Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files {Rail Zeppelin} Grace note 01
Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files 01
ロード・エルメロイⅡ世の事件簿 -魔眼蒐集列車 Grace note- 01

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis

Three years after the Forth Holy Grail War, and seven years from the present, Waver Velvet is held captive and upside-down in the Archisorte Mansion. Reines El-Melloi Archisorte, the young niece and adopted younger sister of Waver’s former teacher, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, is interrogating him. She wants to know why Waver borrowed a ton of money to purchase the El-Melloi Class.

Waver recounts how that he had borrowed a lot of money from a wealthy classmate, Melvin Weins, to participate in the Forth Holy Grail War. After losing his Servant, Iskandar Rider to Gilgamesh Archer, six months later, Waver heads to Iraq to visit the Babylon ruins. This is the city where Iskandar (Alexander the Great) was buried and Babylonia was the area Gilgamesh ruled centuries before.

Waver is captured by Barzan, who’s a senpai mage from the Clock Tower. Barzan plans to use Waver as a battery. Waver is thrown into a cell, where Melvin is also being held. When Waver hears about Barzan’s plans to find Iskandar’s burial chamber, Waver decides to end this excavation. He escapes the cell with Melvin and tricks Barzan into using his Mystic Eyes ability as a distraction. Melvin writes a rune on a generator, which Waver destroys. Waver and Melvin escape.

Back at the mansion, Reines releases Waver. She learns that Waver feels responsible for Kayneth-sensei’s death. As such, she has him take on the El-Melloi debts. Then she has him agree to restor the mostly destroyed El-Melloi Magic Crest. And finally, she has him take on the title of Lord El-Melloi to represent her family with the Mage Guild. He agrees, providing she add “II” to the title.

In the present, Waver meets with Reines and Melvin about a case.

Thoughts/Review

And so we have the actual first episode of Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files after the prelude episode 0. And we get more nods to Fate/Zero.

Fate/Zero

As someone who enjoys the Fate franchise, I’ve watched Fate/Zero. As such, I am thrilled to see the continued flashbacks and nods to Fate/Zero in Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files 01. What really thrills me is seeing how the events of the Fourth Holy Grail War impacted Waver. I don’t want to spoil Fate/Zero, but Waver used unethical means to enter the war. But his Servant, Rider Iskandar, caused Waver to grow as a person.

And thus we see Waver in this episode continuing to move forward while honoring Iskandar. Hence his journey to Babylon. Once there, he acts to save Iskandar’s legacy from someone who’d abuse it. And I loved that moment for sure.

I know blog reader Dave mentioned not having watched Fate/Zero, but had no problem following this Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files series. I’m wondering if this is a common feeling among other folks who watched this series. Were you confused by the Fate/Zero elements? Let me know in the comments.

Reines El-Melloi Archisorte

I had wondered who Reines El-Melloi Archisorte was in the prelude episode of this series. Thankfully, Fate/Zero in Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files 01 gives us those answers. I don’t remember her being mentioned in Fate/Zero. But then, there was likely no reason to mention her. Still, it was interesting to learn that she’s Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald’s young niece and adoptive younger sister.

Still, I do wonder how she would have fit into things, should Kayneth have survived the Forth Holy Grail war. He had a girlfriend (Sola-Ui) and should they have married and had a child, Reines would have been left out in the cold. As it is, she became the head of the El-Melloi faction. And at such a young age, she was quite crafty. And I like how she arranged to make Waver “Lord El-Melloi II”.

Still, I can’t help but like the young lady she became…pretty much an ojousama type girl.

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

Let me wrap up my review of Fate/Zero in Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files 01 with some final thoughts.

• Still no honorifics used, which I understand, even if I don’t approve. After all, these Western characters are basically Japanese archetypes. Still, I don’t think that translating “kohai” and “senpai” as “buddy” worked.
• This first episode did a nice job of laying out the groundwork of Waver’s past. And the ending
• Gray only gets a cameo in this episode. Bummer.
• Is this EMIYA?

In the end, Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files 01 really got my attention way more than the prelude episode did. As such, I’m rather interested in seeing how this series plays out.

(Plays on Crunchyroll.)