ANI-MOVIES, *Fate/Grand Order: First Order

In 2016, to premiere their new Fate/Stay Night spinoff mobile game, Lay-duce studio produced a made-for-TV animated movie based on the story's prologue. Like most of the titles in Fate universe(s), it stems from the original Fate/Stay Night anime, and its two divergent anime showing alternate takes on the storyline. Fate/Grand Order brings a Terminator element into the mix with this introduction to the new series in First Order.

Set in an alternate timeline during 2015, a special isolated base run by Chaldea Security Organization uses a mixture of tech and magic to monitor mankind's future history. A fluxuation within the timeline results in the probable exticition of all humanity, so the CSO sends their last remaining time-travel candidate Ritsuka(who could be a girl in the video game depending on the player's choice), along with his teammate Mash who during the trip has take on the spirit of a Servant Class. Servants in the Fate series are historical or fictional character reincarnated to take part in a war between several mages that use their powers to win the Holy Grail, a mystical chalice that can grant any wish, although sometimes in a Monkey's Paw fashion. Showing up in a dark alternate version of the Fifth Holy Grail War(i.e.: Fate: Stay/Night)in 2004, Mash has been given the spirit of the knight Galahad, and uses her new abilities as a magical shielder to protect Ritsuka as his servant. Another tagalong from the future was the commanding officer Olga, and the trio are attacked by Medusa, who in this timeline has been reclassified as a lancer. Cu Chulainn appears as a reclassified caster to rescue them from the grim gorgon, and relays to the time travellers that this version of the world has been tainted with the power of the Holy Grail, and now under the watch of a possessed Saber(originally a female reborn King Arthur). The new RPG party has to make it past some other possessed magic servants, one of which technically shouldn't even exist anymore since they're from the future which is at this point in time is non-existant. Our heroes defeat Saber thanks to Mash's Noble Phantasm super-attack, but its revealed that this was all part of the plan of a rogue member of the CSO, Professor Leff, who is secretly working for a cabal of demon gods bent on using time anomalies to make the human race extinct. Olga is killed during this confrontation as she unknowingly died in the future with only her spirit travelling back to take on a solid form. Ritsuka and Mash return to the future, but are informed that Leff's forces have opened up seven other anomalies, so the two of them have to journey to each timeline and retrieve the Holy Grail from each one, leading to a new assignment called "Grand Order".

First Order acts as the opening chapter to a campaign of seven different quests throughout time, two of which have so far been turned into their own anime TV series, making this movie a prelude to the entire new saga. If you had at least seen any of the original three different anime titles base on the first Fate/Stay Night game, then you shouldn't have too much trouble wrapping your head around the idea of the storyline. However, if you've never sampled any of the Fate titles, then you'll be pretty lost in this. It also seems to contradict the Fate/Extra: Last Encore anime series which is set even further in the future, but can be brushed aside if you dismiss most plot failings in time travel stories.