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Fate/Grand Order Anime Producers Say Anime Will Be Accessible to Non-Players

Last year, it was announced that the Fate/Grand Order smartphone game will be getting a TV anime and a two-part film project. The Fate/Grand Order: Zettai Majū Sensen Babylonia television anime will adapt the "Dai Nana Tokuiten Zettai Majū Sensen Babylonia" (Order VII: The Absolute Frontline in the War Against the Demonic Beasts: Babylonia) story, while Fate/Grand Order Shinsei Entaku Ryōiki Camelot: Wandering: Agateram and Fate/Grand Order Shinsei Entaku Ryōiki Camelot: Paladin: Agateram will adapt the "Dai Roku Tokuiten Shinsei Entaku Ryōiki: Camelot" (Order VI: The Sacred Round Table Realm: Camelot) story.

Although neither anime project will tell the entirety of the story of Fate/Grand Order from the beginning, producers Yūichi Fukushima (CloverWorks) and Shizuka Kurosaki (Aniplex) assured viewers in the latest Newtype issue that the anime adaptations will be accessible even to those who don't play the game.

Kurosaki said that she had heard a lot of questions from players of the game about how all the anime works will be connected. She said that every anime project has its own team working on it independently. She stated: "Think of each adaptation as a different take on Chaldea and the Singularity. You don't need to watch the TV series before the films."

The producers mentioned that the appeal of the series is like that of a road movie: the protagonist and his/her companion Mash travel to various locations and encounter different kinds of people. Because of that, a strict idea of continuity is not so important. Kurosaki said that she hopes the series can be enjoyed as a fantasy adventure story.

The producers both said it was their hope that the appeal of the series will get across to anime-only fans, and that it will get them curious to try out the game. They also expressed their hope that long-time Fate fans will be able to enjoy it, too. It was mentioned in the interview that the original creator Nasu will be supervising the script and storyboards for both anime projects.

In addition, Fukushima said that one of the appealing points of the TV anime is that the character designs have a sense of consistency about them, due to the fact that they are designed by a single person rather than a team of illustrators as the original game sprites were. The anime's director Toshifumi Akai (assistant director DARLING in the FRANXX, Porter Robinson's "Shelter" director) is also an animator who focuses on character animation. Fukushima said that fans should watch out for how the animation brings the characters to life.

CloverWorks (DARLING in the FRANXX, The Promised Neverland) is producing the television anime series. Production I.G is producing the film project. Both projects credit Takashi Takeuchi (Fate anime franchise) as the lead character designer.

Source: Newtype February 2019 issue

Edit: Fixed typo in source