| Episodes: 1 | Score: 8.0 (206769)
Updated every at | Status: Finished Airing
Type: TV Special
Producers:Aniplex | Notes
Synopsis
In Fuyuki City, a long-lived ritual involving battles between seven magi and their servants is taking place. This ritual is known as the Holy Grail War and it promises to grant the victor any wish. With the war now entering its fifth iteration, the stage is set for Rin Toosaka to succeed her father's legacy. Rin wishes to summon Saber, said to be the most powerful class. But when she miscalculates and summons Archer instead, how will she fare in the battles that lie ahead of her? [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Voice Actors
Suwabe, Junichi
Ueda, Kana
Reviews
nashyyyyyyy
I am very much hyped for what this series has to offer. I am starting off with this prologue but I can see why ufotable is so highly regarded. The animation was crisp and clean, flashy but effective. I think that Rin, from what I have seen is a bearable tsundere. None of the characters struck me in a negative light so thats nice. The plot is clearly missing things however, I haven't seen fate/zero so this whole "holy grail" stuff does not really make a whole lot of sense for me. I think that Archer and Rin have shown a good character dynamic thatis one of respect for one another and was well-written. Which leads me to believe that the series will have similarly good writing as we go forward. Obviously I have yet to see, but world-building and plot introduction was very clear and well done, which I hold highly in regard, especially for a prologue to a series. I at least know the basics of what the situation is, what powers are available, and what the power-scaling looks like. I would definitely recommend you to watch, an enjoyable usage of 51 minutes. On to ubw season one now. 8/10
FAKECROSS97
Well, well, well, if it isn't Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works - Prologue. Let's see, where do I begin with this one? First off, the story is just fantastic, isn't it? I mean, who doesn't love a good old-fashioned tale of magical battles and heroic quests? And the way the plot is executed in this anime is simply flawless. It's so predictable and clichéd, but that's what makes it so darn enjoyable, am I right? And let's not forget the main characters. Oh boy, they are just a joy to watch. I mean, who needs complex and nuanced personalities when you can have stereotypical archetypes? The stoicand brooding hero, the spunky and optimistic heroine, the wise and powerful mentor...it's like a checklist of anime character tropes. In conclusion is a true masterpiece of mediocrity. If you're looking for a forgettable and unremarkable anime to kill some time with, then this is the one for you. But if you're looking for something with depth and substance, well, you might want to look elsewhere.
NealTenshio
I don't think I've ever seen an action scene as good as the one that I've seen from here. The part that I enjoy the most is just the straight up choreophraphy. The art and animation alone, especially for an action scene as intense as this, raises my enjoyment and score so high. This is just the prologue, and comes out with a bang. It sets the tone for the rest the series. Rin is such a likeable character and it's nice to get to finally see her side of the story while these events are happening. Archer comes off as a badass, reliable, andextremely likeable. As well as Lancer. So when they engage in a fight, it's epic. I still remember the soundtrack in my head because it matches so well with the scenes. In fact this set the bar so high, that I was a little bit disappointed when Lancer and Archer inevitably fought each other again later on in the series, because that had less close-combat choreography. You can look at my score for the first and second season to know what I ultimately thought of them. But I really like this prologue, and I think it pushed my expectations a little higher than it should've. You do get some more epic scenes later on in the series, but I thought there were going to be more and on this level. For this prologue alone, I rate it a 9/10.
BabyGirl06301
I don't really know how to review this one, single episode, but I'll do my best. First and foremost: ARCHER. AND. RIN. ARE. SO. DAMN. CUTE. Okay, moving on. I should preface this by saying I watched the 2006 Fate/stay night series that follows Shirou before I began this series. And, honestly, I don't think that was mistake at all. In the first series, Shirou--much like the viewer--has no idea what's going on, what the Grail Wars are, and who this random blonde chick is that popped up in front of him. For me, it was beneficial to learn the rules alongside Shirou because now Ican watch Rin's side of the story without also wondering what she knows that I don't. I will say, obviously, the animation seriously improved in the seven years between the 2006 series and UBW. I can't really say much else, yet, as this is only one episode, but I'm excited to see the story unfold from Rin and Archer's POVs. Somehow I'm not annoyed by having to watch essentially the same story a second time. Maybe because Fate/stay night is just THAT good.
Seidai
This prologue of Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works doesn't really deserve to be it's own separate release. It's still as enjoyable as you would expect however. Because this is only a single 'episode', I will try to keep this review concise. The story is basically trying to be a somewhat short introduction to Unlimited Blade Works, and it does it's job just fine. It's nothing outstanding, but the story itself is enjoyable in it's own right. The animation and sound are, again, incredibly impressive and they really carry this anime and all of it's different iterations to entirely different degree of 'epicness'. It improves the enjoyment by aton. Overall you will obviously enjoy this if you like any of the other Fate iterations, or if you want to watch some excellent action combined with one of the best, if not the best, animations and a stunning soundtrack.
GarlandReese
Oh, dear- is this REALLY being treated as a stand-alone release? *sigh*. Okay, "Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works - Prologue" is an Episode 00 of the series "Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works". It takes us through Episode 01, and a bit before, through the eyes of Rin. We get a nice sample of what's to come. Great art. Great effects. A good battle scene. Some character depth. It's a nice way of easing into this after you watch "Fate/Zero". I enjoyed it. Kept me interested enough to continue with the rest of the show. So, yeah... good prologue. Watch it before you start the restof the series. Sub vs. Dub? Either or. 8/10. Check it out. Can't believe I reviewed this...
For_Reign
I have been waiting to watch this for some time now and I finally got to do so. Let's start here with a review of the prologue. I've seen STUDIO DEEN's take on the Fate/Stay Night series and the route they too in that regard. I have to be honest and say that I quite enjoyed STUDIO DEEN's version so imagine my hype when I was about to delve into ufotable's great job on this, Fate/stay nihgt's second route, UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS. The Prologue is great! It gives you an artistically beautiful introduction to the world of Fate/stay night, to the main characters and through thepoint of view of Toosaka and details concerning her summoning of Archer and conversations that were not found in any of the other versions of Fate/stay night. Almost going to the end of this 51 minute introductory episode, a battle ensues and such beauty and power to be viewed.. spectacular. The prologue alone was enough to get me to delve into the world of Fate/Stay night. I knew this would be one of the best. THank you ufotable & Type-moon!
AmbiguousMonster
Going into this anime, my expectations were very high. Normally I can manage them, but having immersed myself in the world of Kinoko Nasu through his masterful "Garden of Sinners" series and Gen Urobuchi's prequel Fat/Zero, I truly wanted this to be the definitive version of Fate/Stay Night. This prologue, if it can be believed, met my high expectations. It follows the adventures of Rin Tohsaka, a high school student descended from a long line of mages, and her summoning of her Archer servant. The episodes begins rather slowly, mirroring Rin's initial drowsiness, yet succeeds in establishing her character with minimal words; her mannerisms, expressions andtreatment of others are sufficient exposition to display her character, and this characterization extends beyond just her. This school itself, due to masterful lighting and shading techniques, is portrayed as a safe, carefree environment where teenagers can gossip, laugh and enjoy themselves. The side characters are serviceable here, never becoming obnoxious, and serving as further foil for Rin, though they're too minor to seriously improve or ruin the episode. Another aspect that deserves praise is how much expression the characters have, which was admittedly a weaker point for both "The Garden of Sinners" and "Fate/Zero". This makes the characters seem more lively, helping to increase the prominence of character traits, ranging from Archer's calm and sardonic attitude to Rin's more flippant and demanding demeanour. Throughout the episode, the other characters aren't given much spotlight, as this is clearly the Rin and Archer show. However, the audience probably have an idea of who to keep an eye out for in the following episodes, as, like a good murder mystery, all the relevant, and some irrelevant, characters are at least given a cameo (with one exception). Hence, though the episodes is mostly warm and intimate, there is still a feeling of something dark bubbling deep beneath... As many are aware, Ufotable are the masters of atmosphere, subtly lacing many scenes with a small does of appropriate seriousness, comedy or danger. But, moving away from subtlety, the action sequence at the end is simply a jaw-dropping spectacle. It features more gradients than the average mountain, more fluidity than water and more impact than a sledge-hammer. Not only is it a visual spectacle, but a directorial one as well. Like Rin, Lancer is given character through his movements alone; bestial and confident, yet fast and sharp. His battle style contrasts the much more snaky and agile approach of Zero's Lancer through a display of fast and furious lunges and slashes. The battle's intelligence not only resides in the individual character movements, but their interaction with each other. For example, Archer is show to be hiding his techniques while trying to find Lancer's weak point, trying to stay alive and make sure not to provoke him into attacking Rin. This style of fighting more clearly reflects how experienced veterans would actually duel, and makes for some immensely satisfying viewing. The voice actors help the drama seem real, having matured into their roles through the Studio deen adaptations and Visual novel voice-overs. Needless to say, they have never sounded better. I sincerely hope the English Dub can do this series justice, as I believe it has great mainstream potential, even to those who have never seen a Type-Moon project or, indeed, any anime, before. The episode ends on a high, yet satisfying note, assuring fans and promising audiences that this was what the had been waiting for. Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works' Prologue is a fantastic introduction in both characterization and tone of what is sure to be one of the biggest animes of the year.
PhysiquedParrot
This is my first review on MAL so bear with me. Having not seen any of the fate/ series until just a day ago, i had no idea what the series was about. Having watched fate/zero this made me all the more excited to see this special. ART 7/10 What really got me about the series is the art and animation- the animation is simply beautiful and the color palette is amazing. The fight scenes were beautifully done and blended together really well Sound 6/10 Nothing amazing to speak of apart from the fact the first 2 seconds were enough to make me stay for the rest of thecredits. The music with the summoning was done really well and the battle scenes never felt out of place with the music that was overlapping. Enjoyment 7/10 As i previously said, being new to the Fate series, this special was quite enjoyable and left me wanting more(cue season 1) and more. Definitely one of the best specials i have seen. Story 6/10 The story for this was paced extremely well. We got to know the background to the characters and why they are participating in the Holy Grail War, yet it kept enough mystery to make you want to watch the next episode. Once again, i feel like this special was extremely well paced and i can not wait to watch the rest. Overall i give it a solid 7.5/10. I went in not expecting anything more than a regular special and i was eating my words by the end of it.
Drizzy_Dan
This was my first time watching the Fate/ series. Fate/Stay Night UBW has exceptional animation and illustration. To go along with great animation the anime showed off great action and enjoyable characters. The purpose of the show is clear from the prologue, Holy Grail War where a wish gets granted to the winner, but I don't quite get the main character's real purpose. The main character is a schoolgirl who seems to not know much but really she's an awesome mage and a nice girl whose servant, Archer, is also a major badass with a mysterious identity that hasn't been revealed yet. He wields two bladesbut can summon a vast amount even though he's an Archer class servant which I found very interesting. It was a good way to make you want more from the show. Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works: 8/10 (Very Good)
aikojazz
I have been waiting for this ever since Fate/Zero ended.. Even though I didn't play the visual novel I do know there are 3 main storyline / endings - Fate (which is adapted into Fate/stay night anime), Unlimited Blade Works (have been adapted into movie, but feels too rushed to tell the whole story) and Heaven's Feel (the movie is coming soon). The first series caught me and I am curious how the other endings be.. anyway, here is my impression on the prologue or episode 0 from Unlimited Blade Works series. Story 8/10 Being a prologue, this episode is LONG. Having more than 40 minutes toplay with, we have a lot of leisure time to develop. It is from Rin's perspective, which is to my delight, since the first season focuses more on Shiro. The story in this episode may seem like a normal slice of life. However with this premise I feel the story flows more naturally, introducing characters one by one as Rin explores the school. It also reveals more of how Rin and Archer meet and their bonding. Art 10/10 Ufotable, you never fail to amaze me. Fate/Zero was enough to blow me away, and this is a whole new level up. Flawless animation with a lot of minor details.. with nice color combinations pleasing to your eyes, very very thin lineart which makes the characters fit better into the intricately drawn background... The fight scene between Archer and Lancer was awesome. One of the best animation I've seen so far this year. The character design have slight changes compared to the first season, but I feel it is for the better. I have high expectations before watching and finding myself squealing at how perfect the art is. I hope they will keep up the standard for the series.. Sound 8/10 Honestly I focused too much on the visual when watching rather than the sound, but it does help building up the atmosphere and mood for certain scenes. The voice actors/actresses are still the same and they played their characters well as usual. The ending song is quite nice but I'm not sure if they are going to use the same song for the series. Character 9/10 We got to know better about Rin and Archer in this episode.. a bit backstory on Rin, how she feels and her motivation about this Holy Grail War. I find it cute to see her girly and shy/blushing side which was not so obvious in the previous installments. So far I am satisfied on how they interact with each other, from quarreling then start to accept each other. I hope more characters can play more roles in this prologue, but well.. I guess as the series goes we will eventually see more of the others. Enjoyment 9/10 I really like this prologue. It is beautiful, and a nice introduction to magic / mana, the Holy Grail War and touch a bit on the servants, especially for those new to Fate/stay night.
Brynhild
3 words: Archers vs. Lancer. Ever since Fate/Zero, I had grown to be ever so in love with the Fate/ series. Naturally, I was ecstatic upon hearing that Fate/stay night would get a remake to follow the Unlimited Blade Works route. In this 50 minute prologue, it was a great introduction into the series, whether you are a long term fan, or if you are new to the series. It introduces you to the main focus of the route, Rin and Archer, and gives a basic explanation regarding what the Holy Grail War is. It leaves a lasting impression and makes the viewer want more right there. Theone thing that left me anxious was the change in composers. The prestigious Yuki Kajiura that composed Fate/Zero's OST, among others, was not apart of Fate/stay night. In her place, composer Hideyuki Fukasawa stepped up to the plate. And I must say, he did a good job on it. As expected from Ufotable, the animation is top notch and it really shows in areas such as the Archer vs Lancer fight, and when magic is being used. The lighting, scenery, and effects are all well balanced and leave the overall look feeling very crisp and fluid. Overall, I believe that this series will live up to the hype it has received and despite some minor flaws which will be fixed on the BluRays, this series started out with a bang. I cannot wait to purchase it.
Otakusoulemotion
This definitely exceeded my expectations. It was adapted to the prologue of the visual novel very nicely. All aspects including the animation, art, BGM and ambience/atmospheric feel were all executed superbly within the hour. Even for this first episode, the animated fight scenes had me blown away already. Simple character movements such as dashing or leaping and sophisticated mechanics such as momentum or speed were presented in an unbroken and uncluttered manner, allowing viewers to be able to follow every action happening in each scene or frame and hence, be entranced in the battle sequences the entire time. Ufotable have also done an amazing job withthe selection of the dialogue to be presented or omitted. The character interaction and development between Tohsaka Rin and Archer definitely does this justice and speaks for itself. Not to mention, all characters were voiced perfectly. The choice of sound effects and background music provided a reminiscent feel of Fate Stay Night and Fate/Zero but still remained fresh as is appropriate for this new adaptation. Overall, the mood and setting for the anime was well established within the hour as seen from the perspectives of the "Red Flower" and "Nameless Hero". Such amaze. Much wow. So excite.
Jmac
My first review on MAL since EVER! Being a fan of the VN for some time now and looking back at the horrid adaptions that came with Studio Deen, could see why some people would be turned way from anything related to Type-Moon. I rated the 2006 highly at first, because I didn't read the source material. But after reading the VN, I dropped the Deen produced verison, because I felt they didn't do the VN any justice at all. The chopped, hodge-podge of mess made me think that FSN ran it's course and no one would give it's adaption it right deserves. Ufotable is nostranger to Type-Moon works; adapting F/Z and Kara no Kyoukai into masterpieces that portray the messages it's creators wanted into a different medium to reach the people who aren't familiar with the source. So, ufotable adapted 2 hour long prologue (by my reading) into a 45 minute OVA. The result: //head explodes. Art and animation was very fluid. The battle between Archer and Lancer was animated so well that it seemed like it came from the VN in terms of epicness. They kept to the story to almost a T. Showing the slice of life Rin, before she became a master and following the troubles she causes afterwards. A lot of internal monologue from the VN was cut, but the overall plot wasn't effected. That impressed me. Character development between Rin and Archer was scripted really well. Writers did take care into strengthen Rins bonds with Archer given the amount of time they had. Props for that. My only qualm was the music. For nostalgic sake I was hoping they use more tracks from the VN, but this only nit picking on my part. Overall the music was outstanding as it set the mood to whatever situation the characters were in. Overall, very good job on ufotable keeping true to the source material. I didn't this review to be a comparison between the VN and this OVA/Special, but wanted to dispel any doubts anyone may have if they're new to the series or the VN purists who were turned off from the 2006. Granted, the show hasn't aired yet, but given what I've seen from the prologue, I believe FSN is in good hands. In a nutshell: Type-Moon + ufotable = EPIC! 'nuff said.
amirhoss
Here we are with another positive review for Ufotable and it’s Type-Moon works…and well, they deserve it. Once again they shown their strength with great care and attention and brought it all to life this time with Fate Stay Night’s Second Route – Unlimited Blade Works, focusing on Rin Tohsaka specially for this prologue. So naturally this episode starts with her, focusing on what’s going on with her life and what’s about to happen so it prepares you for the fifth Holy Grail War. This long episode dubbed as episode 0 (smart move) tries to make you ready for what is about to come andas a prologue it really covers what needs to be covered very well. Just like previous wars, there has to a summoning ritual first. After the introductions we get the famous summoning scene and Rin's banter with her new servant Archer. Story telling here is simply amazing and there is a good flow and order for events. We get to know Rin, those around her and her desires, plus we are fed with information about how things work which is very helpful if you are new to the fate universe, and it all ends with what Rin desired the most…Saber. (also nitpickers can't say why Rin screwed up her summoning because even that is covered) Plus the attention to some details is already easily noticeable in the story and also visually.We are treated with a good orchestrated fight scene and on top of that it is visually a pleasure to watch as well even if you already know what will happen plus we get to see an encounter filled with spoiler(depends how you think about it) too! as you can expect from Ufotable the animation quality is great and far above the standards, it’s smooth, Dark with some sharp lights and effects although some character designs feel a little off but it’s still close and hopefully budget issues won't become a problem in the future.(like some quality drops in some of Fate/zero episodes just so they could save their efforts for battles). as for voice acting Fate has an strong cast so no one should worry about that. About the OP song to be honest I didn’t enjoy it as I think I would but it is still solid. you might noticed that the music tries to stay true to the feeling of Fate/zero at least (done by the legendary Yuki Kajiura) and it is a great thing since it makes the bond it has with it's prequel even stronger and yet it doesn't just rely on that so props to Hideyuki Fukasawa. also looking forward to Kalafina's ED (not in Episode 0) Basically while this episode is satisfying for Fate fans (well at least as long as you don’t hate Rin) it can also be good for newcomers although I am not suggesting to start from here but if you do you can probably handle it and it won’t be that much confusing. If you are new you might think there is already a movie for this, well we (most of us anyway) pretend that’s not true since it is done by studio DEEN. While it might be considered good on it’s own it leaves lots of things out of it so just watch this one and focus on the TV version done by Ufotable (there is also Fate/stay Night anime that focuses on the first Route of the Visual novel but again Studio DEEN didn’t do it justice, I suggest you read the Visual Novel for that but it’s not bad on it’s own, until you read the visual novel that is then it might make you angry). Anyway whether you are an anime fan or western animation fan this season is great (for example new Fate and new Mushishi for anime fans and Korra Book 4, TMNT S3, Star Wars Rebels! for western animation fans) and hopefully they all will meet the expectations till the end and Fate UBW TV already passed the first test with Episode 0.
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