Fate/strange Fake — An American Holy Grail War

Can you believe Fate/Stay Night Spring Song premiered in August 2020? That may not seem long ago, but in those four years, we had a global pandemic, a toilet paper shortage, and several wars. Oh! And Ao from Asteroid in Love got an asteroid named after her. What we didn’t have during that time was a solid, full-length addition to the Fate franchise. But with Fate/strange Fake, that’s a worry of the past, as the most revered confrontation in the magical world is coming to US soil.

Fate/strange Fake — A New Level of Violence? What’s It About?

What could make the Holy Grail War even more vicious? Gun, and lots of them! Remember back in Fate/Zero when Kiritsugu brought a gun to a magic fight? We’ll see way more of that in Fate/strange Fake. Safe to say Japanese magi aren’t ready for that level of hostility. Imagine issuing a command spell but suddenly someone shooting you in the ear. That’s why Harry Potter takes place in England. Jab at American readers aside, as a Fate fan, I’m delighted that the franchise is back.

As the Third Holy Grail War took place in Fuyuki, Japan, a secretive group of American magi watched the conflict from the shadows. After years of data collection and espionage, the knowledge they gained helped them incite their own Holy Grail War. However, several distort the Holy Grail War happening in Snowfield, Nevada. Not only is the conflict a counterfeit, it’s an outright pastiche. These imperfections result in the summoning of false heroes. And they make it harder to distinguish between them and their masters.

Fate/strange Fake — It Lives up to the Hype.

The first episode of Fate/Strange Fake eloquently gives us enough material for a basic understanding but still obscures the bigger picture. We are, however, introduced to other servants and masters. Most importantly, some main characters who didn’t show up in Fate/strange Fake — Whispers of Dawn make their debut. Ayaka Sajou and her Saber servant reluctantly join the fight when Ayaka becomes a target. Hansa Cervantes, the overseer of the Holy Grail War, also made his debut. This show stands out right from the start, as we see a servant and master arrested in a dramatic scene with Ayaka and Saber. Things are different in the USA.

The first episode of Fate/Strange Fake eloquently gives us enough material for a basic understanding but still obscures the bigger picture. We are, however, introduced to other servants and masters. Most importantly, some main characters who didn’t show up in Fate/strange Fake — Whispers of Dawn make their debut. Ayaka Sajou and her Saber servant reluctantly join the fight when Ayaka becomes a target. Hansa Cervantes, the overseer of the Holy Grail War, also made his debut. This show stands out right from the start, as we see a servant and master arrested in a dramatic scene with Ayaka and Saber. Things are different in the USA.

Additional Details

Fate/strange Fake was originally an April Fool’s joke by TYPE-MOON writer Narita on their home page. The first episode of the TV anime adaptation, “The Heroic Spirit Incident,” is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and at Crunchyroll and Aniplex USA’s YouTube Channels (for a limited time). In the case of Aniplex, streaming will only be available from January 8th to 13th. A-1 Pictures aired a preview for episode 2, “Ensemble vs. Pretense,” and released some more character visuals. The anime adapts the light novel of the same name by Ryohgo Narita (art by Shizuki Morii).

Production Cast for Fate/strange Fake includes:

• Shun Enokido and Takahito Sakazume as Directors
• Ayu Seiki — Director
• Masaki Tsuchiya — Sound Director
• Daisuke Ohigashi — Screenplay
• Yukei Yamada — Character Design & Chief Animation Director
• Hiroyuki Sawano — OST

The lead and supporting vocal cast includes:

• Tomokazu Seki — Gilgamesh
• Yuu Kobayashi — Enkidu
• Kana Hanazawa — Ayaka Sajo
• Yuki Ono — Saber
• Lynn — Assassin
• Kenyuu Horiuchi — Berserker
• Shoutarou Morikubo — Caster
• Sumire Morohoshi — Tine Chelc
• Wataru Hatano — Orlando Reeve
• Katsuyuki Konishi — Hansa Cervantes
• Junya Enoki — Faldeus Dioland
• Yoshitsugu Matsuoka — Flatt Escardos
• Waver Velver — Daisuke Namikawa

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Screenshots — Crunchyroll — Fate/Strange Fake
© Ryogo Narita, TYPE-MOON/Kadokawa/FSFPC