The anime adaptation of popular mobile game Fate/Grand Order is out now on Blu-Ray & DVD. Taking place prior to and during the the aforementioned game, Ritsuka Fujimaru; the last remaining master out of a grand total of 48, 47 of which who were massacred during the Holy Grail War, and is now given the ability to summon Servants, companions to aide him in battle, this includes Servant Mash Kyrielight who must defeat Saber Alter and end the time distortions caused by her and her comrades.

Fate/Grand Order: First Order is a 2016 anime adaptation of the mobile game, it is produced by Studio Lay-duce, and licensed by Aniplex of America. It is currently available in English on DVD & Blu-Ray.

Editor’s Note: A review copy of Fate/Grand Order: First Order was provided by Aniplex of America. Our review of the original cut of the film can be seen here. 

Don’t let the opening light-hearted scenes fool you, First Order gets fairly dark, fairly fast.

If you’re a fan of the Fate/Grand Order mobile game or the Fate/Stay franchise as a whole, then you’ll most likely enjoy the Grand Order film adaptation. Following a more linear path with more info based prior to the events of the game, First Order focuses on the male protagonist Ritsuka Fujimaru & the Servant Mash Kyrielight who are one of the few survivors of a massacre as the Holy Grail War is underway. Saber Alter and her possessed comrades are causing a ton of time distortions, and Fujimaru, Kyrielight, and animal companion Fou must put an end to her rampage before time is lost.

Saber Alter is on the attack in First Order.

THE GOOD: I’m not exactly sure how the Fate series continues to uphold a certain level of quality as it does (I don’t really follow it too much (yet)), but with so many suffering dips in animation and dwindling episode counts to keep up with deadlines, the Fate anime adaptations always seem to have an insanely high budget (see Unlimited Blade Works) of which the utmost is used to it’s fullest potential, and First Order is no exception. Regardless of animation studio or storyline that’s being adapted if there’s one guarantee a Fate anime fan can have, it’s the fact that it’s animation will always be near perfect, and considering Lay-duce is still a fairly new studio, that says a lot for it’s potential.

Remember when I said things get dark? Just wait until you get to this scene friends, you’ll know why.

If you’re already a player of the game or aware of the contents of the manga adaptation, then First Order will seem mostly familiar with some new pre-story content sprinkled in. However, even viewers who are knowledgeable of the film’s contents should check First Order out if even fore the awesome animation done by Lay-duce, which just so happens to be ran by former animators of Studio Bones.

First Order is one of the most quality modern OVAs you’ll see this year.

THE BAD: The main issue with First Order is that it suffers a bit from pacing, it can be quite fast paced, and some unfamiliar with it’s source material will definitely get lost more than once, but a rewatch or two remedies this situation in most cases.

Liked the anime? Check out the game as well, equally as good.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: Thanks in part to a well managed budget, competently written story provided by source material, and stellar animation, Fate/Grand Order: First Order is a great introductory piece to the game it represents, and is just a solid OVA film. With only 74 minutes to it’s run, it wouldn’t kill you to check this one out, if even for the sake of being a fan of Fate/Stay. Otaku Dome gives the Fate/Grand Order: First Order Blu-Ray a 80 out of 100.