Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works]

Update after the '2nd season' has finished (and therefore the series.)
Previous comment still stands, but after a while the need for explanation for first-time watchers dwindles (as would be logical) so we end up with an amazing series with some massive animation skill and top of your chair action.

If you liked this series, also check:
Fate/Zero (prequel)
Fate/Prototype (1 ep special about the original story, too bad this will never get a full story/series.)
Kara no Kyoukai/The Garden of sinners (Movie series)

And keep an eye open for (If ever released in the future):
Fate/Heavens Feel (confirmed for a movie.)
Fate/hollow ataraxia (sequel, no confirmation of a movie or TV show.)

As a big Fate fan I love to see the Fate routes back on screen. This series has a more 'stepping in' pace and is clearly aimed at both existing fans and viewers new to the franchise.
This makes a very balanced series, but it can be a bit repetitive and boring at times for the older fans.
Luckily Ufotable throws in everything they got and artwork is so amazing you don't really get the time to get bored.

This was an absolutely superb Anime. Like really. The writing of the story is of course, quite entertaining. The action scenes were frequent and engaging, plenty of well done blood, gore and violence. Rin makes for a fantastic Tsundere splash of romance. The animation and music choices were both complimentary and artistically perfect. And this was my first introduction into the Fate series, all the concepts were introduced in good time with only a few somewhat unexplained instances. There was a decent amount of "we'll explain it after it happens" so don't take any immediate confusion to heart. I look forward to seeing what else the Anime adaptations of the Fate series has to offer.

Oh yeah, watch the Prologue episode too, it was quite good.

So I'm just getting into the Fate series, and I initially started with 2006 Fate/Stay Night. I came out of that extremely disappointed and hating the MC, Shirou Emiya....so much so, that I considered waiting a while to continue the series. I've seen clips of the animation and action sequences in Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel though, and I need it in my life...so I pressed on...and I'm very glad that I did.

I can't believe I ended up rooting for someone I loathed so much, but the start with a different perspective really helped things. I was also shocked by the fact that the first eight episodes or so are nearly the exact same story, just told from a bit of a different perspective. I honestly thought that this would continue throughout the entire series and was again expecting to be disappointed, but thankfully the story turned in ways that made it clear that it would not be a repeat. I was strange however, the way that Sakura was handled.

This was such a deep, cerebral series, littered with excellent action sequences and uplifted by fantastic artwork and animation. It's shocking that this series came out in 2014, it holds its own with many shows that are still being produced today.

I'd recommend this entry to anyone, though, I am a bit annoyed that I sat through the 2006 version. Maybe it's good to know, but I would have been fine starting here.

Now finally...Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel

So much better than the original Fate/Stay Night anime. Not just in terms of animation, but it seems like the characters are more fleshed out than the original, though that could just be the source material. There were some parts that were kinda confusing, but nothing major.

Just confirmed that the Fate/stay night 2014 series will cover the Unlimited Bladeworks route and there will also be a Heaven's Feel movie released later on. Whoa. That's a whole lot of Fating to come. Take a bow, ufotable. You deserve it.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-07-27/new-fate-stay-night-tv-anime-is-unlimited-bladeworks/.77058
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-07-27/fate-stay-night-heaven-feel-route-gets-film/.77059

This is truly the one of the most compelling anime I've watched. A war of ideology and not the typical predictable hero Shonen troupe. Not to mention UFOTABLE has outdone itself and proven to be the cutting edge in CGI animation. You would never have guessed that this came out a decade ago. A modern day work of art.