fate/zero 17

“I shall gladly play the fool.”

(That’s one hell of a “I just backstabbed my mentor” face.)

Probably the worst kept “secret” of Fate/Zero is that Kirei will kill Tousaka, or else we’re talking massive retcons to Fate/Stay Night. But it still didn’t stop me from going, “NOOOOO!” when Tousaka was acting so nice and kind to Kirei. For someone who is supposed to have prepared for this battle all his life, Tousaka did a horrible job in placing so much trust in Kirei and Kirei’s father. Oh pray tell, why wouldn’t they betray you, Mister Tousaka? Men have been betrayed for less.

(Tousaka isn’t exactly Ned Stark here. He knows what it takes to win, yet he places his faith in Kirei? Isn’t this like putting your faith in Tarvaris Jackson as your starting QB? And if you’re going to vote for anyone in the NFL to pull a Kirei, wouldn’t it be Tebow? Can’t you just see him undermining Sanchez?)

In summary, Kirei figuratively fucked Tousaka in the ass so he could literally fuck Gilggy in the ass. Just so we’re clear. I wish Gilggy stated his reason for all of this betrayal: “I’m not going to rape Saber. I’m going to fuck her. You don’t know how persuasive I can be.”

(Oh Salladhor Saan… why aren’t you getting more screentime?! I feel like A Song of Fire and Ice is 85% filler… which is basically Bleach except of political posturing instead of ridiculous battle posturing.)

Saber gets a motorcycle and a ponytail? Madness. Is the motorcycle a bribe from Kirei after killing Lancer the previous episode? Like if Kirei were still pissed at Saber, wouldn’t he have just gotten her a ten-speed bike or a Vespa instead? Or is this scene justification for all the Saber biker figures?

Irisviel confiding in Maiya is a bit funny in that they’re both sleeping with the same guy. This just doesn’t happen in real life– I’ve watched enough Basketball Wives, 90210, and Skins to know that women will not confide in women that sleep with their men. Instead, they will try to undermine and kill each other. Ah anime fiction… giant robots dodging lasers? Robotic cat from the future? Little animal giving girls magical abilities? Genderswapped King Arthur, Nobunaga, and Cao Cao? All of these things more believable then women who are sleeping with the same guy confiding in each other. That’s how bizarre this scene is to me. I guess I understand why Gen had to do it since Irisviel couldn’t talk with Kiritsugu (since she’s freezing him out) or Saber about her condition (well, she could talk with Kiritsugu), so that just leaves Maiya.

(How did Irisviel have a baby if she is a homunculus? She lived that long prior to the war that she was able to woo Kiritsugu and deliver a baby? And suddenly she starts falling apart in a few weeks of war?)

A heartbreaking scene as it seems like Tousaka’s waifu knows he isn’t coming back. And Rin is oblivious despite receiving her daddy’s precious book.

Irisviel is a pretty good negotiator, though it seems like poor Iskandar and Waver are the next to go. It would be disappoint if Iskandar went down in anything other than a massive blaze of glory (but knowing this series, he might be his food poisoned by Kiritsugu). And Waver will probably have a gruesome death as well. My biggest disappointment of this season has been the lack of Iskandar being a bro to Waver. Those were some of my favorite moments of the first season. More Brokandar, less Gilggy acting like a Targaryen.

Et tu, Brute? Three MVPs…

1. Fujiko’s ponytail.

2. Saber’s ponytail.

3. Chitanda’s ponytail.

10 Responses to “fate/zero 17”

  1. The questions about how Irisviel was able to conceive a child and all that is answered with the Drama CD that came with the first blu-ray box, but basically Irisviel was created with all of the functions of a human female, reproductive system included.

    Additionally, Kiritsugu already knows about Irisviel’s current state (see the very first scene of the series) so the only one that doesn’t know is Saber.

    As for why she’s coming apart now: she’s the grail. Her personality is merely a constructed shell created to protect the grail before it is ready. Now that the war is progressing the grail is getting rid of the shell like how a chick hatches from an egg.

  2. also, despite what you may think, Kiritsugu isn’t boning Maiya :P

  3. Saber gets a motorcycle and a ponytail? Madness. Is the motorcycle a bribe from *Kiritsugu* after killing Lancer the previous episode? Like if *Kiritsugu* were still pissed at Saber, wouldn’t he have just gotten her a ten-speed bike or a Vespa instead? Or is this scene justification for all the Saber biker figures?

  4. Wow, that last image sure doesn’t look like SUPRIES BUTTSECKS.

  5. I have to say that Tousaka was an arrogant man in a way so I was glad for Kirei’s backstabbing ways. But I have to give Gilgamesh props for his majestic (insane sociopath thinking) talk to Kirei’s beginning of darkness. Give me a show with just Gilgamesh and Kyubey in the cast and it will be a new Dick Wolf’s Law and Order.

  6. Kirei was someone Tousaka has known for quite a while and trusted. Not to mention he was evil till he met Gil since he viewed his desires as a sin and refused to engage them. Not to mention his father wasn’t evil either and Kirei even said his father didn’t understand him just like Tousaka. He was justified in trusting both of them.

  7. That grin needs to be wider. Like, Code Geass wide.

  8. I just have to wonder, if we were able to see Kirei’s eyes as he stabbed Tousaka, would they have remained as dead looking as they always do, or would we have finally seen some light in them? I mean, dead eyes would have been like Grade A creepy, but my imagination fails me for what Kirei would look like with some actual life in his eyes.

  9. “Or is this scene justification for all the Saber biker figures?”

    AHAHAHAHAHA. You’ll see the real reason for all those figures in a few episodes.

  10. I find hilarious that Gilgamesh and Kirei were having the betrayal conversation in Kotomine’s dark bedroom in the novels (Kirei happened to be sitting on his bed when Gil glittered inside).

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