REVIEW: ‘Fate/strange Fake’ Episode 1 – “The Heroic Spirit Incident”

Fate/strange Fake Episode 1, “The Heroic Spirit Incident,” produced by A-1 Pictures, sees more Masters and Servants arrive in Snowfield as the fake Holy Grail War begins. As Faldeus (Jun’ya Enoki, Jujutsu Kaisen) strives to hide the existence of the war, a new player steps onto the stage in such a fashion as to make the conflict’s secret impossible to hide.

This episode picks up the day after the confrontation between Gilgamesh (Tomokazu Seki, Ranma 1/2) and Enkidu (Yû Kobayashi, Birdie Wing: Golf Girl’s Story). With Faldeus having the event reported as an accident caused by a gas explosion, the area has been cordoned off, without even air traffic allowed to pass overhead. The fact that the military is enforcing these measures on such short notice speaks to the volume of pull Faldeus has with the U.S. government.

With the previous episode already establishing how different the coming war will be from earlier incarnations, this focus on secrecy brings another shift for the series, but from a narrative perspective rather than a world-building one. Previous Grail Wars have seen the Masters go out of their way to avoid civilian interference, but there has generally been no concern about explaining the strange events that the wars bring. Like many of the unexplainable magical elements of the franchise, how no one noticed the magical explosions and city-ruining confrontations was left to the viewer’s imagination. The attempt to address this issue in this series is an interesting choice.

With all this playing out in the background, Fate/strange Fake Episode 1 shifts its focus to a lone girl, Ayaka Sanjyou (Kana Hanazawa, Mononoke The Movie: The Phantom in the Rain), who is seen entering town.

As the young woman gets help from a local with directions, the narrative wastes no time, creating a mystery around this new arrival. Right off the bat, eagle-eyed viewers will notice that both of Ayaka’s hands appear to have command seals on them.

When commented on by the friendly local, Ayaka becomes visibly upset about the marks’ presence, as the moment triggers a flashback to an unidentified individual commanding her to make the trip to Snowfield from Japan to participate in the coming Grail War. This striking moment excellently conveys that something about the nature of Ayaka’s “command seals” and the circumstances under which she got them are different than most. And most likely, of an involuntary nature.

There is a sense of foreboding throughout this scene. Although it persists throughout the episode, it is most tangible when Ayaka is present. The heavy tonal resonance of the unknown helps to draw the viewer into what is primarily a set-up episode. The questions raised do much of the heavy lifting as the series slowly draws its cast together.

As the local informs Ayaka about the heightened military presence, Fate/strange Fake Episode 1 shifts the narrative to Faldeus when he sees her on a security camera. The scene uses Faldeus’ observations to build further the mystery surrounding Ayaka. We also learn about strange events that seem to be repercussions of the previous day’s battle, though why Gilgamesh or Enkidu would cause such things seems unclear.

The rest of this scene is spent describing the various masters that were previously introduced. Reminding the audience of who everyone is feels like a solid choice here. It fits naturally into Faldeus’ musings, allowing the information to feel scene-relevant while being functional for viewers who haven’t seen the previous episode since it aired last year.

From here, Fate/strange Fake Episode 1 jumps across the Atlantic to England as Mr. Langal and Lord El-Melloi II discuss the unfolding situation.

This scene has both tremendous and lackluster elements. Through the audio and visual design, this moment builds tension as the pair of mages consider the possibilities of what is happening in the U.S. and the ramifications of the unfolding events. However, that discussion essentially amounts to spit-balling, as the duo acknowledges they have no idea what is happening. This renders the scene narratively pointless, as it does little except reaffirm that anything could happen, a fact already made abundantly clear.

After this exposition-heavy scene, we see Fate/strange Fake Episode 1 return to Ayaka, just in time to see her kidnapped by an unknown assailant. She has been restrained and placed in the center of a summoning circle when she comes to. When her captor confronts her, we learn the marks on her hands are not command seals, though their true nature is unknown. We also learn that Ayaka’s presence in Snowfield is connected to the Einzbern Family—a familiar name to franchise fans.

This entire exchange is presented wonderfully thanks to its skillful lighting, increasing the sequence’s danger and Ayaya’s distress. As she learns her captor plans to sacrifice her to summon Saber, the animation that brings both the spell’s power and Ayala’s terror to life is excellent. As energy crackles around her, Ayaka finds her resolve to live and solidify, giving the character her first moment of strength as she refuses the seemingly inevitable fate before her.

Before the incantation can be finished in Fate/strange Fake Episode 1, though, Ayaka’s captive finds his heart ripped from his chest by the Assassin.

Before the reason for the intervention can be revealed, the moment is disrupted by the appearance of a Saber-class heroic spirit. This tall, blond man brings more mystery with him as he unsheaths his sword and calls out “Excalibur” as he unleashes a familiar-looking attack that cannot be his.

This brief moment of conflict reminds fans of the full scope and power the franchise always brings to its action. Saber’s commanding presence and the gorgeous visuals of his attack leave an awe-inspiring impact on the viewer. While not as grand as Gilgamesh and Enkidu’s match, it is an excellent appetizer for future things.

Fate/strange Fake Episode 1 wraps up its narrative with both Ayaka and Saber being taken away into police custody. Interrupting their departure, Saber boldly apologizes to the people, regretting the destruction he carelessly caused. His speech makes any semblance of secrecy about the Grail War impossible for anyone with enough knowledge to understand his words.

Fate/strange Fake Episode 1 mostly balances its opening set-up with an exciting conclusion. While it drags a little in the middle, the overall tone does wonders to build tension and mystery as this latest Grail War draws near.

Fate/strange Fake Episode 1 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.