Review of Fate/Zero
In almost all forms of media, spinoffs, sequels, and prequels all have one thing in common. They are a crap shoot. Most of the time these spinoffs suck. Fortunately in anime, that is not always the case. In fact there are several times where I find myself enjoy the sequel/ prequel better than the original. However this anime is true rarity, in which the prequel just about outdoes the original in virtually every aspect. This review focuses solely on the first season of fate/zero. I'll write a separate review for season 2. ___________________________________________ O.K. here is the actual review with my IADb rating system: Story: FateZero takes place ten years before the events of Fate/stay night, and Chronicles the 4th Holy Grail War. The whole grail war consists of seven teams, with each team consisting of a master and a servant. These servants are heroic spirits that fight each other to the death, with the last servant standing winning the power for him and his master to make any type of wish on the holy grail. After failing to win the grail three times in a row, The Einzbern family have elected to bring the hated magus murderer, Kiritsugu Emiya (who is also the father of the main protagonist in Fate/ Stay Night), into their ranks and compete for the grail. When Emiya ultimately summons Saber as his servant, the two form one of the most unique relationships that I have ever seen. One of the primary things you watched fate/ stay night for was the battles, and while the battles are great here, it is the unforgettable dialogue that drives the anime home.
The Battles: While the dialogue is amazing, fate zero is part of the fate franchise, and hence the battles are a must see. What makes these fights so interesting though is the dialogue that goes on in them. Unlike fate/ stay night, where to many extents you were presented with a typical shounen fight, you get so much more here. You really do learn the back story of every combat tent and are forced to pick sides.
The Characters: There are over 7000 animes on this website. I have seen almost 500 of them and will be reviewing all of them this year. Out of those 500 animes, the cast in this anime ranks 4th, with the only 3 having a better cast being Steins Gate, rainbow nisha rokubou no shichinin, and full metal alchemist brotherhood. Virtually every master and every servant here plays its part perfectly. You have rider, the fan favorite who is just epic. (yes i just said "epic"). You have caster, the child murdering servant who couldn't give two sh*ts about the grail war. Than there is saber, one of the greatest female characters of all time. Archer is a great villain, but slightly over powered. Lancer proved himself to be a formidable opponent for Saber.
Art: When i review the 2nd season this section will pretty much be a carbon copy. Fate/ Zero quite simply has the best animation that I have ever scene. It is just mind blowing how beautiful and life like everything looks. Ufotable knows how to produce a beautiful anime.
Sound: All of the voice actors sound their age. All of the background music is perfectly used. The opening is great and the ending is one of the best in anime.
Enjoyment: While the first episode is a complete info dump, and while there is technically no climax to this season as the finale is a regular episode that ends with "to be continued in April," every other episode in this series left me baffled with amazement. Yes there are some flaws, and yes I can safely say that in the three month span between season1 and season 2, those flaws are seemingly eliminated, Fate/ Zero Season one is definitely an anime to watch.
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The IADb official scoring:
Plot, Sequence, Flow: 2.6/3 Points
Overall Characters: 1.6/2 Points
Visual Effects: 2/2 Points
Soundtrack: 0.8/1 Point
Enjoyment/ Lust to watch the next episode: 1.6/2 Point
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Final Rating: 8.6
NY Grade: B+