Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya / First Impressions

「彼女の名は」 (Kanojo no na wa)
“Her Name Is”

No matter the timeline, Bazett is a monster. The servant slayer is here, but all the servants are gone. It’s up to you, girls.

Peeping Mama

I like this enigmatic Iri, as opposed to the tragic one of Fate/Zero. I liked her there too, but as with the Illya who gets to live, it’s nice to see her in better times, being silly. The peeping mama antics were mainly funny because of Luvia & Rin, with the utterly shameless and full-of-ulterior-motives Luvia being my favorite.

But what I really liked was that, no matter the timeline, these characters are always who they are. To whit, Taiga; she’s always energetic, surprisingly perceptive, good with a shinai, and ready to protect others. That warms my heart, Fuji-nee.

Dere Kuro

It’s been a challenge for some viewers to empathize with Kuro after the whole attempted murder thing. One can make up all sorts of excuses for what she did, but she did try to kill Illya (and Miyu) and never apologized for it. The situation is complex though, and I think they’ve done a good job of making these character act like 10-year-old girls, albeit exceptional ones. Apologizing isn’t first on the list of things most 10-year-olds do, lemme tell ya, and would it really have made it better? But it’s still a valid gripe.

I think dere Kuro was another attempt to get us behind her as a protagonist. And to me, it worked, though honestly I was already there. Seeing Kuro be a mama’s girl was cute, and it hinted at this longing within her that’s aching to be filled.

Here’s the thing though – it appears that a certain enforcer has come for the cards, and since one is inside Kuro, it follows that she’ll have to rip it out of her to catch ’em all. No matter what Kuro has done, she doesn’t deserve that. If they can get it out without killing her, sure, but if not, no way. She doesn’t deserve to die, no matter her past crimes.

Plus, you know, she’s a juvenile. The law is usually more lenient on them. Not that the law has anything to do with what happens next.

A Monster Cometh

Like I said, no matter the timeline, these characters are who they are. Bazett Fraga McRemitz (Nabatame Hitomi), from Fate/hollow ataraxia, is and always will be a beast. They did a good job of showing those who aren’t familiar with her just how powerful she is.

Taking on Auguste, dodging bullets, surviving Luvia’s tricks – that made it clear she’s tough. Taking everything Luvia could throw at her in her armory, though, and then burning the mansion to the ground…that’s something else right there. (Okay, so the mansion was probably Luvia’s doing, but surviving is still impressive.) Yes, I was crying out for Auguste to hit her already, but here’s the crazy thing – normally so much dodging would have annoyed me, but Bazett proved herself to be so powerful that it felt right. She’s a monster, an unstoppable terminator that beat down the girls’ mentors, and that means it’s going to be hard for our main trio to win.

Type-Moon Lore

I like how the reference of Bazett as a Sealing Designation Enforcer passed uncommented upon. For those who don’t know, a sealing designation is…well, you remember how people were coming after Kiritsugu’s father in Fate/Zero? That. A sealing designation is a big friggin’ deal, and someone who enforces them needs to be a badass. Clearly, Bazett is.

For those of us who know what a Sealing Designation Enforcer is, that enhances the scene and further ties Prisma Illya into the Fate universe. For those who don’t, it’s a bit of a cryptic statement, but since they then show us that Bazett is a badass, nothing important to Prisma Illya itself is missed or lost.

Normally I’m against things that anime-only viewers – which in this case means this anime-only viewers – wouldn’t know about, but with a spin-off, you can get away with it a bit. It’s more an easter egg than anything else, when it adds depth for those “in the know” without detracting from those who aren’t. A delicate dance, but Prisma Illya has been pulling it off. Another example: I don’t think they’ve ever explained how Rin and Luvia’s magic works, but they’ve demonstrated it enough that I’m sure most people knew Luvia’s treasury was an armory. Also, mentioning that Luvia got a unique mystic code from Zelretch-sama. Foreshadowing!

Looking Ahead – Magical Girls vs Bazett

They’ve built Bazett up as a powerful antagonist, and with only two episode left (probably), it looks like we’re going to end on or right after the fight with her. Which I’m okay with, because what a beast! I’m curious about a certain someone reflected in her eye…but we’ll find out more next episode. Wrap those spoilers all, and I’ll see you next week.

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – Peeping mama was fun, but the heat turns up when Bazett strolls into Luvia’s mansion & burns it down #prismaillya 08

Random thoughts:

  • Don’t wave if you’re trying to not be seen, Iriiii!
  • Sneaking around an elementary school. Rin, Luvia, & Iri are like a bunch of dangerous people. Wait, they are dangerous people. Perverts, then! (P.S. That’s now one of my favorite caps from this series.)
  • Battle butler! Good to see he’s good for more than just making Shero uncomfortable.
  • Kuro is more clever perceptive – she noticed the people lurking around earlier – but Illya appears to be more sensitive to magic.
  • See Luvia? This is what happens when you send an overly serious girl like Miyu on an errand and have her treat it like a mission. Though that’s probably as much Miyu’s fault as anything. Lighten up you!

Check out my blog about storytelling and the novel I’m writing at stiltsoutloud.com. The last four posts: Just plain fun, Don’t have enough time, Work you love, and Completely unbiased.

Full-length images: 09.

 

Preview

End Card

63 Comments

    2. https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2031.jpg
      https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2034.jpg
      “Yes~~~~ That’s the spot~~~~~~’

      https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2038.jpg
      “…”

      cruiser2710
      Reply

      1. The School scene:
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2002.jpg
        If you help me out, i let you go out with my Boy
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2003.jpg
        Uh, Of course i will help, it is no burden at all!!
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2004.jpg
        I can do all lewd thoughts with him right?
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2009.jpg
        *Daydreaming with the Boy*
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2010.jpg
        Pah!, Onii-sama is for me.
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2011.jpg
        What you said? Onii-sama? Little Girls dont should have such thoughts
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2012.jpg
        Prepare for Punishment!!. Sister Rin for the rescue!!!
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2013.jpg
        Kuro!!, can you came here please?
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2014.jpg
        Dont hold Onii-sama all for yourself, share a bit would ya?
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2015.jpg
        Don’t worry Kuro. i only want to date him. really
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2018.jpg
        Oh, almighty Oracle. Will the Boy really be save?
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2019.jpg
        OMG!!!, that woman beast.. The poor boy…

        end of the School scene

        Germanguy
        Reply

      2. The fighting Scene:

        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2021.jpg
        So your are here to steal my first Kiss? hahaha, no one will succeed.. Butler, teach her manners please…
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2020.jpg
        As you Wish!!
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2022.jpg
        Take away my first kiss from you, is like trowing Jewell’s to the Pigs!! Never!!
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2023.jpg
        That was mean, your just Wait!!!
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2024.jpg
        i dont think so… Bullet Barrage!!
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2025.jpg
        Pah!, hope this here will enlighten you both
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2030.jpg
        You really dont let me near her… your a nuisance
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2031.jpg
        Go sleep a bit, Butler!!
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2032.jpg
        Did i dont told you, that steel a kiss from me, is like trowing these Jewel’s to the Pigs?
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2033.jpg
        Jewel’s? These are just Ice Crystal Fakes. Your dont have Jewel’s
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2034.jpg
        Oh? You really sure?
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2035.jpg
        But before you steal my Lips, i should teach you a Lesson
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2036.jpg
        All Mighty Flash bang!!!
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2038.jpg
        Oh wow, Luvia gets really serious when it comes to her first Kiss..
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2039.jpg
        Pah!, in the end i could not steal her first Kiss. Would you both be the Backup?
        https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei!%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2037.jpg
        Never!!!

        End of the Fighting scene

        Germanguy
        Reply

  3. Huh, I didn’t even notice that the butler had elf ears.

    In any case, it’s kinda funny to see how this episode managed to go between two extremes so well. The first part, with troll Iri and the other two stooges sneaking around Illya’s school, was some of the funniest stuff this show’s produced to date. And it all ended with a rather d’aww moment of Kuro.

    Then, boom, shit goes down. Bazett really is like a freaking Terminator en she certainly makes an impression. Her action scenes were, again, some of the best stuff the show’s brought forth so far and it was a riot to watch. This climax is going to awesome if this keeps up. The show’s really giving the ‘man, now I have to wait another week’ feeling again!

    Dvalinn
    Reply

  4. yea, Bazett hit the nail on the head when she asked if Luvia couldn’t use the Mystic Code. I only played Fate/stay night so I didn’t know Bazett was this badass… (though I didn’t know/forgot she’s a Enforcer so this much might’ve been expected and probably unfair to compare her to a certain ex-Enforcer…)

    GoXDS
    Reply

  5. The peeping Tom antics at the beginning had my sides, along Luvia’s obvious subtle machinations. Those however don’t top how seriously Miyu took Luvia’s store errand, not sure if it’s because I went to 7(/11) today too or recollections of Guardians of the Galaxy but I found it utterly hilarious. The humour hasn’t done anything but improve during each episode, I’m loving it.

    Although a cliffhanger is still up in the air, it looks like this season will end with the Bazett fight as many have been pointing out so at the minimum there won’t be any irritating break in the middle of things (which is very good). One thing not mentioned too is the fight animations, for CG work it’s surprisingly well done and benefits from being drawn over with 2D imagery. Personally I’m liking Fate Kaleid’s usage of CG the most this season just for the attempt to “blend” it in with the standard artwork, it shows the animators put a lot of love and care into their product.

    Pancakes
    Reply

    1. Agreed on the CG. It’s usually pretty good – though when Bazett was dodging bullets at one point, it was a bit too noticeable. That’s an outgrowth of how good CG animation has gotten as much as anything else, though. And yes, the care of the staff.

      Stilts
      Reply

  7. “But what I really liked was that, no matter the timeline, these characters are always who they are.”

    This is absolutely true for me. A lot of characters that meet the tragic fate in the other universe are allowed to live the way they want, it’s beautiful.

    Soliloquy
    Reply

    2. Actual answer to that question: don’t click unless you want to know who that is and how they came to be in that scene.

      Show Spoiler ▼

      Wanderer
      Reply

  9. I have a feeling it the fight may actually end next episode or early in episode 10. I am guessing there is still the birthday at the beach to cover before the end – unless they release that as an OVA instead. I will be disappointed if they don’t since they had been mentioning it for the past 3-4 episodes!

    Taiakun
    Reply

    1. Too much happens both before and during the birthday at the beach for them to fit it in by episode 10. The fact that they filled the first half of this episode with anime-original content (not bad content, just anime-original), and expanded greatly on the very quick two-page glimpse the manga gave of the Luvia vs Bazett fight seems like a strong indication that they aren’t planning on cutting things down to squeeze stuff in.

      Wanderer
      Reply

  10. Bazet finally gets the exposure she deserves. No Kotomine Kirei rip her arm from its hinges nor Avenger to put her through the time loops.

    The only thing missing now is for the Fate/Hollow Ataraxia translation to get released

    Ginobi47
    Reply

    3. From my understanding, she’s very strong. She’s one of the few humans who can go toe-to-toe with servants for any amount of time, and beat some/many under the right circumstances.

      But if you’re asking if she’s naturally that strong, no. (Though her Sorcery Trait is such that her family’s abilities are passed through bloodline instead of–just read the wiki.) She buffs herself with magic to be able to do all the crap she does.

      Stilts
      Reply

    4. actually both:
      she IS strong and she is trained in hand to hand
      but she is also using runes to further increase her strength , speed, resistance… and he attacks too.

      She can fight servants .. and even win against some… yeah THOSE servants that can just shrug off damage that would destroy buildings xD

      inanis
      Reply

  13. What a great episode. Actually, it might have been my overall favorite Prisma Illya episode to date. Really good humor and great action in one nice pack is always a delight.

    normally so much dodging would have annoyed me, but Bazett proved herself to be so powerful that it felt right.

    An important thing I think made the scene work for me was that she was actually evading, not charging into like often seems to happen in anime, the bullets. Magically powered badass evading machine gun fire when actually doing evasive movements is kind of more understandable than all the bullets magically missing.

    Erimaki
    Reply

    1. That’s true, to a point. If she was just charging and they were pinging off her because she had some enhancement that protected her from gunfire, that would have worked too. Better yet, if she had that enhancement and was dodging anyway. No reason to take the bullets if there’s any kind of limit on your enhancement, and with the Fate universe being as it is, I’m sure there would be.

      Stilts
      Reply

  14. The first half of the episode was entirely anime original. Still, its a good addition lending some characterization for Iri and Kuro. And there was some actual admission by Iri that the whole Kuro mess was her fault. That always bugged me in the manga, since that wasn’t really addressed and Iri spent most of 2wei as exposition dump anyway.

    The manga part starts with some heavy foreshadowing with Rin investigating the Ley Line, and of course Bazett thrashing everything. And yes, Bazett is really that badass all to establish how much of a threat she is. Of course now its time for her to deal with the Magical girl trio.

    I’ll admit I’m starting to have some apprehensions with the pacing though. I initially speculated that 2wei would end on the Birthday Beach chapter that is being built up, since that serves as fan-service, comedy and a setup for the final arc. Judging from the pace here it may not be so. In fact it may end rather abruptly after the Bazett arc unless they put something anime original on the last episode. Guess will see how fast the Bazett battle goes.

    fragb85
    Reply

  22. I’ve been thinking. The servants’ powers are contained within the cards right? What about their personalities? Is it possible we’ll see the real archer come out, and have it made clear the difference between an imitation (the cards) and the real deal

    nyanlol
    Reply

  24. Nice episode. Though the fight was kind of…………weird. I mean why would earthly bullets even be effective against her if magical explosions do absolutely nothing? I’m not familiar with the fate series but is there a divide between being invulnerable to earthly weapons and magical ones? I kind of assumed that there wouldn’t.

    The fight was very well animated though I didn’t like that one hiccup of 3DCGI when Bazett was running on the balcony. That part of the fight also seemed strange because Bazett wasn’t even dodging. It was as if the butler was just completely missing her or something. Eh whatever.

    I have a soft spot for butlers who are kick azz. I have no idea how he fits all that weaponry in his suit but he’s simply awesome ^_^ (I’m just going to pretend that bath scene with Shiro never happened…..).

    Sadly whenever a character uses guns you can pretty much tell they are going to lose since those things are about as effective as butter knives in fantasy anime.

    leatherhead333
    Reply

    1. there is a divide, since bullets use kinetic energy and magic energy is different (but Bazett aparently got both… since the Gandr shot that Rin used was pure energy and it didnt do anything… again it hit the clothes… maybe a face shot would have worked?)

      I dunno if her face/neck is protected … maybe Aguste was trying to hit those areas NOT covered by her enchanted clothes? (IIRC there are parts of the body hard to enchant/reinforce too… like the eyes/brain)

      And nope some of the most successful killers in Fate universe used explosions and bullets mostly… Kiritsugu Emiya.. then again his strongest weapon was an “magic” thompson contender (then again this was a 1 hit kill versus mages…)

      inanis
      Reply

      1. I’m not really sure how that works then. If her clothes protect everything except for the face then why was she able to shrug off a point blank magical explosion that was next to her face? It was big enough that her face/neck were bound to be hit. I can live with her being able to shrug off magic that hit her in the leg or torso but using that explanation doesn’t cover how she survived against the final explosion that should have killed her magical clothes or not. If she’s just THAT tough that’s fine but only certain parts of her body being vulnerable to magic seems like a sketchy explanation. In all honesty it feels like she shouldn’t even have to dodge most of the magical attacks since she was living through getting hit by them the entire episode. Luvia’s attacks are probably weak on terms of power which again I wouldn’t mind being an explanation considering how tough Bazett is.

        Also as I mentioned I’m not familiar with Fate but i was making a generalization. Guns compared to swords or other such weapons typically get a bad rep :P.

        leatherhead333
        Reply

  25. Luvia seems a “little too happy” while stalking!

    that Aguste, the combat buttler! … oh wait wrong anime.

    Bazett is indeed a monster, word of god states she is stronger that KUZUKI… yeah that kuzuki that got the skill to kill rider and go one on one with saber

    Sealing Designation Enforcer: meaning she HUNTS mages that got a sealing designation on them.. those are really hard/strong mages .. IOW she is really really good at combat , Miyu and Illya gonna have their hands full, ooo Kuro gonna get on the action too?

    unique mystic code from Zelretch: … it hasnt been said in the anime? Show Spoiler ▼

    lol all i could think after Bazett entered Luvia’s mation was : “those suits…”

    inanis
    Reply

  26. Was I the only one thinking of Roberta from Black Lagoon while watchong this episode? I wonder who would win in an all out war between Bazett and Roberta, that´s a clash of the titans for you, I don´t think there will be an Earth left after that battle.

    haseo0408
    Reply

      1. You have a point there, Roberta has only two settings: Standing By Mode and Genocide Mode, no wonder all Ronanapur, a living Hell on Earth, is scared the hell out of her. But still, even if Roberta wins I don´t think any will live to crown her victorious, that terminator makes more collateral damage than Godzilla, if Skynet would have sent Roberta John Coonor would´ve been ash at the first try. XD

        haseo0408
        Reply

  27. If Bazett is so awesome, how come she bothers dodging bullets?
    She’ll seem pretty underwhelming if a few shots can bring her down.
    I’d expect someone of her renown to dust off a ship-killer cruise missile with maybe a bruise or bad hair.

    anon
    Reply

    1. The way I see it, that’s smart. If you have Superman-level bullet immunity, the kind that never goes away and never runs out, sure, walk right through them. But if there’s any kind of limit on your defenses and dodging is more energy efficient, it’s better to dodge rather than get cocky and plow right through.

      I doubt a few bullets can bring Bazett down though. She’s a close combat specialist, and would be a fool to not buff her defenses against kinetic attacks if she’s able to. Since Rin’s Gandr shot – those red spells she hit Bazett with from behind – do kinetic damage, clearly Bazett has done so.

      Stilts
      Reply

  28. id say its a good decision, and made the story flow better, to add some filler content here. as they really dont have the time to animate the whole of the manga, and it also fills in some holes as mentioned by others.

    really would have been best if they went for 2 cour, or 20 eps for the whole anime. just add a bit of filler like in this ep and they can fill up that much episodes.

    amado
    Reply

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