Fate/Stay Night: Heaven’s Feel II-Lost Butterfly

The next Holy Grail War has only just begun and yet it is a far different battle than any before it.  As a dark shadow intervenes and tears apart Servant and Master alike, the remaining players are desperate for answers.  As new alliances form and new revelations are discovered, the fate of everything rests in the hearts of two young mages: Shiro Emiya, who wishes to become a hero of justice; and Sakura Matou, the girl who longs to be Shiros one and only love.  As a new wave of death and despair tears its way through Fuyuki City, Shiro and Sakura will have to accept their destinies: who will save the world and who will destroy it?

The premiere chapter of the Heaven’s Feel Trilogy, Presage Flower, still stands as my absolute favorite entry in the Fate/Stay Night franchise.  It took chances I hadn’t seen yet in any other route and had enough shock and wow factor to keep me invested.  Plus, it did some serious amendmants to many characters I found irritable and troublesome in the past.  Needless to say, the hype level was raised and Lost Butterfly had a lot to prove, especially that Presage Flower wasn’t a fluke.  Well, it wasn’t a fluke at all.  Lost Butterfly capitalizes on Presage Flower’s triumphs and adds a few more of its own.  The end result is me cheerfully saying: This is Fate/Stay Night done right.

 

I don’t even know where I should begin with this one after that much praise in the intro.  Let’s start with Sakura.  For ages id hoped we’d finally see the story laid out for her in Fate/Zero play itself out properly.  Heaven’s Feel has fulfilled those wishes…and partly makes me wish I didn’t know the full extent because to say Sakura’s had it rough is a serious understatement.  No one child in the Fate franchise has had the perfect childhood but Sakura takes the cake when it comes to darkest upbringings and Lost Butterfly dives deeper into that than ever before.  If there are some sensitive subjects that make you uncomfortable, be warned, Lost Butterfly tackles them all.  The silver lining is Sakura continues to grow and her story remains the beating heart of this dark tale.  She is the victim of fate and a girl you want to see the best happen too, and by best I mean all possible good.  We see both Sakura’s agony in her life situation and the darkness brimming within her…cause of course the hell she’s been through would do that.  The end result is a hard watch but a rewarding one if only to see one of Fate/Stay Night’s most underutilized leads given her proper due.

 

Sakura’s story also benefits a few characters I’ve had problems with in other Fate stories, namely Shiro and Illya. Well actually, for the Illya part the improvements come from the fact that Heaven’s Feel actually acknowledges and doesn’t just skim or ignore Fate/Zero.  Everyone true lineage is revealed and we get time to see people, especially Shiro, take in these reveals and let them sink in.  In the 2006 Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Zero’s events are acknowledged but brushed over instantly.  Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works should have done more but didn’t.  So Illya does get a beefed up role and is so far removed from the spoiled, vengeful brat she’s been in the past.  And Shiro, wow I never thought the day would come when I’d be alright with Shiro Emiya from the get go and still be in his corner 2/3s of the way through this new story.  Sure he still wants to be a hero but has a much more narrowed focus scope for that dream: protect Sakura.  There’s always the risk that his desire might try to extend higher but for now, the woman he loves is first and foremost on his list of people to protect.  It makes Shiro stronger than ever and actively makes me root for him and Sakura all the way (sadly putting the kabosh on any Shiro/Rin romances, though they do address that too).

 

The characters are always the central focus of any Fate story.  However, if you know the franchise for its stellar action scenes, holy crap you’ve seen nothing yet.  It’s like every bit of swordplay and mage warfare Ufotable has done since Fate/Zero has been building to Heaven’s Feel.  And the studio tops itself once again with what’s probably the big action centerpiece of the film: Saber Alter vs. Berserker.  If you saw this in a movie theater with the right sound system, everything is thundering, everything is shaking and everything is going BUDABUDABOOOOOOM!!!!.  This battle is easily one of the most brutal and intense, Dark Saber is definitely not holding back cutting up Berserker and there’s plenty of shots of mutilated Berserker corpses to prove it.  That’s not to say the other battles aren’t as impressive.  Archer’s battle with both The Shadow and Rider are both exceptional as well.  There’s also a smaller battle involving a character who is usually reserved for more grand scale fight scenes.  In a way, it was kind of disappointing to see a character who’s bitten the dust in other entries go out so quietly…but the circumstances only make the stakes of the entire tale more dire, so I give it a pass.  While there is actually only a handful of fight scenes, Ufotable has already made Heaven’s Feel stand at the top of the Fate/Stay Night Action Hill Top with two movies alone.

 

My miniscule nitpicks around a certain characters fate (pun intended) aside, my only other nitpick for Lost Butterfly is that it doesn’t exactly know when it wants to end.  There were at least five different spots that would’ve made for a good “to be continued” save point.  But each time I was fooled and the movie carried on.  Im of two minds here.  It does sound annoying but I was so invested in the film, it didn’t matter when it cut off (it had too eventually cause we’ve still got Part 3 to watch).  And when the movie did end, it ended on the best “holy s***” moment that will definitely keep viewers hanging on to see the conclusion of the trilogy in 2020.  And again, subject matter involving sexual violations and self worth are heavy and not for the faint of heart.  Heaven’s Feel should be approached with caution in that regard, this is hardly the “feel good” saga of the Fate/Stay Night franchise. 

 

Fate/Stay Night: Heaven’s Feel II-Lost Butterfly took the spark ignited by Presage Flower and set off an inferno of excellence.  The characters continue to grow and become the best versions of themselves in Anime yet.  The action is legendary, more legendary than anything we’ve seen yet.  The story is darker, riskier (and more risqué), and unrelenting when tackling the toughest subject matters in life.  In short: like Presage Flower, this is the Fate/Stay Night I wanted to see when Fate/Zero concluded.  Legacy is acknowledged, everyones got an important part to play and the twists and turns make take hold of the eyes and keep them glued to the screen more than the beauty of Rin, Sakura and Alter Saber combined.  If you’re a Fate fan, this trilogy is a dream come true…or hopefully it is if Part 3 can end this saga with a bang.  For now, Lost Butterfly stands on equal ground with its predecessor…and it is gonna be a really long and unbearable wait for Spring Song in Spring 2020.

9/10

FIF#82-Devil is a Part Timer

In the world of Ente Isla, The Demon Lord Satan ruled supreme.  However, a rebellion led by the hero Emilia crushed Satan’s armies and forced him to retreat along with his trusted aide, Alciel.  Now the pair have found themselves in our world, or to be more precise, Tokyo. With their magic in short supply and no way to return home, Satan and Alciel must do the unthinkable.  These dark lords of Ente Isla must adapt to the new world and try to make ends meet.  In the process, Satan, now known as Maou, gets a job at a fast food restaurant…and begins to enjoy the work he does.  After all, ruling the world is one thing.  But whodve thought The Lord of Darkness would find such joy flipping burgers.

I was a little caught off guard watching the opening minutes of Devil is a Part Timer.  For a show with ads that made it look like a comedy, things started off on a bit of a Castlevania kind of note.  Violence, buckets of blood, Holy Knights vs the Lords of Darkness, the works.  I mean it wasn’t bad, just not what I expected.  Thankfully that lasted all of under five minutes and once Maou and Alciel made their way to our world, I got what I expected and then some.  In fact I think I just found Anime’s equivalent to “Coming to America” with Eddie Murphy…and I’m perfectly ok with that, quite a lot actually.

The (literal) lost in translation humour of the premiere is one of two things that helps Devil is a Part Timer get off to a promising start.  In a medium where everyone usually speaks similarly no matter where you go, it’s nice to see that Maou and Alciel continued to speak their native language until they built up an understanding of Japanese (or just downloaded it from someones head, I don’t really remember).  It’s comical to see the police think theyre cosplayers when Alciel tries to use magic to get rid of them, only for nothing to happen.  But once the language barrier was overcome, we get to see the duo build up their little resources from house hunting to job hunting, and there’s where the second best element of the premiere comes in.  Much like Eddie Murphy in Coming to America, Maou is in love with his new setting after an indeterminate time.  Sure there’s a mission to return to his old world and reconquer it (cause he is still Satan at the end of the day).  But when Maou is more obsessed with doing his job to the best of his ability, no matter what, you cant help but laugh.  Satan’s making fries, being nice to customers…and he likes it, he freaking likes it.

I’m almost worried that there’s going to be a sudden tone shift that returns us to the hyper serious intro of the premiere…and I don’t think I want that. Devil is a Part Timer works better as a comedy about two men from another world who were basically Gods getting stuck in another and having to make ends meet if they want to survive, much less get back home.  Maou is a joy to watch and his interplay with Alciel shines.  I think this could be a show worth continuing with.  With a concept as fun as this one, it’s hard not to smile while watching Satan flip burgers and prep fries.

T5W#187-Top 5 Fate/Stay Night Entries

Wow 2019 is turning out to be a big celebration year.  We’ll get into Gundams 40th birthday next month.  Today though, we’re look at another relatively big Anime franchise that holds a special place in the hearts of many.  Love it or hate it, Fate/Stay Night has become one of the most impactful Anime franchises of the last decade.  Sure it got its first Anime adaptation back in 2006 with Studio Dean’s Fate/Stay Night but ever since 2011’s Fate/Zero, we’ve gotten a steady stream of Fate related titles from TV series to movies and a plethora of other video games to follow up the original visual novel.  Though all of them, we’ve gotten fascinating lore filled storytelling, action sequences that surpass most Shonen Anime through sheer presentation quality, and some of the greatest heroines in all of Anime (here’s looking at you Rin Tohsaka and Saber Nero).  To honor the franchises birthday, todays Top 5 Wednesday belongs to Fate as I choose my Top 5 Fate/Stay Night Entries.

#5-Today’s Menu for Emiya Family

I really wanna put this one higher on the list.  However if im being fair, ive only seen an episode or two whereas ive seen far more of the other entries.  Still, from those episodes alone, Emiya Family is a breath of fresh, optimistic air for an otherwise bleak and dreary franchise.  You have Master and Servants but no ones trying to kill each other.  They just want to hang out and cook some pretty tasty looking meals.  I give Shiro plenty of grief in any Fate story but kid can cook and id love to join a meal at his place with some awesome company.  Of all the Fate/Stay Night stories out there, this is the feel good member of the family.

#4-Fate/Kalied Liner Prisma Illya

Im kind of surprised this concept even made it to production but im glad it did.  Prisma Illya basically takes the Holy Grail War and fuses it with the Clow Card hunt and magical whimsy of Cardcaptor Sakura.  It’s cute (and sometimes way too inappropriate) but still finds ways to run with such a crazy premise while still being serious when it needs to be.  Also we get to see Illya and Rin infused with the powers of Archer and Lancer respectively and it is one of the most awesome sights you’ll ever see in any version of Fate/Stay Night.

#3-Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works

Ufotable’s follow up to Fate/Zero is far from perfect but damn if it isn’t trying its hardest to match its predecessor.  The action maintains Zero’s level of quality and manages to surpass it (and solidify that no one does action prettier or better than Studio Ufotable).  Theres actually a very likeable romance between Shiro and Rin that is one of the shows strongest elements (even when Shiro himself is the weakest).  And yeah, Rin gets a lot more chances to shine after the 2006 Dean series kind of short changed her towards the end.  UBW also gave us some of the best opening and ending themes of any Anime, particularly Aimer’s Brave Shine.  Like is said, it’s not perfect but there’s enough action, pretty images and strong female bad assery to recommend this to anyone looking to dig deeper into what makes Fate such a cool franchise.

#2-Fate/Zero

This is where I started with the franchise and id say this is where everyone should start.  The rules of the Holy Grail War, the intense battles it brings and the heartbreaking character studies, everything that should make for a good Fate series is outlined here almost perfectly.  This was also the first Fate entry to be done by Studio Ufotable and proves why any and all further Fate projects should be run through this group.  Amazing action, a career defining soundtrack by Yuki Kaijura and some of the most binge worthy moments to keep you coming back for more, you’ll be an emotional wreck by the time the last episode is over.  But it’s the perfect adrenaline rush to get you ready for a lot more Fate carnage down the line.

#1-Fate/Stay Night: Heaven’s Feel I-Presage Flower

After finishing Fate/Zero, I wondered just how bad things were going to be for Shiro and Rin after what Kiritsugu and Tokiyomi went through.  Turns out…the Fate and Unlimited Blade Works routes were more of a breeze for them compared to what we got in the debut chapter of the Heaven’s Feel trilogy…and I freaking love it.  This is the Fate I wanted to see post Fate/Zero and so far, the first film has hit all of the right beats and checked all the right boxes.  This is a far different beast than any Fate story before it.  The unexpected is happening, characters previously unexplored like Sakura are front and center, and Ufotable is back doing what it does best.  The bar has been set pretty high not just for the rest of this film trilogy, but all of Fate/Stay night going forward.  Bring on Lost Butterfly and Spring Song.

Napping Princess

Days before the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, young Kokone Morikawa finds herself dreaming of a magical world where technology and magic struggle to help each other in daily life.  One day, Kokone’s father is kidnapped, accused of stealing a piece of crucial, game changing technology.  A long buried secret of Kokone’s family history lies in the world Kokone has been dreaming of.  In order to save two worlds, Kokone must walk between them and bring the dream to reality.

 

Kenji Kamiyama is the director of two of my favorite Anime series from the 2000’s: Ghost in the Shell SAC (and it’s sequel 2^nd Gig) and Eden of the East (as well as it’s movie continuations).  Both of those shows were high on action, intrigue and do or die levels of intensity.  So I was excited to see him working on another Anime project and wondered what sort of cool he would bring to it.  Sadly, Napping Princess isn’t even on the same level as Eden of the East or Stand Alone Complex.  Here, Kamiyama tries to bring Ghibli like fairy tale magic into his usual bag of social economical commentaries…and it just comes out a huge mess.

 

Most of this mess has to deal with trying to merge the dream world of Heartland and the real world together.  There have been movies in the past where two distinct but similar stories have taken place on two separate worlds and their climactic points might converge at one point.  But when you try to cross them over without a true explanation as to how, that’s when things go off the rails and the subsequent train wreck isn’t pretty.  It isn’t helped that there is no real likeable characters in the cast to make up for this slack.  Kokone comes off as annoying, the villains try hard to be Kamiyama big corporation baddies but come off as lame clichés, and the Heartland characters are nothing we haven’t seen from a Ghibli world before.  Plus, everyone acts some level of stupid at one point: from Kokone not even bothering to guess someones hijacked her Dads phone and has been communicating with her; or the big bad guy (whose name I don’t care to remember) losing his important briefcase to a thieving Kokone…and the flight desk attendants don’t even notice its being stolen right in front of them.  It’s just…ugh so dumb overall and I was sad to utter the words “why isn’t this over?” well before the one hour mark of the film.

 

I feel like Kamiyama could have just axed out the fantasy elements all together and done an “Eden of the East” style techno thriller about a new technology that some might not want the world to see and it’s up to one girl to expose it.  He tries to do things different from Eden though and I want to believe he knew what he was doing (he wrote as well as directed as he does for his other projects).  But somewhere in the creation, it feels like he got lost and it kind of shows in the final Napping Princess product.  The film doesn’t really know what it wants to be: fantasy dreamscape; thriller; political commentary.  Honestly, I guess the fairy tale aspect could have been used as a way to show Kokone coping with the world around her, even when the world was just fine enough.  But it isn’t helped that things are barely clarified or explained; like how Mori can somehow show up in Kokone’s dream, or why everything starts becoming one giant blur during the last act when fantasy and reality clash.  Even when things were left ambiguous in Stand Alone Complex and Eden of the East, we had enough to chew on to make our own sensible conclusions.  Napping Princess offers none of that because it has way too much going on to even comprehend any semblance of sense…ugh watching it was a chore at times.

 

Napping Princess was a film I took a chance on just on the directors name alone.  Kenji Kamiyama has done some great work in Anime and I know he can do better (even his not as good Eden of the East sequel films are much better than this one).  I’d like to see him try straight up fantasy at some point but I feel like his true place is in the scifi/thriller genre where he helped reinvigorate Ghost in the Shell for a new age (he’s even working on a new GitS project with Shinji Aramaki from Appleseed).  While some of the mechanical designs are neat and the animation has some stand out moments, Napping Princess is a boring film you could easily sleep through and wake up without having really missed a thing.  Shame, I really wanted this one to be good.

 

3/10

 

FIF#81-Toradora

Ryuji Takasu is a young man all students fear…just because he has a scary face (he’s actually a nice guy).  Taiga Aisaka is a girl of tiny stature but bears the fangs of a true Tiger.  These two feared stars of high school want nothing to do with each other until Ryuji accidentally takes home a love letter from Taiga meant for another boy.  After stopping Taiga from tearing his head off, Ryuji agrees to help Taiga out in anyway he can.  He might come to regret that offer as Taiga’s favors are never small and her temper is even shorter.  Still, the more they hang around each other, the more Ryuji and Taiga might realize in a world that doesn’t quite get them, they might not be bad friends for each other after all.

 

Every once in a while I try to give Anime I normally wouldn’t watch a try.  In this past, this has lead to me discovering titles far outside my normal action/mecha/fantasy wheelhouse that have become long time favorites.  Ive talked about a few of these shows and movies here at length like Free, Your Name, Ouran High School Host Club and K-On.  Well I thought that for some of these First Impression Fridays, I should shake up the selections a bit.  I already gave the interesting but unorthodox Thunderbolt Fantasy a try, how about a little romance now?

 

Toradora is a series I knew little about going in besides the fact that the central heroine is…well little.  Coming out of the first episode, I can say the show is cute and has some good moments of entertainment.  I will say that Taiga herself might be the make or break factor if I want to go forward.  Taiga is one of the classic Tsundere characters in all of Anime, one as synonymous with the term as my eternal favorite Rin Tohsaka from Fate/Stay Night.  Taiga is tiny but she has a temper and carries a big stick that she isn’t afraid to hit people with.  She also has a habit of demeaning people who try to help her out, case in point with the obvious future love interest and male lead Ryuji.  It almost feels cruel.  At the same time though, there is a softness to her that is kind of cute.  Taiga’s clearly lonely and doesn’t really know how to talk to people who most focus on her height or her good looks.  On the opposite end of the spectrum, Ryuji is doing his best to show people he isn’t a monster everyone thinks at first glance.  One of the premieres funniest moments was when a pair of students surrender their wallets even though Ryuji never once threatens them…then Ryuji turns their wallets in (and apparently this is a common reoccurrence).  These two could learn much from one another if Taiga would just dial back the ferocity a bit.  I guess, however, she isn’t called the “Palm Top Tiger” for nothing.  Idk, maybe im just not in the mood for another Naru from Love Hina.  Still, the Ryuji/Taiga romance is one of the more infamous in all of Anime.  Maybe that is enough to keep me peeking in from time to time at Toradora?

 

The rest of Toradora’s intro is actually kind of forgettable when the two leads aren’t on screen together.  Sure there’s a cast of supporting friends and classmates and Ryuji’s party all night mother.  But no one left much of an impact save for Ryuji and Taiga and I don’t know if that will be enough to keep me coming back for more.  It’s not that I have a problem with the romance and constant bickering…ive just seen better romance Anime kick things off stronger in the past (like Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku).  Actually with looking at shows like Fushigi Yugi, Wotakoi and this one, maybe I should find a new romance Anime to delve into…it just wont be Toradora.