was Miyo. She is so broken and feels worthless, and her treatment from everyone in the show, excluding Lord Kudo and his family, meant that this felt like borderline misery porn at times. That is until the final episode, where there's a lot of changes, Miyo makes her own choices and the story seems to wrap up nicely. Not sure where the newly announced second season will go but looking forward to it nonetheless.

Animation and setting was lovely. Netflix dubcast lands again, especially Miyo, who came across so pitiful it was painful to watch. Mid 7/10 (7.4).

Tenchi in Tokyo (1997) - this version of the Tenchi franchise sees Tenchi move to Tokyo away from his harem/family and meet a mysterious girl, Sakuya, but is there more to her than meets the eye? This series introduces a new love interest for Tenchi and uses her to test the bonds between Tenchi and his friends back home. Easily the most goofy entry in the Tenchi franchise with some really cartoonish plots early on in the series. I'm guessing there were either budget or production problems as some of the line art and character designs looked really off most of the time.

Aeka and Ryokuo are one of my all time favourite bantering duos and they both had plenty of screen time. Sadly this was the very last entry featuring both original English VA I had to watch. Both of the VA only voice these characters in the Tenchi franchise and no other anime, which is probably why they are so distinct and leave such an impression. Going to miss them. High 6/10 (6.9).

Genshiken OVA (2006) - the genshiken group gets a new member, who has a somewhat strained relationship with otaku material. What I like about this series is how it portrays different types of people interacting. In this case the non otaku Kasukabe, who only joined the group because of her otaku boyfriend, and the guys in genshiken, who aren't used to dealing with normie women. Madarame and Kasukabe in particular have an interesting dynamic that really reminded me of what it's like when you're younger trying to talk to someone who doesn't share your interests but is in your social circle. A different studio created this OVA and the character designs looked very slightly different. Low 7/10 (7.2).

@OrlahEhontas yeah those extremely elongated body designs in xxxHolic were pretty damn weird (Nana was the same, everyone super skinny with long arms and legs). I think I remember hearing somewhere (might have been something @inim said) that the production of xxxHolic shifted to computer based half way through and this threw the designs off even more as they were stretched out going from 4:3 to 16:9 ratio.

@23feanor - SuperGALS does the same thing. At least in the cover image it does. Been so long since I watched it, I can't remember if that art style continues into the production work or not. May have to re-visit that one to check. Certainly won't re-watch the entire 52 eps. to verify. It was an okay series the first time around, but I didn't think it was worth 52 eps., an awful lot of what felt like filler episodes in it. Even more than Nutaro.
Would've thought that difference in the aspect ratio would have made them wider, not taller and skinnier.

The production issue with xxxHOLiC (2006) is that it was produced in 16:9, but for broadcast cropped to 4-3. Worse, only the cropped version is available today, I don't know if the 16:9 master still exists. Another well known show with this production issue is Code Geass. Long limbs as an art style are used as well, e.g. by Ai Yazawa and CLAMP. Yazawa comes from fashion design, where draft sketches tend to have similar distorted proportions.

Good Night World (2023)

To say that this anime is a mixed bag for me would be an understatement.

On the one hand, it’s well-animated and has a pretty interesting visual design to its world and characters. They come off as distinct, both in the game world and the real world of the anime.

On the other, it’s built on a pretty absurd narrative where four people from the real world who live in an extremely dysfunctional family also just so happen to form a family within the game world full of other players without knowledge of who the others are. It doesn’t help that it remains unclear to the very end how they formed their in-game family, especially given the lead characters’ rejection of other bonds within the game. Yes, there's a small hint of how they might have gotten here, but it only invites more questions than it answers.

On the one hand, it tells the story of a young man whose life is consumed by the games he plays and really gets into his headspace, giving you a deep understanding of why he chose to invest himself in the game PLANET and further deepening his character as the series goes on.

On the other hand, virtually every other character gets an exposition-heavy backstory. Exposition seems to function as the main way to explain what happened in the past and, in many cases, what’s going on in the present. There’s a lot more tell than show in this series, which may explain why the characters are invested, but does little to invest watchers of this anime. And some of those characters that are central to plot developments feel like they get no backstory at all, in particular Hana Kamuro and Shigatera.

On the one hand, there’s a really solid plot twist about halfway through this series and another about three quarters of the way through that kept me guessing about where things would go. It also includes some legitimately solid nightmare fuel.

On the other hand, so much of the narrative and worldbuilding seems constructed around that heavy-handed exposition. We spend much of the series not understanding basic character motivations, which limits our ability to empathize or understand them meaningfully. Even when it comes to just establishing how the gameplay works, the series gives us little exposited statements from time to time, and largely just leaves the rest to our imagination. It yields some good fight scenes, but a fleshed out game this is not.

So, yeah, it’s a mixed bag. It really doesn’t help that the ending is a bit of a clusterfuck, in terms of last minute revelations, emotional heel turns, and a reset for the ages. Perhaps that can all be explained by a moment just before we roll to credits, but if that’s where the narrative was going, then that just raises more questions. It’s strange how toothless the series feels in the end, seeming to undermine itself before credits roll. There are a lot of good ideas buried in here, but I feel like it's less than the sum of its parts, losing out on opportunities to make the most of its varied elements. 6.9/10.

Monster (2004)

Yep, here we are at long last. With an episode count of 74, I was always a bit put off from picking this one up, since it was obviously a substantial investment, and given what I knew of the story to start, I was certain this one would drag me in and not let go.

Monster is the kind of show that weaves together its narrative slowly, spending a lot of its first half essentially testing the Dr. Tenma's resolve, something he clearly struggles with throughout, before throwing him and everyone he has gathered around him into a gauntlet as Johan's preparations come to fruition. Even when they start putting together the pieces of the complex puzzle behind these characters and their actions both within and before the events of the series proper, though, it always feels like we're several pieces short of the set. Whether it's motivations, past actions or the placing of a specific character relative to another, this show keeps you guessing throughout, sprinkling reveals at various key points.

There's so much to this series to appreciate, but I'll focus on a few key factors. For one, Johan doesn't function as a villain in the same way that others have. He is a mastermind, his presence often more felt than seen as other characters carry out his plans, but it's more than just that. There's always a sense that you're waiting for the other shoe to drop, not just because he has influenced so many other characters, but because his absence somehow feels more oppressive. He's human, yet he feels entirely untouchable and acts in ways that even other brilliant characters from the show can barely keep up with.

For another, nothing ever feels fully left behind in the series. Even characters who are largely isolated to their regions and roles come back into the story at various points, and when new people are introduced, no matter how sleazy, duplicitous, or morally compromised, there's usually some sense of common cause. After all, there's a monster out there.

Lastly, the central mystery and how it builds out is probably my favorite aspect of the show. Both Kinderheim 511 and The Red Rose Mansion loom large over the series, and while we are still missing pieces in the end, the picture we produce from both is chilling. Learning the pasts of these characters, many of whom only know bits and pieces of what they’ve been through and are learning the rest along with us, is what drives so much of the latter series narrative between action scenes. Even the action seems driven by the mystery, often functioning as the culmination of a series of events and choices that led up to a given confrontation. The role that obsession plays in this series, in particular, will have me thinking about it for a long time.

As for a score, honestly, I find it hard to fault this show for anything. The only problems that come to mind are nitpicking. No piece of media is perfect, but this series has cemented itself as one of the all-time greats, and it’s already carved out a place among my favorite anime. 10/10.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Visions of Coleus (2023)

I'd honestly been starting to slip off of this series. The second half of season 2 felt surprisingly anticlimactic, and the movie Scarlet Bond did not work for me. Knowing that one of the main threats from that movie was going to be reappearing in this one (wasn't hard to figure out, given the cast list), even if she was one of the more interesting aspects of the movie, was not a good sign, and given that this was a three episode run that basically functioned like a movie, that was another potential strike against it since these self-contained stories hadn't really worked for me already.

Then I watched it, and honestly, it's good to enjoy this series again.

Don't get me wrong, it's still got some of the problems with the main series, but it feels really endearing. Maybe that has more to do with resetting things to a point before the major power escalation of S2, but there's just a lot to enjoy here. Sure, threats don't feel particularly threatening again, but the "threat" here is different: major political division and Rimuru's chance to prevent it. The plot is nothing exceptional, but keeping it largely simple (beyond a deeper plot that we've only started to understand even taking the movie into account) is in its favor, making it easily contained to the three episode run. It starts off as an idiot plot (i.e. one where everything could be solved if two people just sat down and talked for a minute), but that conflict gets resolved in a satisfying manner without feeling overbearing (looking at you, Scarlet Bond). It's far from perfect - its villains are two-dimensional, the main cast just exits the plot at a conspicuous juncture, and we never find out what a certain character was after despite being highly advertised. Still, it's nice to see that this series is back to effectively balancing both Rimuru's no-nonsense attitude when it comes to getting things done with his naiveté and otaku nature. It's also nice to not have a bunch of unnecessary fights - what does happen here is well-contained based on the characters and emotions involved, with very little feeling drawn out to an extreme. It feels comfortable in a way I've been sorely missing. 7.6/10.

Pluto (2023)

This anime is something special. I had my expectations raised going in, and I would say that it still exceeded them.

I'll start with the obvious: this series looks gorgeous. While I don't think the OP is anything to write home about (actually a bit frustrated that it spoiled some pivotal scenes), the animation of each episode is top notch, making every minute a visual treat. Each of the characters are well-designed, both evoking Astro Boy (in more ways than one) and Monster (also in more ways than one).

I think this series is at its best in two respects: it's exploration of what I'll call "robomanity" and the slow build of its story elements. For the latter, you can tell very easily that this was written by Naoki Urasawa. Monster featured this same kind of slow feed character and worldbuilding, often providing a very distinct perspective to keep audiences guessing. That slow drip gives plenty of information while leaving a lot of interesting questions that keep you questioning what you're missing. I'd say this series is almost as good as Monster at doing it, only held back by the series' much shorter run - the manga might do this better. As for the aforementioned robomanity, I think watching how these characters experience emotions and the world around them is particularly investing. It's sort of a given in this world that a very advanced AI exists and that there have been fights over their rights in society as compared with humans, and we're even given a pretty stark example of an AI that defied standardized rules against harming humans. It's far more complex than the likes of I, Robot or Detroit: Become Human. I'm particularly fond of how well this series tackles these issues in its quieter moments, spending full episodes just exploring interactions between AIs and humans that throw preconceptions (both of the characters and the audience) out the window.

That being said, not everything in this series is exceptional. I think it has some very interesting fights, but those are largely relegated to the latter parts of the series. In an effort to keep a certain antagonist concealed throughout much of the series, many of the fights occur within a tornado and, while that certainly hypes them up substantially, I think it also limits appreciation for that character and for the interactions between that character and the various people who combat him. I also just don't think it's necessary - it's not how this particular character looks or behaves that makes his story interesting. Given that this is in the far-flung future and there's lots of high tech here, some elements of this series don't feel very grounded and it felt like there was a lot of jargon to explain it. And speaking of the fights, it just felt too often like characters were throwing their lives away for little to no good reason. Again, this gets better (and clearer) as the series goes on, but its early stages feel like they're just there to evoke strong feelings of attachment to the characters only to rip them away for poor reasons.

Finally, the ending. Again, maybe it's the length of the series limiting what it can do, but it felt a bit anticlimactic, like they were running through the end of a very longwinded and well thought out plan only for it to look kind of weak when push came to shove. I won't spoil it, and it still results in some amazing animation, but it made it more difficult to understand four different characters with regards to their behavior, motivations and limitations. For a series that really got into the heads of so many of its characters so well, it's kind of a bummer that this is how it played out.

Still, while I do have my problems with the ending and certain aspects of the journey (honestly, it's largely just the fights, and those are far from the most important elements of that journey), there is more than enough to gush over that I can't fault it too much. It's a delve into minds that feels all too real even while it's dressed up in sci-fi. It has a lot to say about our emotions and how much control we have over them, and the series does a masterful job of worldbuilding without too much exposition. 8.6/10.

Fate/strange Fake -Whispers of Dawn- (2023)

Saying I've been mixed on the Fate franchise is an understatement. Fate/stay night (2006) features as one of my least favorite anime of all time, while Fate/Zero is one of my top 5. I enjoyed UBW, and Heaven's Feel is coming at some point, but this one came across my radar and I had to move it up. The "strange" in the title is definitely appropriate, since this Holy Grail War is not like the others. At least one of the summons is instantly recognizable, but many of the rest are... well, they're not the usual sort. The same holds true for their masters, which are more diverse and odd than ever before.

So this series has surprises in store, even as it throws in a few familiar faces to keep things grounded. It also features some stellar animation in its fight scenes and backgrounds, really showcasing the budget A-1 Pictures brought to bear, even if it still feels a far cry from the many strengths of Ufotable's run with the series. It doesn't help that, during some of its quieter moments, this series makes some really odd and off-putting animation choices, and I just generally find it hard to get used to the way they've designed faces. Maybe that's just me.

Anyway, with a 55 minute runtime, this was always going to be limited in what it could produce. I think it's a bit manic to be honest - it feels like it's trying to cover so much ground that it lacks any kind of dive into these characters and who they are. We have seen almost all of the servants at this point, but with only three identified and few of their masters having any real examination, there's a lot of ground to cover. This series ends up feeling like it's full of possibilities with its large and diverse cast, but has barely started flexing its muscles yet. 7.5/10, intrigued and wowed by the animation, but little else so far.

@whiteflame55

I am reminded that Fate Strange Fake exists after reading this and after rejoining Crunchyroll can watch it there.
I'm kind of surprised you would not like the original 2006 anime, especially among older viewers that one was the most strongly appealing for me for its slower pace, strong character development, beautiful OST and better visuals than ufotable's overwrought cgi affects... but different strokes I guess. I liked Zero only slightly less because some of the violence went a little beyond necessary and got fetishistic (kids nailed to walls, c'mon man, and everything that happened to poor Karia was unnecessary) , Urobochi's attitudes about humanity in general on that point are something I strongly disagree with.. but the Kirei/Kiritsugu fight remains a personal favorite. I've been a little ambivalent about Strange Fake because of how it originated.... which is not what I consider a proper way for any story to come into existence, but that's the world we live in now so I will give it a try and hope it's better than UBW (which I utterly hated). Fate is a mixed bag, but I've had a much better time with it than any other franchise.

I appreciate the response. For me, I saw the 2006 series when I was much younger, so it's likely that I would have a more positive opinion of it if I watched today. That being said, I recall well enough that I didn't find the visuals captivating, the overall plot predictable, and I had some big problems with a couple of the characters. One of these days I'll go back for a rewatch and see if that view holds up. As for Fate/Zero, I stand by my opinions on that, which I actually detailed in a pair of reviews for the two seasons on here. The violence didn't really bother me, even if it was a bit excessive in places. The animation is one of the highlights for me, but the main highlight is the really strong Greek tragedy elements, which still stand out very clearly to me. Not sure it's so much agreement with what Urobochi's views of humanity are as just loving the way things played out. I've certainly got my issues with UBW - can't say I personally hated it, but... yeah, there are problems. Like I said in my review, Strange Fake looks like it has potential. It's starting off rather dark, even for a Fate entry, and it feels harder to nail down what's going on and why given what I know of the Fate series so far. We'll have to see where it goes!

Galaxy Angel 3 (2002) - this third season turned the silly up a notch for some really dumb fun. This franchise is a bit like a big bag of crisps to me, once I start I can't stop. I only just clocked that the franchise is produced by Madhouse so no wonder the visuals are good. Low 7/10 (7.1).

Jubei-chan 2: The Counterattack of Siberia Yagyu (2004) - this season sees another challenger appear for the title of Yagyu Jubei the Second, this time a blonde girl from Siberia. This show has a very distinctive genre mix; mainly comedy with some martial arts action, family ties and time travel. The comedy is really good and deliberately employs a range of animation styles (characters appearing like they're on a cardboard background on a stick, stickman design, fully cgi design for one weird side character that looks like a Mr Potato-head comprised of various shapes) with lots of silly songs where the characters narrate their actions in a sing song tone. The comedic group of Bantaro and Ryujoji are often breaking the fourth wall by discussing their screen time and relevance to the plot. This is contrasted with the touching relationship between Jubei and her father, who grew closer after the death of the mother. Then there's some decent action liberally spread throughout the season. Another Madhouse creation, the production quality was very good, nice clean look with soft backgrounds for the rural setting (loads of forest and mountain scenery). Matched with a OST that contained various sounds; ragtime/improv jazz, soft insert songs for emotional beats plus instrumental and bouncy pop sound.

From the premise of a lovely eyepatch bestowing the power of a long dead renowned warrior, the off the wall comedy, the touching relationship between a dad and his daughter, the above average production values and the martial arts action, this franchise is definitely memorable and I would class as a bit of less known gem. Solid 7/10 (7.7).

Attack on Titan: Final Season (2020) - the story continues with the Scout group infiltrating the country of Marley over the water. There they learn many new things about the state of the world outside the walls, including the Beast Titans plans for the people inside the walls. The narrative got a bit messy jumping back and forth over a four year period in a collection of flashbacks. Some good action but the aspect I enjoy most about this show is the number of standout characters. Best season of AoT since the first. I was constantly hitting next episode. Solid 8/10 (8.5).

Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel - II. Lost Butterfly (2019) - Reading @SuperAdventure and @whiteflame55's discussion on the newest Fate entry reminded me I still have the Heavens Feel trilogy to complete so thought it would be a good time to pick up the second movie. Although I've watched a fair few Fate entries, I don't really have much of an opinion on them and don't really hold strong feelings either way. The Fate franchise is the definition of an ok franchise to me, something that usually scores a 7/10. My favourite pick would probably be the Prisma Illya spinoff, despite it's lolicon tones, I like the mix of cgcdt banter and magical girls, plus a good dose of comedy. I did like the second season of Fate Zero quite a bit, although am in agreement with @SuperAdventure that the gratuitous violence was off putting, some torture of kids iirc. I want to get around to the Babylonia entries once I finish the Heavens Feel trilogy and Fate Apocrypha as I like the sound of battles and servants in a land of the gods.

This second film was pretty good, some amazing visuals for the action, the trademark of studio Ufotable. The fight between Berserk and Saber was awesome and the equal of the animated fights in Demon Slayer imho. The premise for Fate is good, but sometimes the stories can be a bit bland. This film adapts a version of the Fate Stay/Night VN (3rd route according to mal synopsis) where Sakura is the main heroine and love interest and I find her more interesting than Rin or Saber. She's a sweet girl with a tragic backstory that makes the audience want her to be saved by our protagonist, Shirou. There's even some sexual content in this film, which surprised me (despite knowing that there's sexual content in the VN) and Shirou is no pussy in the bedroom, got to give the lad some props. This film lays the groundwork for the third and final film and did a good job. Low 7/10 (7.3).