Anime Review: Lord El-Melloi II Case Files: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note Episode 1

Lord El-Melloi II Case Files: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note Episode 1

Studio: Aniplex, Notes

Genre: Mystery, Fantasy

Streaming: Crunchyroll

The Fate series is pretty renowned in the world of anime, both for being incredibly popular but also rather confusing due to its large amount of series set in different timelines. I myself only got into the franchise a few years ago and have yet to complete them all. Lord El-Melloi II Case Files is the latest installment to the Fate universe, adapted from light novels written by Makoto Sanda, following mage Lord El-Melloi II (previously known as Waver Velvet to fans of the series).

Let’s get the elephant out of the room – the Fate franchise is hugely popular but there are so many spin-offs from the mains series that it can be hard for even a fan to keep track, let alone someone new to the story. This series, however, may be one of the few that has the potential to stand alone, due to it focusing more on mage-craft rather than the Holy Grail War which is the main plotline of many of the other series. Whilst it’s helpful to have at least seen Fate/Zero to recognise Waver’s character and his rather unique path in the Fate world, it’s not essential. The first episode neatly introduces his character in the form of a flashback episode taking place a few years after the event of Fate/Zero and explaining how he comes to take the name of Lord El-Melloi II and his general motivations. Towards the end however, there is much more call back to previous events which can alienate new viewers.

It’s worth mentioning that there was previously an ova episode released which featured Lord El-Melloi II and his protégé, Gray, in a short mystery involving a cat. Comparing the two episodes, I would have to say I preferred the ova – it’s more serious, more philosophical and ventures deep into the lore of Fate’s magic system. To a new Fate watcher though, it was perhaps too dense and confusing. The first episode of the anime series is lighter in tone and less cerebral than the OVA but serves as a decent introduction to the character and his role. While there are still references to Waver’s former servant throughout and his role in the previous Grail War, it provides a little more in the way of exposition for a new watcher.

However, as beginnings go it doesn’t grab the watcher straight away and part of that is precisely because this is a flashback episode – we’re promised that this will be a mystery series but it looks like we’ll have to wait until the second episode to really start with the detective stories. Having read some of the manga, the detective elements gave me vibes similar to Umineko but this isn’t evident yet within the anime.

The animation and music are stunning, as is the case with most Fate series – Yuki Kajiura returning again to weave her magic on the soundtrack. The character design as well as colourful and detailed, matching the world they’re set in. Time will tell if this series produces satisfying mysteries as it so promises.

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