


I'm not exactly great at writing coherent reviews, since I just end up rambling a lot, but I really want to give my thoughts on Fate/Zero, since I just finished watching it for the first time. I will talk spoilers in this, but try to mark them as much as possible. It will contain information about Fate/Zero as a whole, meaning it also includes the second season.
This show absolutely shattered my expectations about pretty much everything. I intend to watch all of the Fate series in release order (except for Prisma Illya, which I have already finished), so the only other series I have watched before this, was the original Fate/stay night from 2006. So maybe saying I know "nothing" about the series is a bit of an overstatement. It was not a bad series and I definitely enjoyed it. But I didn't think of it as anything groundbreaking, other than being a good introduction to the series. That is probably why I didn't expect much going into the prequel entry that aired five years later, Fate/Zero.
Characters
The characters are probably the anime's biggest strength. A prequel is kind of tricky to do, when everybody already knows how it ends. Fate/Zero excels at being able to retain interest in the series through the exceptional cast of characters that star in it. In no particular order, here are some of my favorites:
These are certainly not all of the characters, but some of my favorites out of the main cast. They are all very intersting in their own right and, in my opinion, could even serve as the protagonists of their own series. I believe this is a sign that your show is doing something right.
Story
As you are expected to have watched Fate/stay night before this, you probably already know how it is going to end. With this being a prequel, the journey is much more interesting than the conclusion. Fate/Zero details the events of the fourth Holy Grail War, taking place ten years prior to Fate/stay night. The story mostly focuses on Kiritsugu Emiya, who is hired by the Einzberns to win the Holy Grail for them. Kiritsugu is married to their only daughter, Irisviel, which serves as a binding contract. Kiritsugu's intentions and attitude remain shrouded in mystery. He states that his wish is salvation for humanity through world peace. This proves to be ironic, as he himself is a mage assassin and has killed many people throughout his life.
Kirei displays a vast contrast to Kiritsugu. He is an empty and broken man with no purpose or goal in life. He follows orders and fails to find pleasure or entertainment in anything. He serves Tokiomi Tohsaka and plots with him to be able to win the Holy Grail War. Throughout the show, he also becomes closer with Tohsaka's Servant, Gilgamesh, who ends up not being a very good influence on Kirei. Gilgamesh shows him the ways of pleasure and entertainment, leading Kirei to a much darker side of himself. Even though it takes quite a while for the two to actually meet, the rivalry between Kirei and Kiritsugu ends up being one of the most interesting plot points of the show.
The story of a battle royale has been done a lot of times by now throughout many different anime. However, I have not seen any single one of them nail it as much as Fate/Zero. The entire tone of the show is very dark and mature. When watching Fate/stay night, the Holy Grail War felt more like a squabble between a bunch of teenagers (no offense, Shirou). In Fate/Zero you can tell this is a war. The stakes are raised immediately, as you realize that all of these Servants are immensely powerful. Fate/stay night felt fairly lighthearted with its focus on characters in their teens and scenes taking place in schools etc. There is none of that here, and while I enjoyed those parts in Fate/stay night, I believe it works better without them.
Something I really want to put a focus on in this review is some of the more gruesome scenes. I touched upon this topic before with Ryuunosuke and Caster. Fate/Zero displays another vast contrast with its very graphic scenes, a lot of them involving children. It is probably good to know what this entails, if that is something you don't think you can handle. I would like to give some examples about what I mean with these scenes.
In episode two,
Another scene that I really can't let go, even though it was probably not one of the most memorable ones for most people, was in Season 2 Episode 11, when
Having scenes like this is really something that can turn an anime, video game or whatever else into one of my favorites. And no offense to English voice actors, but it is also why I will always prefer Japanese voice acting. The screams of horror you would hear in these scenes always felt so real, that it made me feel sick. This is peak acting and Fate/Zero excels at it.
Overall, the story of Fate/Zero is one of tragedy. Even once the War is over, nobody here is really a winner. Once all is said and done, the viewer is merely left with the sights of the survivors being broken, having achieved nothing. It is an amazingly told story of a war that claims its victims, one way or another.
Animation
I honestly couldn't believe how good this anime looks. It was originally aired in 2011 and 2012 and honestly looks better than anything released in 2022. The animation is smooth and fight scenes are very satisfying to watch. Coming from Fate/stay night in 2006, it is a massive jump, despite being only a five year difference.
To be fair, some CGI is used and there are times where it is noticeable. However, I tend to be very forgiving with CGI and it seems to be used very sparingly throughout both seasons. Most of it that I noticed was in the beginning of season two.
Music
Absolutely amazing. The OST of Fate/Zero was filled with great music, especially during battle scenes. It never failed to hype me up for a great moment.
Likewise, the OPs and EDs of Fate/Zero are great. The first OP especially ("oath sign" by LiSA) was amazing. I knew this song already, but wasn't aware it was the first OP to Fate/Zero. Visually, I also really enjoyed the OPs and EDs of Fate/Zero, especially those of the first season.
Final thoughts
When I finished watching the second season of Fate/Zero, the first thing I did was to add it to my list of favorite anime. Unfortunately, I don't think I will ever be able to rewatch it. As another reviewer on AniList put it: "Fate/Zero will have you constantly itching to watch the next episode, constantly aching to know what's going to happen next." When you already know the story, most of the excitement will probably have vanished on your second run. If you plan to watch this show and feel like you will enjoy it, make sure to set it up in a way you enjoy watching anime the most. For me, it's a sleepless night, watching all the way until morning, focusing on nothing else in the world. It is a beautiful masterpiece and you will only get one chance to enjoy it.
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