Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia 00
Fate/Grand Order -絶対魔獣戦線バビロニア- Episode 00
Fate/Grand Order: Zettai Majū Sensen Babylonia ep. 00

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis

At Chaldea, an experiment to fuse a Heroic Spirit with a designer baby to create a Demi-Servant is a success, though initially, the girl seems to be about to break out of containment. This is observed by Dr. Romani Archaman, Director Marisbury Animusphere, and Lev (Leff) Lainur Flauros. Romani recalls traveling the world and becoming a doctor. Sometime later, Romani gets permission from Marisbury to become the new Demi-Servant’s personal physician since her body won’t last more than two more years.

Romani visits the girl, Mash, to tell her he will be her physician. They discuss what it means to be a “senpai.” Romani frankly tells Mash that she’s not expected to live beyond 18. She accepts this without problem. Two years later, the Servant Leonardo da Vinci (as a woman) visits Romani in his office. She’s annoyed with the current situation in Chaldea. Two years later (2015), Romani has a chat with Lev (Leff) about Mash and the possible damage they are doing to her.

Sometime later, Marisbury recalls winning the Holy Grail War with his Servant. A person walks into his office, demanding he cancel CHALDEAS. Marisbury commits suicide rather than comply. Still later, his daughter Olga Marie took over as Director at Chaldea, and the Rayshift project gets ready to go.

Meanwhile, Mash recalls how Dr. Romani spent so much time with her, expanding her horizons. She’s recalls her meeting with the guy whom she’d call her Senpai. Then she remembers they adventures they’ve had clearing the six singularities to date. Her progress is so amazing that Dr. Romani is stunned at the power of her Nobel Phantasm.

Thoughts/Review

Sadly, I was unable to watch Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia 00 when it first aired, thanks to work. But since the main series is starting, I figured I’d better get cracking.

Confusing to Non-Game Players

As I learned long ago, the purpose of anime adaptations is primarily to serve as an advertisement for whatever source material it is adapting. In this instance, Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia 00 is advertising the Fate/Grand Order mobile gacha game (I’m doing videos on the game on YouTube for those interested). However, it is also attempting to set the story for the TV series that’s starting.

Unfortunately, I think that if you’ve never played the FGO game, you are going to be confused, especially in the second half of the episode. That’s because in the second half, there are major time skips, then a collage of imagery going from First Order until the Sixth Incursion. The mass display of Servants and narration by popular Servants (Nero, Francis Drake, etc.) will titillate players of the game, but will be utterly meaningless to the non-layers.

Although I almost always skip the stories of FGO in the game, I don’t think the stuff with Dr. Romani and Marisbury was in the game. It may have been ’cause I know there’s a dramatic moment when the player character is told the truth about Mash not having long to live. (Once in a while, I’ll try to stomach some story, but since the story usually is, “Blah, blah, blah…OH! Monsters! Got to fight!”, I’m not interested.) But even this part of the story is one that I think would have confused me had I not played the game.

Why Skip the Other Singularities?

I will never understand the thinking of Japanese executives at times. When Fate/Grand Order: First Order was released as a TV special, I wrote how I thought it should have been a regular TV series. It would have been far better than a TV special. But alas, the powers that be didn’t want to do that.

Further, they did another special called Fate/Grand Order: Moonlight/Lostroom, which apparently is a prelude to the events of the Second Singularity. (I do plan on watching this.) I suspect we’ll get more confusing stuff there, designed only for game players.

The Sixth Singularity is being done as a theatrical movie release. However, that won’t be released until next year. And the events there take the gang into the Seventh Singularity, which is what Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia 00 is a prelude for. None of this makes any sense, but hey, that’s Japan for you.

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

In the end, Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia 00 is merely designed for hardcore players of the Fate/Grand Order gacha game. It really is a shame that the folks in charge in Japan didn’t properly do all of these as continuous TV series.