The full series of Fate/strange Fake has been a long time coming. Written by Ryohgo Narita of Durarara!! fame, the book series has been ongoing since 2015 with the first novel getting an animated TV special, Fate/strange Fake -Whispers of Dawn-, back in 2023. Last year, the first episode of the series proper was released, and the full TV anime series is set to begin airing in January of this coming year. Recently, a special preview screening of the first four episodes was shown here in Tokyo. As a longtime fan of the Fate franchise in general and Fate/strange Fake in specific, it was everything I hoped for and more.

If Whispers of Dawn is the prologue of the story, these first four episodes serve as the first act. In general, the cast of characters is stumbling along and feeling each other out as their individual plans for the war go sideways right from the start. This, as expected, leads to a myriad of early battles. In fact, it's safe to say these first four episodes are more action than plot—but the real core of the show is its focus on character development.

The previously released first episode is all about introducing us to Ayaka, the seventh mage (who is, by her own admission, not a mage) participating in this supposedly six-mage war. Throughout the following three episodes, a good amount of time is spent on the relationship between her and her summoned hero, Saber. She has no desire to be his master—to be the puppet of the greater forces attempting to use the Holy Grail War to further their own goals. Yet, this makes him want to befriend and help her even more. Their interactions add a much-needed sense of levity to the story (as do those between Flat and Berserker) in this otherwise serious, violent story.

The other Master/Servant pair to receive a fair bit of focus in these episodes is Tiné and Gilgamesh. Tiné is a Native American who has entered the Holy Grail War at the behest of her people to reclaim their ancestral land. However, it is clear to Gilgamesh that she has no personal reason for being in the war—no wish of her own. This puts Gilgamesh into a role different from both his villainous persona in the original Fate/stay night and his kingly persona from Fate/Grand Order. This time around, he plays the role of guardian and mentor to Tiné, attempting to teach her to think for herself and not just be a pawn of her people's desire—even as he prepares to attain his own greatest desire: another rematch with his ancient friend Enkidu.

The final focal point in this arc of the story isn't a Master/Servant pair but how non-masters are taking part in the War to an unheard of degree. In previous Fate stories, the police have been completely ignorant of what is going on. Even this time, other than the chief, Orlando Reeve, none of the police are Masters. They are, however, normal mages armed with Noble Phantasms—weapons from myth and legend. And they do not intend to follow the established rules of the war, no matter what the Church, Mage's Association, or anyone else may desire.

Meanwhile, the Church—who are tasked with being neutral observers in the Holy Grail Wars—are faced with a major catch-22 as a vampire is acting as a Master in this one. This left them with conflicting duties to both hunt the vampire and not interfere with the War. That said, Hansa Cervantes, the Church's boots on the ground, in no way sees these missions as having equal importance. If a vampire is around, he's going to do everything he can to kill it.

All this comes together into a volatile mixture, primed to explode with the smallest spark from any of the involved groups—which, of course, happens more than once in these four episodes and causes the War to go ever more out of control even as the powers-that-be attempt to cover up massive explosions and shattered buildings as “terrorist attacks.” And the arc even ends with a twist that not only redefines the entire War, but it also throws into question everything we've seen so far. It's great stuff.

When it comes to the visual presentation, episodes 2 through 4 are a slight step down from the amazing animation and direction seen in Whispers of Dawn and the first episode. While the highs are still on par with what has come before, the lows are a bit lower. This is not to imply that these episodes look bad; however, just that they are “great” rather than “excellent” overall.

The music, on the other hand, remains utterly pitch-perfect. Hiroyuki Sawano has brought his A-game to this series, with everything from action scenes to heartfelt moments being backed perfectly by the soundtrack. The only issue I had with the music is the simple fact that the ending theme is the sole piece in the show not penned by Sawano, making it the odd man out in the otherwise uniform score of the show.

All in all, Fate/strange Fake's first four episodes are fantastic. The writing manages to take a cast of dozens and keep their stories understandable yet complex, and the visuals deliver some of the best of the franchise. And while the more you know about Fate and its sibling Type-Moon works, the crazier this story is, even if you're completely ignorant, you'll still be able to follow what is going on and empathize with the various characters. If these episodes are anything to go by, Fate/strange Fake should be one of the breakout hits of the coming Winter season.