DrunkenSnake
Aoki Ei
Ok guys, my first review on AniDB. I`m aware that my english is not perfect so bare with me, and exuse my mistakes. I`m not going to do some complex analysis of the story or characters since... Home Twitter
- Unrated 6u1t1m
Ok guys, my first review on AniDB. I'm aware that my english is not perfect so bare with me, and exuse my mistakes. I'm not going to do some complex analysis of the story or characters since I wanted to make it completely spoiler-free. If you wish to learn more about it, please read the description.
As a huge T-M fan, I could not miss this one, and after great success of Kara no Kyoukai, this time it looks like "Fate" part of Nasuverse is getting great adaptation as well.
It's an adaptation of Urobuchi Gen's light novels, prequel to Type-Moon's famous visual novel, Fate/Stay Night. These 13 episodes are actually only first half of the whole project (Volume 1 and 2 out of 4), second "season" should air in 3 months (spring season 2012). This will allow Ufotable to keep quality of animation top notch and finish the goal they put on themselfs - to make a TV series with movie-like quality.
Art & Animation - 9/10
Animation: Ufotable deserves a medal for amount of work, time and money they invested into this series. Zero looks simply gorgeous in almost every way and does not have any competition amongst TV series this year (at the very least). It really feels like watching movie. Quality of animation slowly drops in last few episodes, but it's not that obvious.
Art: Character design is, no suprprise, very Type-Moonish with some minor differences here and there. Men are displayed in more realistic way, while women have those big eys. I don't have problem with it. What I found kind of disturbing though, was CGI. Never liked it and I don't like it here either. Some of it is really well done (mainly cars and other vehicles), some is not... There is even one major character made in CGI which was really disappointing for me. It's not complete disaster, but deffinetly hurts the atmosphere and almost everything CGI feels out of place. This is the only real problem I have with art direction and that's also why it won't get perfect score from me...
Sound - 10/10
Music: Soundtrack was composed by Yuki Kajiura and as always, she did an amazing job. I can no longer wait for the OSTs to come out. It's her usual work, so if you heard at least few of her songs, you get the idea of how epic the music is. Opening and ending are also pretty good, even though I'm not sure if the OP suits the dark mood of the series. It just might be that jpop is not really my cup of tea.
Voices: Voice actors were chosen well and they did really good job. I don't even anyone annoying (except characters that were supposed to be annoying).
Story - 8/10
The main storyline is nothing too complex, but it works. "The war" between seven masters and heroic servants sounds pretty silly, but it's not your usual deathmatch. The main focus is on characters and their interactions, and even if their actions are pretty stupid sometimes, considering they're there to kill each other, it's just how the characters are. It's actually pretty interesting to look at their ways of dealing with enemies and even more interesting when sometimes those on the same side don't share the same view on how this war shoud be fought. These 13 episodes are more about planning and talking than fights, but don't worry, there is plenty of that as well.
As I said, it's an amazing adaptation that follows novels almost perfectly, but it also suffers from same problems as others. On paper, there is no problem to just "stop the time" and throughoutly explain what actually happened or what kind of technique is this, it feels akward in anime though. This can easily make fights, that could have last no more than 5 minutes, span through the whole episode. Maybe they should've just leave this aproach and make it like KnK, where you sometimes didn't know what the hell happened, but it didn't spoil the action, in some cases things were explained after everything ended. So yeah, I found pacing (mostly during fights) little off. And of course, since it's Fate/Zero 1/2 don't expect some real ending. Don't expect ending at all.
Chracters - 10/10
This is where Zero really shines. You won't find any character from the main cast that is pointless or dull. Everyone has their reasons to fight, everyone is somehow unique, while still being realistic and their actions believable. Sure, you have stereotypes - honorable guy, carefree guy, silent badass, crazy villain,... All of them done very well though. It's really fun to watch those beliefs and philosophies clash, and to be honest, I found the dialogue-heavy episodes more interesting than the action ones. Some characters did not get enough screentime but those should appear in second season more often. Not too much of a character development, since it's like 4 days or something, but it's definitely there (especially in one case). So to end this section somehow, I found Zero cast one of the more memorable bunch of characters in past few years and these characters are what made this show for me. After 13 episodes I'm not even sure who am I rooting for!
Enjoyment - 10/10 & Value (TV) - 8/10
Even though I found few minor mistakes, I can't deny that I enjoyed every last bit of this show. Actually for me, this was the highlight of the year 2011. So of course I think this is a show with high value. I rewatched some episodes more than once and I will do so again, no doubt. I'm not giving it full score, because it's going to be the Blue-Ray version which is supposed to be complete experience - with some extra scenes and without any censorship. That is a version I would really like to own. Since this is a review of Zero broadcasted in the TV, I can't give it a 10.
Final thoughts
An absolute must-watch for every Type-Lunatic out there, obviously, and everyone who'd like some more intelligent and dark anime with interesting characters, dialogues and some amazingly-animated action scenes. Even if KnK is still the best Type-Moon anime in my eyes, Zero didn't say the last word yet.
Comments (1) 6v6m52
Zaku88
Aoki Ei
Fate/Zero revisits the universe of Fate/Stay Night, this time as a prequel taking place during the previous Holy Grail war. Interestingly enough, despite being a prequel, I highly advise wat... Home Twitter
- Unrated 56925
Fate/Zero revisits the universe of Fate/Stay Night, this time as a prequel taking place during the previous Holy Grail war. Interestingly enough, despite being a prequel, I highly advise watching FSN first, as a lot of the concepts of the Fate universe are better explained there; and you'll enjoy many more *omg I cannot believe [insert event here] happened* moments. Much of the remainder of the review will assume FSN exposure.
There are two "seasons' worth of episodes though it is really one contiguous story rather than two sub parts. Fate/Zero feels like a much more mature and dark version of FSN. Most of the protagonists are much more mature, and quite dark in demeanor. As roriconfan mentioned, this is not a shonen action- don't expect a lot of fights. In place of the weapon spamming, you have intricate relationships and complicated plans; all ripe for betrayals and twists.
Fate/Zero is a very involved watch; there are so many side stories and plotting and counter-plotting, many of it taking place during complicated dialogues. However, I felt it was a very worthwhile watch both in addressing some of the questions in FSN as well as standing in it's own right. Despite already knowing how the war would end, I was still immensely captivated by the intricacies of the masters' attempts to win the grail.
If you're looking for an involved and extremely well animated series with a slightly dark overtone, definitely check this one out.
Animation:
Ufotable has come out with some immensely impressive animations, Kara no Kyoukai being the strongest impression. They do not disappoint here. Fate/Zero is bathed in a gorgeous palette, highlighting the dark, gloomy outlook for many of the masters and the city as a whole. Everything from the fluid fight sequences to the superb usage of color effects and shadows is well done, and many levels above what I was in FSN. One of the most memorable scenes for me was at the very end of the first season where Velvet and Rider were having a conversation under a setting sun. If you missed it, I highly recommend re-watching for it as it is one of the most convincing and fluid sunsets I have seen in an anime.
As far as characters go, there are a lot of older men in this series than FSN. I guess they sort of balance it out by having loli Rin Tousaka and an even smaller Ilia. In any case, one of the early challenges in this series for the viewer would be to figure out how to discern Emiya Kiritsugu from Kotomine Kirie- as both have deep voices and the look of death on their face. As far as consistency goes, Saber and Archer keep their appearance from FSN (though Saber dons a bodyguard suit rather than her casual attire). Lancer is a harder one as his outfit is in my opinion far superior to the one he dons in FSN.
This series has a lot of blood and a significant amount of random slaughter, though the camera does pull away at the most grueling moments. This is much too dark of a series to have significant ecchi.
Sound:
Despite the huge upgrade in animation quality, I don't believe the music in FZ was as catchy as that in FSN, though the quality in general was still very good. There is an OP and ED per season. All the pieces are fitting for the series tone but I didn't really like either of the OP melodies (sorry Kalafina). The EDs on the other hand were both good, especially the second series ED by newcomer Lunamaria er... Luna Haruna, composed by Yuki Kajiura.
The voice acting is superb, my only complaint being that Kirie and Emiya sound too alike (though it may very well be on purpose). The VAs for the heroic spirits from the 4th Grail War pick up their corresponding roles here- and Kana Ueda even returns to voice chibi Rin! All the voices were appropriate given their character personalities, though I do believe Lancer turned out to be much more of a "heroic" figure in FZ.
Story:
Fate/Zero is a pretty focused series, set aside the two-episode adventure through Kiritsugu's past and loli Rin's adventure. While the obvious plot line is the battle for the holy grail, the series spends a lot of time following each individual master as they plot and plan their next move. It really makes you wonder how Shirou lasted so long in FSN... In any case, the entire story is pretty much seeing how each master's plan weaves with each other- this is the fun, figuring out which plan will win the day or how someone's plan will be ruined.
In of tonality, F/Z is much more in line with that of Kara no Kyoukai than FSN. Gone are the humor relief moments and teenage crushes, replaced by a single-minded purpose of winning the war. Likewise, in of scale, the masters and servants of F/Z seem far superior in ability and talent than their counterparts in FSN.
There are numerous plot twists, many of which are masterfully executed, putting lots of other recent series to shame. The series does (eventually) build to a final climax, bringing the clock back to "zero" and thus setting the stage for what happens in FSN. It is a very well rounded storyline though a few answers do go unanswered near the end.
Character:
If you've watched FSN, be ready for a lot of early surprises, character-relation wise. Fate/Zero focuses quite heavily on some of the character relationships and does a great job fleshing out the backgrounds of some of the masters and servants, while leaving others shrouded in a veil of mystery. While giving some more background on some of the ing characters would have made their eventual demise more impact, perhaps they felt the series was long enough already. I was particularly keen on the large amount of time spent on the Velvet/Rider relationship, especially considering their relative unimportance for FSN.
There is an interesting tension between many of the servants and masters, as their fundamental beliefs in how one should behave clash at multiple points. It is very interesting to see how these mismatches affects each pair's fate. However, most interesting to me was how the characters related to one another, and especially how those ties related to the masters in FSN.
The actual main characters are all very strong. Each master and servant have very memorable and distinct personalities. In particular, it was interesting to see Kiritsugu's dark notion of justice, ironically ed on to Shirou in a much more "hopeful" spirit.
Value:
Fate Zero is hands down the series to watch in its season/s. It combines great tonality and animation with superb directing to create a piece that you'll definitely .
ThatAnimeSnob
Aoki Ei
Notice: This review covers both seasons. They are part of the same story so they don’t need separate reviews. Fate/Zero is the adaptation of the prequel light novel to the all famou... Home Twitter
- Unrated 463y4x
Notice: This review covers both seasons. They are part of the same story so they don’t need separate reviews.
Fate/Zero is the adaptation of the prequel light novel to the all famous Fate/Stay Night visual novel. And no, it is not the prequel of the homonymous anime, nor do you need to watch that first in order to understand what is going on in the story. The storyline there was mixed up in a way that is different from the game.
I have very little to say about the story, since in all honesty there isn’t much of a plot to talk about. The first season was about getting to know the characters and see them sparring, the second about seeing them killing each other. There is nothing more in-between those two facts, unless you count as plot endless well-written dialogues and technobabble around in-show terminology that is not contributing in any way to the story.
The premise is about seven people with seven spirit heroes fighting each other and the winner will get his wish granted. Yup, the death tournament routine, it ain’t much and if you are aware of the events in the older show you already know it won’t be about getting the Holy Grail at all. It is more about the character interactions and their chemistry; what does one mean to the other, how do they think and act, where did all their sadness came from. Meaning, the actual story was not good before and it is not good now; it is all about the characters.
It must also be made clear that this is not a heavy on action show. This is not a shounen fighting tournament but a heavy on dialogue seinen. The battles are more about the mentality of the cast and getting to know each other’s tricks, rather than going all out to kill or be killed. If you expect awesome battles you won’t get many, and for those that are indeed cool, they will feel like an eternity for being stretched out with long dialogues during the battles and unimpressive for ending by simply releasing ulti attacks on each other. Some of them will even be resolved out of screen.
It’s not like the talking is bad though; it is very well written to the most part and half the characters are fleshed out well; in just a few episodes I feel like I already know them well. I wouldn’t say many develop though; aside from Emiya and a bit for Saber all the rest are just there and as soon as you learn all there is about them in the first season, what follows in the second is them… dying. Furthermore only half of them were given enough time to become likable, as the other half were thrown to the side and were treaded as minor despite being presented as very important at first. Several of them are neglected and never manage to make a strong impression on you. Assassin and Kariya are two striking examples; not to mention the whole rivalry between Emiya and Kirei.
I found the whole stalling thing of the first season to be a cheap trick, as constantly and deliberately someone interrupts a duel and macho talks the rest of the duration as means to prolong the so called war. In theory most could have easily stay hidden and let everybody else kill each other before jumping in to finish the tired and wounded survivors. This does not happen thanks to the convenient excuse of “We don’t know what hidden powers the others may have so we just stare at each other waiting for something to happen.” Although in theory that is correct, it still tends to prolong things too much. At the same time it allows the show to invest enough time on fleshing out each character instead of just killing them right away and not making you care about them.
So in case everybody wasn’t so overprotective, the show would have ended in a few episodes. In the first battle for example most Servants and Masters gather in one spot ready to gut each other but Rider was constantly trying to make them his allies, so he didn’t allow anyone to die. Even when nobody agreed to that, they still only looked at each other, exchanged some threats, and called it a day, even when half of them were ambushed and at the scope of snipers. They couldn’t fight to the death yet you see; they needed 26 episodes of material to fill first. They wouldn’t be interesting if they had all died in a few episodes, right? Well thank you very much, this is a very meta-explanation which only translates to The Rule of Cool. That means, it is just brainless entertainment and hardly the “amazing story and characters” every fan of the source material goes crazy about for over a decade.
The above issue feels bad even in of directing and storytelling, since what practically happens in each battle scene is the writer gathering over a dozen people in the same place, at the same time. You get the impression only two of them are talking or sparring, while the rest just stand frozen as spectators, until they jump in to stop the spar and macho talk. It feels like very bad handling of the characters, as it’s as if they are nothing more that plot devises and not plausible personalities with free will. Action and suspense are basically sucker-punching. Something is about to happen but it is stomped by something else, with each character (as well as the viewer) being completely autistic and oblivious to the other 10 people being around them. It is one thing to have a couple of characters mostly talking than fighting, and a whole other to have a dozen taking turns to say their punch-line or stopping a duel that would otherwise suit them just fine not to, while in the meantime waiting patiently for their turn. What is this, a turn-based videogame? I could also complain about their constant boasting and showing off; they otherwise retreat when things look bad. If they weren’t wasting so much time in talking and gloating this wouldn’t be a problem.
But I otherwise fully understand how flavour-wise all this blah-blahing/macho talking is what makes the characters sympathetic to the viewer and slows down the pacing, builds up tension, and stretches the story to last as much as the producers feel like it. It is not practical, it is not realistic, and this is otherwise not a show that cares about all that and mostly aims to impress you with the characters and the setting and NOT the battle tactics or the overall plot. Thus there is no problem throwing in even some loli fan service fillers, such as a pointless episode with little Rin. Or a completely far fetched dogfight between magical airplanes.
The production values are otherwise very good in detail, colouring, and special effects. The cinematics are captivating and yes, Ufotable is eons ahead of that piece of shit Studio DEEN. I fancy the work they did although I don’t consider the soundtrack to be memorable and the animation is not that fluid.
So in all, it looks like a fine show to watch. The characters are very interesting and since Saber’s master is no longer your average teenage wimp like in F/SN, is all you need to like the prequel even more. It’s just that this is not a show for the impatient viewer or the action lover; the pacing is slow and most of it is dialogues and character flavouring. If you like the slow build up and don’t mind how stupid everybody acts in an otherwise death tournament, you will definitely be impressed with the whole thing. It is otherwise like a series-long moody music video like those shitty Bee Train shows where nothing of importance happens, yet you are just mesmerized with the pretty lights and sounds. Your call if you like that. If it mean anything, it is the best anime to date in the subcategory of action/fantasy/mystery in a modern setting.
As for all those nasuverse fanboys & fangirls out there, let me make it clear that I have no doubt the philosophy of the novels is very complicating and intriguing. My negativity is mostly about plot and the pacing, which are the second most important aspect to get to like a series. The Book of Bantora and Shakugan no Shana also have fancy terminology and a weird world image yet the shows themselves are crap because they did little to nothing in of proper directing. Sorry to disappoint you Urobuchi fans, he is a good writer but not a good storyteller. Furthermore Ufotable removed many important scenes from his books and further simplified the already messy plot.
And now for some impressions regarding the characters. Do not read if you are haven’t watched the show.
THE HEROIC SPIRITS
Saber: After you recover by the craziness of seeing King Arthur being a woman, she will be presented as the least capable in battle, as she is constantly losing no matter whom she fights. If it wasn’t for the cheap stalling trick, she would be dead ten times in a row. But, hey, she is the mascot of this show and is constantly saved at the last moment, plus she has a really hax ulti attack that can beat everyone with one strike as means to have a cop-out good ending. I liked it when her shallow morality was completely trashed when Rider criticized her way of thinking. Oh, and because she is a visual novel character, her ulti recharges with semen… Only in Japan.
Lancer: He is constantly presented as the most ideal chivalrous hero of any cheesy Renaissance romance story but I found his honour to be nothing but croc. He will be constantly trying to be fair (no backstabs even when his enemy is flat footed) and that will only be resulting to the usual “I’m letting you live and retreat, so the story won’t end fast.” He even saves his opponent in one occasion just so he can duel him later. When he is finally trying to fight for real, he gets double crossed and that’s it for him. So much for playing fair in a death tournament you idiot. But anyways, the truth is that he wasn’t fair at all half the time and not because he was aware that he was cheating. This was purely bad handling of his character on-screen. There is a scene for example where he is ordered to kill someone. Instead of doing so, he disobeys orders, disarms him, and then gangs up on him with another warrior. And then he calls that playing fair…
“In the name of selfless chivalry, I let my first target escape because I wanted to gloat while seeing him defenceless instead of just killing him as my orders demanded it. Also, in the name of selfless chivalry I let my second target escape as well, because I wanted to help my master instead of spending a few seconds at following my orders by easily killing the weakened opponent who was barely able to walk away. I am so fair and honourable, let me gloat again selflessly.”
Rider: He sure doesn’t look like the pictures in the historic books… He is by far the sweetest servant despite his brute strength and is constantly trying to become an ally with his enemies instead of trying to dominate everything via force. This is his own excuse for not letting anyone die and stalling time. I liked his philosophy but he kept to it regardless of the repeated times everybody refused to ally with him to the point it became stupid. And guess what, he is eventually owned by someone who really DOES try to rule with sheer strength; so much for trying to be friendly. Funny fact: Ufotable deliberately aired the episode he dies at the same day his historical figure died millennia ago.
Archer: Basically, he was just an anti-Rider, having the same goals with him but from a cruel perspective. He was there to be the constant arrogant bastard that drinks wine and calls everybody his dog. Because he can. He was a cool dude with the most hax ulti attack but he was eventually no match for the plot-armour of the good guys. His greatest punishment is when he finds out whom he reincarnates to later on, hehe.
Caster: A psychopath who likes to torture and gut little kids; a role model to all serial killers. He also had a crush on another servant but this didn’t matter much plot-wise. Eventually he was defeated only because he wasn’t playing by the rules and everybody else ganged up on him for acting like a jerk. I was really disappointed at how they never showed us what he was doing while he was trapped inside Rider’s reality marble. That would really help in fleshing out his final battle.
Berserker: A completely undermined heroic spirit. He has no personality or goals for the most part and when he finally gets some towards the end, he gets defeated out of screen with an implied grudge at how he was very angry for not getting the woman he liked when he was mortal. LAME!
Assassin: By far the worst character in the whole show. He is supposed to use stealth and backstabs, yet all you see him doing the whole show is hiding while looking at people. That was supposed to be part of studying his enemies in order to find the best way to kill them fast. So what happens when he finally decides to attack? He just presents himself, gloats over having outnumbered his targets, and then gets owned easily by an ulti. THAT’S IT! For someone who was studying his enemies for all this time, not only he didn’t use stealth and backstab, not only he didn’t have any cool super attacks like all the rest do, but also died fast and miserably WITHOUT EVEN HAVING A PERSONALITY! I mean seriously, does anyone care about him? Does anyone know anything about him? Where is his machoness? How such a pathetic hero even ed the Holy War??? This sucks!
THE MASTERS
Emiya: Master of Saber and apparently the protagonist. Really? Up until the 2/3rds of the story he wasn’t even doing anything important and then WHAM I am the protagonist. Where did that come from? I never felt he was even a major character next to Rider and Saber. I was also told how the main conflict of the whole story was to show how his rivalry with Kirei began but COME ON the whole thing was completely underplayed. Anyone aware of the game knows they are mortal enemies but the way it was foreshadowed here just came out of nowhere. It’s like they magically knew they would be enemies in the future and simply hated each other, the end.
I also didn’t like how Emiya was using his special powers. I mean he can make time to move really slow and has bullets that can destroy someone’s magic powers yet he was fighting in a most ridiculous way just for the same of prolonging a battle that could have ended in a few seconds. So imagine that instead of just moving fast as light and stabbing his enemy a thousand times in one second, or firing a magic-destroyer bullet at him right away, he instead prefers to booby trap the whole place with traps that have no effect and to run around for hours while using his exhausting time magic to simply run away. Supposed he was trying to force his opponent into using all his protective magic against him and thus destroying all of his powers with one shot. Because, duh, weakening him to half his magic capabilities would still be impossible to kill him with a second shot or, I don’t know, RUNNING FASTER THAN LIGHT FOR A SECOND and stabbing him countless times wouldn’t work for some reason. And anyways, why was he even willing to waste so many hours playing cat and mouse when reinforcements are on their way to flank him? This was no battle to waste so much time; he should use all his power in a massive attack to kill his opponent and get the hell away from there. But it’s ok, since even after the reinforcements arrived he was allowed to escape because we still have a lot of episodes to fill somehow. Oh, right, and because he is the protagonist for some reason…
Later on he is the only character to receive two whole episodes dedicated to fleshing out his tragic past and how he turned out to be such a scheming bastard. Although he had a very interesting and dramatic background, I just couldn’t accept how fast it was told. It had enough events and context to fill 4 episodes instead of 2. As a result it felt rushed and furthermore forced. The way they presented his life as a paradise full of happy people before it all goes to hell five minutes later? Oh come on, how cornier can this get? But then again what is this whole show if not corny?
Finally, I never bought his whole way of thinking. He was all “the end justifies the means” but he only succeeded into being a jerk who never truly accomplished anything other than killing a lot of good people. He even gives up in the end after he realizes it was all for naught.
Kirei: Master of Assassin, the worst character in the whole show, and later of Archer as well, after he stole him from its original owner. A backstabbing asshole and for some reason the main villain of the show. He looks for happiness by betraying people and making others kill each other but other than that he has no really goals in life. That makes sense… He also gets defeated out of screen but magically survives only to be defeated again.
Irisviel: She is a whole bunch of things, such as an artificially created human, a human experiment, Emiya’s wife, the vessel of the Holly Grail, and someone who reads too much bad fan fiction. Jesus, the way she was talking and mocking her opponents felt like something out of Twilight. And the way she was always so worried and ive was making me want to choke her to death.
Archibald: Master of Lancer and a guy who would brag non-stop. After he is owned in battle his crazy bitch of a wife for some reason betrays him and steals his powers. This part is much underplayed since we never truly feel why she did that. Or why she was found and arrested so easily and he was still in love with her; talk about a wasted plot point. Instead, they give us ten minutes of Archibald reading this magic contract that is presented to be godly important yet means absolutely nothing five minutes later.
Ryonosuke: Master of Caster and equally sadistic. Probably the funniest character in the show despite never doing anything more than being someone Caster can talk to.
Waver: Master of Rider and basically your typical shounen dork. He was funny in the way he was constantly mocked and eventually befriended by Rider but overall a very minor character in the plot, since he was more of a lackey who never accomplished anything much.
Kariya: A very underplayed character. He was looking for a way to avenge what they did to him and his family but only ends up being a pathetic peon in the hands of scheming bastards. He has a very minor role in the whole show despite this interesting premise and even his end is anti-climactic.
Tokiomi: Master of Archer and almost like a stunt in the plot, he just mocked Kariya a bit before being backstabbed; the end.
irohma
Aoki Ei
Note: This review covers only the first 13 episodes released in 2011 and thus only the introdution to the series. The review about the last twelve episodes are found in its correct entry.... Home Twitter
- Unrated 1w2m6p
Note: This review covers only the first 13 episodes released in 2011 and thus only the introdution to the series. The review about the last twelve episodes are found in its correct entry. I'll divide the review only as a safety measure to avoid spoilers, so read the second part only if you've already watched the first. Fate/Stay Night was a good show. Sadly, it was overwhelmed when it tried to put more harem elements than necessary, making the overall experience look more like the dating sim adaptation than a shounen drama with fights and action. It was still refreshing, but missed the mark by some margin. Now, five years later, we have the prequel to its shady story in this world filled with magi and dark arts.
Fate/Zero is perhaps everything Fate/Stay Night should've been. It's darker, more serious, more addictive, better paced, more complex, more everything. It's not an masterpiece, but it serves far better to what it proposes to do than its predecessor. This first half covers only 13 episodes that are used to present the whole cast, without much happening in of important events, but doing a great job to give the audience a glimpse of all masters and their servants. Art & Animation
From Studio Deen to ufotable we had quite an improvement. Fate/Zero looks sharp and nice, with detailed scenery shots, nice use of colors, and an awesome use of special effects. We still have character models with those dead-looking eyes, making most of the cast look more like zombies than humans. Surprisingly, the dead-looking cast gained some skills to show emotions, making dramatic scenes a bit more impressive. Animation improved a lot as well, but it's not great. The show constantly stops fights to put dialogue, and when that happens you'll have fairly static scenes. This wouldn't pose a problem if the show had a better pace, but the fact that every minute the characters stop to talk loads of explanative trash means we had lot of static scenes. Still, when animation is used it's done with good quality.
Sound
Another big improvement. Not only the opening is less weird, but the soundtrack as a whole got a lot better. Dramatic background music play a more evident role here, making up for the slightly poor ambient sound effects. Still, most of the show occurs during the night, so ambient sound is perhaps amiss on purpose. Voice-acting is top quality, with fitting voices for most of the cast and only two or three characters bordering the annoying with more yelling than necessary. Saber and Kiritsugu have a somewhat weird way of talking, but nothing truly troublesome.
Story
Fate/Zero is like a prequel to Fate/Stay Night (though fans try to make it clear they are different stuff, something I can hardly see after watching both seasons). It shows the events of the previous Holy Grail War, when Saber was originally summoned and Emiya Kiritsugu was still a mage hunter. All of this happens in the Fuyuki City, where this Holy Grail War take places every sixty years, when seven magi are granted the aid of heroic spirits to fight each other and claim the prize: the omnipotent wishing device, the Holy Grail.
Big Introduction, Darker World
The initial idea is still the same as Fate/Stay Night as expected. This first half is all about an introducution to the cast and a explanation of the setting. This makes possible to watch this even without previously watching Fate/Stay Night, and yet does not harm the experience for those who already know how the setting works. This is a huge plus. However, the best improvement here is the far darker and more serious atmosphere. The fight between the seven mages and their servants is full of little intrigues, backstabing, plot twists, and other tools to make the show very addictive. It can be overwhelmingly shounen-like, like when the servants start to revere each other's power and measure who is the strongest only by knowning who the hell the other hero is. However, it's nothing unexpected for a shounen show and there is a lot of complexity to the relationships between masters, servants, their pasts, and their wishes.
Expect the Second Season
Sadly, this first string only serves to build up momentum, not making a cliffhanger ending or even delivering truly important events. It does a fine job in its purpose, but considering this will have two seasons with a gap between them, they could've used this in a format more like Code Geass or Gundam 00 did.
Character
Take out all the harem stuff from Fate/Stay Night and we have a far better cast. Fate/Zero offers a decentralized cast, giving enough spotlight to all masters and their servants and making a great job in showing their initial personalities. We don't have dozens of girls surrounding the protagonist anymore (we don't even have someone to truly call a protagonist in this first season, in fact) and as a consequence the cast gets a lot more mature and darker. Shady assassins, executioners, greedy mages, arrogant noble, and many other stereotypes that are fitting to the darker tone of Fate/Zero.
Behold The Weird Heroic Spirits!
In of character development very little happens here mostly because all meaningful events were left to the second half of the show. Still, it's a good introduction to a varied and balanced cast, offering different points of view and giving a lot more charisma to the whole cast. Surely we still have these bizarre and flashy representation of historical heroes, but it's better if you ignore the relationship with real-life history and just accept that they are only super-powerful summons. If you take history lessons too seriously you'll have a hard time understanding why King Arthur is a girl, why Alexander is a noisy brute, etc.
Value Fate/Stay Night had a good concept but its execution that just missed the mark. By now, that concept got old and not as exciting as before, but Fate/Zero is one of the few shows in these last seasons to try something void of lolis, ecchiness, and tsunderes. A move like that in today's industry can be even called bold or corageous. That doesn't make it unique, especially when some shows back in the late 90's and early 2000's were a lot more mature, but amongst today's shows Fate/Zero can make a very big impact and deserves the praises. A more mature take on that good idea and an extremely high production value can certainly make Fate/Zero a show to be ed.
Enjoyment
This first season is only about introduction and thus you won't be seeing very impressive stuff. It creates a good momentum and has enjoyable combats and moments, but sadly the outcomes are very frustrating and sometimes even infuratiang as it seems the cast has some stupid script immunity. The show still has some good and complex intrigues going on and a few twists in this first half that helps to keep it addictive and serves as a very good start. Those who want a show that is more serious than your average loli-tsundere may find in Fate/Zero one of the best of the recent years. Those wishing for something more like a dating-sim adaptation as Fate/Stay Night may be disappointed. Comments
Wow, finally a good show in these last years. They are starting to become truly rare.
Fate/Zero is not exactly a masterpiece or a super powerful show. It's full of cliches and a few stereotypes and rely heavily on the typical tool of shounen shows: dialogues instead of scenes. Sometimes it was annoying to see combats stopping so the characters could talk for like 5 minutes before resuming, but considering the action scenes were good and the plot got a very good start, this is a able issue.
I was very happy to see the lack of annoying teenagers, and most importantly, the lack of harem elements. Saber is now only doing what she was supposed to do, not serving as a fanservice shy/innocent girl living with a stupid boy in a temple and with other school girls. That's a hell of an improvement. The shady and decentralized cast, their greeds, vicious wishes, selfishness, and sins make them more realistic and likeable. Everything here is better than the average, even the animation got improved while still clinging to the dead-looking character models.
Watch this and, if you're into shounens that are more based on drama and tension, you'll certainly like it. It still has all the super-power, super-moves, flashy characters designs, and other elements of typical shounens, but they can be overshadowed by the intricate acts of the masters and servants in their battle to death.
dudester
Aoki Ei
This is just going to be a quickie review. I normally wouldn`t write anything at all, but Fate/Zero surprised the hell out of me--enough that I had to write a few words, in case people were ... Home Twitter
- Unrated 1j1560
This is just going to be a quickie review. I normally wouldn't write anything at all, but Fate/Zero surprised the hell out of me--enough that I had to write a few words, in case people were hesitating (and for those that are--for God's sake, look at the temporary review rating! It doesn't lie!). I'm not going to be including plot snippets, a synopsis, or any of that. There are no spoilers, either. This is just a very modular approach, isolating the technicalities of this anime.
Art & Animation
The art itself is stunning. I've been watching this series in 720p, and all I can say is that, like artistic legends such as 5 Centimeters per Second and a lot of the lesser-known OVAs, it certainly deserves it. Scenery is gorgeous, and the backgrounds are always meticulously articulated. I pegged the category as a 9, simply because the animation doesn't match up to the top-notch art. Characters and background items can have jerky, repetitive motions during dialogue and other non-combat scenes. However--don't worry, the animation becomes fluid and quite frankly better than most action animes today when it comes to the fight scenes, which are incredibly numerous. More on that in "Story."
Sound
The soundtrack is absolutely amazing, and more than enough to earn a 10. We're talking full orchestral pieces with choir. From the first thirteen episodes, I haven't heard any jarringly clashing modern grooves and loops inserted--it seems to be a fully legitimate soundtrack, complete with five different shades of epic and a piece to fit every mood. I can't really tell whether the tracks themselves are produced digitally or were actually studio-recorded from acoustic instruments, but it hardly matters, as the effect is powerful all the same to the average viewer.
I don't usually find myself in a position to comment on the opening and ending songs, as I skip them for most animes. In the past, we've had catchy, easy-listening pop jingles that would get stuck in one's head. These days it seems that all I hear is heavy J-rock that's not properly carried out at all. Well, that or rap. However, I found myself quite liking Lisa's Oath Sign as it gives the same feeling as "God Knows" from the Haruhi anime--modern, heavy, yet still pleasantly catchy. The ending is far more easy-listening, and I quite like the laid back effect it produces to wrap up each episode.
Story
I've always been a fan of the way Type-Moon blends the different sub-genres of fantasy to present something truly unique. That's not to say that there are no tropes--for there are, and the show's rolling in it. However, the mythos that is created with each Type-Moon work (and especially the Fate series) is incredibly rich, and always has yet another level of supremacy just when you thought you'd seen it all. I haven't played any of the games, so I can't point out inconsistencies or points where the paths of the anime and the game might diverge. However, I can assure you that the story is excellent, and although not the most accessible, easily understood by anyone who has seen a fantasy anime before. Do you know what a "mage" generally refers to? Do you know the concept of "mana" (prana, in this show)? If yes, you're good to go, and nothing in this story will be out of reach.
The pacing is excellent, and truly befitting of an action-fantasy anime. There are no awful filler scenes--there aren't even idyllic slice-of-life scenes. Everything contributes towards driving the plot ever forward, and damn it's done well. Fight scenes (climactic scenes, really) are numerous, after a slower first episode which serves to introduce our players.
Character
Fear not! Something that would normally deserve under 5 in a multi-party anime of this nature is actually astonishingly good! It's easily seen that time is carefully taken to develop the character of each of the players, making them more realistic. Character and plot are sisters, and one can't function at its best without the other. Certain characters get more screenplay and development than others, which isn't something I can comment on this early, since it seems entirely purposeful. The characters that receive greater development are probably going to be the bigger players when this anime draws to a close.
Value & Enjoyment
I can't really say much here--the fact that I'm writing this review, to any who know me (moot point, as no one does), is enough to showcase the enjoyment I've gotten out of this series. Suffice to say that I've replayed specific scenes several times, and have gotten far more out of this anime than simply a means to " time."
rmcanjos
Aoki Ei
Fate/Zero. Aye, here we are. I swear, I`m no Type/Moon fanboy, and this review is written from a mostly neutral standpoint... at least as far as my narrative criticism tendencies are not tak... Home Twitter
- Unrated 6c2f5c
Fate/Zero. Aye, here we are. I swear, I'm no Type/Moon fanboy, and this review is written from a mostly neutral standpoint... at least as far as my narrative criticism tendencies are not taken into .
Animation and Sound
The animation in itself is quite gorgeous. Character models and backdrops are detailed, rich and distinct... at least as far as CGI animations are not concerned. When they are, however, the quality takes a nosedive of sorts. The CGI just doesn't blend in at all, especially in what concerns
Caster's eldritch abomination tentacle monster-thingies, which just stand out like a sore thumb when compared to the characters and backdrops. And that includes the final monster he summons in the last episode. Its CGI looks bad.
Music is mostly appropriate, never quite standing out or making any strong impressions on me. The OP was... unmemorable, and I could never really finish listening to the ED. Not even once.
Voice acting, however, was mostly more than appropriate, properly conveying mood and different voices. Even though one of the male leads has the most annoying way of saying 'Maya' I have ever heard. ("Maeiiiya", or something like that.)
The excessive usage of Anglicanisms is a fault that greatly stood out to me, but... I guess that's probably a fault found in the original novels, rather than in the anime itself. Not to mention it's a trend that is found in most, if not all recent animes.
Story
Okay. I'll go ahead and say I never found Fate Stay/Night to be the least bit interesting, only watching it due to recommendations from friends and overall hype. I did not like it. Not insofar as premise goes. I will not deny, however, that it is sufficiently detailed and, to a certain extent, self-ing. Fate/Zero follows the same premise, and succeeds on the same grounds.
However, I found the pacing to be quite deplorable, with very little happening on a number of episodes. They certainly take great advantage of the Saint Seiya mantra: Talk as much as you can before each and every blow you trade with your foe. That alone makes the fights very... un-entertaining, and boring, even. Heck, they even have a filler episode featuring a F-S/N character. The existence of filler episodes is bad enough, let alone in a series with only 13 episodes. Yes, I realize that this series spans multiple seasons, but I feel that I must make this point, due to its uncontiguous and split nature.
So yeah... a decent premise, but with terrible pacing and fillers... not to mention ending the season right as things were finally getting interesting. That last part definitely made me more irritated than eager to watch the second season... not that I won't watch it anyway, but whatever.
Characters
This series gets major props for not having angsty teenagers with superpowers as the main leads. That being said, most characters only have one or two defining traits (such as... 'ambitious strong man', 'arrogant playboy', 'noble womanizer', 'weak victim-girl', 'stoic strategist', 'arrogant nobleman', 'idealistic princess', 'insane psychopath'... the list goes on and on. And you, the reader, will most definitely be able to recognize which characters I am referring to just by these concise characteristics). Granted, they are far more fleshed out and developed than most characters presented in most animes out there, but that still doesn't make them good. Okay, so some of them get their crowning moments of development and awesomeness in one episode or the other, but that's about it.
And that's without mentioning the numerous historical innacuracies... but they were not relevant enough to break my willing suspension of disbelief.
Value and Enjoyment
Certainly one of the better animes of the season, but... not being a fan of the original Fate S/N, Unlimited Blade Works or any other part of the series, I wonder how often (and how fondly) I'll this series. I'll certainly have better memories of it than I did of Fate Stay/Night, which I thought was a complete pile of overhyped bull. This one was actually decent, but... I wonder.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy this anime; I certainly did, but... I'm no fan of the Fate saga. And the pacing made me ( and more than once, mind you) switch my media player from full-screen to windowed mode to open up Minefield... just so I could have something else to pay attention to while the more boring bits went by.
So yeah. Fate/Zero is decent. Definitely better than its predecessors/successors (depending on whether you look at it from an in-series or from a purely outside-chronological point of view), but far from being the masterpiece it is widely touted to be... in my opinion.
Let's wait and see what the second season brings us!
qwertyui
Aoki Ei
In art there is a concept of "medium". That is, a specifica mechanism, which is used to give an artist`s idea some manner of material form, perceivable by others. Books are a form of a mediu... Home Twitter
- Unrated 4z6w3x
In art there is a concept of "medium". That is, a specifica mechanism, which is used to give an artist's idea some manner of material form, perceivable by others.
Books are a form of a medium. So are visual novels. So is, obviously, anime.
A piece that works good in one medium won't necessarily work good in the other. A great book or a visual novel won't necessarily make a great anime. Not without some significant adaptation, anyway.
Fate/Zero anime felt to me like a failed adaptation of a visual novel to anime. Why failed? Read on.
Enjoyment
I enjoyed the setting, the characters, the dialogues, the scenery, the general atmosphere. All the parts that were good in the visual novel were translated well.
However, anime is not a visual novel. When it came to any sort of real-time interaction between two characters - a classic weakness of visual novel genre, which translation to anime medium is meant to rectify - they were not on the level at all in this anime adaptation. In all action scenes without exception it felt like the scriptwriters tried to single out two characters and only show interaction between them. On a few occasions it worked well. Most of the time, it destroyed all suspension of disbelief and ruined all the enjoyment.
When an anime, which is supposedly serious about people fighting each other to the death, devolves into treating combat as a simply glorified form of dialogue, it is a fail. Thus the enjoyment score is 6 at best, and even this mostly on the merits of the source visual novel.
Presentation (video and audio)
When it comes to still images, they are amazing. Background music, sounds, voice acting - all on a very good level. Scenes without action could be considered breathtaking. In this category, the pedigree of the original visual novels shines through the most.
While the writing behind the action is quesionable, the execution is not. If the writers want that jet fighter to do a completely unplausible aerial maneuver, just to show the extent to which the pilot's madness bends physics in an otherwise supposedly "serious" universe, then it will be done in the most visually and audially impressive way possible.
I guess my only two gripes with this category are these.
1 - Most of animation happens in broad sweeping motions, so you don't really get to see the kind of detailed combat one would expect out of a well-funded combat-centric show.
2 - Ultimately, there is no unique presentation style. Nothing to really distinguish this show visually from all the other well-funded shows. Sure, there are elaborately designed characters and locales, sure there are a lot of particle effects flying around, sure the background music is chosen appropriately. But appropriately doesn't mean brilliantly. Technology does not make art.
While these two flaws prevent me from giving this show a perfect score in any of the presentation categories, it still well deserves an "8" in both.
Story
Story is ... problematic.
I blame the medium transition.
Specifically, the story is (a) not built to handle real-time interaction of more than two characters, (b) too complex for an anime series of 20-something episodes.
The fact that the story continiously creates scenes with multiple characters in them, and insists on referencing stuff way outside it's scope, only exasperates the above two issues.
In a visual novel, you can take your time, explore a complex event from multiple points of view, get away from the action to read up on stuff you don't understand, without disengaging from the experience of absorbing the novel itself. This is the advantage that less dynamic mediums have and the reason why they continue to exist, even as we discover more dynamic mediums.
In anime, you don't really have that luxury of taking your time to absorb everything. Every time a scriptwriter decides that he can put real-time events on hold for the sake of exploring a facet of a situation in more depth, anime experience suffers. If it's done to a small extent, it feels clunky. If it's done to a large extent, it feels fake. Fate/zero suffers from such clunky fakeness multiple times in every episode.
I can accept that this might have made sense in the original novel. But this is not a novel. This is an anime. Things - including story - must be treated differently here.
The way the story is handled in Fate/Zero anime is, while not completely dist, still less than satisfactory, which gives us a score of 5.
Character
The characters have great initial designs, exellent backgrounds and well-written personalities. If observing unique personalities interact is your thing, than this show features a lot of this kind of fun. Long-winded dialogues between people with interesting outlooks on the world happen all the time, especially during combat.
However, when it comes to characters engaging in conflict, very few of them emerge changed by the experience at all, and very fewer still do so in any meaningful way story-wise. So while there definitely are distinct, recogniseable and memorable characters, there is very little actual character development.
As someone who judges the worth of characters by what change they create in themselves and their world, i can't give more than 5 in that category.
Value
I doubt i'd ever want to rewatch this.
I doubt i'd ever want to recommend this to anyone. And if someone asks my opinion on this series, i'd tell the person to get the visual novel instead.
The only thing i'll this anime for are the awesome still images. A castle in the freezing north. A jet-black figher in a starry sky. Saber, standing among fiery sparks. You know, the kinds of things they use for visual novel images.
I am of the opinion, that the anime added exactly nothing to Fate franchise and failed at translating Fate/Zero story to a new medium. I feel that all the value this anime has is derived from the visual novel it was based on, not on creative work of the anime production staff.
Thankfully, that's still enough to give it a "4" in this category.
donkeylast85
Aoki Ei
Fate/Zero is a gateway anime of the worst kind. It`s a bad series, a clusterfuck of story and characterization that isn`t very well done by any aspect, but which attempts to compensate for i... Home Twitter
- Unrated 5g4m3f
Fate/Zero is a gateway anime of the worst kind. It's a bad series, a clusterfuck of story and characterization that isn't very well done by any aspect, but which attempts to compensate for its weaknesses by adding in excessive edgy bullshit and DARKNESS. i can see this as the shit it is, and may enjoy it, hate it or be indifferent to it, but all the while recognizing that the series itself, regardless of their opinion, is plain bad.
this is the worst emo edgy bullshit i've ever saw in my whole fucking life, this is fucking depressing and edgy, also everything urobuchi writes are some edgy pretentious pile of horseshit, pretentious that makes some think they are smart and mature for watching and reading his edgy and pretentious garbage like fate zero, which is a pile of edgy shit and saya no uta which is also edgy garbage, some think urobuchi stories are deep and mature, but in reality his stories are just some edgy and pretentious pile of fucking shit, the characters are shit and fucking emo saber backstory in zero and stay night are most edgy depressing emo bullshit her self-hate makes me wanna punch the fucking screen, i prefer saber in in other fate spinoffs, lancer backstory edgy bullshit and emo nuff said, kiritsugu jesus christ, he is the worst fucking character his backstory is the most fucking depressing emo pile of shit i've ever seen, in my fucking life this character is the most edgy pile of shit and this backstory is fucking dogshit, and his killed his mother because this piece of shit is just edgy garbage for the sake of being edgy garbage, it feels so... edgy for the sake of edgy, like, we have kids getting molested/killed, Johnny Yong Bosch voices fucking Purple Guy, a weird creepo wanting to NTR some other dude then turns the girl of his dreams into a fucking vegetable, and the main protag is like Shadow the Hedgehog with zero character development, dude was Terminator mode till the end of the show where he cries
because he decided to boom the Grail, bro was a plank of wood the entire series, and I don't care if he's considered "The Cool One" cuz he uses guns and shit kiritsugu is still shit, At first episode I was going to throw up, I dropped watching just a bit later in the series. One scene is enough, it is not spoiler but who watched knows perfectly which scene I am speaking about. Unacceptable even for adults of any age in the movie excalibur king arthur had to kill his son for being a shitty person, he was a honorablenot the tyrant like in fate zero.
he philosophy of this anime is just dumb and stupid if you kill you someone bad are a bad person, this just fucking dumb so if i kill someone in self defense or kill someone evil who likes to murder people i am a bad person, not matter how many innocent lives i have saved the philosophy of fate zero is fucking bullshit that's why i hate fate zero.
People worship it as some glorious pinnacle of anime writing, animation, and originality, but it’s just a dumb exercise in misery that poorly pretends to be deep. It has no character development, no internal consistency with its magic system, barely any interesting plot, and every tragic moment is only there to remind us how “dark” and “edgy” the show is. [The twist of the grail being evil isn’t a clever subversion of tropes, it’s a dumb cop out to avoid exploring the ramifications of granting someone unlimited power. Every part of this show is played to be gritty and mature, but in reality, it is a disgusting abomination of an anime that somehow manages not to deliver a decent story also ryuunosuke caster and kariya, were just there for making this shit more edgier and emo, all the characters are almost the same shit, emo edgelords losers like kiritsugu saber and kariya, psychopaths sadistic scumbags and negligents, like kirei tohsaka ryuunosuke and caster, people say is trash is realistic and the way life is who say this is just a nihilistic emo crybaby like gen urobuchi and Sorry I’m not trying to deal with urobutcher pretentiousness and edginess, Fate/zero and psycho has killed all my interest into seeing the work written by him, because everything urobuchi writes or direct is just edgy emo piece of shit, and that's why i like more the fate spinoffs like fate extra fate extella fate prisma illya and fate extella link, because they are much more light-hearted and better than this pile of edgy emo shit zero and edgy survivor guilt bullshit fate stay night ubw and hf i don't give a flying fuck if you dislike this, this is only my fucking opinion
zhoumaster113
Aoki Ei
Ask George Lucas. The hardest type of film to make is a prequel. And to be honest, a prequel is an inherently flawed medium because the most important portion of the story – its ending – is ... Home Twitter
- Unrated 5334l
Ask George Lucas. The hardest type of film to make is a prequel. And to be honest, a prequel is an inherently flawed medium because the most important portion of the story – its ending – is already known. Fate Zero is a prequel by Fate Stay Night, which at best was a serviceable action series and at worst a pseudo-historical harem overly steeped in its own lingo. Presumably, FSN was a successful series that had to exist in order for FZ to exist. There is virtually no fan service, relatively little action, and a lot of dialogue. However, FZ is the best prequel series I have ever seen since Ga-Rei Zero. Read on to see why.
Art and Animation
Type-Moon invests a lot into its art, and I am not an art connoisseur. It looks good enough to me and the action sequences are very well done. There are some explicit CGI scenes that I presume had to be added in for the sake of budget and they stick out like a sore thumb, but the stuff that matters looks great. On Blu-Ray it will astound.
Sound
The relevant Voice Actors return from Fate Stay Night, including Saber – giving Ayako Kawasumi her first big leading role in quite a while. The music is choral and fills in the mood serviceably. None of the BGM was really memorable.
OP1 and ED1 are great. OP1 starts off with this incredible piano hook and then like our economy whittles off into a pit of mud. However, it’s a great piano hook. I love it. ED1 is a good but not great song.
OP2 and ED2 are relatively weak, and I did not enjoy them as much. OP2 you hardly see anyway near the end of the series.
Story
The story is dialogue heavy, being based on a novel. It relies less on action scenes, though they do exist in a big way, and more on thoughtful concepts. The Holy Grail War is inherently a ridiculous premise. After all, its original incarnation was as a harem video game. FSN had fun with it but still had that wink at the screen feel. It was action-y but harem-y too.
FZ simply decided to play it straight. There is a lot of blood. There is a lot of killing. You know how it ends, but the journey in of itself is worth watching.
Character
Each character represents a philosophical belief, and the discussions between them fit just as well in a college lecture as they do in an anime. Some advocate extreme hedonism. Others, perfect utilitarianism. Yet more, tit for tat sin and redemption. Pay close attention to their demons and principles and how the series eventually plumbs the depths of each of them, taking their principles to the very limit. These are people who live their entire lives according to their principles. They define themselves by these principles. Yet at the end, each principle breaks like a twig, leaving behind the question – what are we if our principles no longer represent us?
Value
For the action sequences alone, this is worth rewatching.
Enjoyment
The best stories are about relationships. Relationships between people. Between ideas. If Ga-Rei Zero’s emotional heart is in its relationships between people, then FZ’s is in its relationships between ideas. I loved watching this and strongly recommend it.
vmz
Aoki Ei
I just finished watching the first season of Fate/Zero, and my immediate impression of the show so far couldn`t be more positive. For anime to achieve legendary status in my books it takes a... Home Twitter
- Unrated - Preview 3p2j1k
I just finished watching the first season of Fate/Zero, and my immediate impression of the show so far couldn't be more positive.
For anime to achieve legendary status in my books it takes a bit of time to fully understand that you watched a show that was fucking awesome and one that you will recommend to most every people who have even the slightest interest in anime. But for Fate/Zero I knew from the end of the very first episode that I am watching something extraordinary.
The main reason anyone would be interested in Fate/Zero is probably that they watched Fate/Stay Night and enjoyed it. And yeah, I have to it that Fate/Stay Night is a pretty enjoyable anime. It has an interesting cast of characters and lots of action so who wouldn't like it really? Fate/Zero takes place in the previous Holy Grail war, and has the foster father of Shirou Emiya as the character with probably the most screen time.
So how does Fate/Zero differ from /Stay Night? Well... It differs quite a lot actually, but the foundation remains. There are still seven masters and servants and they are still fighting over the holy grail, and Saber is also there, but that's pretty much where the similarities end.
-Fate/Stay Night was a visual novel and /Zero is based on a light novel series. Visual novel is basically a game, so to make it interesting, it has to have one central character, and the story follows it around. Fate/Zero focuses on all the characters, and you really don't even know who to root for, and that causes a lot of dilemmas in the action scenes, as you don't want any of the characters dying unlike in /Stay Night, where you just root for the main character.
-Fight scenes in /Zero are also a lot more laid back, and the opposing characters are usually in pretty friendly with each other. It also has a lot less action than /Stay Night. This might be a turnoff for some, but it also leads to a lot more fleshed out characters.
-Studio Deen did /Stay Night and it shows. The animation is very simplistic, but the music is surprisingly good. Studio Ufotable of Kara no Kyoukai fame did the animation for /Zero. The animation is a lot more detailed and also has huge amounts of 3D effects. The music was composed by Yuki Kajiura, and unsurprisingly is excellent. While /Zero isn't necessarily better with its music than the previous season as they are both excellent soundtracks, it definitely 1UPs its predecessor with its animation by a clear margin.
And yea I might seem like a 12 year old Call of Duty fanboy from the way I spam 10s to this show, but seriously it deserves all the praise I give it. If you've seen Fate/Stay Night you absolutely have to give this a watch, and even if you haven't the show might be a bit confusing to you at first, but it's seriously pretty easy to just hop aboard. Also the referencing to the first season is very subtle, so people who start from /Zero don't feel left out in any way.
BONUS:
I just got informed by an AniDB shonen faggot, that I don't know what a preview is, and I'm just stating that "the show is awesome!!!11" without a big analysis of every aspect of the show. Well... The fact of the matter is that I believe that a preview should give the emotionally rich initial impression of the person watching the show, and not a deep analysis of every aspect of the show that's not even fully aired yet.
If you are discouraged to watch the show because of my preview and the fact that I liked it but didn't write a novel about it, you weren't probably going to watch it in the first place, so you probably should go back to your Fairy Tails and Bleaches and all that good stuff. At least they've got a lot of action, and will satisfy your need of simplistic characters doing simplistic stuff and the protagonist winning every time.
