Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works

I guess this show is for me like Avatar. I have also heard that if you ignore the visuals, you get a mediocre narrative, a way too long running time, and nothing but a mediocre show, even though I could not neglect the visuals. I take the fact that Unlimited Blade Works is not even close to Fate/Zero in terms of plot (depth of story) as it is. I will probably prefer the original Fate/stay night route (because of Saber), that is also a fact. However, I enjoyed this show because of the animation and the suitable atmosphere created by the fight scenes. Perhaps one day, when I get into the discerning viewer club, I will take these shortcomings into account, although I am more of an undemanding guy. Even now, I am certain that I have seen something extraordinary. I could not agree that the second half was not as great as the first in terms of the animation because even the final fight scenes were just a blast. Five stars. 9/10. (14.11.2014)

Strike while the iron is hot – that seems to be the guiding principle embraced by the creators of Fate/Zero, the ufotable animation studio. Their aim was to adapt the original adult visual novel Fate/stay night, specifically the Unlimited Blade Works route, with a strong commitment to remaining faithful to the source material and surpassing the previous adaptations by Studio Deen. As someone who hasn't read (or played?) the original visual novel, I am unable to pass judgment on the flaws of the 2006 adaptation. I wouldn't dismiss it outright based solely on its "unfaithfulness." Now, let's delve into the adaptation I'm reviewing. While ufotable's production may boast visually stunning aesthetics and a closer adherence to the original material, it falls short in other aspects. It comes across as a weary, lackluster imitation of a show, riddled with unnecessary padding and filler that failed to captivate me as much as the Fate/Zero 2006 adaptation did. I understand the intention to address and rectify the criticisms of the rushed and crazily paced UBW movie, but in doing so, they swung to the opposite extreme, adding an absurd cliffhanger on top of it all. It appears that the creators followed the philosophy of "more is better." They elongated scenes unnecessarily and inserted filler wherever they could within their budget. It's as if they were saying, "Let's just drag it out. We'll make it work somehow. Never mind the diminishing tension and atmosphere caused by these choices." While the 2006 adaptation had its own tendency to stretch the story, ufotable took it to new heights. Furthermore, this adaptation seems to have further limited the screen time of characters other than Rin and Shirō, with Shirō becoming an even more unlikable and dependent protagonist, frequently saved by convenient plot devices. It's truly disheartening. The visuals are undeniably excellent, and the music is enjoyable, but overall, it left me feeling indifferent. Considering what lies ahead in the second season, I'll give it a weak three-star rating, though I acknowledge that objectively, it might even deserve a lower rating. (22.01.2015)