At the time of this writing, there are several adaptations and spin-offs of the "Fate" franchise, started by "Fate - Stay Night." The 2019 anime spin-off "Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files - Rail Zeppelin - Grace Note" might be described in the simplest terms as... Type-Moon story, as told by the BBC?The spin-off is a direct follow-up to Ufotable's "Fate - Zero," taking place ten years later, and taking place shortly before the events of Ufotable's adaptation of "Fate - Stay Night - Unlimited Blade Works." Knowing these works is recommended, especially to at least understand the world of mages and their quest to find and understand "the root" of all things, and the recurring sport known as the "Holy Grail War" and its purpose in achieving this knowledge. The main character is the title character, Lord El-Melloi the 2nd, a teacher at the previously-barely-mentioned Clocktower academy for mages in Britain. The Lord is actually the young adult version of Waver Velvet, one of the surviving mages that fought in the last Grail War. A fan-favorite side character in "Zero," he was the youngest fighter in a brutal battle of violence and backstabbing, trying to prove himself despite his age, and paired with a manifestation of Alexander the Great, an opposite personality for being loud and bold. Not initially getting along, they grow more than most other characters, creating a bond and friendship by the time they ultimately have to say goodbye. "Case Files" references this often, namely Velvet's desire to see Alexander at least once more again, or to at least make good on Alexander's wish to live like a King and conquer the farthest, undiscovered shores. Also, the fact that his teacher, Kayneth El-Melloi, died in that same war as one of the competing mages. Due to a variety of circumstances, Velvet purchased the El-Melloi title (out of some confusing feelings of both respect and disdain with the previous holder of the name), and due to the machinations of competiting living family members and other Clocktower nobles, he was given the temporary, fake title of "Lord," to teach at the school like the previous El-Melloi, and to work off a massive debt the dead teacher had. And so, adult Velvet is the cool, popular new teacher at the magic academy, while quietly serving the requests and demands of the prior El-Melloi's family, including the ambitious younger sister not quite old enough to take the position of Lord herself.Also, Lord El-Melloi the 2nd solves mysteries. Because these part-time jobs can help widdle the debt down a bit more. "Case Files" makes use of several obscure characters, and otherwise-unknown relatives of characters, from "Zero," "Unlimited Blade Works," and even "Apocrypha." It makes you realize how grand the ambitions of the Type-Moon universe are, perhaps too much so for its own good. Adult Velvet also has to deal with a class of eccentric teenagers, some who regularly helps solve the mysteries, and some who have virtually no purpose to exist in the show. Not to mention the people whe comes across, who are also bizarre. Everyone seems to have some odd quirks... one girl with an eyepatch has a sadistic crush on her teacher, another goofy but gifted boy also has a crush on his teacher, another has animal-inspired magic and a dangerous crush on a fellow female student, one willingly loans massive sums of money for the fun of it, etc. Why is everyone so weird? Just because. Velvet Waiver's character had the most potential to sell the show, but is disappointly confusing. Putting on a public face to be cool and stoic, his personality in his private office shows he is still full of personal doubts and disdain for the elders fighting for political power behind him. Haunted by his memories of Alexander, he has motivations that don't particularly have anything to do with a overarching plot of no consequence, at least what is adapted here (the corresponding novel series is longer). And yet, he makes decisions that don't particularly make sense, and his furrowed brow intends to make him cooler than he really comes across. His apprentice and lead pupil, the mysterious white-haired girl named Gray, is equally confusing, as is their relationship: she appears to be more of an attentive maid, or perhaps a "servant," to Velvet rather than a student or collegue, and has her own unexplained personality quirks, even after her true role is revealed. Towards the second half of the series, the "Rail Zeppelin" part of the title does come in, and the story builds towards an interesting climax that at least resembles what makes the "Fate" franchse so exciting.
Ultimately, in an overly self-indulgent franchise, "Case Files" is particularly over-indulgent. You would think something described as "The Garden of Sinners" meets "Harry Potter" and "Sherlock Holmes" would be awesome, but the weight of the backstories are a bit much for even dedicated Type-Moon fans. Even if you have watched the rest of the franchise ("Zero" at minimum is recommended), the finer details of the story will still be lost on most viewers. The mysteries, typically murders or theft involving mages too ambitious for their own good, are as grisly as expected, but don't follow grounded logic in a manner for mystery fans to appreciate. What's more, the show's sense of humor, whether through strange characters and their interactions or in how a case is resolved, further makes the tone hard to pin down. I still do like the Type-Moon franchise though, no matter how dense, and admittedly stupid, the lore can be. And after hints to this adult Velvet in the other shows, it was nice to see a more detailed exploration of the fan-favorite, in a series practically dedicated to him. The attempt of a more intellectual, thoughtful story and setting suits my personal tastes. As a fan, I should have enjoyed this. And I did enjoy "Case Files," but should have enjoyed it more. For virtually everyone else, it's safe to say that, regardless of quality, this is the last animated adaptation to bother watching, even behind the first "Fate" series, "Tsukihime," "Canaan," or "Carnival Phantasm." While studio Ufotable has handled much of the "Fate" franchise, the late 2010's had so many spin-offs that they simply couldn't take all the work, so other studios got to take the responsibility. Here, studio Troyca tackles "Case Files." The studio didn't have much other experience, so I was impressed with their ability to closely match the general visual and animation style of Ufotable's "Unlimited Blade Works," and perhaps even "Apocrypha." From individual scenes, some avid fans might not even notice the studios involved were different, especially when looking at recurring characters.Aside from trying to match styles, "Case Files" is a handsome anime, with an appreciation for upper-class English tastes, and general magical flare. Animation quality is a little more mundane. You'd think that was because this series offered less opportunity for flashy action than the other "Fate" shows, but on the contrary, "Case Files" tries to add action scenes in every one or two episodes: its in those shots that it's clear that Ufotable or A-1 Pictures didn't animate this series, for Troyca just isn't as successful.With a soundtrack by Yuki Kajira, the music fits what fans would expect from the franchise, but is a little more distinct by leaning more into classical music and violin and clarinet, better suiting the atmosphere of this particular series (of course, the lack of vocal hymn-like pop themes is a disappointment). The English dub, a surprise addition from Aniplex USA given the niche audience, isn't particularly great, but at least matches the general quality of "Unlimited Blade Works": extra credit is given for using the same actors from the other shows, helping make "Case Files" seem like a true cross-over in an increasingly confusing franchise. If haven't already listened to or liked the dub of the other shows, you'll probably prefer the original Japanese for this wordy series, perhaps better for catching the details of the dialogue.If you've already seen and loved "Fate - Zero," and love the idea of watching an adult Velvet Waiver playing teacher and solving murders involving mages, then "Lord El Melloi II's Case Files - Rail Zeppelin - Grace Note" should be right up your alley. But that's an extreme niche inside a larger niche. Even if you fit the criteria, it's hard not to admit that the show is an indulgent exercise, simply giving you more of what you want, seemingly without purpose or inspiration to distinguish it. At worst, it might reduce your opinions of Velvet as a character. Solid production values help elevate it to being "fine," but that's coming from me... anyone outside the target niche would be perplexed with how easy it is to get lost.