Anime Expo 2023 -Whispers of Dawn

ANN’s coverage of Anime Expo 2023 sponsored by Yen Press!

This past Saturday, Aniplex of America brought the English dub of Fate/strange Fake -Whispers of Dawn- to a rowdy, evening Anime Expo crowd. This animated adaptation of the opening act of Ryohgo Narita‘s ongoing novel series throws the viewer straight into the story with little time for exposition. The 48-minute installment provides an action-packed animation spectacle for fans both new and old and leaves them with plenty of questions to ask ahead of the upcoming TV series continuation.

Given the crowd full of Fate fans, it’s no surprise the audience reaction was extreme. The room was filled with cheers that grew exponentially louder with each reveal of a new servant. Likewise, a quick flash of Iskandar during Lord El-Melloi II and Flat’s opening conversation sent those in the panel room screaming at the top of their lungs. But the biggest pop of the night came from the appearance of Gray—despite her having no speaking lines. Clearly, she’s a fan favorite after the impact of 2019’s Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files anime series.

Assuming the audience is at least familiar with Fate’s lore and has watched one other title in the franchise, the special spends most of its first half reintroducing the concept of true and false Holy Grail Wars before picking up the pace and bringing forth a slew of new and old faces. Protagonists and antagonists are shown one after the other in quick succession—alongside their servants.

During this part, it was tough to keep up with the tone switching back and forth from dark and bloody to action. Perhaps this was a result of the two directors summarizing the story points in order to concentrate their efforts on the second half of the special: the intense, climactic meeting between the two key servants, Enkidu and Gilgamesh. And make no mistake, this scene did not disappoint.

Stuffed to the brim with character introductions and multiple plot lines topped with gorgeous animation, it feels like directors Sakazume and Enokido shaped Whispers of Dawn as a hook to enthrall watchers to tune into the TV anime for more. The English dub cast performed the characters with incredible skill, although some of the vocal mannerisms of the new characters need some adjustment in the upcoming series since I found certain lines sounding noticeably stilted.

Before letting the guests leave, the directors revealed a special teaser photo specifically made for the US. “We created this to reflect the atmosphere of our experience from the time we came to the US last year,” said Director Sakazume.

The crowd broke into applause and cheered at the image of Saber hitchhiking on a desert road alongside Ayaka Sajyou. “In order to recreate that feeling along with the character designer, Mr. Yukei, we used a street within Death Valley. We wanted to express the heat of what we experienced there. A large space and the cityscape in the background,” said Director Enokido.

In a closing statement, Director Sakazume wished for fans’ continued support as their team shifts gears to the upcoming Fate/strange Fake TV series. They understand it’s a big challenge, but they find strength in everyone’s anticipation.