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Watching one of the recent iterations of the Fate series Fate/Apocrypha has made me realize something: The franchise is kind of a mess. Between multiple spinoffs that have little to nothing to do with the main story, and aspects of the main story that seems to have only been added in as a weird gimmick, like King Arthur being a woman, the franchise feels peppered with a lot of nonsense. However, that does not mean that the franchise as a whole has not been entertaining.

Do not get me wrong. In no way am I excusing a lot of the franchises bad writing elements. Its always important to criticize bad writing so that it can be made more logically consistent, and therefore better. As someone who wants to write for a living, I try and look for ways to improve my own stories every day. But, semi-bad writing and nonsensical story elements can be overlooked in many cases if what is being shown on screen is entertaining, and with the Fate/ franchise it certainly is.

A lot of the stories in Fate have, at least to me, always come off as more style over substance, fan-fic-esk brawls than shows that were attempting to say something revolutionary, and in that way they succeed greatly. Whether it be the original Fate/stay night by Studio Deen, and much more so the recent adaptations of Unlimited Blade Works and Heaven’s Feel done by Ufotable, the show’s action has been top notch. Each of the character’s powers, with a few exceptions, seem unique to them as a historical figure, and much of their motivations for fighting makes sense within the fairly imperfect story that is being told.

The same is true for the prequel story, Fate/Zero, in which Saber, one of the franchise’s flagship characters, looks her coolest ever. It is always entertaining watching her fight with Excalibur, and her power to make the sword invisible adds to the suspense of any given fight she is in.

The Command Seals are also an interesting mechanic in the show’s world. While fighting for the Holy Grail with their servants, Masters are given three command seals. When used, each of the seals gives a master the power to force his or her servant to perform one action. The action is performed near-instantaneously, which means there is no lag from communication.

Even the nonsensical spin-offs in the Fate Franchise like Fate-Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya, despite having not actually seen them, look like enjoyable enough watches. And while Fate/Apocrypha does not seem to fare much better in the writing department overall, its fourteen main character cast certainly does bring a lot to the table when brought together.

Let me reiterate: the point in writing all of this is not to say that the Fate/ franchise is bad, quite the opposite actually. Despite its often times lackluster writing, the franchise as a whole is thoroughly enjoyable, and if you have not actually seen any of Fate/, then just ignore everyone and start with the original by Studio Deen. #noregrets

But seriously though, how do you guys feel about the Fate/ franchise as a whole? Let me know in the comments below. Also, if you want to support the Aniwriter through donations or are just feeling generous, consider buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi. Otherwise, thanks for reading and bye for now, Friendos!