Anime Review: Fate/Grand Order: Absolute Demonic Front – Babylonia Episode 1

Fate/Grand Order: Absolute Demonic Front – Babylonia

Studio: CloverWorks

Genre: Action, Fantasy

Streaming: Amazon Prime

Another season, another Fate anime.  Last season saw Waver Velvet take the spotlight, but this season it’s the turn of the Fate/Grand Order mobile game. There have been a few adaptations of this game before now, but this series will look to recreate the Babylonia arc which is known for being one of the chapters featuring a more emotional, serious storyline.

Whilst a fan of the Fate series myself, I’m not up to date with the story in Grand Order (still somewhere around Camelot unfortunately), so I’m going into this review without that understanding. Not a bad thing in this case perhaps, as it stops me from picking holes where the anime may have changed things. So far, however, it’s off to a strong start.

This isn’t a Fate series by Ufotable, (famous for their take on Unlimited Blade Works and the Heaven’s Feel films) but the visuals so far are of just as high a quality and instantly recognizable for those familiar with the Fate series. Clearly, no expense has been spared in the making of this adaptation (which also bodes well for the upcoming adaptation of the Camelot arc as well). The colours pop and the character designs are sharp and fluid, as are the battle scenes. Perhaps this will only hold true for the first episode but it’s setting a precedent viewers have come to expect from this franchise – after all this is based on a mobage that earns a lot of money each year.

The episode gets off to a start fairly quickly, with only a little bit of exposition to help sum up the previous events for new watchers – too brief to really fill in all the gaps so is more for those players of the game who want a quick refresher. Perhaps, it’s relying on viewers who have watched the previous Fate/ Grand Order adaptations but there are definitely large spoilers given away early on in this episode such as Mash’s servant link. Still, thankfully as the story kicks off quickly in the hero and his psuedo-servant Mash Kyrielight being transported to Ancient Babylonia everything there is new to them and so introduced more gradually to the viewers from thereon.

Quickly we are introduced to a few of the characters who will likely make a huge impact in the series – Goddess Ishtar and the mysterious Enkidu and alliances are formed, however shakily. Little is known about either of these two yet but they make strong impressions and both are likely to become fan favourites for new viewers. The background to the world is also neatly provided by Enkidu, introducing both the protagonists and the viewers to the crisis currently besetting Babylonia, as well as the likely antagonist behind it all.

Compared to the more relaxed first episode of last seasons Lord el Melloi II Case Files, it’s evident that Absolute Demonic Front – Babylonia is going to be much more epic and action-orientated which is not a bad thing.