Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia 01
#FGO_ep7 #FGOBabylonia
Fate/Grand Order -絶対魔獣戦線バビロニア- Episode 01
Fate/Grand Order: Zettai Majū Sensen Babylonia ep. 01

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis

King Gilgamesh wakes from a dream where his friend Enkidu died. He awaits the final Master from Chaldea to arrive in his land. Meanwhile, said last Master, named FUJIMARU Ritsuka, is in a briefing with Chaldea Acting Director, Doctor Romani, Ritsuka’s Demi-Servant Mash, and Chaldea Servant Da Vinci. Ritsuka and Mash’s final mission is to head to the Mesopotamia area and put an end to the Seventh Singularity.

Mash and Ritsuka are Rayshifted to Uruk in the year 2600 B.C. However, a barrier prevents them from appearing in Uruk. Instead, they are sent to a ruined town, filled with lion-like monsters. Mash clears the first ones they encounter, but a girl falls from the sky, crashing into Ritsuka. Mash and Ritsuka introduce themselves to the woman. She is stunned they don’t recognize her and won’t introduce herself. However, when another wave of lion-monsters (uridimmu) appear, the women easily dispatches them.

A third wave appears and the woman departs, wishing them well. Mash and Ritsuka flee, but the uridimmu surround them. They are helped by a powerful, green-haired person who’s name is Enkidu. Dr. Romani explains via their communicator that Enkidu was created to be a counter to Gilgamesh. Enkidu offers to escort them to Uruk. As they walk, Enkidu reveals much knowledge regarding the mission Mash and Ritsuka are on. Further, Enkidu reveals information on the Three Goddess Alliance plaguing the lands.

Enkidu takes them to a high ridge, where they can see Babylonia, a massive wall to protect humanity from the demonic monster hoards. Elsewhere in a wooded area, the arrival of Mash and Ritsuka is noted by a guy and a girl.

Thoughts/Review

And so Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia 01 begins. I’ll finally get the full story since I skipped most of that during my game play of Fate/Grand Order.

The Skip Ahead

In my review of episode 0, I complained about how we weren’t getting adaptations of Singularities 2-5. The First Singularity did get a TV Special, which I reviewed. That should have been a TV series. The Sixth Singularity is getting a movie treatment in 2020, though it should get a TV series. In Fact, all of the Singularities could have been given a TV series. Why this wasn’t done, who can say.

That said, at least here, the skipped singularities are better dealt with. In episode 0, if you hadn’t played the game, I doubt you’d know what was going on there. So at least in this episode, they make sure to explain things.

Since the Sixth Singularity was skipped, there’s no real meaning to Mash having been injured or the like. She actually gained additional powers in that singularity, especially regarding her Noble Phantasm. I suppose the only reason Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia 01 even dealt with it is because it will come up in the movie.

Mash Battles

It is a shame that Mash isn’t the offensive powerhouse in the FGO game that she’s shown to be in Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia 01. Don’t get me wrong, as a defensive-support Servant, Mash is a top tier 4* Servant. But when it comes to offensive output, she hits like a wet noodle in the game. As such, it was fun seeing her have the offensive awesomeness not present in the game.

Further to that, we got to see her unleash her Lord Camelot Nobel Phantasm. I have to imagine that people watching this episode who’ve never played the game are going, “Why would massive, fortress walls protect them from the impact of falling thousands of feet from the sky?”

Old Faces

Those who’ve watched any of the Fate/stay night titles, or even Fate/Zero will immediately recognize Gilgamesh here. I won’t spoil anything, but I will say that even with my limited knowledge of the game’s story, I know Gilgamesh is not the same as what folks have come to know.

Also, we got to see a new girl who looks and sounds like TOHSAKA Rin from the Fate/stay night series. I do know who this young woman is, as I have her in my game roster and use her quite a lot in farming. I won’t spoil anything, but I do hope the anime actually gives a more detailed explanation than the game did.

FUNimation/Anipex USA

There’s no use in complaining about FUNimation’s lack of honorific usage, save for “Senpai.” That’s because the folks at Aniplex USA did this for the game. (Don’t tell anyone, but sometimes, honorifics do slip through the game’s subtitles.) So I honestly didn’t expect anything different since Aniplex USA is very much attached to this project.

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

In the end, Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia 01 is a decent start to the new FGO anime series. It is still annoying that the Japanese decided to cherry pick which Singularities they’d adapt and how much effort would go into each.

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