Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya / First Impressions / Series Introduction

OP Sequence

OP: 「ワンダーステラ」 (Wonder Stella) by fhána

「鏡にしてるみたいでイヤなんだけど」 (Kagami ni shi Teru Mitaide Iyana Ndakedo)
“It’s Like Looking in a Mirror, and I Don’t Like It”

Though I’m undoubtedly biased, this was probably the single most funny, laugh-out-loud hilarious episode of any anime I’ve seen all season. Prisma Illya is back, and this season is going to be a blast!

The Funniest Damn Thing Around

I don’t have the words to explain how uproariously funny this episode was. From picking out swimsuits to tormenting Shirou, this is probably the single most hilarious, laugh-out-loud funny episode of any show I’ve seen so far this season—and that’s even before you factor in the Illya x Kuro kissing scene! This is the kind of situation where, as a blogger who makes it his goal to pick apart why stories work (or don’t work), I find myself at a loss. It’s comedy, you know? I can’t explain why it was funny. Sure, there’s a certain amount of foundation from the previous two seasons—these gags wouldn’t be as funny if they were done with characters we didn’t already know and like. The gags hit us fast (but not Teekyu fast), the animation is stunning, the character designs pull out more of the comedy, the timing is spot-on, and the gags are just damn, damn, damn funny! At this point, I could only list out every thing I enjoyed and gush about how amazing they were, but that would mean listing out the entire damn episode, and how fun is that? (A lot, for me, but it’s also time-consuming and I’m lazy.) Better to go with my other option: Urge you to, if you haven’t watched the episode (or Prisma Illya at all, you heathen), watch it now! And if you already have, watch it again!

Being Shirou Is (Delicious) Suffering

I’ve been catching up on Unlimited Blade Works, because I’m a ridiculous person and I got busy when it was airing. (Spoil anything in the last six episodes and I’ll cut you, even if I pretty much know what happens.) After so many episodes marveling at how being Lancer wasn’t suffering for once—until, of course, it briefly was again—I’m once again heartily enjoying Shirou’s role in Prisma Illya. This is how you make a butt monkey (trope!) that we can thoroughly enjoy, people—give them something enviable as well, so we can be jealous enough to wholeheartedly enjoy their misery. With a bevy of girls lusting after him—some of which are even of age; thanks for throwing off the curve, Rin and Luvia—it doesn’t feel like the entire world is unfairly out to get him. It feels like it’s putting things back into balance, so it’s even funnier when Irisviel, Kuro, and Liz are giving him a hard time. Take that, you lucky bastard! Hahahaha!

Except the castration thing. Too far, Iri. Too far. *shudders*

What’s With Miyu?

The wild card in the Shirou Olympics is, of course, Miyu. She’s blushing an awful lot around Shirou-san. Here’s where I remind you manga readers: We’re into the area of the story where I haven’t read the source. Use those spoiler tags. Let me be perfectly clear: If you spoil things for me, I’m going to beat you to death with a flaming orangutan. (By which I mean the orangutan will be on fire, not sexy and/or fabulous) Let’s go over the facts: Miyu reacted to Shirou when she first saw him, calling him nii-san. She blushes at him more even than she does with Illya. This is also a Fate story, so we know that alternate universes are absolutely a thing (Prisma Illya is, to my understand, just as much canon as Fate/Zero, the original Fate/stay night (all arcs), Fate/hollow ataraxia, and others I’m undoubtedly forgetting—they’re just different timelines).

My guess: She’s from an alternate world where Shirou is her brother. Possibly her actual, blood-related brother! That’s all a guess on my part, but they’re sure hinting that she knows him—and the Fate series being what it is, I doubt it’s as easy as them meeting when they were younger and Shirou forgetting. Especially since she would be prohibitively young even a few years back to remember much of anything, and she wouldn’t have gotten a nostalgic feeling from his cooking from a chance meeting.

Production Notes

I feel like it’s a disservice that I’ve talked more about Shirou and shipping than I have about the actual main characters (Miyu excepted), but as I mentioned, there’s not much to say. This episode was hi-freakin’-larious, but explaining the jokes would ruin them. But here’s the most encouraging thing: Of the three season premieres we’ve had so far, this was far and away the best. For season one, that made sense—they had a lot to introduce, so it needed to start slow. But compared to the first episode of Zwei, which was perhaps just a little touch stretched out, this was a top-tier, top-shelf Prisma Illya experience. While High School DxD betrayed me by sucking on the third season, I’m hoping that the Prisma Illya crew over at Silver Link will keep going strong. If this episode is any indication, it will.

Looking Ahead – Beach, Swimsuits, Gags, & Delicious Misfortune

Next week is a beach episode! So, uh, you kind of know what to expect. We’re going to get into all that jazz with the eight card and fighting Bazett and all that, and I look forward to that heartily, but before that, I have a more immediate concern: Is Issei getting a shougakusei admirer as well? My instinct is no, because Suzuka is—no, screw that. I’m auto-shipping the megane characters! Mostly because I want another guy to join the Lucky/Unlucky Shirou Butt Monkey Club. Let the delicious misfortune continue!

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – Hi-frickin’-larious, from the first minute on through. Best Prisma Illya season premiere so far. It’s so good, WATCH IT! #prismaillya s3e1

Random thoughts:

  • I always love me a fhána OP, ever since … Gingitsune, I think? Around there. And the animation was, once again, beautiful. I can’t wait to see the fight scenes that are coming.
  • Notice how they’re wearing the same swimsuits in their daydream as they are in the preview? Not sure whether that’s good or bad or nothing. I report, you decide.
  • Hey, look, a bunch of Wall Street bankers! #cheapshot #topicalhumor #unnecessaryhashtags #sesriouslythoughmoneyisawesome
  • Definitely one of the strong elements to the comedy in this series: Illya’s pro tsukkomis. They were flying fast and heavy early on. Loved it.
  • Illy-Kuro-san. Nanaki gave Illya and Kuro a couple portmanteau name just in time.
  • Part of me wants to know what the other ways Kuro told Illya about are. The rest of me remembers that Fate/stay night was originally an eroge, and is aware of what they got up to in there. All of me knows there are doujinshi incoming, if they’re not already here (they’re probably already here).
  • You’re opening your mouth a little much there, Kuro-cha—oh. Oh, my. Carry on.
  • “Lily blossoms [Yuri no hana]. It’s summer, all right.” I’ll just hang this right here.
  • If Sore ga Seiyuu! has taught me anything, it’s that recording the kissing scenes must have been a lot of fun for everyone in that recording studio. Yowza!
  • Mimi went out of her way to emphasize that she thinks it’s fine for girls to kiss? Yuri flag ahoy, sire! (Not that we don’t have plenty of those, nyahaha!)
  • You all would get a kick out of my viewing notes for this show. They’re all ALL CAPS LOCK gushing and enough exclamation marks to make a grammatician commit suicide. This show is so conflicting for me, as a blogger. I love it so much I want to watch it immediately, but I love it so much it takes forever to blog. I want to squee about everything!!
  • Related: This is also one of the hardest shows to screen cap for. I want to include them all!!!
  • Mimi wants to be an author too? Young lady, with friends like these, you don’t need to make everything up. Just transcribe. You’ll make millions. Though you might need to remind them who you are.
  • In case you haven’t heard, Zwei Herz! is confirmed for ten episodes. (Though there are also specials and an OVA from the previous season, and probably more to come after this one.) Apparently the publishers are concerned that too much of a good thing (Illya) would be bad, so they’re determined not to let us have it. I’d complain more if this premiere wasn’t so thoroughly worth the wait. You got me again, you sonsofbitches!

My first novel, Wage Slave Rebellion, is available now. (More info—now available in paperback!) Sign up for my email list for a FREE sequel short story. Over at stephenwgee.com, the last four posts: Be the anime blogger, If you find yourself using buzzwords, STOP, How to save Twitter, and The secret to enjoying a long life.

Full-length images: 13.

 

ED Sequence

ED: 「ハプニング☆ダイアリー」 (Happening☆diary) by Kouda Yumeha

Preview

131 Comments

  2. I haven’t read the manga either, though I did read Fate/stay night back in the day, so I don’t think this is a spoiler:

    you’re on the right track when it comes to other ways to transfer mana. Coincidentally, you can probably guess what fluids are the basis of mana potions in this setting =P

    Serxeid
    Reply

    1. You misunderstand. I know exactly what they got up to in the original Fate/stay night. Hell, even the first anime was obvious in what they weren’t showing of the mana transference between Shirou and Saber. There’s no mystery here, lol

      Stilts
      Reply

    1. I’ve already opened and passed through one forbidden door when I watched Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou.

      But this episode of Prisma Illya Zwei Herz makes that other forbidden door look tame in comparison…and after what I’ve just seen, I can’t help but want to do this as well. (Damn, who would have thought that loli magical girls–Kuro in particular–are way more dangerous than monster girls?!)

      Incognito
      Reply

      1. The the me of this summer anime season seems to be lewd white haired girls.

        I s anybody seeing Shimoneta? I really would like to see a review of the 4th episode here in random curiosity.

        Grahav
        Reply

      2. If you thought you’d already opened the last door to Enter ZONE with Monster Musume and Fate Kaleid, then watch Shimoneta to open the second DOOR beyond the first.

        Reikakou
        Reply

  4. Are you biased Stilts? Maybe, but what’s wrong with that? *cough*nothing*cough* Ah how I missed this series, it was worth the way. Wether it’s Illya and Kuro’s wholesome and totally family friendly moments, Illya’s unruly and hilarious classmates, or Shirou’s enviable yet hilarious suffering. Got to love it.

    Inb4omgdatwaztotalacidentspoilzromgIdidntmeanit

    Seriously people, don’t be that person that just has to spoil things. If you, like me, has read ahead, don’t ruin it for others.

    The Green One
    Reply

  6. Now I know why they included Shirou as a character in this. They can make the characters act super gay and then just say, no, I have a guy I like so otaku fans won’t ignore the BDs when they come out since yuri doesn’t sell well.

    Kind of like Shuuichi and Kumiko’s relationship in Euphonium. He kinda existed just so the show could avoid the classification of yuri, as well as Tusk’s existence in Cross Ange.

    TBH, I only recently started watching this series. Season 1’s been sort of interesting so far currently at ep 8. I haven’t laughed that much but I did enjoy how it was so self aware, while still being lighthearted unlike Madoka… though all the girl-on-girl stuff is a huge turn off for me. Would fans of the series say that’s a big part of the series? I’d like to know before hand if I should drop it now.

    Not trying to offend anyone, but that stuff’s just not my cup of tea is all.

    TitanAnteus
    Reply

    1. Yuri doesn’t sell well? Dwuh? That’s news to me. News I’d need to see backed up by numbers, because there’s an awful lot of yuri series out there for them to not be selling well.

      I think they included Shirou totally because they included all of the main Fate/stay night characters who are related to Illya (such as Sella and Liz), and he’s one. Past that, he—like the occasional yuri antics—are played almost entirely for laughs. Sure, there might be some titillation in there too, but it’s mostly just hilarious in a “I can’t believe she said that!” or “I can’t believe they’re doing that!” or, as was in this episode, “I can’t believe they’re going that far!”

      Put it this way: I’ve never considered this a yuri series. Certain characters give off that vibe, and there’s the whole dealio with Kuro that you’ll find out in season two/three, but I chiefly enjoy this series for the crazy-awesome action and the hi-fuckin’-larious comedy.

      My suggestion: You need to see up to at least episode six of season one. Season two has some action (and especially, comedy) that trumps even that. And season three is looking great so far.

      Stilts
      Reply

      1. I’ve been a 4chan lurker for a while now. I can’t give you any factual evidence but it’s an observation that’s commonly accepted, after seeing the sales of tons of anime. Shows that have yuri sidecharacters don’t get affected as long as they aren’t a big focus. A yuri main cast or yuri that’s actually done well like they’re actual lesbians, even if it happens for like 1 or 2 episodes, won’t sell well.

        Let’s take one of my favorite anime, Shin Sekai Yori. That anime didn’t sell well. Most people dropped it after everyone became gay.

        I think the only exception is Rinne No Langrange since it miraculously got a second season and that honestly didn’t sell all that well if I remember. http://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=496219&show=50 (Check the bottom post, it didn’t even sell 2k. It didn’t make the charts.)

        Regarding what you said about you not seeing the show as a yuri show. Since you blogged it I’ll take your word for it, but I don’t like shows that play that stuff for laughs too much either. It’s the kind of titillation that works negatively for me tbh.

        Thank you for your honest reply though. I’m currently in the middle of just trying to step out of my comfort zone, but this watching this show gives me a nagging sense of discomfort I can’t get rid of.

        TitanAnteus
        Reply

      3. You might be right. It’s sometimes really hard to differentiate between the two, but I’m 100% sure the BD/DVD sales predictions of that show were high until episode 6? was it. Of course people were driven away by the somewhat plain artstyle and visible lack of budget, but it didn’t really start driving people away until episode 6, if I recall correctly. As I was watching it I expected it to need a second season so I was really looking at the sales.

        I can’t find the 4chan threads anymore though, so I can’t back up my statements.

        Oh. I also forgot about Yuru yuri. That’s a consistently average to below average selling show.

        … Why am I only talking about sales anyway. Someone get me to stop XD.

        TitanAnteus
        Reply

      4. As Longhaul said, Shin Sekai Yori is correlation, not causation. That wasn’t a “yuri” show, to say the least, so trying to use it as an example is fallacious.

        With the preponderance of yuri or yuri-tinged shows, especially slice-of-life ones, I’d be EXTREMELY surprised to hear that they didn’t sell, because they keep getting greenlit. Kiniro Mosaic, Yuyushiki, Sakura Trick, Re-Kan!, the entire Saki series—and those are just off the top of my head. Compare those to the vastly fewer (though growing) numbers of yaoi or yaoi-tinged shows (LOVE STAGE!!, Free!), and how often yuri or yuri-leaning characters appear in non-yuri shows (Sabagebu!, sorta this), I’m pretty sure they do all right financially. Or at least don’t do badly.

        Also, there’s a simple logic trail: Lots of guys like yuri just like lots of girls like yaoi (and non-cisendered people like either/or), and the anime industry still predominately targets male otaku. And people tend to buy what they like.

        I also wouldn’t take what people on 4chan say fact. Nor would I necessarily take what I’m saying here as absolute fact, though I can link you to a decent digest of numbers here. In general, I’d say this:

        No one thing insures that a series won’t sell well. I’d like to say “except for bad storytelling,” but even that’s not the case. It always depends. And remember that the businesspeople who decide what gets made into an anime and what doesn’t aren’t stupid people. If yuri series keep getting greenlit, there’s probably a reason they’re doing it. Not all of them will pan out, but some apparently are.

        Stilts
        Reply

      5. I wasn’t calling Shin Sekai Yori a yuri show. I was just saying yuri doesn’t sell well generally. Also yes, while all girls show that have a lot of subtext like Sabegebu! get made, and don’t sell terribly, I was just saying that actual yuri doesn’t sell well. Maybe I’m taking 4chan too seriously though… I don’t normally pay too much attention to shows I don’t like.

        In the end, you’re right though… no one can predict the market, and I hate writing the word yuri a million times like it’s relevant to Fate/Kaleid. You say it’s not a big part of the show and you’re probably right so I’m still giving the show a shot, and I’m thankful to you for that.

        TitanAnteus
        Reply

      8. Somehow I had a feeling that would trip you up.

        A yuri anime, to me, is a show I watch largely or predominately because of the yuri. Here, that’s at best third on the list. Action, comedy, probably heartwarming friendship feels and sheer what’s-going-to-happen-next intrigue in there somewhere, then probably yuri.

        Here, the yuri is a side benefit, an added flavor—not the majority selling point that makes me want to watch. It’s a bonus, basically.

        A yuri anime, to me, is Sakura Trick (yuri, then comedy), Saki (tile slams, then yuri), Kiniro Mosaic (fuwa-fuwa, then yuri), etc.

        Stilts
        Reply

      9. Ahhhh…. got ya.
        I think, I’ll adopt that type of thinking moving forward.

        Well can’t drop the show now. Might as well follow through with it since I got this far. Everything else about the show’s been quite fun.

        TitanAnteus
        Reply

  7. OMG!! i luv the opening of Zwei Herz!! best so far out of all 3 seasons and really good theme
    illya looks sooo pretty in her ‘is that a new power up magical girl look’ in the opening <3
    i wish miyu is the one to wear the see-through baby-doll-like lingerie =^.^=
    she will look super sexy and good for lickity-lick <3
    MIYU-SAMA

    SoraMegumi
    Reply

      2. Is it bad that I thought about what real credit cards could give off that effect? Some of ’em can be pretty substantial. I saw one that was individually embossed. You could damn near bludgeon a man to death with the thing.

        Then I thought of the bat-credit card, and I hated myself T_T

        Stilts
        Reply

  9. Well Stilts, you have read and watch many anime and manga.

    There’s only a few future plotlines that can be deciphered from this episode.

    Not only that, the story is typical Nasuverse so far.

    Most likely, whatever guesses you have in your head is probably correct.

    kerfirou
    Reply

  12. really odd vibe with Miyu and Shirou …i think OP is rigth and shes his blood sister… they even have the same eye color! (hes adopted on this TimeLine too so it is possible)

    either that or she got the hugest crush in the 3 times they have seen each other o.o (yeah only 3 times in the same room)

    Inanis
    Reply

  13. Man going back to Prisma after UBW and seeing Shirou be completely ordinary kid with no knowledge of magic or heroic issues feels really weird. Again this is going back from the serious UBW to the lighthearted Prisma.

    xxvan
    Reply

    1. Question, how do we know that he doesn’t know about magic? We’re simply assuming he doesn’t. If you think about it, there hasn’t really been an instance that he’s needed to be shown it is magic.

      In fact, I’d argue that it isn’t that he doesn’t know about magic. He probably has a rudimentary idea about magic. However, you try explaining to someone… And before someone chimes in saying “spoilers” there is nothing that I am about to spoil. It has all been stated in the anime you’ve watched so far! So HAH! I WIN!

      Ahem, continuing…

      1) That your younger sister, is actually a second personality (Illya), that is also technically older than you, yet somehow still younger.

      2) Oh yeah, that first personality (Kuro)? She’s now the second’s “cousin” (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) and also technically isn’t really alive, but held together by magic from the second. But she looks and sounds like she’s very alive.

      3) Speaking of that, the magic that holds the first together was crafted due to her wish and the second granting it.

      4) Said magic also requires a “recharge”. I forget if this is something all mages know, but frankly, you can be assured it is left out of Shirou’s education. Otherwise he’d be ab..so..lute..ly..fre..ak..ed..out… when a girl comes onto him. God dammit, he probably knows this.

      5) BTW, that first is now actually the younger due to some really screwed up things. Let’s just throw that in there to entirely complete the “hey, that can’t be possible but is”.

      Yeah, sure that’s how magic works in this world, but seriously some of that is high level type of stuff. You tell that to any ordinary magician, and you’ll see them plug their ears and go “no, no, no, I’m not listening.”

      So I think rather than Shirou not knowing about magic, I’d say it is safer to say “it is too confusing and convoluted to mention it”. Which sounds exactly like Iri’s MO with most things. So Shirou probably knows magic. To what extent I think is the issue.

      Dorian
      Reply

      1. (Uncovered Fate/Zero & Fate/stay night spoilers below)

        I wouldn’t be so sure. There’s nothing that has indicated that Shirou knows about magic. Hell, we don’t even know for sure if Illya is a homunculus/Kiritsugu’s daughter in this timeline, though it’s safe to assume due to the whole grail/Kuro thing.

        The one thing we absolutely don’t know (unless it was in the manga or I’ve forgotten, so spoiler tags, y’all) is why Shirou was adopted by Kiritsugu and Iri. If Iri is still alive, then the fire that led to Kiritsugu finding Shirou presumably didn’t happen. Prior to that, he had his own family. So how’d he end up getting adopted again? If we knew that, it might answer whether he knows about magic or not.

        Either way, it doesn’t much matter. I suspect that Shirou’s knowledge of magic would be confined to his original realms, copying and strengthening, and would be fairly basic. The stuff Illya’s crew is getting up to is some next-level shit, lol

        Stilts
        Reply

  14. For me, the most surreal part of Fate Prisma Illya is seeing Illya alive, happy and surrounded by numerous friends and family – after seeing her brutal death in UBW. Last time we saw, her in UBW Episode 16, Illya was rendered blind, bleeding out to death, and pathetically crawling on the ground and looking for her only companion and friend, Berserker – contrast this to Prisma Illya shopping for swimsuits with a wacky cast of school friends, and returning home to a large, warm household full of Familial love.

    The juxtaposition of UBW Illya with the comical and cheery life that Illya currently has in Fate Prisma Illya is really striking – this Illya has no clue just how lucky she is – truly, the Prisma timeline is the kindest timeline to Illya in the multi-verse. At the heart, I firmly believe this Illya and the Fate routes Illya are the same individual in essence, just that their radically different upbringing produced a very different person. In a way, the grimness of the lives of the other Illyas in the Nasuverse make this episode very sweet indeed – almost dream-like.

    “Part of me wants to know what the other ways Kuro told Illya about are. ”

    Dolphins. That’s the safe for work, 100% cannonical, All-ages answer to your question.

    And after this incident, Illya could never ever look at Dolphins in the same way, ever again.

    Andmeuths
    Reply

    1. After all the crap Iri and Illya have gone through in just about any Fate route, I consider this their reward. And anyone that tries to take that reward away should die horribly. Slowly and horribly. I’m thinking fire ants.

      Aex
      Reply

    2. May I just remind you that Prism Illya doesn’t exist in UBW? The Illya you are referring to is actually Kuro. People seem to forget this little nugget. So there’s always a possibility that something terrible could happen to her. Remember, she’s only held together by magic.

      …:( Yes, I’m painting a terrible picture, but I’m just saying the obvious! Which sucks, because I want Kuro to have a happy life. She deserves it after Fate, UBW and… *cries* Heaven’s Feel.

      Dorian
      Reply

      1. Naw, I don’t think so. Each Illya is a different Illya. Fate|Illya is different from UBW|Illya is different from HF|Illya is different from Prisma|Illya. It’s the preponderance of one’s experiences that make one who the are, and with such radically different lives, they’re basically different people. Similar, to be sure, but not that same.

        Likewise, Kuro only came about because she was sectioned away and confined within Illya—without that, she wouldn’t be Kuro. If that hadn’t happened, she would have never become Kuro. She would have been a different version of Illya—albeit perhaps indistinguishable from the current Prisma|Illya.

        Stilts
        Reply

  16. “I am almost out of mana… top me off please!”
    Almost fell out of chair at that moment, because I knew what was coming.
    Ilya getting some education about ‘other ways” of mana resupply was even more hilarious…
    And then went the kissing scene itself…
    and then “yuri no hana” comment from nurse thrown in
    and then my mind pretty much melted as did Mimi
    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei%20Herz%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2026.jpg

    ewok40k
    Reply

  17. I fully agree with you here, Stilts – this easily was the funniest premiere of the season, and the best starting episode of all the Prisma shows so far. Because seriously, this episode took a running start and never showed any signs of slowing down. From the yuri-jokes, to Shirou being a buttmonkey, to the characters’ witty remarks about the insanity surrounding them. And while these jokes are technically nothing new, they’ve been hit or miss in the past, while every single one of them is a hit here. Something that was very much helped by the vibrant animation and the great comedic timing. This episode really left me with a feeling of ‘aww, is it already over?’ when it ended, which is always a good sign.

    And meanwhile, it wasn’t all fun and games, because it did set up the plot for this season – Miyu’s past (if the OP is any indication). Her origins have long been a mystery, so I’m glad we’re finally getting to know them. It makes me eager to watch the rest of the season, in any case.

    Those two things in combination give me hope for this series, and I hope it won’t let me down. Illya’s shows have been on a constant upward slope in terms of quality, so I hope Herz! continues the trend.

    Dvalinn
    Reply

    1. It’s all about hitting us with those gags back-to-back, I think, so we never have a chance to really relax and come down. Once you get someone laughing, after all, it’s easier to make them laugh a second time—an old comedian’s trick. They used the early gags to open us up to the later gags. They strung together a huge combo, in effect!

      Stilts
      Reply

  18. I mean i have nothing against decent Ecchi, but i hope this here turn not out to be like to Love-Ru Darkness. Where Darkness is just to much fan-service and little story progression, the mix if of balanced for me. And the TV show of Darkness is just “buy the Blu-ray, there are not censoring” ads

    Back to topic. i mean, i have nothing against spiced Ecchi scenes, but do not overdoing it please. It was not the previous strong points so far of this series. Why now all of the sudden?

    WorldwideDepp
    Reply

    1. This scene and some stuff at the beach contained the most ecchi of 2wei. Remember 2wei was all one piece, and these events gave us a bit of a break to relax again after the girls were nearly killed in the fight against Bazett. The story will pick up again after we’ve had a bit of fun to recover.

      Wanderer
      Reply

    2. Even comparing their respective ecchi, Prisma Illya and To Love-Ru are on completely different levels. At least Illya isn’t shy about itself when it comes to such things, whereas the other has been perfectly content to stick to the same head smashing, desk flipping, teeth grinding formula since Day 1; titillating fan service that absolutely never goes anywhere.

      To be fair of course, it may well not have been your intent to make that comparison. However, Illya has never been the kind of show to dwell on its fanservice for too long. I wouldn’t start worrying about that now.

      Ryan Ashfyre
      Reply

    3. What Wanderer and Ryan Ashfyre said. Once isn’t a trend. It’s just a goofy break after Bazett almost caved their faces in. If this were to happen for the next five episodes in a row (hint: It won’t), that might signal a change in the status quo. Until then, I wouldn’t worry about it.

      To be clear: I don’t actually know what’s going to happen next. I’m just good at reading the writing on the wall. And it says you’ve got nothing to worry about.

      Stilts
      Reply

      1. same here, i just like to think 3 steps ahead. aka worrying of the future from the future that will coming.. yeah, i know. i sound complicate

        Thats why i love Animes, Mind blank out to be Kid, and enjoying them, and emotions arise easier inside me

        WorldwideDepp
        Reply

  22. To be totally and completely honest, Kuro almost wrecked Season 2 for me with how she acted, how people just bent over backwards for her and, later, how much Miyu screen-time she sucked up. So I am overjoyed to see them find an even, hilarious balance. Expecting good things this season!

    I was dying during Mimi and Miyu’s conversation on the stairs. That’s the almost-yandere I wanted after Season 1!!

    Aex
    Reply

    2. I didn’t click the spoiler tags, for obvious reasons (thanks by the way, both of you), but a thought: I didn’t find the OP spoiler-ish at all. That’s because, without context, I don’t really know what’s going on. It hints at a Miyu focus, and Illya maybe powering up and saving her, but that’s all I took from it. That’s intriguing without actually spoiling much of anything, which is good.

      Stilts
      Reply

    3. @Dorian If I remember it correctly Show Spoiler ▼

      @Stilts well yeah I guess it’s better to say it that there is too many hint on what’s gonna happen w/ this season? …. not sure if it’s consider as a spoiler but Show Spoiler ▼

      ricz
      Reply

  24. Wonderful

    As someone who would like to be a writer I know that this is the hard to write stuff. I truly believe them when they say Drama is easy, comedy is hard. In many ways Shakespeare comedies are his greatest works based on that. And here the comedy is leaping the language gap as well.

    Did want a Stilts full breakdown of the Illya Selfcest but as a scene that was just awesome amount of different things, comedy, romance and sex.
    Kuro going passive reluctantly wanting love and Illya clearly thinking the same way but torn that she can’t think that way. And yes Kuro wants more than just mana and sex, Kuro wants intimacy too. Then Silverlinks wonderful tease that they were not going to show what many have been waiting for the most the selfcest kiss. But the Silverlink was just trying to avoid giving us hart attacks as that was supper hot with passionate pauses. Illya you can end the self deception you really want to try out other forms of mana transfer.

    Miyu is not to bothered I would guess because she is actually getting twins in with her love interest.

    RedRocket
    Reply

    1. Seeing it animated basically confirmed my suspicions that Illya protests too much. Also, she stuck there word for word when Kuro told her the other ways. Instead of calling Kuro a pervert right away, she stuck it out. You’d only do that if you were one interested and two you liked the other person.

      Then again, Prism Illya is probably the biggest pervert in Fate’s entire library of perverts. Remember what she was doing to Miyu when her switch gets flipped. Oh yeah, that’s entirely what happened with Kuro and her. It got flipped, but she was denying it to herself.

      “But Dorian, that can’t be” please remember she even said “what’s with this atmosphere, anyone who saw this would get the wrong idea”. If you know you yourself are creating this atmosphere, but are rejecting that it is that, you are so smitten by the other person.

      You know, I’m actually routing for Kuro to win Illya. Why? Because I said earlier, the Illya we all know from Fate/UBW/HF is actually Kuro. And Kuro needs to have a happy ending! Also, I think Kuro and Illya make the best couple. Also, I can just imagine Kuro being the stay home mom, while Illya is the go to work mom, with a few kids running around the house. …also yes, I want that type of happy ending for Kuro. ALSO~! I’ve said also too much in this paragraph that I feel like Jackie Chan’s grandfather (I think grandpa) from Jackie Chan’s Adventures. Also, yes I know it was one more thing, but still similar enough.

      Now back on topic, before you say “Dorian, they can’t have kids”, actually they can and I’m not talking adopted ones either (though knowing them, they’d probably do that because of Shirou). Not going into the entire details because this post is already way too long for my posting likings, but… Remember. King Arthur was able to have a child known as Mordred. In Fate this comes to pass too, so there is a way for a female to do it with another female.

      Ahem, also like you said RR, Miyu gets two for the price of one. I think she likes that.

      <_< This is so all over the place because that episode was so much fun.

      Dorian
      Reply

  25. “If you’re ever in trouble make sure to let us know. We’ll do anything we can to help you.”

    …Well. That explains why Miyu reacted like that. Poor girl.

    Wanderer
    Reply

  27. https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei%20Herz%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2020.jpg
    Ah yes the classic Nasuverse “mana transfer”. I still think this is one the dumbest concepts ever to be introduced in a setting. But to be fair, if it weren’t for that we wouldn’t get scenes as hilarious (and kinky) as this. Especially seeing poor Mimi have her innocent mind broken. Amn really, how many anime how can boast have actual selfcest anyway?

    I find it interesting how the OP is trying to avoid spoilers on what are heroes are fighting when it comes on the heels of UBW a season before. Anyone who saw UBW already knows what the eight card is ! I still can’t wait for the battle to come though.

    fragb85
    Reply

    1. True, the mana transfer has always been silly. It’s just been around for so long that it doesn’t seem that way anymore, until you think about it. Ahhhh, what we humans can get used to…

      Prisma Illya has never depended on actual surprise where it came to the standard Fate elements. Of course, the characters needed to be a certain amount surprise when Card|Rider or Card|Saber showed up, looking like primal badasses, but the show itself has always seemed aware that we pretty much know what’s going on there.

      But just because most people do doesn’t mean EVERYONE does. You gotta tell the story properly, for those who don’t know—even if you don’t want to bank on it, and keep secrets elsewhere (Ex: Miyu) that are totally new.

      Stilts
      Reply

    2. I can’t believe I’m about to write this down(someone stop me): You know, if you think about it, this method of transferring “mana”(aka lifeforce, energy, spark-o-life, etc etc) has been around forever. Vampires doing it with blood and all that (yes, I just called Kuro vampiric >.>). It’s all about one person taking what’s inside someone else because they need it. “Naruverse” just took a less-violent method of extraction when it came to mana in the purely-magical sense(since, you know, Dead Apostles and actual vampires are a thing).

      I guess here they got hung-up on or wanted to make a point of people’s insides coming into contact, so they couldn’t settle for lip-to-skin sucking… (drools as he thinks of Akeno and Rias sucking on Issei’s fingers)

      Aex
      Reply

  28. Well that was a pointless episode. Not that fun episodes are a bad thing but when it comes to opening episodes you’d think there would be a little more plot involved. I mean almost everything we’ve seen in this episode was something we knew. Miyu having a mysterious past. Yes that’s been apparent since the first season. We get it. Miyu having some history with Shirou. This was shown in the second season. We get it. Kuro needing Mana. Yeaaaaaah ever since she was introduced we understood that. So all and all this episode added nothing of real value to the series. Again not the way an OPENING episode should start. It’s one thing to ease people into the show again but you’ve got to have a hook other than fanservice if I’m to take it seriously. Hell the only worth while thing in this episode was the location of the next card. However it being in the ocean seems like a real convenience for more swimsuit fanservice. Hooray!…………

    Speaking of that kiss scene I have to wonder why was it dragged out for so long? It was implied that Kuro had to use Illya for mana in the first season (but they never showed it which was fine by me). So why wouldn’t Illya have asked about this before? Just seemed like a way to waste time and fit in more jokes. Could have avoided most of the drama if they had went somewhere more private. Only savages do that kind of thing on the stairs! >:/

    Also again they like shoving it in our faces “this is the only way!” and it seems like a cheap way to justify the Kuro x Illya relationship (though that’s obviously the fault of the original series since it had the same gimmick). I mean you’d think in a world where you can perform magic on par with the greatest of wizards someone would have discovered a way to transfer that stuff in a much more subtle matter. Doesn’t make much sense when you get right down to it ;P.

    Also can’t really agree with Shirou’s abuse being all that funny. He’s been nothing but a slapstick punching bag and that’s seriously annoying. It really reminds me of that new monster girl show. Seeing a guy get continuously tortured almost every moment isn’t funny. Slapstick generally works better when the person it’s happening too ACTUALLY deserves it. That’s why the Bugs Bunny/Daffy Duck, Road Runner/Coyote and Tom/Jerry jokes worked so well most of the time. Yes there is nothing wrong with it happening to random people every now and then but when a guy who has done nothing wrong just exists to be the butt of the joke it just gets old after a while. Seems like japan doesn’t like leveling the playing field when it comes to slapstick. It’s always the men that get the short end of it……………..(GET IT??!!!)

    I mean in the first season it was tolerable but ever since Kuro showed up it’s just gotten obnoxious and to be honest creepy.
    Illya and Miyu are sort of cute with their infatuation with him but Kuro wanting to full on sex him up and talking dirty to him which is even encouraged by their mother? Even though that’s his sister? What the fucking shit fuck?!! I’m sorry but pedophilia humor was never my cup of tea. That’s part of the reason I hated Black Bullet. It’s one thing to have kids have cute crushes on their siblings/guardians (since that happens all the time and most people grow out of it) but when it’s clear that they have the minds of dirty old men that just ruins the whole situation for me. That’s not relatable childhood innocence in the slightest.

    Is there a point Shirou’s supposed to get character development? Even the BUTLER has had more development than him and he’s not part of the main cast. Heck, if you want to use the argument “he’s not the main character” that still doesn’t make it ok in my opinion.

    leatherhead333
    Reply

    1. This is just being faithful to the source material. This was the breather chapter that follows IMMEDIATELY after the Bazzet fight, not a season break like the anime had.

      And you’re not well versed on the Nasuverse are you? Fluid transfer is the easiest way to transfer mana with sexual fluids being the most potent. Yes really, that was actually written. The VN literally had, “We’re in trouble we need mana so lets f***!” It was dumb as hell, but at least Prisma Illya was self-aware of that and played it for laughs and fanservice.

      fragb85
      Reply

      1. Yes I understand that joke but that doesn’t make the situation anymore dumb. I already said that has more to do with the “fate series” and the show isn’t really at fault. However, this situation with Kuro isn’t something that HAD to happen. It was written into the story to take advantage of it PURPOSEFULLY which is where my criticism mostly stands. For example the first season never brought up this issue because there was never a need for it. Ever since Kuro was introduced it’s become the shows main means of fanservice. That goes beyond using it for a simple joke.

        leatherhead333
        Reply

    2. I’d only note a couple of things.

      1: This is the second half of the 2wei manga, so in the source it wasn’t SUPPOSED to be a premiere—it’s supposed to be a break between the girls almost getting their faces caved in by Bazett, and whatever dangerous shit they get up to next (I was thinking submarines more than swimsuits, but maybe that’s just because Luvia is so broken rich).

      2: You’re absolutely right—Shirou isn’t the main character. I wouldn’t expect much character development for him. You’re not complaining about the lack of development for Sella or Liz or Iri. Why Shirou? Granted, if you’re worried that he’s a one-dimensional character rather than lacking in development, that’s a different thing, though I’d disagree with that as well.

      It seems like this show is pressing all your buttons in the wrong way. I’m curious, why are you bothering to watch something that’s annoying you so much? I don’t want to chase people away from the shows I enjoy, but if you’re not enjoying it, I don’t see the point o.O

      Stilts
      Reply

      1. From what I can see Shirou is supposed to be an important character due to his connection to Miyu which hasn’t been explained yet. This is why his lack of development makes less sense to me compared to the others you mentioned. If a character holds significant relevance to the plot why continue to make them a punching bag and then MAYBE make them important during the final act? It just seems kind of lazy. Siblings have always been a topic I see botched quite a bit in anime simply because there is almost ALWAYS a case of one of them falling in love with each other instead of……………you know acting like normal brother and sister. As I said I liked Illya’s affection for him earlier since it was cute and harmless unlike Kuro’s. This added relateability to their relationship. Now that he’s deemed to always be a pervert what am I supposed to feel from this character? He hasn’t been given a chance to shine or do anything interesting even though he’s supposed to have some important history. It just doesn’t make sense to me from a narrative perspective in my opinion. That’s like if Stars Wars never explained why Luke’s father became Darth Vader and just had him be evil because “reasons”. It wouldn’t work.

        leatherhead333
        Reply

      2. Star Wars is a bad example, because them explaining why Anakin became Vader damn near ruined the series for some of us -_- Please don’t suck Episode VII, please don’t suck…

        Shirou is an accessory to Illya’s, Kuro’s, and Miyu’s story. Ideally, all characters would be rounded, interesting, and receive character development to the extent of their importance in the story. That’s not the world authors live in, however. We do the best we can. Shirou is simply not as important. He might get character development later on, and it would be cool if he did.

        I just don’t understand why you’re hung up on having character development for one of the only male characters, who is also a side character. To me, that would merely be a bonus that shows added depth, like having a male character with actual personality (Yamada) in Re-Kan!

        Stilts
        Reply

      3. @Leatherhead: Should you watch long enough you will come to understand how a character named Emiya Shirou can be someone of great importance to Miyu and her backstory, while simultaneously the boy Emiya Shirou in front of us can be an undeveloped side-character of no importance beyond comedy.

        Shirou is not receiving development precisely because there is nothing to develop. This boy we see is a nobody. He went through none of the events that forged Emiya Shirou in the original Fate universe into the person who would be a hero. This is not his story, and he is simply not interesting.

        Wanderer
        Reply

      4. Which is kind of nice, to be honest. It’s a rare luxury in Shirou’s many lives to be boring. Let him be unimportant for once, says I. He still inexplicably attracts all the girls—and to be fair, his house husbando skills are through the roof; who wouldn’t want a husband who could cook all the delicious foods? *polishes his kitchen knives*—so enjoy your mundane life, Shirou. ‘Cause ya ain’t getting that in any other timeline.

        Stilts
        Reply

      5. @Stilts
        Maybe because he’s a brother to both Illya and Kuro? Is there really NOTHING that could be done to incorporate him into the story? Why can’t he give meaningful advice to Illya, Miyu or Kuro when they need it most? Why can’t he ever be shown trying to protect them or being helpful during the fights? Is it simply because that’s all things the mother has to do? Even though Shirou has been with Illya much longer since she is usually away from her daughter?

        Bullocks I say.

        Look, here is my issue as simple as I can put it. I’ve always enjoyed shows like The Eccentric Family and Kyousougiga. Why? Well no matter how weird or strange those shows were sometimes the strong sense of a family wanting to protect, help and stay together at all costs made them relatable. Which also made them much funnier since we could see some of the traits of the characters in our own family members or even ourselves because they received some type of development. That’s where Prism Illya gets it wrong. We don’t don’t get a strong sense of family here. We get a strong sense of “Wow look at all these quirky characters in a quirky setting making perverted jokes all the time!”. I mean given the length of the series and how much time it wastes on filler moments I really don’t see much excuse for it not doing that. The moments where we see Kuro being acting shy around her mother or when Illya went to her for advice were admittedly nice moments. Yet we really don’t get enough of that.

        Shioru has no real personality or relatable character traits. He does things that clearly any person with a brain would not do. Like his excuse for coming into Illya’s room. Why the hell would he come in there JUST because the girls were being loud? They weren’t screaming so why the hell would that be a problem? Well it happened because they HAD to have a comedic moment where he is once again the but of the joke. It’s forced comedy that isn’t relatable.

        So in summary all I’m asking for is for SOME reason I should like Shirou or hell any other side character for that matter. I don’t like characters simply for their quirks. I like characters because they ACTUALLY have character, they actually do/say interesting things etc. If Kuro, Illya and Miyu are the only characters that will get significant focus then I can say the cast is WAY to big. If you have so many side characters and you never have time to develop any of them (in a 30+ episode series mind you) EVEN the ones you want to hold some kind of importance then there is something wrong. Fate/Zero made time to develop most of it’s characters. What’s this show’s excuse?

        leatherhead333
        Reply

      6. @leatherhead333: I get that you want this Shirou to be the same Shirou we’ve known all along in Fate, since in a typical Fate show everyone gets some time in the spotlight. Problem is, this series has never been that. Shirou isn’t developed because he isn’t important. Same for Liz and Sella. It really is that simple. This isn’t the Holy Grail War where every character and servant is pivotal to the story. It’s a Magical Girl comedy focused on Illya, who until Season 2, thought she came from a normal family. Sella, Liz, and Shirou still think their family is normal. There’s no reason for them to get involved in the action, and if they did they would probably die. I’m not looking for that kind of trauma, thanks. Besides, why should Iri push over? She’s the mage around here, she was the one that knew Illya was in trouble, she’s the one that goes to either offer comfort or lay down the law. If Shirou tried to but in she’d probably get mad since there’s a chance he’d get hurt and no reason for him to get involved when Iri’s perfectly capable of handling things.

        We do get a strong sense of family here, actually. We get a sense of a normal family. A family where everyone sits down and talks, cracks jokes, and is just there. Families like this are usually cut out of most anime, matter of fact. People like Shirou are pretty common in a big family, too: he’s the butt of the joke because everyone knows he’s sweet and harmless, and above all that he can take it. They tease him for the reaction, and he’s too nice to push back. Happens all the time. Sella is actually the oddity, but even then not so much. They both want to be useful around the house so they end up butting heads and getting in each others business. Personally I think they should just get a room.

        I’m not sure what you consider “a brain” either, since I’ve known girls whose older brothers have literally done what Shirou just did for the same reason. They were being loud and he wanted them to get to bed because they had a big day tomorrow. He says that. He’s actually being kinda nice. Yes, it would’ve been smarter to just knock, but one universal truth is that Shirou Emiya is dense. Same in a real life: you get comfortable enough with someone, you start forgetting common sense when you’re tired. Maybe the real problem here for you is that they made Shirou too much of a real big brother to where he doesn’t fit into what you’ve come to expect from an anime family? He has his own life that happily involves Illya, but doesn’t revolve around her. He is four years older than her so that’s not surprising, and nothing in his daily life pertains to the show aside from Rin and Luvia crushing on him, so it’s left out. I’ve never thought this show had a problem with filler content, so I guess we have different ideas on what “filler content” means.

        So to answer your essential question of “Why is Shirou Emiya in this show?”, it’s simple: because Type-Moon decided long ago that Shirou Emiya is and always will be the big brother of Illyasviel von Einzbern. Even if he has to be a character with the least screen-time. Is that a good reason? Dunno, but IMO they make it work. The basis of this show is the family that Illya always wanted but never got, so he needed to be there, just like Sella and Liz did, just like Iri and Kiritsugu had to be the parents. The Magical Girl element is there to give it the plot, but that’s the background.

        Aex
        Reply

      7. @ leatherhead333

        I’ll repeat something I said below: You’re trying to make this story into something it isn’t. You’re trying to force it into a box that YOU would enjoy more, despite the author’s clear wishes to the contrary. It doesn’t want to be Uchouten Kazoku or Kyousougiga. In those, the central theme was family—and an eccentric one, in both cases. That’s not any of the central theme here. If anything, the point here is to have a mundane family—a sort of reward for all the suffering these characters have endured, in a similar way to Carnival Phantasm.

        Like it or hate it for what it is (and how well—or not well—it does the things it wants to be), but I don’t think it’s fair to rail on it for not being what you would prefer. It ain’t your story. If you want a different story, go write it! The world will be richer for it.

        To clarify: If you didn’t find this episode to be funny, that’s a valid criticism. It’s trying to be funny, if you didn’t find the jokes to be funny, valid. But if, like the other commenter who was railing on it for not being Card Captor Sakura, you don’t like it because it’s not doing something completely different, that’s unfair. It’s like judging a dog for not being a giraffe. So what if the dog can’t reach the leaves in the tall trees? That’s not what it’s trying to do!

        Stilts
        Reply

      8. @Aex

        1. First thing is first. I don’t care if this is a Fate Spin off and they want to be different. That is irrelevant. My motto with spin offs is simple. I take it for it’s own unique animal. That means my standards will not be skewed just because of the source material it’s based off of. Shirou was an important character in previous shows? That doesn’t matter to me. The character I see is worthless, replaceable and treated as a slapstick dummy. Why is this character supposed to matter to me? Why should I care about him? These are questions you can’t answer because there are none. A brother REGARDLESS of his level of importance should get some kind of focus in a story like this if he’s related to the main character yet alone living with them. If he’s helpful and supportive why is it so hard to have him do that when the MAIN characters need it most? He doesn’t even have to fight. He can just give out generally good heart to heart advice. You act as if I’m asking for a major character role change. I’m not. I’m just asking for something of substance to come from him or any other side character.

        2. Yes I remember my ten year old sister being a pervert and wanting to get in my pants. My mother even approved of it too. It was simple normal family fun…………..yep………seriously what the fucking hell dude?
        Families do NOT joke about that kind of stuff ALL the damn time. Most of the time you’d get scolded for saying shit like that when you were 10. Now yes cracking jokes and picking on each other is all part of growing up with your family. But did virtually ALL the jokes/cracks you made with each other consist of sexual/creepy humor? I’m willing to bet not. That’s where your argument falls apart. The humor seems to be exclusively sexual which is NOT what all families always joke about especially when said people in jokes are underage. This is the “quirkiness” I was talking about before. This is a quirky anime family NOT a normal family. It’s not my place to tell people what is normal or not but this family is most definitely NOT in my opinion. Shirou does indeed act like a normal brother but it’s the REST of the family that doesn’t. Perhaps that’s supposed to be part of the humor but it simply doesn’t work for me. He doesn’t do anything to deserve his abuse, he never gets a chance to strike back and he doesn’t do anything of importance for his sister or anyone else in the plot. Pointless character is pointless. As I said I don’t care what his role was in previous shows so don’t bring that up again.

        leatherhead333
        Reply

      9. @Stilts

        It should be noted that I never have wanted to force anything on anyone. Anime is something I am very passionate about so when I see missed opportunities with decent material it infuriates me. This one of the few cases I’ve seen in a fantasy show where most of the family is alive. The only person we haven’t seen yet is the father but even that is pretty ignorable considering the mother is usually the person who suffers from “get the bitch out of the show” syndrome. Like I told Aex I judge spin offs as if they were their own animal so previous material holds no real value to me when I judge them. So to me this just feels like a wasted opportunity. This is a family that as you’ve said has suffered quite a bit. So seeing them together and having those little heart to heart chats is me asking to much? Maybe so and I’d be willing to admit to that if the show didn’t play favorites. Having the mother be the only person Illya/Kuro can connect with but no one else is the truly unfair thing here. Yes I get it, she’s powerful and wise so it makes sense to have her be the voice of reason. But I just don’t feel it’s right that everyone else in the family gets snowballed and sentenced to 50 years of comedic relief. That’s my opinion on the matter and I never said it was an absolute fact. However I do think a show being mediocre and ruining it’s chance to be something special is a valid criticism (example: Day Break Illusion).

        leatherhead333
        Reply

      10. @leatherhead333: there were a couple things bothering, so I’ll just address those and bow out. First, I don’t have a problem with taking a spin-off as it’s own animal, but that rubbed me the wrong way here for some reason, then I realized why. It’s because Season 2 of this show declares that everything up to the start of Fate/Zero still happened in at least a very similar variation, and the change comes with instead of winning the war, this Kiritsugu and Iri sealed the Grail with Illya. That sets some character roles in stone that I don’t think it’s fair to ignore. It also means that Shirou probably isn’t related to anyone via blood, but that feels like something to be picked up later via wherever Miyu’s thing for Shirou is going. Illya might not even remember that, though I’d bet money Kuro does.

        Second is that some of what you’re asking for is unnecessary. Which is fine, you’re free to want what you want, but I just thought I’d point that out. People do have roles in real life and real families. If Iri hadn’t swept in during Season 1 I’m sure it would’ve been Shirou to step up and have a talk with Illya and give her the push, but Iri showed up, so it was Mommy-time. This is where the Fate/Zero connection comes in that I mentioned: it makes sense that Iri always knows, since the Einzbern connection is a lot stronger than the usual mother-daughter bond. In Season 1 I said the same thing when Iri showed up: “Well that was convenient! Use someone already there!” Then Season 2 made it clear that this wasn’t a complete restart, but it actually picked up the thread of Fate/Zero and things made more sense. That’s Iri’s role to play because of what’s already happened. Knowing that also made the number of times she makes jokes and her inappropriate humor make sense to me. She sure didn’t have anything to joke about before, so she’s going to enjoy herself as much as humanly possible. Of course that doesn’t make it impossible for someone else to have a heart-to-heart, but as I said before, why would Iri move over when it comes to the more serious stuff? As flippant as she is, she cares about her girls a lot, so she’s going to make sure they get the best advice. If that meant talking to Shirou she’d tie him up in a bow and hand-deliver him. Anyway, right character for the right situation. Diversifying for the sake of diversity is unnecessary, and I’ve already said why everyone is present in the story.

        I also never really think of someone as a generalization like “comic relief”, but that’s my own personal choice. I see Liz as the lazy stoic that’s gonna drive the uptight, workaholic Sella up a wall while the dense, scape-goat Shirou just tries to survive being so vastly outnumber via gender. It isn’t his fault that his little, not blood-related sister fell for him(again, this is something I’m operating under via Fate/Zero), but he’s awkward, loving and a huge softy, so he’s the punching bag for Liz, Iri, and Kuro who like to joke around. It’s admirable how well he takes it, even if it is obviously just in good fun.

        Aex
        Reply

      11. @Aex

        1. That still doesn’t concern me as I said before. A spinoff that has ties to the original is fine but that still doesn’t mean they can slack off on developing the other characters. As someone who hasn’t watched Fate/Zero (I’m watching Unlimited Blade) I have no knowledge of those events nor should I have too. I remember watching “Zettai Karen Children: The Unlimited – Hyoubu Kyousuke” and liking it much more than the original series. It never asked me to have prior knowledge of the original show and explained it’s characters and story just fine. Something a good spinoff does. You continue to tell me that because I don’t have prior knowledge of the show that it justifies my issues with the show. Simply put it doesn’t and this is probably something we’ll have to disagree on.

        2. “Diversifying for the sake of diversity is unnecessary”

        I can’t believe you just said that. Are you really defending mediocre character development by saying such things aren’t necessary? Seriously? It’s one thing to argue that a character is fine the way they are in your opinion but it’s ANOTHER to say that a character doesn’t need to stand out on their own or get some development despite having an impact on the story however minor it is in a 30+ episode series. It’s……..yeah I don’t get that logic. This show doesn’t broadcast itself as a JUST a comedy. Otherwise I wouldn’t have nearly as many issues with it. It contains action and attempts to get me to feel for the characters when they are going through something. You are asking me to lower my standards to the point characters can just exist to do absolutely nothing for the main characters, plot or action. Never helping them, never easing them through their troubles……..nothing. They just exist for a joke here and there. You are telling me Shirou exists to be the literal but of the joke and hardly anything else. Oh and a creepy love interest for the girls. Yeah ummmm no that’s not happening. That is not a family role. That’s a contrived anime situation to make him the target of it’s humor.

        Shirou is loved by all the girls for some convenient reason? Sounds like a typical harem series setup to me NOT a family role you keep thinking he’s in. I’ve watched anime for a while now. And while I do like to think the best of folks it’s typically not “We are doing this to show a realistic family” being the reason why the situation is like this. Shirou is supposed to be a male insert for the audience to be jealous of during his suffering. His constant embarrassment is just fuel for the sexual jokes to continue coming out with no subtly and he effortlessly has everyone wanting to get in his pants despite some of them not even knowing him that well. It’s pure anime contrivance. And to be honest that’s totally fine if you like the humor of the show. I just don’t like the idea of being told “oh yes this is how a realistic situation in a family is”. Sorry but it just plain isn’t.

        Kuro is clearly NOT joking when she talks about her affection for him so that ruins most of the “just kidding” atmosphere you keep bringing up.

        leatherhead333
        Reply

    3. I agree on the shirou slapstick. Its overdone and usually it is: shirou gets involved in anything that can be spun to sound perverted even if he didn’t say or do anything except exist = sella attacks him. Not funny after the 1st time.

      eggtt
      Reply

    4. You seam to be the violence is ok sex is bad type with these comments. I totally reject the illogical evil idea that it’s ok to enjoy violence but not sex, no you must reject both or accept both or reject violence and accept sex. Plus you are making the mistake of trying to break down comedy when you did not find it funny. Ive done mistake, never makes sense to explain why something is not funny when others find it funny, in the same way that explaining why a joke is funny does not work.
      Pedophilla is a metal health term determined by the mental heath profession for the mental illness of being attracted to humans before they develop secondary sexual characteristics. No government authority uses the term for people who try to prey on juvenile adults like the girls in this story, they use predator. Two different types of criminals who target different ages.

      RedRocket
      Reply

      1. I’m so sick of people using this argument against me. First thing is first. Violence can ACTUALLY be used to tell a compelling dark story. Tokyo Ghoul is a good example. The gore was incorporated into it’s world and never shoved it down your face without each act having some significance to the characters. Akame ga Kill, Cross Ange and Black Bullet are bad examples. I hate those shows because they have violence for the sake of violence without understanding how to use it in a tasteful manner. So please don’t use that crappy argument on me ever again.

        Fanservice, especially in this show is typically pointless, adds nothing to the story or characters and is really just an attempt to get the audience to tug their sticks. That’s why I typically hate it. Especially when the characters don’t act ANYTHING like kids and talk like filthy old men. It’s not funny. I’ve seen every joke here done a million times. It’s not original or creative humor nor does it know the conventions of GOOD slapstick. I guess I should just keep putting “In my opinion” every time I say something but you’d think people would already know that.

        If you want an example of a good ecchi show that (most of the time) doesn’t shove it’s ecchi nature in your face and when it does there is some decent characterization then see Lord marksman and Vanadis. I haven’t finished it yet but I remember the fanservice in that show being done so well that I hardly noticed it (again most of the time).

        leatherhead333
        Reply

  29. That kiss is cringe worthy digusting! This is why Mahou shoujo has reached an all time low; no longer are stories about empowerment for girls and women now the genre has become a phanplet for creepos to live out their sick fantasies on and we are just suppose to sit here and take it without saying anything because tolerance and all that. Sigh look at cardcaptor sakura do you see clamp doing this? Hmm do you see them going ‘well let’s have chiharu make out with rikka for no reason while tomoyo video tapes yeah that’ll get us an audience” no why because clamp has a brain and knew how to make stories accessible to boys and girls of all ages without being perverted about it.

    Melissa
    Reply

    1. Yes, instead CCS decided to pitch forth a romance with an adult teacher and an elementary girl. That is so much better! Get over yourself and stop pretending you understand the genre.

      If you want to see empowered females go watch Symphogear. That has girls giving the middle finger to both nature and physics on the first six minutes of the first episode of season 3.

      fragb85
      Reply

    2. I think we did this dance last season, so I’ll only address this once:

      The world is wide enough to have plenty of different shows. I wish there were more mahou shoujo shows in the vein of Card Captor Sakura too—or Sailor Moon, though I didn’t end up watching Crystal after I heard it was disappointing, so maybe not the best immediate example. I wish there were more shoujo anime in general, after Soreseka and Ore Monogatari and Akagami have been killin’ it.

      However, this ain’t one of those shows. If you don’t like it, I suggest you don’t watch it. And if you’re not even watching it, I suggest you don’t get riled up about something you can’t change.

      You’re trying to enforce your will in something that doesn’t care, and trying to change this show into something it’s not. I wouldn’t bother. You’re just going to make yourself unhappy, working yourself up into a froth like that. Either enjoy it for what it is, or take yourself out of the position.

      To be clear: I’m not telling you to shut up and go away, nor trying to “silence” you. Unless you’re being disruptive (which you’re not), comment away. I’m just suggesting to you, for your own happiness, that you not get worked up about things you can’t change.

      Promote the stories you love. Or better yet, go write ’em. Railing against stories you hate is only fun for so long. After that, you’re just torturing yourself.

      Stilts
      Reply

    3. Ah, yes. I was wondering when you were going to comment, and which of your many alternate names you were going to assume this time.

      It’s almost like clockwork now. If there is any hint of yuri in any series, I can expect you to be there bashing the series, the studio, the writer, and the viewers. Every time people will point out the fallacies of your so-called logic, and you try to justify your holier-than-thou attitude, but you always come back for more.

      It is plainly obvious that you are just trolling now, because nothing people say will ever get through your narrow biased mind. For me, it’s almost amusing how hard you try, always using the same old examples, like a train wreck you can’t look away from.

      soren
      Reply

  30. That’s what I’m saying we’ll need more creators who will take the mahou shoujo genre seriously again. To me this show is playing the comedy up too much and it looks like none of the characters are taking catching the class cards seriously like they are no repurcussions if they do or don’t capture them. Also none of the kid characters feel like how real kids would act at that age. If you’re going to make a fantasy the characters need to feel like real people. Look at Digimon for example the reason that show resonates with viewers even today is because the characters despite being children feel like real people who have faults, flaws, and vulnerabilities.

    Melissa
    Reply

    1. Keep going. It’s getting to be amusing for me how deep you dig yourself without realizing how illogical your own arguments are.

      I will see you next week for your next pointless rant. Cheers!

      soren
      Reply

    2. …What are you even going on about? As far as most of the characters know, there aren’t any repercussions if they don’t capture the cards. Card, singular, now. It’s just sitting there absorbing magic, but it’s not harming anyone, and they have no evidence that it would harm the real world in any way. It causes disruptions in mana, but Rin, Luvia, and Bazett are the only ones present who would know or care anything about that. And those three are the ones who are actually concerned about it and are working to find a way to get to the card. Right now Illya, Kuro, and Miyu can’t even reach the card, so there is absolutely no point in them wasting energy worrying about it.

      Umm… none of the series you’ve referred to are good examples of kids acting like kids. In all of them the kids tend to fluctuate between acting like someone several years older than they are, and acting like a person of undefined age. There are a few times when children will act childlike, but there are a few times like that here as well, so your comparison doesn’t particularly apply.

      Also, again, you are comparing apples and oranges. Those shows are not this show. This show is not even intended to be like those shows, nor is it aimed at anywhere near the same demographic. It’s only in the same genre as CCS because of certain flaws in how we define genres. As for Digimon… what? Why? Why would you even bring that up? It is so far from anything like this series that I’d almost expect a matter/antimatter reaction if you put them in the same sentence.

      Wanderer
      Reply

    3. Just a few things because I’m not crazy about getting into this: Please rewatch the first two seasons if you don’t think anyone was serious about getting the cards, cause that’s entirely groundless. The entire conflict between Miyu and Illya was on exactly that point. Bazett coming and almost killing everyone was on that point. This was a recharge episode where the girls are awaiting orders and enjoying normal life before diving back into danger, it makes sense that the characters would go over the top.

      And this isn’t how 10-12 year old girls act? When they’re just starting puberty, getting a real interest in sex-ed, and all think they’re five years older than they really are? Maybe Kuro’s sexual interest is a bit too high and Miyu is a bit too smart, but that’s about it. The others are pretty spot-on, even while shopping for swimsuits. Don’t act like all girls still believe in cooties at that age. Even Kuro and Miyu–they’re extreme cases, but girls like that do exist, and their special circumstances makes them believable.

      About faults flaws and vulnerability, again, first two seasons. All three in spades for our three main girls. Thing is, people grow, and what they’ve been through makes someone grow fast. Even saying that, it’s obvious they’re still childish. They aren’t acting like well put together adults, just girls that are trying their best for each other.

      Aex
      Reply

  32. Is this going to cover just the rest of Zwei or also parts of Drei? Because the op looked like it will head into that direction. The series is still funny, though too much lolicon bait, but what can you do? Anyway, I don’t think that Miyu is attracted to Shirou in any way. She seems to have a crush on Illya though. Show Spoiler ▼

    dean
    Reply

    2. I’ve been assuming just Zwei, though since I’m not a manga reader, I can’t exactly back that up. Zwei is, what, 27 chapters though? I’m not sure what chapter we’re on, but that feels about right for a 20-episode (total: 10 last season, 10 this season) adaptation.

      Of course, Drei is already at 30 chapters, and I’m not sure it’s over (once again, not a manga reader, so I don’t know). Not sure if they’ll keep going. I hope they do, though!

      Stilts
      Reply

      1. Well if years have shown anything is that Fate is really good and sell really well, that´s why we´ve had the original anime, spin offs, movies, specials, remakes of the game, remakes of the anime, prequels, novels……. yeah, i think is safe to say we´re going to see Drei animated in the future. XD

        haseo0408
        Reply

  33. Thank you@Alex and stilts you responded to my above post in a very constructive manner and that’s all I was looking for. I just don’t think illya should be excused from criticism mind you they are things like with the show like the action scenes angry also can’t wait to see Show Spoiler ▼

    Stilts edit: Added a spoiler tag to something coming up in Drei. Be careful, please.

    Melissa
    Reply

    1. You see where it says REPLY under a comment? Click that to nest your replies under an existing comment. It makes it easier to follow a single conversation thread.

      And please mark your spoilers. I already knew the one you mentioned, but if I hadn’t, I’da had to burn you at the stake >:

      Stilts
      Reply

      1. I have my suspicions, but if I’m mistaken, I apologize beforehand. I’d rather not throw around the “troll” label when it isn’t warranted.

        However, if this is the same person who kept trolling the Hibike Euphonium posts and ranting about yuri, I wouldn’t count on this person using spoiler tags properly. The Hibike Euphonium troll willfully ignored any and all such warnings in order to prove a (rambling and incoherent) point.

        SK
        Reply

      3. There is no doubt that it’s the same person. Here is one of such posts, along with my retort.

        Other names this user has tried to hide as include angiri, Melissa, Ashford, sadia, and clarice.

        The inability to make a consistent comment thread is a dead giveaway. Not to mention the same old examples and poor English, to which I have this to say.

        soren
        Reply

      4. I give everyone the benefit of the doubt, treat them as if they’re adults worthy of respect, and give frequent chances to start anew. If they choose to squander that opportunity, I’ll act accordingly. You don’t have to worry about me.

        Stilts
        Reply

  35. Loved the episode, had me cracking up often. That was stone cold though, Miyu. Even if you don’t care about most people, you might want to at least recognize Illya’s friends.
    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya/Fate%20kaleid%20liner%20Prisma%20Illya%20Zwei%20Herz%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2027.jpg
    (Random aside: She kinda reminds me of Onodera in this pic)

    Maybe I’m just too used to cliches in anime, but I expect blood siblings (especially the long-lost kind) to have the same hair color, so I don’t think Miyu is Shirou’s blood-related little sister. As Stilts(?) said in a comment above, I am curious how Shirou ended up as a part of the family in the first place.

    SK
    Reply

    1. I forgotten just how random and unpredictable Tatsuko can be, but one thing I can’t forget is how gorgeous Irisviel is. Good to have Prisma Illya back on the air.

      Zhinvu
      Reply

    1. Since I’m here and I feel like this is a reply to someone, I’ll mention to make sure to use the “reply” button just under the person’s name before you start typing. That puts your comment into the conversation. Otherwise you just end up at the bottom, like so.

      Aex
      Reply

      1. Since I am here, now. And since I can also choose when and where to use the reply button. I did what I meant, and meant what I did. My comment is exactly where I want it to be, as it had a general aim, not a specific person to reply to…

        skylion
        Reply

  39. I can’t remember when it happened, but Mimi having been corrupted by BL (courtesy of Suzuka) proclaimed that she believes “boys should love boys and girls should love girls”.

    And really, there isn’t much left to cover in 2wei. There’s a whole bunch of funny scenes, followed by a major fight, and that’s pretty much it. It’s somewhere in the range of about 4 to 5 chapters I think.

    Hanabira.Kage
    Reply

  42. Honestly, I thought the Kuro and Illya kiss was over the top… But there’s their onsen kissing scene in the OVA which way over the top.

    Then I watched Shimoneta… it felt that the IlyaXKuro kiss was merely a peck on the cheeks.

    This season’s lewdness is off the charts that even last season’s DxD can’t top off. And Monmusu is not even a part of the equation.

    Reikakou
    Reply

  43. Man that episode was a blast! Too funny for me, I fully agree with Stilts, that I’m biased about the series but it was so fricking hilarious and I really think this was the strongest first episode this season 🙂 Also, there’s so much ships floating around I can’t even keep track anymore, but I’m still sticking with IllyaxMiyu ship, I need my yuri ships to be kept alive.

    Trap Master
    Reply

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