Director: Ei Aoki
Starring: Ayako Kawasumi, Kari Wahlgren, Rikiya Koyama, Matthew Mercer, Akina Abe, Patrick Seitz, Akio Ohtsuka, Jamieson Price, Hikaru Midorikawa, Grant George, Akira Ishida, Johnny Yong Bosch
Running Time: 350 minutes
Certificate: 15
Set 10 years before Fate Stay Night this prequel anime series, based on the computer game series, doesn’t require any prior knowledge in order to sit down and enjoy it. Not just because this is handled as a strictly independent story focusing on an event discussed in the previous (but latter set) anime, but also because there’s a ton of exposition thrust the viewer’s way, especially in the opening episode which is a huge info dump which tries to set the scene. This amount of information is presented in a rather laborious fashion, with almost completely static scenes animated at a distance with only the faint movement of lips to make it an animation.
Don’t let that first episode put you off though, as the budget and looks were obviously all saved for later episodes for when the plot truly gets moving. The story focuses on the Holy Grail War, in which people fight t obtain the legendary grail. In a neat twist though, the grail itself chooses 7 participants in this war and allows each to summon a warrior to represent them in the form a historical figure from legendary stories around the world. This allows for a much more personal battle, and also sees a diverse range of characters each with their own reasons for fighting. Although it makes for a lot of different perspectives, it also harms the storytelling as we’re constantly pushed back and forth between masters and their warriors, with some being far more interesting than others. Suprisingly enough, it’s the child murderer and his equally twisted servant who are the most fun to watch, mostly because they have the closest bond.
The number of ideas in the show is so huge that it can also become quite distracting. There’s the humour of historical figures in a present day setting, complex battle mechanics which are too in line with the video game origins, and shifts in tone which become very hard to handle. One minute we see a servant comically trying on a T-shirt and the next we see young children’s heads being crushed. More cohesion is needed to make these elements truly work in tandem, but as many of the masters and servants are working separately in these opening episodes, the writers seem t struggle building a bridge.
The show does begin to finds its footing in the later episodes, as more of the servants make others aware of their presence. This also allows for further exploration of all characters; especially when they sit down to discuss their beliefs concerning pride and honour. Action junkies will also be impressed with the animation. It does manage to shift tone, unlike the writing, with truly gruesome imagery digging its way deep under the skin, but also bright colours and excellent representation of lighting used for the lighter moments. Solid enjoyment, but it will take full concentration to keep up with developments.
[usr=3]Fate/Zero Part 1 is released on DVD and Blu-ray in both standard and collector’s editions via MVM.
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