Review of Fate/Grand Order: Absolute Demonic Front - Babylonia
With Fate, it kinda feels like gambling at times. With the horrifyingly long line of history the franchise has, the quality of the shows they churn out really varies. With Fate/Zero being its peak and the first Grand Order movie being the lowest, I really went in to this one expecting nothing but blandness. To my surprise, this one was actually sublime, awesome, and such a skyrocket improvement over the other FGO bits. FGO Babylonia is said to be adapted from the most well-received part of the mobile game Fate Grand Order, a game i never played. It feels like a bane to enter theFGO series as a casual viewer, case and point, the first movie which was balls to the wall boring. This one assumes the watcher knows something about the game and throughout its runtime, i really did feel like it. While it may sound like I'm berating this series, watching Babylonia made me ignore that flaw due the spectacle that it just bled from start to finish.
Storywise, the whole Chaldea shit was kinda lost to me and frankly, i did not care for the isekai aspect at all as the mythology and lore was just so fun and engaging by itself. I may not be an expert in history per say, but most characters here were legends i have been familiar with. Seeing such larger than life figures in a single setting, these heroes and literary figures walking around and interacting with each other, it was like Christmas for bookworms and historians. The golden son of a bitch Gilgamesh showed a side never before seen in other Fate media and while he still has his 'zasshu' bits, I can not believe that he's actually one of the most captivating character here alongside the other mythological figures. His story here was so much based on the Epic of Gilgamesh and i really dig the dynamic he has with both the antagonists and protagonists. In the end, the story is a good vs evil tale unlike the morally ambiguous dark stories from Zero and Stay Night. This is a historical fanfiction that is way better than it should be. Hell, Fate is fanfiction manifested and Babylonia may just be a wet dream cornucopia from the mind of a drunk historian. Holy grails, anachronous figures from legends, girls hotter than the sahara desert, budget slaying fight scenes...this time with gods! Babylonia is Fate magnified.
Animation-wise, this was probably second to Ufotable's efforts. I mean... the talents on that studio was beyond my mortal understanding. Backgrounds, architectural designs, creature design, fanservice fashion... everything was just dazzling and grand. That is until the 3d models are shown which was definitely far better than Studio Deen's sex dragons but kinda clashed with the artstyle of the environment. Beyond that, animation during fight scenes which were generously abundant, was spectacular and can stand toe to toe with the best of the best sakugas ever. Namely, Quetzal's battles with everyone, the Jaguarman skirmish, Ishtar's assault, the Gorgon siege, and the climax were hype as hell. Not even Fate/Zero has these much memorable fight scenes. While none might match the Saber vs Rider clash in Spring Song, the animators should be proud of the godlike masterclass they've created here.
Voice acting was great. I could just listen to Quetzal's voice for days, Gilgamesh's zasshu still rings true to his egoistic allure, and Ishtar is as dorky as she sounds adorable. Both openings songs really bring home the intensity of the events. What stands out greatly were the sound effects, which felt really heavy and crisp that probably enhances the magnitude of the battles ten or twenty fold.
Next comes the reason why Babylonia stands head and shoulder from the other FGO media: its cast of characters. The main duo who i felt bland in the first movie are much more active this time around. Fujimaru in particular, i felt that he really deserves to be called a master when the climax came along. Mash still is wallflower. The two however pale in comparison to the gods and legends they get to hang around with. We have Merlin from the arthurian legend, Taiga sensei as a jumpsuit mascot with terrifyingly competent combat skills, the hottest luchadora ever, a loli scythethrower, a more mature Gilgamesh and his 'boy-friend' Enkidu, and not one, but TWO Rin Tohsakas. Can't get any better than that? Wrong! We have King Leonidas from 300, the old man from the mountain, tiamat, two japanese figures i dont know whose fashion sense was dubious at best, and not one, not two, but a shit ton of Nyarlathoteps! I might be overstepping on spoiler territory but the sheer audacity of having these much awesomeness in a single series was a bit too much. Their interactions within the story was just great in my opinion though they really did go wild on the lore changes.
With all that shebang, i did find myself some criticism from the show which was mostly due to the unfortunate unfamiliarity with the game. There are concepts regarding the Chaldean segments that felt off personally. Likewise, while the show was paced well, there are bits where it felt too short, some were just put there without explanation, and the resolution of some subplots was underwhelming to say the least. The show does juggle a shit ton of characters and it was understandable that some characters would take the shorter end of the stick. I do not however complaints at all that i get to have two Rin Tohsakas and that stupidly sexy Aztec goddess. Mucho mucho indeed.
Fate Demonic Front Babylonia is a clear improvement over the other FGO installments helped probably due to its classy production, awesome cast of characters, and a much better plot and stakes never before seen in this scale. Fate remains a series that i can't just stop prodding around in apparently but this one deserves the highest praise even when i do find myself ignorant of some concepts introduced. This is high up with some of the best the Fate series has to offer, with Zero and Heavens Feel trilogy just edging it a bit. While casual watchers may feel lost at times, there are just so many things done right that its flaws just fizzes out in its glorious presentation and grand ambition.
Watch this immediately after the first movie just to cleanse out that bland flavor. This one packs in the spice. Binging it for the best experience.