There aren't many limits to adapting Fate when so much of the franchise can be qualified as an alternate universe tale, but some are easier to adapt than others. When Signal.MD and Production I.G. set out to tell one of Fate/Grand Order's myriad stories, they chose one of the most beloved, right up alongside Babylonia, and endeavored to pay it service with the most ambitious adaptation yet.

Fate/Grand Order: Divine Realm of the Round Table Camelot is set in Jerusalem in 1273, where an altered version of King Arthur claiming to be The Lion King Richard I has erected the kingdom of Camelot. In the midst of this alteration of history, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash Kyrielight have traveled to the era to fix the singularity by finding the holy grail and defeating Arthur. Despite coming out in Fall 2020 after the completion of the Babylonia TV series, this film duology takes place during the Sixth Singularity, right before the events of Babylonia. Like with every FGO arc, it is packed with Heroic Spirits from all across history and mythology, but the heart and soul of the story are found in the story of the Knight Bedivere, on a quest to kill his former king.

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Wandering; Agateram

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Signal.MD, the studio behind Mars Red and Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop, helmed the first of the two films. The studio's reputation is a humble one, but its work on Wandering; Agateram would be indistinguishable from that of Production I.G. if both studios' involvement was not pointed out. This is to say that the film looks rather good and sets the stage enticingly.

The music by Keita Haga is the single greatest tether to the Babylonia anime, it also being composed by Haga. The sound he composes for these films, however, carries an air of so much more importance, and from the first overture, Bedivere's journey feels like the beginning of something truly special.

Babylonia was an immaculately produced series that spoiled audiences with everything they could have wanted from an action show with over 20 episodes, but its story wasn't always as engaging. Adaptation between mediums is an art, but in the case of FGO, adapting from a mobile game can present interesting opportunities for creative liberties.

Many fans of the game regard the Camelot adaptation as heavily flawed, lacking in elements from the game's story, and perhaps not delivering on the action that Babylonia provided. However, while this could be an unpopular view, the first Camelot film is necessarily and quite methodically focused on building up its characters and the stakes of this battle.

A Different Kind of Fate Film

A film should be a complete story, but it is important to remember that a film can also be a piece of a larger one, and Wandering; Agateram's charter feels far more focused than Babylonia's. The looming darkness of the opening act makes it clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that this arc was written by Kinoko Nasu.

The second act spends a great deal of time in the domain of the Sun King, Ozymandias, who has created a haven that he intends to protect from the end of the world. Fujimaru propositions an alliance all in vain and the lives that stand to be trampled upon by this crisis are explored as the characters walk among the people.

A lot of these elements are also present in the Babylonia story, but not quite in the same way and not without breaking up that tension with a new battle of the week. In truth, there isn't an abundance of battle within the first film, but that shouldn't be a deal-breaker. This is a story about Bedivere and their struggle to find the resolve to complete their mission.

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The standout moment of the film, that fans and detractors of the film most commonly agree on, is the ending, where Arash Kamangir takes center stage. The music, the animation, and Satoshi Tsuruoka's performance elevate the film in its last moments so intensely and passionately, that the scene very well could be the film's rasion d'etre.

What makes Camelot feel so distinct is how conservatively it approaches such a large story with so many fan-favorite characters. It isn't without action, and what action exists is well-directed, carried by the score once more, but the animation's merits extend to the character acting. Moments like a subtle eye-twitch by Ozymandias didn't go unnoticed and speak to Kei Suezawa's directing talents.

Paladin; Agateram

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Whether it was to divide the production process for better results or to make the best use of each studio's respective talents, Production I.G. fully took on the work for the second film. And within the first minutes, something about it feels immediately different which shouldn't be surprising given the different studio.

Ultimately, it is impressive how cleanly divided the story's two halves were and how well it benefits the dramatic tension. Fans who wanted explosive and over-the-top action needed only look to Paladin; Agateram for the spectacle they were craving, and there's plenty of it. In its 90-minute runtime, over half of it is a siege on Camelot and the sum total of the story up to then.

Paladin takes advantage of the groundwork laid by the previous story to collide all the pieces on the chess board. It carries itself like The Return of the King, and in that, there is merit to such a comparison. This film continues the grand tradition of Fate adaptations breaking conventions in animation production.

Sakuga Blog's kViN wrote up a far more thorough summation of this production's significance than what could be explored here, but ultimately, it came down to Director Kazuto Arai throwing out the rule book. The schedule was tight, the pressure to impress was on, and Arai decided it was best to let his team operate unrestrained.

"Unrestrained" might be the best descriptor of Paladin, as it harkens back to Fate/Apocrypha's infamous episode 22 with its clashing of styles in the name of creating the most heartfelt artwork to put to screen. If anything, Camelot is the next evolution of Fate/Apocrypha's brief but powerful creative renaissance.

In both films, the studios indulged in truly refreshing art styles to heighten the storytelling. In the first film, it was Kou Yoshinari's dream sequence that looked like a moving painting. In the second, Sun Creature - a Danish animation studio - presented a storybook retelling of Bedivere's legend.

It's scenes like these that put Camelot a cut above other Grand Order adaptations. Fate, at its core, is about legends of history and fiction, but Bedivere's story feels more richly devoted to presenting its character as a true legend than many other adaptations do with their characters.

The storytelling adds so much gravity to Bedivere's quest, and while he may not be the strongest or most unique servant at first glance, there is a reason he is such a beloved character. Between the visuals and Mamoru Miyano's performance, this could be not only the best FGO adaptation but the best Fate movies yet.

Fate/Grand Order: Divine Realm of the Round Table Camelot - Wandering; Agateram & Paladin; Agateram, are available for purchase and rental through Amazon and Youtube, and are available on Blu-ray through RightStuf Anime.

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Source: Sakuga Blog