November 23rd, 2011 
AstroNerdBoy フェイト/ゼロ
Fate/Zero – 08
SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:
In the mansion, Emiya springs his surprise weapon on Kayneth, penetrating his mercury barrier and injuring the man before fleeing, leaving the enraged Kayneth to follow. Outside, Maiya is escorting Iri to safety when Iri senses Kirei approaching. She convinces Maiya to stay and prevent Kirei from reaching Emiya since both care for him a great deal. When Kirei arrives at their location, Maiya attacks with illusions and gunfire before Kirei has his own illusion go down as if killed. Iri senses the trap, but it is too late and Kirei severely beats Maiya. Iri uses her magic to create a bird that then binds Kirei’s hands and then binds him to a tree. However, Kirei shows his power by breaking the tree in half and then beating Maiya again.
Elsewhere, Saber and Lancer are making no progress with Caster, who has been toying with them. Saber has a plan and Lancer agrees to it. Saber uses a Strike Air attack, causing a powerful stream of air that Lancer runs with and is able to strike Caster’s Noble Phantasm spell book and cause the plant minions to disappear. Back in the castle, Kayneth has found Emiya and promises a long, torturous death to Emiya and falls into Emiya’s trap to use maximum magic to defend against bullets. Outside, Lancer senses the danger and in doing so, Caster takes the opportunity to escape. Saber tells Lancer to go to his Master as she and Lancer will settle things like knights. However, she is irritated that things have gone the way Emiya said they would.
Emiya’s Mystic Code gun fires one of his Origin Bullets, which easily goes through Kayneth’s magical defenses and uses his own magic against him, nearly killing him. Lancer arrives and defends Kayneth. He tells Emiya that he, as Saber’s true Master, is only alive because of the knight’s agreement with Saber. As such, Lancer will defend Kayneth and take him to safety, which Emiya has no choice but silently agree to. Outside, Kirei has Iri by the throat, demanding to know who ordered her to stop him. Understanding that she’s the Grail container and Emiya is the likely true Master, Kirei comes to discover that the girls were protecting Emiya of their own accord. A female Assassin reports that Saber is coming, so Kirei puts three blades into Iri’s belly to see the color of her blood before leaving.
Iri wakes to see a worried Saber over her and holding her. Iri asks about Kirei, whom Saber says has departed. Iri asks about Maiya, whom Saber says is terribly injured but not as bad as Iri due to Iri’s loss of blood. Saber is unhappy with herself since had she been there quicker, Kirei wouldn’t have been able to do this. She wants to go get Emiya, but Iri sits up and stops her, her wounds healing themselves. That’s because the scabbard Avalon is sealed within Iri and gains power from Saber, thus when Saber touched Iri, Avalon began healing Iri. Saber is surprised by Iri’s mysterious healing (as Iri does not reveal the truth) and Iri heals Maiya. She knows they were lucky, but feels relieved that she has a companion to protect Emiya from Kirei.
Thoughts/Review:
While we’ve seen Emiya acting as assassin to be a “mage killer,” his Mystic Code gun is certainly a game changer. Further to that, having the Origin Bullets use a mages own power against them is just wicked and a half. Kayneth is very lucky indeed, but then so is Emiya.
Also lucky are Iri and Maiya. Kirei could have killed both ladies and had Iri not had Avalon sealed inside her, she would have died. If she’s the Grail container, then what would Kirei have done?
Iri and Maiya have certainly come to an interesting relationship. Both love Emiya to some degree or other and so both will do whatever to protect him.
So, Kirei now knows that Iri isn’t Saber’s Master and Lancer knows Emiya is the true Master of Saber. How long until everyone knows this? How does this effect Emiya’s strategy?
Speaking of Lancer and Saber, it is a shame that one will have to die since both are so honorable.
Its not really a problem, but through eight episodes, things are going almost too conveniently to make sure no one dies. I know that eventually this will change, but Caster gets away, Kayneth escapes twice now, other fights get aborted, doing whatever it takes to make sure the status quo remains the same.
In the end, there were some minor plot advancements and Kayneth has possibly learned a valuable lesson, but nothing is resolved anywhere. The hunt for Caster should likely continue and we’ll see what happens next.
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I am a little annoyed that the anime left out certain details. Like the fact that Kirei’s Priest outfit(standard uniform for all executors) is lined with kevlar and protection spells, making it bulletproof. The other thing they left out is why he stabbed Iri, cause it wasnt that he was interested in her blood color.
He didn’t stab Iri just to see her blood, he stabed her because he just heard that SABER, one of the most dangerous servants was heading towards him. Even with Assassin there, Kirei knows he will die against Saber. Humans cant beat servants, and Assassin can’t beat Saber. He also wouldn’t have a chance of outrunning Saber’s speed. He stabbed Iri so that Saber would be forced to choose between chasing and killing him or saving Iri’s life. It was pure tactics, that little comment about her blood was just him being surprised that an artifical being like her would have red blood like a human.
Um… why is Emiya lucky? It’s the opposite, he’s unlucky to have a Servant who is stupid enough to let go of an enemy Servant who could finish him off easily. And even if it’s the honorable Lancer, Command Spell(if Kayneth had been conscious, still, Saber can’t know that) —> boom, dead Kiritsugu, “dead” Saber. Oh, and I agree with takashid, too many details left out. The last two episodes seem to be too rushed, having finished two Acts with two episodes.
Oh, Kayneth learned his lesson… for a high price. He’ll never ever be able to use magic again and his limbs are pretty much dead, since his nerves were also destroyed.
If she’s the Grail container, then what would Kirei have done?
Wait, you already said she IS the grail vessel and Kirei pointed that out, too. And as if he cares whether the war ends like the 3rd one with a broken vessel, although he did it to escape, as takashid pointed that out already. He doesn’t want the grail, he wants to seek his answers from Kiritsugu. Else there would be no reason to enter the Einzbern forest.
I am a little annoyed that the anime left out certain details. Like the fact that Kirei’s Priest outfit(standard uniform for all executors) is lined with kevlar and protection spells, making it bulletproof.
I wondered about that. I guess I assumed it was magic.
He stabbed Iri so that Saber would be forced to choose between chasing and killing him or saving Iri’s life.
Well, that makes sense and certainly changes that scene.
Oh, Kayneth learned his lesson… for a high price. He’ll never ever be able to use magic again and his limbs are pretty much dead, since his nerves were also destroyed.
Didn’t realize the scope there. ^_^; Wow.
Wait, you already said she IS the grail vessel and Kirei pointed that out, too.
Well, I’m covering myself in case it is just presumed that she’s the Grail container. I say this because everyone said that Iri was the Master (though the audience knew better).
im starting to hate this show. nobody is being killed off like in battle royale. its getting kinda annoying/boring
Off-topic: There is a Tron: Legacy manga: http://somethingorotherscans.com/tron.html lol!
MangaUpdates: http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=67383
@Lan
That’s what you get for watching the show weekly. It’s like in Negima, people get annoyed because the progress seems to be slow, but after having read the complete arc as a whole, the pace is good enough. Take your time and watch it again either after the first or second cour ended. Alternatively, you could just read the novel, all 4 volumes were fully translated half a year ago. :>
After all, Fate/Zero was released in only four volumes. Reading the story in larger parts does not give the impression that Urobutchi had to kill off a character at that time. And also, that just means many Servants and Masters will fall in the second half, so maybe it’s better for you to just wait patiently until the series has ended. (minor spoiler, beware) But I can at least guarantee you that at least one Servant will die at the end of the first cour.
The problem to divide two volumes in 20min episodes is also one of the reasons why they release the blu-rays in box sets and not in volumes.
for the limited episode run, i would have expected more deaths by now. if its (semi) following the novel then thats fine. maybe everyone is killed off in one big battle at the end or something.
i never really cared for this franchise. im only watching this because i watched the 1st series, and that there isnt much else this season.
@evgenidb — thanks. ^_^
im starting to hate this show. nobody is being killed off like in battle royale. its getting kinda annoying/boring
I haven’t gotten bored, but it does seem unnatural that no one has been killed off yet.
Reading the story in larger parts does not give the impression that Urobutchi had to kill off a character at that time.
Well, there is that element. As you mentioned, this is the case with Negima!
i never really cared for this franchise. im only watching this because i watched the 1st series, and that there isnt much else this season.
There’s something about it that has always intrigued me, which is why I watched it in the first place (though as a Johnny-come-lately).