I'll preface this short review with a quick statement about myself - I'm writing this review as a novice fan of Type-Moon lore. I have yet to reach a level of knowledge that could even be faintly construed as being an expert, and as a result I welcome any corrections to lore mistakes I may be making!
When I first heard that Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files would be receiving an anime adaptation, I was overjoyed. I have read a portion of Case Files before, and I am aware that Makoto Sanda is the go-to man for Kinoko Nasu with regards to fixing any inconsistencies in the deep lore of the Fate universe, specifically those with regards to the Clock Tower and the Mage’s Association.
Permit me a metaphor, if you will. Many people would love a series or movie dedicated to exploring the underworld of the Continental and other institutions in the universe of John Wick. Case Files effectively is that series, except for the convoluted world of one of Fate’s three primary magical institutions. We got a teaser of the Clock Tower's proceedings at the end of Unlimited Blade Works, Zero hinted at this by introducing the idea of Freelancers and Sealing Designations; the latter of which also appear in Kara no Kyoukai, and Hollow Ataraxia’s Bazett Fraga McRemitz is an Enforcer of the Clock Tower. However, these little pieces of information leave more questions than answers, and rarely addressed the mechanism of how the Clock Tower operates.
Herein, to me, lies the real beauty of Case Files. Beyond a detective story, it introduces us to many aspects of the Clock Tower that highlight just how chaotic and conflict-riddled an organization it truly is. Case Files also makes multiple references to other spinoffs of the main Fate world; some will have noticed some familiar faces when the show outlines the concept of the twelve Lords, such as Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg from strange/fake, Tsukihime and Heaven’s Feel. Others will recognize characters such as Kairi Shishigou, Luviagelita Edelfelt and Olga-Marie Animusphere.
Apologies for the verbiage. Let us begin with the actual review.
Story
This adaptation of El-Melloi II’s Case Files is split into two halves; Episodes 1 through 6 focus on a series of anime-original content (collectively, the Grace Notes). The second half, starting from Episode 7, adapts the Rail Zeppelin arc from the novels.
The Grace Notes arc (teamed with the initial episode 0, "A Grave Keeper, a Cat, and a Mage ~There is no such thing as "truth".~", do a respectable job of introducing us to the main characters of the show. It is a fair point to make that this may not be the case for someone who hasn’t watched Fate/zero, and thus this marks it down a little. The anime-original content also does an excellent job of introducing the conflicts in the Clock Tower and the various tensions between departments, such as Waver/Lord El -Melloi II’s own Faculty of Modern Magecraft Theories and the 13th (technically separate) Faculty of Law, or Policies. Other reviews have pointed out that Case Files does not follow the conventions of a detective novel. I personally don’t think that one should approach Case Files as a conventional detective story precisely because it follows so many esoteric rules of magic; rather, one should treat it as an atmospheric exploration of the weirder aspects of magic in the Fate world, with a relatively simplistic detective element thrown into it. However, even with that being said, it is a genuinely valid criticism to be making of the show; from a detective fiction standpoint Case Files is barely a third-rate piece of fiction, given how many puzzle pieces either require so much background knowledge that the show no longer counts as a standalone piece of fiction, or are just straight-up non-decipherable until Waver spells out the magical construct behind it. Basically, it’s magic, not logic.
The Rail Zeppelin arc also explores the concept of Mystic Eyes, especially their ranking. And we all know tier lists are exceptionally important. Once again, there are little tidbits of information that will tickle the fancies of those familiar with Type-Moon lore, such as the appearance of the Child of Ainnash, or the reveal of the class of the main antagonist’s Servant.
However, at this point, I must unfortunately report that the Rail Zeppelin half of the Case Files adaptation showcases the greatest weaknesses of the show so far. While clues are dropped throughout the episodes for the reveal of the main antagonist of this arc as well as the rationale behind their unmasking, very little actual evidence onboard the train points to the main antagonist being who they are. Their relationship with Waver is also sadly under-explored in the show; something which I suspect the novels go more in-depth about, though I cannot comment on the matter having not reached the segment in question.
As a general rule, the Case Files anime's story (especially the Rail Zeppelin arc) suffers from contraction - it's clear some details are missing for expedience, but as a result it is not a friendly story to outsiders from the Type-Moon universe - many of the nuances are easy to miss. As an approachable story then, sadly this adaptation is not successful.
Art and Music
Perhaps the single greatest strength of this anime adaptation is the presentation. Having been to London multiple times, Troyca’s depiction of London is not short of a masterpiece. It complements the story perfectly, and the buildings are replicated in painstaking detail, emphasizing the grandiosity and pomp of London as a city and the Clock Tower as an institution.
Yuki Kajiura has handled the music for this adaptation, and it is beyond perfect. Kajiura’s work often has a single instrumental element that recurs in the more dramatic tracks within the soundtrack of a specific show – for Fate/zero, it was a violin-led orchestral element, and for Kara no Kyoukai it was the choir backing vocals. Case Files’ soundtrack (now that it is out as of September 5th)’s main element is the flute, teamed with the violin; this is most apparent in the opening theme ”starting the case: Rail Zeppelin”. However, some old Kajiura classics seem to always show up – ”deep in old grief” is practically lifted straight from the Fate/zero studio session, and ”waving goodbye” has the soft chimes and choir straight from Kara no Kyoukai.
Characters
Waver Velvet is a man on the outside, and a young boy on the inside. Not your average mage, trying to reach the Root like everyone else. He has unfinished business from ten years ago. From time to time, the young Waver that was bullied and tossed around by Iskandar surfaces. Perhaps you can’t teach a young dog new tricks either. He is a man tortured by his past mistakes, and constantly motivates himself out of a desire to finish what he started. Yet he is also undeniably older; and thus far more rational, careful, and calculating. Until he isn’t. At which point he either blushes or goes a little chuuni. He owes his current position to a certain smug Inorin-I mean, blonde young magus.
Reines El-Melloi Archisorte is a heady contender for the crown of smug. Endlessly confident, devious to a fault, curious and creative as well as sadistic, Reines is a perfect overlord for Waver (the man himself does not share this opinion). Cruel all the time, but genuinely compassionate and helpful when she needs to be. It’s not good assistance without some smug comment thrown in on the side. Inori Minase was truly the perfect CV to choose for someone like Reines. Also comes with Kayneth’s Mystic Code Volumen Hydragyrum, which has been changed into a Mercury Maid, Trimmau. I want a Mercury Maid.
Gray is our requisite Saberface. It isn’t a Fate spinoff without a Saberface. Perhaps this is why Strange/fake has yet to receive one. She has a complicated backstory herself which I will not go into as it is a rather major spoiler (though it has since been hinted at and partially revealed within the show). She’s a perfect sidekick to Waver, dedicated to taking care of him. She finds reassurance in that he tolerates her and does not expect anything unreasonable from her, as well as having a certain degree of respect for her, addressing Gray as ‘Lady’. Also has Add, a talking cube/scythe/hammer voiced by Daisuke Ono. No JoJo memes here. In Add’s final form, The Lance that Shines to the Ends of the World, Kawasumi Ayako also makes a guest voice appearance, courtesy of a changed role for her in Fate/prototype. Fate spinoffs are only made when Saber or her voice can be stuffed in.
Aside from the main three, several characters very familiar to those with Fate experience appear. Kairi Shishigou, Caules Forvedge and Rocco Belfaban of Fate/Apocrypha (though it is important to remember that Apocrypha takes place in an alternate world line, and thus these characters do not have any memories of that event), Luviagelita Edelfelt of Hollow Ataraxia and UBW fame, and Flat Escardos of later Strange/fake repute, just to name a few. Some original characters also appear, such as Yvette Lehrman and Hishiri Adashino. Overall, these characters do spar with each other rather well, although Yvette’s attempts at being a consort are about as endearing and successful as Waver finds them.
Conclusion
Alright. I’ve dragged on for long enough. I should probably dedicate this much effort to work instead, but that’s nowhere near as fun. Time to wrap it up.
In summary, Case Files is indeed a rather mediocre detective story. The latter half of the show, the actual adaptation, also unfortunately severely lacks in depth of lore as well as exploration into the world of Case Files on the level of the previous anime-only episodes. But what it makes up for instead is an almost unparalleled insight into how the Clock Tower’s various rivalries and tensions work, an overview of several magical concepts and theories in the Fate universe, even more lore to give Type-Moon fans a headache, top-class animation and music, and enjoyable characters that riposte off each other with a quaint charm.
Did I use the word quaint? I did, didn’t I?
Isn’t that the perfect word to describe the world of Case Files, then?
