「凛の冒険」 (Rin no Bouken)
“Rin’s Adventure”

Being a full episode about Rin, this could’ve easily been saved as a side story instead of one of the regular episodes, but only a fool would actually think that when childhood Rin is absolutely adorable. There were plenty of full-length pans, a shot of the million-dollar smile, and the arrival of the “true” Hero of Justice, making this a worthwhile endeavor in my books. It’s not like it was completely unrelated either, with Rin serving as our window into both the workings of magic and Ryuunosuke/Caster’s serial killings. In the short span of a single episode, it’s quite impressive how much story they packed into it too, starting with the depiction of how Tokiomi patiently instructs his daughter and how Kotone (Seto Asami) is Rin’s close friend. Things even dialed back to the start of the Holy Grail War in the very first episode, back when Tokiomi asked Aoi and Rin to go into hiding, so in reality, it wasn’t so much of a side story as it was a supplementary story to enhance our understanding of the characters.

Seeing more of Kariya was the most welcomed addition to Rin’s adventure, as he’s been sorely lacking screen time. While his appearance here did tie into the main plot with Kirei monitoring Berserker’s Master, I was most appreciative of another development — learning that he’s still the same caring “uncle” to Rin and Sakura in spite of everything that’s happened to his body. If nothing else, that reiterated the selflessness in his character, which warranted more feelings of sympathy toward the sacrifice he made. It also made Aoi aware of it for the very first time, making it harder for both her and myself to root for any one Master. Anyone with a heart can’t help but hope Kariya’s sacrifice won’t be in vain, but Tokiomi isn’t exactly a “bad” person (or father) either, despite his deceptive approach on the war. Then there’s Kiritsugu who’s paired up with the Saber and technically the lead in the series, plus the ever-so-awesome tandem of Waver and Rider to take into consideration. Kayneth/Sola aren’t as clear-cut either, because they have an amiable Servant in Lancer. Kirei of course is Kiritsugu’s nemesis and plays a significant role in Fate/stay night so his inclusion is a given, leaving Ryuunosuke as the sole Master I wouldn’t mind seeing written off in a hurry. Even then, Ryuunosuke and Caster have proven to be sick and twisted but not mindless, providing a wild card to the war as a whole. Without them, I dare say the story would’ve been relatively uneventful thus far. After all, they’ve single-handedly drawn the attention of all the other Masters and caused a rift in their plans.

As for this episode in particular, the only thing that rubbed me the wrong way a bit was Rin ignoring Tokiomi’s warnings and continuing to tail Ryuunosuke with the mana compass he gave her. I was however willing to overlook the recklessness in her actions because the episode did a decent job of depicting her relationship with Kotone and her concern for her when she caught wind of the missing children in Fuyuki. In short, it wasn’t all that unbelievable even if it wasn’t entirely agreeable, so I rather enjoyed the moment where Rin got to shine. The music in that scene and the determination in her face as the compass sensed more power in her than Ryuunosuke’s brainwashing bracelet were the highlight of this episode. Next time, it looks like Kiritsugu, Tokiomi, and Waver will be crossing paths, judging from the three Command Seals seen in the preview and the dialogue itself.

* Full-length images: 01, 10, 12, 16, 19, 20, 21.

 

Preview

182 Comments

  1. That was certainly a huge deviation from the novel. One that I’m actually happy for. As much as I like how Urobochi does shock and gore very well, I really can’t stand any more child brutality. So I really liked the far more optimistic ending. It also helps that Rin is one of my favorite characters of all time. She was just adorable here.

    Of course Kariya finally appears and his interaction Aoi was very good. You can’t help but feel sympathy for him, but you can clearly see how he is slowly getting delusional as the war goes on.

    fragb85
  2. I see Tokiomi in a different light now, because he’s actually a good father.

    I was always under the impression he was a cold father for years because of how Rin hated Kiritsugu’s way of raising Shirou and chose to be a father rather than a Magi instead. Thought Rin’s jealousy over Shirou’s lifestyle because her father chose life of a Magi over father means Tokiomi was cold. I was wrong, Rin was simply just too young to understand that Magi is his job and he’s an accomplished father AND Magi at the same time. I have new gain respect for Tokiomi now.

    thenewhorde
  3. While I did enjoy this episode, I didn’t think it added too much to the overall story. Does it hold more weight if you’ve seen Fate/Stay Night, like foreshadowing events from that series and whatnot? Isn’t Rin one of main characters of FSN (I would look this up on Wiki but I don’t want to accidentally spoil anything for FZ)?

    1. I’ve only watched the first 6 episodes of Stay Night so far (planning on watching the next 6 once Zero gets to the halfway point), but from what I’ve seen, Rin’s character (and hairstyle) don’t change all that much between either series, besides being more tsundere and teenager-y.

      NOT THAT I’M COMPLAINING. Let me make that perfectly clear.

      Da5id
    2. Basically.

      Rin is incredibly popular, and for good reason. She plays a large role in all routes in Fate/Stay Night, and generally comes out best in all of them.

      F/SN Spoiler
      Show Spoiler ▼

      Also gets the closest thing to a “Harem” ending the franchise has.

      Fencedude
      1. Nope. The Harem ending is canon in Hollow Ataraxia (Eclipse ending, once you completed all). Show Spoiler ▼

        Moriae
    3. Rin’s one of the main characters of Fate/Stay Night. Between Emiya, Saber and Rin they form the core protagonists of the series. While Saber’s always a major focus in the Fate Series it’s nice to see them put the spotlight on a young Rin in this prequel.

      schwegburt
      1. Saber is not the focus of the series… Heaven’s Feel route is focused on Sakura. Hollow Ataraxia on Bazett (and then Caren). Irisvel is the heroine in Zero, IMO. She’s important but only in Fate she’s the main focus.

        Rin has her protagonist spread around. She’s NEVER a focus, outside the prologue, she’s pretty important supporting character (UBW wise, even if she’s a heroine, is more of Shirou&Archer route).

        The themes of heroism and what defines a hero are the focus.

        Moriae
    4. The three heroines in FSN are: (I don’t think this is a spoiler since you watched a few episodes of FSN, but just in case)

      Show Spoiler ▼

      Frankly, I find the first person is a bit too bland in personality (some other people call her ‘composed’); the third person is just way too bland that I cannot bring myself to like her at all (except perhaps what she did for Shirou; but even that felt pretty contrived).

      Rin, however, played a major role in all three routes in FSN (arguably less in Fate, but still a fair amount of her there), has an interesting personality (yes, this is my tsundere fanboyism talking), and she is what I consider a fairly powerful individual in FSN.

      suff
    5. Rins practically the second most important character in F/SN in general. In addition to her own route in UBW, she’s a very significant presence in both Fate and HF routes. If you combine all the routes of F/SN, Rin arguably has more role than the main girl Saber.

      In addition, Rin is IMO one of the few Tsunderes done right. She has an interesting and dynamic personality in contrast to Saber(whom I find too generic and derivative) or Sakura(who came of as pretentious in her route).

      fragb85
      1. If you say UBW is Rin’s route because she had sex with Shirou then I agree. But honestly Shirou totally store the show in UBW by taking on

        Show Spoiler ▼

        If I have to pick a route for Rin I’d pick HF, actually. But honestly Rin is so heavily involved in all three routes that I can hardly complain.

        suff
  4. LOL at Ryuunosuke using rufi magic to kidnap children. And just in time for the holidays! What was that one version of Santa Claus that kidnaps children that are naughty?

    Anyway, good breather inbetween all of the insanely epic scenes. Can’t wait to see how they wrap up the first half!

    Da5id
  5. Rin’s not a prodigy Magus for nothing.

    Anyway, she was totally awesome this episode. Going into danger to save your girlfriend? She’s the best hero this show has thus far.

    And even in elementary school, Rin was a hit with the ladies.

    Fencedude
  6. Saber wasn’t able to save even a single child when she really wanted to in her heart, but Rin, a young (uber talented) mage, was able to save a bunch of kids.

    It really hurts to be tied down by something/someone.

    Brion
      1. In the novel, the episode would have ended right when Rin went into the alley and was found by Kariya. No seeing Rinnosuke or rescuing anyone. It’s actually implied that Kotone and all of those other children were killed.

        Suppa Tenko
    1. Thats still my favorite KnK movie. Its not the “best”, but it was so much fun.

      Azaka, especially the KnK movie version of her, has more than just a bit of Rin in her though. Probably one of the reasons I like her so much.

      Fencedude
  7. As I was watching I kept thinking Rin was too reckless and in over her head, but I realized she was just eight or something; and the actions she took actually make a lot of sense if you look at it from a child’s perspective. I loved that after all the ‘heroic’ things she did she ended up facing something she couldn’t handle and needed saving from an adult.

    Tokiomi, too, got some much needed characterization, although one still wonders how he gives away his younger daughter to a decrepit old man and still manages to look like a decent father -__-; I sort of wished they touched on the Sakura aspect of it since I always wondered what Rin’s opinion of it was.

    But that’s a minor complaint to an otherwise great episode.

    (And did anyone get ominous vibes from Kirei at the end of the episode?)

    BakaMochi
    1. That’s the thing. For an 8 year old I can totally believe how reckless Rin acted. Kids don’t think about mortal peril. Even if they do, a kid like Rin who’s brilliant and knows magic, I could totally see her getting in over her head due to her over confidence.

      schwegburt
      1. Also Rin is naturally…headstrong. Its not surprising she did what she did, not just because she’s 8, but because she’s Rin.

        She doesn’t like to admit it when she gets older, but she’s got a bit of the “Hero of Justice” strain that Kariya (and later, Shirou) have. Much of what she does in F/SN makes no sense from a purely logical standpoint.

        Fencedude
  8. Is it just me or does Caster seem really weak? His Cthulhu minions are just fodder and his magical artifacts get destroyed by a little girl. Even if she is a prodigy, that’s pretty sad. I fell that if Rider just rammed him once, he would be dead.

    This episode did seem out of place with its optimism, but it was nice to have a change of pace in this show. As of right now, I’m rooting for Kariya (most badass servant and the nicest guy in the war) but then again I change sides every episode so we’ll see.

    Moeronic
    1. Caster is the weakest servant. Its just that he summons over 90000 minions every fight that act as a shield to protect him. Think of it as a sorcerer class character with unlimited MP and just spams summons on the level of Zerglings. As you saw Rider did destroy all of his minions just by riding around in his chariot. Its just that Caster wasn’t there at the time.

      Suppa Tenko
    2. wait until you see him summon something that ISN’T just a demon minion, then you’d think he’s the most powerful character we’ve seen yet in the entire franchise. Then again… that’s the summon that’s powerful and not him… well, I guess it counts.

      thenewhorde
      1. Anti-army abilities like Rider from both Holy Grail War 4 and 5, Archers from 4 and 5, Excalibur…etc. Those abilities are counters to Caster, but personally I think if Caster and Gilgamesh both had time to prepare their best moves, it’d be a tie probably.

        thenewhorde
  9. I love the development of all the Masters and their relationships. I initially thought that I would only be rooting for Kiritsugu, but now, I actually care for some of the other Masters. Which means I’m gonna feel sad when some of the Masters are inevitably knocked out of the war.

    I never really liked Rin until I read UBW in the VN. After that, she’s definitely one of my favourite characters. I eespecially like how her clothes are exactly the same as her teenage ones. Chibi-Rin is just full of win, even if her recklessness made me facepalm a little.

    Kentaiyoshimi
  10. Anyone kinda annoyed how a deadly serial killer just got bested by a little novice mahou shoujo ? I mean, I thought this episode was pretty good but cmon, he just stands there as Rin breaks his bracelet. He just seemed way too… inactive in that whole scene.

    1. think Ryuunosuke wasn’t even taking it seriously. he didn’t even bother to chase back the children that escaped.

      after all, he can always catch them again, it’s like playing to him.

      he’s pedobear gone bearserk.

      saka
      1. @fence

        perhaps I should’ve been more clear, but in the context of what dave was saying about kids reporting him, Uryuu couldn’t care less whether LE were on to him, not with Caster supporting him.

        Mike
    2. Uryuu is the weakest participant in the war (counting Masters and Servants). He obviously has the ability to use magic (hence becoming a master), but has no training or ability to do so, hence the bracelet to kidnap the kids. Also, Rin is a genius mage, even at 7~8, and half trained, she’s more than a match for Uryuu in that field.

      As for why he let the kids go, what is he going to do, assault the police? Thats really stupid on a number of levels.

      Fencedude
    3. Please pardon me for being pedantic, and I speak as a Nasuverse novice, but IIRC, I believe within the Nasuverse, the term ought to be “majutsu shoujo” (magus girl) rather than the usual “mahou shoujo” (magical girl).

      Any mix-up between “magus/thaumaturgy” and “magic” will incur the risk of getting flamed by Type-Moon fanatics, so please do be careful. 🙂

      Kinny Riddle
  11. Indeed, Rin’s sidestory was really expanded beyond the LN this episode. Still, it’s quite an enjoyable episode, and Rin fans would probably spazz out of her cuteness! I do wanted that Kariya’s portion of the story was a bit more expanded, but at least he’s shown his good side. Tokiomi’s good side, especially as a father, was shown too, which is a nice touch!

    Can’t wait for the feast of the three kings! Just wondering though… Till what episode will Fate/Zero end this season before they go to a break?

  12. Anyone else amazed at how the kid Ryuunosuke killed in the first episode after summoning Caster popped back up in the funeral? That was a “holy shit” moment where you’re reminded how good Fate/zero is at lining up the little details.

    The episode also took the opportunity to show Tokiomi as a caring father and Kariya as still the same selfless man.

    As a filler-like episode this is a shining example of how to do it. Give exposition to characters who wouldn’t normally get it and flesh out the under currents of the plot.

    schwegburt
    1. I’ don’t think he is the same Kid, because that one died whit all of his family and was eaten alive, so no traces should habe been found. And in the funeral they would habe done it to the whole family, not the kid alone. Then again, I might be wrong.

      Kob264
      1. If you think about it this ending is still pretty melancholy.

        First of all, Kotone doesn’t have parents anymore judging by the fact that no one in her house answered Rin’s call and that Uryu kidnaps kids after killing their parents.

        Next, she’ll probably be sent to an orphanage. And orphanages have kids. Kids that are very easy to kidnap. So for all we know, Uryu could just hit up a random orphanage and take her back.

        Moeronic
  13. Usually, I would complain that this is somewhat a filler episode. But it’s about RIN, so I welcome it with open arms… 😀

    Anyways, this episode does show how talented Rin is as a mage, and how bad (hahaha) Ryuunosuke is. Compared with most other masters in this war, perhaps the hero of justice should be Rin.

    suff
  14. I realy liked how Kotomini Kirei left Kariya ( I think is his name ) as well as his wife and child alone. They were being observed by assassin.. and assasin even asked him again if he was sure if it was okay to leave those 2 alone since they are close relatives of targets of the holy grail war.

    Kind of reminds me of how the guy lost his wife.. and that slow pan out. Well done I say.

    Samurai Pumpkin
  15. I keep forgetting that Berserker and Kariya are even part of this holy grail battle. Nice to see him showing up briefly again, but I’d think he’d have a little more urgency than he’s shown so far. After all, the sooner he gets the grail, the sooner Sakura is freed.

    baltar
  16. Sigh… Warning, Rant below, i apologize in advance. Let me make it clear that i do like Rin very much, i think she is an amazing character, and is completly awesome in FSN. However, im not a “worship her” kind of fan, and i had some problems with this episode, hence the below rant.

    Rin’s “adventure” as this episode calls it is only 12 pages long in the novel, and contained none of this loli fanservice. In the novels, Rin doesnt even meet Uryu, and shortly after arriving fuyuki ends up passing out in fear when she nearly gets to something powerful and dangerous that could have killed her, and then is rescued/found by Kariya, who has his scene with Aoi. That’s it.

    Rin’s scene in the novel exists mostly for two reasons:

    1. To show that Rin, while kindhearted and brave, is COMPLETLY out of her depth, was foolish to jump into the war like that, and could easily have gotten herself killed.
    2. Rin experiences true fear of death and as a result is much more prepared for fighting, fear and death in Fate Stay Night, becoming a badass.

    Now, i didn’t really mind all the anime original stuff that they added, because they did a good job humanizing Tokiomi, (except every time he acted like a good Father to Rin all i could think about was how right now, Sakura is probably in that pit being raped and tortured by those worms. Just like she is every single day. Fuck You Tokiomi.) as well as giving Ryunosuke and Rin more screen time, but as a novel reader, the ending of this episode felt like something from a different series.
    This Rin doesnt seem to have learned much compared to her novel counterpart, and would probably be right back out there on the streets 2 days later if another of her friends were kidnapped, because hey, it worked once right?

    P.S. also, are we supposed to believe that a serial killer who slaughtered dozens of family’s BEFORE he got his magical servant would have trouble catching a little girl because she was throwing stuff at him? That’s some strong Plot Armor you got there Rin.

    takashid
    1. Did you miss the part where Rin was terrified of the Cthulu monster and had to be saved by Kariya? She most likely would have fallen victim there. She even had a small monologue that she wasn’t strong enough. She did in fact learn the same lesson just in a different context.

      As for Uryuu he never did take Rin seriously. Rin was pretty much just panicking like a kid and throwing stuff at him. He even assumed his bracelet worked on her and didn’t expect her to be a magus with resistance to magic. Add to the fact the he has Caster, he can just gather more victims at a later time. Seems pretty plausible to me.

      Really, I think this makes much more sense in the novel. If Rin had lost a close friend like Kotone in the novel, you’d think it would come up but in F/SN but she is never mentioned again. If anything this bit of optimism is needed on the show as a breather, because things will go south very fast as the actual plot progresses.

      fragb85
      1. Oh fuck you.

        The novel is “canon” to itself. The anime is also “canon” to itself. Which one is more “canon” to the Visual Novel is irrelevant.

        Your pulling the purity schtick is really obnoxious.

        Fencedude
    2. and contained none of this loli fanservice

      Excuse me, but what, precisely, is this “Loli Fanservice” you claim was in this episode? And no, a little girl being the protagonist of the episode is not “loli fanservice”. Please don’t abuse terminology. You want to see loli fanservice, go watch Haganai.

      Also this episode was perfectly in keeping with Rin’s character, see my post above for more on that point.

      but as a novel reader

      Thats nice. No one gives a shit.

      Fencedude
      1. i said loli fanservice because this episode was filled with loli’s. That’s all. If that was some horrible incorrect use of terminology, then my bad. i would appreciate it if you don’t get rude and insult me just because you disagree with me.

        My post had nothing to do with Rin’s character. Rin as a character is awesome and brave and fun, etc. My problem was with the scene itself, because Rin so easily succeeding in her quest felt very unrealistic, like something out of a shonen show. Which would be fine, except this isn’t shonen, this is Fate Zero. The outcome of Rin’s adventure was almost exactly opposite in the novel, with Rin never finding her friend or knowing what happened to her. That was what my post was about, and the effect that had on Rin that i didn’t really see here in this episode, not to bash Rin.

        Which post are you reffering to?

        takashid
      2. Rin STILL nearly died. And as her monologue indicates that she still acknowledged that she was way over her head. So really the only difference was that she was able to save her friend. And yes I think this was better because a work doesn’t have to be GRIMDARK all the time. I actually applaud Urobochi for at least doing this change, we need a little bit of optimism now and then.

        And do you want to pull the realism card? In the Nasuverse? Really? It seems you’re just splitting hairs because of the deviation from the novel.

        fragb85
      3. This is post-Madokami Fate/Zero.

        The universe now tilts towards hope. Just a bit, just the tiniest amount, but its there.

        Madokami smiled on Toosaka Rin, who managed to bring a small amount of light and hope to Fuyuki City. All is not lost, it is not all despair.

        Fencedude
      4. fragb85: im splitting hairs yeah, i’ll admit, but only because of how they changed it. As i said, i don’t mind they added all that stuff with Ryunosuke and whatnot, that was awesome! But at the end of the episode Rin succeeding in her goal, makes it seem like she wouldn’t really learn the lesson the novel intended with this scene, which was basically, “you are way, way out of your league and all you will accomplish is getting yourself killed” Since Rin was able to successfully go to fuyuki and be a shonen hero, i don’t see why as a kid she wouldn’t think she couldn’t do it again if someone else in her class got kidnapped. Whereas in the novel Rin is unable to do anything, which shows her that she is still too young for this stuff and needs training.

        Anyway, your right about it being a nice break from the gimdark though, and this is going on a bit much already so i’ll stop here.

        takashid
      5. There was only one questionable shot IMO @ 0:31, during the intro … of the ‘magic wind’ almost blowing her skirt up. I wouldn’t call the whole episode “loli fanservice” because of that, but I wish they hadn’t put it in. It makes it lot harder to share the anime with certain audiences.

        FarHorizon
    3. Yeah, I think it was pretty clear that Ryuunosuke was just toying with Rin. He enjoys inducing fear in his victims and wasn’t aware that Rin’s a mage in training. Even when he realized, he wasn’t going to get riled up by a kid. He’s a smooth criminal. 😛

      1. Well of course Ryunosuke is smooth :P, i just found it strange that even after she drops a case of something heavy on his foot and then starts glowing with power, not once did Ryunosuke do the obvious thing, like punch her in the head or whip out one of his many knives and go to town. It felt too convenient the way she “defeated” Ryunosuke. Especially since he has a reputation of being very good at catching and killing kids.

        ..And before anyone shrieks “hater”, no im not saying that i wish Rin had gotten shanked, im just saying that it would have felt less forced and convenient for Rin to beat him if he had done any of those things, and it would have added to the feeling of threat that scene had. They did a very good job building up the suspense, even though i knew what would happen in the end, i was terrified for Rin when she met Ryunosuke. However, that suspense kinda vanished the minute we see Rin easily dodging him and him not really fighting back.

        takashid
      2. I think you overestimate him. You can’t apply rational thinking to a serial killer who just murders for joy. He just toyed with Rin, got fascinated by Rin’s magic glowing, then got blinded and that’s it. Even when his bracelet broke he just looked bored. Why would he be riled up? Its not like he and Caster can just kidnap more kids. Its not plot convenience at all, its just a sociopath not giving a fuck.

        fragb85
      3. fragb85: yeah i see your point Ryunosuke wasn’t really taking her seriously at all, and even after she broke the bracelet was just like “oh well”. I guess i just found it “convenient” because Rin beating him was the moment that her adventure became the exact opposite of the novels scene, and it ticked me off that it Rin seemed to get away with it with 0 consequences. Im a bit of a book purist like that 😛

        takashid
    4. Well said.

      I wish the guy would have broken Rin’s ribs or something. That would have more realistic, Rin assaulted by him and barely escaping… then meeting the sea monster if they wanted to expand it.

      None of this Super Loli BS.

      Moriae
      1. If Rin got her ribs broken then and there, considering the realism route, she would be turn into living appliance for sure. It’s not like she’s Maiya or anything and no matter how talented she is in magic, she’s just a naive 8 year old kid.

        felix
  17. Well that was an interesting look into Rin’s childhood. Ultimately, she doesn’t change much from when she gets involved in the next grail war, still as headstrong, brash, reckless, kind-hearted and outgoing as she was depicted in FS/N. I guess her father’s words about elegance meant something to her though, as she does try to present that, although that facade crumbles rather quickly, and obviously never really sat well with her personality.

    Thinking about it, it’s impressive how much progress Rin made on her own with her magical abilities by the time of FSN, but this clearly showed how talented of a mage she is likely to become. This episode was a fun little distraction.

    Delwack
  18. This episode is supposed to be a filler, but still very well played! The tension is engaging, and I find myself delightfully surprised when I feel scared just by seeing ryuunousuke’s face, and he hasn’t even started doing anything horrific… yet.
    I am 17, but I definitely would faint too if I saw a cthulhu trying to kill me.
    Feel bad for Sakura, Tokiomi doesn’t seem to love her as much as he loves Rin.
    But! Next episode! Those 3 meet together!! I don’t know what they are going to do but I am pretty sure EPICNESS and BADASSERY ARISES!! Holy motherf**ker holy grail!!

    KGFJ
  19. When I first started watching this anime, I was only looking out for Rin after seeing the preview XD. Not that I’m that big a Rin fan or anything like that. Just that I was never crazy about the Fate series, was generally not interested in prequels, and usually don’t enjoy an anime where I know most of the characters are probably going to die gruesome deaths. Watching for Rin was just an excuse to pick this anime up since it was highly recommended. Since then, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how entertaining this anime turn out to be, and how intriguing I found almost all the characters. Having said that, I still started watching this wishing to see more of Rin, and this episode fulfilled that wish. If I didn’t enjoy the anime as much as I do right now, I might even consider dropping it after this episode :p.

    x
  20. Tokiomi sucks as father. Those scenes he’s good with Rin is because he’s a good magus teacher. Even in the prologue FSN flashback, Rin remembers him as someone who failed parenting but someone who was admirable as magi.

    He’s the anti Kariya, who sucks as magus but would be a good father.

    Also this episode was bullshit. I raged at the loli fanservice from a small portion of the light novels that displayed Rin as a moron who ventured out in the night and nearly got herself killed for nothing (she never rescued anyone there).

    Moriae
      1. I didn’t see him as parental. In FSN, he’s described as someone who never laughed or smiled at Rin and only ruffled her hair before he went to the war, knowing he wouldn’t return (because it would mean death or Akasha). Tokiomi is a good teacher and this episode did a good job to portray that.

        Moriae
  21. Gahhh Freaking had “Amnesia: The Dark Descent” vibes half of this episode.

    Rin, No no non on on no non RUN AWAY RIN. RUNNNNNN. y u no run away.

    I find image 21 hilarious, like “welp, I told you to run and now look what trouble you’re in.” *she wakes up* “oops, nope glad to see you’re awake. Back to where we were, shall we?”
    Image 23 is nicely epic. >).

    Kumakaori
  22. Surprised nobody mentioned it yet, but did anyone else think Kotone looked a bit like Sakura?

    Considering how important Rin is in F/SN, I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. How people find this filler and loli fanservice is beyond me.

    R
      1. What the heck, I just noticed the unicycles as well. I can’t believe that the animators made children ride unicycles like that. LOL, I am wondering if the animators had to do that as a child or they were plotting something else.

        L002
      2. I used to ride a unicycle during lunch break quite often when I was in elementary school in Japan. It was quite fun. And, if I remember correctly many? were broken/damaged after a while due to frequent (ab?)use by lots of kids. So, to me unicycle scene in Japanese elementary school is not surprising. But thanks for pointing it out. (I did not notice.) It was interesting to find out this scene was surprising to some.

        Neko-tail
    1. Sort of. The initial premise of the plot does exist in the LN (Rin running away in the dead of the night using a prana compass to search for a missing classmate) but the interactions with her classmates and her father, and the interactions with Ryuunosuke were anime-original.

      CobaltPhi
  23. A wonderful episode, the optimism was nice for a change. At this point I still don’t know who to root for. I want to root for Kiritsugu because I really like his character, but his goal is still too ambiguous. What does he mean, “Save the world”? I wish they’d expand on that.

    BTW, those kids on unicycles are epic, they put my cycling skills to shame.

    Sekai
  24. Rin makes Ryuunosuke, Sola and Waver look kinda incompetent this episode. It’s hard to believe Ryuunosuke is the same guy from Ep2 who wasn’t willing to let one kid go, while here he just stands there for about 30 seconds while Rin overloads the bracelet. This episode and Ep2 feel like completely different shows.

    Then we have Sola and Waver probably the only two masters actually looking for Caster with only Waver having a little luck, while Ryuunosuke was out in the open doing his Pied Piper impersonation and Rin finds him in only a few hours after getting home from school.

    The Sola and Waver part I can forgive though since no one found him in the LN. But overall I wish they used the extra time to expand on Kariya/Aoi character development.

    Firefly
  25. Something I don’t get about Kariya’s plans here. Why is he still bothering with the Grail war? Why not just send in Berserker to kill the old guy and rescue Sakura? Caster and Ryuunosuke sure aren’t bothering with the Grail War to get what they want.

    It’s such an obvious question that it really bugs me. Is Kariya so cowed by the family patriarch that he can’t even think of doing it or what?

    Dayriff
  26. Kariya is the typical Urobuchi tragic hero that everyone knows will die in vain, but still soldier on to the end. Miki Sayaka of Madoka Magica is another example of an Urobuchi Gen tragic hero.

    His animosity towards Tokiomi for abandoning Sakura is understandable, and at first I thought I’d agree with him and maybe root for him to perhaps at least deal some damage to Tokiomi, if not kill him outright before he himself succumbed to his Crest Worms. (Like Kariya, I also got some satisfaction with his Berserker making Tokiomi’s Gilgamesh look stupid. )

    But after seeing Tokiomi as a stern yet caring father to Rin this episode, I’m not so sure anymore about whether he really meant to throw Sakura into those worms. Maybe he was forced into making a choice between his two daughters, much like Sophie in Sophie’s Choice, being forced by the Nazis to choose which child would end up getting gassed.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie's_Choice_(film)

    Maybe now I’m more sympathetic to Aoi’s anguish towards the two men who loved her going at each other’s throats.

    Kinny Riddle
    1. Show Spoiler ▼

      Suppa Tenko
    2. Show Spoiler ▼

      Yoyo
    3. Show Spoiler ▼

      xammy
      1. correct me if I’m wrong, but…

        Show Spoiler ▼

        Mike
  27. The fact that Kirei had one of his Assassins follow Rin and Aoi at all times may suggest that he knowingly allowed Rin to be put in danger. But knowing Kirei’s nihilistic personality, he probably wouldn’t care too much, even if Kariya hadn’t intervened. Only Kiritsugu interests him.

    Though this sideshow would serve as a useful explanation on how Team Archer + Team Assassin managed to track down Kariya.

    Kinny Riddle
    1. well, i hope you got enough of Rin, cause she wont really be back after this very stretched out episode except for a few small scenes here and there. Gilgamesh on the other hand… -excited for next episode-

      takashid
  28. Can anyone tell me why Rin actually went to the city in the first place? She must have believed that she could save them because she went. Is it because she believed (or somehow she KNEW) the culprit was magical in nature?

    suff
    1. she knew the holy grail war was going on in fuyuki, which is where kotone lives. thus, kotone being kidnapped must be related to the Grail war. She goes to the city on her rescue mission because she is playing super hero basically. In the novel she gets a good lesson on why that was stupid, not rescuing anyone and realizing how easily she could have been killed. This contributes to her becoming so serious about the war in FSN. In this anime however, Rin’s little plan miraculously turns out perfectly without a single scratch, so there is no lesson!

      takashid
  29. Even though I alraedy knew Rin would survive the ordeal since shes a main character in F/SN, I still felt the suspence in all of it. Ufotable did a really good job with the scene and music to make this work. I was genuinely worried knowing nothing bad would happen to her.

    Young Rin seems so much different than older Rin, wonder how she ended up as a completely stuck up tsundere lol.

    YanDaMan263
      1. Also, in Fate I think (not 100% sure) it is implied that Shirou and Tousaka had a warm relationship afterwards.

        In any scenario, Tousaka went to the Mage Association and became a powerful sorcerer.

        suff
  30. Kid Rin is very cute, quite diligent and pretty brave though that needs to be tempered with calm reasoning or the “friendly” hands from the book will be deadly for her type of character (if we didn’t know she survived due to Fate/Stay Night)

    Zaku Fan
  31. Seeing Rin in chibi form isn’t all that bad, but this episode feels like a bonus episode that could just be bundled with the BD release than an actual episode. It feels a little bit out of place specially with all the tension and drama that came from the previous episodes. Still a nice side story thought.

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