It has been bothering me for quite some time, but Tokiome said he gave Sakura up because only 1 child can inherit the family's magic. Is that an actual in-universe rule like in that stupid Disney Channel show (Witches of Waverly Place?), or is that just some stupid self-imposed rule?
A magus family has a magic crest that can only be passed down to one person, so only one heir is necessary. Also because in the Nasuverse magic/magecraft works based on mystery, spreading that knowledge to more people is a bad idea and actually makes it weaker.
Kiritsugu continues being my favorite character in the show and one of my favorite characters from this season. The pacing felt kinda weird this episode as it jumped back and forth through different points of time. The second half was pretty intense though. I feel bad that I accidently spoiled myself on what was going to happen (I blame myself for browsing the Type-Moon wikia) but
the airplane scene was pretty tense and tragic nonetheless. With his train of thought I definitely believe he did the right thing in the end by taking it down, but the conversation prior to that was pretty sad.
I kinda wish it detailed a bit more of his life like
him meeting Maiya
or him
being hired by the Einzbern family and meeting Irisviel
. Overall, I really enjoyed this and I'm pretty happy with it going back to the current storyline next week.
The overall series direction and their conscious decision to allow certain episode directors to really bring their own style to flesh out stand alone stories is really paying dividends. The contrast in tone between episode 18 and 19 is really impressive not just because it keeps the series interesting and refreshing, but also because that contrast also forms a part of the narrative growth and development of Kiritsugu's personal arc. I really appreciate the amount of effort Ufotable is putting into this production.
Unlike the more reserved and methodical style of Suhara's direction in ep18, Miura's take on ep19 is a much more mature form of direction in terms of visual narrative. By doing this, it also creates a different sort of pace. Young Kiritsugu's life was more relaxed and formulaic, while the teenage Kiritsugu is in a less predictable world and living an unorthodox life. The direction in ep19 is much less relaxed and uses more creative forms of narrative direction.
The way that flashbacks of the younger Kiritsugu is often referenced and contrasted with the teenager Kiritsugu throughout the episode is pretty interesting, because this is already essentially a flashback episode. By using this technique, the director is giving the audience the benefit of the doubt that they are smart enough to be able to understand the connection between the scenes, even though they are non-linear. Instead of showing a linear sequence of Kiritsugu "growing up", he is instead showing that specific Kiritsugu experienced or said in the past do have an impact on him as he grows up.
I also like how Miura handled the dialogue overlay scene, where Kiritsugu is talking to Natalia about how he was also up all night, but while they are talking about it, the visuals actually depict what he was doing that night. Again it is an example of a more experienced form of direction, where the audience is expected to be able to understand that the audio and the visuals are not linear, but rather the visuals are what the dialogue is referencing, up until the point where they sync up.
Which leads us to the climax of the episode. Based on the groundwork the rest of the episode laid out, it is extremely obvious what Kiritsugu plans to do. It cannot be considered a plot twist since the episode is deliberately written and directed to give clear cues that after he realized the plane was filled with zombies, that he had to shoot it down.
Instead, what we are witnessing is Kiritsugu getting into his element for the first time in his life. This is the Kiritsugu who shot a random bystander along the pier simply because he had good enough reason to suspect he was Caster's master. This is the Kiritsugu who lied to Kayneth just to ensure that he could take out Lancer and both his masters. This is the Kiritsugu who will continue to talk to Natalia just to make sure the plane continues on the expected flight course so he shoot it down over the ocean. Even to the only living person in the world he cared about at the time, he would deceive and kill, simply if his instincts told him that was what he had to do. The difference between this time and all the subsequent times he would do this, is that we see him break down for the first time ever. Here we see the real Kiritsugu, the man filled with emotion, conflicts, doubts, anger, and lost to himself and the world. The face he hides from everyone because he has to, including himself.
After two episodes showing how Kiritsugu became the person he is, it is hard to really sympathize with him. Instead it is so much easier to pity him. A man who feels that he is nothing more than a tool the world needs, and who has so little respect for his own emotions and needs. It really drives home why he was the way he is in the very first scene the series started with. A man who feels he has no right to enjoy the rights of a normal person or be a father. What a sad man.
Oh, and the only thing left to add is, the music this week was FUCKING INCREDIBLE. In terms of BGM, this is probably the best episode in the entire series so far. Fuck yeah Kajiura!
Yeah I really think before the series ends they need to flesh out more about Maiya. Or maybe they'll leave that to the Drama CD with the second BD Box, because the other thing you want to know about is exactly what the first Drama CD in the first BD Box is about. It's scripted by Urobuchi too. Fantastic stuff.
I'm sympathetic towards Kiritsugu at the end. Just so heartbreaking.
Expecting him to suffer PTSD or being an empty shell of a man. Like someone else had said. Natalia could have crash landed in the ocean instead. Kiritsugu always wearing that mask and acting calm as we know. When he broke down and weeped. Showed what humanity he still had left. Felt like there could have been another outcome at the end.
And then when a rescue craft comes there, the bees attack and turn everyone into ghouls. And that's assuming Natalia could even land a plane like that in water without wrecking it. I think the point was to show that Kiritsugu will take the certain method rather than try to save everyone and hope for a miracle. He could have tried to save Natalia, but blowing up the plane was the only way to guarantee that the outbreak would be contained. It's the same as what happened with Kayneth. The man was crippled and unlikely to be a threat, but Kiritsugu killed him anyway just to eliminate the chance he could be a problem. Kiritsugu learns from his mistake with Shirley and realizes that you can't save everyone, and he becomes willing to sacrifice the few to save the many. He kills Natalia to prevent what happened on that island from occurring again.
It wasn't so much that Natalia didn't know what she had to do. She basically failed the mission, and it was her responsibility to destroy the entire aircraft even if she dies in the process. That would have been the right thing to do. But based on what she was telling Kiritsugu, he knew that she was not able to do it. She was lying to him and herself, and she was willing to put everyone at right simply because she wanted to survive just so she could see Kiritsugu again. He was her weakness. He realized this and felt that it was now his responsibility to take out the plane and correct her mistake. If she was willing to take action and made an indication of it, he wouldn't have had to do anything.
It wasn't so much that Natalia didn't know what she had to do. She basically failed the mission, and it was her responsibility to destroy the entire aircraft even if she dies in the process. That would have been the right thing to do. But based on what she was telling Kiritsugu, he knew that she was not able to do it. She was lying to him and herself, and she was willing to put everyone at right simply because she wanted to survive just so she could see Kiritsugu again. He was her weakness. He realized this and felt that it was now his responsibility to take out the plane and correct her mistake. If she was willing to take action and made an indication of it, he wouldn't have had to do anything.
I'm going to say that Natalia's survival has always been her top priority and it was among the first things she taught Kiritsugu in order to survive in the business, regardless whether Kiritsugu was in her life or not she would have still wanted to land that plane to save her own life.
Natalia wanted to live, her life and her own personal concerns (ie being a mother) were her top priority. Unlike Kiritsugu, she doesn't seem to care about justice or the greater good. She isn't interested in ending war or conflicts or changing the world, so she's willing to risk escaping that plane.
It wasn't so much that Natalia didn't know what she had to do. She basically failed the mission, and it was her responsibility to destroy the entire aircraft even if she dies in the process. That would have been the right thing to do. But based on what she was telling Kiritsugu, he knew that she was not able to do it. She was lying to him and herself, and she was willing to put everyone at right simply because she wanted to survive just so she could see Kiritsugu again. He was her weakness. He realized this and felt that it was now his responsibility to take out the plane and correct her mistake. If she was willing to take action and made an indication of it, he wouldn't have had to do anything.
I mostly agree, though as a freelancer, I'm not sure she cared much about responsibility.
And Kiritsugu acquired that weapon and went on the boat before he even spoke to her. He knew she was going to prioritize her own life and was already prepared to kill her.
I'm going to say that Natalia's survival has always been her top priority and it was among the first things she taught Kiritsugu in order to survive in the business, regardless whether Kiritsugu was in her life or not she would have still wanted to land that plane to save her own life.
The contrast between Natalia and Kiritsugu attitude toward this was an important part of the episode. Kiritsugu asks her how prevent conflicts, she tells him that such a question should be treated as a joke. She tells him that saving their own lives is the most important thing. And we know that Kiritsugu has loftier aims than mere survival, he ends up fighting for the Holy Grail to wish for a way to change the world.
It wasn't so much that Natalia didn't know what she had to do. She basically failed the mission, and it was her responsibility to destroy the entire aircraft even if she dies in the process. That would have been the right thing to do. But based on what she was telling Kiritsugu, he knew that she was not able to do it. She was lying to him and herself, and she was willing to put everyone at right simply because she wanted to survive just so she could see Kiritsugu again. He was her weakness. He realized this and felt that it was now his responsibility to take out the plane and correct her mistake. If she was willing to take action and made an indication of it, he wouldn't have had to do anything.
I'd say the episode failed just because it failed to really show what you're implying there. Instead it just ended up just as a possibility because there's a few other things that it could've meant making the episode kind of hollow. Emotional scenes usually have much less ambiguity.
I'd say the episode failed just because it failed to really show what you're implying there. Instead it just ended up just as a possibility because there's a few other things that it could've meant making the episode kind of hollow. Emotional scenes usually have much less ambiguity.
I think Fate/Zero is a better show because it doesn't hammer things over the audience's head by making everything unambiguous and overly obvious. Everything is there for you to see if you pay attention to the direction and the dialogue. That is not failure. That is having a high opinion of the audience. If you need everything spelled out for you, go watch some shounen jump show.
I mostly agree, though as a freelancer, I'm not sure she cared much about responsibility.
And Kiritsugu acquired that weapon and went on the boat before he even spoke to her. He knew she was going to prioritize her own life and was already prepared to kill her.
Kiritsugu made up his mind the moment she said she was going to make it home and that she would return alive. You can see that he realized the steps he would have to take right after that conversation. That's what made him so angry that he punched the ambulance. He was going to have to kill someone he cared about again, because they valued themselves over the well being of others.
I don't think he would have used the missile though, if he learned that Natalia was going to take the plane down, or that she had some sort of larger plan for dealing with the zombies. While he was talking to her on the boat, he realized that was clearly not the case, so he just continued on with his plan and loaded the missile launcher.
I think Fate/Zero is a better show because it doesn't hammer things over the audience's head by making everything unambiguous and overly obvious. Everything is there for you to see if you pay attention to the direction and the dialogue. That is not failure. That is having a high opinion of the audience. If you need everything spelled out for you, go watch some shounen jump show.
Not in this case. There's a difference between subtle with depth and being pointlessly ambiguous. The latter just feels more like bad direction.
I have to admit that I was spoiled about the outcome of the episode a long time ago, probably lessened the impact and made the episode felt much more cheesy (3d circling around the missle, that many birds, really?).
But there's nothing pointlessly ambiguous here. I think most people got the correct message.
There is a very pointed difference between what Kiritsugu says and what Natalia says in the conversation. He is concerned about the situation and wants to know if she has a solution or a plan. She just continues to rant about family and her personal survival. The expression on Kiritsugu's face every time she talks about the situation shows that he is concerned with the larger picture, while Natalia is clearly delusional about her survival.
If you think that the show isn't being clear enough that Natalia knows that the right thing to do would have been to take the entire plane down, then maybe you missed the fact that when Natalia exploded, she smiled at the end, because she knew Kiritsugu did the right thing, and what she could not do herself.
The art of ep19 is about how the two characters understand each other well enough to take action without having to directly say such a thing to each other.
Specifically with her last frame being her smiling. And her last words complimenting Kitsu about his ability to separate emotions from doing what needs to be done. Everything thing bit is there to deduce it.
She mentioned many times that she can't bail nor land the plane. While mentioning there are 300 ghouls on board. She lands and the rescue crews come, it will spread and another extermination will begin anew. This is what their discussion is all about. The back history between the two and each of them confessing what the other person is to them. Hence why their conversation was very finale with the tone and content.
The difference is that it isn't the standard Hollywood trope. You know, the person who got bite and they have this big melodramatic moment about turning and they have to kill them. No I don't want to kill you. But you have too!
No, this executes it much more mature way. Both characters are professionals and know what needs to be done. The plane can not land. But at the same time, her desire to live is too strong. She can't kill herself, but she knows Kitsu has that personality that can. He can take out emotions from the equation. If she really wanted to live, she could have lied about the situation. Not tell him 300 on board. Etc. etc. She was being very detailed about the situation and updating him live. This is intentional. Their entire conversation puts everything into perspective and gives you everything you need. If it wasn't finale, they won't be talking about what the other person means to each other. The charade of going along with the plan is just for comfort. Everything about their conversation and the way it was directed is intentional.
But there's nothing pointlessly ambiguous here. I think most people got the correct message.
There is a very pointed difference between what Kiritsugu says and what Natalia says in the conversation. He is concerned about the situation and wants to know if she has a solution or a plan. She just continues to rant about family and her personal survival. The expression on Kiritsugu's face every time she talks about the situation shows that he is concerned with the larger picture, while Natalia is clearly delusional about her survival.
If you think that the show isn't being clear enough that Natalia knows that the right thing to do would have been to take the entire plane down, then maybe you missed the fact that when Natalia exploded, she smiled at the end, because she knew Kiritsugu did the right thing, and what she could not do herself.
The art of ep19 is about how the two characters understand each other well enough to take action without having to directly say such a thing to each other.
You're right, I think it's probably the opposite that tuned me off their dialogue, that just before her dying moments they're trying to feed you even more stuffs.
The scene between Natalia and young Kiritsugu in the middle of the episode is also really important for context:
She tells him that her rule in business is to survive no matter what, while he says that while it is not possible to save everyone, he would try to save as many as he could. She knows what he would probably want her to do, but she refuses to do it. That is why he had to do it.
You're right, I think it's probably the opposite that tuned me off their dialogue, that just before her dying moments they're trying to feed you even more stuffs.
I can see people being tuned off of the long conversation at the end. It's pretty long and it drones on. I felt it was effective for character development, and it made sense for the characters involved, but it wasn't particularly interesting for the audience. Ultimately I guess it depends on how invested you are in the way the scene played out.
The details in the cockpit, Natalia, CG bees. They all added something to this episode. I preferred the polarizing contrasting tone of last week's episode more, but this was a good watch for the day. It has fleshed out the encircling character to a degree and now I am ready to confront them (and cast of new pals!) again in the coming episode.
Extra note:
One of Kiritsugu's ending expressions was very eye-catching, I'm sure everyone got a hold of it (where he gets bug eyes like Caster). Really good.
I had always imagined Kiritsugu as a sad man, but these last two episodes have shown me that what he had experienced before the Holy Grail War was much worse than I thought. He has a pretty firm grasp on reality, and because of that he is 100% conscious of what he has to do and which consequences his actions will bring. That's why he's such a good character. Unlike most protagonists in any media, Kiritsugu is the kind of guy you can trust - because he'll always do the "right thing" without hesitating.
(FSN stuff)
It's interesting to see how Shirou has inherited Kiritsugu's will to save people, but acts upon it in such a different manner. While Kiritsugu understands the meaning of sacrifices and fights to protect as many people as he can, despite knowing full well that he won't be able to save everyone, Shirou... Well, fights stupidly to save everyone, despite the fact that he will never be able to. I have the feeling Kiritsugu would be really mad at Shirou if he bore witness to the way the kid acted during the events of his Holy Grail War.
Great episode overall. I think the lack of OP and a different ending song like the last episode is a really great choice since it really keeps the mood of the episode in tact. Additionally, it sets it apart from the other episodes in the series as a flashback.
I found the beginning to be extremely well done with the BGM fitting the scenes and the type of atmosphere it was going for. That low-key electric songs with heavy emphasis on low notes really hit it off perfectly. The only thing I found somewhat jarring was how Kiritisugu looked in his teens and his voice. For some reason it didn't fit well.
The scenes that transition from the child Kiritsugu and teen version felt jarring. I understand why they did it since the message that they are trying to portray fits in the various sequences that they were showing but it felt random and inconsistent to the pacing of the episode. Also, for a show that's all about consistency, the scene that was slightly changed in the beginning when Natalia talks about Kiritsugu's Mystic Code. Just nitpicky stuff.
The ending conversation was really well done and honestly I felt like Natalia really understood Kiritsugu. I felt like she knew what he was doing but was pondering whether he hand the guts and the resolve to actually move on the path that he had chosen for himself. Of course, this becomes clear in the end as Natalia smiles. Fantastic episode and extremely well done. Also, Happy Mother's Day!
It's interesting to see how Shirou has inherited Kiritsugu's will to save people, but acts upon it in such a different manner. While Kiritsugu understands the meaning of sacrifices and fights to protect as many people as he can, despite knowing full well that he won't be able to save everyone, Shirou... Well, fights stupidly to save everyone, despite the fact that he will never be able to. I have the feeling Kiritsugu would be really mad at Shirou if he bore witness to the way the kid acted during the events of his Holy Grail War.
A discussion on the difference between the two approaches you mention isn't really appropriate for this topic, but I just want to say that one approach isn't necessarily more "right" or "wrong" than the other.
Ufotable is really one of the coolest anime studios around today in terms of fan interaction. They run a Ufotable Dining resturant in Shinjuku (right now they have a special series of Fate/Zero inspired menu sets!), two Ufotable Cafes (one in Nakano and one in Tokushima), they run a Ufotable Cinema in Tokushima, and they do all sorts of crazy shit to promote Fate/Zero and anime in general.
Over Golden Week, Ufotable organized a series of anime events at the anime themed shopping strip where their cinema is located. They got Minami from BONES and Yamakan from Ordet and a bunch of other guests to host various talks and charity events, as well as a blood donation drive with free Saber posters, and special screenings of Sword of the Stranger, Jin Roh, and Galaxy Express 999 at the cinema.
Next week they will be holding the fifth realtime screening event at the Cafe, where fans can sign up for the light night event where people meet up, have dinner there, and then everyone watches episode 21 as it airs, together with some of the production staff. They also have unique menus and promotional goodies at the cafes for certain events like the birthday of the key characters in Fate/Zero.
Ufotable Dining:
Ufotable Cafe:
Ufotable Cinema:
Here are some of their other awesome shit for Fate/Zero:
This is the Fate/Zero sofa. It is an actual attraction at the Ufotable Cinema at the lounge. It's a custom made sofa featuring American comic style illustrations of Fate/Zero. Crazy!
The entire production staff on the show will each be contributing a message and/or illustration on the production sign board, and this will be replicated for fans who buy the box through Ufotable's Webshop or any of the physical outlets they run (cafes and cinema). There's even an empty space reserved for you to fill in your own comment!
Holy freakin' cow, and I thought I would be spending $369 or so at the most for the next Blu-ray box. Now I hafta have that... that THING with the next boxset, and there's no way in Hell that it's gonna come internationally. DX
Ufotable is really one of the coolest anime studios around today in terms of fan interaction. They run a Ufotable Dining resturant in Shinjuku (right now they have a special series of Fate/Zero inspired menu sets!), two Ufotable Cafes (one in Nakano and one in Tokushima), they run a Ufotable Cinema in Tokushima, and they do all sorts of crazy shit to promote Fate/Zero and anime in general.
Over Golden Week, Ufotable organized a series of anime events at the anime themed shopping strip where their cinema is located. They got Minami from BONES and Yamakan from Ordet and a bunch of other guests to host various talks and charity events, as well as a blood donation drive with free Saber posters, and special screenings of Sword of the Stranger, Jin Roh, and Galaxy Express 999 at the cinema.
All is fun & giggles until some crazy fan steals some artwork exhibited at their 'cafés'.
But seriously, the best thing is their interest on supporting promotions for many different studios, works and key people instead of only doing it for their own associated ones. And that also means there is always a good variety of events you can see there. Because... how cool is the opportunity of going to see the Lagann-hen movie in a theater and after that, relaxing on a ufotable cafe, obtain with your drink exclusive coasters with Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann illustrations by Hirokazu Kojima (http://www.gainax.co.jp/anime/gurren-lagann/news/0275.html) to commemorate such a fantastic day, for example?
Definitely a slower episode but I feel the last part of it is very important - almost foreshadowing events that will come by the end of the series. And yes... the climax starts now...
I'm actually very surprised at the significant changes ufotable from the novel for this episode. It's a pleasant surprise though, since I find that this version works much better than what the original was supposed to be. I'll probably write about the changes next week, since I can't really divulge into details without heading into slight spoiler territory.
Aside from that though, one of the things that I found interesting about this episode is
just how much of a presence Kotomine has without even actually being onscreen for the large part of the episode. Here we are, ready to kick off into the final stretch, and Kotomine is nowhere to be found. For me, Kiritsugu's investigation of Tokiomi's mansion just makes his absence so much more prominent, because this is where Kotomine had just found his motivations for actively participating in the war. Yet, there's no sign of Tokiomi, Kotomine, or Archer anywhere.
They've gone missing without any kind of indication of what they're planning to do next. Those are huge warning sirens going off in my head right now.
I'm actually very surprised at the significant changes ufotable from the novel for this episode. It's a pleasant surprise though, since I find that this version works much better than what the original was supposed to be. I'll probably write about the changes next week, since I can't really divulge into details without heading into slight spoiler territory.
Aside from that though, one of the things that I found interesting about this episode is
just how much of a presence Kotomine has without even actually being onscreen for the large part of the episode. Here we are, ready to kick off into the final stretch, and Kotomine is nowhere to be found. For me, Kiritsugu's investigation of Tokiomi's mansion just makes his absence so much more prominent, because this is where Kotomine had just found his motivations for actively participating in the war. Yet, there's no sign of Tokiomi, Kotomine, or Archer anywhere.
They've gone missing without any kind of indication of what they're planning to do next. Those are huge warning sirens going off in my head right now.
InsaneZero making some excellent points. I'll weigh in on the episode tomorrow. Watching the Champions League final now, and I'm going to collapse after it ends. Fucking tired.
Ufotable is really one of the coolest anime studios around today in terms of fan interaction. They run a Ufotable Dining resturant in Shinjuku (right now they have a special series of Fate/Zero inspired menu sets!), two Ufotable Cafes (one in Nakano and one in Tokushima), they run a Ufotable Cinema in Tokushima, and they do all sorts of crazy shit to promote Fate/Zero and anime in general.
Over Golden Week, Ufotable organized a series of anime events at the anime themed shopping strip where their cinema is located. They got Minami from BONES and Yamakan from Ordet and a bunch of other guests to host various talks and charity events, as well as a blood donation drive with free Saber posters, and special screenings of Sword of the Stranger, Jin Roh, and Galaxy Express 999 at the cinema.
Next week they will be holding the fifth realtime screening event at the Cafe, where fans can sign up for the light night event where people meet up, have dinner there, and then everyone watches episode 21 as it airs, together with some of the production staff. They also have unique menus and promotional goodies at the cafes for certain events like the birthday of the key characters in Fate/Zero.
I was wrong about my assumption that this would be a Ufotable Tokushima episode, because I foolishly mistook the involvement of Ato Nonaka (episode director) and Keiichi Sasajima (storyboarder) to indicate the involvement of the Tokushima studio. That was a mistake, because the actual Tokushima staff supervisors are Takuya Nonaka (episode director/storyboarder) and Takayuki Mogi (animation director). The real reason episode 12 was a Tokushima production was because Takuya Nonaka assisted with the episode direction since it was Ato Nonaka's first time directing. Ato Nonako himself is a Ufotable key animator who works on various productions regardless whether they are produced in Tokyo or Tokushima. I'm sure most people don't care about this sort of minor production details, but I felt the need to set the record straight.
Now on to the actual episode impressions...
----
This episode is a major set up for the final arc of the series, and the typical sort of "calm before the storm" episode. Still, it is well directed, with strong production sense. The additional development for the characters leading into the final stretch is also fun to watch, and there were some pretty creative scenes. Instead of just talking about the story parts of the episode (which will be spoiler tagged), I'll mostly like to talk about the sort of scene direction I enjoyed this week.
Sure, this is a CG background, but that's not really a bad thing. The way these aerial view shots of backgrounds are used throughout the series add a good sense of dimension to the overall perspective of the setting. Here, it is notable because it is the first time we get a sort of constructed view of Waver's neighborhood. I like the colors here, because it makes the entire setting feel like a sort of scale model. There is quite a bit of detail and effort in making the houses look unique and creating a believable feel of the district. It's a short establishing shot, but combined with the scenes which follow immediately after, it does a good job of making the area feel like it could be a real place.
This shot here is another example of how natural and detailed casual background shots are in the series. It's a short and relatively unimportant scene of Waver shopping in a supermarket. Such a setting will never be used again, and there is no specific importance for the story to make it look great or realistic. But the set designers have enough pride in their work to put in the effort to arrange a layout which is organized, yet not perfectly aligned, and shows a great diversity in the products on the shelves - even those which are out of focus on the corner of the shot. Such scenes are appealing to watch because to feel comfortable and natural, but aren't the type of scene that asks anyone to really take notice. It works because there is nothing out of place to be noticed. A thankless job.
This is probably the most interesting shot in the episode for me personally. The shot before this showed the goods packed and aligned tightly inside the fridge. So why does this shot deliberately show a more displaced arrangement from inside the frigdge? And yet why does it look right anyway? The explanation is that this is a natural camera shot, and audiences are familiar and trained to see something like this. If you were to take a camera and put it inside such a container to fight such a scene of a person reaching in, you would need the space for the camera, and you would also need the gaps to make the shot work (otherwise the angle would not look as interesting as it does). It shows that even in animation, having a good understanding of film techniques pays off.
I liked how they animated Waver's face throughout this scene, showing him getting more sleepy and so on. It was very subtle but effective character animation. But the shots which stood out for me where the ones from his POV showing the sky. Hmmm... where have I seen this before? A character's POV from lying on the ground, looking into the sky, surrounded by trees.... and then a plane flies by. Could the director be a fan of Lost by any chance?
There is nothing particularly creative or interesting about this. I am only highlighting it because it is clearly missing the VMAX logo which was visible in a very similar shot in episode 17, except from the other side. It seems like they might have gotten a trademark infringement alert, since the VMAX logo is completely missing on the same model this week. This is only worth noting because I am obsessed with the V-MAX bike in Fate/Zero. I don't even know why. I blame marketing.
Now as for the story this week.
I think there are several interesting narrative techniques applied. Kiritsugu attacking the Tohsaka mansion only to find it abandoned, and then investigating the mansion for signs of the murder was something which we haven't really seen him do that much. It calls to mind the scene in the first season with him in a hotel room with photos and info on the various masters, trying to figure out what move to make next. Clearly it has been established that aside from being a killer, he is also relatively skilled in investigative work and gathering information through hands-on research.
By showing us this scene, it further builds on that and adds to his character, reaffirming that the Kiritsugu of today has a much wider spectrum of experience compared to the one from the previous flashback episodes, and concluding the evolution of Kiritsugu as the man he is. The scene also serves a dual purpose though. For the audience, we know what occurred there, and there is no mystery waiting to be solved. Instead, there is unease because while we know what happened, we do not know why it is now abandoned. What happened to the body? Where did Kirei and Gilgamesh go? Why didn't they stay behind and wait for an unsuspecting intruder? Clearly they have larger plans and this makes the entire situation more disturbing, because that is one detail which is an unknown to both the viewers and Kiritsugu.
As for the scenes with Maiya and Iri, I can't say there is much effective development there. In fact, this episode makes it painfully obvious that Maiya's only purpose in the narrative is to play off both Kiritsugu and Iri, with no real role of her own. I guess that fits with her backstory, but it also doesn't make for an interesting character. It also felt a bit convenient that she basically gets her "final development moment" before biting the dust. Definitely not one of the show's stronger story points.
But what is effective about Maiya's death is not so much that she dies (does anyone really care? lol) but rather the two elements the show used her death to illustrate. Having Rider break into the safe haven of Team Saber without warning and killing a character while taking Iri away hammers home the point that when it comes down to it, this is a fight to the death and Rider is not some silly idealistic knight like Lancer was. He is a king and a conqueror, and while he might be one of the friendlier characters in the show and rather lovable, he has a violent streak and has the determination to put aside courtesy and honor when he needs to.
The other point is her final scene with Kiritsugu, where she talks about how weak he is, and how he must not break down. This is a direct reference for the audience to the events of the previous flashback episode, and it indicates that his breakdown after killing Natalia was not the last time. It confirms that the Kiritsugu the world sees is not the true him, and that when it comes to family and friends, he has a weakness.
I might be missing some points which could be touched on, but I don't really see the need to go any further this week. It's just a set-up for the remaining five episodes, and there should be a lot more to talk next week. Plus, I finally get my V-MAX ACTION! Woooooooooo!
My proper impression of episode 20 was eaten by GAF so Here's just my prediction on the next episode.
I don't think Rider was really responsible for Maiya's death and Ilyasviel's kidnapping, at least not willingly. This is for 2 reasons. 1) They were planning to rest until sundown, he wouldn't have risked pulling that at this point unless he was forced. That point was explicitly stressed in the script trying to draw our attention to that fact. 2) He didn't know the whereabouts of the Emiya mansion. However, Kotomine had just found out its location in the previous episode and with his obsession with Kirtsugu and having acquired archer he'd be very likely to be behind the attack. Rider's appearance could in turn be due to waver being kidnapped and Kotomine blackmailing him into using one of his command spells to order the attack. This whole thing was done to draw out Kiritsugu and Saber.
Another great episode this week. I don't really care that it was largely devoted to talking and set up because this show does that pretty well. Except for Maiya, because she feels like such a throwaway character.
There's already been quite a few good write-ups on this episode so I don't have that much to add, but here's my thoughts anyway.
I liked the brief scene before the opening credits because Irisviel's words are completely unremarkable but for the audience they remind us that, even though we've seen Kiritsugu numerous times throughout the show this is the first time that we understand who he is, and this really allows to look at him in a new light. It's like we're being introduced to the 'real' him for the first time.
Kirei is a man notable for absence and Kiritsugu's uncertainty about the events that unfolded earlier demonstrates that for the most important characters in the show, Kirei is still a mysterious black box. Of course, for the audience Kirei and Kiritsugu have finally been 'revealed' to us.
This really wasn't supposed to happen. Everything that we've been told in the episode really led us in the wrong direction. For starters, Rider and Waver are supposed to be resting and recovering, with Rider specifically saying that he will need till nightfall to recover completely. They don't appear to readying any kind of attack. In fact, we actually fear that they're going to be attacked while they're resting by Saber, who we know is looking for them at the behest of Kiritsugu. That's why it's even more amazing when the REVERSE happens and Iri is the one caught unawareness, our expectations have been completely turned on their head.
I really like how Rider appears in this scene, or rather, how he doesn't. He attacks like some off-screen move monster and they make sure never to show him in shot fully to make his appearance and action more frightening to those who have been attacked. Also, this makes us question why Rider is operating on his own at this point because this doesn't seem like the kind of thing that Waver would plot. As has been mentioned above Rider's appearance and actions really aren't in line with what we've seen so far and so coercion makes a lot of sense.
Interesting episode (20). At the end of the episode, the old Saber would have been jumping across buildings instead of riding the motorcycle though lol.
My proper impression of episode 20 was eaten by GAF so Here's just my prediction on the next episode.
I don't think Rider was really responsible for Maiya's death and Ilyasviel's kidnapping, at least not willingly. This is for 2 reasons. 1) They were planning to rest until sundown, he wouldn't have risked pulling that at this point unless he was forced. That point was explicitly stressed in the script trying to draw our attention to that fact. 2) He didn't know the whereabouts of the Emiya mansion. However, Kotomine had just found out its location in the previous episode and with his obsession with Kirtsugu and having acquired archer he'd be very likely to be behind the attack. Rider's appearance could in turn be due to waver being kidnapped and Kotomine blackmailing him into using one of his command spells to order the attack. This whole thing was done to draw out Kiritsugu and Saber.
Why though? Gilgamesh taking Iri would be just as effective in regards to their overall goals. My thought on the matter was that Rider is doing this as to not involve Waver in the matter. One of Rider's concerns, it seems, is getting Waver out of this alive.
Why though? Gilgamesh taking Iri would be just as effective in regards to their overall goals. My thought on the matter was that Rider is doing this as to not involve Waver in the matter. One of Rider's concerns, it seems, is getting Waver out of this alive.
