Is your expression similar to Illyasviel, whenever you watch a new episode of Fate/Zero?!
Well, at least I do. So, another week and another episode of the awesomeness that is Fate/Zero and I’m bringing this for your eyes only SUPER FAST. News for those of you who don’t know, this series is being split up into two parts with one season’s worth of break. The first thirteen episodes will air this fall, while the remaining twelve will air in Spring 2012 so you’ll have to wait for the climax of the fourth Holy Grail War till June… >< I’m as sad at this news like any other Type-Moon/ufotable fan but hey, if this means that the quality will be maintained; I’m all good. I’ve waited too many months for this anyways so if I have to wait for few months for deaths and bite my nails, I’ll patiently wait. Not to mention, I’ll have Nisemonogatari, Kizumonogatari and Natsume Yuujinchou’s fourth season to keep me company among other promising titles of next season.
Moving on to the current episode “False Start”, it’s all about the very opposites (Waver/Rider and Ryuunosuke/Caster) and an unlikely partnership beginning between Saber and Kiritsugu, while Kirei schemes from the shadows. We are finally faced with the seventh master and servant and what a horrifying pair they are. Let me finish the final part of the character bio that I started with the first impressions here:
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Ryuunosuke Uryuu
A heartless serial killer, who revels in the act as if it gives him energy because nothing else interests him. He’s amused by the many names given to him from demon to animal and in his own words, “Unemployed. Favourite hobby is to murder, murder and stabbing people; especially, kids and little girls.” In short, killing is highly amusing to him and he’s always on the lookout for doing it in unique ways. In finding more such ‘ways’, he finds an old book from his ancestors at his parents’ house (confirms them as participants of a previous war). As Ryuunosuke doesn’t know anything about magic or even the war, his only goal is to summon a demon following the instructions. After some failed attempts and still on his usual killing spree, he kills an entire family saving a kid. He uses their blood to etch the summoning circle and while he idiotically makes terror jokes to the kid, his command seal appears, which activates the summoning circle and the last servant Caster makes his entry. Bad for the kid, this specific pair of master and servant turn out to be peas in a pod. On Ryuunosuke’s itching for sacrifice, Caster shows him that some forms of terrors are more potent than others and as terror is not static but dynamic, fear’s intensity can be played around with and that is what happens with the kid who was set free just for few moments before he’s horribly killed by Caster’s spell. Even if Ryuu can’t care less about the Holy Grail War, he partners up with Caster happily just to get an understanding he hasn’t gotten from anybody earlier. And of course, seeing more murders in innovative ways. Secondary characters:
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If Ryuunosuke and Caster are becoming all buddy-buddy, we have a rough start in between the scuffling pair of Waver and Rider. There’s not just a few feet’s height difference between the two but the King of many, Alexander (true identity of Rider) is more than a handful for Waver, who’s stuck with a gakki (kid) to fight the current war. In order to find out what’s been up with Macedonia and Persia, Rider steals some books on Waver’s instructions to find out where he is and which countries he need to conquer to reclaim the glory of his country. Rider accepts the fact that Waver is his master as they have made a contract but he has an agenda of his own: conquering the world (why am I not surprised?! Old kings and their world domination goals >>;). However, Waver aims to be treated fairly by the Clock Tower snobs he hates so much, which is of course seems petty when you look at the whole scheme of things. I mean, people are talking about world peace and holding family honour but Waver’s obsessing about internal gratification… Narcissist much?! Like me, Rider isn’t amused as well and goes for a ride on his fancy ox-driven chariot to entertain himself.
He instructs his master to find him another hero or two soon if he’s serious about acquiring the Holy Grail. There’s definitely no team work here at all. Waver is too pissed at Rider for bossing him around, yet he’s intelligent enough not to waste his three chances on command seal to order him around. On the other hand, to Rider Waver is just a means to an end and a contract that he has to obey in order to get a second chance at being Iskander the great and move ahead with world domination. Things usually don’t pan out the way characters think so I won’t worry about it much.
On the Britain’s side of things, we have a rare moment of cuteness, when father and daughter play a silly game in the snow filled garden of spotting chestnut buds. Illyasviel = OMG, KAWAIIII! She’s just too cuteooo for words, especially her adorable lisp and pouts. Saber is surprised at this scene and the genuine smiles Kiritsugu gives while playing with his daughter, who in turn never calls him ‘Daddy/Papa’ but Kiritsugu.
Saber: “Yes, I always hid the fact that I’m a reverse trap.”
As usual, Iri comes to the rescue of explaining his actions to Saber that he was working for world peace and there was a reason for his shock to find a young girl as Arthur Pendragon. Though, he’s in no position to criticize someone having too many burdens on her shoulder, accepting such a fate of a King at a young age. So, he doesn’t comment and simply readies to put his strategy in action. Though, Saber lauds Kiritsugu’s ambition of using the Grail to save the world. She agrees with this because it was hers as well for Britain at a different time line.
If everyone is regrouping and/or preparing, Kirei has finally decided to make his move after finding out about the last surfaced master of Caster. He instructs Hassan to enter the Tohsaka mansion and murder Tokiomi (as I predicted with preview last episode). Of course, things won’t be easy as he’ll have to battle the Archer-class Gilgamesh. You have to applaud his stature because he’s one of the servants from the knight-class. Even if Assassin was sleuthing as ever, he couldn’t breach the Tohsaka mansion fully. He’s captured and supposedly killed by Gilgamesh’s many swords from the Gates of Babylon.
Epic dialogue is EPIC: “You don’t have the balls to look at me. A worm should be facing the ground when it dies.”
Extra Zeroes~
ILLYA, WHY SO KAWAIIIIIIII?!
Rider: “I can pimp any RIDE~”
I believe I can FLY~
Do better next time. Princess is not amused
High on ENTHUSIASM INJECTIONS!
Hassan: “Who’s playing Lucifer?! Now I can’t stop my body from moving~”
End Thoughts:
You can’t think Assassin is dead, right? Nope, he’s not because this is just the beginning after all. One thing that I left out from the servant description is the specialty of Kirei’s Assassin servant, who can manifest in different forms so if one was killed, don’t worry there are more around. I loved the whole tap-dance over the tulips as my eyes have been itching for a fight! Though it was a quick death for this Assassin and Gilgamesh got the chance to show off his I-CAN-PWN-YOU-WHENEVER face because I’m awesome (which he is). I expected more fighting but I guess, all in good time because Ryuunosuke deserved such a ghastly introduced! All that blood and craziness was just awesome.
I would have liked the episode to start from the summoning, especially of Saber’s and to watch Kiritsugu’s reaction. But I guess, it’s a plot thing for running on a schedule and the story to be paced properly in two cours. I don’t see any smooth sailing in terms of Kiritsugu and Saber because let’s face it, he is cold by nature; at least when he’s not around Illya and Iri. He plans to follow Einzbern orders of killing the rest of the masters to reach the heaven’s feel using any means necessary, which won’t sit well with the noble king. Would Iri be their forever moderator? We’ll have to watch and see. I hope we keep getting some moe as the episodes progress with Illyas and Rin. Also, more Iri is never bad as she’s elegant and rocks the white atmosphere like an ethereal cloud.
Now to good stuff~ How awesomely sadistic was Ryuunosuke, HUH?! I heard about his brutality but wow, the way he lightly blushed in joy, screaming his partnering with Caster to finish off even more people just for entertainment was pretty interesting. He’s a twisted one alright and with Bluebeard as his servant, I can bet this pair will be wrecking much havoc before Kirei or Kiritsugu punch them down a peg or more. In contrast, I pitied Waver for being totally taken for a ride by… well, Rider. I also hope he finds a better motive to take part in this war because with his current state, he just doesn’t look serious rather a boy lost in a game he thought he would PWN in a day.
If you’ve already memorized all the masters I described for you in the previous post; time to get down and remember the servant identities too. I might make a quick guide once everyone’s introduced but for now:
- Saber: King Arthur Pendragon
- Rider: Alexander the Great
- Caster: Bluebeard (Gilles de Rais)
- Assassin: Hassan (from Hassan i Sabath)
Preview:
Now that all seven masters and servants have aligned, time to get this Holy Grail party started; but of course, with double fun of fighting for the top spot and lots of backstabbing. Among others, it seems we’ll finally be meeting Lancer and his unique paired masters next episode. Pro tip: Can’t recognize the seiyuu so you are clueless about what happens next? Worry not, you can always check out this linked cheat sheet for command seals, while Kiritsugu’s is above. So, how did you find this episode and what are your predictions? Tell me everything! Till next time, ja ne~
Extra Notes:
Episode Count: 2/25 | Online Streaming: NicoNico | Recommended subs: UTW | Fix video tiling with Updated Player Codecs | Master Character Bios