「最後の選択」 (Saigo no Sentaku)
“Last Choice”

If only every show could have the budget that Unlimited Budget Blade works has. Then again, even as amazing as the episode was, I still don’t enjoy this one season hiatus they’re springing on us!

Slice-Of-Life

Something that I would have never saw coming in a million years, who would’ve thought we’d get to see more than just a few minutes dedicated to building up the relationship between Rin and Shirou in a somewhat normal fashion? I mean, this show is known for its amazing fighting sequences as well as the ideology battles that all the characters face, am I right?

While I’m sure some people will have issues with the show taking a slight detour, I loved every moment of the two’s little date. Besides reminding us who the true heroine of this route really is, I thought it was interesting to see how the pair’s chemistry work together. Because as shy as Shirou seems when Rin’s toying with those precious emotions of his, how can you not love his manly responses that chime in just at the right moment?

The Rules have Changed

Wow oh wow did a lot happen in the span of only 30 minutes. From Caster unleashing her Noble Phantasm and literally breaking all the rules that were made in one fell swoop, isn’t it a bit surprising that she didn’t try unleashing her plans even earlier? Anyways, as overpowered as her power and Noble Phantasm may seem, I’m sure there’s something hiding in that complex character of hers that’ll eventually lead to her downfall — Too bad we’ll have to wait until the spring to find out :/

Show Spoiler ▼

Looking Ahead Before the Break

Twelve episodes in and I think ufotable has done a fantastic job with this adaptation of Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works. They’ve stayed true to the source material while adding their own flare to make even the most unordinary things stand out, they’ve made this adaptation easy for both newbies and veterans to enter, and with buckets and buckets of money they’ve made one of the best looking shows I’ve ever seen. So yeah, good job ufotable!

P.S. Thanks for keeping up with the posts everyone! Sorry this one’s a little late — I’m still on vacation and am working on top of cardboard boxes. I’ll see you around the bend when spring rolls around!

P.P.S. Stay classy ufotable — that rendition of Disillusion was pretty freaking awesome.

165 Comments

    1. Unpopular opinion:
      UBW has been a bit disappointing for me. There have been some amazing episodes and it looks beautiful, but it’s been very slow and it doesn’t have the same feel that Fate Zero does. It seems like a slice of life/school life anime has been mixed in with an action one; sometimes we’re watching Shirou be oblivious with Rin and other times shit is going down. I also find that the plot often doesn’t advance much until the end of the episode, and it’s especially slow whenever Fujimara shows up. However, when it does build something up at the end, it often doesn’t actually happen: Archer fights Assassin off-screen I assume, Rider runs away from Shirou and Rin, Rin goes into a building full of the skeleton things and nothing happens after, Shirou speaks about how he’s used to seeing dead bodies and we see no more of that conversation. I suspect it’ll pick up soon – it kind of has to as people have to die – but that doesn’t mean that this first half gets rated amazing. But when I say it’s disappointing, it’s because I expected a 9 or 10/10 like Fate Zero and only got a 7 or 8, so it’s not like it’s bad.

      warren
      1. An even more unpopular opinion:

        So far, I enjoyed the movie more. The pacing of the anime is way too slow and there’s too much sidetracking. The soundtrack pales compared to the movie as well.

        oliviaven
      2. I’m surprised at the amount of upvotes you got (if this was MAL, you would be sent to the deep abyss and never get to see the light again). I assume that the majority of the people that upvoted you were either newcomers or people who has only watched Fate/Zero.

        Do you actually understand why your opinion is an unpopular one with VN readers (but popular with newcomers)? The opinion is based on your little amount of knowledge in regards to the source material and literature. Also, comparing this to Fate/Zero is like comparing a book and a video game. They are of different genres, don’t you know that? One is a prequel light novel written by Urobuchi Gen, while the other is a visual novel written by Nasu.

        Your opinion is not wrong (subjectively), but when it comes to whether the show is bad or good objectively, then it is completely wrong. It is a goddamn slice of life Anime, for god’s sake. Have you ever played Visual Novels? Also, a lot of the problems you had with it are addressed by the other routes which explains exactly why NOTHING happens despite the build up. Honestly, it’s quite realistic in that not everything ends with a proper conclusion. Shirou’s talk about the fire is going to be talked about late (are you seriously judging this show when the other half isn’t even out yet).

        You know why people get pissed with opinions like yours? It’s egocentric and ignorant. Then you people get mad and start downvoting or grouping up against those who addresses the flaws in you people’s statements. I hate hypocrites who tries to play the victim card and say “Just because you like something doesn’t mean we can’t dislike it”. I don’t give a shit if you dislike it, that’s your own damn feeling. However, don’t you dare talk in absolutes, as if you know it all about how literature works. Do you study literature and linguistics? Do you understand the subtle foreshadowing hidden behind the words? Do you how the lexical choices affect how the reader/watcher interpret the context of the words?

        Jesus Christ, this is disappointing. Also, look at the Bing’s comment below. “Most masters are barely developed, pacing slow as hell, and excessive school/slice of life hijinks”

        The emphasis on Masters are directed towards Shirou and Rin. Kuzuki is the only one undeveloped while Shinji is supposed to be an undeveloped asshole for people to hate. Shinji does have his own backstory for exposition, but it’s not in this route (it’s in Heaven’s Feels). Shirou’s ideology plays a huge part in this route. Many newcomers think he is stupid (when they are ones that are stupid) because he keeps going on about saving others. Did all of you just fucking missed the parts in the Anime which shows Shirou questioning his own ideals? His character is supposed to be like that and he is slowly understanding that he can’t save everyone. His ideological clashes with everyone around him is suppose to the main theme of this route. He is developing as he understands that he is powerless and needs to become stronger. Did everyone ignored that?

        Also, does anyone here even understand the character that is called Rin? She is supposed to be a contradicting person (no, not her tsundere antics). She is supposed to be a cold mage like Tokiomi, but did you see her fucking cry when her dad died in the last war? Did people missed that scene too? She isn’t fit to be a goddamn mage and she has been developing fine throughout the story. A stubborn girl who tries way too hard to be a mage started to open up after meeting someone like Shirou. Did people missed their talk last episode?

        Slow pacing? Hell yeah, that’s right. Slice of Life hijinks? Heel yeah, that’s right too. It’s slow because it’s supposed to be a slice of life. It’s a Visual Novel similar to a dating game damn it. Is it a flaw of the adaptation? No. Is it a flaw of the source material? Well yeah. It’s slice of life, but there are some unnecessary parts that wastes your time instead. Therefore this is a flaw (slow pacing) of the Visual Novel and not the Anime. Also, do people feel that it’s slow paced just because there isn’t enough fighting?

        One last thing, let me clarify my message for you all. The problem is not that you dislike Fate or have a different opinion than me, the problem is that your problems AREN’T even problems. Hell, dislike it all you want, but at least make some proper criticism. Imagine that you are a very talented artist, but you are currently stuck at an art block. Some random dude who knows nothing about art come telling you his ideas and tell you how you should draw. How would you feel? That’s how you people are acting now. You are ignorant, yet you put yourself above all others and believe that you have pointed out PROPER flaws of the show.

        Here are some damn proper criticism:
        1. Some scenes adapted from the Visual Novel into Anime form weren’t done so well because of how different the two media are.
        2. There are important monologues that are cut off, making the some characters (like Shirou) seem incompetent (which might be added back in Blu-ray, as there are 90 additional minutes of scenes that were cut).
        3. The CGI used sometimes aren’t good.
        4. The soundtrack is a bit lacking currently.
        5. The lack of a Fate route makes it more difficult for others to understand certain aspects of the story.

        Can you refute any of the above points? None of you can, even though I can refute the majority of you people’s “opinions”. If you want respect, then type it out with respect. Speaking in absolute turns your “opinions” into “objective truths”. Don’t you even know the difference? Do I need to teach you English linguistics right from the start again?

        Downvote me if you want, I don’t care. I just want you people to think before you goddamn type. If you hate something, hate it with a proper reason. It’s like like that retarded Machimiya from Yowamushi Pedal who wanted to get revenged just because Fukutomi didn’t give him water during the competition (it’s completely understandable why you don’t help your competitiors). That’s a shit reason filled with bigotry and hubris. Just because you get to hide behind an anonymous identity doesn’t mean you can fuck around speaking whatever you want. Do you people have no respect for any other people on the internet? No respect for the authors? (I’m not speaking politely on purpose).

        I’m done here.

        Hater
      3. @Hater
        I don’t think it’s wrong for people to judge Fate series by the anime alone. All GOOD anime adaptations should be able to stand on it’s own w/out expecting the viewers to be familiar with the source material.

        Dio
      4. @Hater

        I can’t blame Warren for saying all that, since from his review he was only familiar with Zero, and it certainly doesn’t sound like he’s ‘putting himself above all others,’ like you stated. A friend of mine who had only experienced Zero complained about the slower slice-of-life bits too. But imo if there was an anime about a war with magicians, the first aspects I would imagine it having are fast-paced action and fights. And you said F/SN is a slice-of-life anime? A slice of life???? In addition, I think it’s slightly unfair for VN readers to blame the anime-only viewers missing out the subtler nuances/references/hints because unlike in a VN, the anime can’t possibly give us insight into every characters’ inner workings and thoughts, and not everyone has the time to pick out and analyze each dialogue line or animated frame. Personally, I loved the VN and what ufotable had done with UBW, but at the same time the anime reminded me that the source material itself isn’t without flaws.

      5. I also think Hater was a bit too over the top with his raging, but if an anime only viewer didn’t understand the point in such a low pacing and over exposition being especially made to make contrast between Shiro’s own ideals and (mainly but not only) Archers and Rin’s, well, I wouldn’t blame the novel, but that anime viewer lack of understanding capability.

        Solaris
      6. @Hater: Man, this is kinda pathetic. Between pulling literary terms out of your ass and getting prissy and bitching at everyone who has the gall to criticise the VN, your post is so pretentious and hypocritical it’s hilarious.

        This is a good anime, but let’s not pretend it is some sort of masterpiece.

        Eugene
      7. @Hater

        Right at the third paragraph, did you just tell someone “Your opinion is wrong”? You better look up the word “opinion” in an online dictionary first. Well, if you tell someone that their opinion is wrong then there’s something wrong with the way you think.

        The Story You Don't Know
      8. @The Story You Don’t Know

        And before he looks up opinion, you should look up the difference between objectivity and subjectivity because he already addressed your argument in the same paragraph. Basically, he’s saying that you can have any opinion you want, but when you claim your opinion is based not on one’s feelings but rather on its merits, you should be subject to scrutiny by others. I tend to agree with that.

        The Big Guy
      9. that’s because the best scenes haven’t been shown yet d*mba** 😛
        there are still :

        *warning!!! SPOILERS below*

        caster&sensei vs shiro&rin
        archer vs lancer
        gilgamesh vs berserker
        saber vs assasin
        shiro vs archer
        shiro vs gilgamesh

        and the most awaited scene… rin and shiro H scene :PPP

        yeah its slow but if you want fast pace you go watch the movie but you won’t get to see rin and saber wearing glasses d*mbsh*t :ppp

        mike
      10. Understandable , however you should wait until the end of the series to compare them.

        Every FSN routes work like this : strong start then a third of the story is kinda slow / SOL and the second half gets epic as shit (especially UBW and Heaven’s feel).

        The story just didn’t take off as of now and it’s a shame we don’t get to see the end of it before April , as a VN reader I’m satisfied but I understand that people who didn’t read through the whole thing are disappointed after going through Fate zero.

        distoch
      11. @Mike
        Your the d*mba**
        Anime-only watchers are not psychics. They can only judge what they’ve seen. That’s like saying people have no right to criticize a Hollywood movie bec the book it was adapted from was perfect even if the movie isn’t. And read @Dio’s comment above. He makes a great point about this.

        Heike
      12. @The Story
        Watch out. Opinions can also be wrong, when they’re based on wrong observations to begin with. They’re also called misunderstandings.
        In warren’s case he just expected something different than the anime actually delivered and so he missed the main point of all the plot till now. Fate UBW is told in a very different way than Fate Zero. Now that the buildup phase is over I’d expect more action in the second half of the show. Maybe anybody expected more action will gladly reconsider their opinion later.

        @Heike (and Dio)
        Anime, visual novel and light novel have too much difference in media structure to be converted perfectly one into another. Usually Japanese titles come in a mixture of these, so you have information from all of them to create a full fledged fictional universe. So, I agree only to an extent when you say that an anime plot should be understandable any without further knowledge as this is not always the case. Keep in mind that you always loose a lot of informations in any anime adaptation. This is especially true with a Visual Novel like this where you see only one route out of three.

        Solaris
      13. I don’t think it’s so much of a problem with the slow pacing but rather with how slower episodes are handled here. We had slow episodes in F/Z too, such as eps 10 & 11. In ep 10 we have a very interesting debate between kings on what it means to be a king and in 11 we had Gilgamesh trying to teach Kirei about enjoyment(that sounded a bit wrong didn’t it?). In SOME of the downtime in UBW we get Rin acting all tsun-tsun,Saber being waifu-bait but most annoying of all, Fujimura-sensei who’s like the most pointless character in the series.

        Luckily, this doesn’t happen THAT much with some of the slice of life moments being used RIGHT in that they give us more insight on Shirou & Rin, which works in UBW’s favor as having superior characterization for it’s main characters when compared to F/Z. Of course, F/Z is no slouch there by offering distributing it’s characterization somewhat more equally to compensate.

        The pandering IS an objective flaw that F/Z didn’t have. How much of a flaw is it is entirely subjective(it could pretty much not bother anyone at all and even add to the show instead). For any reasonable viewer(including VN readers since I’ve seen a few that had some issues with the VN as well), you weigh the good against the bad, considering how much you enjoy the best of what UBW can offer and how much do you dislike the worst it can offer and that can differ greatly from individual to individual.

        MgMaster
      14. The problem here is there are people expecting another Dragon Ball with no brain nor thought and much more flashy action. Luckily this is not the case. Fate is an hentai visual novel and still I’d consider ourselves lucky this was not adapted like some Trinity Seven shit (with all the fanservice, randomness and void of plot) but a glorious fantasy tale.

        Solaris
      15. @Heike
        Fine i went a little oveboard. So much that what i said wasn’t my point. What i truly wanted to say was that the NASUverse is wide that just by watching the anime is not enough, there is more to the story than what you see in the anime there are more connections than that of its prequel “FateZero”. I suggest playing the VN or looking through the wikia. I just got a little bitter when people were disappointed in it when mostly everyone based it through the anime and telling some of us to calm down mislead me more. Anyways my apologies to anyone i have offended.

        mike
      16. I have read the VN myself and even then I have to agree that UBW anime is a disappointment. Other than a few good scene most of the just comprise everyday life of Shirou and Rin.

        There are almost no awesome clash of ideology between like the one we see in ZERO which I really enjoy. Most of the master relation is not flesh out. Granted, the source of material (VN) have the same issue as well but because of the fact we have three route to mitigate that (Fate,UBW,Heaven Feel), the issue does not seem so obvious.

        I would argue the problem is with the source of the material. For this sort anime to be good, it has to mix and mash some of the information from a different route (VN). Animating UBW route alone alienate any anime only fan and make it seem like a fan service for VN only fan.

        Walaoa
    1. I’m sure it’s a service to all those old VN readers. I think I read somewhere people wanted This Illusion as an insert song or something. Well, they got what they wished for.

      lividsama
      1. Not really. In the VN, saber has very few scenes where she actually shows more personality/character development. She’s fiery attached to her ideals, is dutybound, and doesn’t even think of herself as a woman. So I think this is a nice anime-only detail that adds dimension to her character.

        Helvetica Standard
      2. In a sense hollow/ataraxia is what really rounds up their characters showing the kind of people they would be in a peaceful setting. We just need to put together what we see in stay/night and H/A =3

        Random Comment
  1. Twelve episodes in and I think ufotable has done a fantastic job with this adaptation of Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works

    Considering the double-length features of the prologue and Ep1 + Ep12, its technically 16 episodes.

    Can’t wait for the 2nd cour too.
    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2082.jpg
    Considering there’s less than half the VN left to adapt, there’s should be plenty of anime original scenes.

    Techim
  2. POLL: Which is your fave FSN fight so far?

    1. Saber vs Berserker (w/Archer)
    2. Saber vs Assassin
    3. Archer vs Caster
    4. Saber vs Souichirou Kuzuki
    5. Lancer vs Archer
    6. Saber vs Caster

    silke13
    1. I think you missed Saber vs. Lancer, during ep 1 (not ep 0) where she first got summoned in Shirou’s perspective.

      That’s my favorite so far, since Lancer did his fancy Noble Phantasm.

      Kuzuki vs. Saber was great too. I love hand to hand action combat.

      flCer
    2. A certain 8th Servant vs A certain Faker

      I do hope that ufotable does a better job at adopting that fight than the movie. The fight needs more hailstorm of high explosive swords! Not a one on one duel!

      Ginobi47
    3. Easily, Saber vs Berserker (w/Archer).

      That was just a great fight and episode. There was good tension, action, and it just was pure fun to watch. Berserker was just a force and it really showed Saber’s skill and tactical sense. A chance to go up against a powerhouse and do damage.

      Plus Archer’s long-distance attacks were pretty spectacular in their own way.

  3. This is going to be a VERY long 4 month. Even though I know what’s going to happen, I want to see everything animated so badly.

    My weekends are going to feel empty without my weekly dosage of Rin and GARcher!

    bakakubi
  4. Techim
  5. And so ends the first half of UBW. I actually predicted it would end with the scene where Rin jumps of the roof, so its nice that it played out how I hoped it would be. I remember when I was reading VN during the dating event, I kept thinking “This is cute and all, but should you be doing this when Caster might ambush you?”. Sure enough, Caster does ambush our heroes. So I have to commend Eggplant for writing a scene that makes sense.

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2005.jpg
    Just in case it hasn’t caught on, this is Rin’s route and I always enjoy her interactions with Shirou. I do like the details added on the anime. Like when Shirou and Rin are building rapport, Saber is just busy stuffing her face. Its almost likes Saber knows she’s the third wheel, so she just hanging around for the food. She clearly knows her priorities.

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2030.jpg
    UFOTable once again creates an anime original scene…sort off. The hostage faceoff and capture of Saber does happen in the VN, but it happened on Shirou house rather than inside Caster’s Bounded Field. I must admit I like this take better, it makes the event feel more significant when the stage is bigger. Its a little silly if you can animate all these inside Shirou’s dining room like in the VN.

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2070.jpg
    After 10 years, Kirei’s still got it. Big mistake for Caster to underestimate what a Church Executor can do. I mean sure, she’s a Servant with for more magic power than any living being has….. but on the other hand this is Kirei we are talking about.

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2074.jpg
    Poor Rin, after some rather disastrous events and the fact the Shirou nearly died (again) she now regresses back to being a cold rational mage. She’s not fooling anyone anymore, because its already established that Rin is bad at that facade. We will see how that plays out in April.

    fragb85
  6. That was certainly a thing wasn’t it?

    I pretty much just finished this now and I can honestly say that ending off with a LiSA rendition of This Illusion gave me some massive chills.

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2021.jpg

    So moe I died. She’s blushing so hard even her ears are red. The tsundere was really strong this episode from both sides of the relationship. That Shirou line of, “I said I’d tag along with you, not go on a date with you” had me cracking up. One thing I like about the dates in F/SN is that they’re not just for fan service though. I’m not sure how cleanly that got through to most people though as the only real mention is when Rin says that he’s “subconsciously slamming on the breaks” without really explaining the reason why he’s doing so.

    Rin doing some ArcherxSaber shipping was kind of adorable as well. Show Spoiler ▼

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2068.jpg

    This though. Kirei da boss. I mean, I did a little bit of head tilting at first because you’re not supposed to really know this right now, but it doesn’t really hurt anything. Show Spoiler ▼

    On a side note, I still would like to see a Kirei/Kuzuki fight. Just straight up hand to hand.

    Overall, this was an impressive first half of the series. I miss the tone from Fate/Zero, I won’t lie but I already knew this at the beginning so I was more prepared for it than those who started with that. Majority of the focus is spent on Shirou, Rin, Saber and Archer, which is quite unlike F/0 where it was really spreading out the focus and letting you see all sides of the war. It’s an unavoidable fate unfortunately, as F/SN’s story is one that build upon itself with each route and some characters receive more development in some routes than others. That leads to a bit of a problem because you can judge Fate/Zero by itself, but judging F/SN by it’s individual routes can be weird because it’s essentially like a novel trilogy with no continuity. It essentially tells the same story with different elements and focus.

    Overall, solid 8.5/10 for the first half. I do expect to give the second half a 9+ even with the unfortunate degradation of one of my favorite characters. (Can I really call it degradation though? I mean, this version came first but the Fate/Zero version is the first chronologically.)

    Oh well, here’s to Spring and it’s plethora of shows I’m really looking forward to.

    Kuntzy
    1. What’s funnier about Shirou’s line is that, the verb that got translated as “tag along” can also mean “go out with” (as in, to become a couple). So you can interpret it as “I only said I’d become your boyfriend, not go on a date with you.”

      Hanabira.Kage
  7. Despite all the special one hour episodes, i honestly ended up feeling nothing much about the show so far. Most masters are barely developed, pacing slow as hell, and excessive school/slice of life hijinks that sometimes made me forget that this is a show about magic wars. Here’s some hoping that the second cour will be more fast-paced and eventful.

    Bing
    1. A hint: This is no show about magic wars, this is just plain secondary. The subject of Fate is about opposite point of views around the concept of Heroism. By the way the same applied also to Fate Zero.

      Solaris
  8. Ah April can’t get here fast enough. I seem to be missing a lot of my memories from the VN Show Spoiler ▼

    Thanks for your efforts Takaii I sure hope we can enjoy the ride for the sequel together as well. When you said you were working atop cardboard boxes I thought you were kidding but I now truly admire your dedication!

    gawrshness
  9. Damn! pulling the same trick on us second time (Fate Zero was first one…) Oh well, April is not THAT far away.
    The “date a slice of life” part was supreme fun to watch, though. As was duel of snarks between Rin and Archer later on…
    Also, Caster is really way too sure of herself. When you have all the aces collected, play them, don’t brag about it. And even then, watch out for someone pulling out a joker…

    ewok40k
  10. Erm, truthfully, I still haven’t fully comfortable with (or you could say, ‘adjusted to’) ‘goofy’/playful reactions from the characters in this series, perhaps because there isn’t a single one like that in Fate/Zero nor Kara no Kyoukai.

    IMHO, I think ufotable ‘clean’ art style isn’t suitable for such ‘reaction faces’; they are better suited for a more serious, non-cartoonish looks (as we all can see). By reaction faces I mean like these:

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2010.jpg

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2017.jpg

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2011%20-%20Large%2003.jpg

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2011%20-%20Large%2016.jpg

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2020.jpg

    Have you seen something like this in Fate/Zero or Kara no Kyoukai? Even the playful Kokotou Azaka doesn’t has it.

    Anyone else with similar opinion here?

    Lone Wanderer
    1. Spinoff food for thought:
      What combination of anime-related tags do you think would make a great anime

      I’ll go with:
      -UBW budget
      -ufotable tendency to have close to faithful adaptations
      -Maeda Jun soundtrack
      -Urobuchi involvement

      Techim
    2. Madan no Ou to Vanadis

      Why? Because it looks like they laid off half of the key animators and had a bunch of college kids play with 3D animation software. That’s my conclusion of what happened after watching Shirobako.

      theirs
  11. Maybe it’s a pacing issue, but it often feels like very little actually happens in each episode.

    I didn’t even realise this one had been a double-length episode until I saw the video time indicator at the end.

    UBW Season 1 overall: Good but not great; a bit underwhelming. Graphics alone can’t make an amazing series unfortunately.

    grayne
  12. So, i just wonder if they let the Original Master of this Blond Servant stay out of this all. You know, this Blond Guy had a Master first until he meet the ex-Rider Master

    But, i wonder if they let Shiroe really out of the Game, and now just focusing on Rin and Archer. Well, Fate lived from Saber and Shiroe until now. They where the Main Casters so far. But Caster in this World get more attention then in the first one. With Time i almost forgotten Caster complete, if they would not used the dagger in the Moe-Kawaii version of Iliya 2ei Series

    So, summary. How many dead Servants and Masters do we have until now?

    1 Raider Servant

    Well, hope they somehow crush the remained Servants and Masters in the 2nd Season

    WorldwideDepp
    1. Aww, my Bad. I forgotten something

      I hope 2nd Season do not turn like Infinity Startos 2. Where it was only a Fan Donjin Omake, with slim Story progression

      Please, do not Turn Fate into a Saber + Rin or something Omake. What are the Servants there? What are the Masters there? Is there a Way to break out of this Holy War ritual forever? Please look into there Question, and not How to make Rin more Sexier, Ecchi or Saber (She is wearing a White ball dress or not?) Do not push the Action and the Heart of Fate into the background

      Thank you for reading my considering thoughts

      WorldwideDepp
    2. i wonder if they let Shiroe really out of the Game
      You should have understood by now Shirou’s character by now. Does letting himself out of business like that really looks like something his ideals would allow him to do?

      Also what do you mean by this?
      I hope 2nd Season do not turn like Infinity Startos 2
      You fear they’ll make up part of the story or ruin the war side of the story cause only one servant was defeated till now?

      Believe me, it was all talk till now only cause they need to explain well Shiro’s personal dilemma. Now (hopefully) the build up part has finished and Shirou is left at his wits end. He needs to decide quickly what to do and… The fun part has yet to begin…

      Solaris
      1. So this Cute Saber Omake until now, was in the VN? The i apologize for that. I was thinking that they began to bend the Tough but heart in right place Saber, to the Moe and Kawaii Fans

        But you know, even if Shirou get his Command seals back. He still has 1 left right? Or do they Reset like on Caster’s backhand? Well, i will know it in April

        WorldwideDepp
      2. [quote]Treating Your Characters With Respect

        Fortune favors us, because I may be the best (and/or only) writer at RandomC who can speak to some of the themes in Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun. Take the passing comment from Chiyo to Nozaki after she gushed over the signed picture she got from Miyako-san:

        Please treat your characters with more care.

        I don’t know if I can adequately describe how crucial this is. Nozaki tried to basically whore his characters out to give a fan (Chiyo) what (he thought) she wanted, and that’s something the conscientious storyteller should never do. Fanservice is a delicate thing, because when it does harm to your characters, you do irreparable harm to your story – and that’s why I, though I’m known as the ecchi writer around here (I’m not the ecchi writer! I’m the fantasy writer *tsun*), rarely indulge in fanservice in my own work. To pervert your characters into something they wouldn’t be in pursuit of the love of shallow fans is just…wrong.

        Like I said, I don’t know if I can adequately explain this. Without having those characters in your head, and being the sole steward of their lives, it’s hard to imagine. Tsubaki Izumi-sensei is speaking from personal experience though, and it shows.[/quote]

        I had this in my back of Mind, when i was reply you. it’s from Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun

        WorldwideDepp
      3. WWP, I didn’t play the game fully, but spoiled myself about most of every route. So I’m somewhat in between VN players and a casual anime viewer. I don’t know all of the details.

        Solaris
      4. I mean, i have nothing against Chars that are Ecchi and lewd from the Start. Like High-school DxD and such. There you know from the start, what ride your taking

        But how would you feel, if some Slice of Life or Romance Anime turn more and more into a Ecchi Party or Hentai? I do not know the others emotion, but i would feel betrayed.

        But, long talk short story. We all know more when April comes

        Let’s see, if we still see a Rin that is still on “love on the first sight!” with Shiroe. Or we get to see a Awesome Rin with his Mighty Archer

        Until know they focus on Rin + Shiroe and Caster. Only Berserker and Iliya made a short appearance. And from the look, Iliya with Berserker are strong but with honor rules. Well, they do not assume that Berserker go there an feed on innocent people’s Soul

        WorldwideDepp
      5. WWD, I think I know what you mean, but take in mind that originally Fate Stay Night is an Hentai visual novel, and the game target is to win some heroine’s … hearth. So, given how both Saber and Rin are game heroines, I can see how there are scenes meant to score points in romantic affairs like those in the first half of the episode.

        Solaris
  13. Aww my Saber…i feel like hugging her tightly and smacking Shirou for being an ass. Spare me with the UBW storyline, lets just talk about what happen in the last episode.

    Thank you Rin for slamming reality to Shirou. We all know Shirou is awesome and all, but sometimes he needs some reality check considering his stubborness and big talk about helping people. This is why you lost Saber to the enemy (plus making her cry like that!!!!) well, im just expression myself here.

    Anyway, THANK YOU SO MUCH UFOTABLE FOR THE CHRISTMAS GIFT OF 47MINUTES UBW! ^^ i was pretty surpised since i didnt check the length of the episode just now…i soooo dying for APRIL!!! Best fanservice from Rin in the finale :DDD and Saber being a glutton and sore loser is so killing XD

    Ahh…now lining up for the waiting…

    onion warrior
  14. Season 1 was underwhelming but I suspected it’s because Season 2 makes up for it tenfold…
    So I watched the movie.
    Lordt I’m not ready for any of the sheer awesomeness….
    Fricken April -___-

    Kabble
  15. https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2014.jpg
    I like the series a lot, and one of my favorite character is Saber, but in this route a lot of the characters appear to have lost their voices. Archer( Gilgamesh )https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2040.jpg let this guy touch him in the shoulder ??? and the biggest lost is saber identity, it appears that she doesn’t want the grail any more because Fate?zero exist is that this version seems to have trouble when analyses and compare the two, but alone this first part was good and enjoyable, my Saturdays will not be the same.

    oscuda
  16. Just when I thought Shirou was slowly maturing, he goes and pull some stupid stunt like using his last command seal to tell Saber to stop attacking Caster? Yeah, great idea. Even though I know the story already, I still wanted to slap him real hard for this.

    My favorite part of the episode was Kirei showing us his bad-ass level, which wasnt shown in the UBW movie or in the VN until Heavens Feel route. That was a nice treat for those who still remember his final showdown with Kiritsugu.

    And urgh, Season 2 wont air till Spring season? This wait is going to be torture…

    YanDaMan
    1. Shirou would use it because Shirou is a force of justice and therefore will not let anyone die. If Saber and Caster continued to fight, Taiga would’ve died. Of course, we’re all sure Taiga wouldn’t’ve, but Shirou is still broken and doesn’t know that. Still stupid, but considering Shirou is still a force of justice, he won’t risk it.

      Also, dammit. 🙁 Spring is a long, long, long ways away.

      Dorian
      1. And by ordering your servant to stop mid fight, that usually spells death for your own servant. It just so happens that Caster is more interested in Saber’s mana than killing her.

        Yeah, very good idea Shirou. I know UFOTable took some liberties with the story events here and there, but this is a change they really could’ve done without. It just make Shirou’s naivete even more gag-worthy than usual.

        YanDaMan
      2. It should be pointed out that Shirou using the command seal was unintentional, much like how he accidentally used one the first time that set the story to branch to the UBW Route. So its a mistake, granted it had disastrous consquences, but it was a mistake nontheless. And it did save Taiga’s life.

        Also it happen almost exactly like this in the VN. The only thing UFOTable changed was the setting and the Water Golems.

        fragb85
      3. I dont know about you, but accidentally using 2 command seals unintentionally just makes him look even more pathetic as a master. So it’s not exactly making his stunt here look any less stupid.

        Being Mr.Justice not waiting Taiga to die is fine and all, but she had already fell out of Caster’s grasp when Saber attacked and could’ve easily been recovered and protected at that point. Telling Saber to stop, with an unintentional use of a command seal or not, was still an extremely stupid decision.

        IF Shirou really wanted the safe way to keep Taiga alive he could’ve just went along with Caster. But since he chose not to due to his principles, at least be man enough to follow through with your decision instead of changing your mind midway and screwing things up for everyone.

        YanDaMan
      4. @YanDaMan:

        Command spells are high-level magic spells, designed for use by powerful, experienced magi. Shirou is at best a novice magus, and even then has had nowhere near the level of training a normal novice magus would have had. It’s only natural he wouldn’t be able to correctly control command spells. If that makes him a “pathetic Master”, then it’s only natural, since he is. Masters in the HGW were intended to be experienced traditional magi, and he is clearly neither of the former two, and arguably not even the latter.

        quigonkenny
  17. The first part was just so damn adorable…

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2017.jpg

    …especially Saber.

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2015.jpg

    She even sweats in an anime fashion when put on the spot by Shirou and Rin for her competitiveness! When has she EVER done that in the other routes? I said it before, but I love how much more expressive Saber is in UBW than she was in FSN.

    But, of course, it was all to set up for things to get dark again really quickly. Shirou may have been an idiot with his Command Seal usage, but at least it gets a bit counter-balanced by Rin having to be harshly realistic with him at the end.

    HalfDemonInuyasha
  18. *Watches the anime only newcomers rant about show*
    *looks away*

    Uncultured mediocre mongrels… *Strikes a Gilgamesh style pose*
    This is why I would have liked a Fate reboot before Fate Zero came around.
    Newcomers think F/Z is the bible of Nasuverse and don’t seem to know about the existence of the Visual Novel. You need only to read book 1 (FATE) and most of the framework for the previous grail war is there. FZ is only darker and admittedly, better written. But you have to actually read the whole material before making judgments. As a hardcore Nasu fan, I’m loving this Adaptation.

    Helvetica Standard
  19. I was actually surprised by this last (for the season) episode. Not in terms of content, but that Ufotable pulled out its massive wallet (again) and produced a double length episode. No complaints on my end though at all. While the pacing may have been slower than some would prefer, I like the fact that Ufotable is willing to take the time to focus on the characters, and naturally build relationships than simply make UBW a flashy, eye-candy battle/action-fest (which still would sell boatloads of BD/DVDs given the ultra high quality of the fight scenes). Having played the VN, the ending was as expected, but that doesn’t take away from the fact it was a good break point.

    So far, from my perspective there is little Ufotable is doing wrong here with this adaptation, and much which is laudable. Only 13 weeks for episodes but have 16 episodes worth of material? No problem. We’ll produce 3 double length episodes. That alone to me is a strong statement about Ufotable’s commitment to a quality, inclusive, and yes, “faithful” adaptation. Even if one isn’t particularly enthused about the UBW story or perhaps the Fate Stay Night series in general, I think you have to acknowledge Utfotable’s dedication – especially when compared to some other recent adaptations. It’s not simply a matter of GDP level budget visual quality, but a strong sense of putting forth the effort to make make a very good (IMO) anime. This is by no means a “phoned in” adaptation. More like the antithesis of it.

    Though this isn’t the first time by any means, Episode 12 in particular highlighted the difference in approach between Ufotable’s UBW and Deen’s FSN – and I’m not talking about the battle scenes (though that is the most obvious thing). It’s kind of sad when Saber in UBW comes across as noticeably more personable with a stronger sense of a meaningful relationship developing between her and Shirou… and this isn’t even the “Saber route”. *sigh* There’s just no escaping the thought that FSN needs a reboot with Ufotable at the helm.

    Had UBW remained on this year’s RC “Anime of the Year” poll it would have received my vote (Yay! Procrastination pays off for once XD). I think the first cour was that good. Best part of all, as anyone who has played (read?) the VN can tell you, it’s only going to get better from this point on.

    ——————–

    @Takaii: Thanks for blogging the show and looking forward to you’re coverage of UBW Part II next year.

    “…that rendition of Disillusion was pretty freaking awesome.”

    Agree. Frankly that caught me by surprise, and I thought it was a excellent addition by Ufotable. Perfect way to end this season.

  20. So happy Shirou got a faceful of reality thrown to his face this episode. What he is doing is not being a “hero of justice”, it is trying very hard to become a martyr by rejecting the truth in the statement “you cannot save them all”. It had been beaten into his head the Saber is one of the strongest Servant yet you would just give up you control of her to someone that only see other people as objects to be used. Your opponent is ready to sacrifice an entire town to further her goals and you give up your only reliable weapon against her without even putting up a fight or trying to find an alternative plans?
    And then he is surprised that Tousaka decided to abandon him(for his own sake). I sure hope that he understands that the responsibility for this monumental cock-up falls squarely on his shoulders and that his actions would have resulted in all of them dying because of his misguided and dare I say misapplied ideals. Unless he wisen up in the next season, his grave will sport the epitaph “He died doing(ineffectively) the right thing”.

    Can’t wait for April to be there.

    Ayle
    1. Caster even only let Shirou go because she “finds him interesting”. Such antagonists only really do such (arrogant) things simply because they believe such opponents will give them more laughs in the future when they encounter each other again. That’s how little she thought of Shirou and his ideals. You’d think he would’ve realized such things after his first encounter with Caster.

      It’s just like how it was brought up (by Issei) at the start of FSN and UBW – that Shirou’s ideals and personality are the type that are very easy to take advantage of by others, and Caster capitalized on it.

      Shirou clearly wasn’t even thinking long term, but only in the immediate sense. Sure, give up Saber and get back Taiga. That’s all fine and good at the moment, but what about afterward, when Caster could potentially doom them all as a result, thus making it all pointless? And if Shirou tries to charge in and rescue Saber, he’ll more than likely die for nothing and prove Archer’s words right in that if you try to save everyone, you’ll only end up saving no one.

      HalfDemonInuyasha
      1. I don’t think the issue is what Caster thought of Shirou’s ideals. She’s just sloppy. She’ll take out people she feels are too elite and threatening to keep alive, but leave be those she takes lightly. Pretty well what Archer and Kirei have stated about her. For all her words she is hesitant to get her hands dirty. Even her hostage taking was intended to work. She didn’t expect Shirou to respond to the situation like he did and thought she could recruit him.

        Caster didn’t really take advantage of his ideals. His ideals and personality caused her more trouble than anything else. She just took advantage of the openings he created.

        Of course Shirou was focused on the immediate. That’s the power of having a loved one as a hostage! You are supposed to startle and unsettle the other party, that’s why you took the person. There were few good options here. He could sacrifice a loved one, himself, or assist Caster in what she was trying to do. He picked one bad option in a series of bad options. Sacrificing his arm there was short sighted, sacrificing Fujimura would have been too long-term looking and ignoring the immediacy. That was kind of the point of the trap. Every choice was wrong.

        Also, you can’t say he saved no one. Fujimura is alive right now. Rin is also alive right now. The first is questionable, but he definitely protected Rin’s life. I think Shirou’s mindset is dangerous and suicidal. But I think people try to take the easy route and completely dismiss him. You can save people, we see that every day. The issue is drawing the line in how far one goes and having a sense of self-preservation.

      2. I would normally agree to an extent, but the thing that really kills the situation and why Shirou is seen as an idiot here is that it was explained literally just seconds before what Caster wished to do and why she wanted Saber to do it and yet Shirou still was willing to just hand Saber over to “save” Taiga.

        If you think about the situation from other viewpoints at the time, like Rin, and not from a viewer’s perspective (especially someone who may already know how the story goes), all Shirou ended up doing was putting everyone on the doorsteps of doomsday AND made himself pretty much powerless to do anything for practically nothing. He saved one person temporarily at the potential cost of everyone else, and is now willing to throw away his own life to keep trying to save people, ergo Archer’s words in that Shirou’s constant attempts to save everyone will end up in him being unable to save anyone in the end.

        HalfDemonInuyasha
  21. same laptop takaii 😀

    For those people complaining about how UBW is disappointing compared to Zero, they are essentially 2 different amines. In my opinion I like Zero better but UBW is amazing in its own right.. The fate stay series has always been known to include a lot more light hearted moments the may cause the pace to slow down for a bit. If your watching for another roller coaster ride of ideologies and moral questioning, then your watching UBW wrong.

    Flappy
    1. Basically, I agree with you. While it’s natural for people to compare UBW with F/Zero since they are shown one after another and produced by the same studio, the comparison is an unfair one.

      Both are different animes because their source material are fundamentally different. F/Zero was a light novel, so naturally its story was more well-rounded. Recall how in F/Zero almost every pair of masters/servants were fleshed out so we got to know not only Kiritsugu and Saber, but also Tohsaka and Archer, Waver and Rider, and the others. The story progressed on a parallel basis in that one.

      UBW and FSN on the other hand, started out as a game. Its story progressed on a linear basis with particular emphasis on just one or two pairs of master/servants depending on which route you took. The other pairs are clearly given less emphasis. Naturally, the outcome of anime adaptation would differ from the case of F/Zero. There is less of a story because there’s not a whole lot of source material to begin with. Adapting it into a 2 cour anime, IMHO, was stretching it a little. That said, I thought Ufotable did a remarkable job in developing Shiro and Rin’s character in spite of what little they had to work with. We’ve learnt to understand what motivates them see them interact in a realistic manner — a vast improvement over Studio Deen’s version which is what UBW should be compared to.

      silentvoice
      1. The differences in the cast itself also plays a role in how different FZ is to the FSN routes.

        A majority of the Masters in FZ are full grown adults whereas the FSN routes are mostly young teenagers.

        Adults, especially the ones we’re introduced to in FZ, already have had pretty…eventful lives that could be delved into that help explain how they grew up to be the people they presently are before shaping legacies that they’ll leave behind. When it comes to young teenagers, it’s more about what they’re going through at present and shaping potential futures, so things can only develop step by step and, at least in FSN routes, usually involving the same legacies left behind by the previous adults.

        HalfDemonInuyasha
    2. For me the series took a huge quality drop after the Berserker fight. They spent entire episodes going to school, cooking and going on “dates” and it just doesn’t match up with the mood when they decide to be serious.

      The dialogue felt very flat and lifeless. It was honestly boring to sit through it, the only character who was interesting was Archer. Shiro is so dumb he’s cringe-inducing, Rin is a generic tsundere, Fuji-nee is a joke character, Saber is a waifu and… wait who were the other characters? They barely had any screentime.

      Archiepiscopus
    1. Doubt any Tsukihime will happend before Tsukihime2 gets live… and chances of Nasu finishing that are as big as the chances of Satsuki route existing.

      I wouldn’t mind an animation chronology being something like FSN:UBW > FSN:HF > Tsukihime:Near (Arc)> FSN:>HA ovas > Tsukihime: Far (Kohaku) > Fate:Extra > Melty Blood > Type Moon Complex (and before you say anything, “the grail did it” covers all the inconsistencies… that and 2nd magic :P)

      —————

      Back on topic, this single episode Saber > all of F:SN Saber imho. Almost makes me likes the character over Rin (almost).

      Fighterdoken
  22. https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2043.jpg
    Servant Caster stabs Servant Saber with it. ——-> Servant Caster is now also a Master.
    I’m a bit curious to how the Rule Breaker works.

    Anyone well-versed with Nasuverse lore, what could have possibly happened if:
    1)Caster used Rule Breaker on herself before stabbing Saber with it.
    2)Caster used Rule Breaker on herself after stabbing Saber with it.

    Techim
      1. Rule Breaker isn’t “becoming a master”; Rule Breaker is about nullifying any magic it comes into contact with (except other Noble Phantasms). AFAIK once Rule Breaker stabs a Servant, their master contract (which is another form of thaumaturgy) is cancelled – and they are free to be rebound.

        1) She would become a masterless servant, or become her own master. Either is no good news for her – being cut off from a master means she would receive less prana. As seen already, Masters pose little danger to Caster anyway, so she would put herself at a slight disadvantage for no gain.
        2) Same story. Her contract to Saber would be unaffected.
        3) In this case Rule Breaker would break the contract between Saber and Caster… so Caster could reforge it again. Not sure if the command seals would be replenished if she was the Master already, but yeah, in theory it could be used to recharge seals I suppose? Though there’s always the chance that Saber would utilize the gap and stab/do something nasty to her.

        Ravenlord
  23. So many fan-service shots this episode for both gals and guys. And that epilogue just fills me with great anticipation for all that serious stuff. Looking forward to more is the point I want to make across.

    random viewer
  24. I’ll be honest. I like UBW better than Fate/Zero so far. I mean as much as I like Fate/Zero, I’m much happier with this Fate series. The fluff makes the character interactions, if you ask me. How they act when they’re facing life and death scenarios is one thing, but how they act when they’re enjoying themselves is important too. As a reader/watcher, rushing from serious situation to serious situation just makes me tired!

    nyanlol
    1. For me, I love the serious tones of Fate/Zero. This fluffy material just takes away all the suspense of the story. This is supposed to be a war. FSN treats it like an after school activity. Not to say this show is bad, but I know I would enjoy it more if it had the same seriousness as Fate/Zero.

      flCer
  25. Yeah, I’m really enjoying UBW more than Fate/Zero at this point. They did a great job with Fate/Zero, but I’m just into this more. Maybe it’s just the more focus on Rin XD.

    It was nice to spend time on Rin and Shirou in the first part of this. There were many reasons for Rin to pull Shirou into that date. Giving him a break from training and the war, trying to get him to have fun after seeing how he doesn’t really do things because they are directly fun for him, etc. It was a good chance to build up that relationship that is bound to be important as things continue to get crazier here.

    But really, the first half was fun to watch. Caster’s move in the last episode was big, but her ability isn’t all that OP normally. She is a mage type, the odds that she’d be able to stab a servant isn’t normally that high. She only got this chance because Shirou used that command seal at the very wrong moment.

  26. Shirou and Rin were kinda asking for this to happen. They are teens, so they probably don’t quite grasp the gravity of the situation they are in, but in the middle of a battle royale where 5 other people with walking WMDs are trying to kill you, they should be taking the situation abit more seriously, to say the least. The more ruthless masters and servants (like Caster) who understand that this is a ‘kill-or-be-killed’ situation will naturally seize any opening or opportunity to grab them by the balls. Honestly, from the moment they realized a 3rd master was in their school, they should have taken a vacation, stockpiled guns, gems, moved their loved ones to a safe place etc., rather than dating and having picnics.

    Eugene
  27. Spoiler-ed just in case what I wrote is a bit too spoilerish for some. It’s nothing much to be honest =3

    Show Spoiler ▼

    One may his/her opinion about ufotable’s handling of the Fate series, but for me, what I like is how they don’t just stick only to what’s in stay night alone but would supplement it with materials from other sources. A bit OT, I really like how the Heaven’s Feel OP in Realta Nua (also done by ufotable) references the cover from fate/another score (http://i.imgur.com/I8uj5zx.jpg)

    Random Comment
  28. So what are the pure anime watchers to do now?

    We’ve watched the first half, and as discussed elsewhere in the comments the show ends up being kinda crap if you haven’t already read the VN. We’re told to stick with it and watch the 2nd half where much of it will come together, but I don’t want to slog through in the hope that everything will make sense when there is SO MUCH that seems nonsensical, contrived and weak to the uninitiated.

    Is there something we can watch for background that will clear some of this up without having to become a dedicated fan of the franchise?

    Mixolyd
    1. We’re told to stick with it and watch the 2nd half where much of it will come together, but I don’t want to slog through in the hope that everything will make sense when there is SO MUCH that seems nonsensical, contrived and weak to the uninitiated.
      This happens when you only watch a half of a show. How do you even think You can know everything with just a part. Usually loose parts come together at the end, and the end is 4 months ahead of us. This is just common sense.
      Anyway, care to tell us what’s so much “nonsensical, contrived and weak”?

      Solaris
      1. There’s no point getting into the argument from the original thread above when the points are already established there. Clearly the show is a great watch for the initiated and poor for those who are not: hence all the conflict when people are having such divergent experiences.

        My question remains: is there a way of getting a sufficient grounding in the world and characters without going through the original VN?

        Mixolyd
    2. IMHO you could watch the original Fate/Stay Night by Studio Deen (I personally enjoyed it). The first few episodes may feel awkwardly similar but because it’s a different route, you’ll get all the information and facts to help supplement everything for UBW.

      That or you could go watch Fate/Zero since it’s technically a prologue to everything.

      tl;dr F/Z doesn’t spoil much for this series but its technically the prologue. F/SN Studio Deen Edition will bring you up to speed without ruining much about what’s going to happen next season. That said, there are spoilers sitting around both of them.

      1. @Mixo

        I recommend watching the prologue that Takaii mentions. Fate/Zero will explain all your questions in detail. But be warned. Like Takaii said, watching the prologue that is Fate/Zero will definitely change your viewing experience in this show. For better or for worst will differ from person to person.

        flCer
      2. Takaii, I downvoted you for endorsing Deen/Stay Night, but now I’m kind of regretting it. There are a lot of comments above from people used to the dark and heavy tone of Fate/Zero who are now chafing at how fuwa fuwa UBW can be. Plus, while ufotable seems to be adapting UBW with an eye towards letting it function as a sequel to Zero, Zero is undeniably heavily involved in a lot of setting and backstory that was reserved for dramatic revelations in the original work (most of the surprises in the Fate route are dryly exposited in the first few minutes of Fate/Zero episode 2).

        I had been considering recommending that people watch UBW 2015, and then Fate/Zero, and then the upcoming Heaven’s Feel movie; my thinking was that UBW ought to be able to stand on its own and would act as a foundation, while Zero is more interesting when you already know some of who’s who, and I think HF could potentially be even more horrifying if you already know the things Zero spoils. If UBW isn’t doing it for you though, I’d sort of also have to suggest using the 2006 Deen show as your foundation, even though I think it’s even worse than Shingetsutan Tsukihime.

        Axe Armor
  29. Hi guys! I just wanted to ask you if there is any hope for Fate Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works to end in a good manner ( with Saber staying in this world) because I almost cried when Fate stay night ended. I realllllyyy hope this will end in a good way.

    Adam Adonis
    1. If you want to watch it chronologically, start with Fate/Zero and then watch Fate/Stay Night UBW(2015).

      The UBW movie is essentially a super shortened version of the current running Fate/Stay Night UBW(2015). The movie focuses only on the key battle and events, and cuts out anything that is not quintessential to the plot.

      If you care for my personal recommendation, watch Fate/Zero and then watch and keep up with the current 2015 Fate/Stay Night.

      flCer
  30. The way Ufotable put their spin on the series was great. Damnit I can’t believe I have to wait until April for this start up again.

    Ughhh I loathe Shirou so much but that’s how his character is, I’d prefer Kiritsugu’s action man tactics back in F/Z. Loved Rin throughout the whole series reminded me of Eri Sawachika from School Rumble. Based on the ending previews, I can’t wait for Gurugamesh to get air time.

    Dexterino
  31. I hate Rin but I like Archer. That’s why I’m watching this even though this is not Shirou X Saber route.
    I hope UFOTable will do a remake of Fate route. I would really appreciate it if they will add the H scenes even if it’s censored.

    m0ng

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