Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia

here's a link to the comic in question

https://danbooru.donmai.us/posts/2670121

…Siduri spin-off when?

She's a fun character

I feel more dissatisfied with this episode the more I try to rewatch. This is the first episode that has made me feel this way and I think the fight not being to my preferences and the first half before they get to the sea is to blame, particularly the former

The first half of the episode is honestly my favorite part of the series so far. It feels so refreshing.

I think its mostly my knowledge of the game that brings it down for me. Gil's desire to run away from his duties and just go wild ago had been implied a few times prior in the game so him finally caving and running away with us was amusing to me, especially with the Spriggan scene since he jumps into battle only to get blindsided in a comical way.

But mostly its the scene where he asks Guda and Mash to tell him stories that I don't really like. I guess it was to compensate for all the scenes of him excitedly listening to our antics that got cut prior, but it felt kind of artificial in comparison particularly when he laughed so loudly at hearing that Ritsuka was sleeping on the floor. As if the scene is trying to be more amusing than it actually is by having the characters point out how amusing it is. So in the end I guess it was oddly fitting he called their stories boring with a smile on his face.

The episode did improve the tower encounter so I can't I think its bad by any means, but my own biases for once are influencing my opinion of the show in a negative manner.

Edited by Mami on Nov 4th 2019 at 2:00:17 PM

Agreed: the more I look back on this past episode the less I think of it.

Still, seeimg Gil being all The Good King and playing with the kids is worth the price of admission, as is seeimg Roman and Da Vinci acting Like an Old Married Couple, but most of the runtime was very boring Info Dump As You Know stuff with very little effort into making it be interesting.

Not terrible, just boring.

In more neat details, tje blue gates in Uruk? Actually existed, though its presence is rather anachronistic.

The Gate of Ishtar, it’s in Berlin’s museum if I recall correctly.

That said, the Chaldeans (the dynasty, not the organization) were known for being archtraditionalists and tried to restore as much as they could from the days of Sumer and Akkad, so you can headcanon that the one we see is the original one and the one in the museum is a restoration.

Edited by raziel365 on Nov 4th 2019 at 6:22:59 AM

Speaking of attention to detail,

Even though the animation last week was better, the script writing this week was WAY better all the way through, I can actually rewatch the episode without feeling disappointment. Even if Gil is boring, Ishtar compensates by having so much personality and being a lot of fun. Ushi was cute AF as well and I liked her anime original interactions (even if she's under the misunderstanding that her brother thought anything about her than wanting her to die).

Speaking of which, Ritsuka actually feels like a human being this week, must be because he was talking to characters other than Mash

Must be because the dialogue isn't 90% describing what just happened for the sake of the audience.

Trashu Mashu making characters look even flatter since 2015.

These are some really cute backstory details for Ritsuka (unlike Teach Us!Ritsuka, he seems to actually have paid attention in history class or smth) and Ishtar has some neat humanizing moments.

also a lot more overt game stuff with that tried and true skeleton monster and Merlin bringing out his Caliburn copy.

I'm glad they expanded on Ushiwakamaru because she sorely needs more characterization.

The Underworld sequence was delightfully spooky and they've done a good job of building up the story for future stuff.

It seems like they decided that they needed to be more overt about the Ishtar/Ereshkigal sharing the same body (which hopefully will debunk the idea that Extra!Rin is also being possessed)

Nice to finally see the team getting a win.

Ana continues being a most precious cinnamon roll, and Saori Hayami is once again the best, like, ever.

x2 Yes, you don't like Mash, Arha, we get it, no need to remind us every 5 minutes.

I don't need to do it. I want to do it. I don't make fun of every character I dislike like this. She's special!

Also? The last time I made fun of Mashu was over a month ago on page two.

Edited by Arha on Nov 9th 2019 at 1:43:38 PM

Ah I'm reminded of when Apoc was airing & I'd complain about Sieg every week....... or at least every week until I dropped the show cause I couldn't handle it anymore.

Ahhhhhh, good times.

Fine, I'll drop it.

Apocrypha's a shit sundae, Sieg is just the cherry on top.

By which I mean, of course, that even if you took him out, the show would still be a snorefest.

Indeed even without its piece of rotted wood of a protagonist, I'd still have plenty of material to rag on.

I mean there's nothing unmockable about Frannie or Jack.

...Mordred was cool. Vlad too. That's something, right? And I like Fran even if her concept is a bit silly.

I don't really have anything else to praise about Apocrypha.

Ehh, the collab with FGO made him a far better character.

...okay, a dying blobfish in a Kit Harrigton mask would be a batter character than Sieg in Apocrypha, so even by regular standards, FGO!Sieg is pretty alright as far as protagonists go.

Or perhaps I should say that one of the primary goals of FGO is to redeem everyone who got a rough deal in Apocrypha, which has mostly succeeded, they even made Avicebron a real bro, so I for one just file that whole mess alongside the Tsukihime anime and Septem.

The spinoffs so far have had some trouble really bringing their stories together and giving a sense that they really 'fit.' I suppose the exception there would be Fate/Zero feeling like it actually does belong without sticking out terribly despite the different style. But Apo and FSF don't really feel like they fit in.

But I think we're getting a little off topic here.

FSF is an unholy amalgamation of every Nasuverse concept imaginable in an unspecified timeline, I don't think it ever truly cared about fitting the moment Narita realized he could do whatever the fuck he wanted.

But on topic, am I the only one who noticed the creative angles to hide Ushi's nips? Also I'm amused that its just now that Ritsuka is reacting to the absolute lack of clothing, as if her undiea haven't been on full display since she was introduced

Edited by Mami on Nov 9th 2019 at 9:19:37 PM

I treat Arha's dissaproval of FSF as recommendation.

Sieg bad Mordred good yadda yadda yadda

Blonde Ishtar feels blursed.

I really liked Fujimaru this episode. Though when the dead are more afraid of a squirrel-dog creature, you really need to get your gains fast.