Anime Reviews #2: Fate/Zero

Fate/Zero; the potential prequel to Type Moon's second franchise; the Fate/ series, was originally a light novel. The anime roots sprung from the light novel and made the show a profound display of a magical war in a world unchained from the laws of common mortals and norms, as it turned after the "servants" arrival.

Like its predecessor Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Zero shows the events of yet another Holy Grail War prior to the war in Fate/Stay Night. However, as is not known by many, Fate/Stay  Night was originally a visual novel and considerably limited Fate/Zero's story telling as a result of that. The poor anime adaptation of F/SN doesn't show that much of promise and due to this, people consider F/Z better than F/SN; while the opposite holds true in actuality. 

ANIMATION(8/10):

The anime's art style resembles why F/SN(the anime) had and doesn't really add too much eye candy to boast either. The characters' grave and melancholic expressions, however, are one of the things that the developers didn't fail to attain excellence in. In spite of that, the mediocre amount of screen play some of the characters got was con for sure( cannot reveal the identity of whom as there is a potential spoiler threat).

OST(7/10):

Type Moon saw through it to get a beautiful AND horrendous remix of songs for their first entry in the series; Fate/Stay Night, and the anime didn't let any of that go to good. F/Z kinds of follows the same trend as well; the soundtrack isn't as engaging as most folks term it. This is from the perspective of one who has gone through something visually and audibly superior than F/Z in the same franchise, so others might find this ridiculous. The OST really wasn't anything particularly "special". Just your usual run-off-the-mill battle and occasional sad BGMs.

STORY(8.5/10):

This is where Fate/Zero basically shines ,and could shine much, MUCH more, were it not for the hellishly detailed Fate/Stay Night's visual novel that came years before it. Just like its predecessor, there's a horde of servants and masters on each others' necks to attain the Holy Grail and to get a single wish granted. The main factor making the story superior to F/SN's "ANIME" is the intensity of the battles and sly tactics in F/Z, that F/SN clearly didn't portrait. The cast in F/Z is also much more likeable and the story's got a premise to begin with. However, as already stated, Fate/Stay Night's visual novel limited what F/Z could achieve. You can practically get 50% of F/Z's plot outline( AND the ending; in detail even more than F/Z itself!) were you to go with F/SN's visual novel itself, and NOT the anime.  

VERDICT( 8/10):

All in all, Fate/Zero is a fine and likeable experience through the warring world of the magi and their greeds, desires, wishes; and the servants to fulfil them by attaining the Holy Grail for their masters. You're bound to run into confusions and questions if you just nonchalantly start the anime. Fate/Zero was made with the presumption that people will have read/played Fate/Stay Night's visual novel and so will not feel lost at the most parts. Do note that a LOT of plot of Fate/Zero shall be revealed if you decide to go with the visual novel of Stay Night beforehand. However, that's how it's actually meant to be done, and also how Type Moon believed it would go. And no, reading Fate/Zero's light novel instead of the anime will not do you too much good, either. In the end, it's up to you how you decide to go with the franchise.