「運命ゼロ」 (Unmei zero)
“Fate/Zero”

  verdant:

I don’t think I could have asked for a better conclusion to a series as special as this one. The final episode may not have been epic and emotional as the ones immediately preceding it, but it beautifully accomplished what all finales should: wrap up everything in both an emotionally and intellectually satisfying manner. Even though this task was made all the more difficult given the show’s ensemble cast and its propensity for piling on tragedies upon tragedies, Fate/Zero’s twenty-fifth and final episode gave each and every character, no matter how major or minor, the fitting conclusion that they deserved.

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  BakaMochi:

I… think I need to marathon Teletubbies for the rest of the week or something because wow that was such an amazing yet depressing finale. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say no one gets a happy ending, maybe save for Kirei. Even Waver, the sole survivor of the Fourth Holy Grail War, only really manages a bittersweet ending – he grew into an adult, and there’s less of that naive enthusiasm he had at the beginning of the series. While that was inevitable, I wanted someone to be happy by the end of all the suffering that it brought tears to my eyes as he began playing that video game Rider had bought, but never got to open. Waver is learning to open his mind and branch out due to Iskander’s influence on him, but it puts a melancholy spin on things when you realize the price of his maturity.

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  BakaMochi’s Final Impressions:

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So, when all is said and done, do I like Fate/Zero? I love it, and the series has some of my favorite characters to date. Do I think it’s an amazing series? Yes! Ufotable did a spectacular job with the series, and although I can’t vouch for its loyalty to the source material, I can say nothing felt half-assed. Lacking, maybe, but never half-assed. They really went the extra mile for this series and you can tell from the little details in the animation to that stellar OST. Is it something I’ll marathon over and over again though? Um, only when I’m feeling masochistic.

P.S.: I lied when I said the finale was zetsubou all around. There was one shining ray of light: naked Gil. Yay manservice. I think ufotable’s proven themselves a studio that caters to any and all fandom with class and finesse.

 

  verdant’s Final Impressions:

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In the end, I feel both blessed and cursed to have taken part in the banquet of kings that is Fate/Zero: blessed to have watched and written about a series this special, but cursed in knowing that I will probably have wait a long time before experiencing another series like it. Yet I do not regret anything, for this is a series that comes so close to perfection it is worth every tear, every heartbreaking moment, and every curse.

  • Full-length images: 04, 26.5.
  • verdant’s note: Special thanks to BakaMochi for taking her time to share with us her wonderful thoughts and insights on this amazing show, and to you, our readers for making it through this epic, nearly 4000 word long post.

 

ED5 Sequence

ED5: 「to the beginning」by Kalafina

176 Comments

  1. Epic, truly epic.

    This journey was truly breathtaking… and I had tears in my eyes when it finished 🙁

    I hope they do Heaven’s Feel too.

    ufotable has succeeded in becoming one of my favourite studios, and will look forward to their future projects.

    Fate-Zero is definitely a MUST BUY for me.

    In ending, I too, want to dream to become a “hero” XD

    Ddadain
    1. A singular ending that ties up loose ends will never exist. If it did then we wouldn’t have fate/stay night. And considering fate/zero is a prequal I guess that’s a very good thing. I think they did a very good job ending it where it did.

      Alcren
  2. @fang it’s meant to be a prequel, of course there’s no closure.

    i absolutely loved this series the finale was a perfect tie in to fate, answering a lot of questions and putting a lot in perspective.. my only qualm was that i had the absolute hardest time taking gil seriously when he just sits there in his birthday suit. i mean, i wonder how long he just sat there, nude, watching kirei breathe…

    chiyoko
      1. @bakamochi: i still wonder why Gil have to be totally naked, but i’m all for the manservice. hoots!

        @Ryner: bromance is more suited for the Rider/Waver combi. Gil/Kirei has BL written all over it. just give the doujin circles another week or two. haha!

  3. Yeah, um, so… I’ve actually read it all. That’s why, I will not say anything. I don’t need to.
    Pity I had to watch the show in shitty 480p quality… Still, everything concerning the animation was great!
    Kajiura Yuki… Oh well, much to be expected of her. Good job, Miss!

    Waiting for the Heaven’s Feel movie… That’d be really amazing!

  4. That was amazing to watch on screen for anyone thats already read the novels i’m sure.
    Thanks to the writers!

    and, maybe i’m a little twisted or maybe its cuz i’ve already read it so i know what happens but did anyone else burst out laughing for a while when Kirei opens his eyes and the first thing he sees is Gilgamesh naked? XD

    9
  5. There was one particular part, which was not commented on, that I found quite interesting was in the final scene with kiri and shirou. Where his statement about becoming a hero lead to the sunlight breaking through the clouds on the sword of hills for Saber. I found that symbolism there very beautiful as if shirou was proving to be a beacon of hope for both of our tragic protaginists.

    Nobody
  6. You know this show was good when the sub groups (UTW) and viewers are honored to have subbed and watched it.

    UFOtable… just keep doing what you do. That being said, I STILL need to get around to KnK.

    Phnx
  7. An amazing anime with such an amazing post review. I couldn’t ask for anything better. I feel that after watching Fate Zero I could finally watch the whole franchise with everything in place and enjoy how epic the story, characters, and action come together. I would definitely recommend this anime if anyone asks me about it.

    random viewer
  8. Fate/Zero will for now, if not forever, hold the place for most emotionally powerful series i have ever watched. From Angel Beats, Another, Gundam(all but SD and AGE) and Code Geass, each one takes a single powerful idea and moves it in a spectacular path. But to bring tragedy, remorse, horror, love, idealism and gut wrenching sacrifice to this level in a single series…its beyond words. I think people could just as easily use this as a term paper or even a masters thesis and they would only be scraping the surface of what makes Fate/Zero so powerful. A great many thanks to the author, his mark will be as profound as many whom i have read rather than watched, and a thousand thanks to ufotable, without whom this series would have been so very very different. Thanks to the staff of RandomC, for following this series from beginning to end. Reading the reviews was an added pleasure after watching the episodes. Goodnight and good luck.

    zeroherrera
  9. A City Burns From All The Evils Of The World
    A King of Knights Cries Once More On The Hill Of Camlann

    A Magus Killer Saves A Child From The Ashes & Saves Himself
    A Male Tsundere Tries His Hand At Video Games

    A Worm-Filled Uncle Dies In His Delusions of Papa-Lolicon Moe~
    A Priest Realizes He Is Evil & Recites Gratuitous Engrish Over His Mentor’s Funeral

    And Thus, Fate/Zero Ends
    And Fate/Stay Night “Begins”

    A Lone Figure In A Room Stands Up From His Chair & Claps His Hands.
    A Magnificent Bastard You Are, Urobutchi Gen.

    – Kerry, what kind of a man would you like to become?
    I, want to be a hero of justice!

    The_Magus_Killer
  10. Fucking depressing. But it is also very touching. I don’t really symphatize Kiritsugu for 24 episodes, but this last episode changes my mind. Everything is just really heart wrenching.
    As a series, for me fate/zero is absolutely amazing. Probably the only problem that i have with the series is that it is a prequel (although i know it’s very silly to complain about such a fundamental thing). But if only it weren’t a prequel, there is still hope the ending would have been happier (at least Kirei might be dead… Argh i hate that guy!!)

    AX
  11. The one thing that I could hope to follow up on this with is a series that treats Fate/Stay Night with the sort of respect and power that Fate/Zero has shown. It ties a lot of things together in Stay/Night, and does a great job of leading in – Kiritsugu’s torch is passed on to Shirou (although if you look at how twisted Shirou becomes due to taking up his father’s dream, you can question if it is a good thing or not) and the story rolls on to the next grail war.

    I found myself hoping they might flash forward to some scenes from Fate Stay/Night however, just to give a bit more closure. A few quick cuts from the Unlimited Blade Works movie of Gil’s final battle and Kirei’s fate and such might well have been interesting to see in the conclusion…

    RuneGrey
    1. iirc, Shirou was already mentally damaged from the Fire. In a way, Kiritsugu’s dream is what kept him going. Imo, anyway. I’d like to think that FSN is the light at the end of the tragedy that is FZ.

      JaredDrake
  12. Fate/Zero does it right. An entire epilogue episode. All story anime need to learn from this.

    Here’s hoping for Heaven’s Feel and Hollow/ataraxia OVAs soon. I also hope for a better remake of UBW, but that seems unlikely. Fate Prototype seems cool too.

  13. Nothing punches the gut like an episode full of Urobuchi-style suffering.

    Except for Waver of course. Waver pretty much stands out from the others since his story is simply a Coming of Age story. What I like about this is that Waver shows that Urobuchi isn’t a nihilistic suffering-junkie like many believe. Waver comes out of the War a better person for it and the payoff is AWESOME.

    On the other end, Kariya is the example of true tragedy. He was completely ineffectual, everything he did was pointless and no one will remember him. He pretty much shows that simple self-sacrifice was not enough. When it comes down to it he didn’t have the will or the mentality to make it past the war.

    Kiritsugu is on the same level but unlike Kariya he came in the war fully expecting to lose those he cares. Sadly even he did not realize the Grail was corrupted. In the end, the loss of his wife, his protege and the unintentionally killing of thousands for absolutely nothing was enough to break even him. Saving little Shiro was probably the only good thing he felt he could do but at least Shiro will be destined to fix things on the next War.

    One thing I also like about F/Z is that it actually made Saber interesting. It takes her flaws and contrasts it with other characters and Saber actually comes of as someone I can understand and sympathize with. Its a little annoying though that F/SN takes this and makes her into a bland and boring character.

    For all the faults of F/SN Fate route though, it does give a satisfying payoff with the Azoth Dagger setup that F/Z provides. Seeing Kirei give the dagger to Rin was just awful to think, but irony will always catch up to Kirei.

    fragb85
    1. > Except for Waver of course. Waver pretty much stands out from the others since his story is
      > simply a Coming of Age story. What I like about this is that Waver shows that Urobuchi isn’t > a nihilistic suffering-junkie like many believe. Waver comes out of the War a better person
      > for it and the payoff is AWESOME.
      First, sorry for my late reply.
      Yes, Urobuchi did a great job this time. I especially like how did he illustrated Krirtsugu (one of my favouirte protagonist in all time) and his way of being a ‘magi killer’ (if all these are Urobuchi’s work. Please correct me if I’m wrong).

      The scenes like how did Kiritsugu equipped himself in the hotel (ep2 or ep 3), taking out the master of Lancer with C4 (this is one of my favourite scene in battles of might and sorcery now) and, of course, his final battle against Kirei are all genius idea!

      For Waver, I think the combination of this naive young man with Alexander the Great is one of the most enjoyable part in the entire story and I loved every moment of it. So, when I see Waver is still alive, I can’t helped but wonder: why don’t TYPE-MOON make a spin-off out of him in the time span of Fate/Stay Night?

      By the way, when you said Saber is bland and boring, do you mean her story in the anime of Fate/Stay night or the original novel? I will be frank, I am a fan of Saber (from her ‘performance’ in anime, yes). However, please don’t get the wrong idea. I know a lot of people are fans of Rin and I totally accept that.^_^

      TOMA
    2. it does give a satisfying payoff with the Azoth Dagger setup that F/Z provide

      Not really? The core conflict between Kirei and Shirou is mostly resolve in HF. In Fate, there was no battle, no understanding between them to wrap up the plot in general.

      Azoth is better used in HF to kill Saber than anything else.

      If had it been Rin, I would agree. But Shirou? It’s empty.

      Moria
  14. There goes a damn good series… I just hope that something of this caliber would be available soon. U.Gen should really be attached to more projects, Madoka and Fate/Zero had been amazing.

    But I do not really understand why did the grail take form and wreck the city when no one gave it a form. Saber did blast the grail with her anti-fortress move and yet all hell break loose. Anyone mind explaining it to me? I am not sure of the closure on Iri, did she truly die after the corruption of the grail? Or was that her when Kerry strangled her?

    Flappy
    1. But I do not really understand why did the grail take form and wreck the city when no one gave it a form. Saber did blast the grail with her anti-fortress move and yet all hell break loose. Anyone mind explaining it to me? I am not sure of the closure on Iri, did she truly die after the corruption of the grail? Or was that her when Kerry strangled her?

      The Grail in here isn’t actually an actual Grail, it’s a key. It’s a vessel that holds the energy of the Servants and then transfers it to the Greater Grail, located below Mount Enzou. That energy is the one used to open a pathway to the Root or the Akashic Records.

      When Saber Excaliblasted the Grail, or the Lesser Grail, the energy cannot be contained anymore since the container controlling all 6 of the energies of the Heroic Spirits(including Saber’s yes)was destroyed and it spilled out in the form of that black mud. That black hole in the sky is like a portal that transfers the prana from the Lesser Grail to the Greater Grail. And there was still a lot of residual prana there that the next war restarted in 10 years instead of the standard 60 years.

      And yes, Iri did die when her body transformed into the cup. The person Kerry encountered inside the vision is the will of the Grail or Angra Mainyu. It took up the last desire of Iri to preserve her self as she dies. And the will of the Grail needed a form so that it and Kerry can talk and understand each other.

      belatkuro
      1. Thanks for this. I guess there are some minor but important details that are lost through the adapation.
        So when Saber destroys the grail, there’s basically no war for heroic spirits to exist in the current world anymore? (except for Gilgamesh, who is conveniently reincarnated by plot armor)

        skizz
      2. No, the one maintaining the Servants in the physical world is the Greater Grail. It relieves the Masters from most of the burden of maintaining the Servants in this world.
        Just that when the two week cycle of the Holy Grail war is over, it will be harder for Masters to support Servants(evident in the Good End of UBW route of the game and the True End of Heaven’s Feel).

        As for Gil, even if he lost a Master, he can still exist through the ability of the Archer class, Independent Action. His is ranked A so he can last for a full week without a Master.
        But after being bathed in the mud, he obtained a physical body himself so he doesn’t need a Master anymore. Of course he’s still connected to Kirei via the Command Seals. And he still needs prana in order to use GoB.

        belatkuro
  15. Could anyone else sense Kirei smiling when he gave Rin the Azoth dagger?

    I really felt like he could have burst into laughter anytime. XD

    Also brofist to Waver. Not only did he survive it all unscathed, he also some loving grandparents, a new found confidence and a life goal. He’s the actual winner!

    JHN
  16. …And thus this tale concludes and we leave on a tragic yet somehow reassuring note.

    I’m probably if not definitely just “echoing” the general opinion/reaction: This anime was a masterpiece from start to finish. And let no one disagree otherwise.

    I’d even go as far to say that it’s an anime that can pander both ways, what I mean is that it’s for those that have OR haven’t heard of the Fate series or Fate/Stay Night. I believe this to be proven especially those kind of people that are avid TYPE-MOON fans, but some have probably never bothered nor was able to read the original source material, in this case, the original light novels.

    Ufotable has done almost flawlessy, the choreography was amazing, half the time when I wasn’t captivated by the characters, I was savoring the backgrounds which really brought out an atmosphere unlike any other; that lesser studios or companies have, and will always attempt to foolishly achieve.

    Please, Ufotable whatever that teaser you said a few weeks back is gonna be; in any case.
    PLEASE ANIMATE HEAVEN’S FEEL AND/OR HOLLOW ATRAXIA, I KNOW I CAN’T BE THE ONLY ONE ASKING FOR SUCH.

    Acario
  17. In the end, Fate/ZERO were what it promised to be; a spectacular series from beginning to end despite the bumps along the way (not that I minded that). I’ll miss this series for all that it meant to me; how much a love Ayako Kawasumi’s role as Saber (she’s my 2nd favorite seryuu behind Nana Mizuki) to the meaning it brings to Fate/Stay Night.

    So long Ufotable, thank you.

    Syaroan Li
      1. Cybersteel has just granted the wishes of all the Saber fanboys without even having to participate in the Holy Grail War. You are a true hero of “justice”, sir Cybersteel. XD

        The_Magus_Killer
      2. WOW!!!!!!
        As a fan of Saber: Shocking!
        As a fan of Saber who have just watched Fate/Zero: double shocking!!!!!
        As a fan of Saber who have just watched Fate/Zero and looked at these two pictures:
        WOW!!WOW!!!WOW!!!!

        Thanks guys!

        TOMA
  18. So good yet so sad. I felt my heart wrecking when saber screamed back in the valley of swords. I have to say, I enjoyed this trip, I learned allot about myself on it, and about the world and the greatest and most fearsome monster in all existence, the man. I really hope this kind of formula is used again in other series, I sure will apply what I learned from it in my book, but I believe the writers went too far trying to be “realistic” and made it to cruel.

    Anyway, just an amazing experience 🙂

    projectnoa
  19. Although I was not a big fan of FSN before, after watching this prequel, FSN has suddenly become so intriguing. If Fate Zero came out as the original series and FSN be the sequel, I think I would have a completely different opinion on FSN. Fate Zero just adds so much more depth to FSN that I feel the two really come together as a complete story. All in all, Fate Zero was an enjoyable ride and who knows when we can come across another one so epic. >_< Show Spoiler ▼

    Kaka
    1. He just tweeted that there’s not really too much about this week’s episode he can spoil (since it ties in with F/SN) so he’s just gonna show the cover to the ep 25 script.

      Jukehead
    2. It’s probably just showing that despite the crushing despair in Zero, hope lies with the children. Shirou, Rin, Sakura and Ilya are the hope for the future, really.

      I think it’s what makes Zero such a beautiful story. At the end of all the despair, a ray of light is found; that of course is Shirou.

      Renton
  20. I have to agree with everyone else… this was indeed a satisfying ending for Fate/Zero. And as such, it was depressing to a fault. And yet, it wasn’t a complete downer. Waver got off well enough, the death of Rider aside. And seeing Shirou brought a smile to my face.

    Seeing a light fall down upon Saber as Shirou proclaims he’ll carry on Kiritsugu’s dreams also warmed my heart. The one person who can truly save Saber from her regret and ideals, and the one person who can finally set things right and stop Kotomine and Gilgamesh, puts himself on the life course that will shape him for Fate/Stay Night. Both Waver’s ending and that scene save the ending and give a hint of light to an otherwise dark tale.

    Frontier
  21. Man, that was a great series! I hope they make a sequel about the 5th grail war! Maybe that kid that Emiya adopted could become the new master of Saber, and Rin could get Archer! But then who does Illy get…

    Ah, well. I guess it’ll just be left to fanfiction. And I’ve got the perfect title:

    FATE/STAY NIGHT!

    But then again, the sequel would have all that pressure of never being able to live up to the original…hm.

    Da5id
    1. For the love of… Just because Fate/Stay Night had a shitty company create a bad adaptation that cut almost all depth from the story does not invalidate FSN. Its unfortunate that Studio DEEN failed so badly, but we can only hope that ufotable will be able to animate Heavens Feel, or (in my wildest, happiest dreams) create a remake of the whole anime, three seasons, one for each route.

      takashid
      1. …I was actually acting like someone who had seen this first and not heard of FSN. I do know that FSN’s story was pretty much bastardized and should get it’s own proper adaptation.

        Da5id
  22. Words cannot describe how great this story was and its connection/continuation to F/SN. A true masterpiece. I can vouch for this compared to the Light Novel. Other than tiny “flaws” (eg. People might not completely understand why Sakura said those words to Kariya) for describing minor events, it was truly perfect.

    Manly tears were shed on the last couple of episodes where I didn’t for the Light Novel. They did a great job on delivering the emotional part of the story to us. Personally, as a Fate series fan, it might take some time for me to recover from such depression.

    Oh well, at least they did show something for us to smile in between:
    Show Spoiler ▼

    Enc
  23. Hahaha! Did I not tell you that Lancelot’s monologue would come in this episode!? Rewarded are they strong in faith! (Unless you’re being written by Urobutchi-sama)
    There were parts in this episode that were laugh out loud funny, mostly because they were so aweful I couldn’t react any other way, like Kirei enjoying the suffering of little girls and Kiritsugu desperately trying to save anyone, but also Gilgamesh nakedly proclaiming to have shown Kirei his true desire (*ahem*). It was here I realized that my viewing experience most matched Kirei and Ryuunosuke’s world views, which was a little disconcerting.
    After all, this may have been the greatest tragedy I have ever watched. It’s prequel status didn’t hinder it because the show reveled in the pointlessness and inevitability. The countdown clock at the end was always the cold reminder that everyone’s days were numbered, that the story was set.
    And yet, it ends with hope. The torch is passed to a new generation to make things right and the light breaks through the dark clouds that have cast deep shadows upon our favorite drama. Someone get Aristotle because this is what he meant with catharsis.
    Bra-fucking-vo.

    Bio D
      1. I meant more along the lines of relishing the suffering that unfolded before me week after week but yeah, I have never heard a view of God I agreed more with than his. I guess bright ideas can be found in the darkest minds.

        Bio D
    1. Actually their views can’t be more different. While both find pleasure of people’s pain, Uryuu’s true wish was to see his own guts. He was mentally insane without recognizing good and evil, seeing God as something like Urobuchi (he isn’t mistake). While Kirei can’t find any satisfaction or joy in anything. It’s not an intellectual issue. He has a conscience that was nurtured by a pious and religious upbringing (this is his major thorn at the side), but he was born with a distorted soul. If he didn’t believe the world wanted good and God existed, then a lot of his self-loathing upon the realization of his wish wouldn’t exist.

      Gilgamesh likes him precisely for that conflict he has with himself. He tries to be more than he was born to be and defies who made him that way by seeking answers.

      Ultimately, Kirei’s a tragic character who was born damned and only wanted to know if it was a crime to be different from the rest after a lifetime of trying to change himself (and failing).

      Moria
  24. That…..was wow. All the emotions I had for this episode, thank you Ufotable for providing another great experience.

    The knowledge of Irisviel’s overall fate coupled with Kiritsugu’s breakdown made me feel so uneasy. Kariya’s ending was just utterly depressing. Kirei and Gilgamesh surviving is already well-known amongst fans, but it just adds to the overall cruelty to the events that transpired. Finally, that moment as Saber recalls her failures in the end, I just felt so guhhhh….. T_T

    I think I’ll go back and watch Kara no Kyoukai for now….
    Show Spoiler ▼

    Anyways, I hope to see more adaptations from this very same combination between Type-Moon, Ufotable, and Yuki Kajiura, because so far they’ve created some of the best anime I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching.

    ronri
  25. If this series wasn’t a prequel I would agree with BakaMochi in questioning what was the message and how tragic it ends.
    Show Spoiler ▼

    Shurai
    1. You’re not aware of Heaven’s Feel?

      Show Spoiler ▼

      Moria
  26. Time to save up a crap load of money for the blu-rays!
    One of the best series, ever! The final sceven where Shiro told Kiritsugu about taking up his ideals was just pure GOLD for visual novel fans. I really hope they will remake the first two routes, along with animating heaven’s feel. A guy can always dream, right?

    Bakakubi
  27. I was disappointed. I expected something more, like maybe a battle or something. Last episode’s end happens, devastation happens, Kiritsugu goes crazy, Kirei and Gilgamesh are alive, Saber goes crazy, and that’s it. Talk about underwhelmed.

    Awesome show altogether, don’t get me wrong.

    someone
    1. I understand completely. Maybe it’s a long exposure to shonen series that made me expect an amazing final clash between Saber and Archer, yet at the same time, with what the episode offered in all other aspects, there’s absolutely no way I can feel underwhelmed with the episode in whole.

  28. That was really, really bitter. I didn’t get emotional or depressed but some scenes left me with a scowl. The scenes where Kariya passes away and especially where Kirei passes the knife onto Rin were some of the darkest scenes in the series. The ending also sets the groundwork for Fate/Stay Night perfectly. Kiritsugu’s curse of heroism doesn’t fade: it is passed down to Shirou.

    Some people are already treating Fate/Zero as the holy grail of anime, and it’s pretty hard to deny that this was great series. It’s pretty damn difficult not to recommend. However, in the end, there were problems and mishaps in the series which haven’t been resolved. In particular, the conclusion of all things felt rushed and the three leads make me feel a true connection to them. However, saying that any character here was bad would be dead wrong. All characters are admirable or likable in their own ways, and embody the philosophies and personal beliefs that they bring to the table. The plot and characters are all just great.

    I’m not going to say that this was a 10/10, because it wasn’t. But saying that this wasn’t a damn good show to watch is foolish. It was a damn fun ride and maybe, just maybe, the best of the season or even the best of the year.

    Click
  29. You know… this series is perfect for a Heaven’s Fell movie. Why?

    Show Spoiler ▼

    raksasha
    1. After how compressed and rushed the UBW movie felt i would prefer a new season to give Heavens Feel enought time to tell its story rather then a rushed movie that inevitably cuts things.

      …That being said however, FUCK YES, I WOULD DIE IF THEY ANNOUNCED A HEAVENS FEEL MOVIE!!!

      takashid
  30. FSN was one of the series that got me into anime fandom and FZ is now one of the few series that reinforces the decision that was made years ago. It certainly found its place among the likes of Madoka Magica, Bake/Nise-, Last Exile I (just to name a few)

    For all the tragedy and despair, the series certainly has its up lifting moments…

    As much as I want to say that this episode was really touching, it did not make me shed manly tears. Iskandar’s departure trumps all other tear jerking scene thus far.

    UFOtable, you really did an awesome job with the series… Gen Urobochi, you’re one magnificent writer and UTW for the awesome and quick translation.

    Now I wonder if Saya no Uta would get animated. Have yet to play the game but i heard it’s down right sick

    c2710
  31. What a bittersweet ending…. After playing FSN Vn watched and its anime, I always wondered why Kiritsugu abandoned Illiya. But now I know that he didn’t actually abandoned her, it just that the damn Einsbern stop him from seeing her…. But what a sad family they are…

    Kiritsugu died before he able to meet Illiya and the real Iri (damn you kotomine!)
    Iri died before she able to meet Kiritsugu and lliya
    Kiritsugu and Iri died before Illiya able to meet them

    When Shirou said he will do things that Kiritsugu unable to do I was touched because he actually do everything that Kiritsugu wanted in FSN especially saving Illiya from Einsbern and her fate from becoming the Holy Grail. The ending is beautiful if you watched/played FSN before.

    kurochan
  32. I have to say that I totaly disagree with gilgamesh explanation. There is no reason for what happend to be Kirei’s wish. He was already dead and Kiritsugu was the nearest form the grail. What I think is that Saber destroyed the “container” but not the “content” which was the dark mud. And without it’s container the mud had no choice but to spread over the city

    1. I think Gil was pulling Kireis leg. He does use him as a form of entertainment. Tough its not clear to me why Rins mother is alive. Maybe tormenting her was kind of a wish of Kirei. He does end up giving her the dagger he used to kill his father. Show Spoiler ▼

      And he seems to enjoy seeing her in tears. Its hardly something Kiritsugu wished for, and its too specific to be a side effect of the mud spreading.

      raksasha
    2. Don’t take Gil’s explanation that seriously. He merely interpreted it as such because they were the last team standing and thus the winners of the war. And as winners, their wish is granted. Which isn’t true at all as the Grail did not accept a wish from anyone since Kerry was the chosen one but he rejected it.
      As for the mud spilling out, you’re correct there because Saber destroyed the Lesser Grail which contains the prana of the fallen Servants. Without the container, the contents spilled out. What Kerry should have ordered to Saber is to destroy the black hole in the sky that is the portal to the Greater Grail but of course Kerry didn’t know that.

      belatkuro
  33. https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20Zero/Fate%20Zero%20-%2025%20-%20Large%2042.jpg

    Is that… Taiga in the background swinging her wooden sword? Credit to ufotable for managing to squeeze a cameo for her in the end as well.

    In fact, credit to ufotable for a spectacular adaptation of Urobuchi Gen’s spectacularly depressing prequel of FS/N. Everything have come full circle, even Lancelot’s death scene was covered here when I thought they had omitted it last episode.

    The conclusion of the 4th War was the turning point for Saber. Before, she desired the Grail to redo her reign so that it may be less flawed and more perfect. Now, having realized her reign was doomed to fail from the start, decided to change her wish, and in the 5th War, her wish had changed to wishing she had never become King Arthur.

    I always find Saber to be dealt most cruelly by Nasu (Urobuchi merely amplified such cruelty), she never did had a happy ending in either of the FS/N game arcs:

    Saber in “Fate” and “HF”:Show Spoiler ▼

    Saber in UBW:Show Spoiler ▼

    I thought the part with Sakura commenting on Kariya’s end could be done better, the way I saw it, she sounded too uncaring and/or ungrateful. Then again, getting molested and violated by phallic-looking worms for an entire year does kind of warp your mind seriously. Or we would not have the carnage that is HF.

    Now for ufotable to remake FS/N and/or Tsukihime. Until then, bring on the Mahou Shoujo show starring Ilya to heal our wounded hearts from all this tragedy and suffering on FZ.

    Kinny Riddle
  34. Just curious, have you guys seen Kara no Kyoukai, and if so, do you guys ever have any plans on blogging about it, and if not just what are some of your opinions on the movies?

    Durandal
  35. I’m curious, is Kinoko Nasu a he? A she? Others? A Mushroom? Even google doesn’t give me any solid information about him/her. A famous person like him/her, should at least have a 1-2 pictures floating around the internet. But can’t find any.

    Anyway, Fate/Zero delivers me what I have been craving for this past few year in my Anime menu. Insanely Dark, Mature Cast (that acts mature), none of those crappy Shonen-esque stuff, no BS-dialogue and so much more in an Epic fantasy setting.
    Hands down one of the most amazing Anime series that I have ever experienced. And from start to finish everything is just so awesome. Having watched/reads FSN and never have touched the F/Z novel (yet), and seeing Ufotable will animate it, I have a very high expectation for this series, but F/Z has just surpassed it in unbelievable level.
    I think that is the only main downside of the F/Z for me is that, even though a lot of my friends seeing me that enjoying F/Z. I actually cannot fully recommend them to watch it, because I think that they need to experience first the 50+hrs text in the novel, so that they can fully, fully enjoy the show and not pestering me with questions.

    “I found my Holy Grail in my Anime, and Randomc summons awesome servants to blog it.”

  36. Well this was a great ending to Fate/Zero IMO. Fate continues to be my favorite after all these years =D

    Now I just want to see series/movies about Hollow/Ataraxia, The Third war and FSN Heavens Feel.

    Kurisu Vi Britannia
  37. All my tears went to this episode. Simply heartbreaking. And I know how Saber feels—the feeling of losing tons of important things—or rather people—to her. That explains the hatred she bears towards Shirou in the course of F/SN since Shirou learned to follow the ideals of Kiritsugu himself.

    All in all, Fate/Zero was a fabulous run. With ufotable in charge of almost everything + Gen Urobuchi for script, it has truly been a breathtaking series. This is where I wish ufotable to make a F/SN remake, F/hollow ataraxia anime or a Heaven’s Feel anime. It would be very much appreciated.

    Then also, to the RandomC staff who blogged each and every episode with elegance! \o/

    1. I don’t think she bears any hatred to Shiro in F/SN. If anything, she is almost too patient with him. Hell, if I were “rebooting” F/SN, one thing I would do is depict Saber having a “You gotta be effin kiddin me” reaction when she learns Shiro’s name.

      BTW, novel readers, does Saber ever encounter Illya at Castle Einzbern? Even if she didn’t, Saber’s reaction Illya in F/SN is another thing worthy of a retcon, given how much she looks Iri.

      Kourous
      1. Supposedly, Saber didn’t react because she thought it was just another Homunculus made to look like Ilya. Not that out of surprising since all of them look alike, but the explanation is still a bit retconny.

        Jukehead
  38. I want to talk a little about Kirei’s final character development, because that one scene in the fire gives you such insight into him, that fascinates me.

    The main conflict in Kirei has always been that he was born evil, literally born broken somehow, and is unable to find any happiness or joy in anything but people suffering. No matter what he tries (and he has tried literally everything, which is why hes so good at fighting, magic, exorcism, etc) he cant find any fulfillment except in making people suffer. Not even having a wife and kid who loved him could do anything. That would have been fine if he was a regular joe off the street, cause then he would have just ended up being another Ryunosuke. However, Kirei was born to a very pious father, and raised with strong morals and a faith in god. Since he was raised in such a way that he knows the difference between right and wrong, he struggles and represses his inner desires for years not realizing what makes him happy until Gilgamesh comes along. he represses it so strongly, that he isnt even aware of his inclination towards hurting others.

    This is the moment, when he starts laughing in the fire, that he realizes the truth of what makes him happy. This is when he transforms from the ‘moody, searching for answers” kirei of Fate/Zero, to the “pure evil Magnificent trolling bastard” Kirei that we all know and love(to hate). The way the novel shows us his thoughts is epic and chilling in a way that the anime really couldn’t have replicated, and i dont have much else to say, cause this bit from the novel really says it all. I love how it mentions how he will always have that evil smile now. From the Fate/Zero novel:

    “A crimson hell. The tortured screams that the wind carried to his ears. Dancing tongues of flame. Kirei stared blankly at this scene.

    “This is… my wish?”

    Exactly. If this thing that was filling the emptiness in his heart at this moment could be called ‘satisfaction’.

    “Destruction and sighs… can make me happy?”

    Exactly. If the emotion that roiled within his heart at this moment could be called ‘joy’.

    At this moment, Kotomine Kirei finally understood the true form of his own soul.

    The collapse of everything was so beautiful.

    People who were tormented were so lovable.

    Tortured screams by his ears were so satisfying.

    Burnt corpses were so laughable.

    “… Haha.”

    Unable to control the emotion that had reached boiling point, Kirei laughed hopelessly.

    What kind of sin was this? What a cruel demon he was.

    A world like this, cast aside by God, could actually be filled with vivid joy.

    “What am I? Hahaha, what am I?!”

    Even the feeling of hopelessness that tugged at his heart was so sweet. Kirei’s body trembled from his manic laughter. He could feel everything from his fingertips to the top of his head, clearly and distinctly.

    Ahah, now I am alive —

    I truly exist, right here —

    For the first time he was aware of, and for the first time he truly felt, the fetters between him and the world.

    “Why so twisted? Why so filthy? Am I really the descendant of Kotomine Risei? Hahahaha, impossible! Impossible! What is this?! Could my father really have sired a dog?!”

    From a place that was completely opposite to his own faith, Kirei had found the truth. This ironic end was actually so satisfying.

    He had circled so many winding roads. Had he been dreaming all along?

    He had praised the preciousness of kindness, sang hymns to the beauty of holiness. Kirei had wasted twenty-odd years of his life precisely because he believed utterly in this sort of truth. He had never realized that his nature was completely contrary to this sort of truth.”
    […]
    “After having had enough of laughing insanely, a smile remained on his mournful face as if it was the residue of his previous manic laughter. Perhaps from today on, he would always keep this expression. The leisurely smile that meant that he had accepted the truth of himself and the world, and was able to honestly face everything.”
    -Fate/Zero Volume 4

    takashid
  39. Can someone explain to me how Gilgamesh survived the grail’s explosion? Saber’s form in the current world was destroyed, presumably from the energy discharge? Gilgamesh was closer to the grail than she was, yet he was intact for the black mud to pour over him? WTH?

    bertman4
    1. Gilgamesh believed he had more of a right to exist than the mud and the willpower to back it up while Saber was weakened and (emotionally) unstable. It may have also had something to do with the fact that Kiritsugu used all his command seals.
      The novel is probably a little clearer on the subject.

      Bio D
    2. ^Lol.
      He was asking how Gil survived the Excaliblast explosion of the Grail when Saber tried to destroy it. Simple, he dodged it.
      Excalibur is a directional NP that goes in a straight line. He dodged it but IIRC, he got a bit scratched by it. That’s why he was lying in the rubble on pic 5 here.
      And Saber disappeared because she ran out of prana to sustain herself. She fired off all her reserves because she was forced to do an Excaliblast.

      belatkuro
      1. Also, unlike other vanquished Servants, whose spirits end up becoming fuel to power up the wish-granting machine that is the Grail, Saber wasn’t “killed” like the other Servants, this probably explains why she gets a second chance to be summoned again for the next Grail War by Shiro as she was simply sent back to that “limbo purgatory battleground” dimension whence she came from after she died as King Arthur.

        Kinny Riddle
      2. Uh, no.
        Saber was summoned in the next war due to the deadline of the summoning of the Servants was nearing then and there weren’t any Masters filling the slots(since it was an unexpected start of the war so that’s why). So the Grail will take it upon itself to choose a Master to fill the last slot(as is the case with our cool friend Ryuunosuke). Shirou was chosen as the last one. He did have a catalyst with him and the magic circle lingering in the Emiya household shed. Plus he did have a hidden wish and was chosen to participate like in Kotomine’s case.

        And that wasn’t a limbo purgatory, that’s the true hillside of Camlann. She’s stuck in time kneeling on that hill due to her pact with the World to obtain the Grail in exchange for being a Heroic Spirit. She will be summoned in any time to get the Grail will return on that same place every time she fails. Which means she can’t die unless she gets the Holy Grail(she had a deathmatch on that place and is suppose to die)

        belatkuro
      3. I dont being “killed” has anything to do with being summoned again. Fate route in F/SN already explained that Servants can get summoned as many times as they want, but they dont retain any memories from their previous summon and how every instance of a heroic spirit’s summoning would be literally a different incarnation of him/her. It’s already been explain in the Fate Route of F/SN why Saber was able to be summoned again, not to mention keeping her memories. Read ahead if you already know/dont care about spoilers.

        Show Spoiler ▼

        YanDaMan
  40. I don’t think anyone was expecting a happy ending but the finale certainly wasn’t the utter despair that I’ve come to expect from Urobuchi sensei. Ilya’s conversation with Irisviel was especially enlightening and highlights yet again just how misunderstood Kiritsugu is. Not everyone has the luxury to buy himself a clear conscience and sometimes we have to make tough choices when we’re boxed in. The final scene with Kiritsugu and his adopted son was almost beautifully sad, in a kind of bittersweet way. To have Shirou inherit Kiritsugu’s childhood dream is a great way to end the series and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
    Fate/Zero is truly a great masterpiece and without a doubt one of the best animes ever made. Urobuchi sensei inspires me like no one else and I know I won’t be the only one who’s going to marathon it over and over again. Great job Ufotable, you guys totally deserve your fat pay checks 😉

    Seishun Otoko
  41. I never liked Sakura in F/SN, especially after playing through Heaven’s Feel. Now its just been further reinforced by the way she acted in this episode. “Thats what you get for defying grandfather”. Are you f’ing kidding me? There’s no way I can sympathize with her now.

    The rest of the conclusion are not really surprising especially for those who read F/SN. We all knew what were to happen to everyone, well besides Waver, who had a someone happy ending.

    It’s a shame that UBW got a movie treatment instead of a full season. I’d much rather see UBW get the screen time it deserves, which is a perfect follow-up to Kiritsugu’s ideals in Shiro, than watching Heaven’s Feel that only revolves around Sakura’s constant whining.

    YanDaMan
    1. To YanDaMan
      I partially agree with your point of view but, hey, don’t forget, Sakura’s mind has been twisted by that ‘Grandpa’ and I would say if this didn’t happen, it is even stranger.

      My impression about Sakura only limited to that in the anime of Fate/Stay Night. So, I don’t dislike her. May be I will get a different point of view after I played the game. However, for a poor girl who has gone through all those, I can’t help but sympathize.

      Oh, right, let’s don’t forget this story is written by Gen Urobuchi, the ‘Warrior of Love’ (his own nickname) who love to torture nice girls and twist their personalities in his stories.

      By the way, YanDaMan, have you watched ‘Spice and Wolf’? If you have, you should remember what’s happened to the rich boy who tried to take the heroine, Horro, from the protagonist, Craft Lawrence. The rich boy got a statement from the judge when he lost the competition and, as a result, lost some money:

      ‘That’s what you get for trying to take other people’s woman.’

      I think this statement does fit the final fate of Kariya (the master of Berserker) as well. Although I sympathize his sacrifice, too.

      TOMA
    2. Sakura has always been vindictive and spiteful, partly because of the worms ****ing her up and partly for the resentment she’s had through her horrible life. She just hides it really well, mostly for Shioru since she thinks Shirou likes nice girls.

      fragb85
      1. > Sakura has always been vindictive and spiteful, partly because of the worms ****ing her up
        > and partly for the resentment she’s had through her horrible life. She just hides it really
        > well, mostly for Shioru since she thinks Shirou likes nice girls.
        Wow…that, I don’t know.^_^bbbb
        Looks like that’s why Sakura’s popularity was so low among the fans.
        By the way, could this mean Sakura is ‘modeled’ from Fujino Asagami in ‘Kara no Kyoukai’?
        Both of their personalities are very similiar.

        And, thanks again.^_^

        TOMA
      2. Right, and thats precisely why I dont like Sakura. I understand the crap she went through but there’s a limit of what you consider yourself deserving or entitled to despite your crappy past. Sakura went beyond that line with her constant whining and child-like fits when she went Angra Mainyu. Its hard to sympathize with her after seeing this episode of Fate/Zero.

        Reading through Heaven’s Feel in the novel was so agonizing because every 5 minute I have to put up with Sakura’s whining, and Shirou being undeservingly nice to her despite all the crap she pulled. The only saving grace for HF was how Kirei was a total badass, and the fact that we got more Rider screentime and how she played a more vital role instead of being killed right off the bat like the other routes. If they do make a HF anime (even though UBW deserved it more), I really hope they limit Sakura’s whining on screen and focus on the better points of the route

        YanDaMan
      3. To YanDaMan,
        Thanks for the Intel! ^_^
        Now I know why would TAKE-MOON created that ‘Sakura: girl of destiny’ in ‘Carnival Phantasm’. (I laughed all the way in that series).

        P.S.
        Looks like I have to buy a copy of original Fate/Stay Night and, if it is available, translated version of the novel of Fate/zero. There are too much in them that can’t afford to miss.

        TOMA
    3. Ufotable screwed up the scene. This was the novel scene:

      Sakura stared at the corpse of the man who had fallen before her in the icy-cold darkness of the worm storage. This man was muttering to himself even till the end, and a satisfied smile was on his face even as he died.
      How odd. Why would this man return here? Why did he still want to live when he was in such a despicable state?
      Although Sakura couldn’t understand why, she clearly knew why he was in anguish, and why he was dead.
      – You must not disobey Grandfather.
      Everyone in the Makiri house knew that, but why wouldn’t this man obey that rule? He was an adult, but he was helplessly stupid.
      Why, why would this man choose such a meaningless death?
      After a brief consideration – ahh, that was why. Sakura suddenly understood it.
      This must be her lesson tonight.
      A lesson to teach her what would happen to those who disobeyed Grandfather’s will. This man died here so Sakura could see a real example with her own eyes.
      Yes, I understood, Grandfather.
      The girl nodded obediently. She burned this scene deep into her memory while she stared, unmoving, at the corpse surrounded by worms that was gradually becoming smaller and smaller.

      She was shackled to a wall and being wormraped as usual while this happened. She was mindbroken and wondering why would anyone return to his torture.

      Moria
      1. @YanDaMan: Blame the timeslot and how they tone down Sakura’s background. Manga portrays it as gruesome as it is (with her chained and spread as was described in the novels, very rage-inducing). She was mindbroken before (Kariya notices she moves like a living doll before he goes off the war), this was the last shred of sanity she had gnawed until she met Shirou.

        They also changed a few things before. Like the Rin episode. In the novels, she never saves anyone and almost gets killed (that was all that happened). I interpreted it as her lesson to not do anything for Sakura since she was condemned to failure when it was seemly impossible.

        Moria
  42. “FROM THE BEGINNING, YOU KNOW THE END”
    From ‘Halo: REACH’

    This statement is, without a doubt, a befitting short definition of both ‘Fate/Zero’ and its conclusion (that is, this finale) and, I must say, this finale emphasises it with a punch.

    For those who have watched ‘Fate/Stay Night’, it has answered a lot of questions that remained unanswered. I particularly love the final scene: when Emiya Kiritsugu sitting beside the young Shirou in their home (which is obviously the one Iri and Saber have stayed for a while) under the moonlight and they talked about being a hero, Kiritsugu said he can finally at peace when Shirou promised to take over his heroic role and, Kiritsugu remembered the question that Shirley asked him back on the island decades ago and he answered ‘I wanted to be a hero’. Finally, we have an explanation about this part of the story of ‘Fate/Stay Night’ that has affected our young hero (Shirou) for the rest of his life and, at the same time, gave the whole series of ‘Fate/Zero’ a touching and nostalgic conclusion. All these were enhanced by the special edition of the opening song, ‘To the Beginning’, which fit the finale in both melody and lyric.

    However, there is still a small flaw in the story. It’s about the legend of Lancelot (our Berserker in this Holy Grail War). Someone said in the visual novel of ‘Fate/Stay Night’ Guinevere, the wife of the real King Arthur in the original legend, was never mentioned. This is a clever move of TYPE-MOON as our SABER is a girl.

    Now, with our Berserker confessing why he’s gone mad, we have a problem: how the hell did Saber, who is definitely no homosexual in Fate/Stay Night, got herself a wife?

    Please, don’t give me answers like ‘may be Saber is AC-DC’ or ‘It’s YURI’.>_<

    May be there is a proper explanation in the novel but I don't know.

    Also, the fight between Saber and Gilgamesh illustrated here doesn't agree with what we watched in 'Fate/Stay Night'.

    Overall, my comment about the entire series of 'Fate/Zero' is:

    BRAVO!!!!!! BEAUTIFUL!!!!! GENIUS!!!!! and…..
    I CAN'T HELP BUT WANT MORE!!!!!!!!

    Got to watch Fate/reproduction to quench my thirst now. ^_^

    TOMA
    1. Guinevere did in fact exist but it was just a political marriage with Saber. Saber also grew a magic dick thanks to a prank by Merlin and spawned Mordred. No I am not joking.

      Still, Its not any sillier than making Arthur a woman.

      fragb85
    2. Now, with our Berserker confessing why he’s gone mad, we have a problem: how the hell did Saber, who is definitely no homosexual in Fate/Stay Night, got herself a wife?

      Please, don’t give me answers like ‘may be Saber is AC-DC’ or ‘It’s YURI’.>_<

      May be there is a proper explanation in the novel but I don't know.

      Also, the fight between Saber and Gilgamesh illustrated here doesn't agree with what we watched in 'Fate/Stay Night'.

      Simple. As a king, she needs a queen. Done and done.
      That’s why Lancelot is suffering. Guinevere is to become the queen figure for a female king but she is needed for the country. She cannot love anybody else but she fell for Lancelot and vice versa. Saber did not blame Lancelot for that because she was a woman and pretending to be a man to become a King. And she ended up punishing Lancelot in his famous betrayal in legends because she was required as a king. That’s why Berserker sought madness instead to relieve himself of guilt for betraying the Round Table.

      And no, the one you saw in the F/SN anime did not happen. That was DEEN doing stuff.
      Saber mentioned it in F/SN that she did not even land a single hit to Gil and he was too overpowered, which coincides here.

      belatkuro
    3. Now, I see. Magic dick…magic prank…

      Damn that Gen Urobuchi.

      For our Saber being a girl, honestly, I could accept that to begin with. However, I think TYPE-MOON did a great job in smoothing it out. I found it acceptable after I watched the anime. (let’s hope the credit still goes to the original authors).

      In fact, in the very original version of Fate/Stay Night (now called ‘Fate/ Prototype’), SABER, who is King Arthur, remained as a man. However, from what I made out from the short anime of Fate/Prototype, this original is way too ‘Shoujou story’ that I doubt how many male fans could accept it. For myself, I have already accepted Saber as a girl and found it hard to ‘re-adjust’.

      Finally, Thank you very much for the answers, mate. For people who cannot get the original novels in translated form, you guys are saviors.

      P.S.
      One more answer to why so many fans hated Studio DEEN’s handling of Fate/Stay Night.

      TOMA
      1. > For our Saber being a girl, honestly, I could accept that to begin with. However, I think
        > TYPE-MOON did a great job in smoothing it out

        Sorry, typing mistake. It should be ‘I could not accept that to begin with’.

        TOMA
      2. > Except Gen had nothing to do with that since all he did was write Fate/Zero.

        > Pretty much everything about Saber including her “magic dick” was written by Nasu
        Oh, looks like I made another mistake. Thank you fragb85.

        TOMA
  43. BRAVO!!! for a series that went for character’s more than action, dialogue more than cheesy plot twists, this series offered a perfect ending. A simple command that brought the end to the grail war, and in doing what he thought was the right thing ended up effecting so many lives in a way he couldn’t imagine. It was a brillaint ending, and i really did like how they gave each character there dues, it was well done.

    Excellent series

    Matt
  44. They may make an OVA with this, but just incase anyone wants more Kirirsugi
    http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Fate/Zero:Heart_Of_Freaks

    Just to avoid misunderstanding, regarding Rin’s mother miraculous revival. Kotomine was revived from the Grail’s power but Rin’s mother, though she did look like she was killed by Kariya, she simply looked dead and suffered brain damage as a result of oxygen deprivation.

    My last note is how sad Ilya is now, not only was her Daddy not able to save her, but this may happen to her in the future.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pazkRPS9P6E

    This was truly a good anime, I am hoping that they may an OVA regarding Mr. Emiya and Iri, referring to that Ending that looks romantic.

    L002
  45. The end shows the exact moment when kiritsugu decided to be a hero… It was that talk with shirley.. that magic moment and time inspired kerry .. in the novel is bit better detailed

    Well that’s what I think

    edo
  46. In terms of the series being overly-cruel, as also mentioned, it’s pretty realistic. You can do whatever you can for the good of mankind, the happiness of others, and so on, only for it to all blow up in your face and have things far worse than before in your attempts.

    That was something I liked about Fate/Zero; not the cruelty itself, but the fact that it doesn’t try to make out a happy ending for everyone, because not everyone will or deserves one, regardless of how “good” they are just like how the “bad” people won’t always get their (immediate) comeuppance. There’s no real “heroes” nor is there really a “villain” and everything is gray. It’s all based on one’s point of view.

    Basically, the old sayings that life is cruel and life is unfair.

    HalfDemonInuyasha
      1. Yeah, but the point is, I’d find it not only funny, but satisfying to see Rin stab him and have that “You killed my father. Prepare to die” sort of attitude, lmao.

        Nymphetamine2791
  47. Fate/Zero was absolutely impressive. I still remember finishing FSN and finding out about the prequel, Fate/Zero. At first I thought it was an anime, but was dismayed that it was only a LN at the time. Well, fast forward 5-6 years, and I’m at the end of an epic tale.

    Every single aspect of FZ was done to perfection, and then some. The fights were epic, the BGM/ soundtrack was epic, even the dialogue was epic. You’re doing something right if a couple of men in a room talking can be so enthralling.

    Kentaiyoshimi
  48. Don’t see this final episode as “The End” because it’s only the start of Fate/stay night. Everyone needs to play Heaven’s Feel and look at the entire thing as a whole… it is glorious.

    DragoZERO
  49. I can’t believe Fate/Zero is over. It pushed past F/SN long ago as my favorite series of all time and it makes me sad that the magic that I look forward to each week has ended; yet it becomes a brilliant spectacle and an amazing ride that I will forever remember following. 6 years ago, F/SN left a mark on my soul and now Fate/Zero has done the same these past 9 months.

    @Kentaiyoshimi
    I felt the same exact way xD . I saw the anime, read the VN, and then found out about Fate Zero being released and heard they were great from friends. I thought it was an anime at first, but to my dismay it they were just novels. I remember hoping that I would someday see them as anime and the product here is beyond what I could have imagined.

    @Verdant
    Thank you very much for your weekly input and screen captures of the series as it came out this year. I very much enjoyed coming here after watching each episode and reading you and your staffs’ take each week. I really enjoyed reading the community’s response as well – thank you all for the great comments!

    So, if I might contribute a question – I haven’t seen anyone comment on this yet, but the ending of Fate/Zero, in all its glory, has left me puzzled with F/SN’s opening scene. I had expected a grand battle between Saber and Gilgamesh, as F/SN starts here, yet it was absent. The scene may not be important in the grand scheme of things, but that scene had endured for the last 5 years as the only visuals of Fate/Zero I had seen – (Prior to F/Z’s release).

    But, I would love to know where that battle went or if it was explained at some point? Is it likely that we will see some form of it or an expanded finale episode on the Blu-ray release?

    Aoyoc
  50. Gilgamesh can be so hilarious sometimes without him even trying to XDDD I just love this series, so I cannot say anything bad about it, it enchanted me, it excited me, it moved me, it made me cry, it made me laugh, it has everything a show must have! I absolutely give it a 10/10!!!

  51. I just wish to see Heaven’s Feel… Where Shiro will sacrifice everything, his dreams, even the world, for the ones [Sakura (lover) and Illya(sister)] who he loves, as a kind of a reverse to Fate/Zero where Kiritsugu (were kinda forced to) sacrifice those whom he loves to save the world.

    in a sense being a “hero” as well.

    Having quite the darker theme, I just wish for it to be epic as well and oh please, no dragons or dolphins. It kills the emotions and atmosphere which is important for the story and character development. I don’t see how ufotable could possibly do that.

    Zyro
  52. The only thing for which i am wating for 2 years is to see FSN REMAKE FROM UFOTABLE with a Happy ending(shirou,saber,sakura,rin all getting along).i never liked HF..UBW was good..turely the FSN ANIME wasn’t as good as FATE ZERO..UFOTABLE NEEDS TO MAKE FSN BY THEMSELVES ….(FORGET ABOUT TYPE MOON AND SD)..OF COURSE WITH HAPPY ENDING (AS I SAID BEFORE )..PLEASE STOP TALKING ABOUT SAKURA…[ENDING OF FATE ZERO DESERVES NO MORE THAN 7/10..BUT THE WHOLE SERIES DESERVES 10/10..]

  53. Please , can someone explain to me :
    why Kerei is alive ? did the grail grant Kirie wish in form of fire or fire was just the hatred and angry of the grail? why Gil was naked ?

    kirie fate
    1. Kirei was resurrected by the black mud that spilled out of the hole in the sky, as well as Archer, who was supposed to disappear after Saber destroyed the Lesser Grail. The mud also sapped Kiritsugu, and left him a shell of his former self, a broken person.

      Kiritsugu was supposed to order Saber to destroy that black hole, not the lesser grail, and that led to the destruction of the city.

    1. The Holy Grail was corrupted by a malignant spirit from previous wars — you may have to google up Angra Mainyu as a Servant whose wish infected the Holy Grail, I didn’t read that story.

      The black mud granted Kirei’s wishes before his heart stopped beating, and made Gilgamesh mortal.

  54. Zammael

    I dont think that grail grant Kirei wish ” the fire was not the result of Kirie wish”… it was just a coincidence … the grail would destroy the city even without grant any wish .

    kirie fate
  55. It’s been 4 months since the ending of Fate/Zero. Ever since it ended, every other show that has come out this year feels like a disappointment. Fate/Zero truly is the best anime of the year.

    LaughingMan
  56. Wow! Just wow. I am speechless. Devoid of all emotion. Dry from tears. I already knew how it was going to end, but the travel up to here has been one hell of a ride. What mistake was to see this and Heaven´s feel movies back to back. My body wasn´t ready.

    Kingdragun

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