Review of Fate/Zero

Abridged version of this review is at the bottom under “conclusion”. This is fairly detailed report considering I left our specifications to avoid spoiling anything. Fate/Zero season 1 is a very strong start. It has lots of action, intriguing characters and amazing music. This is a gemstone in the fate series and definitely a strong stand alone series. You do not NEED to watch Fate Stay Night from 2006 to appreciate this anime. This is an addictive anime that will have you watching episode after episode. Cool Note: I honestly prefer the English Dub over English Sub for this anime. The dub gives a moreauthentic feel to the servants. Somehow, larger than life historical figures (primarily from Europe) lose something English sub since I don’t think there are any difference in accents. This may just be due to that I find it easier to detect accents in my native language.

Story - 7-8
The story is not the most complex. The general premise is basically outlined in episode 1. That said, it is a thrilling story that is both more unpredictable and more entertaining than many of its genre. The plot isn’t strangled by plot armor, and, due to the interesting and sentient characters, the plot never runs out of surprises. The first season sets up for an exhilarating season 2.

Art - 7-9???
No expert on art. Nothing hurts my eyes in this series. All the servants are cool and the art helps define the mood and characters. As most of the servants are note worthy historical figures (or are supposed to represent them) the art helps authenticate their characters to a greater degree.

Sound - 9-10
Very, very good. Easy to listen to and I enjoyed the opening theme a lot. The ost is strong. This is easily better than your average anime’s music track and deserves some recognition. The only real criticism I have read about the music is that it is “not impressive enough” and in all honesty, that’s probably due to HEAVY overestimation of this series. The music is something that deftly manipulates the atmosphere and contributes a layer of depth and seriousness that wouldn’t exist otherwise.

Characters - 10
There are a lot of characters, and I think most people who say his is a weak category want more characters to be developed. I think this is easily the strongest category since the plot, music, art, and general enjoyment revolves around the characters. There are characters that get neglected, but almost all the characters change or are given greater depth as the anime progresses. There are plenty of battle royal or tournament style anime where the characters receive negligible character development when compared to a masterpiece like this (examples being Hunter X Hunter Heavan’s Arena Arc, Girls Und Panzer, Asterix Wars...). Why should someone watch this anime? They should watch it because of the unique, intriguing, and intelligent characters.

Enjoyment - 10
There are anime that turns watching ‘only one episode’ into ‘only watching two episodes’ and then several hours later, you complete the anime and want more. This is one of those anime. One of the strongest character anime that is fast paced and really sets up for season 2 to allow each character to shine.

Conclusion - I think this is a strong 9 that ultimately rounds up to a 10 due to this only Being season 1. If you like action, magic, scheming, thrill, and tragedy this is a good anime for all the aforementioned categories. I personally love this particular series (the Fate/Zero series) for the intricate and amazing characters! If you are looking for light hearted humor,
silly characters, or realism (if you want realism, anime may not be for you...but I hear Gosick is a good detective anime so maybe give that a try? Zankyou No Terror is thrilling yet surprisingly realistic) you may want to choose another anime.

P.s. Please don’t watch this (or any) anime with high expectations. No anime can measure up to the imagination or creativity of the human mind.