02.06
One look at Gen Urobuchi’s Wikipedia page is proof enough that he’s a brilliant writer and a gifted storyteller. With an exceptional body of work featuring relatively famous and often praised titles such as Saya no Uta, Phantom: Requiem For The Phantom, and Puella Magi Madoka Magica, it’s hard to imagine why this guy hasn’t become a household name amongst anime fans. While Fate/Zero itself isn’t exactly new, the anime adaptation happens to be his latest endeavor… but is it as good as his previous writings or Kinoko Nasu’s original Fate/Stay Night?
Fate/Zero is very different from F/SN. It has more action, less exposition, many likable characters, and no cooking scenes or pornographic sex; all things which Stay Night would have greatly benefited from. While the concept is the same (as are some of the characters), the style and progression are anything but. Simply put, this is Urobuchi’s Fate, not Type-Moon’s.
And that’s a very, very good thing. EDIT: I have discovered recently that the fan translation of the original visual novel is considered bad and stilted by people who can actually read Japanese. My complaints about Nasu’s prose have been rendered void in light of this, and I’ve grown a newfound respect for his writing upon checking out his other work.
It's a bit violent.
Fate/Zero tells the story of the Holy Grail War that took place ten years prior to the one in Fate/Stay Night. As the first (double-length!) episode explains, the Holy Grail War is a battle between seven magi who summon beings known as Servants. Each Servant represents a “Heroic Spirit” from mythology or actual history, and the magi use them as tools with which to kill each other and attain the Holy Grail: a mysterious entity that promises to grant the victor a miracle. The first episode — which many have referred to as “boring,” but I, personally, loved — establishes the fairly large cast of characters, and right off the bat things differ from Fate/Stay Night; almost all of them are adults.
Many characters are standouts and all of them are distinctive. Returning fighters include the cruel and cunning Kotomine Kirei (perhaps the best character in F/SN), the honorable and stoic Saber (who wears a badass business suit this time around), and the pompous and cocky “golden” Archer (I’m purposefully being vague here to avoid spoilers), all of whom play a key role in the events of this series. These three (and a few other returning characters) are joined by many new and memorable faces, such as the scene-stealing Rider and the disturbingly insane Ryuunosuke Uryuu. The cast is vibrant and lively, ensuring that there’s never a dull moment in this anime.
One of my favorite scenes of the year.
Special mention must be given to Emiya Kiritsugu, Shirou’s adoptive father (present in Stay Night only through flashbacks) and the closest thing Zero has to a traditional protagonist. This man is fucking excellent and practically the physical embodiment of everything Fate/Stay Night isn’t. A gun-toting, smart-dressing mercenary who isn’t afraid of committing acts that most would consider terrorism and only uses magic when it serves to make his action scenes look cooler, Kiritsugu suavely watches (and murders) from the sidelines because that’s just how he rolls. The best part is that his intentions are actually quite pure in spite of the contradictory nature of his actions. Brilliant.
Another highlight of the series is the interaction between Rider and practically anyone he comes into contact with. He’s definitely the coolest, most likable Servant in the entire franchise and an all-around chill guy who really knows how to brighten the mood. His antics are legitimately humorous — unlike the pathetic “comedy” of F/SN — and will probably bring a huge smile to your face.
Not much can be said about the plot at this point; this is clearly the first half of a complete story [season 2 airs in April], and one that ends on a positively maddening cliffhanger. However, Fate/Zero is remarkably good at establishing a certain tone and keeping with it. The series is dark throughout and most episodes are fairly violent, but admirably never feels like it’s trying too hard to be cool or “edgy.” Near-constant action keeps things exciting and causes the 24-minute runtime to appear closer to 12, while the always evolving character dynamics make for at least one “OH SHIT!” moment per episode. While occasionally predictable, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time in anticipation. Not since Kaiji has an anime made me feel this way.
My face while watching Fate/Zero.
The production quality is as excellent as the series itself. Despite occasional fumbles in the art design department, it looks and sounds great with superb animation, voice acting, and music. Not once do the characters super-deform into chibi mode or what have you for comedic effect, and rarely do still frames take the place of proper background animation. It’s inarguable that Ufotable did a sublime job with this show; much better than Deen could ever hope to accomplish. The voice acting also warrants praise: each seiyuu fits their character so perfectly that I can’t imagine anyone else doing a better job.
Reading Fate/Stay Night before watching Fate/Zero isn’t necessary, though it should be noted that if you have any plans to ever check out the visual novel, you should probably do so first because Zero will spoil quite a few important plot details and make the experience less compelling. There’s also a very surprising episode near the end of the season that won’t really work for you unless you’ve at least seen Deen’s F/SN (which you shouldn’t actually watch). But if you haven’t read or watched Stay Night and don’t plan to, then feel free to jump right into F/Z, because everybody should see it. This series is loads of fun and exactly what a Fate anime should have been in the first place.
TL;DR
Characters: 10/10 – Every member of the cast is distinct and likable. Development is engaging and sometimes funny.
Story/Writing: 9/10 – The concept is inventive while the rapidly evolving plot takes off and never stops running with episode 2. Dialogue is usually great despite a few occurrences of jarring exposition.
Art/Animation: 9/10 – There are a couple of missteps along the way, but this is one of the best looking and smoothest running anime you’ll find on TV.
SFX/Music: 9.5/10 – Sound effects usually pack a punch and the music is just amazing. Good-but-not-great OP and ED.
Voice Acting: 10/10 – Characters are brought to life by actors with incredible talent.
Overall: 9.5/10
Fate/Zero puts the original F/SN anime to shame and delivers an experience that’s consistently thrilling and compelling throughout. You owe it to yourself to watch this anime.
Originally posted on December 28, 2011