Depending on your viewpoint, this is either the worst-looking episode ofFate/strange Fake or the best-looking one. On one hand, the full gamut of budget-saving tricks are on display. We have static frames with voice overs, characters that don't move except for their lips, and wide shots where all facial/character detail disappears—not to mention the distorted proportions.

Yet, on the other hand, the whole episode is done with such artistic flair its staggering. There are for separate art styles in this episode: the normalFate/strange Fake one, the Richard legend one, the horror story one, and the one for Richard's dream. If a frame is static, the angle is a visually interesting one. If proportions are distorted it's due to speed or movement. Rather than smooth and flowing action, we get a peek into the surreal, where what we see is as much metaphor as it is really happening. As much focus is put on to the fallout of each attack—the blinding explosions and destruction—as the actual fighting. Honestly, this episode often feels like something animated bySHAFT'sMadoka Magica orMonogatari Series teams rather thanA-1 Pictures—and that's a huge complement.

Of course, the visuals are just one part of this episode. On the story side of things, this is an episode about two people, Ayaka and Richard. What we learn this episode is that they view each other as good people but see themselves as anything but.

Ayaka is a young woman ruled by guilt. It's heavily implied that she is the inspiration for “Mr. A” in a popular Japanese urban legend/horror story—that she turned a blind eye to the abuse of a child who then died in a murder suicide and is now haunted by that same child's ghost every time she enters an elevator. She sees herself as a horrible person because of this and has spent her young life running away—half in fear and half in shame. She's afraid to have anyone else rely on her. After all, if she left a small child to their terrible fate, she could do the same to anyone else—and she knows she could never carry that additional guilt.

Meanwhile, Richard lived his life ruled by his passions. He was a King Arthur-obsessed fan boy who went off searching for treasure related to his idol. He was a hero who fought in wars—and also killed some vampires alongside the leader of the Hassan during one—but he wasn't necessarily a great King to his people. He was rarely in England and did what he did for his own reasons rather than follow his kingly duties. He knows this—and sees betrayal by those close to him as the natural consequence of his actions.

Perhaps this is why he has put all his focus on Ayaka this time around. She is his second chance. If he can keep her alive through the Holy Grail War—do right by at least one innocent person—then maybe he can find some small amount of redemption.

As for plot progressions this episode, we get the forming of an alliance between Richard, Enkidu, and False Assassin (and, later, Sigma). Rather than teaming up for the purpose of obtaining the Grail, the goal that unites them is removing the “monsters” from the playing field. For Richard and False Assassin, this means taking out Jester since he is a vampire—and a vampire getting the Grail could spell doom for humanity. Enkidu, on the other hand wants to take out the disease-spreading False Rider and the Grail Mud-corrupted Alcides—for if the two powers somehow combined and infected the Grail in Snowfield… well, more than just human life on the planet would be threatened.

The episode ends with the revelation that Jester has discovered False Rider's master—meaning that he may be able to force an alliance all on his own and unleash False Rider upon the population en masse. Luckily, Flat has discovered something is going on—though we'll just have to see if such foreknowledge can save anyone, including himself next week.

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•Like between Altria and Shirou inFate/stay night, Ayaka and Richard share dreams. In this episode, we see that Saint Germain, one of the people Francesca fears, once contacted Richard in a dream—and in that dream he could see Ayaka witnessing said dream centuries later.

•In the flashback where Richard talks about “the great first king” we see King Arthur—but not Altria as we know her. Rather, based on the color scheme and armor, this is the legendary ideal of King Arthur known in Fate as “Lord Logres”—which makes sense given Richard is all about the legend rather than the flawed person she truly was.

•The story of Mr. A and Little Red Riding Hood was originally told in the opening scene of the direct sequel toFate/stay night,Fate/hollow ataraxia.

•Ayaka, as we've come to know her, doesn't see herself as a mage—and she hasn't used any magecraft. Yet, according to Waver, she's not only a mage but one who was once a part of his ultra-elite class—if only for a month. That's a pretty major contradiction.

•This episode also spells out directly why Waver himself hasn't set off with Gray (arguably the one living human on par with a Servant) to help Flat. Hishiri Adashino (a reoccurring antagonist from theThe Case Files of Lord El-Melloi II), backed by the Clocktower's Department of Policies, has banned him from going as the last time one of the 12 Clocktower Lords participated in a Holy Grail War, they died.

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Fate/strange Fake is currently streaming onCrunchyroll.

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