Fate/strange Fake Needs a Real Release Date

Fate/strange Fake is the most hotly anticipated entry in the Fate franchise in years, and that hype has only grown over time, between an hour-long special and the recently released premiere. But hype can only go so far when pitted against the expectation of when to expect the thing that’s been hyped up, and Strange Fake has been just a little too vague for just a little too long.

After Crunchyroll debuted the first episode in November to celebrate Fate‘s 20th anniversary, many assumed that the Japanese premiere on New Year’s Eve would be the official start of the TV anime. As late as December 27, 2024, MyAnimeList.net even had the series listed as part of the Winter 2025 season, but this has since been changed, with no season listed and only a release window of “2025”.

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Fate/strange Fake’s Stranger Timeline

Way back in September 2022, during the Aniplex Online Festival, it was announced that Fate/strange Fake would receive an animated TV special to air on New Year’s, titled Whispers of Dawn. Shun Enokido and Takahito Sakazume were revealed to be directing the project, having made waves with a 30-second animated commercial promoting the original light novels back in 2019. Unfortunately, in early December 2022, the special was delayed “due to production issues”.

Credit to the team at A-1 Pictures, however, as they did not leave fans empty-handed. A seven-minute preview of the special debuted during the yearly Fate New Year’s TV program, featuring some tantalizing footage that kept fans satiated until the full special, which by then was rescheduled for Summer 2023. We reviewed the special shortly after its debut in July, giving it a 7/10. Accompanying the special was the confirmation of a full TV series in production at A-1 Pictures.

The Countdown to Episode 1

Over a year after the release of Whispers of Dawn, fans received an update during 2024’s Aniplex Online Fest. Crunchyroll announced it would be the streaming home for Fate/strange Fake, and the first episode would have its world premiere in Los Angeles in November. Following the world premiere on November 23, Crunchyroll released the episode on YouTube for one week only, and it was revealed that it would debut on their service on December 31, coinciding with the Japanese premiere.

By this point, one could be forgiven for thinking that the show was about to air week-by-week after the first episode, and it wasn’t just MyAnimeList.net that assumed it as such. When Crunchyroll announced their Winter 2025 schedule, Fate/strange Fake was at the very top of the list. Upon reaching out for inquiry in mid-December, Crunchyroll could only confirm what everyone else already knew; the first episode would premiere on New Year’s Eve.

It is now the new year, and other than the assurance that Fate/strange Fake‘s next episode will come out in “2025”, there is no indication of exactly when it will drop. A preview has been shown for Episode 2, titled “Ensemble vs Pretense”, which looks quite exciting, suggesting that the episode is at least somewhat finished, but it offers the same broad release window.

Is Strange Fake’s Release Strategy Bad?

A Necessary Disclaimer

Animation production is tough, wrought with overwork, tight schedules, and limitations to be navigated by adept/experienced hands. These are common topics of debate, each pregnant with nuance, particularly concerning Japan’s animation industry. Whenever discussing the time it takes for projects to be completed or the quality of the finished work versus the expectation, it is important to remember how such factors play into the media we often take for granted.

I bring this up because it would be a mistake to pretend that the issue is just that fans can’t expect a new episode of Fate/strange Fake next week or the week after. There has already been enough speculation about the state of this show’s production, much of which is purely speculation. Whispers of Dawn was indeed delayed because of production problems, but the extent of those problems is difficult to quantify, and even more so for the TV anime.

Too Many Teases?

Fate/strange Fake‘s problem is more recent. Namely, it is the lack of communication regarding an official start date for the TV anime. The language used in marketing has been very particular to avoid making promises that A-1 Pictures can’t keep. However, if the goal was to also avoid confusion, then that wasn’t very successful, especially if one of the biggest anime streaming services and one of the biggest anime databases were thrown for a loop.

And this might not have been an issue if Fate/strange Fake wasn’t continuously delivered in such small pieces, each meant to build anticipation for the “main event”. A seven-minute preview here, an hour-long special there, and then a single episode a year later, followed immediately by hype for a premiere that will only realistically herald the start of more waiting. It might have been a better move to wait until the entire season was ready. It’s not as if Fate fans aren’t used to waiting a bit at this point.

Do Fate Fans Even Mind?

The response to last year’s special and the first episode has been largely positive, and even the reactions to the Episode 2 preview are filled with excitement. With that said, fans have started to question the vague release schedule themselves. The official English account for the series on X (formerly Twitter) posted the above and was received with confusion in the replies as to when they would receive the next episode.

There have been more than a few jokes across the internet suggesting that they’ll release a single episode each year. And those are just the responses of those who thought to question it. It’s not unthinkable that casual fans who watched the first episode are assuming that the new episode will be up next week. Frankly, at the cost of this piece aging like milk, it would be incredibly hilarious if it did, but it would ultimately be a failure of communication on the part of the marketing team nonetheless.

Fate/strange Fake has continued to be worth the hype with each new piece of the story released. It is well-directed, easy on the eyes, blessed with strong performances (in Japanese and English), and Hiroyuki Sawano’s score is great as always. Fans can be patient when they have reason to believe the wait will be worth it, but it helps to have some idea when that wait will end, and it’s getting very close to the point when that patience will run thin.

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Sources: Internet Archive, ANN [Link 1][Link 2][Link 3][Link 4][Link 5]

Fate/strange Fake

Studio

A-1 Pictures

Based On

Light Novel

Creator

Ryōgo Narita