July 23rd, 2013 
AstroNerdBoy Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya Episode 02 REVIEW
Fate/kaleid liner プリズマ☆イリヤ
SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:
Rin, Ruby, and Ilya enter Ilya’s room where Rin sets out to explain that she is a mage who’d been charged, along with another girl and the “idiot stick: (the Mystic Code magic wand), to gather Class Cards. Rin has one, called Archer, and she explains that Class Cards are very powerful and very dangerous in the wrong hands. Since Ruby has rebelled and chosen Ilya as Master, Rin is forced to go along and use Ilya to complete her mission. Ilya really isn’t thrilled about this. Her late night talk with Rin has her falling asleep in class the next day, getting her into trouble. After school, she ditches cleaning duties to race home. In her locker, she finds what she thinks is a love letter, only to discover it is a demand from Rin to meet her at midnight or else.
After some magic girl “training” by Ruby, Ilya sneaks out of the house with Ruby and meets Rin at the school at midnight. Rin wants Ilya to transform into her magic girl gear, so the reluctant Ilya heads to the girl’s toilet to do the deed since she finds the whole thing so embarrassing. Rin says they are at the site of the card and has Ruby send them to the Mirror World where the card is actually hiding. A shape appears and takes the form of Rider, the female humanoid version of the card they must capture. Ilya is shocked and dismayed to learn that they have to battle this mysterious woman. Rin uses her magecraft to attack Rider, but Rider is not affected by Rin’s abilities. Ilya is again dismayed to learn that she has to now deal with Rider.
Rider attacks with one of her chains, brushing the back of Ilya. While Rin watches from a safe distance, Ilya flees from Rider, who gives chase. Since they can’t make any distance, Ruby instructs Ilya on how to vision an offensive attack and perform it through Ruby. Ilya does this and lands a massive ranged attack on Rider. Ilya is reluctant to finish off Rider until Rider recovers and attacks again. With Rin cheering from her safe spot, Ilya launches attacks that fail to hit. Ruby shows Ilya how to perform an area attack which Ilya does, but the effect on Rider is limited. With Rider about to attack massively, another magic girl appears, using the Lancer Class Card with her wand, and defeats Rider. With Rider now changed back into a card, Ilya wonders who the girl is as she turns and looks her and Rin.
Thoughts/Review:
Ho!ho!ho! This series is proving to be more entertaining that I had expected. ^_^
Last episode, I had already noted the similarities between Cardcaptor Sakura and Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya. This episode accentuated that when Rider showed up and Sakura Ilya had to face her card opponent in battle form.
The fun of the episode is the obvious comedy aspects. For starters, the twist on the “love letter in the shoe locker” was rather humorous since the “love letter” turned out to be a demand from Rin.
I laughed out loud at Ilya going to the bathroom and transforming into her magic girl garb off screen. The “henshin” sequences are a staple of the mahou shoujo genre, where production teams often try to get some cheap, often ecchi, fan service in for the “drooling” otaku by showing the girl’s regular clothing vanish in favor of the magic girl outfit.
I also laughed out loud at Ilya’s decision to haul arse to try to get away from Rider. The traditional, comedic chase moments happened, which despite being old hat, ending up being icing on the cake.
Of course there was Rin, safely hiding and cheering for Ilya from a distance. Considering how Rin was in Fate/stay night (which we saw a taste of when she first faces Rider here), that struck me as rather droll.
The arrival of this new magic girl, combined with how Luvia acted in the first episode, kind of reminded me of Mahou Shoujo Pretty Sammy because of the obvious rivalry that is being set up here. Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha would probably be a better analogy now that I’ve had time to think about it.
I loved seeing female Rider again. Seeing her actually made me sorta want to watch Fate/stay night again, though I know so many of you have been telling me I should just do the visual novel and have done. ^_~
So through two episodes, I have to say I’m pleasantly surprised. I hope the series continues to be this fun.
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Actually, the other magical girl reminded me of Homura Akemi, especially in that conversation with Illya regarding why Illya made a contract with Ruby.
I agree, they also rarely show their emotions.
It could well be purposeful. I haven’t seen Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica so I don’t know anything about the character.
I don’t think it’s intentional. Prisma Illya E1ns was published 2007. Madoka Magica was published… when, 2011? Something like that.
For your information, Rin’s “love letter” is a reference to the Heaven’s Feel route. Shirou runs away from Rin, when he meets her at school. While that scene is pretty funny, it’ll cause an automatic bad end, so it’s not recommended to save after watching that scene…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP_junluhg8
While E1ns (this season/the 10 episodes) is really good, the following series 2wei and 3rei are imo even better. 3rei is currently published and as a longtime Type-Moon fan I can see that the author stays true to many elements of the Fate series. The humor and the action are definitely getting better. So I really hope E1ns will sell well to encourage new productions.
Btw, if you still haven’t watched it yet, Carnival Phantasm is a hilarious parody series of Type-Moon’s two VN flagships Tsukihime and FSN. It’s really lighthearted and funny.
P.S.
Have you actually already heard of the news that ufotable plans to do a new FSN project, now that they are now done with the latest Kara no Kyoukai movie? Some attendees who watched a short PV said, it’s gonna be the HF route and all I have to say about this is:
FUCK YEAH!
1) Thanks for the reference note and the video link. ^_^ I think it is awesome that this series is doing parody bits like that. ^_^
2) I haven’t seen Carnival Phantasm, but looks like I need to add it to my massive list. ^_^;
3) In that case, hopefully new anime series will also follow.
4) I hadn’t heard about a new FSN project, but color me interested for sure. ^_^
Thanks for the info!
Oh btw, I love that we saw an adult Waver/a Lord El-Melloi II animated and voiced. Daisuke Namikawa serious voice sounds really different compared to his whiny voice as Waver.
That was Waver? *lol* Man, I didn’t even recognize him on any level. ^_^;;;
I don’t blame you for not remembering. I posted that info like a year ago as a sidenote in the comments. ^_^
I remember you speaking of Waver and I even looked up up in the Wikia site dedicated to Type Moon back then. But for whatever reason, it just didn’t click when I watched the episode. ^_^;
They made a references to the Mario games showing Illya riding a bullet bill.
Neato. I think I may have played Mario a grand total of one time, maybe twice. ^_^;
The other magical girl’s outfit looks similar to Fate’s from Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha.
That reminds me, I think I saw somewhere that there’s supposed to be some sort of crossover in manga form between Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica and Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha. I’ll have to check into that.
Talking about crossovers reminds me, that a crossover of Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha and Prisma Illya exists, lol. And there are lots of explosions, too! 😉
http://mangafox.me/manga/fate_stay_night_x_magical_girl_lyrical_nanoha/
Heh. Thanks for the link. ^_^
Oh my god. Seeing king of trolling, genuine badass and one of strongest nasuverse characters, Grand Marshall Zelretch animated(even if its just him sitting his back turned to us) was beyond awesome. And on top of it we get Waver/Lord El Melloi II there too?! Too much greatness.
Uhh, its quite depressing that we won’t be getting Season two(Zwei) material right after Season One material,since the first series will only oover the first season of the manga and first season of the manga is pretty much build-up, hinting at various secrets and behind-the-scenes happenings in this universe.
In a way the manga pays homage to Fate/Stay Night routes that way, where “Fate” was pretty much introductory one that set-up characters and did not go too much in depth, UBW was all about characters and moralities clashing and HF was grimdark all the way.
But yeah, its not just comedy. Behind the magical girl facade and all the homages, its a genuine part of nasuverse, with similar themes, mood and set-up as other parts of it.
The name Grand Marshall Zelretch is new to me. ^_^;;;