Every bit as epic as it looks.
That's right, everyone, it's Fate/Zero, the prologue of the original Fate/Stay Night visual novel done by TYPE Moon. Done by a production company called ufotable, it is definitely one of the higher quality series out there - and considering how many awesome ones I've seen, that's saying something! I'm already highly recommending you readers to watch it, but hey, read on anyway so you know what you're dealing with.
Now then, a bit of background info - Every couple hundred years or so (or less - I was never very clear on that...), the Holy Grail manifests. It shall grant one wish to a person it deems strong enough to use it. How does it decide? The Holy Grail War. Seven magi (or magicians, if you couldn't tell) summon Servants - exceptionally powerful familiars - to fight for them. There are seven classes of Servants: Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, and Berserker. Of course, just being powerful familiars/magical beings wouldn't be enough for such a war - each Servant is someone from the distant past. A mythological hero or an infamous historical figure? Perhaps both? Believe me, some of the identities of these Servants are... mind-boggling to say the least.
Lancer vs. Saber. The former is badass and popular. The latter is badass, cute, and a cash cow.
Now then, for those of you who have been trying to count the cast, we have seven Masters (the magi who summoned the Servants and 'control' them) and seven Servants. That puts it at fourteen already. However, we also have a couple side characters as well, bumping the count up to perhaps twenty or so. It's a small cast. It's perhaps a bit... disorienting for those who are used to ginormous casts in their anime (I'm looking at you, Naruto), but this is one of the series' biggest strengths. With the lower cast, more time is given to focus on their character development, to allow you to form bonds and attachments to characters, as well as genuine hatred for other characters for who they are rather than just their character.
The action... oh man, there's not much I can say about the action. It's just pure AWESOME. The choreography of the fights are very well done, with each combatant feeling like they're very well-trained in their fighting styles instead of just whaling away wildly. Also, it helps a huge deal that the fights are actually strategically thought out instead of the standard 'throw signature move and pray that it works.' It helps that each magus (singular for 'magi') and Servant has somewhat limited abilities, powerful as they are, and they have to make do to best counter their opponent(s). These fights aren't awesome because they're flashy (though some of them certainly are) - they're awesome because they feel much like actual fights where there are actual stakes on the line instead of just plot armor. Anyone and everyone can get hurt - or even killed. And the fight scenes remind you heavily of that fact.
This guy can't even talk. He only knows how to wreck your sh**.
As for the story, the premise sounds simple enough - summon Servants, kill them and their respective Masters, last one standing get the Grail. Hey, it's a war, did you expect anything else? However, the story is soon made deeper and more complex by the intricate relationships the characters have with one another, their personalities playing no small part. The main character, Kiritsugu Emiya, is a very cold, pragmatic believer of justice. He essentially is Batman if he had absolutely no reservations on sacrificing the few for the many - or killing those whom he deemed a threat to justice. He's a very well-designed character, strong in many areas yet he has very profound, noticeable flaws. The main character of the Fate/Stay Night series, Shirou, was criticized for being bland, cliched, what have you. Seems like TYPE Moon listened to their fans.
Kiritsugu's nickname? 'The Magus Killer.'
Another thing about the story is that the focus is all about the war and character dynamics, in between all the action. There are no filler arcs, no tangents or whatnot that has plagued mainstream anime to no end. Everything that happens in the story stays. It's very short as a result - twenty-five episodes total. But that's a good length - it doesn't outstay its welcome, and it can keep its focus on what's really important instead of burning itself out after god-knows-how-many episodes. It starts off impactful and it stays impactful until the very end.
Oh, another thing, for those of you expecting pure action, maybe a bit of drama mixed in between, then you might get a bit more of the latter than you'd expect. The storyline is very grim and dark, the whole series being VERY much grey vs. black morality or even at times black vs. black. There is also a lot of information conveyed throughout the series - if you watch only the fight scenes and don't try to listen to the story, you'll get lost very quickly. These characters aren't just characters - they're people. They all have their strengths that support them and flaws that drag them down. Even the Servants, some of whom are legendary heroes, aren't infallible. Heck, some of the Servants are arguably carrying some of the biggest emotional packages around!
The best of intentions can lead to the worst of outcomes...
Yeah, the series is dark... almost a bit too dark. It's kind of depressing to watch when you factor in the story and all the characters, and it just keeps hitting you in the gut over and over with the whole 'this war is f***ing hell' message. But honestly, it could have toned it down a little bit. Once you get hit with the grimness and dark tone of the series over and over again, honestly, you start getting numb to it. I mean, yeah, there are a lot of scenes you're going to cry over (no, really), but I think if it wasn't played or done too often, it would've had much more of an impact each time.
That being said, I can't think of many cons for this anime. If you want my personal opinion, I say go watch it. If you want to judge for yourself... well, here's a small excerpt from the first episode that should give you a clue on the tone of the series. Watch it and ask yourself whether you should or not. You'll probably agree with me. >_> XD
No comments:
Post a Comment