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- BirthdayApr 13
- LocationTokyo, Japan
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Nov 26, 2025
Season 3 failed the 3-episode test.
It looks like unfinished PowerPoint slides with voices on top. From the moment the trailer dropped, it was obvious that the committee chose the lowest bidder, and JC Staff delivered exactly what that kind of decision leads to. I watched it so you do not have to waste your time.
Movement is stiff, impact is missing, and entire fights feel like involve panning across stills that you often see in slice-of-life. Nothing hits the way OPM is supposed to hit. The Garou clip was a preview of the overall production value.
People keep attacking the animators, but the real problem is the
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greedy investors maximizing profit and cutting the budget, and above all, handing the show to a studio that was never built for high-intensity action. When you force a complex action series into a one year timeline, this is the outcome. The staff simply never had a chance.
I am giving this a 2 out of 10 because it fails at even the basic expectations for this franchise. The story deserves better. The characters deserve better. The fans deserve better. If you were hoping for a comeback after Season 2, this is not it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
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Sep 18, 2025
I binged the entire series in three days and caught this movie in Japanese theatres. Honestly, it suffers from major pacing issues. If this had been presented as episodic anime, it might have worked fine. But as a film, I expected a consistent flow from start to finish; but that just wasn’t there.
The biggest problem is the sheer number of flashbacks. Flashbacks can be powerful when used sparingly, like for a last-minute reveal or portraying a character’s dying thoughts. Here, they’re constant, and some drag on for what feels like 10 minutes or more. At one point in the middle of an intense action scene,
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we suddenly cut to what felt like a 30-minute flashback. It kills the tension completely.
I’ve watched hundreds of films in the same theatre, and this was the first time I felt physically restless halfway through because the pacing was that off. There was even a point midway where it felt like the movie was over, simply because the tension had dropped to zero, and not in a comedic or intentional way.
The story and visuals are still solid, but as a theatrical experience, this installment falls short compared to the rest of the series. The music, however, was epic as ever; as a music producer, I really appreciated how it was used to build atmosphere. People around me were crying because they were moved by the touching scenes, which speaks to how powerful the score was despite the pacing flaws.
Not recommended for cinema. Better to watch it at home, in bits and pieces with toilet breaks (come to think of it, many people were taking toilet breaks).
Score Breakdown:
- Story: 7/10 (dragged down by excessive flashbacks and poor pacing)
- Animation: 9/10 (Ufotable’s visuals remain top-tier)
- Sound: 10/10 (epic score, excellent atmosphere)
- Character: 4/10 (only a handful were properly portrayed; the rest were sidelined with minimal screentime outside the intro and finale)
- Enjoyment: 5/10 (moments of brilliance, but hard to sit through as a film)
Overall: 6/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jul 28, 2023
The movie feels like a series of short stories forcibly strung together with unrelated characters. I expect that there is some abstract meaning to it, but it was not obvious to me as an average moviegoer. The protagonist, while not very vocal, is unusually perceptive and somehow recognizes those seemingly unrelated characters and matches them with actual people he knows, which always turn out to be correct guesses. In the abrupt end, I was filled with more questions about the motivations and aftermath of what happened to the sub characters. Unlike the other Ghibli films that teaches a moral or converses a message, I didn't
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get what was supposed to be the point of this movie.
That said, the animation and sound are all on point which makes this a pleasing experience for the eyes and ears, but not quite brain. I would recommend it if you love Ghibli films and have 2 hours to kill.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jan 14, 2021
Forgot to write a review for this one, but the story was not as good as Babylonia since it's split into two. Now, you'd expect that since it's split into two, the story should be slow paced... right?
WRONG! It's very, very fast paced and I felt it was more rushed than any anime I have ever watched. Having played the game and read the story before hand, I could still manage to catch up with it. My poor friend, on the other hand...
I would put the story at 10/10 for FGO players, 7/10 for Fate lovers and maybe 4/10 for people who have no experience.
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This is because they do not even explain a bit of the premise of the story. If you go and watch this without at least watching First Order, you won't understand anything.
As to why I give it a 10 for FGO players, it's because it's the first time in any of the animation that the perspective is shown from an entity (no spoilers) that is not from Chaldea.
Art and Sound: 10/10
It doesn't feel like an anime at all. If I were to draw a comparison, this is very much like Heaven's Feel 1-3. The music, sound effects, and composition just feels very pleasing to the ears and makes your heart beat fast. The IMPACT is overwhelming. Also, there's many famous/popular VAs who have roles in the movie, so it really felt like an AAA film. From the battle scenes to the paintings of food etc, everything is meticulously drawn and animated that it's impossible to find any faults in it. You have to watch it at the theatres to get this experience.
Character: 10/10 for FGO lovers, 7/10 for normal people
It's hard to explain the feeling when you finally get to see your favorite characters animated. Arash for one, was very cool in the movie. He's really like the big brother. I got goosebumps from watching the different characters (yes, the same ones from the game - they didn't cut anyone out).
Enjoyment:
I really enjoyed it overall. For those who are still waiting for the NA release, I suggest watching every other Fate anime while waiting and make sure you catch it in the theatres because the experience is just surreal. Overall, I would recommend this movie to any Fate lovers.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Sep 18, 2020
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
"You don't need me anymore, so let's not meet" - when I heard that, my heart dropped like hers must've did.
I liked the direction. The movie started from the perspective of the great granddaughter of one of Violet's clients, who became entranced after reading the letters much treasured throughout the years. We're shown the cruel reality of dolls being put out of business by advancements in technology, namely the telephone. However, this did not deter our temporary protagonist from travelling to the post office where it all took place, which has been turned into a museum.
The film jumped to Violet's
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perspective at this point, after a brief recap. She had just delivered a song of praise for the seas, in a ceremony so formal I was worried she might be indoctrinated back into the army.
Then just as suddenly, we're shown a flash of the life of a man on an unknown island. It looks post apocalyptic, I wasn't sure it was in the present. The hair and eyes of the male character looked familiar; where have I seen him before? You might already be able to guess his identity based on the trailer, but lots of questions arose. Why didn't he attempt to come back if he was alive? Did he lose his memory? Well, you'll have to watch to find out.
Yulice's (not sure the English spelling) story was also bittersweet, and I liked how Violet's professionalism and weight she put together in their promise helped her make up her mind on giving up on the Major. The regret she shown was very admirable to say the least, as she realised the impossibility to fulfill his final request during the storm.
I can't express my feelings in words now. All in all, the whole framing was so great, everyone was crying throughout the movie. My only qualm is how much Gilbert was romanticized in the anime series, but he is actually a shallow PoS in the movie. Luckily his brother and our dear Hodgins managed to bring him to his senses, else it might've been a sad ending. For that, the only category I won't be rating 10 is Character.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Aug 15, 2020
***THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS***
Art: 10/10
No qualms here. I wish I could draw well enough to illustrate what I saw, so that everyone else can appreciate just how epic it was. I was blown away by how a simple exorcism(?) of Zouken could look so peaceful yet so cool.
Sound: 10/10
Every bgm fit and nothing felt out of place. I particularly appreciated how the sfx illustrated how deadly each attack was, and yet act as a fitting backdrop for those scenes where a character expresses shock or sadness.
Story: 9.5/10
That moment Shirou decided to use Archer's arm. That was where the non-stop action started. Connecting his
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present self to Archer in the future, he saw a mirage of Archer challenging him, "Can you keep up with me?", to which he refuted, "No, can YOU keep up with me?", followed up by the powered-up green Trace On coursing through all his magic circuits.
I thoroughly enjoyed the pacing and the prose. While not nearly non-stop action as I'd have hoped, the slow paced moments were like the silence before the storm. It keeps you on your toes, and many a time I had expected Tohsaka to cower and die then and there - what a brave girl! - but she didn't. There were so many touching moments, such as the entire Shirou vs Heracles scene, where he traced all the way back to Illya's and his past; the trust between Shirou and Rider, leading to the combination of Rho Aias + Rider's Noble Phantasm, which I'll leave it up to you to discover, and Illya's reveal at the end.
The ending did feel a bit rushed though, and slightly anti-climatic, but other than that it was perfect.
Character: 10/10
Heaven's Feel is the arc where everyone reaches their max potential. We're given development for every character, including Kotomine Kirei. During the fist fight with Shirou, he revealed his true motives that he has been reiterating for ages. Not only did they mutually accept each other - something which Kiritsugu couldn't do in Zero - no dirty tricks were used, which was very unlike the Kirei we have been shown.
The same goes for Tohsaka. We're shown how she is unwavering, seemingly uncaring and knowing the right thing to do, as well as fully committing to it. But yet in the end, at the crucial moment, she couldn't.
Similar for Shirou - he was willing to give up everything just to save Sakura. But yet, his wavered before he was about to conjure his final projection, instead choosing "I want to live on",
Enjoyment: 9.5/10
It was a rollercoaster of emotions. What dies might not say dead, and people do not simply die when they are killed. No matter how dead they may look. The final master did his job thoroughly and skipped past the True End into the Good End. All's well that ends well, and we're even given the cameo of some characters from the Clock Tower. There were no plotholes, but maybe just a tad too much plot armour.
Overall: 10/10
I'd recommend everyone to watch this movie. There was also a present at the live screening, which is related to the upcoming FGO movie - stay tuned for the trailer which should be released soon!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Nov 8, 2019
A story of the time Emilia spent with Puck in her home village.
Overall 7/10:
The backstory of Emilia has been very enlightening. Although we did not get the full story of Melakuera as I've heard from the LN readers, I think his current presentation is pretty solid even if we aren't informed of how he became what he is now. However, there were some pacing issues and overall I enjoyed this less than the Memory Snow OVA.
If you're an EMT fan, I would still recommend to give this a watch!
Story 8/10:
I liked how the story is conveyed by Emilia's repeated actions. It shows her daily
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life in the village and as if everything she does is normal. The story jumps back and forth in time as we are shown flashbacks to Emilia's past and her dormant powers, which was hinted in the anime as well. The pacing has some issues though - overall I think they fit too much content in 80 min. Some parts went far longer than it should have, and some were over in an instant.
Art 9/10:
I like the details of the flame animations and how Puck's ability was portrayed/animated. The spirits were also nicely animated - they are shown to be sentient and react to the people around them. The detail of how the ice became blood red by draining the blood out of the living creature sent shivers down my spine - it was so beautiful yet horrific.
Sound 9/10:
I didn't feel like any sound was out of place, so overall it must have been great.
Character 8/10:
We're introduced to the people of the village and how they shun Emilia because she's an elf of the forest, at the start of the movie. Even with the hood that hides her identity, they could tell that she's an elf. I liked how the general store manager was portrayed - a caring old man but yet very human (as he is), acting in self-interest and also fearing the Witch.
The Melakuera also makes his appearance, and although his backstory was not shown, we get that he is an ally of justice or at least a counterforce against evil. I liked how he spoke in ancient Japanese, which goes to show that he is pretty old.
Enjoyment 7/10:
Remember I said I liked Emilia's repeated actions? But I certainly did not enjoy the repeated fights that were basically two monsters blasting powers at each other. It reminds me a lot of Dragon Ball or Digimon. No strategy involved, just pure bruteforce and the power of will/friendship. There was no fun in most of the fights, though we do get character development during then. I think the main problem is the lack of hype and tension building.
One thing I enjoyed - and I'm sure everyone else did - was when Puck let his guard down when he accidentally hurt Emilia's feelings. Watch it to find out how it went!
Also, I liked the text that flashed between scenes that shows Puck's and Emilia's internal monologue. Though we only had like 2 seconds to read 50 Japanese characters, it was sufficient to grasp the keywords of each message.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Oct 11, 2019
A tale of experiencing first love for the second time, and that of losing sight of what you once dreamt of.
Firstly, the synopsis is not that accurate. This is not a story of time travel, nor did Aoi only start to fall in love upon meeting the Shinno from 13 years ago.
The movie starts with Aoi plugging in her earphones to practice her bass, drowning out all sounds. I feel that that is a nice touch. We are then gradually introduced to the other characters and how Aoi feels about them. There was also a flashback of her past which explains why the two
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sisters are living together, when Shinno suddenly appears.
Story: 10/10
There were some twists that I've never expected. At first, I thought only Aoi could see Shinno, but it turned out that everyone could see him too. They called him an Ikiryou (a spirit that is left behind when the living passes on) at the start, and I thought that that was the case too, when Aoi ran home to Akane and asked her for more details about Shinno - to which her reply was "I don't know whether he is even living or dead", which cemented my belief until minutes later when Shinnosuke appeared on the Enka stage as a guitarist.
What happens when you meet face-to-face with your past self? That was the other big twist that I did not expect. Watch it to find out!
The story built up emotions leading to that scene from the ominous cave to the landslide to the sealed guitar and to the meeting, and the tension - emotions at an all-time high was kept at that plateau for the rest of the movie. It was truly a work of art.
Art: 9/10
My first thought was that the older Nakamura looked like Poppo from AnoHana, but it turned out that they were different persons. Each scene, though ordinary somehow managed to look special while being not overtly imposing. I liked how the director transitioned from showing a dull welcoming scene to the appearance of a very flashy Nitobe, and how the camera slowly pans to the right to reveal the older Shinnosuke. That said though, while the art was great, it was not particularly outstanding hence the score.
Sound: 9/10
As I have mentioned in the introduction, the touch when earphones are plugged in and when Aoi tries to convey her feelings for the older Shinnosuke was absolutely stunning. Aoi fondly reminds me of K-On! when she plays the bass. I feel that her VA has done a good job in conveying her feelings for Shinno, like how her voice trembled when she spoke to him or that outburst when she found out what Chika has done.
Character: 8/10
Given the number of characters, it can't be helped. Although every character has some development, I feel that they could have given more depth to each of them, particularly the older Shinnosuke and exactly how did he come around. Also, the boy-crazy Chika could have been given more exposition - we never knew if she was telling the truth or not when she claimed that 'nothing happened', because we only have an idea of what's her personality like.
Enjoyment: 8/10
Overall, I enjoyed the movie enough to write such a long review about it. Even after watching the epilogue however, I am left with more questions that I had at the start and I think that this movie would have a better reception had it launched as an anime series instead.
Overall verdict: 8/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Sep 8, 2019
There is no crime without a motive.
In this anime, it doesn't matter who or how someone committed a crime. It is not your usual detective anime, unless you're very well-versed in the Type Moon franchise, it is often impossible to pinpoint the culprit.
However, that's where the fun is. Watching Waver solve mysteries and wondering why would the culprit do something like that is all part of the fun. Every episode feels short and I cannot wait for the next week's.
Sound and Art is a solid 10 for me. I enjoy watching the OP and ED every episode, and that says a lot.
Character
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is also 10 so far - this is a minor spoiler, but every character has a role to play, even after their mystery has been solved. That's also what I like about the Fate series - character development for every character. The first half of the anime features original scenes not in the novels, while the second half features the Rail Zeppelin arc in Volumes 4 and 5.
Overall I think this is a successful anime as it has made me buy the novels in order to read the continuations.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 30, 2019
You'll be disappointed if you're expecting a tear-jerker anime like Kimi no Na Wa. However, if you drop all expectations that it will surpass its predecessor, it's quite the masterpiece on its own.
Art 10/10:
Director Shinkai seems to really love Shinjuku station. As someone who has been living at Shinjuku for years, I'd say he really brought out the feel of it - from the moody-looking South Exit to the South-East area where Hodaka camps out at night; to the Kabuki-cho Mcdonalds where he first meets Hina. There's no movie magic in it; the roads and pathways all exist in real life, and the distance
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was well respected. The fantastical art when the supernatural is involved was also as pleasing as it was in his previous works.
Sound 10/10:
I liked it so much I bought the soundtrack immediately after watching it. The insert songs are all great, and the BGM really brings out the mood in each scene.
Story/Character 10/10:
While cliche at parts, I found myself rooting for each of the characters when they were the focus. From the shady-at-first Suga-san to our unlucky Hodaka, to the mysterious Hina and the ambiguous relationship between Natsumi and Suga-san. Even the supporting characters are given personalities, such as the policemen who were worried at first, but became cautiously aggressive after they received a radio call. Every character was there for a reason.
Enjoyment 10/10:
I enjoyed the movie overall. The only qualm I had was that the time skip at the end was done before the credits - it would definitely be more natural if they were to do it after the credits. It wouldn't ruin your enjoyment though, so go out there and give it a chance!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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