Reviews for Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya 3rei!!

Why are you here? No, really, why are you even reading this? Do you seriously need someone's confirmation that Fate Kaleid is good? At this point it's almost blasphemous to even question the quality of the series. We didn't start watching this latest arc to find out if it's good, we started watching it because we knew it was good. And of course it is, of course it's always gonna be. The sky is blue, the grass is green, Fate Kaleid is pedoph... Good. After all 8 cards have finally been gathered, disturbances start happening in the mountain where the battle with Gilgamesh Jr. took place, withparts of the land completely disappearing and getting replaced with others. Alerted by this, Illya and crew go up there to investigate, only for two mysterious intruders to appear. These two women are using the same install power that Miyu has been using for saber, and with it quickly fend off both Illya and Bazzett, while kidnapping Miyu. Trying to run after them, Illya gets wrapped in a parallel world, where the city she lives in has been abandoned and the Ainsworth family rules everything through their install abilities.

SPOILERS

And let me tell you folks, the install ability KICKS ASS. By far one of the most interesting ideas and the central plot of the series, the install ability allows for far more variety in combat that almost forgets it's a magical girls anime. In a later mock battle, Illya defeats Kuro by transforming from lancer to rider to saber. The enemies are also formidable, possessing far more cards than the main cast, including both Gilgamesh'es power and Thor's. The main villain, head of the Ainsworth family, is a black wizard that will honestly send chills to your spine with his creepy over-exaggerated poses and eye-movements (kinda reminds you of Petelgeuse from Re: Zero only slightly lase insane)... (emphasis on "slightly"), who wants to create a new grail out of Miyu.

Keep in mind, I'm leaving A LOT out here. Gilgamesh Jr., who has sided with Illya's crew to get his powers back from the Ainsworth card, basically steals the show in every scene he's in. Erica, Ainsworth's heir is also a glorious addition, with her twisted upbringing being in complete contrast with her kind personality, as the girl completely confuses the meaning of "good" and "evil" and ends up plain f@cked-up. Kudos for Kirei Kotomine as the crew's rip-off cook. Tanaka is the only one who didn't click me the right way, but she has shown great chemistry with some characters other than Illya so I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt.

Normally I'd comment on the quality of the animation now but... Do I actually have to?

Pros:

-Heart-wrenching moments, excellent humor, big battles, fantastic animation etc etc. Basically everything you love Fate Kaleid for.

-Intimidating villains that are more cruel than anything we've seen in the series so far.

-By far the most interesting battle mechanic in the series, "install" is utilized to its fullest.

-Kuro reaches new cuteness levels despite the arc not being remotely focused on her.

-Illya's getting more pussy than the average harem protagonist.

-Gilgamesh Jr.'s "You mongrel!"phrase on episode 3.

-The entirety of episode 4.

-Erica's completely wrapped mind.

-Mjolnir!!!

-Miyu's character develops nicely.

-For the first time in anime history the kidnapped person doesn't spout bullsh!t about how they don't want to be saved, thus creating useless internal conflict for the main lead, but instead properly begs for help. Good job Miyu, good job. See Rukia? See Innoue? See Hinata? THIS is how a good hostage behaves.

Cons:

Keep in mind I'll be neat-picking to death here:

-To be honest I preferred it when Kuro was all meek during mana-sucking, it feels a tiny bit disappointing here.

-Up until now the battles have ended somewhat fast. Don't get me wrong, they're still well-made and don't feel rushed, just none of the overly-dragging stuff we had gotten used to in previous seasons. Then again only 6 episodes have come out thus far and Fate Kaleid usually picks up the pace as it goes.

-The fights do feel "slightly" worse than the rest of the series. We didn't have a big boss battle either.

-Ends in a cliffhanger.

-The villain saying he didn't want to hurt Miyu more than needed was kinda out of character.

-It feels like the Ainsworths have too few servants. Illya's crew basically outnumbers them 2 to 1 at this point. New characters might be revealed later though.

-Does this even qualify as a magical girls anime anymore? I'm all for the "install" battles mechanic but I can see how other people wouldn't like it as much.

-Tanaka's character does feel slightly annoying at times (nothing unbearable though).

Fate/kaleid is the beer crawl of the fate series. Some of it's awesome, some of it disgusts you. Some you'll completely forget(suppressed). You'll get to the end and you'll mostly remember the good parts. Was it worth it? I don't know, but there is a shitty barely legible plaque in my psyche somewhere that says I did it. This is by far the best season. This is a show that gets better the longer you watch it. The animation improves, the stories improve and it even transforms from a primarily yuri loli spinoff to an action that is capable of standing on it's own.

(This review has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!) I’ve only “acted” in a “play” one time, and it is one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. It was a small presentation within our English class. I took on the role of Jesus as he carried his cross to his inevitable death. But I had no beard. No robes. No sandals. Even the cross was just a meter stick. In short, I looked like any other nerdy, lanky teenager with glasses, a polo, and a pair of jeans. So, there I am, starting at the back of the class, pretending to fumble and tripand hurt as I make my way to the front. Everyone stared at this bumbling, dumb high-school kid who couldn’t even properly hold a marked piece of wood – and I wanted to run away from this whole ordeal.

Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 3rei!! features a host of villains who believe that they are in a play of sorts themselves. But, while nothing the anime does is to the same level of embarrassment as my “performance,” it seems that it, too, does not deserve an encore.

STORY

3rei (need to shorten it per usual) resumes right where 2wei Herz left off. Illya, Miyu, and Kuro finish their summer-vacation homework – only to have Rin and Luvia summon them for yet another magical happening. However, everything goes immediately wrong when strange new foes kidnap Miyu, and Illya finds herself in a familiar yet unknown world.

This season marks the fourth in the series. A feat that not many anime can claim to hold. Like its other seasons, this one focuses on a fresh plot, featuring both new and old characters alike – as well as one that seems uncannily similar.

3rei, though, in a welcome move, goes back to its first-season roots. Where 2wei focused mostly on Kuro, and 2wei Herz was almost entirely slice-of-life shenanigans, this season focuses mostly on Illya while melding the slice-of-life antics with its drama and action.

Episode seven and eight are a perfect example. Illya’s stuffed-animal predicament is beyond ridiculous, but the combination of her weak magic against the possessed Rin and Luvia, which later turns into her fighting for her life alongside Kuro to save Miyu, is both hilarious and intense.

The anime also takes its Fate franchise connection to heart more so than usual. Kirei appears, running a local ramen shop. Sakura’s yandere tendencies come to light. And Rin uses her rare, red life gem on Shirou to save his life. This series has always had these references, from the setting’s city to the characters themselves, but it seems apparent throughout 3rei that, like its plot, it wants to stick with, well, sticking with its roots.

So, why all the roots? It deals with what much of the narrative centers on. The plot of the anime centers on saving Miyu who has gone back to her roots (against her will). Gil wants to get his item back to go back to his roots. The Ainsworth family wants to save the Earth to bring humanity back to its roots. Illya fights to bring back her best friend, her life in general back to her roots. Miyu wants to help her Shirou (and vice versa) to bring their lives back to their roots.

In a sense, 3rei is about bringing it all back to normal. While this theme is not explored, it has ties to the not-so-normal situations they find themselves in as well as the notion that life is simply better when it is familiar and whole (which the setting can Illya finds herself in can attest to). Thus, seeing this (small) throughput in many of the plot’s events bolsters the anime.

What the plot contains, though, does not measure up well. One of the major issues is how many of the fights resolve. More specifically, how they don’t. Almost all of them involve an interruption of some kind: told to stop, phone call, don’t pursue when they can, Ainsworth father just walks away after Tanaka says something. It makes each encounter worthless since a meaningful outcome nearly never occurs.

The anime also has some overly convenient plot points that push the narrative along in an eyebrow-raising manner.

In episode three, Illya just-so-happens to find Ruby stashed away amongst the thousands of other weapons, and, immediately afterwards, she randomly gains the power to use the cards they have been chasing these past three seasons.

Gil going away briefly when the Ainsworth family’s daughter and father arrive is not as convenient a moment, but it still comes off as unnatural.

And Tanaka throwing her flaming sword arm (literally) is technically foreshadowed by the constant mentions of her warmth and ability to sustain massive amounts of damage. Yet getting the weapon, that ultimately saves everyone, out of nowhere and only because Tanaka woke up at the opportune time, makes for a less-than-fair development.

Even the motivation behind the plot doesn’t work. Last season, it boiled down to “save Miyu.” This season, it also boils down to “save Miyu.” Yes, the dilemma this time is to a much higher degree than last time, but, when the plots at their core are almost the same back-to-back, it makes 3rei seem as though it does not know what else it wants to do (which is somewhat understandable being four seasons in).

Its action sequences at least hold up well. Angelica using Gil’s Noble Phantasm against him. Illya personifying Lancer, Rider, and Saber as she dukes it out with Kuro. And the entire final battle (Shirou’s “Trace…on!”, Illya performing “Excalibur!”, Kuro coinciding with the Archer mindset). These are just a few examples that not only further highlight 3rei’s Fate roots but also present some really cool battles.

And the “twist” – that Illya and the gang are the “bad guys” in that they want to save Miyu and therefore doom this world to death – gives 3rei some much-needed intrigue. Granted, the villains are still overly evil, like when the father (awkwardly) spanks Erica to punish his child or when Beatrice goes psycho during the fights. Meaning, it’s clear that Illya is still in the right and their enemy is still in the wrong. But it was a nice change to the plot.

3rei somewhat punches itself, though, when Illya declares how she’ll save both Miyu and this world. But it’s at least a very magical-girl stance if there ever was one. Which, once again, demonstrates 3rei going back to its roots.

ANIMATION

Not much else can be said about the art and the animation that has not already been reiterated for these past few seasons.

The dreary city is a bit dull, and both the snowbound school and the open crater do not contain much in terms of detail. But the summer-sitting castle and the different magical backgrounds do what they can to make up for the general lack of intrigue.

The battles help with this, too, persisting in their flashiness thanks mostly to the Noble Phantasms wielded all over the place. Beatrice’s Mjolnir, with its intense lightning effects, is a prime example of how over the top the particle effects and extravagance can go.

Character designs for the main cast (perhaps obviously) remain just as pretty per usual. Kuro’s dark skin and multi-colored eyes, Illya’s numerous transformations, and Miyu’s damsel-in-distress black dress continue to impress.

Not to be outdone, the newcomers are likewise impressive.

Angelica’s attractive design: white blouse, long skirt, long blonde hair, ample figure, golden armor with red tattoos and a bikini to boot (when fighting with Gil’s Noble Phantasm).

Beatrice gnashes her spiky teeth and glares with her creepy yellow eyes while wearing a black, white, and red outfit with fiery twin-tails for hair.

And Erica’s blue eyes, green jacket, and high socks give her a cute look that fits her character well.

Also, deserving its own mention is Illya’s stuffed-animal design. Her lanky arms, big head, and small body made each scene with the bear that much more silly.

As for the actual animation, it remains in a solid spot for most of its run. Downtime is filled with reactions from Illya or Tanaka bumbling around like a buffoon. Its singular yuri scene, where Illya and Kuro “transfer mana” with as much passion as possible, arguably receives the most attention when compared to everything else offered.

But it also picks up during those fight scenes without any noticeable drops. Kuro soloing Angelica while Illya contemplates what route to take. The entire final battle that involves numerous heroes made of muck. The two-on-one duel on the giant sword. Throwing people with one’s fist to catch a falling brother. Flailing chains atop a rocky outcrop. A climactic and cinematic flying segment to end the whole battle.

Lots of movement and fighting and action that proves the series has yet to let up on an animation front.

CHARACTERS

This section is very tough to analyze because there’s just not a lot there.

That’s due to what the anime places priority on – the action and the plot itself – and where the anime is at this point in the series – in its fourth season where not many new experiences or developments can be had for the cast.

Still, 3rei tries.

Illya is arguably the most important, and, despite Miyu’s predicament, is the focus of this season. This time around, the anime targets her trepidation. How she feels fearful of where she’s at and the way she approaches the world around her.

Kuro’s there to push her in the right direction (through a fight to the death). She explains how Miyu never complained about her situation when she was thrust into an unfamiliar world, so it’s unfair for Illya to think any differently. And, when it comes time for her to decide to protect Miyu or this strange world, Illya chooses both because, as she says, it’s illogical to believe it must only be one way or the other.

What Miyu receives on a character level is more fundamental: sides.

She’s always cared for Illya and Kuro, but the audience sees her willingness to sacrifice herself as well as the extreme elation she has in hearing and seeing her two best friends fight for her.

Furthermore, her having a brother who looked like Shirou from Illya’s world was always implied, but it was not until this season that such an allusion was no longer an illusion. She disregards her own safety to protect him, and she drops some of her coolness to replace it with cuteness when she talks with him in a more personable manner.

Kuro herself sits on the sidelines for most of the season (and, indeed, for the first few episodes, only shows up briefly). It’s not until later that the anime gives her slightly more attention. She fights in Illya’s stead while she contemplates what to do, demonstrating Kuro’s usual steadfastness and willingness to push forward even if she may be in the wrong.

But, more interestingly, when she pairs up with Miyu’s Shirou during the two-on-one duel with Angelica, she starts to express how she can pull off moves, feel what to do next, despite never really fighting in such a blazing manner before. It’s an obvious connection to Shirou’s own Archer background, and, while it technically does not get explored before the season finishes, it gives Kuro an opening in the future to possibly upgrade her own prowess.

For Illya, Miyu, and Kuro, it’s all very minor happenings. 3rei arguably cares more about its plot: the funny skits and the kidnapping drama and the high amounts of action. Meaning, the main trio are there more to be themselves rather than go through sweeping arcs like in the first or second seasons.

Thus, it falls on the new characters – specifically the Ainsworth family – to bring something new. For the most part, though, they do not hold up well.

Angelica is arguably the best. She’s thought of as a doll. One who only listens to orders like fighting against their enemies or stitching up Erika’s stuffed animals when they rip. She control’s Gil’s Noble Phantasm as well as the space-shifting magic of the family.

She does not understand Kuro’s illogical thought process of saving Miyu (just one person) and dooming the whole Earth in return (literally everybody else). But she only becomes interesting when she loses to Shirou and Kuro (mirroring the fight between the “real” and the “fakes.”) Upon doing so, Beatrice (and by extension the Ainsworth family) abandon her, leaving her with nowhere to go.

Except with Illya and the others. For, while she sees herself as a doll, as a tool and nothing else, the others are willing to accept her. This foundation sets her up for eventual discussions and developments related to free will, but, given that this all appears at the end of the season, the audience will not see this for some time to come.

The others – Julian, Beatrice, and Erica – have their characteristics that set them up as the villains and the victims.

Julian gets into extreme fits of rage and holds an immense amount of power.

Beatrice is a psychopath, obsessing over Julian beyond what anyone would consider healthy.

And Erica’s insistence that she is a lady that never needs any help (but she really does), and the fact that Miyu turns down Erica when the little girl asks if they are friends (which is arguably the best writing moment of the season), gives her the cuteness and the sympathy needed to make her Holy-Grail transformation an unwelcome sight.

The Ainsworth family also have a quirk in that they often see themselves as actors and the world about them their stage. As if what they are doing is more of a performance rather than just a bunch of mindless actions. It gives them a narcissistic personality which in turn feeds into their villainy as the opposing (when compared to Illya and the rest) “stars” of this “show.”

Are they strong villains? Not particularly. Mostly because their connection and overall motivations in relation to Illya are not too intricate. They kidnapped Miyu, but that doesn’t make them worthwhile antagonists in the long run. At the minimum, the idea that they may in fact be the “good guys” given what they want to do (even if Julian’s ritual near the end does seem a little like an end-of-the-world scenario rather than a save-the-world one) adds a small twist to their characters.

That leaves Tanaka – and ends her analysis, too. For, beyond her warmth, her carefree, jokey attitude, and strange ability to yank off her arm and have it turn into a flaming sword, not much else is known, let alone given, about her. She does have a deeply rooted hatred for the Ainsworth family that seems to flip a switch within her, turning her from bubbly to berserk. But this mystery is left as such – most likely for the next season to unravel.

SOUND

3rei’s opening track starts off in a rather intriguing way with the rising tone and vocalist – before immediately dropping for a moment. Then, once the piece officially starts, the acoustic guitar, steady beat, and continued vocal work carry it along. The piece gets stronger in the second half when the violins kick in and the background choir has more of a stage presence (relevant phrase here), so, overall, it’s a solid song to lead with.

The ending track gets groovier, mixing a slight techno feel with a pop-like composition. Some quick lyrical sections, futuristic drums, and harmonizing form an odd piece that may not fit 3rei itself but still manages to come off as catchy and interesting.

However, per usual, the voice-acting performances are the strongest part of the sound department. Everyone reprises their roles again, such as Mai Kadowaki as Illya with her frantic reactions and Noriaki Sugiyama as Shirou giving his ultimate speech. The newcomers are worthy of praise, too. Especially Mariya Ise as Tanaka for her teasing behavior and Sumire Morohoshi as Erica for her embarrassment and general cuteness.

While the original soundtrack is what it is, the sound-effects are more noteworthy. The different blades, chains, magics, actions, and abilities come off as a lot more impactful thanks to the sound design supporting it all.

ENJOYMENT

I’ll be totally honest; I am only watching this series because I am already this far into it.

I like the Fate universe, but more so the main characters from it rather than the spin-off ones here. Illya is funny, Kuro is cool, and Miyu is cute, but I am never actively impressed by them, and I do not bring them up within other discussions.

This season once again had very little of Bazett and next to no mention of Leysritt – my two favorite characters from the series. Angelica, Tanaka, and Erica were a few of the new characters introduced. Angelica is attractive, Tanaka is fun, and Erica is cute (this trio somewhat like the main trio), but, again, they are characters I do no particularly care for.

The fights have their spectacle, the small Fate references are neat, and the slice-of-life segments are funny when they want to be. I very much liked the stuffed-animal arc for how silly it all was. But the show overall did not do enough to get me invested in the cast or the plight at large.

What is amazing to me is that, even after this season (and given how the promotional video was just released), the anime is not done. It has a whole movie left to give, and I wouldn’t be surprised if another season was in the works, too.

Given how it ended – the Ainsworth family were not fully defeated, Tanaka is still an enigma, Shirou and Miyu were just about to explain their own story – it’s essentially required to have a continuation. And, despite me not liking the anime that much, I’ll be there. I have come this far already; there’s no sense in backing away now.

Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 3rei!! is more of the same. An action-filled plot, pretty art, weak characters, passable music, and not enough to invest in. At least it didn’t have to walk around with a meter stick.

SUMMARY

Story: Bad, a theme on going back to one’s roots exists, but the interrupted fights, the too-convenient plot points, and the repeated overall motivation only get in the way

Animation: Good, okay artistic direction, nice character designs, and above average actual animation

Characters: Bad, Illya, Kuro, and Miyu don’t have much going for them this time around, and the new Ainsworth villains are not the most thrilling

Sound: Fine, okay OP, okay ED, okay OST, nice sound-effects, and above average VA performances

Enjoyment: Bad, just in it for the long haul at this point

Final Score: 4/10

This is the fourth installment of the spinoff series focusing around Illya, who is a magical girl. I'm going to review only the third fourth seasons, as I actually thought the first two seasons were good for what they were. Especially the second season, I found it to be a much better sequel than I was anticipating. As for the third and fourth...not so much. I'm not going to spend a lot of time on the third season, but basically, the first 6 episodes are a nonfactor. If you didn't already know that illya was a magical girl, you'd basically never would have figured it out untilepisode 7, since the first 6 episodes are just mindless slice of life stuff. Not to say you can't have slice of life, but try to incorporate it into the actual plot. I mean, the third season is basically split into a slice of life section and an actual plot section. Just a lazy way to make a third season, when the first two seasons actually made sense. Plus, the third season's actual plot is pretty linear, boring, and very predictable. The eighth card they are trying to capture is gilgamesh, but that doesn't really matter. He splits off into a child version, who doesn't really do anything but provide comic relief, and some semblance to plot development I guess? Anyway, Illya blows away the eighth card after some ridiculous powerup. NEXT

The fourth season actually doesn't have a split slice of life part and a serious plot part, which is already an improvement. Which is what you think, but it sucks. The fourth season was bold, the first episode shows a lot of promise, but the episodes that follow fail to live up to the first episode's "oomph." Lots of plot goes on, but the anime still decides to just throw in a bunch of comic relief and "funny scenes." It's not just a couple minutes that this takes up, but rather multiple episodes. As a result, the plot is not developed, the characters that are introduced are soon forgotten until they fulfill their plot role, and in the end, you just have a bunch of characters you barely know influencing the plot and driving it forward. While I don't mind new characters introduced at all, the characters that are introduced just end up forgotten. The girl chasing down the counterfeiters doesn't even appear for like 4-5 episodes... Gilgamesh is probably the best thing that happened to the fourth season. Other than that, the ending is also trash. Rather than just wrapping the story up and answer any questions, they just leave everything the way it is and hope for a next season. Plus, a bunch of out of character bs happens for the sake of plot, and things happen when they shouldn't happen. WOW. ok.

Conclusion of the fourth season:

-new characters just "disappear" until they are needed again

-comic relief covers a few episodes, which make less time for actual plot, so the plot is even less coherent

-Plot twists at the end happen, but they aren't quite good because they don't make a lot of sense, while also simultaneously not wrapping up anything

This season starts with plot right off the bat and never stops. What I mean by this is that, unlike previous seasons, there aren't episodes that feel like "fillers". The art is top notch, specially during action sequences and the sound quality is solid. Overall, it's a good season but there were a few things that left me upset. However they are SPOILERS!!! 1) At some point in the show, Luvia gets her outfit ripped to shreds and basically she goes topless for ages. The way that this is animated makes it impossible for her to have nipples and this really triggers me. Fair enough ifyou want to show cleavage and give some fanservice but make it anatomically plausible.

2) In the Parallel World, we get an older Emiya Shirou. Same full name. Brother of Miyu. Why use the same exact character? Why is he the only one that has a version of himself in this World?

3) The show ends on a very annoying cliffhanger, without any reference to any future release, and they better answer a lot of questions (including the ones above) through the movies.

All things considered, it's a 7/10 from me.

completely honest after watching the series: holy shit this show doesn't make any sense (considering I have only seen stay/night and apocrypha), giving it a 7 sounds completely wrong given this information now, HOWEVER, that's what makes it special. Fitting something as illogical as this into the fate series is funny to me and the story throughout the timeline of the anime was pretty linear luckily. I have no complaints though, it was enjoyable and something I could just watch without needing to pay attention to the story the art was really good, nothing else to say about it. I didn't pay much attention to the sound throughout,it's not something I fuss about (i don't fuss about much, you can probably tell) but I saw no wrong in the sound throughout the show

characters were good (although as I mentioned prior, don't fit at all into the fate timeline I've seen so far) and there was good development (in Chloe and Miyu especially) although something felt slightly hollow (i didn't really care too much though)

fucking loved this series, no complaints at all on enjoyment, I could just watch it without thinking at all and that's something I need more of.

overall 8, I'd watch it again

this is my first review, so don't bully me pls

Reviewer's note: This is my 10h entry into the Fate/Kaled spin-off works (Ilya>Specials>Sekka no Chikai>Undoukai de Dance!>2wei>Specials>Mahou Shoujo in Onsen Ryokou>2wei Herz!>Specials). ✪ Genre: action (swordplay), contemporary fantasy, comedy (facial distortion, funny expressions), magic (circles, spellcasting, magic weapons), mahou shoujo, seinen, superpower (emotions awaken superpowers) with some loli and yuri elements ✔Positive Aspects✔ ◧ Animation: following my review of the 3rd season, the characters' design is even sharper, based on the same combination of colors of moderate to low saturation/medium to high lumination, with the urban environment and the urban landscapes being a little more muted in comparison. ◧ Comedic sequences: even though they are not as frequent orhilarious as in the previous 3 seasons, they nevertheless continue to be entertaining. They, mostly, revolve around our 5 protagonists (7 if you count the sticks) with the addition of 3 new deuteragonists and 3 new antagonists (technically, there's only one new), taking place in the same elementary school (kinda) and the antagonist's castle.

◧ Fan service: is always welcome, even though it is not as frequent or as captivating as in the previous 2 seasons - some loli-/yuri- based interactions and some ecchi-based interactions (e.g. pantsu, semi-nude breasts, buttocks fondling).

◧ Character development: despite its faster, combat-heavy pace, the season does a decent job at building the new antagonists, while being more conservative with the new deuteragonists. To be honest, this aspect of the series barely registers as a positive one.

✘Negative Aspects✘

◧ Action scenes: as I've reiterated, ever since the Sekka no Chikai movie, Silver Link has been consistently putting out crisper action sequences, clearly chasing after Ufotable's remarkable work in UBW & F/Z. Specifically, it does a good job using various camera perspectives (first-person, second-person, third-person) coupled with different camera 'heights' and quick zoom-ins/outs. Once again, the studio is not able to choreograph and polish its action sequences as impressively as Ufotable has. Another problematic element, which is also present in the 3rd season, is the unmistakably shounen-ish vibe that they give. These sequences are not as violent or back and forth as the sequences of the first 2 seasons.

◧ Plot: even though this season is way more action-packed than the 2nd and 3rd season, it does not really balance out its dramatic, comedic, and action sequences as well. Since most of this series' story is wrapping up, the season is busy leading the audience from fight to fight, from new deuteragonists to new antagonists, fixing up some major plot holes, while opening up some smaller ones.

◧ Soundtrack: following the 3rd season, this season's collection also consists of silly-sounding tracks to electronic music during the comedic sequences, new age piano/new age orchestral tracks during the more dramatic scenes, and, mostly, electronic music during the action scenes. Nothing really popped, most felt very generic and low-key for my taste.

Overall: This season does suffer from the same issues as the 2nd and 3rd season, resulting in a somewhat better than average anime.

P.S. For further reviews of the Fate franchise, please take a look at my profile.