The second “Fate/Stay Night Heaven’s Feel II. Lost Butterfly” film continues this wonderful, alternative route/storyline to “Fate/stay night” that many fans know and love. Featuring a captivating storyline focused on Shirou and Sakura, wonderful animation, great voice acting on both soundtracks and an elegant Blu-ray box set, we highly recommend this Blu-ray release!
TITLE: Fate/Stay Night Heaven’s Feel II. Lost Butterfly
ANIME RELEASE DATE IN JAPAN: 2019
DURATION: 117 Minutes
BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, 16×9, Japanese and English Linear PCM Stereo, Subtitles: English
COMPANY: Aniplex of America, Inc.
RATED: 16 and Up
Release Date: November 19, 2019
Directed by Sudou Tomonori
Script: Hiyama Akira
Music by Kajiura Yuki
Character Design by Ikariya Atsushi, Tabata Hisayuki, Sudou Tomonori
Original Creator: Nasu Kinoko
Original Character Design: Takeuchi Takashi
Art Director: Eto Koji
Anime Production: ufotable
Featuring the following voice talent:
Shitaya Noriko/Cristina Vee as Matō Sakura
Sugiyama Noriaki/Bryce Papenbrook as Shirō Emiya
Suwabe Junichi /Kaiji Tang as Archer
Ueda Kana/Mela Lee as Rin Tohsaka
Kamiya Hiroshi/Kyle McCarley as Shinji Matō
Ayako Kawasumi/Kari Wahlgren as Saber
Kadowaki Mai/Stephanie Sheh as Illyasviel von Einzbern
Nobutoshi Canna/Tony Oliver as Lancer
Koyama Rikiya/Matthew Mercer as Kiritsugu Emiya
Shinichiro Miki/Patrick Seitz as True Assassin
Tomokazu Seki/David Earnest as Gilgamesh
Asakawa Yuu/Melissa Fahn as Rider
“The opponent I must fight still remains in this town.”
Based on the record-breaking visual novel Fate/stay night, the final route, a.k.a. the Sakura Route, has been made into a three-part theatrical feature. Now its second chapter comes to Blu-ray.
Shirou Emiya made his choice: to keep fighting, and to protect Sakura Matou. Due to the participation of Zouken Matou in the Holy Grail War, and his summoning of the Servant True Assassin, things begin to distort, steadily worsening day by day. Resolved to protect Sakura and not betray her, Shirou refuses to leave the battle. While Sakura worries about Shirou, she also finds herself entangled in her own fate as a mage. However, their fervent wishes are about be crushed by the mysterious black shadow that covers the city, killing Masters and Servants one by one…
When it comes to video games and its characters, I don’t think I’ve seen a title derived from a video game, within the last decade, achieve so much attention than the “Fate” series from TYPE-MOON. This series has captivated people from all over the world, merchandise continues to sell very well (considering its price for importing) and it’s quite impressive to see how the fanbase continues to grow and are dedicated to “Fate”!
My first introduction to the “Fate/stay night” was just hearing about the original anime TV series. But it was the first PSP video game release (“Fate/unlimited codes” on the PlayStation Network that actually got me hyped for this series and made me learn more about the characters.
The more I researched, the more I started to noticed that a lot of people online were excited about this video game and discussing the anime series and while I never really understood the commotion of the series, I figured there were so many fighting games in Japan with characters that people go crazy for.
But then the Sony PSP game came out on the PlayStation Network and the huge number of posts on Danny Choo’s official website in regards to dolls or figures, may they be the release of Nendoroids from Good Smile! or FIGMA figures from Max Factory, suffice to say, I’ve seen the popularity for this “Fate/stay night” achieve critical mass not just in Japan but all over the world.
While “Fate/stay night” and “Fate/zero” were released first and the 2010 film “Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works” was released in 2010, the “Fate” storyline continued with “Fate/Grand Order” (a mobile phone video game released in 2017) and the latest animated effort with “Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel” produced by ufotable.
It’s important to note, in order to prevent any confusion, “Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel” takes a page out of visual novels in which you choose your adventure, this is the same for this anime series and animated films. This is not a sequel, it’s not remake, it’s another route in which the story unfolds. And this is the third and final route of the visual novel and centers around Matou Sakura.
The storyline continues to focus on Shirou and featurs Rin, Sakura and Illya, but focuses less on the master/servant relationships and more on Shirou wanting to protect Sakura.
The story for the second film takes place where Saber is thought to be dead, thus eliminating her master Shirou. But Shirou is determined to keep fighting and to protect Sakura.
Shirou finds out from Tohsaka Rin that Sakura has been kidnapped by her twisted brother Shinji and Rin and Shirou go to confront him.
Shinji tries to exert his control over Rider, but Rider’s true master is Sakura.
We learn more about Sakura, what has happened to her body, but will Shirou still want to protect her even if he learns the truth about her? What is Sakura’s connection to Rin?
The second film continues the first film’s style of being violent and dark but they managed to give viewers a fresh new storyline and the treatment of Sakura this time around and Shinji’s response towards Sakura, I was a bit surprised but it makes for an entertaining storyline. Especially how it sets the story up for the upcoming third film.
Personally, this different Shirou and Sakura was surprising but I found the film captivating and dark and it will be interesting if Shirou will follow up with what Zoken told him (which I can’t mention, as it’s a major spoiler).
The film is literally so good, that I can’t wait for the third film!
As for the animation, one thing about having a theatrical film versus a series is that you have bigger budget and also more time and in the case of “Fate/Stay Night Heaven’s Feel II. Lost Butterfly”, the animation is fantastic. Character designs have more shading, art backgrounds are much more detailed. And the film looks absolutely awesome on Blu-ray. We have the same Japanese and English dub actors from the previous serious supplying the voices for this animated film, which is a major plus. And they did a wonderful job.
While there are no major special features aside from clean opening and , Aniplex makes up in extras. For one, you get a CD soundtrack for “Fate/Stay Night Heaven’s Feel II. Lost Butterfly” which comes with 37 tracks and 64-minutes long. In addition, inside it’s elegant slipcase are two books. One is a “Fate/Stay Night Heaven’s Feel II. Lost Butterfly” hardcover artbook which is 50-pages long. Also, a 36-page “Fate/Stay Night Heaven’s Feel II. Lost Butterfly” Animation Material booklet. And also, a Bushiroad Egoistic, Sakura card is included.
Overall, the second “Fate/Stay Night Heaven’s Feel II. Lost Butterfly” film continues this wonderful, alternative route/storyline to “Fate/stay night” that many fans know and love. Featuring a captivating storyline focused on Shirou and Sakura, wonderful animation, great voice acting on both soundtracks and an elegant Blu-ray box set, we highly recommend this Blu-ray release!
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