Anime Fix

Fate / Stay Night : (9/10)

T.V. Series; 24 Episodes
Jan 7, 2006 to Jun 17, 2006

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Shounen, Supernatural

Original Creator: TYPE – MOON, Kinoku Nasu
Production Studio : Studio DEEN
Director : Shigeru Ueda, Megumi Ishihara
Lead Composer: Kenji Kawai

Conclusion

What makes a blade is the metal, not the sheath that it is kept in. On the outside, we might see a violent dance of magic, blood and blades, but surrounding this core of chaos is a love story. Fate / Stay Night ultimately succeeds, pulling the viewer into a tragic tale of two star-crossed lovers. Every character might be driven by large abstract ideals on duty, life, and the human condition, but as the series winds down, it’s the common desire for companionship between Saber and Shirou that makes the series memorable, makes the series human. We’re all waiting on the top of the hill, waiting for someone to pull the sword of our potential from the stone of souls. And once they do, they will hold our hilts tight, for as long as they can.

Plot

The world is burning and a boy wanders aimlessly. He wants to live, but he passes out. He awakes in the care of a magician. His name is Shirou Emiyo. Ten years later and the man that saved him died, leaving everything in the name of his adopted son, the boy he saved from the inferno. Everything seems to be tranquil, Shirou using his magic to fix electronic items for his classmates. One day though, as it seems to happen in every anime, his life changes, when he witnesses two oddly dressed warriors fighting. Little does he know he is about to be dragged into a game of seven magicians and seven servants, where the prize is the immeasurable power of the Holy Grail, the granter of it’s bearers wish.

Characters

Shirou Emiyo voiced by Noriaki Sugiyama

He wants to be the protector of justice. It’s a seemingly naïve thought for a boy his age. Even after being drawn into the game of Seven Masters, he is unshaken in his beliefs. He fights to protect those for whom he cares, willing to sacrifice his own life. He seems to be the archetypical hero, completely selfless, though others think he is completely disconnected from reality. Sugiyama does a decent job expressing the steely resolve in our hero’s voice, though there is truly nothing spectacular he does with the acting.

Saber voiced by Ayako Kawasumi

She is the servant of Shirou Emiyo. Saber dons the platemail of a knight, and her resolve is as hard as the steel that plates her. She religiously follows her duty to protect Shirou, knowing no other way to live. Kawasumi does an excellent job in creating Saber. The most memorable moments are those when Saber is unarmored and vulnerable. The slight inflection of her voice during these moments exposes the tragedy of the character as well as her true nature.

Genre

Fate / Stay Night offers up everything a Shounen should have. Its violence and complex character interaction in a complex world coating, with little peanuts of love thrown in for good measure. It’s a tight package, with a fast pacing, that keeps the story interesting. The world is steeped in an intricate mythology that works well. Everything it offers shine in spades. It doesn’t reinterpret any genre, but polishes each aspect creating a pretty piece of work.

Themes

For the theme I wrote a poem, a trend I hope to continue;

He was a boy…
And she was a super powered girl.
We all know how this story goes…

She must fade… and he must wait
At a horizon she will never see the sun rise from.
But they have seen the dawn together.
Basking in the potential of the twilight
He makes the tangerines and roses
That litter the sunrise.
The rays each outlined in crimson

The hues remind him of her blushing,
The tea she put her lips to,
Blood running off edges of a blade.

The sun is the forge they pulled the sword from…
To cut the night in two.

But they are separate halves of same sky.

“In order to save a life you must sacrifice another” Fate / Stay Night deals with this issue at every bend, is it possible to save everyone or do we only pull the ones we hold dear from the calamity of a cliff. Or do we just ignore the call of the hero, and just be human, and be in love.

Style

Fate / Stay Night has the same feel of other TYPE – MOON produced works, its coated in a gleam of moonlight. Most of the action takes place on a stage of the night. The animation is fantastic for 2006, and the action scenes improve over time, being quick and fluid. The most striking feature is overlapping of more fantastical design with the modern design of Fuuyuki City. Overall, the world is fully realized through the art.

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Fate/Stay Night : 7.4/10

TV series; 24 episodes
Jan 7/2006 – Jun 17/2006

Genre: Action, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural

Original Author: Datto Nishiwaki
Production Studio: Fate Project, TYPE-MOON, Studio DEEN
Director: Yuji Yamaguchi
Music Composition: Kenji Kawai

Plot
Shirou Emiya possesses a unique power. He has an uncanny ability to fix things, and practices this one skill diligently. Little does he know that his power is a legacy that will lead him into the bitter struggle between 7 magicians, known as the Holy Grail War. With his classmate Rin Tohsaka, helping to alleviate his complete ignorance, he soon finds his life endangered, and makes a pact with Saber, the knight servant, becoming a master that will fight for the Holy Grail. Shirou must now search himself for a reason to succeed, and live on, in hopes that his dream of becoming a hero of justice can now be realized.

Conclusion
Fate/Stay Night brings a muddled cast of characters, and manages to make them interesting. Though there are a number of moments where motivations and abilities reach levels of complete confusion, there is some gem hidden within this series that makes it enjoyable. Very far from being a complete anime, for what the viewer is given, this series manages to be interesting, thought provoking, emotional, and most of all entertaining. For so many reasons, I want to hate this series, but the truth of the matter is that it excels with some of the simplest concepts in story telling, and for this reason succeeds as a wild and fun-filled magical ride from start to finish. I recommend this anime to anyone searching for a spirited and eventful anime as a recreational view, as Fate/Stay Night contains nothing remotely ground breaking or uniquely fulfilling for its viewers.

Characters

Shirou Emiya acted by Noriyaki Sugiyami
Once abandoned and alone, he was rescued by his father Kiritsugu Emiya. Upon his father’s death, he inherited not only everything that Kiritsugu owned, but his will as a protector and as a magician. He must quickly adjust to his rapidly changing life with the start of the Holy Grail War, and battle external foes as well as his internal search for what is most important to him. Sugiyami does brilliantly with the lighter and softer portions of the script. There are moments when he must capture determination and bewilderment at the same time, and is able to do so convincingly.

Saber acted by Ayako Kawasumi
At one time having been the King of the Britons, she now presses onward as the spirit of a lost hero, longing for a second chance that only the Holy Grail can provide her. Her commitment to this purpose is seemingly unflappable, as she will do what she must to acquire the Grail, but seeks to maintain her strong sense of duty and honor in achieving this goal. Kawasumi provides viewers a strong character growth, as she slowly marches her path from servant to heroine. Her low tone and quick enunciation provide for strong emotion attached to all her scenes, whether comedy or drama, and she stands out as a great presence from start to finish.

Rin Tohsaka acted by Kana Ueda
The seemingly perfect young woman, she excels in all she does, and carries herself as though she knows it. Her mantle of being self-sufficient and inapproachable is cast aside and she defines herself as the heir to a house of great magicians, acting as the reluctantly reliable friend to Shirou, seeking to win the Holy Grail. Her desires are mostly for posterity and pomp, as she never fully reveals her own motivations. Ueda seems to have difficulty in capturing the underlying frailty to her character, but never shies away from scenes which require bravado and humor, both of which she is able to perform splendidly. It is disappointing to witness her evolution, as the character changes from deep and unpredictable towards focused and valiant.

Genre
This series seems confused as to its true identity at many points. It attempts to capture so many genres, in its comedy and slice of life moments, but suffers greatly for being unable to fully identify its story through a number of these elements. Its attempt at romance is weak and uninspired, possibly to comment on the simplicity of a teenager, but more likely due to an inability to properly combine the multiple facets of its plot movements.
There is really only one successful genre captured by this series, but it is done so well that it becomes an acceptable trade-off. The action and supernatural focuses are consistent and entertaining throughout. Each battle has its moments of suspense, confusion, and stimulation, as the viewer quickly becomes engrossed by the rapidly changing dimensions of the fight scenes. Compared with other action series, this anime stands near the top, as it twists and turns to captivate viewers with a high paced movement of its storyline, and emotionally charged sequences that keep you wanting for more.

Themes
There are a few themes that concentrate highly on the two main characters and their personalities. This series, in attempting to define its characters, delves into the human psyche, and attacks the notion of self-esteem. Shirou is constantly struggling with the concept of sacrifice, as he slowly realizes the importance of his prolonged fight for justice, in opposition to his early beliefs that the immediate situation carries the most weight.
Alternately, it is the concept of the Holy Grail, and being able to alter one’s past that becomes a point of contention in the series. Saber must come to realize that it is her actions that ought to carry the most weight when evaluating her pride and sense of value. For her to simply concern herself with the end results, this is a concept that demeans the strength and character with which she lived her life. There are a number of emotional scenes between her and Shirou, as they both struggle to obtain the realizations about their character that the other possesses.

Style
The animation in this series is enjoyable. Action scenes are done well, and contain a solid amount of movement. Multilayered settings and color schemes bring to life an interesting and unique world for this anime to take shape. There is a subtle lack of inspiration in many of the character designs, and faces often lack the ability to convey proper emotions. But as much as any series, Fate/Stay Night provides an impressive musical variety. Music not only matches the emotions of many scenes, but is often times the provider for the emotions in the series. Styles change seemingly with each episode, as scene after scene is highlighted by the brilliant musical score of this anime, a truly impressive production.

Opening Theme

#01: “disillusion” by Tainaka Sachi (eps 1-14)
#02: “Kirameku Namida wa Hoshi ni” by Tainaka Sachi (eps 15-23)


Ending Theme

#01: “Anata ga Ita Mori” by Jyukai (eps 1-13,15-23)
#02: “Hikari” by Jyukai (ep 14)
#03: “Kimi to no Ashita” by Tainaka Sachi (ep 24)