Review of Fate/Zero

Reviewer's note: I am going to review Fate/Zero as a whole, which means that I will cover its 2nd season as well. Additionally, it should be noted that this series served as my introduction to the franchise. ✪ Genre: action (gunfights, swordplay), contemporary fantasy, drama, magic (circles, summoning, magic weapons), proxy battles, seinen, superpower ✔Positive Aspects✔ ◧ Animation: incredibly distinct characters, based on moderately to highly saturated/moderately to highly vibrant colors, who are wonderfully 'popping out' against the even more 'muted' landscapes and man-made structures (colors of moderate to low saturation and lumination). Also, it has a dark, live-action quality to it. ◧ Action scenes: very well-choreographedsequences, gradually escalating and de-escalating, with prudent use of slow-motion effects and continuously changing camera angles which increase their overall value.

◧ Soundtrack: throughout the series, various pieces of music (orchestral, quasi-operatic, solo piano, piano/violin/flute pieces sometimes against a monotonic percussive or electronic backdrop) are used that, generally, embellish the story well. Nonetheless, I think that they should have been louder, more prominent.

◧ Concept: interesting take on a familiar story - the modern world is populated by 2 kinds of people, regular ones, and those with magical powers, where some of the later are competing amongst themselves for an incredibly rare, seemingly priceless magical item. The spin is that this competition is predicated upon powerful magicians being able to summon, and bind unto themselves, some of recorded history's most celebrated warriors.

◧ Plot: structurally, the series is, generally, pretty interesting because of the slow manner in which the plot is unfolding and its refusal to adhere to cliches. Unnecessary battles are minimized, unclear motivations are avoided, various interactions among competitors and among competing spirits are liberally pursued.

Worthy of mentioning is the series elaborate character portrayal and its effect on the plot. Specifically, most of the characters, competitors and spirits alike, are able to display both protagonistic and antagonistic qualities depending on the situation, which adds points of intrigue to the series.

✘Negative Aspects✘

◧ Character development: my biggest issue with the series is not that it does not develop its protagonists enough, as much as it does not develop them properly. Up until the last episode, we get to see the competitors' and their respective spirits' relationships evolving. By the end, we have a decent understanding of their motivations, beliefs, and thought processes, but not as complete of an understanding as it should have been.

Specifically, we do not get a glimpse into the competitors' personal histories (with Kiritsugu Emiya being the exception), and, especially, the personal histories of their spirits. If there was ever a case where the use of flashbacks was absolutely warranted, inarguably, it's this one. Throughout the series's 25 episodes, there is only one instance of a personal history flashback regarding 1 spirit's past, which is portrayed in the form of an actual dream by said spirit's master (Waver Velvet).

◧ Plot: as a direct result of its flawed character development, the unfolding of the plot is not as captivating as it could have been. It feels a tad flat, and, at times, the viewer has trouble retaining any sympathy for the competitors and their spirits.

Overall: Despite its large cast and the intricate interplay between them, this series balances its dramatic parts with its action sequences well enough to keep its audience entertained most of the time.

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