May 13th, 2009 
AstroNerdBoy フェイト／ステイナイト Ep 07
Fate/stay night episode 07
SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:
Saber confronts Shirou about his confrontation with Rider and the fact that he did not summon her. She also does not like it that he has partnered up with an enemy – Rin. He tries to play down her concerns and Saber does agree that a partnership with Rin does afford Shirou an opportunity to learn more. After a large breakfast, she plans to accompany he and Sakura to school. Before they can leave, they discover Rin there, who’s planning on talking with her new partner. Sakura is distressed by Rin’s appearance and hurriedly leaves for school. Since Rin is there, Saber is convinced to stay home.
Upon entering the school grounds, Shirou has a terrible feeling that Rin believes is coming from the barrier. Shirou agrees to meet her on the roof at noon to plan a course of action. When noon comes, Shirou sees Sakura and decides to clear the air with her. Upon doing this, an annoyed Rin shows up to remind Shirou of their meeting. They head to the roof where Rin states that they will be unable to lower the barrier but they will be able to weaken it, likening their actions to adding cold water to a pot of near-boiling water. After school, Shirou uses his ability to sense out the spell spots for the barrier and Rin deactivates them.
Once the job is done Rin and Shirou have a canned coffee before Rin goes home. After she’s gone, Shirou gets a sense of something wrong and returns to the school. He goes to the one building that he and Rin did not enter and discovers a large magic circle on the wall. Rider appears as does Shinji, who orders Rider back. Shinji then suggest that he and Shirou play, something they haven’t done in a long time.
Thoughts/Review:
Obviously, I was reading too much into things last episode as it does appear that Shinji is Rider’s master, seeing as how Ayako was found comatose. So how does Sakura fit into the equation, if at all? One would think she’d be more upset over her brother’s apparent disappearance but she shows no sign of that.
While I’m thinking of it, how could Rin and Shirou be so blind 
as to miss the biggest place as to the source of the school barrier? Yeah, yeah – a plot device. However, this is a case where logic fails in the story writing IMO. We’ll see how things pan out next episode though. Still, I did like how well they worked together in clearing the spell points for the barrier.
Getting back to Sakura, this episode has her playing the role of “I’m so in love with Senpai” and getting upset about Rin 
stopping by to visit that morning. Then Shirou has to play the nice guy bit to assure her that there’s nothing going on between him and Rin. The whole thing is fairly clichéd and it made me wonder why Fujimura doesn’t make more of an issue of Sakura doting on Shirou so much. I guess that a free meal is good enough to buy her off or Sakura has confessed her feelings for Shirou to Fujimura but has decided not to act on them. I guess we’ll find out more as time goes on.
I’m somewhat surprised at how little we’ve seen Archer or Saber when it comes to action. Saber is more understandable since Shirou is so weak. However, Rin can bring Archer forward at any time without using a command spell, so why isn’t Archer being used more? I figure it can’t be too much longer before Shirou will be forced to use a command spell and summon Saber though.
Despite a few minor story flaws, I still like what I’m seeing overall. ^_^
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“However, Rin can bring Archer forward at any time without using a command spell, so why isn’t Archer being used more? “
The fellow’s still recovering, when Rin sent him away it was to basically save his life.
“While I’m thinking of it, how could Rin and Shirou be so blind as to miss the biggest place as to the source of the school barrier?”
Did they ever really leave the area of the main school building in their search.
And I’ve a question, has there ever been a decent, upright Shinji in anime? It’s almost like “this is Shinji,” and you know he’s going to be either one of the bad guys or a mess of neuroses.
And the F/SN apologist steps up again. ^-^
Hugh Roe is right that Archer is recovering. Saber caught him completely flat footed (if he wasn’t hurt, he’d be causing events to move in a different direction). Besides, Rider is the weakest Servant they’ve encountered so far; her master is even worse than Shirou. Rider’s stats are way down with Shinji as her master. So, Archer hasn’t been necessary.
As for Rin and Shirou missing the seals, Rider has left a false trail. It would be too easy if it were as easily detectable to a magus. Also, Rider’s barrier is of a level no modern Magus would have ever encountered; it’s a Noble Phantasm. Shirou just happens to be better at detecting the source seals than Rin.
Shinji is telling the truth that a Magus family only has one heir. The magic crest cannot be shared (excepting one known family, the Edelfelts who split their family’s crest and ran a pair of sisters as Masters in the Third Fuyuki Grail Ritual). Even if all the Matou have to pass on is knowledge instead of Magic Circuits, they still follow this tradition.
Sakura wouldn’t make a big deal about Shinji being off on his own affairs. He does what he wants (the two of them have no parents and their grandfather is very distant). Besides, she’s probably relieved to have him gone. >:P
Sakura is more upset by the disruption to the quiet life she’s been enjoying lately. She’s been quite content with the situation and feels resolved to the idea that Shirou sees her only as his Kouhai and that her feelings won’t be reciprocated. Besides, she isn’t dumb; she knows something highly unusual is going on.
Mostly, it’s the fact that it’s Rin who’s interfering. Saber is one thing, but Rin is totally different. If there’s one person Sakura does not want upsetting her situation, it’s Rin.
Keep up the great work on blogging this. It’s always exciting for me to see someone’s reactions as they go through this show. 😉
I don’t remember how this was in the game, it’s been a few years since the last time I played it, but maybe Shinji purposely made the last seal detectable after Rin left to have a chance to talk with Shirou?
@Hugh Roe
*lol* I can’t remember any normal Shinji character as well, maybe it’s a cursed name? 😉
Keep up the great work on blogging this. It’s always exciting for me to see someone’s reactions as they go through this show. 😉
And thank you and everyone else who has been keeping me so well informed. I love the great information. ^_^
Ne, the barrier (Bloodfort Andromeda) is Rider’s Noble Phantasm? But didn’t she say that wasn’t her Noble Phantasm, but “something else”?…
Ne, too bad that my favorite servant doesn’t make so many appearances in the anime *sighs*
@meganekko
I think Bloodfort Andromeda was one of Rider’s Noble Phantasms in the game.
If you want more Rider, you should play the game, she makes a lot of appearances in the 3rd route. And then there’s Fate/Hollow Ataraxia with a bit of moe Rider. 😉