Anime Review: Fate/Stay Night

Fate/Stay Night was originally and "Adult" Visual Novel Game, which was rated 18+ for some kinky sex stuff which was released on January the 30th 2004, for the PC. The afterwards a manga was produced by the author Type-Moon that started in December the 26th 2005 and is still currently ongoing with 9 volumes. Then the animation studio Studio Deen decided to adapt Fate/Stay Night into a 24 episode anime that began airing in January the 6th 2006 and ended in June the 16 2006. A film will also be released in January the 23rd 2010.

Shirou Emiya lost his parents in a fire when he was young and was later adopted by a sorceror by the name of Kiritsugu Emiyalthough he was full of admiration for his adopted father and yearns to become an ally of justi. Ace, Shirou has limited powers and was unable to become a strong sorceror like his father. That is until one fateful day, he was drawn into the Holy Grail War and had to summon a female "Servant" known as Saber in order to protect himself. It turns out that the Holy Grail War involves a series of battles among powerful sorcerors to fight for the possession of a relic that will grant one's wishes, the Holy Grail. The story revolves around Shirou and his entanglement in the Holy Grail War."

Now here is the thing, I am only rating the plotline as okey because I think the anime kinda ruined the ending a bit. I know it ended quite okey for the anime, but it had so much more potential to become somthing greater, however it did not really do it for me. Well anyway, the plotline was pretty solid where we have all these servents with different historic backgrounds fighting it out in the modern world trying to get the holy grail. However the anime, and well the overall plotline took a route which was expected but I dislike heavily. And that was it soon became a harem genre basically, this was not really evident in the anime thankfully, but in the manga yes. When you only one one male character, who is not a servent, and 5 or more girls living with him, it becomes too much like the "Adult Visual Novel it was in the first place.

Shiro Emiya: Shiro is the main protaganist of the story and he is a very hardworking and honest teenager. He has unique hobbies like fixing broken things and cooking and cleaning. He was first very confused about the holy grail war, however he soon came to grips with what was happening when he died multiple times, and sometimes by the same enemy! What I disliked about him at first was his reluctance at calling saber into battle to fight for him. Maybe it was because Saber was a women and he felt he needed to protect her, this logic got him killed a few too many times. Well anyway he soon comes to grips for the war and lives in a large house full of women.

Saber: Saber is suppose to represent the great historical figure we all have come to know as King Arthur, but wait she is a women! well that problem doesn't matter for some fans as long as she is good looking. Well anyway she is very emotionless and really, really wants the holy grail, though that does not mean she is not kind or anything. She just does not know what life is like as a girl, and some episodes are devoted just for that. Well anyway whats intresting about her is her really epic battle abilities like excalibur the sword or legend and limitless power that disintegrates her enemys in a golden sparkling light that rises to the heavens.

Rin Tosaka: Rin is what you can say the model student at the same school Shiro attends. She is both beautifull and intelligent and unlike Shiro she has intense knowledge on the holy grail war and can use magic herself to a great degree. Her father was killed int he fourth holy grail war and so she decides to train really har to fufill her fathers wishes. She had originally wanted to summon saber as her servant because she was one of the strongest, but she got archer instead. However it was good that she got archer because they both wear red clothing and so their colours contemplate eachother.

Archer: Archer was actually the first origin of the word "GAR" that discribes a character so full of manliness at chuck norris levels. This was derived from the phrase "Gay for Archer". But anyway Archer is of course, and archer bet you didn't see that coming. However he uses swords mostly, now I bet you didn't see that coming! he has very sharp eyesight and is well profecient in swords. However when he really needs to get serious then yes he can summon his bows. Archer kinda does parallel saber in alot of ways because he is witty and very slick while saber, is none of those things.

Well the art animation was decent I guess, I have not seen Fate/Stay Night in a long time but I think that the animation quality was pretty solid I guess. Alot of it was shown at night, because for some reason, all the masters and servants like to fight at night so as not to be seen in public at day. Well anyway same story like all other animes, that if they have lots of night scenes it means they have to work harder on the animation! which they have thankfull done well to create a nice atmosphere and mood for things to come. The battle scenes are okey I guess, pretty much towards the end of the anime it all involves using energy beam related attacks and alot of flashing lights but thats nothing to nit pick about.

Now what was the most memorable scene in Fate/Stay Night! well of course it had to be this scene of course! and don't anybody dare spoil it for others what happens about the episode! well anyway Archer being all badass and stuff has this final ability, a great and powerfull ability that all should be feared. He first starts speaking english, and for a japanse voice actor it is actually an incredibly difficult task, however in this anime they actually did it successfully! hats off to him. Well anyway long story short, he manipulates reality and transports himself and the enemy to a world, a world with two floating gears and swords. In this land there is an unlimited number of swords, and for me, thats pretty damn awesome. In this world only one person will escape, and if the other person has an unilimited arsenal of swords then your screwed dammit!

Fate/Stay Night is a really, really popular anime, seeing as how it only had 24 episodes and I am sure all the people who have watched it have not really read the manga, nor have even played the original Adult Visual Novel. However in my opinion the anime was okey, I guess the servants abilities were nice to see and such, but it's just that you have seen this kind of plotline before so many times between masters and servants fighting for somthing or someone. The real fandom of Fate/Stay Night is geared towards saber, for a reason that I cannot comprehend, but that alot of male fans adore her. It started off good when only Shiro had 2 girls living with him, however now every female character in the show lives under the same roof, and some were bitter enemys before! Bah this anime I guess rounded itself off good by avoiding this ending but it lost out on some decent plot progression.