This is a review of the Fate/ Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works TV series. The other entry is meant for the movie.

Violence: There is typical fantasy violence with blood. Characters try to kill each other on a regular basis. Lots of people are stabbed with weapons. Some of the deaths seem brutal and heartbreaking. This is a battle royale after all. I will say, the second season is quite a bit bloodier than the first.

Sex and Nudity: The only nudity is a non-sexual bit involving a little girl in the bath. All parts are covered. A male and female character take off their shirts for magic transfer reasons. The girl is wearing the equivalent of a crop top through the scene. It's kind of awkward to watch, though it isn't sexual. A guy captures a girl, strokes her legs and talks about doing whatever he wants with her. It's pretty creepy, but nothing happens. (Thank goodness!)

Theological Themes: The plot is all about magic users called mages. Those involved in the war can summon "heroic spirits", who are essentially mythological warriors to fight for them. The mythological spirits have a place they hang out until they're summoned. They're in search of the Holy Grail, which is said to grant any wish.

Problematic Themes: I recall some swearing. It was mainly the s-word and the d-word. Most of it comes from Lancer, who can have a foul mouth. The rest are used in fairly fitting situations (i.e. when they're about to be murdered). It is very infrequent. I don't remember any substances.

Overall: I've always been curious about this one, so I decided to give it a shot. It was pretty cool. The story is what drew me in, as the premise was appealing. Amidst the fighting, there is a clash of ideals and some pretty nice philosophical conversations. The main plot point of season two was pretty cool, too. Unfortunately, it wasn't very memorable for whatever reason. As I edit this review to make it less messy, I'm realizing that I don't remember much about what happened. I just remember enjoying it.

I liked the majority of the characters, though. Saber and Archer were personal favorites. Saber was a favorite because she was cool (though looking back I think it was mainly because of her aesthetic appeal-- her dress is really pretty). Archer was compelling due to his complex relationships with Rin and Shirou. Some of the characters just seemed to be there to fill the roster and didn't have too much of a purpose. I did like Rin. She was dyamic, but Shirou didn't leave much of an impression.

The art was beautiful, and the fight scenes were breathtaking. Just some aspects of the character design I didn't like, though that wasn't much. (I'm not complaining about Saber or most of the outfits. Everyone is very fashionable, thank you very much. It's mainly the anatomy that could get a bit weird.) The music was great. I loved Brave Shine and Kalafina produced some beautiful ending themes, which reminds me why I love them so much.

I'm going to say older teens and up, mostly due to the violence and blood, as well as a few awkward scenes... I think the first season was tamer, though. I'd put that at more of a PG-13.