‘Fate/Apocrypha’ May Have Just Won 2017’s Best Animation Award

The first half of the much anticipated Fate/Apocrypha series had might have only released on Netflix in the United States, but fans in Japan are already gushing over the animation in one of the later episodes.

Episode 22 features some of the most gorgeous animation in the series as the Lancer of Red squares off against Sieg.

Episode 22, titled “Reunion and Farewell,” features a fight between Karna (Lancer of Red) versus Siegfried (Saber of Black) and has an animation style completely removed from the rest of the series. The fight itself goes to some insane lengths with harsh inked lines, smooth action, and incredible smearing techniques.

The creator of Fate/stay night attended a private screening of the episode saying that the animation would even stand up to screening on a 200 inch screen and even as far as writing “I saw something amazing and wonderful. It can only be described as a masterpiece” on his personal blog.

The animation directors for the episode were Rio (who has contributed to Barakamon and Flip Flappers), Yurie Hama (who has contributed to Interviews with Monster Girls and Hinako Note), and most importantly, Hakuyu Go. Episode 22 was Hikayu Go’s first time working as a director independently. Go has provided work for shows like Blood Blockade Battlefront and Black Butler: Book of Circus.

The creator of Black Butler‘s original manga, Yana Toboso, was so impressed with Go’s work in fact that she said “I’m in awe after seeing episode 22 of Fate/Apocrypha. What kind of magic do you use to keep moving with that number of lines and quality for 30 minutes…!?” on Twitter. Even going as far as “What kind of person is Hakuyu Go!?”

For those unfamiliar with Fate/Apocrypha, it’s a spin-off of the Fate/stay night visual novel series from Type-Moon, written by Yuichiro Higashide and illustrated by Ototsugu Konoe. The light novel series ran for five volumes from 2004 to 2005, and was later adapted into an anime series by A-1 Pictures. It was licensed for an English broadcast release by Netflix.

The series follows a world separate from the events from the Fate/stay night and Fate/Zero anime series, and focuses on a conflict between two different factions of servants and masters. The Red and Black factions are a set of mages versus a rogue mage group as they summon distinct historical figures from the past in order to do battle and claim the Holy Grail.

via Anime News Network