Cocko
3 years ago·Nov 5, 2022
87
/ 100
3 years ago·Nov 5, 2022
A huge step-up from both its first season as well as the previous installment, Fate/Stay Night delivers on all fronts in its second season. Expanding on all its strengths while eliminating the vast majority of flaws makes for a truly stellar experience. This review will mainly focus on the cast, but also touch upon other areas to give you a full picture.
More about this later but a quick heads-up:
In Stay/Night the main plotline focuses on Emiya's character and it is absolutely fantastic. The holy grail war is just 'in the background' - which isn't an issue since the main storyline is more than good enough to compensate. However, if you want a battle-royale-like experience as in Zero you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you go in with an open mind it's guaranteed to blow you away.
So, let's get to the characters. One of the strongest points, and the main reason I prefer this over Zero, I love them so much. Our main character, Emiya - I'm just like Rin when it comes to him. I can't accept his idiocy and naivety, and it does somewhat annoy me, but in truth, it is exactly that which I love about him. This crazy stubbornness to not give up on his beliefs. Quite literally NO. MATTER. WHAT. Even in anime you find very few characters with this level of resolve. Honestly, it's absurd, just ridiculous. But that's exactly what makes Emiya so special, so intriguing. You just want to see where this abnormal determination will lead him, what path it will take him on. Will he actually be able to achieve something or just crumble under the weight of his empty words?
Rin is quite a stark contrast. A classic tsundere (and I love her for it). Smart, stubborn, and hot-headed, yet level-headed in serious situations and very realist. Just as Archer said - it's that discrepancy between her realism and her stubborn childishness which makes her so damn charming. She's quite disillusioned and yet determined, as opposed to Emiya's rather ignorant nature.
And it's exactly this contrast that makes their dynamic so wonderful. The way they subtly influence each other throughout the show is excellently done. I've never seen character development this gradual - from one episode to the next there's not that big of a difference, yet somehow Rin is almost unrecognizable after 2 seasons. Emiya had a huge impact on her; though of course, her core remains the same.
Personally, I think she really admires and maybe even envies him for his stupid, naive, and stubborn mindset - Rin herself could never ignore this many hurdles and walk a path knowing it's the 'wrong' one as he does. Though of course, she never fails to point out how dangerous, self-destructive and foolish his attitude is, so it's not like she's totally in awe. Being fascinated by Emiya is more fitting - she might not even admit it to herself considering her personality. Rin is by far the closest character to the viewer: It is she who always reminds us (and Emiya), of how absurd and unnatural his mentality is, it is she who always has the most realistic and rational view of things. In this way, she also has a big effect on Emiya, though nowhere as significant as the other way around. Why? Because this man is the incarnation of stubbornness itself, he's hard to change.
Just because you're correct, doesn't mean you're right!
I didn't watch with English subs so I sadly missed out on this legendary scene, but everyone has seen the meme.
It hits different once you learn about equivalence relations in maths (2+2 might not be 4 after all??), but that's not the point here. (The point is, I should be doing uni work instead of writing this at 2 am but idc)
As stupid as it sounds, it's actually a really fitting line for Shirou Emiya.
Undoubtedly the most important dynamic is between Emiya and none other than himself, Archer. It's truly fascinating. While they are, quite literally, the same person with the same beliefs and dreams, their personalities could not be more different. Or so it seems. Because as polar opposites as they might appear to be, at their very core they are the same. Nothing but a boy who wished to end everybody's suffering, to become a Segi no Mikata (i heard this so often now it's gonna be stuck in my head for weeks).
The storyline of Archer being Emiya from the future who came to end his own existence is one of the most creative and mind-blowing narratives I've ever seen. It's so damn ingenious, and the execution didn't falter either.
Their battle was without the slightest doubt the pinnacle not just of this season, but of the entire Fate franchise so far. (Mind you, I have only seen Zero).
Leaving the phenomenal visuals and music as well as the action aside, the fight, not in the sense of physical battle, but in the sense of a clash of ideologies, a clash of minds and souls was just amazing. Neither could accept the other's existence, yet both had a right to exist. As pretty much everyone in the show said, and every sane viewer agreed - Archer is right. There's no doubt about it. How could you possibly argue with him? He's literally seen the future, he KNOWS where Emiya's path will unavoidably lead to. So how could anyone still dare defy him, how can Emiya still disagree and stay stubborn?
Well. The answer is so simple that it's almost stupid. But honestly, it just makes sense.
Emiya had never cared about being right or wrong. He never cared whether his ideals were completely idiotic and self-destructive. So why should he care now? What exactly changed? Why should he suddenly stop believing in his ideals and give up? He said it himself. He knows Archer is right, but that doesn't make him wrong. Archer might call the path he walks wrong, but to him, it will never be wrong to follow his ideals. Archer might call him a fool, a hypocrite but Emiya doesn't care - he does not want to give up on his beliefs at any cost, he will walk his path and try to achieve his goal.
No.
Matter.
What.
That's just who Shirou Emiya is. That's what constitutes him, what is at the very core of his being, what defines him as a person. Even if it might not be "his own" ideals, even if you might call him a fake.
So what?
He still has a right to believe in those ideals, still has a right to be inspired by them and try to achieve that dream, even if it is not originally his. And even Archer himself, who has turned his back on his ideals and is full of regret, cannot fully give up on that. That is why in the end Emiya wins the battle, why Archer tells him to beat Gilgamesh in his dying moments (only to return 2 episodes later, that was such a fucking asspull but I won't complain). Furthermore, in his actual final goodbye with Rin (magnificent conversation) he hints at this again - saying he will "try his best" leads me to believe he has regained a little bit of his old fire, a faint belief in his ideals. But maybe that's just wishful thinking on my side because Archer going back to endless suffering and regret would be a truly cruel fate.
What really wraps Emiya's arc as well as the entire show up is the epilogue. Admittedly, before that I wasn't too happy with how it played out. It fits the situation and characters so very well that it's hard to complain, but it just could've been more satisfying. Kinda like Emiya - I knew it was the right way to end this, but I can't change how I feel about it. I can't think of a better conclusion but I just couldn't accept Emiya going down a path that will lead to a hellish end, and nobody's stopping him.
But as I mentioned, the epilogue did make that a lot better - Rin and Emiya's final conversion was fantastic, one could even say it was the saving grace for me. It might not be world-changing, but it really did affect my view of the ending and made it a lot less frustrating/depressing. Some uneasiness remains but I do really like this conclusion overall.
This one thing that Rin said just really stuck with me.
Even if he walks down the same path as Archer, it is uncertain where he will end up.
Simple enough, right? And even if he winds up at the same point as him, if he only has the power to keep pushing forward (until his enemies are eliminated hahaha) he might very well be able to reach a different future, and who knows...
Maybe, just maybe, this stubborn boy will actually fulfill his impossible dream.
Illyasviel's touching relationship with Berserker and her cruel backstory really got me attached to her but she was relevant for barely one episode. Shame, really. Lots of puzzling stuff hinted with her and the other homunculi, I was expecting a lot more. I can only hope other installments will provide more depth on the Einzbern family and their mysterious beings. Overall she was a fine addition to the cast though.
Gilgamesh was a huge letdown. His charisma in Zero was off the charts but he felt like an empty shell here. Haven't seen such a lame and uninspired antagonist in a while, his motives are very weak and forced. I didn't care about that plotline anyways.
Caster... was interesting but I can't sympathize with her much after the things she's done. Caster no master is godawful and I was laughing my ass off when he finally died. Pathetically failed attempt at creating an intriguing character.
Shinji is absolute scum and he got off way too lightly.
Kirei's death was unbelievably anti-climatic, they did him dirty. He was one of the best characters in Zero, I was super hyped when he made his moves in Stay Night but he didn't make it far. You could say he was wasted, but then again you don't want him stealing the show. This could've been handled better, but it's just a minor complaint.
Saber was great (unlike in Zero), she makes a great team with Emiya and Rin, very pleasing dynamic. It's as simple as just loving to watch them interact, but exactly this type of dynamic is priceless. Sadly, she barely got any depth once again. We're still left completely clueless as to what her backstory & dreams are even after they hinted at it so often. This doesn't affect her 'performance' in Stay Night, I just finally want to know.
Lancer was marvelous - from his personality to his charisma and demeanor, he's just awesome. Loved his relationship with Rin and how he stood up for her (and for himself by that). Finally a proud character where the pride doesn't just come off as pathetic arrogance, but grace and integrity. A rare sight, he has my respect.
So in conclusion: The focus shifts from battle-royale-like holy grail to war to Emiya's character. Whether you like it just depends on what you're looking for.
So, so, so many bangers. One phenomenal fight after the other, of course mostly thanks to Ufotable. Lancer vs Archer was straight up mindblowing. I'm not going to list all the others now, but almost every single fight in this season was absolutely spectacular, and not just considering animation and choreography, but also the suspense and weight behind it.
The pinnacle was Archer and Emiya's showdown which had me on the edge of my seat for several episodes - I couldn't predict the outcome at all.
As I'm sure you've noticed almost all sections, especially the ones about the characters, have some mention of Emiya. Just look at Rin's - half of it is just her relationship with him (I ship them so hard omg).
But why am I so obsessed with him? He just plays such a key role in this anime. It goes way beyond just being the main character, Emiya is the very core of this installment - he is two of the most important characters - and the true essence of the message and themes are all linked to him. Hence I spent such a big part focusing on him and his relations with the others; it is the key to truly understanding and appreciating this marvelous show.
So... what is Fate Stay/Night?
A fantastic action/drama journey with a very strong cast, amazing dynamics between the main trio, and only few flaws/room for improvement. Don't expect a grail war like in Zero and you'll be rewarded with an amazing narrative the likes of which I haven't seen before. The epilogue wraps everything up beautifully, nothing makes me happier than seeing Rin and Emiya together like that. The worry about his fate remains considering he is walking on the path to self-destruction, but who knows, maybe this stubborn little kid will be able to actually achieve what no one before him could... and even if not, he stayed true to his beliefs until the very end.
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