Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works is a Japanese anime series which aired from October 4, 2014 to June 27, 2015. By the time it concluded it had 27 episodes which included an episode 0, then 25 normal episodes, and then a special at the end titled Sunny Days which was a what-if alternate scinario for the ending. This show was adapted from the second route, Unlimited Blade Works, from the 2004 visual novel Fate/stay night, and was a sequel to Fate/Zero, taking place ten years after that story.
Plot
The Holy Grail War is a battle royale among seven magi who serve as Masters. Masters, through the use of the command seals they are given when they enter the war, command Heroic Spirits known as Servants to fight for them in battle. In the Fifth Holy Grail War, Rin Toosaka is among the magi entering the competition. With her Servant, Archer, she hopes to obtain the ultimate prize—the Holy Grail, a magical artifact capable of granting its wielder any wish. One of Rin's classmates, Emiya Shirou, accidentally enters the competition and ends up commanding a Servant of his own known as Saber. As they find themselves facing mutual enemies, Rin and Shirou decide to form a temporary alliance as they challenge their opponents in the Holy Grail War.
Why It Rocks
- Incredible animation, even better than it's predacessor, Fate/Zero.
- Incredibly appealing art style and character designs.
- Impressive lighting effect implimented which made the series seem more cinematic.
- Great voice acting in both sub and dub.
- Amazing fight scenes where the Servants use their unique abilities not only strategically but also bombastically.
- This is one of the few anime that has aspects for everyone. It can please action fans, fantasy fans, shonen-battle fans, fans of incredble visuals, and even romance fans, the one of those aspects that it's prequel, Fate/Zero didn't have.
- Interesting and engaging clashes of ideology, specifically between Shirou Emiya and Archer.
Bad Qualities
- The mid-season finale, episode twelve, ends on a cliffhanger, and there wasn't a follow up for two more anime seasons; thankfully, this cliffhanger wasn't nearly as bad as the one during the mid-season finale of Fate/Zero.
- This series lacks much of the ideololgical conflicts which made Fate/Zero so popular, with the lone exception of the ideology of Archer being explored.
Reception
Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works recieved incredibly positive reception during the entirety of it's airing, and even years afterwards.