"Unknown to death",
"Nor known to life".
"Unlimited Blade Works"
If you have heard of this quote before then you already know what's going to happen in this path. I might as well spoil you guys the series in my review.
(I'm joking... I'm not going to include spoilers)
Story: (8/10)
The show is set in Fyuuki City where the 5th Holy Grail War is taking place. 7 masters are randomly picked and they summon a being called a "Servant". Servants are real life heroes from the past turned into a heroic spirit. They are summoned to serve their master. 7 masters and 7 servants fight against each other to claim the ownership of the Holy Grail which can grant any wish that the master and a servant want.
Fate/stay night is based on a visual novel video game where the player must decide how the story will go. Fate/stay night has 3 paths. The 1st path is Fate, the 2nd path is Unlimited Blade Works and the 3rd path is Heaven's feel. The show is now focused on the 2nd path, hence the title of the show.
By the time I am writing this review, I have only watched the first season. So far, most of the story told are already familiar to me because I watched FSN (2006) and UBW (Movie) but the story so far is definitely a lot better than FSN(2006). There is still some surprises in the show but most of them got spoiled because I watched the movie. I shouldn't have watched that movie. If you only watched FSN(2006) then you should already be familiar with the early parts of the season. If you have not watched any of the Fate/series then I recommend to not watch this series first because some of the important scenes that was shown in FSN(2006) will be skipped.
The story pacing is slow so it takes time to explain what's going on. However, some of the scenes were either rushed or skipped because the creators are assuming that you have already watched FSN(2006).
Art/Animation: (10/10)
The Animation is outstanding. I mean, just look at the roads, dirt, buildings and the environment. They looked almost real. I proceeded to watched the first episode again on my 55 inch 1080p TV just to see if it would look more better and it did, no surprise there. The character designs are also outstanding. Way better than the UBW's(Movie) character design. I'm just glad that ufotable did the animation. If deen were to animate the show like they did with Fate/stay night(2006) and Unlimited Blade Works (Movie) then it would look like an abomination that needs to be burnt down to the ground.
Sound: (9/10)
The soundtrack used are wonderful. Most of the battle themes I heard gave me a few goosebumps and it fitted well with the fighting scenes. The voice actors are ok but I would have preferred an English Dub. There is only 1 OP and ED soundtrack. Both of them are amazing and it's the second time I didn't skip the Opening ever since watching FSN(2006).
Characters: (9/10)
I see some people complaining that Unlimited Blade Works had a poor character development. While I do agree with that statement, let me tell you the reason why. This is the second path in the fate series. The creators assumed that you have already watched Fate/stay night (2006) so they don't need to focus and develop the characters all over again. The show is basically the same as the first series except this is the 2nd path in the fate series. Don't blame the creators that the show did not get a proper character development. It's basically your fault for watching the UBW series first before Fate/stay night (2006).
Now to review the characters. Shiroe, the main protagonist of the show, pissed the living hell out of me in Fate/stay night(2006) because of how stupid he is and how he takes on the servants just because "it's for the best". I literally wanted to punch him in the face every time he makes a stupid decision. In this show however, Shiroe is a lot smarter, not mentally challenged, still makes some few stupid decisions and a lot better compared to FSN(2006). Rin, the main character of the show and the show's main focus, is also a lot better than the 2006 version. They made her into a tsundere which is one of the personalities that I love. Basically, she's the same except they added in a tsundere. Saber, one of the main characters of the show and Shiroe's servant, is also a lot better here. I didn't like Saber in the 1st path because she became a "lovey dovey" for Shiroe which did not fit her character. I prefer her cold character with some nice personality. Saber is also a lot cuter here compared to the 2006 version.
Enjoyment: (10/10)
I thought this show would also suck ass because of how bad the 2006 version is but it actually isn't. The story is a lot better, the protagonist doesn't piss me off anymore, the fighting scenes are way better than Fate/Zero and the soundtrack is mostly the same as in F/Z which I loved. I definitely enjoyed this season.
Overall: (9.2/10)
Overall, one of the best action anime I have watched this year. I'll definitely watch the second season soon.
Pros:
-Great Story
-Ufotables' perfect animation
-Great Soundtrack
-Characters are a lot better compared to their 2006 version
-Enjoyable season
-Rin being a tsundere (Not a hardcore tsundere)
Cons:
-
