This show picked a really good use for its “calm before the storm”-episode: some last-minute character backgrounds that give a really different dimension to the characters involved. Waver and Irisviel had some very shocking plot twists here.
Waver had a surprisingly genuine moment with his grandfather, or the guy he used magic to turn into a grandfather. I’m not sure if it was revealed why he had to do this, but he probably used this as a guise to hide out from the other masters and servants. This was both an interesting revelation and a great way to flesh him out at the last minute, because you could really see that that talk made a huge impact on Waver.
And then there was Irisviel’s death, which eventually turned into that really trippy scene where ends up in the holy grail or something? Was she made specifically so that this would happen? And so how did she end up with Kiritsugu of all people? Did he make her, or was she created by somebody else, who left behind that huge pile of dead Irisviel’s bodies?
Rating: ** (Excellent)
The Einzbern family is responsible for preparing the grail vessels, in this case Irisviel. So yes, she was supposed to die eventually to become the grail.
She ended up with Kiritsugu because the Einzberns aren’t good at fighting directly (they are mostly alchemists), so they hired Kiritsugu to do stuff for them.
The dead Irisviels are failed attempts at grail vessels.
There is something off about this war’s grail, though…
waver and rider’s saccharine moment made my eyes act all unmanly.
As Cytrus said. The Einzberns prepare the vessel for the holy grail. That vessel is Irisviel. Well, to be specific her heart is the vessel for the holy grail. Even if her body dies she will still become the holy grail.
She ended up married to Kiritsugu because that was the deal he made with the Einzberns. The Einzberns give him a artifact to summon a strong servant and participate in the grail war as there representative. And her marries Irisviel and provides his seed to make the next Homunculus in case he fails to get the grail. It was already a big decision for a proud family who was obsessed with there bloodline to take in an outsider. Needless to say they aren’t to happy about it. Marrying him into the family was probably an excuse to make it that an Einzbern obtained the holy grail. Even if the name was tacked on.
The explanation behind Waver’s spell is pretty simple. He lives in England, so when coming to Japan, he needed shelter. Thus, he put the spell on the older couple whose real grandson was gone (away or dead, I don’t remember).
And like others say here, Irisviel’s heart is the vessel. Though this was subtly hinted from the beginning, it was obvious to those who played/watched Fate/Stay Night, when Ilyasviel (the daughter) became the grail–which was also referenced here when she dreamt that she became a “cup.” I’m not sure what was with the scene with all the failed Irisviel bodies, though.
God, though. That scene with Kirei and Irisviel… I simply cannot get over what happened. I knew this would have a sad or tragic ending, but that was just too much for me. I got really attached to her. ;~;
UTW translated the Drama CDs. They explain a little better some of the concepts behind the Einzberns.
If I remember right, the role of the Einzberns homunculi(Iri and Ilya) should’ve been explained when she was alone with Maiya. as far as how Kiritsugu and Einzebern came together, the ed was pretty much it.
also Einzberns homunculi all should resemble one another since they are “made” from the same “model”, and if fact share memories in regards to the Grail. The fail bodies should represent those those that have failed in their quest to complete the third magic. I think the one with the evil smile and the black essence is self explanatory
I’m not going to ask for spoilers, but… is the explanation behind the many failed vessels in the Heaven’s Feel route of the Fate/Stay Night game or other material? I still don’t get what the smiling one was about…
I dont think so, since Irisveil should be the first homunculus that was also the vessel(doesnt mean Einsbern did not use Homunculus in the wars before since the Iri and Illya were base off an original Homunculus of the Einzbern family), and there arent as many grail wars as the failed bodies shown. I think it’s meant as a symbolic representation of the failures, since to the Einzberns, the Holy Grail was never complete in the previous grail wars.
point is somewhere along the the way, the Grail system stopped functioning correctly and that led to the events of the Fate series and why the ultimate end of the grail in all 3 scenarios of staynight were destruction.
Actually the Drama CD tells that there was a point where the vessel maker left Irisveil into the disposal yard for failed creations in the forest depths to test her durability for Kirisugu. She was throw out in the freezing cold naked so it’s possible that the sight of the pile of dead Irisviel’s bodies is one she actually saw.
There is nothing that says that the Einsberns don’t go through trail and error.
freaky ending, the bit with the childlike hands reaching for her and pulling her down reminded me of Fullmetal Alchemist