Fate/Zero Impression 2

As I carry on with the series, I can’t help myself from looking up the original novels. After finishing all 4 volumes of novels, I definitely know more the world that the entire story is based on. I’m also able to see something in the anime series that I think can be improved.

Maybe because of the limitation of the length of each episode, ( a standard anime episode is 24~28mins long) some of the actions of the characters seem a little awkward and odd, without explanations of the reasons and motives, which are mostly  discussed very carefully in the novel. In my own screenplay writing, I tried to make the actions of the character more reasonable by inserting voiceovers, and arranging more obvious clues. One other thing is that, may also be caused by the limitation of episode length, some of the plots are skipped or shortened. This makes the plot seems less continuous. Some scenes that reveal important backgrounds or characters of the main characters certainly require more detailed description.

Some other good points are also found by combing the novel with the anime series. I find that the use of BGM (background music) in the anime series very engaging. The tension during fight scenes, the horror when revealing Conspiracy, strong twists in the story, the mood for such scenes are generally well settled up with a great collection of background music.

Another highlight is the flashbacks. Short flashbacks that are only seconds long can quickly introduce the background of a character. For example, Servant Lancer, Diarmuid’s history was quickly revealed in his master’s dream: getting betrayed by the king he serves to. And later this flashback ironically corresponds with the second betrayal of his master. There are also long flashbacks. Episode 18 and 19 are completely flashbacks of the childhood of main character Kiritsugu Emiya. Very detailed description of his tragic childhood perfectly explains the origin of his childish dream: bringing the world absolute peace. And it also completely changes my view on his cold-blood and Inhumanness that shows in previous episodes.

Fate/Zero Impression 1

The Fate series have a huge name in ACG area. As the prequel novel of Fate Stay Night, Fate/ Zero gains much fame over the years (the four volumes are published in 2006~2007). It draws my attention when the novel gets animated in fall 2011. 

When I began with the 1st episode, the surprisingly huge backgrounds excess me. It's very clear that the animated series are made basically to the old fans of the original Fate Stay Night. Without completely getting the direction of the main storyline, the 1st episode stills draws me a clear picture of the characteristics of several important characters: Kiritsugu Emiya, the main character, feels guilty for the happiness of family he's having because of his dream of bringing absolute peace to the world; Kirei Kotomine, the man who fails to relate to things around him, joining the war of magicians completely by order; Kariya Matō, the man who runs away his evil family, but soon forces back to face his destiny to save people he loves. By giving distinct characteristics but not fully introducing their backgrounds, I personally think it’s a successful method to draw people’s interest, while at the same time generates mystery and tension between characters.

Story on the side, the artwork of Fate/Zero is one of the tops among anime works produced recently. High quality on the screen, combined with the outstanding performance of the voice actors gives a remarkable impression to me on first sight. The back and forth among characters are reasonable and easy to follow. It helps the new audiences like me know the relationship between characters, without looking up the original stories.