The easiest and most accurate to describe “Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya” is as “Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha” using the characters and background from “Fate/stay night”, considering it is a magical girl show featuring all the typical elements of the genre.
This of course includes the lively main female lead who unexpectedly becomes a magical girl, and through challenges and adversity she befriends the other magical girl who has a more reserved and serious personality. Still, cannot wait for Illya & Miyu to become close friends like Nanoha & Fate.
Based on the manga series “Fate/kaleid liner プリズマ☆イリヤ” by Hiroyama Hiroshi, the original manga itself is a magical girl style spin-off from Type Moon’s “Fate/stay night” story.
Animation by Silver Link is excellent, the studio uses a very colorful and sharp styling for the characters, fitting the more playful nature of a magical girl genre series compared to the darker atmosphere of “Fate/stay night” or “Fate/zero”.
Considering Silver Link and director Ounuma Shin are also at the helm of this season’s anime “Watashi ga Motenai no wa dou Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui!”, it is nice to see both anime are of good quality as well as each having a distinctly different style.
Do like that the ‘Fate’ universe characters that appear in this “Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya” spin-off are voiced by the same voice talents who also voiced them in “Fate/stay night”, “Fate/zero” as well as Type Moon’s other anime “Carnival Phantasm”.
Lively Illya is voiced my Kadowaki Mai, who also voiced Sanya in “Strike Witches”, Mimi in “Kodomo no Jikan”, Koumei in “Ikki Tousen” and Keiko in “Amagami SS”.
Nazuka Kaori voices Miyu, she’s tackled roles like Yui in “To Love RU”, Nunnally in “Code Geass”, Lynette in “Strike Witches”, Ayatsuji in “Amagami SS”, and Komachi in this season’s “Fantasista Doll”.
Illya’s kaleidostick Ruby is voiced by Takano Naoko, while Sapphire, Miyu’s magical device, is voiced by Matsuki Miyu.
Tsundere Rin is voiced by Ueda Kana, she voiced Mii in “To aru Kagaku no Railgun”, Sakuya in “Hayate no Gotoku!”, Heidemarie in “Strike Witches”, Hazumu in “Kashimashi ~Girl meets Girl~” and Yumi in “Maria-sama ga Miteru”.
Itou Shizuka voices Rin’s nemesis, drill-haired Luvia, she previously voiced Koko in “Jormungand”, Kaori in “To Aru Majutsu No Index”, Tamaki in “To Heart 2”, Hinagiku in “Hayate no Gotoku!” and Haruka in “Amagami SS”.
While “Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya” may ultimately be nothing more than a standard magical girl genre anime created using characters and elements from Type Moon’s ‘Fate’ franchise, have no doubt it will be an enjoyable show throughout its entire run.
And who doesn’t like to watch a lively and colorful magical girl show in the genre’s typical style as seen in “Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha”?
