Fate: strange/Fake (2026) - REVIEW
“I’ll take this Holy Grail War…and destroy it.”
Fate: strange/Fake is a 14 episode anime adaptation of a light novel with the same name, produced by A1 Pictures - a studio with a lucrative history, producing works like Black Butler, Anohana, Sword Art Online, and so many more. It was directed by Shun Enokido, who’s previously directed episodes of Flip Flappers and Chainsaw Man, and has been a key animators for titles like Kill la Kill, One Punch Man, Sonny Boy, Frieren, Jujutsu Kaisen, and SO much more.
Fate: Strange/fake is an anime all about a Holy Grail War, or rather, a fake Holy Grail War artifically manipulated by members of the American Government. The goal of the war is to kill all other Heroes that are summoned to partake in the war and claim the Holy Grail, which has untold power and can grant any wish. It unfolds in a very Battle Royale fashion, with each player having their own reasons for wanting the Holy Grail.
The most obvious element of this show is in the storyboarding and animation - every frame, even the most minute, is crafted with such care and attention to detail, and I want to give a significant shoutout to episode 6 of the series, which features a massive shift in the way it was storyboarded. This was thanks to the directorial debut of Miyakawa Shun, so I’m really excited to see where they take us with their next project. This anime doesn’t just have great animation, either - the editing and sound design are all impeccable, weaving complicated shots seamlessly into scenes and backed by an incredible attention to the sounds surrounding them and how they play into the tone of the scene. A masterful display of showmanship.
The real spectacle of this title isn’t the gorgeous animation or intense sound design, though, it lies in the script. It’s a game of chess, and every episode is a mind-game played by each of the pieces, and it’s your job to keep track of where they all are on the board, but the script takes joy in subverting where you think the pieces will end up. All of this is possible thanks to the original writer, Ryohgo Narita, who also wrote for Baccano. Balancing so many characters and motivations isn’t easy, but the screenwriter was able to do it with ease, making every single scene intentional, have weight, and push into the next square of the chessboard.
The character motivation angle of it all, though, is where the script does start to feel a little loose. Granted, the entirety of the premise plays itself a little loose, with a very Soft Magic System at play. That being said, the characters could have used a little more push behind them from a viewer’s standpoint. While each character interaction felt wholly believable, and every step they took made complete sense with what the audience knew of them, it still was a little muddied as to why each character WANTED the Holy Grail, and what they would wind up doing with it.
However, the lack of real character motivation (As of yet) is just a pebble on the mountain that is the rest of this creative work, and the real icing on the cake is that this entire showing was just a build-up for what’s sure to be the real story with season 2. In a way, this entire thing WAS the Fake Holy Grail War, and the real War is just starting.
Going into this anime, I was under the impression it would be a one-off title, hence the review. Now, knowing that this is just the start of a much grander story yet to unfold, I’m not going to decide whether or not it ranks in the Top 100 Anime of All Time List, BUT if the rest of the show stands up to the level this production has put up already, it’s sure to be a contender.
My Current MAL Rating: 7/10
Top 100 Contender No (Will Revisit)
