Review of Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note: The Charm of Mystery and Magic

The appeal and reviews of Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note

"Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note" is a mystery anime set in the world of TYPE-MOON, in the Clock Tower, the headquarters of magicians. The original work is a novel by Makoto Mita, and was animated in 2019 under the production of TROYCA. This work depicts Waver Velvet from "Fate/Zero" growing up and becoming Lord El-Melloi II. Below, we will introduce the appeal and reviews of this work, as well as related information.

story

In "Fate/Zero," Waver Velvet, who fought through the Fourth Holy Grail War alongside the King of Conquerors Iskandar, takes over the name of Lord El-Melloi over time and faces magical and mystical incidents at the Clocktower as "Lord El-Melloi II." The story depicts the process in which he solves various cases together with his students as a mentor. A particularly noteworthy episode is "The Magical Eye Collection Train Rail Zeppelin," a popular episode in the original work. It depicts the struggles of Lord El-Melloi II and his companions to solve a series of murders that occur on the train.

Commentary

This work is an animated version of the orthodox and supreme magical mystery written by the original author, Mita Makoto. The animation was produced by TROYCA, who also worked on "Aldnoah.Zero" and "Re:CREATORS", and is characterized by its detailed film and beautiful colors. The director is Kato Makoto, who made his directorial debut with "There's a Corpse Buried Under Sakurako's Feet" and was also praised for his beautiful visuals in "Bloom Into You". In addition, Aoki Ei, the director of "Fate/Zero", participated as a supervisor, and Kajiura Yuki, who worked on "Fate/Zero" and "Puella Magi Madoka Magica", is in charge of the music. The coming together of these staff members has resulted in the creation of a work that delves deeply into the worldview of TYPE-MOON.

cast

The voice actors for the main characters are as follows:

• Lord El-Melloi II: Daisuke Namikawa
• Gray: Reina Ueda
• Add: Daisuke Ono
• Reines El-Melloi Archisorte: Minase Inori
• Flat Escaldos: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
• Svin Glashuette: Seiichiro Yamashita
• Caules Forvage: Yusuke Kobayashi
• Melvin Waynes: Daisuke Hirakawa
• Luviagelita Edelfelt: Ito Shizuka

These voice actors skillfully express the individuality of each character and liven up the story. In particular, Daisuke Namikawa's calm tone as Lord El-Melloi II and Reina Ueda's mysterious voice as Gray contribute greatly to the atmosphere of the work.

Main Staff

The main staff are as follows:

• Original author: Makoto Mita, TYPE-MOON
• Character design: Mineji Sakamoto
• Director: Makoto Kato
• Series Composition: Ukyo Kodachi
• Character design: Jun Nakai
• Main animator: Ryuichi Makino
• Supervisor: Ei Aoki
• Prop design: Kazutaka Ema
• Magical research: Kiyomune Miwa
• Art director: Sei Ito
• Art setting: Ryu Sakamoto
• Color design: Shinohara Mariko
• Director of photography: Tomoyoshi Kato
• CG Director: Mitsutaka Iguchi
• Edited by: Shota Uyama
• Animation producer: Toshiyuki Nagano
• Sound Director: Aketagawa Jin
• Sound Production: Magic Capsule
• Music: Yuki Kajiura
• Produced by: TROYCA

This work, created by the team of these staff members, faithfully reproduces the worldview of TYPE-MOON while bringing out new charms. In particular, Yuki Kajiura's music is an important element in heightening the tension and mystery of the story.

Main Characters

The details of the main characters are as follows:

• Lord El-Melloi II : One of the twelve Lords of the Clocktower, the headquarters of magicians. Although his magical skills are second-rate, his knowledge is remarkable. He is one of the few survivors of the Fourth Holy Grail War in the Far East.
• Gray : An apprentice of Lord El-Melloi II. He is always clad in a gray cloak with his face hidden by a hood. He carries a magical outfit called "Add" in a birdcage.
• Add : A magical outfit that has been passed down through the Gray family for generations.
• Reines El-Melloi Archisorte : The step-sister of Lord El-Melloi II, she is the next head of the El-Melloi family after she brought the family together after it had fallen into ruin. She gave him the name "El-Melloi" and the position of ruler. As her step-sister, she often presents him with unreasonable demands and enjoys his reaction.
• Flat Escardos : A boy who belongs to the "El-Melloi Classroom" modern magic department. Although he has a genius talent for magic, he is also highly regarded within the Clocktower and has a bad reputation as a problem child. He is innocent, friendly, and hard to hate, and shows excellent chemistry with Svin, who is in the same class.
• Svin Glashuate : An excellent student who rivals Flat in the "El-Melloi Classroom." At first glance, he appears to be a calm and collected student, but he also rivals Flat in problematic behavior. As a user of "beast magic," Flat affectionately calls him "Le Chien (the dog)," but Svin himself dislikes it.
• Caules Forvage : The young head of the Forvage family. He recently transferred to the Clock Tower.
• Melvin Waynes : A magician affiliated with the Clock Tower Creation Department. He is frail and frequently coughs up blood. He is an old acquaintance of Lord El-Melloi II, and is the only person who calls him Waver Velvet.
• Luviagelita Edelfelt : The next head of the prestigious Edelfelt family, known as "the most graceful hyena on earth." She met Lord El-Melloi II during a previous incident and visits the Clocktower to attend the "El-Melloi Classroom."

These characters each have their own backgrounds and personalities that enrich the story. In particular, the growth of Lord El-Melloi II and the relationships surrounding him are part of the appeal of the work.

subtitle

The subtitles for each episode are as follows:

• Episode 0: The Gravekeeper, the Cat, and the Magician (2019/06/29)
• Episode 1: Babylon, the Executed, and the King's Memories (2019/07/06)
• Episode 2: Seven Stars and the Eternal Cage (2019/07/13)
• Episode 3: Thunder and the Underground Labyrinth (2019/07/20)
• Episode 4: The Workshop, the Tomb, and the Necromancer (2019/07/27)
• Episode 5: The Spear of the End and the Fairy Eyes (2019/08/03)
• Episode 6: A Girl, a Department Store, and a Present (2019/08/10)
• Episode 7: Rail Zeppelin 1/6: The Departure Whistle and the First Murder (2019/08/17)
• Episode 8: Rail Zeppelin 2/6: The God of Power - Gordius Wheel and the Memories of the King of Conquerors (2019/08/24)
• Episode 9: Rail Zeppelin 3/6: The Shrine Maiden, the Determination, and the Child of Fukairin Einnash (2019/08/31)
• Episode 10: Rail Zeppelin 4/6 The Mystic Eye of the Impermanent Shadow and the Awakening Detective (2019/09/07)
• Episode 11: Rail Zeppelin 5/6 Afterimages and Auction (2019/09/14)
• Episode 12: Rail Zeppelin 6/6: Lightning and Shooting Stars (2019/09/21)
• Episode 13: The Clock Tower, Everyday Life, and the First Step to the Future (2019/09/28)

These episodes are based on the original manga, but also contain original stories for the anime. The "Rail Zeppelin" series in particular is highly regarded as an episode that brings out the charm of the original manga to the fullest.

Related Titles

"Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note" is deeply related to other TYPE-MOON works. Below is a list of related works.

• Fate/Zero
• Fate/Apocrypha
• Fate/stay night
• Fate/Strange Fake
• Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya

These works share the same worldview, and "Fate/Zero" in particular depicts the past of the protagonist, Lord El-Melloi II. Fans can gain a deeper understanding of the TYPE-MOON worldview by enjoying these works together.

Theme songs and music

The theme songs and music for this work are as follows:

• OP
  • starting the case : Rail Zeppelin
  • Period: 1-12
  • Composer: Yuki Kajiura
  • Arrangement: Yuki Kajiura
  • Used in the ending of episode 1
• ED
  • Skylark
  • Period: 2-11, 13
  • Lyricist: Yuki Kajiura
  • Composer: Yuki Kajiura
  • Arrangement: Yuki Kajiura
  • Sung by: ASCA

These songs are an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the story, and Yuki Kajiura's music in particular deepens the worldview of the work.

Ratings and Recommendations

"Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note" is a work that can be widely recommended not only to TYPE-MOON fans, but also to people who like mystery and magic-themed works. Below, we will explain the evaluation of the work and its recommended points in detail.

evaluation

This work faithfully reproduces the charm of the original work, while also bringing out new appeal by including episodes that are original to the anime. The "Rail Zeppelin" series in particular has been highly praised by viewers for adapting popular episodes from the original work into anime. In addition, the work was produced by a team of staff from various fields, including character design, art, and music, resulting in extremely high quality both visually and aurally.

In terms of the story, the growth of Lord El-Melloi II and the relationships surrounding him are carefully depicted, deeply moving the viewer. In particular, the scenes where his past and present intersect are powerful enough to stir emotions. In addition, the mystery elements in each episode are cleverly constructed, drawing the viewer in.

Recommended points

Here are some reasons why I recommend this work:

• TYPE-MOON's worldview : TYPE-MOON fans can enjoy a story that is deeply connected to existing works. In particular, fans of "Fate/Zero" will not want to miss this work that depicts the growth of Lord El-Melloi II.
• Mystery elements : The mystery elements in each episode have the power to draw viewers in. In particular, the "Rail Zeppelin" series is a highlight in that it involves solving the mysteries of serial murders.
• Character Design and Art : TROYCA's detailed film and beautiful colors bring out the visual appeal to the maximum, especially the depiction of the clock tower and the Magical Eye Collection Train.
• Music : Yuki Kajiura's music is an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the story. The opening and ending songs in particular leave a deep impression on the viewers.
• Character Development : The growth of Lord El-Melloi II and the relationships surrounding him are carefully depicted, deeply moving the viewer. In particular, the scenes where his past and present intersect are powerful and emotionally stirring.

As mentioned above, "Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note" is a work that delves deeply into the world of TYPE-MOON, and is a work that can be widely recommended to people who like mystery and magic-themed works. It has achieved extremely high quality both visually and aurally, and will surely leave a deep impression on viewers.