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Synopsis:
Fuyuki City—a city surrounded by the sea and mountains becomes the setting for an ancient ritual. Seven masters are given control of heroic spirits in order to realize the mythical Holy Grail, which is said to grant its owner any wish. These heroic spirits or servants represent legendary heroes of various classes: “Saber,” “Lancer,” “Archer,” “Rider,” “Caster,” “Assassin,” and “Berserker.” Each master will enter into a contract with their chosen servant and battle the others to the death until only one pair remains…This is the “Holy Grail War.”
The young and capable mage, Rin Tohsaka, prepares for her long-awaited Fifth Holy Grail War to begin… With her servant Archer, Rin enters the Holy Grail War as the sole heir to the prestigious Tohsaka family after her father’s death. But when Shirou Emiya, a boy from Rin’s school, unwittingly becomes a Master and is fatally wounded in battle, she has no choice but to save him. With Shirou and his servant Saber, Rin sets out to strike down the conspiracies surrounding the Holy Grail War. Will the Holy Grail bless Rin and Shirou’s path toward victory or will they be cursed with defeat?

Review:
I have always been a Fate Stay Night fan. Fate is a title that evolves. From the first series, where the details were not thoroughly explained. To the Unlimited Blade Works movie which was on the Tai Bo regimen, rolling double time and skipping scene to scene. To Fate / Zero which was the prequel of the original series, but had a lot of dialogue that made certain parts of the show boring. With this version of Fate, we are exposed to what I felt was the best of both worlds. The action, although at times predictable due to having already watched the movie, still felt exhilarating. The dialogues were effective and efficient. It keeps the viewers attached.

Archer (not Gilgamesh) has always been an enigma. He has abilities that do not resemble the archer class. The fact that his weapons of choice and fighting style are twin blades and close combat, rather than a bow and arrow speaks volumes. Unlimited Blade Works is an arc in the original Fate visual novel. In the arc, Emiya Shirou and Archer butt heads constantly. It is as if Archer has some kind of grudge against Emiya. Throughout the show, we do find out why Archer behaves the way he does, and who he was/is as a heroic figure.

If you have seen Fate Stay Night before, this rendition does not stray much from the original story. There is new dialogue, new scenes, and the protagonist is Rin Tohsaka, but generally it flows like the original series. Which is why when comparing both Fate Stay Night and Unlimited Blade Works, I actually prefer Unlimited. I know this should not be the case, but it felt like ufotable learned from the past and applied the ingredients accordingly to make this a successful, more refined show.

In case you are new to Fate, the story revolves around masters (mages), summoned heroic spirits and the Holy Grail war that is said to grant the wish of the victors. Of course, things are never this simple. Gilgamesh, a summoned servant from the previous Holy Grail war latched onto the world and continued to plot his plans for world destruction. There is more to it, but I will let you find out on your own. Also, while watching Fate / Zero is not a required prerequisite; It does help to understand the entire Fate story as a whole.

The animation for Unlimited Blade Works does not disappoint. Noble Phantasm effects truly feel special to each heroic spirit. The battle scenes are gripping. I felt every clash between metal and every struggle to defeat one another. Even though the outcome is the same as the prior series and movie, the way this piece moves makes the entire show seem new.

The Breakdown:
Fan of the Fate series or not, this anime does a superb job of entertaining the viewers. The character interactions were on point. The animation was amazing and the story, although retold, still felt fresh. I thoroughly enjoyed this piece.

Synopsis:
An original anime series about Nagate, a low-born youth in a society of genetically engineered humans, refugees that escaped the destruction of Earth one thousand years earlier and now occupy the massive ship Sidonia. When Nagate’s talent as a pilot is revealed he becomes one of Sidonia’s elite defenders against the Gauna, shapeshifting aliens bent on eliminating humans from existence. Based on the popular Japanese manga comic.

Review:
A Netflix original anime series? That was unexpected. Shidonia no Kishi or Knights of Sidonia was originally a manga series that was later adapted into anime by Polygon Pictures; which then brings us to the exclusive streaming rights on Netflix. Now that we got that out of the way, let’s get on with the review.

Knights of Shidonia is set in space, a thousand years after they have left Earth due to the Gauna invasion. Our main protagonist Nagate Tanikaze was raised in the underworld of Sidonia, never leaving for the surface and always practicing on his grandfather’s robot simulator. During the initial scenes, we get to see exactly what we should be expecting from the show. Fast mecha action scenes and some borderline gruesome animation… personally I find the disintegration of the Gauna stomach turning. But that’s just me. Anyways, as a result of Tanikaze being raised by his grandfather in the underworld (no, not your typical underworld), he did not receive the genetic manipulation the population received, and therefore gets hungry like any normal human being. On his way to search for food, he slips, falls and is captured by the Sidonia governing body. It is during his whole “booking” process that we find out more about Tanikaze and the current situation of Sidonia.

It has been a while since I was entertained by a mecha anime. Some of the mecha that I have come across lately are either boring or lacked focus in the machinery. Knights of Sidonia, does not lose sight of what it is. This show is about mecha action along with a story that grips even the casual viewer. Unlike a lot of other anime where the protagonist is often the very emotionally imbalanced type, who constantly searches for the right and wrong. Nagate Tanikaze is confident in his ability and performs the way that is instilled by his grandfather. While Tanikaze is a straightforward character, the majority of his peers are flip floppers. On the first day that he attends pilot school, he is looked down upon due to his status. After he does something impressive, his peers changed at an instant, only to change back and forth. This flip flopping in how other characters perceive Tanikaze kind of gets annoying after a while.

One thing you should not do, while you watch Knights of Sidonia, is fall in love with any characters. They could die in battle at a drop of a hat. I guess that is what makes this show so much more “realistic.” You see, these Gaunas are no joke. If we were playing a game, these mobs are way overpowered. Even Sidonia’s elite Garde teams do not make it back alive. The anime shows how emotions can deter one’s ability to fight in combat. From this display, one wrong move or hesitation can mean the life and death of the entire team.

The Breakdown:
Knights of Sidonia consists of one season, twelve episodes, with a second season in the works. Judging by that, the anime did a great job in getting as much out of the twelve episodes as it did. I was impressed at how the whole time I was watching, I never once thought this piece was dragging on or it was cutting things short. Maybe they should have extended the action scenes more, if that is one complaint that I have. Now do not expect to learn much about the origin of the Gauna? Maybe in season two; they are still a mystery here. There are signs that they are a sentient species as the show rolled on. But aside from speculation, nothing concrete is revealed.

Synopsis:
In the year 2046, people use portable devices called Neuro-linkers to manage their daily lives in virtual reality networks. But advances in technology haven’t managed to do away with bullies, and 13-year old Haruyuki Arita finds himself a frequent target. Haruyuki escapes his miserable life in virtual games-until the day Kuroyukihime, the most popular girl in school, introduces him to a mysterious program called Brain Burst and virtual reality called the Accel World.

Review:
Haruyuki Arita is your typical bully target. He is short and chubby with a low self-esteem. Based in the year 2046, neuro-technology has advanced so much that everyone uses a device over their neck called the neuro-link. The neuro-link allows users to access information on demand and allows the user to experience a virtual environment; think Google glasses, but even more advanced. Haru hates himself for being weak, and his only escape is to log into the school’s virtual network and attain the highest scores in the game. With his high scores, he catches the attention of the school’s student council vice president, Kuroyukihime (Black Snow Princess). After some commotion, the vice president introduces a game called Brain Burst to Haru.

In Brain Burst, the world feels like it is in a stand still. But in actuality, it only appears that way for the users, because their senses are being accelerated in the real world. At the end of Kuro-hime and Haru’s meeting, she warns him to turn off his neuro-link from the global net when he is out of school, but of course things happen and he eventually forgets about it. At the end of the first episode, Haru is thrust into the accelerated world as Silver Crow and will have to fight in order to stay in the game!

The result is obvious, as a newbie, Haru is defeated with ease and left wondering what the heck did he just got himself into. What is the point of the Accel World and why was it created in the first place? As the story progresses we discover that Kuro-hime’s goal is to reach the maximum level ten, whereas, the other leaders are content on staying at level nine so that they can rule the accelerated world and continue to use brain bust in their daily lives. The penalty for losing while attempting to reach level ten is severe; the brain burst program will be wiped off clean. So we can understand why some people would happily prefer to stay idle on quest for level ten.

The Breakdown:
Accel World is a good anime, with nice characters, music and an attractive story. The interactions between the characters are great as well. The show has a bit of everything. The romance comedy of Kurohime, Haru and Chiyo. The action of the Accel World battles and the drama of how all this connects and plays out. It is definitely one of the best anime presents you can gift out this holiday season!

Synopsis:
Rikuo Nura is an average middle school student by day and yokai by night. He’s not just any yokai – he is the grandson of Nurarihyon, the Supreme Commander of the Nura Clan! Rikuo wants to live a normal life. However, his grandfather wants him to succeed as the rightful heir. When an inter-clan conflict threatens the stability within their organization, Rikuo must decide whether he will live his life as a human or accept his yokai heritage.

Review:
My first impression on Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan was back in summer 2011, when I did my Watcher preview on the Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan: Demon Capital. At that moment, my thought on it was the show was pretty good, and now that I am watching the first season, my initial impression was accurate; Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan is definitely worthy of your time and money.

The plot begins with Rikuo Nura, a descendent of the Nura yokai clan. Growing up and being raised as a human, his desire to lead the family business was none. But as the story develops further, certain strife happens and he realizes that the only way to protect his friends and loved ones, he had no other choice but to accept the role as the third heir to the clan.

As with all of these stories that revolve around heirs, not everyone is onboard with the current Supreme Commander’s decision, and because of this, Gyuki, one of the top lieutenants of the Nura clan decide to take matters into his own hands to ensure that the clan does not lose its greatness to some youngin’ whose heart is not even focused on leading the yokai. Since the scenes with Gyuki are the first scenes you will see, I did not spoil much really.

Anyways, back at school, to make things more amusing, Rikuo was automatically made a member of his friends’ yokai discovery club. The mission of the club is to go around town and look for the supernatural. As a result of this club, the members often run into trouble, which leads Rikuo to have to transform to save their behinds. The club plays a large role into Rikuo’s final decision as to whether he will want to lead the Nura clan or not, due to his friends constantly getting wrapped up in his business, being held as hostages. In order to put an end to the yokai turmoil, he finally decided to accept his role as the third heir, so that he can lead the yokai to coexist with humans and fight off those who look to disturb the balance.

The story in Nura, moved smoothly, and is not complicated for viewers to understand. There are no complex issues that one must ponder about. I do enjoy that aspect of the anime. The character transition from Rikuo to Night Rikuo is quite odd though. Rikuo accepted his yokai side fairly graciously, even though he was keen on being a human and while he claims he has no recollection of the events that occur when Night Rikuo is activated, as the show progresses, he is aware of what he is doing while transformed.

The Breakdown:
As I watched Nura, I realized how it captures the viewer. The animation is fluid and great, the blu-ray 1080i high definition definitely helps in that department. The characters are likeable, heck as a person whom has trouble remembering character names; I was able to recall each of their names, an amazing feat for me in my book. Nura has an attractive plot; I was certainly entertained throughout the first disc set and I cannot wait to see what the rest of the series has to offer!

Synopsis
Some casualties of war never heal; yet for those who remain in power, the spoils can be sweet indeed. In the aftermath of the Great War, Lt. Alice Malvin is charged to take command of the Imperial Army’s Intelligence Section Three, an elite team where even the newest member hunts down tanks with a handgun. Their code name: Pumpkin Scissors. Her mission: to sharpen IS3 into a deadly instrument of justice, and to expose the corrupt power-mad nobility who prey on the weak.

But as Malvin starts to peel away the layers of a government cover-up involving a defunct super-soldier program, she discovers the existence of a military technology decades ahead of what the Army has!

Review
Destruction is a companion of war. And in Pumpkin Scissors we are tossed in a post war atmosphere where the morales of the people in this country are down. Civilians are scrapping for just enough rations to survive and feed their children, all while the nobles remain entrenched in their luxious lives. When it comes down to it, it is difficult to blame civilians whom has swayed their ways towards preying on those who are weaker than them. After all, in this post war era, it is about survival of the fittest. But with all that going on now toss in the ex-military personnel that have no war to fight, no longer have a goal to strive for, then you’ll have a mix of terrorism from both sides.

Because of this occurrence Section 3, war relief squad was created; to aid those who are experiencing difficulties couping with the aftermath of the war. And while their peers view this section’s job as an easy paycheck from the military kind of work, we are shown otherwise almost right from the beginning. Well, the hints of how this show will not be as easy going is during the opening sequence, where we are provided with a rather dark atmosphere. From that sequence alone, we can pretty much decipher what a part of the show will be about. Which is a good thing as it allows viewers to get a glimpse of how things would be as this piece plays out.

One thing I noticed watching Pumpkin Scissors is how it excited me. There were certain points in the anime where I would yell out things, such as, ‘kick his ass now!’ I believe that, that aspect of the show is what really atrracted me. Of course, the characters were also a reason why Pumpkin Scissors worked well with that theme. We have a mysterious war veteran whom has a kind personality, along with a peaceful mentality until his blue lantern attached to his belt is lit. Then we have a princess type commander who does not care about her nobility but rather will do anything for a successful mission for the Pumpkin Scissors. The combo between the both of them brings out the action and at times keeps the show at an edge forcing the viewer to constantly wonder ‘What’s next?’

The show moves consistently, and because of this, it keeps things interesting. You do not end up waiting around for something to happen as every episode moves the story forward to its end goal. I had a tremendous time watching this anime. The way the characters were interacting with each other and to their surroundings, as well as the nicely directed plot for the viewers, were definitely enticing. I was pretty much glued to my seat until I finished the whole series!

Breakdown
Pumpkin Scissors has great action, so great that it captivates the audience with enticing scenes prior to the events from happening. There is an immense build up of suspense that is broken apart piece by piece to satisfy the viewer.

Synopsis

There have been rumors as of late of monsters wreaking havoc. People’s hearts have been wavering as crime is on the rise. Earthquakes and tsunamis have disturbed the land. The world of Rune Midgard is crying out for a hero. And that hero…sure ain’t Roan that’s for sure.

Review

Not to be confused with Matantei Loki Ragnarok which is an astounding series, Ragnarok the Animation is adapted from the Korean massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) called Ragnarok Online by Myung-Jin Lee. It is not an animated version of the manga series about Chaos, Iris Irine, Fenris Fenrir, and Loki. The manga is a thousand times better and darker than the anime. Unfortunately, it was never completed. Myung-Jin Lee decided to focus all his attention on the game.

The anime aired originally back in 2004. So it is out of date with the current state of the video game. No expanded classes - Taekwons, Ninjas, Gunslingers, or Super Novices; No new towns - Rachel, Veins, Louyang, Hugel, Umbala, Lighthalzen, Nifflheim, Einbroch, Kunlun, Amatsu, or Ayothaya. They didn’t even ride the airship. No trans classes. No GMs. No homunculus. No War of Emperium (WoE). You used to be able to Dead Branch in towns but not anymore (bummer). 1st class characters could only defeat MVPs back in beta version of the game, 2001. Day/Night system was never put into place. The anime seems to be on a PVP (Player versus Player) server, meaning you can fighter other characters anytime and anywhere.

The US was among the last places for the anime to get localized. It has already been aired on Cartoon Network Brazil and was dubbed into Tagalog in the Philippines.

The official Japanese websites are:
http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/ragnarok/
http://www.ragnarokonline.jp/news/game/roanime/
The second website actually contains character in game sprites.

The official Funimation website is:
http://funimation.com/ragnarok/
which features a trailer teaser and avatars of the characters in .zip format. *WARNING* avatar file contains spoilers.

The Breakdown

For fans of the PC video game. I remember anxiously waiting every week for the next new episode. You have to watch Ragnarok the Animation at least once. Expect no second season though. There is a Maple Story anime. You can catch my super novice on the Loki server, Novice Reborn.

Synopsis

Well, you can’t blame Najimi who is an everyday student struggling to earn a buck. She just got fired from her previous job and needs a new source of income. Her friend offers to pay Najimi to help sell doujin. Najimi soon realizes there’s a fortune to be made and sets her sights on becoming a doujin artist. And thus begins the story.

Review

Welcome to the wonderful world of doujinshi. Doujins are unofficial, self-published, amateur work that comprises of Japanese H-manga and computer games. For every popular anime and video game series in existence, there is a fan doujin spin off that explores possibilities that didn’t actually occur in the plotline. Pairings such as Ichigo x Yoruichi (Bleach bath scene) and Yaoi matchups Kaiba x Yami Yugi (Yugioh!), Naruto’s Kakashi without his mask appearing as a Bishen, and Pokemon…you don’t want to know.

Doujin Work is based off the manga by Hiroyuki. The mini-series is 12 episodes long. Each episode is 14 minutes including the opening and ending. The official anime website is http://www.doujin.tv/.

Synopsis
Paris, 1742. A coffin floats in the shimmering Seine. On the lid, a word written in blood: Psalms. Inside, the body of a beautiful woman: Lia de Beaumont. Now her brother, D’Eon, seeks the reason for her mysterious murder, and uncovers an evil that shadows both the palaces of kings and the dark alleys of Europe.

A power wielded by spell-casting poets, and manipulated by royalty. A force so powerful it brings Lia’s soul back from beyond to seize the only weapon she can possess to avenge her death: her own brother.

Review
Le Chevalier D’Eon is something fresh. It is unique in that a blend of history (other than Japanese) and fantasy rarely happens. But in this piece, the combination of French history and fantasy makes Le Chevalier D’Eon something special. Right off the bat, the show leaves the viewers intrigued as the narrator, an old D’Eon tells his story of his adventure to discover the reasons and the people behind his sister, Lia de Beaumont’s death. As a coffin floated down the river with the word ‘Psalms’ written on the cover, the corpse of Lia Beaumont laid. Oddly enough, her body was filled with mercury which prevented her body from decomposing, hence, the decision to not give her a burial. Personally, I liked the idea of seeing her corpse, rather than just a tombstone. It gives off a different kind of feeling that you do not get from the tombstone. Maybe because it feels like she will open her eyes and rise up at any moment. In any case, her corpse also plays a role in the show so I guess it was important to mention it.

Now it would not be France if the details of the surroundings were not focused on. If you have had any art history classes that covered Versailles, you would be able to tell the various famous artistic pieces that made the Palace of Versailles special. Louis XIII’s desk and the paintings on the ceilings along with the extravagant view of the garden, they were all beautiful and detailed to the touch. I mean, I even recognized the gates that led into the palace along with other buildings that existed in Versailles. Production I.G. has done it again with their superb animation. Their focus on the details of France during Louis XV’s reign is certainly evident. But if you thought Le Chevalier D’Eon was only about replication of the arts, you are wrong. This show boasts both magic and skillful swordplay. This is another aspect of the show that I find somewhat different with the other sword swinger shows out there. There is a sense of reality in Le Chevalier. I know, there is nothing real about magic, but the way the fights are conducted, are where the difference is at. I got the sense that skill was more of a factor than how much ‘pow pow’ you can put into a sword and swing it at the opponent.

So now that you know what to expect visually from Le Chevalier, let us move onto what you should expect watching this piece. Le Chevalier is mysterious. For those who have read any of Dan Brown’s works, such as, ‘The Da Vinci Code,’ this show moves somewhat in a similar way. It uses historical facts to its advantage and twists it to flow with the end goal, which is to find the cause of D’Eon’s sister’s death. Other than the secret societies, what makes this anime series most like a Dan Brown book is the constant moving pace. Its nonstop pace keeps the show interesting. From what I have seen in the two volumes that I had access to, I cannot believe how much I loved the way everything played out. Judging by the cover, I did not expect anything great, honestly. At first, I thought it was not going to work, but by the time I got a grasp as to what was happening, the show became extraordinarily addictive.

Le Chevalier D’Eon revolves around the murder of Lia de Beaumont. It then becomes a thrill ride as our main character D’Eon de Beaumont and his comrades uncover dark mysteries, battling powerful villains called Poets with the involvement of the rifts between the Royal families. These Poets are able to wield unheard of powers and have the ability to control Gargoyles (animals that have been marked, including humans). These Gargoyles have the feel of a zombie, but their difference is that the victims have a chance to return to normal, although it is not actually shown on the screen whether they regain consciousness after being manipulated by a Poet, I am basing my assumption through what I have speculated, so until I am shown otherwise, I will believe the Gargoyles do return to normal if taken cared of correctly.

It is no wonder why Tow Ubukata decided to make his creation into three formats; anime, manga and novel. Le Chevalier is astounding as an anime in itself. As a manga, we should not expect much less and as a novel with its mystery and its use of historical facts and characters along with its consistent pacing, it should be good for the readers out there. Thus far, I like this series a lot. Le Chevalier D’Eon is a beautiful picture and its tale to be told makes it even better. I am definitely looking forward to the future volumes as they are being released.

The Breakdown
With its great animation, compelling story and astonishing mix of fact and fiction, Le Chevalier D’Eon gives the viewers an entertaining visual experience along with thought provoking mysteries. The show made me want to know more about the history of its setting so that I can further immerse myself into its attractive story. It was a neat idea to include historical notes and such in the extras of the volumes so that the audience can learn without having to look far.

Synopsis
Her name is Kurau, and in a world of mercenary agents, she’s the cream of the elite; a master swordswoman, martial artist and thief so skilled that no secret or objective is beyond her grasp. The greatest secret of all, however, is the one Kurau conceals inside herself: as the freak result of a disastrous experiment with a new kind of energy, Kurau’s body has been fused with a binary alien life form called the Rynax.

Every second Kurau lives is lived twice, one alien sharing her consciousness, the other still waiting to be born… and now neither of those lives may last very long! The truth about Kurau has begun to leak out, and a worldwide manhunt has been launched. The ultimate agent is now the ultimate target.

Review
Kurau was a little girl when her mother passed away; ever since, she had been attached to her father. On her birthday, she receives the gift of accompanying her father to work. It was this day, the lives of Kurau and her father will forever change. The discovery of Rynax energy was new and it just so happens that Kurau’s father was the head of the Rynax experiment. At the testing site, a phenomenon occurs and Rynax runs wild. When things were finally stabilized, Kurau underwent a change as Rynax now flows in her. What effects would this incident bring to Kurau’s future? The answer will be slowly revealed to you within this volume.

As the show fast forwards to the future, it is shown that Kurau utilizes her powers to take on jobs as a mercenary. And the first thing that I noticed right off the bat was she was no longer with her beloved father, which is a note worthy to jot down as they were inseparable previously. Anyways, although she lives as a mercenary, Kurau’s… or Rynax’s promise to Kurau’s father to take care of Kurau’s body is absolute. She refuses to take on dangerous jobs, but then things are a bit different when it is shown on the screen.

Kurau, the show is thoughtful. It is an anime series that requires viewers to think and question. One of those questions that were brought up early on in the show was if Kurau was Kurau or was she Rynax. Did the ‘real’ Kurau wandered off somewhere when Rynax entered her body? Or did it have no effect at all? But then if there was no effect, how come Kurau acted strangely right after the phenomenon? If that does not bring up some questions, what about her slow transition back to normal in her father’s standards? I mean, in the beginning he was distant towards her then when he saw the light his treatment towards Kurau was no different than prior to the Rynax incident. Hmm… and if Kurau was Kurau then why is she in search of her other half? Rynax exists in pairs and the sign that she is looking for her pair shows that she is not all Kurau. Am I just making something out of nothing or are there more that meets the eye? I do not know, but I get excited just wondering the various possibilities of outcomes that may exist.

Alright, enough with speculation and let us get down to something I am sure everyone who has looked at our heroine has asked. Is Kurau female or male? Heh, believe me if you at first thought Kurau was a guy, you are not the first, Kurau’s looks has tricked even Ayako Kawasumi (the voice actress of Kurau) and I during our first encounters. Now that we got that out of the way, let us get back on topic. From what I have seen thus far from this series is that there will be a lot of story development. And there seems to be a good split between dialogue and action to aid in the effort. This balance has kept the show somewhat interesting until during the midpoint of the volume, by that time I felt that things were just dragging on.

The drag on did not stop until towards the end of the volume, where the plot was beginning to unravel with certain questions from the earlier parts of the show being answered. At the end of volume one, you are revealed just enough to know what was going on and spark some thoughts as to what may happen in the future. I believe it was a decent wrap up for a volume, but Kurau will need more than the occurrences in volume one if it wants to keep its viewers. It will need to do more than what it has been doing, because the show itself from a standpoint is not attractive. It does not command the attention of a show like say, Gantz or Elfen Lied, where the characters are colorful and dynamic. In Kurau, Kurau herself shows little emotion prior to meeting her sister Christmas. And even after meeting Christmas, her emotions only improved a tad bit. Do not get me wrong, I am not saying an anime should consist of only happy, energetic characters, but it does help in my opinion for the main character to be the grasp of the show. With the introduction of Christmas, I felt I was moving my attention onto her, rather than Kurau. Rather the focus shift was intended for me or not, it does not matter, but for Kurau to work, it must maintain the audiences’ interest through its story development. There must be some sort of solid gripping aspect of the show in the next volume, or else it would be difficult for viewers to keep their attention span towards this anime.

The Breakdown
Kurau has the potential as it has shown with the beginning and the end of volume one. But at the middle was an area where the show stalled and seemed to have gone nowhere. The pacing of this piece was adequate; it gave viewers enough time to soak in what was the subject at hand and what should be expected in the future. Other than that, Kurau to me so far, is an average anime at best. I liked the action, I liked the animation and I liked the story to an extent, but it lacked the interest factor. There are the shows that make you want to continue watching and then there are those that you can do without. And Kurau is a do without show from my experience of volume one. I did not get the urge to want the volume to not end; moreover, I was hoping that it would end faster.

Synopsis
The Holy Grail War Begins! Ten years ago there was a secret war fought by master mages and their servants to obtain the Holy Grail, and the result was devastating to everyone. Today, the Holy Grail War is beginning again with new masters.

One such master, Shirou, must now come to grips with the reality of the secret world of war mages and their summoned servants when he unknowingly summons his own servant, Saber, said to the most powerful servant of them all. Perhaps Shirou will be the one to prevent the destruction that had marked the first war…

Review
Based in present time Japan, in a world where an ever revolving war occurs right after the next comes seven masters and seven servants. The battle ends as only one master and his/her servant survives. The reward? The Holy Grail, which will grant any wish to the bearer. You did not think it was just any type of war right? Because this is a Holy war that we are going to go through.

The show begins with a dream of the past of our main character, Emiya Shirou. In a city engulfed in flames, as he lay there waiting for death, a man appears out of the fog and saves him. This man who will become his adopted father passed on his ideals to Shirou, which will contribute to his character and personality later on.

Awaken from his dream his kouhai, Sakura Matou prepares his meals and has an affection for him that is more than just a senpai - kouhai relationship. The world surrounding them was changing. Incidents of ‘gas leaks’ were becoming frequent. Worst of all, there were no leads as to what the cause was. Then one day as Shirou stayed in school late to help out his childhood friend, he witnesses a battle between two servants. Whether you believe it was bad luck or good luck, witnessing a servant battle means death. And Lancer, one of the servants, abiding by the rule, kills him. Of course, there would be no show if the main character dies in the first episode, this event leads and connects us to the later happenings of the show. And before you know it, the loveliest servant of all, Saber, appears on the screen.

Fate is an interesting show. It limits itself in terms of the overall size of the show. What does that mean? When you take account of all the things that occur in the show, it will always bring you back to the main theme, the Holy Grail and the fight to death between the seven masters and servants. While there are touches of separation, the plot does not sway, which is a good thing. Fate is also a show with minimal comedy. There are light moments and when those moments lasted, they were tremendously enjoyable.

The character development of Fate Stay Night mainly revolves around Shirou and Saber. While Shirou’s character mainly derives from his father’s teachings, he does have traits that are a direct result of surviving the end of the last holy war as he was close to death. His most prominent traits are his willingness to help others and his unwillingness to burden others with his problems. It becomes a perfect clash of personalities as Saber is a servant who views herself as a knight before a woman, and Shirou’s character restricts her from fighting. The thing that gets my attention is the way that the plot progresses as the relationship between the two develop. There is a constant movement in their relationship, hence, setting the pace of the show with continuous progression.

As stated above, the story follows Shirou and Saber. While that may sound simple and boring; it is actually quite interesting as Fate, is mainly an action/fantasy title, but it does a nice job in combining other genres into the show to make it dynamic. I had a lot of fun just watching the lighter parts of the show, which made me questioned, ‘What if? What if Fate Stay Night was a love comedy instead of what it is?’ Hmm, certainly I would be interested, but anyways the plot was great. I loved watching the battles and how everything built up to the final encounter with a nifty surprise. Fate is definitely unique as not everything was predictable with experience. While I knew some things were going to happen, I did not know it was going to happen this way or that way. I am sure you guys know what I am talking about.

Moving on, let us get to the animation department of Fate. One word: Crazy. The animation was absolutely stunning. The various effects were amazing and character design was just as nice. One of the battles that I fell in love with was Archer’s battle with Berserker. I felt chills throughout the fight; it was certainly one of the best sequences Fate Stay Night had to offer. Man, that battle just leaves an impression on you like no other. And by realizing that it was only the midpoint of the entire show and things were already like this… you begin to have doubts as to whether the brains behind the show could top it. Of course, they have to, or else! Hehe. Seriously, I will leave it as that, if you want to know you should check out how this title plays out.

When it comes to acoustics, Fate fails to lure me in. The theme songs were boring. It lacked luster for my flavor. It could have been better, but its not life and death so it is not that serious of an offence. The voice acting and sound effects on another note were great; it really brought out the life of the piece.

The Breakdown
Fate Stay Night is a great title. The plot evolves from the characters and its ability to attract viewers with its superb animation and voice acting makes it an amazing piece to have in your collection.