Fate/strange Fake: Whispers of Dawn

In the American city of Snowfield, a new Holy Grail War is about to erupt. Such ruthless confrontations pit against each other magic experts known as magi, who ascend to the status of Master by summoning Servants—heroic spirits of the past. The winner is thought to have any one of their wishes granted.

However, it appears that the organization behind the present situation has merely managed to create an imperfect copy of the Third Holy Grail War. As the unusual ritual catches the attention of the Mage's Association in London, Flatt Escardos, the young apprentice of Lord El-Melloi II—a former participant of the Fourth Holy Grail War—travels to Snowfield and, to the great dismay of his teacher, joins the ranks of the Masters.

In this fake conflict where the line between Masters and Servants is blurred, the different factions will have a hard time preventing the city of Snowfield from plunging into total chaos.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Gilgamesh Main

Seki, Tomokazu Japanese

Enkidu Main

Kobayashi, Yuu Japanese

Escardos, Flatt Main

Matsuoka, Yoshitsugu Japanese

Assassin Main

Lynn Japanese

Chelc, Tine Main

Morohoshi, Sumire Japanese

Jack the Ripper Main

Horiuchi, Kenyuu Japanese

Reeve, Orlando Main

Hatano, Wataru Japanese

Caster Main

Morikubo, Shoutarou Japanese

Velvet, Waver Supporting

Namikawa, Daisuke Japanese

Gray Supporting

Kurosaki, Shizuka Producer

Fujita, Sachio Producer

Enokido, Shun Director, Episode Director, Storyboard, In-Between Animation, Key Animation, 2nd Key Animation

Sakazume, Takahito Director, Episode Director, Storyboard, In-Between Animation, 2nd Key Animation, Key Animation

Reviews

Nov 2, 2023

whiteflame55

Recommended

This series has surprises in store, even as it throws in a few familiar faces to keep things grounded. It also features some stellar animation in its fight scenes and backgrounds, really showcasing the budget A-1 Pictures brought to bear, even if it still feels a far cry from the many strengths of Ufotable's run with the series. It doesn't help that, during some of its quieter moments, this series makes some really odd and off-putting animation choices, and I just generally find it hard to get used to the way they've designed faces. Maybe that's just me.

Anyway, with a 55 minute runtime, this was ... always going to be limited in what it could produce. I think it's a bit manic to be honest - it feels like it's trying to cover so much ground that it lacks any kind of dive into these characters and who they are. We have seen almost all of the servants at this point, but with only three identified and few of their masters having any real examination, there's a lot of ground to cover. This series ends up feeling like it's full of possibilities with its large and diverse cast, but has barely started flexing its muscles yet. It's still worth the watch - I'm personally very excited to see where this series will take me - but for now, it feels like we're just getting started.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by whiteflame55 (393)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Nov 23, 2025

KizuSkip

Mixed Feelings

Fate/Strange Fake is one of the most awaited installments in the Fate series to be brought to life through animation. The light novel is very well liked and it is only natural that expectations for the anime are high. Not to mention Ufotable's very well known adaptations of other Fate works.

Condensing an entire light novel volume into one hour can work but overall the biggest issues for this adaptation is that it feels as if it's too rushed. It doesn't give you enough time to properly get to know the characters and there is little to no breathing room. This is something Ufotable's adaptations of ... Fate/Zero and Fate/Stay Night have done much better.

The artstyle and animation are the strongest points.

Other than the superficial, this serves as an introduction and setup episode for the anime. The most important characters are given the focus they deserve even if the less important ones aren't handled too well.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by KizuSkip (1)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Jan 2, 2026

LevixAckerman

Not Recommended

Funny

Honestly, I had high expectations for this title, as the Fate franchise includes several very good anime entries. Unfortunately, both the technical execution and the storytelling in this work fall well short of those expectations. The animation overall feels underdeveloped: movements are often choppy, character faces are missing or only partially rendered, and still frames are used repeatedly. The audio quality is also unconvincing. Lip syncing is inconsistent, with dialogue frequently not properly matched to mouth movements, which further weakens the overall presentation.

In terms of content, the story closely follows the familiar Fate series formula centered around the Holy Grail War. While there are minor ... deviations, such as changes to the rules or the setting, these offer little in the way of fresh ideas. Additionally, both the narrative structure and many of the summoned servants are already familiar from previous installments, giving the work little sense of individuality.

Conclusion: Fate/strange Fake: Whispers of Dawn serves as an introduction to the recently released anime. However, since its animation, style, and shortcomings are nearly identical to those of the film, this prologue offers little added value. For this reason, I see no reason to continue with the full anime adaptation.

>>Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, as long as it is expressed politely and objectively<<

Reviewer’s Rating: 2

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by LevixAckerman (28)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Fate Franchise

by real_hide

34 Entries · 4 Restacks

Anime 2026

by TSchimit

19 Entries · 3 Restacks

Fate Order

by NicoIsCool

47 Entries · 15 Restacks

Recommendations

Light Novel 'Fate/strange Fake' Gets TV Anime [Update 7/2]

The world premiere of the Fate/strange Fake: Whispers of Dawn anime special at Anime Expo 2023 announced a television anime for Ryohgo Narita's Fate/strange Fa...read more

Jul 1, 2023 8:43 PM by DatRandomDude | Discuss (23 comments)

Summer 2023 Simulcast List [Update 7/15]

In this thread, you'll find a comprehensive list of television anime acquired for simulcast release during the Summer 2023 season. Anime series licensed for hom...read more

Jun 29, 2023 4:31 AM by Snow | Discuss (30 comments)

	Poll: Fate/strange Fake: Whispers of Dawn Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 ) deg - Jul 2, 2023	196 replies	by SouthRzVa »» 10 hours ago
	New song ShepardUA - Jan 5	2 replies	by Spoopy69 »» Jan 6, 11:56 PM
	Ruler class youchl - Jul 17, 2023	11 replies	by youchl »» Jul 23, 2024 10:31 AM
	Poll: Ive only seen Fate Zero both seasons KyoukaTari - Sep 4, 2023	15 replies	by salad77 »» Jul 23, 2024 10:28 AM
	Fate/strange fake TV series confirmed truth999 - Jul 1, 2023	30 replies	by sadfacelv »» Apr 30, 2024 5:44 AM