Enter, the Queen of Conquerors.
What They Say:
“Rail Zeppelin 2/6 Gordius Wheel and the Memory of the King of Conquerors”
An incident occurs where Trisha Fellows is murdered by someone aboard the Rail Zeppelin. Lord El-Melloi II undertakes the investigation for the case, but Olga-Marie has doubts about his way of life as it is far from how a Mage should act. Meanwhile, Shishigou and Luvia, under Reines’ orders, are conducting their own investigation. The Mystic Eyes Collection Train begins its procession once again, and a mysterious figure appears before Lord El-Melloi II and Gray. The assailant who descends upon the pair with overwhelming power is the materialization of a Heroic Spirit engraved into human history… A Servant.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
I’ve made it no secret that I’ve been less enamored with this little Waver spinoff with each passing episode, and that at this point, I don’t think there’s any chance for it to salvage itself and prove to be a worthy entry in the Fate franchise… though given the fact that I don’t think many of the spinoff anime is worthwhile, that’s not saying much. However, this episode does prove that all its name-dropping of Iskandar isn’t just empty fanservice. Well, perhaps you could argue that this is simply the most blatant fanservice of all, but at least it means that they’re willing to commit to a more significant role for the fallen Heroic Spirit than simply acknowledging how much he meant to Waver ten years ago.
Yes, while this series may never lead to the Holy Grail War that the franchise started with, that Waver wants so badly to be a part of, it does go outside of its safe zone and bring in the essential Fate element for the Holy Grail Wars, a Servant. As I was alluding to, this is not just any new Servant, but one extremely relevant to the beloved Rider from the previous War, and therefore more relevant to Waver than he’d like from an enemy.
In the midst of a mystery that may or may not be related to this newcomer (but almost certainly is, because that’s how fiction works), the appearance of this completely unexpected being raises far more questions than we’re anywhere near answering. Who summoned this Heroic Spirit, why now, before the next Holy Grail War is set to begin, what class of Servant does she belong to, etc.? It seems likely that the answers to these questions will be tied into the solution of the mystery at hand, which could easily take up the rest of the series. I’m still not sure if this adaptation alone will reach the point of the next War beginning and, if so, how much it will go into why Waver won’t end up being a part of it, but at the very least, Fate fans hoping to see some legitimate Heroic Spirit action get that itch scratched here. Whether it will prove to be a wise plot decision remains to be seen, given the uncertainty regarding the aforementioned questions.
On that note, this episode does return to some of the better action of the series so far, still nothing on the level of ufotable for the past decade and change, but not bad in the grand scheme. With the inclusion of such a combat-oriented character, it seems reasonable to imagine that the remainder of the series will offer a bit more action, so hopefully the choreography and quality of animation, effects, and compositing can continue to improve on a level that warrants speaking the name of the King of Conquerors. Oh also, Melvin is here to remind us that he’s supposed to be a main character despite barely being in the series.
In Summary:
I’m not about to throw my full support behind the Lord El-Melloi II anime, but its introduction of a full-blown Heroic Spirit with deep ties to Iskandar gives some hope that it has more to offer than simply putting boring, grown-up Waver in a bunch of mysteries to have to solve. This is clearly the biggest bone tossed to the Fate fandom thus far, but that doesn’t mean it will actually prove to serve the story as a whole. If nothing else, it does provide some newfound intrigue as well as an increase in the level of quality action animation for the series.
Grade: B-
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
LG Electronics OLED65C7P 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart OLED TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
