With this review I want to verbalize my thoughts about Fate Apocrypha and to explain why this series left me unsatisified (as a common Fate-Enthusiast) and with a strange feeling.
Plot
The premise of the plot couldn't have been more promising, a holy grail war with the double of it's normal participants. You have two different fractions, one of it consisting out of magicians that fight for the clocktower and the Magic Association and the other one is the Magician family which controls Romania in this regard, the Yggdmillennia. This setting got me personal and emotional invested very fast and was more than sufficient to get engaged in the story. Then it follows the usual Fate procedure, the master summon their servants and the holy grail war is about to get started. My interest in the plot and its development lasted until the first battles were fought. Unfortunately, the subsequently intiated plotwist and diversions reduced my interest continously.
Spoiler, click to view
(The break happened when Darnic forced Vlad III to use his noble phantasm and his followed fusion with him and the transformation in a Vampire. The subsequent changes in the constellation of the groups (first all against Darnic, and then the remaining masters versus Shirou and his servants as well as his proclaiming goal and the intend of the other fraction to prevent it, made me lose the interest in the plot, and the created difference in the views, ideologies and their different ambitions of the now created groups were not able to captivate me).
Since the actual plot didn't interested me any longer, I logically didn't care about the further development and the ending which was presented to me plotwise and in the context of the narrative being told. What kept me watching the series were the remaining characters, the soundtrack, the show's talent to create touching moments and gripping scenes (excluding from the plot), and my own expectation, respectively attitude and aversion against breaking off and pause an anime.
Fights
What this show got very well and were the many fight scenes which are typical for a production of the Fate Franchise. It contained a lot of individual abilities, weapons and fighting styles. Also, the fights were usually good inscenated, with an interesting course and an epic ending.
Music
The music was most of the time on point and fitting to the individual scene. I wasn't convinced (neither acoustically nor optical) by the first opening, in my opinion the second one was a considerable improvent especially regarding the first aspect and the opening sequence of it with the cards levitating across the screen and the different classes inprinted on them, in combination with the the start of the music in this moment is terrific and a joy to watch for every Fate fan.
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▶Characters
Now I'll talk about the characters, and to say it at the start, there are just to many of them concerning it is an anime with 25 episodes. Since we have twice the amount of servants in contrast to a regular grail war.
Spoiler, click to view
(Even if there are only 2 instead of 7 Masters on the side of the red fraction, there are still too many characters taking part in this holy grail war.) Out of this reason we barely get to know most of these characters, which is one of the key strength of Fate and one of the factors that make it interesting in the first place. Seeing the heroic spirits, get to know their background, history, character, values and personal wishes and the relationship and dynamic with their master is a main element in Fate and one of the main factors why I am still interested in his universe and stayed with it when I first encountered it.
To my regret this anime neglects this important point, and made it less enjoyable in the process. Now I'll follow with a personal ranking of the servants and masters and my impression and assess of them
Without Rating
Pentel Brothers, Rottweil Berzinsky, Feend vor Sembren, Jean Rum.
Spoiler, click to view
(Basically all the masters of the red fraction who are insignificant for the story and are exclude from the start and I was highly looking forward to get to know)
Very Bad
Roche Frain Yggdmillennia
Spoiler, click to view
(The master of Avicebron, Small screentime, Boring and uninteresting. No personality or character aside from the fact that he's amazed by golems and ironically is sacrificed for the complementation of the Big Golem. Forgettable.)
Bad
Berserker of Red/Spartacus
Spoiler, click to view
(I had high expectations of him and anticipated his actions with much interest. Hence I was enormously disappointed by his small role in the story, the little fractures about his history which is shown, his main and only function as a catalysator for the story, and then just to end as an instrument for the black fraction. Boring and disappointing. Reika Rikudo
Spoiler, click to view
(Master of the Black Assassin, served as the mother figure of Jack the Ripper, beyond that she has zero character and and nothing is told about her story either, therefore she was also uninteresting).
Celenike Icecolle Yggdmillennia
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(Got more screentime than the previous one, her sadistic behaviour disgusted me and I was glad when her role in the show ended. Other than that, we learn almost nothing about her.)Assassin of Black/Jack the Ripper
Spoiler, click to view
(I just didn't find her interesting, at least she was quipped with more or less background story, good dynamic with her master, I probably would have liked it more if Jack would've been teamed up with a devious, intrigant master on one side or the other, it would have made her more interesting to me for sure).Assassin of Red/Semiramis
Spoiler, click to view
(An incredibly interesting Noble Phantasm, unfortunately no background story is provided, has a good dynamic with her master, she is his most loyal servant, however she was just not sympathetic to me concerning her character and her behaviour.)Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia
Spoiler, click to view
(For the first half of the anime, the main figure on the side of the black fraction, then dead and unimportant from one second to another, his relationship with his servant was interesting to watch, However, he did not leave a lasting impression with his sudden disappearance and loss of importance, which felt very anticlimactic.)Indifferent
Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia
Spoiler, click to view
(Considerable character development, but apart from that mostly irrelevant and uninteresting.)Caules Forvedge Yggdmillennia
Spoiler, click to view
(Interesting relation with Berserker of Black, and I hate to state it, but that's almost all concerning his character. In addition to that there's just more the relationship to his older sister Fiore. Aside from that he's of lower importance and his character remains mostly untreated.)Berserker of Black/Frankenstein
Spoiler, click to view
(Small background story, her main aspect is the relationship to her master, She has also an interesting and appealing optical appearance.)Rider of Red/Achilles
Spoiler, click to view
(A cool design, his relationship to the Archer of Black was one of the most interesting aspects in the show, Unfortunately, his character is only briefly tackled, which is also due to the low screen time, which get's more near the end. Not fleshed out enough.)Shirou Kotomine
Spoiler, click to view
(I'm twisted on that one. On the one hand, a character that sparked a lot of interest in me, especially at the beginning of the anime, also because he's a representative of the church, I'm in this regard affected by the great appearances of Kotomine Kirei in the Fate Series, including their impressive, and cool looking fighting style with their holy swords. On the other hand as I have already explained, I disliked his development in the second half and didn't find any interest in his pronounced goals).Caster of Red/William Shakespeare
Spoiler, click to view
(Overall a very interesting character, though little background story and screentime, His actions in the anime, were in line with his temperament and characteristics (To regard the events from far away and to document them) which was cool on the one hand but sobering on the other, since in conclusion he rarely appeared in the storyline).Lancer of Red/Karna
Spoiler, click to view
(Interesting and cool fighting abilities, almost no backstory, which was very unfortunate, As his most remarkable traits, I classified his pride as a hero spirit and as a servant, his fighting spirit, and his conception of honor)Sieg
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(The main character, Interesting and original initial situation (at the beginning he was a bland character due to his new identity and life) and a following remarkable character development (from learning and experience what it means to life and be a human, to appreciate and defend humankind itself. Which was obviously rushed in the span of only 25 episodes).Good
Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia
Spoiler, click to view
(great dynamic with her servant, likeable character, understandable and relatable wish, but in the end disappeared in insignificance.)Rider of Black/Astolfo
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(Popular figure of the series. His life-affirming and happy attitude is his core trait and was a good addition and change for the anime. Also a very likeable character! And he rides a griffin :O He's only missing a shown background story in the story.)Saber of Red/Mordred
Spoiler, click to view
(I went through an interesting and changing process during the anime, in my valuation of her character. At first I felt antipathy against her, because of her arrogance, her disrespectful behaviour and her spoiling nature. Later on in the story, I gained more and more respect for her, because of her decisions (reflecting her life, killing Rider's Master, joining with the right side etc.) And her relationship to Kairi was among the best entertaining factors in the anime.)Archer of Red/Atalante
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(A character that is positively provided, in contrast to the majority with a large background story. This fact made her change in character and nature believable and her more relatable. But honestly speaking, that's her sole characteristic in the anime, though she suffers like many others under the small screentime she's given.)Saber of Black/Siegfried
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(This character had a huge impact on me, although he had little screentime and was barely in the anime, but his sacrifice scene in episode 4, in combination with his background story, his central characteristic and his wish was so good, that it levels out those first aspects for me completely. To top it off, he has a great optical design.)Ruler/Jeanne d'Arc
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(The portrayal of the holy maiden was good in my view, I was impressed by her fearless and unwavering spirit. A large background story is presented (in relation to other characters), but the romance which was written in the second part of the story felt forced, unauthentic and artificial.)Very Good
Caster of Black/Avicebron
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(Loved his optical design, his wish was understandable with his provided backstory, I was also fascinated and likes his ability to create golems (Sacrificing his master isn't part of this, lol ^^). A variable I also liked about him was his voice, with it's distinctive mechanical sound (Maybe the Vader Effect responsible for this preference :D).Archer of Black/Chiron
Spoiler, click to view
(One of my three favorite servants in the show, fantastic background story, good and interesting relationship with his master, he as the incarnation of a teacher, badass and epic death scene, and an all around friendly and polite figure.)Lancer of Black/Vlad III.
Spoiler, click to view
(My most favorite servant in this holy grail war, a stunning desing, incredibly cool skills, his wish (to negate and let the common legend about him vanish) was understandable in the context of this background story, as a proud monarch. That his noble phantasm manifested and contained this legend was surprising and added depth to his dislike of it. The most complete and fleshed out servant in this Fate Series in my view.)Shishigou Kairi
Spoiler, click to view
(Extraordinary good optical appearance, an interesting backstory, not enough screentime! An enjoyable and fantastic dynamic with Mordred, cool and laid-back character traits and interesting fighting abilities/style. (Also his magic orientation as a Necromancer). I would love to watch an anime that surrounds about him as the main character.)#Summarized, in my opinion the show reached Fate Level in regard of the music, epic scenes, and the fights, partially in terms of the character and missed it by far (in my view) in context of the given plot.
