Common Name: Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works
Alternative Names: Fate/UBW
Score: 8/10, 5/5
Length: 1 Prequel OVA, 1 Season of 12 Episodes, 1 Season of 13 Episodes, 1 Alternate Ending OVA
Genre: Action, Drama, Magic, Supernatural, Super Powers, Pseudohistory, Romance
Summary: Years after the events of the fourth Holy Grail War, the time has come for the next generation of mages to do battle with their fellow mages and the champions they summon. This year, Tousaka Rin has earned her right to participate even though she possesses no wish to offer the Grail that will grant any wish. Alongside her, the young Emiya Shirou, adoptive son of Emiya Kiritsugu, has been thrust into the war even though he possesses little magical ability, no formal training, and no knowledge of the Grail War. In spite of the danger this magical war poses to him, though, he is determined to see this through and become the hero of justice his father wished to be. To do that, Shirou must first survive the threats posed by both Rin and all the other Master and Servant pairs participating in this deadly game.
Review: Alight, I'm just going to come out and say it: I am not a fan of the Fate franchise. I didn't care for it as a visual novel. I was only vaguely interested when the anime saw release. I did like what the prequel series, Fate/Zero, had to bring to the table. When it comes to Fate/ stay night, all its different timelines, and everything that came after, though, I cannot be bothered to care. As a franchise, I've always felt like the series tried to be too edgy, too grimdark to be worth taking seriously. It also didn't help that the anime was forced to work around the sex scenes that were put in the original game just so it might sell better. Quite frankly, the only reason I can't get all that into the series is because I'm convinced that the show's desire to emulate the original games is detrimental to the show itself. It's cool and pretty to look at, sure, but everything is pretty surface layer fun or drama when it comes to the original series.
And then there's the issue regarding the romances. Let's just say I'm not on Team Rin.
As a concept, I think Fate is pretty interesting and actually a bit educational. Over the course of the show, you get to meet and identify a number of different heroes ripped from antiquity while they do battle for their summoner Masters without necessarily needing to be totally loyal to those masters. When played right, the show is a mix of action, political intrigue, and also a bit of a historical documentary. No matter how cool the action gets, how deep down the rabbit hole the intrigue goes, or how informative the show is, though, all of it kinda gets ruined by the functional nature of the series. At the end of the day, Fate is and always will be a shounen action drama that is so far up its own ass that it's kinda hard not to be generally disturbed by the series. Try though I might, I've never been able to make heads or tails of why the action ever swings the way it does other than the plot contriving it to do so. Similarly, I've never held much stock in the drama of the show because it just tries way too hard to be dark and edgy, particularly when the show eventually turns its gaze on how much Sakura's life sucks. Merely mentioning a few scenes, in particular, is enough to send shivers down my spine, but none of that edge actually ever amounts to anything. It doesn't make me more invested in the characters. It doesn't make me feel angry or sorry for anything that happens. It just gives me a reason to dislike the show all the more.
And then there are the issues with historical accuracy.
To say the Fate franchise takes liberties with historical/fictional figures would be a pretty egregious understatement. To claim Arthoria is actually King Arthur is like claiming that Alice to Zouroku has anything to do with the original Alice in Wonderland. For all intents and purposes, the series is built on the back of history, sprinkling name drops here and there that offer just enough of an excuse to justify the existence of the show's action stars. Here's the thing, though, as much as the show might call on old characters who are cool in their old right, the show was never about them. You aren't meant to care about the story of King Arthur so much as you're supposed to care about the character that is Saber Arthoria which is loosely based on that old story.
Or, at least, that's what it was originally supposed to be anyway.
In spite of all this hate I'm spewing at the franchise as a whole, though, I'll also admit that I'd recommend the franchise as a whole without a moment's pause. Is it a show for everyone? Most certainly not. Yet I can't say the show isn't without its charms. The action and character designs are drop dead gorgeous. The art and animation are captivating beyond all reason. More than that though, while I might have issues getting into the show itself, I love the characters I know to pieces. Stupid though it might be in both concept and execution, Shirou's hero's journey is fascinating to watch, particularly when you're made aware of what he will eventually become. Similarly, Rin's rise to power and mastery over her powers while carrying on the Tousaka name her father left behind is similarly engaging. Each and every character, except one or two who are the "So, do you hate him yet?" kind of character, has something along those lines that makes them into something you can root for and engage with. If you try to look any deeper than that surface layer of fun and amusement though, it all just kinda crumbles away.
So long as you can turn off your brain, it's a real blast to watch as a mere spectacle.
Put simply, when looked at from a critical perspective, I've almost always found the original Fate stories to be relatively cheap. Exploitative is probably the best way to describe the main issue with these stories. The girls are as strong as they are cute but it's hard to look past the fact that each arc hinges on which waifu Shirou (ie. the player) chose this time around. In the original Fate/stay night series, it was Saber Artoria, the stern but loving character. In UBW it's Tousaka Rin, the tsundere. In Heaven's Feel, it'll be Sakura's turn. So, in the end, the romance of the series has always felt a bit forced and campy for me, but that's strictly because the romance element itself has always a bit suspect. Yet, the exploitation doesn't end there. While I've already said my peace regarding the historical inaccuracies that surround the nature of the Servants, it is no less accurate to say their use in the show is similarly exploitative. Both in form and function, they are meant to serve as spectacle to be observed and ogled. As attached as we might get to one or two, they are only there to propel the action portion of the show without much rhyme or reason other than, "because the plot/our Masters say so." As someone who really liked Fate/Zero, this kind of yes man approach to the Servants always felt weak for me since the Servants actively plotted and schemed against their Masters in that iteration.
To be fair, the Fate/stay night stories were always meant to be more focused on
Shirou and Rin's story than it was the Servants' personal struggles.
I suppose that's just the nature of the beast though. The Stay Night stories will always be bound by their originally weaker stories. Fate/Zero will likely always stand as my favorite on the simple fact that it was just a better story that had far more time and experience put into its creation. As far as those weaker stories go, however, I will say UBW has been my favorite thus far. It was fun, action-packed, and told an, at least semi-competent, love story thanks to the epilogue between Shirou and Rin. Is it perfect? God no. Is it something I'd recommend? Yes. Dear god, yes. Even if it's only for the sheer spectacle of the thing, I can and always will recommend this series. In doing so, however, I also reserve the right to call the franchise as a whole utter dog shit because, let's be honest, this series is just stupid beyond all belief.