First Impression: Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works

FATE/STAY NIGHT: UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS: Can’t help but compare it to other Fate adaptations

            Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works is an anime series by Ufotable premiering October 2014. It tells the second route of the Fate/Stay Night story.

Side Note: Studio Deen has already animated the first route. It has also animated its version of Unlimited Blade Works, so it’s interesting to see how this version will turn out.

            From the get go, it is obvious that this series is under Ufotable. The quality of the animation is top-notch, living up to the studio’s commendable adaptation of Fate/Zero. The character designs, environmental backgrounds, and overall style also bind these two Fate adaptations together. It is obvious that Ufotable wants to separate its adaptations from Studio Deen’s.

            Another common thing between Unlimited Blade Works and Fate/Zero is the slow start. But it seems that the producers somehow learned something from Fate/Zero’s coarse exposition, so Unlimited Blade Works has controlled information-dumping.

            As for the story itself, Ufotable’s Unlimited Blade Works has almost identical plot points compared to Studio Deen’s Fate/Stay Night and Unlimited Blade Works, which is understandable, because they are based on the same source material. In effect, I’m not surprised in the development of events, because I know what’s going to happen next. The predictability could be good, bad, or both. But for those who have not seen Studio Deen’s adaptations, Ufotable’s Unlimited Blade Works Episode 0 could be a blasting start in terms of story. It has good pacing after the exposition. It has also imposed a lot of questions that could hook the newcomers.

            I am particularly eyeing on the characters. The pilot episode has introduced many during its exposition phase, and I’m interested if they are going to be fleshed out like what Ufotable did in Fate/Zero. Tohsaka Rin and Archer are also starting to show depth. Their personalities blend well, resulting to interesting interactions.

            Another thing that could be good, bad, or both, is the music. The soundtracks are reprised versions of Fate/Zero’s. This could be good because they are inherently pleasing to the ears. They convey the emotions well. They give the heroic feel that has given Fate/Zero its epic atmosphere. This could be bad because there could be tendencies where the soundtracks don’t fit the scene. They are originally for a different series after all. Maybe, just maybe, the imported music is Ufotable’s attempt to add continuity to their Fate adaptations.

            Overall, I think Ufotable’s Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works is off to a good start. It drastically improves the shortcomings of Studio Deen’s Fate adaptations, and it possesses the traits that has made Ufotable’s Fate/Zero to what it is now. Recommended especially to Fate fans, and those who are not are definitely welcome to join the ride.

            Related posts:

            Anime Review: Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya

            Anime Review: Fate/Stay Night

            Anime Review: Fate/Zero

            Character Analysis: Arturia Pendragon

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First Impression: Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya 2wei!

FATE/KALEID LINER PRISMA ILLYA 2WEI!: this one is off to a good start

Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya 2wei! is the second season of the mahou shoujo spin-off of the Fate franchise. It continues the adventures of Illya as a mahou shoujo.

What I really like about Prisma Illya as a whole is its interesting use of the Fate technicalities and characters. The anime weaves them into an entirely different universe that is suited for a mahou shoujo story. This new universe could even stand on its own, without relying on its affiliation with the Fate franchise.

Prisma Illya 2wei continues to live up to this trait. If the first season focuses more on reinventing Fate/Stay Night, 2wei has hints of utilizing Fate/Zero instead. I’m really excited on what is to come, because, so far, the execution is rather good.

The first episode of 2wei has balance in exposition and action. For the exposition part, I’m glad that the creators decided to portray the relations of Illya with Miyu and their friends. It gives the viewers a glimpse of the side characters. Even though they are apparently not that important, it is interesting to see environmental characters get weaved in to the overall plot.

For the action part, it delivers in practically every department. The sequences are animated extremely well, particularly the double transformation sequence of Illya and Miyu. The flashing lights and other magical elements add to the distinct flavour of Prisma Illya.

Another thing I like is the overall design of the anime. The cuteness of the structure and vividness of the colours are actually just the same as of the first season, but I still think that they’re worth mentioning because of their overall quality. The appeal is also very suitable for a mahou shoujo story.

Speaking of the story, I could feel something multilayered, unlike the straightforward structure of the first half of the first season. There are enough mysteries and revelations that could keep the viewers to the screen.

As for the characters, there are certain scenes that already show depth, further adding to the emotional investment from last season. It’s also nice that the environmental characters are having some screen time, making the setting a lot more solid.

Overall, Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya 2wei is off to a good start. The story is slowly being executed to the right direction. The characters seem to have depth. And the production value is also something to pleasure about. This is a recommended watch for those who have enjoyed the first season, and for the fans of the Fate franchise as a whole.

Related posts:

Anime Review: Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya

Anime Review: Fate/Stay Night

Anime Review: Fate/Zero

Character Analysis: Arturia Pendragon

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First Impression: Tokyo ESP

TOKYO ESP: Too much action, too little exposition

Tokyo ESP revolves around the idea of espers, humans possessing extrasensory perception resulting to the manifestation of supernatural abilities. The story jumpstarts to a group of espers hijacking the government office building and declaring themselves as the new leaders of the world, while several espers emerge and try to stop them.

I am actually surprised with everything that has happened in the first episode of Tokyo ESP. And no, that’s not a compliment. Firstly, the synopsis I’ve read in the introductions, Wikipedia, and elsewhere, is entirely different to that of the anime. Or, at least, the approach of the anime is completely different that the given synopsis is unrecognizable. Secondly, the approach makes it hard to make out the plot.

This is because of the technique in storytelling. Tokyo ESP doesn’t allot some time for exposition and immediately jumps to the action. This technique is effective in some stories, but I’m afraid it’s not in this case.

The lack of exposition makes the first episode of this anime a heap of action sequences that don’t really capture the audience. It doesn’t give the viewers enough reason to care if this or that happens. The same thing goes for the characters. The lack of proper introductions makes the viewers feel disconnected to the perspectives of Tokyo ESP, not to mention that the personalities and whatnots of these perspectives are uninteresting.

Some of the perspectives of Tokyo ESP

The animation and design is not top-notch, but I appreciate them. I can see the effort in achieving fluidity in animation and distinctiveness in design.

Overall, I think Tokyo ESP is trying too hard to capture the audience in the first episode. It’s feeding the viewers with too much action, a rather mindless hook to get them subscribe to the anime. The high number of perspectives and lack of an obvious main character fail to achieve an emotional connection.

Cluttered plot. Cluttered characterization. Okay production value. I’ll be skipping this one, but it’s recommended for those who are looking for a lot of action and grit.

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First Impression: Aldnoah.Zero

ALDNOAH.ZERO: Let justice be done, though the heavens fall

It’s the start of the new anime season (summer 2014), and I’m back to write my first impressions on titles that seem interesting. First off is Aldnoah.Zero, handled by Ei Aoki (Fate/Zero), Gen Urobuchi (Madoka Magica), and Hiroyuki Sawano (Attack on Titan).

A hypergate has been discovered on the surface of the moon, eventually leading to a portion of humanity to go and settle in Mars. Years pass by and the humans of Earth and Mars grow distant to each other to the point that they see the other as an alien species that needs to be eliminated.

This is one of the reasons why sci-fi has always been interesting for me. It has a way of giving us a perspective of our current / future endeavours as a civilization. Most sci-fi stories are themed to tackle grand-scale issues, instead of embarking upon personal problems. Aldnoah.Zero is no exception.

Considering the big names involved in the project, this anime has some top-of-the-line production value. The art design and animation, particularly in the space and action sequences, are visually appealing. The only thing I don’t particularly like in the design is the characters, for they somewhat look generic.

The music is also well-timed. It’s the kind that doesn’t rely on constant embedding in the scenes to make the sequences interesting. It knows when to settle and when to shine, and when it does, it delivers -- as expected of Hiroyuki Sawano who brought us the exhilarating tracks of Attack on Titan.

The first half of the episode is heavy on exposition. Even though this is the case, I would consider the quality to be above average. It gives us a glimpse of the history of an intricate universe, clues on interweaving plot lines, character depth, and it serves as a set-up to the explosive second half.

The second half is what really carries the episode to a different level. It is the peak of the exposition and serves as the trigger. It immediately introduces us to the major conflict of Aldnoah.Zero in a way that would make you crave for the next episode.

            What makes it so successful is the execution. The set-up has been effective to make the viewers care. The pace goes from moderate to a rollercoaster ride, creating a sense of immediateness for the characters to act. Add in the fluid animation, visually appealing design, and perfectly-timed music in the mix, and you clearly get a pilot episode that is sure to make viewers subscribe to your show, at least for a few more episodes. Highly recommended.

Addtional Note: Even if the quality in the next episodes would fluctuate, I would definitely see the whole of Aldnoah.Zero, just because the names involved in the anime are some of my favourite talents.

After all those explosions, this is actually an interesting way to end the episode

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First Impression: Knights of Sidonia

KNIGHTS OF SIDONIA: Arguably the most interesting sci-fi title this spring

The anime season of Spring 2014 has a lot of sci-fi titles, but those titles that captured my attention turned out disappointing -- well, that is until Knights of Sidonia aired a few days ago.

It has been a thousand years since an alien race known as the Gauna has destroyed the solar system, and humanity has managed to survive by drifting through space in seed ships like the Sidonia. The story follows Nagate Tanikaze, as he unwittingly becomes a pilot for the battle between humanity and the Gauna.

The first thing that really got me is the design. Knights of Sidonia has some solid backgrounds -- very detailed and colourful, that they come to the point of 3D CG. It is very consistent all throughout the episode, and it is not just limited to the battle scenes.

This consistency is either good or bad, depending on the viewer. It could be good because it beautifully portrays the world of Sidonia, making it more interesting and visually appealing, meaning that the creators also invested aesthetically in exposition sequences and not just in battle sequences. It could be bad because it greatly contradicts the character designs. The character designs remind me of Mamoru Hosoda’s style -- distinct but not very detailed. Inherently, it is not a bad design. But the fact that Knights of Sidonia has some solid backgrounds makes this simplistic style kind of awkward.

As for the story, this sci-fi anime also has something interesting to offer. The story is not yet fully expanded, but it is obvious that foreshadowing and exposition will play a role to pull it off. There are also some plot elements that add mystery.

But like the design, there is a problem in the story. The weak exposition makes the story direction somewhat confusing. Why is this character doing that? Why is this plot element important? There are just many sequences that seem to make no sense because of the lack of explanation.

The pilot episode's climax

To be fair, the lack of explanation could be a positive trait too. It has the potential to grab the viewers’ attention, as they hold on to the story to know more about it. It could subtly serve as a hook.

The characters of Knights of Sidonia are fairly interesting. The main character is just an ordinary person, and not some version of The Chosen One or Messiah. The character frameworks of the side characters are also interesting. We have a Captain that has hints of antagonism, a new friend that belongs to the new third gender, a jealous and ambitious co-pilot, an anthropomorphic talking bear, among many others.

The problem I have with the characterization is their overwhelming introduction. The pilot episode bombards the viewers with character introductions, that it comes to the point that, sometimes, you can’t connect with the characters any longer. Another problem is its limited potential for character development. The characters have little to no conflict inside them that could open them to development, or maybe we would see some internal conflicts in the later episodes.

Overall, I think Knights of Sidonia will be an interesting watch. Each department has its positives and negatives, but if the anime is viewed generally, it emits a positive impression, positive enough to give it a watch.

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First Impression: Fairy Tail 2014

FAIRY TAIL 2014: Small changes make big differences -- for the better

I stated in my anime review of Fairy Tail the reasons why I think Fairy Tail falls behind other big Shounen anime titles. Since Fairy Tail is back in the anime scene this Spring 2014, I checked it out so I could decide whether I should continue to subscribe or just drop the anime completely.

Fairy Tail 2014 opens up in medias res style, to capture the interest of the audience. I think the style is pulled off perfectly, unlike Magi: The Kingdom of Magic’s attempt in its pilot episode back in Fall 2013. Fairy Tail’s attempt is successful because it doesn’t reveal too much. Magi: The Kingdom of Magic’s take has some major spoilers that somehow ruins the magic of the in medias res style.

Another thing I like is the subtle change in the art style, particularly in the character designs of the female characters like Lucy, Erza, Wendy, and Mirajane. The designs have a more mature tone compared to last season’s.

Lucy, Erza, and Wendy

There is also a subtle change in atmosphere. It doesn’t appear too cheesy and Shounen-ish compared to the last season. We all know that practically everyone hated the last season’s uninspiring declarations of friendship and whatnots, but I’m glad that Fairy Tail 2014 is giving me the impression that these plot elements wouldn’t be shown as blatantly.

But the atmosphere didn’t completely change. It still has a Shounen feel to it, but it is not as prevalent as that of the previous season. The usual light-hearted encounters and jokes are there. It’s good that the creators retained those. We don’t want Fairy Tail to turn into something very serious. It’s still Shounen after all.

But I have a little problem with the comedy. Like last season, the comedy is sometimes out of place. Even in the explanation of very important plot points, very serious plot points, the comedy is still excessively used, giving an impression that may be too childish for some viewers.

The good part is, these explanations of plot points really expand the story. The plot becomes thicker, as more and more mysteries are formed, and more and more revelations appear. Fairy Tail is starting to have a solid story, which I fail to see in the last season.

Overall, I think Fairy Tail 2014 is off to a good start. The in medias res style is used effectively. The subtle little changes in every department, no matter how little they may be, have transformed Fairy Tail 2014 into something almost entirely different from the original Fairy Tail series. If this keeps up, I might subscribe to Fairy Tail again and review the series in the blog.

Related posts: Anime Review: Fairy Tail

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