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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.