Fate/stay night / First Impressions

「冬の日、遠い家路」 (Fuyu no Hi, Tooi Ieji)
“Winter Days, a Long Way Home”

Even though we’ve had plenty of dialogue heavy episodes in the past, this is the first time the tension has eased up in a while. Even when characters got to talking before, they still did so in the context of conflict. So our protagonists get to rest a while, patch themselves up, and start setting up for what may well be the final battle. So it’s a slow episode without much event, and the most action we really get is Gil shooting once, but I made do by taking screencaps of Rin judiciously.

What does happen this week is the long awaited(?) mana-link-thingy scene and—my God, it’s full of stars! This is the Realta Nua (aka family-friendly) version, which means weird CGI constructs. In the 2010 movie they were dolphins but… are these dolphins? Alien dolphins? A bad metaphor?. Well, it’s not like the original scene was all that much better. I refuse to believe that after millennia of magecraft nobody has come up with an easier way to do all this. Even for the piece of Magic Crest Shirou receives (What Would Jesus Do, Shirou?), surely someone would have invented a copy + paste feature by now. Well, more than half of it was innuendo anyway, so I suppose we aren’t supposed to take it all too seriously. We do get, though, some flashbacks from Rin’s past (the kind that seem to pop up whenever anybody gets linked in any way in this setting), and in particular the first encounter between a young Rin and a young Shirou. Aw, don’t get embarrassed, Rin. It’s kind of sweet. You lonely stalker, you.

All this stripping down and getting cozy is not (just) for fanservice, though. With Gilgamesh setting himself up as the last boss, there is certainly a sense of finality in the air. Our party is making its preparation, Saber’s going around being wistful and raising death flags, while Shinji’s having the time of his life. Enough talking, guys, get to fighting. Yes, I know a good portion of this episode was actually silent. You know what I mean.

Looking ahead

We’re definitely in the calm before the storm right now, one final transitional episode before we, hopefully, make a mad dash towards the finish. Though Shirou may have already resolved his internal issues in his fight with Archer, this is the part where he has to demonstrate what that is worth. With Gilgamesh’s giant eugenics project hanging over the city like a doom omen, the stakes are at an all-time high. The stage is set, the pieces are in place. Saber rushes the front, Shirou and Rin sneak in from the back, they destroy the writhing flesh monstrosity, happily ever after.

And now that the plan has been explained in detail, nothing can possibly go wrong. Of course.

 

Preview

70 Comments

  2. https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2015.jpg
    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2023.jpg
    Nice reference. Will Rin use her dagger in the final battle?

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2029.jpg
    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2030.jpg
    Rin used Pillow Smack. It’s super effective!

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2035.jpg
    That escalated quickly…

    Manman
    Reply

    1. I’m so confused. She wears lingerie underneath her red turtleneck sweater? Why doesn’t she just wear a bra? Or an undergarment that’s actually fitting? Stupid fanservice.

      Petit Orenji
      Reply

    3. Show Spoiler ▼

      The above is sort of a Fate route spoiler. UBW assumes you already know all of Fate, so you can probably go ahead and look at it even if you haven’t read Fate or seen DEEN/Stay Night, but I’ll mark it anyway just in case.

      Axe Armor
      Reply

  6. https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2021.jpg
    It was expected that it wasn’t the jackhammer but these aren’t exactly dolphins themselves. Ah well, symbolism!

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2025.jpg
    The fated high jump that captured the hearts of many, whether in this universe or in the other magical girl spinoff series.

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2030.jpg
    Dat sideboob.

    belatkuro
    Reply

  9. https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2007.jpg
    Oh gee, if this is supposed to represent Shinji’s brain, I wonder how hollow it is.

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2021.jpg
    So Saber is a “dragon,” in a sense,” while Rin is a “dolphin;” is this related to an Origin like Kiritsugu’s “Severing” and “Binding”? I would wonder what animals are Sakura and Ilya.

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2029.jpg
    It makes one really wonder what makes Tsundere so lovable; I can already see these two’s future as husband and wife, or at least their children where the daughter is tsundere to the son.

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20Zero/Fate%20Zero%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2007.jpg
    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2026.jpg
    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2030.jpg
    It is a tradition for most anime/manga tsundere girls to be both/either flat chested (I know Rin isn’t completely flat, but……) and/or have pig tails for a majority of her lives (though Rin later got rid of the pigtails when being an adult). Up to now, I never knew any sort of large chested tsunderes, or at least a pig tail girl that wasn’t a tsundere.

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2027.jpg
    Can someone explain to me how these Magic Crest work? I recall reading that because Shirou was adopted into the Emiya family, thus he was not a blood relative, he had no way of inheriting Kiritsugu’s Magic Crest. So how was he able to accept, even partially, another family’s magic crest? I do find it sad that Rin got her family’s Crest while Show Spoiler ▼

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2009.jpg
    Oh, they bring up Ilya, where this time Shirou shows a sense of calmness. I am really finding this route to be rather lacking, in terms of tragic drama, since Archer should maybe mention about Ilya’s connection, to the Emiya family, to give Shirou a REALLY big incentive to crush Gilgamesh. At least let the boy know so he can say to Gilgamesh “Hello. My name is Shirou Emiya. You killed my long lost sister. Prepare to die.”

    Just watching Shirou’s ignorance is actually painful to watch; However, since we know Rin and Shirou became close in this route, and if the guy knew that Ilya was his sister, I guess Archer chose to not tell since Shirou and Rin’s relationship would later plummet since it was Rin that stopped Shirou.
    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2015%20-%20Large%2028.jpg

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2015%20-%20Large%2009.jpg
    And whatever happened to this guy? At the least, being nearly on the same level as Archer, Shirou should knock Old Man Acht’s door and use that newfound “anti-war” Noble Phantasm to destroy his estranged grandfather, giving him a really painful death. If this show is going to end dramatically, at least let Shirou do that while saying “Hello. My name is Shirou Emiya. You imprisoned and tortured my long lost sister, where she was modified so she can turn into a stupid cup, then later sent her to perish in a warzone. Prepare to die.”

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2036.jpg
    Honestly, I really wonder if Enkidu would find his friend to be sane.

    L002
    Reply

    1. I don’t remember the part about having to be blood related to get the magic crest. Rather the crest is inscribed onto the “successor” usually blood related but I don’t think it needs to be, so that the past knowledge can be passed on to the future generation to build up on.

      The reason why Shiro didn’t get Kiritsugu’s is because Kiritsugu didn’t give it to him because he didn’t want Shiro to be a mage.

      Juan
      Reply

      1. Passing down the magic crest is even more complicated, that’s other of the reasons i prefeer the sex escen rather than this.
        For example: to pass down the magic crest, the recipient should have a special treathment…. before its birth the magus offspring shoul receive mana from the magus parent, also after his birth the baby should be feed with bones and blood to makes his body situable for the magic and to activate his magic circuits, after that the baby is prepared to receive the family crest… by then the body of a magus is more like the one of a monsther than a human one

        maiku
        Reply

    1. Well, as i wrote. The entire talking of Archer and Shirou, remind Saber of herself inner struggle. So that was also the real point in let Saber watch the fight without interfering, to know more about herself. Thats also why she say “Thank you” to Shirou

      WorldwideDepp
      Reply

      2. I was commenting on the vain hope I had that ufo would go with something different than the usual dolphins approach but they didn’t, so my feelings towards the episode are pretty much summarized through Saber’s quote.

        ReylandAZ
        Reply

  13. So UFOTable has chosen the dolphins route for their mana transfer. Good thing too, I don’t think I could take the seafood analogies. Not much to say on this episode, its all just set up for the climatic battle. I’m expecting great thing next episode

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2026.jpg
    I don’t think there has any been establisshed lore that transferring mana would share memories. I guess they had to add a bit intimacy between Rin and Shirou so they added that, I do like how they added the track and field scene for Rin. Its a nice way to establish some background info on the first time Rin gets a crush on Shirou.

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2034.jpg
    I do have to give a huge WTF for this new anime addition. I guess there was a need to make the Holy Grail more intimidating . So instead of a terrifying mass of flesh it is now… a huge robot construct? What should I be calling this? Holy Grailzord? Holy Grail-us Prime?

    fragb85
    Reply

  15. https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2026.jpg

    LoliRin

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2030.jpg

    TsundeRin

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2004.jpg

    DereRin

    https://randomc.net/image/Fate%20stay%20night/Fate%20stay%20night%20ubw%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2035.jpg

    Suffering

    I know…. the last part didnt rhyme T.T

    Ginobi47
    Reply

      3. actually, rin’s sex escene was not that out of context, but yeah.. it was just an excuse.

        the other version is to have shirou become rin’s familiar, but for some reason i like a lot more that version, it makes more logic to have shirou become a familiar so rin’s mana will go to him, and future development makes a lot more sence, like sharing memories and knowing how is their companion, and finally: to fulfill a servant pact it is required an “Exchange of fluids”, the stronger the exchange, the stronger the bound, but, for this purpose a kiss is normally enough, having sex would mean transforming the familiar into a slave.

        but a non-romatic kiss between shirou and rin might destroy their lovely-dovey tsutsun deredere relationship ,
        but this seems to work quite well in different situations, like the kiss between louise and saito… or in the non-ero version of kajetsu tohya, the contract between shiki and ren is just having ren lick shiki’s blood from his finger.

        well… that might not work really well….. shirou’s common sense is ZERO compared to shiki’s, so if he’s given the choise, he will take the one with more sucessufull probabilities… if you know what i mean..

        also, something i want to point out…
        RIN IS NOT A TSUNDERE !!!, SHIROU IS JUST TOO BLUNT, FOOL, IDIOT…
        rin does not act TSUN because she is embarased (at least not the most of it)
        but it’s due shirous idiocy !!, looking at her you know more than embarased she is in the middle of a headache, also, in the novel is shown that shirou likes to tease her a lot.

        and there’s only one real tsun tsun momment, and that is when shirou confronts lancer

        maiku
        Reply

  19. For some reason I thought those things were birds.
    But I don’t really get why they didn’t just say, that they were going to have sex, but not going to show it. I mean in Fate/Zero it was outright stated, that Show Spoiler ▼

    . They have no problem stating a child was raped, but consensual sex is not okay?
    I never read the VN, but I heard that in that Saber was also in that scene and that Rin had some interest in her, is that true?

    dean
    Reply

    1. That was the first sex scene in the Fate route. Show Spoiler ▼

      django03
      Reply

      2. @Sena kashiwazaki

        in fate route
        Show Spoiler ▼

        in UBW
        Show Spoiler ▼

        and … there’s a reason for Heaven’s feel to be considered the ero part of the whole novel
        Show Spoiler ▼

        maiku
        Reply

  21. It’s not that I absolutely want to have the original mana transfer scene, it’s that I want ANYTHING but the damn Realta Nua version, reason being

    Show Spoiler ▼

    I understand this is being aired during prime time television, so sex wasn’t going to happen. Still, they could’ve done ANYTHING but the damn dolphins.

    bakakubi
    Reply

  22. So…. Dolphin sex scenes it is! Lol! I was like.. would UFO do it? WOULD THEY? They wussed out like Deen studios. Heh. I did find one thing that pretty much Irked me.

    “Oh no Saber, you can’t fight gilagmesh, total mish match for you and you would totally get OWNED! LOL!”

    …HOw about Shirou give Saber back fucking Avalon so she can clean house?!

    God, the Saber desrspect in UBW is unbelievable. She jobbed to everyone, first the human neck chop, imprison by Medea, stood as Shirou and Archer fought each other while Rin was almost raped and now, they have her agree that she is no match for Gilgamesh…

    Oh right, and she’s regulated to fight another jobber, the Samurai guy, who’s a fake in the first place.

    ./Sigh

    However, still, Tsun Rin make it all worth it.

    Duzz
    Reply

    1. There’s this theory that since people never look directly (without aid of reflection) to see themself, if there’s ever a chance they meet an exact copy of themself they can’t recognize them…

      cryarc
      Reply

  25. Of course they wouldn’t show any sex scene. But couldn’t they implied it instead of the space dolphins?Its not like there have never been an implied sex scene in an anime.

    Zyo
    Reply

  26. these dolphin were in the start from 2 ending all this time lol
    the flashback are from heaven feel route
    first image from rin mother i have seen, how could a bastard sold the daugther that resemble at most her wife

    dark
    Reply

    1. In fairness even if the flash back was from Heaven’s Feel, it actually makes more sense for it to be in UBW instead. Of course, those who haven’t played the VN have no idea as to the real significance of that scene.

      Juan
      Reply

  29. Oh, so we arrive to the always awkward episode adaptation of an event where the hentai scene would occur. These symbolic imagery is getting crazier with each adaptation xD

    Kiritsugu
    Reply

  33. Ep 23:

    Well, this time i do not need an Spoiler tag

    it’s Part 1 of the Finale. There is no more to write about it
    Show Spoiler ▼

    WorldwideDepp
    Reply

  34. really why no just copy paste from the orignal Novel where they had intercourse than those stupid memories kind of thing =_=

    really i had so much faith in you ufotable tsk

    ayami123
    Reply

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