And that makes seven Servants.
What They Say:
Shirou and Rin continue investigating the bounded field at the school. Will they be able to solve this mystery and find out who the third Master is?
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
There’s a lot going on in this Holy Grail War these days, but in this episode it increases monumentally. In fact, by the end of it we reach a rather important milestone. Archer, Lancer, Saber, Berserker, Rider, Caster, Assassin – these are the seven Servant classes, and we’ve now met a Heroic Spirit active in this Holy Grail War that fits each. Does that mean it’s so straightforward? Ah, of course Fate/stay night has plenty of surprises yet to come depending on one’s familiarity, possibly even within the constructs of the War as Shirou understands it at present, although perhaps not in this route as much as another. But without a doubt the fact that seven Heroic Spirits have now crossed Shirou’s path, especially with so many introduced so recently, means that we’re in for some very involved battle pieces very soon.
Fortunately, that doesn’t mean the episode is so packed with introducing new threats and getting into battle mode that it neglects to include interesting conversation and character building. Rather, it kicks off with the most substantial one-on-one conversation between the naïve Shirou and the enigmatic Archer we’ve seen, very welcome not only for the intrigue of that dynamic that has always been apparent but also because Archer hasn’t gotten much focus as one of the main characters lately. It’s even more appreciated when they really get into the meat of it, as they bounce some philosophy and perspectives on the nature of the Holy Grail War off of each other, often conflicting in outlook but ultimately resulting in Shirou realizing much more from hearing the opinion of one actually in this mystical situation that he’s only recently become aware of to any extent. What he hears is not as in line with the general overview he had received prior to this as he would be more comfortable with, and it pokes at his mind in a very important way. He also has a few conversations with Saber, showing her concern for and anger toward him for being so reckless in spite of her explicit warnings and advice. It’s a very different dynamic from that of Shirou and Archer, especially when he can’t help but see her as a beautiful woman and gets distracted from his work. This also presents the opportunity for Shirou to explain how his specific kind of magic works, an element that’s also brought up during some of his time with Rin. Although he can hardly be respected as a mage by most metrics, it’s apparent that he is somewhat impressive in this one, limited field, and further seeing how he could prove useful on the battlefield or otherwise in the process of competing in this War is always nice. He continues to catch Rin off-guard enough to bring out that classic tsundere embarrassment that reminds us of why she’s one of the most endearing of her kind. Similarly, Shinji is smarmier than ever, with every word and expression coming from him serving to make him that much more despicable a person. It’s very much as he’s meant to be, and as it continues it only builds up how satisfying his eventual defeat is sure to be.
But the brand-new faces in town are front and center now, and while it’s good to see that the matchups are balanced enough for the protagonists to have a fighting chance, we’re sure to be dealing with the issue at hand for the immediate. As we know less about these new players than anyone (although one does reveal his name as instantly as possible, very much unlike every Servant in this series), that’s perfectly fine; the pacing of this series has remained remarkably strong as seen in this very episode, so I have little doubt that sufficient time will be given to all matters that need attending to.
In Summary:
Despite this episode introducing several new major players, revealing a few (mostly unsurprising) truths, and giving several characters extended opportunities to interact anew, it’s in no way rushed or convoluted. It’s beautiful and fascinating, and it sets up for some assuredly incredible action scenes to come.
Grade: A
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Chromecast, 42” 1080p HDTV.
