Fate/Apocrypha (Review)
The Fate Series Doubles Down with Fate/Apocrypha
After three chapters tied to the Fate/Stay Night storyline, the Fate series finally branches out into fresh territory with Fate/Apocrypha. I couldn’t imagine how Fate/Apocrypha would top what we’ve seen so far from an already incredible series, but it figured out how to do exactly that in the most obvious way possible. That means more servants, new heroic spirits, and bigger battles than ever before. There are some points where the anime gets dangerously close to emulating some of the cheesier mellow drama from Fate/Stay Night and there are a few times it does spread itself a little thin. However, this entry rallies by the end and is easily one of the best chapters in the series.
Fate/Apocrypha’s motto is, “go big or go home.” That means instead of one roster of seven heroic servants and masters, we’ve got two teams pitted against each other. That means two of every class of hero (Archer, Lancer, Saber, Mage, Berserker, Assassin, and Rider), which makes for some very interesting choices. Like the other entries that came before it though, nothing is what it seems in Fate/Apocrypha and more than one monkey wrench gets thrown into the gears over the course of the series. The first is when one of the heroic spirits sacrifices himself to save a homunculus (artificially created human) and transfers his abilities in doing so. With no master of his own, the homunculus, know known as Sieg (Zach Aguilar), has to find a cause to rally his newfound power behind as the battle rages on around him.
Having twice as many heroes means that Fate/Apocrypha gets the chance to get really creative with the characters. We’ve seen some strong ones in past chapters, but these are some of the most powerful to date. Writer Yūichirō Higashide takes this opportunity to dive deep into the gray areas that exist within all these heroes’ desires and the wishes that they hope to grant with the Holy Grail if they win the war. While many of them have good intentions, Fate/Apocrypha is quick to point out the philosophical implications and consequences of their wishes. For example, happiness for all humankind would mean an end to innovation and growth, since there would no longer be a desire for change. This combined with the age-old question about “whether the ends truly justify the means” makes it interesting to see how the characters develop into the heroes and villains in this story. These slow and steady reveals also allow Fate/Apocrypha to continue raising the stakes right up to the very end.
The Fate series changes creative teams with Takahiro Miura and Ufotable studios being replaced by Yoshiyuki Asai and A-1 Pictures. I’m certainly not complaining though, because the animation definitely stands up to Unlimited Blade Works, and Asai is not afraid to go as big as possible with some of the battles. It gets a little absurd with how grandiose some duels are, but they’re all so fluid and incredibly choreographed that it’s hard not to just simply be in awe as they play out. Just when you think they can’t get any bigger, Fate/Apocrypha tells you to “hold my beer” and pulls out ever more stops. This dynamism carries over to the character designs as well. Fate/Apocrypha doesn’t repeat any of the previous heroes (well, it technically does, but the design is different since he’s from a distinct class this time). I was a little creeped out by the design of Jack the Ripper (Erica Mendez) given the character’s apparent age and how revealing it was. Luckily, you don’t see too much of them over the course of the series.
Going bigger like this though inherently means that Fate/Apocrypha has to spread itself a little thin in places. While a lot of characters get special attention allowing them to share their dreams and wax philosophical, others are simply glossed over. A few that really intrigued me only got a couple of minutes in the spotlight before they inevitably met their demise at the hands of their fellow servants. Don’t even get me started on the masters this time around, because Fate/Apocrypha only takes the time to really focus on two or three, leaving the vast majority a mystery or simply background characters with little personality to offer. This is a little disappointing, but with how much is constantly going on I can’t fault Fate/Apocrypha for picking and choosing who to invest time in. Still, with twice as many characters, I can’t help feeling like a few extra episodes might have helped this anime to reach its full potential.
Honestly, Fate/Apocrypha is my second favorite entry in the Fate series that I’ve seen so far. The ending was a little underwhelming, but I really enjoyed all the build-up and I can forgive it for stumbling a bit in the last ten minutes or so. Everything up to the point was enthralling from the debates on ideals and morality to the amazing action sequences. Like the other entries, there’s a bit of melodrama tossed in for flavor, but that never gets out of hand. It’s a series that goes over the top and that works, mostly. There were a few times I started to say “oh, come on,” but Fate/Apocrypha quickly distracted me with how quickly the fights moved. All in all, if you’re a fan of the Fate series, you’ll definitely want to check out this chapter.
