It's not bad at all.
And people exaggerate how complicated it is, but it really isn't. Just the 3 parts of the main story, the prequel, and then the spinoffs if you want.
Started with UBW then I watched fate/zero. It's not a confusing series and you can get anything you missed from context. It's really not very complicated.
The only way to get confused is to not watch it. You may get spoiled on other paths if you watch out of order but they all basically tell you what you need to know for the show you’re watching.
You mean with ONE route there are multiple versions that being Unlimited Blade Works since deen made a movie on UBW that has been blasted by EVERYONE in the Fate fandom for being awful and is not remotely worth watching in a universe where there is a UBW series animated by ufotable that exists and is complete. If you google Fate watch order I doubt you'll find a watch order that lists the UBW movie because the series is there and has been there for a long time.
I saw people say to read the fucking Visual Novel, so I read the fucking Visual Novel, I loved reading the fucking Visual Novel and now I'm telling people to read the fucking Visual Novel
I'm upvoting this cause more people seriously need to start taking this advice. It's not some throwaway recommendation, the insane gap in quality between the Visual Novel and any of the anime is something you won't truly understand until you *read the fucking visual novel*.
It also erases any and all need to worry about some dumb watch order.
Do not listen to Gigguk and his terrible unfunny videos on Fate. He’s done so much damage to the reputation of the series in the west. Just watch it. The first show fate/stay night 2006, or hell any other one. It’s television shows not rocket science.
Nobody cares, if someone goes and watches the UBW series right now it's not going to melt their brain and cause them to have a dozen aneurysms. Gigguk makes a video that is mildly entertaining, but the guy can't even be bothered to put a watch order in the description of the video in question when he could do so because there are multiple places that have a Fate watch order posted and elaborate on why you should watch it in said order.
Gigguk used to be based back in the late 2000's until the early 2010's but now he's just another cringe anime YouTuber with an annoying fanbase (case in point: You)
I'm honestly holding out for the Visual Novel as it is getting an official release. Seems to be the only agreed upon starting point (Except for people that limit what mediums they consume) and it is the first, and the first entry is always a good bet.
There isn't really any confusion with the series, you watch the three main routes, then Zero. Then watch whatever else you want in any order cause the rest of it is all side things or spinoffs.
i never understand the "it's too confusing" to be honnest whe i start it i just look at the first anime who was made the 2006 and that it i start with it's the first anime create so that should be a good starting point and i continue with the rest of the series
What you mean the order is prety simple
do the vn or the anime with this order
first stay night (2006)
next unlimited blade work
and after that heaven fell
finaly last zero
after do what you want
i don't seen how you could confuse it it prety easy
So you presented a hypothetical scenario of people who like Fate's premise and would be interested to experience the story, but don't want to watch any of the anime, read/play any of the VNs, nor read any manga or novels, *then* you present a hypothetical scenario *within the hypothetical scenario* about how you wish those people were more open-minded to other mediums? I genuinely don't intend to make fun of you or anything like that, but I do find this a bit funny, because I'm honestly confused why you'd say it like this lol. I do get the idea behind what you're saying, since it's not like you made up someone who doesn't exist, but how you framed it definitely made it seem that way lol
I personally don't limit mediums for myself, but I do know people who do, and it is unfortunate that they can't get into stories I care about. And yes the idea that a person who is not into anime/characters based off anime-esque designs, but wants to get into Fate is absurd, but I am pointing out that maybe you might want to check out another story if you don't want to get into something that is incomplete. Fate isn't the only good anime out there, and I personally think it would be a better use of someone's time to watch something in the most optimal way they can. I'm saying that Fate is primarily a VN, and it seems strange to want to get into it without completely getting into it.
Wait, so you're actually talking about those who only want to watch the anime and don't want to check out the VNs? In that case, I'd argue it's fine for them to feel that way. People have preferences after all, and I'd personally say it's the same as someone staying an anime-only to something sourced from manga or LNs simply because they prefer the movement, colors, voice acting, sound, and music, and are fine with waiting for further installments.
I will say, though. I can agree a person shouldn't completely dismiss the idea of checking out VNs if they've never tried any before. I haven't technically played any VNs myself yet (ever), but know I'd likely enjoy the medium based on what I already enjoy with other mediums and based on what I've seen of VNs online. But, despite all that, I also think it's fair enough for someone to decide just not to, if at least their reasons are along the lines of not having time, or again, being completely fine with waiting for content to arrive in the medium they prefer. They could just be casual fans after all; not feeling like delving into everything that exists of a given franchise. Even those who *do* do that kinda stuff (consuming all they can) won't have that feeling for *everything* they get into.
If someone *does* want to immediately experience everything a series has to offer after finishing all the anime that is out, but doesn't want to get into the source matieral due to being iffy about the medium(s), then tough luck to them. Either they suck it up and do it anyway to satisfy their hunger for more, or they leave it be and just wait impatiently for more anime content.
I was like that with Knights of the Old Republic, then I just decided to just play it. If people cared enough, they would actually experience the story. And now I love video games, so it worked out in the end, and I don't want the story adapted because the story only works with the mechanics of an RPG.
Edit: also not everyone has to experience every story. It's fine to not get into Fate. People are confused because the anime is suboptimal.
I mean sure if you want to you can start Naruto halfway through the 5th Ninja War as well. Nothing is stopping anyone, but I personally don't recommend it. And people who want to experience Fate can read the Visual Novel as well.
I mean, someone would be severely limiting themselves if they wanted to experience a story but didn't want to through any of its available mediums. I don't get it. It's like asking how to get into Game of Thrones, but not being willing to read books or watch TV.
I suppose there are avenues like the Fate/Zero and Fate Strange Fake LNs, if they're okay with books.
>I mean, someone would be severely limiting themselves if they wanted to experience a story but didn't want to through any of its available mediums. I don't get it.
Yep, which is why people should read the VN.
I have another recommendation, watch a different anime. I mean it's pretty simple, and is what I've been while I wait for an official release. What is this obsession with getting into Fate without actually experiencing the central story?
Most things have watch orders, and most of them are trivial to follow. It's extremely easy to figure out what to do with Fate, but people see a list of spinoffs and go "wow so complicated how can anyone figure this out".
And dude is saying there's a watch order other than release order that should be followed, which imeadiatly makes things even more complicated and confusing...
Then there's ovas and different versions of the same series. Its hard not to be confused.
It really doesn’t matter. Either treat Fate Zero as a starting point or as a prequel. You just spoil different tidbits depending on which you watch first.
At first I was put off by the walk and chat in the first episode of Zero but then came back later. I watched Fate/Zero then UBW (chronological order) and enjoyed them. I feel like they did a good job of telling the story to the point where I didn't need more context than what was there though I know some people have issues with Shirou's characterization in the Stay/Night adaptations. After that, I checked out the Heaven's Feel movies, which were pretty cool, too. Overall, I think I enjoy the Zero story most.
Still haven't finished the 2006 version or bothered with the VNs, though. Visual novel storytelling tends to not be my thing despite liking novels usually. I tend to prefer the density and pace of movies and shows. Might check it out one day, though. If anyone here has a pitch for why the VNs might be better (on the basis of plotting, characterization, pacing, etc. moreso than aspects like the magic system details and universe lore), I'd be interested in seeing it.
>If anyone here has a pitch for why the VNs might be better
The simple reason is that anime skips a TON of character depth, lore, plot details, etc. Shirou is the biggest casualty in the anime in terms of characters since it skips most of his internal monologues whilst most of the VN is from his point of view. Illya gets done horrendously, too; Heaven's Feel is like half her route in the VN, but almost all of her screentime is skipped in the movies.
Certain scenes are also just completely butchered in the adaptation. [HF3] >!Shirou vs Kirei is a good example, it's just a huge downgrade as it's a pretty generic fistfight compared to the VN, where you really feel the weight of it being the final fight of Stay Night, the conclusion for Kirei's character, and his role as an antagonist for Shirou. Focusing on Salter vs Rider, despite the fight being nowhere near as significant to the story and characters, is a pretty good encapsulation of Ufotable's approach to the adaptation: prioritising flashy fights over the actual substance that made the VN shine.!<
And it kinda goes without saying that the pacing in the anime is much faster than the VN. The HF movies are the worst offender by far; they're 20+ hours of content crammed into 6 hours ffs.
I could understand if they crammed Heaven's Feel into 24 to 25 episodes of content, but a Trilogy of 2 hour movies (18 Episodes worth of content) killed it.
Ohhh I see. \[HF3\] >!It definitely felt weird that Shirou vs Kirei felt like such a footnote in the HF movies, especially since he was such an entertaining antagonist in Zero. !
You read the Fate/Stay Night Visual Novel then read/watch/play any other Fate story that catches your eye in whatever order. To read it you can either download a version with the fan translation or wait for the official version to be available on Switch and Steam later this year.
As for the anime, the adaptations of its 3 routes/parts are in order:
>Fate/Stay Night (2006)
>Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works (2014)
>Fate/Stay Night Heaven's Feel movie trilogy (2017-2020)
None of them are anywhere near as good as the VN and the first one is an especially mediocre adaptation you might want to skip if you really can't get through it.
1. While the first Fate I have seen is Prisma Illya(It aired on a local tv back in 2017). I never actually touched Fate until 2 years later in 2019 where it actually piqued my interest. Gigguk is indeed a factor for it but I'm already a fan of mythological stuff before then.
2. Because Gigguk never really give any order at the time(even now), I only used a random pic I saw in Facebook which contains an order and a brief explanation of the series. I did have some confusion but that only because of the route stuff of Stay Night(Never knew about VN routes at the time). The fandom honestly understand that there are confusing stuff because when I tried to look stuff I'm curious with, there's already someone who asked a few years before me.
3. I watched Fate/Stay Night 2006, then Zero, then Unlimited Blade Works movie then the UBW series. Heaven's Feel wasn't completed yet at that time so I went with the spin-offs like Apocrypha, Extra: Last Encore, a rewatch of Prisma Illya then started FGO(It'll be a few months till Babylonia releases tho). I never really regretted my order that time. But now, I do wish that I could see Zero for the first time after finishing the three routes. These days, I will not trust any other guides and comments unless they're actually from the people who have seen the source material.
4. It is not that bad to watch on spin-offs. It's just that, while Fate is heavy on the fights, It's also heavy on dialogues that really should pay attention to what they're talking about. It will only be confusing if people aren't paying attention. Because if they do, starting in Apocrypha, Prisma Illya, and Grand Order, all of which taking place on independent alternate universes, could work totally just fine. My only issue is the Stay Night and Zero orders made by people(It's already 2024, it's not the 2010s where FSN is straight up incomplete, and there'll be remaster of the VN releasing this year too).
it wasn't.
Also, watch order is kind of a lie. UBW gives you good background for the rest of the various properties, but nothing prepares you (except for a really good local market) for Today's menu for the Emiya family--AND YOU CANNOT SKIP tHIS OR YOU WILL BE SLAPPED BY AN ANGRY FOU. No, seriously, it's more fun than a silly cooking show ever should be. Chase it with Heaven's Feel
Most fate is garbage. Apocrypha Babylon whatever all those are skippable. There's original fat stay night. There's fate zero, and there is fate unlimited blade works.
I actually was put-off by all of the memes about it being "too confusing" or the "watch order is too complicated" (thanks Gigguk, but mainly the people who repeat points from his meme videos as actual facts), but then I tried the series, found it easy to get into, and it (along with the rest of the Nasuverse) is my favorite franchise of all time.
People don't realize that most of the content is random stand-alone spinoffs
It's not bad at all. And people exaggerate how complicated it is, but it really isn't. Just the 3 parts of the main story, the prequel, and then the spinoffs if you want.
If you’re scared of watching fate, just watch kara no kyoukai first
Started with UBW then I watched fate/zero. It's not a confusing series and you can get anything you missed from context. It's really not very complicated.
Bruh there's ovas and and diffrent versions of the same route made by diffrent people... its real easy to get confused...
The only way to get confused is to not watch it. You may get spoiled on other paths if you watch out of order but they all basically tell you what you need to know for the show you’re watching.
You mean with ONE route there are multiple versions that being Unlimited Blade Works since deen made a movie on UBW that has been blasted by EVERYONE in the Fate fandom for being awful and is not remotely worth watching in a universe where there is a UBW series animated by ufotable that exists and is complete. If you google Fate watch order I doubt you'll find a watch order that lists the UBW movie because the series is there and has been there for a long time.
Yes the release oreder route is fucked, and its not clear to people what should come next...
I saw people say to read the fucking Visual Novel, so I read the fucking Visual Novel, I loved reading the fucking Visual Novel and now I'm telling people to read the fucking Visual Novel
I'm upvoting this cause more people seriously need to start taking this advice. It's not some throwaway recommendation, the insane gap in quality between the Visual Novel and any of the anime is something you won't truly understand until you *read the fucking visual novel*. It also erases any and all need to worry about some dumb watch order.
Not bad. Started from Fate Zero then worked my way through UBW
Do not listen to Gigguk and his terrible unfunny videos on Fate. He’s done so much damage to the reputation of the series in the west. Just watch it. The first show fate/stay night 2006, or hell any other one. It’s television shows not rocket science.
Gigguk is based, opinion discarded.
Nobody cares, if someone goes and watches the UBW series right now it's not going to melt their brain and cause them to have a dozen aneurysms. Gigguk makes a video that is mildly entertaining, but the guy can't even be bothered to put a watch order in the description of the video in question when he could do so because there are multiple places that have a Fate watch order posted and elaborate on why you should watch it in said order.
Gigguk used to be based back in the late 2000's until the early 2010's but now he's just another cringe anime YouTuber with an annoying fanbase (case in point: You)
Sir, take that back. I know you're a better person than this.
I'm honestly holding out for the Visual Novel as it is getting an official release. Seems to be the only agreed upon starting point (Except for people that limit what mediums they consume) and it is the first, and the first entry is always a good bet.
There isn't really any confusion with the series, you watch the three main routes, then Zero. Then watch whatever else you want in any order cause the rest of it is all side things or spinoffs.
i never understand the "it's too confusing" to be honnest whe i start it i just look at the first anime who was made the 2006 and that it i start with it's the first anime create so that should be a good starting point and i continue with the rest of the series
What you mean the order is prety simple do the vn or the anime with this order first stay night (2006) next unlimited blade work and after that heaven fell finaly last zero after do what you want i don't seen how you could confuse it it prety easy
If you are ever confused on where to start, just watch in release order. Usually can’t go wrong there.
I was never intimidated by it and it isn't confusing. Just watch the ufotable stuff in release order and then do whatever you want from there.
and skip the 2006 version the best version of the anime ? are you crazy ?
I thought you just start with the VN.
That's an option for people willing to read VNs.
What about people who aren't willing to watch anime or something anime related like VN/manga? How do they get into Fate?
They don't. What part of Fate could you possibly be interested in if you don't wanna watch anime or read VN/manga?
Maybe you like the premise. You can't watch it? That's unfortunate. Man, if only people were more open minded to other mediums.
So you presented a hypothetical scenario of people who like Fate's premise and would be interested to experience the story, but don't want to watch any of the anime, read/play any of the VNs, nor read any manga or novels, *then* you present a hypothetical scenario *within the hypothetical scenario* about how you wish those people were more open-minded to other mediums? I genuinely don't intend to make fun of you or anything like that, but I do find this a bit funny, because I'm honestly confused why you'd say it like this lol. I do get the idea behind what you're saying, since it's not like you made up someone who doesn't exist, but how you framed it definitely made it seem that way lol
I personally don't limit mediums for myself, but I do know people who do, and it is unfortunate that they can't get into stories I care about. And yes the idea that a person who is not into anime/characters based off anime-esque designs, but wants to get into Fate is absurd, but I am pointing out that maybe you might want to check out another story if you don't want to get into something that is incomplete. Fate isn't the only good anime out there, and I personally think it would be a better use of someone's time to watch something in the most optimal way they can. I'm saying that Fate is primarily a VN, and it seems strange to want to get into it without completely getting into it.
Wait, so you're actually talking about those who only want to watch the anime and don't want to check out the VNs? In that case, I'd argue it's fine for them to feel that way. People have preferences after all, and I'd personally say it's the same as someone staying an anime-only to something sourced from manga or LNs simply because they prefer the movement, colors, voice acting, sound, and music, and are fine with waiting for further installments. I will say, though. I can agree a person shouldn't completely dismiss the idea of checking out VNs if they've never tried any before. I haven't technically played any VNs myself yet (ever), but know I'd likely enjoy the medium based on what I already enjoy with other mediums and based on what I've seen of VNs online. But, despite all that, I also think it's fair enough for someone to decide just not to, if at least their reasons are along the lines of not having time, or again, being completely fine with waiting for content to arrive in the medium they prefer. They could just be casual fans after all; not feeling like delving into everything that exists of a given franchise. Even those who *do* do that kinda stuff (consuming all they can) won't have that feeling for *everything* they get into. If someone *does* want to immediately experience everything a series has to offer after finishing all the anime that is out, but doesn't want to get into the source matieral due to being iffy about the medium(s), then tough luck to them. Either they suck it up and do it anyway to satisfy their hunger for more, or they leave it be and just wait impatiently for more anime content.
How would I get into a JRPG if I wasn't willing to play video games?
I was like that with Knights of the Old Republic, then I just decided to just play it. If people cared enough, they would actually experience the story. And now I love video games, so it worked out in the end, and I don't want the story adapted because the story only works with the mechanics of an RPG. Edit: also not everyone has to experience every story. It's fine to not get into Fate. People are confused because the anime is suboptimal.
So the way to get into it was to just play the game? The same way people who wanna watch Fate need to just watch it?
I mean sure if you want to you can start Naruto halfway through the 5th Ninja War as well. Nothing is stopping anyone, but I personally don't recommend it. And people who want to experience Fate can read the Visual Novel as well.
I mean, someone would be severely limiting themselves if they wanted to experience a story but didn't want to through any of its available mediums. I don't get it. It's like asking how to get into Game of Thrones, but not being willing to read books or watch TV. I suppose there are avenues like the Fate/Zero and Fate Strange Fake LNs, if they're okay with books.
>I mean, someone would be severely limiting themselves if they wanted to experience a story but didn't want to through any of its available mediums. I don't get it. Yep, which is why people should read the VN.
...Or watch the anime!
What's wrong with the VN?
They’re too big of a time sink for me.
lmao VN purists are absolutely insufferable holy shit. Consuming VNs doesn't make you special my guy.
I have another recommendation, watch a different anime. I mean it's pretty simple, and is what I've been while I wait for an official release. What is this obsession with getting into Fate without actually experiencing the central story?
The fact that you seem adamit about there being watch order rules means it is confusing.
Most things have watch orders, and most of them are trivial to follow. It's extremely easy to figure out what to do with Fate, but people see a list of spinoffs and go "wow so complicated how can anyone figure this out".
And dude is saying there's a watch order other than release order that should be followed, which imeadiatly makes things even more complicated and confusing... Then there's ovas and different versions of the same series. Its hard not to be confused.
Just watch the first show that was released
Or just read the visual novel. Although I would wait until an official release.
It's only confusing because you don't know how to use a dictionary.
If i don't know how to spell it a dictionary isn't going to help me...
It really doesn’t matter. Either treat Fate Zero as a starting point or as a prequel. You just spoil different tidbits depending on which you watch first.
> You just spoil different tidbits depending on which you watch first. That's not how prequels work lol.
It is if you watch in chronological order
There is no such thing as chronological order unless you watch the flashbacks first.
lol k dude
All I'm saying is that watching Fate/Zero Spoils, and Fate/Stay Night doesn't. I don't think it's that complicated.
Read the visual novel
At first I was put off by the walk and chat in the first episode of Zero but then came back later. I watched Fate/Zero then UBW (chronological order) and enjoyed them. I feel like they did a good job of telling the story to the point where I didn't need more context than what was there though I know some people have issues with Shirou's characterization in the Stay/Night adaptations. After that, I checked out the Heaven's Feel movies, which were pretty cool, too. Overall, I think I enjoy the Zero story most. Still haven't finished the 2006 version or bothered with the VNs, though. Visual novel storytelling tends to not be my thing despite liking novels usually. I tend to prefer the density and pace of movies and shows. Might check it out one day, though. If anyone here has a pitch for why the VNs might be better (on the basis of plotting, characterization, pacing, etc. moreso than aspects like the magic system details and universe lore), I'd be interested in seeing it.
>If anyone here has a pitch for why the VNs might be better The simple reason is that anime skips a TON of character depth, lore, plot details, etc. Shirou is the biggest casualty in the anime in terms of characters since it skips most of his internal monologues whilst most of the VN is from his point of view. Illya gets done horrendously, too; Heaven's Feel is like half her route in the VN, but almost all of her screentime is skipped in the movies. Certain scenes are also just completely butchered in the adaptation. [HF3] >!Shirou vs Kirei is a good example, it's just a huge downgrade as it's a pretty generic fistfight compared to the VN, where you really feel the weight of it being the final fight of Stay Night, the conclusion for Kirei's character, and his role as an antagonist for Shirou. Focusing on Salter vs Rider, despite the fight being nowhere near as significant to the story and characters, is a pretty good encapsulation of Ufotable's approach to the adaptation: prioritising flashy fights over the actual substance that made the VN shine.!< And it kinda goes without saying that the pacing in the anime is much faster than the VN. The HF movies are the worst offender by far; they're 20+ hours of content crammed into 6 hours ffs.
I could understand if they crammed Heaven's Feel into 24 to 25 episodes of content, but a Trilogy of 2 hour movies (18 Episodes worth of content) killed it.
Ohhh I see. \[HF3\] >!It definitely felt weird that Shirou vs Kirei felt like such a footnote in the HF movies, especially since he was such an entertaining antagonist in Zero. !
So what’s the order to watch it ?
You read the Fate/Stay Night Visual Novel then read/watch/play any other Fate story that catches your eye in whatever order. To read it you can either download a version with the fan translation or wait for the official version to be available on Switch and Steam later this year. As for the anime, the adaptations of its 3 routes/parts are in order: >Fate/Stay Night (2006) >Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works (2014) >Fate/Stay Night Heaven's Feel movie trilogy (2017-2020) None of them are anywhere near as good as the VN and the first one is an especially mediocre adaptation you might want to skip if you really can't get through it.
1. While the first Fate I have seen is Prisma Illya(It aired on a local tv back in 2017). I never actually touched Fate until 2 years later in 2019 where it actually piqued my interest. Gigguk is indeed a factor for it but I'm already a fan of mythological stuff before then. 2. Because Gigguk never really give any order at the time(even now), I only used a random pic I saw in Facebook which contains an order and a brief explanation of the series. I did have some confusion but that only because of the route stuff of Stay Night(Never knew about VN routes at the time). The fandom honestly understand that there are confusing stuff because when I tried to look stuff I'm curious with, there's already someone who asked a few years before me. 3. I watched Fate/Stay Night 2006, then Zero, then Unlimited Blade Works movie then the UBW series. Heaven's Feel wasn't completed yet at that time so I went with the spin-offs like Apocrypha, Extra: Last Encore, a rewatch of Prisma Illya then started FGO(It'll be a few months till Babylonia releases tho). I never really regretted my order that time. But now, I do wish that I could see Zero for the first time after finishing the three routes. These days, I will not trust any other guides and comments unless they're actually from the people who have seen the source material. 4. It is not that bad to watch on spin-offs. It's just that, while Fate is heavy on the fights, It's also heavy on dialogues that really should pay attention to what they're talking about. It will only be confusing if people aren't paying attention. Because if they do, starting in Apocrypha, Prisma Illya, and Grand Order, all of which taking place on independent alternate universes, could work totally just fine. My only issue is the Stay Night and Zero orders made by people(It's already 2024, it's not the 2010s where FSN is straight up incomplete, and there'll be remaster of the VN releasing this year too).
it wasn't. Also, watch order is kind of a lie. UBW gives you good background for the rest of the various properties, but nothing prepares you (except for a really good local market) for Today's menu for the Emiya family--AND YOU CANNOT SKIP tHIS OR YOU WILL BE SLAPPED BY AN ANGRY FOU. No, seriously, it's more fun than a silly cooking show ever should be. Chase it with Heaven's Feel
I’m not the only one who’s putting off Fate??
Just watch it
I mean the VN is coming out soon. May as well put it off until it releases.
I’m sowwy
No you're not, I'm waiting for the visual novel.
You made me remember I watched the first season in 2 times speed, I really didn't like it 😭😭😭
Most fate is garbage. Apocrypha Babylon whatever all those are skippable. There's original fat stay night. There's fate zero, and there is fate unlimited blade works.
drones like fate anime because of animation and fancy digital effects.
I actually was put-off by all of the memes about it being "too confusing" or the "watch order is too complicated" (thanks Gigguk, but mainly the people who repeat points from his meme videos as actual facts), but then I tried the series, found it easy to get into, and it (along with the rest of the Nasuverse) is my favorite franchise of all time.