(Minor spoilers present, but there's honestly not much to spoil if you know anything about it)
When I first laid eyes on the extended teaser for this Fate/strange Fake adaptation, I could not suppress my absolute glee seeing Gilgamesh and Enkidu clash with Hiroyuki Sawano blasting in the background, slowly building to an epic crescendo that left me starved for more. Just under 10 months later, I find myself once again grinning like an absolute idiot at the exact same stand-off. And I've only watched one episode of the FGO Babylonia spin-off anime— I barely even know who Enkidu is.
Once again, however, I'm left craving more, but I'm also even more excited. Gilgamesh is back in business, Jack the Ripper isn't a loli this time (I think??) thank god, there's a young master who might be in over his head, one of the other masters is clinically insane, doggo, the police are a magic-wielding militia: what's not to love about this mess? Fate magic systems and lore are as barely-sensical as ever and I have no idea what's going on, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
As a prequel, this special strikes an excellent balance of raw excitement and captivating mystery. It effectively weaves together the backdrop of this impending Holy Grail War by introducing and providing insight into many new characters' motivations and goals, all the while keeping the giddy Fate fan in me eagerly anticipating what's to come. Sure, there are some questionable moments in the animation quality that made me laugh out loud, but the ufotable-esque climax certainly compensates in terms of sheer marvel. A-1 seems like they have put in some serious work here, and if they can maintain or even improve this trajectory during the TV show season proper, we'll likely have something excellent on our hands.
Do you need to watch the other Fate material before this? Probably yes for some additional context, as there are a lot of references and Easter eggs, as well as some basic concepts and rules about the Fate's traditional Holy Grail War that aren't explicitly explained. But even if you just know the basics— pairs of masters and servants play battle royale for the all-powerful wish-granting Holy Grail— it's almost certainly enough to enjoy this special and the upcoming full season.
This! This is the Fate I've been longing to see again. Miss me with the big flashy number simulator ads, this is real fucking Holy Grail War right here. None of that pansy ass dick tugging fighting for humanity bullshit. Fate is back baby.
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