The series shifts back to the present where things are about to get moving again.
What They Say:
Ten years prior to the events of FATE/STAY NIGHT, the War of the Holy Grail is a contest in which seven magi summon seven Heroic Spirits to compete to obtain the power of the “Holy Grail,” which grants a miracle. After three inconclusive wars for the elusive Holy Grail, the Fourth War commences.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
With the past two episodes dealing with Kiritsugu’s past, it’s worked well to showcase the man that we see in the here and now in a different light. With only a few real challengers left at this point, who have now been off screen for a bit, spending time focusing on one does have its advantages since the audience will feel more connected to him. I certainly want to re-examine the series up to this point knowing what I do now when it comes to him. Bu tit’s also good to see that the show is getting back to things in the present with what’s going on here and now, including some time with Waver and Rider, two of my favorite characters in the show to be honest.
The time spent with the two is rather interesting since we have Waver camping out in the woods in order to keep off the grid a bit, and there’s some good discussion between the two, with Rider off screen for it, in which they talk a bit of strategy and what needs to be done when it comes to the various opponents that are left. It works rather well in a very relaxed way, one you can definitely call cheap and saving on animation since it’s mostly near-still screens, but it builds the mood right and allows for the money and time to really be put in elsewhere where it counts. The dialogue between the two is pretty engaging even if Waver is kind of mellow and casual about what it is that must be done in order to win the war.
One of the main pieces to this episode involves Irisviel, who at first has some time with Kiritsugu, but in general is able to talk with Maiya about things. Irisviel has been questioning several times throughout the series about the war, and she’s making it clear her own hopes for who will win because of their dream and desire to end war, which would in turn end the Holy Grail War’s as well and make this the final one. It’s an honest dream to be sure, one from an idealist who wants everyone to live in peace, but is a hard one to really fight for because of the things that have to be done. Watching Kiritsugu go through his investigations at the same time that this conversation goes along, and to have it all go as it does with the arrival of Rider as he comes to move the fight to the next stage is good. We get a lot of build up here and the payoff isn’t exactly strong but it sets things into motion once again as the show starts to barrel into its final few episodes.
In Summary:
Fate/Zero is definitely a show that I’m glad to see back in the present, but I’m kind of sorry to not get more of the past as well because the Kiritsugu storyline surprised me with how engaging it was. I do think it derailed things a bit in terms of the flow of the series, something that had already happened at least once, but it was very good material. Now that it’s back in the present here, things are moving along better once again and there is that greater understanding that comes with it from that flashback storyline. What we get here is launched off of that just a touch because we know Kiritisugu better now, but also because events are starting to tighten as there are only a few more episodes left.
Grade: B+
Streamed By: Nico Nico
Review Equipment:
Sony KDS-R70XBR2 70″ LCoS 1080P HDTV, Dell 10.1 Netbook via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.
