Review of Fate/Zero

I initially heard about the Fate series over a decade ago when there was a sudden fervor to create content from the manga, video games, and the anime. It dominated the anime sections of online quizzes, Google Images, art websites, comment sections, and so on. Given that I had been drawn to anime by that point, it comes as no surprise that I was interested in checking it out. Unfortunately, I didn't have the means of getting my hands on the series. When I saw it become available on Netflix, I knew that there was no longer an excuse to wait. It was finally time towatch.

I looked up how others recommended the series be watched by newcomers who hoped not to be confused by the large, shiny, and daunting ensemble cast that dominated the big screen. More than one article insisted that this was the place to start and I, who lacked any prior engagement with the series or visual novel, was the target audience. Lovely. Thank you, Internet.

While the high-quality artwork, animation, and acting were all quick to stand out to me, the painful, often cringe-worthy, flaws were as well.

The series immediately pushed off on the wrong foot with a giant information dump that lasted two episodes. (Approximately 44 minutes.)

Don't get me wrong.

It's not unusual to have a series set things up before jumping into the story, but there is a difference between engaging exposition and what is essentially an ongoing lecture with points repeated so many times that you want to roll your eyes at whoever decided to make this the curriculum.

And even points that aren't repeated end up being memorized not because they were compelling, but because they were delivered in such an unnatural way that viewers can't help but laugh at how hard the writers must've worked to insert it.

You would think that between long, arduous information dumps, there would be some type of character development. Disappointingly, just about every conversation in the first season ends up being a non-starter that doesn't give the viewer any interesting information.

When characters die, there is never anything lost. For a series that seems to revel in portraying tragedy and torture, they really don't try to leave any lasting impact on the viewer. Deaths end up being anticlimactic or, worse, pointless altogether.

By the end of the first season, you're left still unsure of most of their motives. With war being so serious, you would think that there would be some kind of explanation, but less than half of the characters had even a superficial explanation by the end of the first season. It really makes a person wonder what the point of continuing is.

In my case, I continued into season two because I was held to the reputation of the series. Season two expanded on multiple characters, yes, but by the end of season two, I knew the names of maybe two characters in total and they weren't especially memorable either.

On the bright side, if you're looking for a drinking game, here are a few:
- Take a shot every time a character coughs/vomits up blood. (And if you make it into season two, add a shot for every time a character gets held by their neck, choked, or strangled.)
- Take a shot every time Waver whines or complains.
- Take a shot every time that there is an information dump. Two shots if the information dump was uninteresting or pointless. Three shots if the information dump was in the middle of a fight.

To summarize, the story itself is pretty basic and that's fine, but if it's going to be basic, then it needs more interesting characters to drive the story. It needs characters with proper development and motivation, not just a whole bunch of human and spirit props that the writing team can't even juggle.

Pros:
- Gorgeous artwork and animation.
- Nice music. Mostly appropriate usage.
- Solid acting.

Neutral:
- There was some wonky mingling of different art styles at a few points, but nothing that actively ruined my immersion.

Cons:
- The characters talk too much about nothing. It's so bad that they even interrupt violent fights for information drops.
- How can characters talk so much but develop so little? By the time any development occurs in season two, it's already too late to form any meaningful bonds with any of the characters.
- The series supposedly targets people new to the Fate franchise and does a poor job of it.

I don't recommend this series.