Ah, now I’m beginning to see what this show was trying to do with its long build-up: the introductions may be long, but the battles themselves take up a lot of time as well. This entire episode was about the fight between Saber and Lancer, and at the end of the episode it was hinted that things had only just begun.
With this set-up, it’s really necessary for this show to not devolve into a string of random battles, but instead give a clear meaning to all of the fights, and not just have them end with everyone retreating and restoring the status quo. A lot of people were involved in this episode: there were a bunch of spectators, and a total of four servants present. This battle needs to have a meaning besides just introducing powers: the previous episodes had enough time to do that.
The biggest reason I’m saying this is because this series’s episodes lack one important thing: variety. The individual episodes are very different form each other, but each episode so far has had a pretty homogenous mood, and this show doesn’t make use of sudden plot twists or mood changes. The result is that the fight in this episode took place at the same location for 20 minutes, while the characters stood and talked to each other for more than half of the time. That’s very easy to make boring if you’re not careful. This episode however evaded the Bleach syndrome quite nicely by having enough to make up for it.
The animation was excellent. The spectators had interesting potential roles, and the battle itself was really well choreographed, considering that it just took place in one spot and the mages apparently have healing powers. Yuki Kajiura also created a good atmosphere, although I do want to elaborate a bit more on what I said after listening to the first episode: in that the soundtrack of this series isn’t among her best work.
The thing with this soundtrack is that, unlike most of Yuki Kajiura’s works in her early days, I don’t think I would listen to it as a standalone soundtrack. It’s great at creating an atmosphere, and the soundtrack definitely has a bigger budget behind it compared to her work when she was younger, but I don’t know. It lacks a bit of creativity compared to those. It’s not just this series; in fact I do consider this soundtrack better than the ones of Madoka Magica (I have to be honest here: I completely forgot what that show sounded like; that’s very unlike her). But back in her days with Bee-Train, she used to use all kinds of interesting instruments, and the contrast with her different tracks in particular made it stand out. Her new work has been much… smoother and to the background, while instead she should make more music that can stand in the foreground.
Rating: * (Good)]]>
Fate/Zero – 04
I thought it was nice that the combatants made use of strategy, tactics and deception as opposed to degenerating into the fight being decided by who can flash step more quickly or has the stronger beam cannon.
Seriously, Psgel, what’s wrong with you? why you always hold a bias against Blockbuster series???
@nilee You can’t really fault a person for their opinions when they’re pretty well-grounded. Even though I believe Fate/Zero is well-directed and sticks incredibly well to the original material, there are definitely elements that won’t appeal to everyone.
Don’t get me wrong: I like this series and consider it very solid. And yet for some reason I really get the urge to nitpick at it when I watch it. I’m not yet sure whether this is a good or bad sign, though. ^^;
about Kajiura,consider that the director also has an influence on the soundtrack.
I don’t have the interview links with me but Kajiura has always praised director Mashimo from bee train because he pushes the composers that work for him and wants them to experiment.
Other directors might just ask her for more conventional stuff.
Take Nanase Hikaru,I like most of her work,but her OST for bee train’s phantom has weird (in a good way) stuff you just won’t hear on soundtracks for shows from other studios.
As for me, I loved this episode. The Fate franchise always had an incredibly simple concept and story behind it, so what it boils down to is how they get the action and characters done. And both points were executed beatuifully so far.
Also, I propably like it so much because I completely watched the chore to get through that was Stay Night, so I’m thinking all the time “omgomgomg this is so much better than that”. Biggest improvement: No fucking Shiro :O
I can’t believe you said that Madoka’s soundtrack was forgettable. The soundtrack of that show has to be one of the best ones I’ve ever heard, especially from episode 9 onwards, and it’s an integral part of the show. The legions of fan arranges before the soundtracks even were released prove my point.
I do see where you’re going with how Kajiura’s music has been changing, though. For example, FictionJunction’s “Akatsuki no Kuruma” sounds really different from their latest “Stone Cold”, which has instumentals leaning more on the average J-pop side. A return to more of her traditional instruments would be nice.
As for the episode, I loved it. I like Lancer’s attitude and how he fooled Saber into letting her guard down. I also loved Rider making his dynamic entry, although it was admittably stupid to announce his identity like that (and Waver is going to freak out first thing next episode for a good reason).
Holy cow I actualy missed psgels’ remark on madoka’s soundtrack,that to me was my favorite Kajiura soundtrack in years,I rewatched some scenes multiple times just to listen to the music (before the OST came out),to each his own i guess.
Well I think you are nitpicking on the series because you disliked Fate/stay night so much, Psgels. Understandable. I will be doing to same to the Kizumonogatari movie. (Though I highly doubt it will be nitpicking. I bet there will be serious faults with the story.)
And Stephan, I can understand the hate but to be honest Shirou isn’t that bad a character. He was presented badly in the anime but in the VN he was far better. Maybe because he wasn’t saying “SABER!” all the time.(Or else you couldn’t hear him say it.)
About Kajiura: there have been quite a lot of complaints about KnK that her OST was too intrusive there. The director here is the same as for the first episode of KnK so it might have been his influence.
And I really like this OST, though I’d agree that it isn’t something I’d listen separately. It just complements the show perfectly.
@Stephan: Well, and by extension, @ all people who bash Shirou without having read the VN. Seriously, he has awesome character development in the latter 2 routes. And that character development is further emphasized by the contrasting lack of it in Fate. I still consider him the best VN protagonist ever, and in my case that’s saying a lot.
Except Rance. But Rance is just Crazy Awesome.Regarding Shirou: Yes, I completely believe you guys that he’s much better in the VN. And now that I think of it, ufotable would’ve probably represented him way better than Studio Deen did back then. Who knows, maybe he’ll make an appearance in Zero lateron.
i thought this episode was actually much better, everything for the most part was explained despite some character building quotes, and it was also very focussed. This battle so far has already done a lot more than showcase their powers; for example, assassin witnessed by kiritsugu, Saber’s wounded hand… etc. Last, having read … up to maybe episode 8 worth of translated novel, i feel that it is very well written, thus every social exchange is worth analyzing (the way servants treat other servants for one)
Considering everything this show is about so far, it is almost exactly what i’m looking for in anime. Very excited
Regarding Shirou: Yes, I completely believe you guys that he’s much better in the VN. And now that I think of it, ufotable would’ve probably represented him way better than Studio Deen did back then. Who knows, maybe he’ll make an appearance in Zero lateron.
Thats not just that.
DEEN when “adapting” FSN pretty much made sure to remove any AND EVERY bit of characterization main characters get. In VN, Shirou is a VERY complex character. They wanted to push as many fights as possible into anime so they:
– Skipped 50 minute long prologue that gives character development to Rin.
– Skipped most of character interactions.
– Skipped all shirou’s inner monologues about his reasons and why he acts the way he does, not to mention skipping insight other character provide into Shirou’s psychology.
– Skipped all the decisions he has to do that makes him change his motivations.
– Downplayed every and every scene to save animation budget.
Also at the point of F/0, Shirou would be around the age rin and sakura is…and it would not exactly be the Shirou people know from VN since Shirou from before kiritsugu finds him and from after are entirely different people psychologically.
doesn’t have sudden plot twists or mood spoilers eh??? as a spoilist, that is very VERY wrong, which is good. seems like you’ve forgotten about madoka completely…
oh one hand im questioning whether or not you’re actually paying attention to the series or not, considering you’re saying it’s lacking “variety” while completely removing that requirement from series like phi brain. like some of the other commentors have said, it might just be your bias against fate stay. truth being told, fate stay in my opinion sucked shit too, but this is no fate stay, this is a horrific monster of a storyline created by a a crazed urobachi
the biggest question i have is why do the battles have to have meaning? im not saying that they dont, considering in interactions between the the fighters and their master’s reveal who they are and powers that are to be explained can come back in certain plot twists. rather what was it that made you want deep meaning in these fights when pointless fighting has been popping up throughout anime through the years… i mean the setup is based on servants fighting each other in a last man standing, so does each battle have to have some sort of epiphany to show?