Eikyuu
11-23-2011, 11:20 PM
This review will be based on the tv series, which in turn is based on Gen Urobuchi's light novel. Fate/zero is a prequel to Fate/Stay Night, a tv series based on a visual novel of same name. I will do my absolute best not to spoil anything related to the series per se, or anything else that I might have heard or seen from the Visual Novel. That means, I'll be general when I'm talking about the story, characters, and everything else, so please bear with me ;D I will also (try to) avoid comparing it to F/SN, because I think it would be unfair to have this incredible series in the shadow of its sequel. I have read many reviews of this series, and they always seem too generous, so I thought it would be a good idea if I took a more critical approach here. So, here we go:
Fate/Zero
Episodes: Total of 13 for the first season; eighth episode aired last Sunday
Produced by Ufotable
Genre: Supernatural, Action, Fantasy
Plot Synopsis
This story takes place 10 years before F/SN, in Fuyuki City, where the 4th Holy Grail War is about to happen. This war was created by the Matou, Tohsaka and Einzbern families centuries ago, as a way to summon the Holy Grail, a divine symbol that can grant any wish. Do to so, These three families created a ritual in which seven magi are able to summon seven heroic spirits as their servants, to battle until the last "team" remains. The victors (a servant and a master) are then granted their wishes.
Artwork/Animation - 9.5/10
Trust me, the animation of Fate/Zero is more than top-notch. It is probably one of the best animations I've ever seen, and the amount of detail put into every frame of it makes it simply gorgeous to look at. I won't give it a 10 because of small details in the characters that make their appearance a bit inconsistent ( I won't go into that though, for the sake of generalizing)
Voice Acting/Music - 9/10
The soundtrack of this series was composed by the incredible Kajiura Yuki, known for many amazing soundtracks. I have to comment on the decision of the producers to work with Kajiura Yuki instead of choosing Kawaii Kenji (again). Not only did they change the composer, but they also chose an OP and an ED performers previously unseen (or perhaps unheard) in the Fate production. These, in my opinion, were very positive changes that subtly show that Fate/Zero can stand out by itself, without depending on the previous status of F/SN. So far, I noticed that the tracks bring a very powerful and suspenseful feeling when they should do so, but are also soothing and relaxing when needed. Basically, there's no way to complain about them. The voice acting of this series is at that same level. So far I'm pretty sure they used the same voices for previously seen characters, and these voice actors are still doing their best in Fate/Zero. I would give this section a 10 as a type moon fan, but I'm being objective, so let's say... a 9 should do it!
Story - 8/10
This section is hard to evaluate objectively. As I mentioned before, I have played the VN F/SN, and naturally that makes me understand the story in a deeper and more complete way than someone who hasn't played it would. As someone who knows the details of the story, and who understands when subtle details about the F/SN world are mentioned, I would definitely give this story at least a 9. Since I decided to be general in this review, I'm going to walk in the shoes of someone who will have his or her first Fate experience with F/Z. In that case, the story is still above-average, and quite deep in every aspect. It isn't plagued by foolish shounen clichés (Emiya was probably hurt by that), and it explores human nature in a very interesting way. After all, Battles Royales are supposed to bring out the extremes of the human condition, right?
In the end, though, people who haven't watched the sequel naturally won't feel the same "Yeah, SABER!!!" or "Oh, look! Tohsaka didn't change at all!" (these are superficial examples, of course it goes beyond that xD). For this reason, this story won't have the same emotional impact on these people.
Characters - 7.5
This is usually where I think most anime score lowest in my opinion. Maybe it's a cultural thing, but sometimes I can't really wrap my mind around the attitudes and actions of some anime characters. Pointless shounen ideals are usually the problem, since, as I mentioned, these are fortunately (almost) absent in F/Z. Again, I will be superficial. Some characters sometimes act in a way that completely contradicts their (apparent) way of thinking; some express unexpected knowing, when what you expected of them was naiveté, and so on. This might add to some surprises in the big picture, but do they really belong?
Please note that this is me being very demanding. In fact, I'm probably expecting human traits in a place where I shouldn't be (I assume people don't watch anime looking for an accurate depiction of reality), so rest assured that this probably won't faze most people!
Overall - 8.5/10
Incredible animation, compelling story, incredibly well-balanced soundtrack and type moon epicness, all in a 25 minute package ( or a 50 minute package, if you only take the first episode into account). In my marking system, 8.5/10 means chance of being best of the year/ epic anime, so trust me: even if you have never heard of the Holy Grail War, or if Kiritsugu means nothing to you, you should still give this series a chance, because that's how good it is. My final recommendation is: If you really have time and dedication, please play the VN before watching this series!!! You will understand it in a completely different way, and maybe you will understand where all my rants related to small inaccuracies and such came from.
If you have also been watching it, please share your thoughts by voting!
Fate/Zero
Episodes: Total of 13 for the first season; eighth episode aired last Sunday
Produced by Ufotable
Genre: Supernatural, Action, Fantasy
Plot Synopsis
This story takes place 10 years before F/SN, in Fuyuki City, where the 4th Holy Grail War is about to happen. This war was created by the Matou, Tohsaka and Einzbern families centuries ago, as a way to summon the Holy Grail, a divine symbol that can grant any wish. Do to so, These three families created a ritual in which seven magi are able to summon seven heroic spirits as their servants, to battle until the last "team" remains. The victors (a servant and a master) are then granted their wishes.
Artwork/Animation - 9.5/10
Trust me, the animation of Fate/Zero is more than top-notch. It is probably one of the best animations I've ever seen, and the amount of detail put into every frame of it makes it simply gorgeous to look at. I won't give it a 10 because of small details in the characters that make their appearance a bit inconsistent ( I won't go into that though, for the sake of generalizing)
Voice Acting/Music - 9/10
The soundtrack of this series was composed by the incredible Kajiura Yuki, known for many amazing soundtracks. I have to comment on the decision of the producers to work with Kajiura Yuki instead of choosing Kawaii Kenji (again). Not only did they change the composer, but they also chose an OP and an ED performers previously unseen (or perhaps unheard) in the Fate production. These, in my opinion, were very positive changes that subtly show that Fate/Zero can stand out by itself, without depending on the previous status of F/SN. So far, I noticed that the tracks bring a very powerful and suspenseful feeling when they should do so, but are also soothing and relaxing when needed. Basically, there's no way to complain about them. The voice acting of this series is at that same level. So far I'm pretty sure they used the same voices for previously seen characters, and these voice actors are still doing their best in Fate/Zero. I would give this section a 10 as a type moon fan, but I'm being objective, so let's say... a 9 should do it!
Story - 8/10
This section is hard to evaluate objectively. As I mentioned before, I have played the VN F/SN, and naturally that makes me understand the story in a deeper and more complete way than someone who hasn't played it would. As someone who knows the details of the story, and who understands when subtle details about the F/SN world are mentioned, I would definitely give this story at least a 9. Since I decided to be general in this review, I'm going to walk in the shoes of someone who will have his or her first Fate experience with F/Z. In that case, the story is still above-average, and quite deep in every aspect. It isn't plagued by foolish shounen clichés (Emiya was probably hurt by that), and it explores human nature in a very interesting way. After all, Battles Royales are supposed to bring out the extremes of the human condition, right?
In the end, though, people who haven't watched the sequel naturally won't feel the same "Yeah, SABER!!!" or "Oh, look! Tohsaka didn't change at all!" (these are superficial examples, of course it goes beyond that xD). For this reason, this story won't have the same emotional impact on these people.
Characters - 7.5
This is usually where I think most anime score lowest in my opinion. Maybe it's a cultural thing, but sometimes I can't really wrap my mind around the attitudes and actions of some anime characters. Pointless shounen ideals are usually the problem, since, as I mentioned, these are fortunately (almost) absent in F/Z. Again, I will be superficial. Some characters sometimes act in a way that completely contradicts their (apparent) way of thinking; some express unexpected knowing, when what you expected of them was naiveté, and so on. This might add to some surprises in the big picture, but do they really belong?
Please note that this is me being very demanding. In fact, I'm probably expecting human traits in a place where I shouldn't be (I assume people don't watch anime looking for an accurate depiction of reality), so rest assured that this probably won't faze most people!
Overall - 8.5/10
Incredible animation, compelling story, incredibly well-balanced soundtrack and type moon epicness, all in a 25 minute package ( or a 50 minute package, if you only take the first episode into account). In my marking system, 8.5/10 means chance of being best of the year/ epic anime, so trust me: even if you have never heard of the Holy Grail War, or if Kiritsugu means nothing to you, you should still give this series a chance, because that's how good it is. My final recommendation is: If you really have time and dedication, please play the VN before watching this series!!! You will understand it in a completely different way, and maybe you will understand where all my rants related to small inaccuracies and such came from.
If you have also been watching it, please share your thoughts by voting!