Amateur Recommendation Hour: Fate/Zero

Today’s recommendation comes way of the master of tragedy Gen Urobuchi and animation studio Ufotable, who you may be familiar with through their work on Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba. We will be looking at Fate/Zero as a standalone work and not as it’s place in it’s larger universe. Though I certainly wouldn’t blame someone for wanting more after viewing, it also works effectively as a singular piece of art in and of itself.

A man driven by his fiercest desires in diametric opposition to a man driven by seemingly nothing, fighting, killing, surviving, and striving for something shining in the distance. That light in the distance, it’s as frigid and uncaring as it warm and welcoming. It’s repulsive and deceptive, but any man worth his ambition wants it so long as he himself burns as brightly as it does.

Fate/Zero (when speaking one disregards the slash “Fate Zero”) serves as the prequel/beginning point to the sprawling and long running “Fate” series, so knowledge of prior events, characters, and storylines is not required to enjoy this masterpiece nor is an understanding of the conventions as they are explained well in the expository opening episode. I would imagine those more familiar with the series up to this point might get more out of it than those who are not. Though I can only speak for myself when I say I went into Fate/Zero completely blind and had no issue learning the conventions of the universe and the rules of The Holy Grail War if that gives you more comfort for potentially diving in headfirst.

Seven individuals with rare and remarkable magic abilities, are chosen to compete in The Holy Grail War. A once in 60 years event in which the competitors and their Servants many of whom are famous historical figures or characters from mythology, compete for the wish-granting and enigmatic Holy Grail. The reasons why each individual is chosen are unclear, but each has unique and relatable reasons for aspiring to be its champion when it is all said and done. The characterization of each Master is variable with their importance to the overall plot but even so, for the most part they are fleshed out, believable people through their momentary ticks and actions relative to the world in which Fate/Zero takes place. While the dialogue is superbly cerebral, it is given particular license to shine when each respective Servant is communicating with another and/or their Masters, unbound by the 1990s fiction Fukyuki City as a setting but through the eyes of a convergent mythology, fantasy, history, and their bridge to the modern setting. 

The war itself earns its name, with how often its rules are circumvented by those smart enough to scoff at the so called “rules of engagement” it is as much a physical war as it is psychological warfare. Its brutality is measured in both regards. That can as quickly shatter one’s body as it does their mind. Bullets fly, swords clash, spells are cast. But it never feels like a bigtop spectacle, as war most certainly is not. The gravity is conveyed brilliantly through its use of color, it's musical score provided by Yuki Kajiura, and the emotional weight of each given spurt of conflict.

It would be impossible to compliment the triumph that is Fate/Zero without first giving a nod to the incredible team at Ufotable under the direction of Ei Aoki to create as visually arresting a work as you might ever see. The fluidity of animation, the splash of color, the particle effects and the seamless usage of 3D effects against a two-dimensional scheme are but a few of the visual flairs that make Fate/Zero as astounding as it truly looks. Brought to as much life, death, and luster as one could possibly imagine. You wouldn’t want to partake in the Holy Grail War, but my goodness is it beautifully tragic to watch. While I personally love the look of the animation cells of the 90s (and will always prefer the purity of), it’s hard not to see the scope of digital animation when it is given such a shiny coat of paint as Fate/Zero always is.

My personal interpretation of this work is that it is a criticism of idealism. Just because you desire something for the world or believe it is right, does not mean that it will happen, for every action there is an equal or opposite reaction. We hold these ideals within ourselves, every single one of us. We believe them to be true to our last dying breath only to be confronted with cold reality. But does that not make it worth fighting for? Even if it is not neatly laid out in front of us as we all hoped it would be? The smallest successes can even be considered a fulfillment of these ideals, even if the grandiose is where our expectations laid, it shouldn’t mean compromising everything that we can truly be in our most valuable moments of existence.

As someone who is, as of writing this piece, making their way through the larger Fate universe, I feel it has more in common with Star Wars than any other series I can think of. Though not nearly as long running nor expansive as the space opera, it is the dramatic inversions, the familiar lineage and (at it’s peak anyways) the sense of tragedy and weight to each major encounter anyone who considers themselves a fan of Lucas’ long running galaxy trotter should consider giving the Fate series a look starting with Zero.