Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works

Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works[a] is a 2010 Japanese animated fantasy action film directed by Yūji Yamaguchi.[1] Unlimited Blade Works covers the events of the second route of the visual novel Fate/stay night by Type-Moon. The film primarily focuses on two young mages, Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka, and their servants, who participate in a conflict known as the Holy Grail War. During the fights, Shirou often crosses paths with Rin's servant, Archer, who seeks his death despite being an ally.

The film was produced by Studio Deen following the 2006 release of their TV adaptation of Fate/stay night. The short length of the film brought difficulties to the staff members as they aimed to cover a story arc which required far more time to tell in the visual novel. The film was released in Japan on 23 January 2010 on 12 screens and grossed 37,699,500 Japanese yen.[2]

Critical reception to the film was mixed. Praise was directed towards the development of Shirou, his interactions with Rin and Archer, and the exploration of his ideas in greater depth, which allowed for a greater understanding of his motives. These aspects, along with the animation of some fight scenes, were considered to be superior to the 2006 TV series. However, the narrative was widely criticized for its fast pace that cut large amounts of content from the visual novel, leading to confusion among viewers and an overall lack of cohesion.[clarification needed ]

Type-Moon later collaborated with Ufotable to retell the Unlimited Blade Works route in the form of a television series, which first aired in 2014.