Fate/stay Night Discussion

I was home sick today and saw a few episodes that I hadn't bothered to see dubbed before. I don't recognize most names on the dub cast (not that this means anything, I don't study this like many fans do). I have to say though, for the most part it was pretty darn impressive. After going through the final few episodes I think it's clear that Kate Higgins is a great Saber.
Also, Grant George was a fantastic Gilgamesh. He owned the role, complete with all the pride and arrogance. Not overblown Vegeta-type arrogance, just smug and calm because this is coming from a guy that can back up his talk. He even nailed the final regretful, even affectionate line to Saber.

"You are truly a wicked woman. You defied me right up until the very end. But I forgive you. The things you cannot possess are the most beautiful of all. Farewell, King of knights. You know, there is one thing I can say for certain: it sure has been...a whole lot of fun."

Good stuff. Sakura was a weaker link but everyone was good all around, and most importantly Shiro and Rin and Archer all had solid acting too. Geneon really did treat this show right.
 
There should be a spoiler warring, no?

Spoilers below:




That's what I like the most about Fate/ stay night. Usually villians are amusing in a dark way or pure evil and you hate them till the bitter end. This anime has 3 dimensional villains that can be cruel and vicious but still have a sense of honor and kindness/love. The Caster and Assassin master is a perfect example, despite being cruel and cold they fought for for their love for each. Caster just wanted to be human again so she could live with her master.

And Gilgamesh really was a clam vegeta, calm because he had everything in life and achived near everything he wanted. And his story enRAB the same way as the myth, at the end of his journey and after fail his last and greatest quest he learns a valuable leasson. I don't know if its just me, but I really couldn't hate the guy. You just get the sense that if he wasn't so full of himself he won't be so bad of a person. Most of the villians are like that in stay/ fate night and I love it for that reason. It makes the villians 3D characters with motives other than "I just like to hurt people". The villians were not pure evil per say but more selfish and ruthless but you could at least relate to them.

Or maybe I just don't hate Gilgamesh because he did one thing better then most characters in any anime. He defines the word regal, even in death he went out like a king. It is interesting to note that all the other epic heroes seem to die regretting something in their lives. I find it Ironic that of all people it was Gilgamesh, an arrogant man that had and got by force near everything he wanted in life, died in peace with no regrets. His death left me with the same look on my face as Saber had, just speechless and I knew what she was feeling. I didn't like him but I couldn't really hate him. I was just depressed; at least he had a noble death.

That would be the biggest lesson of fate/stay night. Even the greatest villian is still human and its nothing to celebrate when they die. We are all human and all have emotion and even the most evil person has the capacity to be good. After all, the main villain died because of one act of kindness toward Rin. Thats why being a defender of justice is a tragic fate because even the villians have some good in them and you can't save everyone, especially from themselves. All the characters, good and bad, had some kind of demons to some extent. They are some of the deepest characters I've seen in an anime.
 
Yeah, I definitely found the Fate Gilgamesh to be more enjoyable than the UBW Gilgamesh.

In UBW it eventually boils down to Rin being the only surviving Master/Servant corabo in the game, and the final battle enRAB up being Rin/Shirou/Saber vs. Gilgamesh, with Gilgamesh planning to use the Grail to spread suffering and destruction because humanity just isn't good enough for him.
 
Spoilers added.

I think Gilgamesh is one of the better anime antagonists just due to his sheer menace, if nothing else. How awesome is it to have a massive arsenal of history's finest weapons at your disposal?

I generally don't like him just because he was a real bastard in episode 21 when he's beating the crap out of Shiro and Saber. I do find his final worRAB interesting though. They imply that beyond his arrogant attitude and all the conceit and his aggression about making Saber his property, there was some serious affection there. And there was strong irony about how this was a man that literally once had everything, and yet what he wanted most from Saber was something that's given and not something that can be taken.
 
I suppose I'm just like Shiro and not one to hold grudes even when by all rights I should.

I do love this AMV though, perfect song for such a epic battle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKPL2Jrabj3w&feature=related
 
Oh, and Gar means your gay for a character. Aperanent when Fate stay night aired people were saying the were gay for characters like Archer. Someone missspelt gay with gar and everyone copyed that. And over time gar came to refer to anyone one badass.
 
Thought I would bump this to note the good news that, as of Septeraber 16th, Fate/Stay Night is back in print. Thank you, FUNimation! Spread the word to anime fans looking for a good fix. This is a series that deserves to be acknowledged.

Here's cover art for the new release as shown on several different sites, which is looking pretty great. For some reason Amazon also shows the cover art for volume 1 featuring the foursome of Shirou, Saber, Rin, and Archer, though I'm doubtful that this also made it onto the box.
 
I'll probably pick this up eventually to see the twelve episodes that I missed (1-8 and 21-24, hehe), but it won't be until Noveraber, at the earliest. October purchases are pretty much set in stone.
 
My local Best Buy still doesn't have the new set in stock; it's not driving me up the walls, but it is annoying nonetheless.
 
Oh my...it seems SD has come to Fate/Stay Night. Just in case there were any doubts, it is insufferably cute.

Fate/Stay Night seems to still have some legs in Japan, at least to an extent. The recent release of the PS2 fighting game Fate/Unlimited Codes in Deceraber apparently caught attention when they offered up a special edition featuring what is apparently a high quality figurine of Saber in a newly designed "Saber Lily" costume that is in the game. Apparently, they designed it with the idea of reversing her theme. If her blue costume + armor is Saber's image as a King, Saber Lily as Saber as she would be if she were a princess.

Here's some nice pictures. The left picture was actual art on the LE box.




Apparently the figure itself is posable, and her sword can be drawn from its sheath. I'm not among anime fans that collect figures as a matter of course, but even I know that's pretty damn impressive.

I'm fairly realistic, I know there's probably not enough financial incentive for them to animate Unlimited Blade Works or anything like that. At least fans are still getting some nice stuff, though. At a price, granted--50,000 copies makes it costly and import costs fairly expensive for those obsessed enough to go for it.

Well, with the main attraction out of the way, some video of the game below:

Trailer 1
Trailer 2
Trailer 3 (including Saber Lily footage)

What's odd here are the presence of two extra characters. The one at the start of trailer 2 is apparently Bazett from Fate/Hollow Ataraxia, but there's also a girl with like gold hair that pops up here and there in the footage that I can't place at all. Anyone know what her deal is?
 
I recently re-watched the series over the Holidays (I hadn't seen it since the Fall of 2007). Still good, but I still wish they had been clearer on certain bits that are explored within the side-games.
 
Yeah, the storytelling could have been just a bit better there. I appreciate their intent to acknowledge various plot points, but the Caster arc in particular had details that simply weren't clear to me until I did my own research. Others I'd say were handled quite well, such as Archer's character. I liked what they did with that when I was new to the show and apparently the serious fans usually love him too, so there you go.

This show just continues to stick with me. I still think back to parts of it, thanks in no small part to Kenji Kawai's epic score. It's just so nice to have an action show that balances action and drama and does it well. And the fights are real fights and not shonen jump type fights, if you know what I mean. The action is often so kinetic in addition to the obligatory special moves. That's probably why the last Saber/Rider fight is one of my favorites.
 
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